श्रील गुरुदेव, श्रीकृष्ण की पूर्ण चिद्शक्ति राधारानी और उनकी प्रमुख अंतरंग सखी ललिता देवी के विषय में बताते हैं। उन्होंने ललिता-सखी की उपासना कोई भी भौतिक लाभ पाने के लिए नहीं करने पर जोर दिया। भक्तिविनोद ठाकुर के कीर्तन, ‘राधा कृष्ण पद कमले मन’की कुछ पंक्तियों के विषय में बताते हुए, उन्होंने कहा कि गौड़ीय वैष्णव ललिता-सखी के समूह से संबंधित हैं।
आज ललिता सखी का आविर्भाव है। राधारानी के अप्राकृत शरीर के रोम से ललिता सखी प्रकट हुईं, सभी सखियाँ व मंजरी राधारानी से आ रही हैं, इसका प्रमाण आपको ब्रह्मवैवर्त पुराण में मिलेगा। जब आप ऊंचा-गांव जाते हैं, ललिता देवी के मंदिर में जाने के लिए, आपको कुछ सीढ़ियां चढ़नी पड़ती हैं। संकीर्तन के साथ आपको ऊपर जाना होगा और वहां दर्शन होंगे, दर्शन के बाद आप परिक्रमा करेंगे और बैठकर आपको संकीर्तन करना होगा और कार्तिक व्रत के अन्य कीर्तन आप वहां करेंगे। अब उन्होंने वहां एक बहुत बड़ा हॉल बना लिया है। भक्तिविनोद ठाकुर ने उनके रचित कीर्तन में अपनी इच्छा व्यक्त की ‘ललिता सखिर अयोग्या किंकरी विनोद धरीछे पाय.. युगल सेवाय श्री-रास-मंडले नियुक्त करो अमाय’। पहले उन्होंने कहा, मुझे सिद्ध देह दो और उसके बाद सब कुछ राधारानी द्वारा, कृष्ण द्वारा दिया जाएगा। आप अपने से कुछ नहीं कर सकते। ‘युगल सेवाय नियुक्त करो अमाय… सिद्ध देह दिया वृंदावन माझे सेवामृत करो दान। आप मुझे सिद्ध देह देकर सेवामृत प्रदान करें।‘ भगवान् का धाम अप्राकृत है, इस भौतिक शरीर के साथ आप वहां प्रवेश नहीं कर सकते। सिद्ध देह दिया वृंदावन माझे सेवामृत करो दान, पियायिया प्रेम मत्त करी मोरे.., आप मुझे अपना प्रेम (शुद्ध प्रेम जो परमानंद उत्त्पन्न करता है) पिलाकर मेरे मुख से अपना गुणगान सुनिए, मैं स्वयं आपका गुणगान करने में समर्थ नहीं हूँ। ‘पियायिया प्रेम मत्त करी मोरे’ आप मुझे प्रेम में उन्मत कर दीजिए। उस प्रेम में मैं बोल सकता हूँ, वास्तव में आप ही मेरे मुख से आपका गुणगान कीर्तन कर रहे हैं, मैं नहीं बोल रहा हूँ। मैं आपकी महिमा श्रवण करने में भी समर्थ नहीं हूँ, आप मेरे कर्ण को आपकी महिमा श्रवण करने की शक्ति प्रदान करें। आपकी महिमा चिन्मय (पारलौकिक, आध्यात्मिक) है। और उसके बाद ‘ललिता सखिर अयोग्या किंकरी विनोद धरीछे पाय.. युगल सेवाय श्री-रास-मंडले नियुक्त करो अमाय’। वे राधा-कृष्ण को प्रार्थना कर रहे हैं। आपको राधा-कृष्ण से प्रार्थना करनी है। हमारे सेव्य राधा-कृष्ण हैं, न केवल कृष्ण और न ही राधा। राधा की कृपा के बिना आप कृष्ण के दर्शन नहीं कर सकते। प्रकाश की कृपा के बिना आप सूर्य को नहीं देख सकते, उस प्रकाश की उपेक्षा करके यदि आप सूर्य को देखना चाहते हैं; तो आप विफल हो जायेंगे। सूर्य का प्रकाश सूर्य की कृपा है।
