Abhideya
Abhideya means to engage in the nine processes of devotional service with knowledge and detachment. Radha Govinda is the abhideya murti and Rupa Goswami is our abhideya guru.
Sri Rupa Goswami along with his brother Anupama left Ramakeli and started for Vrindavan. When they came to Prayag they saw that the whole town was inundated by the harinaam sankirtana performed by Lord Caitanya. When the two brothers met the Lord they offered their prostrated obesiances and Rupa Goswami composed that famous verse…
namo mahä-vadänyäya kåñëa-prema-pradäya te kåñëäya kåñëa-caitanya- nämne gaura-tviñe namaù
Bhakti lata
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu instructed Rupa Goswami at the Dasavamedha ghat for 10 days. He began his teachings by describing how rare this human form of life is and how rare it is to find someone who is actually seeking the highest perfection of Krishna prema. The greatest fortune for a wandering soul is to come in touch with a bonafide spiritual master who plants the seed of devotion, the bhakti lata bija within the heart. There is nothing so sacred as that seed.
Lord Caitanya taught that by following the nine processes of devotional service, that seed is nourished. But one must be very careful of the weeds. The weeds of desires for profit, adoration and distinction; the weeds of false ego and the weeds of the tendency to criticize others and to waste our time.Unless we very carefully identify what is the true Bhakti lata bija, we will keep watering the weed mistaking the weed to be seed of devotion. Srila Prabhupada has given his books and the association of devotees to help us to cultivate this discrimination and continue to water the seed of devotion. By following the regulative principles we should protect the seed of devotion. By continuous watering, the seed will grow and ultimately reach the highest planet of the spiritual world – Goloka. Then this devotional creeper will bear fruits. That fruit will fall as an offering at the lotus feet of Lord Krishna and the gardener, who is still in this world practicing devotional service, will taste that fruit and all of his desires will be fulfilled.
Lord Caitanya explained all these beautiful principles to Rupa Goswami and ordered him to go to Vrindavan and expand upon them through his writings.
– Radhanath Swami
