Sri Radha Kunda -- Appearance

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SRI RADHA KUNDA</center>

Sri Radha Kunda, the supreme lila-sthana of Vraja-mandala, Sri Radha's very own lake, appeared during the night between Soma Saptami and Mangalastami (Bahulastami). The nectarine mid-day pastimes (madhyahna-lila) of the Divine Couple take place on the banks and in the waters of this sacred lake. We will now spend two days immersed in thoughts of Sri Radha Kunda.

 

This thread will present several narrations describing Sri Radha Kunda and pastimes taking place in and around it.

 

Sri Madrasi Baba's website, which is currently being revised, also contains much nectar about Sri Radha Kunda. Don't forget to check it out. http://www.madrasibaba.org/NEW/radhakunda/ .

 

On our "Meditations" - page, you will find a flash-presentation of the kunjas of the asta-sakhis surrounding Sri Radha Kunda. The descriptions are taken from the seventh chapter of Sri Krishnadas Kaviraja Gosvami's Govinda Lilamrita. You can download the entire chapter from here.

 

Jai Sri Radhe!

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SRI RADHAKUNDASTAKAM OF RAGHUNATHA DAS GOSVAMI, VERSE 1

 

 

vRSabha danuja nAzAn narma dharmokti raGgaiH

Nikhila nija sakhIbhir yat svahastena pUrNam

PrakaTitam api vRndAraNya rAjJA pramodais

Tad ati surabhi rAdhAkuNDam evAzrayo me</center>

That very dear, beautiful and fragrant Radhakunda, that appeared after a joking quarrel between Radha and Krishna about piety after the killing of the Arista bull demon, and which was joyfully revealed and filled up by Sri Radha’s own hand, with the assistance of Her girlfriends, is my only shelter!</blockquote>Stavamrita Kana Vyakhya of Ananta Das Pandit: In the preceding ‘Sri Govardhanasraya dasakam’ Sripada Raghunatha discussed the importance of taking shelter of Govardhana and in his ‘Sri Govardhana vasa Prarthana dasakam’ he prayed for living at the base of Govardhana. Although there are many holy lakes and ponds around Govardhana Hill, Sri Dasa Gosvami is mostly attached to Sri Radhakunda, because Radhakunda’s glories equal Sri Radha’s glories. kundera mahimna yeno radhara mahima (C.C.). Particularly the desire to serve Sri Radhd awoke within the heart of Sri Raghunatha when he first saw the kunda. In Vilapa Kusumanjali (15) he has written:

 

<center>yada tava sarovaram sarasa bhrngasanghollasat

saroruhakulojjvalam madhura vari sampuritam

sphutat sarasijaksi he nayana yugma saksad vabhau

tadaiva mama lalasajani tavaiva dasye rase</center>

“O Blooming lotus-eyed girl (Radhe)! When my eyes directly saw Your pond (Radhakunda), which is filled with sweet water and lotus flowers surrounded by blissfully humming bees, then I really got the desire to taste the nectar of Your service!”

 

Hence Sri Raghunatha glorifies Sri Radhakunda in this Radhakundastaka because he desires to live on its banks. In this verse he describes the appearance of Sri Radhakunda, which is also praised as vraja mukuta mani, the crownjewel of all holy places of Vraja. Although Sri Radhakunda and Syamakunda are manifest from beginningless time, during Krishna’s manifest pastimes on earth Sri-Sri Radha-Madhava and Their sakhis used a humorous pastime to reveal the kundas. In the Adi Varaha Purana, Govardhana Parikrama Prasanga, it is thus described:

 

<center>gangayas cottaram gatva deva devasya cakrinah; aristena samam yatra mahad yuddham pravartitam ghatayitva tatas tasminn aristam vrsarupinam; kopena parsni ghatena mahyas tirtham prakalpitam vrsabhasya vadho jneya atmanah suddhim icchata; snatas tatra tada krsno vrsam hatva sagopakah vipapma radham provaca katham bhadre bhavisyasi; vrsa hato maya cayam aristah papa sucakah tatra radha samaslisya krishnam aklista karinam; sva namna viditam kundam krtam tirtham aduratah radhakundam iti khyatam sarva papaharam subham</center>

