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Gosvamis, principal disciples of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was requested to
write Caitanya-caritamrta by the devotees of Vrndavana. Although he began this
work at a very old age, by the grace of Lord Caitanya he finished it. Today it
remains the most authoritative book on Caitanya’s philosophy and life.

When Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami was living in Vrndavana, there were not very
many temples. At that time Madana-mohana, Govindaji and Gopinatha were the
three principal temples. As a resident of Vrndavana, he offered his respects to the
Deities in these temples and requested God’s favor: ‘‘My progress in spiritual life is
very slow, so I’m asking Your help.” In Caitanya-caritamrta, Krsnadasa first offers
his obeisances to Madana-mohana vigraha, the Deity who can help us progress in
Krsna consciousness. In the execution of Krsna consciousness, our first business is to
know Krsna and our relationship with Him. To know Krsna is to know one’s self,
and to know one’s self is to know one’s relationship with Krsna. Since this relation-
ship can be learned by worshiping Madana-mohana vigraha, Krsnadasa Kaviraja
Gosvami first establishes his relationship with Him.

When this is established, Krsnadasa begins to worship the functional Deity,
Govinda. Govinda resides eternally in Vrndavana. In the spiritual world of Vrndavana
the buildings are made of touchstone, the cows are known as surabhi cows, givers
of abundant milk, and the trees are known as wish-fulfilling trees, for they yield
whatever one desires. In Vrndavana Krsna herds the surabhi cows, and He is
worshiped by hundreds and thousands of gop7s, cowherd girls, who are all goddesses
of fortune. When Krsna descends to the material world, this same Vrndavana
descends just as an entourage accompanies an important personage. Because when
Krsna comes, His land also comes, Vrndavana is not considered to exist in the
material world. Therefore devotees take shelter of the Vrndavana in India, for it is
considered to be a replica of the original Vrndavana. Although one may complain
that no kalpa-vrksa, wish-fulfilling trees, exist there, when the Gosvamis were there,
the kalpa-vrksa were present. It is not that one can simply go to such a tree and
make demands; one must first become a devotee. The Gosvamis would live under a
tree for one night only, and the trees would satisfy all their desires. For the common
man this may all seem very wonderful, but as one makes progress in devotional
service, all this can be realized.

Vrndavana is actually experienced as it is by persons who have stopped trying to
derive pleasure from material enjoyment. ‘When will my mind become cleansed of
all hankering for material enjoyment so | will be able to see Vrndavana?” one great
devotee asks. The more Krsna conscious we become and the more we advance, the
more everything is revealed as spiritual. Thus Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvamt considered
Verndavana in India to be as good as the Vrndavana in the spiritual sky, and in
Caitanya-caritamrta he describes Radharani and Krsna as seated beneath a wish-
fulfilling tree in Vrndavana on a throne decorated with valuable jewels. There Krsna’s
dear friends, the cowherd boys and the gopis, serve Radha and Krsna by singing,
dancing, offering betel nuts and refreshments and decorating Their Lordships with
flowers. Even today in India people decorate thrones and recreate this scene
during the month of July. Generally at that time people go to Vrndavana to offer
their respects to the Deities there.