राधारानी भगवान् की पूर्ण आध्यात्मिक शक्ति, कृपा अवतार रूप हैं और गुरुदेव और गुरुवर्ग और सभी पार्षद वही कृपा का विस्तार है। सब राधारानी के भीतर समाहित हैं। हम एक और कीर्तन करते हैं, राधा-भजन यादि मति नहीं भेला, कृष्ण-भजन तव अकारण गेला- यदि आपको राधा-भजन में रूचि नहीं है, तो आपका कृष्ण का भजन व्यर्थ होगा, कुछ भी फल नहीं देगा। आगे कहा गया है, आतप-रहित सूर्य नहीं जानी राधा-विराहित माधव नहीं मानी- सूर्य के प्रकाश के बिना हमें सूर्य का ज्ञान नहीं हो सकता है, इसी तरह, राधा के बिना हम कृष्ण की सुंदरता का दर्शन कैसे कर सकते हैं? राधा पहले, फिर कृष्ण। राधा-कृष्ण, कृष्ण-राधा नहीं। लक्ष्मी-नारायण, सीता-राम राम-सीता नहीं। पहले आपको भगवान् से अभिन्न उनकी शक्ति के बारे में बोलना होगा।
तो आज ललिता-सप्तमी तिथि है। हमें ललिता देवी की कृपा-प्रार्थना करनी है। हम उन्हें प्रत्यक्ष रूप से नहीं देख पाते। बाह्य रूप से आप इस संसार में रूप गोस्वामी, स्वरूप दामोदर, राय रामानंद को पुरुष के रूप में देख रहे हैं, किन्तु भीतर से वे सभी सखियां हैं। वे चैतन्य महाप्रभु की लीलाओं को पूर्ण करने आए हैं। तो ललिता सखी के माध्यम से हमें रूप गोस्वामी, रूप मंजरी और अपने गुरुवर्ग प्राप्त हुए हैं। हमारे सरस्वती गोस्वामी ठाकुर किसी भी हरिकथा से पहले गुरु-परंपरा को प्रार्थना करते थे ताकि हमें कृष्ण और कृष्ण भक्त के बारे में बोल पाए। वास्तविक कथा उन्हीं की कृपा से अवतरित होगी। और यदि आप इसे अपनी क्षमता से, अपनी बुद्धि और भौतिक मन से उन्हें जानना चाहते हैं, तो आप भ्रमित होंगे, अंततः निराशा ही प्राप्त होगी। आपको कुछ अनुभव नहीं होगा।
आज ललिता सप्तमी है। इसके लिए मुझे कुछ बोलना होगा। कल राधाष्टमी है। कल सुबह से बड़ा कार्यक्रम होगा।, महा-अभिषेक, राधारानी के अविर्भाव के समय मध्याह्न में पूजा और उसके बाद संकीर्तन होगा। सभी संकीर्तन करेंगे और उत्सव होगा। आज अधिवास है, उत्सव की पूर्व संध्या पर एक समारोह, एक प्रारंभिक समारोह। आपको गुरु, वैष्णव, भगवान, ललिता सखी की कृपा-प्रार्थना करनी है, क्योंकि आज ललिता सखी का अविर्भाव है। हमें यह अवसर मिला है। हमें ललिता देवी की कृपा, गुरुवर्ग, गुरु परम्परा की कृपा-प्रार्थना करनी चाहिए ताकि कल राधारानी की कृपा प्राप्त हो सके। राधारानी, वे कैसे प्रकट हुई हैं, यह प्रसंग बहुत बड़ा है। कम समय में कहना बहुत मुश्किल है। अब जो कहते हैं कि शास्त्रों में उनका उल्लेख नहीं है, वह गलत है। इसका प्रमाण ब्रह्मवैवर्त पुराण में मिलता है। देवताओं, ने भी देखा। राधारानी, रास-मंडल के बाईं ओर से प्रकट होती हैं और कृष्ण की ओर दौड़ती हैं। ‘रा’ रास से आया है और दौड़ने का अर्थ है ‘धावमन’। तो वह रा-धा है। बाईं ओर से प्रकट होने के बाद, राधारानी कृष्ण की ओर धावमान हुई।
१० सितंबर २००५ @ कोलकाता
On the Occasion of Lalita-saptami
Srila Gurudev speaks about Radharani—the complete spiritual potency of Sri Krishna and Her principal confidant Lalita. He emphasizes on not worshipping Lalita-sakhi for getting any material benefits. Explaining a few lines of Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s kirtan, ‘radha krishna pad kamale mana’, he states that Gaudiya Vaishnavas belong to Lalita-sakhi’s group.
