radharani

  • Seva Kunj Pujari Brings Sri Radha’s Prasada to Srila Gurudeva

    ByBhakta Bandhav

    At night, a flower bed for Priyaji Srimati Radharani and Krishna is prepared, on which ladoos, datun (toothpick), paan (betel), and garland are kept. In the morning when we come here, the ladoos are half-eaten, the datun are used, the betel is half-eaten and the flower bed is also disarranged. Darsana of all these things can be seen every day during mangala arati at five a.m., in the summer time, and during winter, it is at six a.m. This incident with (Srila) Narayana Maharajji is about seven or eight years ago, I am not sure maybe, it had been seven or eight years roughly. After I put Thakuraji and Srimatiji to rest, I went back home. I am a servant of Sriji, I take bliss daily in their lila, devotees also do the same. So that night I was asleep, Sriji (Srimati Radhika) appeared and gave me an order that there is one of My sakhis, My manjari sakhis, Narayana Maharajji, who is in Sridham Vrindavan, go and give My prasada to him…

  • WHY IS VISAKHA SO DEAR TO RADHARANI?

    ByBhaktabandhav

    O fair-faced Viśākhe, My mistress will not leave your company for even a moment. Because You are both the same age, you are the realm of Her playful joking pastimes. Please save my life from the affliction of separation and show me my Svāminī.
    Dāsa Gosvāmī prays, “O Viśākhe, you are my guru. You teach how to serve my Svāminī, Rādhikā. You never leave Her even for a moment. I pray to you, please bring me to my Svāminī. You are of the same age as my Svāminī, and similar in nature to Her. I don’t want to leave your association. You bestow darśana of my mistress. I am weeping in separation. Please save my life.”
    Why does he pray like this? Śrīmatī Rādhārānī doesn’t like to give up Viśākhā’s company for a moment. Śrīmatī always keeps Viśākhā near. They are very close friends. When Kṛṣṇa comes forcefully to kiss Śrīmatī, She sometimes places Viśākhā before Him. Kṛṣṇa then jokes and plays with Viśākhā, but Viśākhā moves aside and pushes Him towards Rādhikā. Why? Rādhikā’s followers do not desire to independently meet with Kṛṣṇa. When Viśākhā sends Kṛṣṇa to Rādhārānī, she doesn’t leave the kuñja. Why? So that Kṛṣṇa doesn’t harass Her too much. When He tries to, Viśākhā reprimands Him, “Move! No more.” Kṛṣṇa is not satisfied. He has desire to meet with Rādhikā, but Viśākhā takes Him away to increase His eagerness even more.
    She says, “Why are You so hard with my Kiśorī? Her skin is scratched from Your attacks!” Viśākhā takes Rādhārānī into a private quarter and applies a cooling sandal paste on Her limbs, while saying, “I shouldn’t have allowed Kṛṣṇa to come. Now He has bruised and scratched You.” Rādhārānī also desired to meet more with Kṛṣṇa, but Viśākhā took Her away to increase Her eagerness even more. Then Kṛṣṇa crept up from behind and suddenly kissed Śrīmatī, causing Her beautiful face to flush red.
    “This is not appropriate!” Viśākhā exclaimed, “how many times have I told You to restrain Yourself!”
    Just then, Lalitā comes in with the mañjarīs and says, “Send Kṛṣṇa out and bar the door of the kuñja.”
    Kṛṣṇa is sent forcibly out of the kuñja. Within, Lalitā and Viśākhā begin to serve and decorate Śrīmatī. Kṛṣṇa searches for a pathway in, or a gap to peek inside. By these playful actions of the sakhīs, His happiness is increased and mādhurya-rasa swells.
    Dāsa Gosvāmī prays, “O worshipable Viśākhā, Rādhārānī doesn’t like to leave you for even a moment. You are always joyful in Her company. Please bestow darśana of my mistress, saving my life. By your indication, I will also enter in the kuñja and apply sandal on the cut marks on Rādhārānī’s cheek and chest. By your mercy, I will go and intimately serve Svāminī.”
    Kṛṣṇa comes and pleads to Rati Mañjarī at the kuñja entrance, “Please let me enter the kuñja. I will not disturb Śrīmatī any more. I will only go and sit a short distance from Her, and won’t tease or taunt Her. I swear that I won’t touch Her.” But He cannot live without Śrīmatī. He prays to Rati, “My life is departing in separation from Her, only you can save My life.”
    He tries to convince Rati Mañjarī by stroking her cheek, but Rati neglects Him and moves away, knowing Rādhārānī would become angry with her if she allowed Kṛṣṇa to affectionately caress her. Kṛṣṇa’s separation from Rādhārānī is so intense, it is impossible for Him to tolerate. (CLICK on the Title to read the full article )

  • HOW DOES RADHARANI'S SVARUPA SHAKTI REJUVENATE EVERYONE?

    ByBhaktabandhav

    All the peacocks are now singing out, one after the other. One leads, and the others repeat. Śrīmatī was hiding in a cave in Māna-gaṛh, scratching the ground with Her toe. Why was Rādhārānī in such deep māna? Early that morning the sakhīs were decorating Śrīmatī Rādhārānī with flowers, mehendi, and ornaments. Kṛṣṇa came, and Syāmā and Lalitā also decorated Him. Then they gave a mirror in front for Kṛṣṇa to see Himself. The sakhīs said, “Look at your face, Kṛṣṇa. What do You think?” Then they gave a mirror to Śrīmatī Rādhārānī and said, “Look how beautiful Śrīmatī is!” “Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa saw each other’s faces and were very happy. The sakhīs asked Kṛṣṇa, “How is Rādhārānī’s face?”
    He said, “Rādhārānī’s face is more beautiful than Candra, the full moon. I never saw Her face decorated so wonderfully as you have done today.”
    Hearing this, Śrīmatī became very angry. She ran away very fast and hid where no one could find Her. Śrīmatī Rādhārānī said, “You compared My face to the Moon! The Moon has a bad character, and his body is covered with leprosy! He is useless. Are you implying that I too am of loose character? Do I have blemishes on My face?” Rādhikā thought that now She would not keep any relation with Kṛṣṇa, and She ran away.
    Then Kṛṣṇa was suffering. He thought, “What can I do? Where should I go? How can I find Her and pacify Her māna? How can I appease Her?” He asked Lalitā and Syāmā, “Why is She so angry?”
    Lalitā and Viśākhā said, “You can’t understand. Why did You compare Her with the Moon? You don’t know the character of the Moon? Once, Candra ran away with his guru’s wife. He is useless and stupid! How could you compare our Rādhārānī with him?”
    Kṛṣṇa thought, “I’ve made a big blunder. How can I atone for this?”
    He thought for a long time, and then Syāmalā, Tungavidyā, and Citrā came and arranged a program. They said, “Only by calling peacocks and starting a dance will Śrīmatī Rādhārānī come out. She likes the peacocks, cuckoos, deer, and other animals—their hearts are clean, and they are simple.” (CLICK on the Title to read the full article)

  • IN VRAJA, WHO SHOULD WE TAKE SHELTER OF TO MAKE ALL OF OUR ENDEAVORS SUCCESSFUL?

    ByBhaktabandhav

    “When the sādhaka enters deeper and deeper into mānasī-sevā, the internal realm of Vraja inside the heart and purified mind gradually becomes more real than the external material world. He achieves the perfection of yoga—union with the Absolute, or a connection to the transcendental world and pure love for Kṛṣṇa and His associates. The sādhaka realizes his eternal form and service, and upon giving up the mundane body, he awakens in his spiritual body in transcendental Vraja.”
    Śrīla Gurudeva concluded, “It is thus essential for the aspiring transcendentalist to reside in a place imbued with anurāga for Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa—where discussions of Vraja are always taking place amongst devotees whose hearts are filled with pure loving attachment for Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.”
    Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Swami Mahārāja’s senior disciples felt the pangs of acute separation from their spiritual master and pondered how to obtain his association. Many of them took shelter of Śrīla Gurudeva and implored him, “Can you arrange our meeting with Śrīla Prabhupāda?” (CLICK on the title to read the full article)

  • WHAT IS THE INNER MEANING OF RADHARANI IGNORING RATI MANJARI?

