Faith provides us our only means of connecting to the ethereal spiritual realm — to all spiritual realities. Śrīla Śrīdhar Deva Goswāmī Mahārāja describes this in his opening chapter, “Planets of Faith, in his book “Loving Search for the Lost Servant:”
Faith is the only means through which we can see, hear, or feel the higher world; otherwise it is all meaningless to us. To understand that plane, an inner awakening is necessary. We can connect with the upper world only through a higher source. Therefore divyaṁ jñānam, knowledge of the higher plane, is not ordinary knowledge; it is transcendental, a supramental feeling and sense.
But to realize this, surrender, śaraṇāgati, is compulsory. After that, we may go on hearing and chanting, remembering and worshiping and praising the Lord, or rendering so many other kinds of service, but the first thing - the foundation of devotion - must be self-surrender. Otherwise nothing will be effected; our show of devotion will all be imitation.
We must sincerely feel, “I shall be faithful in my service to the Supreme Lord. I am meant for Him. I am ready to die to live. I want to live for Him only and not for fulfilling any separate interest. I want nothing less than the absolute. I want to be His completely.”
Surrender or self-sacrifice is the price of entrance into a world of sat, cit and ānanda — an eternal realm of endless joy with full understanding and complete knowledge. Śaraṇāgati, simple in theory, is a complex dynamic, continuously evolving in proportion to our understanding, dedication and attention. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has provided us with a whole book filled with śāstric evidence and bhajans dedicated to Śaraṇāgati. Surrender isn’t just a one time process, for once we surrender to Kṛṣṇa, every single day we must surrender again.
Each new day reveals new challenges to our devotion and re-affirmation is essential to maintain our determination and progress. The joy of it is that we find ourselves filled up with the purest thoughts of this divine spiritual awakenment unfolding within. In the words of Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja, “We thank our lucky stars,” that we are so fortunate to be blessed with the true wealth of Kṛṣṇa-bhakti and its penultimate joy.
We are all aware that in order to fully understand this and other necessary conceptions of bhakti we need help from the guidance of a higher Vaiṣṇava. Bhagavad-gītā describes the process in Verse 4.34, that we humbly approach a learned saint, offering respect, praṇipāt, inquire submissively from him, paripraśna, and offer him our services, or sevā.
Our guru Śrīla Prabhupāda, in his introduction to Nectar of Devotion, a summary study of Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī’s Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, writes that the actual connection to the devotional process is only made when we accept a bona-fide guru and accept initiation from him. Because he has seen the truth, tattva-darśī, guru will illuminate us with knowledge just as a lamp illuminates us with light. Only by his grace can we get the grace of God — yasya prasād bhagavat prasād. Without this grace or mercy of our guru we can never obtain the grace of our Lord. We are fortunate indeed when we embark on this path for the rewards are unlimited and will provide us the utmost satisfaction obtainable.
Our sādhana, while focusing on chanting quality rounds each day, progressively clears our heart of undesirable anarthas, lessening the distracting and disturbing mental energy of mundane impulses and bizarre disturbing thoughts. This steadily manifests a calming and peaceful mindset within — naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu. (Bhag. 1.2.18)
We directly observe and understand how this process is actually working for us, observe the positive changes in ourselves, our thoughts changing for the better as we cleanse our hearts — ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. We feel lighter and happier as our conviction that we are doing the right thing awakens and we just know that it is working.
We are evolving to higher stages of spiritual perfection and directly perceive these welcome changes. These realizations solidify our resolve — affirming and solidifying our faith as we experience these results of the bhakti process awakening, unfolding and expanding. This is true fulfillment, satisfaction at its best and as we continue our spiritual growth . . . it only gets better.
Guru-sevā, or service to guru is the foundation of our progress, for by following his instructions our path is cleared and easily obtainable. Gurudeva provides us with step by step assistance, guiding us carefully towards our ultimate goal. . . as we progress step by step.
As we explore this process we will discover more and more the unlimited wealth of realized knowledge, vijñāna, accessible thru the many teachings in the line of our paramparā predecessor gurus. Their legacy is our true wealth for we assure our success by following in the footsteps of great realized souls (anuvṛtti). To follow them faithfully is proclaimed in the Mahābhārata: mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ.
