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WORLD  The Essence Of The Rupanuga Sampradaya BY SRILA BHAKTI SUNDAR GOVINDA DEV-GOSWAMI MAHARAJ  MOSCOW, RUSSIA, Sep 7 (VNN) — by His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami MaharajAugust 19, 2002 - Moscow, Russia So many affectionate devotees are here. Today I am here with them, and tomorrow night I shall proceed to India, if it is the will of Krishna. I am so happy to meet with all the devotees in Russia. My blessings to all of these followers of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, and my dandavat pranams to all of the good Vaisnavas living here. What I am seeing in Russia is a miracle. I see the way all of the Russian devotees are practicing Krishna consciousness and I am astonished. Especially Sri Jagannath Vallabha Prabhu. He is not only a good manager and a good preacher, but he can do anything by the grace of Srila Guru Maharaj. Seeing that, I am very astonished. He is very powerful. Our Russian mission is growing fast with the devotees here. This year so many persons have taken initiation, becoming devotees of Guru Maharaj, Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, and Mahaprabhu. Our preaching mission is so successful in Russia that no one can believe which way they have got their qualities, but I believe and I know, and I see it. I see that their hearts are very clean, with no politics, and they are humble, tolerant, and wholeheartedly practicing Krishna consciousness. They are coming day by day in the line of Krishna consciousness, and I am not seeing that anywhere else. I was sick, you know. I was attacked by a stroke. But I cannot deny that I was hankering for the devotees. When Jagannath Vallabha Prabhu called me on behalf of the devotees in Russia, I came here. With me were Sripad Bhakti Sudhir Goswami Maharaj, Sripad Janardan Maharaj, Sripad Giri Maharaj, Chidananda Prabhu, Suresvari Didi, and many other lady devotees from America. Twenty devotees in all came from America, giving me much relief. They are leaving Russia with me. Many have already left, today more will go, and tomorrow I shall proceed to India. Our preaching mission is very simple, and the Russian devotees understand that. They understand that Krishna consciousness can enter anywhere--not only the human society--it can enter into the animal section, the trees, plants, everywhere. They believe it, and they are practicing that with humility, tolerance, and giving honor to others. In their own houses, some devotees are living very poorly and some very richly, but at our Vaishnava programs all the devotees are living the same. They are all accepting some trouble to live here; it may not be as comfortable as it is in their own house, but living with the devotees is their choice. The expansion of our preaching into Russia is very good news. Had I not come, my desire to preach here would have been hampered. Having come here six times, I feel that for the preaching of Krishna consciousness, Russia is the perfect place at present. All over the world, people are watching the character of the Russian people. We are also watching their heart, their mentality, and we cannot think how this country was atheistic--we can not believe it, because my feeling is that everybody is theistic in Russia. Anyhow, Krishna consciousness can enter anywhere, and it has come to Russia. I heard that Srila Swami Maharaj wanted to preach in Russia, but he did not get much entrance. He stayed in one hotel in Moscow, and then he left Russia. At that time, Bhakti Sudhir Goswami was named Dhira Krishna Brahmachari, and he later represented Prabhupad's conception and Krishna consciousness in Russia, but in a hidden way, not open. Ananta Shanti Prabhu was jailed for twelve years because he openly tried to preach Krishna consciousness. All that changed by blessings of Srila Prabhupad and Srila Guru Maharaj. It is now over-flooded with Krishna consciousness, which is existing within everyone's heart. Krishna has three forms: Brahma, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. Bhagavan is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. People all over the world know that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Krishna, but the Paramatma position is a little hazy. Paramatma is living with jivatma, and in every jivatma's heart there is some place for Paramatma. The Upanisads say they are like birds: