sri radha - Blog - ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT2024-03-28T19:28:54Zhttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/sri+radhaThe spiritual world is conducted by the internal potency – Radharanihttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/the-spiritual-world-is-conducted-by-the-internal-potency-radharan2023-12-02T09:30:00.000Z2023-12-02T09:30:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img class="align-center" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-E0ypT8RaMK0/Ve-fUyG9YqI/AAAAAAAATgQ/QZUMUVlge7I/s0/2015-09-09_04-53-59.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" alt="2015-09-09_04-53-59.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="600" /></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Srila Prabhupada: (chants mangalacarana prayers) Today is birth, appearance day of Srimati Radharani, Radhastami. Fifteen days after Krsna’s birth, Radharani appeared. (pause) Radharani is Krsna’s pleasure potency. Radha-krsna-pranaya-vikrtir hladini-saktih. The Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has got varieties of energies, as it is confirmed in the Vedic literature. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate. The Supreme Lord has nothing to do personally. Na tasya karyam. He has nothing to do. Just like here in this material world we find some very big man, political head or business head; personally, he has nothing to do. Because he has got so many assistants, secretaries, that personally he hasn’t got to do anything. Similarly, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full with six opulences, why He will have to do something? No. He has got many assistants. Sarvatah pani-padas tat. In the Bhagavad-gita: “He has got everywhere His hands and legs.” You’ll find Krsna, He has nothing to do. He’s simply engaged in enjoyment with gopis and Radharani. He’s not engaged in killing the demons. When Krsna kills the demons He’s Vasudeva Krsna; He’s not original Krsna. Krsna expands Himself. First expansion is Baladeva. From Baladeva-Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Vasudeva. So by the Vasudeva feature He acts in Mathura and Dvaraka. But Krsna in His original feature, He remains in Vrndavana. One of the greatest fiction writers in Bengal, Bankimchandra Chatterjee, he misunderstood Krsna that Krsna of Vrndavana, Krsna of Dvaraka, and Krsna of Mathura, They’re different persons. Krsna (is) the same, one, but He can expand Himself in millions and trillions of forms. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam adyam purana-purusam [Bs. 5.33]. Advaita. Although ananta-rupam, still, He’s adyam purana-purusam, advaita. There is no such distinction.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">So this Krsna, when He wants to enjoy, what kind of enjoyment He will have? That has been discussed by Srila Jiva Gosvami. Krsna is Param Brahman. Brahman, Paramatma, then Param Brahman. Absolute Truth, three different features. Someone is realizing the Absolute Truth as impersonal Brahman. Jnanis, those who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth by mental speculation, by dint of his own knowledge, he’s realizing the Absolute Truth as impersonal Brahman. And those who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth by meditation, yogis, they realize the Absolute Truth as Paramatma. Paramatma is situated in everyone’s heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ‘rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. That feature, Paramatma feature. Andantara-stham paramanu-cayantara-stham govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami. That Paramatma feature is one expansion of Krsna. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, athava bahunaitena kim jnatena tavarjuna ekamsena vistabhyaham. Ekamsena. When Krsna and Arjuna was trying to understand about different potential existence of Krsna, so He explained in the Twelfth Chapter, “I am this. Amongst them, I am this. Amongst them…” Like that. And He concluded that “How far I shall go on? Better try to understand that only one plenary portion of Me, by entering this universe, the whole cosmic manifestation is existing.” Ekamsena sthito jagat [Bg. 10.42]. Jagat. This material world is existing on one plenary portion of Krsna. And Krsna enters, andantara-stham paramanu-cayantara-stham, He enters within this universe. Without His entering, this universe cannot exist. Just like without the spirit soul’s entering within this body, this body cannot exist. As soon as the spirit soul goes out, immediately the body’s useless. However the body may be prime minister or anything else, as soon as the soul is out of this body, it is not worth even a farthing. Similarly, because Krsna enters within this universe, therefore the universe has value. Otherwise it is simply a lump of matter; it has no value. Ekamsena sthito jagat.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">So try to understand Krsna. And when Krsna want to enjoy, what kind of enjoyment that shall be? Try to understand this point. Krsna is so great; God is great, everyone knows. So when the great wants to enjoy, then what quality of enjoyment that should be? That is to be understood. Radha-krsna… Therefore Svarupa Damodara Gosvami has written a verse, radha-krsna-pranaya-vikrtih. The loving affairs of Radha and Krsna is not ordinary, these material loving affairs, although it appears like that. But one who cannot understand Krsna, avajananti mam mudhah [Bg. 9.11]. Mudha, rascals, fools, they understand Krsna as ordinary man. As soon as we take Krsna as one of us… Manusim tanum asritam, param bhavam ajanantah. These rascals, they do not know param bhavam. They try to imitate Krsna’s lila, rasa-lila. There are many rascals. So these things are going on. There is no understanding of Krsna. To understand Krsna is very difficult.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">manusyanam sahasresu<br /> kascid yatati siddhaye<br /> yatatam api siddhanam<br /> kascin mam vetti tattvatah<br /> [Bg. 7.3]</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Out of millions of persons, one may try to make his life perfect. Everyone is working like animal. There’s no question of perfection of life. The animal propensities: eating, sleeping, mating and defending… So everyone is engaged like animals. They have no other business, just like animal, hogs, dogs, whole day and night working: “Where is stool? Where is stool?” And as soon as he gets some stool, gets some fat, “Where is sex? Where is sex?” No consideration of mother or sister. This is hog’s life.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">So human life is not meant for hog civilization. So modern civilization is hog civilization, although it is polished with shirt and coat. So, we shall try to understand. This Krsna consciousness movement is for understanding Krsna. For understanding Krsna, it requires little labor, austerity, penance. Tapasya brahmacaryena samena damena ca. Tapasya. One has to undergo tapasya; brahmacarya, celibacy. Tapasya. Brahmacarya means stopping sex life or controlling sex life. Brahmacarya. Therefore Vedic civilization is, from the very beginning, to train the boys to become brahmacari, celibacy. Not that modern days, the schools, boys and girls, ten years, twelve years, they’re enjoying. The brain is spoiled. They cannot understand higher things. The brain tissues are lost. So without becoming brahmacari, nobody can understand spiritual life. Tapasya brahmacaryena samena damena ca. Sama means controlling the senses, controlling the mind; damena, controlling the senses; tyagena; saucena, cleanliness; tyaga, tyaga means charity. These are the processes for understanding oneself, self-realization. But in this age it is very difficult to undergo all these processes. Practically it is impossible. Therefore Lord Caitanya, Krsna Himself, has made Himself easily available by one process:</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam<br /> kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha<br /> [Cc. Adi 17.21]</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">In this age, Kali-yuga… Kali-yuga is considered to be the most fallen age. We are thinking that we are making very much advance, but it is the most fallen age. Because people are becoming like animals. As the animals have no other interest than four principles of bodily necessities—eating, sleeping, mating and defending—so in this age people are interested with four principles of bodily want. They have no information of the soul, neither they are prepared to realize what is soul. That is the defect of this age. But human form of life is especially meant for realizing himself, “What I am?” That is the mission of human life. Athato brahma jijnasa. This life is meant for inquiring about Brahman. Brahman, Paramatma, Bhagavan. These inquiries should be there. Jijnasu. They are called jijnasu, brahma-jijnasa, jijnasu, inquiry. As we inquire every morning, “What is the news today?” Immediately we pick newspaper. That inquisitiveness is there. But we are inquiring very base things only. There is no desire to inquire about the highest possibility, brahma-jnana. That is the lack of this modern civilization. Inquiring how to earn money: diva carthehaya rajan kutumba-bharanena va [SB 2.1.3]. Not only in this age… In this age it has become the principal factor, but in this