Disappearance of Srila Ramananda Ray

So, in the past times of Mahāprabhu, after He takes sannyās, He's... Śrīla Guru Mahārāj says, in a, like almost child like state, searching for Kṛṣṇa. kāhāṅ mora prāṇa-nātha muralī-vadana, kāhāṅ karoṅ kāhāṅ pāṅ vrajendra-nandana (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 2.15), search for Śrī Kṛṣṇa. That was the title Śrīla Guru Mahārāj gave of the first book of his collected talks. The Search for Śrī Kṛṣṇā: Reality the Beautiful, have the Vedic aphorism, satyam, śivam, sundaram. There's truth; satyam, śivam; auspiciousness, but the ultimate conception of reality is sundaram; beauty, reality the beautiful. His domain is predominated by the movement that is dance. All the movement enhanced with the beautiful reality is dance. All the speech that is enhanced with reality the beautiful is song. So, Mahāprabhu, having taken sannyās, He had no other business. Now His heart, you could say, was released. And His madly searching for Kṛṣṇa. And ultimately ended up in Jagannāth Purī. And there seeing Jagannāth... when we go to Jagannāth Purī we see Jagannāth, Subhadrā, and Balabhadra-Balarām... but he would see Vrajendra-nandana Kṛṣṇa. So... Śrīla Saraswati Ṭhākur, some of his disciples went for darshan once and they said... they came back... “You seen Jagannāth?” “Oh, yes we saw Jagannāth, it's very nice.” “You saw Jagannāth?” “Yes.” “You saw Jagannāth?” And they went, “Oh, no.” He said. “Yes, what you've done is eye exercise.” Because, we're told when you view the Deity we'll see different descriptions or the form of the Lord that... first we shall look at the lotus feet and the eyes will go up and... this way and that way. So, he said, “Your eyes are getting some exercise, but what really are you seeing?” So, Guru Mahārāj says, “ If we go before Jagannāth we see an awkward figure.” He said it that way all smilingly. He said, “ But, Mahāprabhu He's crying tears profusely, what is His seeing?” When Mahāprabhu, later we find in the Antya-līlā, when He will go for darshan, that one lady, so enrapt in pure devotional mood, thought He was like the Garuḍa-stambha column. And she climbed up Mahāprabhu for a better view. [laughing] When she later came to her senses, she was apologetic, touching His feet, but His servitor, Govinda pulled her down, like, “You don't know what offense you've created.” But, Mahāprabhu checked him and said, “Oh, Jagannāth has not blessed me with such eagerness.” [laughing] He liked it. He thought, “Yes, that type of eagerness.”

We're discussing with Kunti about Nathdwara, where the deity of Gopāl is, and... and it's connected with Śrīla Prabhupād when they were describing to him plans of what would become a big temple in Juhu Beach, which is like the capital of 'Bollywood' in Bombay, and that's where the temple would be. And they were telling Prabhupād very enthusiastically, “And we designed it such a way that where ever you are sitting, you'll have perfect view of the Deity.” And, Prabhupād expressed some disappointment and he said, “No, it's better when it's small and you have to expend some energy on your part to see the Deity, that will be better.” Not that from everywhere you can see, you'll have to make your way toward the front. And Nathdwara to this day it like this... it's a small opening where you can view Gopāl Śrīnathji, and you, sort of, have to fight your way to the front. Usually, with old ladies, you know, you have to... [laughing] they have such eagerness. So, anyway, Mahāprabhu, Guru Mahārāj saying, “What is He seeing that's causing a stream, a Gaṅgā like stream of tears to come from His eyes?” So, it's about perspective and subjective position. When Mahāprabhu is overwhelmed by this Jagannāth darshan and faints, He's carried away to the court paṇḍit... Pratāparu... Pratāparudra... Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, his house. And He's lying there in a deep trance. We know from Caitanya-bhāgavat these trances are nine hours. They're very deep. He goes so far into the internal world it takes some time to gradually go from deep internal, to half internal, half external, back to external awareness. And, during that time, Gopīnātha Ācārya and Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya have a discussion about the divinity of Mahāprabhu. Which hinges on the conception, prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 6.84.2,1)... nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo, na medhayā na bahunā śrutena (Kaṭha Upaniṣad: 1.2.23). It's not a question of erudition, scholarship, intellect, data transfer, getting access to particular information. He said, “But, you need some mercy to understand the Supreme Lord and His position.” And, Guru Mahārāj's famous sutra, where he says... a man challenges saying, “If the finite can know the infinite, He's not infinite.” His response, “If the infinite cannot make Himself known to the finite, He's not infinite.” That's his prerogative, to whom and through whom He will reveal Himself. And Śrīla Guru Mahārāj points out, this is, this accounts for many people's different descriptions of divinity or any particular past time of divinity. How they saw it is according to their inner awakenment; what they'ṛe capable of seeing. But, Guru Mahārāj is very generous, rather then dismissing some particular angle of vision, he'll say, “Everything is possible. Kṛṣṇa's the supreme hypnotist, as He compels us to see Him, we see Him.” Just as in Bhagavad-gītā, He says, “With divyam-rūpaṁ, Arjun, I'm going to give you the eyes necessary to see this divine form.” And he sees the virāṭ-rūpa; the universal form, which has the affect of scaring Arjun, who, tenaiva rūpeṇa catur-bhujena (Bhagavad-gītā: 11.46.3), in the end he's asking please return as before. And from the virāṭ-rūpa to a four-arm Viṣṇu form, at last to Kṛṣṇa. And there, we're surprise to find he saying, “Actually, this form of Kṛṣṇa, this is the most confidential form.”