Today is the holy appearance day of Lalita Devi, Lalita-saptami, seventh lunar day of bright fortnight of the month Bhadra, middle of August or middle of September. In India some person observe Lalita-saptami with different motive. In the almanac (a book published every year that contains information about the movements of the planets) of Bengali language, it is written about worshipping goddess Durga on this day to beget a child. They observe a vow on today’s Tithi with a name ‘kutkuti’ with a desire of getting a child. Women perform worship of Lalita Devi means goddess Durga for getting material benefits, for getting a child. But ours is not for that. It is the holy advent day of Lalita Devi, chief of the eight sakhis, confidantes. It is written in Chaitanya Charitamrita about hladini-shakti, sandhini-shakti, samvit-shakti—sad-amse sandhini, anand-amse hladini, cid-amse samvid. Samvit-shakti-mat vigraha is Krishna, sandhini-shakti-mat vigraha is Baladeva and hladini-shakti-mati is Radhika. Radhika extended Herself first into eight forms to serve Nandanandana Krishna in eight modes of worship. They have taken different forms. Of them Lalita is prominent, chief. We belong to Lalita’s School of thought. Lalita, Vishakha, Chitra, Indulekha, Champaklata, Rangadevi, Tungavidya and Sudevi are eight sakhis (confidantes). There are millions of sakhis but eight sakhis are prominent and they have got other personal associates, attendants, they are called manjaris. Amongst the manjaris, Rupa Manjari is the highest under Lalita Sakhi’s channel. Rupa Manjari is Rupa Goswami in Mahaprabhu’s pastimes.
Bhaktivinoda Thakur has written one thing which we have to think about very carefully. In his own Bengali writing, he has written about how we can get absolute shelter at Radha-Krishna’s Lotus feet. Sri radha-krishna pada kamale mana kemane labhive carama sharana — how will I get ultimate shelter and service of the lotus feet of Sri Radha-Krishna? Radha-Krishna is the object of our worship, not only Krishna or Radha, it is Radha and Krishna both. One is not complete without the other. Now Srimati Radharani extended Herself first into eight forms, principle forms. It is written in Brahmavaivarta Purana that She has infinite forms. There are some persons they say there is no scriptural evidence about Srimati Radharani. It is completely wrong. Clearly you will find evidences in Brahmavaivarta Purana, in Padma Purana written by Vedavyasa Muni. You will also find it in Devi Bhagavat and other scriptures like Varaha Purana etc. And even Krishna Das Kaviraja Goswami has written in Sri Chaitanya Charitamrta in detail, in Govinda Lilamrita and all Goswamis they have written about Her. And if you go to Vrindavan, you will find everywhere Radha-Krishna, not Krishna alone, Radha-Govinda, Radha-Madanmohan, Radha-Raman etc. Radha is the counter-part of the Supreme Lord Krishna, complete Transcendental Spiritual potency; chinmaya-shakti is represented by Srimati Radharani. Radha, in Sanskrit language, means ‘aradhana’. Aradhana means to worship, worship of Krishna we say aradhana of Krishna and one who performs aradhana, one who worships is called aradhaka and in feminine aradhika and briefly radhika, more briefly Radha. Krishna is serving Himself. Radha is not different from Krishna, Krishna’s full complete spiritual potency. Krishna Himself is serving Krishna. Our Gurudeva used to explain it by giving evidence from Gita,
kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve
hetuḥ prakṛtir ucyate puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ
bhoktṛtve hetur ucyate
(Srimad Bhagavad Gita 13.21)
“Prakrti (nature) is the cause of all material causes and effects, whereas the living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in this world.”
Karya is effect; karana is cause, cause and effect. Prakrti is the cause of material causes and effects. Prakriti means material energy consisting of three primal qualities mode of goodness (sattva), mode of passion (rajo) and mode of ignorance (tamo). In this world everything is happening by the action of prakrti, material energy. Both of my bodies, the gross and the subtle, are the outcome of material energy. But my real self is the outcome of the spiritual energy or more correctly to say, marginal energy. Though jivas come from marginal energy, their form is spiritual. You will find two aspects in the human being. I have got my potency, my energy. That energy is doing all activities, karya and karana (effect and cause), here prakrti is dominant but the feelings of contentment or sorrow (suffering) can be felt only by the conscious principle. That conscious principle which is existing eternally which has the knowledge and which is blissful is ‘atma’. Atma is bhoktṛtve hetur ucyate — the cause of suffering and enjoyments in this world. Whatever is happening, if it is congenial to me I think it to be good and if not congenial I feel suffering. Atma experiences this happiness and distress. He is also called ‘purush’. ‘Puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ bhoktṛtve hetur ucyate—purush experiences happiness and distress.’ Purush is the predominating aspect of the moiety. That word is used there in the West in English, which our Guruvarga also used. ‘Moiety’, there are two halves of one thing; two halves make one complete thing.
