[Spoken by Srila Gurudeva on January 17th, 1998, Australia, published as part of the Bhakta Bandhav Anthology, Volume 23]
Srila Gurudeva: If your heart is not melting when you chant krsna-nama, then see to Rupa Gosvami. Rupa Gosvami is a very bona-fide devotee and associate of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Once, he was sitting in a very good counsel near Radha-Damodara temple. At that time it was called Seva-kunja, near to Radha-Damodara temple, because at that time it was not yet established. At this assembly there were very bona-fide devotees, all devotees were there. Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami was there giving a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam. What thing in Srimad-Bhagavatam? On rasa-pancadhyayi. In rasa-pancadhyayi, what thing?
jayati te ‘dhikam janmana vrajah
srayata indira sasvad atra hi
dayita drsyatam diksu tavakas
tvayi dhrtasavas tvam vicinvate
-Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.31.1
[The gopis said: O beloved, Your birth in the land of Vraja has made it exceedingly glorious, and thus Indira, the goddess of fortune, always resides here. It is only for Your sake that we, Your devoted servants, maintain our lives. We have been searching everywhere for You, so please show Yourself to us.]
tava kathamrtam tapta-jivanam
kavibhir iditam kalmasapaham
sravana-mangalam srimad atatam
bhuvi grnanti ye bhuri-da janah
-Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.31.9
[O Krsna, we are always suffering in this material world, but just hearing the immortal nectar of Your words and narrations of Your pastimes gives us life. These narrations, coming from the lips of Your pure devotees, eradicate one’s sinful reactions and bestow the ultimate benediction, krsna-prema, upon whoever hears them with faith. Your pure devotees broadcast these narrations, which are full of spiritual beauty and opulence, all over the world. There is certainly no one more kind and compassionate than those souls who distribute this nectar.]
He was explaining this in such a good way that almost all were weeping. Some became faint also. Only there was Rupa Gosvami, he was not doing anything. His eyes were open and he was sitting as he would in a very natural way. Anyone saw this and thought, “The hearts of all are melting, there is some symptom that they are all immersed in krsna-prema. But why is no symptom there in Rupa Gosvami?” Anyone went there and he saw that, “Is he dead or is he living? I don’t know, but his eyes are open and he is sitting here.” He took some cotton and he put it under his nose. At once very warm air came from his nose and that piece of cotton was burnt. He saw that, “He is in Goloka Vrndavana.” So Rupa Gosvami was not like an ordinary fish in an ordinary water tank [devotees laugh]. If there is not so much water, then if a big fish will run here and there, the water will be muddy. But if a very big fish will play so much in the Pacific Ocean, the water will not be muddy. So, the heart of Rupa Gosvami is like an endless ocean of krsna-prema. Anyone cannot measure his love, how deep and endless his prema is. So, we should be like this. Try to have a heart like Rupa Gosvami. This is the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and this is the mission of Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada. This is also the same mission as mine. I hope that you will gain so much from all these things. Try to keep these things in your heart forever and you will see that this will add to your bhakti. Your love and affection and your heart will also be developed by this.