Śāstra teaches many things, but this vrata is hidden, not open and for everyone. If anyone has strong desire to follow this, and is inspired by Guru-pāda-padma, then it is possible for him to follow, otherwise it is unnecessary. This vrata is not for everyone. It is not for karmis, jñānis, or yogis. This vrata is especially for those who wish to serve Śrīmatī Rādhārānī under the guidance of the Vraja-devīs.
This vrata is not for those in śānta, dāsya, sakhya, or vātsalya-rasa. It is only for those aspiring to serve Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in mādhurya-rasa. By truly following this vrata you will become naked—naked of material desires, possessions, and everything you previously valued. Following this vrata will make you a sannyāsī. If you do not fear renouncing everything and becoming a destitute beggar in rags going door to door, and to have no more helpers, friends, or relatives, then you can try to follow this vrata. But if you want sense gratification, or the opulence of Dvārakā, or if you want health, wealth, name, and fame, followers, disciples, temples, and opulence, then there is no need for you to follow this vrata. This vrata is completely different. It is against this world and the body, senses, and mind.
This vrata is very strong and strange. Will Kṛṣṇa be happy? Will the Vraja-devīs be happy? Will you be happy? No. Then why follow this? Therefore don’t follow. There are no fruits or result. If any result comes it will be very bitter, and also punishment will come daily to us. If anyone agrees to this condition, then he can follow; otherwise there is no need to follow.
For those who are determined to follow this vrata despite all forewarnings, and who want to learn about the transcendental result of following this vrata, for them we will discuss the origin of this vrata and its benefits.
At the end of Dvāpara-yuga, five thousand years ago, Śukadeva Gosvāmī spoke the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Parīkṣit Mahārāja heard how, in Tretā-yuga, Rāmacandra went to the Daṇḍakāraṇya forest and met with the sages there. The sages prayed to Lord Rāma for a loving relationship with Him. They had been chanting the Gopāla-mantra for a long time. Rāmacandra said, “In this present incarnation I cannot accept you as you desire. But when I next appear as Kṛṣṇa in Dvāpara-yuga, you will take birth in Vraja in the families of gopas. At that time I will accept you as My beloveds.”
As the Lord declared, so it came to be. The sages achieved sādhana-siddhi and took birth in Vraja from the wombs of gopīs. This is described by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī in Gopāla-campū. Early in the morning, at the age of three, these sādhana-siddha gopīs were collecting flowers and peacock feathers near the bank of the Yamunā. They had natural love for Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they collect anything that gives Kṛṣṇa happiness.
As the young gopīs were doing this, a beautiful flute sound entered their ears and made their hearts restless. They sat and closed their eyes and only drank this nectar, losing taste for everything else. After a long time their external sense returned. But their bodies had no strength remaining—they felt empty and lost. When they returned home, their parents were concerned for them, seeing that they did not eat anything and appeared morose. The gopīs would not respond to the inquiries of their parents and only remained in a corner of their rooms weeping. When other gopīs came to visit, they did not speak to each other, but only sat and cried together without expressing the pain that had overwhelmed their hearts.
The next morning at three, these gopīs went in groups to the bank of the Yamunā. As they walked they sang together and this uplifted their hearts somewhat. Arriving at the Yamunā, they prayed there, bathed, and sang of the beauty and pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. For some days the gopīs continued this practice. Gradually, their longing for Kṛṣṇa increased until it was unbearable.
On the first day of the Hemanta season, Bhagavatī Paurṇamāsī arrived at the Yamunā and came amidst the sādhana-siddha gopīs. She told them, “Dear gopīs, I understand the pain in your heart. I know why you are suffering. You heard the sound of Kṛṣṇa’s flute and drank its nectar. Now you cannot bear being apart from Him. Although you are quite young, your desire has matured. I understand everything. Today I will give you a mantra to follow as a vrata for this month. By doing so, all your desires will be fulfilled. Every morning continue to come here to the Yamunā. Make a deity of Devī out of sand and worship her with pādya, arghya, ācamana, puṣpāñjali, bhoga, śṛṅgāra, āsana, ārati, and puṣpāñjali. Then chant this mantra intently while meditating on your objective. Devī will directly accept your pūjā and fulfill your desire.”