“On the northern side of Manasa Ganga, the God of Gods who carries a disc (Visnu or Krishna) began a fierce fight with Aristasura. Then, to atone for the sin of killing a bull, the Lord angrily struck the ground with His left heel and revealed a great holy tank (Syamakunda) in which He bathed for purification along with His cowherd boyfriends. (According to the Hari Vamsa, Krishna then entered the gostha (meadows) with His friends for an hour or so, after which He called the Sri Radha and the gopis for a Rasa-dance with His all-attractive fluteplaying) Then He said:

 

“Bhadre! (beautiful, auspicious Radhe) Now I am purified from the sin of killing a bull, how will You get purified now (the whole area is, after all, polluted by the sin I committed and everyone must share my karma for it!)? Then Radha embraced Krishna, the remover of all distress who can easily perform difficult tasks like destroying demons, and made a lake which was named after Her, on the west of Syama’s kunda. This auspicious lake, that destroys all sins, is known as Sri Radhakunda.”

 

How Sri Radhakunda appeared is also elaborately described by parama surasika kavi Srila Visvanatha Cakravartipada in his Sarartha Darsini-commentary on Srimad Bhagavata, verse 10.36.15 evam kakudminam. Here he quotes twenty verses from the Puranas that describe the humorous pastimes surrounding the advent of Sri Radhakunda and Sri Syamakunda. The essence of this story is written down here.

 

After Krishna had killed the demon named Aristasura, who had assumed the form of a bull, Sri Radharani and Her girlfriends blamed Him for killing a bull and told Him that He could only get purified from this sin by bathing in all the holy waters, if He ever wanted to gain qualification to touch the gopis again! Hearing their words Krishna forcefully struck the ground with His left heel and thus made the water of the Bhagavati Ganga appear from the Patala-region. In this Krishna invoked all the holy waters and thus revealed Sri Syamakunda. He bathed in the water of this kunda and then told all the holy waters of the world to appear in it. The gopis did not believe Him, though, and therefore, by Krishna’s wish, the holy waters all assumed visible forms and introduced themselves.

 

Krishna then jokingly told the gopis that He had revealed such an enormous holy place, but that they were bereft of all religiosity and pious merit. Hearing these joking challenges of Krishna Srimati Radharani wanted to reveal another beautiful kunda, and, seeing a huge cavity created by the hooves of the bull on the western side of Syamakunda, She began to dig the earth out there with Her own hands, assisted by Her girlfriends.

 

Within 48 minutes She had dug out a beautiful lake of Her own; in this way Sri Radhakunda advented itself. Then Krishna wanted to fill up Radhakunda with all the holy waters that had filled up Syamakunda, but Radharani refused, saying that the water of Syamakunda, in which Syamasundara had bathed, was now stained by His sin of killing a bull and that Her creation of Radhakunda would thus become useless. So She went with Her sakhis to the pure Manasa-Gatiga-lake and filled up Her own kunda with its water.

 

Then, on Sri Krishna’s indication, all the holy waters of Syamakunda arose and offered choice praises and obeisances unto Sri Radhika. Being satisfied with these praises Radharani gave them permission to enter into Her kunda, so they broke the dam that existed between the kundas and forcefully entered into Sri Radhakunda, filling it up.

 

In this kunda Sri Radha and Krishna eternally play Their watersports. Sri Radhakunda is even more glorious than Syamakunda (after all, when we go there, we always say ‘I’m going to Radhakunda!’, instead of ‘I’m going to Syamakunda!’, Ed.), and in this lake Radha and Krishna always play Their midday-pastimes.

 

Hearing about the appearance of Radhakunda, Bhagavati (the holy mother) Paurnamasi ecstatically called Vrindadevi (the presiding goddess of the Vraja-forests) and told her to plant various trees and vines on all four banks of the kundas. According to her own wish, Vrindadevi also had different jewelled and pearly ghatas (bathingplaces) built that were suitable for Radha and Krishna’s pastimes, with stairs that lead down to the kunda. She arranged for beautiful kunja to be laid out with different kinds of trees, vines and flowers. On both sides of the Ghata she had charming wish-yielding kalpavriksa-trees planted. Singing male and female parrots, pigeons, cuckoos and peacocks are always sitting on the branches of these trees, and the kundas are filled with golden, yellow, green, red, blue and white lotus flowers. On all four sides of the kunda are the enchanting arbours of Lalita, Visakha and the other sakhis. This Sri Radhakunda is the place where Sri-Sri Radha-Madhava have Their most confidential eternal midday-pastimes. Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami says: “May this very fragrant and beautiful Radhakunda be my only shelter.”

