Sri Srimad BR Sridhara Maharaja
Rupanuga Sampradaya
What is this rupanuga-sampradaya? Mahaprabhu named this, the rupanuga-sampradaya. The first disciple of Mahaprabhu is Rupa Gosvami, although Rupa Gosvami took his formal initiation from Sanatana Gosvami. But Mahaprabhu met Rupa first, and later met Sanatana. So, Rupa-Sanatana, and not Sanatana-Rupa. Sanatana was originally the elder of the two brothers. But we refer to Rupa- Sanatana, because the first recognition of Mahaprabhu was received by Rupa.
Now, what is the real meaning of the rupanuga-sampradaya? You are to mark it very attentively. Madhurya-rasa is the total rasa, and the most intense of all rasas. It is all-accomodating. Twentyfour hours engagement of service with Krsna is only possible in madhurya-rasa. And there is the possibility of tiredness in rasas, other than madhurya-rasa. Sometimes the father or mother may think, “I am too tired, I shall make arrangements a little later.” But in madhurya-rasa, there is no such reaction.
The differences between Rupa-manjari and Lalita-sakhi are of course things of the very highest order.
We should not have the audacity to enter into these subtle points without proper guidance.
When Radha-Govinda are privately in union, the sakhis of the higher order do not approach that place, but the manjaris can go. The junior sevakas can go to perform any service necessary there, due to their lesser age. They are allowed, but the higher friends of Radharani keep some respectable distance. So, when Radha-Govinda are alone in union, the highest quality of rasa is to be found in their lila, and that is approachable by the juniors. That is for the manjaris, not for the sakhis. So, the highest attainment is to be located in Rupa, the leader of that junior group who has the advantage of the special service in that stage. So, rupanuga. Wherever we are, we shall have to accept that this is the acme of our fulfilment.
Rupanuga-sampradaya Goes to the West
Our Guru Maharaj was always rupanuga, rupanuga, rupanuga – raganuga, and then rupanuga, in particular. Generally raganuga, and then particularly rupanuga. That is our parivara, identification,
our nature. Bhaktivinod Thakur says, “I run to get admission under the administration of Rupa Gosvami.” Who runs? He who has got such aspiration – he runs to become enlisted in the group of Sri Rupa – one who has such sort of prospect. And that will be the highest attainment of our fortune.
Raghunath Das Gosvami has declared it. And still now, that is the highest point of one’s achievement
for the whole Gaudiya sampradaya. Raghunath Das Gosvami is the acharya of our highest necessity, our ultimate aim – he is the prayojana-acharya. By the grace of all of you, and by the necessity, Prabhupad has dragged these things from me, and I cannot but remember that he wanted me to go to the West.
Now, our talks are going to the west by the grace of Bhaktivendata Svami Maharaj. Kali Das says in the Raghuvamsa when he is describing the dynasty of Raghu, in which Lord Rama appeared: “I am a man of small literary experience; so many stalwarts have sprung from that great Raghu-vamsa, and I am going to describe them with a meagre attempt at poetry?”
Many slokas of Kali Das are devoted for this purpose.
gthava krtavardhare, granthe ‘sminn purva suribhih
mano vajra samuthena, sutresye vastune gatih
“The previous renowned kavis, poets like Valmiki Muni and Srila Vyasadeva, have given a description of Raghu-vamsa, and they have made the path of entering into that sacred description easy. How is this? In a necklace of jewels, the jewel is a hard thing – the thread cannot pierce it, yet the iron needle drill has already made a hole through it, and now the thread is easily passing through.”
Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaj was like a vajra, a powerful drill, the hard thing has already been pierced by him, and like a thread, I am passing through that. He was so great and so simple at the same time. Anyhow, Mahaprabhu and our Gurudeva have achieved through him a tremendous and inconceivable thing. One godbrother could not tolerate all these things. But the other day, when coming from Mayapura, that sannyasi said, “It is acintya – inconceivable.” He did not want to give recognition, but from his mouth, the word came out, that, “What Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaj did, that is acintya: it is inconceivable.” So, it is divine. It is inconceivable what he has done, what Nityananda Prabhu, what Baladeva did through him, that is inconceivable.
Rupanuga has been considered to be the highest attainment of the Gaudiya Vaisnava school. Bhaktivinod Thakur has written Rupanuga-bhajana-darpana, a small poem found in his Gita-mala. Here,
he has made it clear what should be our aspiration.
So with that highest ideal in our heart we will go and externally will ask people to join Krsna consciousness.
All other attempts are futile in the world – all are temporary and reactionary, so join Krsna consciousness! Mahaprabhu gave it to us and in this, the modern age, Bhaktivinod, Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhu, and especially in the west, Svami Maharaj, preached this Krsna consciousness,
which has such depth. The deepest concern in our innermost life is such.