This is the form that, not only great devotees, yogis, spiritually realized souls, are trying to get a glimpse of. Even, Mahā-Viṣṇu wanted to see this form. And, Rūpa Goswāmī takes it even further, even Dwarka-Kṛṣṇa's charmed by this form. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, anādir ādir govindaḥ (Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā: 5.1.3-4), Śyāma-sundar, Kṛṣṇa, Govinda. That's who Mahāprabhu is seeing. When He... His so called external consciousness is to see Jagannāth, Subhadrā, and Balarām and think, “Why are we at Kurukṣetra?” [laughing] We take it that Jagannāth Purī is Dwarka. But seeing them and saying, “I suddenly find myself at Kurukṣetra.” ... that is the divine madness of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. But, after Mahāprabhu kindly upgrades Bṛhaspati; the guru of the Gods, in the form of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya into Gaura-līlā, he has a new perspective. A new way of seeing things.

yatha yatha gaura-padaravinde
vindeta bhaktim krta-punya-rasih
tatha tathotsarpati hrdy akasmad
radha-padambhoja-sudhamburasih
(Śrī Chaitanya-chandramrta: 88)

The real entrance into Kṛṣṇa-līlā is Gaura-līlā. So, now He's in the position to reflect upon His life in a new way. And he... as Mahāprabhu's preparing to tour south India, Sārvabhauma saying, “Oh, really who you should meet is Rāmānanda. He's the qualified person to discuss all these things.” And, then he had remorse for his past, he saying, “... Previously, I would mock him, oh, he's a 'de-vo-tee'.” Like that's still going on, as if devotee is somehow, some kind of a lesser position. He's a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee, a simple-hearted soul. “So, but now, by your grace I'm in a position to understand the greatness of Rāmānanda. And, really it is Rāmānanda with whom you should meet.” So, Mahāprabhu's six year tour, say two years in south India and He's meeting those from the Mādhav school, Rāmānuja school, Śrī sampradāya, the Buddhists. Everywhere He's demonstrating the superiority of His Kṛṣṇa conception of divinity. So much so, that when He returns he tells Sārvabhauma, “I just toured, what's reputed even in the pages of the Bhāgavatam, to be the most religious part of the country.” And, still it has this reputation. But, even in the pages of the Bhāgavatam the glories of of south India are spoken of. But, Mahāprabhu says, “I met with so many... all those leaders... so many different schools of divine thinking. But, I didn't find anyone like you, Sārvabhauma.” [laughing] And, Guru Mahārāj said, “In this way Mahāprabhu's endorsing Himself.” Because, what is Sārvabauma at this point, but the creation of Mahāprabhu. As we aspire to that recreated self that's seen in the eyes our guru-varga. As they see us, that is what we aspire to be. Although, we're infinitely familiar with our misconceived selves, we should be reminded, from time to time, that the grace of Guru and Vaiṣṇav, they see some other potential within us. And, we could say, it's our aspiration to achieve that servitor identity. So, He said, “I didn't find anyone like you, Sārvabauma. But, there was Rāmānanda, on your recommendation I met with him.” And, then Mahāprabhu began to sing the glories of Rāmānanda, who we find out from Kavi-karṇapūr in the Gaura-Gannodesha Dipika is none other Viśākhā-sakhī. So, we're regularly chanting the glories of Svarūp Dāmodar; Lalitā-sakhī. But, this partnership; Lalitā-Viśākhā, they play these pivotal roles in the past time of Mahāprabhu. And, as Svarūp Dāmodar makes all notes that we have that... and Raghunāth dās... said... that Svarūp Dāmodar put in the sūtra form, like, compacted cotton. Raghunāth dās found it out. What Svarūp writes very briefly, Raghunāth dās explicated on that. And Kṛṣṇa dās was the receiver of the full wealth from Raghunāth dās Goswāmī; Svarūp Dāmodar via Raghunāth dās Goswāmī.

