10 March 2017 a.m.
Prabhuji: Real and complete sannyasa is only taken by those in madhura-rasa. No other rasa has this sannyasa. Only the gopis give up everything.
yā dustyajaṁ sva-janam ārya-pathaṁ ca hitvā
bhejur mukunda-padavīṁ śrutibhir vimṛgyām
The Vraja-devés have given up everything that is difficult to renounce, such as children, family and the path of chastity, and they have taken shelter of the path of prema-bhakti to Sri Krsna that is eternally searched for by the Srutis themselves.
Sripad Vaikanas Maharaja: What about those who take sannyasa but are not followers of vraja-bhakti?
Prabhuji: They have not accepted real sannyasa. Their giving up of this world is actually their own selfish and subtle enjoyment.
[Sripad Vaikanasa Maharaja had been speaking on Sri Hari-Hara Ksetra in Navadvipa and Siva tattva. The next question was in this relation.]
Devotee: If Gopesvara Mahadeva does not have a mother, father, husband, village, and so on—if he himself was not born in Vraja, can he give such a position to others? Also if he is just the gatekeeper and not actually taking part in Rasa, can he give entrance into Rasa?
Prabhuji: Siva took sannyasa. He left Parvati (Maya) and everything and took shelter of Yogamaya—Bhagavati Paurnamasi. Paurnamasi gave Him a push. She was testing Him. She pushed him into Brahma-kunda and then he had a new svarupa. His birthplace is Brahma-kunda in Sri Vrndavana and His mother is like Yogamaya Paurnamasi.
Sannyasa is real birth. Without sannyasa there is no birth. Yogamaya gives svarupa siddhi and entrance into eternal Vraja and then vastu-siddhi. This is real sannyasa. To give up everything and receive a spiritual body from Yogamaya is real sannyasa.
So, Siva was saranagata and he received sannyasa from Yogamaya.
Sripad Vaikanas Maharaja: Is Gopesvara just a loka-pala or does he participate in Rasa?
Yogamaya gave Gopesvara the seva of being the gatekeeper and she told him that if someone wants it, then give them prema.
She said, “If someone is saranagata and renounced, then give them adhikara. When they have practiced with you and become qualified and mature, the Vraja-devis will come and collect them, like a gardener who picks the flowers.”
[CC-by-NDNC Bhakta Bandhav]