sábado, 13 de agosto de 2011

Śrī Upadeśāmṛta, Ślokas 10-11 San Francisco, 31 May 1997

Śrī Upadeśāmṛta, Ślokas 10-11 San Francisco, 31 May 1997

We have read this śloka and also some of the purport. I want you to read page 87, second paragraph, “After taking to devotional service...”

Devotee reads:  Śloka 10, purport: After taking to devotional service under the regulative principles, a person may come to the platform of spontaneous love of Godhead, following in the footsteps of great devotees like Nārada and Sanaka and Sanātana.

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: Can you explain why he has said:

“Service under the regulative principles, a person may come to the platform of spontaneous love of Godhead”?
Why has he said “may”?

Devotee: Because it is not guaranteed that just by practicing the vaidhī-bhakti process that they will automatically come to... 

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: I think that everyone here is understanding this fact. He has said, “May.” He has not given any guarantee for this. Those who will cultivate regulative principles and then come in the association of a realised rasika-bhakta in the line of Rūpa Gosvāmī will get spontaneous love. Otherwise, simply by following these regulative principles for lākhas and lākhas of births, one cannot come to the platform of spontaneous love. But we hope to be fortunate to come in the line of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We like to be called rūpānuga Vaiṣṇavas.

Why?
Can anyone answer?
Why do we want to be rūpānuga Vaiṣṇavas and glorify Swāmījī as rūpānuga?

Devotee: Because Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī appeared in this world most recently. He is Rūpa Mañjarī and is so close to Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Following very closely in his footsteps as rūpānuga Vaiṣṇava is the only way to attain that kind of closeness, that kind of intimacy, that kind of bhakti.

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: Can you tell what is the difference between rāgānuga and rūpānuga?

Devotee: Rāgānuga means to follow the real Vrajavāsīs in any of the rasas, such as dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya and mādhurya. The real Vrajavāsīs, who have rāga, are called ragātmika bhaktas. But rūpānuga specifically means those following Rūpa Mañjarī, who is serving Śrīmatī Rādhikā.

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: Rūpānuga means especially Rūpa Gosvāmī’s own mood.

His books he has explained all kinds of rasa and all kinds of rati, but what was his special mood towards Kṛṣṇa?
How did he serve and in what mood?

If anyone will follow Rūpa Gosvāmī’s mood, then he will advance in mañjarī-bhāva, otherwise not. Vallabhācārya is not rūpānuga. Svarūpa Dāmodara is not rūpānuga.

What is he?

Svarūpa Dāmodara himself is Lalitā. He is Rūpa Gosvāmī’s guru and Rūpa serves under him, but yet Rūpa has a special service to Śrīmatī Rādhikā which Lalitā does not have. Svarūpa Dāmodara serves Śrīmatī Rādhikā and Kṛṣṇa equally, but with some partiality for Rādhikā. But Rūpa is totally absorbed in serving Śrīmatī Rādhikā. This is the mood of Rūpa Gosvāmī. 

If anyone has the mood of Yaśodā Maiyā, if anyone has the mood of friends, like Subala and Śrīdāma, or if they have any mood of Lalitā, Viśākhā, Citrā, the aṣṭa-sakhīs, they are not rūpānuga—they are rāgānuga. They are superior to Rūpa Gosvāmī. Svarūpa Dāmodara and Rāya Rāmānanda are superior to Rūpa Gosvāmī because they are Lalitā and Viśākhā. But we cannot follow Svarūpa Dāmodara and Rāya Rāmānanda, we cannot follow Lalitā and Viśākhā—their mood is separate. They are above our touch, and we are not aspiring for that mood.

What do we want?

The mood of Rūpa Gosvāmī, Rūpa Mañjarī, always serving Śrīmatī Rādhikā, happy in Her happiness and unhappy in Her distress.
Sometimes Lalitā can chastise Śrīmatī Rādhikā.

How?

dhūrte vrajendra-tanaye tanu suṣṭhu vāmyaṁ
mā dakṣiṇā bhava kalaṇkini lāghavāya
rādhe giraṁ śṛṇu hitām iti śikṣayantīṁ
devīm guṇaiḥ su-lalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi
(Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam 4)

[I offer praṇāma unto Śrī Lalitā-devī, the charming treasure-house of all good qualities, who instructs Śrīmatī Rādhikā in this way: “O Kalaṇkini (unchaste one)! Rādhe! Listen to my good instructions which are favourable for you! Vrajendra-nandana is very crafty (dhūrta). Do not display Your mood of gentle submission to Him; instead, in all circumstances, always be contrary.]  

She can say, “dhūrte vrajendra-tanaye, don’t have any link with dhūrta Vrajendra-nandana.”

To whom is she telling this?

Rādhikā. “Do not speak. When He comes, You should sit like this, frowning. And if He wants to keep His head on Your feet, You should move Your feet away, like this, not looking at Him.” Lalitā can speak to Rādhikā like this.