    ByBhaktabandhav

    Dāsa Gosvāmī prays, “O Rādhike, please do not be angry with me. You are the epitome of patience and tolerance. In this world, millions of people don’t follow or respect You. Still, You continuously help all living entities, but they do not think of You. You don’t reject them or stop nourishing them for even a second. If You did so, all the material and spiritual creation would be destroyed in an instant. You have unlimited patience and give everything to the living entities. I am full of faults. Please don’t look at them.“Please send Lalitā-devī. May she be kind to me and bring me before You, and then ask You to forgive me and bestow some service on this small Rati. I do not understand what is wrong and what is right. If You say, ‘Get out, never come near Me. You have no brain,’ then what will be my position? I don’t know the process of Your service, but I am very greedy for this.”Absorbed in his eternal form as Rati Mañjarī, Dāsa Gosvāmī prays to Śrīmatī Rādhārānī, “O Rādhike, I made a small mistake and therefore You have kicked me out of Your kuñja. Kṛṣṇa came and spoke to me, questioning me and enticing me to reply. I tried very hard to remain silent, but afterwards I could not constrain myself and I independently gave an answer to Him. Seeing me speaking with Kṛṣṇa outside the kuñja, You became angry. When I reentered the kuñja, You said, ‘Get out! Don’t come near me.’ Lalitā-devī saw me crying in a corner and brought me back to You. O Rādhe, my heart was broken when You sent me away angrily. I cannot express the magnitude of my sorrow and cannot find peace anywhere. I have no one in this world but You; I cannot leave You and go to anyone else. O Rādhe, I had no desire to speak with Kṛṣṇa, but what could I do…”Śrīla Gurudeva gave an example here. Once, Vallabhācārya instructed his dear disciple, “When Thakurji is given rest after the midday offering and artik go inside the temple altar and fan the Lord with eyes closed. If you hear someone saying anything, don’t give any answer or open your eyes.”The disciple followed his Gurudeva’s instruction. A short while after beginning to fan the Lord, the disciple heard someone saying, “Hey! Why are you fanning for so long with closed eyes? Open your eyes and look at Me!”When the disciple didn’t open his eyes or speak anything, the voice continued, “Speak something! You will fan Me, but won’t talk to Me, or look at Me? If you have so much daring to fan Me as I rest, then why won’t you speak to Me?”But the disciple remained firm to the order of his Gurudeva and remained fanning, while the Lord endeavored to make him speak. Outside, Gurudeva was waiting to see what happened.When the Deitie’s curtains were opened at four in the afternoon, Vallabhācārya asked his disciple, “Who was talking to you?”“Gurudeva, I followed your instruction and didn’t open my eyes. But someone was saying again and again, ‘Open your eyes and talk to Me.’”“You did well.”Śrīla Gurudeva gave this example when commenting on this verse of Vilāpa-kusumāñjali.Śrīla Gurudeva would further explain.Kṛṣṇa could not tolerate seeing Rādhārānī’s one-pointed beloved maidservant. She was so close to Rādhārānī, such an expert maidservant, and so beautiful, that Kṛṣṇa came and tried to converse with Rati Mañjarī, teasing her from behind, in front, and side-to-side. Rati Mañjarī remained firm and ignored Kṛṣṇa, and then He began teasing her, “O Svāminī’s beloved! O Svāminī’s nearest and dearest! There is no one dearer to Her than you. You know Her better than any other. You are so chaste! You don’t speak with anyone else or look at anyone. Oh! You are so proud. If anyone comes to you, you show them contempt and reject them.”Kṛṣṇa began teasing her like this more and more, until finally Rati Mañjarī’s resolve was broken and she strongly responded to Kṛṣṇa’s antics. This is called vaco-vegam.Rādhārānī had told Rati Mañjarī, “You are so close to Me, don’t allow any distance to come between us. Don’t speak or make relation with anyone.”Rādhārānī knew what had transpired. When Rati Mañjarī fearfully came to Rādhārānī, She reprimanded her, “Why did you give Him a moment of your time? Why did you show Him any affection by speaking with Him? Go! Never come near Me. Leave here at once!”Rati Mañjarī left in a state of devastation. She fell down in a corner outside the kuñja in despair, and within, Rādhārānī also lamented. When Rādhārānī could no longer tolerate being separated, Lalitā-devī brought Rati back to Rādhārānī. Then Lalitā said to Śrīmatījī, “Will You forgive her and look just once in her direction?”Dāsa Gosvāmī says, “You have patience and tolerance, please forgive me. What was my fault? Amidst a thousand things Kṛṣṇa said, I only gave a momentary reply and looked at Him for a moment from the corner of my eyes.”Those mañjarīs and sakhīs who are in Rādhārānī’s group have this difficulty. Rādhārānī is not pleased if they have relation with any other.In the first verse of Vilāpa-kusumāñjali, Rādhārānī gave indication for Kṛṣṇa to go to Rūpa, and Rādhārānī watched, ‘What will Rūpa do?’ Like if I told you, ‘Do this work.’ Then I will watch what you do, and if you do any error, I will correct you. What did Rūpa Mañjarī do? She ran away when Kṛṣṇa came to her. However, Rati Mañjarī spoke with Kṛṣṇa, therefore Rādhārānī became upset. If she had not spoken with Kṛṣṇa, then Rādhārānī would have been happy ten or twenty times more, and Kṛṣṇa as well.Kṛṣṇa also would be happier if Rati had completely ignored Him, and He would have teased her even more, embracing her from behind, kissing her neck and then saying, “Won’t you speak to Me?” Kṛṣṇa would fold His hands to her a thousand times if she completely ignored Him.This mood is essential. Therefore, from an externalper­­spective, Rūpa Gosvāmī instructed, ‘vaco-vegam’ for sādhakas, and for those in the highest position, this is applied to a much greater extent.Once, a policeman came and spoke with me while I was cutting vegetables in Mathurā, near the kitchen in Keśavajī Gauḍīya Maṭha. Śrīla Gurudeva was sitting in a chair on the other side of the temple courtyard. After watching me speak to the policeman for sometime, he began shouting, “Why are you talking so much? What is the need? Why do you have so much affection for this outside man?”The policeman became astonished, got up and left. There is a very strong bond between the servant and served. If one is someone’s svapakṣa, any slight deviation will not be tolerated, even if it is of no great significance.tavaivāsmi tavaivāsmi na jīvāmi tvayā vināiti vijñāya devi tvaṁ naya māṁ caraṇāntikamVilāpa-kusumāñjali 96I am Yours! I am Yours! I cannot live without You! O Devī, please understand this and bring me to Your lotus feet.“O Rādhike, You are my heart, my soul. Everything I possess is Yours. You have complete adhikāra over me. I am Yours, I am Yours! Without You, I cannot stay one moment in this world. Please, please, give me shelter at Your lotus feet. I desire nothing other than the shelter of Your lotus feet.”Tavaivāsmi tavaivāsmi means, “I offer myself to You, I am Yours. I don’t know anything without You. I am Yours, I am Yours, I cannot live without You.” Why is this repeated? Is once not enough? The first ‘I am Yours’ means, “Many mañjarīs are close to You. May they accept me, give me shelter, and a chance to serve You. I am poor, fallen, and full of faults, but please accept me.” The second ‘I am Yours’ means, “I am praying to Your senior authorities, the sakhīs. May they accept and teach me, not reject me. May they call me forward and give me a drop of their love, otherwise I am dry. How can I stay with You without any love and affection?”If there is no love and affection, then one
