View source for Unless you are associated with devotees, you will not be able to understand the import of the writings of Srila Rupa Gosvami

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[[Category:We Are (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Association of Devotees of God]]
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[[Category:Unless We Associate with Devotees We Cannot Understand the Import of the Writings of Rupa Gosvami]]
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[[Category:Rupa Gosvami's Writings]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1966 - 1977]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1972]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, Nectar_of_Devotion]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - in India, Vrndavana]]
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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Nectar_of_Devotion_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="2" parent="Lectures" text="Nectar of Devotion Lectures"><h3>Nectar of Devotion Lectures</h3>
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<div id="TheNectarofDevotionVrndavanaOctober201972_0" class="quote" parent="Nectar_of_Devotion_Lectures" book="Lec" index="8" link="The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972" link_text="The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972">
<div class="heading">One's aim of life should be to serve the ācāryas. Ācārya upāsanam. So our ācārya in the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Sampradāya, the śrī-rūpa sanātana bhaṭṭa-raghunātha, śrī-jīva gopāla-bhaṭṭa dāsa-raghunātha, the Six Gosvāmīns, and if we associate with them... this book, Nectar of Devotion, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, if you read regularly, try to understand, this means you are associating with Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī directly. And if you act accordingly, then you are serving their lotus feet. Tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa. And unless you are associated with devotees, you will not be able to understand the import of the writings of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972|The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">
''Prakṛti'', nature, is doing everything. I am desiring something. That means I am contacting, contacting the certain type of the modes of material nature. This is also explained in the ''Bhagavad-gītā'': ''kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu'' ([[vanisource:BG 13.22 (1972)|BG 13.22]]). ''Sad-asad-janma-yoni. Yoni'' means the source of birth. Mother is called ''yoni'', and father is called ''bīja. Yathā yoni yathā bījam.'' According to ''bījam'' and according to ''yoni'', we get body.

So why you are getting different types of body? ''Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya.'' He is contacting a particular type of the modes of material nature. There are three modes of material nature: ''sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa''. So if I am associating with ''sattva-guṇa'', then next life I'll get a ''sattva-guṇa'' body. ''Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā''. ([[vanisource:BG 14.18 (1972)|BG 14.18]]) ''Sattva-guṇa'' body means higher standard of life. So similarly, if I am associating with the modes of passion, then I'll get a body, next life, passionate.

If I am associating with ignorance, ''tamo-guṇa . . . jghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. Tāmasāḥ. Tama-vṛtti''. The ''jaghanya'', the lowest. There are so many varieties of life. So those who are associating with ''tamo-guṇa''—drinking, flesh-eating, smoking, illicit sex, gambling . . . these are the association of ''tamo-guṇa. Yatra pāpāś catur-vidhā'' ([[vanisource:SB 1.17.38|SB 1.17.38]]), where there are four kinds of sinful activities. So intoxication is sinful activities. That is ''tamo-guṇa'', associating with ''tamo-guṇa''. So ''jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ'' ([[vanisource:BG 14.18 (1972)|BG 14.18]]). Those who are associating with ''tamo-guṇa'', their ''vṛtti'', their habits, are very abominable. ''Jaghanya''. Therefore, ''adho gacchanti'': they go downwards.

In this way, everyone is enjoying a particular type of ''rasa'', material rasa . . . and nature is offering him a particular type of body. ''Deha-yogena dehinam'' ([[vanisource:SB 7.6.3|SB 7.6.3]]). We can enjoy a particular type of ''rasa'' . . . just like the hogs: they are relishing the ''rasa'' of stool very nicely. You give them nice food, they will not take. They'll prefer to taste the stool. Why? Because he has been offered a particular type of body. And this particular type of body has been offered to him, ''kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya'' . . . ([[vanisource:BG 13.22 (1972)|BG 13.22]]) He has associated with ''jaghanya, tamo-guṇa,'' abominable ''tamo-guṇa''; therefore he has developed a body of a hog, and tasting the juice of stool. This is the way of transmigration of the soul.

