Śrī Gopāla Serves Mahāprabhu
Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa respectfully invited Mahāprabhu to his house. He washed the Lord’s feet and drank the water with all his family members and sprinkled it around the household. Gopāla, the son of Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa, became overwhelmed in ecstatic love by drinking Mahāprabhu’s foot bath water. Although he tried to control himself, his hairs stood on end, he shivered in ecstatic love, and he fell unconscious.
Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa’s form has been described in Bhakti Ratnākara as follows:
kivā gopālera śobhā sarvāṅga sundara
jiniyā campaka cāru-varṇa-manohāra
kivā mukha padma dīrgha nayana yugala
kivā bhuru bhāla nāsā tilaka ujjvala
śutiyuga ganta kivā grīvāra valanī
kivā vānta vakṣapīna kṣīna mājhakhāni
kivā jhānu jhāngha-yuga caraṇa lalāma
paridheṣa vasaṇa bhūṣana anupama
tale tale gopālera vaḍaye saundarya
dekhiyā adbhuta teja kevā dhare dhairya
Gopāla was a beautiful youth whose complexion was bright like a golden campaka flower. He had large eyes and eyebrows, and his forehead was adorned with bright vaiṣṇava-tilaka. How beautiful were his ears and neck! How beautiful were his hands, chest, and thin waist! How beautiful were his thighs, knees, and reddish feet! He wore splendid clothes and was decorated with many ornaments. Everyone was attracted by his ever-increasing beauty and form.
Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa was compassionate and poetic. He was an excellent singer, dancer, and musician. From a young age he had taste for studying devotional scriptures and he began studying Sanskrit grammar.
Having met Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who was his life and soul, Gopāla engaged himself happily in His service. He would wash Mahāprabhu’s clothes, accompany Him to the Kāveri, and massage His feet. He remained close by Mahāprabhu at all times and in this way served Him with utmost sincerity.
Gopāla’s father, Śrī Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa, was pleased on seeing Gopāla’s sincere service to Śrī Gaurāṅga. He offered his son to the service of Mahāprabhu and his life became successful. Gopāla stayed with Gaurahari throughout the day.
Gopāla's Dream
Gopāla was not satisfied to see Caitanya Mahāprabhu as a sannyāsī and would lament with a choked voice, “O Providence, why was I born in this distant place? Why was I forced to see Mahāprabhu in the garb of an ascetic and not given the good fortune to witness His enchanting Nadīyā pastimes, which attract the whole world? I could not see His pastimes of distributing love of God through the chanting of the holy names. To see His beautiful black hair and attractive attire is the perfection of the human eyes. I have no desire to see Him without a śikhā and a brahmin-thread. How cruel you are to let Him live the life of a mendicant? When will I see Him in His original form as Vrajendra-nandana Śyāmasundara, the beloved of Śrīmatī Rādhārānī.”
Lamenting in this way, Gopāla cried as if mad and sighed, with hot heavy breaths. Śrī Gaurahari, who is compassionate to the helpless, who has descended for the sake of delivering the fallen, and who is the life and soul of the devotees, lost His composure seeing the suffering of His eternal associate. Therefore, when Gopāla fell asleep, Śrī Sacinandana Gaurahari, who is none other than Vrajendra-nandana, came to him in a dream.
Gaurasundara, the moon of Nadīya, who is all-auspicious for the world, was strolling around the eternal, transcendental abode of Māyāpura, made of wish-fulfilling touchstones, full of desire trees, and which is greater than even Vaikuṇṭha. Gopāla was in His company. Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrī Advaita Ācārya lovingly embraced Gopāla, but as they began speaking, his dream ended.
Gopāla became stunned and looked around in astonishment. Realizing it was a dream, he anxiously went to find Mahāprabhu. Seeing Gopāla, Mahāprabhu mercifully revealed Himself in the form of a beautiful, blackish cowherd boy (vraja-kiśora). A few moments later, Mahāprabhu revealed His original golden complexioned form as Sacinandana Gaurahari, the Lord of Māyāpura.
The radiance of Gaurasundara’s beauty shone throughout the entire universe. Who can describe the beauty of His curly hair resting on His shoulders? His broad forehead was decorated by Vaiṣṇava tilaka, His eyebrows were artistically raised, and His loving glance churned the heart of all women. His beautiful face rid the autumn moon of its pride and His smile rained nectar. His beautiful dhotī folded in three places and was decorated with various ornaments, and His mālatī garland mesmerized the mind.
Gopāla gazed at Mahāprabhu’s beauty and fell at his feet, but Mahāprabhu reassumed His sannyāsī form. He then pacified the weeping Gopāla and gave him some instructions. He ordered him to go to Vṛndāvana and meet His two very dear associates, Rūpa and Sanātana. He told him to serve them, write books on vaiṣṇava-siddhānta and etiquette, describe the principles about observing God’s appearance days and other sacred Vaiṣṇava festivals, and assist them in their vraja-sevā. He also said He would come to him in Vṛndāvana and that he should make some arrangements for His stay.
Having thus instructed Gopāla, Mahāprabhu placed him on His lap and bathed him with His tears. Mahāprabhu told Gopāla to keep His instructions secret and not discuss them with anyone.
Mahāprabhu Leaves Śrī Raṅgam
Knowing that Mahāprabhu would leave, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī asked if he could accompany Him, but Mahāprabhu said, “Your parents are Vaiṣṇavas; serve them. Once they have passed away, then go to Vṛndāvana.” In this way, Mahāprabhu pacified Gopāla.
