The glory of śrī guru

The following is Part One (Guru Tattva) of the Pinnacle of Devotion, 2nd edition, by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja

Come with me to Vṛndāvana, where Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, the author of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, wrote his book in the solitary atmosphere of the Rādhā-Dāmodara Temple in Sevā-kuñja. Sevā-kuñja is one of the places where the Lord performed His amorous pastimes. The foot-dust of all the gopīs is there, Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s foot-dust is there, and Śrī Kṛṣṇa engaged in the service of Śrīmatī Rādhikā there.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa also served Śrīmatī Rādhikā at Vaṁśīvaṭa and Nidhuvana. At these places, Kṛṣṇa, Rādhikā, and the gopīs are controlled by prema, love personified. Their devotees do not aspire for Kṛṣṇa, but for kṛṣṇa-prema, love for Him. Kaṁsa, Jarāsandha, Śiśupāla, and other demons wanted Kṛṣṇa, but they lacked that prema.

kṛṣṇa, guru, bhakta, śakti, avatāra, prakāśa
kṛṣṇa ei chaya-rūpe karena vilāsa

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā 1.32)

[“Lord Kṛṣṇa enjoys by manifesting Himself as the spiritual masters, the devotees, the diverse energies, the incarnations and the plenary portions. They are all six in one.”]

In this Caitanya-caritāmṛta verse, Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja explains that Kṛṣṇa manifests in this world in six features: as Kṛṣṇa Himself, as two kinds of guru, as the bhakta (His devotee), as śakti (His energy), as an avatāra (His incarnation), and as prakāśa (His manifestation). I will explain this very briefly, so that I may complete the discussion of the third and fourth chapters of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. The third and fourth chapters describe the purpose for which Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the ācāryas in our disciplic line of spiritual masters (paramparā) have come to this world. However, to understand this most important subject matter, it is necessary to understand some background information about Kṛṣṇa’s manifestations.

Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja begins his description of the Lord’s manifestations by explaining the principle of guru:

mantra-guru āra yata śikṣā-guru-gaṇa
tāṅhāra caraṇa āge kariye vandana

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā 1.35)

[“I first offer my respectful obeisances at the lotus feet of my initiating spiritual master and all my instructing spiritual masters.”]

Mantra-guru means dīkṣā-guru. The śikṣā-guru teaches us who we are. He teaches the meaning of bhakti (devotional service to the Supreme Lord), the meaning of jīva-tattva (the established truths of the eternal soul), how a conditioned soul can achieve bhāva-bhakti (spiritual emotions), and then prema-bhakti (pure love of God), the direct service of the eternal soul.

Real bhakti is prema-bhakti, pure loving service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. In the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.1.1), Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī states:

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā

[“Uttama-bhakti, pure devotional service, is the cultivation of activities that are meant exclusively for the pleasure of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. It is the uninterrupted flow of service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, performed through all endeavours of body, mind and speech, as well as through expression of various spiritual sentiments (bhāvas). It is not covered by jñāna (speculative knowledge aimed at impersonal liberation), karma (reward-seeking activity), yoga or austerities; and it is completely free from all desires other than for Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s happiness.”]

It is the duty of a person desiring bhakti to remember this verse and to repeat it daily. He should try to enter deeply into its meaning and practice to cultivate a deeper understanding. This practice is called sādhana-bhakti.* By practising sādhana-bhakti with the senses, a spiritual mood manifests. This mood is called bhāva-bhakti, and it is this bhāva-bhakti that soon blossoms into prema-bhakti. According to a devotee’s level of advancement in bhakti, he or she will be eligible to perform sādhana-bhakti, bhāva-bhakti, or prema-bhakti.

A person can be called a sādhaka, one who is performing sādhana-bhakti, only when his practice is aimed at attaining bhāva-bhakti and ultimately prema-bhakti.

A guru who is not realised in sādhana-bhakti, bhāva-bhakti, and prema-bhakti cannot actually give bhakti, although he may appear to do the work of a guru. This is supported by all śāstras, including Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the Upaniṣads, and by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself. We should understand this principle:

tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta
jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ
brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.3.21)

[“Therefore any person who seriously desires real happiness must seek a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of the bona fide guru is that he has realised the conclusions of the scriptures by deliberation and is able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, should be understood to be bona fide spiritual masters.”]

To achieve real bhakti to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, to have real happiness, to learn how we can progress in this life, and to realise who we are, it is necessary that we go to a self-realised soul and submissively hear from him. He will certainly help us.

There are three symptoms of a bona fide guru, the first of which is śābde. Śābde means that he is perfect in his knowledge of the Veda, Upaniṣads, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, etc. However, knowledge of śāstra and the ability to give logical arguments based on that knowledge are not enough to qualify one as a guru. If one has no realisation of Kṛṣṇa, if he is not absorbed in bhajana**, if his bhakti is not very developed, then he is not a guru. The second symptom is that he is detached from worldly desires (upaśamāśraya).

These first and second symptoms are external. The internal symptom of the bona fide guru is pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy. The word pare refers to Parabrahman, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A guru should have an inner realisation of Parabrahman; otherwise, he may fall down. Knowledge of śāstric arguments devoid of absorption in bhajana is not sufficient to save one from falling from the path of bhakti. A person may know all the arguments that support the śāstric viewpoint, and he may outwardly engage in some devotional practice; yet, if he is not detached from material desires and objects, he will fall down. If the guru falls, it becomes a serious problem for the disciple and disrupts the disciple’s entire life. Therefore, we should exercise caution by approaching a pure devotee for initiation, one who will not fall.

