Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura took birth approximately in the year 1586 Sakabda, within the district of Nadia in the village of Deva-gram. His parents were Rarhi Sreni (?) brahmanas. He also had two brothers named Rambhadra and Raghunatha.

His initiating guru was Sriyuta krishnacarana Cakravarti of Saiya-dabad, Murshidabad, who was fourth in the line from Srila Narottama dasa Thakura, Sri Cakravarti Thakura resided with his guru for many years and composed many books during that time. In the last verse of Alankara-kaustubha he has written:

saidabadnivasi sri visvanatha sarmmana
cakravatiti namneyam krta tika subodhini

His studies of grammar, poetry and rhetoric were completed while he still lived at Nadia. There is a story that he defeated one conquering pandit while he himself was still only a student. From his childhood he was completely indifferent to household life. In order to keep him at home, his father had him married at a very young age. However, he finally renounced family life and came to live at Sri Vrindavana. His family members tried to bring him back but were unsuccessful.

Sri Cakravarti Thakura took up residence with Sri Mukunda das, who lived in krishna dasa Kaviraja Goswami's bhajana kutir at Radha-kunda. There he very  intently studied the books and letters of the Goswamis and composed many commentaries on their writings.

He used to worship a Deity named Golokananda. Another name of Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura was Sri Harivallabha dasa.

He composed the following books: Srimad-bhagavata-sarartha- darsini-tika, Srimad-Bhagavad-gita-savartha-varsini-tika, Alankara-kaustubha-subodhini-tika, Ananda-Vrindavana-sukhvarthini tika, Vidagdha-madhava-nataker-tika, Sri-krishna-bhavanamrta-maha- kavya, Swapna-vilasamrta-kavya, Madhurya-kadambini, Aiswarya- kadambini; Stavamrta-lahiri, Camatkara-candrika, Gauranga- lilamrta, Ujjvala-nilamani-tika, Gopala-tapani-tika, Sri -Caitan-ya-candramrta-tika, Ksanda-gita-cintamani. (There's more, too: Ragavartma-candrika, Stavamrta-lahari, Smarana-mangala, etc).

His disappearance is on the Vasanta-pancami in the month of Magha.