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Atha bhagavad-dharmacharana-rupena kayikena kinchin manasena cha lingena kanistham laksayati—



[Next, a beginner devotee is characterised by marks on the body that represent engagement in service to the Lord and to a certain extent by a particular state of mind: ]

archayam eva haraye pujam yah sraddhayehate
na tad-bhaktesu chanyesu sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah
(Srimad Bhagavatam: 11.2.47)

[“Those who faithfully worship the Deity of the Lord but not His devotees or other souls are beginner devotees.”]

prabhate chardha-ratre cha madhyahne divasa-ksaye
kirtayanti harim ye vai na tesam anya-sadhanam
(Hari-bhakti-vilasa: 20.379)

[“Those who chant the Name of the Lord in the morning, at noon, in the evening, and at midnight need no other practice.”]

yena janma-sataih purvam vasudevah samarchitah
tan-mukhe hari-namani sada tisthanti bharata
(Hari-bhakti-vilasa: 10.454)

[“O descendant of Bharat, the Names of the Lord always remain in the mouth of those who previously worshipped Vasudev for a hundred births.”]

We should chant the Name of the Lord twenty-four hours a day every day. Those who are qualified to engage in service at all times always think, “Everyone is serving the Lord; only I have not served Him.” Such souls have no conception that, “Some are good, and some are bad.” If beginners, intermediates, or persons with selfish desires, however, imitate advanced devotees and think, “I will not conceive of good and bad; good association and bad association are the same”, then they will fall into bad association and will not be able to enter even the proximity of the land of devotion. We should offer obeisance to intermediate devotees and honour beginners, that is, we should give them enthusiasm. We should honour Pandas who guide pilgrims at holy places; they engage in worship. We should offer obeisance to devotees, and we should serve experts in devotion with our body, mind, and words. We should remain engaged in their service at all times. To external vision, we should even leave the service of the Lord to serve the devotees.

aradhananam sarvesam visnor aradhanam param
tasmat parataram devi tadiyanam samarchanam
(Padma-purana)

[“Of all types of worship, the worship of Visnu is supreme. Even better, however, O Goddess, is the worship of those who are dear to Him.”]

abhyarchayitva govindam tadiyan narchayanti ye
na te visnu-prasadasya bhajanam dambhika janah
(Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya: 13.76)

[“Proud persons who worship Govinda but do not worship those who are dear to Him are not recipients of the Lord’s grace.”]

“I have become the Guru of everyone. Everyone is my disciple.” The name for such an attitude is pride. A tridandi is nirasir-nirnamas-kriyah: he does not bless anyone and he does not offer obeisance to anyone. Even the mother and father of a tridandi in his previous asram should offer obeisance to him.

Sri Rupa’s sixth instruction:

drstaih svabhava-janitair vapusas cha dosair
na prakrtatvam iha bhakta-janasya pasyet
gangambhasam na khalu budbuda-phena-pankair
brahma-dravatvam apagachchhati nira-dharmaih

We should never look with mundane vision at the innate faults, such as being low class, rough, or lazy, or the bodily faults, such as having an unpleasant complexion, a deformed figure, or an unsightly appearance as a result of disease, of a devotee of the Lord present in this world. “Because all these faults appear before our eyes, Vaisnavas engaged in the service to the Lord must also be living beings just like all other souls.” If such a conception comes to us, then we are unfortunate. Bubbles, foam, mud, and various types of refuse can be seen in the stream of the Ganges, but the greatness of the Ganges of liquid spirit is not diminished by this.

Although Sathakopa Das appeared in a family of sudras, Yamuna Muni described the greatness of Sathakopa Prabhu’s appearance in a brahman family.

mata-pita-yuvatayas tanaya vibhutih
sarvam yad eva niyamena mad-anvayanam
adyasya nah kula-pater bakulabhiramam
srimat-tad-anghri-yugalam pranamami murdhna
(Stotra-ratna: 2)

“I offer my obeiance with my head to the holy feet of Sri Sathakopa Acharya, the first Acharya in our family. Our entire family’s wealth is simply the holy feet of Sri Sathakopa Prabhu. Our mother, father, wife, sons, and wealth—everything is the lotus feet of Sathakopa Deva.”

