30. Gaurāṅga Gives Gaurāṅgī

30. Gaurāṅga Gives Gaurāṅgī:

“A person will never feel attraction in his heart for the transcendental name, pastimes, and abode of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, if he does not take shelter of the transcendental name, form, ecstatic pastimes and sublime abode of Lord Caitanya first.” (Prema Vivarta) 

In his tīka on Manaḥ-śikṣā, Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda says, “Without first remembering and worshiping the spiritual master and Lord Gaurāṅga, one cannot render pure loving devotional service to the divine couple Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Deviation from this process will curb all spiritual advancement.” 

The life of Śrīnivāsa Ᾱcārya shows a perfect example of this principle of first worshiping Gaurāṅga, and then approaching Rādhā-Mādhava for service. Bhakti-ratnākara describes how Śrīnivāsa Ᾱcārya would first meditate on Gaura-līlā and then Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa-līlā. In meditation, Śrīnivāsa once offered a fragrant flower garland to Lord Gaurāṅga, who was sitting upon a jeweled siṁhāsana surrounded by His dear devotees in the forest of Navadvīpa. Overwhelmed with transcendental emotions, Śrīnivāsa Ᾱcārya began crying profusely. In loving reciprocation, Lord Gaurāṅga offered that garland back to Śrīnivāsa. This broke Śrīnivāsa’s meditation. Returning to external consciousness, surprised Śrīnivāsa found that garland adorning his chest, and diffusing an incomparable fragrance. 

Then Śrīnivāsa began to meditate on Rādhā-Govinda’s Holi-līlā (colour throwing pastimes) in Vṛndāvana. In his mentally conceived spiritual form as Maṅi-mañjarī, Śrīnivāsa Ᾱcārya gave coloured powder to Śrīmatī Rādhikā. This time when Śrīnivāsa’s meditation broke he found that his whole body was covered with divinely scented, pastel-coloured powders. Regularly such ecstatic events would occur during Śrīnivāsa Ᾱcārya’s manasi sevā (service performed within the mind during meditation) to Gaurāṅga and Rādhā-Govinda. 

According to Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda’s Jaiva Dharma, Gaurāṅga and Govinda līlā should be worshiped simultaneously, because upon attaining perfection the Gauḍiyā Vaiṣhṇava sādhakas will attain two spiritual bodies. Generally, a living entity has only one svarūpa (transcendental body) upon attaining spiritual perfection. In many cases, however, the ultimate destination for the followers of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī is to attain two spiritual forms: 

(1) A majestically beautiful kaiśorī mañjarī-gopī form for serving Rādhā-Govinda in the association of the other sakhīs and mañjarīs in Vraja. 

(2) One beautiful golden kaiśora male form to serve Lord Gaurasundara and His associates in Śrī Navadvīpa Dhāma. 

The transcendental pastimes of Rādhā-Govinda and Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu unfold perpetually in the inner sector of Goloka Vṛndāvana known as Vraja Gokula and Navadvīpa or Śvetadvīpa. The most fortunate devotee will go there to eternally serve the Lord.

“People who have travelled to thousands of holy places but don’t travel to Navadvīpa will not attain Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. The wise know that Navadvīpa is a staircase leading to Vṛndāvana, Lord Kṛṣṇa’s supreme abode.” (Ᾱnanta-saṁhitā) 

“By taking shelter of Gaurāṅga worship, you will get sweet love of God as the result. When that Kṛṣṇa-prema sits in your heart, it will drown you in the nectar of the artful pastimes of the Lord. You will get the shelter of Gaurāṅgī’s (Śrī Rādhā’s) lotus feet in Vraja, and your mind will be fixed on serving the divine couple, Śrī Śrī Gāndharvikā-Giridhārī.” (Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya) 

“Without the association of the gopīs, even by hearing and chanting Lord Viṣhṇu’s glories for hundreds of millions of kalpas, one will not attain Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Without the lotus feet of Lord Gaurāṅga one cannot attain the gopīs’ association. Therefore, with all your heart you should always worship Lord Gaurāṅga. They who become bumblebees tasting the honey of Lord Gaurāṅga’s lotus feet certainly attain Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda. 

“To give others the love the gopīs felt, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the son of Mahārāja Nanda, has appeared as a peaceful devotee, manifesting a fair-complexioned, two-handed form. By devotedly worshiping Lord Gaurāṅga, who is splendidly manifested in this way, one will attain Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in the beautiful forest of Vṛndāvana. If you desire all kinds of devotional service, namely, the direct service of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in beautiful Vṛndāvana, then go at once to Navadvīpa and worship Lord Gaurāṅga, who is an ocean of mercy.” (Ᾱnanta-saṁhitā) 

“As much as you surrender to the lotus feet of Gaurāṅga, you will find yourself safely in the service of Rādhā-Govinda. Do not try to approach Rādhā-Govinda directly, but the lotus feet of Gaurāṅga will take you there safely. When a fortunate soul feels devotion for Lord Gaura’s lotus feet, then the nectar ocean from Rādhā’s lotus feet will suddenly flood his heart.” (Sri Caitanya Candramrta) 

“One who gives up his desire to enjoy another’s wife or wealth, and who gets free from the contaminations of anger, envy, greed, dishonesty, violence, cruelty and lying will become devoted to Śrī Navadvīpa Dhāma, and fulfill his desire to reside in Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma. 

“If you worship Navadvīpa, then you also worship Vraja, but if you fail to worship Navadvīpa, Vraja remains far away. If you worship Lord Caitanya then you also worship the lover of the Vraja-gopīs. But if you don’t worship Lord Caitanya, then you cannot worship Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. 

“By chanting ‘Hari! Hari! ‘Hari! in Vṛndāvana one destroys his offenses and attains the divine couple. In Navadvīpa, however, Lord Gaurāṅga easily forgives multitudes of offenses, and freely gives the bliss of parama-rasa, namely, Kṛṣṇa- prema. One who resides in Navadvīpa easily attains Vṛndāvana, but in any other place Vṛndāvana remains far away like a distant mirage. 

“One who follows all the rules and regulations of varnāśrama-dharma, worships the deities, visits holy places and studies the Vedas, but does not reside in Lord Gaurāṅga’s priyā-dhāma (dear abode), will never understand Vṛndāvana dhāma, which is beyond the Vedas.” (Caitanya Sataka)