material world everyone is engaged simply for these bodily necessities of life. Nidraya hriyate naktam: at night they sleep very sound sleep, snoring. Or sex life. Nidraya hriyate naktam vyavayena ca va vayah [SB 2.1.3]. In this way they’re wasting time. And at daytime, diva carthehaya rajan… And during daytime, “Where is money? Where is money? Where is money?” Artha ihaya. Kutumba-bharanena va. And as soon as one gets money, then how to purchase things for family, that’s all. Shopping, storing. This is the engagement of materialistic life. Out of that, one who is actually intelligent… Manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. Out of many such foolish persons engaged in sleeping, mating, earning money, and providing family with nice apartment and food… This is the general occupation. So out of many thousands of men like that, one is inquisitive how to make perfect this human form of life. Manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Siddhaye. Siddhi means perfection. So this life is meant for perfection. What is perfection? Perfection means that we do not want miserable condition of life, and we have to get out of it. That is perfection. Everyone is trying to get out of miserable condition of life. But they do not know what is the actual position of miserable life. Miserable condition of life: tri-tapa-yantanah. So this is called mukti, or liberation, from the misera… Atyantika-duhkha-nivrttih. Duhkha, duhkha means distress. So everybody is trying to get out of distress. But he does not know what is the ultimate goal of getting out of distress. Na te viduh. They do not know. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. One can be out of distress when he approaches Visnu. Tad visnum paramam padam sada pasyanti surayah. Tad visnoh paramam padam. The Visnu planet… Just like here in the material world they’re trying to go to the moon planet, but these foolish people do not know what they’ll gain even they go to the moon planet. It is one of the material planets. Krsna has already said in the Bhagavad-gita, abrahma-bhuvanal lokan. What to speak of this moon planet—it is very near—even if you go to the topmost planet, which is known as Brahmaloka… That is in your front, you can see every day, every night, how many lokas and planets are there. But you cannot go there. You are simply trying to go to the nearest planet. That is also failure. So what is your scientific improvement? But there is possibility. A-brahma-bhuvanal lokan. You can go. The material scientists’ calculation is that if one goes forward for forty thousands of years in the light speed, light-year speed, then one can approach the topmost planet of this material world. So at least in the modern scientific calculation, it is impossible. But one can go; there is process. That we have tried to explain in our small booklet Easy Journey to Other Planets. By yogic process one can go any planet he likes. That is the yogic perfection. When a yogi becomes perfect, he can go to any planet he likes, and the yoga practice goes on, unless the yogi thinks himself that he has made himself perfect to travel to any planet he likes. That is perfection of yoga practice.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">So, these are the perfection of life, not that teeny, floating sputnik. (laughter) They do not know what is perfection of life. You can go anywhere. A living entity’s name is sarva-gah. Sarva-gah means “one who can go anywhere he likes.” Just Narada Muni. Narada Muni can travel anywhere he likes, either in the spiritual world or in the material world. So you can also do that. There is possibility. There was a Durvasa Muni, great yogi. Within one year he traveled all over the universe and went to Visnuloka and again came back. That is recorded in the history. So these are the perfections of life. And how these perfection can be attained? By understanding Krsna. Yasmin vijnate sarvam eva vijnatam bhavanti. The Upanisad says, if you simply understand Krsna, then all these things can be understood very easily. Krsna consciousness is such a nice thing.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">So today, this evening, we are talking about Radhastami. We are trying to understand the chief potency of Krsna. Radharani is the pleasure potency of Krsna. As we understand from Vedic literature, Krsna has many varieties of potencies. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Just like the same example, as a big man has got many assistants and secretaries so that he hasn’t got to do anything personally, simply by his will everything is done, similarly, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has got varieties of energies, and everything is being done so nicely. Just like this material energy. This material world, where we are now living… This is called material energy. Bahir-anga-sakti. The Sanskrit name is bahir-anga, external energy of Krsna. So how nicely it is being done, everything in the material energy. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita, mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram: [Bg. 9.10] “Under My superintendence the material energy is working.” The material energy is not blind. It is… On the background there is Krsna. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih [Bg. 9.10]. Prakrti means this material energy. Similarly… This is external energy. Similarly, there is another energy, which is internal energy. By the internal energy the spiritual world is being manifested. Paras tasmat tu bhavah anyah [Bg. 8.20]. Another energy, para, superior, transcendental, the spiritual world. As this material world is being manipulated under the external energy, similarly, the spiritual world is also conducted by the internal potency. That internal potency is Radharani.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Radharani…, today is Radharani’s appearance day. So we should try to understand Radharani’s feature. Radharani is the pleasure potency, hladini-sakti. Anandamayo ‘bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). In the Vedanta-sutra the Absolute Truth is described as anandamaya, always in pleasure potency. That anandamaya potency… Just like ananda. When you want ananda, pleasure, you cannot have it alone. Alone, you cannot enjoy. When you are in the circles of friend or family or other associates, you feel pleasure. Just like I am speaking. The speaking is very pleasing when there are many persons here. I cannot speak alone here. That is not ananda. I can speak here at night, dead of night, nobody here. That is not ananda. Ananda means there must be others. So because Krsna, the Absolute Truth, is anandamaya, therefore eko bahu syam, He has become many. We are also Krsna’s part and parcel, to give pleasure to Krsna. And the chief pleasure potency is Radharani.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">radha-krsna-pranaya-vikrtir hladini-saktir asmad<br /> ekatmanav api bhuvo (pura) deha-bhedo-gatau tau<br /> caitanyakhyam prakatam adhuna tad-dvayam caikyam aptam<br /> radha-bhava-(dyuti)-suvalitam naumi krsna-svarupam<br /> [Cc. Adi 1.5]</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">So Krsna is Param Brahman, as you know from the Bhagavad-gita. When Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gita, he affirmed Krsna, param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12]. So Krsna is Param Brahman. So in this material world we see that a great, saintly person, simply to enjoy brahmananda, he gives up everything of material enjoyment. He becomes sannyasi. Aham brahmasmi. Just to understand that he is in Brahman realization. So if one has to give up everything material for Brahman realization, do you think that Param Brahman, the Supreme Brahman, can enjoy anything material? No. Krsna’s enjoyment is nothing material. This point should be understood. For Brahman realization we are giving up everything material. And how Param Brahman can enjoy anything material? This question has been very much nicely discussed by Jiva Gosvami.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">So when the Param Brahman… First of all, the Param Brahman information is not there in this material world. Little Brahman information is there. Or little Paramatma information is there. But not Param Brahman, or Bhagavan, information. Therefore it is said, manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. Siddhaye means to understand Brahman or Paramatma. But out of many such persons who have realized Brahman and Paramatma, hardly a person can know Krsna. And that… First of all… [break] …what we can understand about Krsna’s pleasure potency? If I want to know some big man. That is one process. And without knowing that big man, how I can understand about his internal affairs? Similarly, if we do not understand Krsna, how we can understand how Krsna is enjoying? That is not possible. But the Gosvamis, they’re giving us information what is the pleasure potency of Krsna. That is Srimati Radharani.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">So we have described about the Radha-Krsna loving affairs in our Teachings of Lord Caitanya in page 264. If you have got this book, you can read it, how the reciprocation of loving affairs of Radha-Krsna is there, transcendental. So our today prayer to Radharani… We pray to Radharani because She is the pleasure potency of Krsna. Krsna means “all-attractive.” But Radharani is so great that She attracts Krsna. Krsna is all-attractive, and She is attractive (attractor) of Krsna. So what is the position of Srimati Radharani? We should try to understand this day and offer our obeisances to Radharani. Radhe vrndavanesvari.