Radhastami

[Guest guest]

Sri Radhastami, September 1, 2006

Verse: SB 10.30.28

Speaker: HH Varsana Swami

Location: ISKCON New Vrindaban [www.newvrindaban.com]

 

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[The transcript is not verbatim and unfortunately there are some missing

sections too. We hope that despite these faults the text will still bring

pleasure to the Vaisnavas]

 

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anayaradhito nunam bhagavan harir isvarah

yan no vihaya govindah prito yam anayad rahah

 

TRANSLATION: Certainly this particular gopi has perfectly worshiped the

all-powerful Personality of Godhead, Govinda, since He was so pleased with

Her that He abandoned the rest of us and brought Her to a secluded place.

 

PURPORT: Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti explains that the word aradhitah refers

to Srimati Radharani. He comments, "The sage Sukadeva Gosvami has tried with

all endeavor to keep Her name hidden, but now it automatically shines forth

from the moon of his mouth. That he has spoken Her name is indeed Her mercy,

and thus the word aradhitah is like the rumbling of a kettledrum sounded to

announce Her great good fortune."

 

Although the gopis spoke as if jealous of Srimati Radharani, they were

actually ecstatic to see that She had captured Sri Krsna.

 

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti quotes the following detailed description of

Srimati Radharani's footprints, as given by Srila Rupa Gosvami in his Sri

Ujjvala-nilamani: "At the base of the large toe of Her left foot is the mark

of a barleycorn, below that mark is a disc, below the disc is an umbrella,

and below the umbrella is a bracelet. A vertical line extends from the

middle of Her foot to the juncture of Her large and second toes. At the base

of the middle toe is a lotus, below that is a flag with a banner, and below

the flag is a creeper, together with a flower. At the base of Her small toe

is an elephant goad, and upon Her heel is a half-moon. Thus there are eleven

marks on Her left foot.

 

"At the base of the large toe of Her right foot is a conchshell, and below

that a spear. At the base of the small toe of Her right foot is a

sacrificial altar, below that an earring, and below the earring a spear.

Along the base of the second, third, fourth and small toes is the mark of a

mountain, below which is a chariot, and on the heel is a fish.

 

"Thus all together there are nineteen distinguishing marks on the soles of

Srimati Radharani's lotus feet." [END OF PURPORT]

 

 

(om ajnana timirandhasya, etc.)

 

 

How great is God is not something so well known. Srimad-Bhagavatam very

scientifically and elaborately explains how from a childlike cowherd boy,

Gopal, effulgence emanates and within that lies all the spiritual and

material worlds. That Sri Gopal expands again and again and from his

expansions and plenary portions and portions of the plenary portions the

Lord is controlling everything in the material and spiritual worlds,

although in his original form in Vraja he is only concerned with the loving

affection of his devotees.

 

Krsna is more pleased in serving his devotees and fulfilling their desires

than in his own pleasure. He is atmarama, everything is contained and

fulfilled in him, he doesn't need the help of anything, not like us who need

family, society and love. He is self-satisfied, he has rasa within himself

but it is unmanifest. Rasa, the sweet mellow flavour of that nectar for

which we are always anxious, requires the love between lover and beloved.

Therefore, for the sake of rasa, enjoying the taste of that nectar--more so

in seeing his devotees enjoying the taste of that nectar--Krsna expands

himself as his divine eternal pleasure-giving potency, hladini-sakti, who is

the very murti of love, the prema murti.

 

Srimati Radharani is the direct feminine counterpart of Sri Krsna. She alone

possesses such attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Lord Sri Krsna.

She is the transformation of Krsna's love, the embodiment of his

hladini-sakti, and the medium by which other souls, be they sakti tattva,

jiva tattva, can attain the highest form of divine service and love.

 

Srimati Radharani took birth in this world one year fifteen days after the

appearance of Krsna. Because it was previously arranged when the demigods

approached Ksirodakasayi Visnu--this takes place in various kalpas--but in

this one age the demigods sailed upstream in the celestial Ganges, entered

the Causal Ocean and finally arrived at the. . . ? desire tree. Lord Krsna

was seated and all the demigods saw the various ? entering into the body of

Gopal. ?? [missing section]

 

Gopal said, "I will come and rectify." Srimati Radharani started crying,

"How will you go without me?" He said, "You are never without me." She said,

"How will I live without Govardhan Hill and my friends and all the divine

entities within the forest?" He said, "They're already gone ahead."

 

Srila Prabhupada says a very interesting thing in the purport to Lord

Krsna's appearance in this world. He says in the verse explaining how

beautiful Vrindavan appeared when Krsna appeared there, Srila Prabhupada

said that Janmastami means very soon Srimati Radharani will appear in this

world. It is almost as if he is saying that the real festival is Radhastami,

and Janmastami just means that Radhastami is coming.

 

This tells us something about the Gaudiya Vaisnava conception of the

greatest God. When Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur was leading

devotees on parikrama in Vraja and they were at Radha Kunda, one devotee

came and told Srila Bhakitsiddhanta that an artistocratic devotee and his

family was doing dandavat parikrama of Radha Kunda. He was so impressed by

their devotion that he wanted to tell Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. But Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta said, "Our angle of vision is different. They are devotees

of Krsna, so they revere Srimati Radharani as his beloved, but the Gaudiya

Vaisnava angle is a little different. The Gaudiya Vaisnava perception is

that the supreme goal attained in life is not Krsna, it is love of Krsna.

And that love of Krsna is personified in Srimati Radharani. Our highest

prospects lie in surrendering at the shelter of her lotus feet."

 

Srila Prabhupada told the story about the appearance of Srimati Radharani.

According to this version, when King Vrsabhanu was plowing the field, which

is a sacred duty being performed by the emperor and symbolic regarding

making the earth fertile to receive the divine seed of love of God-that is

why Balaram carries a plow because he is the original guru who makes our

hearts fertile to receive love of God--so when King Vrsabhanu was plowing...

of course he had for a long time wanted a daughter and like Nanda Maharaja,

he was entering into his elderly years. They had one son, Sridama, but many

years back, as Sucandra and Kalavati who were prince and princess and were

married in great pomp, but unlike the princes and princesses of this world,

they did not hanker to enjoy the luxuries of palace life. Immediately after

their marriage they went to the forest to perform severe tapasya, living by

eating leaves. After a long time of severe tapasya, Lord Brahma appeared and

asked, "What benediction do you desire?" They expressed that when the

supreme lord Krsna appeared in this world, they would like to have his

consort energy to serve as a daughter. Lord Brahma blessed them and

disappeared.

 

So King Vrsabhanu for so long wanted that daughter, but like Nanda Maharaja

he was getting old, but he never gave up hope. The Vaisnava never gives up

hope and Srimati Radharani says hope against hope produces misery. . . ? We

have hope and faith then Krsna fulfils all desires. So when King Vrsabhanu

was plowing the field, he found Radharani there.

 

There is another version of the appearance of Srimati Radharani also: The

king of the Vindhya Hills was performing tapasya to challenge Mount Sumeru

and was thus growing larger and larger. The devas and rsis were becoming

fearful that it might outgrow Sumeru and thus disturb the universe and the

calculations of the stars which were based on Sumeru.

 

Agastya Muni came to visit the Vindhya Hills, who greeted him and paid

obeisances. Agastya said, "I have to step out, wait for me," but he never

came back, and thus the Vindhyas remained bowed down and the situation was

resolved. When the Himalayas gave birth to Parvati after Sati gave up her

life in the arena of Daksa, the Himalaya King was proud to have such a

daughter as Parvati and son-in-law as Siva. Again the Vindhyas wanted to

outdo him and was blessed when ? transferred her and her sister to South

India where they took birth as the daughter and her cousin sister? of the

Vindhyas. Kamsa was sending his raksasas all over the country to kill any

male children born in the time of Krsna and kidnap the girls.

 

So Putana came there and kidnapped Srimati Radharani and Candravali and the

king saw that this witch just kidnapped his daughter and her cousin sister.

He said "Kill that witch!" The brahmanas started chanting their

witch-killing mantras and Putana began fleeing for her life. When she

reached Mathura, the mantras began to act and she began to die. This is a

different version of Putana than we know. When she let go of the baby girls,

they dropped in the Yamuna and floated down.

 

At that time it was Brahma-muhurta, which in some millenniums is the

appearance time of Srimati Radharani, but in other times she appeared at

noon. But when King Vrsabhanu went to take his bath, it was still dark, but

there was a golden effulgence coming from the Yamuna. When his eyes

adjusted, he saw that it was a golden lotus and on it was a baby girl. He

tried to reach the girl, but the Yamuna was flowing very heavily and he

could not reach the girl. Then Brahma appeared and handed him the girl and

reminded him of his benediction.

