# The Six Gosvamis of Vrindavana *The Six Gosvamis were direct disciples of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu who established the philosophical and devotional foundation of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. They excavated the lost holy places of Vrindavana, wrote extensive literature on devotional service, and set the example of renounced life dedicated to spreading Krishna consciousness.* ## Rupa Gosvami ![[images/all-catalogs/0115_SP-136.jpg]] The leader of the Six Gosvamis and author of Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (The Nectar of Devotion). Lord Caitanya empowered him to understand the science of devotional mellows. ![[cc/madhya/19/1]] **From the index:** [[index/entries/rupa-gosvami|Rupa Gosvami]] ## Sanatana Gosvami The elder brother of Rupa Gosvami and author of the Hari-bhakti-vilasa. Lord Caitanya instructed him extensively on the science of Krishna consciousness at Varanasi. ![[cc/madhya/20/104]] **From the index:** [[index/entries/sanatana-gosvami|Sanatana Gosvami]] ## Jiva Gosvami The nephew of Rupa and Sanatana and the greatest philosopher among the Gosvamis. He wrote the Sat-sandarbhas establishing the philosophical conclusions of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. ![[cc/adi/10/85]] **From the index:** [[index/entries/jiva-gosvami|Jiva Gosvami]] ## Gopala Bhatta Gosvami Born in South India, he met Lord Caitanya and later came to Vrindavana. He compiled the Sat-kriya-sara-dipika and established the Radha-Ramana Deity. **From the index:** [[index/entries/gopala-bhatta-gosvami|Gopala Bhatta Gosvami]] ## Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami Known for his melodious recitation of Srimad-Bhagavatam. He served Lord Caitanya in Puri and later established the Govindaji temple in Vrindavana. ![[cc/antya/13/120]] **From the index:** [[index/entries/raghunatha-bhatta-gosvami|Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami]] ## Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami The son of a wealthy zamindar who renounced everything to serve Lord Caitanya. He is the author of the Vilapa-kusumanjali and lived in extreme renunciation at Radha-kunda. ![[cc/antya/6/310]] **From the index:** [[index/entries/raghunatha-dasa-gosvami|Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami]] ## Their Mission The Six Gosvamis worked tirelessly to: - **Excavate holy places** of Krishna's pastimes in Vrindavana - **Write literature** establishing the philosophy of pure devotional service - **Build temples** for the worship of Radha and Krishna - **Set the example** of renounced devotional life ![[sb/1/2/15]] ## Related Articles - [[wiki/articles/The disciplic succession|The disciplic succession]] - [[wiki/articles/The mercy of Lord Caitanya|The mercy of Lord Caitanya]] - [[wiki/articles/The glories of Vrindavan|The glories of Vrindavan]] - [[wiki/articles/The Great Acharyas|The Great Acharyas]] - [[wiki/articles/Renunciation and detachment|Renunciation and detachment]] ## From the Scriptures - [[cc/adi/10|Ādi-līlā, Chapter 10: The Trunk, Branches and Subbranches of the Caitanya Tree]] — Description of the Gosvamis - [[cc/madhya/19|Madhya-līlā, Chapter 19: Lord Śrī Caitanya's Instructions to Rūpa Gosvāmī]] — Teachings on devotional service - [[cc/madhya/20|Madhya-līlā, Chapter 20: Lord Śrī Caitanya's Instructions to Sanātana Gosvāmī]] — Fundamental teachings - [[cc/antya/4|Antya-līlā, Chapter 4: Sanātana Gosvāmī Visits the Lord at Jagannātha Purī]] — Sanatana at Puri - [[cc/antya/6|Antya-līlā, Chapter 6: The Meeting of Śrī Caitanya and Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī]] — Raghunatha's story ## From the Index - [[index/entries/gosvamis-six|Six Gosvamis]] — The six great teachers - [[index/entries/six-gosvamis|Six Gosvamis]] — Authorities on devotional service - [[index/entries/vrndavana|Vrindavana]] — Their place of residence