NOI 11 – Sri Radha-kunda’s Appearance—and Reappearance

Giriraj Swami: So, we welcome you to the celebration of Sri Radha-kunda’s Appearance Day today at Radha-Kalachandji dhāma. Of course, as our scriptures and learned authorities tell us, when the Supreme Lord Krishna descends into the material world, He brings with Him everything of the spiritual world, including His eternal associates and His sacred abode. And just as Krishna is eternal, His associates are eternal and His abode is eternal. But just as Krishna has a pastime or līlā, by which He appears in the world or appears to take birth, similarly, the eternal Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda also appear by a certain arrangement of līlā.

Now, after Lord Krishna manifested His pastimes on earth five thousand years ago, Vrindavan gradually became covered. I mean, Vrindavan didn’t become covered but the places of Krishna’s pastimes became lost to memory. And when Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu visited Vrindavan, Syama-kunda and Radha-kunda were not really visible. When He came, He made inquiries and no one could say for sure where Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda were. But being the omniscient Personality of Godhead, He discerned where they were, and although they were just like two puddles in a paddy field, He took His bath there, He took some of the sacred clay and applied it as tilak. And Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu instructed His immediate followers, the Six Gosvamis, to excavate the lost places of pilgrimage in Vrindavan, and so, the Gosvamis undertook that service to the Lord and to the devotees. And in particular, Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami excavated Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda. And if you go there, you will see that Radha-kunda is in a regular shape, like a square, but Syama-kunda is zigzagged, it is not straight like Radha-kunda. And the history is that Raghunatha dasa Gosvami began the excavation with Radha-kunda first, and at night, he had a dream in which the five Pandavas appeared to him and informed him that they had taken birth as five trees near Syama-kunda, and therefore, he should be careful while excavating Syama-kunda, not to harm the trees. And so, he engineered the excavation of Syama-kunda in an irregular way so as not to disturb the five trees or the five Pandavas. There were many pastimes during the excavation, a rock was struck, and from that rock blood came forth and the rock was actually the tongue of Govardhana and now that rock is worshipped in the temple by the side of Radha-kunda.

So, to begin I would like to read from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta about how Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda were, you could say, discovered, rediscovered by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. There are two layers to Radha-kunda’s appearance, one is her original appearance pastime during kṛṣṇa-līlā, and then her reappearance pastime during gaura-līlā. And since we approach Radha and Krishna through Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, we will begin with gaura-līlā. Please repeat after me.

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, Chapter Eighteen, “The Lord’s Visit to Śrī Vṛndāvana,”

TEXT 1

vṛndāvane sthira-carān

nandayan svāvalokanaiḥ

ātmānaṁ ca tad-ālokād

gaurāṅgaḥ parito ‘bhramat

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu traveled all over Vṛndāvana and pleased all living entities, moving and nonmoving, with His glances. The Lord took much personal pleasure in seeing everyone. In this way Lord Gaurāṅga traveled in Vṛndāvana.

TEXT 2

jaya jaya gauracandra jaya nityānanda

jayadvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vrnda

TRANSLATION

All glories to Lord Gauracandra! All glories to Nityānanda Prabhu! All glories to Advaita Prabhu! And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura!

TEXT 3

ei-mata mahāprabhu nācite nācite

‘āriṭ’-grāme āsi’ ‘bāhya’ haila ācambite

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu danced in ecstasy, but when He arrived at Āriṭ-grāma, His sense perception was awakened.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Āriṭ-grāma is also called Ariṣṭa-grāma. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu understood that in that village Ariṣṭāsura was killed by Śrī Kṛṣṇa. While there, He inquired about Rādhā-kuṇḍa, but no one could tell Him where it was. The brāhmaṇa accompanying Him could also not ascertain its whereabouts. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu could then understand that the holy places known as Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa were at that time lost to everyone’s vision. He therefore discovered Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa, which were two reservoirs of water in two paddy fields. Although there was very little water, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was omniscient and could understand that formerly these two ponds were called Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa. In this way Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa were discovered.

TEXT 4

āriṭe rādhā-kuṇḍa-vārtā puche loka-sthāne

keha nāhi kahe, saṅgera brāhmaṇa nā jāne

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked the local people, “Where is Rādhā-kuṇḍa?” No one could inform Him, and the brāhmaṇa accompanying Him did not know either.

TEXT 5

The Lord then understood that the holy place called Rādhā-kuṇḍa was no longer visible. However, being the omniscient Supreme Personality of Godhead, He discovered Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa in two paddy fields. There was only a little water, but He took His bath there.

TEXT 6

When the people of the village saw Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taking His bath in those two ponds in the middle of the paddy fields, they were very much astonished. The Lord then offered His prayers to Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa.

COMMENT

So, transcendentally, of course, it is stated in many places in scripture that Radha-kunda is as dear to Krishna as Srimati Radharani herself. But it is further said that Sri Radha-kunda is not different from Srimati Radharani, and just as we would offer prayers to Srimati Radharani, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, playing a devotee, similarly offered prayers to Sri Radha-kunda.