 

He very happily took Radharani home to his wife, Kirtida. Their jubilation

was mixed with lamentation because similar to the appearance of Lord

Balarama who appeared like a stone--deaf, dumb, and blind because he had no

interest in anything of this world--Srimati Radharani was acting in a

similar way. She would not open her lotus eyes. She would not speak. She

didn't appear to be hearing anything because she had no interest in anything

of this world. Her only interest was in Krsna. So King Vrsabhanu and Kirtida

were a little disturbed.

 

Narada Muni, understanding that the appearance of Krsna means that very soon

his consort energy will appear, was roaming Vraja and came to the palace of

Vrsabhanu, who received him very graciously. Narada Muni asked him, "Do you

have any children?" He said yes and brought Sridama. Narada blessed Sridama

and then asked, "Do you have any other children?" King Vrsabhanu was feeling

some conflict in his heart and said no. Narada Muni began to leave and then

Vrsabhanu said, "Actually we do have one other daughter that I was reluctant

to present because she is blind."

 

So King Vrsabhanu brought out his daughter and to his amazement Narada Muni

began offering dandavats, prayers, and circumambulating her. He said that

the girl will see if you offer a certain kind of feast and invite Nanda

Maharaja. But the feast required certain bhoga that was not available in the

palace so they went out. Then Narada prayed to the girl to show him her

actual form and she revealed that to Narada.

 

When the kind and queen returned and prepared the feast and invited Nanda

Maharaja and Yasoda, they came. The parents were mixing one another and Baby

Krsna was just crawling around on the floor. He crawled over to the crib of

Srimati Radharani, reached up and looked in. When the fragrance of Krsna's

lotus like form entered the nostrils of Srimati Radharani, her lotus eyes

fluttered, and she began talking in baby talk, "Syama, I love you, I love

you!" Everyone was elated, "She hears, she is speaking!" and they had a

grand festival to celebrate.

 

Bhanu means son. There were many brothers in the Bhanu family. Srimati

Radharani took birth from Vrsabhanu. Vrsa means bull, so Vrsabhanu means

like what Krsna told Arjuna, "O best of Bharata," so Vrsabhanu is the best

of the Bhanu brothers. Bhanu means sun, that which purifies, reveals and

transforms. It transforms the salty water of the ocean into clouds of pure

water which travel throughout the land and then when those clouds are

pierced with lightning, they shower fresh water which is necessary for life

on earth. Symbolically the cloud is like Krsna, the lightning is Srimati

Radharani, and the rain is the mercy from which her hometown receives its

name, Varsana, which means rain of mercy. And during Brahma Muhurta this

morning, very gentle rain began to fall to highlight this principle.

 

We are hearing in this verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam the holy name of Radha

spoken indirectly because Sukadeva Goswami, who we hear all throughout the

Bhagavatam as sri suka uvaca, is Sri Suka, the parrot of Srimati Radharani.

Sukadeva Goswami is her pet parrot who Krsna asked to stay in this world

after Radha and Krsna left. Sukadeva Goswami, because his istadevi is

Srimati Radharani, could not speak her Holy Name without going into internal

ecstasy for six months or so and Maharaja Pariksit only had seven days to

live and hear Srimad-Bhagavatam, so Sukadeva Goswami did not mention her

name.

 

And when his disciple Suta Goswami was reciting Srimad-Bhagavatam, he was

looking out at the audience who were not all pure, so he did not mention the

name of Srimati Radharani lest they be impure and cause some offense.

Nevertheless, her Holy Name can be detected in Srimad-Bhagavatam by

deductive reasoning and innuendos because the Srimad-Bhagavatam, from

beginning to end, is the description of the glories of devotional service in

this world as revealed by different devotees leading up to the most perfect

surrender of the gopis.

 

When we hear repeatedly and increasingly the qualities of devotion revealed

in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, we know that their source is Srimati Radharani. It

was not necessary for Sukadeva Goswami to narrate Krsna's lila because that

had already been done so in many Puranas, but none of those Puranas reveal

the glories of the gopis and Srimati Radharani, the most beloved of Krsna.

So there are certain standard ways that the Lord and his consort appear and

there are also the occasional kinds of appearances.

