The Wedding of Sri Radha-Krsna from the Brahma-vaivarta Purana

[Guest guest]

> Actually Radha and Krsna where married at very young age in secret by Lord

> Brahma. I heard this in a lecture recently...........I'll ask for > >

scriptural reference.

 

Brahma-vaivarta Purana, Chapter Fifteen

Sri Radha-Krsna-vivaha

The Wedding of Sri Radha-Krsna

 

[This is a description of the first wedding. The second wedding was when

Krsna became all the cowherd boys and married the gopies when the original

ones were stolen by Brahma for one year.]

 

1 Sri Narayana Rsi said: One day, taking infant Krsna with Him, Nanda

tended the cows in a banyan grove of Vrndavana forest.

2 He drank the sweet water of a lake, made the cows drinks also, and,

holding infant Krsna to his chest, he sat at the roots of a banyan tree.

3 O sage, then Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead who was

playing the role of an infant, employed His Yogamaya potency to suddenly

cover the sky with clouds.

4-5 Seeing the cloud-covered sky, darkened forest, howling winds,

ferocious thunder, great rainstorm, wildly shaking trees, and falling

branches, Nanda became afraid.

6 Nanda said: How can I go home now and leave the calves behind? If I

do not go home, what will become of my boy?

7 As Nanda spoke these words, infant Krsna, pretending to be afraid,

cried and clutched His father's neck.

8-22 At that moment beautiful Radha, walking more gracefully than the

khanjana birds and the rajahamsa swans, her beautiful face glorious as the

autumn moon, her glistening eyes robbing the midday autumn lotuses of their

beauty, Her beautiful eyelashes wonderfully splendid with black kajjala, Her

beautiful nose crushing the beauty of the bird-king's beak, Her nose

decorated with a great and precious pearl, Her earrings robbing the midday

summer sun of its splendour, Her lips robbing the ripe bimba fruits of their

beauty, Her splendid teeth eclipsing rows of pearls, Her smile destroying

the splendour of jasmine flowers just beginning to bloom, gracefully

decorated with musk and sindura dots, Her beautiful cheeks graceful with

curly locks of hair, the hairs of Her boy erect with joy, Her breast

decorated with necklaces of the kings of jewels, Her firm breasts more

graceful than a pair of sriphala fruits, beautiful with painted pictures and

decorations, splendid with precious jewels, Her waist very graceful, Her

deep navel marked with wonderful tri-bali lines, decorated with a belt of

precious jewels, her knitted eyebrows Kamadeva's weapons to bewilder the

minds of the kings of the yogis, Her firm thighs graceful like elephant

trunks, Her feet robbing the land-growing lotuses of their splendour, Her

feet anointed with red lac and decorated with jewel pasakas, Her

lac-anointed toenails robbing the regal jewels of their splendour, decorated

with tinkling anklets of precious jewels, decorated with jewel bracelets and

armlets, beautiful conchshell ornaments, and many finger rings, splendid

with garments pure as fire, Her fair complexion robbing beautiful campaka

flowers of their glory, and holding a splendid pastime-lotus and a jewel

mirror to see the beauty of Her face, approached the infant Krsna.

23 Seeing Radha, illuminating the ten directions with a splendour

greater than ten millions suns, suddenly come to that secluded place, Nanda

was very surprised.

24 His head bowed and his eyes filled with tears, he said to Her: From

Garga Muni's mouth I have learned that to the Supreme Personality of Godhead

You are more dear than Goddess Laksmi.

25 I also know that this boy is the infallible Supreme Personality of

Godhead, beyond the modes of nature and superior even to Lord Maha-Visnu.

Still, I am just an ordinary human being, bewildered by Lord Visnu's

illusory potency.

26 O beautiful one, now You may take my son and enjoy with Him as You

like. When Your desires are all fulfilled, You will return Him to me.

27 After speaking these words, he fearfully gave the crying infant to

Her. She accepted Him with a sweet and happy smile.

28 She said to Nanda: Take care that this secret is not revealed. How

many births of pious deeds have made you able to see Me?

