Appearance Day of Sri Srinivasa Acarya

What is the Appearance Day of Sri Srinivasa Acarya?

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu foretold that Srinivasa would distribute the scriptures of the six Gosvamis. Devotees remember this Gaudiya acarya on the appearance day of Sri Srinivasa Acarya, which in 2027 falls on Thursday, 20 May.

Significance

Mahaprabhu is recorded as telling His servant Govinda that Srinivasa would be the manifest form of His love. In Vrindavana, Srinivasa took initiation from Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami and studied philosophy under Srila Jiva Gosvami, who gave him the title Acarya.

With his friends Sri Syamananda and Srila Narottama dasa Thakura, Srinivasa carried the Gosvamis' writings by bullock cart to Bengal and Orissa. Devotees call this the first book distribution party, and in it Mahaprabhu's words came true:

I will bring scriptures into the world through Shri Rupa and others and these jewel-like books will be distributed by Shrinivasa.

Bhakti-ratnakara 2.120-3

Srinivasa went on to initiate many disciples. In a purport to the Caitanya-caritamrta, Srila Prabhupada names Ramacandra Kaviraja and Govinda Kaviraja among them.

How to observe it

The best way to keep his day is to do as he did and pass the Gosvamis' teachings on to someone else. Read from Srila Prabhupada's books, give a book to a friend, or sing the Sad-gosvamy-astaka. That prayer to the six Gosvamis is credited to him. The same day also marks the appearance of Sri Madhavendra Puri and of Sri Sri Radha-Ramana Devaji, the Deity who manifested for Srinivasa's guru, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami.