History of Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami, Author of Sri Caitanya Caritamruta!
(1) Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami is the author of the Chaitanya Charitamrita, an authorized record of the life of Sri Caitanya Maha Prabhu.
(2) Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvathi says that Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami was probably born in about 1520 AD and died in about 1616 or 1617. Some other sources say that he was born in 1496 and the date of death unknown.
(SRILA BHAKTI SIDDHANTA SARASVATI THAKURA LIFE HISTORY – DIARY OF 50 POINTS! READ HERE!)
(3) PARENTS: No records found. But, according to Ashutosh Deb’s Bengali Dictionary and Haridas Das’s Gaudiya Vaishnava Abhidhana, Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami’s parents’ names were as Bhagiratha and Sunanda.
(4) Born in Jhamatpur, near the Salara Railway Station. Both his parents died when he was young. He and his brother were raised by relatives.
(5) His Gaura-Nitai Deities are still worshiped in his home town.
(6) Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami was ordered by Nityananda Prabhu in a dream to go to Vrindavan. He spent the remainder of his life in Vrindavan.
(7) His community background is not clearly known. His name kaviraj means that he may be a poet or a doctor.
(SIX GOSWAMIS OF VRINDAVAN – INTRODUCTION! READ HERE!)
(8) From Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami’s statements in the Chaitanya Charitamrita, we also learn that he had a brother. Krishnadas does not give his name, but Hari Das writes in the Gaudiya Vaishnava Abhidhana that he was called Shyama Das Kaviraj. His name is also said to be Shyamananda Dasa by some other sources.
(9) It is said that once his brother argued with an important Vaishnava Minaketana Ramadasa over the ontological positions of Chaitanya Maha Prabhu and Nityananda Praabhu and belittled the position of Nityananda. Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami considered this to be an unpardonable offence and rejected his brother forthwith.
(10) Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami writes in Sri Caitanya Caritamruta: “Chaitanya Charitamrita is being dictated to me by Madana Mohana. My writing is like the repetition of a parrot. I write as Madana Gopal orders me, just as a wooden marionette is made to dance by a puppeteer. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.8.78-9)”
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(11) Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami further writes: I am now an old man and an invalid. My hand trembles as I write and my memory fails me. I am going blind and deaf, but still I manage to write and this is a great wonder. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.2.90)
(12) Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami wrote three books: Chaitanya Charitamrita, Govinda-lilamrita and a commentary on Krishna-karnamrita
(13) Krishnadas received the title kaviraja (“king of poets”) for his Govinda-lilamrita.
(14) Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami’s samadhi tomb is on the grounds of the Radha-Damodar Temple, Vrindavan.
SRI CAITANYA MAHA PRABHU LIFE HISTORY – DIARY AND SIKSASHTAKAM! READ HERE!