24/08/2026
Srila Rupa Gosvami Disappearance
Yesterday evening we glorified Srila Rupa Gosvami and this morning we also discussed Srimad-Bhagavatam. There are many lilas taking place, different kinds of sweet pastimes between Radha-Govinda. I also mentioned yesterday how we should chant the holy names - by giving up all kinds of offences. Today is a very auspicious day as it is the disappearance day of Srila Rupa Gosvamipada, who is not an ordinary personality, he is nearest and dearest to Srimati Radhika.
Yesterday I also mentioned a lila in which there was an offence, vaishnava-aparadha. I spoke on the pastime of when Khanja Krishnadasa arrived at the cottage of Rupa Gosvamipada during the time he was completely absorbed in his trance.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “O Rupa…”:
yadi vaiṣṇava-aparādha uṭhe hātī mātā
upāḍe vā chiṇḍe, tāra śukhi yāya pātā
Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya-lila 19.156)
[If the devotee commits an offence at the feet of a Vaishnava while cultivating the creeper of devotional service in the material world, his offence is compared to a mad elephant that uproots the creeper and breaks it. In this way, the leaves of the creeper are dried up.]
If you commit vaishnava-aparadha, offences to the lotus feet of Vaishnavas, then you will lose everything. A conditioned soul has no idea what vaishnava-aparadha is. Even a kanishtha-adhikari does not know what offences towards Vaishnavas are.
A kanishtha-adhikari means a neophyte devotee’s activities resemble that of an uttama-adhikari. Thus, an uttama-adhikari is always absorbed with his trance, and the kanishtha-adhikari is simply imitating. He thinks, “I have now reached a very high level.” But this is not actually true. For this regard, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu explains how a kanishtha-adhikari has no shastra-jnana, knowledge of the scriptures.
śāstra-yukti nāhi jāne dṛḍha, śraddhāvān
madhyama-adhikārī sei mahā-bhāgyavān
Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya-lila 22.67)
[One who is not very expert in argument and logic based on the revealed scriptures but who has firm faith is considered a second-class devotee. He also must be considered most fortunate.]
A madhyama-adhikari has knowledge of scriptures, shastra-jnana, but an uttama-adhikari is a high class, exalted devotee.
śāstra-yuktye sunipuṇa, dṛḍha-śraddhā yāṅra
uttama-adhikārī sei tāraye saṁsāra
Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya-lila 22.65)
[One who is an expert in logic, argument and the revealed scriptures and who has firm faith in Krishna is classified as a topmost devotee. He can deliver the whole world.]
Who is an uttama-adhikari? One who has vast knowledge of the shastras. One day, I asked my Gurudeva (Srila Bhaktivedanta Vamana Gosvami Maharaja), “How many shlokas do you know?” He answered, “Even if I recite shlokas continually for seven days and seven nights, I would still not finish.”
Due to this, all Gaudiya Vaishnavas refer to him as a dictionary. On his appearance days, Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja glorified Srila Vamana Gosvami Maharaja many times. So, an uttama-adhikari means one who possesses a vast knowledge of shastra, shastra-jnana, in other words, one who knows many shlokas. If one has an expansive knowledge of shastra, no one can defeat him in philosophical and spiritual debates.
Vallabhacharya and Rupa Gosvami
For example, who can compare with Jiva Gosvamipada? At the time, Vishvanatha Chakravartipada cut all mayavadi philosophies, as did Jiva Gosvamipada; impersonalists cannot even come to stand in front of him. Both Jiva Gosvamipada and Rupa Gosvamipada have extensive knowledge of shastra. Today I will glorify them both.
Once, Rupa Gosvamipada was in Vrindavana writing a grantha. At that moment, one very learned and scholarly person arrived. The name of this pandita was Vallabhacharya. Vallabhacharya was very proud of his knowledge, and would even sometimes, in front of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, speak of his own glorifications. He would proudly boast, “O, I have cut the conceptions of Sridhara Svami’s philosophy.”
Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu simply smiled and said:
prabhu hāsi’ kahe, svāmī nā māne yei jana
veśyāra bhitare tāre kariye gaṇana
Chaitanya-charitamrita (Antya-lila 7.115)
[Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu smilingly replied, “One who does not accept the svami (husband) as an authority, I consider a pr******te.”]
