HH RASAMRITA SWAMI MAHARAJ (02.09.2014) ISKCON CHOWPATTY

SRI RADHASTAMI LECTURE

Hare !

So we’ll sing this song, which is composed by Srila Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami. He glorifies Srimati Radharani. It’s called Sri Radhikastaka. The translation is too long to read, so we’ll only chant the song.

kunkumakta-kancanabja-garva-hari-gaurabha pitanancitabja-gandha-kirti-nindi-saurabha ballavesha-sunu-sarva-vanchitartha-sadhika mahyamatma-pada-padma-dasya-dasturadhika

kauravinda-kanti-nindi-citra-patta-shatika krishna-matta-bhringa-keli-phulla-pushpa-vatika krishna-nitya-sangamartha-padma-bandhu-radhika mahyamatma-pada-padma-dasya-dasturadhika

saukumarya-shrishta-pallavali-kirti-nigraha candra-candanotpalendu-sevya--vigraha svabhimarsha-ballavisha--tapa-badhika mahyamatma-pada-padma-dasya-dasturadhika

vishva-vandya-yauvatabhivanditapiyarama rupa-navya-yauvanadi-sapadanayat-sama shila-harda-lilayacasayato 'stinadhika mahyamatma-pada-padma-dasya-dasturadhika

rasa-lasya-gita-narma-sat-kalali-pandita prema-ramya-rupa-vesha-sad-gunali-mandita visva-navya-gopa-yoshid-alito 'pi yadhika mahyamatma-pada-padma-dasya-dasturadhika

nitya-navya-rupa-keli-krishna-bhava-sampada krishna-raga-bandha-gopa-yauvateshukampada krishna-rupa-vesha-keli-lagna-sat-samadhika mahyamatma-pada-padma-dasya-dasturadhika

sveda-kampa-kantakashru-gadgadadi-sancita marsha-harsha-vamatadi-bhava-bhushanancita krishna-netra-toshi-ratna-mandanali-dadhika mahyamatma-pada-padma-dasya-dasturadhika

yakshanardha-krishna-viprayoga-santatoditaneka- dainya-capaladi-bhava-vrinda-modita yatna-labdha-krishna-sanga-nirgatakhiladhika mahyamatma-pada-padma-dasya-dasturadhika

Occasion of the Appearance Day of Srimati Radharani 2014-09-02

ashtakenayastvanenanautikrishna-vallabham darshane 'pi shailajadi-yoshid-ali-durlabham krishna-sanga-nanditatma-dasya-sidhu-bhajanam tamkarotinanditali-sancayashusajanam

Srimati Radharani ki jai! I will just read the translation of the last line., which is known as a phalasruti. This is an astakam, which means there are eight verses, but you will notice there is a ninth one. So this is typically the pattern; at the end of the astakam, there is the verse that is known as phalasruti, which means it is the benefit that one derides by signing this song. So the translation of the phalasruti, hear carefully:

‘It is very difficult for and other exalted goddesses to attain even a glimpse of Srimati Radharani, who is dear to Lord Krishna. But if someone glorifies Her by reciting these eight verses, then She who is delighted by Krishna's continuous association will grant the sweet nectar of Her personal service to that person, who thereby enters the assembly of Her similarly delighted girlfriends.’

Hare Krishna!

Thank you very much for coming this evening to the Sri Radhastami festival. This is the Appearance day of Srimati Radharani. Srimati Radharani is not easy to understand, and for that matter, neither is Sri Krsna. But, by their mercy, we may be able to understand a little drop of that nectarean ocean that can otherwise be called as Krsna.

In this day and age as you know, people’s thinking has changed from the traditional, so people become very challenging when it comes to established norms and ways of thinking. One time when I was travelling in a train, and this is one of my favourite anecdotes, I was reading a book, Prabhupada’s book, with Krsna on the cover. And as I was reading, the person sitting in front of me was naturally seeing the picture of Krsna. And that person happened to be a lady. And later I learned that she was a professor. So one time when I put the book down for something, and she got the chance and she opened the conversation with some gunfire. And the first thing she asked me, even before we introduced each other or had any pleasantries, she said, why does God have to be a man? So I could immediately understand where she was coming from. So you see, discretion is a better part of valour. We should know when to fight and when not to fight.

So when I was confronted with her fiery temperament, I decided to retreat as a strategic move and I said, you know Madam, its not my fault. Now, God is what he is; God is God, what can I do? See, if God is a male, is it something that I have done? Have I made God what he is today? And then of course she had many things to say after that. And then gradually when she was a little calmer, and we had an interesting group of people who were now wanting to hear what was

Occasion of the Appearance Day of Srimati Radharani 2014-09-02 going on, so I said well, maybe it’s an interesting opportunity to preach. So then I spoke about Krsna, and about the conceptions of the Absolute Truth.

