Disappearance Day of Srila Sanatana Gosvami

What is the Disappearance Day of Srila Sanatana Gosvami?

Gaudiya Vaishnavas honour Srila Sanatana Gosvami, one of the six Gosvamis of Vrindavana, on the full moon day of Ashadha, when he left this world and entered the Lord's eternal pastimes. In 2027 it falls on Sunday, 18 July, which is also Guru (Vyasa) Purnima.

Significance

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu sent Srila Sanatana Gosvami and his younger brother, Srila Rupa Gosvami, to Vrindavana with four tasks: to uncover the places of Krishna's pastimes, to install Deities, to compile devotional scriptures and to teach the rules of devotional life. The third task shows in Sanatana's own books, some of which the Caitanya-caritamrta names:

Some of the books compiled by Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī were the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta, Daśama-ṭippanī and Daśama-carita.

Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila 1.35

In Vrindavana he lived as a humble mendicant and worshipped Sri Madana Mohana, who helps devotees understand their relationship with Krishna. In his last years he vowed to circle Govardhana Hill every day. Krishna then gave him a Govardhana stone marked with His footprint, so that he could circle the stone instead.

How to observe it

Hear the story of Sanatana and the Govardhana stone, and read about the lives of the Gosvamis in Vrindavana. Chant the holy names, offer your obeisances to Srila Sanatana Gosvami, and ask for his mercy so that you can keep your own vow of devotional service as steadily as he kept his.