Srila Dasa Gosvami says: asambhashya tad bhava gambhira cittan kutah syama-sindho rasa-syavagahah – “Without humbly and submissively conversing with those advanced rasika devotees whose hearts are ‘deep with feelings for Sri Radharani, how can one enter into the sweet Syama-ocean?”
As a result of attaining the association and the mercy of such great souls, knowledge about Sri-Sri Radha-Madhava’s intimate pastimes can be attained – there is no other way. Rasa is svanubhava-gamya, only attainable through one’s own experience, and is only attained by the grace of the rasikas. Thus we hear so many orders from the Mahajanas, such as sangena sadhu bhaktanam, rasika sanga ranginam: “rasa can be relished when one takes pleasure in the company of rasika devotees.”
Those whose hearts find attachment to and pleasure in the attainment of the company of rasika bhaktas are easily able to relish prema rasa. Hence Srila Thakura Mahasaya has written: rasika bhakta sange, rahibo piriti range, vraja pure vasati koriya (Prema Bhakti Candrika): “I will always lovingly and blissfully stay with the rasika bhaktas, living in Vraja.”
Because the rasika bhaktas experience these flavours they are also able to bestow this relish to others, by their grace. Those who do not experience this transcendental matter can never transfer this relish onto others. Srila Thakura Mahasaya echoes this verse by saying in Prema Bhakti Candrika:
jaya jaya radha nama, vrindavana yara dhama,
Krishna sukha vilasera nidhi
heno radha guna gana, na sunilo mora kana,
vancita korilo more vidhi
“All glories to Sri Radha’s holy name, whose abode is Vrindavana and who is the jewel of Krishna’s blissful pastimes! Fate has deprived me, because my ears did not hear the songs glorifying Sri Radha!”
tara bhakta sanga sada, rasa lila prema katha,
ye kore se pay ghana-syama
ihate vimukha yei, tara kabhu siddhi nai,
nahi suni yeno tara nama
“Anyone who associates with Her devotees and always discusses Her rasika loving pastimes with them, will surely attain Ghanasyama (Krishna), but whoever is against this will never attain perfection; let me not hear his name!”
The target of bhakti sadhana is to relish the sweetness of the beloved deity. Anyone who wants to be blessed with the savour of the great ocean of sweetness Sri-Sri Syamasundara should worship Sri Radharani, take shelter of Vraja-dhama and associate with the great rasika devotees. These three things are compulsory. This is the path of spontaneous devotion, the great gift of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, which was practised and preached by the Six Gosvamis, headed by Sri Rupa and Sanatana.
Srila Ananta das Babaji
Amrita-Tarangini 