70 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Madhya-lila, Ch. 9

PURPORT

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura remarks that in the disciplic succession
of Madhvacarya —up to the advent of His Holiness Sripada Laksmipati Tirtha—
only Lord Krsna was worshiped. After Srila Madhavendra Puri, worship of both
Radha and Krsna was established. For this reason Sri Madhavendra Puri is accepted
as the root of worship in ecstatic love. Unless one is connected to the disciplic
succession of Madhavendra Puri, there is no possibility of awakening the
symptoms of ecstatic love. The word gosdfi is significant in this connection. The
spiritual master who is fully surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of God-
head and has no business other than the Lord’s service is called the best of the
paramaharnsas. A paramaharnsa has no program for sense gratification; he is in-
terested only in satisfying the senses of the Lord. One who has control of the
senses in this way is called a gosafi or a gosvami, master of the senses. The senses
cannot be controlled unless one is engaged in the service of the Lord; therefore
the bona fide spiritual master, who has full control over his senses, engages twen-
ty-four hours a day in the Lord's service. He can therefore be addressed as gosdfi
or gosvami. The title gosvami cannot be inherited but can be given only to a bona
fide spiritual master.

There were six great Gosvamis of Vrndavana—Srila Ripa, Sanatana, Bhatta
Raghunatha, Sri Jiva, Gopala Bhatta and Dasa Raghunatha—and none of them in-
herited the title of gosvami. All the Gosvamis of Vrndavana were bona fide
spiritual masters situated on the highest platform of devotional service, and for
that reason they were called gosvamis. All the temples of Vrndavana were cer-
tainly started by the six Gosvamis. Later the worship in the temples was entrusted
to some householder disciples of the Gosvamis, and since then the hereditary title
of gosvami has been used. However, only one who is a bona fide spiritual master
expanding the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Krsna consciousness move-
ment, and who is in full control of his senses can be addressed as a gosvami. Un-
fortunately, the hereditary process is going on; therefore at the present moment,
in most cases the title is being misused due to ignorance of the word's etymology.

TEXT 290

OS afer atgrs Bia Car aifeaa |
atortatlet fa? 9 ce BCAA MPRA | Ade II

eta bali’ prabhuke uthafd kaila alingana
galagali kari’ dunhe karena krandana

SYNONYMS
eta bali’—saying this; prabhuke—Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; uthahda—get-
ting up; kaila—did; alingana—embracing; galagali—shoulder to shoulder; kari’—
doing; dunhe—both of them; karena—do; krandana—crying.
