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

Expressions researched:
"unless you are associated with devotees, you will not be able to understand the import of the writings of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī"

Lectures

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

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.


The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:

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 (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. (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 (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 (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 (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 . . . (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 (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
(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.

Page Title:Unless you are associated with devotees, you will not be able to understand the import of the writings of Srila Rupa Gosvami
Compiler:Visnu Murti
Created:27 of Jun, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1