There is such a stereotyped conception of God, that when people come to Krsna consciousness or they try to understand who Krsna is, or who Srimati Radharani is, they often misunderstand things, and there are so many misconceptions as a result of that. What is the Absolute Truth? The Absolute Truth is one without a second. The Absolute Truth is he who is the origin of everything.

So she said, see, again you use all these masculine pronouns, he, he. So why does Absolute Truth have to be a he? Why not a she? She then started talking about the shaktas, who worship ; , Chandi, , so these are all .

So I said, you use the word shakta. So shakta comes from shakti. And where does shakti come from? Is shakti something independent? Doesn’t shakti come from a source? Doesn’t light come from a tube light or a bulb or from the sun or from some source? Doesn’t heat come from some source? Doesn’t any form of energy come from some source? So the moment you say shakti, you immediately understand that there will be a shaktiman; a source of that energy. So when you say Kali or Durga or Chandi, they’re Shakti and there are people who worship this shakti. So the next question is, who is the source of those shaktis, of those energies. That is the question. So there is prakriti, that is the energy, which is feminine in gender, and there is shaktiman, who is masculine in gender.

So the fact of the matter is, that because the Absolute Truth is the source of everything and that is how we define the Absolute Truth. Srila Prabhupada distinguishes between the word God and the word Absolute Truth, in the sense when you understand it right, then Absolute God is the Absolute Truth. But because people have so many false and strange conceptions of God, so it is necessary to make a distinction. Even in most religions of the world, the conception of God is merely limited to one who is the supreme controller of everything. But the Absolute Truth is much more than being simply being a controller. He is also the Supreme Enjoyer. He is also the source of everything that exists. So therefore Absolute Truth needs to be defined properly and that is what the Srimad Bhagavatam does. It defines theAbsolute Truth as he who is the origin of everything. Everything that exists within our experience, and outside our experience comes from Krsna, the Supreme Absolute Truth, the summum bonum.

All dualities of this material world get reconciled in the Absolute, that is the difference between the absolute and relative. Relative means that it changes; you see it with reference to something else. So when you say in this world somebody is a male, then you distinguish the male from the female. So being a male in this world is relative to somebody who is a female. So if everybody in this world was a male, then there would be no question of a male and a female, then everybody would be just one. But that is not the case. So everything here is relative. Our existence is relative, our experiences are relative, with regard to space, with regard to time, with regard to circumstances. So this is a relative world. The universe also exists for some time and then is destroyed. It is again created, again

Occasion of the Appearance Day of Srimati Radharani 2014-09-02 destroyed. So the world that we live in is a very relative world, but in the , Lord Krsna describes that beyond this relative world is an absolute world; the spiritual world. Where everything eternally exists; where things are never created and where things are never destroyed. Everything simply exists and exists in the greatest of bliss. That is the spiritual world. So in that absolute spiritual world, yes, there are genders; there are and there are gopas. There are cows and there are bulls. There are female peacocks and peahens as well. So these genders exist but on an absolute platform they are all one, in a spiritual way, from a spiritual point of view.

Since everything emanates from the Absolute Truth, he must include everything that is in his creation. Otherwise how can he be the source of everything? How can the Absolute Truth be something that is beyond his creation because there is nothing beyond his creation? And how can something exist in his creation that is not in him? So we see males in this material world, therefore the Absolute Truth must be a male. But now your immediate question will be, we also see females. So then female gender must also exist in the Absolute Truth. And the answer is yes; the Absolute Truth is Krsna and Srimati Radharani together. One Absolute Truth. From Krsna comes Srimati Radharani. Krsna is the Shaktiman, Radharani is the Shakti or the energy. So the Supreme male, Krsna and the Supreme female, Srimati Radharani, are always together and they are one without a second. So the Absolute Truth is both male as well as female. Because when you understand for example, the sun, then you understand the sun along with the sunshine. It does not make sense to understand the sun glowalone without the sunshine. What kind of sun is it if doesn’t have sunshine? And you can’t separate the sunshine from the sun also. If you have only the sunshine, the question arises, where does the sunshine come from? So naturally, we have to take the sun along with the sunshine, and together these two together, constitute the sun. Similarly, Radha and Krsna together constitute the Absolute Truth. But nevertheless, there is also a difference because the sun is the origin of the sunshine. Similarly, Krsna is the origin of Srimati Radharani. But the two exist eternally, simultaneously.

