Srila Lokanath Goswami
Related excerpts from books by our Acharyas
Srila Lokanath Goswami's Samadhi,
Vrindavan
From Affectionate Guidance by Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj.
Chapter Seventeen: In Praise of Srila Narottam Das Thakur.
Narottam had been having many dreams in which Mahaprabhu instructed him to go to Vrindavan and take shelter of the lotus feet of His confidential devotee Srila Lokanath Das Goswami who would give diksha to him. He also told Narottam to find Srila Rupa Goswami, Srila Sanatan Goswami and Srila Jiva Goswami and to keep their holy association. After arriving in Vrindavan, Narottam found that Rupa and Sanatan had already left the world but he found there Srila Jiva Goswami, Srila Lokanath Das Goswami, Srila Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami and many other great Vaishnavas who gave him their company. Narottam became the student of Jiva Goswami and petitioned Lokanath Goswami to give him diksha. Lokanath refused him.
Lokanath Goswami had decided that he would never accept any disciples and he lived in an extremely austere way in Vrindavan, living under a different tree every night.
Narottam felt great sadness upon being refused by Srila Lokanath, and he told him, "I can only take my initiation from you. Sriman Mahaprabhu has told me that you will give me diksha, so until then I will wait." Narottam tried to serve his Guru but the Goswami would allow no one to serve him. Narottam thought, "If he will not even stay under the same tree for more than one night then what kind of service can I do for him?" After a while Narottam noticed that Srila Lokanath Prabhu would always go to the same place to pass stool and he began to think that although Lokanath had refused to give him any service for over two years, if he could clean that place every day then at last he would have some service. Narottam was fixed in his resolve that he must take diksha from Srila Lokanath Goswami, as this was the order of Mahaprabhu.
Very soon Lokanath Goswami began to notice, "I come here every day to pass stool and it seems that someone is cleaning this place after me. Who can be doing this?" So one night from a hidden place Lokanath saw that at midnight Narottam is coming and very happily cleaning that place. Lokanath knew that Narottam was the son of the famous King Krishnananda Datta. He was greatly astonished and confronted Narottam, "Why are you, a prince of high noble birth, coming each night and cleaning this dirty place?" And Narottam replied, "Prabhu, I need your mercy. Without your mercy I cannot live. Your vow is that you will not accept any disciples, but by the order of Sriman Mahaprabhu, it is my vow that I must have your connection. I don't know when you will give me your mercy but you must accept me as your disciple." So after refusing Narottam eighteen times, finally Srila Lokanath Das Goswami took Narottam Das and gave him diksha.
Narottam received instruction from Srila Jiva Goswami, Srila Kaviraj Goswami and many other goswamis who were there in Vrindavan. He was a great pandit and all the devotees headed by Sri Jiva, recognising his qualification, bestowed upon him the title of 'Thakur'.
From Golden Staircase by Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj.
Chapter Two: The Eye to see Sri Guru, section:
Full Satisfaction, Absolute Realisation
So the absolute consideration is possible from any position. Although all servitors are fully satisfied where they are, in their own position, they realise the supremacy of Vrindavan. Tatastha-vichara (impartial consideration) is always there, and between the relative and the absolute, the absolute always takes the upper hand. Sarva-dharman parityajya: The absolute or 'revolutionary' consideration is firmly established above the relative or 'constitutional' one when Sri Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita (18.66), "Just abandon all dharmas, all considerations of social ad religious duties - even the ones that I Myself have established in the various scriptures and described here in My previous instructions to you - and just surrender wholeheartedly to Me."
Everywhere, the absolute consideration prevails. In connection with Guru, Narottam das Thakur has his Gurudev, Lokanath, but still he aspires: "When will the day come when Lokanath will take me by my hand and guide me to Srila Rupa Goswami? When will he surrender me to Srila Rupa Goswami and give me some engagement there in that camp?" In this high type of expression, the absolute consideration is also there underground.
From Sri Guru and His Grace by Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj.
Chapter Thirteen: Lives of The Saints, section:
Babajis and Preachers
Srila Gaura Kisor Das Babaji Maharaj did not preach, but his disciple, our spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad, preached with great magnitude. Srila Lokanath Goswami did not preach at all, but we find that the preaching of his only disciple, Srila Narottam Das Thakur, was most extensive. So, a Vaisnav should not be judged only by the amount of work that he shows outwardly. His success is at the disposal of the divine will. Krishna awards service to a particular person according to His own choice, and enables that person to carry out that service. There are many examples of this.
Sri
Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Nabadwip