    brahmacārī or devotee cannot remain following bhakti. He will be dry and suffering in māyā. If one devotee helps another, then devotion can grow in such a favorable environment. If a senior devotee nourishes junior devotees with his love and affection, the juniors’ devotion will become strong, and they will gradually become senior in bhakti, and will bestow love and affection to others and help them grow as well. This flow will then run on continuously.In this verse, Rati Mañjarī laments, “Aho! Devī, I have no one else in this world other than You! I am only Yours! I am only Yours! I cannot live without You for a single moment! Please bestow the shelter of Your lotus feet. I cannot go to any other, look at any other, nor have any dealing or connection with any other. I am Yours alone, Yours alone, Yours alone!”“What is the need to promise so many times?” Śrīmatījī asks.“If I spoke with anyone,” Rati replies, “it wasn’t for my own happiness. If anyone asks about You, then I feel the need to speak for Your sake. And if I don’t answer, then He teases me, ‘O stubborn one! O exalted arrogant maidservant of Your proud mistress. You are so exalted that you can’t spare me even a moment to speak.’ Then, when I said a few words, You became angered. I tell You sincerely that I am Yours, I am Yours, I am Yours! I cannot live another minute without You. Please give me shelter at Your feet. You are the reason I am living. Not seeing Your lotus feet, I cannot survive for even a moment. Please give me place at Your feet and don’t make me separate from You for even a moment.“Lalitā-devī is extremely dear to You, I am not so dear to You as she is. I made a mistake, but Lalitā-devi is very close to You. Please listen to Her request and accept me back in Your good graces. Don’t keep me away from You.”Now Rati Mañjarī prays to Lalitā-devī, “Please, by any means, remove Svāminī’s māna. If you can’t do this great task, who will I go to for shelter? And only having Her speak to me again is not enough; may She grant me Her intimate service. Otherwise, if She shrugs and says, ‘Okay, I forgave her, no problem,’ but doesn’t give me service again, keeping me at a distance, then what will be my position? Please petition Her on my behalf. If She doesn’t give me Her intimate service, I will die.”Dāsa Gosvāmī was in the highest state of separation in his sādhaka form. Even in mānasī-sevā, one cannot be deviated in service and dedication to one’s worshipable beloved.Once, one thirsty man came to the cottage of Lokanātha dāsa Gosvāmī and asked for water. Receiving no answer, He next went to the kuṭīra of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura and begged for water. When Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura gave water to this thirsty man, Lokanātha dāsa Gosvāmī became upset and said, “Leave this place! If you want to serve others, then there is no need to stay here. You have no desire for bhajana. Go and serve others.” It was Kṛṣṇa who had come. There were many homes nearby in the village, why would anyone come to a Bābājī’s kuṭīra for water? Anyone could go drink water from a well. Why would one come and beg for a glass of water from Bābājīs? But Kṛṣṇa came to test Narottama, knowing, “He is on Rādhārānī’s side. Let me see what he does.”When Lokanātha dāsa Gosvāmī saw that Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura had some softness towards Kṛṣṇa, that he had become a little favorable to Kṛṣṇa, he said, “Go serve Him and His followers.”The situation is perilous for those solely dedicated to Rādhārānī. If they go a little to one side or another, then She has great māna. Breaking that māna is not easy.sva-kuṇḍaṁ tava lolākṣi sa-priyāyāḥsad aspadamatraiva mama samvāsa ihaiva mama saṁsthitiḥVilāpa-kusumāñjali 97O restless-eyed one, Your lake is the eternal dwelling-place of You and Your beloved. Here only will I reside and here alone will I stay.Dāsa Gosvāmī says, “Rādhā-kuṇḍa is extremely dear to You. Inside this kuṇḍa there is not only water, rather the mellows of all Your love are present here. All the sakhīs’ and mañjarīs’ love is present here as well. I stay on the bank of Your Rādhā-kuṇḍa without any qualification, but my eyes search in all directions to see from which way You are coming. The mañjarīs and sakhīs will call me and show me the pathway to Your lotus feet in a secluded grove. They will give me permission to reside here eternally.”Srimati may then say, “Why are you distressed? You are already living here at Radha kunda, performing bhajana. What problem do you have?”“No, no, no, I have this body now. Gaurahari offered me to His near and dear Svarūpa Dāmodara, who sent me here to Rādhā-kuṇḍa. But now this body is very old. Soon it will leave me.”“Are you sad because of this?”“No, no, no, I am not sad or afraid of leaving my body, but I want to permanently serve You in the form of a mañjarī. Please give this to me. Don’t give me a big rich post or make me wealthy and healthy and send me far away.”Dāsa Gosvāmī prays, “May I have eternal residence here at Radha kunda.” What is the meaning? This means, “I will serve You while You engage in intimate pastimes with Kṛṣṇa, ready to do anything needed. I will fan You, massage Your lotus feet, and make Your bed. I will stay here for all services, not going anywhere.”Dāsa Gosvāmī next prays, “I am staying here, but I am unqualified. Yet, You are searching for me, ‘Where is Rati? Where did she go?’ Then I say, ‘I am here, with You. Don’t worry. Why are You looking at me with restless eyes? Wherever Kṛṣṇa is present, I will bring Him to Your kuñja by any ploy. I know how to catch Him. But if I speak with Kṛṣṇa to bring Him back, will You be angered? I will teach Him how to break Your māna, but for this, please don’t become upset with me.“You engage in loving pastimes with Kṛṣṇa at Rādhā-kuṇḍa. May I reside here eternally. If I am always present, I can assist Him in pleasing You. I do not want to leave this service for any other engagement.” (click on the Title to read the full post)

