[Spoken by Srila Gurudeva on July 13th, 1998, in Australia, published as part of the Bhakta Bandhav Anthology, Volume 23]
Srila Gurudeva: If there is transcendental sraddha, like lobhamayi-sraddha, then it is the symptom of raganuga-bhakti-marga. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has come to give this thing. Not only the beginner class, because Ramanuja, Madhvacarya, and all have already given this thing. Even Nrsimhadeva, Varahadeva, Ramacandra, all had already given these things. But they had not given that kind of raganuga-bhakti. So in this kind of sraddha, anyone may have a greed for serving Krsna with raga, with that deep attachment which is in the parikaras, the associates of Krsna like His friends Sridama, Sudama, Subala, Madhumangala or with that raga which is in Yasoda Maiya, in Rohini Maiya, or in Nanda Baba. Or especially they may have a greed to serve Him with that raga which is in the beloveds of Krsna like Lalita, Visakha, Citra, or in Srimati Radhika.
So, if you want this, that thing for which Caitanya Mahaprabhu has come to give, then you’ll have to come under the instructions of Rupa and Raghunatha especially. For these kinds of devotees, Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami has composed this Manah-Siksa. So, in the first sloka it has been told:
gurau gosthe gosthalayisu sujane bhusura-gane
sva-mantre sri-namni vraja-nava-yuva-dvandva-sarane
sada dambham hitva kuru ratim apurvam atitaram
aye svantar bhratas catubhir abhiyace dhrta-padah
-Manah-siksa 1
[O my dear brother, my foolish mind, taking hold of your feet, I humbly pray to you with sweet words. Please give up all pride and quickly develop deep, loving attachment for the spiritual master, Sri Vraja-dhama, the residents of Vraja, the Vaisnavas, the brahmanas, your diksa-mantras, the holy names of the Supreme Lord, and the shelter of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna, the eternally youthful Divine Couple of Vraja.]
Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, he is Rati Manjari. Also she is called Bhanumati. She is the associate of Srimati Radhika. Srimati Radhika has ordered her to come here and help the devotees who want to serve Krsna like the gopis serve Him. That has been told by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura:
aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam
ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena ya kalpita
srimad-bhagavatam pramanam-amalam prema pumartho mahan
sri-caitanya mahaprabhor-matam-idam tatradaro nah parah
-Caitanya-manjusa
[Bhagavan Vrajendra-nandana Sri Krsna is our only worshipful object. In the same way that He is worshipful, so is His transcendental abode, Sri Vrndavana Dhama. The mood in which the young brides of Vraja (the gopis, especially Srimati Radhika) worship Him is the highest perfectional form of love of God. Srimad Bhagavatam alone is the immaculate scriptural evidence of this and krsna-prema is the supreme objective of life. This is the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (gaura-vani). We hold this conclusion in supreme regard and have no inclination or respect for any other conclusion or cheating opinions.]
Vrajendra-nandana Syamasundara, He is our aradhya-deva, worshipable deity, and the ways in which the gopis used to serve Krsna, that mood is the highest. And this is only in Vrndavana, only in Vrndavana can this love and affection be achieved. Not in Mathura, not in Dvaraka. Vrajendra-nandana Krsna does not mean Dvarakadisa Krsna or Vasudeva Krsna. It means only the son of Nanda Baba, Nanda-nandana or Yasoda Nandana. He is always in Vrndavana, not in Jagannatha Puri. In Jagannatha Puri, Krsna is who? Dvarakadisa. Not even totally fully Dvarakadisa, only a part of Dvarakadisa Krsna. So, we should know all these things. Then, the aradhana of the gopis, the way in which the gopis worship Krsna is topmost. And Srimad-Bhagavatam is the evidence, the pure evidence for this. This is the idea of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, this is His teaching. If anyone is fortunate to have this greed, then he should follow these teachings of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami.