Whatever we do, we should do for the happiness and benefit of Krishna and not for our satisfaction. Otherwise, our bhakti will weaken. What is the deep meaning of this sloka? When you have deep affection and love filled moods, with the conviction, “I will serve Krishna…
Srila Gurudeva: We sing Damodarastakam only because of the phrase, “Namo radhikayai tvadiya priyayai” (I offer my obeisances to Your beloved Radhika); otherwise, we have no need. This song is for the bhaktas of dasya, sakhya, and vatsalya., as well as for Gaudiya Vaisnavas who are just entering bhakti…
That pastime personality is prema-bhakti, and in prema-bhakti there are five different personalities: Santa (neutral relation), dasya (servitorship), sakhya (friendship), vatsalya (parenthood), and madhurya (conjugal service). We should pray to madhurya-bhakti, which lives in the gopis, and among the gopis, Srimati Radhika is the embodiment of hladini-sakti (Sri Krsna’s pleasure potency)…
Why do our acaryas worship all these gurus? If one only accepts one’s own guru and does not accept the guru-parampara, he will not make tangible advancement in bhakti. It is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.1.3):
nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam…
We can fully realize Her glories by taking shelter and praying to those who properly follow Her — the sadhus. All of the limbs of bhakti must be executed in sadhu-sanga. Only by the mercy of sadhus is it possible to understand bhakti…
Srila Rupa Gosvami has promised: “One should stay in Vrndavana under the guidance of a sadhu, chant the holy names, hear Srimad Bhagavatam from the lotus mouth of a rasika Vaisnava and serve the Deity of the Lord. There is no doubt that by performing these five activities one will surely receive krsna-prema.” However, there is one condition – there should be no disrespect or offence to the Vaisnava…
Srila Gurudeva: Your question should be, “How can we receive bhakti?” “How will we attain bhakti?” In bhakti, these other questions will not be raised. Why these questions? We will have to leave all these things. The real question is, “How will we leave all these things?” Do you understand my view…
Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was ordered by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to help all devotees understand that Srimati Radhika is the most powerful among all the gopis, and that in order to become Her dasi (maidservant), we will have to become rupanuga. Without being rupanuga – without the guidance of Sri Rupa-manjari – we cannot serve Radhika…
You cannot give what you don’t have. Because Sanatana Gosvami can give anything we may desire, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami has addressed him as Prabhu. “O Prabhu, you have something in your treasury that you can supply to me. Please give me radha-pada dasya. You are the master of that. Prabhu asrayami – I am taking shelter of your lotus feet…