We are of this nature – it may not be accessible or approachable for everyone, but in general this is Krsna consciousness, this divine love. The Absolute Lord is the Lord of love and we can live in His
family – such a prospect and hope we have been given and we should try and approach this in a scientific way.
This is not an analogy, this is not hearsay, this is not imagination – you come and try and feel and get. It is a gradation, step by step – you should try to attain it. It can be attainable but it has its proper method and we have to try through that method. Everything requires a method, and in every formal education there is a step by step process. If I go for the visa, there is also a method.
Pranipata, pariprasna, seva – in this way we can go. This is the up-going current and not the capturing
of the lower things – this is the capturing of the higher. So the process is different – only by surrendering can we make our progress towards that higher reality.
Pranam of Bhaktisiddhanta
Rupanuga-dhara – dhara means line, lineage or current. So rupanuga-dhara means the current of
pure love that is coming through Sri Rupa Gosvami and his predecessors who are also of such a calibre.
But he is the central figure. His position has been connected and scientifically arranged and through him it is passing. According to Mahaprabhu’s advice, Rupa Gosvami has been given the scientific form of that current. We are followers of that which is passing through him to this side. We want to take bath in that stream, and following that stream we want to go up.
I have also written a poem about Prabhupad, a pranam-mantra.
gaude ganga-tate nava-vraja-navadvipa tu mayapure
sri chaitanya-matha-prakasa-kavaro jivaika-kalyanadhih
sri siddhanta-sarasvatiti-vidito gaudiya-gurvanvaye
bhato bhanuriva prabhatagagane rupanugaih pujitah
“That great personality who resides in Gauda-desa on the banks of the Ganga in Navadvipa, which is new Vrndavan and is known as Mayapur, has manifest Sri Chaitanya Math and is the only person concerned with the real welfare of the living entities. He is known as Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati who is in the succession of Gaudiya gurus; resplendent as the sun in the morning sky, he is worshipped by the followers of Sri Rupa Gosvami.”
Gauda-ganga-tate nava-vraja navadvipe tu mayapure – in Bengal (Gauda-desa), on the banks of the Ganges, which is identified with Vrndavan, there is a new Vrndavan or secret Vrndavan – Gupta-Vrndavan. Mayapure – in the village of Mayapur. Sri chaitanya-matha-prakasa-kavaro, jivaika- kalyanadhih – only for the benefit of the jivas, he established Chaitanya Math in Mayapur. Sri siddhanta-sarasvatiti-vidito gaudiya-gurvanvaye – in the lineage of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas his name
is Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Bhato bhanuriva – he shines like the morning sun. Prabhata-gagane rupanugaih pujitah – and is worshipped by the followers of Sri Rupa Gosvami. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati came and established Chaitanya Math on the banks of the Ganges in Mayapur, in Gauda-desa which is a similar facsimile of Vrndavan. He did this in the name of the guru-parampara – Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati shines like the morning sun and is worshipped by the followers of Rupa Gosvami – rupanugaih pujitah.
Suryopasana (worship of the sun) is done by Radharani – Radharani is a worshipper of Surya outwardly.
All the true followers of Rupa Gosvami surround him with their veneration and worship him with various items. Rupanuga janera jivana – it is written in Prabhupad’s own language, in the guru-parampara:
mahaprabhu sri chaitanya, radha-krsna- nahe anya
rupanuga janera jivana
Mahaprabhu Sri Chaitanya, Who is none other than Radha-Krsna combined, is the very life of the section known as the rupanugas. Visvambhara-priyankaran, sri svarupa-damodara – the very favourite of Visvambhara, Mahaprabhu, is Svarupa Damodara and, sri gosvami rupa-sanatana – and those Gosvami brothers known as Rupa and Sanatana. Their names were given by Mahaprabhu Himself. Rupa-priya mahajana, jiva raghunatha hana – then, the favourites of Rupa were Jiva and Raghunatha and, ta’ra priya kavi-krsna-dasa – the next is Krsna Das Kaviraj, the writer of Chaitanya-charitamrta. He is connected to Raghunath. Krsna-dasa priya-vara, narottama seva-para – though Krsna Dasa’s guru was Lokanath, Prabhupad saw that the dhara (the current), flowed from Raghunath to Krsna Das to Narottam Thakur. From Narottam Thakur a similar current – ya’ra pada visvanatha asa – then it came to Visvanath, then Baladev, then Jagannath, then Bhaktivinod Thakur.
In him, he could trace that same current of the same high quality in Bhaktivinod Thakur. And then Gaurakisor Das Babaji Maharaj also had it. Then he wrote, “I have the eternal aspiration to serve the holy feet of Radharani.”
sri varsabhanavi-vara, sada sevya seva-para
ta’hara dayita-dasa nama
And that servant’s name is Dayita Das. Ei saba hari-jana – “I am trying to do service to this lineage to satisfy Guru, Gauranga and Radha-Govinda.” In this way he is giving the knowledge of his position
there.
