Life Sketch of Çréla Jéva Gosvämé.
Çréla Jéva Gosvämé, the youngest among the celebrated six Gosvämés of Våndävana, was born in 1511 in Rämakeli, West Bengal. He was the son of Anupama, the younger brother of Rüpa and Sanätana Gosvämés. When he was about three or four years old his uncles renounced their opulent posts as ministers of the muslim king and travelled to Våndävan on the order of Lord Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. Soon after this Jéva's father passed away while returning from Våndävana with his elder brother Çré Rüpa Gosvämé, who was on his way to Jagannätha Puré to visit Lord Caitanya.
Jéva saw Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu when the latter visited Rämakeli on the plea of going to Çré Våndävana. This is stated in Bhakti Ratnäkara by Çré Narahari Cakravarti, çré jévädi saìgopane prabhuke dekhilä. This left an indelible impression on the child's mind. Right from his childhood Çré Jéva had no interest in childish activities. He was keenly interested in his educational pursuits and people were amazed at his brilliance. Even as a young child he worshiped the Deities Kåñëa and Balaräma with great devotion. While still a young student he mastered the Sanskåt grammar, poetry, aesthetics, and so on. Then on the plea of studying neo-logic he travelled to Navadvépa, which was a famous seat of learning. At that time Lord Nityänanda was staying at the house of Çréväsa Paëòit and He had already predicted that soon a great person will arrive in Navadvépa
When Çré Jéva met Lord Nityänanda he fell at his feet. Lord Nityänada blessed Çré Jéva by placing His lotus feet on his head and then out of love he embraced Çré Jéva, who swooned in ecstacy. Seeing the love of Çré Jéva Lord Nityänanda's love welled up like an ocean tide. He took Jéva on parikramä, or circumambulation, of the holy land of Navadvépa. That marked the beginning of the Navadvépa parikramä tradition. Soon after that Lord Nityänanda ordered Çré Jéva to join his two uncles Çré Rüpa and Çré Sanätana in Våndävana.
Çré Jéva started for Våndävana. On the way he stopped in Benäras, the most famous seat of learning in India. It is believed that he studied under the tutelage of Çré Madhusüdana Väcaspati, a disciple of Särvabhauma Bhaööäcärya. Çré Jéva quickly mastered the six systems of Indian philosophy. Seeing his extraordinary brilliance and comprehensive ability the big scholars of Benäras were amazed. Upon completing his studies Çré Jéva continued to Våndävana and there took shelter of Çré Rüpa and Sanätana Gosvämés.
From his two uncles he studied the esoteric principles of devotional service, bhakti-tattva, as taught to them by Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu. Young Jéva assisted them in the work of writing literature, establishing temples, and discovering the places related to Lord Kåñëa's pastimes. Even Çré Rüpa Gosvämé depended on Jéva's help in editing his books. He was the most brilliant and scholarly Vaiñëava of his time, nay of all times. It is to his credit the he produced three of the greatest preachers of Gauòéya Vaiñëavism in Çréla Narottama däs Thäkura, Çréniväsa Äcärya, and Çré Syämänanda Prabhu.
Jéva Gosvämé established the Çré Çré Rädhä Dämodara temple in Våndävana, one of the seven major temples of the town. According to the Bhakti Ratnäkara the Deities were personally sculptured by Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé on the order of Lord Kåñëa in the dream:
svapanädeçe çrérüpa rädhä-dämodare
svahaste nirmäëa kari dila çréjivere
"Being ordered by Çré Çré Rädhä Dämodara Rüpa Gosvämé crafted them in Deity form and gave them to Jéva Gosvämé." Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé spent his last days at this temple being served by Jéva Gosvämé. His samädhi is in the yard to the right side of the temple. It is interesting to note that it is in this temple of Çréla Jéva Gosvämé, the great philosopher of Gauòéya Vaiñëavism, the founder äcärya of the International Society for Kåñëa Consciousness, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedänta Svämé Çréla Prabhupäda, took shelter for many years. He in turn became the great preacher of Gauòéya Vaiñëavism, Kåñëa consciousness, all over the world. His time spent at the temple of Çréla Jéva Gosvämé was for getting empowered by Çréla Jéva Gosvämé to travel to the west and preach, to fulfill the mission of Çré Jéva Gosvämé, who previously sent preachers only to the east.