When Rādhikā is quite absorbed in viraha (separation), Lalitā will pacify Her, saying, “Oh, you should not weep. Kṛṣṇa is here.” In the same way, Svarūpa Dāmodara was telling Caitanya Mahāprabhu;

“Why are You lamenting for Vrajendra-nandana?

Vrajendra is not far away from here. He is here.”

At once Caitanya Mahāprabhu took His nails, scratched the earth, and said:

“Oh, I will see. Oh, Vrajendra-nandana is here?”

He became so happy and took Svarūpa Dāmodara’s hands in His. Rūpa Gosvāmī will not do this. If Śrīmatī Rādhikā is weeping, then Rūpa Mañjarī also will weep. She will do the same thing as Rādhikā. When Rādhikā is meeting with Kṛṣṇa, then Rūpa Mañjarī thinks that she is meeting with Kṛṣṇa. If Śrīmatī Rādhikā is unhappy, then Rūpa Mañjarī will be unhappy—equally! This is rūpānuga.

Rūpānuga, not rāgānuga. All rūpānugas are rāgānugas, but all rāgānugas are not rūpānugas. You should know this fact.

What am I saying?

Devotee: All rūpānugas are rāgānuga, but not all rāgānugas are rūpānuga.

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: Who are rūpānuga?

Those who are actually following the mood of Rūpa Gosvāmī. All our ācāryas are rūpānuga, not only rāgānuga. So it is a very, very important point. 

Our Gurudeva has composed Rādhā-Vindodāṣṭakam. The first śloka is:

rādhā-cintā-niveśena yasya kāntir vilopitā
śrī kṛṣṇa-caraṇaṁ vande rādhāliṇgita-vigraham

[I worship the lotus feet of that form of Kṛṣṇa when, due to being thoroughly immersed in separation from Śrīmatī Rādhikā (who is displaying māna, Her jealous anger), His own dark complexion vanishes and He assumes Her bright, golden lustre.]

The meaning is this. Sometimes Śrīmatī Rādhikā becomes so absorbed in separation, weeping so bitterly that She faints, but Rūpa Gosvāmī does not want this. Our Gurudeva, who is rūpānuga, or any of our ācāryas including Rūpa Gosvāmī, will not want this.

What will they want?

Rādhā-cintā-niveśena yasya kāntir vilopitā.

Kṛṣṇa should weep in separation from Śrīmatī Rādhikā, no, Kṛṣṇa should weep. Our Śrīmatī Rādhikā is so soft, Her feet are so soft, She should not walk here and there to search for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa should search for Her, because He is a cowherd boy. His feet are so hard, hard, hard. He should walk so much, so much.

So, rādhā-cintā-niveśena yasya kāntir vilopitā. Śrīmatī Rādhikā disappeared from the rāsa and Kṛṣṇa was searching, searching, searching. He could not get Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s darśana, so He was searching and weeping. At last Kṛṣṇa sat down at Imlī-tālā in Vṛndāvana, near Yamunā in Seva-kuñja. He was bitterly weeping and was absorbed in thinking:

“Oh, where can I find Śrīmatī Rādhikā?
Where can I find Rādhikā?

She has left Me here.

Where has She gone?”

Drowned in these thoughts, Kṛṣṇa lost His black colour, and at once His complexion became golden. He was still Kṛṣṇa, but He became golden like Śrīmatī Rādhikā, and His mood was changed into Rādhikā’s. He was crying bitterly:

“O Kṛṣṇa, where are You?
O Kṛṣṇa, where are You?”
Do you understand this?

He was not calling “Rādhike, Rādhike,” in Kṛṣṇa’s mood. Rather. at once Her colour and mood came in Him, and He began to call:

“Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, where are You?”

In all the maṭhas in the Gauḍīya Vedānta Samiti, our Guru has established our Deities, Vinoda-bihārī, with this mood — rādhā-cintā-niveśena yasya kāntir vilopitā. Kṛṣṇa’s colour went out and He became golden, taking the colour and mood of Rādhikā — that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu! Rādhāliṇgita-vigraham. I am doing vandanā to that very form of Kṛṣṇa, which has been embraced by Rādhikā with all Her parts. Rādhikā’s whole body is there, and Kṛṣṇa’s body has been completely covered by all the parts of Śrīmatī Rādhikā. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is rādhāliṇgita-vigraham. This is rūpānuga. Kṛṣṇa should weep, Kṛṣṇa should search for Rādhikā.

Why should our sweet, innocent, very simple Śrīmatī Rādhikā go here and there, in mountains, across rivers, through thorns?
Why should She go?

Kṛṣṇa should go all over searching for Her. This is rūpānuga. So all rūpānuga Gosvāmīs are like this. They have come only to bestow their mercy in this way.

Swāmījī cut jungles, but he did not come only for this. In this rūpānuga Nectar of Instruction, Rūpa Gosvāmī’s teachings, he is giving all these tattvas. You should patiently hear. And then you can understand what is the mood of this special rūpānuga Vaiṣṇava ācārya, Śrīla Swāmījī, who is in the line of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. 

Then, “after ...”