Actually, it is the living spirit soul, either hog or dog or a ''brāhmin'' or a ''caṇḍāla'' or a cow. This is simply a covering, or . . . just like we cover ourself in dream. That is subtle covering. Similarly, this is also covering. In the ''Vedas'' it is said, ''asaṅgo hy ayaṁ puruṣaḥ'' (''Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad'' 4.3.16). Actually, the living entity, the spirit soul, is neither hog, neither dog, nor ''brāhmiṇ'', nor this, nor that. It is simply a covering. But this covering is developed by our association with the particular type of modes of nature. ''Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu'' ([[vanisource:BG 13.22 (1972)|BG 13.22]]).

But in this life, if we develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness by association of devotees . . . as Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung, ''tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa'' (''Nāma-saṅkīrtana'' 7). One's aim of life should be to serve the ''ācāryas. Ācārya upāsanam''. So our ''ācārya'' in the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Sampradāya, the ''śrī-rūpa sanātana bhaṭṭa-raghunātha'', ''śrī-jīva gopāla-bhaṭṭa dāsa-raghunātha'', the six Gosvāmīs, and if we associate with them . . . this book, ''Nectar of Devotion'', ''Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu'', if you read regularly, try to understand, this means you are associating with Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī directly. And if you act accordingly, then you are serving their lotus feet. ''Tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa.'' And unless you are associated with devotees, you will not be able to understand the import of the writings of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara, recommended one ''brāhmin'', ''bhagavata'' ''para giyā bhagavata sthāne. Bhagavat'' . . . he, he came to Caitanya Mahāprabhu to read some poetry he had written, but it was the system that unless anything written . . . there were many devotees. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was living at Purī, Jagannātha Purī. So, many devotees from other provinces used to come and visit. And some of them wrote some poetries. But all of them, first of all, would be tested by Svarūpa Dāmodara. And then he'll be allowed to go before Caitanya Mahāprabhu and read it. That was the system.

Because people do not know ''siddhānta'', general people. Those who are advanced devotee, they know ''siddhānta'', the conclusion. In the ''Caitanya-caritāmṛta'', therefore, it has been advised:

:''siddhānta baliyā citte nā kara alasa''
:''ihā haite kṛṣṇe lāge sudṛḍha mānasa''
:([[vanisource:CC Adi 2.117|CC Adi 2.117]])

If you neglect ''siddhānta'', conclusion, given by the ''ācāryas'', then you will misunderstand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa . . . therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says . . . these are the evidences.

:''rūpa-raghunātha-pade haibe ākuti''
:''kabe hāma bhujhaba se yugala-pīriti''
:(''Lālasāmayī'')

Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, such an exalted ''ācārya'', he's teaching us, "Don't try to understand ''yugala-pīriti'', the love affairs between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, concoctedly, by your own concoction." No. You should first of all try to serve the six Gosvāmīs, ''rūpa-raghunātha-pade haibe ākuti'', how they are directing.

Just like this ''Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu.'' Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī is not teaching in the beginning the loving affairs of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. No. He's training first of all the reader, the devotee, how to become first of all pure devotee.

:''anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ''
:''jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam''
:''ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-''
:''śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā''
:(Brs. 1.1.11)

First of all, he's trying to bring the devotee to the standard devotional service. ''Vidhi-mārga''. Then gradually, when he becomes accustomed, then ''rāga-mārga'' will be revealed. ''Rāga-mārga'' is not artificial. It becomes . . . ''svayam eva sphuraty adhaḥ.''

''Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau sva'' . . . (Brs. 1.2.234). Everything, devotional relationship with Kṛṣṇa, you cannot establish artificially. Everyone has got a particular relationship with Kṛṣṇa in his original, constitutional position. That will be revealed gradually as you advance in devotional service in the prescribed rules and regulation, as they are directed in the ''śāstras'' and by spiritual master. When you are trained up properly, you come to the platform of ''rāga-mārga'', then your relationship . . . that is called ''svarūpa-siddhi. Svarūpa-siddhi.''