SB 10.36.16 – Respecting Sri Radha-kunda

Giriraj Swami: 

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

We read from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Ten, Chapter Thirty-Six, “The Slaying of Ariṣṭā, the Bull Demon,”

TEXT 16

ariṣṭe nihate daitye

kṛṣṇenādbhuta-karmaṇā

kaṁsāyāthāha bhagavān

nārado deva-darśanaḥ

TRANSLATION

After Ariṣṭāsura had been killed by Kṛṣṇa, who acts wonderfully, Nārada Muni went to speak to King Kaṁsa. That powerful sage of godly vision addressed the King as follows.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

The term deva-darśana can be understood in many ways, all of which are consistent with the context and purport of this narration. Deva means “God,” and darśanaḥ means “seeing” or “an audience with a great personality.” Thus deva-darśana, a name for Nārada Muni, indicates that Nārada has attained the perfection of seeing God, that getting Nārada’s audience is as good as getting God’s (since Nārada is a pure representative of the Lord), and also that Nārada’s audience is as good as that of the demigods, who are also known as devas. That there are all these meanings of the term deva-darśanaḥ reveals something of the richness of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam’s language.

From the Purāṇas, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has quoted twenty verses describing a joking conversation between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa that took place after Kṛṣṇa had killed the demon Ariṣṭa. This conversation, so kindly quoted by the ācārya, describes the origin of Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa, Rādhā’s and Kṛṣṇa’s bathing ponds. The verses are as follows:

māsmān spṛśādya vṛṣabhārdana hanta mugdhā

ghoro ‘suro ‘yam ayi kṛṣṇa tad apy ayaṁ gauḥ

vṛtro yathā dvija ihāsty ayi niṣkṛtiḥ kiṁ

śudhyed bhavāṁs tri-bhuvana-sthita-tīrtha-kṛcchrāt

“The innocent young gopīs said, ‘Ah, Kṛṣṇa, don’t touch us now, O killer of a bull! Alas, even though Ariṣṭa was a terrible demon, still he was a male cow, so You will have to undergo atonement, just as Lord Indra did after killing Vṛtrāsura. But how can You purify Yourself without going to the trouble of visiting every single holy place in the three worlds?’”

kiṁ paryaṭāmi bhuvanāny adhunaiva sarvā

ānīya tīrtha-vitatīḥ karavāṇi tāsu

snānaṁ vilokayata tāvad idaṁ mukundaḥ

procyaiva tatra kṛtavān bata pārṣṇi-ghātam

“[Kṛṣṇa replied,] ‘Why should I have to wander throughout the entire universe? I will at once bring all the countless pilgrimage places here and take My bath in them. Just watch!’ With this, Lord Mukunda struck His heel on the ground.”

pātālato jalam idaṁ kila bhogavatyā

āyātam atra nikhilā api tīrtha-saṅghāḥ

āgacchateti bhagavad-vacasā ta etya

tatraiva rejur atha kṛṣṇa uvāca gopīḥ

“[Then He said,] ‘This is the water of the Bhogavatī River, coming from the Pātāla region. And now, O holy places, all of you please come here!’ When the Supreme Lord had spoken these words, all the holy places went there and appeared before Him. Kṛṣṇa then addressed the gopīs as follows.”

tīrthāni paśyata harer vacasā tavaivaṁ

naiva pratīma iti tā atha tīrtha-varyāḥ

procuḥ kṛtāñjali-puṭā lavaṇābdhir asmi

kṣīrābdhir asmi śṛṇutāmara-dīrghikāsmi

“‘See all the holy places!’

“But the gopīs replied, ‘We don’t see them as You describe.’

“Then those best of holy places, joining their palms in supplication, spoke up:

“‘I am the salt ocean.’

“‘I am the Ocean of Milk.’

“‘I am the Amara-dīrghikā.’”

śoṇo ‘pi sindhur aham asmi bhavāmi tāmra-

parṇī ca puṣkaram ahaṁ ca sarasvatī ca

godāvarī ravi-sutā sarayuḥ prayāgo

revāsmi paśyata jalaṁ kuruta pratītim

“‘I am the river Śoṇa.’

