Blog

Srila Rupa Gosvami’s advice in Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu: “If possible, one should physically reside in Vrindavana.” Since any devotional service performed in Vrindavana yields a thousand times the result, one year of such service would yield the result of the same service done elsewhere for a thousand years. Thus if the average lifespan were taken to be eighty years, then one year of para-upakara-based pure devotional service done in the dhama would be equivalent to more than twelve lifetimes of the same para-upakara devotional service done anywhere else in the world. That is the extraordinary power of this holiest land of Bhauma Vrindavana, as confirmed by the statements of the Gaudiya Acaryas, in particular our Srila Prabhupada. Practicing while physically residing in Vrindavana all varieties of favorable internal and external devotional service for the benefit of others is the best way to practically capture the essence of a vraja-vasi’s selfless service attitude. It is the best way to expedite one’s progress in the affair of realizing the radiant para-upakara nature of one’s own sthaii-bhava as an eternal resident of Vraja. It is the best way to expedite one’s progress in the business of accumulating the heaps and piles of krita-punya-punjah mercy-credits in one’s transcendental bank account, actually required for directly joining Krishna’s bhauma-lilas in the siddha-deha. It is the best way to expedite one’s progress in the matter of gaining the internal qualification required to actually preach from the platform of ultimate perfection. If for any reason one cannot take full advantage of this greatest spiritual facility manifest on Earth by the mercy of Lord Krishna and His purest internal devotees, then taking shelter of the Holy Name while endeavoring to assist Lord Caitanya’s Sankirtana Movement wherever one may be, one must endeavor to cultivate feelings of separation from Vrindavana, based on intensified desires to attain eternal residence in Vrindavana. Kripa kori’ koro tare vrindavana-vasi. Then one may also gradually augment the purest para-upakara nature of an unalloyed vraja-vasi by guru and Gauranga’s divine grace.
When lobha, or greed for the ultimate attainment of the moods of Vraja, prompts their performances, both sankirtana of the Holy Name and transcendental book distribution, done purely as yajna for the satisfaction of Lord Caitanya, no longer function as vaidhika duties. Rather, they ascend to the path of spontaneous loving service and become celebrated as potent constituents of raga-bhajana, bridging the apparent gap between external and internal affairs. At this juncture, it would not be superfluous to firmly reiterate that, strictly speaking, the sole objective of the bhagavata-marga is to augment raganuga-bhava.
In this age, sankirtana-yajna is the vital force of inspired antaranga-bhajana, and conversely, beatified antaranga-vraja-bhakti-bhajana is the essential dynamic behind superlatively empowered sankirtana.
My dear most loveworthy and merciful Radha-Shyamasundara! May the broad-minded, forward-thinking souls evermore respect these deliberations, which are replete with profound concerns for advancing a more progressive culture of antaranga-bhakti in the lives of Your seriously dedicated sankirtana devotees. Please let those essence-seeking, deeply introspective, softhearted individuals who patiently and sincerely read or hear these verbose utterances very soon attain the highest transcendental happiness (paramananda) in the spontaneous loving service of Your lotus feet according to their innermost heart’s aspirations.
-By Sripad Aindra Dasa Babaji Maharaj
-page129 to 132- From The Heart Of Transdental Book Distribution(perfect conclusions of the Gaudiya Vaishnava Acaryas)