Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c7.s1.20

c7.s1.20

which speaks indeed of inspiration received from Caitanya, but not of direct instruction by him. This is perhaps what is meant by the reference to Rūpa in the well known line: *Śrī-caitanya-mano'bhiṣṭam sthāpitam yena bhūtale*. Rūpa himself similarly speaks of inspiration from Caitanya (*hṛdi yasya preranayā pravartito'ham varāka-rūpo'pi*). But in the works of the Gosvāmins there is nowhere any acknowledgment of direct instruction by Caitanya, as alleged by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja. Had it been a fact, they must have prominently mentioned it. Nor is this fact mentioned in any other biography of Caitanya than that of Kṛṣṇadāsa. It is also noteworthy that, with the exception of the usual Namaskriyā in their various works and of a few hymns by Raghunātha-dāsa and Rūpa which we shall discuss below, the Gosvāmins nowhere speak directly of Caitanya nor give expression to their views about Caitanya. They are chiefly concerned with the exposition of Kṛṣṇa-līlā and never describe Caitanya-līlā. No doubt, they accept the divinity of Caitanya (*e.g.* in the Namaskriyā in Sanātana's *Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī*: *vande śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanyam bhagavantam kṛpārṇavam | prema-bhakti-vitānārtham gauḍeṣvavatatāra yaḥ ||*; verse 2 of *Bhakti-rasāmṛta*: *tasya hareḥ pada-kamalam vande caitanya-devasya*); but beyond this they hardly ever speak directly about his life and personality. Caitanya-worship does not appear to have been a creed with them.