“‘I am the river Sindhu.’

“‘I am the Tāmraparṇī.’

“‘I am the holy place Puṣkara.’

“‘I am the river Sarasvatī.’

“‘And we are the Godāvarī, Yamunā and Revā rivers and the confluence of rivers at Prayāga. Just see our waters!’”

snātvā tato harir ati-prajagalbha eva

śuddhaḥ saro ‘py akaravaṁ sthita-sarva-tīrtham

yuṣmābhir ātma-januṣīha kṛto na dharmaḥ

ko ‘pi kṣitāv atha sakhīr nijagāda rādhā

“After purifying Himself by bathing, Lord Hari became quite arrogant and said, ‘I have produced a pond containing all the various holy places, whereas you gopīs must never have executed any religious duties on this earth for the pleasure of Lord Brahmā.’ Then Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī addressed Her girlfriends as follows.”

kāryaṁ mayāpy ati-manohara-kuṇḍam ekaṁ

tasmād yatadhvam iti tad-vacanena tābhiḥ

śrī-kṛṣṇa-kuṇḍa-taṭa-paścima-diśya-mando

gartaḥ kṛto vṛṣabha-daitya-khurair vyaloki

“‘I must create an even more beautiful pond. So go to work!’ Having heard these words, the gopīs saw that Ariṣṭāsura’s hooves had dug a shallow ditch just west of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s pond.”

tatrārdra-mṛn-mṛdula-gola-tatīḥ prati-sva-

hastoddhṛtā anati-dūra-gatā vidhāya

divyaṁ saraḥ prakaṭitaṁ ghaṭikā-dvayena

tābhir vilokya sarasaṁ smarate sma kṛṣṇaḥ

“At that nearby spot, all the gopīs began digging up lumps of soft mud with their hands, and in this way a divine pond manifested in the short span of an hour. Kṛṣṇa was astonished to see the lake they produced.”

proce ca tīrtha-salilaiḥ paripūrayaitan

mat-kuṇḍataḥ sarasijākṣi sahālibhis tvam

rādhā tadā na na na neti jagāda yasmāt

tvat-kuṇḍa-nīram uru-go-vadha-pātakāktam

“Krishna said, ‘Go ahead, lotus-eyed one. You and Your companions should fill this pond with water from Mine.’

“But Rādhā replied, ‘No, no, no, no! This is impossible, since the water of Your pond is contaminated by Your terrible sin of killing a cow.’”

āhṛtya puṇya-salilaṁ śata-koṭi-kumbhaiḥ

sakhy-arbudena saha mānasa-jāhnavītaḥ

etat saraḥ sva-madhunā paripūrayāmi

tenaiva kīrtim atulāṁ tanavāni loke

“‘I will have My countless gopī companions bring the pure water of the Mānasa-gaṅgā here in billions of pots. In this way I will fill this lake with My own water and thus make its renown unequaled in the entire world.’”

kṛṣṇeṅgitena sahasaitya samasta-tīrtha-

sakhyas tadīya-saraso dhṛta-divya-mūrtiḥ

tuṣṭāva tatra vṛṣabhānu-sutāṁ praṇamya

bhaktyā kṛtāñjali-puṭaḥ sravad-asra-dhāraḥ

“Lord Kṛṣṇa then gestured to a heavenly personality who was an intimate associate of all the holy places. Suddenly that person rose up out of Kṛṣṇa’s pond and bowed down to the daughter of Śrī Vṛṣabhānu [Rādhārāṇī]. Then, with palms joined and tears pouring from his eyes, he began praying to Her in devotion.”

devi tvadīya-mahimānam avaiti sarva

śāstrārtha-vin na ca vidhir na haro na lakṣmīḥ

kintv eka eva puruṣārtha-śiromaṇis tvat-

prasveda-mārjana-paraḥ svayam eva kṛṣṇaḥ

“‘O goddess, even Lord Brahmā himself, the knower of all scriptures, cannot understand Your glories, nor can Lord Śiva or Lakṣmī. Only Kṛṣṇa, the supreme goal of all human endeavor, can understand them, and thus He feels obliged to personally make sure that You can wash away Your perspiration when You are fatigued.’”