 

When Krsna was just an infant, just over a year old, he was with Nanda

Maharaja. Nanda Maharaja was herding the cows with the infant Krsna in his

arms. That infant Krsna, who is the controller of all the demigods and all

the worlds, playing like a helpless infant, ordered the ominous clouds which

were present to drop their rain and wind over Braja. Suddenly a very strong

wind began to blow and all kinds of ripe and unripe fruits fell to the

ground and Krsna began crying. It was very dark and cold and Nanda Maharaja

was thinking, "I need to take Krsna home, but then the cows will be

scattered everywhere. But if I take care of the cows, Krsna will surely get

sick in the storm that is to follow."

 

Nanda Maharaja was in great anxiety and Krsna was crying, but in that dark

forest scene, a golden effulgence cast its warmth and light over the father

and child and from that effulgence a very beautiful goddess appeared. The

baby Srimati Radharani had transformed herself into a goddess form. When

Nanda Maharaja saw her he said, "O Goddess, O consort of Lord Narayana who

has taken birth in my family as Krsna, please take my child to the palace.

She stretched out her arms and said, "So be it." She embraced the infant to

her chest and walked off.

 

When she passed a kunja, she transformed herself into beautiful Kisori and

baby infant Krsna transformed himself into beautiful Kisore form. Brahma

just happened to be flying overhead, and Lalita called him to land. There

was a pavilion manifest and Lord Brahma began chanting his Vedic hymns. He

told Sri Sri Radha Krsna that "I would like to perform your marriage

ceremony because in the future many ignorant fools will criticize you based

on their own misconceptions and moral standards."

 

So he performed their marriage ceremony and all the devas who had come down

from the heavens intermingled with the creatures of the Vrindavan forrest

and had a great festival. Srimati Radharani was very timid among these

demigods. Like a father, Lord Brahma put her hand into Lord Krsna's hand and

flowers fell from the sky. Radha and Krsna blessed Brahma with devotion.

 

Then they walked through the forest playing hide and seek. Srimati Radharani

cooked a wonderful feast for Krsna. They danced together. Krsna began

decorating Srimati Radharani with beautiful jewels from the forest. She was

just about to decorate him in the same way when again Krsna turned into an

infant and began crying. She began crying, "My beloved, where have you

gone?" A voice form the sky announced, "Dearly beloved, do not lament

because in the future all your desires will be fulfilled."

 

Then she took Krsna back to Nanda Maharaja's palace and entrusted him to the

care of Mother Yasoda. That goddess returned to Vrsabhanupura and

transformed herself into a little baby and went into her crib. It began

raining and thundering. Hearing the thunder, the peacocks began squawking

very loudly. Kirtida and Mother Yasoda went into their babies' rooms to see

that they were sleeping and they each saw that their children were smiling

very peacefully, as they dreamt about their marriage.

 

When Srila Prabhupada was aboard the Jaladuta, he wrote in his dairy, "O

brothers, I emphatically saw unto you, you will obtain your good fortune

from the supreme Lord Krsna only when Srimati Radharani becomes pleased with

you." And as he instructed us in his usual innocent, childlike fashion, "If

you can please Srimati Radharani, she will say 'Krsna, Krsna this devotee is

so nice and even though he is a fool, please accept him.' Or rather, even

though we are like a fool, if Srimati Radharani accepts our service and

recommends us to Krsna, he must accept."

 

??

 

Jarasandha kept attacking and Krsna encouraged it as he wanted to kill al

the demons. The 18th time, which represents that when the four and four plus

ten purificatory processes do not result in devotional service then Krsna

disappears, Balaram told Krsna that "There are barbarian hordes preparing

to attack from another side, you better do something." So Krsna manifested a

fortified city in the sea and transferred the sleeping Yadus there, they

were surprised to wake and find themselves there. They were happy to be with

Krsna, but when the news reached Braja, it was like a death knell to them;

as if Krsna was saying he would never return. The whole of Vrindavan forest

began wilting.

 

Srimati Radharani was fluctuating between the pangs of ecstasy and agony of

separation. Once she saw some cows and told Lalita and Visakha, "Look Krsna

must be there!" but they knew he wasn't. She ran there and saw the cows were

so dejected they weren't nursing their calves; they were on the verge of

death because Krsna was gone, and she fell down unconscious. When she came

to she was praying to the sun to fulfill her desires. In a shade of a tree

Visakha noticed the sun was pulsating warmth and light as if to confirm that

her prayer would be answered. Then they went to the Yamuna where Srimati

Radharani fainted again. She had a dream that an evil messenger of Kamsa

came to take Krsna away. When she regained consciousness she said "I will

bathe in the Yamuna to counteract the effect of the dream. Let's go to

Kela-tirtha where Krsna and Balarama will be playing."

