Janmastami Glorification Of Sri Radha

[Guest guest]

Janmastami Glorification Of Sri Radha

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mathura: August 20, 2003

Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja

 

 

 

 

[About 250 Western and Indian devotees congregated at Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya

Matha in Mathura, India, some of whom had just arrived from their home

countries on the previous day, just in time to attend this function.

Parama-pujyapada Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja entered the temple after

the devotees had been chanting their morning bhajanas for the previous hour.

After circumambulating the deities, Sri Sri Radha Vinoda-vihariji, Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu and Sri Giriraja Govardhana, who were dressed in their exquisite new

purple, pink and gold outfits, Srila Maharaja took his seat on the vyasasana.

As he does each year on this sacred day, he requested the devotees to sing

Srila Jayadeva Gosvami’s “Sri Mangala-gitam”, and after that he explained the

song. Sometimes he spoke in English, but mostly in Hindi, and the Hindi parts

were kindly translated into English by Sripad Madhava Maharaja and Sripad

Aranya Maharaja:]

 

This kirtana glorifies Bhagavan Sri Krsna, but moreover it indicates the

glories of Srimati Radhika. This is because Lord Krsna's highest glories are

not manifest without His being in Her association.

 

The kirtana begins:

 

srita-kamalakuca-mandala! dhrta-kundala! e

 

Srita-kamalakuca-mandala means that Krsna is taking shelter of the breast of

Srimati Radhika, and this is because of what happens to Him at the moment He

sees Her. Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati describes how, simply upon seeing Her

and by the influence of Her mahabhava, Lord Krsna's flute falls from His hands,

His peacock feather falls to the ground, His pitambara (yellow chaddar) slips

down, and He Himself begins to faint. At that time He is taking shelter at the

breast of Srimati Radhika.

 

In this verse Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati prays, “When will I perform

rasa-upasana of that very Srimati Radhika? Rasa-upasana means rendering service

to Sri Sri Radha-Krsna by following in the footsteps of Sri Rupa Manjari and

Rati Manjari. In this verse Krsna sees Srimati Radhika from far away, at the

time of His leaving His home to go cow-herding. He begins to faint and

Madhu-mangala catches Him and says, "O my friend, what are You doing? What are

You doing? Mother Yasoda and Nanda Baba can see You."

 

"Dhrta-kundala." Sri Krsna's kundala (earrings), the ornament or beauty that

decorates His ears, is Srimati Radhika’s very beautiful words. Hearing the

sound of Her sweet voice, Krsna’s flute falls to the ground.

 

"Kalita-lalita-vanamala." Kalita means extremely beautiful. Krsna wears a very

beautiful vanamala, garland of forest flowers. A question arises as to who made

this garland, and the answer is that Srimati Radhika Herself has made it and

placed it around His neck.

 

“Jaya jaya deva! hare.” Jaya is sung two times here and this has two meanings.

Jaya Jayadeva hare means, “All glories to the beloved worshipful deity of Sri

Jayadeva Gosvami”, and it also means, “May that Bhagavan Sri Krsna who is

glorified by this song be victorious.” In the second meaning, “All glories to

that Sri Krsna” is said twice.

 

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is always in Srimati Radhika’s mood, but when He heard

this song His mood at once changed to that of Sri Krsna. At that time He wanted

to embrace the singer, thinking she may be Srimati Radhika or Srimati

Lalita-devi or Visakha-devi. Therefore, when He was checked by His servant

Govinda, He embraced Him and said, "I was about to return to My mood and nature

as Krsna, but you checked Me. If you had not done so, I would have lost the

purpose for which I came in this form, and also everyone would know that I am

Krsna. You have saved Me. This is the first meaning, and in the second lord

Caitanya is telling Govinda, "You saved Me. If you had not done so, if I had

touched that woman, I would have then jumped in the river and drowned there.”

In this way there are two very good and deep meanings.

 

Many sannyasis, those in the renounced order, give up their sannyasa because

they like to associate with ladies. They rationalize their activities by

saying, "So many ladies come to me. What can I do? They come automatically,

without my invitation." Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu will not listen to these

arguments, so you should be very careful. If a lady comes to you with a spirit

of enjoyment, slap her and speak harshly to her. I am very strict about this.

Although I am very polite by nature, in these matters I am very strict. I

cannot tolerate this. Girls should be especially careful regarding their

motives for coming here. They sometimes come to pick up brahmacaris or

sannyasis, and I have warned them not to come for this. They should only come

to hear hari-katha, and they should be very strong in Krsna consciousness. They

should come to develop love and affection like the gopis have for Krsna – by

first having love and affection for Guru and real Vaisnavas. I request you all

–

sannyasis, brahmacaris and girls – to be very careful in this regard. I have

so much affection for my daughters, but I want to be very strict with them.