  • HOW DOES PAURNAMASI GIVE EVERYONE KUNJA SEVA?

    ByBhaktabandhav

    O calm, grave one, when will I witness Your great ceremonial bathing, as You are being crowned as the queen of Vṛndāvana by Paurṇamāsī? Your coronation will be celebrated with a great festival of love, with auspicious singing, dancing, and the playing of vīṇās and other instruments, while You are being bathed with many pitchers of pure, scented water?Paurṇamāsī-devī begins a festival of auspicious songs for the pleasure of Vraja’s empress. The gopīs begin to dance and sing, while playing many musical instruments like the sitar.They then arrange drinks in big clay pots and begin Śrīmatī Rādhārānī’s mahā-abhiṣeka. At the time of Her abhiṣeka, they sing, while playing on many instruments on the order of Paurṇamāsī-devī.Kṛṣṇa then bathes Himself with the caraṇāmṛta of Śrīmatī Rādhārānī and all His blackness and impurity is washed away. All hardness, blackness, and sadness is cleansed and washed out of the kuñja and Vraja-maṇḍala.Mahāprabhu says, ‘Ceto darpanan marjanama—how can you clean your heart? This is only possible by:bhakta-pada-dhūli āra bhakta-pada-jalabhakta-bhukta-avaśeṣa – ei tina mahābalaCaitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 16.60The foot-dust of a devotee, the water that has washed his feet and the remnants of food left by him are three very powerful items that help one progress in sādhana-bhakti.The only way the heart can be cleansed is by taking the caraṇāmṛta of Śrīmatī Rādhārānī or Her beloved followers. The dust from their feet is vraja-raja; this is what makes Vraja so special. Vraja is known as va-raja. Va means ‘special’ and raja means ‘dust’.Kṛṣṇa always rolls in this dust and smears it on His body. He takes the Vraja-devīs’ caraṇāmṛta, remnants, and foot dust, and distributes it. By this process, the heart is easily purified and illuminated.Helpful, loveful, hopeful, merciful, blessful, and very powerful Śrīmatī Rādhārānī has tolerance and patience, and She knows everything. She does not reject anyone. When Kṛṣṇa is nearby Her, He is very happy, and when He is a little disconnected with Her, then He becomes dry, Brahma.Śakti-śaktimator-abheda, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa are inseparable. Therefore Kṛṣṇa never wants to go an inch away from svarūpa-śakti, Śrīmatī Rādhārānī. She is sweet and humble and maintains all living entities with Her potency.Paurṇamāsī-devī gives everyone in the kuñja-kuṭīra a chance to serve Rādhārānī during Her mahā-abhiṣeka. Some serve by singing, some by dancing, some by playing instru­ments, and some by bathing Her directly. They use camphor, aguru, kastūrī, and arrange many full pots of water with these fragrances inside to start Rādhārānī’s mahā-abhiṣeka.After this abhiṣeka, everything in Vraja-maṇḍala becomes joyful and surcharged by the potency of Her caraṇāmṛta. Drinking this nectar, Pṛthvī-devī blossoms in joy.Dāsa Gosvāmī prays to be there, assisting in the mahā-abhiṣeka of Śrīmatī Rādhārānī, and receiving Her caraṇāmṛta.bhrātrā go-’yutam atra mañju-vadane snehena dattvālayaṁ        śrīdāmnā kṛpaṇāṁ pratoṣya jaṭilāṁ rakṣākhya-rākā-kṣaṇenītāyāh sukha-śoka-rodana-bharais te sāndravantyāḥ paraṁ     vātsalyāj janakau vidhāsyata itaḥ kiṁ lālanaṁ me ‘grataḥ Vilāpa-kusumāñjali 88O fair-faced one, will I be present on Rakṣā Pūrṇimā, the full-moon day in the month of Śravaṇa, when Your brother Śrīdāmā comes to Yāvaṭa, with ten thousand cows to satisfy the greedy Jaṭilā, and he affectionately takes You along to Varsānā, where Your parents lovingly fondle You in front of me, as You melt with weeping from both happiness and sorrow?Jaṭilā is very greedy for wealth. She is a great miser. On Baladeva’s birthday, Rākhi Pūrṇimā, she tries to stop Rādhārānī from going to Her father’s house in Varsānā. Why? She knows that if Rādhārānī stays at her house, then Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja will send many gifts for his beloved daughter. Not only Her father, but Lalitā, Viśākhā, and everyone in Vraja-maṇḍala will send Her many presentations, like sweets, cloth, and ornaments.Greedy Jaṭilā thinks, “If Rādhārānī goes to Her father’s house, nothing will come for me. When Rādhārānī is present, my cows give a lot of milk, and so much wealth automatically comes. But when She leaves, everything becomes dry.”Śrīdāma approaches Jaṭilā and says, “Listen, I will give you thousands of cows in charity. Please allow my sister to come to Varsānā. I have come to ask this of you.”Hearing this news, Śrīmatī Rādhārānī becomes overjoyed. She is anxious, “When will I go and meet with My parents? When will I meet with grandmother?” Her heart is very soft and She begins to weep in separation from Her parents.Rati Mañjarī says, “I will go there and request the greedy mother-in-law of my Svāminī, ‘O Jaṭilā, how many cows do you want? I will tell Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja and his brothers, and they will give you as many cows as you want. Just please give permission for Rādhārānī to go to Her father’s house. Today is Rakṣā-bandhana. Rādhārānī will go and bind a bracelet on Her brother’s wrist, and he will give Her cloth, ornaments, and many new gifts. Please give permission.”But Jaṭilā at first does not agree. “I will ask my son,” she says, “if he agrees, then I will consider granting permission. I will also ask my daughter. If they agree, then I will give permission.”Abhimanyu has great reverence for Śrīmatī Rādhikā and always keeps a respectful distance from Her. When Brahmā stole the calves and boys and put them in a cave, Kṛṣṇa Himself took on their forms for a year. He became Abhimanyu and all the sakhās, and in their forms, married all the gopīs. When the real Abhimanyu returned after a year, he asked his mother,“How has Rādhārānī come to our house? Why is She here?”“What do you mean?” Jaṭilā said, “She is your wife.”“No, how is that possible! She is highly respectable,” Abhimanyu said. “She is the daughter of Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja, the king of Varsānā. I am very lowly.”Abhimanyu was in the cave for one year and did not know he was meant to have married to Rādhārānī. He came back and offered praṇāma to Śrīmatī Rādhārānī, and hearing they were married, he said, “No, this can’t be true.”The next day he again asked, “How did Rādhārānī come to my house? Why is She here?”He heard, “When you were in the mouth of Aghāsura, you became affected by the monster’s poison and fell lifeless. Then Kṛṣṇa requested Rādhārānī to go help you and remove all the poisonous effect. She then came and gave you new life.”Hearing this, Abhimanyu respected Her even more, saying, “Oh, She gave me new life? She is a worshipable goddess.”From that time, Abhimanyu stayed outside in a small hut and did not reside in the house. Every day, after milking the cows, he brings many gifts and puts them at the door of Rādhārānī’s room. He offers praṇāma there, and returns to his hut.“Won’t you stay in the house?” Jaṭilā and Kuṭilā ask him.“No, this house is not mine. It is Rādhārānī’s house. She is Vṛṣabhānu-rāja-nandinī and is very respectable. She is worshiped by everyone in Vraja-maṇḍala.”Abhimanyu stays outside as a guard and gatekeeper. Even Brahmā comes to worship Śrīmatī Rādhārānī. Abhimanyu has knowledge of Her glories; therefore Rādhārānī was safe there. In Varsānā, there could be some difficulty meeting Kṛṣṇa, with Her parents and family all there. But in Yāvaṭa, Rādhārānī is alone with Her sakhīs and mañjarīs. She is safe and protected, as others have no adhikāra to enter there.Sometimes Kṛṣṇa comes to Yāvaṭa in the dress of Abhimanyu. Jaṭilā and Kuṭilā are then overjoyed to see Him entering Śrīmatī’s room.“This is very good,” says Jaṭilā. “I am hap
    py that finally Abhimanyu is spending time with Rādhārānī.”On Rākhi Pūrṇimā, Śrīdāma asked permission for Rādhārānī to come with him to the house of Her father. For a long time She has not met with Vṛṣabhānu and Her mother Kīrtidā-devī.When Jaṭilā’s greed is satisfied, she allows Rādhārānī to return home for sometime. Rādhārānī goes home with Śrīdāma. There, Kīrtidā-devī takes Rādhārānī in her arms and smells Her head. Then Her father asks Her, “Do You like Yāvaṭa or Varsānā? If You like Varsānā, I will never leave You. You will stay here. O my dear daughter, You are the pupil of our eyes. Without You, we have no light.”She is very happy to see Her family after so long, but She is also upset. “You didn’t send Me any news,” She says, “and you didn’t come to see Me.”Because of this, She cries while meeting with Her father and mother.lajjayāli-purataḥ parato māṁ      gāhvaraṁ giri-pater bata nītvādivya-gānam api tat-svara-bhedaṁ      śikṣayiṣyasi kadā sa-daye tvamVilāpa-kusumāñjali 89O merciful one, when, because I feel shy before Your friends, will You take me to a cave at Govardhana and tutor me in the art of singing?Dāsa Gosvāmī says, “O Rādhike, please take me inside the caves of Girirāja Govardhana and teach me how to sing, teach me how to play the vīṇā, and guitar. I cannot learn from anyone else. Please take me alone inside a cave of Girirāja Govardhana and there teach me how to sing and play beautiful melodies.”Songs are of many kinds. One kind is for the happiness of others, and another kind is for lifting the spirits of a person who is sad. Another type of singing is such that its hearer will become very hungry and eager to eat. Another type of song will make you want to play sports. Sports players like to hear this kind of music as they play. And in the military, while preparing to fight, soldiers like to hear music that is dangerous and ferocious, like lions roaring.Sometimes, when there is no rain although the long expected clouds travel overhead, the appropriate song must be sung, and then it begins to rain. Such prayers are found in the Sāma-Veda.When Kṛṣṇa sleeps, there is one type of song to sing. When He wakes, there is another type of song, and while He eats there is another. When He sets out with the cows, His sakhās make happy music behind Him. The cows and calves bound around blissfully, the birds fly very fast, and all creatures are thus involved in a grand musical festival in the forest. Even the trees begin to dance, hearing the joyous musical celebration as Kṛṣṇa passes them. It seems as if the trees will jump out of the ground and run along with Him.yācitā lalitayā kila devyā      lajjayā nata-mukhīṁ gaṇato māmdevi divya-rasa-kāvya-kadambaṁ      pāṭhayisyasi kadā praṇayenaVilāpa-kusumāñjali 90O Devī, when, requested by Lalitā-devī, will You affectionately ask me, my head bowed with shyness in the assembly, to recite many splendid and sweet poems?Dāsa Gosvāmī prays, “O Rādhike, when will You accept me into the group of Your near and dear sakhīs, and ask me to sing poetry for Your pleasure? How can I learn this art of sweet service? Please teach me. I will go to Your class. I will learn from You which poem to sing at which time, with which melody.”nija-kuṇḍa-taṭi-kuñje guñjad-bhramara-saṅkuledevi tvaṁ kacchapī-śikṣāṁ kadā māṁ kārayiṣyasi Vilāpa-kusumāñjali 91O Devī, when will You teach me to play the kacchapī, in a grove, filled with humming bees, on the shore of Your lake?”At Rādhā-kuṇḍa, there are many honeybees that drink so much nectar from the lotus flowers that they are unable to return to their hive. They sleep in the lotus flowers, having become intoxicated by drinking their nectar. This signifies that, if anyone comes to Rādhā-kuṇḍa and just once gets a chance to serve Rādhārānī, then they cannot go back. Even Parabrahma came and doesn’t want to ever leave.Many kuñja-kuṭīras are present at this Rādhā-kuṇḍa. “When will You call me inside one of these kuñja-kuṭīras and instruct me to play the kacchapī? At such a time, Kṛṣṇa will come from a distance to hear the music.vihārais truṭitaṁ hāraṁ gumphitaṁ dayitaṁ kadāsakhīnāṁ lajjayā devi saṁjñayā māṁ nidekṣyasi Vilāpa-kusumāñjali 92O Devī, when will You, being shy before Your sakhīs, hint that I should re-string Your favorite necklace, which was broken in Your pastimes?Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī now prays, “O Devī Rādhike, You are now playing kandarpa-līlā with Kṛṣṇa. Your necklace breaks in the course of this game, and this I will fix. You are very shy and will not tell anyone. But You give me a hint, and I step forward to carefully fix Your necklace.” (CLICK on the Title to see more)

  • WHAT HAPPENED WHEN KRSNA WENT TO CANDRAVALI'S KUNJA?

