Introduction (Continued) and Entering Aprakaṭa-līlā

The above first part of this introduction was written in the presence of our beloved Śrīla Gurudeva. When I presented an advance copy of Volume I of this biography in Govardhana to Śrīla Gurudeva, he became very happy. He asked me later in Jagannātha Purī, “How many volumes will you do?”

I told him, “Minimum four.” Gurudeva said, “Minimum four? You can do so many?” I said, “Yes. By your grace I could do more, but I will do a minimum of four.”

This second volume is being presented after Śrīla Gurudeva’s transcendental disappearance and return to Lord Kṛṣṇa’s eternal abode. I am therefore adding this entry to my original introduction for this volume.

Śrīla Gurudeva entered the aprakaṭa-līlā, the eternal pastimes of Śrī Śrī Ramaṇa Bihārījī, on the 29th of December, 2010. This specific day is very auspicious for all in the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava community. That particular day was also the appearance day of my Guru Mahārāja, Nityalīlā Praviṣṭa Oṃ Viṣṇupāda Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī. As Śrī Kṛṣṇa's and His pure representative’s appearance and disappearance are all spiritual, why did Śrīla Gurudeva choose this very day for his departure? There are so many reasons behind this which include:

1) When Śrīla Gurudeva, Śrīla B.V. Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja came to Navadvīpa dhāma at midnight, my Guru Mahārāja Śrīla B.V. Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja received him at the railway station of Navadvīpa and brought him to Devānanda Gauḍīya Māṭha in Navadvīpa, Nadia. My Guru Mahārāja took Śrīla Gurudeva inside the realm of the Divine Couple, under the guidance of parama-gurudeva Śrīla Bhakti Prajnana Keśava Mahārāja whose eternal constitutional form is Śrī Vinoda Māñjarī in the service of Rādhā-kṛṣṇa. To show that Śrīla Gurudeva is going to his Gurudeva along with his elder brother, Śrīla Gurudeva chose the auspicious occasion of my Guru Mahārāja’s Vyāsa-pūjā (appearance day). Just as Śrīla Gurudeva came to param-gurudeva with his dearmost elder god-brother, similarly, he now entered into nitya-līlā choosing the appearance day of his elder god-brother who is so near to param-gurudeva.

2) Their intimacy has no bound and has no limit. During Śrīla Gurudeva’s sickness pastimes at Govardhana, all devotees were thinking that Śrīla Gurudeva would enter into nitya-līlā on the disappearance day of my Guru Mahārāja Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja and the disappearance day (exactly two years earlier) of one of my prominent śikṣā gurus, who is also their near and dear godbrother Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Trivikrama Gosvāmī Mahārāja. Hence, all devotees were very scared and extremely alert, thinking that Śrīla Gurudeva may depart on that day. The devotees were doing kīrtana and bhajana throughout the day and night, constantly praying to Śrī Girirāja Mahārāja and Śrī Narasiṃha-deva. Knowing the devotee’s hearts, Śrīla Gurudeva decided not to depart on that very auspicious day in Kārtika. Later on, Gurudeva chose the date of my Guru Mahārāja’s appearance day. In Jagannātha Purī, Gurudeva was always absorbed in the mood of separation, manifesting various symptoms. Sometimes he would get the hiccups non-stop, sometimes tears would flow from his eyes incessantly trickling down his face and sometimes his body would shake and foam would come from his mouth. All these were ecstatic symptoms of prema. Due to our foolishness we could not recognize all these ecstatic symptoms. Whoever has seen these manifestations of Śrīla Gurudeva is extremely fortunate; of this, there is no doubt. None of the devotees attending him informed Śrīla Gurudeva of the day of the appearance of my Guru Mahārāja. How Śrīla Gurudeva knew that very day and chose it to depart for his final journey is a mystery for those in general. This is inconceivable and is evidence that their intimacy has no limit. Surely there are many more causes for his final journey! Certainly there are many more explanations, but these reasons I’ve listed above are primary.

The special attraction of this book is the eternal identity of our most beloved Śrīla Gurudeva who expertly explained the spontaneous devotional moods of the residents of Vraja like no one else did at this time and is therefore naturally the most prominent rāgānuga-rasika-ācārya of our time.

