Websites from the ISKCON Universe
17 photos: First day of Book Distribution @ Moscow International Book Fair 2013 Read more › 
252 HR photos: Sunday festival at the Bhaktivedanta Manor's 2013 Sri Krishna Janmashtami celebrations Read more › 10.8-18 How the Chatur Shloki is the essence of the Gita
15.16-16.8 Importance of Tri Shloki Bhagavad-Gita
15.6-15 Two ways to attain Jnana Cakshu
15.1-5 How the material world is comprehensible as well as incomprehensible
14.16-24 How the analysis of the modes leads to Bhakti
14.10-15 Examining the modes in today’s society
14.1-9 The background for the Gita’s discussion of the modes
13.20-35 The Bija Vakya of the Gitas last six chapters
13.8-19 Achintyabhedabheda in the Gita
12.12-20 – The last rung in the Gita’s downward ladder of love
12.1-11 Arjuna’s question refers to Brahmavada not Mayavada
11.47-55 – How Virat Rupa revelation ends in glorification of bhakti
11.28-46 The Frightening Virat Rupa – Kala Rupa
11.1-27 The Magnificent Virat Rupa
Traditional spelling is giving students lists each week and having them practice the spelling words until each list is memorized. Newer schools of thought on spelling encourage spelling teachers to look for words that the student misspells in his/her own handwriting. Yet even other educators have shown that dividing the words under specific rules will also help to re-inforce proper spelling in the oh-so-complicated English language.
In my classroom, I combine many of these practices. In addition to the Sing Spell Read & Write spelling lists that students practice each week, we make cards of the spelling words they frequently miss in their own handwriting. This individualizes their spelling instruction. For kinesthetic and visual learners, we also have a myriad of spelling games to play. Like anything, the more they see the word, use the word and play with the word, the more its proper spelling becomes concrete in their memory.
One such Spelling Game is “Whats’ Your Word Worth?” It combines coin facts and simple math with spelling practice! I just introduced this game to the students last week! It has quickly become a favorite in the Word Work Section.
When workbook work is complete, the kids grab their list of missed spelling words and practice playing, “Whats Your Word Worth?” Take a look!
Madhava Naidoo Prabhu Kirtan @ Ratha Yatra Amsterdam 2013
The yoga practitioner should be determined and should patiently prosecute the practice without deviation. One should be sure of success at the end and pursue this course with great perseverance, not becoming discouraged if there is any delay in the attainment of success. Success is sure for the rigid practitioner.
“Aren’t spiritualists self-centered, being concerned only about their own liberation and not about the elevation of others?” Some people get this question when they see spiritualists spending significant time pursuing their personal spiritual realization.
The Bhagavad-gita (06.32) indicates that the topmost yogis are compassionate – they want to share with everyone all the spiritual joys that have enriched their lives. Significantly, this statement comes at the conclusion of the Gita’s description of the process of ashtanga-yoga, wherein the seeker-yogi retreats from the world to a secluded place (06.10) to focus exclusively on spiritual growth. The context of this statement emphasizes that even for those who have renounced the world, the climax of their realization comes when they become concerned about the world.
The yogis’ concern arises naturally and spontaneously when they recognize that we are all spiritually related as members of the trans-universal family of the one Supreme Being Krishna. We naturally feel concerned about the well-being of our brethren. Spiritual realization expands our conception of our brethren to include all living beings. Without such spiritual realization, our concern for others even if sincerely felt and sensitively expressed, still fails to do the best good for them, for we minister only to their bodies and minds, not to their souls. With spiritual realization, our concern encompasses the complete being of all living beings – their bodies, minds and souls.
And bhakti-yoga, which the Gita endorses conclusively, doesn’t ask us to withdraw from the world, but to act in it to fulfill Krishna’s mission of compassion for all living beings. Additionally, bhakti-yoga doesn’t position compassion only at the peak of spiritual realization, but also integrates it into the process, as the Gita (18.68-69) indicates.