One who does not accept her husband is called a pr******te. Do you understand this? You do not understand. This means you would not be able to cut the philosophy of Sridhara Gosvamipada. However, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu only chastised him very gently. The Lord said, “How is it possible for you to cut the philosophy of Sridhara Svamipada?” Another day, Vallabhacharya arrived and told Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, “I have written a commentary on krishna-nama. There, I have provided many explanations and various commentaries on krishna-nama.” Then, Mahaprabhu replied:
prabhu kahe, kṛṣṇa-nāmera bahu artha nā māni
śyāma-sundara, yaśodā-nandana, ei-mātra jāni
Chaitanya-charitamrita (Antya-lila 7.85)
[Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu replied, “I do not accept many different meanings for the holy name of Krishna. I know only that Lord Krishna is Shyamasundara and Yashoda-nandana. That’s all I know.”]
Mahaprabhu said, “I do not know the many meanings of krishna-nama, He is the son of Yashoda. I know that krishna-nama just means the son of mother Yashoda, Yashoda-nandana and Shyamasundara. How is it possible that you are explaining so many different meanings of krishna-nama?” In this way, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu destroyed all of Vallabhacharya’s pride.
Once, Mahaprabhu praised His entire entourage - Advaita Acharya, Nityananda Prabhu, Svarupa Damodara, Rupa Gosvamipada, Sanatana Gosvamipada and Gadadhara Pandita. Lord Chaitanya began to glorify them, one by one. Only then could Vallabhacharya see how great they really were and he finally realised, “O, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is mercifully showing me how qualified they truly are.” Instantly, all of Vallabhacharya’s pride was destroyed and he took shelter at the lotus feet of Gadadhara Pandita.
One time, Vallabhacharya came to Rupa Gosvamipada while he was manifesting a grantha. Vallabhacharya was slightly older than Rupa Gosvamipada, only by a few years. So, Vallabhacharya approached Rupa Gosvamipada and asked, “Rupa. Which grantha are you writing?” Very humbly, Rupa Gosvamipada said “Prabhu, I am writing Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu.” Vallabhacharya then said, “This is a very nice grantha. The name is very nice. Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu! The Ocean of the Nectar of Devotion. A very nice and beautiful grantha. Which shloka in particular are you writing?” asked Vallabhacharya. “Currently, I am writing this shloka,” answered Rupa Gosvami.
bhukti-mukti-spṛhā yāvat
piśācī hṛdi vartate
tāvad bhakti-sukhasyātra
katham abhyudayo bhavet
Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu (1.2.22)
[The material desire to enjoy the material world and the desire to become liberated from material bo***ge are considered to be two witches, and they haunt one like ghosts. As long as these witches remain within the heart, how can one feel transcendental bliss? As long as these two witches remain in the heart, there is no possibility of enjoying the transcendental bliss of devotional service.]
Pure Devotional Service and Krishna-prema
How is it possible for shuddha-bhakti to manifest in the hearts of those who perform their bhajana and sadhana while maintaining desires to merge in Brahman or enjoy sense gratification? Shuddha-bhakti means pure devotional service. Meaning, devotional service which is completely free from all kinds of material sense gratification, where all activities are meant exclusively for the pleasure of Krishna. This is the definition of shuddha-bhakti:
anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanaṁ
bhaktir uttamā
Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu (1.1.11)
[The cultivation of activities that are meant exclusively for the pleasure of Sri Krishna, or in other words the uninterrupted flow of service to Sri Krishna, performed through all endeavours of the body, mind and speech, and through the expression of various spiritual sentiments (bhavas), which is not covered by jnana (knowledge aimed at impersonal liberation) and karma (reward-seeking activity), and which is devoid of all desires other than the aspiration to bring happiness to Sri Krishna, is called uttama-bhakti, pure devotional service.]