Not Teaching Raganuga-bhakti
Pujala raga-patha gaurava bhange – that is the motto of our Guru Maharaj. That is the property of our Gurudeva, and we are serving that from one step lower. But we must be conscious of the fact that the real wealth of my Gurudeva is raganuga-bhakti. That is our aim. “But I am not particularly fit. I am to acquire my fitness for this aim by the servants of those that are within raganuga-bhakti.
I pray one day I will be able to reach that standard.” This should be our attitude, and if we think we are quite fit, then that is faulty. That progress will be indirect, not direct. Mahaprabhu says – na prema gandho’sti darapi. “There is not a drop of real raganuga-bhakti within Me. That is infinite, that is an ocean. My attempt is a sham. It is artificial.” He is blaming Himself in such a way – but from the background it is known that raganuga-bhakti is filling Him up, capturing Him wholesale.
Raganuga-bhakti is the very life of prema, the internal, irresistible attraction for service to Krsna. It is continuous, not calculative of any gain or loss. We are to pray for that. It has come in such an irresistible
way and captured us. As the ocean plays with a straw, it shall also play with me in that way. That is bhakti. That is raganuga – that prema is an ocean of love. You will have no initiative at all – but that is not a curse, that ocean is a cosmos. Harmony is there, and we are all in His hand.
Yoga-maya is making arrangements for all these things. We must look with a feeling of helplessness – we shall feel the emanation of the loving service, prema – love divine.
I am not teaching raganuga-bhakti, but I am making it clear that it is our goal. We must have that on our head – pujala raga-patha gaurava bhange. We are worshipping this and our highest aim is raganuga-bhakti. With that object in mind we are doing work here in this world.
Raganuga
The different stages of development, sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana, are also different stages
of devotional service, like vaidhi-bhakti, raganuga-bhakti etc.
In vaidhi-bhakti, we generally see the constitutional position of the Master, the Master of the world. He is in cooperation with us, and we are guided by some law – that is Narayana in Vaikuntha.
“This is a good thing, I get some special pleasure by His service. The sastra also encourages me to do this.” This sort of conclusion is held by the servitor in vaidhi. There is some awe, grandeur, and some apprehension that I may not do my service correctly – it is calculated devotion and calculated service.
But in raga-marga one’s service is spontaneous and automatic. “I am helpless – I can’t resist doing it.” That service is fully dependent, just as in the inner workings of the body, there is some voluntary
action, and some reflexive involuntary action.
It is involuntary that when we eat something, the process of digestion is automatic – I can’t assist it. Without my consciousness the work is going on. So in raga-marga, it goes on without our calculated faculty – our voluntary faculty does not have much scope there. It must follow this internal, spontaneous energy which works there. Those in raga-marga cannot live for anything but to do
their service. That is the position there. But it is not measured or calculated – it is automatic and
spontaneous.
And in Vaikuntha, the sambandha is Narayan. We are rendering service, we are His servants, and He is our Master of everything.
But in raganuga, it is not that He is our Master. Sometimes Krsna’s friends are climbing on the shoulders of Krsna and sometimes even giving a slap to Krsna. Sometimes Krsna is carrying them or climbing on their shoulders. They feel that they are very equal with Krsna in their sakhya-rasa relationship. In vatsalya-rasa, Yasoda thinks, “He is of lower capacity than mine and I must look after His welfare. He is destroying my things, I must punish Him.” Such an attitude they have with the real Master in raganuga. This is arranged by Yogamaya to give real and better pleasure to Krsna. Not master and servant, but lover and beloved, in this way. That is the main thing there.
Raganuga-sambandha
In sambandha-jnana one can also achieve the raga-marga devotional service. Sambandha means, “Who am I? Where am I? What am I? I want a proper relationship with the environment.” That is sambandha concern. He is my paramour, He is my son – in this way, it is as if it is in the mundane world. That is sambandha.
It is transcendent and this is the mundane – this is the distinction, they are the opposite. But they appear almost in the same way. The adjustment is very similar – it is very, very similar with this mundane world. But that is the highest and this is the lowest. This is self-centered and that is Godcentered.
That may seem self-centered and here it may feel that I am God-centered by my imagination. But there they are really God-centered but they think they have their self-interest. That is the position.
Raganuga-abhidheya
In the spiritual realm they do not recognize abhidheya. Abhidheya means that, “I just want to satisfy my friend Krsna, by playing, or by supplying some peacock feathers. I want to satisfy Krsna. Please take this!” In this way, that is their abhidheya. The abhidheya has become the objective. That is local abhidheya, the activities according to the relation between them. That is lila, pastimes. Because they have attained their goal, the train-fare is not necessary! They have reached the goal. And there, if you want abhidheya, that is a local transaction, according to the local necessity of that position.
