Śrīla Rāmacandra Kavirāja Disappearance Day

Śrī Rāmacandra Kavirāja, a disciple of Śrīnivāsa Ācārya

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 11.51 purport

Śrī Rāmacandra Kavirāja, the son of Khaṇḍavāsī Cirañjīva and Sunanda, was a disciple of Śrīnivāsa Ācārya and the most intimate friend of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, who prayed several times for his association. His youngest brother was Govinda Kavirāja. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī very much appreciated Śrī Rāmacandra Kavirāja's great devotion to Lord Kṛṣṇa and therefore gave him the title Kavirāja. Śrī Rāmacandra Kavirāja, who was perpetually disinterested in family life, greatly assisted in the preaching work of Śrīnivāsa Ācārya and Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. He resided at first in Śrīkhaṇḍa but later in the village of Kumāra-nagara, on the bank of the Ganges.

Śrī Rāmacandra Kavirāja visit Vṛndāvana

Śrī Bhakti-ratnākara, Śrī Narahari Cakravartī, Ninth wave

Śrīnivāsa Ācārya had decided to stay in Vṛndāvana but his disciples in Gauḍa were feeling very lonely without him. The followers of Śrīnivāsa told Rāmacandra that it had become impossible for them to live without their Ācārya. They requested him to go quickly to Vṛndāvana and bring Śrīnivāsa Ācārya back to them. After taking permission from the disciples of Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, Rāmacandra returned home.

As Rāmacandra travelled hurriedly to Vṛndāvana, people who observed him remarked that they had never seen such a person. They thought he was probably the son of a king from Gauḍa. Some people thought he not even a human being but rather a deity. When he arrived in Vṛndāvana someone informed Śrī Jiva Gosvāmī that a beautiful person, with skin as bright as gold, had come from Gauḍa. They told Śrī Jiva Gosvāmī that they were charmed by the sight of that man who was wandering in Vṛndāvana, crying as he enjoyed the beauty of the holy dhama. Śrī Jiva Gosvāmī asked Srinivasa if he knew who the man was and Srinivasa said that it must be Rāmacandra.

Śrīnivāsa Ācārya had previously told Śrī Jiva Gosvāmī about Rāmacandra, so Śrī Jiva Gosvāmī ordered his followers to bring Rāmacandra to his place. When Rāmacandra arrived, he bowed at the feet of Śrī Jiva Gosvāmī and Śrīnivāsa Ācārya and both of them lovingly embraced Rāmacandra. They asked him questions about the places which he had visited on his trip and Rāmacandra reported what he had heard from other Vaiṣṇavas and he told them the progress of his own study and the result of the long tour which he had completed to Gayā, Kāśī, Ayodhyā and Prayāga.

From this report Śrī Jiva Gosvāmī could understand the condition of those holy places since the disappearance of Mahāprabhu and his beloved companions. Rāmacandra informed them that the inhabitants of Gauḍa wanted Śrīnivāsa Ācārya to return and both Śrīnivāsa Ācārya and Śrī Jiva Gosvāmī took the request seriously. Thereafter they took Rāmacandra with them to visit the temple of Rādhā Dāmodara. While observing the deities of Rādhā Dāmodara, Rāmacandra fell on the ground crying and while visiting the Samadhi of Rupa Gosvāmī he was moved with emotion. When he cried loudly, calling out the name of Śrī Rupa, Śrī Jiva took him on his lap and pacified him.

He visited the temples of Śrī Govinda, Gopinātha, Madana-mohana, Śrī Rādhā- Damodara and Śrī Rādhā-ramaṇajī and wherever he went he could barely restrain his emotions. He also visited the samadhis of Sanatana Gosvāmī, Kasisvara Pandita and raghunatha Bhatta although it filled him with grief. Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Lokanātha Gosvāmī, Śrī Bhugarbha and other Vaiṣṇavas came to meet and bless him.

Śrī Rāmacandra is offered the title of Kavirāja

Thereafter Rāmacandra visited Aritagrama and also visited Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa. After bathing in the kuṇḍas he met Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī and bowed at his feet. Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī embraced him affectionately and was later impressed by Rāmacandra's ability to write verses. Rāmacandra also met Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī and other Vaiṣṇavas of that area. He visited Giri Govardhana and roamed happily in the twelve forests. Śrī Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī and others in Vṛndāvana praised Rāmacandra and because of his talent as a poet they offered the title of Kavirāja to him. Rāmacandra assisted his guru Śrīnivāsa Ācārya in serving Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī in various ways. Śrī Jiva Gosvāmī was happy to observe the sweet relationship between the guru and his disciple.