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">tapta-kancana-gaurangi radhe vrndavanesvari<br /> vrsabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye<br /> Our business is “Radharani, You are so dear to Krsna. So we offer our respectful obeisances unto You.”<br /> tapta-kancana-gaurangi radhe vrndavanesvari<br /> vrsabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">[I offer my respects to Radharani, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vrndavana. You are the daughter of King Vrsabhanu, and You are very dear to Lord Krsna.]</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Radharani is hari-priya, very dear to Krsna. So if we approach Krsna through Radharani, through the mercy of Radharani, then it becomes very easy. If Radharani recommends that “This devotee is very nice,” then Krsna immediately accepts, however fool I may be. Because it is recommended by Radharani, Krsna accepts. Therefore in Vrndavana you’ll find all the devotees, they’re chanting more Radharani’s name than Krsna’s. Wherever you’ll go, you’ll find the devotees are addressing, “Jaya Radhe.” You’ll find still in Vrndavana. They are glorifying Radharani. They’re more interested, worshiping Radharani. Because however fallen I may be, if some way or other I can please Radharani, then it is very easy for me to understand Krsna. Otherwise,</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">manusyanam sahasresu<br /> kascid yatati siddhaye<br /> yatatam api siddhanam<br /> kascid vetti mam tattvatah<br /> [Bg. 7.3]</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">If you go by the speculative process to understand Krsna, it will take many, many lives. But if you take devotional service, just try to please Radharani, and Krsna will be gotten very easily. Because Radharani can deliver Krsna. She is so great devotee, the emblem of maha-bhagavata. Even Krsna cannot understand what is Radharani’s quality. Even Krsna, although He says vedaham samatitani [Bg. 7.26], “I know everything,” still, He fails to understand Radharani. Radharani is so great. He says that… Actually, Krsna knows everything. In order to understand Radharani, Krsna accepted the position of Radharani. Krsna wanted to understand the potency of Radharani. Krsna thought that “I am full. I am complete in every respect, but still, I want to understand Radharani. Why?” This propensity made Krsna obliged to accept the propensities of Radharani, to understand Krsna, Himself.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">These are, of course, very transcendental, great science. One who is advanced in Krsna consciousness and well conversant with the sastras, they can understand. But still, we can discuss from the sastra. When Krsna wanted to understand Himself, He took the tendency of Srimati Radharani. And that is Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Radha-bhava-dyuti-suvalitam. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna, but He has accepted the propensities of Radharani. As Radharani is always in feelings of separation of Krsna, similarly, in the position of Radharani, Lord Caitanya was feeling separation of Krsna. That is the teachings of Lord Caitanya, feelings of separation, not meeting. The process of devotional service taught by Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His disciplic succession is how to feel separation from Krsna. That is Radharani’s position, always feeling the separation.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">The Gosvamis, they also, when they were in Vrndavana, they never said that “I have seen Krsna.” Although they were the most perfect, they never said that “I have seen Krsna.” Their prayers were like this: he radhe! vraja-devike! he nanda-suno! kutah. He radhe, Radharani, he radhe! vraja-devike! ca. Radharani does not remain alone. He (She) remains always with His (Her) friends, vraja-devi, Lalita or Visakha and other damsels of Vrndavana. So the Gosvamins are praying, in their mature stage, when they were living at Vrndavana, they were praying in this way, he radhe! vraja-devike! ca lalite! he nanda-suno! kutah: “Where, Radharani, where You are? Where are Your associates? Where You are, Nanda-suno, the son of Nanda Maharaja, Krsna? Where you are, all?” They were searching after. They never said, “I have seen Krsna dancing with the gopis. Last night I saw.” (laughter) This is sahajiya. This is not mature devotee. This is called… They are called sahajiya. They take everything very cheap—Krsna very cheap, Radharani very cheap—as if they can see every night. No. The Gosvamis do not teach us like that. They’re searching after. He radhe! vraja-devike! ca lalite! he nanda-suno! kutah, sri-govardhana-padapa-tale kalindi-vanye kutah: “Are you there under the Govardhana Hill or on the banks of the Yamuna?” Kalindi-vanye kutah. Ghosantav iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair maha-vihvalau. Their business was crying like this, “Where You are? Where You are, Radharani? Where you are, Lalita, Visakha, the associates of Radharani? Where You are, Krsna? Are You near Govardhana Hill or on the bank of the Yamuna?” Ghosantav iti sarvato vraja-pure. So throughout the whole tract of Vrndavana they were crying and searching after Them, khedair maha-vihvalau, as if madman. Khedair maha-vihvalau. Vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">So we have to follow the footprints of the Gosvamis, how to search out Krsna and Radharani, Vrndavana, or within your heart. That is the process of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s bhajana: feeling of separation, vipralambha, vipralambha-seva. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu, feeling the separation of Krsna, He was falling down on the sea. He was coming out of His rest room or His bedroom and going out at dead of night. Nobody knew where He has gone. So that was His searching. This process of devotional service is taught by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Not that very easily, “We have seen Krsna or seen Radharani in rasa-lila.” No, not like that. Feel the separation. The more you feel separation from Krsna, you should understand that you are advancing. Don’t try to see Krsna artificially. Be advanced in separation feeling, and then it will be perfect. That is the teachings of Lord Caitanya. Because with our material eyes we cannot see Krsna. Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. With our material senses we cannot see Krsna, we cannot hear about Krsna’s name. But sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. When you engage yourself in the service of the Lord… Where the service begins? Jihvadau. The service begins from the tongue. Not from the legs, eyes, or ears. It begins from the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. If you begin service through your tongue… How? Chant Hare Krsna. Use your tongue. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. And take Krsna prasadam. The tongue has got two business: to articulate sound, Hare Krsna; and take prasadam. By this process you’ll realize Krsna.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Devotee: Haribol!<br /> Prabhupada: Don’t try to see Krsna. You cannot see Krsna with your material eyes. Neither you can hear about Him with your material ears. Neither you can touch. But if you engage your tongue in the service of the Lord, then He’ll reveal Himself to you: “Here I am.” That is wanted. So feel separation of Krsna just like Radharani, as Lord Caitanya teaches us, and engage your tongue in the service of the Lord; then, one day, when you are mature, you’ll see Krsna eye to eye.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Thank you very much.<br /> Devotees: Haribol! All glories to His Divine Grace! (offer obeisances) (end)</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;"><strong>Source: </strong><a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19665">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19665</a></p></div>Gadadhara Pandita – Submissive Form of Sri Radhahttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/gadadhara-pandita-submissive-form-of-sri-radha2023-06-17T10:30:00.000Z2023-06-17T10:30:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10601576669,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10601576669?profile=RESIZE_584x" width="450" />Gadadhara Pandita – Submissive Form of Sri Radha by HH Bhakti Brhat Bhagavata Swami<br /> <br /> <strong>Click below to start the player<br /> <br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q0zyQH3Mz2M" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></strong><br /> <br /> <strong>Source: </strong><a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=95456">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=95456</a></p></div>Sri Radha—the Feminine Divine by Satyaraja Dasahttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/sri-radha-the-feminine-divine2021-06-03T12:30:00.000Z2021-06-03T12:30:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><img class="align-center" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zV-jth96lNM/Ve7tcxkADgI/AAAAAAAATe8/4E0lXkC6Jx0/s0/2015-09-08_16-14-58.jpg?profile=RESIZE_400x" alt="2015-09-08_16-14-58.jpg?profile=RESIZE_400x" width="400" /></p>