TEXT 7

saba gopī haite rādhā kṛṣṇera preyasī

taiche rādhā-kuṇḍa priya ‘priyāra sarasī’

TRANSLATION

“Of all the gopīs, Rādhārāṇī is the dearmost. Similarly, the lake known as Rādhā-kuṇḍa is very dear to the Lord because it is very dear to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

COMMENT

And this brings us to Text Eight, the verse that is written on the board, which we can just recite to glorify Srimati Radharani and Sri Radha-kunda and to imbue the atmosphere and our hearts with transcendental vibrations. Please repeat.

TEXT 8

yathā rādhā priyā viṣṇos

tasyāḥ kuṇḍaṁ priyaṁ tathā

sarva-gopīṣu saivaikā

viṣṇor atyanta-vallabhā

TRANSLATION

Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is most dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, and Her lake, known as Rādhā-kuṇḍa, is also very dear to Him. Of all the gopīs, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is certainly the most beloved.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

This is a verse from the Padma Purāṇa.

TEXT 9

In that lake, Lord Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī used to sport daily in the water and have a rāsa dance on the bank.

TEXT 10

Indeed, Lord Kṛṣṇa gives ecstatic love like that of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī to whoever bathes in that lake even once in his life.

TEXT 11

The attraction of Rādhā-kuṇḍa is as sweet as that of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Similarly, the glories of the kuṇḍa [lake] are as great as Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s.

TEXT 12

śrī-rādheva hares tadīya-sarasī preṣṭhādbhutaiḥ svair guṇair

yasyāṁ śrī-yuta-mādhavendur aniśaṁ prītyā tayā krīḍati

premāsmin bata rādhikeva labhate yasyāṁ sakṛt snāna-kṛt

tasyā vai mahimā tathā madhurimā kenāstu varṇyaḥ kṣitau

TRANSLATION

“‘Because of its wonderful transcendental qualities, Rādhā-kuṇḍa is as dear to Kṛṣṇa as Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. It was in that lake that the all-opulent Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa performed His pastimes with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī with great pleasure and transcendental bliss. Whoever bathes just once in Rādhā-kuṇḍa attains Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s loving attraction for Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Who within this world can describe the glories and sweetness of Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa?’”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

This verse is found in the Govinda-līlāmṛta (7.102).

TEXT 13

ei-mata stuti kare premāviṣṭa hañā

tīre nṛtya kare kuṇḍa-līlā saṅariyā

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu thus offered prayers to Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Overwhelmed by ecstatic love, He danced on the bank, remembering the pastimes Lord Kṛṣṇa performed on the bank of Rādhā-kuṇḍa.

TEXT 14

kuṇḍera mṛttikā lañā tilaka karila

bhaṭṭācārya-dvārā mṛttikā saṅge kari’ Laila

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then marked His body with tilaka made from the mud of Rādhā-kuṇḍa, and with the help of Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya, He collected some of the mud and took it with Him.

COMMENT

And then Caitanya-caritāmṛta describes Lord Chaitanya’s further travels in Vrindavan.

So, because Radha-kunda is such an exalted place, many followers in the line of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu have chosen to establish residence at Radha-kunda. Of course, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami himself was one of the first to do so, and he was so detached, that he didn’t even care to have a roof over his head. He was just residing on the banks of Radha-kunda among the trees. But one day, while he was chanting the holy names, engaged in meditation on Krishna, Radha and Krishna’s pastimes, some tigers came to drink water from Radha-kunda, and Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was completely unaware of the presence of the tigers and he just went on with his chanting and remembering. But Krishna was concerned for Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami and personally came and protected him. And this was witnessed by Srila Sanatana Gosvami who reported what had happened to Raghunatha dasa Gosvami and said that, “You have to have a simple dwelling to protect yourself, otherwise, you are at risk and the Lord always protects His devotee, but we don’t want to take service from the Lord.”

So, he gave him that instruction but he was a little slow to execute it because he was completely detached from the body and from any material endeavor. Then later, when he was absorbed in the holy names and pastimes of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna, he was oblivious of the time and as time passed, the sun rose and it was beating down over his head very strongly, so much so that he could have had a heat stroke, and Srimati Radharani came and she held her veil or shawl over Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s head to shield him from the sun. And when Srila Sanatana Gosvami saw that, he thought, “This is too much, this is too much, we have to do something.” So, he came and again informed Raghunatha dasa Gosvami what had happened, but this time, he personally worked with Raghunatha dasa Gosvami to construct a simple shelter for him. And that is considered to be the beginning of the bhajana-kuṭira system in which devotees have a small kutir or a cottage, just this very simple dwelling within which they do their bhajana or worship of Krishna. And gradually, other acharyas established residence at Radha-kunda, many of the Gosvamis, but in particular Srila Jiva Gosvami. And if you do a circumambulation or parikramā of Radha-kunda, you will find Jiva Gosvami’s bhajana-kuṭira, just across from Lolita-kunda.

Srimati Radharani has eight principal lady friends, sakhīs, and each of them have their own little pond or kuṇḍa around Radha-kunda, but of those only Lolita-kunda is very visible now, and near there, Srila Jiva Gosvami established his bhajana-kuṭira. And Srila Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami came and he established his bhajana-kuṭira and he wrote Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta on the banks of Radha-kunda, in his bhajana-kuṭira. And Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura also came. Pretty much all of the main Gaudiya Vaishnava acharyas, or at least many of them, established bhajana-kuṭiras at Radha-kunda. And so also, in our recent history, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who was the father of Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, he established his home at Radha-kunda, Svananda-sukhada-kunja, and you can visit that place. It is a little more established; it has two rooms and yes, you can see where he and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura would stay and engage in devotional service to Krishna. And Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura established a temple, a branch of his institution, Gaudiya Math, at Radha-kunda and installed deities of Radha Kunjabihari, that is called Kunja-Bihari Math.