Thus the personal spiritual practices don’t diminish, but deepen, the compassion of the seekers
In the name of secularism, it has been very difficult to approach colleges and have direct KC programs. Also college students today are not all interested in spirituality due to wrong association and a loss of culture in modern indian families Read more › 
Srila Prabhupada, our most noteworthy example, established an international society amidst overwhelming physical handicaps or apparent setbacks that became a precursor to a worldwide society. Then there are his sincere followers, whose tests and trials amidst obstacles, have realization, trying their best to fulfill his will Read more › 
84 Photos: Lika Festival, August 2013, Croatia Read more › 
This Radhastami we will have a special kirtan mela on the 12th and 13th of September. The kirtan will go on from 10am to 10pm both days. There will be plenty of amazing kirtaniya’s there to melt your heart for Srimati Radharani. This opportunity only comes by once a year! Don’t miss it! This has all [...]
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In Sri Mayapur we will be celebrating the divine appearance of Srimati Radharani. For the gaudiya vaishanava’s this is one of the most auspicious and greatly celebrated days in our calendar. Srimati Radharani is the possessor and bestower of devotion to Lord Hari, so we all strive to serve her lotus feet so that she may [...]
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Please view the following galleries: Main Program VIP Program International School The week was filled with one festival after another glorifying Srila Prabhupada. The bramachari counsel, international devotees, bengali devotees, Bhaktivedanta National School, and the Sri Mayapur International School all held their very own celebrations. We also had a special program for VIP’s such as [...]
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10.25-33 - Metaphors for understanding Krishna’s glories
11.1-23 - The background to understand Vishva-rupa – Yoga aishvarya to rupa aishvarya
11.24-40 - Material destruction paves the way for spiritual ressurection
11.41-55 - Pure devotion reveals all visions
12.1-11 - Progression from Virata Rupa to Impersonal Brahman
13.1-7 - Vyashti and Samashti approaches to understanding reality
13.8-12 - Role of bhakti in jnana and of jnana in bhakti
13.13-19 - Understanding five koshas and achintyabhedabheda in the Gita
13.20-35 - A coherent understanding of the 6 items taught in Chp 13
14.1-10 - Characteristics of the three modes
14.11-16 - How knowledge became redefined as the quest for power not truth
14.17-21 - Knowledge arises from sattva not abhyasa
14.22-27 - Become an observer of the consciousness
15.1-8 - Analysis of the upside-down tree metaphor
15.9-14 - Krishna arranges for even our material enjoyment
15.15-20 - Trishloki Gita refutes Mayavada unambiguously
16.1-7 - Understanding pravrtti and nivrtti
16.8-12 - Atheists abuse science for demoniac purposes
16.21-17.2 - Scripture takes us beyond nature nurture and culture
17.3-4 - Panchopasana and religions in various modes
17.5-10 - When austerities become demoniac
17.11-14 - Understanding svabhava svakarma and svadharma
17.23-28 - How om tat sat sanctifies and spiritualizes
18.1-9 - When renunciation does and doesn’t bear fruit
18.12-17 - Five factors of action
18.18-21 - The motivations and components of action
18.22-28 - How the modes shape the doer and the deed
18.36-39 - Choose happiness based on intelligence
18.40-53 - Rising to the brahman platform through devotionalized karma yoga within varnashrama
18.54-62 - Bhakti is the summit of spirituality but also reaches down to wherever we are
18.62-64 - Why bhakti is the conclusive message of the Gita
18.65-72 - Comprehending dharman parityajya and vraja in 18.66
86 photos: Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasapuja in Mayapur, attended by many goverment officials and other dignitaries Read more › The post Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasapuja Gallery appeared first on Mayapur.com.
The post Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasapuja – VIP Gallery appeared first on Mayapur.com.
