The Gauḍīya Ācārya Bhāskara, the Sun among the Gauḍīya ācāryas, Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, a few days before manifesting his aprakaṭa-līlā (unmanifest pastimes), that is, on the morning of December 23, 1936, spoke the following instructions before the assembled devotees —
“I have given distress to many people. Because I was compelled to speak the akaitava satya-kathā (unadulterated truth), and because I have insisted on performing non-duplicitous Hari-bhajana, many people may have even considered me their enemy. I have given distress to many people in various ways solely for the purpose of making them give up their anyābhilāṣa (desires other than service to Kṛṣṇa) and kapaṭatā (duplicity) and to turn them toward the service of Kṛṣṇa without any duplicity. One day, they will come to understand this.
With great enthusiasm, preach the teachings of Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Raghunātha to everyone. To become the dust of the lotus feet of the followers of Śrī Rūpa (Śrī Rūpānuga devotees) is the object of our ultimate aspiration. All of you should remain together, united under the guidance of the āśraya-vigraha (shelter-giving personalities i.e. Śrī Guru and ultimately Śrīmatī Rādhārānī), for the purpose of satisfying the transcendental senses of the Supreme Non-Dual Absolute Truth. For the purpose of Hari-bhajana, all of you should sustain your lives in this temporary world, which lasts only for a few days, in whatever manner is possible. Even amidst hundreds of dangers, hundreds of humiliations, and hundreds of criticisms, never abandon Hari-bhajana. Do not become discouraged upon seeing that the majority of people in this world are not inclined to accept the unadulterated service of Kṛṣṇa, and never give up your personal bhajana and never forsake śravaṇa (hearing) and kīrtana (speaking) of Kṛṣṇa-kathā, which is your everything. Remaining humbler than a blade of grass and more tolerant than a tree, always engage in Hari-kīrtana.
We desire to offer this body of ours, which is like an old cattle [and thus fit candidate for an offering], as an oblation in the saṅkīrtana-yajña of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and His associates. We do not aspire for any form of heroism — neither that of karma (fruitive action) nor that of dharma (religious merit). Rather, birth after birth, to remain as a particle of dust at the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa Prabhu alone is our true identity — it is our everything. The current of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda’s lineage and teachings will never be obstructed. All of you must take up the vow of preaching Śrīla Bhaktivinoda’s heartfelt desires with even greater enthusiasm. Among you, there are many qualified and accomplished individuals. We do not have any other aspiration; our one and only idea is this —
ādadānas tṛṇaṁ dantair idaṁ yāce punaḥ punaḥ,
śrīmad-rūpa-padāmbhoja-dhūliḥ syāṁ janma-janmani.
“Holding grass between my teeth, I beg again and again — may I become a particle of dust at the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa birth after birth.”
As long as we remain in this material world, we will inevitably encounter various difficulties. However, our purpose is neither to become bewildered by these difficulties nor to strive to remove them. Rather, it is essential to recognize what we will truly attain after these difficulties are eliminated — what our eternal existence will be. We must understand this while we are still here in this world. All kinds of attractions and repulsions exist here — those things that we desire and those that we do not desire. Both of these must be thoroughly examined. The further we are distanced from the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, the more we will be influenced by various forms of attractions and repulsions that pull us in different directions. Only by transcending these worldly attractions and repulsions, and by getting attracted to the transcendental Holy Name, can one truly comprehend the idea of Kṛṣṇa’s service. The subject matter of Kṛṣṇa is, at first glance, exceedingly startling and perplexing. Every human being, whether knowingly or unknowingly, is engaged in a greater or lesser struggle to eliminate those external matters that obstruct their experience of their eternal necessity. Thus, our sole necessity is to transcend duality and enter the realm of our eternal purpose.
In this world, we neither have attachment nor aversion toward anyone. All arrangements in this world are momentary and temporary. However, for every individual, the indispensable necessity of attaining the supreme goal remains. All of you should remain united with a singular purpose and strive to attain the eligibility to serve the original āśraya-vigraha (i.e. Śrīmatī Rādhārānī). May the current of Śrī Rūpānuga thought flow unhindered throughout the world. May we never, under any circumstances, display even the slightest indifference or detachment toward the seven-tongued yajña of Śrī Kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana. If exclusive and ever-increasing attachment remains in that, then all perfection will be achieved. All of you should, with absolute allegiance to the followers of Śrī Rūpa, preach the teachings of Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Raghunātha with great enthusiasm and fearless voices.”
