Glorification of Srila Rupa Goswami

vṛndāvanīyāṁ rasa-keli-vārtāṁ kālena luptāṁ nija-śaktim utkaḥ

sañcārya rūpe vyatanot punaḥ sa prabhur vidhau prāg iva loka-sṛṣṭim CC Madhya 19.1

Before the creation of this cosmic manifestation, the Lord enlightened the heart of Lord Brahmā with the
details of the creation and manifested the Vedic knowledge. In exactly the same way, the Lord, being
anxious to revive the Vṛndāvana pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa, impregnated the heart of Rūpa Gosvāmī with
spiritual potency. By this potency, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī could revive the activities of Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana,
activities almost lost to memory. In this way, He spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness throughout the world.

pārāpāra-śūnya gabhīra bhakti-rasa-sindhu tomāya cākhāite tāra kahi eka ‘bindu’

The ocean of the transcendental mellows of devotional service is so big that no one can estimate its length and
breadth. However, just to help you taste it, I am describing but one drop. Lord Caitanya gave one drop of the
ocean of rasa to Srila Rupa Gosvami, and that one drop was sufficient to inundate millions upon millions of
universes. Rupa Gosvami thought, "In order to fulfill the innermost heart's desire of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, I
will write a drama. In this drama I will explain the beauty of the meeting pastimes of Srimati Radhika and Sri
Krsna in Vrndavana, and also Their separation pastimes, when Lord Krsna leaves Vrndavana and goes to
Mathura and Dvaraka. He intended to write about this, but while he was traveling towards Jagannatha Puri he
came to the village of Satyabhama-pura. There, Srimati Satyabhama-devi, Lord Krsna's chief queen, appeared
to him in a dream and told him, "Please don't make only one drama. Please divide it into two parts." Then, when
Srila Rupa Gosvami finally arrived at Jagannatha Puri and met with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Lord
confirmed what he had heard from Srimati Satyabhama in his dream. Sriman Mahaprabhu told him, "Don't take
Lord Krsna out of Vrndavana." vṛndāvanaṁ parityajya sa kvacin naiva gacchati ‘but Kṛṣṇa the son of Nanda
Mahārāja never at any time leaves Vṛndāvana.’ (CC Antya 1.67) Srila Rupa Gosvami then divided his
drama into two parts. The first part is called Vidagdha-madhava, Krsna's pastimes in Vrndavana; and in the
second part, called Lalita-madhava, He goes to Dvaraka and all the gopis of Vrndavana were reunited with Him
in the form of the queens of Dvaraka.

Why did Srila Rupa Gosvami do this? This is a very deep siddhanta, or conclusive philosophical truth. Srila
Kavi Karnapura, son of Srila Shivananda Sen, has composed Sri Ananda Vrndavana Campu. In this book he
described the pastimes of Lord Krsna from His birth up to rasa-lila and the Divine Couple's swing pastimes, and
he stopped there. He didn't go any further than this. He didn't describe about Krsna going to Mathura or
Dvaraka, because this separation mood is very difficult to tolerate for the pure devotees. He was thinking, "My
Mistress Radhika cannot tolerate this separation, so I will not write about it."

yaṅ kali rūpa śarīra na dharata taṅ vraja-prema-mahānidhi kuṭharīka, kon kapāṭa ughāḍata (1) ko jānata,
madhura vṛndāvana, ko jānata vraja-nīta ko jānata, rādhā-mādhava-rati, ko jānata soi prīta (4) Yaṅ Kali Rūpa
Śrī Mādhava dāsa

The purport of this song is that if Rūpa Gosvāmī had not appeared, who would have revealed parakīyabhāva
(paramour mood), which is the means to obtain the great treasure of the love of Vraja? Without his mercy, who
could have understood the sweetness of Mathurā and Vṛndāvana and the glories of the damsels of Vraja?
Moreover, who could have understood the mood and love of Rādhā and Mādhava?

(Srila Rupa Gosvami, however, has written about the moods of both meeting and separation – because this
separation mood is a very deep transcendental ecstatic feeling. At the time of meeting, though Radharani and
Krsna are together, something may be forgotten or lost in the heart. On the other hand, at the time of separation,
there is complete meeting in new and fresh ways in the heart; and not only inside, but sometimes externally
there are sphurtis, temporary visions in which the loved one is actually present. Knowing all these very
profound transcendental established truths, and wanting to establish the desire of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
within the world, Srila Rupa Gosvami also glorified the mood of separation. There is a place for this separation
mood, and Srila Rupa Gosvami has explained this in his book, Ujjvala Nilamani: "Na vina vipralambha
sambhoga pusti masnute”. Without the mood of separation, the mood of meeting will not be nourished and
come to increasingly higher stages. The pastimes of separation are very important because they play the role of
nourishing the sweetness of meeting.