In the Caitanya Caritamrta, Srila Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami explains very nicely, rādhākṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtirhlādinīśaktirasmād ekātmānāvapibhuvipurādeha-bhedaṁgatau tau caitanyākhyaṁprakaṭamadhunā tad-dvayaṁcaikyamāptaṁ rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalitaṁnaumikṛṣṇa-svarūpam

He explains that rādhākṛṣṇa-praṇaya, the loving dealings between Radharani and Krsna are not the ordinary dealings between a man and a woman in this world. They are the transformation of something very sublime and that is called the Hladini Shakti. The Hladini Shakti is called the bliss potency of the Absolute Truth Krsna. The bliss potency means that shakti, that potency, that energy of the Supreme Lord, by which he experiences unlimited, inconceivable, transcendental happiness. So this is spiritual energy. It is not the energy of this world. rādhākṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtirhlādinīśaktirasmād. So the loving exchanges that happen between Srimati Radharani and Sri Krsna are not to be compared to the

Occasion of the Appearance Day of Srimati Radharani 2014-09-02 dealings between an ordinary or even an extraordinary man and woman of this world. And then Krsndas Kaviraj Goswami says something very extraordinary; ekātmānāvapibhuvipurādeha-bhedaṁgatau tau. He says Radharani and Krsna are ekātmānāv, which means they are one, but when they appear in this world, deha-bhedaṁgatau tau, then they appear as two. So Radha and Krsna are one identity; they are actually one entity. The one Supreme Absolute Truth, the combination of the energetic and the energy.

But Srila Prabhupada explains very nicely at one place, that when the Supreme Absolute Truth Krsna wishes to manifest his pleasure potency, then he becomes two. And Prabhupada says then he seems to become two. He seems to become two means that it appears there are two distinct, independent identities. Yes, they are entities, they are distinct, but they are not independent of each other. In as much as the energy and energetic are not independent of each other. So this is the beauty of this conception of the Absolute Truth; being one, complete whole.

So all possible dualities and opposites in this world get reconciled in Krsna, the Supreme Absolute Truth. He is the smallest of the smallest,he is the largest of the largest. He is the lightest of the light,he is the heaviest of the heavy. Whatever contradictions you may think of, whatever opposites and dualities you may think of in this world, allcan be reconciled in the Supreme Absolute Truth. And therefore, those who feel bad that God is a male, here is some heart warming news; God is also female.

Srila Prabhupada at one point says, Radharani is the tender-hearted feminine counterpart of Krsna. Counterpart – they are one, but because of the need for exchanging transcendental bliss, Krsna expands his ananda or bliss potency, which is called the hladinishakti. And then Srimati Radharani manifests. And then the two exchange transcendental pleasure. Srimati Radharani further expands herself unlimitedly, and so does Krsna. And in this way the entire existence, both in the spiritual world as well as in the material world, is only for the sake of expanding this transcendental, loving bliss.

In this material world of course, we are so much under the clutches of Krsna’s inferior potency, the maha , that we forget the existence even, of that higher spiritual bliss, that potency, because we are so enamoured and captivated by the lower bliss – the so called bliss of this world, that we forget that there is real bliss. And the very personification and the embodiment of that bliss of the Absolute Truth is Srimati Radharani.

So when we want to experience real bliss we have to take shelter of the personification of that real bliss, or Srimati Radharani. And what is that bliss? That bliss is love. And what is that love? Devotional service, bhakti. So Srila Prabhupada explains very nicely that devotional service to Krsna, in its stage of perfection, ultimate perfection is love. The highest love. And that highest love in its most condensed form is bliss. And that is the hladinishakti. So there is no difference between bliss and love, but on the spiritual platform. But on the material platform, there is a gulf of difference. Don’t believe what the movies tell you. Don’t believe what the many, many poets in the past tell you, if they’re

Occasion of the Appearance Day of Srimati Radharani 2014-09-02 materialistic poets of course. Because the loving affairs, or the so-called loving affairs of this world will always end in bitterness. There is never an exception. Even if lover and beloved do not quarrel in this world, ultimately they will die. And when death comes, then that relationship is terminated, there is so much bitterness.

But in that love, which is found only in the spiritual world, there is eternal happiness, eternal love, love that will never be bitter. So Sri Krsna and Srimati Radharani descend into this world to teach us that there is such a love. Do not simply try to look for that love in this material world because it doesn’t exist. Look for the real love that is found in the spiritual platform, in the Absolute Truth. Therefore we worship Radha and Krsna together. We don’t worship only Krsna and we don’t worship only Srimati Radharani. We worship Radharani and Krsna together because they are one.

