(Extract from the Harikathas of Shyam das Babaji Mahāraj)
Gauḍīya Goṣṭhī Pathi Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda told that Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmīpad was the last ‘Raj-patra of ‘Visva Vaiṣṇava Raj Sabah.’ The duty of ‘Visva Vaiṣṇava Raj Sabah’ is to regulate the whole Vaiṣṇava society so that they can be directed to one-pointed devotion. There should not be any separate desire.
anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā
(Cc/Madhya/19/167) also in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.1.11)
“When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge obtained by monistic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Kṛṣṇa favourably, as Kṛṣṇa desires.”
All our guru-varga are showing this kind of one-pointed devotion, which is also called “ekayan paddhati”, which means that all our bhajan power should be channelized through a proper gateway leading to the absolute goal of prema. At the time of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the fountainhead of all the Vaiṣṇava society was Śrī Svarūpa Gosāi, as was indicated by Mahāprabhu himself. All fine judgment regarding śuddha bhakti we can get from Svarūpa Gosāi and his disciplic succession. Also, we can see this procedure is applicable in this material world. Some political leaders sometimes say, “We should channelize the whole youth power for the benefit of the whole country”. Otherwise, some notorious people can take advantage of that youth power. That is the situation nowadays. Ekayan paddhati is only possible if there is any fountainhead in our bhajan field. After the disappearance of Śrīman Mahāprabhu, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī was preaching srī bhāgavata-dharma by the command of Śrī Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī. People who all accepted the guidance of Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana—they became the leaders of that ‘Visva Vaiṣṇava Raj Sabhā’ to run that function of that sabhā scientifically and smoothly. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, being the director of that sabhā, wanted to represent all the secret teachings of Śrīman Mahāprabhu in the form of six Sandarbhas under the total guidance of Śrīla Rūpa-Sanātana.
The pure(transcendental) method of worship of that divine couple, Śrī Śrī Radha-Govinda jew, was shown by Śrīmad Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī (one of the leaders of the ‘Śrī Visva-Vaiṣṇava Raja Sabhā’). But that was according to the guidance of Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana, which is followed by all Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava devotees, those who are interested to step into rāgānugā bhajan. And then onward by the actual guidance of Śrīla Rūpa-Sanātana, the king of this Rasik-Samaj Śrīpada Kṛṣṇadāsa Kaviraja Gosvāmī Prabhu wanted to represent the whole Gauḍīya Darshan in a very sweet way. They were all very, very important personalities to maintain the topmost dignity of ‘Visva-Vaiṣṇava Raja Sabhā’.
Again, Śrī Narottama Ṭhākura Mahāsaya, Śrīla Shyamananda Prabhu, Śrīla Śrīnivas Ācārya—they decorated the crown of this ‘Visva-Vaiṣṇava Raja Sabhā’ in a big way. Later on, Śrī Śrīpada Visvanatha Cakravarti Ṭhākura took a vital part in the way of preaching the bhāgavata dharma according to the desire of Śrīman Mahāprabhu. And most recently another moon has arisen in the dark evening sky, who again helped many other stars to twinkle. He has come again to enliven the meaning of the scriptures, which act like a medicine to sooth the diseased souls of this world. The divine advent of Jagad Guru Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda giving pleasure to the whole Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava society. He was the topmost leading personality to project again the glory of this ‘Visva-Vaiṣṇava Raja Sabhā’ glamorously.
That time it was the usual system, that to those who had been serving the mission exclusively, Śrīla Prabhupāda always wanted to show some special honour by offering some special title to each of them. Out of jealousy if we are unable to recognize devotees according to their Vaiṣṇava etiquette and seva-mood, then the whole system of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava society can collapse down. Even in this material world, in any country the ruling government is also usually giving honour to those who are showing some special Qualities. Such exclusive Qualities should be brought into light. If we are not going to have that kind of open heart, then those exclusive personalities would be automatically ignored. For the overall development of the whole human society this kind of tolerance should be there. If I think some of my god-brothers are showing some exclusive performance in bhajan line, so he should be thrown out, otherwise I cannot get name, fame, and position—in that case I am going to make a big mistake. Until and unless our society is not ready to show proper honour to qualified persons then the society is bound to break down. Śrīla Prabhupāda was the proper personality to run this ‘Visva-Vaiṣṇava Raja Sabhā’ perfectly. The reason for why I am saying this way, is because all the time he was busy doing something concrete for the whole Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava society. If all ācāryas going to follow the same system, then this becomes the ekayan paddhati.
Śrīla Bhaktivinod Ṭhākura also used to express deep anxiety at that time—150 years back. Because he could realize very well that in future the whole system of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava society going to break down, due to lack of harmony. Actually guru-tattva is akanda-tattva, the main source is the Lotus feet of Śrīman Nityānanda Prabhu—from were all our sad-guru-varga coming. So, any kind of divisive attitude cannot be allowed.
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmīpada was the overall controller of the whole Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava society at that time regarding Vaiṣṇava etiquette or vaiṣṇava siddhānta. So, he was always busy to eliminate those unwanted elements to purify the place of Nāma-haṭṭa.
Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura used to explain that if we are not going to realize the unique treasure left by our Gauḍīya guru-varga, like Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana, Jīvapada, Visvanatha Cakravarti Ṭhākura, Balladeva Vidyābhūṣana, or Śrīla Bhaktivinod Ṭhākura, then really, we are unlucky. Śrīla Prabhupāda already told that, –anyway, bhaktivinod dhāra is not going to stop. So still today some secret flow of bhaktivinod dhāra must be there. The only thing that we will have is our sincerity and honesty.
Gaura Hari Haribol