In the verse mentioned above, Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja states mantra-guru āra yata śikṣā-guru-gaṇa, which indicates both the initiating and instructing spiritual masters. What has Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja written in his translation and purport? Please listen to this very carefully. It is very important.

Devotee reads (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.35):

Text: I first offer my respectful obeisances at the lotus feet of my initiating spiritual master, and unto all my instructing spiritual masters.

Purport: Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī in his thesis Śrī Bhakti-sandarbha (202) has stated that uncontaminated devotional service is the objective of pure Vaiṣṇavas, and that one has to execute such service in the association of other devotees. By associating with devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa, one develops a sense of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and thus becomes inclined towards loving service to the Lord. This is the process of approaching the Supreme Lord by gradual appreciation of devotional service. If one desires unalloyed devotional service, one must associate with devotees.

Let us pay great attention to these words. If we want unalloyed devotional service, we must associate with Vaiṣṇavas. Otherwise, we will be forced to associate with materialists (asat-saṅga); this will be the result.

Let us follow Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja’s line of thought. If we desire unalloyed devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, then let us boldly follow these directions and instructions. If our preference is making money and we see that this will be hampered by associating with high-class Vaiṣṇavas, we will not be inclined to follow these instructions. However, if we aspire to be like Prahlāda Mahārāja, then let us try to understand the statements in Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja’s purports.

Please reread the last line, and then continue.

Devotee reads:

If one desires unalloyed devotional service, one must associate with devotees of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. By such association alone can a conditioned soul achieve a taste for transcendental love, and thus revive his eternal relationship with God in a specific manifestation and in terms of a specific transcendental mellow or rasa that one has internally inherent in him.

If we follow this instruction to associate with pure devotees, Śrī Kṛṣṇa will manage everything for us. We need not fear. Kṛṣṇa has created us. He is the Supreme Controller, so why should we have any fear? All problems will be solved by following this instruction. Kṛṣṇa will manage everything.

If we want unalloyed service to Kṛṣṇa, then we must have courage. Let us be bold and make an effort to associate with qualified Vaiṣṇavas. In the following verse, the importance of such association is stressed, not only once, but three times: sādhu-saṅga, again sādhu-saṅga, and again sādhu-saṅga.

‘sādhu-saṅga’, ‘sādhu-saṅga’ — sarva-śāstre kaya
lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 22.54)

[“The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment’s association with a pure devotee, one can attain all success.”]

What is the meaning of this verse? Unalloyed service to Kṛṣṇa can be attained through sādhu-saṅga, and following this directive is our first duty.

Devotee reads (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Adi-līlā 1.35 Purport):

The secret is that one must submissively listen to those who know perfectly the science of God, and one must begin the mode of service regulated by the preceptor or teacher. A devotee already attracted by the name, form, qualities, etc. of the Supreme Lord may be directed to his specific manner of devotional service. He does not need to waste time in approaching the Lord through logic.

Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be achieved through the method of mundane logic. If it is the type of logic presented in śāstras like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta and predominated by devotion, then it may be accepted; otherwise, not.

Devotee continues reading:

The expert spiritual master knows well how to engage his disciples’ energy in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, and thus he engages a devotee in a specific devotional service according to his special tendency.

We have heard from the disciples of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda that everyone, from small children to superiors, used to think, “My Guru Mahārāja loves me so much.” The disciples experience this symptom of a bona fide guru because he does not seek material profit from them. He wants only to reside in their hearts and inject them with kṛṣṇa-prema. Unless the guru is perfect in his own realisation of kṛṣṇa-prema, he cannot give such realisation.

The bona fide guru never takes the heart of the disciple as his own property. Rather, he makes the disciple’s heart soft, sweet, and fragrant; suitable to be offered to the Divine Couple. The disciple first offers his heart unto the lotus feet of his beloved guru, who in turn gives it to his guru, and so on, until it is placed at the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī, the leader of all the maidservants of Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Rūpa Mañjarī will then give that devotee’s heart to Lalitā and Viśākhā, who will offer it at the lotus feet of Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Śrīmatī Rādhikā will then engage that person in service to Kṛṣṇa and Herself.

If a guru does not have this symptom, his disciple may humbly request that the guru allow him to take the association of an elevated soul who does have it. That guru, without envy and admitting that he cannot satisfy his disciple, will direct him to take shelter of Vaiṣṇavas who are of the calibre of Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, and Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. He will not complain that the disciple is taking shelter of a superior Vaiṣṇava.

A self-realised guru (sad-guru) never desires worldly gain. If he does, he is not actually a guru. Śyāmānanda Prabhu was instructed by his dīkṣā-guru, Hṛdaya-caitanya of Kuliyā-grāma, to journey to Sevā-kuñja, Vṛndāvana, and take shelter of the lotus feet of Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī. Hṛdaya-caitanya told his disciple, “He will make you qualified to serve Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.” Apparently, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī had no initiated disciples, but he gave his instructions to all the inhabitants of this world.

Devotee continues reading:

A devotee must have only one initiating spiritual master because in the scriptures acceptance of more than one is always forbidden. There is no limit, however, to the number of instructing spiritual masters one may accept. Generally a spiritual master who constantly instructs a disciple in spiritual science becomes his initiating spiritual master later on.

One should always remember that a person who is reluctant to accept a spiritual master and be initiated is sure to be baffled in his endeavour to go back to Godhead. One who is not properly initiated may present himself as a great devotee, but in fact, he is sure to encounter many stumbling blocks on his path of progress towards spiritual realisation, with the result that he must continue his term of material existence without relief. Such a helpless person is compared to a ship without a rudder, for such a ship can never reach its destination. It is imperative, therefore, that one accept a spiritual master if he at all desires to gain the favour of the Lord.

