The book called shakha-nirnayamrita written by Yadunatha Dasa—a disciple of Sri Gadadhara Pandita—adds the following comments on Bhugarbha Goswami:
gosvaminam ca bhugarbham bhugarbhottham suvishrutam
sada mahashayam vande krishna-prema-pradam prabhum
shrila-govinda-devasya seva-sukha-vilasinam
dayalum premadam svaccham nityam ananda-vigraham
“I offer my reverence to the illustrious Bhugarbha Prabhu, who is said to have been born from the bowels of the earth. He bestows love of Krishna; he takes pleasure in the service of Govinda Deva, is compassionate, simple and always joyful.”
Sri Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami writes: “The eleventh branch of Gadadhara Goswami was Bhugarbha Goswami, and the twelfth was Bhagavata Dasa. Both of them went to Vrindavan and resided there for life.”
Srila Narahari Chakravarti Thakura writes about them in his Bhakti-ratnakara: “Bhugarbha Goswami and Lokanatha Goswami were global preachers; they were so close and affectionate to one another that they were like one body.” Although Sri Bhugarbha Goswami was the paternal uncle of Sri Lokanatha Goswami, they were intimate friends. On the order of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, they went to live in Vrindavan. Both of them were considered principal Goswamis, as they were the seniormost by age and experience to many. Before the arrival of Sri Rupa and Sri Sanatana Goswamis, they tried to uncover the lost holy places of Radha-Govindaji.
Bhugarbha and Lokanatha Goswamis discovered Sri Krishna’s sacred pastime forests through the simple yet profound method of complete surrender. They humbly wandered throughout Vrindavan, calling out the names of the twelve forests. In response to their sincere devotion, Srimati Vrinda Devi—the guardian of the forests and an expansion of Krishna’s divine pastime potency—graciously revealed the precise location of each forest to them.
Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura writes about Bhugarbha Goswami and other devotees as follows:
“O Hari! Why am I addicted to this abominable path of karma? I didn’t worship Radha-Krishna in Vraja even one iota, nor could I understand the position of spontaneous devotion—raga-marga. Svarupa Damodara, Sanatana Goswami, Raghunatha Bhatta, Raghunatha Dasa, Gopala Bhatta Goswami, Bhugarbha Goswami, Jiva Goswami, and Lokanatha Goswami—I never offered a drop of service to their lotus feet. How then shall I attain the goal of life? Krishnadasa Kaviraja is among the most exalted rasika-bhaktas, devotees whose sole interest is in relishing the mellows of devotion to Radha-Govinda and Mahaprabhu. He compiled the Chaitanya-charitamrta, which describes the pastimes of Sri Chaitanya and the Govinda-lilamrita, describing the pastimes of Radha-Krishna. Hearing the pastimes of Gaura-Govinda would melt even stone, but it had no effect on my consciousness. Not only have I failed to take advantage of the association of all these great souls, but I have also neglected their associates and followers. What a sad story my life has become. My life and birth are all useless. Shame on me. Alas, alas. Thus, laments Narottama Dasa.”
In Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā, Sri Kavikarnapura writes that Bhugarbha Goswami was formerly the gopi named Prema Manjari in Vrindavana. On the fourteenth day of the full moon in the month of Kartika, Sri Bhugarbha Goswami passed away and entered the unmanifest pastime of Lord Sri Krishna.