This pastime is explained with slight differences by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī and Śrīla Kavi Karṇapura Gosvāmī.
The sages of Daṇḍakāraṇya were not alone in their desire to meet and serve the Lord of Sweetness. The personified śastras prayed to Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa to be able to serve Him and have a relationship with Him with the forms and moods of the gopīs. Kṛṣṇa granted their boon and the śastras became Upaniśadcāri and śruticāri-gopīs in kṛṣṇa-līlā at the end of Dvāpara-yuga. These sādhana-siddha gopīs joined the gopīs who were previously the ṛṣis of Daṇḍakāraṇya.
All these gopīs were extremely eager to be accepted by Kṛṣṇa as His dearmost beloved. And they were also afraid. Why? They saw that there were millions of gopīs and yet Kṛṣṇa was alone. How could He satisfy the desire of them all? He would accept one, they thought, but could not accept them all. And also they were worried that when they matured, their parents would marry them to boys outside of Vraja. They thought, “We have done so many austerities to have this opportunity to be with Kṛṣṇa, but now, because of our beautiful bodies, everyone will want to enjoy us when we are grown and we will be kept apart from Kṛṣṇa.” Considering their future to be desolate, the gopīs wept bitterly.
From the young age of three, the gopīs desire to meet Kṛṣṇa and be solely dedicated to Him increased more and more. They thought, “How can we cross the māyā of family attachment? Our parents will not allow us to freely meet with Kṛṣṇa, so how will they become blind to us?”
With these thoughts, the gopīs would come to the Yamunā. Knowing their hearts and wishing to fulfill their desire, Kṛṣṇa sent Bhagavatī Paurṇamāsī to initiate the sādhana-siddha gopīs into the performance of Kātyāyaṇi-vrata. She came before the gopīs and gave them a special process and mantra to chant.
kātyāyani mahā māye mahā-yoginy adhīśvari
nanda-gopa-sutaṁ devi patiṁ me kuru te namaḥ
This mantra has three parts. In this verse, we first pray to Mahāmāyā, the external energy. She is the shadow of the internal energy, Yogamāyā. Mahāmāyā bewilders everyone. She makes relations between conditioned souls and then cuts these relations. If Mahāmāyā cuts off one’s relation and attachment to someone, then all attraction is finished.
If we pray to Mahāmāyā-kātyāyanī to free us of material relationships and attachment, she will cut off our relationships and free us to serve Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. She closes the eyes of our material friends and relatives so that they become blind to us and let us be without disturbing us. Therefore we first pray to Mahāmāyā-kātyāyanī.
Next we pray to Mahā-yoginī, Yogamāyā Bhagavatī Paurṇamāsī. She establishes our relationship and connection with the nitya-siddha Vraja-devīs. She helps us achieve sādhana-siddhī and furthermore, a connection with the nitya-siddhas and nitya-līlā. When a new bhakta joins the temple, how can he make a good relation with advanced devotees? He doesn’t know the process. He comes to the temple still bound by his mundane nature. He has crossed worldly attachments, but still has no idea how to approach and make relationship with mahā-bhāgavata Vaiṣṇavas.
Paurṇamāsī Yogamāyā establishes this relationship. We therefore pray to Mahā-yoginī Paurṇamāsī, “Please give us a strong relationship with Guru and Vaiṣṇavas and Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.” If we don’t have connection with Vaiṣṇavas, we cannot develop relationship with Kṛṣṇa’s eternal associates and then cannot enter kṛṣṇa-līlā. We therefore pray to Mahā-yoginī Bhagavatī Paurṇamāsī. But who is her adhīsvarī?