Devotee reads: After taking to devotional service under the regulative principles, a person may come to the platform of spontaneous love of Godhead, following in the footsteps of great devotees like Nārada and Sanaka and Sanātana. 

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: Why is he mentioning Nārada?
Why?
And Sanaka and Sanātana?

They were all following regulative bhakti. But Nārada and Uddhava, by the association of the gopīs, and Sanaka by both Nārada and by the grace of Umā Devī (the wife of Śaṅkara) all received spontaneous love and service for Kṛṣṇa. Originally they were not in this mood. So Swāmījī is giving examples. If anyone is performing regulative principles of bhakti, then by chance from one’s past impressions or by luck without any cause, Kṛṣṇa can mercifully send His devotees to give their association. By hearing from them and following their instructions, one will attain spontaneous love, just as Nārada, Sanaka, and Sanātana did.

Devotee reads: The Supreme Personality of Godhead then recognises him to be superior. The devotees who have developed love of Godhead are certainly in an exalted position.

Of all these devotees, the gopīs are recognised as superior because they do not know anything other than satisfying Kṛṣṇa. 

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: He has written, “of all devotees,” but we should know that the gopīs are not devotees.

What are they?

They are expansions of Śrīmatī Rādhikā, special expansions. Some of them are sādhana-siddha, like the Vedas, Śrutī-mantras, and others. But they are as honourable as the gopīs, becoming like their expansions. Regarding the degree of their grace there is no difference between them. They are to be considered the same.

Devotee reads: The gopīs are recognised as superior because they do not know anything other than satisfying Kṛṣṇa. Nor do the gopīs expect any return from Kṛṣṇa. Indeed, sometimes Kṛṣṇa puts them into extreme suffering by separating Himself from them. Nonetheless, they cannot forget Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa left Vṛndāvana for Mathurā, the gopīs became most dejected and spent the rest of their lives simply crying in separation from Kṛṣṇa. This means that in one sense they were never actually separated from Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference between thinking of Kṛṣṇa and associating with Him. 

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: What is the meaning?
What?

Devotee: Thinking of Kṛṣṇa is the same as directly associating with Him. Kṛṣṇa manifests Himself to the devotee who is fully absorbed in Him.

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: But why are the gopīs crying?
Why are they crying?
If they are both the same, then why are they crying so much, weeping and sometimes fainting?

We cannot explain this, but Kṛṣṇa can. And Kṛṣṇa has explained all these things in Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛtam to Nārada himself.

Has Swāmījī written anywhere about Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛtam?
What has he written?

Devotee: In Ādi-līlā, chapter 5, he writes that if one wants to get an understanding of Kṛṣṇa in relation to His devotees, he must read Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛta (1).

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: One cannot easily know the difference between kaniṣṭha, madhyama and uttama, and also uttama-kaniṣṭha, uttama-madhyama and uttama-uttama. And in these three, uttama kaniṣṭha, uttama-madhyama and uttama-uttama, there are lākhas of gradations. If we can hear Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛtam from a bona fide Vaiṣṇava in the line of Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī, then we can understand these things. But now we have nothing to do with Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛta:

“If anyone reads Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛta, he will very easily become a sahajiyā. And if you will read Tenth Canto, you will be a sahajiyā.” If anyone just says the words, “gopī, gopī,” or “rāgānuga,” he will be accused of being a sahajiyā, and that is why they are falling down. Thus, all paths have been blocked for them and, if they want to advance in bhakti, they must return to where they were before. Sometimes these persons make offenses against bhakti, against this rāgānugā-bhakti, and that is why they never become qualified to hear, to read and to enter it. They are disqualified forever and thus they are deprived of these things. I think that they have never read about rāgānugā-bhakti, never, never. Otherwise they would not speak like this.

Then?

Devotee reads: Rather, vipralambha-sevā, thinking of Kṛṣṇa in separation, as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did, is far better than serving Kṛṣṇa directly. 

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: This separation mood is very important, very, very important. Not necessarily in all cases, but sometimes the separation mood of the gopīs is superior to meeting because they are seeing Kṛṣṇa in their hearts. In meeting they lose sight of Kṛṣṇa in their hearts, but in separation, losing Kṛṣṇa outwardly, they are always meeting with Him internally. So sometimes separation becomes superior. But you should know that the gopīs cannot be satisfied without meeting Kṛṣṇa and serving Him directly. They do not want to be separated from Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa does it anyway.

Why?
Why does He arrange so much separation?

There are some reasons, but you can know them only by doing bhajana. So you should try to develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness and deeply enter into your bhajana. Then you will be able to understand and realise something. Only my telling you will not be sufficient. Never. No, we will have to practice and chant more with love and affection, following the example of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, and then we can realise something.

We are saying “rūpānuga guru varga ki jaya” daily. But have you ever questioned what is rūpānuga?
Why are you glorifying?
Your Gurudeva was rūpānuga or rāgānugā only?
Or not even both?

They are saying, “He was only doing regulative bhakti and preaching. He never preached rūpānuga.” But I am assuring you that he was rūpānuga.