Mahadevi Dasi: Arrived last night to the sacred Shores of Mother GANGA! Been thinking about GANGA @ our “devotee spot” in Laksmana Jhulla for a few months and Her rejuvenating Powers for my health, Her soothing n inspiring association for JAPAwalking n a writing service, as well as a GREAT PLACE for distributing some of Prabhupada's small Books! Read more › BY SHANTHI RUPA DEVI DASI
KUALA LUMPUR - Below is the excerpts from the transcription of a lecture given by on September 18, 1969 in London, on the occasion of the appearance anniversary of Srimati Radharani
Rādhārāṇī…, today is Rādhārāṇī’s appearance day. So we should try to understand Rādhārāṇī’s feature. Rādhārāṇī is the pleasure potency, hlādinī-śakti. Ānandamayo ’bhyāsāt. In the Vedānta-sūtra the Absolute Truth is described asānandamaya, always in pleasure potency. That ānandamaya potency… Just like ānanda. When you want ānanda, 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 ānanda. I can speak here at night, dead of night, nobody here. That is notānanda. Ānanda means there must be others. So because Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Truth, is ānandamaya, therefore eko bahu syām, He has become many. We are also Kṛṣṇa’s part and parcel, to give pleasure to Kṛṣṇa. And the chief pleasure potency is Rādhārāṇī.
rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktir asmād ekātmānāv api bhuvo (purā) deha-bhedo-gatau tau caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptaṁ rādhā-bhāva-(dyuti)-suvalitaṁ naumi kṛṣṇa-svarūpam (Cc. Adi 1.5)
So Kṛṣṇa is Param Brahman, as you know from the Bhagavad-gītā. When Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gītā, he affirmed Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (Bg. 10.12) So Kṛṣṇa is Param Brahman. So in this material world we see that a great, saintly person, simply to enjoy brahmānanda, he gives up everything of material enjoyment. He becomes sannyāsī. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. 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 Paraṁ Brahman, the Supreme Brahman, can enjoy anything material? No. Kṛṣṇa’s enjoyment is nothing material. This point should be understood. For Brahman realization we are giving up everything material. And how Paraṁ Brahman can enjoy anything material? This question has been very much nicely discussed by Jīva Gosvāmī.
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 Paramātmā information is there. But not Param Brahman, or Bhagavān, information. Therefore it is said, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (Bg. 7.3). Siddhaye means to understand Brahman or Paramātmā. But out of many such persons who have realized Brahman and Paramātmā, hardly a person can know Kṛṣṇa. And that… First of all… [break] …what we can understand about Kṛṣṇa’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 Kṛṣṇa, how we can understand how Kṛṣṇa is enjoying? That is not possible. But the Gosvāmīs, they’re giving us information what is the pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa. That is Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.
So we have described about the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa 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 Rādhā- Kṛṣṇa is there, transcendental. So our today prayer to Rādhārāṇī… We pray to Rādhārāṇī because She is the pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means “all-attractive.” But Rādhārāṇī is so great that She attracts Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is all-attractive, and She is attractive (attractor) of Kṛṣṇa. So what is the position of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī? We should try to understand this day and offer our obeisances to Rādhārāṇī. Rādhe vṛndāvaneśvarī.
tapta-kāñcana-gauraṅgī rādhe vṛndāvaneśvarī vṛṣabhānu-sute devī pranamāmi hari-priye
Our business is “Rādhārāṇī, You are so dear to Kṛṣṇa. So we offer our respectful obeisances unto You.”
