When asakti or deep attachment for Sri Shyamsundar intensifies greatly, it is called Bhava, which further progresses into Prem, unalloyed unprecedented, unrestrained, fathomless pure love which eternally flows in an uninterrupted stream like that of honey towards the object of love, Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar. Reaching this platform, the sadhaka finds a moment's separation from the Lord like 12 years and the entire universe to be null and void in the absence of Govinda. This has been expressed by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Sri Shikshashtakam, yugayitam nimeshena chakshusha pravrishayitam shunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda-virahena me O Govinda! Feeling Your separation, I am considering a moment to be like twelve years or more. Tears are flowing from my eyes like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the world in Your absence. In this exalted stage, the sadhaka serves the Lord both internally and externally, as directed by Srila Rupa Goswami, ...
Srila Ramanujacharya, the Acharya of Sri Sampradaya All glories to Srila Ramanujacharya, the Acharya of Sri Sampradaya, who defeated the atheistic adwaita philosophy of Shankaracharya and preached loving devotion to the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. Born in Shriperumbudur in 1017 A.D. in the house of Asuri Keshava and Kantimati, Ramanuja was married at the age of 16 to Rakshakambal. Soon after marriage and the unexpected departure of his father from this world, Ramanuja moved to Kanchi with his family, where he started studying the adwaitavad philosophy under the guidance of Yadav Prakash. However, the impersonal and offensive explanations of Yadav greatly distressed the heart of Ramanuja, who was a pure devotee of the Lord. Once, when his teacher gave an offensive explanation of the eyes of Lord Vishnu, he was so deeply hurt that he disagreed with Yadav and corrected him. This greatly angered Yadav. When he continued to refute the mayavad philosophy, Yadav told him to leave hi...