And then Kaviraj Goswami says, that now those two entities, Radha and Krsna, who were originally one, and then they became two, for the sake of exchanging loving transcendental bliss have now become one again. caitanyākhyaṁprakaṭamadhunā tad-dvayaṁcaikyamāptaṁ. So those two, Radha and Krsna have become one, they have become one in the personality of Sri . So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is none other than Radha Krsna. srikrsnacaitanyaradhakrsnanaheanya. So this is the mystery of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So if you want to understand Krsna, and indeed if you want to understand Radharani, then we have to go through Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So therefore for us the teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu are very, very important. And Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches us that Srimati Radharani, being the feminine counterpart of Sri Krsna, is eternally his consort. And just as Krsna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he expands himself unlimitedly into so many forms of Godhead like Visnu, Narayan, Janardhana, Nrsimha, , Vamana, Vatsya and so on. Similarly, Srimati Radharani also expands herself unlimitedly to accompany these different forms of Godhead who are expansions of Krsna as their respective consorts. So therefore, along with Sri Ramachandra, you will find Sita . Along with LordNarayana, you will find Devi. Along with DwarkaDhish Krsna, you will find Rukhmini or Satyabhama. So Srila Kaviraj Goswami in the Caitanya Caritamrta explains that Srimati Radharani is the Adi Shakti, the original shaktior energy of the Absolute Truth and she is the one who is the origin of all the gopis in . She is also the origin of all the Lakshmis who reside in the Vaikuntha planets, who are the consorts of the different expansions of Lord Nayarana,the four-handed form of Lord Krsna. Srimati Radharani is also the origin of all the queens of Sri Krsna in Dwarka. And because these consorts are the energy of Krsna, therefore they are mentioned first. So we say Radha Krsna, Sita Rama, LakshmiNarayana, RukhminiDwarkadhish, because the energy comes first. You can approach the energetic only through the energy.

So Srila Prabhupada at one place, he explains that Srimati Radharani therefore is the medium for transmitting our devotional service to Krsna. And she is the actual personification of devotional service because there is no difference

Occasion of the Appearance Day of Srimati Radharani 2014-09-02 between devotional service and bliss. So Srimati Radharani is the highest perfection and personification of pure devotional service. So when we render devotional service to Krsna, it is actually Srimati Radharani who is offering it to Krsna. Srimati Radharani says, oh here is a devotee of ours, in Chowpatty. Now I must recommend this devotee’s case to my Lord. And then she sends in the application and then our future is made, because Radharani has recommended us to Krsna. You see, here also everything goes by recommendation. And in casual words we call it differently; we call it pull, we call it jack, we call it you know, influence, we call it contacts, we call it networking, we call it different words. It’s a perverted reflection of the pull that you need to reach Krsna. So even to reach Krsna you need some pull, you see, some influence. So don’t become too disheartened when you see that everyone in society, everything is going on by the basis of pull and push. And who is the one that will do this pulling for us? That is Srimati Radharani.

So Srila Prabhupada says, therefore devotees in Vrindavan place themselves under the control and shelter of Srimati Radharani to attain the favour of Krsna. And then Radharani recommends, and Krsna is pleased. Krsna cannot deny Srimati Radharani’s request. And what does it mean to place oneself under the control of Srimati Radharani? Srila Prabhupada explains, the spiritual master, is the representative of Srimati Radharani. In the purport of Caitanya Caritamrta, Prabhupada says this, so therefore by serving the orders of the spiritual master, one serves and pleases Srimati Radharani. And then Srimati Radharani will take in our application to Krsna and says, Krsna please, this devotee has served his spiritual master or her spiritual master very nicely, so please bestow your mercy upon this devotee. And Krsna says yes immediately. So this is how Krsna consciousness works.

Srimati Radharani, as the personification of devotional service therefore, is known as the topmost worshipper of Krsna. The word Radha comes from the word aradhana. The word aradhana means worship. So from the word aradhana, is drawn out the word Radha, which means she, who excels all in the worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. One who is unexcelled, unparalleled, one without a second, in terms of worshipping and serving Sri Krsna and pleasing him, that is Srimati Radharani. She is the ultimate pinnacle, the acme, the perfection of devotion. Nobody can serve Krsna like Srimati Radharani can, it is not possible. But Srimati Radharani can bless us certainly to become pure devotees.