That may be abhidheya, but they have attained their goal, and they are not passing through any way or road. They have reached the road already, and they have obtained their desired position. There, abhidheya means transaction – transaction in the perfect stage. You may call it abhidheya but actually
abhidheya is finished – in the sense of what is applied here, that is to make a journey from one place to another. That is finished when we reach there, but it is in the form of a remedial transaction. It may seem to be abhidheya, but it is not in the sense of a means to an end. The end is already attained, and we are already engaged in lila automatically, designed by Yogamaya.
Raganuga-prayojana
And prayojana is also immediate. “I want to satisfy, by my presentation, by my service.” That is an immediate necessity. In the attained stage, prayojana is addressed to each lila. Sambandha, abhidheya,
prayojana – when the prayojana is in my hand, and the sambandha is established there along with my eternal and permanent relationship with Him – that is abhidheya. When I was far away, I had a general idea of what He was. Then when I came closer to that side, that is abhidheya. When I get that vision and attain their krpa, that is prayojana. My internal satisfaction is there. In a friendly circle, the two parties of Krsna and Balaram are fighting with each other. And in that fighting, they are feeling satisfaction, that they are achieving their object of life to the fullest extent, their fullest satisfaction. There is a mock fight between their parties.
Once Balaram gave a slap to Krsna, Who complained to Mother Yasoda, “My elder brother has beaten
Me, My mother.” Balaram was very much put to shame, after going a little distance away, He said,
“Yes, I did slap You, My affectionate brother, but should You complain to mother about that? Does
it behoove You?”
“I ran to get some affection from My mother.”
“Why did you put Me in such an awkward position by telling her this.”
That is the lila. Krsna is doing this to see the position of Balaram. That is also in a mood of enjoyment,
the service of Krsna. These appear as ordinary things, but the type of bliss which They enjoy is quite different and perfect. We can conjecture somewhat, according to our degree of surrender – we can have a deeper view into that, according to the degree of tadekatma-rupa – how much we are of common interest with Him. That will help us to understand the reality underlying all these things.
Bhaktivinod’s Vision of Raganuga-bhakti
In Chaitanya-siksamrta and Jaiva-dharma, Bhaktivinod Thakur has written about raganuga-bhakti. It is originally written about by Rupa Gosvami under the instruction and inspiration of Mahaprabhu – in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu and especially in Ujjvala-nilamani. The highest position is shown in Ujjvala-nilamani and the lower position of raganuga-bhakti has been given in Bhakti-rasamrtasindhu.
This has been translated into Bengali by Bhaktivinod Thakur in his own way – in Chaitanya- siksamrta, Jaiva-dharma, and in many other places.
That will be our object – we must not think that we are qualified fully for that. It is such a precious thing – siva virinci vanchita vedam. Brahma, Siva, and all the higher candidates aspire after this, but have not obtained it. In a poem that I composed about Bhaktivinod Thakur, I have mentioned sri-radha-pada-sevanamrtam aho – that is the nectarean service of Sri Radhika – Radharani. “Oh, very wonderful! You, Bhaktivinod Thakur, are the master to deal with that nectar.”
Varam imam padabja-mule bhavat-sarvasvavadhi-radhika-dayita-dasanam – the highest thing of pure aspiration, the highest will of your heart is radhika-dayita-dasa – the exclusive servitor of Sri Radha, Dayita Das, our Gurudev. You please help me, that he may sanction and grant my admission within his group. Gane ganyatam – you can recommend me, to enter into the group of Dayita Das, our Guru Maharaj – Varsabhanavi-Dayita Das.
Always through Radharani
The sakhis always want to unify Krsna and Radha and therein lies their inner satisfaction. Always through Radharani – they are so pure. The standard of purity is such that they sacrifice their own connection with Krsna and they all centralize for the highest point which can give maximum satisfaction
to Krsna.
So within the highest attainment, getting direct association with Krsna, they are so eager to seek the
satisfaction of Krsna that they do not rush to present themselves directly before Him. Krsna’s satisfaction receives the highest concentration and whomever can perform it, the sakhis help them – this
is their intrinsic nature. We shall try to aspire to take shelter of them – that is the highest attainment found in the sannyas-mantra.
The real potency is in Vraja – that is the dedicating Moiety towards Krsna. Direct connection is there, and indirectly with Krsna through Her – this is Radha’s position. This is particular in the sannyas-mantram. In other diksa-mantras, there is direct connection with Krsna – in the sannyas-mantra, our spiritual connection with Krsna – in the sannyas-mantra, our spiritual connection is shown towards the gopis. That is radha-dasyam – that is above krsna-dasyam... (Encounters with Divinity)
Rupanuga Sampradaya
What is this rupanuga-sampradaya? Mahaprabhu named this, the rupanuga-sampradaya. The first disciple of Mahaprabhu is Rupa Gosvami, although Rupa Gosvami took his formal initiation from Sanatana Gosvami. But Mahaprabhu met Rupa first, and later met Sanatana. So, Rupa-Sanatana, and not Sanatana-Rupa. Sanatana was originally the elder of the two brothers. But we refer to Rupa- Sanatana, because the first recognition of Mahaprabhu was received by Rupa.