I should mention that when we say ‘Radha-kunda’ with reference to Bhauma Vrindavan, the Vrindavan on earth, we refer to Radha-kunda itself and we also refer to Syama-kunda and we also refer to the area around Radha-kunda, the place of the bhajana-kuṭiras and temples and shops and homes and everything in the village of Radha-kunda, it refers to the village of Radha-kunda. So, it was at the Kunja-Bihari Math that Srila Prabhupada met with his guru Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and it was there that Srila Prabhupada received a very important instruction from his spiritual master. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura expressed his distress over what was happening in the Gaudiya Math, especially among some of his leading followers in the Bag Bazaar Matha, which was a very opulent temple made with marble. But the fire of self-interest or party spirits had entered the Matha. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was very distressed and he told Srila Prabhupada, who at that time was known as by Abhay Caranaravinda dasa that, one day there will be fire in the Gaudiya Math. And it happened, and that fire practically consumed the whole Matha as it was during Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s time. And he said that if he could tear out the marble from the temple and sell it and use the money to print books, that would be better. And then he directly instructed Srila Prabhupada, “If you ever get money, print books.” And that instruction entered deep into Srila Prabhupada’s heart and remained in his heart forever, and he has passed the instruction down to us.

It may be a coincidence, but just today, I received an email on the book distribution group that is organized by Vijay dasa, who is the ISKCON minister for book distribution. And he quoted a story that was related by Svavasa dasa, who is the temple president in Los Angeles, and he is also a BBT trustee. And Svavasa dasa related how Srila Prabhupada came to visit Atlanta and, of course, during Prabhupada’s time, especially after 1970 or 71, 72, devotees were very enthusiastically engaged in distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books and the temples were surcharged with that atmosphere of book distribution. So, Svavasa Prabhu related that when Srila Prabhupada arrived, the room was filled with devotees and one of the devotees asked Srila Prabhupada, “How can we increase our dedication to book distribution? And how can we increase our distribution of books?” And Srila Prabhupada sat there, he didn’t respond immediately, he looked up and very slowly said, as the devotees were just eagerly waiting for the answer, “If you want to increase your dedication to book distribution and the distribution of my books,” and then he paused some more as the devotees’ eagerness to hear the answer increased to the highest limit, “If you want to increase your dedication to book distribution and increase the distribution of my books, you should chant all your sixteen rounds at one stretch.” And that was the answer.

And that is a profound answer. In any case, chanting sixteen rounds at a stretch is beneficial. Of course, we may have circumstances that make it difficult, although if one were to get up early enough, one could do it. But that was a very deep answer and Svavasa Prabhu’s commentary on it and of course, it was such a deep statement that one could derive many instructions from it, but his commentary was that, “If we do that, then the whole rest of the day will go well. And if we allow our minds,” Of course, in those days the devotees lived in the temple, they didn’t have other work besides direct service in the temple, but his commentary was that, “If you can discipline your mind to chant sixteen rounds at a stretch, the rest of the day will be good. But if you allow your mind to distract you and convince you, as it always tries to do, that you have more important things to do than chant your rounds, then from the very beginning, you are in a weakened condition, and then, for the rest of the day, you will have difficulty.”

But, in Kali-yuga whatever we can do is welcome, it is appreciated, but this is sort of like paramparā. And I never heard that from Svavasa Prabhu until today, I read it, but he personally gets up at about two o’clock every morning and chants his rounds before maṅgala-ārati because he is the temple president, it is a big temple, a big community, and he said he can never know for sure if some emergency might come up. And if it does, then he won’t be able to chant his rounds and he doesn’t want to take any chance of not having his rounds done before deity greeting. So, that is his policy and I am quite sure that it has really given him great spiritual strength to execute his important duties in Krishna consciousness.

So, at Radha-kunda, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura gave that instruction to Srila Prabhupada, “If you ever get money, distribute books” and Srila Prabhupada has communicated that instruction to us. So, I have myriad books about Radha-kunda here but somehow, I feel that this point was so profound, that we can stop here and see if there are any questions or comments, and if we get back to some of the books, it is okay, and if not, I can tell you where you can find abundant information about Radha-kunda. So, are there any questions or comments? Yes, Chaitanya Charan Prabhu?

Devotee: When you started reading the chorus of Radha-kunda, you described that anyone who visited or bathed in Radha-kunda was [Unintelligible 00:46:59]. I mean, I know that it happens but how does it happen? Is it by birth?

Giriraj Swami: Well, Chaitanya Charan Prabhu has said that we read some verses to the effect that anyone who takes bath in Radha-kunda once, develops the same attraction for Krishna as Srimati Radharani, which means that one becomes eligible to enter Krishna’s pastimes. So, he is asking how does that work.