The predominating aspect of the moiety is Krishna, predominated aspect of moiety is Srimati Radharani. The predominating aspect Krishna is the original Bhagavan and other forms, descended forms, they are not at par with Nandanandan Krishna. They are coming from Him, and do not have all the mellows or all the delightful relations which you find in Krishna. They are ontologically same, but the pastimes are different. Nandananda Krishna’s pastimes are the highest. Nandanandan Krishna is feeling satisfaction and His complete potency is serving Him, giving Him hlada that is called hladini-sakti. Sandhini, Samvita, Hladini shakti. Sad-amse Sandhini-shakti, chida-amse Samvita-shakti, and anand-amshe hladini-shakti. Hladini means that which gives exhilarating happiness, ecstatic feeling. Ananda-dayini-shakti gives ananda, gives happiness, ecstatic feelings, exhilarating feelings to Krishna. Radharani is the presiding deity of the hladini-shakti. If you want ananda you have to get the grace of hladini-shakti and hladini-shakti has expressed and extended Herself in eight principal forms. Today is Lalita Sakhi’s appearance day. Sakhi means confidantes. Eight principle confidantes and amongst them Lalita is the foremost.
Lalita Sakhi’s advent place is in Uncha-gaon, in the northwest of Barsana Dham—the famous place of Radharani. Uncha-gaon is a village on a small hill. You have to climb about forty steps. There is one temple there with Radha-Krishna’s Sri-murti. The Deity of Lalita Devi is also there. We go up to that place during Vraja Mandal Parikrama. And there is a place now to sit there, to pray for the grace of Lalita Devi, and you can also circumambulate the temple.
I think you had been to Radhakunda. At Radhakunda there are eight ghata, ghata means landing place, amongst them, one prominent is Lalita Sakhi’s grove that we call ‘kunja’. In that kunja, Bhaktivinoda Thakur remained there and performed bhajan. That is called ‘Svananda Sukhada Kunja’. While you are circumambulating Radhakunda you will find a big well, from there you will have to go straight to go to that place. Our Param Gurudeva Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Thakur also performed the pastimes of performing bhajan there in that cottage. There is a cottage there where devotees can stay and perform bhajan. Have you seen it? As we are from Lalita Devi, Rupa Goswami (followers of them), Bhaktivinoda Thakur and Sarasvati Goswami Thakur performed bhajan there.
Today is Lalita-saptami so we have to pray for Her grace and have to speak about Her. How one can speak about Her? Bhaktivinoda Thakur has said ‘pilayiya prema matta kari more suna nija gunagan, siddha deha diya vrindavan maje sevamrit karo dan ‘—make me drink the ambrosia of love and listen to Your glories from me. And kindly give me realized spiritual form and the capacity to serve in Vrindavan Dham.’ What is the meaning? Who can speak about Lalita Devi? By our material intellect, mind and thinking power, by going through scriptures we cannot speak, because they are transcendental and completely spiritual. Nothing material, no material sense organs can do that. Srimati Radharani is completely spiritual. Krishna and Radharani are in Their adolescence always. It is the phase after childhood (boyhood). Between adult and the boyhood is adolescence. For that reason, She is called nitya-kishori, eternally in Her adolescent form. Everything is eternal there. Nothing is non-eternal. Not like this material world. You have got birth, any moment you may die, so many difficulties in the body, there are bones and flesh etc. this (body) will be buried or ultimately burnt, nothing will remain. But there everything is eternal. Even an atom bomb cannot destroy that. Atom bomb could not destroy the air of Hiroshima Nagasaki. Air is finer than atom bomb for that reason and finest is that place. So how can we think?