According to scripture, mundane rasa, this world's love between those who are unmarried is very immoral,
illicit, and sinful. However, in addition to manifesting the endless varieties and wonder of vipralambha and
sambhoga, the meeting and separation pastimes of Radha and Krsna, Srila Rupa Gosvami also established the
superiority of parakiya-rasa. By using evidence from many different sastras, he proved that Lord Sri Krsna is
not an ordinary nayaka (lover) and Radhika is not an ordinary nayika (beloved). In other words, when there is
meeting between a mundane lover and beloved in the parakiya mood it is very sinful, but Sri Krsna is a
transcendental personality, God Himself, and everything is possible for Him. Therefore, if He is the object of
the parakiya-bhava, there is no fault or defect in this. Rather this is the topmost supremely pure manifestation of
madhurya-prema, the romantic mood. Srila Rupa Gosvami established the fact that Lord Krsna Himself came
into this world to taste these mellows, and, as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Krsna experienced the parakiya-bhakti-
rasa that is within the heart of Srimati Radhika.)

The phrase gopī-jana-vallabha, meaning ‘the beloved of the gopīs,’ which is found in the gopāla-mantra and
other mantras, is emblematic of the paramour mood, parakīya-bhāva. Other than in Śrī Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi, Śrī
Rūpa Gosvāmī has mentioned the parakīya mood of the gopīs in the dramas Vidagdha-mādhava and Lalita-
mādhava, as well as in books such as Haṁsa-dūta and Dāna-keli-kaumudī.

vrndavane viharator iha keli kunje matta dvipa pravara kautuka vibhramena
sandarsayasva yuvayor vadanaravinda dvandvam vidhehi mayi devi krpam prasida (1)
[“O devi Radhike! Like the intoxicated king of elephants sporting with his queen elephant, Sri Krsna and You
are constantly enjoying Your ambrosial amorous pastimes in the lush pleasure groves of Vrndavana. Therefore,
O Gandharvike, be pleased with me and mercifully grant me the darsana of Your two lotus-like faces.”]
“Srila Rupa Gosvami is teaching by his own example how a rupanuga Vaisnava prays to Srimati Radhika.
Those who want to follow him never pretend to have already attained ekadasa-bhava (gopi-bhava, or manjari-
bhava). Those who pretend to be already on that platform when they are actually not so, are actually mad; they
have no sense at all. We should always pray as Srila Rupa Gosvami prayed. Then, by the mercy of the gopis and
by the mercy of Srimati Radhika, we can realize all the truths hidden within Rupa Gosvami’s prayers. Srimati
Radhika will give this realization. She will at once be pleased and give Her service.
“Srila Rupa Gosvami teaches us how to pray: “Vrndavane viharator iha – O, when will that time come? O my
dear Srimati Radhika-devi, You are very merciful, so please be merciful to me. Please sprinkle Your mercy
upon me.”
“…If Srimati Radhika hears these prayers uttered from the core of one’s heart, Her heart will melt and She will
bestow Her mercy.
“Srila Rupa Gosvami has skillfully written prayers such as this, filled with the pastimes of Krsna. He is Rupa-
manjari, a prominent nitya-siddha (eternally perfect) associate of Radha and Krsna, but in the form of
a sadhaka he is explaining to us the pastimes and the process to understand and enter them, so that we may be
helped. This is his mercy.”

In the above-mentioned verse, Srila Rupa Gosvami prays to serve Radha and Krsna when They are performing
Their amorous pastimes in the keli-kunjas throughout Vrndavana: in Bhandirvana, Nandagaon, and Varsana,
and especially at Radha-kunda. The word keli in this verse refers to Sri Sri Radha-Krsna’s amorous pastimes,
and the word kunja in this connection refers to the secluded groves in which They are absorbed in playing like
‘mad elephants’ (matta dvipa). Rupa Gosvami also prays to serve Them when They are roaming throughout
Vrndavana. He begs Them, “O my dear Srimati Radhika, O my dear Krsna, when will a day come that I will see
Your lotus feet?

hā devi! kāku-bhara-gadgadayādya vācā yāce nipatya bhuvi daṇḍavad udbhaṭārtiḥ

asya prasādam abudhasya janasya kṛtvā gāndharvike! nija-gaṇe gaṇanāṁ vidhehi (2)

In the verse beginning with “Ha Devi, kaku-bhara,” Rupa Gosvami is praying, “I am weeping bitterly. I am
rolling down on the earth and praying at Your lotus feet. Although I am so foolish and full of anarthas, still, I
am Yours. I am not qualified, I have so many undesirable mentalities; that is true, but I know that You alone are
mine. O Gandharvika (Radhika), I beg You to write my name in the register of Your maidservants. I beg You to
sometimes remember me, that I’m Yours, Your dear maidservant.”