Sometimes the question is asked, that if Radharani is so important for us, and she is the eternal consort of Krsna, and without her mercy and blessings we cannot approach Krsna, then why do we not find a mention of Srimati Radharani in the Srimad Bhagavatam? The fact of the matter as Srila Prabhupada explains in his purports in the Caitanya Caritamrta is, that Srimati Radharani is mentioned in many , directly. And in the Srimad Bhagavatam, it is mentioned indirectly. And we’ll recite this particular verse in which Srimati Radharani’s name is mentioned indirectly. Why is it mentioned indirectly? Why not directly? Why is everything so complicated in devotional life? It’s not. The answer is, that Srimad Bhagavatam was being spoken by Srila Sukadeva Goswami, the great,

Occasion of the Appearance Day of Srimati Radharani 2014-09-02 exalted, pure devotee of the Lord. Now, there was a crisis at hand. The crisis was that the great King Parikshit had been cursed to die in only seven days. And Parikshit Maharaj wanted to hear Krsna katha from Sukadeva Goswami. As he sat on the bank of the Ganga, he asked many assembled sages who had hurried to that place, having heard about the impending demise of Parikshit Maharaj, and they knew that something very monumental and historic was going to happen, and Srimad Bhagavatam was going to be spoken. So they all came there from different parts of not only the earth but also the entire universe. Many sages gathered there and Parikshit Maharaj asked the question, what is the duty of a person who is about to die? And different sages answered differently. King Parikshit was confused, which is the right answer. Andright at that time, by the Lord’s arrangement, came Sukadeva Goswami. Everyone rose immediately upon seeing Sukadeva Goswami,they understood, here is a person who is just qualified to answer the questions of King Parikshit. They gave him an exalted seat, the vyasasana, to sit on, even though Vyasadevahimself,was present at that place. Along with even Vyasadeva’s guru, Narada Muni. And Sukadeva Goswami then, immediately answered the question of Parikshit Maharaj and began speaking the Srimad Bhagavatam.

In that assembly there were many, many sages of different types of spiritual disposition. Some were jnanis, some were , some wererenunciants, some were devotees of one type, some devotees of another type. So all manner of transcendentalists were present at that spot. And an expert preacher like Sukadeva Goswami accomplishes just like Krsna does, many objectives with one action. So in preaching to King Parikshit, Sukadeva Goswami also wanted to deliver and benefit the other assembled sages who may not have been pure devotees of the Lord. So he had to speak many things including descriptions of the universal form, including different types of . And considering that King Parikshit had a short time to live, why would Sukadeva Goswami do that? Because he was building up his case. Slowly, he was lifting the consciousness of the assembled people to come to the platform of the tenth canto and specifically to the pastimes of Lord Krsna in Vrindavan. And for that he had to actually complete nine cantos, in which he also spoke about the different incarnations of the Lord. And finally, by the time the tenth canto was begun, it was very late and Sukadeva Goswami did not have much time. So he had to condense it in a fairly short time. But nevertheless, he spoke a fair amount of detail about his pastimes in Vrindavan, even though he spent only about ten years of his life, ten and a half years of his life in Vrindavan. Sukadeva Goswami spent a great deal, many chapters in describing these pastimes, almost forty chapters, almost half the entire tenth canto. Even though Krsna spent less than ten per cent of his manifest pastimes in Vrindavan. But he devoted more than almost fifty per cent of the tenth canto to the Vrindavan lila.

Now, Sukadeva Goswami being, a rasika bhakta. A rasika bhakta being one who relishes the devotional mellows in Krsna consciousness. He understood that if he were to mention the name of Radharani, then he would immediately go into ecstatic trance and probably he would become externally unconscious for days on end. And where was the time? If Sukadeva Goswami were to go into ecstatic trance, Parikshit Maharaj would be waiting, what happened here? And he’s about

Occasion of the Appearance Day of Srimati Radharani 2014-09-02 to leave his body, so Sukadeva Goswami didn’t have that luxury of experiencing ecstatic symptoms on chanting Radharani’s name. So he decided that it is better I don’t mention Radharani’s name directly, because if I do, then I would not be able to do my service. My service right now is to speak about Krsna to King Parikshit especially, and also to the others. So therefore, this is an important principle in our devotional service. Our is more important than our ecstasy, our happiness. So Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Thakur would always say, it is more important to serve Krsna, than to want to see him. It is more important to try to please Krsna, than to try to be pleased by virtue of rendering devotional service. So Sukadeva Goswami therefore spoke the name of Srimati Radharani only indirectly. So let us chant this very, very nice verse from the tenth canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam, chapter 13, entitled, ‘the gopis search for Krsna.’ anayārādhitonūnaṁ bhagavānharirīśvaraḥ yan no vihāyagovindaḥ prītoyāmanayadrahaḥ

Translation, this is spoken by the gopis about Srimati Radharani:

‘Certainly this particular gopī has perfectly worshiped the all-powerful Personality of Godhead, Govinda, since He was so pleased with Her that He abandoned the rest of us and brought Her to a secluded place.’

