The Mission of Rupa Gosvami

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The driving force behind Rupa Gosvami's acts, including his vast literary repertoire, was Caitanya Mahaprabhu, renowned as the initiator of the Gaudiya Vaisnava lineage in sixteenth-century India. In the eyes of his followers, Sri Caitanya descended to earth to enact a specific redemptive mission. Indeed, his bhakti movement changed the hearts and faith of uncountable people, both in the India of his day and worldwide in the modern era, by instilling in them the path of pure love of God.
Like many who were touched by Mahaprabhu and his teachings, Rupa Gosvami left behind his worldly life and dedicated himself to the mission of his master. The significance of Rupa Gosvami in Gaudiya Vaisnavism is implicitly accepted even by the present-day devotees of Lord Caitanya. It is so much so that they often refer to themselves as rupanugas the followers of Rupa- instead of Gaudiya Vaisnavas, using the two terms practically as synonyms. But what made Rupa Gosvami so outstanding?
By dedicating an entire volume exclusively to the acarya, The Mission of Ripa Gosvami is nearly unique; and it is definitely unique in terms of its approach to the subject. The book does not simply intend to provide a biography; it is an attempt to reveal Rupa Gosvami's prominent position by exploring the instructions and orders he received from Caitanya Mahaprabhu and how he accomplished his mission. All the while, as the theme unfolds, the reader is given an extensive overview of Sri Rupa's literature.
The Anthology of Essays, Verses, Excerpts following the main text of the book, includes a collection of verses praising and elaborating upon Rupa Gosvami both in his sixteenth-century identity and as Rupa-manjari, his eternal female form in the spiritual world; glorious narrations about Rupa Gosvami's life in Vrndavana and his work in refurbishing its sacred environment, and much more, all to give a complete picture of Sri Rupa, who is arguably the most important of all acaryas.

The significance of Rupa Gosvami (1489-1564), an outstanding character of Gaudiya Vaisnavism, is implicitly accepted even by the present-day devotees of Lord Caitanya. (1486-1534); it is so much so that they often refer to themselves as rupanugas-the followers of Rupa- instead of Gaudiya Vaisnavas, using the two terms practically as synonyms. But do all Gaudiya Vaisnavas know what made Rupa Gosvami so prominent? Why do they pray to him every day sri caitanya-mano-bhistam sthapitam yena bhi-tale, describing him as the one who has established within this material world the mission that fulfils the desire of Lord Caitanya?
We have to dig deep to answer this question. To be able to understand the significance and outstanding role of Rupa Gosvami, we must primarily discover what kind of orders Rupa Gosvami received from Caitanya Mahaprabhu and how he fulfilled his assignment. The discussion of this subject requires us to learn about the ontological position of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the purpose of His appearance. Besides studying the authentic sources on Rupa Gosvami's life and work, we must also be acquainted with his own works. We must be aware of the significance of Vṛndavana since a fundamental purpose of his mission was the revival of the holy dhama; moreover, it is important to approach the subject faithfully to the spirit of the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya, and that has a basic condition, namely, having a living relationship with a present-day member of the lineage.