Regarding: doubts about Radha's name in the Bhag.

[Guest guest]

Although Radharani's name does not appear directly in the Bhagavatam

Sukadeva Goswami has given it in many places in an indirect way. I have

heard from my Guru Maharaja that Sukadeva Goswami did not mention

Radharani's name directly because he was the parrot of Radha and if he had

mentioned Her name directly he would have gone into ecstatic trance for six

months. As Maharaja Pariksit had only seven days to hear Srimad Bhagavatam

he gave Radha's name in an indirect, hidden way. He cited the writings of

Srila Sanatan Goswami and Jiva Goswami who have described the Bhagavatam

phrase: "sri suka uvaca" to mean, "suka" - the parrot, of "Sri" - Radha.

 

As this is a very big topic I will present only a few items here. Perhaps

some other Vaishnavas may want to append to this.

 

Srila Prabhupada has addresses the subject of Radha's name in the Bhagavatam

in several places. In Cc. madhya 8.100 Ramananda Ray cites Bhag. 10.30.28:

 

anayaradhito nunam

bhagavan harir isvarah

yan no vihaya govindah

prito yam anayad rahah

 

"[When the gopis began to talk among themselves, they said:] 'Dear friends,

the gopi who has been taken away by Krishna to a secluded place must have

worshiped the Lord more than anyone else.'"

 

In his purport Srila Prabhupada writes:

 

"The name Radha is derived from this verse (Bhag. 10.30.28), from the words

anayaradhitah, meaning "by Her the Lord is worshiped." Sometimes the critics

of Srimad-Bhagavatam find it difficult to find Radharani's holy name in that

book, but the secret is disclosed here in the word aradhita, from which the

name Radha has come. Of course, the name of Radharani is directly mentioned

in other Puranas. This gopi's worship of Krishna is topmost, and therefore

Her name is Radha, or 'the topmost worshiper.'"

===================

 

Although Radharani's name is only given in an indirect way in the

Bhagavatam, rasik Vaishnavas see Her presence in each and every verse.

Sanatan Goswami, Jiva Goswami and Vishvanath Chakravarti have given many

purports showing how Sukadeva Goswami has given Radharani's name in an

indirect way. In his commentary on the first verse of the Bhagavatam Jiva

gives a long explanation of how the verse is reffering to Radha. A few other

examples of Sukadeva's indirect references to Radha follow:

 

=================

In Bhag. 10.32.4 Sukadeva has said, "kacit karambujam saurer jagrhe 'njalina

- one of them seized Krishna's hand in her folded palms." Kacit refers to

"*one* of them". That one is Radharani.

=================

 

=================

Bhag. 10.30.38 describes:

 

evam uktah priyam aha

skandha aruhyatam iti

tatas cantardadhe krsnah

sa vadhur anvatapyata

 

"After being addressed by a particular gopi, Krishna told Her, "Climb up on

My shoulder." Saying this He suddenly disappeared. Sa vadhur anvatapyata --

His beloved consort (Radharani) then immediately felt great remorse."

=================

 

=================

Bhag. 10.30.26 describes how after Krishna left the rasa dance with one

special gopi the other gopis went searching for "vadhvah"- that special gopi

(Radharani).

==================

 

=================

In the Brahmara-gita 47th chapter of the 10th canto, text 11 Sukadeva

describes:

 

kacin madhukaram drstva

dhyayanti krsna-sangamam

priya-prasthapitam dutam

kalpayitvedam abravit

 

"*One* of the gopis, while meditating on Her previous association with

Krishna, saw a honeybee before Her and imagined it to be a messenger sent by

Her beloved. Thus She spoke as follows."

 

The word "kacin" in this verse, meaning "one of the gopis" refers to Radha.

==================

 

Aside from the Bhagavatam, Radharani is described elaborately in

Brahma-vaivarta, Padma, and Narada Puranas as well as Garga Samhita. In the

4th chapter of Ujjvala-nilamani "Sri Radha-prakaranam" texts 3 and 4

Rupapada cites the Gopala-tapani Upanisad, Uttara-khanda where Radha is

called Gandhava and the Rg veda-parisista where Her name Radha is mentioned.