29 Garga Muni told you, and therefore you know the secret of why Krsna

and I have come to Gokula and Vraja.

30 Please ask for whatever your heart desires. I can easily give to

you what even the demigods cannot attain.

31 Hearing Radha's words, Nanda said to Her: Please give me devotion to

the feet of Lord Krsna and Yourself. I do not desire anything but that.

32 O supreme goddess, O mother of the universes, please grant the rare

boon that Yasoda and I will always stay near You and Krsna.

33 Hearing Nanda's words, Goddess Radha said to him: I will give to you

devotional service that has no equal.

34 Day and night You and Yasoda will always remember Lord Krsna and Me

in the blossoming flower of your hearts. This memory of Us is very

difficult to attain.

35 I give you the blessing that the illusory potency will not cover You

and Yasoda. At the end, leaving your human forms behind, you two will go to

Goloka.

36 After speaking these words, She held infant Krsna to Her breast, to

Her heart's content embracing Him for a long time with both arms.

37 Holding Him to Her breast, embracing and kissing Him again and

again, and hairs of Her body erect, She remembered the circle of the rasa

dance.

38 Then Radha suddenly saw a jewel palace with a hundred jewel domes...

39 ...opulent with many wonders, beautiful with wonderful gardens,

splendid with ruby pillars,...

40 ...fragrant with sandal, aguru, musk, and kunkuma, decorated with

jasmine flowers, furnished with many flower couches,...

41 ...filled with many pleasures, decorated with splendid mirrors and

many pearls, rubies and the kings of jewels,...

42 ...splendid with great doors made of the kings of jewels, decorated

with cloth, ornaments and beautiful pennants,...

43 ...splendid with seven stairways of jewels the colour of kunkuma,

and also splendid with flower gardens frequented by swarms of bees.

44 Seeing this, Goddess Radha happily entered the palace. There she

saw betelnuts scented with camphor and spices,...

45 ...a jewel pot of cool, clear, nectarean water, and, O Narada, many

jewel pots filled with nectar and honey.

46 There She saw the handsome, youthful, and dark Supreme Personality

of Godhead, who was anointed with sandal paste, who was splendid and playful

like ten million Kamadevas,...

47 ...who, dressed in yellow garments, smiling, charming, and His face

and eyes happy, was reclining on a flower couch,..

48 ...who wore tinkling anklets made of the kings of jewels and

bracelets and ornaments made of the best of jewels,...

49 ...whose cheeks were splendid with earrings made of the kings of

jewels, whose chest was splendid with the regal Kaustubha jewel,...

50 ...whose face robbed the autumn moon of its splendour, whose eyes

eclipsed the splendour of the autumn lotuses,...

51 ...who was embraced by a jasmine garland, who wore a triple crown of

peacock feathers, and who was looking at the jewel palace.

52 Noticing that there was no longer any infant on Her lap, Radha gazed

at the youth before Her. Even though She remembered everything perfectly,

She was still filled with wonder.

53 Gazing at this handsome form, Radha became bewildered with

passionate love. The two cakora birds of Her eyes happily gazed at the moon

of this person's face.

54 Radha gazed at Him with unblinking eyes. The hairs of Her body

stood up. She smiled. Tormented with amorous desires, She yearned to

embrace Him.

55 As passionate Radha, Her lotus face smiling, gazed at Him, Lord

Krsna spoke to Her.

56 Sri Krsna said: O Radha, You must remember what happened in Goloka.

O beloved, now I will fulfil the promise I made to You.

57 O Radha, O girl with the beautiful face, I love You more than

anyone. You are identical with Me. We are not different.

58 As whiteness is always present in milk, as heat is always present in

fire, and as fragrance is always present in earth, so I am always present in

You.

59-60 AS without clay a potter cannot make a pot and without gold a

goldsmith cannot make a golden earrings, so without You I cannot create the

world. You are the place where the world rests and I am the perfect seed

from which it sprouts.

61 O saintly one, recline on this couch. Become the splendour

decorating My chest. As an ornament is the body's splendour, so You are My

splendour.

62 When You do no stand by My side, the people call Me Krsna. When You

do stand by My side the people call Me splendid Krsna (Sri Krsna).

