Sri Radhastami

Giriraj Swami: He separated a portion of Himself in another form as Srimati Radharani, and She is the manifestation of Krishna’s blissful potency or hlādinī-śakti. Even an ordinary person will want a friend or a child or a lover with whom he can play, with whom he can enjoy life. So, Krishna manifested the same sentiment, and therefore He manifested Srimati Radharani out of His pleasure potency. And thus, He enjoys many pastimes with Srimati Radharani, day and night, in the groves of Vrindavan.

For us, Srimati Radharani may be far away, but we have experience of Srimati Radharani in the pleasure of devotional service, because the pleasure of devotional service is also the manifestation of the hlādinī-śakti. The hlādinī-śakti gives pleasure to Krishna through devotional service, and the hlādinī-śakti also gives pleasure to the devotee who renders devotional service.

Srila Prabhupada often said that when we please Krishna, automatically, we become pleased, and certainly, what Srila Prabhupada said is true. The Bhāgavatam gives the example that when you water the root of a tree, automatically, all the limbs, branches, and leaves of the tree are watered. And when one puts food in the stomach, automatically, all the different limbs and parts of the body are nourished. So, similarly, when one renders service to Krishna, all of Krishna’s parts and parcels, or all living entities are also benefited, and the one who renders the service and gives pleasure to Krishna through devotional service also feels pleasure through the medium of hlādinī-śakti. Because we are all parts and parcels of Krishna, we also have the same qualities of Krishna in minute quantity. And therefore, we also have some small amount of pleasure potency.

And in one purport of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Srila Prabhupada mentions the phenomenon that probably all of us have experienced to some extent, that when we come to Krishna consciousness, we experience the pleasure that we never experienced before in the material world, and we actually feel happy. But our friends and relatives who supposedly wanted to see us happy actually are not happy when we find happiness in Krishna consciousness.

I recall even George Harrison wrote a song where he mentions that he had so many friends that he thought were his friends, but when he came to Krishna consciousness and experienced the supreme pleasure of Krishna consciousness, his friends were no longer his friends. They wanted him to leave Krishna consciousness.

So, in the purport to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Srila Prabhupada remarks that when one comes to Krishna consciousness, the relatives and friends of the devotees try to exhibit their pleasure potency to get the devotee to come back to the material world. Basically, they want to say, in effect, to the devotee, “We can give you pleasure. Why are you going to Radha and Krishna? We can give you pleasure.” And they exhibit the minute pleasure giving potency they have as parts and parcels of Krishna to try to lure the devotee back into the material world. But the minute pleasure that one can get from the minute pleasure potencies of one’s friends and family in the material world cannot compare to the unlimited pleasure one can get from Srimati Radharani and Lord Krishna’s service.

Srila Prabhupada often used to quote the poet Vidyapati, who said, “The material world is like a desert, and the happiness we get from society, friendship, and love is like a drop in the desert.” Yes, we can say that there is some happiness there, but it is a drop, and a drop of water in a desert cannot do much. We require oceans of happiness for the soul, really, to be satisfied, because the soul originally is part of the spiritual energy. And therefore, Srila Prabhupada also used to give the example of the fish, that the fish can only be happy in water. If you take the fish out of water, even if you put the fish in a beautiful bowl filled with precious gems and jewels, but without water, the fish will not be happy, because the fish is the creature of the water, and he can only be happy in the water.

Similarly, we, spiritual souls, are part of the spiritual energy. We belong in the spiritual world, and therefore, no matter how hard we try to be happy in the material world, we can never really be happy. Now, there is some happiness, but not enough to satisfy us. But when we come into contact with the pleasure potency of Sri Krishna, in other words, the hlādinī-śakti personified as Srimati Radharani, then we can feel the real pleasure that can satisfy the heart and soul of the devotee.

Although in one sense, Srimati Radharani is far away in Vrindavan with Sri Krishna, but in another sense, She is also very near in the form of Her holy name as the devotees here have kindly informed us, or reminded us, “Glory, glory to the holy name of Radha that permanently dwells everywhere in Vrindavan, and that is the ocean of Krishna’s blissful transcendental pastimes.” So, when we chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, we are chanting the names of Radha and Krishna.