Why rūpānuga?

We will have to try to understand what rūpānuga is, who Rūpa is, what his mood is, and how we can adopt it. This is not offensive. If we are not doing this, it is offensive, being in the line of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Go on.

Devotee reads: Thus of all the devotees who have developed unalloyed devotional love for Kṛṣṇa, the gopīs are most exalted, and out of all these exalted gopīs, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the highest. No one can excel the devotional service of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Indeed, even Kṛṣṇa cannot understand the attitude of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī... 

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: She is the highest, the highest!

If one cannot become qualified to hear all these things and to have a mood like this, then what will he do?

Some will say, “Oh, we are not qualified and will never be qualified in the future.” This is an offense at the lotus feet of bhakti, Kṛṣṇa Himself and Rādhārāṇī also. That is why they will become more and more opposite. 

Devotee reads: Therefore He took Her position and appeared as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, just to understand Her transcendental feelings. In this way Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī gradually concludes that Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the most exalted devotee of Kṛṣṇa and that Her kuṇḍa (lake), Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa, is the most exalted place. This is verified in a quotation from Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta (Uttara-khaṇḍa 45), as quoted in Caitanya-Caritāmṛta:

yathā rādhā priyā viṣṇos
tasyāḥ kuṇḍaṁ priyaṁ tathā
sarva-gopīṣu saivaikā
viṣṇor atyanta-vallabhā

“Just as Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is dear to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa (Viṣṇu), so Her bathing place (Rādhā-kuṇḍa) is equally dear to Kṛṣṇa. Among all the gopīs, She alone stands supreme as the Lord’s most beloved.”

Therefore everyone interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should ultimately take shelter of Rādhā-kuṇḍa and execute devotional service there throughout one’s life. 

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: What is he saying?

“Everyone.”

What is the meaning of everyone?

“If anyone has been liberated and gone to Vṛndāvana in their transcendental form, only those persons can have this idea.”

Has he written like this?

No, he has written, “Therefore anyone interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” And those who are not interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness are bogus persons and will never have this idea. But everyone who is interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should ultimately take shelter of Śrīmatī Rādhikā and Rādhā-kuṇḍa. He is saying ‘everyone’, and we are making so many walls, divisions in these instructions. There are no walls—the walls are false. So anyone who is certainly interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness will follow this idea, and those who not interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness will not follow. This is the guideline. So those who are not interested in taking shelter of Rādhā-kuṇḍa are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. And actually those who are following this statement are really in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. 
Go on.

Devotee reads: Therefore everyone interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should ultimately take shelter of Rādhā-kuṇḍa and execute devotional service there throughout one’s life. 

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: Their whole life they will do this. This is a very helpful line, very helpful. Those who are not following these lines are going down. They must go down; there is no path for them. All ways are blocked. 

“This is the conclusion ...”

Devotee reads: This is the conclusion of Rūpa Gosvāmī in the tenth verse of Upadeśāmṛta.

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: Yes. Very good.

Text 11
kṛṣṇasyoccaiḥ praṇaya-vasatiḥ preyasībhyo ’pi rādhā
kuṇḍaṁ cāsyā munibhir abhitas tādṛg eva vyadhāyi
yat preṣṭhair apy alam asulabhaṁ kiṁ punar bhakti-bhājāṁ
tat premedaṁ sakṛd api saraḥ snātur āviṣkaroti

This is the last śloka.

What is the translation?

Devotee reads: Of the many objects of favoured delight and of all the lovable damsels of Vrajabhūmi, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is certainly the most treasured object of Kṛṣṇa’s love.

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: What is the meaning?
Can you explain the meaning of “object of Kṛṣṇa’s love”? 

Devotee: She is the most lovable object. Kṛṣṇa has so many objects, so many cowherd boys, cows, so many Vraja gopīs, the trees, Yamunā, everything ...

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: Kṛṣṇa’s love.

What is the meaning here?

The love that the Vrajavāsīs have for Kṛṣṇa. Śrīmatī Rādhikā has that—She knows how to love and please Kṛṣṇa. So this should be our object, as Rūpa Gosvāmī has written. First we should know who is Kṛṣṇa. He is the beloved of Śrīmatī Rādhikā.

Do not take Kṛṣṇa as your beloved. We should think that my arādhya-devī is Śrīmatī Rādhikā, and we want Her mood. We cannot take Her mood fully, only in part.

What is that part?

The mood of Rūpa. We can take only this. So the object of our whole devotion is to serve Śrīmatī Rādhikā and Kṛṣṇa like Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī has not served Kṛṣṇa solely as Śrīmatī Rādhikā does. Rather, he has served Śrīmatī Rādhikā. If he had wanted, he could have served Kṛṣṇa directly, because he was himself nāyikā, not less than any gopī. But he never thought to be any nāyikā.

Do you know what nāyikā means? 