yaś cāru-yāvaka-rasena bhavat-padābjam

ārajya nūpuram aho nidadhāti nityam

prāpya tvadīya-nayanābja-taṭa-prasādaṁ

svaṁ manyate parama-dhanyatamaṁ prahṛṣyan

tasyājñayaiva sahasā vayam ājagāma

tat-pārṣṇi-ghāṭa-kṛta-kuṇḍa-vare vasāmaḥ

tvaṁ cet prasīdasi karoṣi kṛpā-kaṭākṣaṁ

tarhy eva tarṣa-viṭapī phalito bhaven naḥ

“‘He is always anointing Your lotus feet with nectarean cāru and yāvaka and decorating them with ankle bells, and He rejoices and feels most fortunate simply by satisfying the tips of the toes of Your lotus feet. On His order we have immediately come here to live in this most excellent pond, which He created by one stroke of His heel. But only if You now feel satisfied with us and bestow upon us Your merciful glance will the tree of our desire bear fruit.’”

śrutvā stutiṁ nikhila-tīrtha-gaṇasya tuṣṭā

prāha sma tarṣam ayi vedayateti rādhā

yāma tvadīya-sarasīṁ sa-phalā bhavāma

ity eva no vara iti prakaṭaṁ tadocuḥ

“Hearing this prayer spoken by the representative of the full assembly of holy places, Śrī Rādhā was pleased and said, ‘So, kindly tell Me your desire.’

“They then told Her plainly, ‘Our lives would be successful if we could come to Your pond. That is the benediction we desire.’”

āgacchateti vṛṣabhānu-sutā smitāsyā

provāca kānta-vadanābja-dhṛtākṣi-koṇā

sakhyo ‘pi tatra kṛta-sammatayaḥ sukhābdhau

magnā virejur akhilā sthira-jaṅgamāś ca

“Glancing at Her beloved from the corners of Her eyes, the daughter of Vṛṣabhānu replied with a smile, ‘Please come.’ Her gopī companions all agreed with Her decision and became immersed in the ocean of happiness. Indeed, the beauty of all creatures, both mobile and stationary, was enhanced.”

prāpya prasādam atha te vṛṣabhānujāyāḥ

śrī-kṛṣṇa-kuṇḍa-gata-tīrtha-varāḥ prasahya

bhittveva bhittim ati-vegata eva rādhā-

kuṇḍaṁ vyadhuḥ sva-salilaiḥ paripūrṇam eva

“Thus gaining the grace of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, the holy rivers and lakes in Śrī Kṛṣṇa-kuṇḍa forcibly broke through its boundary walls and swiftly filled Rādhā-kuṇḍa with their waters.”

proce hariḥ priyatame tava kuṇḍam etan

mat-kuṇḍato ‘pi mahimādhikam astu loke

atraiva me salila-kelir ihaiva nityaṁ

snānaṁ yathā tvam asi tadvad idaṁ saro me

“Lord Hari then said, ‘My dear Rādhā, may this pond of Yours become even more world-renowned than Mine. I will always come here to bathe and to enjoy My water pastimes. Indeed, this lake is as dear to Me as You are.’”

rādhābravīd aham api sva-sakhībhir etya

snāsyāmy ariṣṭa-śata-mardanam astu tasya

yo ‘riṣṭa-mardana-sarasy uru-bhaktir atra

snāyād vasen mama sa eva mahā-priyo ‘stu

“Rādhā replied, ‘I will come to bathe in Your pond as well, even though You may kill hundreds of Ariṣṭa demons here. In the future, anyone who has intense devotion for this lake, which is on the spot where You chastised Ariṣṭāsura, and who bathes or resides here is sure to become very dear to Me.’”

rāsotsavaṁ prakurute sma ca tatra rātrau

kṛṣṇāmbudaḥ kṛta-mahā-rasa-harṣa-varṣaḥ

śrī-rādhikā-pravara-vidyud alaṅkṛta-śrīs

trailokya-madhya-vitatī-kṛta-divya-kīrtiḥ

“That night Lord Kṛṣṇa initiated a rāsa dance at Rādhā-kuṇḍa, generating a torrent of the greatest mood of splendorous pleasure. Śrī Kṛṣṇa resembled a cloud, and Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī a brilliant flash of lightning filling the sky with abundant beauty. In this way Their divine glories permeated the expanses of the three worlds.”