 

So they went there, when Srimati Radharani saw the sun's reflection on the

dark water and the shining blue lotuses, she saw Krsna in the water

beckoning her to enter. She entered up to her eyes. Visakha went with her.

Krsna embraced her and she disappeared under the waters. Visakha went with

her. Visakha heard a voice from the sky, don't be afraid, bring Srimati

Radharani to me via the Yamuna. They went to the sun.

 

Lalita was watching to see if they would ever emerge, she was going to enter

too, but Vrinda stopped her: "Vrindavan is already bereft of the presence of

Krsna, now Srimati Radharani and Visakha are also gone, if you give up your

life, everyone will simply die so you must stay in this world." Lalita was

irate so she tricked Vrinda saying, "I have to tell the others what

happened." Lalita ran off, her sari dripping. Vrinda was thinking, "How can

this be that the world is bereft of Radha, Krsna, and Visakha?" Then a voice

from the sky said, "Be patient, in time all of your desires will be

fulfilled." So she went to tell Lalita that she should not drown herself.

 

Lalita, sobbing and trembling, went to take shelter of Govardhan Hill where

a peak overlooks the panoramic view of Vraja with smoke arising from the

cooking stoves. Her mind was flooded with the pictures of the last pastimes

of Radha, Krsna, and Visakha. In a mood of great anguish, she walked out to

the edge of the cliff where she saw an eagle soaring through the sky a

little bit below her and she leapt out into the sky to embrace the scene far

below.

 

In Dvaraka, Krsna heard of the disappearance of Srimati Radharani, Lalita,

and Visakha, and how all the Brajagopis had left or disappeared from Vraja.

Various kings came and claimed some gopis to take shelter in their kingdom.

Those gopis who were left praying on the banks of the Yamuna were kidnapped

while praying for Krsna to return. Even Krsna was unaware of how divine fate

would play out in his lila.

 

At that time all the Dvaraka queens had not yet appeared, but Rukmini had

appeared and she could hear Krsna calling out for the gopis at night. She

knew her love didn't mean anything to him because Krsna is completely

controlled by the love of the Brajabasis.

 

Meanwhile, in the palace of the Sun God, Srimati Radharani was not at all

happy and even Visakha's words of consolation were not helping. The Sun

God's wife explained to her that Suryanarayana resides in the sun, but

Visakha explained to her that nothing can replace the love of Krsna. In

time, the Sun God took Radharani to Dvaraka in the form of Satyabhama and

put her under the care of Rukmini. ??

 

At this time, Krsna was very unhappy. There was something lacking. And that

was Braja rasa. The celestial architect, Visvakarma, had created

Nava-vrindavan in Dvaraka, but he wouldn't go there as it would increase his

separation as there were no Brajavasis there.

 

Rukmini was telling Satyabhama that she would soon meet her husband. But

Satyabhama said, "Please arrange a place for me where I will never have to

hear the name of any man." Rukmini liked that as she didn't want to her to

meet Krsna as her superior beauty would create rivalry. So she entrusted her

to the care of Nava Vrindadevi of Nava-vrindavan. She gave Satyabhama her

own little kunja where she lived hoping to meet her Lord again as promised

by the Sun God.

 

Narada Muni had instructed her in the worship of the deity of Krsna. So Nava

Vrindadevi took her to a sapphire Deity of Krsna in Nava-vrindavan. And when

she saw it, she thought, "Now all the pain has become worthwhile, I am

united with Krsna!" But when she went to embrace him, she saw that Krsna was

unmoving, it was as if he had become petrified. So she decorated the Deity

with chandan and flowers to make him more lifelike.

 

Meanwhile Krsna had an inspiration to visit Nava-vrindavan along with

Madhumangala, They went right to the Deity. Krsna said, "Look how he is

dressed; he is so lifelike! The pujari was obviously feeling great emotion

and affection. Let's see who the pujari is."

 

Krsna hid the Deity in the forest and put the Deity's clothes on himself.