 

“Bhava-khandana.” Bhava means the coming and going in the endless cycle of

birth and death and suffering in this material world. For those in this world,

Sri Krsna puts an end to all sorrows and sufferings in the cycle of birth and

death. The gopis of Vrndavana, however, have a different kind of suffering. For

them, suffering means separation from Sri Krsna. Srimati Radhika and the gopis

feel great separation from Him, and He puts an end to that suffering. At the

time of their separation He manifests to them in the form of a sphurti

(vision), or in person, and relieves them from the fire of separation.

 

"Muni-jana-manasa-hamsa." Krsna Bhagavan is the swan who plays on the lake of

the minds of munis like Sri Narada Muni, Srila Sukadeva Gosvami and of course

Srila Jayadeva Gosvami, who is no less than Rsi Narada or Sri Sukadeva Gosvami.

 

At the end of the kirtana Srila Jayadeva Gosvami prays, "Idam kurute mudam."

Mudam means overjoyed. He prays, “May all the world become auspicious and

overjoyed.” He prays to Bhagavan Sri Krsna, on behalf of all the people in the

world, to manifest within their hearts the transcendental pastimes described in

this kirtana. He is very merciful, just as Srila Rupa Gosvamipada, who prayed,

“Hrdaya-kandare sphuratu vah saci-mandanah – may Sri Sacinandana manifest

Himself within the innermost region of the hearts of all.” Srila Rupa Gosvami

did not pray for himself; he prayed that Sriman Mahaprabhu will kindly manifest

in the hearts of everyone. Vaisnavas are causelessly merciful; they pray to

Krsna on behalf of all the jivas.

 

In conclusion Srila Jayadeva Gosvami is saying, "Mangalam-ujjvala-gitam", which

means that this song is full of unnatojjvala-rasa, the transcendental

parakiya-rasa of mahabhava-svarupini Srimati Radhika.

 

[srila Maharaja then requested the assembled devotees to chant Srila Jayadeva

Gosvami’s Dasavatara-Stotram, at the end of which the kirtana leader chanted

"Jaya Dasavatara, Jaya Dasavatara" – all glories to the ten avataras

(incarnations of Lord Krsna).]

 

[srila Narayana Maharaja:] Don't sing this ending. This song is not the

glorification of the ten avataras. "Kesava! Dhrta-dasa-vidha-rupa!" This is a

glorification of Kesava, Krsnacandra, Syamasundara Vrajendranandana. You can

sing instead, "Jaya dasavatari –all glories to that Krsna Bhagavan who is the

origin of all these avataras.”

 

[The devotees then chanted the kirtanas Sri Nanda-nandanastakam and Sri

Radha-Krpa-Kataksa-Stava-Raja, as they do every year on this very day.]

 

[srila Narayana Maharaja:] When Srimati Radhika hears this Sri

Nanda-nandanastakam She becomes overjoyed and wants to give a benediction. At

that time She will bestow the lotus feet of Her Prana-vallabha (beloved of Her

life’s breath) Sri Krsna upon the devotees who bring Her so much happiness by

singing this astakam. Alternately, if someone will sing Sri

Radha-Krpa-Kataksa-Stava-Raja, which is the glorification of Srimati Radhika,

Sri Krsna will become overjoyed and He will want to give the benediction of the

lotus feet of His beloved Srimati Radhika.

 

Sri Nanda-nandanastakam has originally emanated from the lotus mouth of Srimati

Radhika, and she is singing it to Sri Krsna, either to His sphurti (vision of

Him) in separation, or directly to Him. Because His beauty is astonishing, She

describes each and every one of His limbs. At the same time Sri Krsna thinks,

“In this world no one has qualities as I possess. No one is as beautiful as I

am and no one has attributes as I do. There is one person though – Srimati

Radhika has hundreds of times the qualities that I possess. She is My

prema-guru.” This is explained in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila Chapter 4,

wherein it is also stated that the gopis have all relationships with Krsna.

They are His servants, masters, friends, mothers, and so on. Every relationship

that is had by anyone with Krsna is had by the gopis with Him. We know that

Mother Yasoda incessantly nourishes, cares for and protects Him – but whatever

moods manifest in Mother Yasoda are present still more so in the gopis.

