Sri Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami was born in a Nadiya family
of physicians at the village of Jhamatpur, within the district of Barddhaman,
near Naihati. His father was Sri Bhagiratha, and his mother was Sri Sunanda.
He had a younger brother named Syama das. The deity of Gaura-Nityananda
installed by Sri Kaviraja Gosvami is still being worshiped there. It appears
that his family line is no more. More information about the early life
of Sri Kaviraja is available in a book called Ananda-ratnavali. In Caitanya
caritamrta, Adi-lila chapter five, Sri Kaviraja relates the cause of his
leaving family life: "Lord Nityananda Prabhu had a servant named Sri Minaketana
Ramadasa, who was a reservoir of love. At my house there was sankirtana
day and night, and therefore he visited there, having been invited. Absorbed
in emotional love, he sat in my courtyard, and all the Vaisnavas bowed
down at his feet. In a joyful mood of love of God he sometimes climbed
upon the shoulder of someone offering obeisances, and sometimes he struck
others with his flute or mildly slapped them. When someone saw the eyes
of Minaketana Ramadasa, tears would automatically flow from his own eyes,
for a constant shower of tears flowed from the eyes of Minaketana Ramadasa.
Sometimes there were eruptions of ecstacy like kadamba flowers on some
parts of his body, and sometimes one limb would be stunned while another
would be trembling. Whenever he shouted aloud the name Nityananda, the
people around him were filed with great wonder and astonishment. "One respectable
brahmana named Sri Gunarnava Misra was serving the Deity. When Minaketana
was seated in the yard, this brahmana did not offer him respect. Seeing
this, Sri Ramadasa became angry and spoke. "'Here I find the second Romaharsana
suta, who did not stand to show honor when he saw Lord Balarama.' "After
saying this, he danced and sang to his heart's content, but the brahmana
did not become angry, for he was then serving Lord Krsna. At the end of
the festival Minaketana Ramadasa went away, offering his blessings to everyone.
At that time he had some controversy with my brother. My brother had firm
faith in Lord Caitanya but only a dim glimmer of faith in Lord Nityananda.
Knowing this, Sri Ramadasa felt unhappy in his mind.
I then rebuked my brother. "'These two brothers,' I told him, 'are like
one body; They are identical manifestations. If you do not believe in Lord
Nityananda, you will fall down. If you have faith in one but disrespect
the other, your logic is like the logic of accepting half a hen.
It would be better to be an atheist by slighting both
brothers than a hypocrite by believing in one and slighting the other.
'"Thus Sri Ramadasa broke his flute in anger and went away, and at that
time my brother fell down. "That night, because He was pleased with the
chastisement that Krsnadasa gave his brother for offending His dear devotee
Mineketana Ramadasa, Lord Nityananda appeared in his dreams and declared:
Are are krsnadasa, na karaha bhaya, vrndavana yaha, tanha sarva larya haya
"O my dear Krsnadasa, do not be afraid. Go to Vrndavana, for there you
will attain all things." [C.C. Adi 5.195] Thus receiving the mercy of Lord
Nityananda in his dream, he started for Vrndavana with a joyful mind. The
lotus feet of the spiritual master of Sri Kaviraja are none other than
those of Lord Nityananda Himself. He accepted the Gosvamis Sri Rupa, Sri
Sanatana, Sri Jiva, Sri Raghunatha, Sri Raghunatha Bhatta and Sri Gopala
Bhatta as his instructing spiritual masters. From Sri Lokanatha Gosvami
and Sri Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami he begged permission to write Sri Caitanya
caritamrta. Lokanatha directed Sri Kaviraja that he desired to be unmentioned
in his book; that is why, in Sri Caitanya caritamrta, hardly a reference
about Lokanatha Gosvami is to be found. Sri Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami
compiled the following books still extant: Sri Govinda lilamrta, Krsna
karnamrta commentary (Sarangaurangada [kangada?] tika) and of course,
Sri Caitanya caritamrta.
"The author of Çré
Caitanya-caritämåta, Çréla Kåñëadäsa
Kaviräja Gosvämé, stands as the direct disciple of Çréla
Rüpa Gosvämé and Çréla Raghunätha däsa
Gosvämé.
The direct disciple of Çréla
Kåñëadäsa Kaviräja Gosvämé was
Çréla Narottama däsa Öhäkura, who accepted
Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté as his servitor.
Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura
accepted Çréla Jagannätha däsa Bäbäjé,
the spiritual master of Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura,
who in turn accepted Çréla Gaurakiçora däsa Bäbäjé,
the spiritual master of Oà Viñëupäda Çréla
Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Gosvämé Mahäräja,
the divine master of our humble self." (A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupada. Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita chapter 1. "The Spiritual
Masters".)
Born:1496 (Christian) Diappearence: 12th day bright fortnight
month of Asvin (the year is not known).