Their prayers, bhajans, kīrtans and writings provide us with a glimpse into their very hearts, revealing their internal moods, their devotional sentiments (rasa) and the dedicated intensity of their devotion. These teachings provide in depth knowledge and procedural advice for executing the process of devotional service as well as revealing the necessity of this pure service, śuddha sevā. We must always look to our ācāryas for such powerful examples and gentle guidance, for they will always be there for us, freely bestowing their infinite mercy upon us. It is not that we are deserving of their divine grace, as much as it is the simple fact that these great souls, mahātmās, are endlessly and mercifully showering their blessings upon us. A little mercy goes a long way and śāstra confirms that even that is enough to assure our progressive success — lava mātra sarva siddhi haya.
Unfortunately some are unable or unwilling to surrender and serve under a higher Vaiṣṇava, an important aspect of devotional life. By leaving the shelter of advanced qualified agents of the Lord, they are shunning any meaningful guiding authority. Their path forward becomes laced with uncertainty and misdirection, increasingly difficult to execute, for without a strong connection with Divinity our progress is not assured.
The Antithesis of Bhakti
It is seen that sometimes devotees may try to push another devotee down in pursuit of their own goals. This is akin to stepping on the head of another devotee to further our own advancement. This reveals a great misunderstanding on the part of that devotee regarding the underlying principles of bhakti — they are truly missing its essence, for such offensive service will produce the exact opposite of the desired result.
After all we are trying to please Lord Kṛṣṇa by our service to Him. He says that no one is more dear to Him than any devotee — na me bhakta jana priyaḥ. To attempt to diminish another devotee in any way, no matter how slight, is offensive not only to that devotee but to Kṛṣṇa also. We depend on the mercy of the Lord for everything.
Yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi (Bhag. 10.88.8 ) — when Kṛṣṇa particularly favors a devotee he takes away his material opulences so that he can serve more efficiently without the distractions of material attachments. Śrīla Prabhupāda once asked Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja a revealing question, when living side by side in Sita Kantha Bannerjee Lane in Calcutta during the time of the breakup of the Gauḍīya Maṭha after the disappearance of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.
He asked Śrīdhara Mahārāja if he thought that Kṛṣṇa had purposefully taken away his family, his business and his wealth in accordance to this Bhāgavatam śloka. Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja’s reply was, “Most certainly!” This implies that Lord Kṛṣṇa was showering special mercy on Śrīla Prabhupāda thereby facilitating his future preaching.
The Path of True Devotion
When we are initiated into our spiritual relationship with guru, we vow to surrender, serve, follow the rules, chant 16 rounds and engage faithfully in our sādhana. Most importantly we are promising our guru to submissively follow all his instructions, even when we sometimes don’t wish to. We may ask questions in a submissive manner — paripraśna, not openly challenging but as sincere inquiries.
Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī defines pure devotional service in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu as anukūla, pleasing to Lord Kṛṣṇa — not executing devotional service for personal benefit nor for money or reward —but only to please the Lord. Pure devotional service is performed in relation to Kṛṣṇa and is always favorable to Him.
Our goal should be to execute such pure devotional service, following Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī. When we offer service without any personal motive (akiñcanā) — we purify ourselves and also develop all good qualities automatically — yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ. (Bhag. 5.18.12) This purity of heart gives us a glow, an effulgence. Thus, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s “shining white elephants,” his western disciples, astonished the Indian population with their attractive countenance upon arrival in India for the first with Śrīla Prabhupāda in the 1960’s.
We serve to please Kṛṣṇa / Mahāprabhu as He has requested. Nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savya-sācin — This was Kṛṣṇa’s instruction to Arjuna as they entered the field of Kurukṣetra — a timeless instruction meant for all of us to follow. We must simply become instruments in the service of the Lord, to be utilized by Him however He desires. (Bhag.-gītā 11.33)
Arjuna was supplied with a quiver of especially empowered arrows to use as he needed in his duty as a kṣatriya on the battlefield. Similarly we must consider ourselves as servants of Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇera nitya-dāsa, offered to be used in His service as He likes. (Cc. Madhya 20.108) Śrīla Prabhupāda expressed just this sentiment in his arrival prayers to the US, appealing to Kṛṣṇa. Composed aboard the ship Jaladhūta, Prabhupāda wrote: “If you wish me to dance, then I will dance. And if you do not wish me to dance, I will not dance. I am yours to do with as you like.” This is true surrender.