 

The first verse of Sri Nanda-Nandanastakam states:

 

sucaru-vaktra-mandalam sukarna-ratna-kundalam

sucarcitanga-candanam namami nandanam

 

["I offer pranama to Sri Nanda-nandana, whose face is extremely delightful,

from whose beautiful ears hang jewelled earrings, and whose entire body is

anointed with fragrant candana."]

 

Lord Krsna's face is very beautiful when He has darsana of Srimati Radhika at

the time of rasa-lila. Srila Vyasadeva did not write rasa-lila in Srimad

Bhagavatam; rather it manifested spontaneously in his heart by sphurti, and

then he spoke it. This sphurti takes place by the mercy of Krsna.

Srimad-Bhagavatam is an eternal sastra like the Vedas, but it is many times

superior.

 

Why did Lord Krsna manifest His rasa-lila? Ordinary devotees cannot understand

it, what to speak of those who are fallen and engaged in sinful activities.

Srila Rupa Gosvami explained that Krsna is very merciful; if He had not brought

rasa-lila from Goloka Vrndavana to this world, nobody would have the

opportunity to understand it. By hearing about rasa-lila from pure devotees,

one develops lobha (transcendental greed) to obtain that very confidential and

difficult to obtain parakiya-rasa, unnatojjvala-bhava (paramour love for

Krsna). Krsna performed rasa-lila to awaken greed in the hearts of those who

are not qualified – to make them qualified to taste rasa. And, by the same

exhibition of rasa-lila, He also increases the mellows tasted of those who are

already tasting rasa. He is therefore very merciful, and Srimati Radhika is

even more merciful than He.

 

The third verse of Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami's Sri Radha-Kundastakam

states:

 

agha-ripur api yatnad atra devyah prasadam

prasara-krta-kataksa-prapti-kamah prakaman

anusarati yad uccaih snana-sevanu-bandhais

tad ati-surabhi Radha-kundam evaSrimati Radhikaayo me

 

["For the pleasure of Srimati Radhika, even Sri Krsna Himself, yearning to

attain Her merciful sidelong glance, regularly bathes in Radha-kunda, carefully

observing all the appropriate rituals. May that supremely enchanting

Radha-kunda be my shelter.]

 

In this verse it is explained that Lord Krsna is merciful, but He Himself seeks

the mercy of Srimati Radhika. He goes to Radha-kunda and, according to all

rules and regulations, He takes bath three times a day and then worships

Srimati Radhika and prays to Her, "Please give Me your krpa-kataksa, Your

merciful side-long glance, because if You do maan (transcendental jealous

anger) and ignore Me for one more second I will not be able to maintain My

life." These moods have been manifested by Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Srila

Rupa Gosvami, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and Srila Bhaktivinoda

Thakura. Bhajana means to follow in their footsteps and to recite these

kirtanas, developing their moods, so that a vision of the meaning of these

kirtanas and transcendental pastimes will come into the heart.

 

Krsna has performed innumerable pastimes, but out of all pastimes rasa-lila is

best and most powerful. We have heard many times about the pastime of Mother

Yasoda binding baby Krsna, and this pastime has astonishing power. Yet,

rasa-lila is billions of times more powerful. Srila Sukadeva Gosvami therefore

said,

 

vikriditam vraja-vadhubhir idam ca visnoh

sraddhanvito 'nusrnuyad atha varnayed yah

bhaktim param bhagavati pratilabhya kamam

hrd-rogam asv apahinoty acirena dhirah

 

["Anyone who faithfully hears and then describes the Lord's playful affairs

with the young gopis of Vrndavana will attain the Lord's pure devotional

service. Thus he will quickly become sober and conquer lust, the disease of the

heart." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.33.39)]

 

One should hear the sweet pastimes performed by Lord Krsna when He sports with

the damsels of Vraja. We should hear them ‘anusrnuyat’. Anu means under the

guidance of sat-guru and Vaisnavas, and it also means continually hearing these

pastimes and rendering service to Guru, and afterwards describing them. What

will be the result? "Bhaktim param bhagavati pratilabhya kamam." Here the word

kama means prema-bhava; the love of the gopis will manifest in the heart, and

as a result of this all lust will be eradicated forever. This is the wonderful

power of hearing and describing rasa-lila. In their nara-lila pastimes, even

Narada Rsi and Lord Sankara were sometimes unable to check the power of lust,

but this rasa-lila is called param-vijaya-lila – the lila which enables one to

become completely victorious over lust. No one has the power to overcome lust,

yet, our Gosvamis have manifested this lila and its deep bhavas in their

writings so that one will be able to overcome lust and enter

into the lila. One should make the service of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna in this

rasa-lila the ultimate and only aim and object of life.

