While Srila Gurudeva resided in Sri Keshavaji Gaudiya Matha in Mathura, the Brahmacaris who served in the temple inquired into deep spiritual truths from him. One time a Brahmacari asked a question about the first verse of the Brahma Sutras and the invocation of Srimad-Bhagavatam.
janmady asya yato . . .
Srimad Bhagavatam 1.1.1
janmady asya yatah - Vedanta-sutra 1.1.2
[That Brahman (the Supreme Spirit) is He from whom the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes arise.]
Srila Gurudeva replied in a wonderful manner that revealed the essence of his mission. He explained that the living entities are the separated parts and parcels of God, just as individual sparks that emanate from a fire, or particles of light in the rays of the sun.mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutah sanatanah manah-sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati
Bhagavad-gita 15.7
[O Arjuna! I am the Lord of all. All souls are My parts and they are all eternal. Due to being conditioned and opposed to Me, they are struggling intensely with the mind and the senses in this material world.]
How can those souls lost in material nature be awoken to the reality of their real existence? How can they be given pure consciousness? This process is established by Lord Sri Caitanya. For so long as one is not sprinkled with the transcendental vraja-rasa, until then one's soul has not had janma, true birth, adi, growth, asya, and so on; the soul has no real life or knowledge, she is in a dormant stage. By dry knowledge or fruitive action the soul will never be awakened; her pure spiritual form will never manifest. What is that rasa? God personally came to this world and performed rasa-lila. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in this world to taste the specialty of this rasa-lila. Lila-dhatu, lila means a process by which this nectar of loving relations is obtained. To give that rasa-lila, the process of nourishing the soul, great teachers and leaders of the Gaudiya-sampradaya sometimes hide it, or deprive people of it, or make an excuse not to give. They say, "Wait for some lives. Wait until you have some proper development in bhakti." But when will that happen? When Rupa-Raghunatha took this conception of Lord Sri Caitanya and began distributing this unnata-ujjvala rasa, Jiva Gosvami Prabhu came and bound it within the sad-sandharbas, in six strong chests. Now, the leaders say, "We will give this rasa when people become qualified." Why don't they give? There is the fear of lack of qualification, for it is said:naitat samacarej jatu manasapi hy anisvarah vinasyaty acaran maudhyad yatha 'rudro 'bdhi-jam visam
Srimad Bhagavatam 10.33.36
[Those who are not powerful controllers, who are helplessly controlled by the laws of karma, should never imitate the Lord's pastimes even within their minds. Like a person who foolishly imitates Lord Siva by drinking poison (as Siva drank the terrible poison generated from the churning of the ocean), they will certainly be destroyed.]
Due to this fear there was no one to distribute. All were afraid. Srila Gurudeva said, "If greed is there to eat a rasagulla, why be afraid? That is our soul food. We have to have it. Then, why should we check our greed due to fear of anything? Except for this vraja-rasa, by any other process the soul will never blossom or get spiritual consciousness." Srila Gurudeva fearlessly said again and again:vikriditam vraja-vadhubhir idam ca visnoh sraddhanvito 'nusrnuyad atha varnayed yah bhaktim param bhagavati pratilabhya kamam hrd-rogam asv apahinoty acirena dhirah
Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.33.39
[Anyone who faithfully hears or describes the Lord's playful affairs with the young gopis of Vrndavana will attain the Lord's pure devotional service. Thus he will quickly become sober and conquer lust, the disease of the heart.]
In the introduction to rasa-lila, it is said, "sraddhanvito 'nusanuyad," if someone has sraddha, faith, affection, and love, then go near him and hear. Hearing is our supreme duty. By hearing and hearing, this rasa will go inside. It will give strength to the soul to blossom in its true consciousness. Vikriditam vraja-vadhubhira-the pastimes that Krsna performed with the Vraja-devis, that process by which Krsna distributed this nectar to them, giving complete satisfaction by bestowing His own service, Srila Gurudeva brought this, and distributed it everywhere. This madhurya rasa is the topmost. If anyone is fixed and present in this rasa, then go near him and hear with faith the pastimes of rasa-lila. Sraddhanvito 'nusanuyad atha varnayed yah. They have sraddha and love and are describing this. Go there and hear from them without having doubts. By hearing and hearing, sraddha will arise. The intelligence to take it will come and that rasa will enter inside. If we have no faith, then our hearts will be closed and words will not go inside, due to our contempt. What will happen by hearing?bhaktim param bhagavati pratilabhya kamam hrd-rogam asv apahinoty acirena dhirah
If through hearing, just one drop of rasa goes inside our heart, even a small amount, then the effect of millions of lifetimes of our heart disease will quickly be dispelled. Tatksanat, immediately! At once this disease will be finished. Srila Sukadeva Gosvami told Pariksit Maharaja, "There will be no delay." There is no need for so much austerity. There is no need to do anything else. Hear from those who have this deep love and faith! But who has sraddha? Who has love? Those persons who taste and are tasting this vraja-rasa, they want to make others taste it. Except for this rasa the soul cannot get spiritual welfare by any other means. But why don't many gurus give this? They have that fear-naitat samacarej jatu—without being Rudra, if one drinks poison, he will die. But for he who is not afraid of death, who knows that the soul never becomes old and never dies, and that the body is destined to die, he declares that he will die by drinking this nectarean poison only! By this we will die to live! Our material condition will perish, and our spiritual life will begin. I heard this declaration from Srila Gurudeva a thousand times. He said, "If you have to die, than die by drinking this poison. We will hear this rasa-lila only! We will speak about this rasa- lila! But we will not take any mundane poison. Everyone dies for the mundane rasa, but we will take the poison which destroys material existence at the root, and gives birth to our spiritual form in Vraja!" What will happen by taking this nectar of the Vraja-devis' glories? First-bhakti param bhagavati pratilabhya kamam-the love and topmost devotion of the Vraja-devis situated in madhurya-rasa will be attained, and automatically our heart disease will be destroyed. By taking the material poison of mundane relationships, the relation of the soul with Krsna is covered, but by taking the medicine of Krsna's pastimes with the Vraja-devis, the poison of material life and relationships is destroyed and pure love of Krsna will awaken in the heart. Therefore, what person would not hear or try to follow and take this nectar? Srila Gurudeva is nivrtta-tarsair, free from all material desires. He has come to this world by the will of Krsna and has satisfied and nourished the world by this rasa-lila, the process of giving pure nectar to the soul. Therefore, he is not concerned or fearful about anything. There is no one able to make him turn back. He will certainly give this rasa to whoever takes his shelter and who wants this rasa. That person will definitely attain spiritual perfection. But by no other means can one get this. Srila Gurudeva never feared and never hid this nectar. He would say, "If any want to criticize, let them. I will never stay silent out of fear. I will distribute this vraja-rasa only." The Vraja-devis are one pointed to Sri Krsna. No one else is appointed like them. They are the greatest of personalities. The endeavor to bring others into the shelter of their lotus feet is the endeavor and conception of our disciplic succession following Srila Rupa Gosvami and Sriman Mahaprabhu. A disciple must strive to see the specialty of Sri Guru. This madhurya-rasa is the adi-rasa, primordial mellow or flavor. It is topmost. Distributing this is fulfilling the heart's desire of Vyasadeva. For this reason Sri Guru is described as non-different from Vyasa. Sri Guru distributes this rasa, giving the living entities qualification to enter into Vraja.