63 You are splendour. You are opulence, You are the resting place of

everything. For everyone, and also for Me, You are all power.

64 I am not an ordinary man and You are not an ordinary woman. That is

the conclusion of the Vedas. O infallible one, You have the power to assume

any form You wish, and I have that power also.

65 When I choose to appear as the Brahman effulgence, You also appear

as the Brahman effulgence. When I choose not a manifest a form, You also do

not manifest a form.

66 O beautiful one, when I choose to become the seed that begets

everything, then by Your mystic powers You become the most beautiful of all

women.

67 You are half of My body. You are the Supreme Goddess, the root of

all nature. In power, intelligence, knowledge, and glory, You are My equal.

68 One who thinks We are different is the lowest of men. He stays in

the hell called Kalasutra for as long as the sun and moon shine in the sky.

69 He makes seven generations of ancestors and seven generations of

descendants fall down. The piety he earned in ten million births is

destroyed.

70 They who foolishly insult Us are the lowest of men. They burn in

hell through the lifetimes of a hundred Brahmas.

71 When one, suddenly frightened, calls out, "Ra!" I give him

transcendental devotional service. When one adds the syllable "dha", I,

eager to hear his chanting, visit him.

72-3 O Radha, they who present to Me the sixteen offerings and devotedly

serve Me during their entire lifetime are very dear to Me, but one who

chants the name "Radha" is even more dear.

74-5 Brahma, Sesa, Siva, Yama, Nara-Narayana Rsi, Kapila, Ganesa, and

Karttikeya are not as dear. Laksmi, Sarasvati, Durga, Savitri, Prakrti, and

all the goddesses are not as dear.

76 To Me they are as dear as life, but You are more dear than life.

They stay in different place, but You stay on My chest.

77 In My four-armed form of Narayana I hold Goddess Laksmi to My chest.

In My original form of Krsna, I hold You to My chest always.

78 After speaking these words, Lord Krsna reclined on the beautiful

couch. Her head humbly bowed, Radha spoke to Her Lord.

79 Sri Radha said: I know this. I remember everything. Lord, how

could I forget? By the mercy of Your lotus feet I am all that You have

said of Me.

80 O master of illusion, why do you put devotees like Me into illusion?

Many devotees like Me are bewildered by Your maya potency.

81 By one devotee's curse I have become a gopi on the earth, and You

and I will be separated for a hundred years.

82 Why are some dear to the Supreme Lord and some not dear to Him? As

they render service to Him, He grants His mercy to them accordingly.

83 You have the power to transform blade of grass into a mountain and a

mountain into a blade of grass. Therefore You are equally kind to the

competent and the incompetent, to the husband and to the wife.

84 O Lord, You are reclining on this couch and I am standing before

You. This moment of Our conversation is like a hundred yugas. I cannot

measure the time We have now spent together.

85 Please place Your lotus feet on My head and breast. Please

extinguish the fire of separation that burns in My heart.

86 My glance at once fell on Your lotus feet. Only with a great effort

am I able to pull My eyes from Your lotus feet and gaze at the rest of Your

transcendental form.

87 Gazing, one by one, on each limb, My eyes finally rest on Your lotus

face. I have no power to pull them to any other place.

88 Hearing Radha's words, Lord Krsna smiled and spoke to Her the

truthful and auspicious philosophy of the Sruti and smrti sastras.

89 Sri Krsna said: Beloved, for whatever happens to anyone in any place

or any lifetime there is nothing to lament. I have already explained this

to You.

90 O beautiful one, please wait for a moment. When the proper time

comes I will fulfil Your desire and make You happy.

91 O Radha, I will not erase what fate has written. How can the

demigod Brahma erase it?

92 I am the father of Brahma. What fate has written for Brahma and the

demigods and for the lesser creatures also, is not to be broken.

93 At that moment, carrying a garland and a kamandalu in his hands and

his four faces gently smiling, the demigod Brahma came before Lord Krsna.

94 His head humbly bowed, the hairs of his body erect, and tears in his

eyes, Brahma bowed down before Lord Krsna and praised Him in many prayers.