Yamuna Acharya also said:

tava dasya-sukhaika-sanginam
bhavanesv astv api kita-janma me
itarav asathesu ma sma bhud
api me janma chaturmukhatmana
(Sri Stotra-ratna: 55)

“O Lord, a birth as an insect in the home of Your devotee is good, but I do not want to reside even in the body of Brahma himself in the home of a non-devotee.”

Ramanuja Acharya has said,

vaisnavanan cha janmani nidralasyani yani cha
drstva tanya-prakasyani janebhyo na vadet kvachit
(Prapannamrta: 65.50)

Even if we know about a Vaisnava’s low birth, sleep, or laziness, (for the good of society and to help persons whose faith is soft) we should never proudly speak about such things with others to defame them. We should overlook a Vaisnava’s present and visible faults and glorify their qualities.

In this verse, Sri Rupa Prabhu has repudiated the mundane mentality of the prakrta sahajiyas. Those who do not recognise a genuine devotee of Krishna if they have not taken birth as a descendant of the Lord or an Acharya and imagine deceitful persons who identify themselves as descendents of the Lord or an Acharya but are averse to the Lord’s service to be goswamis or prabhus have mundane vision. They can never enter the land of devotion.

Those who do not look at a pure devotee with mundane vision and see their pure devotion can quickly become free from vision of misbehaviour in an advanced devotee and develop the qualities of a sadhu. There is a difference between a practitioner who has not developed taste (ruchi) and a perfected (siddha) devotee. The prakrta sahajiya school cannot understand this point. We should know one of such persons to be a disciple, and one to be a Guru. We should not give advice to a Guru, and we should not accept advice from a disciple.

Srila Vedavyas, therefore, has said,

archye visnau sila-dhir gurusu nara-matir vaisnave jati-buddhir
visnor va vaisnavanam kali-mala-mathane pada-tirthe ’mbu-buddhih
sri-visnor-namni-mantre sakala-kalusa-he sabda-samanya-buddhir
visnau sarvesvarese tad-itara-sama-dhir yasya va naraki sah
(Padma-purana)

[“Anyone who thinks the Deity is a stone, Sri Guru is a man, the Vaisnava is from a particular caste, the foot-wash of Visnu or the Vaisnava is ordinary water, the Lord’s Name and mantra, which vanquish all sins, are ordinary sounds, or Visnu, the Lord of Lords, is equal to others is damned.”]

svapakam iva nekseta loke vipram avaisnavam
vaisnavo varno-bahyo ’pi punati bhuvana-trayam
(Padma-purana)

[“As one should not look at a dog-eater, so one should not look at a brahman in this world who is not a Vaisnava, but a Vaisnava even from outside the brahman class purifies the three worlds.”]

viprad dvi-sad-guna-yutad aravinda-nabha-
padaravinda-vimukhat svapacham varistham
manye tad-arpita-mano-vachanehitartha-
pranam punati sa kulam na tu bhurimanah
(Srimad Bhagavatam: 7.9.10)

[“I consider outcasts who have dedicated their mind, words, actions, wealth, and life to the lotus feet of the Lord to be superior to brahmans who have all twelve qualities (wealth, high birth, beauty, austerity, learning, strong senses, lustre, power, strength, virility, intelligence, and discipline) but are averse to the Lord’s lotus feet. The outcasts purify their entire family, while proud brahmans do not (even purify themselves).”]

aho bata sva-pacho ’to gariyan
yaj-jihvagre vartate nama tubhyam
tepus tapas te juhuvuh sasnur arya
brahmanuchur nama grnanti ye te
(Srimad Bhagavatam: 3.33.7)