And in fact, great acharyas like Srila Jiva Gosvami and others have described different pastimes of Radha and Krishna that are contained, if you will, or manifest from the Hare Krishna maha-mantra itself. So, when we chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, we are chanting the names of Radha and Krishna.

Hare is the way we address Radha, as Radhe, and Krishna, of course, is the way we address Sri Krishna. So, when we chant Hare Krishna, we are chanting the holy names of Radha and Krishna, and They are present on our tongues when we chant. And They include Their forms, Their qualities, Their pastimes, Their associates, Their paraphernalia, Their dhāma, everything about Them. So, when we become proficient in chanting the holy names, especially the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, in other words, when we can chant without offense and purely, when we can chant purely, then we can realize everything about the divine couple in the holy names. And therefore, the best process to realize the pastimes of Radha and Krishna and the happiness of Krishna consciousness is to constantly chant the holy names.

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

They contain the entire abode of Sri Vrindavan dhāma, along with the divine couple, and all of Their associates and servants. We don’t need to practice any artificial method to realize Their pastimes and to associate with Them. And therefore, as so many scriptures say, and specifically here, I refer to one verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the doubtless and fearless way of realizing the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the chanting of the holy names of the Lord, following the ways of the authorities.

So, here I think of the cartoon that appeared in one magazine some years ago where an old couple is sitting on a park bench, and the old lady is saying to the old man, “Chant, chant, chant,” and the old man is replying, “Can’t, can’t, can’t.” So, that is our misfortune. Although the entire bliss of the spiritual world is available in the holy names of Krishna, Hare Krishna, we don’t chant, we don’t have the time or the inclination. And therefore, we tend to get absorbed in the glimmer of the material world, in the small prospects of material happiness offered in the material world.

And therefore, the association of devotees is so important because in the association of devotees, we are reminded of the great pleasure to be experienced in Krishna consciousness through the chanting of the holy names. And the great pleasure that Srimati Radharani has to offer us when we try to engage in the service of Her beloved Sri Krishna.

So, we are grateful to Sarvatma Prabhu and his good wife for their constant efforts to keep us engaged in chanting the holy names in the Santa Barbara area, and to all of you who come and form the congregation in which we can engage in the congregational chanting of the holy names.

The congregational chanting of the holy names was given by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as the yuga-dharma. He appeared to fulfill many prophecies, but He also appeared as the yugāvatāra, and He gave us the yuga-dharma of chanting the holy names of Krishna in saṅkīrtana. So, by the grace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His followers, the Six Gosvamis, and the other acharyas in the line, we are able to come together, and especially by the grace of Srila Prabhupada who brought the chanting of Hare Krishna to the west and taught us the science of Krishna consciousness, we are able to meet at the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda in [Unintelligible 00:17:03] California and relish some of the bliss of Krishna consciousness.

Sri Sri Radha-Govinda ki jaya! Srila Prabhupada ki jaya! Nitai- Gaura premānande.

Devotee: Maharaja?

Giriraj Swami: Oh, yes?

Devotee: One day, just a couple of days ago, [Unintelligible 00:17:35], and he took a taxi to the temple, the morning program that surprised the devotees [Unintelligible 00:17:43] that Radha and Krishna were in a grove in Vrindavan and the peacocks were dancing. And Krishna said to Radharani, “I will dance for Your pleasure.” And Krishna was dancing for Radharani’s pleasure, and when He finished, He came up [Unintelligible 00:18:21]. So, He went back and danced some more for Her pleasure, and peacocks started dancing with Him. And then He finished dancing, and He came up to Radharani and [Unintelligible 00:18:45] and He really, really tried hard. And He was dancing so beautifully that Radharani [Unintelligible 00:19:00]. So, the example was that even Krishna wants to please Radharani.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, that is true.