<p>The divine counterpart of Sri Krishna is known as Sri Radha. Together, according to the ancient Vaishnava tradition, this dual-gendered divinity is God-male and female dimensions of the Absolute Truth. Sri Radha is the complete energy, and Sri Krishna is the complete energetic source. They are nondifferent from each other, just as musk and its scent are forever merged, or as fire and heat are inseparable.</p>
<p>Radha and Krishna are one, yet They have assumed two separate forms to enjoy loving pastimes. Numerous theological texts explain how this is so, but most thorough are the writings of Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami, great masters in the Vaishnava tradition whose books have been translated and commented upon by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. To understand Sri Radha, then, English readers would do well to turn to Srila Prabhupada’s books.<br /> <br /> </p>
<h2>Sri Radha in Literature</h2>
<p>Historically, the ancient <em>Puranas</em> reveal much about Sri Radha’s manifest pastimes, even if the <em>Srimad-Bhagavatam</em> (10.30.28), the cream of all such Puranic literature, mentions Her name only once-with the indirect <em>anayaradhitah,</em> indicating that She is “the one who worships Krishna best.” Both the <em>Padma Purana</em> and the <em>Brahma-vaivarta Purana,</em> on the other hand, elaborate on Her pastimes of love with Krishna and reveal how the divine couple is the source of all that is. The <em>Brahma-vaivarta Purana,</em> in fact, reveals an esoteric creation story in which Radha co-creates the material world with Krishna.</p>
<p>Sri Radha’s dominance in Vaishnava theology did not come to light until the twelfth century, when the saintly poet Jayadeva Gosvami wrote his famous Sanskrit work Gita Govinda. Krishna’s spiritual love then became a celebrated theme throughout India, colorfully conveyed in festivals and the arts, with the personality of Radha sometimes eclipsing even Krishna.</p>
<p>It is important to point out that Jayadeva understood the spiritual nature of Radha and Krishna’s love. He knew that people could easily misconstrue it as mundane, comparing his work to erotic love poetry (as many still do). Anticipating this misconception, he commenced his <em>Gita Govinda</em> with a section called <em>Dasha-avatara,</em> in which he clearly outlines Krishna’s divine nature, listing and glorifying His transcendental descents as incarnations (<em>avatara</em>). With this as a preface, it becomes obvious that the loving affairs to follow-the affairs of this same divine Krishna, who incarnates as so many <em>avataras</em>-are not ordinary. Indeed, they represent the zenith of spiritual love.</p>
<p>This love was expressed more fully after Jayadeva’s time. In the fifteenth century, two Bengali poets, Chandidasa and Vidyapati, wrote beautiful Bengali verse about the divine couple. In the sixteenth century, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu-the combined form of Radha and Krishna, in the guise of Their devotee-relished this poetry, along with Jayadeva’s breakthrough Sanskrit work. He also enjoyed hearing the story of Radha and Krishna as expressed in the ancient work of Bilvamangala Thakura, <em>Sri Krishna-karnamrita,</em> and in a contemporary poem, Ramananda Raya’s <em>Jagannatha-vallabha-natakam.</em></p>
<p>Sri Chaitanya’s followers were quick to add their own realizations and insights based squarely on the earlier literature. Two outstanding examples are the <em>Radha-rasa-sudha-nidhi-stotram,</em> composed by Prabhodananda Sarasvati, and <em>Radha-Krishna-ganoddesha-dipika,</em> by Rupa Gosvami, the latter of which is easily the most detailed exposition of Sri Radha’s divine personality ever published.<br /> </p>
<h2>Her Divine Pastimes</h2>
<p>How does Radha’s story unfold in the world of three dimensions? Though there are many versions of this story, the most gripping is found in the Padma Purana (Patala-khanda, Chapter 71): Early one morning, in the country atmosphere of Vraja (ninety miles south of present-day Delhi) some fifty centuries ago, Vrishabhanu Maharaja was taking his morning bath in the holy Yamuna River. Just then, a beautiful baby girl floated by, lying on a radiant and fully blossomed lotus. With intense glee, he embraced the divine infant and carried Her off to his queen, Kirtida Devi.</p>
<p>When Kirtida saw her husband with this magnificent child, she ran over and showered little Radha with unrelenting affection.</p>
<p>But the king and queen quickly noticed that the baby’s eyes did not open. This naturally broke their hearts, and they prayed that God might bless Her with the power of sight.</p>
<p>Soon, Nanda Maharaja’s wife, Yashoda Devi, arrived from Gokula, holding young Sri Krishna in her arms. Vrishabhanu and Kirtida, now the parents of Sri Radha, greeted her with due honor, but Yashoda could not take her eyes off the newborn baby girl resting in Kirtida Devi’s arms.</p>
<p>Yashoda drew closer with baby Krishna, and as soon as Krishna came face to face with the baby girl, She opened Her eyes for the first time. Appropriately, Her first sight was the moonlike face of Her beloved Sri Krishna, and She paused as She gazed upon His lovely form. Krishna too was overwhelmed with love as He saw before Him His eternal consort, in the guise of a baby.</p>
<p>In this way, the scriptures relate how the eternal divine couple go about “meeting” each other as They appear, time and again, in the material world. As They “grow in years,” They play with loving friends, swim in the Yamuna, graze their cows, and relish each other’s loving embrace. Sacred texts and the realizations of the sages elaborate on the details, establishing narratives that serve as virtual magnets, attracting all who hear them back to the spiritual realm.</p>
<p> </p>
<h2>The Circle Dance of Love</h2>
<p>Of all such narratives, the <em>rasa-lila,</em> the circular dance of love described in the <em>Srimad-Bhagavatam,</em> is in many ways the most important.</p>
<p>The divine dance takes place one moonlit autumn night when the cowherd maidens (<em>gopis</em>) of Vrindavana, upon hearing the sound of Krishna’s flute, sneak away from their families to be with Him. The <em>rasa-lila</em> is considered one of the highest and most esoteric of Krishna’s revealed pastimes, and it should never be confused with mundane pastimes of prurient interest. Accordingly, Vaishnava commentators make one thing perfectly clear: romantic love between human beings is a diminished, compromised reflection of the soul’s original, ecstatic love for Krishna, God, in the spiritual world. Studying the <em>rasa-lila</em> under a bona fide spiritual master allows one to realize this as a tangible truth. It also allows one to develop love for God, just as the <em>gopis</em> do in their dance of love.<br /> </p>
<h2>Radha’s Mercy</h2>
<p>In short, the theology of Sri Radha is deep. The scriptures describe that one must go through many lives of pious acts, religious rituals, and yogic perfection before attaining the mercy of Sri Radha. And when one does, Krishna is not far off. In fact, it is through Sri Radha’s mercy that Krishna becomes attainable.</p>
<p>Radha is Krishna’s mercy incarnation, and through Her one can attain the culmination of the spiritual pursuit. Srila Prabhupada sums this up as follows:</p>
<blockquote class="extract">
<p>“Radharani, You are so dear to Krishna. So we offer our respectful obeisances unto You.” Radharani is <em>hari-priya:</em> “very dear to Krishna.” Through the mercy of Radharani we can easily approach Krishna. If Radharani recommends, “This devotee is very nice,” then Krishna immediately accepts me, however great a fool I may be. Because I am recommended by Radharani, Krishna accepts me. Therefore in Vrindavana you’ll find all the devotees chanting Radharani’s name more than Krishna’s. Wherever you’ll go, you’ll find the devotees greeting one another, “Jaya Radhe!” You’ll find this still in Vrindavana. The devotees are glorifying Radharani.</p>
<p>If you go by the speculative process to understand Krishna, it will take many, many lives. But if you take to devotional service and just try to please Radharani, Krishna will be gotten very easily. Radharani can deliver Krishna. She is so great a devotee, the emblem of <em>maha-bhagavata.</em> Even Krishna cannot understand the quality of Radharani’s devotion. Although Krishna says <em>vedaham samatitani</em>-“I know everything”-He fails to understand Radharani. She is so great.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It is in pursuit of these truths that Radha and Krishna descend as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, for in that form They taste the highest mercy and bestow it on others. The chief manifestation of that mercy is the holy name in the form of the <em>maha-mantra:</em> Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.</p>