[“Amazing! The outcast on the tip of whose tongue Your Name appears is exalted. Those who chant Your Name have performed all austerities and sacrifices, bathed at all the holy places, observed all the codes of conduct, and studied all the Vedas.”]

mukha-bahuru-padebhyah purusasyasramaih saha
chatvaro jajnire varna gunair vipradayah prthak
ya esam purusam saksad atma-prabhavam isvaram
na bhajanty avajananti sthanad bhrastah patanty adhah
(Srimad Bhagavatam: 11.5.2–3)

[“The brahmans, ksatriyas, vaisyas, and sudras were born from the face, arms, thighs, and feet of the Lord through the modes of nature along with the four asrams. Those amongst them who do not serve and thus disrespect their own creator, the Supreme Lord, lose their positions and fall down.”]

We cannot recognise a Vaisnava by observing external detachment or external attachment. We can recognise a true Vaisnava as a Vaisnava by observing their extremely sincere attachment to the Lord’s service and their extremely genuine constancy within it. We should not confuse a practitioner with an expert. We should not look at Vamsi Das Babaji Maharaj of Nabadwip’s habits of chewing pan and smoking tobacco, and we should not imitate him. We should look at his extreme propensity for service.

abhyarthitas tada tasmai sthanani kalaye dadau
dyutam panam striyah suna yatradharmas chatur-vidhah
punas cha yachamanaya jata-rupam adat prabhuh
tato ’nrtam madam kamam rajo vairan cha panchamam
amuni pancha sthanani hy adharma-prabhavah kalih
auttareyena dattani nyavasat tan-nidesa-krt
athaitani na seveta bubhusuh purusah kvachit
visesato dharma-silo raja loka-patir guruh
(Srimad Bhagavatam: 1.17.38–41)

[“Having been requested, Maharaj Pariksit gave Kali the places of the four forms of adharma (dishonesty, lust, violence, and pride): gambling, intoxication, illicit association with women, and slaughter. When requested again, Maharaj Pariksit gave Kali gold (wealth), in which dishonesty, pride, lust, violence, and a fifth (form of adharma), enmity preside. Kali, the propagator of adharma, following this order, took up residence in these five places given by Maharaj Pariksit. Therefore, souls who desire good fortune should never indulge in these five things. Virtuous souls, kings, social leaders, and spiritual masters should completely avoid these things.”]

Pan, tabacco, and other intoxicants are places of Kali. Devotees should never consume intoxicants. If a habit of consuming intoxicants can be seen in any particular sadhu, then we should look at the quality of his propensity for service. Otherwise, we should not say he is a sadhu because he can smoke a lot of ganja. You can call those who are addicted to drugs ‘sadhus’, but you should not call them servants of the Lord.

We should not judge the bodily faults of nondevotees. We should not look at their high or low birth. We should not call them servants of the Lord (‘Hari-jana’) and confuse them with supramundane servants of the Lord. “Ambaris was a grhastha, and therefore, he was less than a sannyasi. He was a ksatriya, and therefore, he was a servant of the brahmans.” We should not think like this. If we do, we will undergo tribulation like Durvasa. Sri Krishna Chaitanyadev has said,

eta saba chhadi’ ara varnasrama-dharma
akinchana hana laya krsnaika-sarana
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta: Madhya-lila, 22.90)

[“Give up bad association and adherence to social and occupational duties, become detached, and take shelter of Krishna exclusively.”]

When drain water mixes with the water of the Yamuna, we should no longer go to judge, “Which water is this? ” There is a verse of Tulsi Dasji,

brahmana-ksatriya-vaisya-sudra sabkoi karata vichara
hari na bhajeta charo chamara

[“Brahmans, ksatriyas, vaisyas, and sudras—judge them all: if they do not serve the Lord, then all four of them are untouchables.”]