95 Offering prayers and bowing down, Brahma approached Sri Krsna.

Again bowing down with devotion, he then approached Sri Radha.

96-7 He bowed his head before the lotus feet of Sri Radha, the mother of

all. With great respect he washed Her feet with water from his kamandalu

and then dried them with the towel of his hair. Then folding his hands, he

spoke many prayers.

98 Sri Brahma said: O mother, by Lord Krsna's mercy I can now see Your

lotus feet, which are rarely seen by the people of the earth and other

places.

99 In ancient times I performed austerities for sixty thousand years in

Puskara-tirtha on the earth.

100 After that Lord Krsna, the giver of boons, came to offer a boon.

"Ask for a boon", He said, and I happily asked for what I long desired.

101 Then I said, "O Lord beyond the modes of material nature, at this

very moment please show me Sri Radha's lotus feet, which are very difficult

for anyone to see."

102 "In time I will show them to you. For now, My child, please wait",

Lord Krsna said and left.

103 O mother of all, the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead

never go in vain. Because of His boon I am now able to see Your lotus feet,

which everyone in Goloka and on the earth yearns to see.

104 The demigoddesses in the celestial planets are born into the

material world. But You are born from half of Lord Krsna's transcendental

boy. You are His equal in all respects.

105 "This is Sri Krsna, and this is, You, Radha. This is You, Radha and

this is Sri Krsna Himself." Neither the Vedas nor I can say this of You

two. We cannot distinguish between You and say that one is different than

the other. Who can say it?

106 O mother, above the material world is the spiritual world of

Vaikuntha and Goloka. O mother, as the spiritual world is eternal, so You

are also eternal.

107 As the living beings in all material universes are part and parcel

of Lord Krsna, so You are the powers and abilities that reside within all

living beings.

108 All males are part and parcel of Lord Krsna and all females are part

and parcel of You. Lord Krsna is the Supersoul present in the bodies of all

conditioned souls. You are the resting place of Him.

109 O supreme mother, Lord Krsna's breath created You, and You breath

created Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Of You two, who is the

creator and who the created?

110 O supreme mother, as Lord Krsna is eternal, so are You. Is He the

part and parcel of You, or are You the part and parcel of Him? Who can say?

111 I am the creator of the material universe and the father of the

Vedas. By learning the Vedas from the guru's mouth one becomes wise.

112 Still, I do not have the power to praise even a hundredth part of

Your virtues and glories. What Vedic scripture or what great philosopher

has the power to praise You?

113 Intelligence is the father of prayers, and You, O mother, are the

mother of intelligence. Who has the power to praise You?

114 What everyone has seen a philosopher can describe. What philosopher

can describe something no one has seen or heard of before?

115 Neither I, Lord Siva, Lord Sesa, Goddess Sarasvati, nor all the

Vedas have the power to praise You. O goddess, we do not have to power to

praise You properly.

116 I have described Your glories as far as I am able. Please do not

criticise me. They who are supremely powerful are equally kind to both the

wise and the foolish.

117 A child may be virtuous one moment and mischievous the next, but the

mother and father, out of love, forgive any mischief he may do.

118 After speaking these words Brahma, the creator of the universe,

bowed down before Sri Sri Radha-Krsna's lotus feet, before which all the

devotees yearn to bow. Then Brahma respectfully stood before the divine

couple.

119 One who morning, noon and night recites these prayers spoken by the

demigod Brahma attains devotional service to the feet of Sri Sri

Radha-Krsna.

120 Pulling up all past karma by its roots, defeating invincible death,

and jumping over all other worlds, He goes to the supreme abode of Goloka.

121 Sri Narayana Rsi said: After hearing Brahma's prayers, Sri Radha

said to him, "O creator Brahma, you may ask a boon, whatever your heart

desires.'

122 Hearing Sri Radha's words, Brahma said to Her, "Please give me

devotion for the feet of You both."

123 When Brahma said this, Radha at once replied, "So be it". Then

Brahma, the ruler of a material universe, devotedly bowed again before Her.

