CONTENTS:
- KRISHNA’S JOY IS SIMPLY BASED ON SRIMATI RADHARANI
- SRILA PRABHUPADA'S APPRECIATION
- GURU MAHARAJA’S BOOK LAUNCH AT ISKCON LENASIA
1. KRISHNA’S JOY IS SIMPLY BASED ON SRIMATI RADHARANI
Srimati Radharani is the reservoir of Krishna’s pleasure. Krishna is anandamaya and She is Krishna’s pleasure potency. All Krishna’s pleasure and all of Krishna’s joy is simply based on Srimati Radharani. Therefore, when you go to Vrindavan what is the principle consideration? The loving exchange between Radha and Krishna and everything else is around that relationship. Other Gopis are there supporting that loving exchange. The parents are there and the friends are there and they also are supporting that conjugal relationship between Radha and Krishna. Jayo Jayo Ujala jalras...braje te prachar...All glory all glory to that brilliant love which is the essence of all the mellows, what is that? Conjugal mellow. Conjugal can be of two types: sakya (husband and wife) and prakya (lover and beloved). Conjugal relationship means that between a man and women that between Radha and Krishna. The approval of social conformity is not there, no consideration of what people think of Them, Krishna does not give a damn.
That is the difference between lila purusotam and mariyada purusotam. Lord Ramachandra mariyada purusotam, He is very concerned because He is establishing the principle of dharma therefore Ramachandra very careful how He behaves. He did not accept more than one wife. All the Ksatriya generally have many wives at least two. Even Narayana has two wives, formally Sridevi and Bhudevi. Ramachandra accepted only one wife Sitadevi. Ramachandra even banished Sitadevi because some people cast some doubt about her character so that is how Ramachandra’s pastimes are. But Krishna, what to speak of wives, Krishna did not even get married and was dancing with others wives, apparently it is immoral but where is the consideration of morality or immorality of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? He is the Supreme proprietor, when the proprietor enjoys somebody or something is there anything wrong? No. How He does it is His business and this is what He is doing through His lila.
He kind of creates a situation where they feel if these girls were married to someone else, as if they do not belong to Krishna. It is said again by the Goswamis the loving exchange becomes most intensified when there are obstacles, the movement of love is crooked it’s not on a straight line. When the obstacles are there what happens? Obstacles you have to bypass it so that is how love moves. Obstacle bypass it, find a way around. The senior members of the family say don’t go meet that boy, the girl finds a way out and meets her lover quietly and that makes the love so exciting and that’s exactly what Krishna is doing, also the consideration is there whether it was moral or not.
THEY GOT MARRIED TO KRISHNA
Jiva Goswami in Gopal Champu pointed out that Radha and Krishna did in fact get married, there is an elaborate description of how Krishna got married to Radharani. Another consideration is when Brahma stole the cowherd boys and the claves, Krishna expanded Himself to all the cowherd boys and the calves. At that time Krishna told Nanda Maharaja that this is a very good year for the girls to get married. So, who did they get married to? They got married to Krishna. It is also mentioned apparently although they were married, they could not even touch those girls. Even though there is four sampradayas like Abhimanyu could not even touch Srimati Radharani, apparently, he was more interested in his cows; he would spend more time with the cows and be more concerned with the cows. These are just apparent reasons for the sake of the pastimes to make it more joyful. Vrindavan is beyond anyone’s understanding. Although there are four sampradayas, they all authorised and bona fide but even they did not have any understanding of Vrindavan.
MAHÄBHÄVA. -SVARÜPÄ SRI-RÄDHÄ-ÖHÄKURÄËÉ
Mahäbhäva. -svarüpä Sri-rädhä-öhäkuräëé Srimati Radharani is the embodiment of Mahäbhäva. Mahäbhäva is the highest form of devotion. Radharani is the personification of devotion to Krishna. She is the personified hlädiné-Shakti and this hlädiné-Shakti is the intense form of devotion for Krishna.
Krishna came assuming the mood of Srimati Radharani that is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In simple words Krishna is actually playing the role of Srimati Radharani. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna acting like Raharani. Krishna displaying the mood of Radharani. Krishna is displaying devotion to Krishna in the mood of Srimati Radharani. Okay now you consider when you are following Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who are you following?
Srimati Radharani. Who is the greatest Ragat-mikabhakta of Vrindavan? Srimati Radharani. When you are following Chaitanya Mahaprabhu what kind of devotion are you executing? Rägänuga-bhakti. The greatest Ragat-mika-bhakta is Srimati Radharani and following Srimati Radharani means Rägänugabhakti. So now you see Vaidhé bhakti to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is automatically transformed into Rägänuga-bhakti that is what Nityananda prabhu explained to Jiva Goswami. Same point being made by Prabodhänanda Sarasvaté Thakur, just one verse yathä yathä gaura padäravinde vindeta bhaktià kåta-puëya-räsiù tathä tathotsarpati hådy akäsmad rädhä-padämbhoja-sudhambu-räsiù. As one develops his attachment to the lotus feet of Gaura, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he develops his bhakti, his devotion to the lotus feet of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu due to heaps of pious activities accordingly springs forth the nectar that is flowing from the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani. And what is the nectar of the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani? Vraja bhakti. So, this is how we can see how perfectly Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave this process for all of us and how wonderfully Srila Prabhupada has presented it to us all over the world.
2. SRILA PRABHUPADA'S APPRECIATION
This is the manifestation of Srila Prabhupada’s causeless mercy, it’s simply due to his causeless mercy that today we can get together on an occasion like this and speak about Srimati Radharani and Sri Krishna. Had we not have come into contact with Srila Prabhupada or ISKCON; this good fortune would have not been there for us. And actually, this is the highest spiritual understanding, there is nothing beyond that.
3. GURU MAHARAJA’S BOOK LAUNCH AT ISKCON LENASIA
Guru Maharaja launched his book “Ocean of Mercy” at ISKCON Lenasia on 5 September 2016. Guru Maharaja spoke about his God brothers asking him to write a book and then explained how he had spoken about the time he had spent with Srila Prabhupada during his final days at a programme in America and how all the devotees liked it so much. Guru Maharaja would receive constant requests to speak about this topic and the requests from his God brothers lead him to write this wonderful book. Guru Maharaja mentioned how BBT North America agreed to print his book and he was very happy.
Guru Maharaja offered a book to the receding deities Sri Sri Nitai Gaura Hari, one for Lord Chaitanya and one for Lord Nityananda and also offered his book to Srila Prabhupada. This was the most wonderful gesture of Guru Maharaja’s love and it touched the hearts of all who were present. Guru Maharaja signed the books for all the devotees and the books were going very quickly as the devotees were rushing to grab the mercy.
(The content of this E-magazine is based on excerpts from a Lecture given by His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami on Radhastami 2013, ISKCON Lenasia, South Africa.)
(Compiled and Edited by Hemavati Radhika Devi Dasi)