PHOTO TOUR REPORT
AT THE SAMADHI OF SRILA RUPA GOSVAMI
ON HIS DISAPPEARANCE DAY
August 25, 2007
In celebration of Jhulan-yatra (Sri Sri Radha-Krsnas swing festival), Srila
Rupa Gosvamis disappearance day and Baladeva Purnima, Srila Narayana Maharaja
and his followers spent from August 24-28 in Vrndavana, at the Sri Rupa-Sanatana
Gaudiya Matha.
On the first evening, Srila Maharaja spoke about the swing festival, on the
following three evenings he and many well-known learned scholars from Vrndavana
and Mathura spoke about the glories of Srila Rupa Gosvami, and on the morning of
the 28th he spoke about the glories of Lord Balarama.
On August 25th, Srila Maharaja took the devotees to Sri Radha Damodara Temple.
First they circumambulated the temple, stopping to offer obeisances to the many
transcendental personalities whose samadhis are situated here. They visited the
samadhis of Srila Jiva Gosvami, Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, Srila
Bhugarbha Gosvami, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and Srila Bhakti
Pramoda Puri Maharaja.
Then they proceeded to Srila Rupa Gosvamis samadhi. After Srila Maharaja
offered his full obeisances, he was garlanded by the pujari there. He led the
devotees in offering arati, and then he spoke about the glories of Srila Rupa
Gosvami. His Hindi glorification was translated by Sripad Damodara Maharaja.
PLEASE CLICK ON THE PHOTO ABOVE TO SEE A
CLIP OF THE VIDEO.
Arati
He said, It is a matter of great fortune that today, the disappearance day of
Srila Rupa Gosvami, we have had a chance to come here to discuss his glories.
Who is Srila Rupa Gosvami and what is his contribution?
sri-caitanya-mano-'bhistam
sthapitam yena bhu-tale
svayam rupah kada mahyam
dadati sva-padantikam
[When will Sri Rupa Gosvami give me the shelter of his lotus feet? He
understood the innermost desire of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and established His
mission in this world. (Sri Prema-bhakti-candrika, Srila Narottama dasa Thakura)]
Srila Rupa Gosvami is that person who established Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhus
heartfelt intentions in this world.
prema-rasa-niryasa karite asvadana
raga-marga bhakti loke karite pracarana
rasika-sekhara krsna parama-karuna
ei dui hetu haite icchara udgama
[The Lord's desire to appear was born from two reasons: the Lord wanted to
taste the sweet essence of the mellows of love of God, and He wanted to
propagate devotional service in the world on the platform of spontaneous
attraction. Thus He is known as supremely jubilant and as the most merciful of
all. (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 4-15-16)]
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to this world to taste the parakiya-bhava
(paramour love), the unnatojjvala-rasa (pinnacle of loving devotion) of Srimati
Radhika. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to taste the happiness She experienced in
that. Mahaprabhu did not come to give the mood of Srimati Radhika to the jiva;
that is impossible. Even the mood of Lalita and Visakha cannot be given to the
jivas. The beauty or service of that mood, raga-marga, can be distributed to the
jivas. This is what Mahaprabhu came to give.
Srimati Radhika is the wish-fulfilling transcendental vine of pure devotion
towards Krsna. The sakhis are like the leaves, buds, and flowers on the vine of
Srimati Radhika.
The manjaris, which sway back and forth in the breeze, are the real beauty of
the vine or creeper. Similarly, the manjaris (maidservants of Srimati Radharani)
are the real beauty of the vine of Radhikas love. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came
to distribute their service, and He did so through the writings of Srila Rupa
Gosvami.
At the time of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, most people thought that parakiya-rasa
(the paramour love between Krsna and the gopis) was contemptible. The worst
thing in this world is for a woman to leave her husband and go with another man,
but this transcendental parakiya-rasa is not like that. Otherwise, why would
Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, the crest-jewel of transcendental personalities, speak
about this before the assembly of 88,000 Rsis and transcendental personalities
like Parasa Rsi, Vyasadeva, Narada Rsi, Vasistha Rsi, and Gautama Rsi. These
sages are paramahamsas, topmost swanlike pure devotees. Srila Rupa Gosvami gave
evidence from Srimad-Bhagavatam that this parakiya-rasa is completely
transcendental and pure.
Krsna is the essence and the beginning of all incarnations. He is the cause of
all causes. There is no reason for Him to come from Goloka Vrndavana to this
world to taste the disgusting mood of a mundane woman leaving her husband. Krsna
is the source of all incarnations. The gopis are nothing but direct personified
forms of Krsnas own energy. The relationship between Krsna and the gopis is not
mundane at all. It was Srila Rupa Gosvami who gave the evidence for this.
The Srimad-Bhagavatam states that the gopis left their husbands, brothers,
mothers, and other seniors to run to the forest to please Krsna. The gopis came
to meet Krsna in the forest, at which time Krsna told them, You should go back
and serve your husbands and family members. They are looking for you. But they
did not go.
Srila Rupa Gosvami established that parakiya-bhava is glorified in the
Srimad-Bhagavatam. By his writings, especially in Sri Ujjvala-nilamani, he
established this in this world.
After speaking, Srila Maharaja went to have darsana of Sri Sri Radha Damodara,
the Deities of Srila Jiva Gosvami.
He then went to the room of Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja and,
standing outside the room, he spoke about his relationship with Srila Prabhupada.
Outside Srila Prabhupadas room
Editorial Advisors: Pujyapad Madhava Maharaja, Sripad Brajanath dasa and Sri
Prema Prayojana dasa
Reporter: Vasanti dasi
Translator of the excerpts of Srila Maharajas class: Sripad Damodara Maharaja
Photographer and video maker: Vasanti and Anita dasis
Editor: Syamarani dasi