<p>In this mantra both Radha and Krishna are fully manifest. A prayer to Sri Radha (<em>Hare</em> is the vocative form of <em>Hara,</em> another name for Radharani), it beseeches Krishna to be engaged in devotional service, the highest form of yoga. Radha is the medium through which such service is enacted, for She is the embodiment of devotion, the essence of love for Krishna.<br /> <br /> <strong>Source: </strong><a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=13069">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=13069</a></p></div>Sri Radhastami, Srimati Radharani’s Appearance Dayhttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/sri-radhastami-srimati-radharani-s-appearance-day-12019-09-06T07:22:55.000Z2019-09-06T07:22:55.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p style="text-align:center;"> <a style="text-align:center;" href="http://girirajswami.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Sri-Radha.jpg"><img src="http://girirajswami.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Sri-Radha-300x225.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;"><strong>By Giriraj Swami </strong></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">For the most auspicious celebration of Sri Radhastami, we read from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Two, Chapter Three: “Pure Devotional Service.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">TEXT 23</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>jivan chavo bhagavatanghri-renum<br /> na jatu martyo ’bhilabheta yas tu<br /> sri-visnu-padya manujas tulasyah<br /> svasan chavo yas tu na veda gandham</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">TRANSLATION</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">The person who has not at any time received the dust of the feet of the Lord’s pure devotee upon his head is certainly a dead body. And the person who has never experienced the aroma of the tulasi leaves from the lotus feet of the Lord is also a dead body, although breathing.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">According to Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, the breathing dead body is a ghost. When a man dies, he is called dead, but when he again appears in a subtle form not visible to our present vision and yet acts, such a dead body is called a ghost. Ghosts are always very bad elements, always creating a fearful situation for others. Similarly, the ghostlike nondevotees who have no respect for the pure devotees, nor for the Visnu Deity in the temples, create a fearful situation for the devotees at all times. The Lord never accepts any offerings by such impure ghosts. There is a common saying that one should first love the dog of the beloved before one shows any loving sentiments for the beloved. The stage of pure devotion is attained by sincerely serving a pure devotee of the Lord. The first condition of devotional service to the Lord is therefore to be a servant of a pure devotee, and this condition is fulfilled by the statement “reception of the dust of the lotus feet of a pure devotee who has also served another pure devotee.” That is the way of pure disciplic succession, or devotional parampara.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Maharaja Rahugana inquired from the great saint Jada Bharata as to how he had attained such a liberated stage of a paramahamsa, and in answer the great saint replied as follows (Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.12.12):</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>rahuganaitat tapasa na yati<br /> na cejyaya nirvapanad grhad va<br /> na cchandasa naiva jalagni-suryair<br /> vina mahat-pada-rajo-’bhisekam</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“O King Rahugana, the perfectional stage of devotional service, or the paramahamsa stage of life, cannot be attained unless one is blessed by the dust of the feet of great devotees. It is never attained by tapasya (austerity), the Vedic worshiping process, acceptance of the renounced order of life, the discharge of the duties of household life, the chanting of the Vedic hymns, or the performance of penances in the hot sun, within cold water, or before the blazing fire.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">In other words, Lord Sri Krsna is the property of His pure unconditional devotees, and as such only the devotees can deliver Krsna to another devotee; Krsna is never obtainable directly. Lord Chaitanya therefore designated Himself as gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah (Cc Madhya 13.80), or “the most obedient servant of the servants of the Lord, who maintains the gopi damsels at Vrndavana.” A pure devotee therefore never approaches the Lord directly, but tries to please the servant of the Lord’s servants, and thus the Lord becomes pleased, and only then can the devotee relish the taste of the tulasi leaves stuck to His lotus feet. In the Brahma-samhita it is said that the Lord is never to be found by becoming a great scholar of the Vedic literatures, but He is very easily approachable through His pure devotee. In Vrndavana all the pure devotees pray for the mercy of Srimati Radharani, the pleasure potency of Lord Krsna. Srimati Radharani is a tenderhearted feminine counterpart of the supreme whole, resembling the perfectional stage of the worldly feminine nature. Therefore, the mercy of Radharani is available very readily to the sincere devotees, and once She recommends such a devotee to Lord Krsna, the Lord at once accepts the devotee’s admittance into His association. The conclusion is, therefore, that one should be more serious about seeking the mercy of the devotee than that of the Lord directly, and by one’s doing so (by the good will of the devotee) the natural attraction for the service of the Lord will be revived.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">COMMENT by Giriraj Swami</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">This verse and purport are so deep. Practically the whole philosophy of Krishna consciousness is contained in this purport, and one could discuss it for many hours and days. Still, we shall try to say something within the time available to us.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">The first point—the most basic point—is that the living entity is not the body. The living entity is the soul within the body. The living entity in the material body has material desires for sense gratification and more subtle material desires that express themselves in mental speculation. After leaving the body, some unfortunate living entities end up as ghosts, in subtle, ghostly bodies, but they still have gross desires.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">How does someone become a ghost? A typical way is that a living entity full of material desires becomes so frustrated and disappointed (which everyone is, to some extent), he commits suicide. The result is that he gets a ghost body, a subtle body without a gross body. Krishna, the Supersoul, fulfills all desires. The person who commits suicide wants to be free from his gross body, so Krishna fulfills his desire and gives him a ghost body, a subtle body. But the frustration and disappointment that gave rise to the impulse to commit suicide came from strong material desires, and he still has the material desires but not a gross body through which to fulfill them. So he is even more frustrated. And so the ghost will try to inhabit, or possess, someone else’s gross body in order to fulfill its desires through that person’s senses. Thus ghosts are disturbing elements. They create fearful situations.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Another way a person can get the body of a ghost is if he is very attached to a thing or place—to his house, for example—and at the time of death thinks of that object of attachment. Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram/ tam tam evaiti kaunteya sada tad-bhava-bhavitah: “Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.” (Gita 8.6) Whatever you think at the time of death will determine your next body. Now, if you think of your house at the time of death, you can’t get the body of a house, because that is not one of the species of life, but you can take birth as a ghost in that house. Therefore many houses, especially big, opulent ones—mansions and castles—are reputed to be haunted by ghosts.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">How can one be freed from ghosts? The chanting of the holy name is the best remedy for practically any ill in the world, and it is the remedy for being troubled by ghosts. Sometimes devotees take advantage of this fact. A large estate will be haunted and so people won’t want to buy it, but the devotees will see, “Oh, here is a good opportunity. We can get a major property to use in Krishna’s service for only a small sum of money, and as for the ghosts, we’ll just do hari-nama–sankirtana and the ghosts will go away and we will have a nice place for Krishna.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">In the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu Srila Rupa Gosvami composed a beautiful verse in which he says that one who is haunted by material desires can never experience the sweet taste of devotional service.