But... so, in these past times, Śrīla Gurudev; Śrīla Govinda Mahārāj frequently liked to quote these ślokas that appear in a few places in Caritāmṛtam, saying, “Behind closed doors Mahāprahbu would hear Gīta-govinda, Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta, the poetry of Caṇḍīdāsa, Vidyāpati. And, it is also mentioned in the Jagannātha-vallabha-nāṭak of Rāmānanda. There's a garden called Jagannātha-vallabha and Rāmānanda use to live there and he wrote this play, Jagannātha-vallabha-nāṭak there. So, behind closed doors, but who, in the company of two; Svarūp Dāmodar and Rāmānanda− Lalitā, Viśākhā. We here the famous couplet, it says... bahirangha sange-kore nam-sankirtan, antarangha sange-kore rasa-asvadan (Śrīla Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj). With the general group of associates, nām-sankīrtan. As every Kali-yuga incarnation of Mahāprabhu delivers the yuga-dharma; nām-sankīrtan. Bābājī Mahārāj, we can still hear him, he loved to sing the last śloka of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, [singing ṣloka]

nāma-saṅkīrtanaṁ yasya
  sarvapāpa praṇāśanam
praṇāmo duḥkha-śamanas
  taṁ namāmi hariṁ param
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 12.13.23)

So, nām-saṅkīrtan. But, we're told in this particular age, Kali-yuga, and the... what is it... the 27th Divya-Yuga... and Vaivasvata Manu that svayaṁ bhagavān kṛṣṇa appears, there's an overlapping of the ages. Tretā and Dvāpar exchange places. Kṛṣṇa; svayaṁ bhagavān kṛṣṇa appears. Kṛṣṇa at the right-hand of Rādhārāṇī. And the Kali-yuga that follows, Mahāprabhu... but how?... rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalitaṁ... (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Ādi-līlā, 1.5.4), enveloped in the heart and halo of Rādhārānī. So, this is where He's appearing always to give the nām-saṅkīrtan, but here anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau, samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Ādi-līlā, 1.4.1-2)... ujjvala-rasām... rādhā-bhāva. And that is a very confidential thing. Like, when Gurudev talked of the worship of Bhaktivinod Ṭhākur-Gaura-Gadádhar, he said, “This is his private bhajan chamber. Not for us to enter there, or to meddle, or disturb that.” So, in behind closed doors, with those who are qualified, his antaraṅga bhakta rasa āsvādan. There, He's tasting all these things, in the company of Svarūp Dāmodar and Rāmānanda Rāy because they're qualified to nourish those moods to augment, when necessary; to assuage the grief of separation; these kind of things; to supply the appropriate śloka. It's a particular quality of servitor who can perform this sevā. And, it's interesting, Guru Mahārāj pointed it out, we take that Īśvara Purī as... dīkṣā guru of Mahāprabhu and Keśava Bhāratī as sannyās guru, he said, “We can take it Rāmānanda Rāy as the rāga-mārga dīkṣā guru of Mahāprabhu. And, who does this come from? Who is by status, in this past time, śūdra. It's very interesting, Who's rāga... Mahāprabhu's rāga-mārga dīkṣā guru, in this context we're speaking, is by cast and profession a śūdra. Decrying His own position as being unqualified. And, remember Nimāi Paṇḍit, He's a high class brāhmaṇ from Navadvīpa. So, why is He taking instruction from someone who seems to be so unqualified, from a superficial analysis? Even some of the associates of Rāmānanda Rāy, when they first met on the banks of the Godāvarī, they were shocked to see Mahāprabhu embracing Rāmānanda. It was... how do you say it... you know... a social faux pas from a caste point of view. But, to address this, Mahāprabhu says,

kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kene naya
yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei ‘guru’ haya
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 8.128)