Now, what is the real meaning of the rupanuga-sampradaya? You are to mark it very attentively. Madhurya-rasa is the total rasa, and the most intense of all rasas. It is all-accomodating. Twentyfour hours engagement of service with Krsna is only possible in madhurya-rasa. And there is the possibility of tiredness in rasas, other than madhurya-rasa. Sometimes the father or mother may think, “I am too tired, I shall make arrangements a little later.” But in madhurya-rasa, there is no such reaction.
The differences between Rupa-manjari and Lalita-sakhi are of course things of the very highest order.
We should not have the audacity to enter into these subtle points without proper guidance.
When Radha-Govinda are privately in union, the sakhis of the higher order do not approach that place, but the manjaris can go. The junior sevakas can go to perform any service necessary there, due to their lesser age. They are allowed, but the higher friends of Radharani keep some respectable distance. So, when Radha-Govinda are alone in union, the highest quality of rasa is to be found in their lila, and that is approachable by the juniors. That is for the manjaris, not for the sakhis. So, the highest attainment is to be located in Rupa, the leader of that junior group who has the advantage of the special service in that stage. So, rupanuga. Wherever we are, we shall have to accept that this is the acme of our fulfilment.
Rupanuga-sampradaya Goes to the West
Our Guru Maharaj was always rupanuga, rupanuga, rupanuga – raganuga, and then rupanuga, in particular. Generally raganuga, and then particularly rupanuga. That is our parivara, identification,
our nature. Bhaktivinod Thakur says, “I run to get admission under the administration of Rupa Gosvami.” Who runs? He who has got such aspiration – he runs to become enlisted in the group of Sri Rupa – one who has such sort of prospect. And that will be the highest attainment of our fortune.
Raghunath Das Gosvami has declared it. And still now, that is the highest point of one’s achievement
for the whole Gaudiya sampradaya. Raghunath Das Gosvami is the acharya of our highest necessity, our ultimate aim – he is the prayojana-acharya. By the grace of all of you, and by the necessity, Prabhupad has dragged these things from me, and I cannot but remember that he wanted me to go to the West.
Now, our talks are going to the west by the grace of Bhaktivendata Svami Maharaj. Kali Das says in the Raghuvamsa when he is describing the dynasty of Raghu, in which Lord Rama appeared: “I am a man of small literary experience; so many stalwarts have sprung from that great Raghu-vamsa, and I am going to describe them with a meagre attempt at poetry?”
Many slokas of Kali Das are devoted for this purpose.
gthava krtavardhare, granthe ‘sminn purva suribhih
mano vajra samuthena, sutresye vastune gatih
“The previous renowned kavis, poets like Valmiki Muni and Srila Vyasadeva, have given a description of Raghu-vamsa, and they have made the path of entering into that sacred description easy. How is this? In a necklace of jewels, the jewel is a hard thing – the thread cannot pierce it, yet the iron needle drill has already made a hole through it, and now the thread is easily passing through.”
Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaj was like a vajra, a powerful drill, the hard thing has already been pierced by him, and like a thread, I am passing through that. He was so great and so simple at the same time. Anyhow, Mahaprabhu and our Gurudeva have achieved through him a tremendous and inconceivable thing. One godbrother could not tolerate all these things. But the other day, when coming from Mayapura, that sannyasi said, “It is acintya – inconceivable.” He did not want to give recognition, but from his mouth, the word came out, that, “What Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaj did, that is acintya: it is inconceivable.” So, it is divine. It is inconceivable what he has done, what Nityananda Prabhu, what Baladeva did through him, that is inconceivable.
Rupanuga has been considered to be the highest attainment of the Gaudiya Vaisnava school. Bhaktivinod Thakur has written Rupanuga-bhajana-darpana, a small poem found in his Gita-mala. Here,
he has made it clear what should be our aspiration.
So with that highest ideal in our heart we will go and externally will ask people to join Krsna consciousness.
All other attempts are futile in the world – all are temporary and reactionary, so join Krsna consciousness! Mahaprabhu gave it to us and in this, the modern age, Bhaktivinod, Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhu, and especially in the west, Svami Maharaj, preached this Krsna consciousness,
which has such depth. The deepest concern in our innermost life is such.
