viernes, 12 de agosto de 2011

Śrī Upadeśāmṛta, Ślokas 9-10 San Francisco, 30 May 1997

Śrī Upadeśāmṛta, Ślokas 9-10 San Francisco, 30 May 1997

vaikuṇṭhāj janito varā madhu-purī tatrāpi rāsotsavād
vṛndāraṇyam udāra-pāṇi-ramaṇāt tatrāpi govardhanaḥ
rādhā-kuṇḍam ihāpi gokula-pateḥ premāmṛtāplāvanāt
kuryād asya virājato giri-taṭe sevāṁ vivekī na kaḥ

We have already read the translation and half of the purport. Now let us read the rest of the purport, which has been taken from Caitanya-Caritāmṛta.

Devotee reads: In Caitanya-Caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā), it is stated that when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu first visited the area of Vraja-bhūmi, He could not at first find the location of Rādhā-kuṇḍa. This means that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was actually searching for the exact location of Rādhā-kuṇḍa.

Finally He found the holy spot, and there was a small pond there. He took His bath in that small pond and told His devotees that the actual Rādhā-kuṇḍa was situated there. Later the pond was excavated by Lord Caitanya’s devotees, headed first by the Six Gosvāmīs, such as Rūpa and Raghunātha dāsa. Presently there is a large lake known as Rādhā-kuṇḍa there. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has given much stress to Rādhā-kuṇḍa because of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s desire to find it.

Who, then, would give up Rādhā-kuṇḍa and try to reside elsewhere?

No person with transcendental intelligence would do so. The importance of Rādhā-kuṇḍa, however, cannot be realised by other Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas, nor can persons uninterested in the devotional service of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu understand the spiritual importance and divine nature of Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Thus Rādhā-kuṇḍa is mainly worshiped by the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, the followers of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu.  

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: Reading all these explanations, one may question why Caitanya Mahāprabhu glorified this Rādhā-kuṇḍa so much.

What is Rādhā-kuṇḍa?

It is merely a lake, not so big, and very small in comparison with the ocean or any great lake like the Caspian Sea. In India, there are many lakes that are thousands of times bigger, like Cilka Hrada (Lake) and others.

Why is Caitanya Mahāprabhu glorifying Rādhā-kuṇḍa?

Just by asking, some may accuse you of being a sahajiyā. But if someone wants to know about the glories of Rādhā-kuṇḍa and reads this description from Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, automatically this question will arise.

He will see that Rādhā-kuṇḍa is closely connected to Śrīmatī Rādhikā.

What is the glory of Śrīmatī Rādhikā?

This understanding will come naturally if someone has a desire to know all these things. Swāmījī is telling that Rādhā-kuṇḍa is worshiped almost exclusively by the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, the followers of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Other sampradāyas, like Nimbārka, Rāmānuja and Madhva, have no connection with Rādhā-kuṇḍa. They don’t know the secret things about this special lake. But those in the family of Caitanya Mahāprabhu have deep honour and regard for Rādhā-kuṇḍa. They esteem Rādhā-kuṇḍa more than Varsānā, Rāval (the birthplace of Śrīmatī Rādhikā), Nandagāon, Govardhana, Vṛndāvana or anywhere else.

Why?
What is there?
Is there any beautiful mountain, river or well decorated forest?

We see nothing extraordinary there. Curiosity will naturally arise to know why. Its uniqueness is that this kuṇḍa is directly Śrīmatī Rādhikā Herself. Śyāma-kuṇḍa is the embodiment of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is, Vrajendra-nandana, Rādhā-kanta, Kṛṣṇa Himself. There is no difference at all.

Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa meet together in Vṛndāvana and also at Govardhana. They perform rāsa in both of those places also, so what is so special about Rādhā-kuṇḍa?

 It is here that Kṛṣṇa is always controlled by Śrīmatī Rādhikā, and here that Śrīmatī Rādhikā is called svādīna-bhartṛkā.

If we don’t know about these things, how can we properly glorify Rādhā-kuṇḍa?

It is very rare to be able to appreciate these glorifications. So if you are not even hearing these things, you will not be qualified in lākhas and lākhas of births.

If someone has not yet become very pure or developed so much love and affection that he is qualified to hear, then what should he do?
Should he be forever hopeless for this?

No, do not ever be hopeless. Someone may still have many anarthas but if he has some interest and greed to hear this, then he is considered qualified. That greed alone constitutes the qualification to hear.

