śrī-rūpa-mañjarī khyātā yāsīd vṛndāvane purā sādya rūpākhya-gosvāmī bhūtvā prakațatām iyāt
She who was known as Rupa Manjari in Vrindavan has now appeared as Rupa Goswami.” (Gaura-ganoddeśa-dīpikā 180)
Lalita is chief amongst the sakhis who make up Radharani’s entourage, and Rupa Manjari is the foremost amongst those sakhis who follow Lalita. It is for this reason that Rupa Goswami was chief amongst the six Goswamis in Gaura lila.In Vrindavan, Rupa Goswami established a temple for his Govindaji. In Bhakti-ratnākara, Narahari describes the way Govindaji appeared to Rupa Goswami:
Mahaprabhu had given four instructions to Rupa Goswami:
1) to find the lost holy places in the dham,
2) establish the service of a deity
3) publish scriptures on pure devotional service, and
4) preach the love of the Holy name
Rupa Goswami had perfectly carried out all these desires of the Lord, but one. He was worried about how he could establish deity worship. Thus he started wandering through the villages and forests in the Vraja area in search of his Lord in deity form, but without success.Feeling despondent, Rupa Goswami was one day sitting by the banks of the Yamuna, his heart burning with intense feelings of separation from Krishna. At that time, a handsome Vrajavasi, effulgent like a a divine personality, approached him and in a sweet voice asked him what was the cause of his distress. Enchanted by his charming voice and divine appearance, Rupa Goswami told everything that had been troubling him. The Vrajavasi then consoled Rupa Goswami, saying, “You need not worry; on the hill named Goma Tila, which is the Yoga Pith here in Vrindavan, you will find a deity of Govinda. Every morning a cow goes there and joyfully gives Him milk.” Having said this, the Vrajavasi disappeared.Realising, “Krishna came here and spoke to me and yet I could not recognize Him”, Rupa Goswami, fainted. After some time, he came back to his sensesand managed to pacify his mind. He then proceeded to the place the Vrajavasi had indicated.
. The residents of the village helped him dig at Goma Tila and finally they found the deity of Govindaji. He was more beautiful than millions of Cupids. Later it was established that this Govinda deity was originally worshiped by Krishna’s grandson, Vajranabha.Subsequent to his appearance at Goma Tila, Govindaji was served in a simple thatched hut. According to Bhakti-ratnākara (2:404-37), a disciple of Raghunath Bhatta later built a beautiful temple and jaga-mohana, etc., to house the Lord. In 1590, the king of Amber, Man Singh, repaired the existing structure and built additions to it, thus making it an exquisite sandstone temple. In his Mathura Memoir, F.S. Growse has described this temple in the following words: “The temple of Govinda Dev is not only the finest of this particular series, but is the most impressive religious edifice that Hindu art has ever produced – at least in upper India.” It is said that the seven-story building was so high that the emperor Aurangzeb could see its pinnacle from his palace in Agra. Out of jealousy, he destroyed the upper portion of the building. Around this time, out of fear of Muslim iconoclasts, Govindaji was moved to Bharatpur and then later to Jaipur, where He remains to this day.
to the place the Vrajavasi had indicated. The residents of the village helped him dig at Goma Tila and finally they found the deity of Govindaji. He was more beautiful than millions of Cupids. Later it was established that this Govinda deity was originally worshiped by Krishna’s grandson, Vajranabha.
Subsequent to his appearance at Goma Tila, Govindaji was served in a simple thatched hut. According to Bhakti-ratnākara (2:404-37), a disciple of Raghunath Bhatta later built a beautiful temple and jaga-mohana, etc., to house the Lord. In 1590, the king of Amber, Man Singh, repaired the existing structure and built additions to it, thus making it an exquisite sandstone temple. In his Mathura Memoir, F.S. Growse has described this temple in the following words: “The temple of Govinda Dev is not only the finest of this particular series, but is the most impressive religious edifice that Hindu art has ever produced – at least in upper India.”
It is said that the seven-story building was so high that the emperor Aurangzeb could see its pinnacle from his palace in Agra. Out of jealousy, he destroyed the upper portion of the building. Around this time, out of fear of Muslim iconoclasts, Govindaji was moved to Bharatpur and then later to Jaipur, where He remains to this day.
The Associates of Lord Caitanya;
HDG Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Goswami Thakur