Preface

The Nectar of Devotion is a summary study of Bhakti-rasamrta-
sindhu, which was written in Sanskrit by Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhu-
pada. He was the chief of the six Gosvamis who were the direct
disciples of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. When he first met Lord
Caitanya, Srila Ripa Gosvami Prabhupada was engaged as a minister in
the Mohammedan government of Bengal. He and his brother Sanatana
were then named Sakara Mallik and Dabir Khas respectively, and
they held responsible posts as ministers of Nawab Hussain Shah. At
that time, five hundred years ago, the Hindu society was very rigid,
and if a member of the brahmana caste accepted the service of a
Mohammedan ruler he was at once rejected from brahmana society.
That was the position of the two brothers, Dabir Khas and Sakara
Mallik. They belonged to the highly situated sarasvata-brahmana
community, but they were ostracized due to their acceptance of
ministerial posts in the government of Hussain Shah. It is the grace of
Lord Caitanya that He accepted these two exalted personalities as His
disciples and raised them to the position of gosvamis, the highest
position of brahminical culture. Similarly, Lord Caitanya accepted
Haridasa Thakur as His disciple although he happened to be born of
a Mohammedan family, and Lord Caitanya later on made him the
dcarya of the chanting of the holy name of the Lord: Hare Krsna,
Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama
Rama, Hare Hare.

Lord Caitanya’s principle is universal. Anyone who knows the
science of Krsna and is engaged in the service of the Lord is accepted
as being in a higher position than a person born in the family of a

ux
