(From Śyāmānanda Prakāśa – Chapter 1)
The Call to Vṛndāvana
Śrī Gaurīdāsa Paṇḍita Ṭhākura, the beloved associate of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and spiritual master of Śrī Hrdayānanda Gosvāmī, once gazed upon his grand-disciple Śrī Kṛṣṇadāsa with divine affection. Seeing in him a deep longing for eternal service to Śrī Rādhā and Śrī Kṛṣṇa, he gave a powerful instruction: “Go to Vṛndāvana.”
For Śyāmānanda, this was not an ordinary command. It was the divine trumpet of destiny calling his soul back to the dust of Vraja, the sacred land where every leaf whispers the names of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda. Hearing this instruction, Śrī Kṛṣṇadāsa—who would soon become Śyāmānanda—lost all interest in the affairs of the material world. His eyes brimmed with eagerness and longing as he approached his spiritual master Hrdayānanda and begged permission to leave at once.
With blessings flowing like the Yamunā, Hrdayānanda Gosvāmī gave his consent, and Śrī Kṛṣṇadāsa left for Vṛndāvana with a heart overflowing with hope.
Living at the Feet of Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī
Upon reaching Vṛndāvana, Śrī Kṛṣṇadāsa took shelter at the lotus feet of Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, the most brilliant sun among the followers of Śrī Rūpa. Śrī Jīva’s affection for him was like the cooling shade of a kadamba tree in the scorching heat of separation from Kṛṣṇa.
Śyāmānanda would spend his days and nights submerged in the nectar streams of the rasa-līlā of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, relishing the sweetness of Their madhura-līlās as described by Rūpa and Raghunātha. So absorbed was he in divine contemplation that he forgot food, sleep, and all bodily needs.
In the sacred grove of Kanaka Kuñja, he served with unwavering devotion. Every morning, he would rise before the sun to clean the kuñja, decorate it, and offer it for the divine pastimes of the Lord. He would then sit attentively near the lotus feet of Śrī Jīva, drinking the ambrosial words describing Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s līlās.
Overwhelmed by Rasa – A Test of Life
One day, while hearing from Śrī Jīva about the intimate pastimes of the Divine Couple, Śyāmānanda entered such deep absorption that he lost external consciousness. His breath became still, his limbs motionless, his face serene as if sleeping in the lap of eternity. Those around him panicked, and Śrī Jīva himself carried the lifeless body of Śyāmānanda to his own home.
For twenty-seven hours, Śyāmānanda remained motionless—a divine coma of prema. When he finally awoke, his first act was to fall at the feet of Śrī Jīva and place the dust of his feet upon his head. Śrī Jīva’s heart, overflowing with relief and joy, offered him prasādam with trembling hands.
The Longing for Mercy
With folded palms and eyes moist with longing, Śyāmānanda spoke:
“O Gosvāmī, please fulfill my one desire—how may I obtain the mercy of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa?”
Śrī Jīva, moved by the simple intensity of his devotion, began instructing him in the five rasas, especially the path of madhura-rasa—the confidential sweetness of conjugal love for the Divine Couple. He explained the difference between imagined sentiment and true bhāva rooted in spontaneous devotion. Śyāmānanda’s heart, thirsty like a cātaka bird in a drought, drank every word.
From that day, under the guidance of Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, Śyāmānanda began his practice of rāgānugā-bhakti, following in the footsteps of Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī. He offered every breath, every glance, and every thought to the eternal service of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in Their kuñja pastimes.
Hidden Service in the Forest of the Heart
Though outwardly engaged in severe austerities and devotional practices, Śyāmānanda’s inner world was aflame with the vision of divine love. In his heart, he served side by side with the mañjarīs, decorating the kunja, offering garlands, and observing Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s līlā from behind the creepers.
And it was in this deep state of surrender and eagerness that destiny prepared the most divine of gifts for him—the touch of Śrī Rādhā’s own foot.
Reflections and Lessons
- Obedience is the gateway to grace: Śyāmānanda’s departure to Vṛndāvana came from obedience to guru. Without hesitation, he sacrificed everything to follow the instruction.
- True absorption in līlā purifies the soul: He became so absorbed in hearing Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes that he lost awareness of the body. This teaches us the power of śravaṇa when done with love.
- Genuine longing is the key to deeper guidance: His humble plea, “How can I attain the mercy of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa?” unlocked the heart of Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī.
- Rāgānugā-bhakti is a hidden path walked by the surrendered: Śrī Jīva’s instruction shows that true bhāva is not emotionalism, but a divine awakening in the heart of one who sincerely serves under the guidance of vraja-vāsīs.
- Service to the kuñja is the gateway to Rādhā’s heart: Cleaning the kunja with love is not a mere external task; it is symbolic of preparing the heart for the Divine Couple to reside.
