Footsteps of Srila Sanatana Gosvami

Expressions researched:
"footsteps of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Srila Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami" |"Sanatana Gosvami very kindly" |"Rupanugas. We follow" |"footsteps. He is also" |"footprints of Sanatana Gosvami" |"follow sanatana"

CC Adi-lila

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī very kindly preached the bhakti cult in western India, and following in their footsteps the propagators of the Caitanya cult in the Western countries are spreading the saṅkīrtana movement and inculcating the principles of Vaiṣṇava behavior

CC Adi 10.89, Purport: Although it is not only in western India that people were contaminated by association with Muslims, it is a fact that the farther west one goes in India the more he will find the people to be fallen from the Vedic culture. Until five thousand years ago, when the entire planet was under the control of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the Vedic culture was current everywhere. Gradually, however, people were influenced by non-Vedic culture, and they lost sight of how to behave in connection with devotional service. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī very kindly preached the bhakti cult in western India, and following in their footsteps the propagators of the Caitanya cult in the Western countries are spreading the saṅkīrtana movement and inculcating the principles of Vaiṣṇava behavior, thus purifying and reforming many persons who were previously accustomed to the culture of mlecchas and yavanas. All of our devotees in the Western countries give up their old habits of illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. Of course, five hundred years ago these practices were unknown in India—at least in eastern India—but unfortunately at present all of India has been victimized by these non-Vedic principles, which are sometimes even supported by the government.

Following in the footsteps of Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī, one has to execute devotional service very strictly, specifically by chanting the holy name of the Lord

CC Adi 10.100, Purport: We have many things to learn about bhajana, or worship of the Lord, by following in the footsteps of Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. All the Gosvāmīs engaged in such transcendental activities, as described by Śrīnivāsa Ācārya in his poem about them (kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī). Following in the footsteps of Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī, one has to execute devotional service very strictly, specifically by chanting the holy name of the Lord.

CC Madhya-lila

It is almost impossible to strictly follow Sanātana Gosvāmī or Rūpa Gosvāmī. It is better to accept food offered to Kṛṣṇa in the temple than to try to imitate Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī

CC Madhya 20.81, Purport: The word mādhukarī comes from the word madhukara, which refers to bees collecting honey from flower to flower. A mādhukarī is a saintly person or a mendicant who does not accept a full meal at one house but begs from door to door, taking a little food from each householder’s place. In this way he does not overeat or give householders unnecessary trouble. A person in the renounced order may beg but not cook. His begging should not be a burden for the householders. The mādhukarī process is strictly to be followed by a bābājī, that is, one who has attained the paramahaṁsa stage. This practice is still current in Vṛndāvana, and there are many places where alms are offered. Unfortunately, there are many beggars who have come to Vṛndāvana to accept alms but not follow the principles of Sanātana Gosvāmī. People try to imitate him and lead an idle life by practicing mādhukarī. It is almost impossible to strictly follow Sanātana Gosvāmī or Rūpa Gosvāmī. It is better to accept food offered to Kṛṣṇa in the temple than to try to imitate Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī.

yuktāhāra-vihārasya yukta-ceṣṭasya karmasu yukta-svapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkha-hā “He who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, recreation and work can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.” (Bg. 6.17)

The ideal sannyāsī strictly follows the ways practiced by the Gosvāmīs.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

You learn something about devotional service, but the devotional service should be executed by following mahājana. Therefore we are Rūpānugas. We follow the footsteps of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972: So Kṛṣṇa says, "To My devotees," teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam [Bg. 10.10], "those who are engaged twenty-four hours in unadulterated devotional service to the Lord," buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam, "I give them intelligence how he can go back to home, back to Godhead." Why this is? Now teṣām evānukampārtham. Special favor for these persons who are twenty-four hours engaged in devotional service under the direction of bona fide spiritual master. You cannot become a pure, perfect devotee unless you are directed by another pure, unadulterated devotee. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam [Bg. 4.2]. So therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī has mentioned in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, ādau gurvāśrayam. You have to find out, you have to take shelter, not find out. You have to take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master. That is the beginning, ādau gurvāśrayaṁ sad-dharma-pṛcchā. Then you'll have to inquire, inquiry, sad-dharma, about pure devotional service. That is sad-dharma. Sad-dharma-pṛcchā. Sādhu-vartmānuvartanam. Sad-dharma-pṛcchā. You learn something about devotional service, but the devotional service should be executed by following mahājana. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Therefore we are Rūpānugas. We follow the footsteps of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī.