Whether, vipra; brāhmaṇ, nyāsī; sannyās... kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī... śūdra or śūdra: if yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei ‘guru’ haya, if they know the science of Kṛṣṇa, then we find Guru there; we can accept Guru: Kṛṣṇa-tattva. And of course, Rāmānanda goes on kṛṣṇa-tattva, rādhā-tattva, rāsa-tattva, līlā-tattva; so many things within the Rāmānanda Samvad. When I discovered in interacting with Śrīla Guru Mahārāj, that he was, what you call, legally blind. Means, he can see in a very vague way, but sometime... you see pictures of him with his glasses. But, sometimes playfully, Guru Mahārāj would take his glasses off, like this, and go... put them back, on he goes, “No difference.” [laughing] So, whenever that time was, that they were prescribed, it was... it's just... he said, “They're mainly just out of habit and for show.” [laughing] So, and I... Guru Mahārāj would hear news with a little transistor radio on his chest. Like, he'd hear the news, and that's how he could keep up on the world, and latest scientific discoveries and all that. And, someone would read him the newspaper. So, I asked Śrīla Gurudev once, just in passing, I said, “So, I never saw Guru Mahāraj read scripture, who's śāstra-nipuṇ, those days were in the past”. One great literary critic of the west, he said, speaking in the secular sense, he said, “There's a type of writer or thinker who, well, generally he's advising that you read from so many great writers.” He saying, “But, there's another type, who's reached the stage where they no longer need to read.” He was saying that as a very high comp... like, in other words, they've got it all now. So I said, “What about Guru Mahārāj?” “Does he ever read any books?” And, Gurudev... “no, no, oh” He said, “ sometimes he has me read to him.” And then he shook his head, he goes, “But, it's always the same thing.” And then... “Oh, what is that?” “Rāmānanda Samvad.” Which Guru Mahārāj, if I were to say, knew by heart, it would be the ultimate appropriate use of that cliché. He knows the Rāmānanda Samvad by heart. But, every now and then, he might like to hear some other part. And he would say, “Here his ontological method springs out.” Which means, in principle, what is the Ramanada Samvad, but explaining gradation and of quality. Otherwise, and back to how there are different perspectives, there are... when Mahāprabhu enquires from Rāmānanda, and Rāmānanda answers with a śloka from Bhagavad-gītā, and Mahāprabhu says, “That's external.” How can we digest that? It's the Bhagavad-gītā. But, if anybody can say that, I would say, that Kṛṣṇa, who spoke Bhagavad-gītā, who's now rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalita. If He says that's external, there maybe some mysterious, mystical hidden wealth in that expression. So, it means from a particular perspective, and that means gradation, and ascent and progress.

So, when they begin their talk, and Rāmānanda's first response is, he mentions varṇāśrama-dharma. What is that... viṣṇur ārādhyate... varṇāśramācāra-vatā... anyway, I can't recall. [varṇāśramācāra-vatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān, viṣṇur ārādhyate panthā nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 3.8.9)]. And it's rejected by Mahāprabhu as external. Because, it's saying whatever you do it should ultimately... what's the word?... ultimately culminate in viṣṇur ārādhyate. But... in it of itself is not that, the worship of Viṣṇu. And then he says, “Well kṛṣṇe karmārpaṇa.”

yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi
yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 8.60)

Whatever you do, do it as an offering to Kṛṣṇa. “And still, that is external.” brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 8.65.1), they keep going further, further. And Mahāprabhu's saying, “Everything you're telling me, right now, is external.” It's on the outside, it hasn't crossed the threshold and entered, it has no real touch with the devotional realm. And what is the first thing He accepts? When Rāmānanda quotes the Brahma Stuti.

jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva
jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām
sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir
ye prāyaśo ’jita jito ’py asi tais tri-lokyām
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 8.67)

Saying, “Hear about Kṛṣṇa from a devotee of Kṛṣṇa.” Mahāprabhu; “Yes, now you're talking. That I accept. Tell me more.” But, that is the access point to a real connection. He's saying, “If you can hear about Kṛṣṇa from a genuine devotee of Kṛṣṇa.” Guru Mahārāj said, “Then your success is guaranteed, whether it be today, tomorrow, or some other time.” Then you've come in touch with the real thing. Bhāgavatam tell us this early on,

