10/07/2025
The Disappearance Day of Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī: 10th July, 2025
The sambandha ācārya of our Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava sampradāya is Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī. Once one devotee went to Sanātana Gosvāmī in Vṛndāvana and he was looking, looking and then he finally found where Sanātana Gosvāmī was, fell down at his Lotus feet and he prayed, “My dear Sanātana Gosvāmī! Lord Śiva has sent me that you have the most wonderful thing in the universe. I understand you have a touchstone.” Sanātana Gosvāmī said, “Yes you go in the back, there is a garbage pit, you find in the garbage pile, there is one touchstone somewhere there. You can just look.”, and he started doing his worship. So, then he, the devotee, goes in the back there he sees a huge pile of garbage leaves, everything there all the refuse. He looks, looks, looks through them and finds one brilliant stone. He was so happy just getting everything gold. Then he started to think that “Sanātana Gosvāmī kept it… Everyone I said, “I wanted the greatest thing” they said, “Yes.” And I said, “Touchstone.” And I found this touchstone in the garbage pit. What is the really valuable thing?!”
So, then he went back, and he said Sanātana Gosvāmī, “You have kept this touchstone in the garbage pit, I am thinking that my dear master, you must have something more valuable even than this. Now please tell me, what is the most valuable thing? Please give it to me.”
So, then of course Sanātana Gosvāmī said, “Alright! Come over here. This is a great secret, listen – Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Chant this mahā-mantra, this holy name of God, this is the most valuable thing that I possess. It will satisfy all of your desires.” Actually, Prabhupāda revealed that there is a great secret to becoming advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness that one should constantly pray for the mercy of his spiritual master and the previous ācāryas to advance in pure devotional service. One should pray, he should desire the mercy of the great Vaiṣṇavas.
Jayapatākā Swami
15 Sep 1979