As a final note, it should be mentioned that Nārada Muni, being a great sage, understood that the killing of Ariṣṭa more or less concluded the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana. Therefore Nārada, anxious to facilitate the transferal of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes to Mathurā, approached Kaṁsa and addressed him as follows.

Giriraj Swami: So, reading this pastime of the creation of Syama-kunda and Radha-kunda, I naturally thought of those days when His Holiness Tamal Krishna Goswami and I would spend time in Vrindavan and teach at the Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education and take devotees on parikramā of various holy places, including Sri Radha-kunda and Sri Syama-kunda. And those were very sweet days and nights filled with much friendship and Krishna consciousness.

At one stage, some of Srila Prabhupada’s neophyte disciples came to Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda and took them to be swimming pools in which they could dive and sport. And hearing about the way they perhaps missed the exalted status of Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda, Srila Prabhupada said that his disciples should not bathe in the kuṇḍas. And certainly, if one considers the true nature of Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda, especially Radha-kunda, being Srimati Radharani in liquid form, and one considers one’s own position as a fallen, wretched, sinful entity, what qualification do we have to enter Radha-kunda? We have no qualification. And therefore, many Gaudiya Vaishnavas, they just take some water from Radha-kunda in their palm and do ācamana and sprinkle the water on their heads. And that is considered as good as taking bath in Radha-kunda.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was also very reserved about taking bath in Radha-kunda. But then again, Srila Rupa Gosvami in Sri Upadeśāmṛta glorifies Radha-kunda very much in the mood of the verses that we just read, and he also proclaims the glories of taking bath in Radha-kunda. And therefore, other Gaudiya Vaishnavas or the same Gaudiya Vaishnavas at different times may, with great humility and respect, take bath in Radha-kunda, following the orders of Srila Rupa Gosvami in the Nectar of Instruction. But certainly, Radha-kunda is a most sacred place. During the eight-fold daily pastimes of Radha and Krishna, aṣṭa-kālīya-līlā, they meet at Radha-kunda in the afternoon and enjoy various pastimes there. Krishna will take the cows to pasture at Govardhana Hill, and then on some pretext, He will arrange to leave the cowherd boys and cows, and steal away to Radha-kunda with some intimate friends, cowherd boyfriends, and meet Radharani and her girlfriends there and enjoy various pastimes.

Almost all of our great acharyas established bhajana-kuṭiras at Radha-kunda. The Gosvamis, Jiva Gosvami and Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami wrote Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta there, on the banks of Radha-kunda, and Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, and even later, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. One place at Radha-kunda was the bhajana-kuṭira or ashram of Srinivasa Acharya. And our previous acharyas, they dealt with disciples that were not all that different from us, they also dealt with neophytes and tried to train them in devotional service. Of course, the culture was more supportive of Krishna consciousness then, and the atmosphere was more favorable. But in Srinivasa Acharya’s ashram, there was a beam of wood. And on Ekādaśī, because the strict observance of Ekādaśī means that one stays up all night chanting and hearing the glories of the Lord. So, Srinivasa Acharya would have the brahmacharis tie their śikhās to this wooden pole, so if they happened to fall asleep or nod out as we say, they would get yanked by the hair and woken up. [laughter] This is quite an ingenious way of ensuring that the brahmacharis would stay up all night and get the benefit of the Ekādaśī vrata. And in more recent times, some of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples have gotten places at Radha-kunda. Nitai Chand Prabhu has his place; Mahanidhi Swami stays there. And there is a very nice Manipuri temple that was given into the charge of Srila Bhakti Svarupa Damodara Swami. And there was so much devotion. So, the king of Manipur who built the temple, designed it in such a way that when the first rays of the sun would come up over Radha-kunda, it would shine into the deity room of Radha and Krishna and greet them and illuminate their deity room. And of course, it is a very good place to chant.

