Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī IAST ( Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī IAST ) is a Hindu Krishna saint , one of the closest satellites of the founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism Chaitanya (1486-1534). [one]
At birth, Svarupa Damodara was named Purusottama Acharya. Very little is known about his parents. Shortly after his birth, his father left his wife and child and went to study in Mithila and Varanasi . Childhood years Purusottama spent in the house of the mother's parents in Navadwip .
It is described that Chaitanya greatly appreciated Swarup Damodar for his sincere nature, virtue, and dedication. When Caitanya took sannyasa , Purusottama, experiencing a tremendous sense of separation from him, immediately went to Varanasi, where he took a vow of renunciation from a sannyasi named Caitanyananda, who instructed him: "Study the Vedanta and teach this knowledge of others." Purushottama Acharya was in such a hurry to see Chaitanya that he left without even waiting for the end of the ceremony, having only managed to shave off the shikha and remove the brahminical cord. He did not even have time to put on the robes of the sannyasis, and so he was called Svarupa for the rest of his life, his name was brahmachari. After taking sannyas, fulfilling the will of his spiritual master, he went to Puri , where he met again with Chaitanya.
It is described that the knowledge of Svarupa Damodar was practically limitless; however, out of humility, he tried not to enter into controversy and preferred solitude. Therefore, only a few knew the depth of his knowledge. It is said that Svarupa Damodara was aware of all the shades of devotion to Krishna . He was the second "me" of Chaitanya. If someone wanted to present Chaitanya a book, song or poem of his own composition, the author must have received the approval of Swarup Damodar before. If the work contained concepts contrary to the ideals of bhakti set forth in the scriptures, it could not bring spiritual pleasure to Caitanya, and therefore Swarup Damodar rejected the author's request.
When Svarupa Damodara arrived in Puri from Varanasi, he praised Caitanya by reciting the following sloka :
 | O Sri Caitanya, the embodiment of mercy! You are the One Who easily removes any sorrow, Your devotion is an unattainable pattern of purity and selflessness, Your appearance fills the soul with delight and ecstasy. You put an end to any philosophical controversy, because your knowledge of the scriptures is truly bottomless. You make your heart tremble from divine love, pouring upon it a flood of mercy and compassion. I ask You, light my soul with the rays of Your gracious mercy! [2] |  |
Caitanya almost never let Swarup Damodar away from him. It is said that when Caitanya was immersed in the waves of ecstatic love, only Svarupa Damodara could satisfy his innermost aspirations with his kirtan .
At this time, Ramananda Rai arrived from Vidyanagar in South India. Together with Svarupa Damodara, chanting bhajans and reading poems, they reinforced the ecstatic state of Chaitanya. The followers of Gaudiya-Vaishnavism believe that Svarupa Damodara and Ramananda Raya, respectively, are Lalita and Visakha , the two closest gopis of Radha and Krishna in their eternal souls in the spiritual world.
Notes
- “Only two knew the Lord best of all: Paramananda Puri and Svarupa Damodar.” ( Caitanya-caritamrta 1.10.124-5)
- ↑ Sri Chaitanya-chandrodaya-nataka
Literature
- Dasgupta, Surendranath (1973), Indian Pluralism , History of Indian Philosophy , Cambridge: Cambridge University Press , ISBN 0521047811 , < https://books.google.com/books?id=je08AAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover >
- Manring, Rebecca J. (2005), Reconstructing Traditions: Advaita Century & Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism at Cusp Twentieth Century , New York: Columbia University Press , ISBN 0231129548 , < https://books.google.com/books?id= Vs1b9KjnnDgC >