If there is no chance to serve him directly, a devotee should serve his spiritual master by remembering his instructions. There is no difference between his instructions and he himself. In his absence, therefore, his words of direction should be the pride of the disciple. If one thinks he is above consulting anyone, including his spiritual master, he is at once an offender of the Lord. Such an offender can never go back to Godhead.

It is imperative that a serious person accepts a bona fide spiritual master in terms of the śāstric injunction. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī advises that one should not accept a spiritual master in terms of hereditary or customary social and ecclesiastical convention. One should simply try to find a genuinely qualified spiritual master for actual advancement in spiritual understanding.

It is clear that Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja is a pure follower of Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, but to have such a fully qualified guru is very rare – very rare. If in this life, due to some spiritual piety (sukṛti), we have accepted even a kaniṣṭhā-adhikārī-guru, some impressions of Vaiṣṇavism are made on the heart. Then, in our next birth, we may have the qualification to choose a bona fide guru.

How do we choose? We surrender ourselves at the lotus feet of the caitya-guru (Kṛṣṇa in the heart) and pray to Him. Residing in our hearts, He will hear our plea. He will always hear. If one prays, “O Kṛṣṇa, I sincerely desire to become Your servant. Please direct me to the lotus feet of a qualified guru.” He will surely arrange this. One who neglects such prayer and has confidence in his own ability to select and examine his guru will be disturbed in his spiritual life.

Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā:

sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

Bhagavad-gītā (18.66)

[“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.”]

Kṛṣṇa will arrange a guru for one who surrenders sincerely and without desire for material gain. In this way, such a person easily receives the mercy of that rare guru. Everything depends on Kṛṣṇa.

Although a bona fide guru is rare in this world, śāstra describes that rarer than such a guru is a bona fide disciple who surrenders fully, as Arjuna or Sudāmā Vipra surrendered to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The Vedas, Upaniṣads, and Purāṇas cite many examples of the ideal guru and the ideal disciple, and the example of Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī and his full surrender to the lotus feet of Śrīla Rūpa and Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmīs is one of the most exalted.

Who is the guru of Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī and Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī? Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī prayed to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the maṅgalācaraṇa (auspicious invocation) of each of his books. But when did Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu initiate Śrīla Rūpa and Śrīla Sanātana? Have we heard of a fire sacrifice being performed for their initiation, and mantras being given to them?

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu instilled everything in their hearts; they accepted Him as guru within their hearts. It is most important to follow gurudeva internally and externally. If our heart is given very naturally at a Vaiṣṇava’s lotus feet, this means he is our guru, regardless of whether or not mantras are given or a fire yajña is performed. These are external and not as important as the surrendering of one’s heart.

There are two kinds of disciples, and therefore there are two kinds of dīkṣā (initiation): anuṣṭhānikī and vidvat-rūḍhī. Anuṣṭhānikī-dīkṣā is the external formality of a fire yajña and the giving of dīkṣā (gāyatrī) mantras. If one thinks, “I have sacrificed so much. My head is shaved, and I have received my mantras. I am now initiated.” This may be only external. Of course, formal initiation is essential, but it is not complete without vidvat-rūḍhī.

Vidvat-rūḍhī refers to an internal initiation wherein the disciple completely gives his heart at his guru’s lotus feet. He knows that his guru will make him qualified to serve Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Gurudeva gives all kinds of transcendental knowledge (divya-jñāna) about kṛṣṇa-tattva, guru-tattva, vaiṣṇava-tattva, and prema-tattva.***

The guru teaches us what māyā is. He teaches that under the spell of the illusory energy māyā, one sees a man or woman as a source of one’s own sense gratification. Such consciousness has created many problems between husband and wife, especially in Western countries. People sometimes marry and divorce several times, showing no concern for their children. Marriage means that both remain together for life; minor problems should not cause divorce. The guru will teach his followers to be neither attached nor detached, but to perform their duty, and in this way see themselves, their wives, and their children as Kṛṣṇa’s servants. He will teach them their duty in such a way that they develop their Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

The guru instructs us how to practise bhakti – how to develop our honour, affection, and service for Kṛṣṇa – through divya-jñāna, transcendental knowledge. He also destroys all our sinful reactions:

divyaṁ jñānaṁ yato dadyāt
kuryāt pāpasya saṅkṣayam
tasmād dīkṣeti sā proktā
deśikais tattva-kovidaiḥ

Bhakti-sandarbha (283)

[“By dīkṣā, one gradually becomes disinterested in material enjoyment and gradually becomes interested in spiritual life.”]

In this verse, ‘material enjoyment’ refers to all the problems arising from attachment to worldly affairs. In material life, one is full of lust, anger, greed, madness, illusion, and envy. He thinks of himself as the enjoyer.

Gurudeva destroys the four stages of sin: (1) prārabdha – fructified karma, the reactions to previous actions which are presently being suffered and enjoyed; (2) aprārabdha – those reactions which will fructify in our next body; (3) kūṭa and bīja – sins which have not yet been performed, but the tendency to perform them is dormant in the heart; (4) avidyā – the ignorance whereby one forgets Kṛṣṇa and thinks himself to be the enjoyer. From this, all problems arise.

If our dīkṣā-guru is not of a high calibre and is thus incapable of extricating us from these reactions, then we must accept a śikṣā-guru who is more advanced. We will pray to Kṛṣṇa and gurudeva to help us solve our difficulties in this connection. Our guru will then advise us to seek shelter of advanced Vaiṣṇavas who are of the calibre of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, and Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. If the guru is showing jealousy or envy that his disciples are associating with such a śikṣā-guru, or if he is opposed to Vaiṣṇavas and their teachings, the disciple should consider giving up that false guru.