 

[srila Narayana Maharaja ended his class here, and requested that for the rest

of the day sannyasis and senior devotees take turns – one hour each – reading

Srimad Bhagavatam from the beginning of the 10th Canto, before the assembled

devotees.]

 

[We have been requested to include herein the transcription of last year’s

Janmastami class, and you will see it below. Although you will see that some

points are the same as this year’s class, many are additional, and full of

nectar.]

 

Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja

The Inner Meaning Of Sri Mangala-Gitam

Janmastami morning

Mathura, India: August 31, 2002

 

[The following is a translation of the class given by Srila Bhaktivedanta

Narayana Gosvami Maharaja on the morning of Sri Krsna Janmastami. In this

class, Srila Maharaja explained the deep meaning of Sri Jayadeva Gosvami's

bhajana, Sri Mangala-gitam. The following is a transcription of the translation

given by Uttama dasa brahmacari:]

 

In the beginning of this morning's class, Srila Maharaja asked Krsna dasa

brahmacari to lead the assembled devotees in singing Sri Mangala-gitam. He said

that because today is Lord Krsna's Appearance Day, we should begin by first of

all singing this kirtana. Then he said, "Who is really qualified to hear this

bhajana? Sri Krsna Himself is actually the only person qualified to hear it.

Sri Jayadeva Gosvami is only singing this song to give Krsnacandra happiness.

He hopes to see Him pleased."

 

After the bhajana, Srila Maharaja gave the following elaboration of the verses:

When Krsna sees Srimati Radharani looking towards Him with sidelong glances, He

looses all His power and begins to fall to the ground. At this time

Madhumangala notices and says, "What are You doing? Your mother, father, and

all Your relatives are watching. You should check Yourself."

 

srita-kamalakuca-mandala! dhrta-kundala! e

kalita-lalita-vanamala! jaya jaya deva hare

 

Krsnacandra takes shelter of srita kamala. Srita means shelter, and here,

kamala means Radharani. Kuca-mandala means that Krsna is taking shelter of the

breasts of Radharani

 

Dhrta-kundala. Krsna's kundala (earrings) are not ordinary. His kundala is the

glories of Radharani, and He is always ‘wearing’ that.

 

Kalita lalita. Lalita means very attractive and beautiful. Here, Lalita refers

to Krsna's vanamala. His garland is made from different kinds of forest

flowers. It hangs around His neck and extends down to His lotus feet.

 

Jaya jaya deva hare: all glories to this Krsna who steals all the distress of

the living entities. Especially, He steals the heart of Srimati Radharani. No

one can steal the heart of Radharani, except for Krsnacandra.

 

dina-mani-mandala-mandana! bhava-khandana e

muni-jana-manasa-hamsa! jaya jaya deva hare

 

Srila Maharaja explained that generally dina mani means the sun, but here it

means all the universes. India is the topmost place in all the universes, and

Sri Vraja Bhumi, the topmost place in India, is the crown jewel in all the

universes. Here, dina mani means that Vraja-mandala, not the Sun-god, is the

crown jewel in all the visva-mandalas.

 

Bhava means material existence, and it also means bondage. He who delivers

others from this is called bhava-khandana. In this connection, is there any

material bondage for the Vraja-devis? They have none at all. Their only bondage

is their feelings of separation from Krsna. Lord Krsna is the only person

qualified to remove this bondage of separation from the Vraja-devis, so

bhava-khandana means that Krsna can remove the distress of separation of the

gopis.

 

Muni-jana-manasa-hamsa means the great sages, especially those who meditated on

Bhagavan Sri Krsna for a long time in the Dandakaranya forest. It applies to

all the yautiki rsis (those sages who came to Krsna in a group) and ayautiki

rsis (those who came individually) who became gopis in their next birth. Muni

also refers to Sri Sukadeva Gosvami. Krsnacandra is just like the swan,

swimming in the minds of these munis. Jaya jaya deva hare. Jayadeva Gosvami is

singing, "All glories to this Krsna."

 

kaliya-visadhara-ganjana! jana-ranjana e

yadu-kula-nalina-dinesa! jaya jaya deva hare

 

Kaliya-visadhara ganjana refers to that Krsna who smashes the pride of Kaliya.