The cultivation of activities which are meant exclusively for the pleasure and gratification of Krishna’s senses; the heart is not covered by jnana, karma, yoga or tapasya and is free from all kinds of material sense gratification, that is called anyābhilāṣitā. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanaṁ means all of one’s endeavours are aimed at giving pleasure exclusively to Krishna. And what does bhakti mean? To serve Krishna incessantly, without stop or interruption, and one’s heart cannot be covered by jnana, karma, yoga or tapasya; to serve Krishna, you must also express some sentiments or bhava. Hence, this is called uttama-bhakti, the highest form of devotional service to Krishna, also known as shuddha-bhakti.
If you practise bhakti, but in your heart is a little desire for bhukti or mukti – still has the desire for sense gratification or maintains the desire to merge in Brahman – then you will only lose your bhakti. Krishna is very tricky, He will not give bhakti.
kṛṣṇa yadi chuṭe bhakte bhukti mukti diyā
kabhu prema-bhakti nā dena rākhena lukāiyā
Chaitanya-charitamrita (Adi-lila 8.18)
[If a devotee wants liberation or material sense gratification from the Lord, Krishna immediately delivers it, but pure devotional service, He keeps hidden.]
Krishna will hide prema, He will not easily give it away. Krishna hides prema and instead, gives one who performs bhajana and sadhana to Him, mukti and bhukti, sense gratification or liberation.
You can practise your bhajana and sadhana for thousands upon thousands of lives, yet, hari-bhakti will not easily manifest in your heart. Due to this, bhakti is also called sudurlabha. Sudurlabha means very, very rare. Shuddha-bhakti is not so simple to obtain.
Becoming a one pointed bhakta, especially one with a vraja-bhakti mood like dasya (servitude), sakhya (friendship), vatsalya (parental) or madhurya (conjugal) is not easy. Gopi-prema is very, very rare to obtain. Brahma, Shiva and Narada, all high class, exalted personalities cannot attain this. How is it possible that a conditioned soul will attain this? ‘This’ means radha-dasyam, becoming the maidservant of Srimati Radhika, which is very, very rare and extremely difficult to attain.
A new question may arise- ‘Why am I performing bhajana and sadhana for a goal which is beyond my eligibility?’ Why are you practising these things? Why do you do this? You may ask yourself these questions. The truth is, this goal is very, very rarely attained. Brahmaji, Shivaji, Narada, they are very exalted devotees and they could not reach it.
How will it be possible for you to achieve? What is your goal? What is your hope? Try to understand this.
How do we compare to the stories we have heard of the sadhana and bhajana performed by previous acharyas such as Prahlada or Dhruva? How can we compare their many austerities? We are not that proficient in carrying out austerities or our bhajana and sadhana. Therefore, how is it possible for us to attain the extremely rare position of becoming the maidservant of Srimati Radhika? Radha-dasyam? Dhruva Maharaja performed hard austerities, six months of hard austerities; we can never do this. We could not even observe a fast for one Ekadashi, before noon we take breakfast. Gurudeva would say, “On Ekadashi you should not even drink water until twelve o’clock.” Try to understand this.
Everything considered, how is it possible for one to attain the highest prema - radha-prema or gopi-prema?
Uddhavaji arrived in Vraja and witnessed Radharani’s and the gopi’s prema. Even by incessant hankering, it is still not possible to receive a sprinkle of the mood of Srimati Radhika. In spite of this, Uddhava still performs hard austerities on the bank of Kusuma-sarovara in the hope of reaching this objective. In the same way, when you hear the lilas of previous acharyas like Brahma, Shiva and Narada - how, despite them being high classed devotees, they could not attain radha-dasyam - what is your hope? How is achieving radha-dasyam possible?
Your only hope is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Gaurasundara. In this Kali-yuga, Sacinandana Gaurahari, He is called the embodiment of munificence and magnanimity. If you completely and absolutely surrender to Sacinandana Gaurahari, then He will grant you the highest prema. This shloka states:
yathā yathā gaura-padāravinde
vindeta bhaktim krta-punya-rāśih
tathā tathotsarpati hrdy akasmāt
rādhā-padāmbhoja-sudhāmśu-rāśiḥ
Sri Caitanya-chandramrita (88)
[As a pious soul fortunately attains pure devotion to Gauranga and becomes absorbed in rendering service to His lotus feet, the nectar ocean of devotional ecstasy flowing from the lotus feet of Sri Radhika gradually arises without any material cause and floods his heart.]