śrī-rūpa, sanātana, bhaṭṭa-raghunātha
śrī-jīva, gopāla-bhaṭṭa, dāsa-raghunātha

ei chaya guru — śikṣā-guru ye āmāra
tāṅ’-sabāra pāda-padme koṭi namaskāra

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā 1.36-37)

[“The instructing spiritual masters are Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Bhaṭṭa Raghunātha, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. These six are my instructing spiritual masters, and therefore I offer millions of respectful obeisances unto their lotus feet.”]

In this section of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī first prays to his śikṣā-gurus and then explains many truths about the guru. Who are his śikṣā-gurus? Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, and Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī.

In this connection, there is a very important point to consider. Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja has not mentioned the name of his dīkṣā-guru. He took śikṣā directly from both Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, and at the end of each chapter, he offers his obeisances to them. Some say that his dīkṣā-guru is Śrīla Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, but I have not seen evidence of this. I have never read in any śāstras about the identity of his dīkṣā-guru. Both he and his brother took dīkṣā during their household life, before he finally left his family and went to Vṛndāvana. Without dīkṣā, he would not have received the name Kṛṣṇadāsa.

For some reason, he has not revealed the name of his dīkṣā-guru, but has only named the six Gosvāmī associates of Mahāprabhu as his śikṣā-gurus. In their forms in Vraja-līlā, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī is Rūpa Mañjarī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī is Lavaṅga Mañjarī, Śrīla Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa is Rāga Mañjarī, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī is Vilāsa Mañjarī, Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa is Guṇa Mañjarī, and Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa is Rati Mañjarī. Each has two eternal forms: one as an associate of Kṛṣṇa and the other as an associate of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

If anyone has a proper association with a bona fide śikṣā-guru, he will surely become a bona fide disciple. Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja is proud to be a disciple of the Six Gosvāmīs. He writes, “tāṅ’ sabāra pāda-padme koṭi namaskāra.” He offers innumerable obeisances at their lotus feet, after which he prays to bhaktas (devotees) like Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita, who, in Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, is in the form of Nārada Muni.

bhagavānera bhakta yata śrīvāsa pradhāna
tāṅ’-sabhāra pāda-padme sahasra praṇāma

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā 1.38)

[“There are innumerable devotees of the Lord, of whom Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura is the foremost. I offer my respectful obeisances thousands of times unto their lotus feet.”]

There are two kinds of bhaktas, namely the realised soul and the sādhaka. In his former life, Nārada was a sādhaka-bhakta, and then he became a realised bhakta, a premī-bhakta. In this verse, Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja is referring to all self-realised bhaktas: Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara, Śrī Rāya Rāmānanda, Śikhi Māhiti, Mādhavī-devī, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, etc. There are six prominent śikṣā-gurus (the Six Gosvāmīs), and they are all realised bhaktas as well.

We have mentioned Kṛṣṇa’s manifestations as the guru and the bhakta, and He also expands in three other ways: Śrī Advaita Ācārya is the plenary incarnation of Mahā-Viṣṇu, and Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu is svarūpa prakāśa (an eternal, personal manifestation of Kṛṣṇa). Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita (who is Śrīmatī Rādhikā) and Śrī Jagadānanda Paṇḍita (who is Rādhikā’s maidservant) are śakti (Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental potency).

Why was it that Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita was in such a humble service mood to Śrī Caitanya? After all, He was Śrīmatī Rādhikā, chief of all the left-wing gopīs, who freely express their transcendental sulky mood (māna) towards Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The answer is that in the form of Śrī Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa covered Himself with Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s mood and complexion, and Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita was simply watching, taking the role of a teacher to see if Mahāprabhu was playing the part of Śrīmatī Rādhikā correctly. If Kṛṣṇa, as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, made a mistake, then Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita would immediately correct Him. For example, when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu first met Nityānanda Prabhu in Nandanācārya’s house, Mahāprabhu recited this verse from the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

barhāpīḍaṁ naṭa-vara-vapuḥ karṇayoḥ karṇikāraṁ
bibhrad vāsaḥ kanaka-kapiśaṁ vaijayantīṁ ca mālām
randhrān veṇor adhara-sudhayāpūrayan gopa-vṛndair
vṛndāraṇyaṁ sva-pada-ramaṇaṁ prāviśad gīta-kīrtiḥ

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.21.5)

[“Wearing a peacock-feather ornament upon His head, blue karṇikāra flowers on His ears, a yellow garment as brilliant as gold, and the Vaijayantī garland, Lord Kṛṣṇa exhibited His transcendental form as the greatest of dancers as He entered the forest of Vṛndāvana, beautifying it with the marks of His footprints. He filled the holes of His flute with the nectar of His lips, and the cowherd boys sang His glories.”]

Weeping, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu described the beautiful form of Kṛṣṇa, yet He could not completely express it in the way Śrīmatī Rādhikā did when She had uttered the same words. Something was lacking. Then, from behind a curtain, Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita uttered the same verse, playing Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s part marvellously. He wept loudly, tears running down His cheeks, and melted everyone’s hearts. He did this in such a way that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who was also playing the role of Śrīmatī Rādhikā, understood that He had not played the part correctly.