Krsna easily removed the poison of Kaliya, although he was extremely poisonous,

and after doing so Kaliya became like amrta, nectar. In the same way, Krsna can

also smash our anarthas, unwanted desires. We therefore pray to that Krsna.

 

Jana-ranjana. Jana here means Vraja-jana, the residents of Vraja, like Sri

Nanda Baba, Srimati Yasoda Ma, and all of Krsna's friends and cows. Jana here

especially means the Vraja-devis, and among them, Srimati Radhika is the most

prominent. Krsna is the only person who gives pleasure to the Vraja-jana. He

has no other duty; He is always thinking how to give pleasure to Srimati

Radharani.

 

Yadu-kula-nalina-dinesa. Yadu-kula means the dynasty of Nanda Baba, not the

dynasty of Mathura. Nalina means lotus flower, and here nalina especially means

the lotus flower of the Vraja dynasty, the Vraja-devis, who are just like the

lotus in Vraja-mandala. Dinesa means the sun, and here dinesa refers to Krsna.

He is just like the sun for the lotus flower of Vraja-bhumi. When the lotus

flowers of Vraja-mandala offer themselves to Krsna they begin to blossom, and

therefore Jayadeva Gosvami is singing, jaya jaya deva hare: "I'm praying to

this Hari, who, just like the sun, makes the flower-like gopis blossom."

 

madhu-mura-naraka-vinasana! garudasana! e

sura-kula-keli-nidana! jaya jaya deva! hare

 

Madhu, Mura, and Naraka were demons who were killed by Krsna – not really by

Krsna Himself, but by other Visnu avataras. In describing the Visnu avataras,

Srila Maharaja used the example of the moon. He said that Janmastami is known

to have taken place on the eighth day of the moon, but in reality, the eighth

day of the moon is also a full moon day. In other words, the moon is always

complete; only according to our own vision do we see that today is the eighth

day of the moon – or the fifth, or sixth, etc. Although always full, the moon

is sometimes covered in part by a shadow, and thus we see only three-quarters,

half, one quarter, or less. In the same way, all of the incarnations of Krsna,

the Visnu avataras, are also Krsna. It is only our vision that makes us see any

difference. It is generally understood that Visnu-tattva kills the demons, not

Krsna. But actually Visnu is Krsna Himself, Purnacandra, the source of all

incarnations.

 

Just as the full moon is also always present on the eighth and any other day of

the moon, Purnacandra Sri Krsna is eternally present. In this way, when Lord

Visnu killed the Madhu and Mura demons, Krsna was also there. Here it says,

madhu mura vinasana. He who killed Mura and Madhu is also Krsna; the verse

indicates Sri Krsna.

 

Garudasana. Generally Garudasana refers to Lord Narayana, He whose carrier is

Garuda. But here, Garudasana means Sri Krsnacandra. Krsna once made Sridama His

Garuda-carrier, and therefore Srila Jayadeva Gosvami is saying, Garudasana,

meaning Sri Krsnacandra.

 

Sura kula keli nidana, jaya jaya deva hare. Sura generally means demigods. But

Krsna's madhurya pastimes are not for the demigods. Not only can't they see

these pastimes, they also have no qualification to hear them. Venu-gita of

Srimad Bhagavatam explains that the demigoddesses have a chance to see

something of Vraja-lila, but they cannot see completely. Yet, even when they

saw only the semblance of the pastimes there, they fainted and became

unconscious. The demigods on the other hand, have no qualification to see those

pastimes, especially the madhurya-rasa pastimes. Only those who attain a

qualification like Krsna can hear these pastimes. Keli-nidana. Keli means those

pastimes that are giving pleasure to this type of sura.

 

amala-kamala-dala-locana! bhava-mocana! e

tri-bhuvana-bhavana-nidhana! jaya jaya deva! hare

 

Amala means without any spots or blemishes, and kamala means lotus flower. Lord

Krsna's eyes are just like the petals a spotless lotus flower.

Tri-bhuvana-bhavana-nidhana. Tribhuvana here means Vrajabhumi, which is the

essence of all of the three worlds. Krsna is the only shelter of Vrajabhumi and

the Vrajavasis. Jaya jaya deva hare. I offer my obeisances to this Hari, who is

the shelter of all the Vrajavasis.

 

janaka-suta-krta-bhusana! jita-dusana! e

samara-samita-dasakantha! jaya jaya deva! hare

 

The general meaning of Janaka-suta is Srimati Sita devi, the consort of Lord

Ramacandra. In the pastimes of Ramacandra, Janaka-suta is decorating Rama with

many kinds of paraphernalia. This can also be applied to Sri Krsna's and

Radharani's pastimes. Sometimes, Srimati Radharani decorates Krsna in the

forest. Janaka means father, and suta means daughter. Therefore, janaka-suta in

this connection means the daughter of Sri Vrsabhanu Baba.