Sri Rupa’s seventh instruction,

syat krsna-nama-charitadi-sitapy avidya-
pittopatapta-rasanasya na rochika nu
kintv adarad anudinam khalu saiva justa
svadvi kramad bhavati tad-gada-mula-hantri

As people suffering from jaundice think even sweet sugar candy in their mouth is bitter, so souls whose tongues have been afflicted with the jaundice of ignorance since time immemorial—souls who have been averse to Krishna since time immemorial—have no taste for the supremely sweet Name of Krishna. Although sugar candy seems bitter to someone suffering from jaundice, as sugar candy is the medicine for curing jaundice, so the Name of the Lord is the one and only medicine for warding off ignorance and attaining divine love for Krishna. Only by constantly and uninhibitedly chanting the Name of the Lord will taste for the Name develop. “Everyone should stop chanting the divine, liberating Name (Taraka-brahma-nam) and quitely meditate.” This is the conception of the materialists and illusionists. Sri Sanatan Prabhu, nonetheless, has said,

jayati jayati namananda-rupam murarer
viramita-nija-dharma-dhyana-pujadi-yatnam
katham api sakrd attam muktidam praninam yat
paramam amrtam ekam jivanam bhusanam me
(Brhad-Bhagavatamrta: 1.1.9)

“Let the Name of Murari, the origin of all joy, be glorified again and again! By hearing and chanting the supramundane Name, relief from social and occupational duties, sacrifices, meditation, worship, and other endeavours is gained. By just a semblance of the Lord’s Name, the soul is liberated from ignorance. The Lord’s Name is the one and only nectar, my very life and ornament.”

Those who chant the Name of the Lord become free from social and occupational duties. Thus, we hear in the words of Srila Madhavendra Puripad, which Sri Rupa Prabhu collected in his Padyavali:

sandhya-vandana bhadram astu bhavato bho snana tubhyam namo
bho devah pitaras cha tarpana-vidhau naham ksamah ksamyatam
yatra kvapi nisadya yadava-kulottamsasya kamsa-dvisah
smaram smaram agham harami tad alam manye kim anyena me

“O daily prayers, all the best to you. O daily baths, my obeisance to you. O gods and forefathers, I am unable to offer you oblations; please forgive me. Wherever I dwell, I will easily be able to destroy the misery of material existence and my sins and offences by again and again remembering Krishna, the crown of the Yadu dynasty and enemy of Kamsa. So, to remove the temporary misery of material existence and my tendency to sin, I have no need for daily prayers, daily baths, or any other incidental functions.”

There are linguistic differences between the words in the ancient scripts such as Brahmi, Sanki, Kharausti, and Puskarasa. All the dictionaries that have been created for these scripts are objects of enjoyment for souls who are averse to Krishna. The Name should not be conceived of in that way.

yena janma-sataih purvam vasudevah samarchitah
tan-mukhe hari-namani sada tisthanti bharata
(Hari-bhakti-vilasa: 11.454)

[“O descendant of Bharat, the Names of the Lord always remain in the mouth of those who previously worshipped Vasudev for a hundred births.”]

Sriman Mahaprabhu has said,

namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktis
tatrarpita niyamitah smarane na kalah
etadrsi tava krpa bhagavan mamapi
durdaivam idrsam ihajani nanuragah

[“O Lord, You have manifested Your many Names, put all Your power in Them, and made no rules regarding the time for remembering Them. Such is Your great mercy. My misfortune, however, is that I have no attachment to Your Names.”]

“I have taste for worship, bathing at holy places, and so on, but I have no taste for exclusive service to the Name.” All the benefits and effects of the practices of worship, bathing at holy places, and so on are intertwined in the Name simply as subsidiaries. What more, all the personal power of the Possessor of the Name is present in the Name. Still, souls are so unfortunate that they have no taste for the Name. Thus, Srila Thakur Mahasay has sung,

tirtha-yatra parisrama kevala manera bhrama
sarva-siddhi govinda-charana

[“Visiting holy places is simply labour, a mental delusion. All perfection is at the feet of Govinda.”]