makheśvari kriyeśvari svadheśvari sureśvari tri-veda-bhāratīśvari pramāṇa-śāsaneśvari rameśvari kṣameśvari pramoda-kānaneśvari vrajeśvari vrajādhipe śrī-rādhike namo ‘stu te
Ūrdhvāmnaya-tantra
Śrīmatī Rādhārānī is the supreme īśvarī of all iśvarīs. The Guru-varga pray to Her with mamata, saying, “Madeśvari, prāṇeśvarī, She is not just the īśvarī of the material and spiritual worlds, She is the īśvarī of my very life, my praṇa.” The Guru-varga have this possessive loving mood towards Śrīmatī Rādhārānī. The adhīśvarī in this verse is indicating Śrī Rādhikā. Relation with Śrīmatī Rādhārānī means to accept Her shelter and always serve Her and follow Her footsteps. Paurṇamāsī-devī gave this mantra to the sādhana-siddha gopīs to chant during this month. Adhīśvarī Śrīmatī Rādhārānī has the power to bestow relation with Nandagopa-sūta, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Only svarūpa-śakti can give the chance to serve Nanda-sūta. If She asks Him on our behalf, then He will readily accept us as His own. And if Nandagopa-sūta accepts us as His dear associates, then we will have no more problems in life. Therefore Bhagavatī Paurṇamāsī bestows this mantra. The īśvarī of this mantra is Śrīmatī Rādhārānī. First Mahāmāyā cleans us, makes a foundation, and cuts our attachment for others, as well as others attachment for us. A baby catches anything and puts in his mouth. And anything that it is given to play with, it thinks, “This is mine.” Everyone has this nature. We desire to collect and possess the things that māyā created in this world. If we pray to her and follow this vrata, mahāmāyā will first give us the good intelligence to not touch or take any of her property. She will give us the power to renounce attachment to this world. Once our attachment to this world is broken, then we can develop attachment to the spiritual world and transcendental personalities. Every morning Śrīla Gurudeva would pray:rādheśa-keli-prabhutā-vinoda vinyāsa-vijñāṁ vraja-vanditāṅghrim kṛpālutādyākhila-viśva-vandyāṁ śrī-paurṇamāsīṁ śirasā namāmi
The Vrajavāsīs arrange everything for Kṛṣṇa’s happiness. They pray to Yogamāyā, “O Bhagavatī, please give us adhikāra for kṛṣṇa-sevā.” We should pray that Paurṇamāsī-devī remove all our desire and taste for mundane enjoyment and relations and awaken spiritual greed within us. Śiva Ṭhākura himself came and took shelter of Paurṇamāsī-devī to gain entrance into Vraja. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sang:tomāke laṅghiyā kothā jive kṛṣṇa pāya kṛṣṇa rāsa prakaṭilo tomāra kṛpāya
Crossing māyā and entering Vraja-maṇḍala is impossible without the mercy of Bhagavatī Paurṇamāsī-devī. Therefore pray, “Please give me a chance to attain vraja-sevā and vraja-bhāva.” In this śloka, we next pray: Nandagopa-sūta-devī. Who is that Devī? How can we understand Her and receive Her mercy? She is Devī, jyotamāna, brilliant and shining. By Her own effulgence, She gives us darśana of Nandagopa-sūta Kṛṣṇa. Nandagopa-sūta is glorious and very popular. How can we meet with Him? So we pray to that Devī, Śrīmatī Rādhārānī, who has the power to show us and establish our relation with Kṛṣṇa. Patim me kurute namah. Pati does not mean only husband, it means one’s maintainer, guardian, life and soul. So we pray, “Patim me kurute namah—I offer praṇāma unto You. Please bestow a permanent relation with Kṛṣṇa. May He be my maintainer, guardian, and dearmost beloved.” Bhagavatī Paurṇamasi gave this mantra to the gopīs and they chanted it with great determination to achieve their desired goal. When coming every morning to the bank of the Yamunā, they first made a deity of Devī out of sand. They became surprised to see that even after bathing the deity, she did not fall apart. They offered this deity articles offered in arcana, and then chanted the mantra. It seemed to them that the personified deity of Devī appeared directly before them. By continually chanting the mantra they began to feel a swelling of happiness, born of awakened faith that Kṛṣṇa would surely accept them and that no mundane person would be able to touch or disturb them. They felt, “My body is now the property of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa will protect me and allow me to serve Him.” After their worship and ārati, the gopīs offered the deity to Yamunā-devī so that she would not be disrespected in their absence. They then returned to their homes before sunrise. During the day, the gopīs fasted and remained