I have told this story, but still, it is relevant to us so I will repeat it. One year, His Holiness Sacinandana Swami stayed at Radha-kunda to perform a kartik-vrata, and he had a very strong nāma-vrata. It is a rule that one should not disclose one’s vrata because then others may respond, “Oh, you are chanting so many rounds, oh that is so good, you are so great,” and then one will get puffed up and then the whole thing will be ruined. So, generally, one keeps those vows to oneself. But he hardly had time to do anything but chant. Still, he did agree to spend a little time with me, talking, and he explained that when he first came to Radha-kunda to begin his vrata, he was not able to enter into the nectar of the holy name. He described it as if he had come to the door and he was knocking on the door but the door was not opening. So then he thought, What to do? And we all may have the experience of not really being able to enter deeply, but because he was at Radha-kunda and his only service pretty much was just to chant, he had no other service to preoccupy him or distract him. There were no social interactions, there was nothing else but chanting. And so, he was confronted by the fact that he had come to the door but the door was not open. So he thought, What to do? How to enter?

Then he thought he should do humble service to the kuṇḍa and to the Vaishnavas. So he thought he should sweep the area around the kuṇḍa, but not at any time when anyone could see him, because again, “Oh, that is so nice you are cleaning the kuṇḍa,” and then again, the false ego will become prominent and everything will be spoiled. So, he would do it, maybe between 1:00 and 2:00 in the morning, 12:30 and 1:30, sometime when no one would see him. And that actually opened the door. That humble service, selfless service, enabled him to dive more deeply into the nectar of the holy name. And Nitai Chand Maharaja, for his part, he would do Govardhana parikramā every day. And what struck me about both of them was that amidst their strenuous efforts to purify themselves and advance in Krishna consciousness, they were also very concerned about the welfare of the society, of ISKCON. It came out in my talks with Nitai Chand Maharaja. And Sacinandana Swami, after completing this nāma-vrata at Radha-kunda, he went to Ahovilam, to the temple of Nṛsiṁhadeva, specifically to pray for the welfare of ISKCON.

So, we are very fortunate here in Dallas that His Holiness Sacinandana Swami will be coming here for two days or so, before the sādhu-saṅga retreat at the end of May. And he doesn’t go to so many places. He has his places where he goes, but otherwise, he doesn’t go as much. Two years ago, I helped facilitate a japa retreat at Varshana with Sacinandana Swami and Bhurijana Prabhu. And at the end, people were coming up and the three of us were sitting together on the stage, and I heard people telling Maharaja, “Oh, please come to Bombay, please come here, please come there,” and he was very direct, he said, “No. When I am in India, the only places I go are holy places, otherwise, I don’t go to other places.” But that is not selfishness, but it is a way of balancing one’s time and energy and schedule. Because we need to invest time in our personal spiritual lives in order to have the qualities and the potency to really help others. So, it is very good news for us. Actually, he had another commitment in Europe at the time of the sādhu-saṅga retreat, but it got cancelled. So, out of nowhere, this I would say special arrangement for us happened.

So, yes, chanting and hearing. That is the most essential process. Of course, devotional service is absolute, but chanting and hearing and remembering, these are the three primary processes, and they are enhanced in a holy place like Sri Radha-kunda and in the association of serious devotees. As far as Narada going to Kamsa, and as stated in the next verse, he told Kamsa, “Yasoda’s child was actually a daughter, and Krishna is the son of Devaki.” Because Kamsa had been forewarned that the son of Devaki would kill him. But actually, by his arrangement, through yoga-māyā’s agency, He was switched. [laughter] His father Vasudeva took him to Gokula, and took Yasoda’s baby girl and brought her back to Mathura. And then, when Kamsa tried to kill her by dashing her on the stone, she flew out of his hands and manifested her form as Durga and chastised him. So here, Narada is disclosing the secret. And same with Balarama. Balarama was in the womb of Devaki, and Krishna arranged through yoga-māyā that Balarama should be transferred to the womb of Rohini in Gokula because Rohini was sent there to be protected by Nanda Maharaja who was related to Vasudeva, so that she would be saved from the atrocities of Kamsa. So, it appeared that Devaki had a miscarriage because she had a child in her womb and then that child, before being born, was transferred to the womb of Rohini. So, Narada disclosed that secret too. So, he told Kamsa. . .