Karma-miśra-bhakti
Pure devotional service requires that we offer our body, mind and ātma (soul) for the Lord to use however he wishes or needs. This necessitates being unattached to our service and whether or not it is successful. Our duty is to execute the service faithfully with full enthusiasm and consideration while not being attached to the results nor desiring to receive anything in return.
I have seen that some devotees do whatever they like and then offer the results of their actions as supposed service to their guru. This is in essence offering your remnants to your guru. It is not real service. Genuine service means to fulfill the requests of guru by serving under his instruction, not throwing some results his way after doing whatever you like. If he asks for a glass of water and you bring him milk, this is not real service, for he did not ask for milk.
Prahlāda Mahārāja states that if we receive anything in exchange for our devotional service — na sa brthya no vai vaṇik — we are merchants, simply doing business, not engaging in real devotional activities. (Bhag. 7.10.4) Pure devotion is that which is given freely without any attachment to the results or desire for reciprocation.
The 1st class devotee understands his guru’s desires and knows which sevā to execute, a second class devotee needs to be told what to do and how to execute it. But a third class devotee, even when told, cannot execute his service properly. Continual guidance is necessary for all until the spontaneous desire for devotional service awakens in our heart.
Initially we engage in vaidhi-bhakti, regulated devotional service, following the rules and regulations because we understand this as an actual requirement for the bhakti process. Real progress awakens a spontaneity within, wherein we develop a real taste for our sādhana. For after some time we grow to relish it and look forward to it and continue on joyfully executing devotional service . . . but of a higher purer quality.
Spontaneous Devotion Inspired by Necessity
Selfless devotional service should remain an integral part of our lives and our service is valued according to its necessity. That is, essential services like cooking, offering foodstuffs and dressing the Deities, managing the temple services and devotees, all must be done reliably and consistently. Engaging in such needful service is more valuable because it is critical and cannot be missed, necessity arising when an assigned sevāite cannot do his crucial service, thereby providing a critical necessity.
Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja was shocked to read his guru’s statement that, “Vṛndāvana is for shallow thinkers.” It seems that Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has written that Kurukṣetra is the highest place of service for our sampradāya, diminishing Vraja-dhāma sevā by comparison. This is because during an eclipse all the Vṛndāvan residents came to Kurukṣetra and all wished to meet with Kṛṣṇa in the mood of Vṛndāvan. Kṛṣṇa had come from Dvārakā with a huge entourage, wives, elephants and lavish dressing, all in the mood of aiśvarya, opulence.
Yet the gopīs longed to meet Kṛṣṇa in the sweet simple rural atmosphere of Vraja, running barefoot on the banks of the Yamunā River. The opulence and strict formality of aiśvarya stymied the expression of their simple love for Kṛṣṇa — intensifying the necessity of the gopīs, and particularly Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī to return to the simple pure love of the rural life in the forests of Vraja.
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura felt this call to service in a strong way, expressing this compulsion as a necessity of service to the forlorn Vraja-gopīs, who simply yearned for their dearmost Kṛṣṇa of Vraja, not the presence of the opulent worldly Dvārakā-Kṛṣṇa.
This is the innermost calling of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, Her overwhelming separation in vipralambha and intense longing to join once again in Her loving pastimes with Kṛṣṇa in the groves of Vraja-dhāma. To serve such a dire need of our most beloved Rādhārāṇī is our highest service call, recognized as such by Bhaktivinoda and expressed in his desire to retire in Kurukṣetra.
Prayers From A Devotee’s Heart
Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ — the conclusive truth of religious principles is hidden in the heart of an unadulterated, self-realized devotee. As confirmed by śāstra, we should accept whatever instructions are given to us by such self-realized advanced devotees. (Mahābhārata V.P. 313.117)
All our predecessor ācāryas and other qualified devotees have left us with so many writings and instructions. Their bhajans and prayers provide us with glimpses into their “souls,” their rasas, their bhāva.