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">bhukti-mukti-sprha yavat<br /> pisaci hrdi vartate<br /> tavad bhakti-sukhasyatra<br /> katham abhyudayo bhavet</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“The material desire to enjoy the material world and the desire to become liberated from material bondage are considered to be two witches, and they haunt one like ghosts. As long as these witches remain within the heart, how can one feel transcendental bliss? As long as these two witches remain in the heart, there is no possibility of enjoying the transcendental bliss of devotional service.” (Brs 1.2.22) Pisaci means “ghost” or “witch.” Material desires are like ghosts that fill our minds with ideas foreign to us. In our normal consciousness we think in a certain way, but when a ghost possesses our mind, we think in a completely different way. As spirit souls, we are all originally Krishna conscious, by constitution eternal servants of Krishna (jivera ‘svarupa’ haya-krsnera ‘nitya-dasa’). So to desire anything other than to be a servant of Krishna or a servant of a servant of Krishna is like being haunted by a ghost. We get desires, ideas, for sense gratification, and instead of accepting Krishna as the supreme enjoyer, which is His constitutional position, we want to take His place and enjoy independent of Him. Such desires, such ideas, are foreign to our true nature. So, being possessed by these desires is like being haunted by a ghost.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Everyone in the material world is in a fearful position, and everyone needs shelter. Once, someone asked Srila Prabhupada, “What do you personally feel when you chant?” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “I feel no fear.” Every conditioned soul is fearful. If we think about it, we are always afraid. We can’t even count all the things we are afraid of all the time. The Bhagavatam (11.2.37) says that fear arises from thinking of things as being separate from Krishna.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah syad<br /> isad apetasya viparyayo ’smrtih<br /> tan-mayayato budha abhajet tam<br /> bhaktyaikayesam guru-devatatma</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“Fear arises when a living entity misidentifies himself as the material body because of absorption in the external, illusory energy of the Lord. When the living entity thus turns away from the Supreme Lord, he also forgets his own constitutional position as a servant of the Lord. This bewildering, fearful condition is effected by the potency for illusion, called maya. Therefore, an intelligent person should engage unflinchingly in the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord, under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, whom he should accept as his worshipable deity and as his very life and soul.” If we recognize that everything is related to Krishna and that Krishna is the supreme enjoyer, the supreme proprietor, and our best friend, we won’t be afraid. We’ll feel peaceful.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">We need shelter, and we can get the shelter we need only from Krishna. But we cannot get Krishna’s shelter directly. We have no way to approach Him directly. Therefore all scriptures and bona fide acharyas recommend that to achieve the shelter of Krishna we should seek the shelter of a pure devotee who himself has achieved the shelter of another pure devotee who has achieved the shelter of another pure devotee—all the way back to Krishna. This is devotional parampara.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">mahatmanas tu mam partha<br /> daivim prakrtim asritah<br /> bhajanty ananya-manaso<br /> jnatva bhutadim avyayam</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“Those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.” (Gita 9.13) The great souls are not under the material energy. They are under the divine energy, the spiritual energy. And they achieve the shelter of the spiritual energy by taking shelter of a pure devotee who is under the spiritual energy, who in turn has taken shelter of a pure devotee under the spiritual energy, and so on back to Krishna.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Srila Prabhupada was once invited to speak at the home of the wealthiest family in India then, the Birlas. I presented Mrs. Birla a list of topics on which Srila Prabhupada could speak (I knew he could speak on any topic), and she chose “How to be Successful.” The invitees would be people we imagined were very successful, but her choice suggested that they wanted to become more successful—that they were not satisfied as they were. Thus they would want to learn the secret of how to become more successful.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">At the program Srila Prabhupada gave an interesting definition of success, one that we had not anticipated. He explained that everyone in the material world is under the control of the material energy, personified as Durga, who rides on her lion carrier and exhibits many arms with many weapons. He said that Durga holds a trident (trisula), which represents the threefold miseries of material existence, and that she pierces the conditioned souls with these miseries. And opposed to the material energy is the spiritual energy, personified as Srimati Radharani. Srila Prabhupada said that success in life means to transfer oneself from the control of Durgadevi, the material energy, to the shelter of Radharani, the spiritual energy. Of course, Durgadevi herself is serving Lord Krishna, but her service is to punish us conditioned souls who are under her control. She is the warden of the prison house of material existence, and success for a prisoner is to be released from the prison—not to get better facility within the prison house. Success is to be freed.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Srila Prabhupada’s definition was so intelligent and subtle. He was saying that success doesn’t mean to move to a better grade of prison: a better house, a better office, a better car—a better material position. Success means to get out of prison, and that is achieved by surrendering to Krishna, as stated by Him in the Bhagavad-gita (7.14):</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">daivi hy esa guna-mayi<br /> mama maya duratyaya<br /> mam eva ye prapadyante<br /> mayam etam taranti te</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">We must take shelter of Krishna and move from the control of the material energy to the protection of the spiritual energy, Srimati Radharani. But we cannot do that directly. We do it by taking shelter of someone who has taken shelter of someone who has taken shelter of someone who has taken shelter of Srimati Radharani. That is parampara. We take shelter of Srila Prabhupada and of those working under his direction, just as he took shelter of his guru maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and served him, and as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura took shelter of his spiritual master, Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, and served him—like that, all the way back to Krishna.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">It is a simple process, but it requires humility. And that can be a problem—a big, big problem. We don’t want to submit, to surrender. When Hiranyakasipu asked his five-year-old son, Prahlada, “What is the best thing you have learned in school?” he thought his son would say something agreeable. Sometimes we may also ask a child, “What is your favorite subject?” and we would be shocked and dismayed if the child said, “The best thing I learned is how to cheat people and get ahead by pushing others into the ground.” We would wonder, “Where did he learn that?” Hiranyakasipu was the type who thought that being selfish and learning how to defeat others was a good thing. So when Prahlada replied, “The best thing I have learned is service to God (sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam),” Hiranyakasipu was shocked: “Where did you learn that? Who has spoiled your consciousness?”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">The powerful tyrant accused the boy’s teachers: “You have taught him this nonsense, bhakti, devotional service to Lord Visnu. You have spoiled his intelligence.” “No, we haven’t,” they replied. “He hasn’t learned devotional service from us or from anyone else. He seems to be naturally Krishna conscious.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Then Hiranyakasipu asked his son directly, and Prahlada replied with a verse similar to the one quoted by Srila Prabhupada in the purport. First he said,</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">matir na krsne paratah svato va<br /> mitho ’bhipadyeta grha-vratanam<br /> adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram<br /> punah punas carvita-carvananam</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Krsna are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.” (SB 7.5.30) Now, if one cannot become Krishna conscious by one’s own efforts, by the efforts of others, or by the combined efforts of oneself and others, how can one become Krishna conscious? It seems that all logical possibilities have been eliminated.