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
  viṣvaksenakathāsu yaḥ
notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
  śrama eva hi kevalam
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.2.8)

… vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.2.16.2), saying, that what ever you're doing, within varṇāśram, outside or not even remotely connected. Whatever it is you're doing, if the end result is not an increase interest in hearing about Kṛṣṇa, some eagerness, some hunger for that, then you're wasting your time.

tava kathāmṛtaṁ tapta-jīvanaṁ
  kavibhir īḍitaṁ kalmaṣāpaham
śravaṇa-maṅgalaṁ śrīmad ātataṁ
  bhuvi gṛṇanti ye bhūridā janāḥ
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.31.9)

Later Mahāprabhu will embrace Pratāparudra Mahārāj saying, “Yes, those who talk to us about Kṛṣṇa, there're doing the real welfare work for people in this world.” That's the real thing, the real substance is located there. Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī says, “yad-anucarita-līlā-karṇa-pīyūṣa-vipruṭ-sakṛd-adana-vidhūta-dvandva-dharmā vinaṣṭāḥ” (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.47.18.1-2). “A drop of this substance can destroy all attachment.” It's that powerful, that potent. So, the topics of Kṛṣṇa when... and it's interesting, in that Rāmānanda Samvad, in the beginning, Kavirāj Goswāmī said... what did he say?... sañcārya rāmābhidha-bhakta-meghe (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 8.1.1), says, Rāmānanda is like a bhakta-meghe; a cloud of devotion, whose risen from the sea, sva-bhakti-siddhānta-cayāmṛtāni (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 8.1.2) There's and ocean of bhakti-siddhānta, really full of jewels, ratnālayatāṁ, gems. But, really that is Mahāprabhu who is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa combined in sync. So, this cloud has appeared from there and then there's again, raining back onto the ocean and so many jewels are coming to the surface. In the form of all these ślokas, beautiful ślokas that are contained there in. So, whenever, Mahārpabhu will praise Rāmānanda, Rāmānanda compares his position to that of a musical instrument. Saying, “Really, you are playing me. And you are playing me and causing all of these things to come out.” So, in the Antya-līlā of Caritāmṛtam, Pradyumna Miśra approaches Mahāprabhu and says to Him, “I would like to hear kṛṣṇa-kathā from you.” And, Mahāprabhu compliments him in this saying, “Oh, you're so fortunate that within you is awakened the desire to hear about Kṛṣṇa, but, kṛṣṇa-kathā āmi nāhi jāni, I don't know kṛṣṇa-kathā.”

How is that possible? Why is He saying this? Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa combined. He said earlier on His tour, “āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra’ ei deśa, yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 7.128.2-1): Tell everyone about Kṛṣṇa; kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa.” Now He's saying, “I don't know any kṛṣṇa-kathā.” And, we can interpret this in different ways. One way is, we can think, oh, there sort of generic... ontology... generic siddhānta. And then this kṛṣṇa-kathā means more high level talks; confidential talks. But, more to the point, Mahāprabhu, as in the Rāmānanda Samvad, wants to demonstrate, you can only get this from one source. Within that dialogue as Pradyumna Miśra will ask Rāmānanda later... to tell... when Rāmānanda wants to comply, “Tell me the talks on the banks of the Godāvarī.” But, therein we find, he's saying, “Only from the sakhīs can you get this kind of sevā and understanding; Lalitā-sakhī, Viśākhā-sakhī, accept no substitute.” When at the behest of Mahāprabhu, Pradyumna Miśra goes to Rāmānanda. Mahāprabhu saying, “You hear from him. I heard from him. You hear from him, that's my advice.” When he arrives he meets Rāmānanda's servitor who tells him, “Oh, right now, you know he's compiled a play, authored a play called Jagannātha-vallabha-nāṭak and in that drama, it's required that some girls take the position of gopīs and they have to be trained how to express all these divine sentiments, ecstatic sentiments. So, there're two very beautiful young girls, deva-dāsīs, who's... he's in the midst of training right now.” And, part of that training includes conditioning them, they need to be massaged, and, like that. He's telling this to him. [laughing] “And, so, he can't attend to it, when he's finished then he can come and speak to you.” And so, out of necessity, of training them for the play, there was this intimate contact in the scene. But, for Rāmānanda, it was like touching wood or stone, he's unaffected. Why? Gopī-bhāva, it's Viśākhā-sakhī; Viśākhā-sakhī has no puruṣa-bhāva; no maleness; male enjoying tendency. This literally trying to train these... this is the expert in how to express divine sentiments, training these girls how you'll express these things in the play. But again, perspective; acquiring the proper angle of vision, so, when Rāmānanda finish... the girls... he serves them prasādam and sends them to their quarters. Then he comes, “Oh, forgive my offense, my aparādh, I couldn't attend you, how can I serve you?” And, Pradyumna Miśra was thinking, “Oh, I just came for your darshan and now that I'm seeing you, I'm happy.” And, then he returns. And, Mahāprabhu says, “Did you hear kṛṣṇa-kathā from Rāmānanda?” And he said, “No, I just gave daṇḍavats.” “Why!?” “Well, this sort of thing, I cannot digest this.” Then Mahāprabhu says, “As an sannyasis, if I see the form, or the representation of a woman, or hear the sweet name of a woman, it may cause a disturbance in me, but, not in Rāmānanda.” “He has no mundane form, he has aprākṛta-deha, means looks like he has a body; actually totally spiritual”. He said, “Not even a remote trace amount of exploiting or enjoying tendency in him.” “That's why I've heard from him. And, by the way, there's eka-rāmānanda; there aren't two; there isn't another one available to me. You know, this eka-rāmānanda... there's one Rāmānanda. Therefore, I heard from him, got these instructions, I implore you to do the same.”

