Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja : On Raganuga-bhakti – We become happy to see this

Sripad Tamal Krsna Gosvami: Raghunatha dasa Gosvami is Tulasi Manjari? She is under Vrnda devi? She is a duti of Vrnda?

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: No, Tulasi is a separate personality. Tulasi Manjari is one personality, and Tulasi is another. Tulasi is a dhuti, not a manjari. Later on, you will know. By and by, you will learn everything.

How are you?

Sripad Satsvarupa dasa Gosvami: Glad to be here.

Sripad Tamal Krsna Gosvami: Bhurijana said we should select the days on which we will do some parikrama.

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: We can select on another day. I have a very little something…

Sripad Tamal Krsna Gosvami: A feeling in your heart?

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Yes, yesterday night, for half a minute. The doctor said, “You may have these symptoms for the next three months, so don’t fear.”

Sripad Tamal Krsna Gosvami: So tomorrow you will take rest. We will not come tomorrow.

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Yes, at least one day there should be rest. The subject we discussed today is enough for you.

Sripad Tamal Krsna Gosvami: More than enough; and there will be many tomorrows.

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: You can think about what we discussed.

Sripad Giriraja Maharaja: The day after tomorrow is Sunday.

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: No problem.

Sripad Tamal Krsna Gosvami: This is no problem for you? Many people do not come on Sunday morning?

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: They come, but you will come at this time in the morning.

Sripad Tamal Krsna Gosvami: We will try to come by 9:30 sharp. Sunday will not be a problem for you?

Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: You can come like they come, the devotees who live in Mathura.

Sripad Tamal Krsna Gosvami: That is also nice – to see them seeing you. We become happy to see this.

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: They are very good devotees; they help me in so many ways. I respect them as Vrajavasis.

(End of the day’s conversation. To be continued…)

Endnote (from Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja’s discussions with several GBC members, on the subject of Vilapa Kusumanjali, Mathura, India, 1991:

Rupa-manjari-kararcita-pada-padma/ gosthendra-nandana bhujarpita-mastakayah from Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s Vilapa-kusumanjali, verse 72). There are two meanings here.

One meaning is that Krsna’s feet are worshipped by Srimati Rupa Manjari, or in other words, Rupa Manjari is massaging Krsna’s feet. Radha and Krsna are lying down on a bed, Srimati Radhika’s head is on the lap of Krsna, and Krsna is holding Her head in His hand.

Raghunatha dasa Gosvami is praying that, “O Svaminiji, O Srimati Radhika, can You bless me, give me some mercy, that I will serve Your feet at that time?”

The commentary above, given by Radha-kunda babajis, is not correct. Gaudiya Vaisnavas do not accept this; they do not consider it a good thing. We follow anugatya-dharma (the principle of following in the footsteps of guru and guru-parampara, following under their guidance, and taking their remnants).

Bhakti is of anugatya. If Krsna’s feet are served by Rupa Manjari and Srimati Radhika’s feet are served by Rati Manjari, then there would be no anugatya of Rupa Manjari; they would not be in the same category.

Another thing is that a manjari wants to serve Radhika more than Krsna. So it is not possible that Rati Manjari’s guru-sakhi, Rupa Manjari, would be serving Krsna and Rati Manjari, being subordinate, would take the feet of Srimati Radhika.

The idea of guru and Vaisnavas is like this: Krsna is sitting. Srimati Radhika is overjoyed and She has become svadhina-bhartrika. Svadhina-bhartrika means that if Srimati Radhika tells Krsna, “You should stand up,” Krsna will stand up. Fully controlled by Her, He will reply, “O yes.” Then, if She tells Him, “You should put on My earrings. O, You should comb and decorate My hair,” Krsna will do everything for Her.

Only Rupa Manjari and Rati Manjari are present on this occasion. Srimati Radhika’s head is in the lap of Krsna. If both were lying down, as the babajis say, it would not be possible for Her head to be on Krsna’s lap. Actually Krsna is sitting, and Srimati Radhika is lying down with Her head on His lap. Krsna has Her head in His hand, and He is very softly caressing Her hair. If anything is ‘wrong’ there, He is making it right and smoothing it out; and Radhika is so pleased with this service.

At this time Rupa Manjari is serving Radhika’s feet, and Rati Manjari is praying to Rupa Manjari, “I want to take your prasadam remnants.” What is the meaning of ‘remnants’ in this connection? Rati Manjari prays, “You are serving Radhika’s feet. Will you give me the order that I should also come and serve Her feet?” Rupa Manjari then places one of Radhika’s lotus feet on the lap of Rati Manjari, and both massage Her feet. This is anugatya-bhava.

We should always try to be in the anugatya of our Gurudeva: Gurudeva, parama-gurudeva, paratpara-gurudeva, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Kamala Manjari, Nayana Manjari, Vilas Manjari, Narottama Thakura, Rupa Manjari, Ananga Manjari, Lavanga Manjari, and so on. This is in the line of anugatya-dharma, which we never disobey.

This meaning is very pleasing and so good for all, so we accept this meaning and not the other one.