After the disappearance of Rüpa and Sanätana Gosvämés it is Jéva Gosvämé who shone like a brilliant sun for giving light to the Gauòéya Vaiñëava community, both in Våndävan and in Bengal. He was regarded as the highest authority. People travelled on foot all the way from Bengal just to consult him on the esoteric conclusions of Lord Caitanya's philosophy. He took care of all the pilgrims from Bengal and he had the honor of hosting Çrémati Jähnavä, consort of Nityänanda Prabhu.
Besides maintaining temples, teaching philosophy, receiving guests, and excavating the holy places Çré Jéva Gosvämé composed many books as well as commenting on the writings of Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé and on original texts like Çrémad Bhägavatam.
Some of his works are:
1) Çré Harinämämåta Vyäkaraëam; 2) Tattva, Bhagavat , Paramätmä, Kåñëa, and Préti Sandarbhas; 3) Çré Bhakti rasämåtaçeña; 4) Sarva-saàvädiné; 5) Mädhava Mahotsava; 6) Çré Gopäla Virudävali; 7) Sütra Mallikä; 8) Dhätu Saìgraha; 9) Gopäla Campu (in two parts); 10) Rädhä-Kåñëa arcanä dépikä; 11) Çré Rädhä Kåñëa kara päda cinha; 12) Krama Sandarbha; 13) Laghu vaiñëavatoñané; 14) Gäyatré vivåtti; 15) Gopäla täpané öékä; 16) Brahma Saàhitä öékä; 17) Bhakti Rasämåta Sindhu öékä; 18) Ujjvala Nélamaëi öékä; 19) Bhävärtha sücaka Campu.
All these works total 400,000 verses as stated in the Caitanya Caritämåta, cäri-lakño grantha tenho vistära karilä, "In this way he expanded 400,000 verses in all his books". [C.C. antya 4.231]
This equal to the eighteen Puräëas combined. But among all his literary accomplishments the Ñaö Sandarbhas stand supreme. About them Çréla Kåñëadäs Kavéräj writes in the Caitanya Caritämåta [Antya 4.229]:
bhägavata sandarbha näma kaila grantha sära
bhägavata siddhantera tahän päiye pära
"In particular, Çré Jéva Gosvämé compiled the book named Bhägavata Sandarbha, or Ñaö sandarbha, which is the essence of all scriptures. From this book one can obtain the conclusive understanding of devotional service and the Supreme Personality of Godhead as described in the Çrémad Bhägavatam". Kavéräja Gosvämé further says:
ñaö sandarbha kåñëa prema tattva prakaçila
"In the Ñaö Sandarbha Çré Jéva Gosvämé set forth the truths about the transcendental love of Kåñëa." [C.C.Antya 4.231]
Although many essays have been written on Çrémad Bhägavatam, no body has analyzed as finely as Çréla Jéva Gosvämé. His approach is unique, natural, and unbeatable. Indeed no one has tried to pick it apart. As a scholarly exercise it would be interesting to see someone try. Still, that no one has tried to date is indeed a wonder, considering that in the Sandarbhas the doctrines of all major Vaiñëava äcäryas are refuted or at least reduced to supporting roles next to the acintyabheda-abheda tattva. Jéva Gosvämé has presented the message of the Çrémad Bhägavatam according to the faith and experience of its writer Çréla Vyäsa and its prime speaker Çukadeva Gosvämé. This approach is unique and obviously the most natural way to present the quintessence of Çrémad Bhägavatam.
