# The Six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana > [!summary] > *The Six Gosvāmīs were direct disciples of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu who established the philosophical and devotional foundation of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism. They excavated the lost holy places of Vṛndāvana, wrote extensive literature on devotional service, and set the example of renounced life dedicated to spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness.* ## Rūpa Gosvāmī ![[images/all-catalogs/0115_SP-136.jpg]] The leader of the Six Gosvāmīs and author of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (The Nectar of Devotion). Lord Caitanya empowered him to understand the science of devotional mellows. ![[cc/madhya/19/1#translation]] **Full article:** [[wiki/articles/rupa-gosvami|Rūpa Gosvāmī]] **From the index:** [[index/entries/rupa-gosvami|Rūpa Gosvāmī]] ## Sanātana Gosvāmī The elder brother of Rūpa Gosvāmī and author of the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. Lord Caitanya instructed him extensively on the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness at Vārāṇasī. ![[cc/madhya/20/104#translation]] **Full article:** [[wiki/articles/sanatana-gosvami|Sanātana Gosvāmī]] **From the index:** [[index/entries/sanatana-gosvami|Sanātana Gosvāmī]] ## Jīva Gosvāmī The nephew of Rūpa and Sanātana and the greatest philosopher among the Gosvāmīs. He wrote the Ṣaṭ-sandarbhas establishing the philosophical conclusions of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism. ![[cc/adi/10/85]] **Full article:** [[wiki/articles/jiva-gosvami|Jīva Gosvāmī]] **From the index:** [[index/entries/jiva-gosvami|Jīva Gosvāmī]] ## Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī Born in South India, he met Lord Caitanya and later came to Vṛndāvana. He compiled the Sat-kriyā-sāra-dīpikā and established the Rādhā-Ramaṇa Deity. **From the index:** [[index/entries/gopala-bhatta-gosvami|Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī]] ## Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī Known for his melodious recitation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He served Lord Caitanya in Purī and later established the Govindajī temple in Vṛndāvana. ![[cc/antya/13/120#translation]] **From the index:** [[index/entries/raghunatha-bhatta-gosvami|Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī]] ## Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī The son of a wealthy zamindar who renounced everything to serve Lord Caitanya. He is the author of the Vilāpa-kusumāñjali and lived in extreme renunciation at Rādhā-kuṇḍa. ![[cc/antya/6/310#translation]] **From the index:** [[index/entries/raghunatha-dasa-gosvami|Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī]] ## Their Mission The Six Gosvāmīs worked tirelessly to: - **Excavate holy places** of Kṛṣṇa's pastimes in Vṛndāvana - **Write literature** establishing the philosophy of pure devotional service - **Build temples** for the worship of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa - **Set the example** of renounced devotional life ![[sb/1/2/15]] ## Related Articles - [[wiki/articles/lord-caitanya-mahaprabhu|Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu]] — Who empowered them - [[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-vrindavana|The glories of Vṛndāvana]] - [[wiki/articles/the-great-acaryas|The great ācāryas]] - [[wiki/articles/renunciation-and-detachment|Renunciation and detachment]] - [[wiki/articles/srimati-radharani|Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī]] — Whom they worshipped ## 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 Gosvāmīs]] — The six great teachers - [[index/entries/six-gosvamis|Six Gosvāmīs]] — Authorities on devotional service - [[index/entries/vrndavana|Vṛndāvana]] — Their place of residence