A devotee born in a brāhmaṇa family may have cultivated his regulative bhakti for lākhas of births and may have very few anarthas. Still, if he has no honour, no ruci, to hear, then he is disqualified from hearing. But a third class bogus person, like Bilvamaṅgala, entangled always in lust for a prostitute, immediately awoke when his prostitute was singing:

rādhā-ramaṇa-hari govinda jaya jaya
govinda jaya jaya gopāla jaya jaya
rādhā-ramaṇa-hari govinda jaya jaya
rādhe rādhe rādhe jaya jaya jaya śrī rādhe
rādhā-ramaṇa-hari govinda jaya jaya

When the prostitute would be quite absorbed in singing this kīrtana, Bilvamaṅgala would be attracted and would also become absorbed. So this is the qualification, regardless of whether one is a lusty, wretched person with no qualifications, no education, or any positive quality. This taste for hearing about these topics is itself the only required qualification.

kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ
krīyatāṁ yadi kuto ’pi labhyate
tatra laulyam api mūlyam ekalaṁ
janma-koṭi-sukṛtair na labhyate

Sukṛti accumulated over lākhas and lākhas of births will not help. But the qualification can come easily if we hear from a devotee like Rāya Rāmānanda, Svarūpa Dāmodara, Rūpa Gosvāmī, or their followers who tell the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa so sweetly. Their mati, their hearts, are always immersed in this ocean of love and affection for Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Eligibility does not require any worldly qualification or any spiritual quality. The only requirement is some taste, ruci, to hear, and this ruci can come either from impressions from past lives or it can be newly formed in this life, no harm. Ruci coming from past lives is much stronger. But if it is coming from newly acquired impressions, it will still yield so many fruits. So only to have some taste to hear these topics is of any value, nothing else.

Swāmījī is explaining that other sampradāyas have nothing to do with Rādhā-kuṇḍa.

But then why is Rādhā-kuṇḍa so super-most?

Premāmṛtāplāvanāt kuryād asya virājato giri-taṭe sevāṁ vivekī na kaḥ.

Premāmṛtāplāvanāt. 

Sometimes a river may flood.

Why does a flood come?
What is the reason?

Devotee: The river cannot contain so much water, so the water overflows. This is called a flood.

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: Yes, the river is very small and narrow, and then so much heavy water comes. Then the river cannot contain all the water so it overflows here and there. Similarly, here in Vṛndāvana, there is a controlled flow. At Govardhana the flow is greater, but it can still be controlled. But in Rādhā-kuṇḍa, oh, so much flood! The whole of Vraja Vṛndāvana is inundated. Even Kṛṣṇa comes and is submerged in the flood, sometimes playing in the waves and going here and there. Śrīmatī Rādhikā is floating on that flood, and both of Them are controlled only by premāmṛtāplāvanāt. Prema is Their karta, supreme doer. So by prema Kṛṣṇa is dancing, Rādhā is dancing, the gopīs are dancing, all Vrajavāsīs are dancing. Prema herself is also dancing, and whoever it touches will also dance. 

So premāmṛtāplāvanāt—prema is in Vṛndāvana, in Vraja, and in Gokula. In Gokula there is plenty of vātsalya-rasa, in Nandagāon plenty of vātsalya plus sakhya. Sometimes separation mood is also there. In Govardhana all rasas are there but they are controlled. But in Rādhā-kuṇḍa prema cannot be controlled. Herein lies the glory of Śrīmatī Rādhikā.

In Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa, Kṛṣṇa is not prominent.

So who is prominent?

Śrīmatī Rādhikā! Feeling separation, sometimes Kṛṣṇa goes there and, praying to Śrīmatī Rādhikā, takes bath three times in Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Kṛṣṇa becomes just like a devotee, praying to Śrīmatī Rādhikā for Her mercy by chanting Her mantra with folded hands, and humbly begs Her,

“When will You be pleased? When will You be pleased?”

agha-ripur api yatnād atra devyāh prasāda-
prasara-kṛta-kaṭākṣa-prāpti-kāmaḥ prakāmam
anusarati yad uccaiḥ snāna-sevānu-bandhais
tad ati-surabhi rādhā-kuṇḍam evāśrayo me
(Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍāṣṭakam 3, Raghunātha dāsa)

Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī has said, “O Rādhā-kuṇḍa, you are Śrīmatī Rādhikā Herself. You are visible as a kuṇḍa only to give mercy to the devotees serving here. You can give so much mercy, even more than Śrīmatī Rādhikā Herself. You are always present here as a kuṇḍa. Anyone can touch you, take bath in you, or pray to you.” Even Kṛṣṇa Himself prays like this.

