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Radha-Kunda and Shyama-Kunda Çré Ramä Ekädaçé Issue no: 24 7th November 2015 Radha-Kunda and Shyama-Kunda Features WHY IS RADHA-KUNDA SO EXALTED? RADHA-KUNDA, LORD CHAITANYA AND His Divine Grace RAGHUNATHA DAS GOSWAMI A .C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Srila Narahari Chakravarti Thakur THE APPEARANce OF ÇRÉ RÄDHÄ-KUËÒÄÑÖAKA RADHA-KUNDA AND SHYAMA-KUNDA Eight Prayers Glorifying Radha-kunda Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakur Srila Raghunatha Das Goswami Issue no 24, Page — 2 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Artist: Sri Vrindavan Das Artist: Sri Vrindavan WHY IS RADHA-KUNDA SO EXALTED? Her service. This is the most exalted method for those His Divine Grace engaged in devotional service under the protection of A .C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In this connection Srila Bhaktisiddhanta The lake is so exalted because it belongs to Srimati Sarasvati Thakur writes that even great sages and Radharani, who is the most beloved object of Sri great devotees like Narada and Sanaka do not get an Krishna. Among all the gopis, She is the most beloved. opportunity to come to Radha-kunda to take their Similarly, Her lake, Sri Radha-kunda, is also described baths. What, then, to speak of ordinary devotees? If, by great sages as the lake that is as dear to Krishna by great fortune, one gets an opportunity to come to as Radha Herself. Indeed, Krishna's love for Radha- Radha-kunda and bathe even once, he can develop kunda and Srimati Radharani is the same in all respects. his transcendental love for Krishna, exactly as the gopis Radha-kunda is very rarely attained, even by great did. It is also recommended that one should live on personalities fully engaged in devotional service, not the banks of Radha-kunda and should be absorbed in to speak of ordinary devotees who are only engaged the loving service of the Lord. One should bathe there in the practice of vaidhé bhakti. regularly and give up all material conceptions, taking It is stated that a devotee will at once develop shelter of Sri Radha and Her assistant gopis. If one is pure love of Krishna in the wake of the gopis if he once thus constantly engaged during his lifetime, after giving takes a bath in Radha-kunda. Srila Rupa Goswami up the body he will return back to Godhead to serve recommends that even if one cannot live permanently Sri Radha in the same way as he contemplated during on the banks of Radha-kunda, he should at least take his life on the banks of Radha-kunda. The conclusion a bath in the lake as many times as possible. This is is that to live on the banks of the Radha-kunda and a most important item in the execution of devotional to bathe there daily constitute the highest perfection service. of devotional service. It is a difficult position to attain, even for great sages and devotees like Narada. Thus Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur writes in this there is no limit to the glory of Sri Radha-kunda. By connection that Sri Radha-kunda is the most serving Radha-kunda, one can get an opportunity to select place for those interested in advancing their become an assistant of Srimati Radharani under the devotional service in the wake of the lady friends eternal guidance of the gopis. (sakhés) and confidential serving maids (maïjarés) of Srimati Radharani. Living entities who are eager to — From purport of Srila Rupa Goswami's Upadeçämåta verse 11, by His return home to the transcendental kingdom of God, Divine Grace A .C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Goloka Vrindavan, by means of attaining their spiritual bodies (siddha-deha) should live at Radha-kunda, take shelter of the confidential serving maids of Sri Radha and under their direction engage constantly in nityaà bhägavata-sevayä top right 3 Issue no 24, Page 3 His heel on the ground. pätälato jalam idaà kila bhogavatyä äyätam atra nikhilä api tértha-saìghäù ägacchateti bhagavad-vacasä ta etya tatraiva rejur atha kåñëa uväca gopéù [Then He said,] "This is the water of the Bhogavati River, coming from the Patala region. And now, O holy places, all of you please come here!" When the Supreme Lord had spoken these words, all the holy places went there and appeared before Him. Krishna then addressed the gopis as follows. Lord Krishna killing the demon Arista Krishna killing the demon Lord térthäni paçyata harer vacasä tavaivaà naiva pratéma iti tä atha tértha-varyäù THE APPEARANce OF procuù kåtäïjali-puöä lavaëäbdhir asmi RADHA-KUNDA AND SHYAMA-KUNDA kñéräbdhir asmi çåëutämara-dérghikäsmi Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakur " See all the holy places!" From the Puräëas, Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti But the gopis replied, "We don't see them as You Thakur has quoted twenty verses describing a joking describe." conversation between Radha and Krishna that took Then those best of holy places, joining their palms in place after Krishna had killed the demon Arishta. This supplication, spoke up: conversation, so kindly