silent and meditative. In the evening, they took a small amount of milk and fruit to maintain their bodies. The gopīs’ parents would ask them, “What vrata are you following? Now cāturmāsya is over, so what vrata can you be following? What mantra do you chant and who is your guru?” But the gopīs only smiled and acted demure. Internally, by the power of their absorption, they began to witness the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa in a continuous stream. The gopīs had so much bhakti and prema for Kṛṣṇa and were worried about their future. As they meditated on Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, at the same time, they thought, “Soon I will be young and my body will be very attractive. Many dog-like men will come to attack and acquire me for their enjoyment. How can they be blind and not observe me? I desire to be the sole property of Kṛṣṇa.” They were afraid that soon they would be married off and sent out of Vraja. When the gopīs’ parents began to think, “I will arrange my daughter’s marriage,” then Yogamāyā and Kṛṣṇa orchestrated a wonderful līlā. Brahmā came and stole the calves and sakhās and put them in a cave. And then Kṛṣṇa, thinking He could not return to Gokula without all His friends and calves, assumed their exact forms. Kṛṣṇa could have immediately chastised Brahmā and recovered His associates, but to satisfy the desire of the Vrajavāsīs—the mothers for Kṛṣṇa to be their son, the gopīs for Kṛṣṇa to be their beloved, and the cows for Him to be their calf—Kṛṣṇa acted as if nothing had happened and returned to Gokula. This pastime continued for one year. During that time, all the ācāryas, priests, and brāhmaṇas announced to the Vrajavāsī parents and elders, “This year is very special and auspicious. All the unwed girls should be married during this year. If you arrange this for them, they will have happy and auspicious lives free of difficulty.” The Vrajavāsīs agreed to this proposal and arranged marriages for all the young girls at Govinda-kuṇḍa in Govardhana. Hundreds of yajña-kuṇḍas were prepared and throughout the day, sacrificial fires were burning brightly with the ghee, kindling, and grains offered. All the Vrajavāsī mothers and fathers brought their daughters after arranging the girls’ marriages with the parents of their quailified sons. Madhumaṅgala, Śrīdāma, Sudāma, Dāma, Vasudāma, Labaṅga, Arjuna—all the sakhās were married. Śrīmatī Rādhārānī observed this fantastic display of ceremonies along with Her sakhīs and considered, “Who are all these boys?” She recognized Kṛṣṇa and understood that although the boys appeared to be the same sakhās as always, in truth they were all none other than Kṛṣṇa. And each of the gopīs that were married to the sakhās also realized that in truth they were Kṛṣṇa. He had changed His external figure and then alone married millions of gopīs. Rādhārānī then exhibited māna and only when Kṛṣṇa in His original form fell at Her feet and supplicated Her for grace did She finally forgive Him. Śrīmatī Rādhārānī and Her sakhīs were also married that year. For one year, all the gopīs had a chance to openly speak and spend time with Kṛṣṇa. In this way, Kṛṣṇa fulfilled the gopīs’ desire to have Him as their husband. After one year Brahmā, for whom the time had passed like a few minutes, repented and returned the sakhās and calves. The sakhās went to their homes, thinking it was the same day. They thought, “This morning I went with Kṛṣṇa and the calves to the forest. We all entered the mouth of Aghāsura and fell senseless from his poison. Kṛṣṇa rejuvenated us and accompanied us home. But now, why is this girl living in my house?” When their parents reminded the inquiring sakhās that the gopīs were their wives, they became astonished and in disbelief, ran to Kṛṣṇa and asked Him, “Dear brother, do You know why the gopīs live in our homes? Our parents say they are our wives!” Kṛṣṇa calmed the boys and said, “After you entered Aghāsura, his poison had a lingering effect and so I sent the gopīs to help you at home. They are all Devīs, goddesses, and are to be greatly respected. By their divine influence you will be free of the poison of Aghāsura and will never have any disturbance.” “Yes, Kṛṣṇa,” the sakhās said, “this is good. We will respect and honor the gopīs, but can never consider them our wives.” In Yāvaṭa, Abhimanyu thought, “Vṛṣabhānu-rāja-nandinī Śrīmatī Rādhārānī has come to my home. I will worship Her daily.” He never