Srimati Radharani appeared on the eight day of the waxing moon of Hrsikesha (Bhadra) mase, at noon.
“Srimati Radharani is as fully spiritual as Krishna. No one should consider Her to be material. She is definitely not like the conditioned souls, who have material bodies, gross and subtle, covered by material senses. She is all spiritual, and both Her body and mind are of the same spiritual embodiment. Because Her body is spiritual, Her senses are also spiritual. Thus Her body, mind and senses fully shine in love of Krishna. She is the personified hladini-sakti (the pleasure-giving energy of the Lord’s internal potency), and therefore She is the only source of enjoyment for Sri Krishna.
Sri Krishna cannot enjoy anything that is internally different from Him. Therefore Radha and Sri Krishna are identical. The sandhini portion, Sri Krishna’s internal potency, has manifested the all-attractive form of Sri Krishna, and the same internal potency, in the hladini feature, has presented Srimati Radharani, who is the attraction for the all-attractive. No one can match Srimati Radharani in the transcendental pastimes of Sri Krishna.” (Caitanya Caritamrita Adi 4.71, purport)
“The transcendental mellow relished by the gopis in Braja is super excellently featured in Srimati Radharani. Mature assimilation of the transcendental humor of conjugal love is represented by Srimati Radharani, whose feelings are incomprehensible even to the Lord Himself. The intensity of Her loving service is the highest form of ecstasy. No one can surpass Srimati Radharani in relishing the transcendental mellow qualities of the Lord.” (Caitanya Caritamrita Adi 4.50, purport)
“Sri Krishna is the potent factor, and Srimati Radharani is the internal potency. According to Vedanta philosophy, there is no difference between the potent and potency; they are identical. We cannot differentiate between one and the other, any more than we can separate fire from heat. Everything in the Absolute is inconceivable in relative existence. Therefore in relative cognizance it is very difficult to assimilate this truth of the oneness between the potent and the potency. The philosophy of inconceivable oneness and difference propounded by Lord Caitanya is the only source of understanding for such intricacies of transcendence.
“In fact, Radharani is the internal potency of Sri Krishna, and She eternally intensifies the pleasure of Sri Krishna. Impersonalists cannot understand this without the help of a maha-bhagavata devotee. The very name Radha suggests that She is eternally the topmost mistress for the comforts of Sri Krishna. Devotees in Vrindavana therefore seek the mercy of Srimati Radharani in order to be recognized as loving servitors of Sri Krishna. (Caitanya Caritamrita Adi 4.56 purport)
One should conduct the worship at noon time. One may construct a mandapa (pavilion) with a vedi (altar), or raised platform, decorate it with colored flags, four doors, banana trees, kumbhas, flowers and surround it with red string.
On the vedi one should draw a sarvatobhadra mandala, and establish a kumbha wound with threads on it. The kumbha should be filled with water, jewels and herbs and decorated with leaves and flowers.
One should establish a conch according to the rules and sprinkle water everywhere reciting the mula mantra of Radha (Shrim Raam Radhikaya namah).
In the eight directions establish pots, starting from the east side, containing sarvausadhi, mahausadhi, bijastaka, navaratna, flowers, fruit, gandha, and chandana water. Water from the pot on the sarvatobhadra mandala should be sprinkled on these pots. One should then perform the puja of Srimati Radhika, or of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna with the regular sixteen items, and as well one may rub sesame and poppy seed powder over Her body before the bath. One may bathe her in panchamrta. Then one should bathe Srimati Radharani in the water from the eight pots starting from the eastern pot.
After the bath one should offer cloth, ornaments, gandha, flowers, incense, lamps, naivedyam, aratrika, stutis, pranamas and circumambulation, as described in the puja manuals.
Radharani’s birthplace at Rawal (Raval) in Vraj.
Radharani’s Palace at Varshana, Vraj.
Pila Pokhar where Radharani’s touch made a pokhar (kund) changed colour to golden.
Sri Radha Kunda
The Padma Purana confirms that Sri Radha is the foremost of the gopis:
yatha radha priya vishnos
tasyah kundam priyam tatha
sarva-gopishu saivaika
vishnor atyanta-vallabha
“Just as Srimati Radharani is most dear to Krishna, Her bathing pond is similarly dear. Of all the gopis, She is the most beloved of the Lord.”
The Brihad-gautamiya-tantra also names Srimati Radharani as Krishna’s foremost consort:
devi krishna-mayi prokta
radhika para-devata
sarva-lakshmi-mayi sarva
kantih sammohini para
“The transcendental goddess Srimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Lord Sri Krishna. She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She possesses all attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord.” (This translation is Srila Prabhupada’s English rendering of Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 4.83.)
Additional information about Sri Radha is given in the Rig-parisishta (the supplement to the Rig Veda): radhaya madhavo devo madhavenaiva radhika/ vibhrajante janeshu. “Among all persons, it is Sri Radha in whose company Lord Madhava is especially glorious, as She is especially glorious in His.”
(The servants of HDG Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. SB 10.32.8. purport.)
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