According to the conception of the seekers of material gain (karma-kandis), visiting holy places is for purification of the heart, but purification of the heart is automatic for those who chant the Name:

aho bata sva-pacho ’to gariyan
yaj-jihvagre vartate nama tubhyam
tepus tapas te juhuvuh sasnur arya
brahmanuchur nama grnanti ye te
(Srimad Bhagavatam: 3.33.7)

[“Amazing! The outcast on the tip of whose tongue Your Name appears is exalted. Those who chant Your Name have performed all austerities and sacrifices, bathed in all the holy places, observed all the codes of conduct, and studied all the Vedas.”]

The followers of Christ’s dharma say, “We should not take the Name of the Lord in vain”, and “If we take the Name of the Lord at all times, we will disturb the Lord.” Materialistic followers of the smrti scriptures say, “Visnu rests during the four-month monsoon season (Chaturmasya). Therefore, if we loudly chant the Name of the Lord at this time, we can break the Lord’s sleep, and out of anger He can bring famine, drought, flooding, and so on to the country. So, let us remain quiet and, because it is not unnecessary talk or village talk, let us give indulgence to enjoyment in the form of the unexpressed urge to speak [silence]! In Christ’s dharma, however, the purpose of the prohibition of unnecessarily taking the Name of the Lord is not that we should not call out to the Lord at all times. Its purpose is that we should call out to the Lord only for the purpose of serving the Lord. We should not call out to the Lord to take any benefits for ourselves as though He is the proprietor of a garden. Taking the Name of the Lord to acquire any kind of worldly benefit is taking the Name in vain. This, in Vaisnava scriptures, is said to be an offence to the Name (Namaparadh).

Sri Rupa Prabhu’s eighth instruction is the essence of all instructions:

tan-nama-rupa-charitadi-sukirtananu-
smrtyoh kramena rasana-manasi niyojya
tisthan vraje tad-anuragi-jananugami
kalam nayed akhilam ity upadesa-saram

When practitioners develop taste (ruchi) by following the gradual path and engaging their speech and mind in chanting and remembrance of Krishna’s Name, Krishna’s Form, Krishna’s Qualities, Krishna’s associates, and Krishna’s Pastimes, then they should spend their time residing in Vraja under the guidance of the residents of Vraja. This is the essence of all instructions. We should always remain submissive to the residents of Vraja. The bank of the Yamuna—the place of Krishna’s amorous play, the waters of the Yamuna, the cows, sticks, horns, and flute are all residents of Vraja—they are residents of Vraja in santa-rasa. Raktaka, Chitraka, Patraka, and others are eternal residents of Vraja in dasya-rasa. Externally acting like a resident of Vraja but internally thinking of things other than Krishna is not “residing in Vraja”. Only those who cannot even unknowingly or unwillingly engage in anything other than the service of Krishnachandra and who have constant natural attachment to Krishna’s service are residents of Vraja. If we cannot reside in Vraja in this body, then we should reside in Vraja within our pure heart—in our heart of hearts that is situated in pure goodness (suddha-sattva). The mind must always be kept fully immersed in the conception of Vraja. The mind is not meant for the concepts of enjoyment and renunciation. We need to give up both of these mentalities—enjoyment and renunciation. “Na nirvinno natisakto bhakti-yogo ’sya siddhi-dah (SB: 11.20.8) [“The practice of devotion of those who are neither excessively averse nor excessively attached grants all perfection”]. Neither a householder who is henpecked and extremely attached nor an extreme dry renunciate can serve the Lord.

