The Mercy of a Rasika Vaiṣṇava

Those who have greed for vraja-bhāva and worship Śrī Śrī Rādhā-kṛṣṇa by rāgānuga-bhakti under the guidance of a rasika Vrajavāsī will achieve vraja-bhāva. Those bhaktas that have greed but who follow vaidhī-bhakti will attain the abode of Dvārakā in aiśvarya-jñāna, where Kṛṣṇa manifests as Dvarakadish, Śrīmatī Rādhikā manifests as Satyabhāmā, Candrāvalī as Rukmīṇī, and their associates as the other queens of Dvaraka.

Therefore the greed for vraja-bhāva can only be received by the mercy of a rasika Vaiṣṇava who is immersed in rāgānuga bhāva. Such rasika-gurus themselves participate in the transcendental pastimes. It is only under the guidance of such a rasika Vrajavāsī that one can worship Rādhā-kṛṣṇa Conjugal by rāgānuga-bhakti and thus achieve that extremely rare treasure of vraja-bhāva.

These pastimes are the life and soul of devotees and they should be properly heard in paramparā from a bona fide guru. One should not worship Śrī Śrī Rādhā Kṛṣṇa without pastimes or chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra without remembering Śrī Śrī Rādhā Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. This is also the advice of Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. Rās ācārya Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has similarly instructed that in order to attain rasa, the mellow taste of a relationship with Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, one should chant Kṛṣṇa’s name while remembering His sweet pastimes. An example is given that unless sugar and water are mixed, there will be no rasa or nectar to drink. Both must mix together; then it will be rasa. Without hearing properly from Śrī Guru and serving him pleasingly, one will not be able to chant with remembrance.

The unnata-ujjvala-rasa-māyā prema-bhakti is practiced and preached by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and can be obtained only by his followers. If one is not following the guidelines and principles set by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, then he is considered a sahajiyā.

A sahajiyā has no internal realization of Śrī Kṛṣṇa tattva and is a servant of his various sensual and mental desires. Their duplicitous performance of bhajana is mainly to secure name and fame and indulge their senses. Such sahajiyās are called stone-hearted and have no interest in accepting the favorable directions for devotional service given by self-realized devotees; devoid of kṛṣṇa prema, devoid of rāgānuga-bhakti or even vaidhī-bhakti like that of Śrī Prahlāda Mahārāja, the sahajiyā cheats himself and his followers.

One must therefore understand and realize what Śrī Guru is, what his qualities are and then learn how to discriminate. Śrīla Gurudeva made it very clear that: “Realization is the result of remembering śrī gurudeva; therefore we should always remember him. If we do not understand the mercy of gurudeva, we will not understand anything.”

Without any fear, one must engage in the process given by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura and Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. The teaching of our present ācāryas is the same wine in new bottles. The bottles are different colors, but the wine is the same. If you drink that wine, you will certainly become mad, but this madness is actually desirable.