It is recommended that we recite and learn these divine expressions of deep devotional sentiment as a way to enter into their advanced inner commitment — into the essence of their highest sentiments of bhakti. Reading, repeating and memorizing these powerful words of our ācāryas is recommended as a valuable technique for entering deeply into prayer and solidifying our devotion.
In my distribution of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books I repeatedly confirmed by personal experience, that when I prayed humbly and sincerely to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu while expressing complete dependence upon the His mercy, that so long as I did not project thoughts of being the doer of my results, that He always gave His mercy. I.e., I achieved good distribution results. This technique of praying for the unlimited mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu can help increase the quality of our devotion and service.
An adapted and personalized prayer of Pṛthu Mahārāja especially appealed to me in its raw humility. “My dear Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, you are always so merciful to Your devotees. Even though my service is insufficient and meager, I know you will accept it . . . because You are so kind and merciful and always accept my service. Even though I am unworthy, I count my blessings that I can always rely on Your mercy. I am so very grateful.”
Cry For The Lord
Śrīla Prabhupāda recommended that we practice a particular technique of learning to cry for the Lord —
laulyam lālasamami. In his Nectar of Devotion he states that: “One should learn how to cry for the Lord. One should learn this small technique, and he should be very eager and actually cry to become engaged in His service. This is called laulyam, and such tears are the price for the highest perfection. If one develops this laulyam-lālasa-mayī, or excessive eagerness for meeting and serving the Lord in a particular way, this is the price to enter into the kingdom of God.”
Perhaps the most important qualities of a good Vaiṣṇava are simplicity, honesty and dedication. These qualities are exemplified by the living examples of the Six Gosvāmīs in particular and all the ācāryas in our paramparā in general, what to speak of the many wonderful devotees we all revere. They are all truly worthy of glorification, yet in their humility they are actually embarrassed by praise. In their heart of hearts they truly do feel insignificant and sinful — thereby exhibiting these qualities of the topmost devotees.
Lawless Love of the Gopīs
The summit of devotion is revealed in the gopī damsels of Vraja — ramya kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhur-vargena-vā kalpita. “The highest and most pleasing type of worship of Kṛṣṇa is done by the vraja gopīs.” (Caitanya-mata-mañjuṣā commentary) How is this?
This is because the Gopīs exemplify absolute surrender by using every faculty possible in service of Kṛṣṇa. The Gopī’s love has been labeled, ‘the lawless love of the Gopīs,’ for they forsake all the rules of society and morality even abandoning their family to rush out and meet Kṛṣṇa in the forest in the dead of night whenever Kṛṣṇa’s flute song calls to them.
Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s unparalled love for Kṛṣṇa creates a deep burning desire of necessity which is portrayed as excess negativity, only satisfied by the positivity of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s association. Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are two parts of a whole who truly unite in the dynamic transcendental form of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
During the last twelve years of Mahāprabhu’s manifestation on this planet, He was often overcome with ecstatic feelings from the surging love dynamic of Rādhā & Kṛṣṇa. These unbounded ecstacies overwhelmed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and erupted from His transcendental body like lava from a volcano, manifesting externally as His grand Saṅkīrtana Movement, distributing divine love to all.
He announced that His name would spread all over the world, ordering each and everyone of us to engage in His glorious Saṅkīrtana campaign and our ācāryas have taken this call to heart, spreading His glories and Holy Name worldwide.
Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja explains further the dynamic conception of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s intense feelings of prema-vaicittya, in the following quotes from Follow the Angels.
Vṛndāvana is For Shallow Thinkers
Gaura-Gadādhara represent a complete mādhurya conception and more. In Them there is separation, union in separation; Gadādhara Paṇḍita has Rādhārāṇī’s bhāva. Although he was the possessor of that wealth, Mahāprabhu took it and he stood empty, plundered, following Mahāprabhu as if his heart had been stolen.
Prema-vaicittya, separation in union, union and separation. Like mādhurya-rasa, but a vow has been taken . . . That sort of saṁbhoga is present, spiritual separation in physical proximity.
Sometimes in the case of Rādhārāṇī and Kṛṣṇa, They experience prema-vaicittya. They are standing closely together, yet still experience some feeling of separation. So intense is Their feeling. Even though They are together, They are feeling the pain of intense separation. That is prema-vaicittya.
Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja was shocked to hear his guru, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānti Sarasvatī Ṭhākura state that, only the bogus, hollow people and men of shallow thinking like Vṛndāvan. A man of real bhajan aspires to live in Kurukṣetra, not in Vṛndāvan. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura addressed similarly, “I would like to spend the last days of my life in Kurukṣetra. I shall construct a cottage near Brahma Kuṇḍa and pass the rest of my life there. Kurukṣetra is the real place of bhajana.” Why, we ask?
Service Necessity
Service is more valuable according to the intensity of its need. When Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s necessity reaches its zenith, service to Her becomes extremely valuable. According to its necessity, service is valued. And in Kurukṣetra, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is in the highest necessity because Kṛṣṇa is so close, yet Their Vṛndāvana-līlā is impossible.
We are told that service offered when Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are in separation has a greater importance than when They are united. When They are separated, They feel great pain, and service at that time is an utmost necessity. Where do we find this greatest necessity?
In Gadādhara Paṇḍita, in Rādhārāṇī. Her bhāva is plundered by Mahāprabhu and She is bereft of all Her property. Like the poorest of the poor She is standing, as if a carcass. It is so pitiable and pathetic that it demands service. Service here will be of the greatest value. In that state, our service will attract the greatest remuneration; even a little service will earn much of the divine compensation.
This illustrates that—Service is more valuable according to the intensity of its need. Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāja says,
When Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s necessity reaches its zenith, service to Her becomes extremely valuable. According to its necessity, service is valued. And in Kurukṣetra, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is in the highest necessity because Kṛṣṇa is so close, but Their Vṛndāvana-līlā is impossible.
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that in that situation, a drop of service will attract the greatest amount of prema, divine love.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu expressed His intense feelings by chanting a particular śloka as He danced in front of Lord Jagannātha’s Ratha festival in Purī. Expressing the extreme prema-vaicittya internal mood of Rādhārāṇī He was experiencing, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu chanted this śloka over and over in great ecstacy, thereby revealing His overwhelming desire to return with Kṛṣṇa to Vṛndāvan where the full expression of their Divine Love can be properly relished.
Mahāprabhu chanted:
priyaḥ so ’yaṁ kṛṣṇaḥ saha-cari kurukṣetra-militas
tathāhaṁ sā rādhā tad idam ubhayoḥ saṅgama-sukham
tathāpy antaḥ-khelan-madhura-muralī-pañcama-juṣe
mano me kālindī-pulina-vipināya spṛhayati
“My dear friend, now I have met My very old and dear friend Kṛṣṇa on this field of Kurukṣetra. I am the same Rādhārāṇī, and now We are meeting together. It is very pleasant, but I would still like to go to the bank of the Yamunā beneath the trees of the forest there. I wish to hear the vibration of His sweet flute playing the fifth note within that forest of Vṛndāvana.” (C.c. Antya 1.79)
Understanding this verse chanted by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī, having received the unlimited mercy of Mahāprabhu, understood His internal intense feelings of longing and composed his own śloka expressing the same sentiments. When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu read this śloka He was astonished that Rūpa had captured the essence of His most confidential sentiments:
yaḥ kaumāra-haraḥ sa eva hi varas tā eva caitra-kṣapās
te conmīlita-mālatī-surabhayaḥ prauḍhāḥ kadambānilāḥ
sā caivāsmi tathāpi tatra surata-vyāpāra-līlā-vidhau
revā-rodhasi vetasī-taru-tale cetaḥ samutkaṇṭhate
“That very personality who stole my heart during my youth is now again my master. These are the same moonlit nights of the month of Caitra. The same fragrance of mālatī flowers is there, and the same sweet breezes are blowing from the kadamba forest. In our intimate relationship, I am also the same lover, yet still my mind is not happy here. I am eager to go back to that place on the bank of the Revā under the Vetasī tree. That is my desire.”
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, while madly dancing in front of Lord Jagannātha, expresses His innermost sentiments in the guise of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s imploring Kṛṣṇa to please return to Vṛndāvan, so They can fully express Their dynamic loving relationship — which manifests as the Saṅkīrtan movement worldwide. It is our eternal privilege and obligation to join in this distribution of Divine Love, and share this ecstacy with all — yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa.
The Golden Volcano of Divine Love is Mahāprabhu.