124 Then, sitting between Them both, Brahma ignited a sacred fire and,

meditating on Lord Krsna, properly offered oblations.

125 Then Lord Krsna rose from His couch, sat by the fire, and, as Brahma

recited the mantras, properly offered oblations.

126 Then Brahma, the father of the Vedas, bowed down before Sri Sri

Radha-Krsna. Then he had Radha circumambulate Lord Krsna seven times.

127 Then he had Radha circumambulate the sacred fire. Then he bowed

down before Lord Krsna. Then he offered a sitting place to Sri Radha.

128 Then he had Lord Krsna take Radha's hand and then he had Lord Krsna

recite seven Vedic mantras.

129 Then grandfather Brahma, the knower of the Vedas, placed Radha's

hand on Lord Krsna's chest, and Lord Krsna's hand on Radha's back. Then he

had Radha recite the mantras.

130 Then Brahma had Radha happily place a knee-length parijata garland

around Lord Krsna's neck.

131 Then Brahma had Radha bow before Lord Krsna and then he had Lord

Krsna place a beautiful garland around Radha's neck.

132 Then Brahma had Lord Krsna sit down and then he had smiling Radha,

Her thoughts fixed on Lord Krsna, sit at Lord Krsna's left.

133 O Narada, then Brahma had Radha and Krsna fold Their hands and

recite five Vedic mantras.

134 Then Brahma had Radha again bow down before Lord Krsna. Then, as if

he were the father and She were his daughter, Brahma gave Radha to Lord

Krsna. Then Brahma respectfully stood before Lord Krsna.

135 Then the demigods, the hairs of their bodies erect with joy, sounded

many dundubhis, anakas, murajuras, and other kinds of drums.

136 The demigods showered parijata flowers, the gandharvas sand, and the

apsaras danced.

137 Smiling, Brahma said to Him, "Now please give me as daksina devotion

for the lotus feet of You both."

138 Hearing Brahma's words, Lord Krsna said to him, "You will have very

firm devotion for My lotus feet."

139 "Now go to your own abode. All will be auspicious for you. Of this

there is no doubt. Son, by My command please perform the duties I have

given to you."

140 O sage, hearing the Supreme Personality of Godhead's words, Brahma

bowed down before Sri Radha and Krsna and then happily went to his own

abode.

141 After Brahma's departure, smiling Goddess Radha gazed again and

again with crooked eyes at Lord Krsna's face. Then She shyly covered Her

own face.

142 Wounded by Kamadeva's arrows and the hairs of Her boy now erect, She

bowed before Lord Krsna and affectionately approached His couch.

143 Then She anointed Lord Krsna's forehead and chest with tilaka

markings of sandal, aguru, musk, and kunkuma.

144 Then She affectionately offered Lord Krsna a beautiful jewel cup of

nectar and honey. Lord Krsna, the master of the universes, drank it.

145 Then Radha respectfully offered Lord Krsna delicious betelnuts

scented with camphor and spices. Lord Krsna chewed them.

146 As Lord Krsna watched, Smiling Radha drank the nectar Lord Krsna

offered Her and chewed the betelnuts He offered Her.

147 Lord Krsna happily offered Her the betelnuts He had chewed. She

chewed them with great respect. She drank the nectar of His lotus face.

148 Lord Krsna begged for the betelnuts Radha had chewed. Radha

refused, smiled, and cheerfully said, "Please forgive Me."

149 Then Lord Krsna anointed all of Radha's limbs with sandal, aguru,

and kunkuma.

150 Kamadeva eternally meditates on Lord Krsna's lotus feet. Still, to

please Sri Radha, Lord Krsna voluntarily placed Himself under Kamadeva's

control.

151 O sage, the servants of Lord Krsna's servants defeat Kamadeva at

every moment. Still, Lord Krsna, who is the supremely independent

Personality of Godhead whose desires are always fulfilled, happily accepted

defeat at Kamadeva's hands.

152 Then Lord Krsna took Radha's hand, placed Her on His chest, loosened

Her garments, and kissed Her in four ways.