Why is Śrīmatī Rādhikā always there?
Why?

So many pastimes take place at Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa that Brahmā, Śaṅkara and all others want to live there but they cannot.

Have you ever heard that Hanumān wants to come to Vraja?

But he never does.

Can you say why?

He fears, “I may do some offense there.”

One time Brahmā went to Vraja to witness the glories of Kṛṣṇa, but he wanted to see His glory by his own effort rather than by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy. That is why he stole the cowherd boys and calves and thus behaved very badly. So Hanumān says, “I am bandar, a monkey. I may commit some offenses.

If I see that Yaśodā Maiyā is twisting Kṛṣṇa’s ears, then I may take my gadā (club) in my hand and what will happen if I act like that?”

So he fears, “I should not go to Vṛndāvana, otherwise I may do so many wrong things.” That is why general devotees don’t go to Rādhā-kuṇḍa and cannot know the glory of Śrīmatī Rādhikā. 

Do you want to see Rādhā-kuṇḍa?

Come with me, follow me... First we come to Kusuma-sarovara, and from there the fabulously beautiful Rādhā-kuṇḍa begins. In the very middle of Rādhā-kuṇḍa, in the water, is Svānanda-sukhada-kuñja—very beautiful groves with fragrant flowers, peacocks and cuckoos. Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s younger sister, Anaṅga Mañjarī, has decorated it for Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa most beautifully. And at the eight corners of Rādhā-kuṇḍa are the eight spectacular kuñjas of Lalitā, Viśākhā, Citrā, Campakalatā, Tungavidyā, Indulekhā, Raṅgadevī, and Sudevī. Then, surrounding this inner circle are thousands and thousands of more beautiful groves. In addition to all these, Rūpa, Rati, Labaṅga, Guṇa Mañjarī, Mañjulālī Mañjarī, Kasturi Mañjarī, Vilāsa Mañjarī and so many other mañjarīs have their kuñjas everywhere around the kuṇḍa!

Around Śyāma-kuṇḍa, the eight prominent sakhās, Dāma, Śrīdāma, Vasudāma, Stoka-Kṛṣṇa, Labaṅga, Arjuna and all, have their kuñjas, but they have given them to the sakhīs. The sakhās do not live there. Sometimes they come but very rarely, only when Kṛṣṇa wants them to. There Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmatī Rādhikā with all Her sakhīs are singing, dancing, and enjoying in so many ways. Śrīmatī Rādhikā lives there with all Her sakhīs, pleasing and serving Kṛṣṇa, but especially Kṛṣṇa is serving Śrīmatī Rādhikā there. This place is called mahā-yogapīṭha.

In Vṛndāvana, where is the yogapīṭha?

At Vaṁśī-vaṭa, the site of rāsa-līlā, where Kṛṣṇa was dancing and singing with the gopīs. But Rādhā-kuṇḍa, being the mahā-yogapīṭha, is much more prominent than Vaṁśī-vaṭa. These pastimes are so fantastic and are always going on. You cannot even imagine them. So, among all the līlā-sthalīs, Rādhā-kuṇḍa is most exalted.

When Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to Vṛndāvana, Rādhā-kuṇḍa was just a small pit, having only a very small amount of water. Caitanya Mahāprabhu discovered the village and asked:

“Where are Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa?”

The name of that village was Aritgāon. Aritgrama means Ariṣṭāsura-gāon (Ariṣṭāsura, Vṛṣabhāsura), thus the name became Aritgāon.

“So this is Aritgāon, but where are Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa?”

He asked so many old persons, but they all answered:

“We do not know where Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa are, but we know that this is Kālī-kheta and that is Gaurī-kheta.”

Kālī-kheta means black field and Gaurī-kheta means golden field. So Mahāprabhu thought:

“Oh, Kālī? Kālī means Kṛṣṇa, so here is Kṛṣṇa’s kuṇḍa. It is not kheta but kuṇḍa.”

And Rādhā-kuṇḍa they were calling Gaurī-kheta. It is not actually 
Gaurī-kheta but Gaurī-kuṇḍa. Mahāprabhu took bath there and declared that this is Śyāma-kuṇḍa and the other is Rādhā-kuṇḍa.

