The famous Shri Rādhā Raman Deity of Vrindāvan appeared from a Śāligrām because of the loving pure devotion of Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswāmi. His life pastimes are very illustrious but what less is known among the populace is his literary and scholarly contribution to the Chaitanya Sampradāya also known as the Madhva Gauḍīya Sampradāya. 

1) The Sandarbhas

Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu had ordered Śrī Rūpa Goswāmi to write books explaining the Bhāgavata Siddhānta in detail, which he taught to Rūpa Goswāmi in Prayag. In order to fulfill Mahāprabhu’s desire regarding writing a book on Bhagavat Tattva, Śrīla Rūpa and Sanātana Goswāmi ordered Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswāmi to undertake this great task. Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswāmi then wrote the Śaḍ Sandarbhas for the pleasure and satisfaction of Śrīla Rūpa and Sanātana Goswāmi . The authorship of the Śaḍ Sandarbhas is generally ascribed to Śrī Jīva Goswāmi. But let’s see what Śrī Jīva Goswāmi himself has to say about it.

ko’pi tad-bāndhavo bhaṭṭo dakṣiṇa-dvija-vaṁśajaḥ |

vivicya vyalikhad granthaṁ likhitād vṛddha-vaiṣṇavaiḥ

tasyādyaṁ granthanālekhaṁ krāntam utkrānta-khaṇḍitam |

paryālocyātha paryāyaṁ kṛtvā likhati jīvakaḥ ||

(Tattva Sandarbha 4-5)

“A certain friend of theirs (Rūpa and Sanātana Goswāmi), a bhaṭṭa born in a south Indian Brāḥmiṇ family, properly wrote this text, having critically examined the writings of earlier vaiṣṇavās (Śrī Rāmānuja, Śrī Madhwa, Śrī Śrīdhar Swāmi and others). Some parts of that original work (by Gopāla Bhaṭṭa) were in order, others were not, and some were damaged. Now with his permission, after a careful study, Jīva is rewriting (the text).

Also, Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswāmi himself mentions in the mangalācaraṇa of the Sandarbhas.

jayatāṁ mathurā-bhūmau śrīla-rūpa-sanātanau |

yau vilekhayatas tattvaṁ jñāpakau pustikām imām ||

(Tattva Sandarbha 3)

“Glory to Mathurā Bhumi and Śrīla Rūpa and Sanātana Goswāmi . I’m writing this book, to delineate what is tattva and for the pleasure of Rūpa and Sanātana Goswāmi.”

(Note: By the following evidence we can safely conclude that the Śaḍ Sandarbha is the work of Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswāmi and Śrīla Jīva Goswāmi further completed the Sandarbhas.)

2) The Hari Bhakti Vilāsa

Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu had instructed Śrīla Sanātana Goswāmi to write a book explaining the proper conduct, rituals, practices, etc. On the instruction of Śrī Rūpa and Sanātana Goswāmi , Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswāmi wrote the Hari Bhakti Vilāsa. Again this work is generally ascribed to Śrīla Sanātana Goswāmi but Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswāmi mentions in the mangalācaraṇa of Hari Bhakti Vilāsa that, “I’m writing the scripture for the pleasure of vaiṣṇavās which explains the daily obligatory duties, conduct according to the scriptures, rituals etc. After scrutinizingly studying and contemplating various vaiṣṇava scriptures, to be able to successfully complete the book I take shelter of Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu.”

“For the pleasure and satisfaction of the famous vaiṣṇavās of Mathurā; Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana and Śrī Raghunātha Goswāmi, I Gopāla Bhaṭṭa, the disciple of Śrī Prabhodānanda, who is the dear associate of Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu is writing this scripture called Hari Bhakti Vilāsa.”

caitanya-devaṁ bhagavantam āśraye śrī-vaiṣṇavānāṁ pramude’ñjasā likhan |

āvaśyakaṁ karma vicārya sādhubhiḥ sārdhaṁ samāhṛtya samasta-śāstrataḥ ||

bhakter vilāsāṁś cinute prabodhānandasya śiṣyo bhagavat-priyasya |

gopāla-bhaṭṭo raghunātha-dāsaṁ santoṣayan rūpa-sanātanau ca ||

Śrī Sanātana Goswāmi in his Dig Darśini Tikā writes, that the authorship belongs to Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswāmi. [śrīgopālabhaṭṭasyāpi tādṛktvam boddhavyam, yā śrīgopālabhaṭṭasya prema bhaktis-tasyavilāsata ullāsāt]

Also all manuscripts and printed editions follow suit, identifying Gopāla Bhaṭṭa as its author in each of the colophons that appear at the end of the Twenty Vilāsas that compose the work.

[iti śrīgopālabhaṭṭa vilikhite śrīmadbhagavadbhaktivilāse…vilāsaḥ]

(It is to be noted that Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswāmi has accumulated 273 references from various texts.  Majority of the scriptural references manifested from the memory of Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswāmi. Thus, he provided a solid foundation for Philosophy and the Religious Practices of the Sampradāya).