After explaining Kṛṣṇa’s other manifestations, Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja describes Śrī Caitanya as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, Svayam Bhagavān, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead:

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu svayaṁ-bhagavān
tāṅhāra padāravinde ananta praṇāma

sāvaraṇe prabhure kariyā namaskāra
ei chaya teṅho yaiche — kariye vicāra

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā 1.42-43)

[“Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Personality of Godhead Himself, and therefore I offer innumerable prostrations at His lotus feet. Having offered obeisances unto the Lord and all His associates, I shall now try to explain these six diversities in one.”]

Thus, Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja has described the six manifestations of Kṛṣṇa.

sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair
uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ
kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam

Śrī Gurvaṣṭakam (7)

[“All the scriptures proclaim śrī gurudeva to be sākṣāt-hari-tva, endowed with the potency of Śrī Hari, and he is also considered by all the great saints to be His direct representative. Indeed, śrī gurudeva is very dear to the Lord, being His confidential servitor (acintya-bhedābheda prakāśa-vigraha, the inconceivable different and nondifferent worshipable manifestation of the Lord). I offer prayers unto his lotus feet.”]

In the verse of Śrī Gurvaṣṭakam beginning with sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraih, there is a deep meaning in the word hari-tvena. It means that the spiritual master possesses the qualities of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, but he is not viṣaya-kṛṣṇa****, he is kṛṣṇa-dāsa. Gurudeva is the embodiment of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s quality of mercy, but it is incorrect to consider gurudeva to be viṣaya-kṛṣṇa.

yadyapi āmāra guru — caitanyera dāsa
tathāpi jāniye āmi tāṅhāra prakāśa

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā 1.44)

[“Although I know that my spiritual master is a servitor of Śrī Caitanya, I know Him also as a direct manifestation of the Lord.”]

Even the fruitive workers (karmīs), those pursuing knowledge of an impersonal God (jñānīs), and performers of severe austerities (yogīs) consider the guru to be nondifferent from Śrī Kṛṣṇa, but they superimpose an incorrect conception upon the guru, supposing him to be God. In Sanskrit, this superimposition is called āropa. For example, to think that a young mango tree will produce sweet fruit is incorrect, but if we say that it will produce fruit in time is correct. If we imagine that the unreal is real, we are incorrect, and this misunderstanding is called āropa.

Regarding the development of our bhakti, we need to practice āropa, or rather āropa-siddha-bhakti. The beginner practices this as follows: the Deity is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. In our conditioned state, we see the Deity as a stone statue, yet we superimpose the correct conception that He is Kṛṣṇa. We cannot serve Him as Kṛṣṇa Himself, but as our affection for Him increases, we will perceive the Deity in the same way that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu perceived Him – as the direct personal form of Vrajendra-nandana Kṛṣṇa. The Deity will reveal His actual nature to us.

kṛṣṇa, guru, bhakta, śakti, avatāra, prakāśa
kṛṣṇa ei chaya-rūpe karena vilāsa

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā 1.32)

[“Lord Kṛṣṇa enjoys by manifesting Himself as the spiritual masters, the devotees, the diverse energies, the incarnations and the plenary portions. They are all six in one.”]

Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja has explained that Śrī Kṛṣṇa, although one, manifests in six features, and this established truth is called acintya-bhedābheda-tattva, inconceivably and simultaneously one and different.

He explained that his śikṣā-gurus are the Six Gosvāmīs: Śrīla Rūpa, Śrīla Sanātana, Śrīla Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa, Śrīla Jīva, Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa, and Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa. He also revealed that Śrī Advaita Ācārya, as an incarnation of Mahā-Viṣṇu, is therefore a partial incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Nityānanda Prabhu is an eternal manifestation of both Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and it is by His mercy that Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu manifest in this world. In other words, without the mercy of Nityānanda Prabhu, no one can realise Kṛṣṇa or Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Nityānanda Prabhu is the complete embodiment of guru-tattva.

Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī has described his spiritual good fortune. He says, “I have received the mercy of the Six Gosvāmīs and other exalted Vaiṣṇavas. I have received the mercy of Govinda, Gopīnātha, and Madana-mohana, and I have taken darśana of Them. I have also seen and realised the glories of Vṛndāvana-dhāma. All this is the mercy of Nityānanda Prabhu; therefore, I am His servant, and He is my guru.”

Next, Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī explains that Kṛṣṇa’s śakti (potency) manifests as Śrī Gadādhara. Kṛṣṇacandra is Kṛṣṇa Himself, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu is that self-same Kṛṣṇa, Vrajendra-nandana Śyāmasundara, replete with the golden beauty and mood of Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Thus, He is Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā combined.

guru kṛṣṇa-rūpa hana śāstrera pramāṇe
guru-rūpe kṛṣṇa kṛpā karena bhakta-gaṇe

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā 1.45)

[“According to the deliberate opinion of all revealed scriptures, the spiritual master is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa in the form of the spiritual master delivers His devotees.”]

Dīkṣā-guru and śikṣā-guru are non-different; they are on the same level. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī represents the śikṣā-guru, and Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī represents the dīkṣā-guru, yet there is no difference between them. They can both act as śikṣā and dīkṣā-gurus.

My most revered Gurudeva, nitya-līlā-praviṣṭa oṁ viṣṇupāda Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja, is both my dīkṣā and śikṣā-guru. Pūjyapāda Śrīdhāra Mahārāja and Pūjyapāda Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja are also my śikṣā-gurus. Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja is the sannyāsa-guru of Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja. Śrīla Svāmī Mahārāja has so much respect for my Gurudeva, both as a guru and as a friend.

śikṣā-guruke ta’ jāni kṛṣṇera svarūpa
antaryāmī, bhakta-śreṣṭha, — ei dui rūpa

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā 1.47)

[“One should know the instructing spiritual master to be the Personality of Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa manifests Himself as the Supersoul and as the greatest devotee of the Lord.”]

