Sanatana Goswami was a prominent follower of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and one of the Six Goswamis of Vrindavan. He was born around 1488 CE in a place believed to be Navahatta (present-day Naihati, West Bengal) or Bakla Chandradvipa in East Bengal (now Bangladesh). Sanatana and his brothers, Rupa and Vallabha, studied under renowned scholars and held important positions in the government. They met Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in 1514, which led them to renounce the world and join his mission. Sanatana faced imprisonment but managed to escape and meet Chaitanya in Varanasi. There, he received teachings on the philosophy of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Afterwards, he visited Vrindavan and explored the holy sites associated with Lord Krishna's pastimes.

After meeting Chaitanya Mahaprabhu again in Puri, Sanatana Goswami received four direct instructions from him: to write books on Bhakti yoga, to discover and excavate the holy places of Krishna's pastimes in Vrindavan, to establish the worship of deities in Vrindavan, and to compile a book on proper behavior for devotees. Sanatana returned to Vrindavan and successfully fulfilled these instructions. He established the worship of the deity Madana-mohana and discovered lost holy places. He passed away in 1558 CE, and his tomb (samādhi) is located next to the Madana-mohana temple in Vrindavan.

anatana Goswami wrote four important books in Sanskrit on Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy:

• Brihat-bhagavtamrita ("The Great Nectar of the Lord’s Devotees")

This work of 2,500 verses is divided into two parts. The first section explains the ontological hierarchy of the devotees of Krishna. The second section deals with the soul's journey to the eternal realm of Krishna. Narrated as stories, both sections explain many aspects of Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy. Sanatana also wrote for this book his own commentary, called the Dig-darshini.

• Hari-bhakti-vilasa ("Performance of Devotion to Hari")

This book was a joint work between Sanatana Goswami and Gopala Bhatta Goswami. Compiled on the order of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the book deals with the rituals and conduct of Gaudiya Vaisnavas. Sanatana also wrote an auto-commentary on Hari-bhakti Vilasa.

• Krishna-lila-stava ("Glorification of the Pastimes of Krishna")

Krishna-lila-stava consists of 432 verses tracing Krishna's pastimes as told in the Bhagavata Purana, from the beginning of the 10th Canto up through the vanquishing of Kamsa. Krishna-lila-stava is also sometimes referred to as the Dasama-charita.

• Brihad Vaishnava Toshani ("That which brings Great Joy to the Devotees of Krishna")

The Brihad Vaishnava Toshani is Sanatana's extensive commentary on the Tenth Canto of the Bhagavata Purana. This commentary is also known as the Dasama-tipanni.

See also