One must be freed from all material desires. You cannot earn your livelihood by showing the Deity. This was not the business of Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī did not do any business by showing the Deity. Therefore you have to follow strictly the principles of Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī. Then you become Rūpānuga Vaiṣṇavas. And Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says: "One who is following the principles of the Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī, tāra mui dāsa, I accept him as spiritual master." Tān-sabāra pada-reṇu mora pañca-grās.
- ei chay gosāi yabe braje kailā vāsa
- rādhā-kṛṣṇa nitya-līlā karilā prakāśa
- (Nāma-saṅkīrtana 8)
So rādhā-kṛṣṇa nitya-līlā karilā prakāśa. By the . . . writing so many books, hundreds of books, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, especially Jīva Gosvāmī . . . Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau (Śrī Ṣaḍ Gosvāmy Aṣṭaka 2). They wrote, they wrote books for the benefit of the whole world. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau.
They did not write books only for the Hindus or for the persons who are in India or in Vṛndāvana. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau, nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau. They were very, very expert. You'll find in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, wherever Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has stated something, immediately he has given reference from the śāstras. He did not manufacture anything which is against the śāstras. That is rūpānuga, rūpānuga-vaiṣṇava.
So in order to see God, in order to serve God, we have to follow. Śrī Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, he has said:
- rūpa-raghunātha-pade haibe ākuti
- kabe hāma bhujhaba se yugala-pīriti
- (Gaurāṅga Bolite Habe)
Rūpa-raghunātha-pade haibe ākuti. Unless one becomes very, very much eager to follow the path of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, he cannot understand what is the love affairs of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Without following the principles of Rūpa Gosvāmī, if we want to understand what is Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, then we shall understand a boy, ordinary boys' and girls' affairs. That is not Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore in the śāstra it is said, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Do not try to understand Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa with these blunt eyes and senses; try to understand through the instruction of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī.
- śrī-rūpa-sanātana-bhaṭṭa-raghunātha
- śrī-jīva-gopāla-bhaṭṭa-dāsa-raghunātha
So this is the process. Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, which we have translated into English, Nectar of Devotion, is very important book. It is the science of devotional service. If you want to be engaged in devotional service, then you must read the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. And then we shall be able to see God. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38). By following the rules and regulation and the direction laid down in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, we shall be gradually elevated to the platform of loving God.