3) Geya Ārādhanā

Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswāmi’s another notable contribution to the vaiṣṇava world is that he gave the world Geya Ārādhanā(Musical Offering to the Lord). The Geya Ārādhanā includes singing, playing instruments, dance and drama. The Geya Ārādhanā is considered the topmost and very dear to the Lord. It is mentioned in the Skanda Purāṇa by Lord Mahādeva, “By chanting one gets the result of hearing crores of time and Offering Naivedya gives result of crores of Chanting, Singing for Lord gives the result of Crores of Naivedya offerings. Hence there is no greater worship than singing for the Lord.”

skānde śrī-mahādevoktau—

śruti-koṭi-samaṁ japyaṁ japa-koṭi-samaṁ haviḥ |

havih-koṭi-samaṁ geyaṁ geyaṁ geya-samaṁ viduḥ ||

This Geya Ārādhanā was performed by the Gopīs to the Lord in the form of līlā anukaraṇa or Drama (enacting the Lords pastimes). This can be seen in the Rāsa Pancādhyāyi where gopīs performed līlā Anukaraṇa and pleased with this seva Lord Govinda appeared in front of the Gopīs.

Drama is the best form of performing arts as it includes all the aspects of music; singing, playing instruments, dancing, acting etc. Hence, we see in the vaiṣṇava culture there is a tradition of performing such Dramas, be it Kr̥ṣṇa līlā, Rāsa līlā or Rāma līlā. The performance of Drama as an act of worship to the Lord is also accepted by Śrī Rūpa Goswāmi . In a less known work of his called “Nāṭaka Candrikā” he explains about performing drama. Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswāmi has brought in systematic practice all this forms of worships to his Beloved Śrī Rādhāraman Lāla in the form of Rāga-Bhoga Sevā. Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswāmi was himself very expert in all forms of performing arts, this is mentioned by Śrī Kavi Karṇapūra in a verse praising Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswāmi. He says, “May Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswāmi protect me, who is master of Performing arts, by doing so who increases the bliss in the heart of devotees. His (Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswāmi) happiness is always in performing the pastimes of the Lord and when he speaks (kathā) pastimes he makes the image appear in front of the audience with his wonderful speech.”

“jita‐vara‐ gati‐bhaṅgir nāṭya‐saṅgīta‐raṅgī, 

tanu‐bhṛta‐janu‐cittānanda‐vardhi‐sudhīśaḥ

carita‐sukha‐vilāsaś citra‐cāturya‐bhāṣaḥ, 

parama‐patitam īśaḥ pātu gopāla‐ bhaṭṭaḥ”.

Śrī Rūpa Goswāmi fulfills the desires of Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswāmi fulfills the desires of Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana Goswāmi, which he is famous for, as mentioned by Śrī Dhyāncandra Goswāmi;

rūpa-mañjarikā-saukhyā-bhilāṣā sā prakīrtitā. 

We can see above how Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswāmi gave to the Sampradāya and whole vaiṣṇava community, most valuable gifts in the form of scriptures and methods of worshiping Śrī Śrī Rādhā Govinda ji. 

Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswāmi serves as Guṇa Manjari in nitya līlā.

aiśānye campakalatā-kuñjāt kuñjo ‘sti śobhanaḥguṇānanda-prado nāmnā tatrāste guṇa-mañjarīrūpa-mañjarikā-saukhyā-bhilāṣā sā prakīrtitājabā-rāji-dukūleyaṁ taḍit-prakara-kānti-bhākkaniṣ heyaṁ bhavet tasyās tulasyās tu tribhir dinaiḥśrī-kṛṣṇāmoda-dākṣiṇyam āśritā prakharoditāvayo ‘syā eka-māsāḍhyā hāyanās tu trayodaśasapta-viṁśatibhir yuktaṁ dinaiś ca samudīritamgopāla-bhaṭṭa-nāmāsau khyātā gaura-rase kalau

Next, the particulars of Śrī Guṇa Manjari are given: In the northeastern part of Śrī Campakalatā’s kuñja lies the beautiful guṇānandapradā kuñja, where Śrī Guṇa Manjari always resides. Her complexion is bright like lightning and she wears a fine silk dress the color of a red hibiscus flower. She is famous for her strong desire to make Śrī Rūpa Manjari happy. She is three days younger than Śrī Tulasi (Rati Manjari), and delights Śrī Kr̥ṣṇa with her straightforward and bold nature. Her age is 13 years, 1 month, and 27 days. In gaura-līlā she is known as Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswāmi.
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— (Śrī Gaura-govindārcana-smaraṇa-paddhati – Translated by Haridhama Dāsa)

(Following is a brief write up from a lecture of Śrī Chaitanya Sampradāya Acharya Śrī Śrīvatsa Goswāmi ji. )