Purport, I’ll just read the first few lines of the purport:

‘ŚrīlaViśvanāthaCakravartī explains that the word ārādhitaḥ refers to ŚrīmatīRādhārāṇī. He comments, "The sage ŚukadevaGosvāmī has tried with all endeavor to keep Her name hidden, but now it automatically shines forth from the moon of his mouth. That he has spoken Her name is indeed Her mercy, and thus the word ārādhitaḥ is like the rumbling of a kettledrum sounded to announce Her great good fortune."

Although the gopīs spoke as if jealous of ŚrīmatīRādhārāṇī, they were actually ecstatic to see that She had captured ŚrīKṛṣṇa.’

So this is the word, ārādhitaḥ, worshiped. anayad means be her. So because Krsna is worshipped in the best possible way by Srimati Radharani, so therefore Srimati Radharani is called Radha, or Radhika.

So Sukadeva Goswami couldn’t avoid it, he had to make some mention, somewhere. In many places he said, the gopis said, and so on, but here he couldn’t resist it. But he didn’t want to go all the way, so he made an indirect reference to Srimati Radharani in this way.

So Srimati Radharani has to be understood through Mahaprabhu and his followers like ViswanathChakravartiThakur, like Rupa Goswami, like Sanatana Goswami, Jiva Goswami and so on. Then we can understand the Radha Krsna . It is a very exalted subject and very often it is misunderstood. Many times

Occasion of the Appearance Day of Srimati Radharani 2014-09-02 when people ignorantly criticise Krsna for his rasa-lila, they do not recognise or acknowledge or understand, that these dealings are on the spiritual platform. One time, Srila Prabhupada gave an analogy to explain the dealings of Sri Krsna with Srimati Radharani and with the other gopis. He said one time, there was a cow who was in a goshalla. And somehow unfortunately, the goshalla caught fire, so the cow became terrified and ran helter skelter, immediately escaped from that fire. However, thereafter, there was such a psychological impact on that cow, that whenever she saw anything red in colour, she immediately ran away from that place, thinking that this was also fire. So Srila Prabhupada explains, that in this world, we have some conception of the male-female relationship. And when we see Radha and Krsna together, then we superimpose that material conception of the male-female relationship on Radha and Krsna. And think, just as there are male and female relationships here, so also the same kind of male-female relationship must exist between Radharani and Krsna. But Srila Prabhupada explains that that is not the case. The relationship between Krsna and Srimati Radharani is one that is on the highest platform of the purest love. It is based on completely selfless, pure love. It is not to be found in this world.

When people hear this, they say, well all right, let us grant you that, but then please tell us, why does Krsna have to consort with Radharani, who is somebody else’s wife? That is another controversial subject that comes up, and therefore people who do not understand these subtle topics and have not learnt these topics under the guidance of a bonafide spiritual master, coming in the proper disciplic succession, so they develop these misunderstandings.

Now let me give a simple example or an illustration to help us understand this point of Krsna dancing rasa lila with Srimati Radharani, even though she has a husband. What is her husband’s name? Abhimanyu. So let us imagine that there is a couple. Mr. A and Mrs. A, and they are a very happy, nice couple together. Now they decide to participate in a drama. And in that drama they have to play some roles. And Mrs. A in that drama, plays the wife of another man. And Mr. A plays the role of the paramour of Mrs. A, who in the drama is somebody else’s wife. Are you following me? You’re with me so far? Okay. Now, what happens is, that in the drama, to make it more exciting, sometimes, Mrs. A, who is in the drama, the wife of somebody, she steals away from home, now meets up with Mr. A who is not in the drama her husband but is actually her real husband. And the drama focuses a lot on the dealings between Mr. A and Mrs. A. and then somebody criticises and says, just see, they are not married but they are sitting together. She is married to somebody else. But the fact of the matter is that the two of them are actually happily married. This is just a drama that is going on, in which apparently Mrs. A is married to another man. But actually Mrs. A has no contact with the other man. It’s just a drama on the stage.

So similarly, Srimati Radharani is the eternal consort of Krsna, and in order to make the loving dealings between Radha and Krsna more relishable, there is a drama that is being enacted. In this drama, Srimati Radharani is married to somebody. And that person’s name is Abhimanyu. And all the gopis in Srimati Radharani’s age group are also married to their respective so-called husbands. So Srila Prabhupada calls them so-called husbands. And the acaryas explain and

Occasion of the Appearance Day of Srimati Radharani 2014-09-02 Srila Prabhupada explains in the Krsna book as well, that these gopis never had contact with their so-called husbands. And these gopis were in their spiritual bodies. So when Srimati Radharani is with Krsna, she is actually with her real husband, so to speak. Of course this word wife and husband is actually only meant for us in this world. Because it is here, this kind of situation, these rules and regulations are imposed for us, because it is so important for us. Because we cannot transcend matter and reach the platform of spirit until we have followed these regulations and performed devotional service properly. So Srimati Radharani is actually always with Krsna and this pastime, this drama is called the pastime. Just imagine that in the case of Mr. A and Mrs. A, imagine that the drama is always going on, then you understand what is Krsna’s pastime with Srimati Radharani.

