Gaudiya Gosthi Patih Sri Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakur Prabhupada told that—“ The slightest deviation from the track of your Guru- charan can ultimately through you away from Bhajan.”
Until and unless we have hundred percent Sharanagati unto the Lotus feet of Sat Guru Charan we have no right to speak about that absolute truth absolute way. Whereas we know it very well that Raganuga Bhajan or Rasa- Tattva is very very rare and very very secret tattva. This kind of secret rasa-tattva we cannot expect to be sold in open market. We can remember the teachings of Sriman Mahaprabhu from Sri Chaitanya Caritamrita :
bahiranga sange kare nama-sankirtan
antaranga-sange kare rasa –asvadana
Amongst the ordinary devotees the Lord engaged in nam-sankirtan, and with His intimate associates He relished rasa.
Practically we can see that in the whole lila of Srima Mahaprabhu he was bussy with Nama-sankirtan with all Gaudiya devotees, but when he started expressing his exclusive Raganuga- bhava ( Radha –Bhava ) then only Srila Svarup Damodar and Sri Rai Ramanda they two were found with him all the time inside the solitary castle of Sri Ghambira Mandir.
Without rasa no jivattma want to live, this is the fact we can find all over the Universe, but directly or indirectly the ultimate source of all rasa is Sri Krsna Govinda Himself. Aprakrita rasa is just opposite and perverted reflection of that original rasa which can be found in Aprakrita Dhama ( specially in Sri Vrindavan Dham were all rasa can be had freely ). Material rasa is always heronious whereas aprakrita rasa is always exclusive and excellent in nature. Just an example can be given below to clarify the point – A coco-nut tree at the bank of a water lake can find it’s reflection inside water but when we are going to look we can find the topmost part of the tree is far away gone deep into the water – just a perverted reflection of the tree can be had. Similarly material rasa is just opposite and perverted reflection of aprakrita rasa. Bonded soul can never get any smell of that aprakrita rasa if they are going to follow Sahajiya procedure of Bhajan. Only and only by the mercy of a genuine Raganuga bhakta one can get the scope to develop aprakrita rasabodha ( the direct feeling of rasa). Srila Sachidananda Bhaktivinod Thakur has written in his Jaiva-Dharma book the exact scientific procedure to reach up to Raganuga Rasa-Bhava. He has written that Raganuga- bhava is one kind of contagious disease. Because just like a contagious disease which is going to be spread from man to man, similarly any great devotee who is already having that kind of Raganuga –bhava can spread that bhava inside the heart of a genuine devotee who is going to serve him from heart. Srila Thakur giving the example of two pieces of clouds floating in the sky going to dash each other to create a big sound and lightning. Similarly a genuine sevaka when coming in touch of a great Raganuga devotee then automatically the unique bhava can touch the heart of the sevaka, without that there is no alternative procedure at all, let Sahajiyas speak whatever they like to speak. That is why in Sri Caitanya Caritamrita we can find the following Quotation —
sakala jagate more kare vidhi-bhakti
vidhi-bhaktye vraja-bhāva pāite nāhi śakti (CC Ādi 3.15)
“Everywhere in the world people worship Me according to scriptural injunctions. But simply by following such regulative principles one cannot attain the loving sentiments of the devotees in Vrajabhūmi.”
That doesn’t mean that we can ignore all vidhi marg- bhajan procedures and can jump into the glowing fire of Maya directly. Srila Sachidananda Bhaktivinod Thakur has written in one of his Bhajans that—“vidhi marga rata jane, svadhinata-ratna-dane, raga-marge korano pravesa Kirtan ..”
“ By granting the jewel of independence to those following vidhi-marga, the path of regulative principles, He allows them to enter raga-marga” ( Song by Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur , “ Suno, He Rasika Jana”)
We can see from the life of Gaudiya Guruvarga like Srila Sachidananda Bhaktivinod Thakur, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Gosvami Praphupada, Srila Bhakti Pragyan Keshava Gosvami Maharaj , Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Maharaj , Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Maharaj, etc., that those exalted previous Acharyas already have their smooth procedure of Raganuga Bhajan inside their heart, but externaly vidhi marga followed by them can help common devotees to put their Bhajan life in a very scientific system so that ultimately they can fell inspiration to start Raganuga Bhajan from heart by the mercy of previous Guruvarga.
Gaura Hari Haribol