Dīkṣā-guru is the manifestation of the form (rūpa) of Kṛṣṇa, and śikṣā-guru is the manifestation of the personal nature (svarūpa) of Kṛṣṇa. Which is superior, rūpa or svarūpa? In essence, there is no difference between them. Sva means ‘mine’ or ‘own,’ and therefore svarūpa may sometimes be dearer than rūpa, though essentially they are the same.

Our dīkṣā-guru is our worshipable superior, for whom we have reverence. We pray to him and take the dust of his lotus feet. But the śikṣā-guru is like a brother, a friend. Sometimes we can embrace him and speak with him frankly. We can reveal our hearts to him and tell him that we desire to serve Kṛṣṇa as the gopīs do. This association is very secret and sacred. We may hesitate to express this to our dīkṣā-guru, so we need the śikṣā-guru, who is like a bosom friend. With the śikṣā-guru, there is a mood of fraternity; there is less of a mood of awe and reverence.

Similarly, in the most advanced stages of bhakti, one does not regard Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but as one’s dear friend, dear son, or most beloved. He sees Kṛṣṇa as his, and he sees himself as Kṛṣṇa’s.

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī states that a disciple should also serve his dīkṣā-guru with a mood of intimacy (viśrambha-sevā), but due to constantly offering obeisances, this cannot always manifest. To our śikṣā-guru, we can admit our attraction to a very beautiful girl and ask for his guidance, but it may be difficult to tell our dīkṣā-guru, as he is worshipable like a father. Our dīkṣā-guru’s response may be very heavy, but our śikṣā-guru will embrace us and say, “O dear one, do not be attached to sense gratification. Try to love Kṛṣṇa. Try to offer your heart in the service of Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s lotus feet. Do not go after the girls of this world. A girl of this world is not really a girl; she is a burning fire or an ocean of poison. Do not continue in this direction.”

Due to the open-hearted nature of the relationship, a śikṣā-guru is needed. We can reveal everything to him. Within our hearts, our śikṣā-gurus – Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, and all the previous ācāryas – are aware of our thoughts and actions. They have not died; they are all omnipotent.

Śikṣā-guruke ta’jāni kṛṣṇera svarūpa. The śikṣā-guru is the manifestation of the svarūpa (inner nature) of Kṛṣṇa, and the dīkṣā-guru is the manifestation of His form. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa’s inner nature and His outer body; both are the same. One who thinks that there is a difference is a Māyāvādī, an impersonalist. We should not associate with such a person.

Antaryāmī, bhakta-śreṣṭha, ei dui rūpa. There are two types of śikṣā-guru. Antaryāmī is the Supersoul, the śikṣā-guru in the heart (the caitya-guru), who gives inspiration from within. If one prays, “O Kṛṣṇa, You are my caitya-guru, I have given You my entire heart. Please arrange for me to take shelter of a qualified guru.” Kṛṣṇa will certainly arrange it. By approaching Kṛṣṇa with a sincere desire to have a guru, we will not have to suffer the result of making an incorrect choice.

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
yena mām upayānti te

Bhagavad-gītā (10.10)

[“To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.”]

To those who are always connected to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, serving Him with love and devotion, He gives the intelligence by which they can come to Him. What kind of intelligence does He give? He gives transcendental intelligence, which further connects us with Him. Moreover, Śrī Kṛṣṇa tells us in the Bhagavad-gītā what happens after He gives such intelligence: “They come to Me, and I engage them in My service.” This demonstrates one of the ways in which Kṛṣṇa acts as the caitya-guru.

Once, in South India, there lived a beautiful prostitute named Cintāmaṇi. When she was sixteen years old, she could dance and sing kīrtana so sweetly that everyone who saw her dance was attracted to her. Although Cintāmaṇi was a prostitute, she possessed an extraordinary quality: a deep attachment to singing songs in glorification of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, which enchanted many people.

Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura was a pious and religious brāhmaṇa with a beautiful, chaste wife, yet Cintāmaṇi allured him. He stopped all his business and service to his mother and father. He forgot his chaste wife and children and came under Cintāmaṇi’s complete control. He would go to her, especially at night, taking presents that he had procured by selling his land or his wife’s ornaments, or by stealing money and good clothes. He hoped that in return, she would love him as he loved her.

Over time, his father died, and a funeral ceremony was conducted. On the final day, the thirteenth day of the ceremony, thousands of brāhmaṇas sat in his courtyard, about to honour mahāprasādam. He went to the kitchen, took many delicious foods and other objects, and wrapped them in a cloth. He then left his house that night, not caring whether his guests took prasādam or if his distressed mother and wife were comforted. He left them all and went to that prostitute.

That night, it rained heavily. To reach the prostitute’s house, Bilvamaṅgala had to cross a flooded river whose current ran swiftly. Feeling helpless and desperate to find a means of crossing, he noticed something resembling a log floating on the water in front of him. Not seeing that it was actually the half-rotten, dead body of a girl, he sat on it and crossed the river. Then, struggling across slippery ground, he finally reached the prostitute’s home.

The door was closed. He knocked hard for a long time, but his sounds were not heard. At last, he walked to the back of the house and saw what looked like a rope hanging from the rafters. Grabbing hold of the rope, he attempted to climb it. It was not a rope, however, but a snake. Bilvamaṅgala slipped and fell unconscious, thus making a loud sound on the courtyard floor. Cintāmaṇi heard the noise and asked her maidservant to find out what had caused the sound. Finally, she saw him and exclaimed, “Oh, Bilvamaṅgala has fallen down in the courtyard! But how did he come here?”

