The Prema-vilāsa describes how Narottama Ṭhākura took initiation from Lokanātha Gosvāmī in Vṛndāvana. Narottama Ṭhākura was born on the full-moon day of Māgha, his renunciation took place on the full-moon day of Kārtika, and he was initiated by Lokanātha Gosvāmī on the full-moon day of Śrāvaṇa.

Lokanātha Gosvāmī is a direct disciple and a personal associate of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Indeed, he was the first Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava to be instructed by the Lord to go to Vṛndāvana, along with Bhūgarbha Gosvāmī. Lokanātha Gosvāmī set the standard for worship in a spirit of renunciation while in the holy dhāma. He was a viviktānandī Vaiṣṇava, i.e., a hermit who worships the Lord in solitude. In this spirit, he had vowed not to take any disciples. Narottama Dāsa too made a vow—to take initiation from no one other than Lokanātha Gosvāmī. Though he was the son of a king, Narottama Ṭhākura’s desire to receive Lokanātha Gosvāmī’s mercy was so great that he went in the middle of every night to clean the place he used as a toilet. He would also leave fine earth and water for him to clean himself afterwards. This is described as follows in the Prema-vilāsa:

Narottama went to the place where the Gosvāmī performed his bodily functions and did a special job of cleaning it. He sifted the earth to make fine, clean earth with which Lokanātha Gosvāmī could clean his hands. He would hide his coconut-leaf broom and take it out each night to sweep the place clean, his heart filled with joy. All these things he did as a regular service. He considered himself to be fortunate to have this service and that it made his body worthwhile. He would hold the broom to his chest, repeating, “This is the power that will help me attain my Lord’s lotus feet.” As he said these words, he cried and torrents of tears washed over his chest.

Lokanātha Gosvāmī was astonished to see that the place was daily being kept clean and free from foul smell. He became curious to find out who was doing it and so, one evening, he went and hid in the jungle, chanting japa the entire night in wait for the anonymous benefactor. At midnight, he saw someone engaged in cleaning the place and asked him who he was. When he found out that Narottama, the son of a king, was doing this task, he felt embarrassed and told him to desist. Narottama, however, immediately fell at Lokanātha Gosvāmī’s feet and began to cry. When Lokanātha Gosvāmī saw Narottama Ṭhākura’s humility and pain, his resolve softened and he finally gave him initiation. Thus Narottama Ṭhākura gave an outstanding example to the world of how one should serve one’s spiritual master.

“Narottama went there and engaged in whatever service was necessary to his guru, performing it with great enthusiasm. Lokanātha Gosvāmī was pleased by Narottama’s service and showed him the greatest mercy by initiating him in the mantra.” (Bhakti-ratnākara 1.345-6)

Without caring for his youth or his looks, he left home on the full moon day of the month of Kārtika. After wandering through many pilgrimage places, he finally came to Vṛndāvana where he became Lokanātha Gosvāmī’s disciple. On the auspicious day of Śrāvaṇī pūrṇimā, Lokanātha Gosvāmī initiated Narottama Ṭhākura. (Bhakti-ratnākara 1.292-4)

Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura was thus Lokanātha Gosvāmī’s one and only disciple. Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda, the founder of world-wide Sree Chaitanya Math and Sree Gaudiya Maths, demonstrated similar one-pointed faith in service to the lotus feet of his spiritual master, and perseverance and patience in order to obtain his mercy. Gaura Kiśora Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, like Lokanātha Gosvāmī, had vowed to take no disciples. He refused Śrīla Prabhupāda three times, but this did not break Prabhupāda’s will. When Gaura Kiśora Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja saw his humility and intense desire, he finally relented and gave him mantra dīkṣā. Śrīla Prabhupāda was Gaura Kiśora Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja’s only disciple.

After the disappearance of Rūpa and Sanātana Gosvāmīs, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī became the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava sampradaya’s undisputed ācārya throughout Mathura, Bengal and Odisha and the chief of the universal court of Vaiṣṇavas at Vṛndāvana—the Viśva-vaiṣṇava-rāja-sabhā. Śrīnivāsa, Narottama, and Duḥkhī Kṛṣṇadāsa all studied the scriptures under Jīva Gosvāmī, receiving detailed personal instruction from him. Jīva Gosvāmī gave them the titles of Ācārya, Ṭhākura and Śyāmānanda, respectively.