February 26, 1981
When he was going to America, on the journey he expressed his feeling to play with Krishna in sakhya-rasa: kata bane chutachuti bane khai lutaputi sei din kabe habe mor, “Running and frolicking in the many forests of Vraja, I will roll on the ground in spiritual ecstasy. O when will that day be mine?” This was his “Prayer to the Lotus Feet of Krishna.” When he was passing through the Atlantic, he gave vent to feelings that may be the salient points in his Vraja lila. It struck me like that, Vrindavana sakhya-rasa.
When he departed from this consciousness of worldly preaching propaganda, then he is there. It is clearly expressed in these sayings there in the Atlantic. He discovered the unmanifest (aprakata) pastimes in Vrindavana, and in Vrindavana he established Krishna-Balarama and Gaura-Nitai. That is indicative of sakhya-rasa. From this we can conclude that he is in sakhya-rasa, and he has entered into those pastimes. This is my understanding about his present position. He has expressed himself, his eternal position, the acme of his aspiration. In Vrindavana he has established Balarama and Krishna and Nitai-Gaura, and he is saying like that, Nitai-Gaura are Krishna and Balarama. It’s almost clear that he comes from that group. And now he’s again there. Hare Krishna.
KB Commentary: It appears that Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Gosvami Maharaja is giving conflicting view compared to the statements of Srila Gurudeva, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja, about the rasa of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja, but this is not the case.
Srila Gurudeva says Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja is also in Madhura rasa, see In Madhurya Rasa . But he is not saying how he is in Madhurya rasa, and he never directly says he is a manjari.
To understand the reconcellation further, please read:
- In Madhura Rasa
- Jaladuta Prayers
- Srila Prabhupada's Legacy
- Inclined to Radhika
- It Must be. Who Told?