Gadadhara Pandita, also known as Pandita Goswami, was a close associate of
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (; born Vishvambhar Mishra) was a 15th-century Indian saint who is considered to be the combined avatar of Radha and Krishna by his disciples and various scriptures. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mode of worshipping Krishn ...
. Gadadhara Pandita Goswami is described as a handsome young boy, student of
Nyaya
(Sanskrit: न्याय, ''nyā-yá''), literally meaning "justice", "rules", "method" or "judgment", Pandita Goswami's guru was Pundarika Vidyanidhi. Pandita Goswami initiated Bhugarbha Goswami, and Bhugarbha Goswami gave rise to one line of the Gadadhara parivara. The Gadadhara Parivāra (Parivāra means 'family') is one among different traditional Chaitanya lineages that have continued till modern times; the Advaita Parivāra is another example.
Because Pandita Goswami is the combined power, the followers of Pandita Goswami aspire for mādhurya-rasa. The custom of the Gadadhara parivara is to worship the deities of Gaura and Gadadhara.
Followers of the Gadadhara parivara are of the opinion that Rupa and Sanatana Goswami, Narottama Dasa Thakura Mahasaya and his guru Lokanath Goswami were disciples of Gadadhara Pandita. Others hold that Sanatana Goswami was the disciple of Madhusudana Vidyavacaspati, the brother of the famous logician Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, and Rupa Goswami was the disciple of Sanatana Goswami. Again there are others, that are saying that Sanatana Gosvami was the disciple of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.