Then Mahaprabhu left and discovered Vṛndāvana-dhāma. We know that at first Kāmyavana was called Vṛndāvana. Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained that in Kāmyavana Yamunā is not there, nor is Govardhana nearby.

Here, there is no Kālīya-hrada, nor Brahmā-hrada, Brahmā-kuṇḍa, Vaṁśī-vaṭa, nor Keśī-ghāṭa, so how can it be Vṛndāvana?

Vallabhācārya came to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, saying that Kāmyavana is Vṛndāvana. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu corrected him:

“No. This is Kāmyavana and there is Vṛndāvana.”

Caitanya Mahāprabhu discovered all the forests and all the pastime places.

One day Emperor Akbar, the Mohammedan king, was coming with his armies of lākhas and lākhas of horses and soldiers. His horses and elephants were so thirsty. The Emperor himself was also thirsty. As he was passing that way, he asked someone:

“Is there any big pond where we can take water?”

The villagers said:

“No. There isn’t any big pond, but you can take water from this Kālī-kheta and Gaurī-kheta.”

The Emperor objected:

“There is not enough water for even one horse or any elephant. They will finish all the water!” 

The villagers said:

“Do not worry. You should bring them all here.”

So the Emperor came with all his soldiers, elephants and horses. There were lākhas and lākhas of horses and elephants. They began to drink, but the water was never finished. All were satisfied, and still there was more water. The Emperor was very impressed and he wanted to enlarge the pond, but he could not do so at that time. After this, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī came to Rādhā-kuṇḍa and wanted to restore the ponds, but he was very worried because the kuṇḍas are cintāmaṇi. The water is svayaṁ āmṛtam, nectar. So he was repenting:

“Why do I wish to improve the kuṇḍas?”

At that time a very big businessman, a paisa-wālā, came there and said:

 “Badrinārāyaṇa has sent me and told me in a dream that ‘you should go to Rādhā-kuṇḍa and tell Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī that I have ordered you to give money to restore the kuṇḍas and make them very nice.’”

The businessman went directly to Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī and told him:

“I want to help you in this work.”

Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī refused:

“I don’t want to do this sort of thing.”

Then Badrinārāyana came in Raghunātha’s dream and told him:

“You must do this.”

So Raghunātha accepted some money and managed the work. First he dug Rādhā-kuṇḍa in four corners, making it very square, because Śrīmatī Rādhikā is so sarala, simple. When he began to excavate Śyāma-kuṇḍa, he wanted to make it square also, but there were so many trees here and there that needed to be cut down. That night the trees wept and prayed:

“O Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, don’t cut us down. We are here doing ārādhanā of Kṛṣṇa on the bank of Śyāma-kuṇḍa, so don’t disturb us.”

Therefore, Raghunātha concluded:

“Oh, Kṛṣṇa wants His kuṇḍa to be crooked like Himself.”

Kṛṣṇa is always crooked, everything about Him is crooked. Thus Raghunātha gave Śyāma-kuṇḍa its irregular form which is the very shape that we see today. 

One time Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa were playing here. At once a demon in the shape of a bull came and wanted to kill Kṛṣṇa and all the others. Kṛṣṇa very suddenly took the two hind legs of the bull, whirled him around in the sky and threw him. Immediately he died. The gopīs were there and told Kṛṣṇa:

“You cannot touch us because you have done go-hatya, killing a cow.”

“I have not killed a cow. He was a demon in the shape of a bull.”

“But You have killed it, so You cannot touch us.”

“Then what will I do?

Without touching you I cannot live.”

“You should become purified.”

“How?”

“Go to the sāgara (ocean) and all the tīrthas of the world. Take bath and then come.”

Kṛṣṇa smiled and called all the tīrthas there. They came in their personified forms and were praying:

“What service may we do for You?” 

“You should become the water in this place.”

And with His heel Kṛṣṇa made an impression, and that became a very big pond. Then at once, pāṣniṁ prakhāta, all the tīrthas became water and the pond was filled. Kṛṣṇa took bath and said:

“Now I am pure.

Can I touch you?”

“Never, never. We will make our own pond without Your help. You should take bath there and then You will be pure.”

Śrīmatī Rādhikā easily dug the hole for Rādhā-kuṇḍa with Her toes, and all Her sakhīs were engaged in helping. Rādhikā was dancing and sweating, but yet it was so sweet. It became a very big pond, but there was no water.