If Srimati Radhika hears these prayers uttered from the core of one’s heart, Her heart will melt and She will
bestow Her mercy. Srila Rupa Gosvami has skilfully written prayers such as this, filled with the pastimes of
Krsna. He is Rupa-manjari, a prominent nitya-siddha (eternally perfect) associate of Radha and Krsna, but in
the form of a sadhaka he is explaining to us the pastimes and the process to understand and enter them, so that
we may be helped. This is his mercy.

From Srila Bhakti-Rakshak Sridhar Goswami maharaj:

The rupanuga sampradaya, the followers of Sri Rupa, are those who have the unique taste of service in the
camp of Radharani…The highest kind of divine sentiment is distributed from the camp of Srimati Radharani,
and that can never be compared with any attainment hitherto known even in the eternal factor of time and
space.
“…Why should we try to enter into the camp of Radharani?…Radharani’s service to Krishna is of the highest
order in every way. If we devote our energy to help Radharani, our energy will be utilized in Her service. In this
way She will serve Krishna with Her service more enhanced. Then the reciprocation will pass to us through Her
as our reward. That will be devotion of the highest type, mahabhava…Yet still, there is another, higher thing.
We are known as rupanugas, followers of Sri Rupa. Why? The service of Srimati Radharani eliminates
everything, even Narayana, to go to Krishna…
“Still, there is another point. Who is Rupa? Rupa Manjari. Generally the hierarchy in the spiritual world is
eternal. New recruits can occupy a particular rank of manjari, assistant, in madhurya rasa. And the leader
of manjaris is Sri Rupa Manjari…
When Radharani and Krishna are in secrecy, in private, the sakhis [Lalita, Visakha, and their followers] do not
like to approach there and disturb…but the younger girls [manjaris] can enter there….New recruits may come
to the manjari class. The manjaris have that sort of special advantage under the leadership of Sri Rupa
Manjari….the most sacred type of pure service, which is not even open to the sakhis [Radharani’s girl friends],
is open to the manjaris. That is found in Radharani’s camp. So, the position of the rupanuga, the followers of
Sri Rupa, is the most profitable position.

“…So, the camp, the sampradaya of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is known as the rupanuga sampradaya. There
our fate and fortune is located. Now we have to conduct ourselves in such a way that naturally we can connect
with that highest, pure spiritual conception from here
The rupanuga sampradaya, the followers of Sri Rupa, are those who have the unique taste of service in the
camp of Radharani…The highest kind of divine sentiment is distributed from the camp of Srimati Radharani,
and that can never be compared with any attainment hitherto known even in the eternal factor of time and
space.
“…Why should we try to enter into the camp of Radharani?…Radharani’s service to Krishna is of the highest
order in every way. If we devote our energy to help Radharani, our energy will be utilized in Her service. In this
way She will serve Krishna with Her service more enhanced. Then the reciprocation will pass to us through Her
as our reward. That will be devotion of the highest type, mahabhava…Yet still, there is another, higher thing.
We are known as rupanugas, followers of Sri Rupa. Why? The service of Srimati Radharani eliminates
everything, even Narayana, to go to Krishna…
“Still, there is another point. Who is Rupa? Rupa Manjari. Generally the hierarchy in the spiritual world is
eternal. New recruits can occupy a particular rank of manjari, assistant, in madhurya rasa. And the leader
of manjaris is Sri Rupa Manjari…
When Radharani and Krishna are in secrecy, in private, the sakhis [Lalita, Visakha, and their followers] do not
like to approach there and disturb…but the younger girls [manjaris] can enter there….New recruits may come
to the manjari class. The manjaris have that sort of special advantage under the leadership of Sri Rupa
Manjari….the most sacred type of pure service, which is not even open to the sakhis [Radharani’s girl friends],
is open to the manjaris. That is found in Radharani’s camp. So, the position of the rupanuga, the followers of
Sri Rupa, is the most profitable position.
“…So, the camp, the sampradaya of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is known as the rupanuga sampradaya. There
our fate and fortune is located. Now we have to conduct ourselves in such a way that naturally we can connect
with that highest, pure spiritual conception from here.”