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Then Prahlada said,</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">naisam matis tavad urukramanghrim<br /> sprsaty anarthapagamo yad-arthah<br /> mahiyasam pada-rajo-’bhisekam<br /> niskincananam na vrnita yavat</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“Unless they smear upon their bodies the dust of the lotus feet of a Vaisnava completely freed from material contamination, persons very much inclined toward materialistic life cannot be attached to the lotus feet of the Lord, who is glorified for His uncommon activities. Only by becoming Krsna conscious and taking shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord in this way can one be freed from material contamination.” (SB 7.5.32) One cannot become Krishna conscious unless one has been favored by the dust of the lotus feet of a pure devotee who has nothing to do with the material world. By taking shelter of the lotus feet of a pure devotee—by serving the instructions of a pure devotee—one becomes free from anarthas, unwanted, miserable conditions. The miseries of birth, death, disease, and old age are all unwanted. And by following the pure devotee’s instructions one becomes free from all unwanted, material desires, which bind us to material existence. One becomes free from everything unfavorable to Krishna consciousness.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Srila Prabhupada explains that Prahlada was indirectly telling his father, “You need not worry about becoming Krishna conscious, because one can become Krishna conscious only if one bows down to the lotus feet of a pure devotee, but you are too proud, so you will never bow down to a pure devotee. So, my dear father, you need not worry about becoming Krishna conscious. It just won’t happen.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">We tend to like to identify with Prahlada and to see other people as Hiranyakasipus, but if we—I shouldn’t speak for all of us, but many of us—if we look inside ourselves, we will see that we also are not that humble. We also have a little rebellious spirit. We don’t want to submit or surrender. We also have something inside us that thinks, as some people actually say, “I’ll never surrender. I’ll never submit.” Or, “I can surrender to God but not to any human being. I can serve God but not some human being.” But that false spirit of independence will not help us.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Given that we have so many doubts and reservations and rebellious tendencies, what hope do we have? The good news is that in this age of Kali, Sri Krishna came in the mood of Srimati Radharani. And as we read in the purport, Srimati Radharani is the tenderhearted feminine counterpart of Krishna. In The Nectar of Devotion also, Srila Prabhupada says that Srimati Radharani represents the compassionate nature of Krishna. Because Krishna is the father, He might be a little strict (which is sometimes necessary and beneficial), but the mother may be more compassionate, more understanding, more encouraging. Therefore devotees approach Krishna through Sri Radha. “Because Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is very difficult to approach Him. But the devotees, taking advantage of His compassionate nature, which is represented by Radharani, always pray to Radharani for Krsna’s compassion.” (NOD Ch 22) Srimati Radharani, in addition to having other qualifications, is a maha-bhagavata. She sees that everyone is a better servant of Krishna than She. So if someone approaches Her with a desire to serve Krishna, She’ll very easily recommend the person to Krishna, and when Radharani recommends someone, Krishna is bound to accept, because ultimately Krishna wants to please Radharani. Transcendentally, Krishna comes under the control of Radharani. Thus in Radharani’s hometown of Varsana, the devotees have a saying: “Whatever Radha does, Krishna likes. Whatever Radha likes, Krishna does.” So if Radharani wants Krishna to accept us, He will accept us.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Because today is a special day, Radhastami, we can approach Radharani directly—but even today it is through Her servants. Even when we are in the spiritual world, whenever that fortunate occasion arises, we will serve Radha and Krishna not directly, but under the guidance of Their servants. That is an eternal principle. There are different rasas, or relationships, that we can have with Krishna, but in whatever relationship we have, we will be under the eternal guidance of some eternal associates of Krishna. As Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says,</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">naham vipro na ca nara-patir napi vaisyo na sudro<br /> naham varni na ca grha-patir no vanastho yatir va<br /> kintu prodyan-nikhila-paramananda-purnamrtabdher<br /> gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“I am not a brahmana, I am not a ksatriya, I am not a vaisya or a sudra. Nor am I a brahmacari, a householder, a vanaprastha, or a sannyasi. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna, the maintainer of the gopis. He is like an ocean of nectar, and He is the cause of universal transcendental bliss. He is always existing with brilliance.” (Cc Madhya 13.80)</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">That principle, being the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna, the maintainer of the gopis, applies both in the conditioned state of sadhana-bhakti and in the liberated state of sadhya-bhakti, or prema-bhakti. It is an eternal principle. And we should welcome the opportunity to serve the servant of the servants. We shouldn’t think, “Oh, all right, in the stage of bondage I am in now, I guess I have to do it. It is the only way to get out.” Like, “Okay, I’m in prison now, so I have to do what the warden says, but once I’m out, that’s it. Then I’m free.” No. This is an eternal principle, and we should welcome it and relish it.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Srila Prabhupada paraphrased Srila Rupa Gosvami’s verse about being haunted by ghosts: “Anyone who has any desire or aspiration for satisfying his senses by becoming more and more important, either in the material sense or in the spiritual sense, cannot actually relish the really sweet taste of devotional service.” (NOD Ch 3) And in a class, Srila Prabhupada stated the same thing in a positive way: “The more you become the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna, the sweeter and sweeter and sweeter and sweeter devotional service becomes.” It is glorious to be the servant of the servant of the servant.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">We want to take shelter of one who is niskincana, who has no material possessions. Yes, in India there are sadhus, saintly persons, who hardly have material possessions. But as Srila Prabhupada explains, niskincana also means one who is free from false proprietorship. Here we are in a beautiful temple, and if I think, “This is my temple,” that is false proprietorship. But if I think, “This is Krishna’s temple, and I am just a humble servant of His servants,” that is also niskincana. A pure devotee’s only possession, so to speak, is his or her service to the lotus feet of the Lord. And the more lotus feet we have to serve—the lotus feet of the servant of the lotus feet of the servant of the lotus feet of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Krishna—the richer we are in bhakti, which is the life of the living entity.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Today’s verse is one of a series that all make the same point: If we are not engaged in pure devotional service, we are dead. In other words, pure devotional service is real life, and anyone engaged in anything other than devotional service is just a walking, breathing dead man.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Srila Prabhupada has given us this life. He has given us this opportunity. Sri Krishna Chaitanya is Krishna but in the mood of Radharani, and in Her kindhearted, tenderhearted, merciful, compassionate mood of love and care, He has given us the easiest and most practical process for success in the present age: the chanting of the holy names.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">harer nama harer nama<br /> harer namaiva kevalam<br /> kalau nasty eva nasty eva<br /> nasty eva gatir anyatha</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari [Krsna].” (Brhan-naradiya Purana 38.126) By chanting the holy names without offense, all the dirty things in the heart become cleansed (ceto-darpana-marjanam). Even if we have that little rebellious spirit—“Why should I surrender?”—by chanting, which is both easy and enjoyable, all these dirty things, these misconceptions and false identifications, are cleansed, and naturally we come to our real position as eternal servants of the servants of Krishna. So it is very easy. We just have to do it.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">This is, ultimately, Srimati Radharani’s mercy. It is Her mercy that Srila Prabhupada came to America and gave us Krishna consciousness. In a poem he wrote on board the cargo ship he took to America, Srila Prabhupada wrote, krsna taba punya habe bhai, e-punya koribe jabe radharani khusi habe, dhruva ati boli toma tai: “O brothers, you will obtain your good fortune from the Supreme Lord Krsna only when Srimati Radharani becomes pleased with you.” First we must please Radharani. And how? By following the orders of the spiritual master, serving the mission of the spiritual master. We have everything—every opportunity. We have beautiful Deities; we have Srila Prabhupada, our founder-acharya; we have his instructions, his books, his translations of the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam; we have the holy name; we have the association of devotees—we have everything. We just have to take advantage, and that is why we are here.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Any questions or comments?