Bhaktivinoda Thakur is submitting his prayer to Radha-Krishna, siddha deha diya vrindavan maje sevamrit karo dan — Kindly give me realized spiritual form and the capacity to serve in Vrindavan Dham. If I go by this body to Vrindavan Dham, I will say, “Oh, Vrindavan Dham is not good. There are so many difficulties.” We are thinking about physical difficulties. But our Shada-Goswamis (Six Goswamis), they remained under trees. They see the tree in a different way, they see all the things the sand, earth in different way, all transcendental. We cannot understand this. Everything is very charming there because everything is spiritual; every particle of dust is spiritual. You are here in this world, and if you are given a big good plot of land and so many things, big buildings, etc. but if there are no lives there, no human beings, no birds, beasts nothing, you will feel suffocation. You can get gold, diamond everything, but you will feel suffocation and ultimately you may commit suicide but if you find one parrot there then you will live, you will get some sort of happiness because a particle of happiness is inside that, atma is inside that. When atma will leave then that parrot cannot give you any sense of satisfaction. As long as atma is there then we will get satisfaction. That place (transcendental abode) is completely spiritual. So much ananda, you cannot even imagine! You cannot imagine such conditions.
As we can get contact with the Sun by the shining light of the Sun, like that the complete spiritual potency Radharani and Her personal associates can take us there (can show as Krishna). Ignoring the light we cannot see the sun. Sun and light are non-different, they are one. It is written there in Gita, ‘kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtir ucyate puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ bhoktṛtve hetur ucyate . Already you have heard this. Whatever is done by this body is dominated by prakrti, material energy, not the spiritual energy. kārya-kāraṇa are effect and cause in this world. I have got this physical body. I am serving myself by my potency, serving; but I am feeling happiness and suffering that is enjoyer aspect. Like that Supreme Lord is predominating enjoyer aspect, master aspect and Radharani is the enjoyed aspect, predominated aspect. Radharani isn’t different from Krishna. Millions of millions of gopis cannot become Radharani. Radharani is Krishna’s complete spiritual potency, nobody can become Radharani .
Now, Sukadeva Goswami said indirectly, which also our Param Gurudev pointed out:
anayārādhito nūnaṁ
bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ
yan no vihāya govindaḥ
prīto yām anayad rahaḥ
(Srimad Bhagavatam 10.30.28)
When there was raslila with all the gopis, one of the gopis (without referring the name), when left that raslila place then millions of gopis could not keep Krishna there. When Krishna left, all the gopis were crying. After getting the vision and contact of Radharani, He could console Himself (Krishna was consoled only after getting contact of Radharani).
Indirectly it is said in Bhagavatam. Our Saraswati Goswami Thakur and Bhaktivinoda Thakur and our Guruvarga they have explained clearly why Sukadeva Goswami did not take Her name directly. If he would have uttered the name Radha, his voice would have been choked and that topic would have remained incomplete. For that reason, Sukadeva Goswami indirectly said anayārādhito nūnaṁ bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ yan no vihāya govindaḥ prīto yām anayad rahaḥ. Why? We are all serving Krishna, all the gopis. Now in rasa-lila when Radharani left, Krishna was crying for Radharani, He could not remain. All the millions of gopis could not remain. They remain only to act according to the advice of Radharani to serve Krishna. Without Radharani nothing will be appropriate, all zero. So Krishna made the pastimes of weeping, searching for Radharani and when He got Her, He became blissful. The gopis say, “Krishna left us, abandoned all of us for one special gopi (It is written in Bhagavatam, the name ‘Radha’ is not written), that gopi must have served Krishna much more than us”.
