Here is a brief account on the life of Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami who was one of the intimate disciples of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami is an eternally liberated associate of Lord Krishna who appeared to join the Lord when He descended over five hundred years ago as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Birth & Family Background

Sri Raghunatha Dasa Goswami was born in 1495 A.D. (1416 Shakabda) in Sri Krishnapura, near present-day Saptagram, West Bengal.

He was born into one of the richest Vaishnava families of Bengal. His father Govardhana Majumdar and uncle Hiranya Majumdar were the leading zamindars of that time, earning twelve lakhs of rupees per month—an unimaginable fortune in those days.

Yet, from childhood, Raghunatha Dasa displayed complete detachment from worldly luxury and an intense longing for Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Early Detachment & Household Life

Seeing his inclination toward renunciation, his parents attempted to bind him to family life by marrying him to a beautiful and devoted wife and placing him in great opulence.

Externally, he managed household affairs expertly, proving that a Vaishnava is not unintelligent or incapable, but internally his heart burned only for service to Lord Gauranga.

Delivering His Family

During political disturbances, Raghunatha Dasa was arrested by government officials seeking his father and uncle. With remarkable wisdom and humility, he spoke so gently that the minister was deeply moved, released him, and restored peace between the families—demonstrating his exceptional worldly intelligence combined with spiritual detachment.

Meeting Lord Nityananda & Panihati Festival

Raghunatha Dasa met Lord Nityananda Prabhu at Panihati, where he served a grand feast of chipped rice and yogurt to thousands of devotees—today celebrated as Panihati Chida Dahi Utsava.

Lord Nityananda blessed him and assured him that very soon Lord Chaitanya would personally accept him.

Final Escape to Lord Chaitanya

Soon after, Raghunatha Dasa escaped his guarded home and walked for 12 days through forests, eating only three times, until he reached Jagannatha Puri.

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu joyfully received him, declaring:

“Krishna has saved you from the hole of stool of material life.”

He was placed under the care of Svarupa Damodara Goswami and became known as Svarupa’s Raghunatha.

Life of Extreme Renunciation in Puri

Although his father sent him a large monthly allowance, Raghunatha Dasa used every paisa to feed Vaishnavas and invite Lord Chaitanya for prasadam. Eventually, he renounced even that and survived by eating:

• leftover rice from the Jagannatha temple drain
• later, discarded rice washed and mixed only with salt

Lord Chaitanya personally tasted his “unfit” food and glorified his renunciation.

Residence at Radha-kunda

After the disappearance of Lord Chaitanya and Svarupa Damodara, Raghunatha Dasa went to Vrindavana, where Sri Rupa and Sri Sanatana Goswamis guided him to continue serving the Lord through intense sadhana.

He settled at Radha-kunda, where he:

• chanted over 100,000 holy names daily
• offered 1,000 obeisances
• bathed thrice daily in Radha-kunda
• slept less than 1½ hours a day
• lived on a few drops of buttermilk or a few grains of food

He also arranged the excavation and beautification of Radha-kunda and Shyama kunda.

Disappearance

Sri Raghunatha Dasa Goswami disappeared on Shukla Dvadasi Ashvina, 1586 A.D.

His samadhi stands today on the banks of Radha-kunda, where he eternally serves Sri Sri Radha-Krishna.

Spiritual Identity

In Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika, Raghunatha Dasa Goswami is identified as Rasa-manjarī (also known as Rati-manjarī)—an eternal maidservant of Srimati Radharani in the spiritual world.

He is celebrated as the crown jewel of renunciation among the Six Goswamis of Vrindavana.

According to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, the spiritual master of Srila Prabhupada, Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was most probably born in the year 1494 A.D. Though he was the son of a very rich landlord belonging to the Kayastha community; Raghunatha dasa had no interest in things of this world. His sole desire was to gain the association of Lord Chaitanya and dedicate himself to His service. Once when he met Lord Chaitanya at Shantipura, the Lord persuaded him to return home and assured that Krishna would deliver him soon from the clutches of maya. Seeing Raghunatha’s spirit of renunciation even as a young man, his family tried to keep him at home by all means, including appointing guards. Somehow Raghunatha was able to escape their vigilance with the help of Yadunandana Acharya, his official initiator spiritual master, and he made his way to Jagannatha Puri to serve Lord Chaitanya. This incident took place in the year 1517 AD.

After an arduous journey of twelve days without proper food or accommodation, Raghunatha dasa reached Jagannatha Puri. Lord Chaitanya entrusted him to Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, His secretary. Raghunatha’s life in Puri showed him to be absorbed in transcendental consciousness. He would stand at the Simha-dvara gate and eat only whatever he could gather by alms. Later he lived by taking alms from various chatras, or free food distribution centres. Appreciating Raghunatha dasa’s life of renunciation, Lord Chaitanya presented him with His own garland of small conchshells and a stone from Govardhana Hill. Thereafter, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami used to eat rejected food that he had collected and washed.

In the Chaitanya Charitamrita which gives an account of his life, the author Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami writes: ‘Who could list the unlimited transcendental attributes of Raghunatha dasa? His strict regulative principles were exactly like the lines on a stone. Raghunatha dasa spent more than twenty-two hours out of every twenty-four chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and remembering the lotus feet of the Lord. He ate and slept for less than an hour and a half, and on some days that too was impossible.

Topics concerning his renunciation are wonderful. Throughout his life he never allowed his tongue sense gratification. He never touched anything to wear except a small torn cloth and a patchwork wrapper. Whatever he ate was only to keep his body and soul together, and when he ate he would reproach himself thus: “If one’s heart has been cleansed by perfect knowledge and one has understood Krishna, the Supreme Brahman, he then gains everything. Why should such a person act like a debauchee by trying very carefully to maintain his material body?”

Raghunatha dasa Gosvami served Lord Chaitanya for sixteen years at Jagannatha Puri. After the Lord departed from this world, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami went to Vrindavana, where he lived for most of his life at the sacred lake Radha Kunda. He compiled three books, named Stava-mala, Dana-charita and Mukta-charita. His bhajana kutir, or place of worship, still exists at Radha Kunda.

Related Links: Five lessons to be learnt from the Festival of Punishment | Panihati Chida-dahi Utsava | Recipe for Chida-dahi