The question, in a general sense, is discussed in The Nectar of Devotion because in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Sri Rupa Gosvami has included many such statements about the effects of different practices in devotional service. So, someone might wonder whether these statements are exaggerations, and in The Nectar of Devotion, which is Srila Prabhupada’s summary study of the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, he explains that the statements are not exaggerations but they are not true for all people in all cases. But if someone has some background in devotional service and has come to a certain purity of consciousness, then the results that are described are not unusual. Now, one book that is very important for understanding Radha-kunda is Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Upadeśāmṛta, which Srila Prabhupada has translated as The Nectar of Instruction. And when Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura went to Radha-kunda, he lectured on the Upadeśāmṛta. So, I will read. There are only eleven verses, and I will read the eleventh verse.

TRANSLATION

Of the many objects of favored delight and of all the lovable damsels of Vrajabhūmi, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is certainly the most treasured object of Kṛṣṇa’s love. And, in every respect, Her divine kuṇḍa is described by great sages as similarly dear to Him. Undoubtedly Rādhā-kuṇḍa is very rarely attained even by the great devotees; therefore it is even more difficult for ordinary devotees to attain. If one simply bathes once within those holy waters, one’s pure love of Kṛṣṇa is fully aroused.

COMMENT

So, this verse is very mysterious, this verse says that Radha-kunda is very rarely attained even by great devotees, so what to speak of ordinary devotees. But, in a sense, anyone can go to Radha-kunda.

Actually, not that they are just anyone, but on the subject that anyone can go to Radha-kunda, my sister and brother-in-law came to India and, of course, they went to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. But at the Taj, they happened to have a Hindu tour guide, who told them that, “You are very near to the birthplace of Lord Krishna so, why don’t you go there?” So, they thought, Okay, and I was a devotee of Krishna. So, they, I guess, took the train to Mathura and when they got out, they are asking, “Where is the Hare Krishna temple?” They assumed we must have a temple there but nobody knew of a Hare Krishna temple in Mathura, but they pointed them to the birthplace, Krishna Janmabhoomi and the temple there but they are thinking, “Where are the devotees?” And just then, a hari-nāma party from the Krishna-Balarama Temple came around the corner, and it was a combination of the children from the gurukula doing hari-nāma and going on parikramā, and devotees from the Laguna Beach Temple who somehow happened to be visiting Vrindavan. So, my sister went up to them and said, “I am so-and-so, Giriraj Swami is my brother.” And so, they said, “Oh, well, we have a bus here and from here we are going to Govardhana Hill. So, would you like to come with us?” So, they said, “Yes.” So, they got on the bus, I think that my sister ended up sitting next to Bada Haridasa, and so, they went on the bus to Govardhana and I think first they went to Kusum Sarovar, all the devotees went in, they also went in, and then they went to Radha-kunda. And I think at that stage my sister, I don’t know it was too late in the day, it was too cold or anyway, she didn’t go in but she sprinkled water, like she saw some of the boys do, and my brother-in-law went in.

So, now, what about what the verse says? Well, it is there, definitely something is there. I mean, it was an extremely fortunate occasion, but still, can we say that immediately upon leaving this body he will attain a spiritual form as a gopī and serve Radha and Krishna at Radha-kunda? Well, it would be nice, and it is possible, but I don’t think I would say that it is definite, but it is possible. Now, what happened in ISKCON at a certain stage when The Nectar of Instruction came out, there were many devotees who had the idea, “We will just go to Radha-kunda and take bath in Radha-kunda, we don’t have to do anything else, we just take bath in Radha-kunda, everything is achieved.” And they didn’t just go to Radha-kunda and take bath, I mean, sometimes they would meet with bābājīs there who have different theories and philosophies and practices and so, it was a concern to the devotees who are aware of it. And when Srila Prabhupada was in Juhu, some senior devotees informed him about the phenomenon of some of his disciples going to Radha-kunda and associating with the bābājīs there and taking up residence at Radha-kunda. And Srila Prabhupada gave quite a deep and elaborate answer, but one of the points he made, and I think this is a point for all of us to consider, that that statement, “One who takes birth in Radha-kunda once. . .” that comes in the last verse of the Upadeśāmṛta. So now, listen to the first verse.

NOI 1

vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ krodha-vegaṁ

jihvā-vegam udaropastha-vegam

etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ

sarvām apīmāṁ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt

TRANSLATION

A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind’s demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world.

COMMENT

So, this is the first verse, and then there are many other verses that give progressive instructions in bhakti-yoga. So, one should start with the first verse, and then gradually progress to the last verse. But then, one of the disciples said to Srila Prabhupada that, “Your devotees should understand your books properly.” But Prabhupada replied that, “If a devotee is sincere, he will not make such a mistake. It is really a matter of whether the disciple wants to be controlled by the spiritual master or not. If he wants to be controlled by the spiritual master, then he will understand what the spiritual master wants. But if he doesn’t want to be controlled by the spiritual master, then what can the spiritual master do?”

As Krishna tells Arjuna at the end of the Bhagavad-gītā, yathecchasi tathā kuru, “You have heard everything that I have said, now you do what you like.” And then he spoke about Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, how he would chant the holy name, and not only chant the holy name, he would offer obeisances, two thousand times daily. And he was saying, “That is residence at Radha-kunda. If you can do like Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, that is residence at Radha-kunda.”

