[Spoken by Srila Gurudeva on July 7th, 1997, in Holland, published as part of the Bhakta Bandhav Anthology, Volume 21]
Srila Gurudeva: When can we achieve the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu? When? When Rupa and Raghunatha are merciful to us. Without the mercy of Rupa Gosvami, Raghunatha Gosvami, the Six Gosvamis and our Gurudeva, we cannot attain the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu. If there is no saranagati, if there is no surrender, we can never achieve their mercy. You should know the real meaning of saranagati and you should try to adopt the formulas and the teachings of saranagati. Purely you should try to take it and follow. If you are taking shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna, having faith that He will save me from all kinds of difficulties, then why do you busy yourself with all these material things? Why are you anxious? Why are you worried about material things?
It means that you have not completely given yourself, offered yourself at the lotus feet of Krsna. You are only telling by words, “I am a devotee and I have offered myself,” but actually you have not. Try to actually surrender yourself at the lotus feet of Rupa and Raghunatha. How? At this point we will have to say: rupa-raghunatha-pade hoibe akuti kabe hama bhujabo se yugala-piriti. Without help, without the mercy of Rupa-Raghunatha, we cannot realize what is madhura-rasa. What is the service, the confidential service of Radha and Krsna conjugal? If Nityananda Prabhu is merciful to us, then by His grace we can know Rupa-Raghunatha. Then we can know Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Radha-Krsna conjugal, Sri Sri Govinda, Gopinatha, Madana-Mohana, and all others. Then we can be in Vrndavana or Navadvipa forever. We should surrender ourselves at the lotus feet Srila Nityananda Prabhu. Not only singing by words but from the heart, sincerely. Then you will see that you are changed.
Then you will see that there is no problem in this world. Nothing, nothing, no problems. The problems cloud will go away at once. We should do kirtana like this. What will happen if you are doing kirtana like this, and taking some meanings of that kirtana in your heart and trying to absorb yourself in that? Then it may be that Nityananda Prabhu and Gauracandra will come into our hearts. Rupa-Raghunatha, they will come.
ei-bara karuna karo rupa-sanatana
raghunatha dasa mora sri jiva-jivana.
ei-bara karuna karo lalita visakha
sakhya-bhave sridama-subala-adi sakha
Hari Hari, Kabe More Hoibe Sudina verses 4-5
[Please be merciful now, Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami! O My Raghunatha dasa Gosvami! My life-giving Sri Jiva Gosvami! O Lalita and Visakha! O Sridama, Subala, and all other friends in sakhya-bhava! Please be merciful this time.]
Doing kirtana like this, like a prayer. Don’t give your attention to the tune so much. Try to give your heart and realize the meaning of the kirtana. “O Lalite, O Visakhe, O Rupa-Sanatana, be merciful to us. Without your help, without your mercy, we cannot enter into bhakti really.” Always try to be like this.