tapta-kāñcana-gauraṅgī rādhe vṛndāvaneśvarī vṛṣabhānu-sute devī pranamāmi hari-priye
Rādhārāṇī is hari-priyā, very dear to Kṛṣṇa. So if we approach Kṛṣṇa through Rādhārāṇī, through the mercy of Rādhārāṇī, then it becomes very easy. If Rādhārāṇī recommends that “This devotee is very nice,” then Kṛṣṇa immediately accepts, however fool I may be. Because it is recommended by Rādhārāṇī, Kṛṣṇa accepts. Therefore in Vṛndāvana you’ll find all the devotees, they’re chanting more Rādhārāṇī’s name than Kṛṣṇa’s. Wherever you’ll go, you’ll find the devotees are addressing, “Jaya Rādhe.” You’ll find still in Vṛndāvana. They are glorifying Rādhārāṇī. They’re more interested, worshiping Rādhārāṇī. Because however fallen I may be, if some way or other I can please Rādhārāṇī, then it is very easy for me to understand Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise,
manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (Bg. 7.3)
If you go by the speculative process to understand Kṛṣṇa, it will take many, many lives. But if you take devotional service, just try to please Rādhārāṇī, and Kṛṣṇa will be gotten very easily. Because Rādhārāṇī can deliver Kṛṣṇa. She is so great devotee, the emblem of mahā-bhāgavata. Even Kṛṣṇa cannot understand what is Rādhārāṇī’s quality. Even Kṛṣṇa, although He says vedāhaṁ samatītāni, “I know everything,” still, He fails to understand Rādhārāṇī. Rādhārāṇī is so great. He says that… Actually, Kṛṣṇa knows everything. In order to understand Rādhārāṇī, Kṛṣṇa accepted the position of Rādhārāṇī. Kṛṣṇa wanted to understand the potency of Rādhārāṇī. Kṛṣṇa thought that “I am full. I am complete in every respect, but still, I want to understand Rādhārāṇī. Why?” This propensity made Kṛṣṇa obliged to accept the propensities of Rādhārāṇī, to understand Kṛṣṇa, Himself.
These are, of course, very transcendental, great science. One who is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and well conversant with the śāstras, they can understand. But still, we can discuss from the śāstra. When Kṛṣṇa wanted to understand Himself, He took the tendency of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. And that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalitam. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa, but He has accepted the propensities of Rādhārāṇī. As Rādhārāṇī is always in feelings of separation of Kṛṣṇa, similarly, in the position of Rādhārāṇī, Lord Caitanya was feeling separation of Kṛṣṇa. That is the teachings of Lord Caitanya, feelings of separation, not meeting. The process of devotional service taught by Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His disciplic succession is how to feel separation from Kṛṣṇa. That is Rādhārāṇī’s position, always feeling the separation.
The Gosvāmīs, they also, when they were in Vṛndāvana, they never said that “I have seen Kṛṣṇa.” Although they were the most perfect, they never said that “I have seen Kṛṣṇa.” Their prayers were like this: he rādhe! vraja-devīke! he nanda-suno! kutaḥ. He rādhe, Rādhārāṇī, he rādhe! vraja-devīke! ca. Rādhārāṇī does not remain alone. He (She) remains always with His (Her) friends, vraja-devī, Lalitā or Viśākha and other damsels of Vṛndāvana. So the Gosvāmīns are praying, in their mature stage, when they were living at Vṛndāvana, they were praying in this way, he rādhe! vraja-devīke! ca lalite! he nanda- suno! kutaḥ: “Where, Rādhārāṇī, where You are? Where are Your associates? Where You are, Nanda-suno, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, Kṛṣṇa? Where you are, all?” They were searching after. They never said, “I have seen Kṛṣṇa dancing with the gopīs. Last night I saw.” (laughter) This is sahajiyā. This is not mature devotee. This is called… They are called sahajiyā. They take everything very cheap—Kṛṣṇa very cheap, Rādhārāṇī very cheap—as if they can see every night. No. The Gosvāmīs do not teach us like that. They’re searching after. He rādhe! vraja-devīke! ca lalite! he nanda-suno! kutaḥ, śrī-govardhana-pādapa-tale kālindī-vanye kutaḥ: “Are you there under the Govardhana Hill or on the banks of the Yamunā?” Kālindī-vanye kutaḥ. Ghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair mahā-vihvalau. Their business was crying like this, “Where You are? Where You are, Rādhārāṇī? Where you are, Lalitā, Viśākha, the associates of Rādhārāṇī? Where You are, Kṛṣṇa? Are You near Govardhana Hill or on the bank of the Yamunā?” Ghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure. So throughout the whole tract of Vṛndāvana they were crying and searching after Them, khedair mahā-vihvalau, as if madman. Khedair mahā-vihvalau. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu- yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau.