Cintāmaṇi and her maidservant then took the unconscious Bilvamaṅgala into her house and warmed his body. Now understanding what had happened, when he awoke, she told him, “My body is full of blood, urine, stool, bile, and mucus; yet you are attached to it and have gone to so much trouble to get here to enjoy it. If you had a fraction of such love and affection for Kṛṣṇa, your life would have been successful. But you are so lusty. I can no longer have any affection for you. You should leave immediately.”

Due to his past impressions of bhakti, her words penetrated his heart like an arrow, and he became sober. He understood that he must develop his love for Kṛṣṇa. Without these past impressions, her words could not have reformed him. He would have fallen at her feet, panting like a dog and imploring her to accept him.

He then decided that he should neither be with Cintāmaṇi nor stay at his home, but should go to Vṛndāvana. For the next five days, he took no foodstuffs. Rather, he lived solely on the chanting of the holy name. Then, desiring to drink some water, he went to a well, where he saw a young, beautiful, newly married lady hauling water. He asked her for a drink and knelt as she poured the water from her pot into his mouth. As he drank the water, he also drank in her beauty with his eyes, taking it into his heart.

He followed her home. She went into her room, and he met her husband, who was standing at the door. He asked her husband, “Please call the girl who just walked past you.”

Thinking Bilvamaṅgala to be a saintly person, the man called his wife, who came immediately. “How may I serve you?” she asked.

Bilvamaṅgala then told her that he wanted two of her hairpins. She couldn’t understand why, but she still got them and gave them to him. As she and her husband looked on, Bilvamaṅgala said, “These eyes are my enemy, imprisoning me in lust. If there is no bamboo, there is no flute. Similarly, if my eyes are removed, my lust will also be removed. I will cut this lust at the root. If I am blind, then my eyes will no longer be attracted to beautiful women, and attraction for Śrī Kṛṣṇa will develop in my heart.” He thus pierced his eyes with those hairpins. Blood oozed from his eyes, and he became blind.

He then proceeded to Vṛndāvana, chanting, “Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare,” and soon a boy approached him and asked, “Bābā, where are you going?” The voice of that boy was very sweet. He was that blackish cowherd boy who was not like any other.

Bilvamaṅgala answered, “I am going to Vṛndāvana. My dear boy, who are You?”

“I am a cowherd boy,” the boy said. “I am also going to Vṛndāvana. If you want to go there, you can hold on to My stick and come with Me. I will help you.”

Vṛndāvana was about a six-month journey on foot, but after a few days, the boy announced that they had arrived. As they were walking there, Bilvamaṅgala had created very sweet poems glorifying the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. These songs were very pleasing to Kṛṣṇa’s ears, and later they became known as the book Śrī Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta, translated as “Nectar For Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s Ears.” Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu later found this book in South India and presented it to His devotees.

The first poem in the maṅgalācaraṇam of Śrī Kṛṣṇa-karnāmṛta is as follows:

cintāmaṇir jayati somagirir gurur me
śikṣā-guruś ca bhagavān śikhi-piñcha-mauliḥ
yat-pāda-kalpataru-pallava-śekhareṣu
līlā-svayaṁvara-rasaṁ labhate jayaśrīḥ

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā 1.57)

[“All glories to Cintāmaṇi and my initiating spiritual master, Somagiri. All glories to my instructing spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who wears peacock feathers in His crown. Under the shade of His lotus feet, which are like desire trees, Jayaśrī (Rādhārāṇī) enjoys the transcendental mellow of an eternal consort.”]

In this verse, Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura offers his obeisances to Cintāmaṇi, who inspired him to take shelter of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. What type of guru was she? She was a vartma-pradarśaka-guru, the guru who says, “Come with me to a self-realised Vaiṣṇava.” The vartmapradarśaka-guru shows the path. He may be a kaniṣṭhā-adhikārī (neophyte devotee), but the initiating guru should not be less than a madhyama-adhikārī (an intermediate devotee).

What are the symptoms of a madhyama-adhikārī? It is necessary to know these symptoms before considering whom to accept as a dīkṣā or śikṣā-guru. If we do not see these symptoms in someone, we need not accept that person as a guru. As mentioned before, if we do accept him, there will be many difficulties in our devotional life. If that guru falls down, our lives will be ruined, and we will cry bitterly.

tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta
jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ
brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.3.21)

For one to be a bona fide guru, all the above-mentioned symptoms must be present, in full. The guru has complete knowledge of the scriptures; he is detached from material desires, and he is happy only by serving Śrī Kṛṣṇa. If one is unhappy and feels that one’s life has many problems, one is not qualified to be a guru.

Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura was beaten in twenty-two marketplaces, almost to the point of death, but he did not consider this a problem. Rather, he continued chanting with joy, “Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa.” Prahlāda Mahārāja was tortured by his father, yet he never felt that he had a problem. Rather, he kept his feet on the head of all problems.

A person in the role of guru, who chants and performs the nine processes of bhakti and has taken dīkṣā, but laments that he has so many problems – his wife has cheated him, his children are not with him, he cannot manage or make money, or that he has no computer or sufficient material facility – should be rejected at once.

The third symptom of a guru is that he is realised in kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Without this realisation, he is bound to fall down from spiritual life due to still having material desires.