TEXT 17 TRANSLATION

[Nārada told Kaṁsa:] Yaśodā’s child was actually a daughter, and Kṛṣṇa is the son of Devakī. Also, Rāma is the son of Rohiṇī. Out of fear, Vasudeva entrusted Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma to his friend Nanda Mahārāja, and it is these two boys who have killed your men.

Giriraj Swami: Because Kamsa kept sending demons to Vrindavan to kill the children, just in case one of them was the one who would kill him, and they all ended up being killed. So, now this may appear to be a very peculiar course of action for Narada to take, to inform Kamsa of these secrets that were meant to keep Krishna and Balarama’s identities hidden from Kamsa. But there is a purpose to it, of course, and the purpose was to accelerate the Lord’s pastimes. As our acharyas have noted, with the killing of Aristasura, Narada understood that the time for Krishna to leave Vrindavan had come, and therefore, to accelerate Krishna’s pastimes, he informed Kamsa. And this is also a lesson to us, that something might appear to be a reversal, but it may actually be part of a larger design to fulfill the Lord’s plan. So, we should be very careful about judging circumstances as being good or bad. In fact, everything in the life of a devotee is ultimately meant for good, so that the devotee can learn something and accelerate his spiritual progress back home, back to Godhead.

Hare Krishna.

So, are there any questions or comments?

Devotee: Are you going to be here in Dallas when Sacinandana Maharaja comes?

Giriraj Swami: Yes, I will be. Will you?

Devotee: I will be.

Giriraj Swami: Krishna willing, we all will be here.

Devotee: I had one question about the logistics of these millions of gopīs there, [Unintelligible 00:55:49] millions of gopīs there, interacting in this pastime, it seems physically impossible.

Giriraj Swami: Well, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains. . . Actually, other acharyas have also explained that Vrindavan or Vraja-dhama is like a lotus flower, and sometimes it expands, and sometimes it contracts. For example, the Vraja-dhama extends many miles, and for us to walk from Vrindavan to some of the farther reaches of Vraja-dhama where Krishna had His pastimes, you would have to walk for hours and hours and hours, perhaps days and days, like they do on Vraja Mandala parikramā. So, our acharyas explain that Vraja-dhama is like a lotus flower and it can expand or contract. So, if Krishna has to go a long distance in a short time, it contracts so He can cover the distance easily and quickly. This is what they say, you can believe it or not. So, similarly, time and space, they can expand or contract. And one example that the acharyas give is that the entire cosmic manifestation could fit into Krishna’s mouth, that is His unlimited potency. So, the entire cosmic manifestation could fit into his mouth, and millions of gopīs could fit in the area of Radha-kunda, the inconceivable will of the Lord. And actually, Vrindavan is spiritual, it is considered an expansion of Krishna’s body, and Krishna’s body itself, it can become bigger than the biggest, smaller than the smallest. So, the dhāma has the same properties or characteristics as the body of Krishna, and therefore, it can expand, it can manifest itself in different places.

Srila Jiva Gosvami gives a very interesting discussion about the dhāmas. Because we take certain things for granted on faith, but Jiva Gosvami has researched the scriptures and applied logic and reasoning to really make a very strong argument for all the points of our Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy. So, how do we know that Krishnaloka, Goloka Vrindavan is not different from Gokula or Vrindavan on earth? And similarly, other places like Mathura and Dvaraka. So, Jiva Gosvami says that we know that they are the same because the names are the same and the qualities are the same and the pastimes associated with them are the same. And then, as far as the question, “Well, how could it be in the spiritual sky and at the same time be on Earth?” So, he gives the argument that just as Krishna can expand His body into multiple forms, and he quotes from the Tenth Canto when Krishna married sixteen thousand one hundred and eight wives, He was simultaneously present in each and every palace, each of the sixteen thousand one hundred and eight palaces. So, that means that His body can expand into multiple forms. And the dhāma is considered an expansion of His body, and therefore, the dhāma can also expand into, be in many places at the same time. So, it is a mysterious topic.