one bird is eating and another bird is watching. The bird that is eating and activated is the jivatma, and bird that is watching is the Paramatma. This indication we are getting in the Upanisads. Here in Russia, Krishna consciousness is coming out from the hearts of the devotees, and day by day people are joining in Krishna consciousness. This year, so many hundreds of devotees were initiated, and now thousands of devotees here are practicing Krishna consciousness. We can not believe how in a few years this change has happened. I am so attracted to Russia's people that I cannot resist coming here. I may be sick or in good health, but I don't care for that, because Guru Maharaj has given me the order to preach Krishna consciousness. By his grace I am trying to preach everywhere. Maybe in the future, if I'm alive, I will go to America, but I cannot forget Russia. The Russian people's hearts are so simple. When we enter here we see their activities, their heart expression, their mood of devotion, their sincerity, and their tolerance. I think they are natural vaishnavas--natural friends of the vaishnavas sampradaya, and here every preaching mission is growing so fast. What can I say? Today is the disappearance day of Srila Rupa Goswami and Sri Gauridas Pandit. They are both our supreme gurus. This day is especially fortunate for me because on this day Guru Maharaj gave me diksha, initiation. Mahaprabhu Chaitanyadev has given identity to our sampradaya as the rupanuga-sampradaya, the followers of Sri Rupa. Why has Mahaprabhu given this Rupanuga identity to us? Mahaprabhu met the two brothers Dabir Khas and Sakar Mallik in Ramakeli, and gave them the names Rupa and Sanatan (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 1.208). So with external vision we can say that the name "Rupa" was selected by Mahaprabhu at that time. With internal vision we can see that Mahaprabhu's relationship with Rupa and Sanatan is eternal. Without Rupa and Sanatan we cannot understand Mahaprabhu, and without Mahaprabhu we cannot understand Rupa and Sanatan. That relationship becomes clearer in Puri Dham. When Rupa Goswami came to Puri, he read like telepathy Mahaprabhu's heart and composed one sloka beginning with priyah so 'yam krsnah saha-cari kuru-ksetra-militas (Caitanya Caritamrita, Madhya 1.76, and Antya 1.79). Mahaprabhu could not hide His heart--He gave an affectionate slap to Rupa Goswami, and told, "which way do you know My heart?" Mahaprabhu then asked Swarup Damodar Goswami, "How is it that Rupa knows My heart?" And Swarup Damodar said, "You fully blessed Rupa, and for that reason, He knows your heart." Mahaprabhu, was always humbly telling others "I am nothing, I am nothing," but on this occasion He did not say "I am nothing." Instead He said, "Yes I blessed Rupa." In the meeting at Puri Dham, where Mahaprabhu introduced Rupa as his representative, there was the "judge" Ramananda Raya, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, Adwaita Acharya, Swarup Damodar, and many other dignitaries. All were doctorates in Krishna consciousness, and in front of them, Mahaprabhu said, "Rupa, you are composing the Lalita Madhava and Vidagdha Madhava." Rupa was very shy, but Mahaprabhu ordered him, "You read something from your book so they will hear what you are composing." Rupa Goswami didn't want to express himself publicly, but Mahaprabhu forced, and Rupa Goswami recited the slokas, one by one. Everyone was extremely happy. Surprised, they asked Mahaprabhu, "How has Rupa got this knowledge? We cannot believe it. You must have given him a special power, and for that, he is enriched with the finest Krishna consciousness." And again Mahaprabhu did not deny it. He said, "Yes, I have given, but it is not sufficient. You all must bless him, then that will be very nice. Your mercy and your desire are also necessary. Then he will be full." They all then blessed Rupa Goswami, and we understand that from that day Mahaprabhu established Rupa Goswami as His representative. Everyone knows that. Later, after Mahaprabhu, everyone followed Dasa Goswami, Swarup Damodar, and Rupa-Sanatan. But Swarup Damodar, Dasa Goswami, Sanatan, and the other Goswamis all respected Rupa Goswami as the sampradaya representative of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu did not compose a book--he did not write by hand anything of His conception--but Rupa and Sanatan gave Mahaprabhu's conception