Śrī Raghunātha's svarūpāveśa is very vivid, and in this absorption he prays to Svāminī for Her devotional service. How wonderful is his savour of these visions! How agitated he is when he loses this consciousness again! Those who have attained perfection have nothing else but experience, and those who are advanced in bhajan also experience … Continue reading To love Rādhā more than Kṛṣṇa (rādhā snehādhikā)

Śrīmat Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī attains a virtual succession of relishable devotional services to Svāminī. The devotees that are fixed in smaraṇa will also attain these relishable services within their minds. When smaraṇa becomes deep it is called dhyāna, or meditation. This dhyāna or nidhidhyāsana is the best means of meeting the Lord face-to-face. In the … Continue reading How to attain spotless bliss

Without worshiping Śrī Rādhā's lotus feet and taking shelter of Her divine abode, Kṛṣṇa's sweetness cannot be relished. Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa writes in his Sva Saṅkalpa Prakāśa stotram (1):anārādhya rādhā padāmbhoja reṇum anāśritya vṛndāṭavīṁ tat padāṅkāmasambhāṣya tad bhāva gambhīra cittān kutaḥ śyāma-sindho rasasyāvagāhaḥ "Without worshiping the dust of Rādhā's lotus feet, without taking shelter of … Continue reading Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness can only be really be tasted by serving Śrī Rādhikā

In this Vilāpa Kusumāñjali Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī offers flower-like lamentations at Śrīmatī's lotus feet and renders loving devotional service to Her. With love-steeped minds and eyes the rāgānugā-devotees should see and relish the picture drawn with bhāva of the intense suffering the maidservant goes through day and night when she is separated from her … Continue reading More on the special mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

During a transcendental vision Śrī Raghunātha, in svarūpāveśa, hangs disc-shaped hairpins above Śrīmatī's ears, and now he proceeds by placing a musk-drop on Her chin. When the vision of placing the hairpins disappears Raghunātha dāsa laments. The pain of separation that a jāta-prema devotee (a devotee whose love for Kṛṣṇa has awakened) feels is very … Continue reading How to become Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s beloved

The visions of devotional service and the end of those visions follow each other successively, creating simultaneously an amazing satisfaction and agony. This agony is a deeply relishable bliss. Although Śrīla Dāsa Gosvāmī is an eternal maidservant of Śrī Rādhikā he always feels as if he loves Her for the first time, regardless of what … Continue reading Become attached to the pastimes of the beloved deity

The devotee who desires the highest welfare gives up all these false endeavours and constantly engages his body and senses in genuine endeavours, for the sake of Bhagavan, Sri Guru, the Vaisnavas and devotion itself. The question may be, all these householder devotees who have taken shelter of the lotus feet of a bonafide Guru … Continue reading Hope for us householders

It is not good to have my own thoughts about how to attain Śrī Rādhā's service. Those who are like bumblebees, intoxicated by drinking the honey that oozes from Śrī Caitanya's lotus feet, are always eager to attain the intimate service of Śrī Rādhā, and they cannot attain it and experience it without following in … Continue reading Serving the great words

When the transcendental vision disappears and the lack of devotional service is felt it becomes hard to tolerate the resultant misery. Sometimes the premika devotee even faints, but when the beloved deity responds the swoon may subside. When there is no vision there is again lamentation and prayers for devotional service. In this way it … Continue reading The whole heart must be given to Rādhārāṇī

Kṛṣṇa became Gaura to taste the Love that Rādhikā feels for Him, and after He had experienced that He also wanted to taste the nectar of the kiṅkarīs' service. While He relished the mood of the mañjarīs the Lord's body became formed like a turtle, or sometimes His limbs would loosen and stretch out. Śrī … Continue reading Śriman Mahāprabhu tastes mañjarī-bhāva