 Vaishnavism is the branch of Hinduism in which Lord Vishnu or one of his incarnations is worshipped as the supreme God. Members of Vaishnavism are called Vaishnavites or Vaishnavas. Brief biographical information about the Vaishnava saints is listed below:
Abhirama Thakura He was one of the most vigorous preachers among the associates of Lord Nityananda Prabhu. Advaita Acharya He was an intimate associate of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and is considered an incarnation of Sadashiva and Mahavishnu. It was in response to His calls that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu descended to this world. Baladeva Vidyabhusana He is the author of Govinda Bhasya, the first Gaudiya commentary on the Vedanta-sutras, appeared in Remuna, Odisha, in the late 1600s. He also wrote commentaries on the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada He was the Founder Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. It was he who brought the teachings of Lord Chaitanya out of India and spread them all over the world. Bhugarbha Goswami He along with his intimate friend Lokenath Goswami, located lost sacred places in Vrindavana by the order of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. To avoid material distractions, Bhugarbha Goswami would perform his worship to Lord Krishna in a cave. Devananda Pandita He was a professional reciter of Srimad Bhagvatam who turned to pure devotional servant during the time of Lord Chaitanya. Devananda Pandita used to explain Srimad Bhagvatam through impersonalistic interpretations. Dhananjaya Pandita He took part in many of Lord Chaitanya’s Kirtana pastimes in Navadvipa. On the order of Lord Chaitanya, he travelled widely and preached Krishna consciousness. Gadadhara Pandita He is among the group known as the Panchatattva, consisting of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and four of his closest associates. Gadadhara Pandita spent most of his life in Puri and is considered an incarnation of Sri Radharani, the eternal consort of Sri Krishna. Gangamata Goswamini She was the daughter of King Naresa Narayana of Bengal. From childhood she showed deep devotion to Krishna. Refusing to marry and renouncing her kingdom, she went in search of a bona fide guru. In Vrindavana she accepted Haridasa Pandita as her guru and took instructions from him. Performing severe austerities, she wore only rags and begged food door to door. Gopala Bhatta Goswami He was one of the 6 Goswamis of Vrindavana. As a young boy, he received the mercy of Lord Chaitanya. While touring south India, Lord Chaitanya stayed four months at Gopala Bhatta’s house. Gopala Bhatta Goswami later joined Lord Chaitanya’s Sankirtan movement. Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja  He is a disciple of his divine grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada who spread Krishna consciousness throughout Odisha. He translated many of Srila Prabhupada’s books into Oriya, worked to establish a large ISKCON temple in Bhubaneswar, travelled and taught Krishna consciousness throughout the world, and brought many people to the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada and Krishna.
Govinda Ghosh He is an intimate associate of Lord Chaitanya and was known for his sweet Kirtana at the annual Jagannatha Puri Ratha Yatra festival. Lord Chaitanya would at once begin to dance whenever Govinda Ghosh would sing. Haridasa Thakura He is considered the namacharya, the spiritual master in chanting the holy name of Krishna. He would not eat or sleep until he finished his daily quota of chanting the name of Krishna 300,000 times. Along with Lord Nityananda, Haridasa Thakura spread the chanting of Krishna’s name throughout Bengal. Jagadisa Pandita He lived near Jagannatha Misra, the father of Lord Chaitanya, in Sridhama Mayapur. Jagadisa Pandita assisted Lord Chaitanya in spreading the sankirtana movement in Jagannatha Puri. Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja He is the spiritual master of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura who confirmed Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s discovery of the birthplace of Lord Chaitanya. Jagannatha Misra He appeared as the father of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Jahnava Mata She was the wife of Lord Nityananda Prabhu. Especially after the disappearance of Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda, she became a leading figure in the sankirtana movement. Jayadeva Goswami He is the author of the Gitagovinda, a poem about the pastimes of Sri Radha Krishna. He appeared 300 years before the advent of Lord Chaitanya. Jiva Goswami He is the nephew and disciple of Rupa Goswami, was one of the six Goswamis of Vrindavana. Jiva Goswami was the greatest and most prolific scholar of his time. Lokenath Goswami He was a personal associate of Lord Chaitanya. Lord Chaitanya ordered him and Bhugarbha Goswami to find the lost holy places of Vrindavana. Madhavendra Puri He was the spiritual master of the spiritual master of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Madhavendra Puri established the worship of the Gopala Deity, who is today worshiped as Srinathji. Madhvacharya He is the principal Acharya, or spiritual teacher, in the Brahma Sampradaya, the Vaishnava disciple’s line from which the Gaudiya Sampradaya descends. Madhvacharya studied the Vedas under the compiler of the Vedas, Vyasadeva, in the Himalayas. Lord Nityananda Prabhu He appeared as Lord Chaitanya’s principal associate for spreading the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord. He especially spread the holy name of the Lord throughout Bengal. He is considered an incarnation of Lord Balarama. Paramesvari Dasa Thakura Also known as Paramesvara Thakura, he was an intimate associate of Lord Nityananda Prabhu. Pundarika Vidyanidhi He was a disciple of Madhavendra Puri and was the guru of Sri Gadadhara Pandita. In Krishna’s pastimes he was Vrisha Bhanu, the father of Srimati Radharani. Ramanujacharya He was the principal Acharya in the Sri Sampradaya, one of the four main lines of Vaishnava teachers and disciples. A staunch proponent of the philosophy of personalism, he taught that although the Supreme Lord and the individual souls are qualitatively one, there is still a difference between them, for the Lord is infinite and the living entities are infinitesimal. Srivasa Thakura He was a member of the Panchatattva, consisting of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his 4 immediate expansions and energies. Srivasa Pandita never made any effort to support himself or his dependents and because of his full dedication to Lord Chaitanya and his mission, Lord Chaitanya provided for all his needs. Svarupa Damodara Goswami He was the personal secretary of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He is said to have been like a second Mahaprabhu because he deeply understood the Lord’s conclusions on Krishna Bhakti, devotional service to Krishna. He was a great scholar as well as an expert musician. |
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Vaishnava Saints of India
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