The Gopalas, or Twelve Gopalas (, ), were a group of 16th-century Indian missionaries who are credited with spreading
Gaudiya Vaishnavism
Gaudiya Vaishnavism (), also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism, is a Vaishnava Hindu religious movement inspired by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) in India. "Gaudiya" refers to the Gaura or Gauḍa region of Bengal, with Vaishnavism meanin ...
throughout
Bengal
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
. They were major
disciples of the Gaudiya-Vaishnava saint
Nityananda
Nityānanda (; born circa 1474), also called Nitai, was a primary religious figure within the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Bengal. Nitai was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's friend and disciple. They are often mentioned together as ''Gaura-Nitai'' ...
(–), who is considered to be an incarnation of Krishna's brother,
Balarama
Balarama (Sanskrit: बलराम, IAST: ''Balarāma'') is a Hindu god and the elder brother of Krishna. He is particularly significant in the Jagannath tradition, as one of the triad deities. He is also known as Haladhara, Halayudha, Balad ...
.
Members
Kavi Karnapura's ''Gaura Ganoddesha Dipika'' lists 12 Gopalas: Abhirāma (or Rāmadāsa Abhirāma), Uddhāraṇa Datta, Kamalākara Piplāi, Kālakṛṣṇa-dāsa, Gaurīdāsa Paṇḍita, Parameśvarī-dasa, Dhanañjaya-paṇḍita, Puruṣottama Datta (or Nāgara-puruṣottama), Puruṣottama-dāsa, Maheśa-paṇḍita, Śrīdhara and Sundarānanda-ṭhākūra. In other sources, a 13th, Halāyudha-ṭhākūra, is added.
The more well-known Gopalas (for example, Abhirāma, Gaurīdāsa, Kamalākara Piplā, Puruṣottama-dāsa and Uddhāraṇa Datta) established "autonomous centres of power" known as ''sripats''.
The Gopalas were the "first organization within Gaudiya Vaisnavism and appointed directly by
Sri Caitanya to propagate ''
nama-
dharma
Dharma (; sa, धर्म, dharma, ; pi, dhamma, italic=yes) is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. Although there is no direct single-word translation for '' ...
''
he theology of the name of God (Krishna">theology.html" ;"title="he theology">he theology of the name of God (Krishna)]."
They had the right to preach Chaitanya Vaishnava doctrine within their own areas and collect donations for their ''sripats'', which they gradually developed into centres of Vaishnavism or even holy places.
Of the 12 main Gopalas, three were from the lowest caste, the
shudra
Shudra or ''Shoodra'' (Sanskrit: ') is one of the four '' varnas'' of the Hindu caste system and social order in ancient India. Various sources translate it into English as a caste, or alternatively as a social class. Theoretically, class ser ...
s.
Association with mythical ''gopālas''
Like Nityananda, the 16th-century Gopalas were associated with figures from Krishna's ''
lila Lila or LILA may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Lila'' (album), debut album by American country music singer Lila McCann
* ''Lila'' (movie), a 1968 sexploitation film
* The Meaning of Lila, a comic strip written by John Forgetta and L. A. ...
'', his playful pastimes in "
mythical Vrindavan"
– specifically the group of cowherds (''gopālas'') who "previously had been attracted to the activities of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma".
In "their personal piety" and devotion, the Gopalas are said to manifested behaviour "typical of Krishna and Balarama's male cowherd friends" in the Vrindavan ''lila''.
As given in the ''Gaura Ganoddesha Dipika'', the 12 Gopalas' spiritual identities are: Śrīdāma (Abhirāma), Sudāma (Sundarānanda), Vasudāma (Dhanañjaya), Subala (Gaurīdāsa), Mahābala (Kamalākara Piplāi), Subāhu (Uddhāraṇa Datta), Mahābāhu (Maheśa), Stokakṛṣṇa (Puruṣottama-dāsa), Dāma (Puruṣottama Datta), Lavaṇḍga (Kālakṛṣṇa-dāsa), Arjuna (Parameśvarī-dasa) and Madhumaṇḍgala (Śrīdhara).
Upa-Gopalas
A separate group of 12 junior associates of Nityananda are called the upa-Gopalas (, 'junior cowherds'). The upa-Gopalas were probably institutionalised towards the end of the 16th century in response to the increasing number of new claimants to the seat of Gopala.
See also
*
Nityananda
Nityānanda (; born circa 1474), also called Nitai, was a primary religious figure within the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Bengal. Nitai was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's friend and disciple. They are often mentioned together as ''Gaura-Nitai'' ...
*
Gopala-Krishna
Gopala Krishna ( sa, गोपालकृष्ण, translit=Gopālakṛṣṇa, lit=cow-protector Krishna) refers to a form of the Hindu deity Krishna, as featured in the Harivamsha and the Puranas. The narratives of Gopala Krishna are set in th ...
*
Gaudiya Vaishnavism
Gaudiya Vaishnavism (), also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism, is a Vaishnava Hindu religious movement inspired by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) in India. "Gaudiya" refers to the Gaura or Gauḍa region of Bengal, with Vaishnavism meanin ...
References
{{Chaitanya sampradaya
Gaudiya Vaishnavism
Gaudiya religious leaders
Devotees of Krishna
Indian Vaishnavites
Bhakti movement