It means heroine, like Lalitā, Viśākhā, Citrā, Campakalātā, Śyāmalā, Bhadrā, Candra—they are all nāyikās. But Rūpa Gosvāmī and all 
of our Gosvāmīs never wanted to serve Kṛṣṇa like them, only like Rūpa Mañjarī, who was always serving Śrīmatī Rādhikā. In Her guidance, if She gave an order, they would follow it. This is rūpānuga-bhāva.

So what is the treasured object of Kṛṣṇa’s love?

Treasure means treasury. They have so much opulence and wealth. We cannot take all of it, but rūpānuga-jana, those who are following Rūpa Gosvāmī, want to give us something of Rādhikā’s treasure. It is the most valuable thing, and everything is included in it. We can realise this if we will serve any Vaiṣṇava here who has these moods. Then we can have it and our lives will be successful. The object of all our bhakti is that.

What is it?

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has said:

“What is our object?  

We want to be the dust of the lotus feet of Rūpa Mañjarī.” 

I sang this song upon the departure of Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Swāmī in his samādhi place in Vṛndāvana.

Why did I sing it?

Because I saw that he used to appreciate this song so much whenever I used to sing it in Mathurā and other places. This song was very, very dear to Swāmījī, so at the very time of his departure I sang, and he was hearing:

“śrī rūpa mañjarī pada sei mora sampada.”

Sampada means?

Oh, the sampada (treasure), he has that sampatti, precious wealth from Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s treasury—and we can have it.

How?

By serving Rūpa Mañjarī. Śrīmatī Rādhikā will meet this challenge.

How was Swāmījī able to take all these things from Rūpa Gosvāmī and from all the epics and produce all his books?

I was amazed at his achievement, and I wondered how he did this. This is Swāmījī’s real glory. The glories which we ordinarily praise are not his real glories. “He was so vairāgi, renounced. He had nothing to do with any worldly things.” These are not glories. In some people’s eyes they may be glories, but these are secondary. He preached the name all over the world. This is a glory, but it is secondary, thirdly, fourthly. We cannot realise this thing which is described here. He wants to give a jewel from the treasured object of Kṛṣṇa’s love.

Where is he?

In Rādhikā’s heart. And he has come to give this special thing.

Who else has glorified Swāmījī in this way?  

This is the highest glory of Swāmījī. But I think they are very rare in this world who can touch even a little of the glory of Swāmījī.

This jewel was given by Svarūpa Dāmodara to Rūpa Gosvāmī, and Rūpa Gosvāmī gave it to Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī and Jīva Gosvāmī. Kindly, mercifully, Raghunātha dāsa gave it to Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, and it went into the hands of Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura and thus came in the hands of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, and from his hands he gave some of these jewels to Swāmījī, “Oh, go give these to the world.” Those jewels we want to take, but very rare are those who can accept. Our Gosvāmīs are willing to give, but some persons will not take—they refuse. If they do not take, no harm—some little something they are getting. I think that only when they will be in the association of any of these kinds of bhaktas, then they can receive something of this treasury and understand the glory of Swāmījī.

Go on.

Devotee reads: And, in every respect, Her divine kuṇḍa is described by great sages as similarly dear to Him. Undoubtedly Rādhā-kuṇḍa is very rarely attained even by the great devotees; therefore it is even more difficult for ordinary devotees to attain. If one simply bathes once within those holy waters, one’s pure love of Kṛṣṇa is fully aroused.

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: He has given hope and we should trust in his words. Purport.

Devotee reads: Why is Rādhā-kuṇḍa so exalted?

The lake is so exalted because it belongs to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, who is the most beloved object of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. 

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: I think that this kuṇḍa is Herself Śrīmatī Rādhikā, not that it belongs to Her. He has written this only so that we can easily understand this thing. Rādhā-kuṇḍa is Herself Rādhikā, and Kṛṣṇa-kuṇḍa is Himself Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Rūpa Gosvāmī has said that these kuṇḍas are even more merciful than Kṛṣṇa and Rādhikā, because these kuṇḍas are manifest. We can touch them and take bath in them. We cannot realise transcendental Kṛṣṇa and Rādhikā, so these kuṇḍas are most merciful to us.

Even if we do not know the glory of Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa, but go there and with honour take water and sprinkle it on us, take bath, or glorify Śrīmatī Rādhikā, Rādhikā will be very pleased, certainly. And we can have the mercy of Rādhā-kuṇḍa by going there or living here and in our minds taking bath and doing a very simple meditation, “Rādhā-kuṇḍa, Rādhā-kuṇḍa.” In this way something will come to us.

Devotee: In our conditioned state are we really touching Rādhā-kuṇḍa when we bathe there?

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: Really or not, the heart touches a little, no harm, no harm. Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa are so powerful. Nārada has received the benediction that if anyone touches, sees or hears about any place of Kṛṣṇa’s pure pastimes, Kṛṣṇa will have to give prema. “You are bound to give.” Kṛṣṇa vows, “Yes, I am bound.”

Devotee reads: The conclusion is that to live on the banks of the Rādhā-kuṇḍa and to bathe there daily constitute the highest perfection of devotional service. It is a difficult position to attain, even for great sages and devotees like Nārada. Thus there is no limit to the glory of Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa. By serving Rādhā-kuṇḍa, one can get an opportunity to become an assistant of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī under the eternal guidance of the gopīs.