So we have to follow the footprints of the Gosvāmīs, how to search out Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī, Vṛndāvana, or within your heart. That is the process of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s bhajana: feeling of separation, vipralambha, vipralambha-sevā. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, feeling the separation of Kṛṣṇa, 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 Mahāprabhu. Not that very easily, “We have seen Kṛṣṇa or seen Rādhārāṇī in rāsa-līlā.” No, not like that. Feel the separation. The more you feel separation from Kṛṣṇa, you should understand that you are advancing. Don’t try to see Kṛṣṇa 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 Kṛṣṇa.Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa- nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [BRS. 1.2.234] With our material senses we cannot see Kṛṣṇa, we cannot hear about Kṛṣṇa’s name. But sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. When you engage yourself in the service of the Lord… Where the service begins? Jihvādau. The service begins from the tongue. Not from the legs, eyes, or ears. It begins from the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. If you begin service through your tongue… How? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Use your tongue. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. And take Kṛṣṇa prasādam. The tongue has got two business: to articulate sound, Hare Kṛṣṇa; and take prasādam. By this process you’ll realize Kṛṣṇa.
Devotee: Haribol!
Prabhupāda: Don’t try to see Kṛṣṇa. You cannot see Kṛṣṇa 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 Kṛṣṇa just like Rādhārāṇī, 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 Kṛṣṇa eye to eye.
Thank you very much.
Devotees: Haribol! All glories to His Divine Grace! (offer obeisances)
1.1-1.25 Introducing Mahabharat character
1.27-46 Giving up horizontal relationship for vertical relationship
2.1-16 Gita begins by refuting mayavada
2.17-25 Characteristics of the soul
2.39-45 How karma yoga is superior to karma kanda
2.46-47 Understanding 4 parts of karmanya va dhikaraste
2.48-54 Understanding and living the three definitions of yoga
2.55-61 Becoming a sthita prajna
2.62-66 Avoiding undesirable contemplation
2.67-72 Going beyond sense control to mind control
3.1-8 The principles and purposes underlying renunciation
3.9-13 Understanding the principles and mechanism of yajna
3.14-20 Playing our part in the cycle of sacrifice
3.21-24 Are Krishna’s action are immoral
03.25-30 Four differences between karma kandi and karma yogi
03.31-36 The middle way between total supression and unrestricated expression
03.37-43 Lust is not just dangerous but also treacherous
04.01-06 How the parampara is continued or lost
04.07-09 The three obstacles to knowing Krishna
04.10-17 Understanding Krishna’s nature
Different approaches for scriptural study
04.18-25 How the internal consciousness prevents bondage
04.26-33 Different kinds of yajnas and their underlying principles
04.34-42 Glories of transcendental knowledge
05.09-16 Understanding who is the actual doer
05.17-23 The four investments for gaining knowledge of Krishna
05.24-29: How knowing Krishna brings peace
06.01-07 Understanding how the mind deludes
06.08-14 Going from knowledge to realization
06.15-21 Taking the mind through the five stages of mind control
06.22-28 Transforming emotions from obstacles to pathways towards samadhi
6.29-34 Krishna’s position in the path of dhyana-yoga
6.35-41: Understanding the Gita flow from dhyana-yoga to bhakti-yoga
07.01-03 – Understanding phenomenon and noumenon
07.04-14: How Krishna pervades the material world as its essence
07.15-23: Those who don’t surrender, surrender, and surrender to Krishnetara
07.24-30: Are Mayavadi interpretations of Gita justified?
8.1-8.5 Understanding the link between objects words and concepts
8.5-8.9 How to think of Krishna constantly
8.10-8.13 Understanding yoga-mishra bhakti
8.23-8.28 Bhakti is superior to the paths of devayana and pitrayana
9.1-9.9 The glory of knowledge about Krishna
9.10-9.15 The four kinds of causes and the three kinds of jnana-yajna
9.16-9.25 The Krishna factor in worship of the Universal Form and demigods
10.1-10.11 Knowledge about Krishna – the rarity the speciality and the methodology
BY SHANTHI RUPA DEVI DASI
KUALA LUMPUR - 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.
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.
