A blissful festival took place in Carpinteria to celebrate Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s Cida-dadhii Festival. Giriraj Swami spoke to the assembled devotees:
“When Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to Santipura, Raghunatha dasa took the opportunity to meet Him and serve Him. But his real desire was to join the Lord in Jagannatha Puri. At that time, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who knew his heart, instructed him: ‘Be patient and return home. Don’t be a crazy fellow. Eventually you will cross the ocean of material existence. Manage your parents’ estate, but remain detached. Within your heart keep yourself faithful, but act externally like an ordinary person. Thus Krsna will be pleased and soon deliver you.’ Raghunatha dasa returned home and did exactly as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had instructed.
‘When I was serving Srila Prabhupada in Juhu, I was attracted to the Six Gosvamis and imagined that one day I would be like them, roaming about Vrndavana as described in the Prayers to the Six Gosvamis:
he radhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-suno kutah
sri-govardhana-kalpa-padapa-tale kalindi-vane kutah
ghosantav iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair maha-vihvalau
vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri jiva-gopalakau
‘I offer my respectful obeisances to the Six Gosvamis, who were chanting very loudly everywhere in Vrndavana, shouting,”Queen of Vrndavana, Radharani! O Lalita! O son of Nanda Maharaja! Where are you all now? Are you just on the hill of Govardhana, or are you under the trees on the bank of the Yamuna? Where are you?” These were their moods in executing Krsna consciousness.’
“Srila Prabhupada wanted me to manage the Juhu project, and although I never said anything to him, he knew my mind and thus instructed me, ‘Raghunatha dasa managed his father’s estate just like an expert businessman. Similarly, you should also manage your father’s estate. Then you go to Vrndavana and become a Gosvami.'” — Giriraj Swami