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: This is the conclusion. We have no time to explain all these words. Each and every word of The Nectar of Instruction should be explained, but we have no time to do this. Without understanding and following, we cannot realise the meaning of rūpānuga and the glory of Rādhā-kuṇḍa. But at least we should hear and know that this is the object of our whole devotional life, and this is the highest goal. Keeping this object in our heart, we should start from the beginning, following what Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī has told in Manaḥ Śīkṣā:

gurau goṣṭhe goṣṭālayiṣu sujane bhūsura-gaṇe
sva-mantre śrī-nāmni vraja-nava-yuva-dvandva-śaraṇe
sadā dambhaṁ hitvā kuru ratim apūrvām atitarā-
maye svāntar bhrātaś caṭubhir abhiyāce dhṛta-padaḥ

[O my dear brother, my foolish mind! Taking hold of your feet, I humbly implore you with sweet words. Please give up all pride and quickly develop sublime and incessant rati for Śrī Gurudeva, Śrī Vraja-dhāma, the residents of Vraja, the Vaiṣṇavas, the brāhmaṇas, your dīkṣā-mantras, the holy names of the Supreme Lord, and the shelter of Kiśora-Kiśorī, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, the eternally youthful divine couple of Vraja.]

This śloka is so important. If we do not follow it, we cannot enter in all these moods. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī is a most dear rūpānuga Vaiṣṇava and if we will take shelter of him, he will show us the way to enter in this Nectar of Instruction. Otherwise we cannot enter. So we should remember this śloka and keep it always in our throats and try to do all these things. This is the mercy. “Mahārāja, you should be merciful to me. Mahārāja, you should be merciful to me. Gurudeva, you should be merciful to me.” This is the mercy. You should take this, then all your problems will go away. For those who want to serve Kṛṣṇa, their only problem is how to get Kṛṣṇa’s service—there is no problem other than this. And if it is solved, everything is solved!

So we should not be absorbed so much in problems. Always problems, problems, problems! The only problem is to get Kṛṣṇa’s service—nothing else. People may reject us—no harm. The whole world can reject us— no harm. But I know that Kṛṣṇa will never forget us, never! He has promised, “One may be rejected by one’s mother, father, husband, wife, children, by the whole world, even by one’s guru (so-called guru if he gives up his most qualified devotees), but those who are giving up all these things for Me, I can never give them up.” You will have to have faith in Kṛṣṇa’s words:

sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja

Mām ekaṁ. Surrender to Me only and there will never be any problem for you. If you are Arjuna and you are killing Bhīṣma Pitāmahā, you are killing your Gurudeva, Dronācārya and Kṛpācārya, Aśvattāmā, you are killing Duryodhana, Duḥśāsana and all of your hundred brothers, if you are killing your relatives who are in Duryodhana’s party and opposed to you, if you are killing everyone, still you will get no reaction, nothing! I will take all these reactions and burn them. Don’t be worried about this.

How can Kṛṣṇa make this good promise?

We will have to trust His words. Otherwise, how can we go forward in bhakti?

Kṛṣṇa has said so many things more wonderful than this, so we should follow these instructions if we want to be like this. This is the mercy—my mercy, Rūpa Gosvāmī’s mercy, gurudeva’s mercy, Mahāprabhu’s mercy—everything is there.

gurau goṣṭhe goṣṭālayiṣu sujane bhūsura-gaṇe
sva-mantre śrī-nāmni vraja-nava-yuva-dvandva-śaraṇe
sadā dambhaṁ hitvā

Dambhaṁ means false ego. “I am a very beautiful lady. I am a very handsome youth. I am so intelligent. I am so wealthy. I am so qualified. I am Indian. I am Vrajavāsī.” Give up all these false identifications. “If you are not paying dakṣiṇā, I will give you a curse. You should be a tortoise, like this (arms withdrawn). Your sarvanāśa is happening.”

Do you know what sarvanāśa means? 

Devotee: Destruction. You will be completely destroyed.

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: Some Vrajavāsīs say, “First pay dakṣiṇā, lākṣmī, lākṣmī.” These people are not really Vrajavāsīs. Gurau goṣṭhe goṣṭālayiṣu sujane bhūsura. Guru.

Who is guru?

Those who have taken some jewels from the treasury of Śrīmatī Rādhikā.

And what is that jewel?

Here Swāmījī has told—to serve Śrīmatī Rādhikā like Rūpa Mañjarī. This is the jewel! Only those who have this jewel can give it to you.

Otherwise, those who have no jewels like this, how can they give anything?

They can only tell what they have realised: “Bring money to build a mandira.” Or, “I am giving you a visa for Goloka Vṛndāvana and you will directly go there.”

What is the value of such a promise?

To give this jewel is the main reason why Prabhupāda came, but I think that those who are making false promises have not understood their guru’s true glory. So guru is he who has the jewel from the treasure-house of Śrīmatī Rādhikā.

