Appearance Day of Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami
Appearance Day of Sri Pundarika Vidyanidhi · Appearance Day of Sri Raghunandana Thakura · Appearance Day of Srimati Visnupriya Devi · Disappearance Day of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura · Sarasvati Puja · Vasanta Pancami
Appearance Day
All day
What is the Appearance Day of Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami?
Thursday, 11 February 2027 is the appearance day of Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami, and devotees also celebrate Vasanta Pancami and Sarasvati Puja that day. He was one of the six Gosvamis of Vrindavana, who together gave the parampara its books and its worship.
Significance
Raghunatha Dasa left a wealthy household to reach Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Jagannatha Puri. The Lord placed him in the care of one of His closest associates and gave him a stone from Govardhana Hill to worship as a Govardhana-sila. After the Lord left this world, Raghunatha Dasa came to Vrindavana, where Srila Rupa and Sanatana Gosvami persuaded him to go on living and to speak about the Lord's pastimes.
He lived in strict austerity beside Radha-kunda, the sacred pond of Srimati Radharani. He taught that service to Her is the highest goal of life, and for this he is called the prayojana-acarya. In Puri the Lord had told him:
Do not expect honor, but offer all respect to others. Always chant the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and within your mind render service to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana.
Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila 6.237
How to observe it
Read chapter 6 of the Antya-lila in the Caitanya-caritamrta, which tells how he met the Lord, and hear his story from a devotee. Raghunatha Dasa is an example of humility and steady chanting, so add a little to your japa today.
Questions
When is the appearance day of Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami in 2027?
It falls on Thursday, 11 February 2027, which is also Vasanta Pancami and Sarasvati Puja.
Who was Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami?
He was one of the six Gosvamis of Vrindavana. He appeared in a wealthy family, left it to serve Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Jagannatha Puri, and later lived at Radha-kunda in Vrindavana.
What books did Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami write?
Srila Prabhupada names three books: the Stavavali (also called Stava-mala), the Dana-carita and the Mukta-carita. The Stavavali includes the Manah-siksa and the Vilapa-kusumanjali, whose prayers are addressed to Srimati Radharani.
Why is Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami called prayojana-acarya?
He is called the prayojana-acarya because he taught that loving service to Srimati Radharani in Vrindavana is the highest perfection of life. Prayojana means the final goal, and he is the acarya who reveals it.
Reviewed by ISKCON Kurukshetra · Updated
Key facts
- Date
- Thursday, 11 February 2027
- Also on this day
- Appearance Day of Sri Pundarika Vidyanidhi · Appearance Day of Sri Raghunandana Thakura · Appearance Day of Srimati Visnupriya Devi · Disappearance Day of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura · Sarasvati Puja · Vasanta Pancami
- Siksa guru
- Svarupa Damodara Gosvami
- Books
- Stavavali, Dana-carita, Mukta-carita
- Samadhi
- Radha-kunda, Vrindavana
Seva for this day
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