We have to follow the gradual path. First is the stage of hearing (sravan-dasa). We have to hear the Name of Krishna and talks about Krishna. The Name of Krishna will reveal Himself as His Form, His Qualities, His associates, and His Pastimes. After the stage of hearing is the stage of accepting (varan-dasa). When the stage of accepting arrives after hearing, we begin to chant what we have heard. By constantly and sincerely chanting, we reach the stage of remembrance (smaran-dasa). There are five different forms of remembrance: general remembrance (smaran), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyan), constant meditation (anusmrti), and trance (samadhi). Complete constancy free from interruptions is samadhi. After the stage of remembrance is the stage of attainment (apan-dasa). In this stage, the practitioner realises their true self. After this, in the stage of fortune (sampatti-dasa), one attains absolute perfection (vastu-siddhi).

We have to properly glorify (perform sukirtan of) the Lord’s Name, Form, Pastimes, and so forth. If we perform improper kirtan (kukirtan) or make a show of kirtan, we will not be successful.

srnvatah sraddhaya nityam grnatas cha svachestitam
kalena natidirghena bhagavan visate hrdi
(Srimad Bhagavatam: 2.8.4)

[“The Lord quickly enters the heart of those who always faithfully hear and chant about His activities.”]

The rest gained in remembrance after giving up chanting is not real remembrance. By giving up chanting and making an act of remembrance, one will simply meditate on objects of enjoyment. The scriptures have explained two paths: that of pleasure (preyah) and that of goodness (sreyah). The path of preyah is what we like, and the path of sreyah is what is good for us even though we do not like it. When sreyah and preyah become one, when the pair sreyah and preyah unite (sreyah o preyera yugala-milan haya), then our heart runs to serve Sri Sri Radha-Govinda. Then sreyah becomes preyah, and preyah becomes sreyah (goodness becomes pleasure, and pleasure becomes goodness). The preyah of an advanced devotee of Krishna is sreyah, and their sreyah is preyah.

Tad-anuragi means the residents of Vraja who have deep attachment to Krishna (ragatmika Vraja-jana). The cows, sticks, horns, flute, kadamba trees, and the banks of the Yamuna are Tad-anuragis in santa-rasa. Raktaka, Chitraka, Patraka, Bakula, and others, who are servants in the house of Nanda and serve Krishna when He returns from the upper pasturing grounds, are Tad-anuragis in dasya-rasa. Sridam, Sudam, and others are Tad-anuragis in confidential sakhya-rasa. Arjuna’s conception is mixed with awareness of the Lord’s majesty; he does not have pure friendship with the Lord. There is a distinction between reverential friendship and confidential friendship. In confidential friendship, Sudam, Sridam, and others climb on Krishna’s shoulders, pick palm fruits in a palm forest, feed Krishna the pal fruits, fight with Krishna, and put Krishna on their friends’ shoulders and play with Him. Arjuna, however, becomes awestruck by seeing the universal form: “You are so powerful. I have offended You by calling You a friend. Please forgive my offence.” Overwhelmed by Krishna’s majesty, Arjuna speaks this way.

Nanda, Yasoda, and others are Tad-anuragis in vatsalya-rasa. Madhavendra Puri’s disciple Raghupati Upadhyaya said,

srutim apare smrtim itare bharatam anye bhajantu bhava-bhitah
aham iha nandam vande yasyalinde param brahma
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta: Madhya-lila, 19.96)

[“Amongst those who are afraid of mundane existence, some follow the sruti, some the smrti, and others the Mahabharata. I, however, worship Nanda Maharaj, who has the Supreme Absolute on his veranda.”]

The gopis of Vraja are Tad-anuragis in the highest, brightest rasa (madhura-rasa). Upon meeting Krishna at Syamanta Panchaka [Kuruksetra], the gopis, stricken with separation, said,

ahus cha te nalina-nabha padaravindam
yogesvarair hrdi vichintyam agadha-bodhaih
samsara-kupa-patitottaranavalambam
geham jusam api manasy udiyat sada nah
(Srimad Bhagavatam: 10.82.48)

[“O Lord whose navel is just like a lotus flower, Your lotus feet are meditated upon by ascetics and sages, and they are the means of deliverance for souls that have fallen into the well of samsara. Although we are simply householders, may they always arise within our hearts.”]