I came prepared to go in many directions, depending on the discussion, and so, this happens to be in, if I can find it, I would like to quote from it directly because it is very instructive not just for Radha-kunda, but in general. So, one of the devotees named Achyutananda, he is in Alachua now, he said to Prabhupada, “They also wear the Radha-kunda mati, tilak.” Because Chaitanya Mahaprabhu did that, He took the mud from Radha-kunda and applied tilak. And Srila Prabhupada replied, “There is no harm, but they should understand what is Radha-kunda and how to deal with Radha-kunda. Raghunatha dasa Gosvami showed how to live in Radha-kunda. Sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih kalavasanikrtau. He was circumambulating Radha-kunda, falling down, making a mark. That is Radha-kunda-vasi.” (Means residence). “He not only counted holy names, but offered obeisances so many hundred times; that is Radha-kunda. So much vairāgya (detachment) he showed. He can take bath in the Radha-kunda. First of all, do this like Raghunatha dasa Gosvami.” Sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih kalavasani-krtau, nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau catyanta-dinau ca yau, this is from the Sad Gosvami Astaka, and Prabhupada didn’t translate it when he was speaking, but the translation is, “The Six Gosvamis were engaged in chanting the holy names of the Lord and bowing down in scheduled measurement.” Now, bowing down, this is a very important item, it is very important and powerful, and I will tell my own experience.

One Kartik I was in Vrindavan, and on the Appearance Day of Radha-kunda, I went to Radha-kunda. And the Appearance Day is celebrated at midnight, it is considered to be the time of Radha-kunda’s appearance. And so devotees, pilgrims, local residents, they lined the banks of Radha-kunda and the steps leading down into the water, and, unless you come very early and wait on the bottom steps or unless you are very daring and aggressive and somehow find a way to jump over the crowds and into the kuṇḍa, and I have seen devotees do that, there are some ledges where people don’t stand but somehow they, sort of, made their way out on the ledge; you can’t actually go in at that moment. But I was nearby and devotees were bringing Radha-kunda water and sprinkling it. So, it was thrilling and it was enlivening and a very spiritually surcharged atmosphere. And then you walk from the kuṇḍa down the road that goes through the Radha-kunda village and then that is where people park their cars and you can hire rickshaws and tongas and different means of transportation.

So I was amongst the crowd that was walking through the street of the village and then, sort of, came some distance away when the crowd wasn’t so thick. And there was a godbrother of mine who just offered flat obeisances, daṇḍavats, in that dusty road of the village of Radha-kunda. And this shows something about me. So, within my mind I was thinking, Should I do that or not? And I was thinking, It was really dirty there and there was still a lot of people walking around, I don’t know if they will even notice me lying down. And the mind was evaluating the situation, and the mind, it sort of functions as an agent of the false ego, the underlying is the false ego, “You are a big person, you are an important person, you are just going to lie down in the street?”

But then, somehow, in the end I just did it, I did it and the mercy I got from offering that obeisance in that dirt of Radha-kunda village, facing the kuṇḍa, was tremendous. I got more out of that obeisance than I did from everything else leading up to it; it was very powerful. And that is what it is, it is like giving up false ego. Of course, you can do anything with false ego but some things are harder to do with false ego and so, you get mercy. And I was a little encouraged, I don’t know if I should say it but, because I have been listening to Bhurijana Prabhu’s series of talks from the Govardhana Retreat in 2006 in which he talks about Lord Chaitanya’s ecstatic dancing of in the Ratha-yatra, which has many deep lessons and very esoteric passages. But when Lord Chaitanya would dance ecstatically at Ratha-yatra, tears would shoot from His eyes, but then mucus would run from His nose, foam and saliva would come out of His mouth and His whole body would be dredged in these liquids. And one of the main points that Bhurijana Prabhu made repeatedly was that these external symptoms are manifestations of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s internal mood. I mean, for these external symptoms to be manifest, how intense must his internal mood be; His internal ecstasy?

So, as described in Sri Caitanya-bhāgavata, King Pratäparudra really wanted to see Lord Chaitanya, but because he was a king and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was a sannyasi, Lord Chaitanya refused to see him. And King Pratäparudra was asking Mahaprabhu’s associates, and some of them were very close to the king like Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya that, “Can’t you speak to the Lord and arrange for Him to allow me to see Him?” But they were all afraid to ask Him because they thought He might get angry, and sometimes they did ask Him. And he said, “If you bring this up once more, I am leaving Jagannatha Puri forever,” He didn’t even want to consider meeting the king, although he was a great devotee internally, but as a king, he associated with material opulence and sense gratification and so, Mahaprabhu refused to meet him.

So, finally King Pratäparudra said, “Well, isn’t there a way that I could see Him without His knowing that I am seeing Him? I could look at Him without His knowing that I have come close.” So they said, “Well, you could come during the Ratha-yatra because He is in such an ecstatic state He is not conscious of what is going on around Him, so you can come and see Him then.” So, the king did so and he was so happy, his long-cherished desire was fulfilled and in a very happy mood, he returned to his residence. But he did have one doubt, one little doubt, and the doubt was that, this foam and saliva was coming out of Mahaprabhu’s mouth and it was covering His cloth and His arms and His legs and it was just like a thought, just a slight idea that, in our common language, “Oooh, icky,” but just very subtle, very slight but something was there.