Janaka-suta-krta-bhusana. Bhusana means decoration; Krsna is decorated by the

daughter of Vrsabhanu Baba.

 

Jita-dusana means He who defeated the demon, Kala Dusana. Jita-dusana also

means those things that are very bad, like the very intense separation of the

Vraja-devis. Hari, Krsna, removes this, so I offer my obeisances unto that

Hari.

 

Samara-samita-dasakantha Srila Maharaja explained that this Nanda-lala (the

darling son of Nanda Baba) is defeating dasakantha, many demons. Jayadeva

Gosvami is saying that this Nanda-lala is killing all the demons in Vraja. Jaya

jaya deva hare. I offer my obeisances unto the lotus feet of that Hari.

 

abhinava-jaladhara-sundara! dhrta-mandara! e

sri-mukha-candra-cakora! jaya jaya deva! hare

 

Abhinava means very new, and jaladhara means that the newly formed cloud is

appearing in the sky. It is very soft, glistening, pleasing, and attractive.

Krsna's complexion is like this nava-jaladhara.

 

“Dhrta-mandara.” Srila Maharaja said that mandara here doesn't refer to

Mandara-parvat (one of the largest mountains in the universe; the mountain of

the demigods); it means Giri-Govardhana. In one way it can also be understood

that mandara means the two Giriraja Govardhanas of Srimati Radhika, upon which

Krsna takes shelter. Srila Maharaja then said that the elevated ideas in this

connection cannot actually be expressed. We will have to understand them by our

bhajana.

 

Sri-mukha-candra-cakora. Here, sri-mukha refers to Srimati Radharani, whose

lotus face is just like the moon. Sri Krsna always hankers to have darsana of

that moon. Just like the cakora bird, Krsna is also always one-pointed. The

cakora bird will only drink water that comes directly from rain, not from any

pond, or ocean, or river. In the same way, Sri Krsna is always hankering to

drink the nectar of the lotus face of Srimati Radharani.

 

tava carane pranata vayam iti bhavaya e

kuru kusalam pranatesu jaya jaya deva! hare

 

Here, Jayadeva Gosvami, who is most merciful and a very rasika Vaisnava within

our sampradaya, is saying, tava carane pranata vayam. Vayam is plural. Jayadeva

Gosvami alone is writing this song, but he is including us within his prayer to

Krsna and saying, "Oh, please be merciful. We are now taking shelter at Your

lotus feet; we are now Your surrendered souls."

 

Kusala means welfare. What is the real welfare? Sri Jayadeva Gosvami is

praying, "Oh, please make me the maidservant of Srimati Radharani." This is

welfare. Kuru kusalam pranatesu: "Please! We are taking your shelter. We are

remembering Your lotus feet. Therefore, please make us the maidservants of

Srimati Radharani."

 

Srila Maharaja pointed out here that Sri Jayadeva Gosvami is uttering, jaya

jaya deva hare three times, so that Krsna will listen to his prayer. The

position of the maidservant of Srimati Radharani is topmost, and Lord Krsna

Himself wants to serve Her as Her ‘maidservant.’ Although it is the topmost

position, still, Jayadeva Gosvami is appealing three times so that Krsna will

accept his prayer. He indicates, "It is for this purpose that I offer my

pranama unto the lotus feet of that Hari."

 

sri-jayadeva-kaver idam kurute mudam

mangalam-ujjvala-gitam jaya jaya deva! hare

 

Sri Jayadeva Gosvami is praying to Krsna Bhagavan, "Only You are qualified to

listen to this song. No one other than You is qualified to listen to this type

of glorification of Srimati Radharani, and therefore I'm writing this song for

You. I pray that you will become pleased by hearing it."

 

What happened to Krsna when He heard this song? His ears stood up just like the

ears of a calf or a cow, taking the form of cups. This song, only meant for

Krsna, is the only real offering of prayer of glorification to Him. He becomes

very pleased when His devotees sing this song. He will be pleased when you

worship She who is dearest to Him. Sri Sri Radha-Krsna's exalted pastimes are

explained in Ujjvala Nilamani and other scriptures by the Gosvamis, and if we

offer our prayers to pastimes such as Sri Krsna offering His head at the lotus

feet of Srimati Radhika, He will become very pleased."