Svāminī puts all the preparations on golden plates and covers them with sheets. She has full faith that Tulasī and the other maidservants will feed Kṛṣṇa as if She Herself is doing it. mad vidhānām nija sakhīnām means 'Your girlfriends, of whom I am one!' The practicing devotee should also immerse himself in that rasa. … Continue reading Trust should be placed in the spiritual body

In his transcendental visions Śrī Raghunātha dāsa relishes the flavours of ornamenting Svāminī and when this vision disappears he prays for devotional service. For the benefit of the neophytes in rāgānugā-bhakti he has revealed the expertise of these ornamenting-services through his prayers. The neophyte should not serve as he likes it; he should serve according … Continue reading The sane process of balanced detachment and sincere selfless devotion

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