Hare Krishna.
Dandavat Pranam H H Hanumat Presaka Swami Guru Maharaj.
Please accept my humble obeisance unto Your Padma Charan in the C.C. Madhya 8.230 clearly mentioned " gopi-anugatya vina .....nahi paya vrajendra-nandan".
Translation: "Unless one follows in the footsteps of the gopis, he cannot attain the service of the lotus feet of Krishna, the son of Nanda Maharaja. If one is overcome by knowledge of the Lord's opulens, he cannot attain the lord's lotus feet, even though he is engaged in devotional service.
Again in the purport: "Those attracted by the conjugal love between Radha and Krishna must follow in the footsteps of the gopis. Only then is it possible to enter into the Lord's service in Goloka Vrindavan and directly associate with Radha and Krishna.
Guruji I have read other slokas also 228-229.
Yes, I know it is quite difficult practice as a human being in this material world but I am just trying to follow the food steps of the Goswamis.
Everything is possible only when Guru's Asirvad is available. Please keep me in Your Padma Charan.
Your fallen servant,
Yamunesvara Das and
Yamuna Manjari
HpS - Hare Krsna. So nice to have your perspective here. Manipura has so much to offer to our global Sanga.
From our little perspective, the Nectar of Instruction is such a nice Parampara gift from Rupa Goswami through Narottama, Bhaktivinode Thakura, Bhakti Siddhanta, A. C. Bhaktivedanta.
Of course, Nectar of Devotion, Bhakti-rasamrta Sindhu is the complete science.
NOI is pretty complete summary of NOD.
NoI starts with Vaco vegam manasa vegam... with very detailed modern purport by Srila Prabhupada and Bhakti-siddhanta Prabhupada.
Then Rupa Goswami and Prabhupada go through more details up to Text 8. Then it directly deals with Raganuga Bhakti.
Before that we are following in the footsteps of the Gopis.
They show us how to live externally like regular people in Braja, Nanda maharaja's village, and by that we start to develop our internal life more and more.
It is like putting water and nutrition externally on the plant with the plan that it will develop fruit on that basis.
So, where are your good selves?
So, https://vedabase.io/en/library/noi/7/#bb5983 , starts the different levels of personal development in following in the footsteps of the Gopis, the Goswamis, adau sraddha, sadhu sanga, bhajana kriya... in modern terms.
About three paragraphs.
Where are your good selves on those steps?
Do you know this Super Essential Verse, adau sraddha... Prabhupad cites it all the time. It is a key, key, key verse by Rupa Goswami.
https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/4/10/#bb1200
Yes, maybe we are 85% fixed in Mangala arati, early Japa, so, yes, we can start higher stages like Nistha and Ruci, but we are not yet fully on that platform. Still have some work to do to finish off all the lower attachments. That the Goswamis show us how to do.
Rupa Goswami had to renounce his government employment.
What are your thoughts about this?
Jay Govinda Ji.