    ByBhaktabandhav

    Kṛṣṇa plays His flute everywhere around Girirāja Govardhana, and He meets with the Vraja-devīs in Govardhana’s kuñjas. Sometimes He goes to Candra-sarovara, to the kuñja of Candrāvalī. There she offers Him a garland of mallikā flowers.Later, Kṛṣṇa comes to Rādhā-kuṇḍa, still wearing that garland. But He sees that no one talks with Him, meets with Him, or even looks at Him. He then feels dry and despondent.“Oh, this garland is very wicked,” He says in disgust and casts aside the gift from Candrāvalī. He then bathes in Śyāma-kuṇḍa and Rādhā-kuṇḍa, and feels a little better. He then comes before the gopīs and prays at their feet for mercy and for Rādhārānī’s darśana. Feeling a breeze that has touched Rādhārānī and come to Him, He experiences great bliss and His heart is cooled.In his Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhi, Śrīla Prabhodānanda Sarasvatī glorifies Śrīmatī Rādhārānī as follows:yasyāḥ kadāpī vasanāṣcala-khelanottha-      dhanyāti-dhanya-pavanena kṛtārtha-mānīyogīndra-durgama-gatir madhusūdano ‘pi      tasyā namo ‘stu vṛṣabhānu-bhuvo diśe ‘pi Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhi 2Obeisances to the direction that faces Śrī Vṛṣabhānu’s daughter. When the breeze, coming from that direction, playfully moves the edge of Her garment, Madhusūdana, who cannot be attained by even the greatest yogīs, thinks that His life has become a great success.By some sly process, Candrāvalī’s followers brought Kṛṣṇa to their kuñja. There they offered Kṛṣṇa a nice outfit and decorated Him. He thought, “If I go like this to Rādhā-kuṇḍa everyone will be pleased with Me.” But when He reached Rādhā-kuṇḍa He found that no one was pleased at all. It seemed that even Girirāja Govardhana neglected Him. Why? Girirāja is Śrīmatī Rādhārānī’s follower. Therefore he also ignored Kṛṣṇa. Every kuṇḍa and kuñja-kuṭīra at Govardhana is cold to Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa cannot find anyone there, not even any animals.He looked around and thought, “I must have done something quite wrong.”He looked down at His outfit and became saddened. “Because of these garments Rādhārānī’s gopīs have become angry and have hidden from Me? Where have they gone?” Then He prays deeply.Suddenly, from the north side of Rādhā-kuṇḍa, where Śrīmatī Rādhārānī is sitting with the sakhīs, a breeze touches Śrīmatī Rādhārānī’s lotus feet and takes their fragrant message to the south side of Rādhā-kuṇḍa, where Kṛṣṇa is present. When Kṛṣṇa smells this, He comes to His senses.“This attire is not good for Me,” He thinks, and He takes off His outfit and ornaments. He purifies Himself by bathing in Śyāma-kuṇḍa and Rādhā-kuṇḍa. “Yes,” He says, “now I’m feeling better.”Then He sees some mañjarīs have approached. “Your body has a horrible smell,” they say, “clearly You have gone to the abode of many buffaloes. Perhaps You didn’t herd cows today and played with buffaloes instead. Has Brahmā come and stolen Your cows again? Has Viśvāmṛta given You buffaloes to herd in their place? Buffaloes are very dirty; they like to sleep in drains and bathe in foul water. But cows are always neat and clean. You have definitely been with buffaloes, for Your body has such a foul scent.”The mañjarīs bring candana, sugandhi, arbaṭa, and other fragrant substances and ask Kṛṣṇa, “Shall we clean You?”“This will not do,” Kṛṣṇa says, “only the dust of Vraja will suffice.”“Yes, Rādhārānī’s footdust will purify You,” the manjarīs respond. “You should beware of the other side. Your desire and nature will change if You go to the other side. If You interact with Candrāvalī’s party then Rādhika’s group will shun You.”“I was not happy with Candrāvalī,” Kṛṣṇa said, “so I came to drink the sweet honey of Rādhārānī’s affection. I left Candrāvalī and came to Rādhā-kuṇḍa and cleansed Myself in the pure nectar of the water that bathed Śrīmatījī. Now will She accept me?”samastād unmatta-bhramara-kula-jhaṅkāra-nikarair      lasat-padma-stomair api vihaga-rāvair api paramsakhī-vṛndaiḥ svīyaiḥ sarasi madhure prāṇa-patinā      kadā drakṣyāmas te śaśi-mukhi navaṁ keli-nivahamVilāpa-kusumāñjali 75O sweet, moon-faced one, when will I witness Your ever-fresh water-sports with the Lord of Your heart and Your friends in Your sweet lake, which is filled with a host of splendid lotuses and is surrounded by chirping birds and humming bees?Śrīmatī Rādhārānī is present at Rādhā-kuṇḍa, where atop splendid lotuses, there are many honeybees that hum sweetly and feast on nectar.There are also many birds in all directions that sing happily. Why are they so happy? Receiving Your darśana, the hearts of the sakhīs, mañjarīs, birds, and animals are filled with happiness.”Kṛṣṇa has left Candrāvalī’s kuñja and Śrīmatī Rādhārānī’s victory is celebrated in bliss. The sakhīs sing, dance, and joke with Kṛṣṇa. Everyone waits for that darśana. How is that rasa? It is like when the full moon rises and everyone becomes naturally joyful. Kṛṣṇa, the lord of the Vraja-devīs’ hearts, has come and now the gopīs celebrate. There is a great assembly of birds singing. Bees are drinking nectar amidst the swirls of fragrant lotuses and their buzzing adds to the birds’ musical performance.Dāsa Gosvāmī prays to be present during that occasion, waiting to see what happens next. He is ready, “What orders will come to me? I will arrange everything needed. When inspiration comes, I will quickly perform my service for Rādhārānī.”This wonderful program on the bank of Rādhā-kuṇḍa starts in the morning. There are many types of flowers in the kuñja-kuṭīras surrounding Rādhā-kuṇḍa, and an ocean of bliss pervades the whole atmosphere. The sakhīs and mañjarīs are very busy there, decorating the kuñjas.When will that Rādhā-kuṇḍa give us Rādhikā’s darśana and admission into eternal service? Dāsa Gosvāmī says, “Without the mercy of Rādhā-kuṇḍa one will not be able to enter the camp of Rādhārānī and follow Her footsteps, nor will one understand the secrets of Kṛṣṇa’s service.”Rādhā-kuṇḍa is the place in Vraja-maṇḍala where all favorable things are present for Śrīmatī Rādhārānī’s service.sarovara-lasat-taṭe madhupa-guñji-kuñjāntare      sphuṭat-kusuma-saṅkule vividha-puṣpa-saṅghair mudā ariṣṭa-jayinā kadā tava varoru bhūṣā-vidhīr      vidhāsyata iha priyaṁ mama sukhābdhim ātanvatāVilāpa-kusumāñjali 76O beautiful-thighed one, when will the ocean of my bliss expand to see Kṛṣṇa, the victor over Ariṣṭāsura, happily decorate You with many kinds of flowers in a kuñja, filled with blossoming flowers and humming bees, on the splendid bank of Your lake?In Rādhā-kuṇḍa, if anything contrary enters, Kṛṣṇa destroys it. Like when Ariṣṭāsura came to Vraja, Kṛṣṇa destroyed him. What does this mean? If a person comes to Rādhā-kuṇḍa and sits on Her bank, at the lotus feet of Rādhārānī, then any ariṣṭa, demonic mundane desire, will not be able to come and cheat that sādhaka, pulling him away from service to Śrīmatījī. Kṛṣṇa is present there with a strong mood, ready to destroy any opposition. Any anarthas or unwanted desires will be unable to disturb one. The sādhaka will have no further troubles. Kṛṣṇa will give him a sweet nature and good desires.At Rādhā-kuṇḍa, the sakhīs are busy serving Rādhārānī. Some are painting designs on Her hands and feet, and some are combing Her hair, which they decorate with small flowers.The mañjarīs say, “Collect peacock feathers here. Kṛṣṇa likes them so much.” Then they collect peacock feathers and make crowns with them and give these to the sakhīs. Then they make dresses. After Kṛṣṇa bathes, they will decorate a
    nd dress Him. The sakhīs and mañjarīs are ready to perform this service.On the other side, the sādhakas see that the gopīs are busily engaged in serving Śrīmatī Rādhārānī. Kṛṣṇa has come Himself and is waiting for a chance to serve Rādhārānī. He prays to the sakhīs and mañjarīs, “When will you give Me chance to comb Rādhārānī’s hair? I will separate Her hairs and will gently braid them. How will I make a sweet relation with Her hair? I will massage oil into Her hair, made fragrant with kastūrī, and then I will place flowers and pollen in Her charming locks.”Kṛṣṇa prays to the gopīs and waits with trembling hands. He cannot control Himself. It is as if all His strength has left and He is filled with fear, feeling within, “What will happen if I do something wrong?”Kṛṣṇa sees Śrīmatī Rādhārānī’s form in the water of Rādhā-kuṇḍa. He sits on the bank of Rādhā-kuṇḍa and watches Her pastimes and interaction with the sakhīs and mañjarīs in the reflection of the water.“How can I serve Her? How can I get permission?” Kṛṣṇa prays to the sakhīs and mañjarīs in a choked voice, with hairs standing on end and tears gently falling from His cheeks. The sakhīs come from another side and offer Kṛṣṇa peacock feathers and guñjā-mālā. Kṛṣṇa had fallen into an internal state of meditation. At the sound of the gopīs’ words, His external sense returns and He feels, “I am very lucky today. Certainly they will give Me permission to serve and they will teach Me the proper process.”At this Radha-kunda, all special training, power, and taste is given to serve Rādhārānī. (click on the Title to see more)

