Sri Mukta Carita – The Pearl Pastime

Raghunath Das Goswami

Srila Raghunath Das Goswami was the son of Govardhana Majumadiar. His uncle was Hiranya. They were great landowners in the Krishnapur division of Saptagram in west Bengal. Their fortune was immense. And Raghunath was the sole heir. Balarama acharya and Yadunandana acharya, his father’s Guru and priest, brought Raghunath when he was a small boy to Chandpur, where he met with the great namacharya, Srila Haridas Thakur.

Seeing Haridas Thakur’s deep attachment to the chanting of the Holy Name, and his subsequent detachment from all the pleasures and so-called joys of this world had a deep impact in Raghunath’s heart. He had no interest in material enjoyment. This caused great concern for his parents.

After Mahaprabhu Sri Chaitanya took Sanyaas in Shantipur, he was visiting, by the arrangement of Nityananda Prabhu. At that time Raghunath Das came to visit Lord Chaitanya and established an eternal relationship. Raghunath Das Goswami literally escaped opulence, prestige, beautiful family life as if it were a miserable prison. With great efforts, he went to Jagannath Puri and accepted the lotus feet of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as his heart and soul. He became the very personification of renunciation and devotion.

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was so pleased with Raghunath Das Goswami’s humility, his detachment from any type of material enjoyment and his complete attachment to being the servant of the servant of Swarupa Damodara, bowing down to the Vaishnavas, bowing down to the deities of the Lord, and always chanting the names of the Lord, meditating on the lila of the Lord. Yes, Mahaprabhu gave him His own sila – Govardhana sila, as a gift and a necklace of kunja. Sacred seed of Vrindavana – very dear to Srimati Radharani.

 

After the departure of Lord Chaitanya from His manifested lila, Raghunath Das, he could not bear with it. Swarupa Damodara Goswami, he had also departed. He decided to jump from Govardhana hill to take his life. But first, he met with Rupa and Sanatana Goswamis. He appealed to him, truly, in their company, and every day for several hours, speak the glories of Lord Chaitanya. Because Raghunath Das Goswami, for many years, personally witnessed His pastimes in intimate, confidential proximity.

With the blessings of Rupa and Sanatana Goswami, Raghunath Das Goswami resided on the bank on Sri Radha kunda. There, he would perform his sadhana. At least two thousand times every day, he would offer obeisances to Vaishnavas. At least a thousand times a day, to the deity of Krsna. He would chant two lakhs, two hundred thousand names of Krsna each day. And his eyes were always filled with tears in the ecstasy of separation from Sri Radha and Krsna.

Sadhana of Raghunath Das Goswami

Kaviraj Goswami explains: the regulative principles of Raghunath Das Goswami were like the lines in stone. He was so strict. But yet, his heart was so soft with love and compassion. When Jahnava Devi came to Radha kunda, Raghunath Das Goswami ran and fell at her feet and worshipped her. Yes, Raghunath Das Goswami is our prayojana acharya. By his lifestyle and by the writings that he offered to the world, he taught the highest realm of spiritual perfection. He abandoned massive wealth to live with a simple, torn, rejected cloth made into a kopan, and a small chadhar.

So absorbed in his sadhana that he didn’t even notice when tigers were just a few feet away from him drinking water from the kunda. So absorbed in his sadhana that even in mid day in the summertime, when the sun was scorching he didn’t take note. Sanatana Goswami took note. Krsna personally protected him from the tigers and Radharani stood over him with her own veil to shade him from the sun.

By Sanatana Goswami’s request, the Bhajana Kutir was made for Raghunath Das Goswami, on the banks of Sri Radha kunda. One of the priceless literatures that he has bestowed upon the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya is Mukta Carita. Raghunath Das Goswami only wrote about three books. Mukta Carita is very greatly celebrated. It reveals sweet nature of love of Vrindavana. I would like to share a brief summary of some of the content of that book, with your permission.( HH Radhanatha Swami on September 27, 2011)

Malyahari Kunda

It is said that the gopis, after picking flowers at Kusuma Sarovara, would come here and make them into garlands. Malyahari Kunda is a small kunda. There is a sweet water well next to this kunda called Malyahari well.

At this place Krishna and the gopis had a pastime here which involved pearls. This pastime is described by Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami in his Sri Mukta Charita. Krishna told this story to one of His wives in Dwarka, Satyabhama.

Krishna came to Malyahari Kunda and saw the gopis stringing pearl necklaces. He asked Radharani and the gopis to give Him some pearls to decorate His favorite cows, who were named Harini and Hasini, which they refused to do. Lalita Devi told Him that she did not have even one pearl suitable for decorating His cows.

Krishna then went home and asked Mother Yasoda for some pearls to plant a garden. She laughed and told Him that everyone knows that pearls come from oysters. She eventually gave Krishna some pearls and He planted them in a field. Then Krishna sent Madhumangala to beg for some milk from the gopis to water His pearl garden. The gopis laughed at this request. Mother Yasoda then gave Him some milk to water his garden. After a few days, some small shoots grew. When Krishna told the gopis about this they just laughed and said they were thorn bushes. But after just a few days they began to produce some big beautiful pearls.

The gopis wanted some of these pearls, but Krishna did not give them even one of them. The gopis then tried to grow their own pearl garden. They collected all the pearls they had, not even keeping one, and planted them in a field. They water the pearl garden three times a day with milk and ghee. But not even one pearl tree grew, just thorn trees grew. Krishna then went with His cowherd friends and laughed at the gopis. To tease them He decorated the cows, monkeys, buffaloes and sheep with the pearls. He did not give the gopis even one pearl.

Fearing that their elders would punish them the gopis came to Krishna and asked Him for some of His pearls. Krishna told them that they would all have to come see Him individually. At first the gopis could not reach an agreement with Krishna to give them some pearls.

Krishna then strung all the pearls into beautiful necklaces and put them in golden boxes. He gave the first box to Radharani and then sent a box with a pearl necklace to each of the gopis. In return, Radharani sent Krishna some scented garlands, betel nut, and some delicious food that She personally cooked.