Unless you inquire submissively and hear attentively, you cannot preach the message of Godhead. Lord Brahma humbling himself before Vishnu, “I do not know; please philosophically explain, who I am, who are You? What is this material world? And what is happiness?” Arjuna asked Krishna the same question, Sanatana Goswami asked Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu this same question, Lord Chaitanya asked Ishwar Puri the same question. This is Parampara; to inquire submissively, to serve. What we hear, Krishna consciousness is not a radical process, it is a practical process. We must inquire submissively, we must hear from proper authorities. Otherwise we do not know what is to be done and what is not to be done. But then it is essential we must put those understandings into practice, in our life. Through that process, practicing in a spirit of humility and devotion, in a spirit of a servant of the servant, we get realization.
H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj
More pics of me and my beloved Guru Maharaj.
Me talking to Radhanath Swami at the airport today in the morning.
We should inquire from the spiritual master submissively, not with the desire to acquire knowledge but the desire to serve, not with the desire to become learned, but the desire to surrender. And we find also detachment, renunciation… although Raghunatha Das Goswami is such an embodiment of renunciation we should follow in his footsteps but if we artificially put too much of our consciousness of trying to be renounced, Prabhupada said it causes hard heartedness. Bhakti means soft heartedness, the whole process of bhakti is to make our heart soft like butter then Krsna will steal it, that is the perfection of our life. Trying to become Krsna conscious by performing all kinds of tapyasa and in the process our heart is getting hard, we are getting more proud, we are becoming more indifferent to personalities. Sometimes even detachment, if it is artificially done, one becomes excessively self centred, instead of being para dukha dukhi, we become so absorbed in torturing ourselves of fasting and giving up sleep and giving up all of our bodily necessities, we are always thinking about our bodies all the time, we are thinking about how renounced we are, we are thinking about how everybody else are sense enjoyers. I am fasting on ekadashi and he is eating vegetables, sense enjoyer! fallen soul! Hare Krsna. We may say oh you are very nice but in our heart we may be thinking like this, I am better than you, it is hard heartedness.
H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, advented Himself as Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, appearing in Sridhama Mayapura in the city of Navadvipa, Bengal in the year 1407 AD. Sri Krsna Caitanya manifested his divine mercy in Kali Yuga by delivering the Hare Krsna maha mantra and thereby saving the most fallen souls.
The divine appearance of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is celebrated on the full moon of the month of Phalguna (February-March). This is the most auspicious day for all Gaudiya Vaisnavas, the most sacred and special festival to glorify the appearance in this world of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna Caitanya. Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is none other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna, who incarnates in the form of a devotee, to enjoy rasa. Srila Krsna dasa Kaviraja describes in the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, that Sri Sri Radha and Krsna are one divine self, or one and the same, but they have taken two bodies. Both Radha and Krsna constantly enjoy each other, and taste the pleasures of divine love. To taste this divine mellow, Sri Sri Radha-Krsna have appeared in one body, as Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who appeared in Mayapura Dhama.
It is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam 1:3:28 that Lord Buddha appeared at the beginning of Kali Yuga as the 21st incarnation of the Lord. The final (22nd) incarnation described in that passage is Lord Kalki, who is predicted to appear at the end of Kali Yuga. While not described in this particular passage, elsewhere in Srimad-Bhagavatam Lord Caitainya Mahaprabhu is predicted to appear near the beginning of the Kali Yuga. In the seventh canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Prahlada Maharaja directly hints at the hidden nature of the Supreme Lord's appearance:
"Because the Supreme Lord is also called Tri-Yuga, or one who appears in only three yugas (satya, dvapara, treta), He is sometimes said to appear in a concealed form, in the age of Kali."
Srimad-Bhagavatam 7:9:38
In the Atharva-Veda Purusa-Bodini-Upanisad, it is said: "In the seventh manvantara, in the beginning of the Kali-Yuga, the Supreme Personality of Godhead will, accompanied by His own associates, descend in a golden form to the earth. He will teach the chanting of His own names."
"Why did Krsna assume the form of Caitanya Mahaprabhu? It is explained that Krsna desired to know the glory of Radha's love. "Why is She so much in love with Me?" Krsna asked. "What is My special qualification that attracts Her so? And what is the actual way in which She loves Me?" It seems strange that Krsna, as the Supreme, should be attracted by anyone's love. We search after the love of a woman or a man because we are imperfect and lack something. The love of a woman, that potency and pleasure, is absent in man, and therefore a man wants a woman, but this is not the case with Krsna, who is full in Himself. Thus Krsna expressed surprise: "Why am I attracted by Radharani? And when Radharani feels My love, what is She actually feeling?" In order to taste the essence of that loving affair, Krsna appeared just as the moon appears on the horizon of the sea. Just as the moon was produced by the churning of the sea, by the churning of spiritual love affairs the moon of Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared. Indeed, Lord Caitanya's complexion was golden, just like the moon. Although this is figurative language, it conveys the meaning behind the appearance of Caitanya Mahaprabhu."
Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila, Introduction
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the master of all transcendental potencies, and who may be known only by devotional service, [bhakti vedyah] appears in innumerable transcendental forms. He has appeared in red, white and black complexions, [gauro rakta syamala sveta rupah] and He will also appear in the golden form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He will assume the role of a perfect devotee [bhakta akarah] and He will teach the conditioned souls the path of pure devotional service [bhakti dah]."
Sri Caitanya Upanisad, Text 6 (3)
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.
Srila Rupa Goswami appeared in 1489 in Karnataka, South India. He was the younger brother of Srila Sanatana Goswami.
Forced by various circumstances, Srila Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami had to work for the Muslim government of Bengal under Nawab Hussein Shah. Rupa Goswami was then known by the Muslim name Dabir Khas ('private secretary'). Although he enjoyed great wealth and prestige, he never forgot Lord Sri Krishna. Even before meeting Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Rupa Goswami had already written several books on Vedic philosophy and was renowned for his learning and devotion.
In 1514, Rupa and Sanatana met Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu for the first time and were initiated by Him. Rupa left government service and spent ten days hearing from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu the philosophy of Krsna consciousness. Sri Caitanya then ordered Rupa Goswami to go Vrindavana with a fourfold mission: (1) to uncover the lost sites of Lord Krishna's pastimes, (2) to install Deities of the Lord and arrange for Their worship, (3) to write books on Krsna consciousness, and (4) to teach the rules of devotional life.
At first Rupa Goswami felt great difficulty carrying out the desire of Lord Caitanya. But one day, while Rupa was sitting on the bank of the Yamuna River contemplating his mission, a beautiful boy came to him and asked the cause of his despondency. Rupa Goswami explained. The boy then led him to a small hill.
'Inside this hill',said the boy, 'is the beautiful Deity Govindadeva'. He said that the Deity had been buried to protect Him during a Muslim invasion.
The next day Rupa Goswami led a group of villagers to the site and had them excavate the hill. The Deity Govinda was unearthed. Rupa Goswami then had a magnificent temple constructed under the patronage of Emperor Akbar and Maharaja Man Singh of Amber, Rajasthan. Sri Govinda Deva is presently being worshipped at Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Rupa Goswami fulfilled all four parts of the mission given to him by Lord Caitanya, including writing many books on Krsna consciousness. He passed away in 1564. Devotees pay respects to him by visiting his samadhi, or memorial tomb, in the courtyard of the Radha-Damodara temple in Vrindavana.