Now, his faith is different. Now, he's got... he has faith hearing form Mahāprabhu. What an endorsement. An endorsement from, you know, Rādhā-Govinda combined. He's saying, “You want to know about this. This is the person to hear from.” It actually makes perfect sense. There... we learned in Rāmānanda Samvad, they're sometimes lost in one another. Better to hear from Lalitā-Viśākā; they're the qualified, vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ, śraddhānvito ’nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Antya-līlā, 5.48.1-2). Viśvāsa, it has to be with a particular quality of faith. The world of faith, śraddhaḥ māyāyām loka, only accessible through faith; not the intellect, the mind, by analysis, academic prowess, or any such thing. But, by someone, we say, embodies, aprākṛta-deha embodies. So, Pradyumna Miśra returns. Rāmānanda madly talking about Kṛṣṇa from the morning through... they skip lunch to the afternoon and into the evening. And Pradyumna Miśra is totally satisfied. And, praising Rāmānanda like anything, and then the secret comes out. Rāmānanda says, “But one...” When Mahāprabhu was asking, “Pradyumna Miśra have you heard from anything?” “Yes”, and telling the whole story. But, he says, “ But, there is one other thing you told me.” “Oh, what was that?” He said, “That Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is playing me like a musical instrument. And what ever He causes me to say that's what I say.” [laughing] Mahāprabhu, “Ohhh.” Mahāprabhu doesn't like to be caught, neither by Rūpa Goswāmī or any... but, repeatedly by His devotees, He's caught from time to time. When Rūpa Goswāmī... Mahāprabhu... “Say the mantra Vīra ishta devatā!” “It's you.” “No, this is ati-stuti-kari-nidhāna, too much glorifications... a type of”... He changes the subject away from himself. But, Rāmānanda said, “Whatever I told you, Mahāprabhu is causing me to say to you. But He's using me as an instrument.” ahaṁ vedmi śuko vetti, vyāso vetti na vetti vā (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 24.313.1-2). That's the Lord's preferred method of distribution through His devotional agent. So, when having accepted, that... hearing about Kṛṣṇa from a real agent is the substantial thing. Eho haya, āge kaha āra, go deeper, go deeper. As Guru Mahārāj would say, “Dive deep into reality.” He starts diving deeper into reality, śānta-rasa, dāsya-rasa, sakhya, vātsalya, madhura. And, ultimately, when it appears as though they've reached the zenith point, Mahāprabhu says, “Anything more you can say?”