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SRI RADHAKUNDASTAKAM OF RAGHUNATHA DAS GOSVAMI, VERSE 2

 

 

vrajabhuvi murazatroH preyasInAm nikAmair

Asulabham api tUrNaM prema kalpadrumaM tvam

Janayati hRdi bhumau snAtur uccaiH priyaM yat

Tad ati surabhi rAdhAkuNDam evAzrayo me</center>

That very fragrant, dear and beautiful Radhakunda, that instantly makes a desire-tree of love of God sprout in the land of the heart of anyone who bathes there, although this is very difficult to attain even for Krishna’s beloveds in Vrajabhumi, is my only shelter!</blockquote>Stavamrita Kana Vyakhya: In this verse Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami explains more confidential truths about Sri Radhakunda, saying: “The desiretree of love of prema grows here of anyone who bathes there”. One may ask here: “How can that supreme goal, which is only attained after a long time of devotional practice, be suddenly attained just by bathing in Radhakunda?”

 

The answer is: Radhakunda’s glories are said to be equal to Radhdrani’s glories. That love which is normally only attained after a long time of practise (sadhya vastu sadhana vina keho nahi pay, no one can attain the goal without practicing, C.C.) is attained simply by seeing Srimati Radharani, even without performing any sadhana. This is the special feature of Radharani that even svayam bhagavan Sri Vrajendranandana (Krishna) does not have!

 

Srimat Sanatana Gosvami has written in his Brihad Bhagavatamrita (2.5.233) sa radhika bhagavati kvacid iksyate cet prema tad anubhavam rcchati murtiman sah “Anyone who somehow sees the supreme Goddess Radhika will experience prema in its real form”. Therefore it is no wonder that a single bath in Radhakunda causes the tree of prema to sprout in the field of one’s heart.

 

One may now ask: “But I see thousands of men and women taking bath in Radhakunda every year! Why don’t I see at least one of them getting prema at once then? How can I establish my faith in these statements of the great self-realized souls?”

 

To this the answer of the Mahajanas will be: “Wherever the scriptures and the saints proclaim such miraculous and inconceivable results, it must be understood to refer to offenseless practitioners. Only an offenseless bather in Radhakunda will attain love of God, otherwise this would actually be visible on anyone who bathes there. Such offenseless persons are very rare, and the fruits of such a benediction are not visible to our eyes so soon. There is no reason to doubt these glorifications. But even an offensive person who bathes in Radhakunda can get rid of his offensive attitude and attain this supreme goal by patiently bathing in Radhakunda again and again. This is the realized conclusion of the scriptures and the great saints.”

 

Someone may also think: “The whole of Vraja-mandala has the power to give love of God to its pilgrims, for the Padma Purana states dinam ekam nivasena harau bhaktir prajayate “Simply by staying in the Mathura-district for one day one will attain devotion to Lord Hari.’ What is then so special about bathing in Radhakunda?”

 

The answer to this is: “Love of Krishna is greater than love for any other form of God, for Krishna is the original personality of Godhead. The pure and intimate love of the ragatmika vrajavasis is far greater than the reverential devotion to Lord Hari of the inhabitants of Dvaraka and Mathura.

 

On top of that, as the text says, the prema kalpadruma (desiretree of love) attained by bathing in Radhakunda is not only unattainable by aisvarya devotees or by those who worship Krishna in the mood of a servant, friend, or parent, but it is even hard to attain by Krishna’s own madhura-bhavamayi girlfriends. It is well known that the conjugal mellow is superior to the fraternal and servitude-mellow.

