__________________________________________________________________________ Journal of Religious Culture Journal für Religionskultur Ed. by / Hrsg. von Edmund Weber in Association with / in Zusammenarbeit mit Matthias Benad Institute for Irenics / Institut für Wissenschaftliche Irenik Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main ISSN 1434-5935- © E.Weber – E-mail:
[email protected] __________________________________________________________________________ No. 33 (2000) Shalagrama-shila Shastric Evidence Compiled by Padmanabh Goswami* *** Dedication Offering hundreds of obeisances at his feet, I dedicate this article to the loving memory of my beloved father the late Shri Vishvambhara Goswami, Who was my guide, well-wisher, and source of inspiration. After him, I have been blessed with the good fortune of daily worshiping his shalagrama-shila. 2 Shri Radharamanaji: Self-Manifesting Deity When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was touring South India, He spent the four months during the rainy season called Caturmasya in Shri Rangam at the house of Vyenkata Bhatta, the chief priest of the Ranganatha Temple. His son, Shri Gopala Bhatta, was then able to serve the Lord to his heart's con- tent. Being pleased by his devotion, Shri Caitanya gave him initiation and ordered him to go to Vrin- davana after the disappearance of his parents. There he should remain with Rupa and Sanatana doing bhajana and writing books. - At the age of thirty, after the death of his parents, Gopala Bhatta, left for Vrindavana. When Lord Caitanya heard that Gopala Bhatta Goswami had arrived in Vrindavana and had met Shri Rupa and Sanatana Goswami, He was very pleased. At that time Mahaprabhu had already visited Vrindavana. Although Rupa and Sanatana had gone to visit him in Puri, Gopala Bhatta never received any invitation to go.