So Lord Chaitanya, of course, being the omniscient Lord, knew everything, although He appeared to be unconscious but He knew everything or, His līlā-shakti allowed Him to know whatever He needed to know when He needed to know it, His pastime potency. So, that night, He decided to show special mercy to King Pratäparudra. And in his dream, Lord Jagannatha appeared, and as Lord Jagannatha, He was showing some of those ecstatic symptoms that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu showed while dancing at the Ratha-yatra but still, I mean, Lord Jagannatha was King Pratäparudra’s life and soul. And as soon as he saw Lord Jagannatha, he immediately wanted to reach out and touch His feet but Lord Jagannatha said, “You can’t touch My feet, you are a king and My feet are covered with dust and saliva.” Of course, we say saliva, it is really the nectar from the Lord’s lotus mouth, adharamrita says it is nectar. “You are a respectable king, you can’t touch my feet when they are covered with dust and saliva.” He said, “No, my Lord, you are my Lord, I must touch your feet.” And then Lord Jagannatha transformed Himself into the form of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Because up until then, King Pratäparudra appreciated Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as the most advanced devotee but he didn’t really know, because this was very confidential, he didn’t really know that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was Lord Jagannatha, that He was Krishna Himself.

And then, in the dream, he realized, “Oh, He is actually my worshipable Lord, Lord Jagannatha, and it was wrong of me to have this doubt like ‘Should I touch Him, touch His limbs?’” But in that exchange in the dream, it is like Lord Jagannatha was, sort of, in an indirect way, in a subtle way alluding to the king’s false ego, “Oh, you are a big king, you are a respectable person, you can’t be doing this.” So, to overcome that false ego, we have to do that, we have to overcome that false ego. So, I would say, sort of I was under the sway of false ego there when I was thinking, “Should I or shouldn’t I?” but fortunately, I did. So, yes, that is a very important item.

So, I will just conclude this because it is very relevant. This is the translation of the verse Prabhupada quoted from the Sad Goswami Astaka. “The Six Gosvamis were engaged in chanting the holy names of the Lord and bowing down in a scheduled measurement. In this way they utilized their valuable lives and in executing these devotional activities they conquered overeating and sleeping.” It is like, Vāco vegaṁ krodha-vegam, “And were always meek and humble.” Sad Goswami Astaka 6. Prabhupada continued, “The Bhagavad-gītā is the entrance. Then Bhāgavata is graduate and then Caitanya-caritāmṛta. . . This is the step by step. But if one is sincere. . .” And this was the point I made earlier. “But if one is sincere everything becomes revealed. He does not commit mistake.”

So, the conclusion is, apart from other arguments, is that we must be sincere. But how do we demonstrate our sincerity? Srila Prabhupada said, “You see you can become independent, nobody can check you. Everyone is independent. Yathecchasi tathā kuru. But one who wants to be regulated, he has to surrender. That is voluntary. Otherwise, everyone is free to do whatever he likes. And those who are surrendered souls, they will wait for the instruction of guru and do accordingly. That is the proper. . . guru-mukha-padma-vākya cittete kariyā aikya āra nā kariha.” That is from the Guru-vandana prayer that we sing every morning, and of all the lines of the Guru-vandana, this is probably the one that Srila Prabhupada quoted the most, guru-mukha-padma-vākya cittete āra nā kariha, “Make the teachings from the lotus mouth of the spiritual master, one with your heart, and do not desire anything else.” “That is wanted. Otherwise, all living beings are independent. Even if I say that you do not do it, you are independent, you can do it. Even Kṛṣṇa gives independence to Arjuna. Yathecchasi tathā kuru. “I have told you everything. Now you do whatever you like.” So that depends on the candidate. Everyone is free to do anything, but if he is actually serious then he has to do guru-mukha-padma-vākya cittete āra nā kariha.”

So, if we are sincere, serious, surrendered, everything will be revealed step by step. Any other questions or comments? Yes, Nityananda Prabhu?

Nityananda Prabhu: [Unintelligible 01:22:19] in the sannyasi quarters upstairs, and it was the day of the holy appearance of Sri Radha-kunda. And so, some of us were expressing this desire that would have been so nice if we had all been in Radha-kunda and we would have been able to witness the wonderful events that happened there at midnight at Radha-kunda. And so, how can we get the same benefit although we are away from there? But the desire is there, in the heart, so how do we get the same benefit?

So, his answer was that this event happens at midnight in India, so if you time it in America when it is midnight in India and then you take some drops of Radha-kunda and sprinkle it on your head. The important thing is that you are following the instruction of the spiritual master. He said, “If you are following the instruction of the spiritual master and if you do that sincerely, then you get the same benefit as actually bathing in Radha-kunda at midnight on the day of the appearance of Radha-kunda," which is for devotees considered a very important event, an extremely important event in their life.