Where should the water come from?

Kṛṣṇa offered:

“Take it from My pond.”

And He told all the tīrthas that in a hidden way they should go in this new kuṇḍa.

The gopīs refused:

“We don’t want to touch any of the water from Your kuṇḍa. We will go to Mānasī Gaṅgā in Govardhana, bring water from there, and we will fill up our kuṇḍa ourselves.”

They took lākhas and lākhas of pots and began to go, but all the tīrthas lay down on the path, weeping:

“Śrīmatī Rādhike, we want to serve You.

Why are You going there?”

Their humble prayer touched Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s heart. She was so pleased that She allowed them to fill Her kuṇḍa. At once they made a channel between the two ponds and the waters of Śyāma-kuṇḍa entered Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Kṛṣṇa took His bath, and then He touched all the gopīs. This is Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Here, Śrīmatī Rādhikā Herself is Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa-kuṇḍa, but the supremacy of Rādhā-kuṇḍa prevails. 

Rūpa Gosvāmī has glorified Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Everywhere there is glorification of Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Swāmījī is also telling that if anyone goes and touches the water and takes ācamana, or if anyone goes and takes bath, he will have the mercy of Śrīmatī Rādhikā to serve Her there. We cannot tell any greater glory of Rādhā-kuṇḍa than this. So we should try to know what is Rādhā-kuṇḍa. It is superior to any other place in Vraja. It has been said:

śrī vṛndāvipinaṁ suramyaṁ api tac chriman-sa govardhanaḥ
sa rāsa-sthālīkapy alam rasamayi kiṁ tvada anyat sthalam
yasyapi aṁśa-lavena narhati manak samyaṁ mukundasya tat
pranebhyo ‘py adhika-priyeva dayitām tat kuṇḍam evāśraye 
(Vraja-vilāsa-stava 53, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī)

Vṛndāvana is so beautiful, rāsa is going on there, and Girirāja Govardhana is so glorious, what to speak of other tīrthas of Vraja. But they are not equal to even one lākha’s (one hundred-thousandth) of a part of Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Never. Let me take shelter of Rādhā-kuṇḍa which is dearer to Kṛṣṇa than His own life’s breath! 

The glory of Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa is so rare, so high. Swāmījī is saying that if someone is intelligent, he can begin to touch a little of the glory of Śrīmatī Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Then he will develop the desire to serve Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Kṛṣṇa may be ready to give His service, but if Rādhikā’s mercy is not there, they will say that there is nothing to do.

In his Śrī Svaniyama Daśaka, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī has written:

“I have no attraction for Kṛṣṇa. If He personally invites me to come to Dvārakā, I will not go—I do not like to serve Kṛṣṇa if Rādhikā is not there. But if I hear that Śrīmatī Rādhikā has gone to Dvārakā to serve Kṛṣṇa, at once I will fly there without any invitation. And if I know that Śrīmatī Rādhikā is alone at Rādhā-kuṇḍa without Kṛṣṇa, no harm, I will also be there. I want to be in Rādhā-kuṇḍa, even if I’m hearing the chattering and pattering of all the villagers, I want to be there. I want to take their remnants and hear their worldly talks, gramya-kathā, but I don’t want to go to heaven or anywhere in Vaikuṇṭha, anywhere in Vraja, leaving this place.”

Rādhā-kuṇḍa is so glorious!

Then:

karmibhyaḥ parito hareḥ priyatayā vyaktiṁ yayur jñāninas
tebhyo jñāna-vimukta-bhakti-paramāḥ premaika-niṣṭhās tataḥ
tebhyas tāḥ paśu-pāla-paṇkaja-dṛśas tābhyo ’pi sā rādhikā
preṣṭhā tadvad iyaṁ tadīya-sarasī tāṁ nāśrayet kaḥ kṛtī 
(Śrī Upadeśāmṛta 10)

What is the translation?