The siddha-deha or constitutional form of Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja, our most beloved Śrīla Gurudeva is Śrī Raman Māñjarī, an eternal associate of Śrī Rādhā and Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Her eternal sevā (loving transcendental service) is performed in the nikuñja-līlā of the Divine Couple, under the guidance of Śrī Rūpa Māñjarī and others. Fortunate are those who follow and receive the mercy of Śrīla Gurudeva.

I wrote Śrī Ramaṇa-māñjarī-aṣṭakam, a poem of eight verses in Sanskrit in 1992 and presented it to Śrīla Gurudeva much later, in 2008. Śrīla Gurudeva became very much pleased when I read it to him. He kept his merciful hand on my head and on my back. He blessed me to render ever-increasing devotional service under his guidance. Those devotees who are eager for vraja-prema and thirsty for bhakti will relish the explanation of this aṣṭakam.

Śrīla Gurudeva is a pure, rasika devotee and for those wanting to serve in the mood of the residents of Vraja and wanting qualification to practice rāgānugā-bhakti, he gives the qualification.

The main attraction and source of inspiration for this book is paramaārādhyatama Śrīla Gurudeva, Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja, by whose mercy all things are possible. Many others have kindly encouraged me throughout the years to write and were also great sources of inspiration. There are far too many to mention here, but I would like to thank all of them. I particularly want to give special credit to Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Tīrtha Mahārāja, Śrīman Premānanda Prabhu, Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Parivrājaka Mahārāja, Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Vana Mahārāja, Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Padmanābha Mahārāja, Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Sajjana Mahārāja, Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Śrīdhar Mahārāja, Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Siddhānti Mahārāja, Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Dāmodara Mahārāja, Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Govinda Mahārāja, Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Harijana Mahārāja, Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Nāraśiṃha Mahārāja, Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Paramahaṃsa Mahārāja, Śrīman Brajanātha Prabhu, Śrīman Mādhava-priya Prabhu, Śrīman Amala Kṛṣṇa Prabhu, Śrīman Vijaya Kṛṣṇa Prabhu, Śrīman Dvija Kṛṣṇa Prabhu, Śrīman Rāmacandra Prabhu, Śrīman Rohiṇī-nandana Prabhu, Śrīman Hare Kṛṣṇa Prabhu, Śrīman Balarāma Prabhu, Śrīman Sanjay Prabhu, Śrīman Mahābuddhi Prabhu, and Śrīmatī Vṛndā-devī Dāsī.

Śrīmatī Śyāmarānī Dāsī was on the Advisory Board together with Śrīmatī Vaijayantī Mālā Dāsī, Śrīman Brajanātha Prabhu, Śrīmatī Poonam Dāsī, Śrīman Pankaj a Prabhu and Śrīman Acyutānanda Prabhu.

Recording was enthusiastically done by Śrīman Madhuvrata Prabhu and Śrīman Śacīnandana Prabhu.

Transcribing was kindly done by Śrīpāda Anantacārya, Śrīman Madhuvrata Prabhu, Śrīman Dāmodara Prabhu, Śrīman Śacīnandana Prabhu and Śrīman Sanjay Prabhu.

On the Editorial Board, there were Śrīman Rūpa Raghunātha dāsa, Śrīman Madhuvrata Prabhu, Śrīman Sundar Gopāla Prabhu, Śrīmatī Bhādra Dāsī and Śrīmatī Vrajadevi dāsī. Many other devotees eagerly provided their assistance in various capacities such as Śrīman Jñāna Shakti Prabhu, Śrīman Acintya Gaura Prabhu, Śrīman Rāma Prabhu, Śrīmatī Rādhā Priya Dāsī and Śrīman Vinaya-Kṛṣṇa Prabhu.

The service of Chief Editor was done by Rūpa Raghunātha dāsa under the direction of Śrīman Brajanātha Prabhu.

Layout was done by Śrīman Kṛṣṇa Kāruṇya Prabhu.

Public Relations & Communications was headed by Śrīman Brajanātha Prabhu and Śrīmatī Vrinda-devī Dāsī.

The Financial Board consisted of Śrīman Nandana Prabhu & Sāvitrī Didi, Śrīman Amala Kṛṣṇa Prabhu, Śrīman Janārdana Prabhu, Śrīman Vinay Kṛṣṇa Prabhu, Śrīman Rishi Kumāra and Jayasri didi, Jagannātha dāsa, and Indupati dāsa

There are many more and I would like to extend my thanks to all of them, especially to the Chief of the Financial Board, Śrīman Nandar Prabhu and Śrīmatī Sāvitrī didi.