The thought that Mahāprabhu would leave Śrī Raṅgam after four months of Caturmāsya plagued the three brothers Trimalla, Veṅkaṭa, and Śrī Prabhodānanda. They wondered how they would be able to spend their days after Mahāprabhu had left. “Who will joke with us,” they asked each other, “who will go with us to bathe in the Kāverī? With whom will we perform saṅkīrtana in the temple of Raṅganātha and who will distribute the jewels of devotion to worthless fellows like us? Without Mahāprabhu, Śrī Raṅgam will become empty.”
Tears streamed silently down their faces, but they did not speak their mind to anyone. At the end of the four months of Cāturmāsya, before Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu departed, He approached Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa and asked his permission to leave. Hearing Mahāprabhu’s request, Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa, Trimalla, and Śrī Prabhodānanda cried out in anguish and fell on the ground at His feet. Mahāprabhu affectionately embraced the three brothers and pacified them.
Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa wanted to go with Mahāprabhu and not return home, but with great endeavor Mahāprabhu bade him farewell and left. Out of separation from the Lord, Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa fell unconscious.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu then continued His journey further South. After traversing for many days Mahāprabhu returned to Nīlācala, where He was united with His devotees. Sometime later, Mahāprabhu visited Bengal and traveled to Vṛndāvana, meeting many of His followers. After visiting Vraja, Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to Jagannātha Puri.
Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa and his two brother’s sadness increased out of separation from the Lord. Gopāla Bhaṭṭa’s separation from Mahāprabhu was beyond description. He remembered Mahāprabhu’s promise that soon his desire would be fulfilled and that He would come to see him in Vṛndāvana.
Immersed in love of Śrī Gauracandra, he felt happiness speaking Mahāprabhu’s glories.
Gopāla Bhaṭṭa is an intimate maidservant of Śrīmatī Rādhikā, whom Mahāprabhu had instructed to preach and establish pure vaiṣṇava-dharma. Therefore, along with serving his parents, he spent his time preaching pure devotional service. Even learned scholars would come and listen to him. Everyone became attracted by his saintly qualities and accepted his conclusions on bhakti. Over time, Gopāla uprooted the māyāvāda doctrine and made everyone inclined to pure devotion. He bestowed nāma-prema to countless jīvas.
Educated persons praised Gopāla Bhaṭṭa and were amazed how he had quickly become so learned. One person said, “Not only is Gopāla greatly learned, he is also kind hearted.” Another person said, “Śrī Gopāla’s erudition is beyond compare. This is all due to the mercy of Śrī Prabhodānanda, who taught him since his birth.” Another person said, “Day and night, he always thinks of Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Caitanya.” In this way, everyone glorified Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa.
Gopāla responsibly looked after his parents, who were always happy with him. They felt themselves blessed to have a son who was completely surrendered to the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Before they passed on to the spiritual world, they blessed their son, saying, “Gopāla, you have our blessings to go to Vṛndāvana and serve Caitanya Mahāprabhu.” Remembering the lotus feet of Mahāprabhu, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa’s parents departed this world.
Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī left Śrī Raṅgam and arrived in Vṛndāvana, where he met with Rūpa and Sanātana Gosvāmī, the commanders in chief of Mahāprabhu’s preachers, the crest-jewels of all learned and renounced personalities, and the sun of the dynasty of mahā-bhāgavatas and Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava ācāryas. Gopāla Bhaṭṭa began staying under their guidance and went on darśana with them to all the pastime places in Vraja. Rūpa and Sanātana Gosvāmī showed him special affection, like he was their own brother. Gopāla’s heart swelled with love for Rūpa and Sanātana. He would spend his time with them discussing the loving pastimes of the Lord. The other devotees showered their affection on Gopāla Bhaṭṭa. He became dear to everyone in Vṛndāvana.
Although Mahāprabhu was in Purī at the time, because He was the Supreme Lord, He understood that Gopāla had gone to Vṛndāvana. One day, Mahāprabhu inquired from the devotees if they had heard any news from Vraja. Shortly after this, a letter arrived from Rūpa and Sanātana in Vraja, informing Him of Gopāla Bhaṭṭa’s arrival there. Bhakta-vatsala Gaurahari began to describe Gopāla’s glories to His devotees, as if He had a hundred mouths.
“During My trip to the South, I stayed at the house of Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa. There I met his son Gopāla, who was learned in all scriptures. He would always remain in My company. Śrī Kṛṣṇa has now mercifully sent him to Vṛndāvana into the association of Rūpa and Sanātana. They have kindly sent Me news of Gopāla’s arrival there.”
The devotees present, like Svarūpa Damodāra, Rāya Ramānanda, Kāśīśvara, Gadādhara Paṇḍita, and other intimate devotees, were happy to hear Mahāprabhu recollect His trip to the South. The Lord praised Rūpa and Sanātana Gosvāmī and sent a reply back to them, saying, “I am very pleased that Gopāla has come. Consider him to be your younger brother.” He also gave His mercy by sending His own cloth seat (āsana) and personal clothes (dor-kaupina and bahir-vāsa) to Gopāla.
Having received the merciful gifts from the Lord, Gopāla would embrace them to his chest and weep loudly, remembering Mahāprabhu. He thought, “How can I sit on that āsana that Mahāprabhu has used?”
Therefore, he carefully preserved it, along with the other cloth. Remembering how Mahāprabhu had sent them to him, his heart would melt in prema, tears of love would flow from his eyes, and his heart would become restless in separation.