  • ANYTHING DONE WITH LOVE IS SWEET

    ByBhaktabandhav

    When will I see You gazing upon the prince of Vraja, His cheeks sweetened with a smile, as His mother anxiously strokes Him while He departs for the forest, fulfilling His vow to protect the surabhi cows? (Vilāpa-kusumāñjali)Dasa Gosvāmī now prays to be near Rādhārānī as She watches Kṛṣṇa passing by on His way to go grazing the cows, when mother Yaśodā embraces him. For the service and protection of the noble members of the surabhi dynasty of cows, Kṛṣṇa daily enters the forests of Vraja. Kṛṣṇa took a vow to always serve the cows. He does not go to the same place every day, in consideration of the area, not wanting to overburden it with all the cows.Mother Yaśodā worries about Kṛṣṇa, thinking, “Gopāla is only a small boy, but He daily goes out in the summer heat or winter chill, despite rain or any other harsh weather; He never takes rest. The sun is strong and burns Him. How can I protect Him?” She has affectionate concern for Kṛṣṇa’s welfare.Kṛṣṇa’s earrings kiss His cheeks. He smiles and looks side to side. Yaśodā Mātā watches His every movement. She thinks, “What is helpful for Kṛṣṇa?” and she is ready to arrange anything at once. Kṛṣṇa has relation and love for anyone who resides in Gokula and promises to protect and serve all those who come and stay in Vraja. This relation is not any ordinary or temporary thing. Kṛṣṇa does not make friendship with anyone for a day; His love is eternal.Kṛṣṇa is the prince of Vraja, but He doesn’t consider Himself royalty too superior to serve. He does not feel that He is a highly respectable authority. This is not His nature.Vṛndāvana has many forests. When Kṛṣṇa takes the cows out to graze, He is not only taking care of the cows, but He takes care of the forests and gardens as well. The creepers, plants, and trees will become dry if they are not taken care of. The cows trim the grass and keep it clean and healthy.Farmers clean and till their fields to keep them fertile and healthy. The cows are like the gardeners of Vraja, keeping everything fresh and pure by fertilizing the forests and aerating the land. The cow dung and urine make those areas healthy and vibrant. This is food for the plants and trees. If the cows did not graze in the forests, then the greenery would not get this extra nourishment. In the forest, there are many varieties of plants and medicinal herbs. By eating these plants and herbs, the cows’ udders become filled with wholesome milk. In this way, everyone benefits by Kṛṣṇa taking the cows out to graze. Therefore Kṛṣṇa vows to always care for the cows, Vrajavāsīs, and forests of Vraja.As Kṛṣṇa goes through the forests, He accepts the trees and plants’ heartfelt gifts of fruits and flowers and distributes them to the sakhās.Yaśodā Mātā is always concerned for Kṛṣṇa’s welfare when He is in the forests of Vraja. To pacify her, Rati Mañjarī says, “O Nandarānī, don’t worry. I will go to the forest and look after Kṛṣṇa. I will change my appearance and will help arrange for Kṛṣṇa’s service while He is grazing the cows. Rādhikā will also cook some refreshments for Kṛṣṇa. I will help arrange all this. The mañjarīs and I are ready to see that Kṛṣṇa is cared for while He is outside Nanda-bhavana.”Yaśodā Mātā is pleased to hear this and says, “Oh! You will take care of my Kanhaiyā? He cares for everyone, but I always worry about who will take care of Him.” Yaśodā Mātā is very happy to hear that the sakhīs and mañjarīs are there to help Kṛṣṇa in the forest and she gives her blessings to Rati Mañjarī.goṣṭheśayātha kutukāc chapathādi-pūrvaṁ    su-snigdhayā sumukhi mātṛ-parārdhato ‘pihā hrī-mati priya-gaṇaiḥ saha bhojyamānāṁ    kiṁ tvāṁ nirīkṣya hṛdaye mudam adya lāpsye Vilāpa-kusumāñjali 66O bashful fair-faced one! When will my heart feel great joy to see the queen of Vraja, who is more affectionate than countless mothers, taking an oath to make You sit down to eat with Your friends?Dāsa Gosvāmī in his internal form as Rati Mañjarī prays to Rādhārānī, “O Śrīmatī, You are supremely beautiful. Seeing You, people become filled with joy, and in the absence of Your darśana everyone becomes distressed. In Nanda-bhavana, while eating, without Your darśana the food has no taste for Kṛṣṇa.”After Kṛṣṇa finishes His meal, Yaśoda Mātā affectionately requests Śrīmatī to take prasāda. Rādhārānī becomes shy. She sits down with Lalitā, Viśākhā, and the other sakhīs and takes something. Rati Mañjarī feels great bliss observing Śrīmatījī as She tastes Her cooking. As Kṛṣṇa ate, Śrīmatī watched from a hidden place, and Kṛṣṇa would casually look up now and again and They exchanged sidelong glances. Now, when Rādhārānī sits to eat on the request of Yaśodā Mātā, Kṛṣṇa comes and peeks through the window to watch His beloved. Receiving darśana of Śrīmatī is Kṛṣṇa’s favorite nourishment.While Kṛṣṇa eats, Śrīmatī watches from a hidden place and waits for Him to finish. When Kṛṣṇa gets up and leaves, as the elders and other guests in Nanda-bhavana are otherwise preoccupied, He and Śrīmatī look for a chance to momentarily meet. Śrīmatī wants to meet with Kṛṣṇa and begins walking away from the kitchen, but then Yaśodā Mātā calls out to Her, “O Lālī, come eat something.”Rādhārānī returns unwillingly and sits down to eat. In the meantime, Kṛṣṇa waits at the secret meeting place for Śrīmatī. When She doesn’t arrive, Kṛṣṇa comes to where She is eating with Yaśodā and Her sakhīs. On the pretense of asking Yaśodā something, He glances lovingly at Śrīmatī from the corner of His eyes. Rādhārānī blushes and covers Her face with a cloth while She takes prasāda with the sakhīs and Yaśodā. Seeing this in his meditation, Dāsa Gosvāmī becomes overjoyed.āliṅganena śirasaḥparicumbanena     snehāvalokana-bhareṇa ca khañjanākṣigoṣṭheśayā nava-vadhūm iva lālyamānāṁ    tvāṁ prekṣya kiṁ hṛdi mahotsavam ātaniṣye Vilāpa-kusumāñjali 67O Rādhe, eyes restless as khañjana birds! When will I experience a festival of joy seeing You being fondled by the queen of Vraja, who embraces You, kisses Your head, and gazes upon You lovingly as if You were Her newly married daughter-in-law?Like a newly married girl who comes to serve at the house of her husband after marriage, Śrīmatī Rādhārānī comes in the early morning to Nandagrāma with Her sakhīs and mañjarīs to cook for Kṛṣṇa.While Rādhārānī is still on the pathway to Nandagrāma, Yaśodā Mātā comes down to meet Her. She runs and embraces Śrīmatī Rādhārānī. She smells Her head, kisses Her, lifts Her into her arms, and carries Her up the hill to her own room. There she gives Śrīmatī Rādhārānī new earrings, necklaces, saris, and many other gifts. She gives Her so many new things every day. She embraces and kisses each of the young girls and gives them many gifts.Why does Yaśodā Mātā have this heartfelt love for them all? If anyone desires to serve Kṛṣṇa, then Yaśodā is very pleased and has so much love for that person. She serves and thinks of everyone’s welfare.Dāsa Gosvāmī prays, “When will I be present in Nanda-bhavana, and under guidance of Yaśodā Mātā, I will assist Śrīmatī Rādhārānī in the kitchen. Love and affection will flow from Yaśodā Mātā’s heart to all the sakhīs and mañjarīs.”     Anything done with love is very sweet. Kṛṣṇa longs for that love. Śrīmatī Rādhārānī’s hlādinī-śakti spreads out to the hearts of all the Vrajavāsīs, like a transcendental sun of love, and shines in the hearts of those in the moods of dāsya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa, and mādhurya-rasa.hā rūpa-mañjari sakhi praṇayena deviṁ     tvad-bāhu-datta-bhuja-vallarim āyatākṣīmpaścād ahaṁ kalita-kāma-taraṅg
    a-raṅgāṁ     neṣyāmi kiṁ hari-vibhūṣita-keli-kuñjamVilāpa-kusumāñjali 68O dear friend Rūpa Mañjarī, when will I, from behind, lead our Devī, who has become a dancing arena for waves of amorous passion, Her large eyes wide-open, and Your arm affectionately placed about the vine of Her waist, to the keli-kuñja forest grove, decorated by the presence of Śrī Hari?Dāsa Gosvāmī prays to accompany Śrīmatī as She goes to the keli-kuñja. In his internal form as Rati Mañjarī, Dāsa Gosvāmī is there, watching Kṛṣṇa’s playful pastimes. Rati Mañjarī is present behind Rūpa Mañjarī and they walk with Śrīmatī to the keli-kuñja. Rūpa Mañjarī has decorated the kuñja, making a brilliant throne of flowers. Śrīmatī Rādhārānī sits on the flower throne in the kuñja and eagerly awaits Kṛṣṇa’s arrival.If there is no sweet relation, then no one will want to follow behind another. Ordinarily, people follow others for their own selfishness, but this temporary relationship is contemptible, whereas the sweet relation between the Vrajavāsīs is most glorious.Rati Mañjarī thinks, “When will I carry Kṛṣṇa’s loving presentations and give them to Rūpa Mañjarī?”Rūpa Mañjarī will not accept anything independently. She offers anything that comes to her to Śrīmatī Rādhārānī. Kṛṣṇa sends a necklace or a beautiful garland to Rūpa Mañjarī through the hand of Rati Mañjarī. Rati Mañjarī shows this gift to Śrīmatī Rādhārānī, then Rādhārānī gives it to Rūpa Mañjarī, and says, “No, no. This is good for you, you should accept it.”This garland isn’t only made of flowers. Kṛṣṇa’s heartfelt love is contained within. After much opposition, Rūpa Mañjarī wears this mālā by Rādhārānī’s insistance; she becomes very shy and looks down, experiencing Kṛṣṇa’s love present in this gift.sākaṁ tvayā sakhi nikuñja-gṛhe sarasyāḥ      svasyās taṭe kusuma-bhāvita-bhuṣaṇenaśṛṅgāritaṁ vidadhatī priyam īśvarī sā      hā hā bhaviṣyati mad-īkṣaṇa-gocaraḥ kim Vilāpa-kusumāñjali 69My dear friend Rūpa Mañjarī, when will I be able to see you with my mistress decorating Her beloved with flower ornaments in a kuñja-kuṭīra by the bank of Her lake?