We are of this nature – it may not be accessible or approachable for everyone, but in general this is Krsna consciousness, this divine love. The Absolute Lord is the Lord of love and we can live in His
family – such a prospect and hope we have been given and we should try and approach this in a scientific way.
This is not an analogy, this is not hearsay, this is not imagination – you come and try and feel and get. It is a gradation, step by step – you should try to attain it. It can be attainable but it has its proper method and we have to try through that method. Everything requires a method, and in every formal education there is a step by step process. If I go for the visa, there is also a method.
Pranipata, pariprasna, seva – in this way we can go. This is the up-going current and not the capturing
of the lower things – this is the capturing of the higher. So the process is different – only by surrendering can we make our progress towards that higher reality.
Pranam of Bhaktisiddhanta
Rupanuga-dhara – dhara means line, lineage or current. So rupanuga-dhara means the current of
pure love that is coming through Sri Rupa Gosvami and his predecessors who are also of such a calibre.
But he is the central figure. His position has been connected and scientifically arranged and through him it is passing. According to Mahaprabhu’s advice, Rupa Gosvami has been given the scientific form of that current. We are followers of that which is passing through him to this side. We want to take bath in that stream, and following that stream we want to go up.
I have also written a poem about Prabhupad, a pranam-mantra.
gaude ganga-tate nava-vraja-navadvipa tu mayapure
sri chaitanya-matha-prakasa-kavaro jivaika-kalyanadhih
sri siddhanta-sarasvatiti-vidito gaudiya-gurvanvaye
bhato bhanuriva prabhatagagane rupanugaih pujitah
“That great personality who resides in Gauda-desa on the banks of the Ganga in Navadvipa, which is new Vrndavan and is known as Mayapur, has manifest Sri Chaitanya Math and is the only person concerned with the real welfare of the living entities. He is known as Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati who is in the succession of Gaudiya gurus; resplendent as the sun in the morning sky, he is worshipped by the followers of Sri Rupa Gosvami.”
Gauda-ganga-tate nava-vraja navadvipe tu mayapure – in Bengal (Gauda-desa), on the banks of the Ganges, which is identified with Vrndavan, there is a new Vrndavan or secret Vrndavan – Gupta-Vrndavan. Mayapure – in the village of Mayapur. Sri chaitanya-matha-prakasa-kavaro, jivaika- kalyanadhih – only for the benefit of the jivas, he established Chaitanya Math in Mayapur. Sri siddhanta-sarasvatiti-vidito gaudiya-gurvanvaye – in the lineage of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas his name
is Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Bhato bhanuriva – he shines like the morning sun. Prabhata-gagane rupanugaih pujitah – and is worshipped by the followers of Sri Rupa Gosvami. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati came and established Chaitanya Math on the banks of the Ganges in Mayapur, in Gauda-desa which is a similar facsimile of Vrndavan. He did this in the name of the guru-parampara – Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati shines like the morning sun and is worshipped by the followers of Rupa Gosvami – rupanugaih pujitah.
Suryopasana (worship of the sun) is done by Radharani – Radharani is a worshipper of Surya outwardly.
All the true followers of Rupa Gosvami surround him with their veneration and worship him with various items. Rupanuga janera jivana – it is written in Prabhupad’s own language, in the guru-parampara:
mahaprabhu sri chaitanya, radha-krsna- nahe anya
rupanuga janera jivana
Mahaprabhu Sri Chaitanya, Who is none other than Radha-Krsna combined, is the very life of the section known as the rupanugas. Visvambhara-priyankaran, sri svarupa-damodara – the very favourite of Visvambhara, Mahaprabhu, is Svarupa Damodara and, sri gosvami rupa-sanatana – and those Gosvami brothers known as Rupa and Sanatana. Their names were given by Mahaprabhu Himself. Rupa-priya mahajana, jiva raghunatha hana – then, the favourites of Rupa were Jiva and Raghunatha and, ta’ra priya kavi-krsna-dasa – the next is Krsna Das Kaviraj, the writer of Chaitanya-charitamrta. He is connected to Raghunath. Krsna-dasa priya-vara, narottama seva-para – though Krsna Dasa’s guru was Lokanath, Prabhupad saw that the dhara (the current), flowed from Raghunath to Krsna Das to Narottam Thakur. From Narottam Thakur a similar current – ya’ra pada visvanatha asa – then it came to Visvanath, then Baladev, then Jagannath, then Bhaktivinod Thakur.
In him, he could trace that same current of the same high quality in Bhaktivinod Thakur. And then Gaurakisor Das Babaji Maharaj also had it. Then he wrote, “I have the eternal aspiration to serve the holy feet of Radharani.”
sri varsabhanavi-vara, sada sevya seva-para
ta’hara dayita-dasa nama
And that servant’s name is Dayita Das. Ei saba hari-jana – “I am trying to do service to this lineage to satisfy Guru, Gauranga and Radha-Govinda.” In this way he is giving the knowledge of his position
there.