Jiva Gosvami explains that the dhāma, that transcendent dhāma from the spiritual world, it comes to earth and settles on the surface of the earth and it interpenetrates the earth. And then, when Krishna is present personally, the spiritual dhāma is fully manifest. And then, when Krishna leaves, the dhāma, it can gradually become covered. It is still there and pure devotees can see the dhāma in its original feature, but it becomes covered to our vision, to the vision of ordinary people, by the illusory energy. And therefore now, there is so many anomalies in Vrindavan, buildings, marriage halls and big roads. So, the dhāma is there, but when Krishna was personally present, the dhāma was revealed fully in its original feature from the spiritual sky, and now it is intermingled with the material energy. But pure devotees, they see, they can perceive the original nature of the dhāma. And it is considered a portal, like a doorway, it is considered a portal to enter the transcendent Goloka, Vrindavan. And that is why we find in Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta that Gopa Kumar is advised to return to Bhauma-Vrindavan, the Vrindavan on earth to perfect himself. And then from the Bhauma-Vrindavan on earth, he is able to enter the Goloka Vrindavan in the spiritual world.

Devotee: If we have a minute, I am just curious, there is practically unlimited planets in each universe. I was just wondering, is there other Vrindavans on other planets, or is this the only planet where there is Vrindavan?

Giriraj Swami: The earth is the only one in this universe. So, it is very special. That is the whole point, the earth is very special and the time that we are living in is very special. Because it is not that Krishna comes in His original form in every divya-yuga, every yuga cycle, it is not that He comes in every Treta-yuga, but just once, in a day of brahman, like one thousand He comes. And similarly, it is not that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Original Personality of Godhead, comes in every Kali-yuga, He comes only in the Kali-yuga after the Dvapara-yuga in which Krishna comes. So, we are in an extraordinarily fortunate position to be able to progress in Krishna consciousness and attain perfection. So, we shouldn’t take it lightly. Yes, Narottama?

Narottama: Maharaja, my question has to do with Radha-kunda and the practice of this Manjari-bhava. And I know that in Radha-kunda we have Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati home there, and the history has it that he rejected and criticized the babajis of Radha-kunda for practicing this Manjari-bhava. And that their gurus give the siddha-pranali mantra, and reveal to them their spiritual form. And by doing that, they practice their sadhana, meditating on that form that was given to them by their guru with the idea of obtaining perfection. And then they criticize Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati saying that, “You were never given this siddha-praṇālī mantra; therefore, your line is not complete. And those who follow Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, you cannot achieve perfection.” So, the rebuttal was Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was sure that this realization of one’s spiritual form comes by the practice of sadhana and through realization, it is not just given in the neophyte position and meditated on. My guru Maharaja, he gave an example of the devotee who rejected Srila Prabhupada and went there, took initiation, was told that he was a peacock. And then, when the other devotees went there, he was up in a tree, acting like a peacock, making peacock noises. And then later, about a year later, they found him in New York, they were doing h harināma in New York and he came out of a manhole, he was living in the sewers of New York, and he said he had literally gone crazy from this practice.

Now, this history between Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and Babajis and the whole discussion of siddha-praṇālī mantra and practicing Manjari-bhava is mentioned in ISKCON book in the relationship of Narottama dasa Thakura and Lokanath Gosvami, and also, we have Syamananda Pandita and others actually being given their identity as mañjarīs by the previous six Gosvamis, by the Gosvamis in Vrindavan—Lokanath Gosvami, Jiva Gosvami etc., They revealed that Narottam dasa Thakura is Champaka Manjari of Campakalata. So, my question is, how are we supposed to understand this history and this rejection, and then it is also mentioned there in our previous acharyas having been given their spiritual identities by their gurus? What is the correct understanding? And then also, you mentioned the devotees Mahanidhi Maharaja and Nitai Chand Prabhu living there in Radha-kunda, and there were some conversations of Srila Prabhupada where he is rejecting that practice, saying that, “Work now, samadhi later,” and he didn’t recommend devotees giving up active preaching and going to Radha-kunda or going to Vrindavan to practice like.  If you could help us with that.