Everyone can understand. That Sanātana Gosvāmī understood. And we should follow the footprints of Sanātana Gosvāmī

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 16, 1969: This is intelligence. People are enamored by so-called education, so-called high post or nationality or family or beauty or opulence. These things will not save. We are under the grip of material nature. The... Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa [SB 3.31.1]. You are working under the influence of certain material quality, and you are preparing your next life. You cannot say, "All right, I am very happy. I am... I'm born in America. My nation is very great nation, and we are very rich. So I shall, next life also, I shall come to America. I shall take my birth here and enjoy like this." Oh, that is not in your hand. That you cannot say. That is daiva-netreṇa. Daiva. Daiva means that is in the supernatural power. Daiva. The same thing: daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā [Bg. 7.14]. You cannot say. Daiva-netreṇa. You are preparing your life. The higher authorities will give you chance. If you prepare yourself nicely, you get good chance; you get birth in higher planet. Or if you prepare himself, yourself nicely, then you go to Kṛṣṇa even. Now it is your choice. It is your choice. But we must know that "What is my condition." If I am in darkness, I do not understand what is, in what condition I am living, this is conditional life. That's... Everyone can understand. That Sanātana Gosvāmī understood. And we should follow the footprints of Sanātana Gosvāmī.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

So we are trying to follow Sanātana Gosvāmī. By dīkṣā-vidhānena, by initiating persons any, from anywhere. It does not matter. Because in this age, Kali-yuga, the dīkṣā-vidhāna is performed according, according to Pāñcarātrika-vidhi. Not Vaidika-vidhi

Lecture on The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1972Lectures on Nectar of Devotion, Vrndavana, October 27, 1972]]: So Sanātana Gosvāmī gives this idea of chemical composition. It appears that he knew how to work with chemicals.

yathā kañcanatāṁ yāti

kaṁsa-rasa-vidhānataḥ

tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena

dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām

So we are trying to follow Sanātana Gosvāmī. By dīkṣā-vidhānena, by initiating persons any, from anywhere. It does not matter. Because in this age, Kali-yuga, the dīkṣā-vidhāna is performed according, according to Pāñcarātrika-vidhi. Not Vaidika-vidhi. Vaidika-vidhi is very strict. Unless one is bona fide son of a dvija, the initiation was not given. To the śūdras, there was no initiation. A brāhmaṇa kṣatriya, vaiśya. So these are the Vedic process. So in the Kali-yuga, because it is to be understood that everyone is a śūdra, therefore Vaidika-vidhāna cannot be applied. Vaidika-vidhāna requires that one must be born by a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya. Then he's eligible for being initiated. But in the Kali-yuga, that is not possible. Therefore the Pāñcarātriki-vidhi is accepted. Nārada-Pañcarātra. Tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena. This dīkṣā-vidhāna, recommended by Sanātana Gosvāmī, means Pāñcarātriki-vidhi. Now Rūpa Gosvāmī says in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu,

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-

pañcarātriki-vidhiṁ vinā

aikantiki harer bhaktir

utpatayaiva kalpate

[Brs. 1.2.101]

Without undergoing the process of śruti—means Vedas—smṛti, the Purāṇas, and other corollary literatures, Bhagavad-gītā, Mahābhārata, Smṛti, Manu-smṛti, the laws given by Manu, Parāśara... So Hari-bhakti, devotional service to the Lord, must be approved by Vedas, Purāṇas. Pāñcarātriki-vidhi. Otherwise, any show of devotional service is simply disturbance. Anyone can manufacture. And it is being supported by some very big missionary activities: yata mata tata pata. You can manufacture your way of religious principles. But that is not Vedic way. Vedic way is evaṁ paramparā-prāptam [Bg. 4.2]. Although we are initiating people from low-grade society, still, following the principles of Pāñcarātriki-vidhi, injunction of the Gosvāmīs. Therefore it is bona fide. Bhāgavata-vidhi, Pāñcarātriki-vidhi, they are bona fide vidhi. So Sanātana Gosvāmī... Rūpa Gosvāmī, first offers his respectful obeisances to his elder brother, Sanātana Gosvāmī, because Rūpa Gosvāmī accepted him as spiritual master. And he was initiated by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Sanātana Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī also. So he offers his respectful obeisances to Sanātana Gosvāmī.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

So to surrender to Kṛṣṇa requires little qualification, and that qualification Sanātana Gosvāmī wanted. Therefore he has approached Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We can follow his footsteps. He is also... He is an ācārya, but it is essential, essential

Lecture on CC CC Madhya-lila 20.98-99 -- Washington, D.C., July 4, 1976: So to surrender to Kṛṣṇa requires little qualification, and that qualification Sanātana Gosvāmī wanted. Therefore he has approached Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We can follow his footsteps. He is also... He is an ācārya, but it is essential, essential. Don't be assured that you are very highly elevated person. Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everyone—this is a challenge—everyone is low born. Everyone is nīca, badly associated, fallen, and the lowest of the mankind because he's missing the chance of understanding Kṛṣṇa in the human form life, and nobody knows what he's going to be, next life. So it it a very risky civilization without any understanding of Kṛṣṇa. Be careful. Those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, execute the Kṛṣṇa consciousness business very cautiously so that we may not fall down. There is risk of fall down, but if we stick to Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet—mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti—then there is no fear.