As for bathing in Radha Kunda

[Guest guest]

What was the final Conclusion as long as Srila Prabhupada was on the

planet?

Is it true that neither Srila Prabhupada nor Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja took

full bath in Radha Kunda ?

ys

Prithu das

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/27/2005 10:50:31 PM Pacific Standard Time,

Prithu.ACBSP (AT) pamho (DOT) net writes:

What was the final Conclusion as long as Srila Prabhupada was on the

planet?

Is it true that neither Srila Prabhupada nor Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja took

full bath in Radha Kunda ?

ys

Prithu das

 

Prabhupadas Upadesamrita vers 11 is clear, however Prabhupada was angry that

the new devotees going to Radha Kunda did not know how to properly bath and

respect Radha Kunda, even jumping into Yamuna and Ganga like ones swimming pool

 

is a great offence,what to speak of Radha Kunda

kr•s•n•asyoccaih• pran•aya-vasatih• preyas•bhyo 'pi r•dh•

kun•d•am• c•sy• munibhir abhitas t•dr•g eva vyadh•yi

yat pres•t•hair apy alam asulabham• kim• punar bhakti-bh•j•m•

tat premedam• sakr•d api sarah• sn•tur •vis•karoti

SYNONYMS

kr•s•n•asya — of Lord Œr• Kr•s•n•a; uccaih• — very highly; pran•

aya-vasatih• — object of love; preyas•bhyah• — out of the many lovable gop•s;

api —

certainly; r•dh• — Œr•mat• R•dh•r•n••; kun•d•am — lake; ca — also; asy

•h• — of Her; munibhih• — by great sages; abhitah• — in all respects; t•dr

•k eva — similarly; vyadh•yi — is described; yat — which; pres•t•haih• —

by the most advanced devotees; api — even; alam — enough; asulabham —

difficult to obtain; kim — what; punah• — again; bhakti-bh•j•m — for persons

engaged in devotional service; tat — that; prema — love of Godhead; idam —

this;

sakr•t — once; api — even; sarah• — lake; sn•tuh• — of one who has bathed; •

vis•karoti — arouses.

TRANSLATION

Of the many objects of favored delight and of all the lovable damsels of

Vrajabh•mi, Œr•mat• R•dh•r•n•• is certainly the most treasured object of Kr•s•

n•a's love. And, in every respect, Her divine kun•d•a is described by great

sages as similarly dear to Him. Undoubtedly R•dh•-kun•d•a is very rarely

attained even by the great devotees; therefore it is even more difficult for

ordinary devotees to attain. If one simply bathes once within those holy

waters,

one's pure love of Kr•s•n•a is fully aroused.

PURPORT

Why is R•dh•-kun•d•a so exalted? The lake is so exalted because it belongs

to Œr•mat• R•dh•r•n••, who is the most beloved object of Œr• Kr•s•n•a.

Among all the gop•s, She is the most beloved. Similarly, Her lake, Œr• R•dh•

-kun•d•a, is also described by great sages as the lake that is as dear to Kr•s•

n•a as R•dh• Herself. Indeed, Kr•s•n•a's love for R•dh•-kun•d•a and Œr•

mat• R•dh•r•n•• is the same in all respects. R•dh•-kun•d•a is very rarely

attained, even by great personalities fully engaged in devotional service,

not to speak of ordinary devotees who are only engaged in the practice of

vaidh•

bhakti.

It is stated that a devotee will at once develop pure love of Kr•s•n•a in

the wake of the gop•s if he once takes a bath in R•dh•-kun•d•a. Œr•la R•pa

Gosv•m• recommends that even if one cannot live permanently on the banks of R•

dh•-kun•d•a, he should at least take a bath in the lake as many times as

possible. This is a most important item in the execution of devotional service.

Œr•

la Bhaktivinoda T•h•kura writes in this connection that Œr• R•dh•-kun•d•a

is the most select place for those interested in advancing their devotional

service in the wake of the lady friends (sakh•s) and confidential serving maids

 

(mañjar•s) of Œr•mat• R•dh•r•n••. Living entities who are eager to return

home to the transcendental kingdom of God, Goloka Vr•nd•vana, by means of

attaining their spiritual bodies (siddha-deha) should live at R•dh•-kun•d•a,

take shelter of the confidential serving maids of Œr• R•dh• and under their

direction engage constantly in Her service. This is the most exalted method for

 

those engaged in devotional service under the protection of Œr• Caitanya Mah•

prabhu. In this connection Œr•la Bhaktisiddh•nta Sarasvat• T•h•kura writes

that even great sages and great devotees like N•rada and Sanaka do not get an

opportunity to come to R•dh•-kun•d•a to take their baths. What, then, to

speak of ordinary devotees? If, by great fortune, one gets an opportunity to

come to R•dh•-kun•d•a and bathe even once, he can develop his transcendental

love for Kr•s•n•a, exactly as the gop•s did. It is also recommended that one

should live on the banks of R•dh•-kun•d•a and should be absorbed in the

loving service of the Lord. One should bathe there regularly and give up all

material conceptions, taking shelter of Œr• R•dh• and Her assistant gop•s. If

one

is thus constantly engaged during his lifetime, after giving up the body he

will return back to Godhead to serve Œr• R•dh• in the same way as he

contemplated during his life on the banks of R•dh•-kun•d•a. The conclusion is

that to

live on the banks of the R•dh•-kun•d•a and to bathe there daily constitute

the highest perfection of devotional service. It is a difficult position to

attain, even for great sages and devotees like N•rada. Thus there is no limit

to

the glory of Œr• R•dh•-kun•d•a. By serving R•dh•-kun•d•a, one can get an

opportunity to become an assistant of Œr•mat• R•dh•r•n•• under the

eternal guidance of the gop•s.