Radhavallabha

He was the descendent of Sri Madhu Pandita. He lost his parents at any early age and thus
was not able to complete his studies. Once he was advised by his elders to visit one of the
disciples of his family and ask for money. On the day that he visited, however, the disciple
was not at home. Nevertheless, he was invited in for lunch. After eating, the wife of the
disciple requested him to say speak about Krsna. Radhavallabha, however, was quite
ignorant about topics related to Sri Krsna. He knew only that it was his duty to visit the
disciple's house and accept food and money. He thought to himself that if he would have
known that he was going to be requested to speak about Krsna then he would never have
come to their house. That day he left the house of his disciple and took a vow that until he
understood topics related to Krsna he would never visit his disciples again.

Radhavallabha was the only male descendent of the family, yet instead of getting married
and continuing the family line, he left home, went to Vrndavana and took shelter in the
temple of Gopinatha. There it was arranged that he would get two full meals a day and a
rupee a month from the temple. For this he was expected to take care of the temple
accounts. In the morning, after completing his ablutions, he earnestly read Sri Caitanya
Caritamrta or other Vaisnava sastras in Bengali, and many people took great pleasure in
listening to him read. He never bought clothes or other items for his own use, he used only
whatever was given to him by devotees. He never saved any of the money he earned from
the temple or from reading, every paisa was immediately spent for Vaisnava seva-especially
for those who were extremely poor or ill. He never allowed anyone to take the dust of his
feet or to eat his remnants.

The topic most frequently discussed by Radhavallabha Gosvami was regarding complete
detachment from money and other worldly things, even food. When he was about to depart
from this world and he found that he had two rupees ten annas left, he immediately spent it
on Vaisnava seva.