Not Teaching Raganuga-bhakti
Pujala raga-patha gaurava bhange – that is the motto of our Guru Maharaj. That is the property of our Gurudeva, and we are serving that from one step lower. But we must be conscious of the fact that the real wealth of my Gurudeva is raganuga-bhakti. That is our aim. “But I am not particularly fit. I am to acquire my fitness for this aim by the servants of those that are within raganuga-bhakti.
I pray one day I will be able to reach that standard.” This should be our attitude, and if we think we are quite fit, then that is faulty. That progress will be indirect, not direct. Mahaprabhu says – na prema gandho’sti darapi. “There is not a drop of real raganuga-bhakti within Me. That is infinite, that is an ocean. My attempt is a sham. It is artificial.” He is blaming Himself in such a way – but from the background it is known that raganuga-bhakti is filling Him up, capturing Him wholesale.
Raganuga-bhakti is the very life of prema, the internal, irresistible attraction for service to Krsna. It is continuous, not calculative of any gain or loss. We are to pray for that. It has come in such an irresistible
way and captured us. As the ocean plays with a straw, it shall also play with me in that way. That is bhakti. That is raganuga – that prema is an ocean of love. You will have no initiative at all – but that is not a curse, that ocean is a cosmos. Harmony is there, and we are all in His hand.
Yoga-maya is making arrangements for all these things. We must look with a feeling of helplessness – we shall feel the emanation of the loving service, prema – love divine.
I am not teaching raganuga-bhakti, but I am making it clear that it is our goal. We must have that on our head – pujala raga-patha gaurava bhange. We are worshipping this and our highest aim is raganuga-bhakti. With that object in mind we are doing work here in this world.
Raganuga
The different stages of development, sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana, are also different stages
of devotional service, like vaidhi-bhakti, raganuga-bhakti etc.
In vaidhi-bhakti, we generally see the constitutional position of the Master, the Master of the world. He is in cooperation with us, and we are guided by some law – that is Narayana in Vaikuntha.
“This is a good thing, I get some special pleasure by His service. The sastra also encourages me to do this.” This sort of conclusion is held by the servitor in vaidhi. There is some awe, grandeur, and some apprehension that I may not do my service correctly – it is calculated devotion and calculated service.
But in raga-marga one’s service is spontaneous and automatic. “I am helpless – I can’t resist doing it.” That service is fully dependent, just as in the inner workings of the body, there is some voluntary
action, and some reflexive involuntary action.
It is involuntary that when we eat something, the process of digestion is automatic – I can’t assist it. Without my consciousness the work is going on. So in raga-marga, it goes on without our calculated faculty – our voluntary faculty does not have much scope there. It must follow this internal, spontaneous energy which works there. Those in raga-marga cannot live for anything but to do
their service. That is the position there. But it is not measured or calculated – it is automatic and
spontaneous.
And in Vaikuntha, the sambandha is Narayan. We are rendering service, we are His servants, and He is our Master of everything.
But in raganuga, it is not that He is our Master. Sometimes Krsna’s friends are climbing on the shoulders of Krsna and sometimes even giving a slap to Krsna. Sometimes Krsna is carrying them or climbing on their shoulders. They feel that they are very equal with Krsna in their sakhya-rasa relationship. In vatsalya-rasa, Yasoda thinks, “He is of lower capacity than mine and I must look after His welfare. He is destroying my things, I must punish Him.” Such an attitude they have with the real Master in raganuga. This is arranged by Yogamaya to give real and better pleasure to Krsna. Not master and servant, but lover and beloved, in this way. That is the main thing there.
Raganuga-sambandha
In sambandha-jnana one can also achieve the raga-marga devotional service. Sambandha means, “Who am I? Where am I? What am I? I want a proper relationship with the environment.” That is sambandha concern. He is my paramour, He is my son – in this way, it is as if it is in the mundane world. That is sambandha.
It is transcendent and this is the mundane – this is the distinction, they are the opposite. But they appear almost in the same way. The adjustment is very similar – it is very, very similar with this mundane world. But that is the highest and this is the lowest. This is self-centered and that is Godcentered.
That may seem self-centered and here it may feel that I am God-centered by my imagination. But there they are really God-centered but they think they have their self-interest. That is the position.
Raganuga-abhidheya
In the spiritual realm they do not recognize abhidheya. Abhidheya means that, “I just want to satisfy my friend Krsna, by playing, or by supplying some peacock feathers. I want to satisfy Krsna. Please take this!” In this way, that is their abhidheya. The abhidheya has become the objective. That is local abhidheya, the activities according to the relation between them. That is lila, pastimes. Because they have attained their goal, the train-fare is not necessary! They have reached the goal. And there, if you want abhidheya, that is a local transaction, according to the local necessity of that position.