Devotee reads:  In the śāstra it is said that of all types of fruitive workers, he who is advanced in knowledge of the higher values of life is favoured by the Supreme Lord Hari. Out of many such people who are advanced in knowledge (jñānīs), one who is practically liberated by virtue of his knowledge may take to devotional service. He is superior to the others. However, one who has actually attained prema, pure love of Kṛṣṇa, is superior to him. The gopīs are exalted above all the advanced devotees because they are always totally dependent upon Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the transcendental cowherd boy. Among the gopīs, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the dearest to Kṛṣṇa. Her kuṇḍa (lake) is as profoundly dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa as this most beloved of the gopīs. Who, then, will not reside at Rādhā-kuṇḍa and, in a spiritual body surcharged with ecstatic devotional feelings (aprākṛtabhāva), render loving service to the divine couple Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, who perform Their aṣṭakālīya-līlā, Their eternal eight-fold daily pastimes. Indeed, those who execute devotional service on the banks of Rādhā-kuṇḍa are the most fortunate people in the universe.

ŚRĪLA BHAKTIVEDĀNTA NĀRĀYAṆA MAHĀRĀJA: I see that so many devotees go to Varsānā, and they like it more than Rādhā-kuṇḍa. They want to go to Gahavarvana. Māna-ghara, Dāna-ghara, Vilāsa-ghara, Mor-kuṭī are all there. Śrīmatī Rādhikā plays with Kṛṣṇa in so many ways there. I think that all the Vrajavāsīs think that this Varsānā is superior to any other place. But they don’t know all these mysteries. They can never know. If anyone wants to know the glories of Rādhā-kuṇḍa, they should read Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛta, Seventh Chapter of first volume and also Seventh Chapter of second volume.

Why is Rādhā-kuṇḍa so significant?
Why has Kṛṣṇa come from Vṛndāvana to live in Dvārakā?

An ordinary devotee cannot answer all these questions. Those who know the glories of Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s prema can tell something. Rohiṇī-devī (the mother of Baladeva), Baladeva Prabhu and Uddhava (because he went there) can tell something about this Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Vraja.

Why did Kṛṣṇa leave Vṛndāvana, Vraja, and come to Dvārakā?

There are many hidden reasons behind His going. Kṛṣṇa wanted to satisfy the gopīs, but in Vraja He could not.

Na pāraye ‘haṁ niravadya-saṁyujāṁ.

Why?

You know there are two elements in prema—separation mood (vipralamba) and meeting (sambhoga). When meeting with Kṛṣṇa, the gopīs become so happy, and in separation from Him they become so unhappy. At that time no one can touch the glories of the gopīs—they are very high. When Uddhava went to Vraja, he saw the glories of the gopīs to be like the Himālaya Mountains, so high, and he felt as insignificant as a particle of dust. Kṛṣṇa sent him to see the gopīs’ behaviour and to realise all their moods. Kṛṣṇa tells his friends in Dvārakā:

“I want to be in Vṛndāvana, Vraja, and always stay at Rādhā-kuṇḍa, but I cannot.

Why?

Because the love and affection of the gopīs is so high that even in separation they feel sambhoga, and when meeting with Me they feel viraha. This is very, very painful for Me. Just like one time Śrīmatī Rādhikā was sitting in My lap and Madhumaṅgala came along. A bee was humming around and Śrīmatī Rādhikā became afraid. Madhumaṅgala saw Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s fear, so with a stick he chased that bee very far away. When he returned he said:

‘I have driven Madhusūdana away and he can never come again.’

Hearing this, She fainted and cried:

‘O Kṛṣṇa, O Kṛṣṇa, where are You?’

Even though She was in My lap.”

Though She was in Kṛṣṇa’s lap, She was feeling so much separation that She fainted. Once Kṛṣṇa had gone somewhere else, and Śrīmatī Rādhikā was feeling separation. Kṛṣṇa could understand that in separation from Him She became so absorbed that upon seeing a tamāla tree, She embraced it and said:

“Oh, You have returned!”

And She was laughing and joking and taunting that tree as if it were Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes He saw that in separation Śrīmatī Rādhikā was kissing the darkness:

“Oh, this darkness is Kṛṣṇa.“

She wanted to embrace that darkness, thinking that it was Kṛṣṇa.

Śrīmatī Rādhikā is telling to her sakhīs:

“Sakhī, I feel better when I become senseless.

At that time when I am senseless, I can forget all these things, so why do you try to bring Me back to My senses?

At that time I am okay, but when I return to My senses, again I become distressed.

So why do you do this?

You are like My enemy.”

Thus Kṛṣṇa became so astonished.

“Such high-class prema is in Rādhā-kuṇḍa, in Śrīmatī Rādhikā!”

