When the devotee becomes advanced in smaraṇa he no longer thinks: “I’m doing smaraṇa”. He feels as if he is directly experiencing the līlās in transcendental revelations. When the practising devotees have a little such experience within their minds they think: “I’ve gotten a response!”, but that is not so. [It is not the real thing yet]

The great ācāryas had experience and they also preached. The wise rasikas are most attracted to the sweet and lovely prayers that emanated from Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī’s pen and that are testimonies of his ecstatic experiences. Through constant meditation the heart becomes ripe, and then the transcendental revelations come, which save the practising devotees’ lives. Engrossment in the material world will lessen and attachments to sense-objects will vanish. Gradually the visions will become deeper and deeper. There is nothing sweeter than this in the world.

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī writes (Bhakti Sandarbha 304): astu tāvad bhajana prayāsa kevala tādṛśatvābhimānenāpi siddhir bhavatīti:

“Leaving aside the endeavours in practical devotion, simply by considering oneself to belong to God one attains perfection.”

To be engrossed in mañjarī-bhāva and think: “I feel that I’m actually with Her!”, that will please the heart!

How wonderfully vivid is Srī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī’s svarūpāveśa, even when he is in external consciousness! This can be felt while reading his sweet prayers. How miserable he feels when he cannot see his Svāminī anymore! My heart wants to feel separation, what a goal! Be virahī (one separated), otherwise you cannot experience the joy of milana (meeting)!

Śrī Ānanda Gopāla Gosvāmī