Raghunath Bhatta Goswami’s Recitation of Srimad Bhagavatam
In Kṛṣṇa-līlā, Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa, who made his home in a cottage by Rādhā-kuṇḍa, was Rāga-mañjarī. (Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā 185)
In around 1503 AD, Raghunātha Bhaṭṭācārya appeared as the son of Tapana Miśra, a dear devotee of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu who hailed from the village of Ramapur on the banks of the Padma River in East Bengal. Several years later, when passing through Benares on His way back from Vrindavan, Mahāprabhu stayed at Candraśekhara Vaidya’s house and took His meals with Tapana Miśra. During the two months that the Lord spent in Benares, Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī got the opportunity to personally serve Him and to receive His mercy.
When he grew up, he went to Purī to see the Lord. He stayed there for eight months, occasionally cooking for the Lord. He was an expert cook and was then fortunate enough to be able to take the Lord’s remnants. However, as per Lord's order he went back to Kāśī and took care of his Vaishanva parents for the remainder of their lives, which was another four years. During this time, he also studied the Bhāgavata from a Vaiṣṇava. Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī had a beautiful singing voice. When he recited the Bhāgavata, he would read the same verse in different tunes. This made his readings very attractive to the devotees.
When his parents departed the world, he returned to Purī and stayed with Mahāprabhu. After staying with the Lord for eight months, Mahāprabhu told him to go to Vṛndāvana and to stay with Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī. He told him to study Bhāgavata daily as well as to chant the Holy Names. After embracing Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa, the Lord gave him a twentyone-foot long tulasī garland that had been worn by Lord Jagannātha as well as unspiced betel.
When he arrived in Vṛndāvana, he put himself under the care of Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī. Whenever he recited the Bhāgavata in their company, Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa would be overwhelmed with ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa. By Mahāprabhu’s mercy, he experienced the symptoms of ecstatic love—tears, trembling, and faltering of the voice. His eyes filled with tears, his throat became so choked that he could not continue his recital.
Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī’s voice was as sweet as a cuckoo's, and he would recite each verse of the Bhāgavata in three or four different tunes. Whenever he recited or heard about Kṛṣṇa’s beauty and sweetness, he would be overwhelmed with ecstatic love and become oblivious to the world around him.
Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa surrendered himself to Govinda’s lotus feet and those lotus feet were the only thing that gave his life meaning. In time, he ordered his disciples to construct a temple for Govinda. He himself made various ornaments for the deity, including a flute and dolphin-shaped earrings.
Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa would never speak or listen to gossip. He would simply discuss Kṛṣṇa and worship Him day and night. He would not listen to criticism of a Vaiṣṇava’s misbehaviour. He knew only that everyone was engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. When he was absorbed in remembrance of Lord Kṛṣṇa, he would take the prasādi tulasī garland and the neck beads given to him by the Lord, and wear them around his neck. Thus I have described the power of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy, by which Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa experienced unlimited ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 3.13.121-135)
A further description of Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī is also given in Bhakti-ratnākara:
“As I look upon the samādhi of Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa, my heart breaks and my eyes are awash with tears. But who is not overjoyed as soon as he hears Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī’s glories? He was such an expert teacher of all the scriptures that even Bṛhaspati would joyfully cheer upon hearing Raghunātha’s explanations of Vaiṣṇava doctrine. There is nothing to which his discourses on the Bhāgavata can be compared. Even Vyāsa himself wishes to sit and listen to him speak, knowing that this will bring him happiness. Even the gods were astonished when they observed Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa’s devotional practices.”