Shri Shri Radhanand Dev Goswami Prabhupada
Mahanta Sri Sri Radhananda Deva Goswami Prabhupada
He was the second Mahanta of Sri Sri Shyamanandi Gaddi. He was born around 1616 AD from Sri Sri Rasikananda Prabhu's wife, Srimati Shyam Dasi, as their eighth child, after prematuely loosing the earlier seven. After the disappearance of Sri Sri Shyamananda Prabhu on the first lunar day of the dark fortnight of the Ashadha month of 1630 AD, Sri Sri Rasikananda Prabhu, with the consent of all, appointed his 14 years old and the most eminent eldest son Sri Sri Radhananda Prabhupada as the second Mahanta of Sri Sri Shyamanandi Gaddi. Thereafter, right till his disappearance (by entering into the deity of Sri Sri Kshirachora Gopinatha at Remuna in 1653 AD). Sri Sri Rasikananda Prabhu fully directed his efforts to liberise the Jeevas from the clutches of Maya.
“Bandiba sriradhananda balaka kridate
kankudi chindayam lagaila sakshate”
-(Sri Sri Shyamananda Rasarnava)
In his childhood, while playing in the garden of Sri Sri Radha Govindaji, once plucked and took away a cucumber from a creeper. He did not know that it was the first cucumber of the season and was reserved for the service of the Lord. When Sri Sri Rasikananda Prabhu noticed that the cucumber was missing, he became very angry. On enquiry, he came to know that Sri Sri Radhananda was the person behind it. When asked about the matter, Sri Sri Radhananda insisted "The cucumber is still hanging on the creeper." Hearing that, everyone went to see the creeper, and to their great surprise, the cucumber was indeed hanging there! In this way, from early childhood, he made everyone wonderstruck with his amazing pastimes.
Even in young age, Sri Sri Radhananda Prabhupada was well conversant with all scriptures and was an expert musician. His book "Sri Sri Radha Govinda-kavyam" is very relishable and melodious like "Sri Gita-Govinda." Apart from this, another Ten beautiful poems, composed by him, are still available.
Sri Sri Radhanananda Prabhupada was one of the Mahantas of the twelfth branch established by Sri Sri Shyamananda Prabhu. He continued as Mahanta for a prolonged period of about 55 years, properly looking after the service and management of all the temples and Mathas under Sri Sri Shyamanandi Gaddi, Finally, on the fifth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the Vaishakha month of 1685 AD, at the age of 69, he left this world and entered the eternal pastimes. He left two sons: the older was Sri Nayanananda Prabhupada, and the younger was Sri Rasananda Prabhupada.