Worldly persons think they will attain good fortune only when they are able to cross over the world, and renunciants of the world who engage in the practice of meditation think experience of the subtle material plane is pure experience of spirit, but it is not a deep experience at all. Leaving this conception, the highest expression of service to the Lord in the conception of parakiya (‘another’s’) can be seen in the gopis. Like practitioners of meditation, the gopis are not prepared to serve Krishna from a distance, but the gopis’ meditation is natural and completely spontaneous. These five types of rasa can exist in Goloka and in Vraja on earth. There are two and a half types of rasa in Vaikuntha: santa, dasya, and half sakhya—there is reverential friendship but not confidential friendship.

In Sri Rupa Prabhu’s ninth instruction, the highest plane of service has been established through comparative analysis:

vaikunthaj janito vara madhu-puri tatrapi rasotsavad
vrndaranyam udara-pani-ramanat tatrapi govardhanah
radha-kundam ihapi gokula-pateh premamrtaplavanat
kuryad asya virajato giri-tate sevam viveki na kah

According to the conception of a maintained maidservant (palya-dasi) of Sri Radha, we must always reside on the bank of Sri Radha Kunda. There is no conception of Lord Narayan’s mother and father. In the conception of cause and effect, there is no cause of the supreme cause; He is unborn. In Mathura, however, the unborn Lord’s Pastime of birth as the son of Devaki and Vasudev can be seen. In Vaikuntha, the Lord is simply unborn, but in Mathura, by manifesting His Pastime of birth through the influence of His inconceivable energy, the unborn Lord becomes manifest as the Lord even more wonderfully. Thus, Mathura is higher than Vaikuntha. Krishnachandra takes birth in the pure heart of the practitioner. Such a pure heart is also Mathura. Many people think Mathura is only figurative or subjective, but it is not. Attempting to make it only figurative or subjective is to repudiate Krishna’s inconceivable energy. By Krishna’s inconceivable energy, Mathura appears with Krishna in the earthly plane.

The place of Krishna’s Rasa Dance, Vrndavan, is even higher than the place of Krishna’s birth, Mathura.

sriman-rasa-rasarambhi vamsi-vata-tata-sthitah
karsan venu-svanair gopir gopinathah sriye ’stu nah
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta: Adi-lila, 1.17)

[“May Gopinath, the beautiful inaugurator of the Rasa Dance, who stands on the riverbank at Vamsi Vat and attracts the gopis with His flute-song, bestow auspiciousness upon us.”]

In Mathura, Krishna is an immature boy; at the site of the Rasa Dance, He is an adolescent. At the site of the Rasa Dance, Krishna danced in circles with all sorts of different gopis. Radhikaji came and saw that the speciality of Her service could not be maintained in the midst of this congressional circle dancing. So, She left the site of the Rasa Dance and came to Govardhan. The group leader Chandra also arrived there then. Krishna sat in a cave in Govardhan, and when He saw Chandra and others, He showed them that He had four arms. Tulasi, Dhanistha and other gopis in Radha’s party deceived Chandra’s messenger Saibya and sent Chandravali to Sakhi Sthali. Therefore, Srila Das Goswami Prabhu, the foremost of Sri Rupa’s followers, has offered his obeisance to Sakhi Sthali from a distance. After deceiving Chandravali, Radha’s followers brought Syamasundar to Radha Kunda.