went in Her room and himself lived in a room built outside the house. He would bring flowers, fruits, honey, milk, and other things and would give them to Jaṭilā and Kuṭilā, saying, “Please give this to Rādhārānī.” “Why don’t you give them yourself?” they replied. “You never spend time with Her!” “No, I cannot.” He was very shy. “You will not?” “No.” “Why?” “I am insignificant. She is Vṛṣabhānu-rāja-nandinī! I will honor and worship Her only.” He also had no desire other than this. The sakhās never considered the gopīs their possessions or objects of enjoyment. The gopīs did not go out of Vraja-maṇḍala, and they were not contaminated. When they went to meet with Kṛṣṇa, they were never disturbed.devī kṛṣṇamayī proktā rādhikā paradevatā sarva-lakṣmīmayī sarva-kāntiḥ sammohinī parā
Gautamīya-tantra
Śrī Rādhikā is the Supreme Goddess (para-devatā), the exclusive abode of Kṛṣṇa’s loving pastimes (Devī), and the shelter of all goddesses of fortune (Mahā-Lakṣmī). She is the most beautiful. Her inside and outside are nothing but Kṛṣṇa, and She is incessantly absorbed in Kṛṣṇa. She is the embodiment of all splendor, and is the enchantress of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s heart.” Since millions of lives the conditioned souls have been suffering from the poisonous influence of their material desires and lust for sense gratification. To be free of this poison, we must take shelter of the Vraja-devīs; we must worship and pray to them. By their glorious grace, we will achieve our spiritual forms and accept Kṛṣṇa as our eternal maintainer and guardian. This is the meaning of pati. Śrīla Gurudeva gives us this conception. He engenders greed to enter this mādhurya-rasa and to be Śrīmatī’s maidservants in Vraja. Then Kṛṣṇa will be so pleased. He will accept and maintain us with so much happiness that we are the beloved maidservants of His dearmost Śrīmatījī. This is the goal of our performance of Kātyāyanī-vrata. The sakhīs went to Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa-maṇḍala and to the forest and garden. The sakhās and sakhīs all served Kṛṣṇa. They are all Kṛṣṇa’s expansions and śakti. After Kātyāyanī-vrata they renounced everything, taking real sannyāsa. Then the mood of the nitya-siddha-gopīs came to them. Without the association of the nitya-siddhas, the sādhana-siddhas can never get this mood.kṛti-sādhyā bhavet sādhya-bhāvā sā sādhanābhidhā nitya-siddhasya bhāvasya prākaṭyaṁ hṛdi sādhyatā
Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.2
Sādhana-bhakti is the engagement of the mind and senses in the limbs of bhakti for the purpose of attaining bhāva-bhakti. This bhāva is a potentiality that eternally exists in the heart of the jīva and is manifested in the heart purified by sādhana.nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema sādhya kabhu naya śravaṇādi śuddha-citte karaye udaya
Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.107
Kṛṣṇa-prema is an eternally established reality; it is not brought about by sādhana. It automatically manifests itself in the heart purified by the performance of the various limbs of bhakti such as śravaṇa, kīrtana, and so on. This nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema, eternal love, is present with the Vraja-devīs and the Divine Couple.śuddha-sattva-viśeṣātmā prema-sūryāṁśu-sāmya-bhāk rucibhiś citta-masṛṇya-kṛd asau bhāva ucyate
Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.3.1
Bhāva-bhakti is (1) constituted entirely of viśuddha-sattva. (2) It is like a ray of the sun of prema, and (3) it softens the heart by various tastes. When the Vraja-devīs’ hearts melt, if a ray of their love comes down and enters our heart, then it is possible to attain the gopī’s bhāva. The sakhās are also present under the gopīs’ guidance. Without hearing about the gopīs’ pastimes with Kṛṣṇa, it is impossible to be rid of the heart disease of lust that has been with the conditioned souls since time immemorial.vikrīḍitaṁ vraja vadhūbhir idañ ca viṣṇoḥ śraddhānvito nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.33.39
A sober person who in the beginning faithfully and continuously hears from his guru the narrations of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s unprecedented rāsa dance with the young wives (gopīs) of Vraja, and later describes those pastimes very soon attains parā-bhakti or prema-bhakti towards the Supreme Lord, and thus becomes competent to quickly dispel the heart disease of lust.