 

<center>dasya sakhya, vatsalya, ara sringara;

cari bhavera caturvidha bhaktai adhara

nija nija bhava sabe srestha kori mane;

nija bhave kore krishna sukha asvadane

tatastha hoiya mone vicara yadi kori;

saba rasa hoite srngara adhika madhuri

(Caitanya Caritamrta, Adi 4)</center>

“There are four kinds of feelings devotees can have for the Lord: servitude, fraternal love, parental love or amorous love. Everyone considers his own feeling to be the best and most fulfilling, and through these feelings he makes Krishna relish happiness, according to the quantity and quality of his love. But if a rasika considers things from a neutral stance, considering the superiority and inferiority of the different ingredients of relish, such as vibhavas, anubhavas, sattvika bhavas and vyabhicari-bhavas, then we will see that the amorous love has the sweetest taste and is the most astonishing.”

 

The crownjewel of all these madhura rasa nayikas, (gopis) is Vrisabhanu’s princess Sri Radharani. Her astonishing madana rasa gives the greatest and indeed complete relish to Krishna and She has mercifully infused this sweet rasa in Her surrendered girlfriends and maidservants also. Therefore in the kingdom of ecstatic love the relish of the sakhis and manjaris is supreme. Still, the maidservants taste even more rasa than the sakhis. It is their prema, that is hard to attain even for Krishna’s beloveds (the sakhis), that is sown in the heart of someone who faithfully and offenselessly bathes in Sri Radhakunda! Sripada Raghunatha says: “May my dearmost and most desired Sri Radhakunda be my shelter!”

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SRI RADHAKUNDASTAKAM OF RAGHUNATHA DAS GOSVAMI, VERSE 8

 

anudinam ati raGgaiH prema mattAli saGghaiH

vara sarasija gandhair hAri vAri prapUrNe

viharata iha yasmin dampati tau pramattau

tad ati surabhi rAdhAkuNDam evAzrayo me</center>

That very beautiful and fragrant Radhakunda, in whose water, that is filled with nicely smelling lotusflowers, Radha and Krishna daily sport in loving intoxication, along with Their girlfriends, who are in a similar loving frenzy, is my only shelter!</blockquote>Stavamrita Kana Vyakhya: By the grace of Sri Kundesvari, Kundasrayi Sripada Raghunatha perceives the watersports of the Twin Divinities in Radhakunda, and he describes it here in this final verse of the Radhakundastakam. yei kunde nitya krishna radhikara sange; jale jalakeli kore - tire rasa range (C.C.) “In the water of this (Radhakunda Krishna eternally performs watersports with Radhika or dances the Rasa on its banks.”

<center>sri radheva hares tadiya sarasi presthadbhutaih svair gunair

yasyam sri yukta madhavendur anisam pritya taya kridati (Govinda Lilamrta 7.102)</center>

“Because of its own qualities this lake is as dear to Hari as Sri Radha Herself is; here the beautiful moon-like Madhava always lovingly plays with Her.”

In this transcendental vision Sri Raghunatha sees that Radha and Madhava have become tired of Their midday-sports such as touring the forest, drinking honeywine and making love, so they enter into the water of Sri Radhakunda to play there with their girlfriends, like king of elephants with its she-elephants. When Krishna and the gopis enter into the water, holding hands, they look like a golden net (the gopis) radiating moonbeams (their radiant smiles) surrounding a monsooncloud (Krishna). The most amazing thing is, though, that the raincloud itself is sprinkled by the golden net (with Radhakunda-water) although a cloud usually sprinkles water itself.

The gopis gently sprinkle Krishna with small handsful of water and Krishna blissfully protects His eyes with His hands. Then, when Sri Krishna forcefully splashes the beautiful gopis in return they all become physically agitated. Only their moonlike faces do not wilt because of their great ecstasy.

Now Radha and Krishna begin to play in the water. The loser of this watersplashing-game must give a prize to the winner. Kundalata is the referee. Sri Radha first splashes Krishna. How sweetly Her jewelled bangles jingle around Her lotuswhorl-like hands! It is as if Cupid wants to defeat Krishna with His watermissile! It’s become intolerable for Krishna! How beautiful Srimati looks when She throws the water! Syama and the sakhis swim in this ocean of beauty. The water that Srimati throws at Her Prananatha brightly shimmers on His chest. His garland of divine forestflowers loosens and His big vine-like necklace falls off. Only the powerful Kaustubha-gem is able to tolerate this stream of water without agitation and remain on Priyatama’s body.