153 In Their amorous battle Her tinkling ornaments, the red ointment on

Her lips, and the pictures and designs drawn with perfumes on Her limbs were

all broken.

154 O sage, as They enjoyed amorous pastimes Her sindura tilaka and

marks of red lac were all wiped away.

155 Filled with pleasure, and the hairs of Her body erect, Radha did not

know whether it was day or night.

156 Pressing Her limbs against His, Lord Krsna, the most learned scholar

of the Kama-sastra, enjoyed eight kinds of amorous pastimes with Radha.

157 Pulling smiling, crooked-eyed Radha to Him, Lord Krsna scratched and

bit all Her limbs.

158 As They enjoyed amorous pastimes there was a beautiful sound from

the tinkling of Radha's bracelets, anklets, and tinkling ornaments.

159 In a secluded place Lord Krsna, the most learned scholar of the

Kama-sastra, untied Radha's braids and removed Her ornaments and garments.

160 Then Radha untied Krsna's hair and removed His ornaments and

garments. They were both expert in these pastimes. Neither was unhappy at

this.

161 Then Lord Krsna forcibly took a jewel mirror from Radha's hand.

Radha responded by forcibly taking the flute from Krsna's hand.

162 Lord Krsna sweetly stole Radha's heart and mind, and Radha sweetly

stole Lord Krsna's heart and mind.

163 O great sage, when the amorous battle ended, smiling, crooked-eyed

Radha lovingly returned the flute to Lord Krsna.

164 Then Lord Krsna returned Her mirror, gave Her a splendid

pastime-lotus, made Her braids again beautiful, and marked Her again with

sindura tilaka.

165 Lord Krsna dressed Her and decorated Her with ornaments and with

wonderful and colourful pictures and designs drawn in perfume. Neither

Visvakarma, nor even Radha's gopi friends know how to make such graceful and

beautiful decorations. How can they be described here?

166 As Radha was about to dress and decorate Him, Lord Krsna suddenly

abandoned His form of Her youthful lover and suddenly became an infant

again.

167-8 Seeing that the infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead had again

become the crying, frightened, hungry infant that Nanda gave Her, Radha

sighed. Her heart was shaken. Overcome with the grief of separation, She

looked for Her lover here and there.

169 Distressed, She plaintively appealed, "O master of illusions, why do

You show this illusion to Your maidservant?"

170 Radha fell to the ground and wept, and infant Krsna also wept. Then

a disembodied voice said:

171-2 O Radha, why do You weep? Remember Krsna's lotus feet. Until the

time of pastimes in the rasa-dance circle, every evening You will leave a

shadow of Your form at home and You will come here and enjoy amorous

pastimes with Lord Krsna to Your heart's content. Please don't weep.

173 O beautiful one, please place on Your lap the infant that I the

master of all illusions and the Lord of Your life, abandon Your lamenting

and go home.

174-5 O Narada, hearing these words, Goddess Radha placed the infant Krsna

on Her lap. She gazed at the jewel palace, the flower garden, and the

forest, and then She suddenly left Vrndavana forest and, travelling as fast

as the mind, arrived in half an eyeblink at Nanda's palace.

176 Her eyes were red and Her clothing in disarray. As She was about to

give the infant to Yasoda, Radha sweetly said:

177 I had to endure many difficulties on the path as I tried to carry

this very big, hungry, crying, child Your husband gave to Me in the

cow-pasture.

178 O Yasoda, the sky was filled with clouds, it rained again and again,

and the path was muddy and almost impassable. My clothes were ruined. It

was very difficult to carry your child.

179 O saintly Yasoda, please take your boy, give Him your breast, and

make Him happy. I have been gone from home a long time. I must return at

once.

180 Speaking these words, and giving her the infant Krsna, Radha went

home. Saintly Yasoda took her infant, kissed him, and gave Him her breast.

181 From that time on, every evening Radha would leave Her household

duties at home, go to that place in Vrndavana forest, and enjoy amorous

pastimes with Lord Krsna.

182 O child, in this way I have told you something of Lord Krsna's

beautiful, sacred, peerless, delightful pastimes, which bring to the hearer

liberation from the world of birth and death.