Even in the material world, when a worldly relationship is dissolved due to unavoidable death, a person who was deeply enamored by another, may be gripped in an intense grief that seems intolerable. In certain cases, the pain of material separation assumes such an extreme degree that, unable to endure it, some people neglect their own body, their highest object of attachment, to such an extent that they bring about their own self-annihilation, their death. If a person can react so intensely to the severance of a temporary, insignificant relationship within this mortal coil – a relationship wholly in the realm of mundane lust – then how acute and unbearable is separation from that supremely excellent eternal entity belonging to the transcendental realm of Vaikuṇṭha? Such intensity defies words. The grief resulting from the severance of mundane relationships, which are based on ignorance and born of delusion, is full of despondency and yields nothing but anguish. Conversely, transcendental separation results in a simultaneous blend of absorption in unfathomable bliss and heart-wrenching sobs of lamentation in absence from the dear one. Even though such cries are an expression of extreme sorrow, it is not distressing like mundane grief. In the realm of non-existence, where everything is temporary, all things are a source of trouble. But on the platform of viśuddhasattva in the realm of true and complete existence, a sense of lacking, or absence, occurs – yet it is comprised of supreme astonishment and enhances the moods of vipralambha-rasa. The intimate associates of Śrīla Prabhupāda, who experience intense pain in separation from him, constantly feel his absence, and, inspired by that, they engage in fulfilling his heart’s innermost desires (mano’bhīṣṭa). Wherever the experience of separation yields slothfulness and consequently generates laxity in service, it is to be under - stood that it arises from the modes of passion and ignorance. But if the intensity of transcendental separation produces inertia, it is not troublesome like mundane inertia, but full of the experience of the most bountiful happiness.

For those whose perception is based on ‘eyes of flesh’, the moment any obstacle to their enjoyment arises, they become seized by a despondency and idleness born of ignorance. But for those whose vision is founded in the Vedas or the holy name, the grief of transcendental separation profusely increases their enthusiasm to serve. Those who are servants of śrī guru are neither the champions of pious fruitive action (karma) nor of empiric knowledge (jṣāna). As the carriers of śrī gurupāda-padma’s shoes, their vow is to remain exclusively engaged in fulfilling the innermost desires of his heart, everywhere and always. karmāvalambakāḥ kecit kecij-jṣāna-avalambakāḥ vayantu haridāsānāṁ pāda-trāṇa-avalambakāḥ Padyāvalī (58) This means, “Some, having adopted the path of fruitive action, are karmīs, while others, having taken shelter of empiric knowledge, have become jṣānīs, but we, the servants of the servants of Śrī Hari, are the carriers of His servant’s shoes.” In separation from śrī guru, some of his servants have wholly surrendered their very selves to him, having accrued within their hearts the multitude of teachings that issued from his lotus mouth. And in carrying out those instructions to the letter, they obtain millions of times more stimulus to serve than when he was manifest.

There are others whose aim and object is not to fulfil the innermost desires of gurudeva’s heart; yet externally they appear extremely enthusiastic to serve. We must understand, however, that the driving force behind their endeavours is like that of the champions of karma – extraneous (anyābhilāṣa) and laced with a greed for worldly reputation.

According to varying qualifications (adhikāra) and consequent gradations in motive, one deed may be classified as either forbidden action (vikarma), prescribed action (karma), knowledge (jṣāna), or devotion to the Supreme Lord (bhakti). If one performs hari-kīrtana to obtain sense gratification that is scripturally unauthorized, but which may be either lawful or unlawful from a materialistic perspective, then that kīrtana is to be known as vikarma. If one’s motive is to attain scripturally authorized happiness, either in this world or the next, then that hari-kīrtana will be classified as karma. If one’s motive in performing hari-kīrtana is to achieve liberation, then that kīrtana will be known as jṣāna. And if one performs hari-kīrtana driven by a desire to render cent-percent loving service to śrī guru and the Vaiṣṇavas in all respects, then that hari-kīrtana is bhakti. Individuals of astute intelligence never judge any action on the basis of external performance. Rather, the sole object of their deliberation is the intention behind an action. Even if, from an external standpoint, Hiraṇyakaśipu’s observance of austerity and Rāvaṇa’s acceptance of the dress of a renunciant (tridaṇḍi) are considered praiseworthy, the intentions behind their actions are undoubtedly condemnable.

Śrī guru and the Vaiṣṇavas are not entities subject to birth and death like those beings bound by the laws of fruitive action. Like Śrī Bhagavān, they exhibit the pastimes of appearance (prakaṭa) and disappearance (aprakaṭa) in this world. na karmabandhanaṁ janma vaiṣṇavānāṣca vidyate viṣṇoranucaratvaṁ hi mokṣamāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ Padma-Purāṇa (quoted in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 10.113) The meaning is “The Vaiṣṇavas have no material birth, nor are they bound by the laws of karma. The learned declare that attaining the position of Lord Viṣṇu’s associate servant is indeed mokṣa.” Although when the sun has set, it may be outside the vision of the living beings in any given country, it cannot be concluded that the sun has become extinct. Similarly, when the associates of Bhagavān perform their disappearance pastimes, they may remain in a domain beyond our range of vision, yet they are eternally His companions, nourishing Bhagavān Śrī Gaurāṅga’s and Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. Even if we cannot directly receive Śrīla Prabhupāda’s instructions (upadeśa) and directives (nirdeśa), the fact remains that from a location concealed from our eyes he is protecting and nourishing us in all respects.

He left a wealth of teachings healthful to the consciousness of the living beings. Each word is consciousness awakening. The teachings of Śrīla Prabhupāda – who is non-different from Śrī Baladeva – transmit spiritual strength (cidbala) into us, and are our sole support and shelter. In his pastime of preaching the cherished aims of Śrī Caitanya’s heart (mano’bhīṣṭa), within a very short period of time he released, through multifarious channels, the unimpaired stream of Śrī Caitanya’s teachings. How wonderful are the sublime ideals he established in this world, proving himself to be the best of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s followers in the line of Śrīla Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, and the bestower of compassion upon all living entities! His accomplishments cannot be enumerated. His work to benefit the world has earned the unreserved commendation of all honest and genuine people, irrespective of their nation or caste. Innumerable learned and noble persons placed themselves at his feet and, upon hearing the hari-kathā that emanated from his lotus mouth, discovered their eternal welfare. By bringing a great deluge of hari-kīrtana to this world – which was deprived of it and duly stricken, he established an ideal utterly beyond compare. Furthermore, the originality he exhibited in his pastimes as ācārya, while preserving the specialty of the stream of teachings coming in the line of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, is unprecedented.

How heart-rending is separation from one’s dear-most guru, the Vaiṣṇavas and other godly personalities! It finds no means of expression in any language of the world, a world saturated with anxieties and limitations. Language can only serve to allude to the direction of the heart’s transcendental, loving emotions. Even so, those who are fully conversant with the absolute truths regarding the Lord and His exalted pure devotees – which are accessible through realization – can comprehend the depth and importance of transcendental loving sentiments, even if they are only expressed to a slight degree through language. Upon the disappearance of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhu, his foremost follower Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī Prabhu manifested the painful emotions of his heart as follows: śūnyāyate mahā-goṣṭhaṁ girīndro ’ jagarāyate vyāghra-tuṇḍāyate kuṇḍaṁ jīvātu-rahitasya me Śrī Prārthanāśraya-caturdaśaka (11) This means, “In separation from Śrī Rūpa, who was the sole sustainer of my life, this Vraja-maṇḍala appears as if vacant, Girirāja-Govardhana appears like a python, and Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa like the mouth of a tiger.” In Śrīla Dāsa Gosvāmī’s transcendental mood of separation from Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhu – who is the all in all of his very life (prāṇa) – his cherished places of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, his more cherished Girirāja Govardhana, and even his most cherished Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa, all appeared lifeless. It seemed that everything was lost and plunged into darkness. The intense state of mind attained by mahā-bhāgavata Vaiṣṇavas in their divine separation is touched upon in the language of Śrīla Narottama Ṭhākura:

pāṣāṇe kuṭibo māthā anale paśibo - I will dash my head upon a stone or enter into fire. Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 8.247) also gives evidence of this. Śrīman Mahāprabhu inquired, “duḥkha madhye kon duḥkha haya gurutara – among all sorrows, what sorrow is the topmost?” In response, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya said, “kṛṣṇa-bhakta viraha vinā duḥkha nāhi dekhi para – I know of no greater sorrow than separation from the pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa.”