quoted by the äcärya, describes " I am the salt ocean." the origin of Radha-kunda and Shyama-kunda, Radha's " I am the ocean of milk." and Krishna's bathing ponds. The verses are as follows: " I am the Amara-dirghika." mäsmän spåçädya våñabhärdana hanta mugdhä çoëo 'pi sindhur aham asmi bhavämi tämra- ghoro 'suro 'yam ayi kåñëa tad apy ayaà gauù parëé ca puñkaram ahaà ca sarasvaté ca våtro yathä dvija ihästy ayi niñkåtiù kià godävaré ravi-sutä sarayuù prayägo çudhyed bhaväàs tri-bhuvana-sthita-tértha-kåcchrät reväsmi paçyata jalaà kuruta pratétim The innocent young gopis said, "Ah, Krishna, don't touch us now, O killer of a bull! Alas, even though Arista " I am the river Sona." was a terrible demon, still he was a male cow, so You " I am the Sindhu." will have to undergo atonement, just as Lord Indra did " I am the Tamraparni." after killing Vritrasura. But how can You purify Yourself " I am the holy place Pushkara." without going to the trouble of visiting every single holy " I am the river Sarasvati." place in the three worlds?" " And we are the Godavari, Yamuna and Reva rivers and the confluence of rivers at Prayaga. Just see our kià paryaöämi bhuvanäny adhunaiva sarvä waters! " änéya tértha-vitatéù karaväëi täsu snänaà vilokayata tävad idaà mukundaù snätvä tato harir ati-prajagalbha eva procyaiva tatra kåtavän bata pärñëi-ghätam çuddhaù saro 'py akaravaà sthita-sarva-tértham yuñmäbhir ätma-januñéha kåto na dharmaù [Krishna replied] "Why should I have to wander ko 'pi kñitäv atha sakhér nijagäda rädhä throughout the entire universe? I will at once bring all the countless pilgrimage places here and take My bath After purifying Himself by bathing, Lord Hari became in them. Just watch!" With this, Lord Mukunda struck quite arrogant and said, "I have produced a pond Top Issue left 4 no 24, Page — 4 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Sri Radha Kunda containing all the various holy places, whereas you proce ca tértha-salilaiù paripürayaitan gopis must never have executed any religious duties mat-kuëòataù sarasijäkñi sahälibhis tvam on this earth for the pleasure of Lord Brahma." Then rädhä tadä na na na neti jagäda yasmät Srimati Radharani addressed Her girlfriends as follows. tvat-kuëòa-néram uru-go-vadha-pätakäktam käryaà mayäpy ati-manohara-kuëòam ekaà He said, "Go ahead, lotus-eyed one. You and Your tasmäd yatadhvam iti tad-vacanena täbhiù companions should fill this pond with water from çré-kåñëa-kuëòa-taöa-paçcima-diçya-mando Mine." gartaù kåto våñabha-daitya-khurair vyaloki But Radha replied, "No, no, no, no! This is impossible, since the water of Your pond is contaminated by Your "I must create an even more beautiful pond. So go to terrible sin of killing a cow. " work!" Having heard these words, the gopis saw that Aristasur's hooves had dug a shallow ditch just west of ähåtya puëya-salilaà çata-koöi-kumbhaiù Sri Krishna's pond. sakhy-arbudena saha mänasa-jähnavétaù etat saraù sva-madhunä paripürayämi taträrdra-mån-mådula-gola-tatéù prati-sva- tenaiva kértim atuläà tanaväni loke hastoddhåtä anati-düra-gatä vidhäya divyaà saraù prakaöitaà ghaöikä-dvayena " I will have My countless gopi companions bring the täbhir vilokya sarasaà smarate sma kåñëaù pure water of the Manasa-ganga here in billions of pots. In this way I will fill this lake with My own water and thus make its renown unequaled in the entire world. " At that nearby spot, all the gopis began digging up lumps of soft mud with their hands, and in this way a divine pond manifested in the short span of an hour. kåñëeìgitena sahasaitya samasta-tértha- Krishna was astonished to see the lake they produced. sakhyas tadéya-saraso dhåta-divya-mürtiù nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 24, Page 5 tuñöäva tatra våñabhänu-sutäà praëamya ägacchateti våñabhänu-sutä smitäsyä bhaktyä kåtäïjali-puöaù sravad-asra-dhäraù proväca känta-vadanäbja-dhåtäkñi-koëä sakhyo 'pi tatra kåta-sammatayaù sukhäbdhau Lord Krishna then gestured to a heavenly personality magnä virejur akhilä sthira-jaìgamäç ca who was an intimate associate of all the holy places. Suddenly that person rose up out of Krishna's pond Glancing at Her beloved from the corners of Her eyes, and bowed down to the daughter of Sri Vrishabhanu the daughter of Vrishabhanu replied with a smile, [Radharani]. Then, with palms joined and tears pouring "Please come." Her gopi companions all agreed with from his eyes, he began praying to Her in devotion. Her decision and became immersed in the ocean of happiness. Indeed, the beauty of all creatures, both devi tvadéya-mahimänam avaiti sarva mobile and stationary, was enhanced. çästrärtha-vin na ca vidhir na haro na lakñméù kintv eka eva puruñärtha-çiromaëis tvat- präpya prasädam atha te våñabhänujäyäù prasveda-märjana-paraù svayam eva kåñëaù çré-kåñëa-kuëòa-gata-tértha-varäù prasahya bhittveva bhittim ati-vegata eva rädhä- " O goddess, even Lord Brahma himself, the knower of kuëòaà vyadhuù sva-salilaiù paripürëam eva all scriptures, cannot understand Your glories, nor can Lord Shiva or Lakshmi.
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