After this gill Krishna says: “Priyatame! Now You tolerate this!”, and blissfully starts splashing Preyasi’s lotuslike face with enchanting streams of water. Tulasi watches on the bank of the kunda how Radha and Syama are having a huge fight in the water. Tenderhearted Svamini thinks that Her Prananatha, who is dearer to Her than millions of Her life-airs, will suffer too much if She splashes in His eyes, so She doesn’t do that, but Syama, desiring victory, does splash Srimati’s eyes again and again. The premavati sakhis forbid Syama again and again to throw water at Her eyes, but Syama does not listen. Svamini becomes mad from His expert splashing, although She is normally so grave, and She backs away. Syama loudly laughs, claps in His hands and says: “You’re defeated! You’re vanquished! Give Me My prize! I’m the victor!”

How beautiful are Svamini’s eyes and face when Syama holds Her around the neck! How many hundreds of waves of ecstatic love are there in this ocean of beauty! The fish-like eyes of Syamasundara, the sakhis and the manjaris are swimming in this ocean of beauty! Then, when Syama has collected His prize, Svamini dives under water and swims to a patch of golden lotusflowers, feeling ashamed before Her girlfriends. Her lotuslike face on Her deha-mrnala, lotusstem-like body, mixes with the golden lotusflowers (in the kunda). The sakhis tell Syama: “What have You done to our sakhi? Quickly Go and look for Her!”, but Syamasundara cannot find Srimati anywhere. Finally He notices many bees becoming attracted to the extraordinary fragrance of Isvari’s face, abandoning a cluster of lotusflowers and madly coming to fly towards the cluster of golden lotusflowers where She’s hiding, so He goes there and catches Srimati. The sakhis also go there.

Then Madhusudana forcibly begins to drink the honey from the lotuslike mouths of Sri Radha-padmini and Her sakhis, that are maddened by prema in the lotus-scented water. Of some sakhis He removes the jewelled ornaments, some sakhis loudly exclaim ‘my necklace is gone!’, some say: ‘my locket is gone!’ and some cry out: ‘where have my waistbells gone?!’ Krishna then removes some sakhis’ veils and blouses in order to behold their indescribable sweetness.

Seeing the different erotic watersports of Sri-Sri Radha-Madhava, that are maddened by Their own pastimes, Tulasi Manjari and the other kinkaris are beside themselves of transcendental bliss. After the watersports the Navina Yugala comes back on the shore with Their sakhis, and the kinkaris anoint and massage Them there with oil, bathe Them once more and dress them in the nikunja mandira with a variety of wonderful garments and ornaments.

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VILAPA KUSUMANJALI, VERSE 15

 

 

yadA tava sarovaraM sarasa-bhRGga-saGghollasan

saroruha-kulojjvalaM madhura-vAri-sampUritam |

sphuTat-sarasijAkSi he nayana-yugma-sAkSAd-babhau

tadaiva mama lAlasAjani tavaiva dAsye rase ||15||</center>

O Blooming lotus-eyedgirl (Radhe)! When my eyes directly saw Your pond (Radhakunda) which is filled with sweet water and lotus flowers surrounded by blissfully humming bees, then I really got the desire to taste the nectar of Your service!</blockquote>Notes: In the previous verse Sri Raghunatha dasa prayed to Srimati that he may once see Her lotus feet anointed with lac-dye, and in this verse he prays for the actual service of these anointed lotus feet, having become greedy for that service. “O lotus-eyed Radhe! Ever since I got to see Your lake I developed a liking for Your devotional service!” Sri Radhakunda is the limitlessly beautiful crownjewel of Vraja (vraja mukutamani), Priyaji’s Sarasi which is most dear to those whose everything is the service of Sri Radhika’s lotus feet.

 

<center>kundera madhuri heno radhara madhurima;

kundera mahima yeno radhara mahima

sei kunde eka bara yei kore snana;

tare radha sama prema krishna kore dana

 

(C.C. Madhya 18, 11-10)</center>

“The kunda is as sweet as Radha’s sweetness and the kunda is as great as Radha’s greatness. Sri Krishna will bestow a love equal to that of Radha’s to anyone who bathes even once in this kunda”.