Only one who is a Vaiṣṇava can realize separation from another Vaiṣṇava. Transcendental separation cannot be realized by those on the platforms of enjoyment and renunciation. Śrīla Prabhupāda, who is an intimate associate of Śrī Gaura, appeared on this Earth by Śrī Gaura’s will solely for the purpose of fulfilling the innermost desire of Gaura’s heart. Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, a śaktyāveśa-puruṣa, meaning ‘a person suffused with the great potency of the Lord,’ appeared as the instrument of Śrī Gaurasundara’s prediction: prithivite ache jata nagarādi-grāma sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata (Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) In every town and village of the earth, the chanting of My name will be propagated. Thus he has distributed the eternal benediction of this prophesy by drenching the world in a deluge of topics about Śrī Hari. Those individuals who are sāragrāhī, seekers of the essence, pursue the welfare of their souls, and it is for certain that a day will come when they will realize the essential nature and inner significance of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s fulfilling this prophesy. In his worldwide preaching, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s intention was not to gain material fame by astonishing the people of the world with oral recitations of scripture that show indifference to the real meaning of the Upaniṣads and vedānta-sūtra, like one carrying hackneyed load, for to do so would be to immolate the self on the sacrificial stake of subservience to the opinions of the masses, who are averse to Bhagavān. Pained at heart upon seeing the wretched state of human-kind, which was stricken with grief from suffering the threefold material miseries, Śrīla Prabhupāda performed preaching activities that pervaded the entire world. His intention was to install the kingdom of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the heart of every living entity through hari-kīrtana. He did not expend one drop of blood to increase party majority by appointing lifeless, paid preachers: vrajavāsīgaṇa, pracāraka-dhana pratiṣṭhā-bhikṣuka tā’rā nahe ’śava prāṇa āche tā’ra, se hetu pracāra, pratiṣṭhāśā-hīna-kṛṣṇa-gāthā saba Vaiṣṇava ke? (18) Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda The residents of Vraja are the only true preachers in this world, as they are endowed with the wealth of kṛṣṇa-prema. They are not devoid of life, and therefore they do not hanker after worldly distinction. They are full of the vitality that comes from loving Kṛṣṇa, and they go out and speak about Him. Whatever they say is free from the desire for prestige. In these words alone, he has manifested the true criteria for preaching the topics of Śrī Hari. “Satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi – I meditate upon the Absolute Truth.” As the proponent of genuine truth, he waved the victory flag of ŚrīmadBhāgavatam’s message, thereby subduing the deception of illusion. In this way, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s reputation as a Vaiṣṇava (vaiṣṇavī-pratiṣṭhā) has been celebrated everywhere. An effort to unscrupulously commingle genuine Truth with untruth, or customary truth, and thus become attendant to the disposition of those averse to the Truth, was never once observed in his character. In the unconscious world, vox populi, or vox dei (meaning ‘the opinion of the general masses is equal to the opinion of God’) prevails. By propagating the kīrtana of Śrī Caitanya’s teachings, Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura opposed this current of thought of the unconscious world and endeavoured up to his last breath to establish us in our inherent consciousness. Genuine truth cannot be ascertained by public opinion. This was Śrīla Prabhupāda’s basic premise. As a result of his lifelong struggle to oppose the innumerable followers of incidental truth, those in whose ears the message containing the real Truth has entered have attained the success of their human form. Those who took shelter of him, in recompense for their very selves being fully sold at his lotus feet, were infused with his mercy potency. They have preached and are continuing to do so. Like porters, they carry everywhere the message of Śrī Caitanya that emanated from his mouth. For them, there is no question of desiring worldly reward. A Humble Petition To fulfil the desires of Śrī Gurupāda-padma, who has fulfilled Śrī Caitanya’s innermost desires, indeed constitutes true service to guru. And it is through such service that divine separation is realized. Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-dayita dāsa Prabhu, of his own volition, sprinkled the stream of his mercy upon everyone, everywhere, without considering who is superior or who is inferior. I nurture within my heart the hope of becoming the dust of the lotus feet of that supremely merciful Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-dayita dāsa Prabhu, life after life. śrī caitanya-mano ’bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam Śrī Prema-bhakti-candrikā (1.38) When will Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī give me the shelter of his lotus feet? Because he understood the innermost desire of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he was able to establish His mission in this world and is very dear to the Lord.