We spend a good while in Yugal's room, borrowing his PC as mine is still out of order, and chatting on a wide variety of topics as usual. After a meal, we head for Baba's darshan together with Braja Kishori and Ananda Hari.

It's around seven o'clock in the evening. Baba is sitting upstairs. We offer our pranams and sit down. Many devotees have sent their dandavats and greetings to Baba. As always, Baba is happy to hear of them and their desire to come to Radha-kunda for bhajan. He knows the power of Vraja-dhama and the great influence it has on the bhajan of any sadhaka, and therefore always welcomes everyone to visit Radha-kunda and do bhajan here.

I ask a question about Gadadhar Pandit and the position of Gaura-Gadadhar in our bhajan. There are a number of Gaudiya-traditions with differing views on the worship of Gaura-Gadadhar, and we are naturally eager to establish an understanding and a subsequent relationship befitting our lineage. As Baba begins explaining the relationship of Gaura and Gadadhar, he poses a question: "Why there are two Radhas?" One is within Gaura, as he is Krishna endowed with the lustre and moods of his beloved, and the other is on the outside as Gadadhar Pandit. Baba explains that Krishna came in the form of Gaura to fulfill his three internal desires, namely to understand (1) the depth of Radha's love for him, (2) the joy Radha feels, and (3) his own sweetness.

However, naturally Radha, whose bhava and complexion her priyatama has taken, is both concerned and curious over the outcome of the fulfilment of these desires. Being within Gaura, she cannot see the ways in which he acts. Therefore she descends as Gadadhar, a dear companion of Gaura's, to both witness these pastimes and to aid and support him. Such are our Gaura-Gadadhar.

Some Vaishnavas are worshiping Gaura-Vishnupriya. I inquire about our relationship with them. Baba explains that as our svarupas in Navadvipa are young brahmin boys, we have no direct relationship of servitude for Vishnupriya. If any sadhaka feels devotion for Vishnupriya in his heart, says Baba, then that is of course all right, but in the scenario of the lila there can be no direct service. This is just common social protocol. Though of course there is no lust in the lila-rajya as we know it here, the social conventions exist nevertheless. You would not have your friends come over and render varieties of services to your wife. Similarly it is in Nitya-Navadvipa.

The two essential factors in diksha, according to Jiva Goswami, are bhagavat-svarupa-jnana and bhagavat-sambandha-visesa-jnana, or knowledge about the specific form of the Lord we worship, and knowledge about our specific relationship with him. Or, in the Gaudiya context, with them, as both Radha and Krishna are our beloved ishta-devatas. This information, says Jiva, is contained within the syllables of the mantras. The cultivation of this relationship is at the heart of bhajan, and it is done both through daily contemplation of diksha-mantras and subsequent instructions illuminating the specifics of this relationship. guru-pAdAzrayAt tasmAt kRSNa-dIkSAdi zikSAnAm. This is the quintessence of our taking shelter of a sad-guru, with his kind assistance we seek to mediate a loving relationship with Radha-Krishna and their associates, and a very specific and special relationship at that.

We also inquire about the Vraja-identities of Advaita Acharya and Srivas Thakur, and some related topics. However, I am not at liberty to discuss any and all details of our bhajan openly on a public website.