Today is Lalita Sakhi’s advent. Lalita Sakhi appeared from the pores of the spiritual body of Radharani, all the sakhis, manjaris they are coming from Radharani , you will find the evidence in Brahmavaivarta Purana. When you go to Uncha-gaon, to go to the temple of Lalita Devi, you have to climb a few steps. With sankirtan you have to go up and you will have the darshan, after darshan you perform Parikrama and after sitting there you have to do sankirtan and all the other requirements of Kartika Vrata you will do there. Now they have made a very big hall. Bhaktivinoda Thakur expressed his desire ‘lalita sakhir ayogya kinkari vinoda dhariche pay.. yugala sevaya sri-rasa-mandale niyukta karo amaya’ . First he said, give me realized form and after that everything will be given by Radharani, by Krishna. You cannot do anything. ‘yugala sevaya niyukta karo amaya… siddha deha diya vrindavana majhe sevamrita karo dana. You give me Your nectar of service by giving me realized spiritual form.’ That is spiritual region, with this material body you cannot enter there. Realised form, vrindavan majhe sevamrta karo dana, piyaiya prema, You make me drink the prema, pure love which creates ecstasy, ecstatic prema, a reality prema , You make me drink and You speak through my mouth. I am not able to speak. ‘piyaiya prema matta kari more’ You make me intoxicated (intoxication in a good sense), intoxicated by prema. Then by that prema I may speak, but You are speaking through my mouth, I am not speaking. I cannot hear. You give me the strength to hear it by my ears. It is chinmaya (transcendental, spiritual). And after that yugala sevaya sri-rasa-mandale niyukta karo amaya, lalita sakhir ayogya kinkari vinoda dhorite pay’. He is submitting his prayer to Radha-Krishna. You have to submit prayer to Radha-Krishna. Our object of worship is Radha-Krishna, not Krishna only nor Radha only. Without the grace of Radha you cannot have darshan of Krishna. Without the grace of light you cannot see Sun, ignoring the light you want to see the Sun; it will be a failure. The light of Sun is the grace of Sun. Radharani is the full spiritual potency, grace incarnate form and that has expanded and we find our Gurudev and Guruvarga and all the personal associates. All are included within Her. We will find in another verse rādha-bhajane yadi mati nāhi bhelā kṛṣṇa-bhajana tava akāraṇa gelā — if you have got no liking to worship Radha, your bhajana of Krishna will be useless, will not give anything. Further it is said, ātapa-rahita sūraya nāhi jāni rādhā-virahita mādhava nāhi māni—Without Sunlight we cannot have any knowledge of Sun, similarly, without Radha how we can see the beauty of Krishna? Radha is first, then Krishna. Radha-Krishna, not Krishna-Radha. Laxmi-Narayan, Sita-Ram not Ram-Sita. First you have to see, speak about the spiritual potency, the absolute counterpart.
So today is Lalita-saptami Tithi. We have to pray for the grace of Lalita Devi. We are not able to see Her directly, perceiving Her directly. Outwardly you are seeing Rupa Goswami, Swarup Damodar, Raya Ramananda as male persons in this world, but inwardly they are all sakhis. They have come to fulfill the pastimes of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. So, through Lalita Sakhi we have got Rupa Goswami, Rupa Manjari and we have got our own Guruvarga. Our Saraswati Goswami Thakur while delivering any sermons he used to submit to the preceptorial channel first so that we can have actual idea of Krishna and Krishna Bhakta. Actual idea will descend from them by their grace. And if you want to know it by your own caliber, by your own intellect and material mind, you will be confused, ultimately frustration will come. You will feel nothing.
Today is Lalita-saptami. I have to speak something for this. Tomorrow is Radhashtami. For Radhashtami here there will be a big function from morning. There will be Pooja, Maha-abhishek at mid-noon, Radharani’s appearance time and after that Sankirtan. All will perform Sankirtan and there will be festival. Today is the Adhivasa, a function on the eve of a festival, a preliminary function. You have to pray the grace of Guru, Vaishnava, Bhagavan, Lalita Sakhi, for it is Lalita Sakhi’s arrival, Her appearance today. We have got this opportunity. We should pray for the grace of Lalita Devi, for the grace of Guruvarga, Guru Parampara so that we can get the grace of Radharani tomorrow. Radharani, how She has appeared, Radharani’s topic is very big. In a short time it is very difficult to say. Now those who say there is no mention of Her in scriptures, it is wrong. The evidence is there in Brahmavaivarta Purana. Demi-gods, they also saw. Radharani, appearing from the left side of rasa-mandala, (platform of rasa) and running towards Krishna. ‘Ra’ comes from rasa and running means ‘dhavman’. So She is Ra-dha. After appearing from the left side, Radharani rushed towards Krishna.