 

Only the experienced devotees understand the complete feelings of mine-ness of the Radha-nistha devotees (those who are completely loyal to Radha), who love Priyaji with their whole hearts and who have offered their hearts to Her lotus feet, towards Sri Radhakuneda. It is here that Sri-Sri Radha Madhava eternally play Their midday-pastimes, and there is no place so dear to Them as this. The kunda is related to Svamini as being non-different from Her, so along with the kunda those devotees who are surrendered to Her see the lila.

 

When Sri Krishna is eager to meet Sri Radha and can find no means to see Her, He takes shelter of Sri Radhakunda. The most fortunate souls can live on the banks of Sri Radhakunda, and that fortune consists of Radharani’s personal mercy upon them. In Vraja Vilasa Stava (101) Srila Dasa Gosvami writes:

 

<center>pura premodrekaih pratipada navananda madhuraih

krta sri gandharvacyuta carana varyarcana balat

nikamam svaminyh priyatara saras tira bhuvane

vasanti sphita ye ta iha mama jivatava ime </center>

“Because of having worshiped the beautiful lotus feet of Sri Gandharva and Acyuta with the ever-fresh sweetness of pure spiritual love in their previous lives, some great souls are able to live on the bank of Svamini’s dearmost lake (Sri Radhakunda). These great devotees are my life and soul!”

 

The bank of Radhakunda is really wonderful: There are divine Kadamba-, Campaka-, Kunda-, Sirisa-, -Ketaki- and Kimsuka-trees as well as beautiful Lavanga- (clove), Jati-, Yuthi- and Madhavi-vines. There are many different fragrant flowers and Suka- and Sarika-parrots are sitting on the branches of the trees, singing sweet songs (rasa-gana) about Radhika and Madhava. Cuckoos sing in the fifth note, and bees are humming, so many birds are chirping and the peacocks spread their tail-feathers out as they sweetly dance and cry out: ‘ke ka!’.

 

The great branches of the trees, that beautify all the banks of the kunda, are studded with goosepimples of ecstasy, which they show in the form of their knots, and they shed tears of ecstasy in the form of the honey that trickles from their flowers. The water that fills Radhakunda and Syamakunda, sweet and filled with many colorful lotusflowers, is not actually water, it is the splendid spiritual erotic flavour of Radha and Madhava’s pastimes! These things can only be seen with spiritual eyes that are anointed with the salve of love. Materialistic people cannot see it as it is. In antar dasa (internal consciousness) we practise lilamaya bhakti (devotion that is filled with the transcendental pastimes).

 

<center>donhara ujjvala madhura ye rasa varna viparyaya kori;

bhakte sukha dite rahasya sahite ache sara nama dhari</center>

“The syllables ra-sa stand for the sweet splendid love of the Divine Couple Radha and Krishna, and when these syllables are reversed we get the word sa-ra, or lake. This secret makes the devotees very happy.”

 

<center>e karana bhakta sara kori vyakta se rase koriya snana;

krsnera krpaya radha sama prema labha kore bhagyavan</center>

“Therefore the devotees reveal that sara (lake) by bathing in that rasa, and by Krsna’s grace they become blessed by attaining a love for Krsna that is equal to that of Sri Radha’s.”

 

<center>sri krsna yokhon radha darasana lagi utkanthita hoy;

sakala upaya viphala hoiya radhakundasraya loy</center>

“When Krishna becomes eager to see Radha, and all His endeavours fail, He takes shelter of Radhakunda.”

 

<center>tat kale radhara paya darasana emati kunda prabhava;

radhara-o temati syamakundasraye krsna sanga hoy labha</center>

“At that moment He gets the audience of Radha on the strength of the kunda. In the same way Radha also takes shelter of Syamakunda and thus attains the company of Sri Krishna.”

