Lokanatha Goswami Disappearance
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lokanathakhya-gosvami

shri-lila-manjari pura

   Lokanatha Goswami was known as Lila Manjari in Krishna lila. (Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 187)

   Lokanatha is considered to be Mahaprabhu’s direct disciple and associate. Prior to coming to Navadwip, he lived in the village of Talakharii in Jessore district in what is now Bangla Desh. Prior to that, he lived in Kachna Paria. His father’s name was Padmanabha Chakravarti and his mother Sita Devi. The Bhakti-ratnakara quotes an old verse which confirms this:

shrimad-radha-vinodaika-seva-sampat-samanvitam

padmanabhatmajam shrimal-lokanatha-prabhum bhaje

I worship Lokanatha Prabhu, the son of Padmanabha, whose life revolved around the wealth of service he possessed in his Deity Radha Vinoda. (Bhakti-ratnakara 1.297)

The descendants of Lokanatha’s brother, Pragalbha Bhattacharya are still living in Talakharii. Bhugarbha Goswami was Lokanatha’s closest friend and constant companion. He was Prema Manjari in Vraja (Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 187).

Lokanatha Goswami renounced the householder ashrama in 1431 of the Shaka era (1510) and came to meet Mahaprabhu in Navadwip. Mahaprabhu immediately told him to go and live in Vrindavan, telling him that it was His own intention to take sannyas very shortly and go there Himself. Lokanatha started to cry when he imagined the Lord with His beautiful curls shorn and the distress the devotees would feel at His departure.

When the Lord saw Lokanatha’s anxiety, He embraced him and consoled him with various spiritual instructions and Lokanatha surrendered completely to Him. When Bhugarbha saw how unhappy Lokanatha was, he decided to accompany him to Vrindavan. The two companions walked through Rajmahal, Tajpur, Purniya, Lukhnow and many holy places before finally arriving in Braj. Though he had come to Vrindavan on Mahaprabhu’s order, he constantly felt intense separation from the Lord, shedding copious tears in his desire to see Him again.

When he got the news that Mahaprabhu had taken sannyas and then gone to Puri and thence to the South on pilgrimage, Lokanatha hurried to Southern India in order to join Him. When he arrived in the South, he heard that Mahaprabhu was no longer there, but had gone to Vrindavan. Lokanatha immediately set off for Vrindavan, hoping to see the Lord there, but by the time he arrived, he heard that the Lord was now in Prayag.

Lokanatha was disappointed, but still determined to see the Lord and decided to set off again for Prayag. This time, however, Mahaprabhu appeared to him in a dream and told him to stop running around and remain in Vrindavan and do his bhajana. Not long afterwards, Rupa, Sanatan, Gopal Bhatta Goswamis and others of the Lord’s associates started coming to live in Braj. Their association cheered him immensely.

Lokanatha Goswami constantly travelled through Braj, ecstatically visiting the various holy places where Krishna had engaged in His pastimes. Once, he came to Khadiravana. Then he visited Kishori Kund near the village of Umarao by Chatravana. He was so impressed by the beauty of the site that he stayed there for some time to do his bhajana in isolation. After being engaged in this way for some time, he developed a deep desire to worship Radha and Krishna in the Deity form. 

The Lord knows the desires of His Devotees and feels Himself obliged to fulfill them. He came personally to give Lokanatha a Deity, telling him that Its name was Radha Vinoda before disappearing. Lokanatha was astonished to see the Deity and then filled with anxiety at the thought that the Lord Himself had come and gone.

But Radha Vinoda cast His sweet glance on Lokanatha and said to him, “I live here on the banks of Kishori Kund in the village of Umarao. I saw your eagerness to serve Me and so I came here Myself. Who else would have brought Me to you? I am very hungry. Quickly prepare something for Me to eat.”

When he heard these words, tears began to flow from Lokanatha’s eyes. He quickly started cooking for Radha Vinoda and then made an offering which the Deity ate with great satisfaction. He then made Him a bed of flowers upon which he placed Him, fanned Him with branches and joyfully massaged His feet. Lokanatha devoted himself in body, mind and soul to Radha Vinoda.

He wondered where he would keep the Deity, and decided to make a large bag which became Radha Vinoda’s Temple. He kept his worshipable Lord constantly close to his heart like a necklace. This attracted the people of Braj to Lokanatha and they wanted to built a house for him and his Deity, but he refused. He was so renounced that he accepted nothing other than what he absolutely needed for the Deity’s service. Narottama Das becomes Lokanatha’s disciple. 

Lokanatha Goswami left this world somewhere around 1510 Shaka (1588-9 AD) in the month of Asharh, on the eighth day of the dark moon. His samadhi tomb is found in the Radha Gokulananda Temple in Vrindavan. His Radha Vinoda Deity is also being served in the same Temple.

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