So, it was very nice to hear that the major instruction was that one remains in the shelter of the spiritual master, and that in the shelter of the spiritual master everything is available at all times. You do not miss out on anything because you happen to be in a particular location or particular circumstance or whatever, whatever there might be. It reminded me of the instruction that Srila Prabhupada got from Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, that nothing stops Krishna consciousness, nothing impedes Krishna consciousness, that Krishna consciousness is always available. It is one of the qualities of Krishna consciousness that it is always available. And he was instructing that it is available when you are in the shelter of the spiritual master and you are following the instructions of the spiritual master like that.

So thank you very much. You are saying exactly the same thing that “Guru-mukha-padma-vākya cittete kariyā aikya". And now, if you want, because the question on the mind says, “Well, it is midnight so should I do it midnight here?” So, he said, “Well, just time it according to the midnight in India, and that way you feel like, ‘Okay, I am there’ and that is your meditation. I am there and I am also taking some water.” And that was the other thing that I wanted to ask you, Maharaja, that, some people feel like if you just sprinkle some water on your head is that the same as bathing? I have always understood it like that, but how would you dispel that doubt in anybody’s heart that it is not different, taking the water and sprinkling on your head as opposed to taking a bath? Because devotees sometimes feel like, “I am not qualified to take a bath in Radha-kunda, I should not enter Radha-kunda, I should just pay my obeisances, take some water, sprinkle it on my head, offer prayers, pay my obeisances, that way I have done what is necessary.”

Giriraj Swami: Well, it is true that we are not qualified to take bath in Radha-kunda because Radha-kunda is Srimati Radharani. And how could this body, which is full of blood, stool, urine, touch Radharani? And I believe that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura did not take bath in Radha-kunda, but he took achman, that is what they do, they take achman and they sprinkle the water. But I have Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava, wonderful biography of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura by His Holiness Bhakti Vikasa Swami so, we can read about him at Radha-kunda there. Srila Prabhupada got reports that his disciples were, like, diving into Radha-kunda and sporting in it like it was an ordinary lake or swimming pool. And so, Prabhupada said that they should not take bath in Radha-kunda. But then other devotees have said, “Well, that was said under certain circumstances but if one has the proper respectful mood that it is Srimati Radharani, non-different from Srimati Radharani, and enters it in that mood of humility and respect, then it is not the same as those devotees who were just diving in and swimming and enjoying in that way.”

But yes, if we have Radha-kunda water, that is a good way. I checked the calendar and in Vrindavan, Radha-kunda’s Appearance Day is Thursday, October 16th, and we are ten and a half hours behind, so their Thursday midnight, would be our Thursday 1:30 in the afternoon, which, I think, if we can come up with some Radha-kunda water, I am sure there must be devotees who have it, I didn’t think of it, but yes, that is nice. Any other questions or comments?

Devotee: In 1975 I was in Wisconsin and the BBT sent me a care package, which included a small vial of Radha-kunda water and a description of the transcendental potency and benefits, and I think it may have been similar to the last verse that you read from the Nectar of Instruction. And they instructed that, “You should keep that little vial of water on your person wherever you go, and anybody you would anoint with a drop, there would be guaranteed liberation. So, I always did that and I always felt something very special from having that water and I actually felt that it had a great benefit. I had a brother who was having some difficulties battling schizophrenia, that was in 1975 or 76, he was in and out, my parents had him committed a couple of times and they gave him shock treatments, he had all sorts of difficulties and he was seeing and hearing things and just really troubled. He would get very, very depressed and then go off crazy, and I would try to preach to him that, “Everything else seems to be so difficult, try to chant Hare Krishna," and I would show him the Back to Godhead magazines and he always took the instructions very, very nicely.

So, long story short, next winter I happen to be living at home to work in a local sawmill, and my brother was also living at home. And I stopped off, when my dad had a business downtown, on the way back from work, my sister ran in and said that my brother had shot himself so, I ran home, and I know the circumstances are not generally considered auspicious and I wasn’t so sure myself, being that I was very new to Krishna consciousness, but he was lying unconscious but still alive and he actually had the Back to Godhead with a photo of Radha-Krishna deities right in front of him, but he was unconscious and he was gurgling, he was bleeding. And he was on his way out and I had the Radha-kunda and I put Radha-kunda on him. Nobody else was there, and I chanted Hare Krishna to him until the paramedics and the priest and everybody else came in. And within, five or ten minutes from when he was taken to the hospital, he left his body. But I always felt that it was very. . . I didn’t know; when I came to Krishna consciousness, finally, I had the first really senior devotee, I asked, it was Indradyumna Maharaja when he came to Chicago, and he was very sure that it was totally auspicious and assured me that everything was very, very nice, but I always considered very special. In fact, the last time I went to India, I stored up all these rose water bottles from the pujari room and I had so much in my luggage I could hardly make it the rest of the way. And then, the first time I came back here, I gave a class about the trip, and anybody who came I gave a small bottle of Radha-kunda. And I try to keep a little thing on the wall by my door with Radha-kunda, if anybody goes in and out the door they can also get the benefit.

But yes, that was a really special thing that BBT did back in those days. They would send little care packages, if you gave any kind of donations or bought a book and got on their list, they would send a package and they would have these sheets of paper, “How I came to Krishna consciousness.” I got The Matchless Gifts book one time. One time they gave me a little piece of burpee and described that, “You just pinch a little bit every day and you can get the special mercy of Krishna prasāda.” But anyways, I just wanted to relate that story. I thought it was wonderful.