A person who has no srāddha should not speak or discuss these pastimes. Don’t hear this kathā from any ordinary bogus person. Then the hṛd-roga will not go. But Śukadeva Gosvāmī said, “If you hear this līlā, then the hṛd-roga that has been with you for millions of lives will be finished very soon.” Therefore Bhagavatī Paurṇamāsī gave this mantra. If anyone desires to be relieved of that disease that has been with him for million lives, then he will chant this mantra, follow this vrata, and follow the footsteps of the Vraja-devīs and Bhagavatī Paurṇamāsī. And without following this, we will continue to move for millions of lives in māyā.gopī-bhāva vinā na paya kṛṣṇa
Without the gopī’s bhāva, Kṛṣṇa cannot be attained in this world.anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba sandīpitaḥ sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandanaḥ
Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī
May that Lord, who is known as the son of Śrīmatī Śacīdevī, be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what has not been given in a very long time—mañjarī-bhāva, the service of Śrīmatī Rādhikā as Her confidential maidservant.
That Hari who is puraṭa, sundara, appears in your heart. How? Unnata-ujjvala-rasa. Drink and take that rasa. Otherwise if one has attachment to mundane rasa, it is not possible. Sva-bhakti. Kṛṣṇa will be happy. Therefore Kṛṣṇa came to distribute this as Mahāprabhu. If one has desire for this rasa, then life in kali-yuga will be successful. Caitanya-candra came to give this. This is his movement. If one goes outside of this line, then you do not have consciousness of Caitanya’s movement. You are not in Mahāprabhu’s line then. You are out of his line. Karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ. He is very merciful. He came with all his kindness and blessings to give the jīvas this sva-bhakti-śriyam. Hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba sandīpitaḥ. My heart has many diseases, everything will be clean and pure and then he will come and appear there. Sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandanaḥ. That Śacīnandana, Nanda-nandana, will then appear in my heart. Bhagavatī Paurṇamāsī gave this mantra to help give one entrance into unnata-ujjvala-rasa, meet the nitya-siddha-gopīs, then join their class and learn how to follow their footsteps. If you try to follow this vrata and mantra, then you are lucky. If you don’t follow, then all are in the dark and will go further into the dark. What is the harm? Who will take responsibility for you? Śāstra and the Guru-varga give all chance. If I can’t take and accept, this is my bad fortune. Punishment is always ready. Yamarāja is ready and waiting. Many friends and relatives are ready to punish us. My sons, wife or husband—all are the army of māyā ready to punish and torture me. My relatives and friends are the soldiers of Yamarāja. He sends them; they come with sweetness and choke us. This pain is tasteful. If one’s girlfriend bites or pinches, this is very sweet. But they are the soldiers of māyā. Like a bull fight. They push swords in the bull. My friends are like this. They peel and cut us like carrots and radishes.Therefore, yearly, this good chance, month, and time comes to us. If we follow, then we are lucky. Mahā-yoginī will protect us and we will have no problem for bhajana and bhakti. This is good chance and association. Everything will be favourable in our life. We will make no announcement about our own glories trying to collect followers. There will be no need or desire for name, fame, and popularity—this will be like sewage. Then brain will come good. The Vraja-devīs teach one then how to serve in sevā-kuñja. Śrīla Gurudeva opened this sevā-kuñja and gave admission. We must remember our Guru-pāda-padma and follow his footsteps and pray how we can be with him. How we can be the footstep followers of Guru-pāda-padma, this is our only hope and prayer. By force, trick or cheat, anyhow follow, then you will understand the result and your life will be peaceful and quiet. You will have no more bad desires. This is told in śāstra; this is not my announcement, this is the announcement of śāstra. What should we do? We should desire to follow the line and advice of Guru-pāda-padma. If the Guru-varga is kind and help us, it is possible. Hari-katha spoken by Sripada Premananda Prabhu; rendition by Rasik Mohan Das This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.Hell is right here, with us. Yama-loka is not far away. All are here waiting to torment us. But they can’t touch us if we are in the shelter of Yogamāyā; we will be Kṛṣṇa’s property completey. Why? By drinking this unnata-ujjvala-rasa, I will be bright and strong. How can they attack me then? Then I will be powerful.