Now, there it is also written, Parvati Devi wanted to know about Radharani from Her husband. She is feeling it is very confidential. Radharani, Radha-Krishna, actually They stay in Goloka Vrindavan. But They made some pastimes of appearing in this world by some action which we may not understand. What action? In Brahmavaivarta Purana it is stated. Viraja, one of the sakhi, is engaged in serving Krishna. But all sakhis are to serve Krishna through Radha, not direct. But Viraja is serving Him directly. Because They decided to appear in this world, They made this sort of arrangement. It is beyond our comprehension. There are also messengers of Radharani, ‘Dutees’. They gave information to Radharani. Radharani rushed to that place and Subala informed Krishna, “Radharani is coming. You should not remain here, You should flee from the place, otherwise there will be difficulty.” Subala sakha, Krishna and all fled from that place. And lastly, Viraja had no shelter, who will rescue Her? She left Her body and became a river, Viraja river and remained there as a river. When Radharani came She did not see anybody there. She thought, “Oh nothing here, this is water”. After sometime, Krishna came with all the sakhis to meet Radha, to speak Her something. Radharani could understand what had happened. Radharani reproached Krishna like anything with harsh words. Is this Bhakti? Ah? It is stated in Chaitanya Charitamrita, ‘priyā yadi māna kari’ karaye bhartsana veda-stuti haite hare sei mora mana.-if My beloved consort reproaches Me in a sulky mood, that steals My mind from the reverent hymns of the Vedas’. Inside there is love, outside She is using harsh words, “You all deceived Me. You are saying wrong.” By that Sudam sakha was very much pained; inside in the heart he has got pain on hearing such harsh words. “Why are you saying such harsh words towards my beloved Krishna, why?” He protested. Hearing his protest Radharani gave him curse, “You will be born in the earth as demon Shankachuda”. Sudam said, “You also have to go to the world and for one hundred years you will get separation grief from Krishna”. What is the reason behind this pastime? They wanted to appear in this world, so they made these pastimes. Radharani appeared in this world. Her appearance place is Raval, near our Gokula Mahavan, about two-three miles perhaps, not far.
Vrishabhanu, Radharani’s father, performed immense penance. Lord Vasudeva once worshipped Yogamaya for a long duration. Then Yogamaya appeared and said, “You cannot attain perfection by performing the penance alone without being accompanied by Lakshmi Devi. The four garlands around my neck – Hastini, Padmini, Chitrini and Gandhini are my messengers. The Padmini garland will be known as Radha in the abode of Vraja. Go to Vraja and meet Padmini. By this Your penances will be successful.” After listening to the words of Yogamaya, Lord Vasudeva desired to see the form of Padmini. Immediately goddess Padmini appeared in front of Lord Vasudeva in an effulgent and reddish one thousand petal lotus flower. Lord Vasudeva was surprised by beholding the form of Padmini. She (Padmini) only performed the pastime of appearing in the form of an egg in a Lotus flower in the river Kalindi.
Vrishanhanu was performing immense penance by the side of Yamuna. Then some say that a one hundred petalled lotus appeared in Yamuna and there was an egg there and Vrishabhanu (thought), “What can I do?” #Then Yogamaya told, “You take this egg and put this in front of your wife Kirtida and then you will get a daughter or a son, whatever you want”. And he took before Kirtida, it bursts and a daughter appeared from that place. Not like human beings. (Devotees: Jai Srimati Radharani ki Jai!) Not today, I will not be able to speak to them tomorrow, so I am speaking to them. Tomorrow is the appearance day. Today I spoke because they will not be able to hear.
A question from a devotee: ‘Who is Vrishabhanu?’
Gurudev speaks: Vrishabhanu is friend of Nanda Maharaj. Vrishabhanu said, “I want to consult you for something. You come with Gopal”. Nanda Maharaj and Yashoda Devi went to Barsana, Vrishabhanu’s place and they met and they speak up their soul. We have got a daughter. She is so beautiful, but Her eyes are closed. What can be done? And they were very much disappointed. While they were speaking, Krishna crawled and went to Radharani. Her eyes were closed. He touched Radharani. Radharani opened eyes. Radharani had made up Her mind, “When Krishna will come I shall open My eyes and see Him and they all became happy.” Radharani appearance is tomorrow. There are other verses about Radharani. You have to go through ‘tantra’, it has been explained in Chaitanya Charitamrta
devī kṛṣṇa-mayī proktā
rādhikā para-devatā
sarva-lakṣmī-mayī sarva-
kāntiḥ sammohinī parā
(Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi 4.83)
Every word has been explained; tomorrow I shall speak, not now because one kirtan I want to do ‘radha-krishna pada kamala mana’. You may not be able to understand. But Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s writing I am deprived of hearing this. I cannot go again and attend the function. No, not tomorrow, today I want to hear. It is Lalita sakhi’s kirtan that they have performed there, but I was absent.
10-sep-2005 @ Kolkota