Blog

(Adapted from Srila Prabhupada’s talk on Radhastami, 1971.)

We pray to Radharani because She is the pleasure potency of Krishna. Krishna means “all-attractive,” but Radharani is so great that She attracts Krishna.

So we should try to understand what is Srimati Radharani’s position and offer our obeisances to Her.

tapta-kancana-gaurangi radhe vrndavanesvari
vrsabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye

Our business is “Radharani, You are so dear to Krishna. You are the daughter of King Vrishabhanu, and You are so dear to Krishna. So we offer our respectful obeisances unto You.”

Radharani is hari-priya, very dear to Krishna. So if we approach Krishna through Radharani, through the mercy of Radharani, then it becomes very easy. If Radharani recommends that “This devotee is very nice,” then Krishna immediately accepts, however fool I may be.

Therefore in Vrindavan you’ll find all the devotees chanting Radharani’s name more than Krishna’s. Wherever you go, you’ll find the devotees addressing, “Jaya Radhe.” You’ll find, still, in Vrindavan. They are glorifying Radharani. They’re more interested in 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 Krishna.

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. Because Radharani can deliver Krishna. She is such a great devotee, the emblem of maha-bhagavata. Even Krishna cannot understand what is Radharani’s quality. Even Krishna, although He says vedaham samatitani, “I know everything,” still, He fails to understand Radharani. Radharani is so great.

In order to understand Radharani, Krishna accepted the position of Radharani. Krishna wanted to understand the potency of Radharani. Krishna thought, “I am full I am complete in every respect but still, I want to understand Radharani.” This propensity obliged Krishna to accept the propensities of Radharani, to understand Krishna, Himself. . . . When Krishna wanted to understand Himself, He took the tendency of Srimati Radharani and that is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.