</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Child: How do you become the servant of the servant of the servant?</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Giriraj Swami: She is a very intelligent young lady. Do you know what ISKCON is?</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Child: Not really.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Giriraj Swami: ISKCON is the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a spiritual organization founded by Srila Prabhupada; the temple where we are now sitting is part of that organization. You could say that the more senior devotees here who are steady in devotional service, in following Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, are servants of Srila Prabhupada, that Srila Prabhupada is serving the instructions of his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, and that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta is serving the instructions of his spiritual master. And so by following the instructions of one or more of the solid devotees of Srila Prabhupada here, you are automatically serving the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant, going through the line all the way back to Krishna.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Gentleman: How can one overcome the fear of losing one’s identity and uniqueness by surrendering oneself to a pure devotee?</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Giriraj Swami: Every living entity has a unique spiritual identity, and the process of Krishna consciousness means to discover what one’s unique, specific, eternal identity is. So you don’t lose your identity; rather, you discover your actual unique identity.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Just imagine Krishna’s situation. There He is in the spiritual sky, Goloka Vrindavan, surrounded by wish-fulfilling cows and trees and gems, being served by unlimited numbers of beautiful, pure, loving devotees. And off somewhere in a cloud is a bunch of angry, morose, belligerent souls, each determined that “I’m not going to serve Him.” Why should Krishna bother with them? Why should He even care? He is enjoying an eternal, celestial party. Why should He bother about us?</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">One answer is that each one of us is a unique living entity. No two of us are exactly the same. And so when we are liberated our mood of service to Krishna will be unique. This means that as long as we remain in the material world, Krishna in the spiritual world will be deprived of the particular flavor of loving service that each of us is meant to offer Him. Each of us has a specific, unique contribution to make to Krishna’s pleasure that no one else can make in the exact same way.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Even in the stage of sadhana-bhakti, we always have our individual preferences, but as devotees we give the highest preference to Krishna’s pleasure. Parents often sacrifice doing what they would ordinarily like to do, for the sake of doing what their children would like them to do. The parents are still individuals, but they give priority to pleasing their children. And when their children are happy, they feel happy. One reason we try so hard to have nice programs for children is that when the children want to come to the temple, even if the parents are feeling a little lethargic, the children will prevail upon them: “Come on, Mommy. Come on, Daddy. I want to go to the temple. I want to see the Deities. I want to sing and dance in the kirtan and arati. I want to meet the other children. I want to eat prasada.” And the parents will come, not because they don’t have their individuality, but out of love. They get more happiness when they see their children happy than when they do things for their own satisfaction that would leave the children feeling neglected. So in devotional service you remain individual but you give preference to Krishna. And as you become purified, you actually experience more pleasure in doing what Krishna likes than you would get out of doing what you would ordinarily like for your own sake.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">So, do not hesitate. Serving a pure devotee, serving a servant of the servants of Radha and Krishna, is not a matter of force, being forced into a mold without any freedom or individuality. Rather, it is an opportunity for the conditioned soul to realize his or her fullest potential, fullest individuality, and fullest freedom, in divine, ecstatic love.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Thank you very much.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Hare Krishna.</p>
<p>[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Radhastami, August 30, 2009, San Diego]<br /><br /> Source: <a href="http://www.girirajswami.com/?p=14679">http://www.girirajswami.com/?p=14679</a></p></div>Seeking The Grace Of Sri Radha by Achyut Gopal Dashttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/seeking-the-grace-of-sri-radha-by-achyut-gopal-das2019-09-04T05:00:47.000Z2019-09-04T05:00:47.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><div style="text-align:center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LWiXBJEYOA4/XW4ax56aRoI/AAAAAAAAG-E/T5bmfN47fC0NvOC-btyxUxlzytrguM4QwCLcBGAs/s1600/003-Srimati_Radharani_-_1920x1080.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LWiXBJEYOA4/XW4ax56aRoI/AAAAAAAAG-E/T5bmfN47fC0NvOC-btyxUxlzytrguM4QwCLcBGAs/s640/003-Srimati_Radharani_-_1920x1080.jpg" width="580" height="326" alt="003-Srimati_Radharani_-_1920x1080.jpg" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align:justify;">Just like we have our mother who gives birth to our material body, to whom we owe our body, we also have our Eternal Mother to whom we owe our very soul. In different religions, She is called and addressed by different names. In Vedic culture, She is addressed as Sita, Lakshmi or Radha - the consort of our Supreme Father. She is our Mother God, our Mother Supreme. The scriptures abundantly and extensively glorify This Supreme Mother - Her love, Her compassion and Her grace for all of us. A mother is always more kind and merciful than the father similarly our Eternal Mother is more merciful than The Supreme Father. That's the reason why devotees desperately seek the grace of the Divine Mother, Srimati Radharani in their spiritual pursuits. Her grace can force Lord Krishna to shower His mercy on us even unwillingly. After all, He is an henpecked husband - completely controlled by Her love.<br /><br /> The heart of a mother is very big. What to speak of the heart of The Supreme Mother. Her love and Her grace encompasses everyone. If you study Ramayana scrutinizingly, you will notice that whenever Lord Rama killed any demons, Mother Sita was never present with Him. Why? Because She wouldn't have allowed Lord Rama to kill them, She just can't see the suffering of others.</div>
<div><br /> There is a very hope giving and touching story from the life of Sri Radha. One-time in Vrindavan, very near to where She was sitting with Her girlfriends, there was a group of children throwing stones and setting fire around a she-jackal. The she-jackal howled in pain seeking help and mercy. It's desperate cry reached the tender heart of Sri Radha. Her heart couldn't tolerate it. She at once sent Her intimate friend Lalita to free the jackal and bring it to Her. When the jackal was brought in front of Her, She awarded the jackal liberation and made it one of Her sakhis (girlfriends) in the Spiritual world. Such is the nature of Her love and grace. It defies all logic and reason. She is the personification of compassion. She is ready to open the doors of the Spiritual world in exchange for a little devotion from our side. That's why devotees chant Her name even before chanting the names of Krishna or Rama. They know that the key to the Spiritual world rests fully in Her custody. The devotees in the holy land of Vrindavan consider Radharani to be the mistress of Vrindavan and Krishna a simple tenant in Her abode. That's precisely the reason why the names of "Sri Radha" is more famous than the names of "Sri Krishna" in Vrindavan. Radharani is the custodian and personification of Bhakti and She is eager to award it to anyone who even shows the slightest sincerity to achieve it.<br /><br /> I end this blog with two beautiful prayers to Sri Radha - our Eternal Mother\<br /><br /><strong>samsara-sagare ghore<br /> bhitam mam sharanagatam<br /> sarvebhyo 'pi vinirmuktam<br /> kuru radhe surshvari</strong></div>
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<div>"O Radha, I have fallen into the horrible ocean of birth and death and am frightened, but I am seeking Your shelter. O queen of the demigods, please free me from all fears."<br /><br /><strong>tvat-pada-padma-yugale<br /> pada-padmalayarcite<br /> dehi mahyam param bhaktim<br /> krishnena parisevite</strong><br /><br /> "O Radhika, please give me transcendental devotional service to Your lotus feet, which are worshiped by Lord Brahma and Lakshmi, and which are served even by Lord Krishna."</div>
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<div style="text-align:justify;">Source: <a href="https://thewisdompark.blogspot.com/2019/09/seeking-grace-of-sri-radha.html">https://thewisdompark.blogspot.com/2019/09/seeking-grace-of-sri-radha.html</a></div></div>