Page 29 - Viveka Satakam - Eng

xxvii
Introduction

In the same way, the glories of his disciple, Śrī Gopāla
Bhaṭṭa, are understood to be similar to his.”

In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā, Kavi Karṇapūra enumerated
the main associates of Lord Caitanya and their respective
identities in kṛṣṇa-līlā. In verse 163 he says:

tuṅgavidyā vraje yāsīt sarva-śāstra-viśāradā
sā prabodhānanda-yatir gaurodgāna-sarasvatī

“She who was previously known in the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa
in Vraja as Tuṅgavidyā, who is fully conversant with all
scriptures, has now become Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī
and is engaged in singing the glories of Lord Gaurāṅga.”

As Prabodhānanda is identified as one of the main eight
gopīs of Vraja, it is understood that such an intimate
associate must have played an essential role in caitanya-
līlā. From the statements of Sanātana Gosvāmī and
Karṇapūra it is implied that Prabodhānanda had the
association of Lord Caitanya at some point of life. Since
we find no descriptions of their meeting in Navadvīpa
or Purī, the most obvious conclusion is that they spent
four months together in Śrīraṅgam during the Lord’s
South Indian tour, as pointed out by the texts quoted
below. There are no other instances of the Lord spending
so much time in a family’s house, which means the
Bhaṭṭa family was very special and dear to Him. By the
name ‘Tuṅgavidyā’ (she who has exalted knowledge) we can
also understand that Prabodhānanda was conversant
with spiritual knowledge, which he imparted to his
disciple Gopāla, who subsequently became the main