3sepVamana Dvadasi, Jiva Gosvami appearance

[Bhakti Vikasa Swami]

Vamana Dvadasi means the advent of Lord Vamanadeva. Therefore we have fast,
Ekadasi fasting, and we observe two fastings in one day, Ekadasi and
Vamanadeva, Vamana Dvadasi. The same process as we observe Ekadasi, and the
evening there should be a meeting discussing on the life and work of Srila
Jiva Gosvami. He is one of the very important acaryas in our sampradaya, so
especially his Sandarbhas should be discussed.

If there is no such book, then the following discussion may be, take place.
Srila Jiva Gosvami was a brahmacari, he left his home at the age of 10 to 12
years. His father and two elder uncles, they left home. His father was
Vallabha, and his elder uncles, Sanatana and Rupa, or Sakara Mallika and
Dabira Khasa. So, they were all government servants, but after meeting
Caitanya Mahaprabhu they decided to retire from the service, and three of
them retired. Out of that, Sanatana Gosvami was very important officer.

The Nawab did not like his retirement so he interned him, not allowed him to
go out of home. But Rupa Gosvami and his younger brother, Vallabha, they
left home, and they left instruction also to Sanatana Gosvami, that there is
some money for his release, he could utilize that money. So Rupa Gosvami and
Vallabha left home prior to Sanatana Gosvami's leaving home. So, Rupa
Gosvami and Vallabha met Lord Caitanya at Prayaga -- these things are
mentioned in our Teachings of Lord Caitanya -- you can read, teachings to
Sanatana Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami and their meeting with Lord Caitanya at
Allahabad, Prayaga.

So this boy, Jiva Gosvami, when he saw that his father and uncles all left
home, why he should remain at home? So he also left, and he first of all
went to Benares, which is called Varanasi. It is a great center for learning
Sanskrit. So he finished his education in Sanskrit grammar, specifically, he
was a great scholar in Sanskrit grammar. According to Vedic system, the
students are first of all taught the Sanskrit grammar, because it is very
difficult subject.

Usually one has to study grammar for 12 years, and when one is very much
conversant with grammatical rules, he can read any literature. That means
after studying grammar, the door is open for any other subject matter, just
like philosophy, medicine, then military art, there are so many Vedic
knowledges. Generally they read literature, the Puranas, the Vedantas and
saipa[?], saipa[?] means general literature. So Srila Jiva Gosvami became a
great scholar in grammar and then he studied all Vedic literatures, and
after that he approached his uncle Rupa Gosvami in Vrndavana. He became a
disciple of his uncle by proper initiation and remained with him. He was
assisting his uncle and after hearing from him he composed very scholarly
books know as Sat-Sandarbha.

These Sat-Sandarbha are recognized as the most scholarly work in the world.
There is no comparison of his philosophical approach to the Vaisnava school.
Generally, the impersonal Brahman is discussed there, then Krsna is
discussed there, Bhagavata is discussed there, love of Krsna is discussed
there. In this way, all subject matter, very elaborately discussed in
Sat-Sandarbha. That is his, the greatest gift [of] Sri Jiva Gosvami. And one
of the Sandarbha thesis is Karma[?] Sandarbha, his comment on
Srimad-Bhagavatam.

So Jiva Gosvami was so big scholar but sometimes one ordinary scholar, he
approached Rupa Gosvami that "I want to discuss with you about sastra". Rupa
Gosvami could understand that this man is not a devotee, he will simply
waste my time. He inquired from him, "What is your purpose of discussing
with me about sastras? He said that "I have discussed sastras with many big
scholars and I have come victorious, so if I come victorious by discussing
with you, then I will have very good fame and name." So Rupa Gosvami could
understand his view or his ambition, that "this man is a materialistic man,
he wants some name and fame," so he told him, "All right, without
discussing, if I give you certificate that I am defeated, will that do?" So,
he said, "Yes, that will do."

So he gave him in writing that "I had sastric discussion with this man, and
I found myself very much inferior and defeated." So he was very glad to take
that certificate, but when he was going, Jiva Gosvami saw, "My dear sir,
what is that paper you have taken?" "No your uncle has agreed that he was
defeated, so I have got this certificate, I am going."

So he said, "All right, let me see what he has written." So he gave him, and
he kept that paper, and then he invited that "you have defeated my uncle,
but you can discuss with me also." So he agreed. So he was defeated. He was
defeated and the matter was informed to Rupa Gosvami, that "Your nephew and
your disciple, Jiva Gosvami has defeated that learned scholar. So Rupa
Gosvami became a little angry superficially, that "Why did you bother? He
was taking..."

So some people say that Jiva Gosvami was rejected on this ground by Rupa
Gosvami, but that is not a fact. He was very glad that Jiva Gosvami defeated
him, but he superficially said, "Why should you take so much trouble and
bother? He might have gone with that certificate." But it is the duty of the
disciple that even the spiritual master, or senior acarya, they agree to be
defeated, it is the duty of the disciple to see that his spiritual master
and superior is not defeated.

That is the instruction we get from Jiva Gosvami's behavior. This is one of
the important... and later on when Jiva Gosvami established the
Radha-Damodara temple in Vrndavana, but he had no sons because he was
brahmacari, so some of his grhastha devotee was entrusted with the
management of the Radha-Damodara temple, and they are still going on by
their descendants.

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Srila Prabhupada; Vaisnava Calendar Description - September 2, 1970,
Calcutta