widely. Swarup Damodar Goswami also helped Rupa and Sanatan with that conception, and Bhatta Ragunath Goswami, Sri Jiva Goswami, Gopal Bhatta Goswami, Dasa Raghunatha--all the Goswami groups supported. Sanatan Goswami is guru of Rupa Goswami, but Sanatan Goswami also gave his full support when the sampradaya manifested as the Rupanuga-sampradaya. Guru Maharaj said of Mahaprabhu's conception: sri-gauranumatam svarupa-viditam rupagrajenadrtam rupadyaih parivesitam raghu-ganair asvaditam sevitam jivadyair abhiraksitam suka-siva-brahmadi-sammanitam sri-radha-pada-sevanamrtam aho tad datum iso bhavan (Srimad Bhaktivinoda-viraha Dasakam, Verse 9) Srila Guru Maharaj composed this sloka about Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur. Sri gauranumatam--Mahaprabhu established Rupa Goswami as His sampradaya acharya. He gave that supreme power to Rupa Goswami. Swarup Goswami knows everything (svarupa viditam), and he is the master of the sampradaya, no doubt. Sanatan Goswami may be Rupa Goswami's Guru, but he supported fully Rupa Goswami because it was the desire of Sri Chaitana Mahaprabhu. Rupa Goswami gave to all the human society that conception of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (rupadyaih parivesitam). And wherever an obstacle has come, where antithesis has grown, Jiva Goswami very heavily protected (jivadyair abhiraksitam) Mahaprabhu's conception and demolished atheistic and other religious conceptions. Like Arjuna in the Kuruksetra battlefield, Jiva Goswami gave support to all the dignitaries and heroes. To support and protect the writing and preaching of Rupa Goswami, Srila Jiva Goswami Prabhu composed Sat Sandarbha, Bhagavata Sandarbha, Gopal Campu, etc. Jiva Goswami was direct disciple of Rupa Goswami, and he became the treasurer of whole Gaudiya sampradaya. And what Sukadev Goswami is speaking in Srimad Bhagavatam, what Lord Siva is telling in the Tantras, and what Lord Bramha is giving as the sampradaya guru--that is pure consciousness of Nanda-nandan Sri Krishna with Radharani's service. That sri-radha-pada-sevanamrtam aho tad datum iso bhavan--that conception is what Bhaktivinoda Thakura has given us. This is our guru parampara coming down through Rupa Goswami to Jiva Goswami, and eventually to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur. And when Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur wanted to leave this world he transmitted his power to Srila Guru Maharaj. For that reason, all of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur's disciples respect our Guru Maharaj, Om Visnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev Goswami, as the Rupanuga Acharya. In this way our Sampradaya has come down, and everybody knows that it is a transmission of power, heart to heart, to Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev Goswami. Even opposing camps also respect Srila Guru Maharaj for that reason. So many of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur's disciples who accepted sannyas after Saraswati Thakur--dignitary sanyasis such as A.B. Bhakti Saranga Goswami, Keshava Maharaj, Bhagavat Maharaj, Acharya Maharaj, Paramahamsa Maharaj, Madhusudan Maharaj--they all took sanyas from Guru Maharaj, believing that Srila Saraswati Thakur transferred his power to Guru Maharaj as the rupanuga sampradaya acharya. So today is the disappearance day of Srila Rupa Goswami. I am trying to express something. I want to tell the devotees all over the world that they are very merciful to me, and they are happy to hear something from me, and therefore I am giving something about Rupa Goswami. This is my desire. I pay my dandavats to all the devotees who have entered into the Rupanuga Sampradaya. Whoever is existing in the Rupanuga Sampradaya--as practitioner, as master, as student--to all I am paying my dandavats. Jay Om Visnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev Goswami Maharaj Ki Jaya. [followed by Jaya by the assembled devotees] Jay Rupa Goswami Prabhu Ki Jaya. [Jaya by the assembled devotees] Jay Srila Gauri das Pandit Goswami Ki Jaya. [Jaya!] All the assembled devotees Ki Jaya. [Jaya!] Harinam Sankirtan Ki Jaya. [Jaya!] Haridas Thakur Ki Jaya. [Jaya!] Gaura Premanande Haribol. [Hari, hari bola!] Moscow, Russia August 19, 2002 Transcribed by Vrndavanesvari dasi Contact VNN about this story  Send this story to a friend
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