Giriraj Swami: Is there a particular reason why you are asking this?

Narottam: No, I just know that Radha-kunda and we have these things and we were discussing this and you are probably the best authority in the world on this topic. So, I thought I would take the opportunity of your kind presence here to hear this.

Giriraj Swami: Well, to try to summarize, there are two different ideas of how one realizes his eternal svarūpa. One is that the guru gives it through initiation, and the other is that it is already there, and one realizes it through sadhana or kṛpā. And in our line, we take the second view, nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema ‘sādhya’ kabhu naya, that our love for Krishna is eternally situated within the heart, it is not obtained from another source. Then śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya, and by hearing and chanting in the association of devotees, that eternal love is awakened or arises. And therefore, śikṣā can be more important than dīkṣā because the śikṣā gives you the method by which your eternal love can be awakened. And in the other view, your guru gives it to you at the time of initiation. And so, if he didn’t give it to you at the time of initiation, you don’t have it, which, is just not the way we see things at all.

Now, siddha-praṇālī literally means—the way to perfection or procedure for perfection. And not the six Gosvamis, but in Jagannatha Puri, that line coming from Vakresvara Pandita and Gopal Guru Gosvami and Dhyanchand Gosvami, they developed this procedure, and part of it is what they call the Ekadasa-bhava, eleven sentiments related to your eternal identity and service. So, there is your name, your dress, your service, the different details about your identity in kṛṣṇa-līlā. And what Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says is that when the disciple is very close to the stage of realization, that means bhāva-bhakti, you realize Krishna, you realize yourself, you realize your relationship with Krishna, it is just revealed. But when one is at the stage of a āsakti, which is just before bhava, and one is sort of getting close to it, getting a glimmer of it, the guru may, if the disciple is that qualified and if the guru is that qualified, the guru may give those Ekadasa-bhava.

But even then, Bhaktivinoda Thakura says what he is trying to do is just help the disciple’s meditation. He says that it may be that the guru gives something that doesn’t quite fit with the disciple, and then that can be adjusted. So, the idea is very much that that loving relationship is already there. Like Prabhupada gives the example, when you are asleep, you dream so many things. But when you wake up, you immediately know, “Oh, I am Narottama, I have to get up, I have to go to maṅgala-ārati, this is my wife.” and you remember everything about who you are. So, when one awakens at the stage of bhāva-bhakti, he immediately knows everything about his identity.

So, the siddha-pranali or Ekadasa-bhava is really a tool that can help someone make that transition from advanced state of āsakti, to bhāva-bhakti. But after Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, that practice was not done. There is some sketchy evidence that it might have been done in some rare cases by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, but the idea is that same point, nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema, that it is already there, and śuddha-citte, purifying the consciousness, karaye udaya, it awakens. And Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura gives the example in a little different context, but it could apply here as well. And that is that a brahman is traveling and he comes to a house to spend the night, and the owner of the house says that, because some brahmans are very strict, they only want to cook their own meal. So, the owner of the house says, “If you want, I can give you fire, stove, and all the different ingredients, and you can cook your meal. Otherwise, I have a meal that has been offered to the Lord, and if you want, you can just have the prasāda.”

So, in the Ekadasa-bhava, you are given all these different elements, and then somehow, you put it together, whereas in bhāva-bhakti, it is already there. It is already there and you just take it. So, basically, Srila Prabhupada has given us the method by which one can progress to the stage of bhāva-bhakti, and then at bhāva-bhakti, everything is revealed. And when someone criticized Srila Bhaktisiddhanta that, “You don’t have siddha-pranali,” he said, “Yes, we do.

tṛṇād api su-nīcena
taror iva sahiṣṇunā
amāninā māna-dena
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

That is our siddha-pranali, that is our way to perfection.”

All right, thank you very much.

Sri Sri Radha-kunda ki jaya!

Sri Syama-kunda ki jaya!

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

Gaura premānande Haribol!

Devotee: His Holiness Giriraj Swami Maharaja ki jaya!