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Both the mother and the son were lamenting Dhruva Maharaja's being insulted by his stepmother and his father's not having taken any step on this issue. But mere lamentation is useless-one should find out the means to mitigate one's lamentation. Thus both mother and son decided to take shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord because that is the only solution to all material problems. It is indicated in this connection that Dhruva Maharaja left his father's capital city to go to a secluded place to search out the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is the instruction of Prahlada Maharaja also that if one is seeking peace of mind he should free himself from all contamination of family life and take shelter of the Supreme Godhead by going to the forest. To the Gaudiya Vaisnava this forest is the forest of Vrnda, or Vrndavana. If one takes shelter of Vrndavana under Vrndavanesvari, Srimati Radharani, certainly all the problems of his life are solved very easily.
(More...) Srila Rupa Gosvami, after retiring from his minister's seat in the government, went to Vrndavana and lived beneath a tree, like Maharaja Prthu. Since then, many people have gone to Vrndavana to imitate Rupa Gosvami's behavior. Instead of advancing in spiritual life, many have fallen into material habits and even in Vrndavana have become victims of illicit sex, gambling and intoxication. This Krsna consciousness movement has been introduced in the Western countries, but it is not possible for Westerners to go to the forest and practice the severe austerities which were ideally practiced by Prthu Maharaja or Rupa Gosvami. However, Westerners or anyone else can follow in the footsteps of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura by living in a temple, which is transcendental to residence in a forest, and to vow to accept Krsna prasada and nothing else, follow the regulative principles, and chant sixteen rounds daily of the Hare Krsna mantra. In this way, one's spiritual life will never be disturbed.
(More...) To go to the forest and live there with the animals, meditating upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the only means by which to give up lusty desires. Unless one gives up such desires, one's mind cannot be freed from material contamination. Therefore, if one is at all interested in being freed from the bondage of repeated birth, death, old age and disease, after a certain age one must go to the forest. Pancasordhvam vanam vrajet. After fifty years of age, one should voluntarily give up family life and go to the forest. The best forest is Vrndavana, where one need not live with the animals but can associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who never leaves Vrndavana. Cultivating Krsna consciousness in Vrndavana is the best means of being liberated from material bondage, for in Vrndavana one can automatically meditate upon Krsna. Vrndavana has many temples, and in one or more of these temples one may see the form of the Supreme Lord as Radha-Krsna or Krsna-Balarama and meditate upon this form. As expressed here by the words brahmany adhyaya, one should concentrate one's mind upon the Supreme Lord, Parabrahman. This Parabrahman is Krsna, as confirmed by Arjuna in Bhagavad-gita (param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan). Krsna and His abode, Vrndavana, are not different. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam. Vrndavana is as good as Krsna. Therefore, if one somehow or other gets the opportunity to live in Vrndavana, and if one is not a pretender but simply lives in Vrndavana and concentrates his mind upon Krsna, one is liberated from material bondage. One's mind is not purified, however, even in Vrndavana, if one is agitated by lusty desires. One should not live in Vrndavana and commit offenses, for a life of offenses in Vrndavana is no better than the lives of the monkeys and hogs there. Many monkeys and hogs live in Vrndavana, and they are concerned with their sexual desires. Men who have gone to Vrndavana but who still hanker for sex should immediately leave Vrndavana and stop their grievous offenses at the lotus feet of the Lord. There are many misguided men who live in Vrndavana to satisfy their sexual desires, but they are certainly no better than the monkeys and hogs. Those who are under the control of maya, and specifically under the control of lusty desires, are called maya-mrga. Indeed, everyone in the conditional stage of material life is a maya-mrga. It is said, maya-mrgam dayitayepsitam anvadhavad: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa to show His causeless mercy to the maya-mrgas, the people of this material world, who suffer because of lusty desires. One should follow the principles of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and always think of Krsna in full Krsna consciousness. Then one will be eligible to live in Vrndavana, and his life will be successful.
(More...) Preaching Caitanya Mahaprabhu's cult throughout the world is more important than staying in Vrndavana or Jagannatha Puri for one's own personal satisfaction. Spreading Krsna consciousness is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission; therefore His sincere devotees must carry out His desire.
(More...) And Ramananda Roy replied that one should give up all other pleasures and should live in Vrindaban, the place where Lord Krishna had so many Pastimes. In the Srimad Bhagwatam, Tenth Canto, 47th Chapter [10.47.61], it is said by Uddhava that it is best to live at Vrindaban, even as one of the plants or creepers of the land; where the Supreme Lord was, and where the Gopis went, worshipping the Supreme Lord, the ultimate Goal of all Vedic knowledge.
(More...) If it is not possible to be physically present at Vrndavana, one can meditate anywhere upon living in that situation. Wherever he may be, one must always think about life in Brajadhama and about following in the footsteps of a particular devotee in the se It is said by Sri Rupa Gosvami: "When one is actually liberated from material contamination, he can always remember an eternal devotee in Vrndavana in order to love Krsna in the same capacity. And developing such an aptitude, one will always live in Vrndavana, even within his mind." The purport is that, if it is possible, one should go and physically be present at Brajabhumi, Vrndavana, and be engaged always in the service of the Lord, following the devotees in Brajadhama, the spiritual realm of Braja. If it is not possible, however, to be physically present at Vrndavana, one can meditate anywhere upon living in that situation. Wherever he may be, one must always think about life in Brajadhama and about following in the footsteps of a particular devotee in the service of the Lord.
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