Third-class disciples neglect the instruction of guru; second-class disciples follow their guru’s order but only after being instructed. First-class disciples, on the other hand, understand the heart of Śrī Guru and fulfill his wishes without being asked. Śrīla Gurudeva served his spiritual master as a perfect disciple. He understood the needs of his master and fulfilled them accordingly, without needing to be asked.
Service to the spiritual master is the most important activity for a disciple. All Vedic scriptures describe the necessity of service to Śrī Guru. When a spiritual aspirant comes to the shelter of Śrī Guru, the spiritual master grants knowledge of the soul, material nature, and the process to achieve pure love of God—the ultimate goal of life. This process of spiritual perfection can never be successful without affectionately serving Śrī Guru. By such unmotivated service, the love within the heart of Śrī Guru will flow into the heart of his disciple. Only then will a disciple attain self-realization.
Śrīla Gurudeva devoted his heart to pleasing Ācārya Kesarī, with the determination, “The whole world may turn against me, but I will never leave my beloved Gurudeva and his service. Gurudeva may neglect me or bless me as he pleases, but I know no one other than him.” Pleased with Śrīla Gurudeva’s internal mood, Ācārya Kesarī awarded him saffron cloth, symbolizing his dedication to spiritual life and renunciation of worldly desires and relations.
In the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava tradition, acceptance of saffron cloth signifies genuine vairāgya (renunciation). True renunciation from objects of the external world is only possible when one has anurāga (intense loving attraction for God). When the disciple receives saffron cloth, it represents covering himself in and out with the color of anurāga and grants one admission into the service of Śrīmatī Rādhārānī. By coloring the heart with anurāga, one is protected from the onslaught of māyā.
During Holī, Kṛṣṇa anointed the lotus feet of Śrīmatī Rādhārānī with saffron pollen. He then took Her foot dust and covered His body with the same reddish powder, experiencing the highest bliss.
Once, the young Pulinda girls who wander the forest of Vraja observed Kṛṣṇa’s saffron-colored footprints on the grass. With great delight they smeared the saffron dust on their bodies and were alleviated from the agony of separation from Kṛṣṇa’s absence. Witnessing their exalted love from a distance, Śrīmatī Rādhārānī’s heart melted, thus making the Pulinda girls’ lives successful.
When Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared on this Earth, He considered, “I will dye My cloth saffron, the color of Śrīmatī Rādhārānī’s foot dust. By this I will be protected by Her anurāga—pure love for Kṛṣṇa.” Caitanya Mahāprabhu hence accepted the renounced order of life and donned saffron at the age of twenty-four. Following the example of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Prabhupāda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura accepted saffron cloth and initiated his brahmacārīs and sannyāsīs into this color as well.
[Excerpted from the Bhakta Bandhav Publication “Sri Guru Darsana“]