Historically, the ancient Puranas reveal much about Sri Radha's manifest pastimes, even if the Srimad-Bhagavatam(10.30.28), the cream of all such Puranic literature, mentions Her name only once-with the indirect anayaradhitah,indicating that She is "the one who worships Krishna best." Both the Padma Purana and the Brahma-vaivarta Purana,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 Brahma-vaivarta Purana, in fact, reveals an esoteric creation story in which Radha co-creates the material world with Krishna.
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.
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 Gita Govinda with a section called Dasha-avatara, in which he clearly outlines Krishna's divine nature, listing and glorifying His transcendental descents as incarnations (avatara). 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 avataras-are not ordinary. Indeed, they represent the zenith of spiritual love.
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, Sri Krishna-karnamrita, and in a contemporary poem, Ramananda Raya's Jagannatha-vallabha-natakam.
Sri Chaitanya's followers were quick to add their own realizations and insights based squarely on the earlier literature. Two outstanding examples are the Radha-rasa-sudha-nidhi-stotram, composed by Prabhodananda Sarasvati, and Radha-Krishna-ganoddesha-dipika, by Rupa Gosvami, the latter of which is easily the most detailed exposition of Sri Radha's divine personality ever published.
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.
When Kirtida saw her husband with this magnificent child, she ran over and showered little Radha with unrelenting affection.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Of all such narratives, the rasa-lila, the circular dance of love described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, is in many ways the most important.
The divine dance takes place one moonlit autumn night when the cowherd maidens (gopis) of Vrindavana, upon hearing the sound of Krishna's flute, sneak away from their families to be with Him. The rasa-lila 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 rasa-lila 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 gopis do in their dance of love.
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.
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:
"Radharani, You are so dear to Krishna. So we offer our respectful obeisances unto You." Radharani is hari-priya:"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.
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 maha-bhagavata. Even Krishna cannot understand the quality of Radharani's devotion. Although Krishna says vedaham samatitani-"I know everything"-He fails to understand Radharani. She is so great.
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 themaha-mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
BY SHANTHI RUPA DEVI DASI
KUALA LUMPUR - Sri Radhastami is celebrated by Krishna devotees as the appearance anniversary of Srimati Radharani, who is Krishna's greatest devotee, the feminine aspect of the Absolute Truth, and Krishna's energy Personified.
Srimati Radharani is the eternal consort of Lord Krishna. Five thousand years ago, when Lord Krishna came to this planet to perform His pastimes, Srimati Radharani also appeared. This year we celebrate her appearance onSeptember 15. This special day is known as Radhashtami. The following is adapted from a lecture by His Holiness Varshana Swami:
“On a half-moon night in the month of Bhadra, King Vrishabhanu came to the Jamuna to bathe and found himself engulfed in a golden aura, the golden aura of pure love. It was emanating from a lotus, which had a baby girl standing on its whorl. When the king returned to the palace with the baby, Queen Kirtida was delighted. She was also shocked that the girl was blind.
“Lord Krishna’s mother, Yashoda, heard that her best friend Kirtida had a baby, so she came to visit along with her husband and her son. Krishna crawled up to the cradle and pulled Himself up and looked in. At that moment, Srimati Radharani’s eyes fluttered and opened wide and blossomed like lotuses. It seems that she did not want to see anything of this world, only the form of Sri Krishna. Everyone was delighted.
“Srimati Radharani is the mother of the universe, the spiritual mother of all souls. And the concept of mother is the most sacred symbol—that of purity, selflessness, caring, sharing, nurturing, and love. That is why our sacred mantra is the holy names. It is the holy names in the vocative. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
“‘Hare’ means ‘Radhe.’ It is a plaintive, desperate cry for the mother. ‘Radhe! Please wake us up from this nightmare of mortal life! Remind us of the father we have forgotten and take us home!’”
In the Krishna consciousness movement, devotees carefully worship Srimati Radharani as the bestower of devotional service to Krishna, by attentively chanting her name in the maha-mantra, by worshiping her deity form, and by following the instructions of the most merciful Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is the combined form of Radha and Krishna.
“(Therefore) Radha is parama-devata, the supreme goddess, and She is worshipable for everyone. She is the protectress of all, and She is the mother of the entire universe.” —Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi 4.89
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