He cannot satisfy the gopīs, because when He comes to meet with them, playing with Him they think of future separation. Thus they are always feeling pain. He said:

“I cannot bear to see their pain. If they see Me, they will feel pain because they are more absorbed in separation, so I should not stay here. I cannot satisfy them. At Rādhā-kuṇḍa this mood will increase. They will weep bitterly and will faint.”

Can any of you imagine these things?

This is the special glory of Rādhā-kuṇḍa, where all these moods are being experienced, and prema is like a flood, where prema vaicittya is manifested. In Bhramara-gītā (SB. 10.47) many of these moods are described—prajalpa, sujalpa, abhijalpa, anujalpa (1) and so many more. You cannot imagine!

So I think that to only do vaidhī-bhakti amalgamated with karma and jñāna will not be sufficient to come into the family of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in His sampradāya. If you want to be in Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s sampradāya, you will have to do rūpānugā-bhakti.

 What is rūpānuga?

Because they don’t know the meaning of rūpānuga and the meaning of sahajiyā, some are fearing, “Oh, if I take the name of rūpānuga, I will become a sahajiyā.” No! We are daily saying “rūpānuga varga ki jaya!” We should understand the significance of rūpānuga. We will have to know who was Rūpa Gosvāmī, what he did, what was his special service, what were his moods, and then we can be rūpānuga.

Rūpānuga means to serve Śrīmatī Rādhikā, nothing else. This book is just an outline giving some light on the subject. To enter this realm more deeply, you must hear a realised soul explain all these things, and he can give you a deeper impression of this book. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has written it for only this purpose. Swāmījī did not have time to write any explanation of Śikṣaṣṭaka, Manaḥ-śikṣa, and many others, but he saw that this particular book was so important that he wrote his commentary. But those who will only look at the first śloka, vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ ... vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ ... vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ, and then close the book, thinking, “It is all right. This is sufficient for us.

We are not qualified even to do vāco vegam manasaḥ, so how we can read any further?”
How will they advance?

Swāmījī has come to give this rūpānuga line to us. So we should not be hopeless. We should try to develop our Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this line. 

Gaura premānande! 

(1) Mad imaginative (emotional) talks known as citra-jalpa can be divided into ten categories:
prajalpa, parijalpa, vijalpa, ujjalpa, sañjalpa, avajalpa, abhijalpa, ājalpa, pratijalpa and sujalpa. There are no English equivalents for these different features of jalpa (imaginative talk).






  • Rama Kānta Dāsa If someone has not yet become very pure or developed so much love and affection that he is qualified to hear, then what should he do? 
    Should he be forever hopeless for this? 

    No, do not ever be hopeless. Someone may still have many anarthas but if he has some interest and greed to hear this, then he is considered qualified. That greed alone constitutes the qualification to hear.

    A devotee born in a brāhmaṇa family may have cultivated his regulative bhakti for lākhas of births and may have very few anarthas. Still, if he has no honour, no ruci, to hear, then he is disqualified from hearing. But a third class bogus person, like Bilvamaṅgala, entangled always in lust for a prostitute, immediately awoke when his prostitute was singing:

    rādhā-ramaṇa-hari govinda jaya jaya
    govinda jaya jaya gopāla jaya jaya
    rādhā-ramaṇa-hari govinda jaya jaya
    rādhe rādhe rādhe jaya jaya jaya śrī rādhe
    rādhā-ramaṇa-hari govinda jaya jaya

    When the prostitute would be quite absorbed in singing this kīrtana, Bilvamaṅgala would be attracted and would also become absorbed. So this is the qualification, regardless of whether one is a lusty, wretched person with no qualifications, no education, or any positive quality. This taste for hearing about these topics is itself the only required qualification.

    kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ
    krīyatāṁ yadi kuto ’pi labhyate
    tatra laulyam api mūlyam ekalaṁ
    janma-koṭi-sukṛtair na labhyate

    Sukṛti accumulated over lākhas and lākhas of births will not help. But the qualification can come easily if we hear from a devotee like Rāya Rāmānanda, Svarūpa Dāmodara, Rūpa Gosvāmī, or their followers who tell the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa so sweetly. Their mati, their hearts, are always immersed in this ocean of love and affection for Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Eligibility does not require any worldly qualification or any spiritual quality. The only requirement is some taste, ruci, to hear, and this ruci can come either from impressions from past lives or it can be newly formed in this life, no harm. Ruci coming from past lives is much stronger. But if it is coming from newly acquired impressions, it will still yield so many fruits. So only to have some taste to hear these topics is of any value, nothing else.

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