 

Amazing lotusflowers, lilies and Kahlara-flowers are covering the sweet water of the kunda, surrounded by buzzing bees that become intoxicated by their fragrance. The chest (surface) of the kunda also bears many beautiful lordly swans and cranes that sing beautiful songs. When Krishna sees this Radhakunda He remembers Sri Radhika and when Sri Radhika sees Syamakunda She similarly remembers Krishna. The kunda is related to Sri Radha in all respects, and while Raghunatha describes the way he sees the kunda he simultaneously describes the self-manifest pastimes that take place there.

 

At noontime Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami anxiously cries out of grief, sitting on the bank of Radhakunda, as he suddenly perceives one very sweet pastime: He sees Radha and Krishna playing in the water. The loser of this watersplashing-game must give a prize to the winner. Kundalata is the referee and the prize is nectar from the lips (kisses) of the loser. Radhika first splashes Krishna. How beautiful Her eyes are!

 

<center>tam siseca kara pankaja kosaih sambubhih samani kankana ghosaih

varunastram eva tat kusumesor atyasahyam abhavad vijigisoh

saslathe bhagavati vanamala hara yastir apatat suvisala

eka eva balavan priya dehe kaustubhah paribhavam na visese

 

(Krishnahnika Kaumudi 4/146, 149)</center>

 

“How sweetly Her jewelled bangles jingle around Her lotuswhorl-like hands! It is as if Cupid wants to defeat Krishna with His watermissile! It’s become intolerable for Krishna! His garland of divine forestflowers loosens, His big pearl necklace falls off and His stick falls out of His hand; only His powerful Kaustubha-gem is able to tolerate this stream of water without lamenting!”

 

Isvari thinks tender Syamasundara will suffer too much if She splashes in His eyes, so She doesn’t do that, but cruel Syama, desiring victory, does splash Sukumari’s (tender Radhika’s) eyes all too hard, saying: “Priye! See if You can tolerate this!”

 

<center>sahyatam ayam ayam mama pathah seka ity atha nigadya sa nathah

preyasi vadana eva saharsah sasmitah sarasam ambu vavarsah

 

(Krishnahnika Kaumudi 4,150)</center>

Tulasl watches on the bank of the kunda how Radha and Syama have a huge fight in the water. The sakhis rebuke Syama, saying: “Syama! Don’t splash our sakhi like that! Has She ever done that with You? Just see how much She suffers!”, but Syama does not listen. Svamini becomes mad from His splashing, although She is normally so grave, and She backs away. What can a sukumari (tender girl) do against such a powerful wrestler?

 

Sri Lilasuka (Bilvamangala Thakura) calls Krishna ananda (ecstasy), and on the mouth of that ananda a sringara-rasa (erotic flavour) smile blooms up. He does not play any other games than the games of sringara rasa. Rasamaya Krishna and Rasamayi Radha shower Eachother with nothing else but rasa during Their rasa-krida (delectable games), and the devotees that are fixed in smarana are constantly showered with the sweet relish of this rasa-krida. These pastimes can only be attended in svarupavesa. When the mind returns to the external world this svarupavesa disappears, therefore Srila Narottama dasa Thakura sings: sadhana smarana lila, ihate na koro hela, kaya mane koriya susara “Do not neglect the practise of lila smarana; make it the essence of everything for your body and mind!”

 

It is the nature of these transcendental pastimes to draw the mind towards one’s siddha svarupa. That sacred greed that is the only and essential requirement for entering into raganuga bhakti is also awakening the revelation of these transcendental pastimes. When a fortunate devotee hears about the sweetness of these feelings this sacred greed awakens in his heart.

 

<center>tat tad bhdvadi madhurye srute dhir yad apeksate

natra sastram na yuktim ca tal lobhotpatti laksanam

 

(Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhuh 1.2.292)</center>

“The definition of the birth of transcendental greed is that when one hears about the sweetness of the moods and pastimes of Krishna and His Vraja-devotees one becomes attracted up to the point that one is not sensitive to the instruction of the revealed scriptures anymore, nor to logical arguments.”

 

Experience will come automatically while hearing about these sweet moods. These topics while destroy bodily conciousness and will nourish the siddha svarupa. One who becomes lusty after hearing these topics is unfortunate. Sri Suka Muni says: “The topics of Radha and Madhava’s loving affairs will cure the heart’s disease of lust and will bless the hearer with the highest possible devotion to the Lord (which is undoubtedly manjari bhava).”

