By Kesava Krsna Dasa
The opening salvo of the preface for The Nectar of Instruction begins thus: “The Krsna consciousness movement is conducted under the supervision of Srila Rupa Goswami.” What does it mean to have this role? How actively involved is Srila Rupa Goswami in our everyday lives? Is he literally supervising all of us? Before understanding this supervisory function, we need to know who Srila Rupa Goswami is in relation to ourselves, our spiritual masters, and the previous acaryas going back to the time of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Each of the acaryas were unlimitedly powerful, being pure nitya-siddhas, capable of delivering the entire world, but preached in tune with Lord Chaitanya’s wishes to lesser or greater degrees. The special significance of Srila Rupa Goswami was that not only was he a direct disciple of Lord Chaitanya, and the leader of the six Goswamis of Vrndavana, but the leader of all the acaryas and followers of Srila Prabhupada - present and future. In (Krsna Book ch.86) Srila Prabhupada writes, “The actions of the Krsna consciousness movement are directed by the previous acaryas, headed by Srila Rupa Goswami….”