Gurau goṣṭhe: Guru is giving these things. He who is taking everything—all wealth, all reputation, all services from devotees— but not clearing our hearts, not making them pure to offer at the lotus feet of Rādhikā, then he is actually not guru. But to gurau—him you will have to honour and serve.

Gurau goṣṭhe:

What is the meaning of goṣṭha?

Where Kṛṣṇa lives—Nandagāon, Varsānā, Māyāpura, Gambhīra, all are goṣṭha, but especially in Vraja-bhumī—Nandagāon, Varsānā, Rādhā-kuṇḍa. These places are goṣṭha and you will have to honour them.

Goṣṭhe goṣṭālayiṣu: goṣṭālayiṣu are those who live in goṣṭha, like Nanda Bābā, Yaśodā Maiyā, Śrīdāma, Subala, Madhumaṅgala, and all the gopas and gopīs. Devotees like Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, and all following in their line are also goṣṭālayiṣu. The Vrajavāsīs of today are not in this category. You should serve goṣṭālayiṣu. 

Goṣṭālayiṣu sujane: Sujane means devotees from other sampradāyas like Madhvācārya, Rāmānuja. They are sujane, serving Kṛṣṇa in His other forms. They may be residing in Vṛndāvana, but they are not Vrajavāsī.

What are they?

Sujana, sajjana, but not Vrajavāsī.

Who are the Vrajavāsīs?

Those in the mood of the gopas and gopīs—they are Vrajavāsīs. Those who have taken birth in Vṛndāvana, Vraja-bhumī, are not necessarily Vrajavāsīs. Real Vrajavāsīs can be anywhere in this world, but they must have the mood of the gopas and gopīs.

Sujane bhūsura-gaṇe:

Who is bhūsura?

They are the brāhmaṇas, serving Kṛṣṇa, but along with Him they are also serving so many demigods. Still, they should be given some honour. 

Then bhūsura-gane sva-mantre. If you want to develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, try to know the moods of the mantras given by your Gurudeva. Punctually, daily, you should try to say them as he has instructed you. And then mahā-mantra, the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, sva-mantre. Guru has given that mantra.

What mantra?

Himself Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa:

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

This mantra and Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa conjugal. Giving up all of your false ego, false walls and everything unfavourable, you should say these mantras with so much honour, with prīti, rati. You should serve all these persons and places that Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī has told and that we have explained. Then you will see that very soon you will develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is mercy. If you want to take my mercy or of any rūpānuga Vaiṣṇava, this is the mercy you should try to attain. This will solve all our problems. 

Gaura premānande!

(1) Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī prabhu, the teacher of the science of devotional service, wrote several books, of which the Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛtam is very famous; anyone who wants to know about the subject matter of devotees, devotional service and Kṛṣṇa must read this book. (Ādi-līlā 5.203 purport)


  • Rama Kānta Dāsa gurau goṣṭhe goṣṭālayiṣu sujane bhūsura-gaṇe
    sva-mantre śrī-nāmni vraja-nava-yuva-dvandva-śaraṇe
    sadā dambhaṁ hitvā kuru ratim apūrvām atitarā-
    maye svāntar bhrātaś caṭubhir abhiyāce dhṛta-padaḥ

    [O my dear brother, my foolish mind! Taking hold of your feet, I humbly implore you with sweet words. Please give up all pride and quickly develop sublime and incessant rati for Śrī Gurudeva, Śrī Vraja-dhāma, the residents of Vraja, the Vaiṣṇavas, the brāhmaṇas, your dīkṣā-mantras, the holy names of the Supreme Lord, and the shelter of Kiśora-Kiśorī, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, the eternally youthful divine couple of Vraja.]

    This śloka is so important. If we do not follow it, we cannot enter in all these moods. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī is a most dear rūpānuga Vaiṣṇava and if we will take shelter of him, he will show us the way to enter in this Nectar of Instruction. Otherwise we cannot enter. So we should remember this śloka and keep it always in our throats and try to do all these things. This is the mercy. “Mahārāja, you should be merciful to me. Mahārāja, you should be merciful to me. Gurudeva, you should be merciful to me.” This is the mercy. You should take this, then all your problems will go away. For those who want to serve Kṛṣṇa, their only problem is how to get Kṛṣṇa’s service—there is no problem other than this. And if it is solved, everything is solved!

    So we should not be absorbed so much in problems. Always problems, problems, problems! The only problem is to get Kṛṣṇa’s service—nothing else. People may reject us—no harm. The whole world can reject us— no harm. But I know that Kṛṣṇa will never forget us, never! He has promised, “One may be rejected by one’s mother, father, husband, wife, children, by the whole world, even by one’s guru (so-called guru if he gives up his most qualified devotees), but those who are giving up all these things for Me, I can never give them up.” You will have to have faith in Kṛṣṇa’s words:

    sarva-dharmān parityajya
    mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja

    Mām ekaṁ. Surrender to Me only and there will never be any problem for you. If you are Arjuna and you are killing Bhīṣma Pitāmahā, you are killing your Gurudeva, Dronācārya and Kṛpācārya, Aśvattāmā, you are killing Duryodhana, Duḥśāsana and all of your hundred brothers, if you are killing your relatives who are in Duryodhana’s party and opposed to you, if you are killing everyone, still you will get no reaction, nothing! I will take all these reactions and burn them. Don’t be worried about this.