The caves in Govardhan in which Radha and Krishna’s highly confidential amorous play takes place is higher than Vrndavan, the place of the congressional Rasa Dance.

yasyam madhava-naviko rasavatim adhaya radham tarau
madhye chanchala-ke nipata-balanat trasaih stuvatyas tatah
svabhistham panam adadhe vahati sa yasmin mano-jahnavi
kas tam tan nava-dampati-prati-bhuvam govardhanam nasrayet
(Stavavali: Govardhanasraya-dasakam, 6)

[“Who would not take shelter of Govardhan, the Young Couple’s intermediary, where the Manasa Ganga flows, where Madhava the boatman took lovely Radha in His boat and collected His desired fare after being praised by Her out of fear of the boat sinking in the unsteady water.”]

Holding on his head Syama Kunda and Radha Kunda, which are superior to billions of Ganges Rivers, Govardhan Hill is more worshippable than even Mahadev. Here, surrounded by hundreds of sakhis who are worshippable to Laksmi and embraced by Krishna’s sweet, fragrant arms, Radhika, Krishna’s beloved, dances in the month of Madhu (in the sweet early spring). Thus, a second site of the Rasa Dance exists in Govardhan.

Radha Kunda is even higher than Govardhan. This place is the plane of the full flood of the nectar of Krishna’s divine love. Sri Rupa Manjari, who knows the heart of Sri Gaurasundar, has instructed that service at Radha Kunda, which is the highest of all aspirations in the heart of Sri Gaurahari, is the pinnacle of service itself. For members of the school of Nimbarka Acharya, members of any school following Chandravali, and anyone who thinks they are situated in madhura-rasa but are devoid of devotion to Gaura, Sri Radha Kunda is completely incomprehensible and unattainable. Therefore, Srila Das Goswami Prabhu, the foremost of Sri Rupa’s followers, has said,

vraja-bhuvi mura-satroh preyasinam nikamair
asulabham api turnam prema-kalpa-drumam tam
janayati hrdi-bhumau snatur uchchair priyam yat
tad atisurabhi-radha-kundam evasrayo me
(Stavavali: Radha-kundastakam, 2)

“Radha Kunda quickly appears as a wish-fulfilling tree of divine love in the hearts of those whose bathe within it, a wish-fulfilling tree of divine love difficult to attain for even Krishna’s lovers in the land of Vraja. May Krishna’s dearmost Radha Kunda be my shelter.”

Sri Rupa Prabhu, in his tenth instruction, has ascertained through comparative analysis who is the greatest amongst all devotees:

karmibhyah parito hareh priyataya vyaktim yayur jnaninas
tebhyo jnana-vimukta-bhakti-paramah premaika-nisthas tatah
tebhyas tah pasu-pala-pankaja-drsas tabhyo ’pi sa radhika
prestha tadvad iyam tadiya-sarasi tam nasrayet kah krti

All types of pious karmis who are engaged in virtuous acts are better than sinners and performers of impious acts. Again, Brahma-jnanis who have given up the three modes of material nature are in all respects better than pious karmis. Pure devotees such as Sanaka who are free from jnan and established in devotion are more dear to Krishna than all types of Brahma-jnanis. Pure devotees such as Narad who are fixed exclusively in divine love are more dear to Krishna than them; the gopis of Vraja, who have given their lives to Krishna, are more dear to Krishna than them; and Sri Radhika alone is Krishna’s dearmost amongst all the various gopis. Like Sri Radha, Radha Kunda is also extremely dear to Krishna. Souls who are more fortunate than all others reside at supramundane Radha Kunda with supramundane consciousness and serve Sri Krishna during the eight periods of the day.

The highest place in all of Goloka is Sri Radha Kunda, the supreme shelter for those who relish madhura-rasa. The planes of Bhuh, Bhuvah, and Svah are places of enjoyment for selfish householders who desire piety. The four planes above these—Mahah, Jana, Tapah, and Satya—are places of enjoyment for non-householders. Interim brahmacharis enjoy in Maharloka. Avowed brahmacharis enjoy in Janaloka. Vanaprasthas enjoy in Tapaloka, and sannyasis enjoy in Satyaloka. We see in Sri Gita(8.16):


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