Before the appearance of Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu, mokña, or liberation, was considered the goal of life, but this is not the ultimate principle in Çrémad Bhägavatam. In fact mokña is decried in the very beginning of the book, dharma projhitaù kaitavaù atra, "In this beautiful Bhägavatam all cheating religious principles have been kicked out. Commenting on this verse [SB.1.1.2] Çrédhara Svämé writes, pra-çabdena mokña-abhisandhirapi-nirastaù, "The prefix pra in the word projhitaù denies even the desire for liberation (as a principle of the supreme religion). Instead Bhägavatam espouses prema, love of God, Kåñëa, as the ultimate end. More specifically, love of God in the intimacy of spontaneous devotional service, as opposed to love of God in majestic splendor, which is ruled by rigid following of rules and regulations. This central message of Bhägavatam was stressed by Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu as surpassing all other considerations and this was understood by the six Gosvämés of Våndävan, who were His loyal followers. They wrote many books to disseminate His teachings and among them the six Sandarbhas of Çréla Jéva Gosvämé are the topmost.
It is only this message of love of God which can bring peace in the ailing human society which is strewn with communal strife, wars, terrorism, and more. The desire for liberation makes one very selfish and callous towards others. On the path of liberation one has to practice self-abnegation and not even accept the existence of the world as real. How then can one develop the feelings of love and compassion for others to the fullest. To negate the world and awaken heartfelt love and compassion for others is incompatible. Any such attempt is more a matter of sentimentality than of a true spiritual perspective of the eternal nature of the Absolute Truth and its energies and one's relationship with the whole.
But when we understand that Lord Kåñëa is the fountainhead of all energies, including our own selves, then we are all automatically united as members of one family under one father. It is only when we acknowledge this common father that we have the basis for universal brotherhood and the family of man. In this view there is no scope for hatred, envy, cheating, and exploitation, since no one likes to impose these on one's beloved family members. Even the greatest rogue or murderer has loving sentiment towards someone, if not then at least he has loving sentiments for his own self. Indeed it is to serve the object of his love that he commits the lowest heinous activity. Thus one can safely conclude that the religious and irreligious man, the theist and atheist, the gentleman and rogue all work on the principle of love. No one can survive without this and when it is denied one may even commit suicide.
On the other hand, one can gladly sacrifice one's life for the pleasure of the object of love be it a lady, family, state, or nation, although generally everyone is seeking happiness without any mixture of distress. Thus salvation, mokña, seems to be the highest goal, but under careful analysis it is seen that the principle of reciprocal love is higher than liberation or self pleasure. This love finds its highest manifestation in the exchanges between the living being and the Supreme Personality of Godhead be all and end all of everything. These loving exchanges emulsifies into transcendental emotions of ecstatic feelings that are in direct proportion to one's intensity of loving service to Him.
This is the fundamental teaching of Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu, which He solidly based on the Bhägavata philosophy. Hence the Lord declared, pancamo puruñärthä prema pumartho mahän, "Love for Kåñëa, prema, is the highest goal of life". This is the subject matter of Çrémad Bhägavatam and it is wonderfully presented in Çré Ñaö-sandarbha. Çréla Jéva Gosvämé has performed the greatest welfare to humanity by giving this gift.
According to him, Çréla Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé did the preliminary work in this field, but did not complete his task. Later Çréla Jéva Gosvämé took his work and expanded into the six Sandarbhas in a very systematic manner. Here the tenets of Caitanya Mahäprabhu's doctrine find their fullest manifestation. After compiling these books he also compiled a brief supplementary work on the first four books under the name Sarva Saàvädiné. Herein, he deals with the various prevalent systems of philosophy and establishes that acintyabheda-abheda, a term he coined for the philosophy of Mahäprabhu, is the flawless philosophical system that depicts the real heart of Çréla Vyäsadeva. He also wrote Krama Sandarbha, a verse by verse commentary on Bhägavatam.
Çré Jéva Gosvämé lived in Våndavan for 65 years and gave light to the Vaiñëava community. In Samvat era 1653 (1596)A.D. on the 3rd day of the bright fortnight in the month of pauña this brilliant sun disappeared from the vision of ordinary people and entered the eternal pastimes of Lord Kåñëa. As an eternal associate of Lord Kåñëa he is Viläsa-manjäri, a maidservant of Çrémati Rädhäräné.