    How can Kṛṣṇa make this good promise?

    We will have to trust His words. Otherwise, how can we go forward in bhakti?

    Kṛṣṇa has said so many things more wonderful than this, so we should follow these instructions if we want to be like this. This is the mercy—my mercy, Rūpa Gosvāmī’s mercy, gurudeva’s mercy, Mahāprabhu’s mercy—everything is there.

    gurau goṣṭhe goṣṭālayiṣu sujane bhūsura-gaṇe
    sva-mantre śrī-nāmni vraja-nava-yuva-dvandva-śaraṇe
    sadā dambhaṁ hitvā

    Dambhaṁ means false ego. “I am a very beautiful lady. I am a very handsome youth. I am so intelligent. I am so wealthy. I am so qualified. I am Indian. I am Vrajavāsī.” Give up all these false identifications. “If you are not paying dakṣiṇā, I will give you a curse. You should be a tortoise, like this (arms withdrawn). Your sarvanāśa is happening.”

    Do you know what sarvanāśa means? 

    Devotee: Destruction. You will be completely destroyed.

    ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: Some Vrajavāsīs say, “First pay dakṣiṇā, lākṣmī, lākṣmī.” These people are not really Vrajavāsīs. Gurau goṣṭhe goṣṭālayiṣu sujane bhūsura. Guru.

    Who is guru?

    Those who have taken some jewels from the treasury of Śrīmatī Rādhikā.

    And what is that jewel?

    Here Swāmījī has told—to serve Śrīmatī Rādhikā like Rūpa Mañjarī. This is the jewel! Only those who have this jewel can give it to you.

    Otherwise, those who have no jewels like this, how can they give anything?

    They can only tell what they have realised: “Bring money to build a mandira.” Or, “I am giving you a visa for Goloka Vṛndāvana and you will directly go there.”

    What is the value of such a promise?

    To give this jewel is the main reason why Prabhupāda came, but I think that those who are making false promises have not understood their guru’s true glory. So guru is he who has the jewel from the treasure-house of Śrīmatī Rādhikā.

    Gurau goṣṭhe: Guru is giving these things. He who is taking everything—all wealth, all reputation, all services from devotees— but not clearing our hearts, not making them pure to offer at the lotus feet of Rādhikā, then he is actually not guru. But to gurau—him you will have to honour and serve.

    Gurau goṣṭhe:

    What is the meaning of goṣṭha?

    Where Kṛṣṇa lives—Nandagāon, Varsānā, Māyāpura, Gambhīra, all are goṣṭha, but especially in Vraja-bhumī—Nandagāon, Varsānā, Rādhā-kuṇḍa. These places are goṣṭha and you will have to honour them.

    Goṣṭhe goṣṭālayiṣu: goṣṭālayiṣu are those who live in goṣṭha, like Nanda Bābā, Yaśodā Maiyā, Śrīdāma, Subala, Madhumaṅgala, and all the gopas and gopīs. Devotees like Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, and all following in their line are also goṣṭālayiṣu. The Vrajavāsīs of today are not in this category. You should serve goṣṭālayiṣu. 

    Goṣṭālayiṣu sujane: Sujane means devotees from other sampradāyas like Madhvācārya, Rāmānuja. They are sujane, serving Kṛṣṇa in His other forms. They may be residing in Vṛndāvana, but they are not Vrajavāsī.

    What are they?

    Sujana, sajjana, but not Vrajavāsī.

    Who are the Vrajavāsīs?

    Those in the mood of the gopas and gopīs—they are Vrajavāsīs. Those who have taken birth in Vṛndāvana, Vraja-bhumī, are not necessarily Vrajavāsīs. Real Vrajavāsīs can be anywhere in this world, but they must have the mood of the gopas and gopīs.

    Sujane bhūsura-gaṇe:

    Who is bhūsura?

    They are the brāhmaṇas, serving Kṛṣṇa, but along with Him they are also serving so many demigods. Still, they should be given some honour. 

    Then bhūsura-gane sva-mantre. If you want to develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, try to know the moods of the mantras given by your Gurudeva. Punctually, daily, you should try to say them as he has instructed you. And then mahā-mantra, the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, sva-mantre. Guru has given that mantra.

    What mantra?

    Himself Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa:

    Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
    Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

    This mantra and Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa conjugal. Giving up all of your false ego, false walls and everything unfavourable, you should say these mantras with so much honour, with prīti, rati. You should serve all these persons and places that Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī has told and that we have explained. Then you will see that very soon you will develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is mercy. If you want to take my mercy or of any rūpānuga Vaiṣṇava, this is the mercy you should try to attain. This will solve all our problems.

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