There She is described as the consort of Madhava.

 

A note of interest: Although this verse was quoted by Rupa, the original

texts for this part of the Gopal-tapani Upanisad were unknown to scholars

for many, many years. In 1966 one Vaishnava scholar here in Orissa named

Fakir Mohan Das discovered original palm leaf copies of this rare literature

in the Balasore district of northern Orissa. After finding it he quickly

reprinted it to preserve it.

 

The following is an excerpt from an article written by Dr Fakir Mohan

entitled:

 

THE HISTORY OF SRI SRI RADHA KRISHNA WORSHIP IN ORISSAN CULTURE

 

"In Ujjvala Nilamani Srila Rupa Goswami cites the Gopala Tapani Upanisad and

the Rg Parisista to show the authenticity of the worship of Srimati

Radharani:

gopalottaratapinyam yad gandharveti visrutah radhet rk parisiste ca, etc.

 

'From the Vedic literature we come to know that Sri Radharani is referred to

as 'Gandharva' in the second part of the Gopal Tapani, and as 'Radha' in the

Rg Parishistha.'

 

"Srila Vishvanath Cakravarti Thakur and Baladev Vidyabhushan have stated in

their commentaries on Gopal Tapani Upanisad that this tapani of the Atharva

Veda, Paippalada branch, was previously being recited by the brahmanas of

Gujarat and Orissa. Although presently there are no brahmanas of the Atharva

Veda Paippalada branch found in Gujarat, thousands of this lineage are still

living in the vicinity of the village Remuna, the birth place of Srila

Baladev Vidyabhushan, and in other places of Orissa. In the absence of any

help from ancient manuscripts, the original text of the Paippalada Samhita

can be reconstructed even today from the tradition, which the village

reciters still carry with them unimpaired. In this area some rare Paippalada

Samhita manuscripts have been found along with a number of hitherto unknown

manuals of special Paippalada rites which give an insight into the social,

religious and cultural traditions of Paippaladiyans found in the tapani

literature.

 

"In the 18th century, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushan has quoted the

Purusa-bodhini Sruti, Purusottama Tapini, in his Prameya Ratnavali in

connection with the worship of Sri Sri Radha Krishna in the Vedic period.

Vaishnava poets like Anandi of Nilachala Dhama and Narahari Cakravarti of

Sri Khanda, Bengal, have quoted from the Purusa-bodhini Sruti to establish

the authentic nature of the worship of Sri Sri Radha Krishna and Gauranga

Mahaprabhu.

 

"Later in the 18th century, Srila Radha Krishna Goswami, the disciple of

Haridas Pandit (who was the grand-disciple of Gadadhar Pandit Goswami of

Puri), published four prapathakas (chapters) of the Purua-bodhini sruti in

his Sadhana-dipika. Thakur Bhaktivinode of village Chotimangalpur in

Kendrapara District, Orissa, also collected the Sri Caitanya Upaniad of the

Paippalada branch from Pandit Madhusudan Dash of Sambalpur, Orissa,

publishing it in 1887. In 1901 Mahamahopadhyaya Sadashiva Kavyakantha of

Puri published some additional chapters of this Sruti. In 1966 we collected

all twelve prapathakas of this Purusa-bodhini Sruti from different parts of

Orissa and published them from our Sri Bhaktivinode Library in Baripada."

<end of quote>

===================

 

For other references on this subject from Srila Prabhupada's books, one may

refer to the second to the last paragraph of Prabhupada's purport to Bhag.

10.3.31. Also Cc. madhya 18.8 which cites Padma Purana on the glories of

Radha-kunda. And Cc adi 4.83 which addresses the glories of Radharani from

the Brhad-gautamiya-tantra.

 

 

I hope that this is of some use. Jaya Sri Radhe!

Das anudas, Madhavananda Das