What is the meaning of the word pastime? Srila Prabhupada explains it very nicely. When Krsna thinks that he is a cowherd boy, that is his pastime,Prabhupada explains. So pastime is something that Krsna thinks. Ontologically, it’s a big word, the word ontology means actually, in fact, in reality. In reality Krsna is the Supreme Absolute Truth. He is the most powerful controller of all controllers. But in rasa, in mellow, in the thinking, in the pastime or the drama that goes on on the transcendental platform, Sri Krsna remains always subservient to Srimati Radharani. He’s under the control of Srimati Radharani. So this is going on eternally. So Krsna imagines himself to be a cowherd boy eternally. So tattva and rasa are mixing always. Eternally they are they, moving along, parallelly. So just as if this drama of Mrs. A, Mr. A, and the so- called husband of Mrs. A in the drama, this is going on all through the life of Mrs. and Mr. A. Imagine that Mr. and Mrs. A are twenty four hours living like this. So similarly the pastimes of Sri Krsna with Srimati Radharani can be understood in this way. This is a very crude analogy, but I think it conveys the point.

So even morally, there is nothing objectionable and furthermore since Srimati Radharani is non-different form Krsna himself, and is Krsna’s eternal potency, when Krsna is with Srimati Radharani, he is not enjoying anything separate from himself. He is not enjoying anything or anyone outside of himself. Therefore there can be no objection. But in this world, whatever we try toenjoy is outside of our self. Whatever we want to enjoy is not our property, therefore we have no right to enjoy it. But for Krsna that is not the case.

So it needs so much philosophy or philosophical understanding for people to come to the point of understanding Radharani and Krsna’s dealings in the proper way. In Vrindavan, Radharani and her so-called husbands, so-called mother-in- law, Jatila and her sister, Kutila; Jatila and Kutila, the very names are very crooked. So it makes the pastimes more exciting, more relishable. And sometimes Krsna performs very funny pastimes. That is Goluka Vrindavan, full of fun and laughter, full of happiness.

One time, Krsna wanted to see Srimati Radharani but Jatila and Kutila were always like, watchmen, standing twenty-four hours on guard to ensure that Radharani does not meet Krsna. Jatila and Kutila would always be suspicious that Radharani was meeting with Krsna, so they would be very watchful. And Krsna

Occasion of the Appearance Day of Srimati Radharani 2014-09-02 knew that. So one time he impersonated Abhimanyu. For Krsna it is not difficult because he is all-powerful, he can do anything. So he assumed the form of Abhimanyu, the so-called husband of Srimati Radharani. And he entered the house and he went in with Srimati Radharani. And Jatila and Kutila thought Abhimanyu has come. And later on the real Abhimanyu came. And at that time Jatila and Kutila, they saw him. And they said, oh here is that imposter; here is that black snake who has come. So they picked up a broomstick and began to beat the real Abhimanyu, and Abhimanyu was shouting for help!

So these are the funny pastimes that happen in the spiritual world, in Goluka Vrindavan. So therefore we can see that everything is so sublime. And it is such a tragedy, an even greater tragedy than losing the test matches in England, that people misunderstand this very sublime relationship and this sublime topic in such a gross way. They drag these sublime relationships down, to the world of maha maya.

But of course, by faithfully and sincerely rendering devotional service in the association of sincere devotees, under the guidance of the proper guru parampara, one can come to the point of appreciating and understanding what Radha Krsna really is, or are.

Today is Srimati Radharani’s birthday. Like Krsna, the word birth is not appropriate for her appearance. Just as Krsna appears and disappears, similarly Srimati Radharani appears and disappears.

When Sri Krsna told Srimati Radharani in Goluka Vrindavan, that I want to descend into the material world, so please come with me, she said yes, but I will not want to see anyone else except you from the moment I appear. So Krsna said, no problem, but you come. So as Krsna appeared in and was transferred to Gokula, Srimati Radharani appeared in Raval, which is very close to Gokula. There are many pastimes that explain the appearance of Srimati Radharani. I will explain one very briefly.