When Satyabhama was picking flowers and returned with Nava Vrinda to serve

the Deity, they noticed that wherever they moved, the Deity was watching

them, his eyes were moving. When she placed the flowers on the deity, he

began to waver and had to lean against a tree for support. Krsna couldn't

control himself. He thought, "She is just like Srimati Radharani! How did

she get here? Or is she just a Deity like me? 'O illusory Radha, will we

again be happy in our pastimes?'" Hearing this and seeing the Deity move,

she fainted. Nava Vrinda thought, "This Deity is so lifelike now!"

 

Just then the peacocks began to squawk as Rukmini was coming. So Krsna and

Madhumangala ran off to the forest to fetch the Deity. But Rukmini caught

Krsna trying to put the Deity back and saw he was wearing the cloth that she

had given Satyabhama. She said, "What are you doing and why are you so

ecstatic? Have you met a new lover?" Krsna replied that, "All I find here is

an old lover here in Nava Vrindavan."

 

"What do you mean an old lover?" and she left in jealous anger. Back in the

palace Krsna told Uddhava all that had transpired. Uddhava said that Narada

told me that Satyabhama is Srimati Radharani. Krsna said, "Well, how can she

become a queen in the presence of Rukmini?" Uddhava said he would take care

of that and told Rukmini of this. Satyabahama didn't want to leave Nava

Vrindavan but for Krsna's pleasure she came to the palace and became Krsna's

queen.

 

Meanwhile, Lalita was falling through the sky to commit suicide. Just then

Jambavan was inspired to go to Vrindavan and he saw her and caught her and

took her home. She became Jambavati. Gradually all the gopis appeared in

Dvaraka to serve their queen while simultaneously remaining in Vraja.

 

Srila Prabhupada gave us the Hare Krsna mantra which is the song composed of

the holy names of Radha and Krsna which Srimati Radharani sings in

separation of Krsna. Hara is Radha, and where there is Radha-Krsna there is

Govardhan, Vrindavan, Yamuna, everything. Srila Prabhupada installed the

Deities of Radha Krsna in our hearts by giving us the mahamantra. How

carefully we must serve that mantra!

 

Radha Krsna should be appearing in our hearts every day when we serve the

mantra. There are special days like today when more devotees come and we do

more service and contemplate, "Who are these personalities, why did they

appear here, whom am I and what am I doing; when the holy names appear where

does my mind go?" We should contemplate the great fortune that Srila

Prabhupada is giving us when he wrote in his diary as he was approaching the

western shores:

 

"I emphatically say to you, O brothers, you will obtain your good fortune

from the Supreme Lord Krsna only when Srimati Radharani becomes pleased with

you."

 

That was the fulfillment of his father's desire when he would invite sadhus

to bless his son to become a pure devotee of Srimati Radharani. Of course

Srila Prabhupada did not become a pure devotee-he is a nitya-siddha,

eternally a pure devotee. But he appeared in this world to give us this

message: how great is God, not as the controller, but in his ability to

fulfill all the desires of his devotees, the foremost of whom is Srimati

Radharani, who is the universal mother caring for us. The father may be

harsh but she is soft and gentle and nurturing our bhakti lata bija to make

an offering to Krsna. If her service to Krsna is a little enhanced by our

service and our engaging others, then Krsna will be pleased to accept our

service if it is offered through her hands.

 

King Vrsabhanu and Kirtida were joyous to receive a daughter so late in

life. Today is a great day to pray for their blessings that the universal

mother will be pleased with us, a great day to please Srila Prabhupada and

the devotees and offer some service to Sri Sri Radha Vrindabanchandra.

 

Thank you very much. Are there any questions or comments?

 

 

Shyamasundara das: Is there any Purana where direct reference of Srimati

Radharani is given?

 

Maharaja: There are many Puranas where direct reference is given. But they

are not as spotlessly pure as Srimad-Bhagavatam. Therefore pure devotional

service was not so emphasized. So just for the pastimes of Radha and Krsna

there was no need for another Purana, but to emphasize the pure devotion of

the Vrajabasis, there was need to cast illumination into this world, what is

pure devotional service. This is prominent in Srimad Bhagavatam.

 

Yugalakisora Das: You mentioned that the four varnas and asramas and ten

purifactory processes, if do not lead to devotional service, then Krsna will

disappear. . . .

 

Maharaja: Everything is meant to be subservient to bhakti. Just like

Jarasandha believed in varnasrama but didn't have faith in devotional

service. So his faith in varnasrama lead to the disappearance of Krsna.

Nothing can replace that faith in devotional service.

 

Thank you very much. Srimati Radharani ki jai, Srila Prabhupada ki jai!