The Authors of SRI RADHIKASTAKAM

[Guest guest]

Beste Piet,

 

Thank you for you interest and your question about this poetry. The poem of Sri

Radhikastakam is a translation of a Sanksrit song in the tradition of Sri

Caitanya Mahaprabhu's bhakti cult. Bhakti means 'pure love of God'. It's taken

from the song book used by devotees of Sri-Sri Radha-Krsna in the line of Sri

Rupa Gosvami, or the rupanugas called after him.

 

Srila Rupa Gosvami was a confidential associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the

last hidden Incarnation of the Lord, Sri Krsna (the cowherd boy with a peacock

feather in His hair and playing the flute). In His most munificent form as Sri

Caitanya Mahaprabhu He became famous as a sannyasi (renunciate), a pandita

(knower of scriptures), and a love-intoxicated ecstatic to teach humanity how

to become a devotee/lover of God. He stayed on earth from 1486 to 1534 in

West-Bengalen, journeyed the South of India and stayed the last twelve years of

his life in Sri Jagannatha Puri on the East coast of India.

 

So in a historical sense the era in which the poem was written is late Medieval

Hinduism. Since this song, however, presents the mood of pure bhakti, or love

of God, it is transcendental (beyond the senses) literature which is not of the

mundane world. In other words, this poetry is eternal and not bound to a certain

period in - or quality of the mundane world.

 

The author of the song, Sri Rupa Gosvami, came as a liberated soul to the earth

along with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to assist in His divine pastimes. Since Rupa

is so closely connected to Krsna's lover, Srimati Radhika, as a maidservant of

Her in the spiritual world, Lord Caitanya endowed Rupa with all the

transcendental knowledge and moods of Himself in connection to Srimati Radhika,

so that Rupa could record al these transcendental mellows for later generations,

which are us and many to come.

 

Srila Rupa Gosvami is one of the famous 'Six Gosvamis of Vrndavana', who are

Srila Sanatana Gosvami, Srila Bhatta Raghunatha Gosvami, Srila Jiva Gosvami,

Srila Gopal Bhatta Gosvami, and Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami.

 

Gosvami means 'having renounced the senses' or 'being in control of the senses

and mind' and is a spiritual title given to sannyasis who lead exemplary lives.

 

The first Sri Radhikastakam (1) was written by Srila Rupa Gosvami. The second

Sri Radhikastakam (2) which you received was written by Srila Raghunatha Dasa

Gosvami. The last Sri Radhikastakam (3) which will follow is written by Sri

Krsna Kaviraja Gosvami who recorded the biography of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu,

Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, on His divine request. Astakam means asta 'eight',

'poem of eight verses'.

 

I've got here one of Rupa's books, Sri Upadesamrta (The Ambrosial Advise of Sri

Rupa Gosvami) in which Preface a description is given about the author.

 

"The Eminently Glorious Author of Sri Upadesamrta, Sri Rupa Gosvami.

 

"Who doesn't know the author of Sri Upadesamrta, Sri Rupa Gosvami? His

ancestry was a royal dynasty of bharadvaja-gotri brahmanas from Karnataka,

South India, who were particularly knowledgeable in the Yajur Veda. Impelled by

some special circumstances, his great-grandfather Sri Padmanabha left his

ancestral home and settled in Bengal in a village named Naihati which is

situated on the banks of the Bhagirathi River.

 

"Padmanabha's grandson, Sri Kumaradeva, had three sons: Amara, Santosa and

Vallabha. Later they became famous as Sri Sanatana Gosvami, Sri Rupa Gosvami

and Sri Anupama.

 

"Impressed with their extraordinary scholarship, qualifications and

virtuous conduct, the Muslim ruler of Bengal at that time, Hussain Shah, gave

Rupa and Sanatana the titles Sakara Mallika and Dabira Mallika and made them

his prime minister and personal secretary. But after some time they came into

contact with the saviour of Kali-yuga, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Renouncing

their colossal wealth and all worldly relationships, they became distinguished

ascetics, fully dedicating themselves to serving the internal desire of Sri

Radha-Krsna. On the order of Mahaprabhu they restored the forgotten holy places

of Vraja-mandala, re-established the codes of good conduct for devotional life.

 

"Again manifesting the famous Sri Govindaji Deity in Vrndavana, constructing

a massive and beautiful temple and establishing an opulent standard of worship

for the Deity is all accredited to Sri Rupa Gosvami alone. He appeared in the

year 1489 and disappeared in 1564. In Sri Jiva Gosvami's Laghu-vaisnava-tosani

commentary of Srimad-Bhagavatam, we find the following authoritative list of

the literatures he composed:

 

"(1) Sri Hamsaduta, (2) Sri Uddhava Sandesa, (3) Sri

Krsna-jamna-tithi-vidhi, (4) Sri Brhad-krsna-ganoddesa-dipika, (5) Sri

Laghu-krsna-ganoddesa-dipika, (6) Sri Stava-mala, (7) Sri

Vidagdha-madhava-nataka, (8) Sri Lalita-madhava-nataka, (9) Sri

Dana-keli-kaumudi, (10) Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, (11) Sri Ujjvala-nilamani,

(12) Sri Prayktakhya-candrika, (13) Sri Mathura-mahatmya, (14) Sri Padyavali,

(15) Sri Nataka-candrika, (16) Sri Laghu-bhagavatamrta, (17) Sri

Samanya-virudavali-laksana and (18) Sri Upadesamrta."

 

Hopend u hiermee van dienst te zijn geweest nodig ik u uit om hierover vragen te

stellen. Voorzover mijn kennis reikt zal ik u beantwoorden.

I hope I could serve you with this information. You are invited to submit

questions on these topics. As far as my knowledge reaches I will be pleased to

answer.

 

Sri Guru-Vaisnava dasanudasi abhilasa,

Indira dasi