Today is Srila Lokanatha dasa Gosvami’s disappearance day. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Chapter 18, states,
TEXT 48
tabe rupa gosani saba nija-gana lana
eka-masa darasana kaila mathuraya rahiya
TRANSLATION
Srila Rupa Gosvami and his associates stayed in Mathura for one month and saw the Gopala Deity.
TEXT 49
sange gopala-bhatta, dasa-raghunatha
raghunatha-bhatta-gosani, ara lokanatha
TRANSLATION
When Rupa Gosvami stayed at Mathura, he was accompanied by Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami and Lokanatha dasa Gosvami.
PURPORT
Sri Lokanatha Gosvami was a personal associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and a great devotee of the Lord. He was a resident of a village named Talakhadi in the district of Yasohara (Jessore), in Bengal. Previously he lived in Kancadapada. His father’s name was Padmanabha, and his only sibling was a younger brother named Pragalbha. Following the orders of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Lokanatha went to Vrndavana to live. He established a temple named Gokulananda. Srila Narottama dasa Thakura selected Lokanatha dasa Gosvami to be his spiritual master, and Narottama dasa Thakura was his only disciple. Because Lokanatha dasa Gosvami did not want his name mentioned in the Caitanya-caritamrta, we do not often see it in this celebrated book. On the E.B.R. Railroad, the Yasohara station is located in Bangladesh. From the railway station one has to go by bus to the village of Sonakhali and from there to Khejura. From there one has to walk or, during the rainy season, go by boat to the village of Talakhadi. In this village there are still descendants of Lokanatha Gosvami’s younger brother.
COMMENT
The purport to text 52 states, “In the Bhakti-ratnakara (Sixth Wave), there is a list of many of the chief devotees who accompanied Srila Rupa Gosvami. . . . ‘The following Vaisnavas were present with Srila Rupa Gosvami: the merciful Gopala Bhatta Gosvami; Bhugarbha Gosvami; Sri Lokanatha dasa Gosvami, a reservoir of good qualities . . .’ ”
Discussing the song Sri-guru-vandana by Srila Narottama dasa Thakura, Srila Prabhupada commented, “Lokanatha lokera jivana. Narottama dasa Thakura’s guru’s name was Lokanatha Gosvami. You have seen, those who have gone to Vrndavana, there is Lokanatha Gosvami’s tomb.” And he took his disciples to Lokanatha Gosvami’s samadhi on parikrama.
According to Sri Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (187), Lokanath Gosvami was Lila-manjari in Krishna lila.
On this auspicious occasion, we pray to Lokanatha Gosvami with the words of his disciple, Narottama dasa Thakura:
sri-guru karuna-sindhu, adhama janara bandhu,
lokanath lokera jivana
ha ha prabhu koro doya, deho more pada-chaya,
ebe jasa ghusuk tribhuvana
“O spiritual master, ocean of mercy and friend of the fallen souls, you are the teacher of everyone and the life of all people. O master! Be merciful unto me and give me the shade of your lotus feet. May your glories now be proclaimed throughout the three worlds.”
And:
ha ha prabhu lokanatha, rakha pada-dvandve
kripa-drishthye chaha yadi haiya anande
mano-vancha siddhi habe hana purna trishna
hethaya chaitanya mile setha radha-krishna
tumi na karile daya ke karibe ara
manera vasana purna kara ei bara
ei tini samsare mora ara keho nai
kripa kari nija pada-tale deha thani
sri radha-krishna-lila-guna gana ratri dine
narottama vancha purna nahe tuwa vine
“O Lokanatha, O Gurudeva! If you are pleased with me, please keep me in the shelter of your lotus feet and cast your merciful glance upon me. By your mercy I can find the perfection of inner fulfillment. And by your mercy I can someday meet Sri Chaitanya and Radha-Krishna. If you are not merciful to me, then what shall I do? Please, just once, fulfill my heart’s desire. In the three worlds of birth and death no one is more in need of your mercy. Please give me your mercy and give me a place at your lotus feet. Day and night I sing the qualities and pastimes of Radha and Krishna. Still, the inner aspirations of Narottama for the service of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu can be realized only through your grace, O Lokanatha Gosvami Prabhu.”
srimad-radha-vinodaika-
seva-sampat-samanvitam
padmanabhatmajam srimal-
lokanatha prabhum bhaje
“I worship Sri Lokanatha Prabhu, the son of Sri Padmanabha, who possessed a great wealth of devotion to Sri Sri Radha-Vinoda and always engaged in Their service.”
Hare Krishna.