Giriraj Swami: Wonderful, thank you.

Devotee: Hare Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: So, how is your supply of Radha-kunda water? Good. Alright, well, Chaitanya Charan Prabhu?

Devotee: This may be too far off the subject, but how are we to understand that when Lord Chaitanya was here and He departed, it is described that He took all the living entities with Him? And we know from history who was here, and they weren’t pure devotees. So how did that work? I know it was causeless mercy, but it is amazing.

Giriraj Swami: It seems from your two questions that you are looking for a, sort of, easy way and quick way to. . .

Devotee: No, I am not. I know there is no quick way or easy way, I am not looking for that.

Devotee: It may be the smallest universe in creation but it is still an unlimited universe.

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

Devotee: I just can’t understand how [Unintelligible 01:35:40].

Giriraj Swami: But we would have to see what the texts actually say. I mean, Lord Chaitanya had a disciple named Vasudeva Datta, and he approached the Lord and he asked Him to take all the living entities back to Godhead, and if He thought they were too sinful, then He should deliver the sinful reactions to Vasudeva Datta. And Lord Chaitanya replied that, “You don’t need to accept the sinful reactions, but just by your desiring their deliverance, they will be delivered.” But there are some details that need to be looked into. I don’t think being a rogue is a disqualification, if one has other qualifications like Jagai and Madhai. Any other questions or comments? Yes?

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:37:33].

Giriraj Swami: Yes, that is a good idea. We can double-check but I did look and I believe it is on Thursday the 16th.

Devotee: Just really quick, is it possible to create Radha-kunda water from ordinary water? Some prayer?

Devotee: But we have Radha-kunda water.

Giriraj Swami: Is that what you were asking? Yes, we have. Gopal Prabhu, from 1975, he was given the instruction to distribute Radha-kunda water and he has been doing it ever since. And he has a couple of bottles of the pure, original Radha-kunda water with him. But I think that is a good idea. Yes, that is very good.

Devotee: At 1:30 tomorrow at your place, or here? Or are we going to do it today?

Giriraj Swami: Nityananda Prabhu is the temple president so whatever he decides. There is a slight chance, slight chance I might be out at 1:30 so I will do like Gopal said, I always have it with me, and just in case I am not back by 1:30 but. . .

Devotee: We could meet here at 1:30 and if you are able to come, Maharaja it is fine and if you are not able to come.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, I would love to, yes.

Devotee: Thank you, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, after the killing of Aristasura by Krishna, that is when that happened, just in brief. So, Krishna was having a rasa dance with the gopīs and then Aristasura came, the demon, in the form of a bull, and he was terrorizing everyone, he was a very ferocious demon in the disguise of a bull.

So, after dispatching the demon, Krishna wanted to resume the rasa dance with the gopīs, and Srimati Radharani looked at Him with this pained look that, “Don’t come near us, don’t touch us, You committed a great sin, You killed a bull” and Krishna said, “It wasn’t a bull, it was a demon in the shape of a bull.” But Srimati Radharani said, “But still, that soul was in the body of a bull and You killed the bull so You are contaminated by sinful reactions.” So, Krishna said, “Aright, then what do You want Me to do?” And She said, “I want You to take bath in all the holy waters in the universe and purify Yourself.” And Krishna said, “Well, why should I go to all the holy places in the universe? I will have them come here.” So, He dug His heel into the ground and all the personified holy places, all the sacred rivers, they came and offered respects to Him and then they turned themselves into liquid forms and they filled up that lake, Syama-kunda and Krishna took bath.

So then Krishna said, “So now, are You satisfied?” So, She said, “Yes.” And Krishna said, “Well, I am not satisfied with You because Aristasura was a demon and You took the side of a demon so You are contaminated.” So, “Okay, what do I have to do?” So, there are different versions of this, slightly different versions. In one version She and Her friends were bringing water from Manasi Ganga at Govardhana. But in any case, Krishna didn’t want to see Her and Her girlfriends toil so hard, so He said that, “I will give You the waters from My kuṇḍa to fill Your kuṇḍa.” And She was not ready immediately, She is also, sort of, in a competitive mood that She wanted her kuṇḍa to be better and more beautiful than Krishna’s kuṇḍa, so, then the personified holy places, they came out again and offered prayers to Srimati Radharani, and She is very soft-hearted and merciful so She asked them, “What do you want?” and they said, “Well, if You allow us to fill Your kuṇḍa, that will be Your greatest mercy.” And so, She agreed and then they all filled Her kuṇḍa. And then Sri Krishna was very pleased and He said that, “Your kuṇḍa is as dear to Me as You, and anyone who takes bath in Your kuṇḍa will become similarly dear to Me. Your kuṇḍa will be more beautiful and more celebrated than Mine.”

These are all loving exchanges, there may be some joking element to it but they are all loving exchanges based on pure love, and Krishna only wants to please Radharani and Radharani only wants to please Krishna. But because She had that desire that Her kuṇḍa should be more glorious than His, so He agreed and He fulfilled Her desire, “Yes, Radha-kunda will be more glorious and more famous than even My own kuṇḍa.” Hare Krishna.

Devotees: Hare Krishna.