Besides these three symptoms, a madhyama-adhikārī will have four additional qualities. The uttama-adhikārī is, of course, superior, and he offers a superior result in bhakti, but such a guru is rare in this world. In the absence of such an uttama-guru, the madhyama-adhikārī can be accepted as a śikṣā or dīkṣā-guru, but one should see whether or not he has the following four qualities:

prema – He has love and affection for Kṛṣṇa.*****
maitrī – He shows friendship towards the Vaiṣṇavas and offers service to them. He has three kinds of relations with three types of Vaiṣṇavas: he honours and obeys with a mood of friendship one who is more advanced in bhakti than he is. He relates to equals as friends and is also friendly toward those whose bhakti is less developed. So he has maitrī (friendship) with honour for superiors, maitrī with mitra (the friendship of equals) with those on an equal level, and maitrī with kṛpā (friendship with compassion) for subordinates.
kṛpā – He shows mercy to those persons who honour and have faith in Vaiṣṇavas. Such persons’ faith may even be worldly; in other words, they may have some material sentiments in relation to the guru and the Deity. It may be that they have more affection for the Deities than for the devotees, and therefore they may not like to meet with devotees and hear their hari-kathā. Such persons may understand that they should obey the scriptures, but they cannot act in the four ways that a madhyama-adhikārī can act. Such persons may be ignorant, but they want to learn how to advance in devotional service.

upekṣā – He avoids offenders, persons who are against the Vaiṣṇavas or who do not honour them. He is aware that relating or associating with such persons destroys all traces of bhakti.

We have thus discussed the three main qualities of the bona fide guru, as well as four additional qualities which are found in a madhyama-adhikārī (or an uttama-adhikārī acting in the role of a madhyama-adhikārī) who is qualified to be a guru. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī warns us in his Bhakti-sandarbha that one who accepts a guru for worldly name, fame, and gain, and one who acts as guru by accepting disciples for the same reason, will both fall down. Their destination will be hell.

Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī writes:

avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ
pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam
śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyaṁ
sarpocchiṣṭaṁ yathā payaḥ

Padma Purāṇa

[“One should not hear anything about Kṛṣṇa from a non-Vaiṣṇava. Milk touched by the lips of a serpent has poisonous effects; similarly, talks about Kṛṣṇa given by a non-Vaiṣṇava are also poisonous.”]

Therefore, one who makes an external show of being a Vaiṣṇava but who fails to honour Vaiṣṇavas, giving preference to worldly fame and gain, should be given up without delay, even though the disciple may have taken both harināma and dīkṣā from that person. Such a so-called guru should be given up.

This has been explained in the Mahābhārata and other scriptures. If one does not reject such a guru, he will have to go to hell; he should be ready for that. No Vaiṣṇava should be dishonoured – not even a kaniṣṭhā-adhikārī Vaiṣṇava, and what to speak of a madhyama-adhikārī and uttama-adhikārī. The association with one who is dishonouring or criticising any Vaiṣṇava should be given up. If one says that he is a bona fide Vaiṣṇava and that he is the only bona fide disciple of his guru, yet he commits this offence, then his own guru, if bona fide, will reject him.

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī gives all of us a very important instruction: We should not criticise anyone. We should not think that because there are quarrels in the transcendental world, such as those between the followers of Śrīmatī Candrāvalī and the followers of Śrīmatī Rādhikā, we may also quarrel. We should not take sides and criticise.

As mentioned earlier, all bona fide gurus are manifestations of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Thus, there is no difference between Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja and Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja. They are realised souls in the same disciplic line. Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja preached in the West, and my Gurudeva preached in India, yet they spoke the same message. Their love for Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the same, their teachings are the same, and their service to Śrī Mahāprabhu is the same. One was in the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness and the other in the Gauḍīya Vedānta Samiti, but both are in the family of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It is incumbent upon us to follow the instructions of our ācāryas and try to develop our Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

(On Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja’s request, devotees sing Nanda-nandanāṣṭakam and Rādhā-kṛpā-kaṭākṣa-stava-rāja)

We should sing these two songs daily in our sādhana-bhajana. If we understand the meaning and pray sincerely, it will be very beneficial. Even if we don’t know the meaning, Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmatī Rādhikā will hear us. By our singing Nanda-nandanāṣṭakam, which glorifies Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhikā will be so pleased that She will grant us all benedictions, whether we want them or not. And when we are singing Rādhā-kṛpā-kaṭākṣa, Kṛṣṇa will be so pleased that He will grant us any benediction we desire. If we want Kṛṣṇa to write our names in the register of Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s maidservants (pālya-dāsīs), He will do so at once. He is ‘at the gate,’ writing the list of Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s dāsīs – those who want to serve Her. Therefore, if we add these two kīrtanas to our daily routine of bhajana, followed by the singing of śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya and the mahā-mantra, our bhakti will become strong.

* “Sādhana-bhakti is of two kinds: vaidhī and rāgānuga. That bhakti which is accomplished through the function of the senses, and by which bhāva-bhakti is obtained, is called sādhana-bhakti” (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu-bindu, Verse 8, Śrī Bindu-vikāśinī-vṛtti).

** Bhajana is a complete internal and external absorption in the spiritual practices of worshipping Kṛṣṇa – such as śravaṇaṁ, kīrtanaṁ, smaraṇaṁ, etc. – with a mood of intense affection and attachment.

*** Tattva means ‘established philosophical truth,’ or ‘spiritual truth.’

**** “The devotee is āśraya, always subordinate, the abode of love for Krsna, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is viṣaya, the supreme object of love, the goal of life” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.10.6, purport).

***** Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura writes in his Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam commentary that a madhyama-adhikārī cannot have real prema. However, when he thinks of how the gopīs loved Kṛṣṇa, he may receive a shadow of their prema. Thus, he has achieved the level of āsakti, natural attachment for Kṛṣṇa.