I thought of the verse from the Venu Gītā where the gopīs are appreciating the flute songs of Sri Krishna, and then when He plays on the flute, the peacocks dance in ecstasy, and they are so pleased with Him that they want to make an offering to Him. But what can they offer to Krishna? I mean, the only thing they really have to offer is their beautiful blooms, so they offer their blooms to Krishna, and therefore, Krishna keeps a peacock feather in His helmet.

So, I actually had a chance to witness that tradition in Pakistan, because in Pakistan, actually, many of the traditions are observed more even than in India. And so, our godbrother, Amogha Lila Prabhu, had visited a Sufi temple in Karachi, and he was playing the mridanga in the Sufi temple. So, the most famous and reputed to be the most expert of ghazal singers in Pakistan also happened to come to the same temple at the same time.

Although he lived in [Unintelligible 00:21:13], he was visiting Karachi, and he saw Amogha Lila playing the mridanga. So, he asked if he was a musician, and Amogha Lila said that he is a devotee, but he does play musical instruments. And they developed a friendship on the basis of music to begin. And he was an old man, I mean, relatively an old man. And the older Muslims who lived in India before the partition, they are used to having Hindu friends. And they are much more open to the culture of devotees there.

So, he was invited to a. . . So, I forget the name of the famous singer, but he was invited to perform at a very wealthy man’s house in Karachi. And he invited Amogha Lila and the other devotees to join him. So, we all went. I mean, Pakistan is different from India in the sense that the rich really like rich people. In India, I think they are more afraid of the income tax authorities, so they hide their wealth, but in Pakistan, they don’t seem to be afraid. So, I mean, he had this palace, it was really a palace, and a huge lawn and garden. And Karachi is really hot during the summer, really hot, and this was during the summer.

So, the performance was scheduled from about, I think it was from about 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., and that was the only time it was cool enough to gather together. So, anyway, the man performed, and all these aristocratic Pakistani ladies and gentlemen, and as he was performing, people would come up and some of the women actually gave some of their jewelry, and of course, many people gave money. And it reminded me of how when Krishna played His flute, the peacocks would offer their feathers to Him in appreciation. That was the tradition.

So then, the man invited us to sing, which was a really special opportunity, and I had the idea that we should. . . Oh yeah, that’s another thing, that the ghazals [Unintelligible 00:24:38] and ghazals. It’s a form of a song, I don’t know technically, but it takes the guise of a love song, but the [Unintelligible 00:24:52] explanation is that the song actually describes the devotees’ love for the Lord. On one level they can be seen as mundane love songs, but actually, they are to be love songs to the Lord by the devotee.

But anyways, there was, [Unintelligible 00:25:16], there was a Sindhi poet, he was the most popular Sindhi poet, and some scholar said, “What Shakespeare is to English, and what [Unintelligible 00:25:30] is to German, he is to Sindhi.” And he lived around the time of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, maybe a little later. He was said to be a vegetarian, and he definitely lived with sadhus in Vraja. And so, he has written many poems about Vraja and about the flute. Anyway, I just had the idea that we should sing Jaya Radha Madhava. Prabhupada said it gives the whole picture of Vrindavan. And so, we did, and the people loved it. The people really loved it, and they also came up and gave little offerings to us.

So, it’s sort of like love is, love of God is the universal language. It transcends all different cultures and linguistic differences. And they were hearing about the glories of Radha and Madhava in Karachi and relishing it. That’s Srimati Radharani’s mercy, the pleasure potency.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:27:02] visited Vrindavan or lived in Vrindavan, you may remember that sometimes all night long, these vrajavāsīs would sing this very simple song. They would start slowly, and sometimes I remember I would wake up in the middle of the night and [Unintelligible 00:27:26]. Param dhana means, “She is my supreme goal,” and prana dhana means, “She is my life.” Prana, my life, air, my everything. So, I can’t say that exactly for myself. That’s the meaning of the words. Very simple if you will pick it up. And I certainly can’t do justice to it either musically, or devotionally, but [Unintelligible 00:28:30].

Giriraj Swami: Jaya!