That may be abhidheya, but they have attained their goal, and they are not passing through any way or road. They have reached the road already, and they have obtained their desired position. There, abhidheya means transaction – transaction in the perfect stage. You may call it abhidheya but actually
abhidheya is finished – in the sense of what is applied here, that is to make a journey from one place to another. That is finished when we reach there, but it is in the form of a remedial transaction. It may seem to be abhidheya, but it is not in the sense of a means to an end. The end is already attained, and we are already engaged in lila automatically, designed by Yogamaya.
Raganuga-prayojana
And prayojana is also immediate. “I want to satisfy, by my presentation, by my service.” That is an immediate necessity. In the attained stage, prayojana is addressed to each lila. Sambandha, abhidheya,
prayojana – when the prayojana is in my hand, and the sambandha is established there along with my eternal and permanent relationship with Him – that is abhidheya. When I was far away, I had a general idea of what He was. Then when I came closer to that side, that is abhidheya. When I get that vision and attain their krpa, that is prayojana. My internal satisfaction is there. In a friendly circle, the two parties of Krsna and Balaram are fighting with each other. And in that fighting, they are feeling satisfaction, that they are achieving their object of life to the fullest extent, their fullest satisfaction. There is a mock fight between their parties.
Once Balaram gave a slap to Krsna, Who complained to Mother Yasoda, “My elder brother has beaten
Me, My mother.” Balaram was very much put to shame, after going a little distance away, He said,
“Yes, I did slap You, My affectionate brother, but should You complain to mother about that? Does
it behoove You?”
“I ran to get some affection from My mother.”
“Why did you put Me in such an awkward position by telling her this.”
That is the lila. Krsna is doing this to see the position of Balaram. That is also in a mood of enjoyment,
the service of Krsna. These appear as ordinary things, but the type of bliss which They enjoy is quite different and perfect. We can conjecture somewhat, according to our degree of surrender – we can have a deeper view into that, according to the degree of tadekatma-rupa – how much we are of common interest with Him. That will help us to understand the reality underlying all these things.
Bhaktivinod’s Vision of Raganuga-bhakti
In Chaitanya-siksamrta and Jaiva-dharma, Bhaktivinod Thakur has written about raganuga-bhakti. It is originally written about by Rupa Gosvami under the instruction and inspiration of Mahaprabhu – in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu and especially in Ujjvala-nilamani. The highest position is shown in Ujjvala-nilamani and the lower position of raganuga-bhakti has been given in Bhakti-rasamrtasindhu.
This has been translated into Bengali by Bhaktivinod Thakur in his own way – in Chaitanya- siksamrta, Jaiva-dharma, and in many other places.
That will be our object – we must not think that we are qualified fully for that. It is such a precious thing – siva virinci vanchita vedam. Brahma, Siva, and all the higher candidates aspire after this, but have not obtained it. In a poem that I composed about Bhaktivinod Thakur, I have mentioned sri-radha-pada-sevanamrtam aho – that is the nectarean service of Sri Radhika – Radharani. “Oh, very wonderful! You, Bhaktivinod Thakur, are the master to deal with that nectar.”
Varam imam padabja-mule bhavat-sarvasvavadhi-radhika-dayita-dasanam – the highest thing of pure aspiration, the highest will of your heart is radhika-dayita-dasa – the exclusive servitor of Sri Radha, Dayita Das, our Gurudev. You please help me, that he may sanction and grant my admission within his group. Gane ganyatam – you can recommend me, to enter into the group of Dayita Das, our Guru Maharaj – Varsabhanavi-Dayita Das.
Always through Radharani
The sakhis always want to unify Krsna and Radha and therein lies their inner satisfaction. Always through Radharani – they are so pure. The standard of purity is such that they sacrifice their own connection with Krsna and they all centralize for the highest point which can give maximum satisfaction
to Krsna.
So within the highest attainment, getting direct association with Krsna, they are so eager to seek the
satisfaction of Krsna that they do not rush to present themselves directly before Him. Krsna’s satisfaction receives the highest concentration and whomever can perform it, the sakhis help them – this
is their intrinsic nature. We shall try to aspire to take shelter of them – that is the highest attainment found in the sannyas-mantra.
The real potency is in Vraja – that is the dedicating Moiety towards Krsna. Direct connection is there, and indirectly with Krsna through Her – this is Radha’s position. This is particular in the sannyas-mantram. In other diksa-mantras, there is direct connection with Krsna – in the sannyas-mantra, our spiritual connection with Krsna – in the sannyas-mantra, our spiritual connection is shown towards the gopis. That is radha-dasyam – that is above krsna-dasyam... (Encounters with Divinity)
fonte ;
http://www.facebook.com/notes/shanti-devi-dasi/rupanuga-sampradaya/10150099170055584
Haribol ..
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