If you completely surrender to Sacinandana Gaurahari, by His causeless mercy, you will attain radha-prema. Otherwise, there is no hope. How do we surrender to the lotus feet of Sacinandana Gaurahari? Narottama dasa Thakura explains, one who is the nearest and dearest of Sacinandana Gaurahari is fully surrendered. Prabodhananda Sarasvatipada also glorifies those who are the nearest and dearest of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Then, by the causeless mercy of Gauranga you will take birth in Navadvipa-dhama and all of your offenses, aparadha, will be destroyed. Only by the causeless mercy of Sacinandana Gaurahari will one be able to enter in Vrindavana-dhama. This is the process.
gaura-prema-rasārṇave, śe taraṅge jebā ḍube,
se rādhā-mādhava-antaraṅga
Gaurangera-duti-pada
by Srila Narottama dasa Thakura
[One who dives into the waves of the ocean of gaura-prema becomes a confidential associate of Sri Sri Radha-Madhava.]
Thus, the highest prema is radha-prema, radha-dasyam. Gopi-prema is not cheap, only by the mercy of Sacinandana Gaurahari and His dhama can one obtain it. In this Kali-yuga there is no other hope other than - how to surrender to Sacinandana Gaurahari.
ārādhitam nava-vanam vraja-kānanam te
nārādhitam nava-vanaṁ vraja eva dūre
ārādhito dvija-suto vraja-nāgaras te
nārādhito dvija-suto na taveha kṛṣṇaḥ
Navadvipa-shataka (78)
by Srila Prabhodananda Sarasvati
[If you worship Navadvipa, then you also worship the forest of Vraja. If you don’t worship Navadvipa, then the forest of Vraja is far away. If you worship Lord Chaitanya, then you also worship Sri Radha and Krishna in Vraja. If you don’t worship Lord Chaitanya, then you cannot worship Sri Radha and Krishna.]
One who worships Vrindavana along with Navadvipa-dhama can attain Vrindavana. This is the essence of this shloka - how to surrender to Sacinandana Gaurahari and to His dhama, Gaura-dhama. One speciality of gaura-nama and Gaura-dhama is they do not consider any offenses, aparadha.
kṛṣṇa-nāma’ kare aparādhera vicāra
kṛṣṇa balile aparādhīra nā haya vikāra
Chaitanya-charitamrita (Adi-lila 8.24)
[There are offenses to be considered while chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. Therefore, simply by chanting Hare Krishna one does not become ecstatic.]
caitanya-nityānande nāhi e-saba vicāra
nāma laite prema dena, vahe aśrudhāra
Chaitanya-charitamrita (Adi-lila 8.31)
[But if one only chants, with some slight faith, the holy names of Lord Chaitanya and Nityananda, very quickly he is cleansed of all offences. Thus, as soon as he chants the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, he feels the ecstasy of love for God.]
Do you know the meaning of – ‘kṛṣṇa-nāma’ kare aparādhera vicāra’? If you chant krsna-nama, you have to consider ten offences to the holy name, nama-aparadha. The first nama-aparadha is criticism of Vaishnavas. The second offence is thinking krishna-nama equals shiva-nama. The third nama-aparadha is dishonouring guru; guru refers to both diksha-guru and siksha-guru.
caitanya-nityānande nāhi e-saba vicāra
nāma laite prema dena, vahe aśrudhāra
If you chant gaura-nama, there are no offences to be considered; just chant ‘Gaura Gaura Gaura’ and you will attain the highest prema and when you visit Gaura-dhama, all your offences will be destroyed.
As previously mentioned, your only hope to attain this highest prema, radha-dasyam, of becoming the maidservant of Srimati Radhika, is Sacinandana Gaurahari. Therefore, always remember Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, He is our ishtadeva. Who is our ishtadeva? Sacinandana Gaurahari. Then, under the guidance of Gauranga, we worship Radha-Krishna. For this reason, we are chanting our gaura-mantra and gaura-gayatri-mantras. Without Sacinandana’s gaura-mantra and gaura-gayatri, you will not attain krishna-prema. First, you must chant these mantras everyday...
