"Those who stay there [Radha-Damodara Temple] will realize that those acharyas [Sri Rupa, Jiva, etc] are still living there. And if one is actually advancing in the spiritual field, they can still take instruction from the acharyas living there. It is up to the individual, how he realizes this by his devotional service. By staying there you must realize how pure the environment is. The environment itself gives a high taste of consciousness. Radha-Damodara is there and the great acaryas’ samadhis are there. There cannot be any other better place to live than at Radha-Damodara. This corner at the Radha-Damodara temple is just like the hub of the wheel of the spiritual world — it is the center.”
The above statement is by no means an exaggeration, a concoction or a speculation. It is indeed a paraphrased statement based on the deep realisations of Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada as expressed to his intimate disciple Ksirodakasayi Visnu, circa 1972.
Ksirodakasayi Visnu ([later known as Bhakti Ksirodakasayi Visnu Maharaja) was also a close friend and godbrother of mine, and on not less than three occasions he expressed the above to me during our conversations about Srila Prabhupada and Prabhupada’s rooms at the Radha-Damodara Temple as what Prabhupada had spoken to him personally.
Sri Sri Radha-Damodara Temple occupies a place near and dear in the hearts of all Gaudiya Vaisnavas. The temple is the residence of Sri Sri Radha-Damodara vigraha, the place of bhajana and samadhi of Sri Jiva Gosvami and Sri Rupa Gosvami, the samadhi of Bhugarbha Goswami and puspa-samadhis of numerous other Vaishnavas in the parampara of Sri Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada.
The compound of Sri Sri Radha-Damodara Temple also houses the residence and bhajana-kutira of Srila Prabhupada who has also stated, “I live eternally in my rooms at Radha-Damodara.”
No doubt these are deep and revealing statements by Srila Prabhupada that will charm and enthuse the hearts of all his sincere followers and disciples. Contrary to the beliefs and speculations of some narrow-minded and unrealized persons, these statements are true to the smallest detail and can be experienced by those that approach the Super Subjective Reality at the Sri Sri Radha-Damodara Temple with sraddha and saranagati.
We are also happy to mention that the members and sannyasis of our humble mission [Sri Narasingha Chaitanya Ashram/Sri Rupanuga Bhajana Ashram] also have their place of bhajana and service at the Sri Sri Radha-Damodara Temple by the grace of Srila Prabhupada and our revered acaryas, Sri Rupa and Sri Jiva.
As the holy sloka says:
sravanam kirtanam damodara-bhajanam
scubbanam moppanam damodara-sevanam
“Hearing and chanting the glories of Sri Sri Radha-Damodara is our bhajan. Scrubbing and mopping is our service.” [Sri Narasingha-Samhit]