Śrimati Radika is in an isolated grove on the bank of Radha-kuṇḍa. Rūpa is nearby, feeling that although the kuñja-kuṭīra is decorated with beautiful flowers, it is lacking perfect beauty because Kṛṣṇa is not there. Rūpa Mañjarī finds some means to invite Kṛṣṇa, who comes and sits on a seat of flowers. The sakhīs begin to fan Him. The flowers are fragrant, but Kṛṣṇa is restless. The flowers and fans do not cool Him. He is unsatisfied. Why?Kṛṣṇa says, “O Rūpa Mañjari when will your adhīśvari Śrīmatī Rādhārānī give Me darśana? I came here only for Her darśana.”Rūpa Mañjarī replies, “My Svāminī is resting inside a kuñja nearby.” “I came only for Her darśana,” Kṛṣṇa repeats.Rūpa Mañjarī gives an indication to Rati Mañjarī, who goes and tells Rādhārānī. Hearing Kṛṣṇa’s message, Śrīmatī Rādhārānī hides deeper in the kuñja-kuṭīra, not wanting to give Him darśana so easily. When Rati returns, Kṛṣṇa begins to search for Rādhikā.śrutvā vicakṣaṇa-mukhād vraja-rāja-sūnoḥ      śastābhisāra-samayaṁ subhage ‘tra hṛṣṭāsūkṣmāmbaraiḥ kusuma-saṁskṛta-karṇa-pūra-      hārādibhiś ca bhavatīṁ kim alaṅkariṣyeVilāpa-kusumāñjali 70O beautiful one, hearing from the parrot Vicakṣaṇa that the prince of Vraja has already left for His rendezvous with You, can I joyfully decorate You with fine garments, flower earrings, and necklaces?In Vraja, there is a clever parrot named Vicakṣaṇa, who witnesses Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s sweet loving pastimes and repeats them to the gopīs. Sometimes this parrot brings messages back and forth between Rādhārānī’s camp and Kṛṣṇa’s camp.Once, Kṛṣṇa sent Vicakṣaṇa on an errand, saying, “Go and search out where there are nice flowers. Collect them and give them to Me. I will make flower earrings and will decorate a dress and make many flower ornaments for Rādhārānī. Then I will take these and present them to Her.” This parrot returns sometime later and says to Nanda-nandana, “I went to search for flowers and found the Vraja-devīs making a dress for You embroidered with flowers. They want to give You flower earrings, ornaments, and flowers.”Kṛṣṇa replies, “I will decorate and serve them.”“If You first accept their loving presentations,” Vicakṣaṇa replies, “then You will realize how they will be pleased and will be able to serve them in return.”Kṛṣṇa’s desires reflect in Rādhārānī’s heart and She instructs Her mañjarīs how to fulfill those desires. They then make new outfits with silk, pearls, flowers, and jewels. When Kṛṣṇa wears these clothes, He feels that Śrīmatī Rādhārānī is directly present with Him. Śrīmatī Rādhārānī’s love and the love of the sakhīs and mañjarīs is present in whatever they touch.nānā-puṣpaiḥ kvanita-madhupair devi sambhāvitābhir        mālābhis tad-ghusṛṇa-vilasat-kāma-citrālibhiścarājad-dvāre sapadi madanānandadābhikhya-gehe     malli-jālaiḥ śaśi-mukhi kadā talpam ākalpayāmiVilāpa-kusumāñjali 71O moon-faced one, when will I arrange a bed of jasmine flowers for You in Madanānandada-kuñja, which has a beautiful gate and is decorated with wonderful pictures of Cupid, drawn in kuṁkum, and garlands of many flowers, surrounded by buzzing bees.The glories of this Madanānanda-kuñja are explained herein. It is located near Pāvana-sarovara, not far from Nanda-bhavana. Kṛṣṇa goes alone to that kuñja after waking in the morning, and rests for awhile in the arms of Śrīmatī and the Vraja-devīs.Dāsa Gosvāmī prays, “O Devī, sweetly singing bumblebees move flower to flower, collecting honey. Hearing their singing, You open the door of the kuñja and look out expectantly, hoping for Kṛṣṇa to appear at any moment. I will decorate the doorway of that kuñja with draping strands of flowers and will arrange a bed in that forest grove for Your pleasure.”In the morning, the sakhīs and mañjarīs come with honey, drinks, flowers, and many offerings to cook with Rādhārānī at Nanda-bhavana. From a distance, Citrā-devī, who is most expert at making paintings, shows Śrīmatī Rādhārānī with her enchanting art where Kṛṣṇa is and what He is doing. Then Śrīmatī Rādhārānī arranges for His service.Kṛṣṇa gets up in the morning, having stayed awake the whole night and therefore needing more rest. There is a special kuñja-kuṭīra arranged for Him to hide in and continue resting after He formally wakes in Nanda-bhavana.He comes there by a hidden path. He disappears from the cowshed where He was milking the cows and enters this kuñja. Rādhārānī and the Vraja-devīs take Him in their arms. They massage Him and fan Him, and He interacts with each of them personally, resting His head on the knee of one, holding hands with another, and placing His arm around the shoulders of another. The hearts and bodies of the Vraja-devīs are more soft, delicate, beautiful and lovely than any flower. Each gopī makes her lap like a bed for Kṛṣṇa to rest on. Kṛṣṇa rests in Madanānandada-kuñja in the morning.śrī-rūpa-mañjari-karārcita-pāda-padma-     goṣṭhendra-nandana-bhujārpita-mastakāyāḥhā modataḥ kanaka-gauri padāravinda-     samvāhanāni śanakais tava kiṁ kariṣye Vilāpa-kusumāñjali 72O golden one, when will I happily and gently massage Your lotus feet, along with Rūpa Mañjarī, as You rest Your head in the lap of the prince of Vraja, and He massages Your head?Śrīmatī Rādhārānī comes from Varsānā and rests with Kṛṣṇa in Madanānanda-kuñja. She lies down, and Rūpa Mañjarī massages Her feet and soothes them with cool kuñk
    uma and mehindi. As Rūpa Mañjarī serves the feet of Śrīmatī Rādhārānī, she signals to Rati Mañjarī to come forward and massage as well.Sometimes, if He has permission, Kṛṣṇa sits with Śrīmatī Rādhārānī in His lap and as She rests on His knee, He strokes Her head. Rūpa Mañjarī massages the feet of the Divine Couple with her soft pleasing hands and calls Rati Mañjarī forward to assist her.Dāsa Gosvāmī prays, “When will Rūpa Mañjarī call me forward for the service of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa?”The name ‘Rūpa Mañjarī’ means that with her beauty, she conquers and controls the hearts of all. There is no darkness in her heart. She is always bright, light, and golden.Dāsa Gosvāmī prays, “When will that day come when, after serving Śrīmatī Rādhārānī and Śrī Kṛṣṇa, I will be able to serve Rūpa Mañjarī herself? When will she give me permission for this? How else will I receive proper training?”govardhanādri-nikaṭe mukuṭena narma-     līlā-vidagdha-śirasāṁ madhusūdanenadāna-cchalena bhavatīm avarudhyamānāṁ     drakṣyāmi kiṁ bhru-kuṭi-darpita-netra-yugmāmVilāpa-kusumāñjali 73When will I see You, Your eyebrows knitted and Your eyes burning with pride, as Madhusūdana, the crown on the heads of expert jesters, stops You near Govardhana Hill on the pretext of collecting a toll?Kṛṣṇa comes with His sakhās to the foot of Govardhana and takes tax from the Vraja-devīs. He demands, “Give Me tax!Then He says, “Actually, I am not a tax collector. I don’t take anything by force. That is not right. It is not sweet for Me. Please give Me some charity.”Then a bit later He says, “No, no, charity is also not good. I am not a poor person or a beggar. Please give Me dāna, donation. By giving dāna, you yourselves will be benefited and become happy. If you give anything happily, the benefit will multiply ten times. Therefore, give Me dāna. If you don’t give Me dāna, you will become a poor, dirty, narrow-minded beggar. I am great. Everyone knows this. Therefore if you give Me a donation, then My own greatness will come to you, and your hearts will be clean. You will become fair, fresh, and full of goodness. I am a qualified person. If you give dāna to bad people, they will make you dirty and contaminated. You will suffer life after life. But by giving a donation to those who are qualified, it is very good for you. The best thing to offer is yourself, so if you offer yourself as a donation to a person with all good qualities, it is best.”With these words, Kṛṣṇa tries to capture Śrīmatī Rādhārānī. He says, “Give everything to Me. Then I will accept and help you. If you don’t give yourselves to Me, then you will be forced to give yourselves to cheaters. They don’t have any strength to help you. Anything you have should be given to Me. I am a qualified and very powerful person.”With such clever words, Kṛṣṇa attempts to take everything the gopīs possess as dāna. He is not interested in anything small. With His crooked eyes, He scans for any particle of love, and is not happy until He receives every last drop.Dāsa Gosvāmī prays, “I long to watch Kṛṣṇa’s sweet playful pastimes with the Vraja-devīs.” (Click on the Title to see more)