One time, Vrishabhanu Maharaj, the King of that area, Raval, went to the river Yamuna, and he was struck with wonder to see a most extraordinary sight. There was a golden, lotus that was very large, that was thousand petalled. And in the whirl of that lotus that was floating in the Yamuna, there was a beautiful, golden complexioned baby. And Vrishabhanu Maharaj didn’t have any progeny, so he lifted this baby girl in wonder and brought her back to his wife, Kirtida Devi. And she was also overjoyed, and they said yes, now the Lord has sent us a daughter. Now she was extremely beautiful to look at, but there was only one problem, that she wouldn’t see, her eyes were closed. She would not open her eyes. It seemed also that she couldn’t hear anything. Also she refused to speak anything. So even though they were overjoyed to receive this child, but that joy was also mixed with the sorrow of this girl apparently being deaf, dumb and blind.

Exactly at that time, Sri Narada Muni arrived there. Narada Muni knew that the moment Krsna appears, Radharani will not be far behind, that she will also be somewhere. So he went into all the homes in Braja, have you had a birth of

Occasion of the Appearance Day of Srimati Radharani 2014-09-02 anychild recently? In most places they said no. In some places they said yes, and it was a boy. He said, no, no, no. In some places they said yes, it was a girl, but when he saw the child, he didn’t have any ecstatic symptoms, so he said no, no not this one. Finally he came to the house of Vrishabhanu Maharaj. So I have heard you have had a baby daughter. So Vrishabhanu Maharaj was also very overjoyed to see Narada Muni coming and then he placed the baby girl in the lap of Narada Muni. And of course there are varying accounts of what happened after.

In one account Narada Muni was struck with wonder to see the beauty of this girl, and immediately understood that this is none other than Srimati Radharani. He asked Vrishabhanu Maharaj to step out of the room, he closed the doors and offered his prostrated obeisances to this baby girl. And he began to glorify her in so many wonderful ways. And Srimati Radharani being pleased with him,manifested her eternal, kishori form. Kishori means the eternal, one who is youth. Krsna is Kishore, and Radharani is kishori. And both Krsna and Radharani exist eternally in their adolescent forms in Goluka Vrindavan, in the spiritual world. So Srimati Radharani showed Narada Muni her eternal form in GolukaVrindavan, which is of a young girl, of roughly fourteen years of age. And Sri Krsna’s age eternally in Goluka Vrindavan is roughly fifteen to sixteen years of age. They are always at that age. So when Narada Muni saw that, he couldn’t tolerate it, he couldn’t tolerate the bliss. He fainted with ecstasy. He came to external consciousness and by the time, he saw Srimati Radharani smiling very indulgently on him and blessing him. And he understood this was a signal that now he has to move. So he then got up, opened the door, by which time Srimati Radharani was back in the form of the baby girl and then he began to glorify the great fortune of Vrishabhanu Maharaj. With great difficulty, keeping his ecstatic symptoms in check, Narada Muni somehow or the other staggered to Govardhan, where he sat near the KusumSurovar, and that place today is still called Narada Kunda. Narada Muni sat there and meditated upon Srimati Radharani and Krsna.

And then the festival took place. Many, many people, everyone in Braja was invited. And Nanda Maharaj and Mother Yasoda came with baby Krsna. When the festivities were going on below, baby Krsna climbed, or rather crawled upstairs, unnoticed by the others, and then he crawled up to Srimati Radharani who was lying there. And as soon as he climbed up, Srimati Radharani smelt the fragrance of Sri Krsna’s body, and understood Krsna has come. And then Krsna put his baby hands on top of Srimati Radharani’s eyes, and then Srimati Radharani opened her eyes. And then she beamed. She gave a beaming smile and just at that moment, Kirtida Devi also happened to come in. And then she saw that Krsna had placed his tiny hands over her eyes, and now her daughter was able to see and hear and speak. And she was overjoyed. And then she declared to everybody that because of Krsna, now our daughter is able to see and hear and speak, so they will always be together. And Mother Yasoda was also very, very happy to hear this benediction. So this transcendental appearance of Srimati Radharani happened on this tithi, on this day. The astami, the eighth day, in the bright fortnight, in the month of . So on the eighthtithi, Krsna was also born, so we call it Janmashtami. On the eighthtithi, Radha Kunda also appeared, and on the eighthtithi, Radharani also appeared.

Occasion of the Appearance Day of Srimati Radharani 2014-09-02

So this day is very, very important and auspicious for all of us. We can pray to the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani that she may kindly bless us with even an atom of pure devotion. That if she keeps us always at her shelter of her lotus feet, then our life will become successful.

Thank you very much.

Srimati Radharani ki jai!

Occasion of the Appearance Day of Srimati Radharani 2014-09-02