 

Syama claps in His hands and says: “You’re defeated! You’re vanquished! Give Me My prize! I’m the victor!” But nobody, not even the parrots in the trees, sings Krishna’s glories. All the creatures in Vraja feel sorry for Radhika. How beautiful are Svamini’s eyes when Syama holds Her around the neck! Although Her eyes are filled with water She still keeps them wide open. Sri Raghunatha dasa addresses Her here as sphutat sarasijaksi: blooming lotuseyed girl! Her eyes have become slightly reddish from all the water, although they are usually compared to blue lotusflowers by the maha janas.

 

<center>alasa locana heri kajare ujala;

jale bosi tapa kore nila utapala</center>

“When they see Radhika’s languid eyes, made up with eyeliner, the blue lotusflowers sit in the water and perform penances (to become as beautiful as them).”

 

<center>indivara vara garava garasita khanjana ganjana nayana</center>

“These eyes (of Radhika) swallow the pride of the most excellent of blue lotusflowers (in colour) and the wagtailbirds (in restlessness).”

 

How bold is our Nagara! When He collects His prize (of kisses) Svamini, wanting to know what He’s doing exactly, does not close Her eyes completely, but keeps them slightly opened. Then, when Syama has collected His prize, Svamini dives under water, feeling ashamed before Her girlfriends. Nobody noticed where She went. There are shining red, blue, white and golden lotusflowers floating on the kunda (saroruha kulojjvalam) and Svamini surfaces in a cluster of golden lotusflowers, where She remains unnoticed (since Her face resembles a golden lotusflower also).

 

padme mukhe na pari cinite (C.C.) Suddenly the bees become attracted to Her extraordinary fragrance and leave all the other lotusflowers to come to Her face, humming sweetly and blissfully (sarasa bhrnga sanghollasat). The sakhis meanwhile tell Syama: “What have You done to our sakhi ? Go and look for Her!”

 

Our Hero sees the many bees buzzing around the golden lotuses, so He goes there and catches Srimati. The sakhis also go there. Syama brags: “Priye! If I would hide like this, You and Your girlfriends would never find Me!”

 

Svamini proudly says: “O yes? Allright, hide out then! I’ll surely find You!”

 

Syamasundara dives into a cluster of blue lotusflowers. While searching, Svamini notices that the monkeys, that sit on the branches of the trees that hang over the kunda, are staring at this cluster of blue lotusflowers. She understands that Syama must be hiding there, so She goes there and catches Him. Then She swims across the deep kunda, holding on to Syama’s neck. tinho krsna kantha dhari, bhase jalera upori, gajotkhate yaiche kamalini (C.C.) “She floats upon the water, holding on to Krishna’s neck like a female lotusflower picked by an elephant.”

 

The whole kunda is illuminated by Radha and Syama’s sweet bodily luster. How happy the kunda is to get her own Isvari swimming at her chest! Seeing this sweet pastime Tulasi is completely overwhelmed. How much joy the sweet water shows by making high waves! madhura vari sampuritam . How sweet this pastime is! Tulasi Manjari is beside herself of ecstasy when she sees it. Suddenly the spiritual vision disappears and remembering this pastime she says: “My mind became immersed in the spiritual flavour of Your service, as my eyes directly saw Your kunda”.

 

In his Radhakundastakam Sri Raghunatha dasa has confirmed that the desirevine of love for Krishna of even an ignorant and unqualified person who performs some service at Radhakunda in the form of bathing there, living there, seeing it or touching it, will blossom and bear the fruits of Radha’s service:

 

<center>api jana iha kascid yasya seva prasadaih

pranaya suralata syat tasya gosthendra sunoh

sapadi kila mad isa dasya puspa prasasyas

tad ati surabhi radhakundam evasrayo me

 

(Radhakundastakam - 5)</center>

That is the inconceivable potency of seeing and touching Radhakunda. “When I saw the sweetness of Your kunda I became attracted to Your devotional service. I don’t want anything else but that anymore. May that very fragrant and beautiful Radhakunda be my only shelter!”

[Govindaram]

 

hare krishna

[Haridham]

who is that pic of on the left by your name