  • HOW DOES RADHARANI COOK FOR KRSNA?

    ByBhaktabandhav

    O Devī, while You are on Your way to the home of the king of Vraja, to cook for Mādhava, every hair on Your body stands erect in joy and Your gait falters. Will my eyes ever attain this vision? (Vilapa-kusumanjali)Śrīmatī Rādhārānī, the most excellent and famous cook in all existence, because of the earnest entreaty of Yaśodā Mātā, daily goes to cook for Kṛṣṇa at Nanda-bhavana.Once, Durvāsā Ṛṣi came to the palace in Varsānā and said, “Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja, I am very hungry.”“I will quickly arrange whatever you like,” Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja said.“I don’t desire your cooking or the cooking of your wife. You are not pure. You share your life with everyone.”“Then what should I do?” “Do you have a daughter?” “Yes.”“Your daughter will cook.”“She is only a baby, how can She cook?”“You are trying to cheat me. Call Her at once!”Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja brought Rādhārānī in his arms to Durvāsā Ṛṣi.“O Lāḍlī,” Durvāsā Ṛṣi asked, “I know You are an expert cook. All the demigods including Brahmā know of Your special abilities and glorify Your super-excellent qualities. Won’t You cook something for me?”Rādhārānī smiled and said, “Yes.”“Please cook something quickly. I have not eaten for what seems like ages.”“What would you like?”“I especially like ksīra,” Durvāsā Ṛṣi replied, “and I also like mālpuā so much.”Śrīmatī Rādhārānī cooked sweet rice and mālpuā. She didn’t make only one or two pieces of mālpuā. Durvāsā Ṛṣi doesn’t eat one or two grams, a hundred grams, or even a hundred kilos. His appetite is immeasurable. Śrīmatī knew this. She cooked so much sweet rice, it was like the kusuma-sarovara lake, and She made so many mālpuās, they became a mountain like Girirāja Govardhana. How did She cook? All the sakhīs and mañjarīs are like Her expansions; they all know Her desire. They helped arrange everything. If Rādhārānī looks and touches anything, this is enough. So many things are arranged.Durvāsā Ṛṣi sat down at eleven or twelve o’clock in the night and began eating. From midnight until early morning he ate, saying inbetween platefuls, “Bring more, bring more.” He had more and more desire for this mahā-prasāda. He ate a plate, yawned, and then ate more, without taking any rest. By morning everything was finished. Then he said, “Now I am happy. Now I am satisfied.”His name is Durvāsā Ṛṣi. He checks if one has good or bad desires, vāsāna. If your desire is good, he will give you a passing certificate, otherwise if you have bad desires and moods, he will destroy you.After eating, Durvāsā Ṛṣi gave a boon to Rādhikā: “This daughter of Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja is siddha, perfect. Anything She touches becomes supremely auspicious and full of nectar. If anyone tastes Her cooking, or hears Her glories, remembers Her, offers anything to Her, and then takes that, he will achieve love for God and bhakti-rasa. By once tasting that rasa, he will have no desire for other rasas. And if anyone is inimical to her, he will be destroyed.”In this verse, Dāsa Gosvāmī prays to accompany Śrīmatījī on Her way to Nanda-bhavana. All the sakhīs and mañjarīs walk with Śrīmatī Rādhārānī from Varsānā to Nandagrāma. Many sakhīs and mañjarīs come from different places in Vraja to meet with Śrīmatī Rādhārānī at Prema-sarovara, before proceeding to Nandagrāma. None of the gopīs come empty-handed. They bring many items, arranged at their homes for service in Rādhārānī’s cooking.pārśva-dvaye lalitayātha viśākhayāca     tvāṁ sarvataḥ parijanaiś ca paraiḥ parītāmpaścān mayā vibhṛta-bhaṅgura-madhya-bhāgaṁ     kiṁ rūpa-mañjarir iyaṁ pathi neṣyatīha Vilāpa-kusumāñjali 59When will Rūpa Mañjarī lead You on the path with Lalitā and Viśākhā at Your two sides, Your friends all around, and me holding Your delicate waist from behind?On the way to Nandagrāma, Lalitā and Viśākhā walk alongside Rādhārānī. Here, Dāsa Gosvāmī prays to walk behind holding Śrīmatījī’s waist. Rūpa Mañjarī walks in front with Rādhikā, while carrying many things. Absorbed in his internal form as Rati Mañjarī, Dāsa Gosvāmī sees Rūpa with a heavy load and thinks, “I will go forward and request Rūpa Mañjarī, ‘Please give me something to carry.’ ” Rati Mañjarī doesn’t want Rūpa Mañjarī to feel the slightest disturbance.Kṛṣṇa understands everything. He is still resting in Nanda-bhavana, but by His desire, many bulls, camels, and elephants come to help bring paraphernalia from Varsānā to Nanda-bhavana. They offer praṇāma to Śrīmatī Rādhārānī, bending down on their knees. The elephants clean the pathway with their tusks and sprinkle the road with flowers. Then the animals carry the items for cooking. The animals of Vraja also have service tendency and don’t merely eat, sleep, and wander about, enjoying the love and affection of Kṛṣṇa. They have pure knowledge and service tendency.hamvārair iha gavām api ballavānāṁ      kolāhalair vividha-vandi-kalāvatāṁ taiḥsamrājate priyatayā vraja-rāja-sūnor      govardhanād api gurur vraja-vanditād yaḥprāptāṁ nija-praṇayinī-prakaraiḥ parītāṁ      nandīśvaraṁ vraja-mahendra-mahālayaṁ taṁdūre nirīkṣya muditā tvaritaṁ dhaniṣṭhā      tvām ānayiṣyati kadā praṇayair mamāgre Vilāpa-kusumāñjali 60–61Surrounded by Your affectionate gopī friends, You arrive at Nandiśvara, which is filled with the mowing of the cows, the shouts of the cowherders and the different songs of minstrels, and which is dearer to the prince of Vraja than even Govardhana. When will I then see Dhaniṣṭhā, who has seen you coming from afar, quickly and lovingly take You inside, as I follow behind You?Nandiśvara Hill is extremely dear to Nanda-nandana. The Vrajavāsīs pray and offer respect to Girirāja Govardhana, but an even sweeter and important place is Nandiśvara Hill. Kṛṣṇa dearly loves Nandiśvara and always resides there. Kṛṣṇa sometimes go to Govardhana and performs pastimes there, accepting the service of Girirāja, but Nandiśvara is always able to serve Kṛṣṇa and His associates.Dāsa Gosvāmī prays, “When will I go to Nandiśvara and pray to him for service. But only service is not enough. If I have no position there, my mind will be disturbed by asat-sāṅga.”Sat-saṅga doesn’t only mean to stay with sādhus for some time and then go some place else. One must continuously stay with sādhus, with love for them, not by hook or crook. If I have a loving relation with the sādhus, they will give me a place to stay.Dāsa Gosvāmī prays, “I will not stay for selfish purposes, nor will I try to acquire and possess any place. Any place I am present, I will keep it only for Śrīmatījī and the sakhīs and will endeavor to serve them there.”Dhanisṭhā is very dear to Śrīmatī Rādhārānī. She is her beloved sakhī. Mother Yaśodā gives her great respect. Dhaniṣṭhā serves in Nanda-bhavana, dividing all responsibilities so that everything can be accomplished properly.Dāsa Gosvāmī prays, “When will Dhaniṣṭhā take me to Vrajeśvarī Yaśodā, and say, ‘This Lālī has so much love for service.’ ”On one side Lalitā is present, and Viśākhā is on the other side, but this Rati is waiting behind. Whenever Dhaniṣṭhā calls her forth, she does everything on her instruction.At the time of smaraṇa-daśā, internally meditating on one’s perfected state and form, and going near one’s worshipable Kṛṣṇa, all Kṛṣṇa’s associates are present there. They will instruct you, “This is your service. This is your place.” There will be no need for any subtle hint or indication. One will understand which direction to go and how to serve. The path will be clear, without any obstacles. Don’t think this is speculation or if you go there you won’t know what to do, or h
    ow to engage your time. It is not like this. The flow of inspiration and mercy is very powerful. It will sweep you up.Many people are in Russia, America, Africa, Australia, Europe, or India. When they meet Gurudeva and join his mission, at first they don’t know what to do or what their service will be. But automatically, by Gurudeva’s inspiration, they take their own places and responsibilities and perform their specific service very seriously. Gradually their taste for service will increase more and more and there will be no need for any permit, permission, advice, instruction, or company officer to give one duty and sign one in, checking if one is performing one’s service properly and doing the proper amount of hours. This is only as an example. In the eternal world, there is a powerful force, inspiring one to serve. (click on the Title to see more)