Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami
From the book “Sri Vraja-maṇḍala-parikramā”:
At Cakra-tīrtha, in front of the Cakaleśvara Mahādeva temple, is Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī’s bhajana-kuṭī. Sanātana Gosvāmī occasionally resided here to perform bhajana, but because the mosquitoes here were a constant disturbance, he considered moving elsewhere. At that time, Cakaleśvara Mahādeva arrived there in the guise of a brāhmaṇa. “Bābājī, please do not move away. Stay here and freely perform your bhajana. From this day forth, mosquitoes will no longer trouble you.” Mosquitoes have not caused a disturbance here since. Sanātana Gosvāmī remained here for some time, and was able to perform his bhajana untroubled.
Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī performed parikramā of Govardhana every day, even in his old age. Once, in the blazing heat of summer, the soil under his feet was burning hot. Weary and drenched with perspiration, Gosvāmījī sat down. No shady place was to be found. Suddenly, a cowherd boy came by and held a corner of His yellow shawl over Sanātana to give him shade. With the other corner, He fanned Gosvāmījī’s face. Sanātana Gosvāmī’s whole body became cool and calm by the touch of that boy, who spoke in a very sweet voice, “Bābā, in this old age there is no need for you to perform parikramā of Govardhana and undergo so much hardship. I am giving you a śilā of Girirājajī that is marked with the staff and lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Circumambulate this śilā every day and you will receive the same benefit as doing Govardhana parikramā.” Saying this, the boy gave the śilā to Sanātana Gosvāmī and disappeared. This boy was none other than Giridhārī, the lifter of Girirāja. This śilā used to reside in the temple of Śrī Rādhā-Dāmodara in Vṛndāvana, but nowadays it is in the temple of Śrī Rādhā-Dāmodara in Jaipura. The pratibhū-vigraha72of this śilā is present in the Śrī Rādhā-Dāmodara Temple in Vṛndāvana. The result of performing parikramā of Girirāja-Govardhana can easily be achieved by circumambulating the temple of Śrī Rādhā- Dāmodara four times.
There is a temple of Śrī Gaura-Nityānanda Prabhu opposite Cakaleśvara. While performing parikramā of Govardhana, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and later Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had darśana of Śrī Cakaleśvara Mahādeva and Pāraṅga-ghāṭa at Mānasī-gaṅgā, and also took rest here.
Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
In the later years of his life, Shrila Sanatana Goswami came to stay at Chakra-tirtha and his bhajana-kutira can still be seen situated next to the Chakreshwara Mahadeva Mandira. It was Sanatana Goswami’s intention to spend the rest of his days performing bhajana at Chakra-tirtha, but due to being pestered day and night by mosquitoes, he decided to move. At that time, Chakreswara Mahadeva (Lord Shiva) appeared there in the guise of a brahmana and requested Sanatana to stay, saying that from that day forth mosquitoes would no longer cause him any disturbance. Hearing the humble plea of the brahmana, Sanatana remained there and found that he was no longer pestered by mosquitoes. The Bhakti-ratnakara says, “O Shrinivasa, by the order of Chakra-tirtha (Lord Shiva), Sanatana Goswami resided at this place. See his cottage in the forest.”
Even in old age Sanatana Goswami would perform the much longer twelve kosa parikrama of Govardhana Hill each day. (12 kosa equals 24 miles (38km). One day, a very beautiful cowherd boy met Sanatana at his bhajana-kutira. The Bhakti-ratnakara says, “Every day with determination Sanatana Goswami would perform the twelve kosa parikrama of Govardhana Hill. Seeing the difficulty taken by Sanatana in his old age, Gopinatha appeared before him in the form of a cowherd boy. Sanatana, with tearful eyes, tried to conceal his fatigued condition from the boy. Gopinatha sweetly spoke to Sanatana, ‘In your old age you should not make so much of an endeavor. Dear Swamiji, please follow My advice.’ Sanatana replied, ‘whatever You say I will certainly follow.’ Then the cowherd boy climbed Govardhana and brought one shila marked with His own footprint. In sweet words He requested Sanatana to accept the govardhana-shila marked with Gopinatha’s own footprint. ‘From today just circumambulate this shila and thus your vow of daily parikrama will be fulfilled.’ Saying this He gave the shila to Sanatana in his cottage and disappeared.”
The next day Sanatana was remembering with affection the beautiful cowherd boy who had presented him with the govardhana-shila; the Bhakti-ratnakara says, “Sanatana became very anxious on not seeing the boy. Seeing Sanatana’s condition Gopinatha affectionately revealed His identity. Wet with his own tears, Sanatana then repented why he did not recognize his Lord. In this way Sanatana remained under the influence of intense love for Sri Vrajendra-kumara, who sports in the flower groves of the Vrndavana forest.” When it was revealed to Sanatana in a dream that the cowherd boy was actually Lord Krishna, he thoroughly condemned himself because although Krishna had personally appeared before him and presented him with a govardhana-shila, he was unable to recognize his beloved Lord. In great ecstasy Sanatana began circumambulating the govardhana-shila given to him by Lord Gopinatha every day.
Some years later, on the occasion of Guru-purnima, all the Vaishnava devotees had gathered at Sanatana’s bhajana-kutira at Chakra-tirtha, because he always led the devotees on the annual maha-parikrama around Govardhana Hill on this day. However, after patiently waiting for some time, Sanatana did not emerge from his kutira. When the devotees looked inside, they saw Sanatana quietly sitting cross-legged with his hand in his bead bag, when he did not respond to their enquiries, the devotees suddenly realized he had in fact left his body. The passing of Sanatana Goswami was a terrible loss to everyone, because he was so dearly beloved by all the Vaishnava devotees, as well as the people of Vraja. The devotees carried Sanatana Goswami’s body in a procession from Chakra-tirtha to Dwadashaditya-tila in Vrindavana and placed his sacred body in samadhi near to the place where his beloved Deity Madana-Mohana was being worshiped. According to the Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika, Sanatana Goswami is the gopi known as Rati-manjari in Krishna’s Vrindavana pastimes.
