Srila Gurudeva: Rupa Gosvami has established the mood of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. What mood? The mood of the manjaris of Srimati Radhika. Anyone in this world had never given this thing. Only one person had given this thing before. Who? Caitanya Mahaprabhu, during the previous day of Brahma. So Narottama Thakura is saying, sri caitanya mano bhistam sthapitam yena bhutale. He established the mood of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in this Kali-yuga. Not just anyone could do this.
He established the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. What is the mercy of Rupa Gosvami? It is the same thing that Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to give. It is the same mercy Mahaprabhu came to sprinkle to all the jivas. What was that thing? Raga-marga bhakti loke karite pracarana (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 4.15) To preach what thing? Not vaidhi-bhakti, but raga-marga. What is raga-marga? Practicing bhakti in such a way by which we can have that real raga which was in the gopis hearts. So Rupa Gosvami established this. This will not be done massaging. Not by giving a thumb. Not by dragging Drupada and giving him at the lotus feet of Gurudeva, never. Not just anyone can give this thing.
Why can Rupa Gosvami give this? Because he was a special gopi serving Radha and Krsna conjugal. That is why he could give this thing. So Rupa Gosvami is the topmost servant of his Gurudeva. If anyone can serve his Gurudeva to establish the same mission in the world, then he is the topmost servant of his Gurudeva. If a guru-sevaka does not know anything of krsna-bhakti, if he has no idea about these things, then how can he establish his mission? He can never do this. They may say something outwardly about these things, but this is not pure bhakti. We have come to attain suddha-bhakti, prema-bhakti. What is prema-bhakti? Only raganuga-bhakti is prema-bhakti. Other bhaktis are not pure bhakti.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura has said this, “Only prema-bhakti is pure bhakti.” So, only chanting, remembering, and quarreling with all devotees and offending so many devotees is not bhakti. Offending so many devotees, not obeying his Gurudeva, quarreling here and there, doing politics, this is not bhakti. We should try to be a bhakta like Rupa Gosvami, knowing the heart of Gurudeva, what Gurudeva wants. If he cannot do this, then he is not a first-class guru-sevaka. If we can do this, then we will really be a guru-sevaka. Gurudeva never wants any money or anything.
But it may be that the servant is not so high-class and he may accept some money from the disciple. But actually, he has no need of all these things. What does he want? He wants that he should know what is pure love and affection and that he should serve Radha and Krsna conjugal. So, if you are doing so, he will be so happy. This is the interior mood of Gurudeva. I also want that you should be qualified. Gradually you should know what is krsna-prema, what is Krsna’s service, Guru’s service.
[Spoken by Srila Gurudeva on January 28th, 1998, Malaysia, published as part of the Bhakta Bandhav Anthology, Volume 25]