And, thematically, we can see just like with Raghupati Upādhyāya, “Anything more?” “Oh... samprati... kaṁ prati kathayitum īśe, samprati ko vā pratītim āyātu (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 19.98.1-2), who would believe me, who can I tell this to, is there anyone qualified to hear this?” “And, if I said it, would they believe me?” In this case, Rāmānanda says, “You said at the beginning of our talk, whatever I say I'll... should quote some scripture.” That's the method of speaking in spiritual circles. Is that to show the validity of what we're asserting, we should give some śāstric reference, to show how it's possible to come to this... to express this idea, this concept, or come to this conclusion. He said, “So, there's something more I could say, but I can't quote any scripture, so what should I do?” “And, I don't know if you would like to hear it, but it's in a song that I wrote.” “So, what should I do?” And Mahāprabhu insists. Then, that song Gurudev could sing by heart. We cannot and we won't. But, what we shall say is that, if we can point to it from afar, is to say that... as is Guru Mahārāj often says, “Real substantial culture comes from separation; hunger; to be in want; to be in need; that's indicative devotional health. There has to be some wants, some needs, some hunger.” It says that sometimes Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are so lost in one another, that they feel separation; as if they lost each other. So, even there, separation takes the highest position. And then Mahāprabhu put His palm over his mouth... not to discuss this. Not to say anymore. And, later as their talks are winding down, Rāmānanda says to Mahāprabhu, “That, when I first met you, on the banks of the Godāvarī, it looked like a hundred suns dressed as a sannyasis.” “You effulgence was so great, so beautiful, so extraordinary, but in the garb of a sannyasis.” He said, “But, now when I look at you with greater scrutiny, I don't see a sannyasis, I'm seeing Śyāma-gopa-rūpa; Śyāmasundar-kṛṣṇa. But, not only Śyāmasundar-kṛṣṇa.” As Mahāprabhu saying, “Ah, you're... we've heard about the mahā-bhagavat devotee, who everywhere they caste their glance they're seeing Kṛṣṇā. So, it's our good fortune to meet someone like you. We've only read about this in the scriptures, that there are such devotees. They see Kṛṣṇa everywhere and in everything.” And Rāmānanda's saying, “Please, don't tease me like this.” I mean, it's humorous for Kṛṣṇa to say that. [laughing] Saying, “Everywhere you look you see... so, when you see me, you're also seeing Kṛṣṇa.” …. Come on [laughing] He said, “No, but I'm not only seeing Kṛṣṇa.” “Oh!” He said, “And, this is what is puzzling me. I see that there is a golden girl and her divine effulgence is covering Kṛṣṇa, she's enveloped Kṛṣṇa with her heart and halo.” “What is this?” Then Mahaprabhu says, “I cannot conceal myself from your divine eye, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena, santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā: 5.38.1-2), I can't hide myself from you. What you're seeing, no one has seen before.” “Not Sārvabhauma saw ṣaṭ-bhuj, his divinity.” Now, the ecstatic emotional interior of Mahāprabhu is being revealed. He's saying, “No one has seen this.”

This is the worship of Śrīla Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Ṭhākur, Śrīla Guru Mahārāj, Śrīla Gurudev. ‘rasa-rāja’, ‘mahābhāva’ — dui eka rūpa (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 6.282.2), rasa-rāja - Kṛṣṇa, mahābhāva-svarūpini – Srī-Rādhā-Thākurāṇī combined as one in Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then Rāmānanda faints. Rūpa Goswāmī's

rasoddāmā kāmārbuda-madhura-dhāmojjvala-tanur
yatīnām uttaḿsas taraṇikara-vidyoti-vasanaḥ
hiraṇyāṇāḿ lakṣmī-bharam abhibhavann āńgika-rucā
sa caitanyaḥ kiḿ me punar api dṛśor yāsyati padam
(Śrī Stava Mala: Volume 1 Prathama Caitanyastaka.4)

Will I see this divine form again, rasoddāmā kāmārbuda, like ten million cupids; full blown cupidity. yatīnām uttaḿsas taraṇi... that He's so effulgent... His sannyas cloth is glowing, like saffron gold; bright. His... and Guru Marārāj's, kotī-kāma-mūrchitāṅghri-rūpa rāsa-raṅgaraṁ (Śrī Śrī Premadhāma-deva-stotram: 2.3), ten million cupids will faint to see the beauty of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So, actually our worship, when it's fully expressed Śrī-Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, Guru-Gaurāṅga, Rādhā-Govindasundar, Gandharva-Govindasundar, like that; Mahāprabhu and Rādhā-Govinda. That was revealed to Rāmānanda. That is our iṣṭa-devatāḥ in the line of Śrīla Saraswati Ṭhākur. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jay! Śrī Rāmānanda Rāy Tirobhāv Mahā Mahotsava Tithi, Kī Jay!