Radhastami – Divine Appearance of Srimati Radharani

11 Sep Radhastami – Divine Appearance of Srimati Radharani

Srimati Radharani’s glorious appearance on this planet occurred on this day around 5,000 years ago. She is the divine female energy of Lord Krishna, His loving potency, which He is all attracted by. Srimati Radharani is the queen of Lord Krishna’s heart and the queen of all living entities. She is Lord Krishna’s eternal love and His dearmost devotee, exemplifying the standard of excellence of love and devotion towards Krishna.

The Twenty-five Qualities Of Srimati Radharani

Following is the list of the 25 qualities of Srimati Radharani by which She purchases and captures Krsna:

1) She is sweetness personified.

2) She is a fresh young girl.

3) Her eyes are always moving.

4) She is always brightly smiling.

5) She possesses all auspicious marks on Her body.

6) She can agitate Krsna by the flavor of Her person.

7) She is expert in the art of singing.

8) She can speak very nicely and sweetly.

9) She is expert in presenting feminine attractions.

10) She is modest and gentle.

11) She is always very merciful.

12) She is transcendentally cunning.

13) She knows how to dress nicely.

14) She is always shy.

15) She is always respectful.

16) She is always patient.

17) She is very grave.

18) She is enjoyed by Krsna.

19) She is always situated on the highest devotional platform.

20) She is the abode of love of the residents of Gokula.

21) She can give shelter to all kinds of devotees.

22) She is always affectionate to superiors and inferiors.

23) She is the greatest amongst Krsna’s girlfriends.

24) She is obliged by the dealings of Her associates.

25) She always keeps Krsna under Her control.

From a lecture spoken by Srila Prabhupada
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Radhastami, Srimati Radharani’s Appearance Day.
Montreal, August 30, 1968

Radharani is the pleasure potency of Krishna. Krishna is the Supreme Brahman. Just try to understand. Krishna is the Supreme Brahman. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12]. So when param brahma wants to enjoy… That enjoying spirit is there in the param brahma. Otherwise we cannot have this enjoying spirit. Because we are part and parcel, therefore we have got that enjoying spirit; but that is materially contaminated. But the fact is there, because Krishna, He is enjoying, this enjoying spirit we have got also, but I do not know how to enjoy. We are trying to enjoy in the matter, in the dull matter. That is spiritual. So brahman, brahman sukhanubhutya. People are trying to feel what is brahma- sukha, pleasure of brahmanubhava. That is not material pleasure. So many yogis, they have given up their family life, their kingdom, and meditating to achieve that Brahman pleasure. Actually, the idea is Brahman pleasure. So many brahmacaris, so many sannyasis, they are trying to achieve that Brahman pleasure, and in order to achieve that Brahman pleasure they are neglecting, they are kicking off all this material pleasure. Do you think that Brahman pleasure is ordinary, this material pleasure? To achieve a portion of Brahman pleasure, if they are kicking off all this material pleasure… Don’t talk of ourselves. We are ordinary men. In the history we have got instances, that of Bharata Maharaja. Bharata Maharaja, under whose name this planet is called Bharatavarsa. That Bharata Maharaja was the emperor of the whole world. And as emperor he had his beautiful wife, young children. But at the age of twenty-four years, just young man, he gave up everything. All right. This is very old story, of course, but you know Lord Buddha. He was also a prince. He was also prince, not ordinary man, and he was ksatriya, and he was always enjoying with beautiful women. That is the palace pleasure accustomed in every, in Oriental countries, that in the palace there are many beautiful girls, they’re always dancing and giving pleasure to the kings and the prince. So Lord Buddha was also in such pleasure, but he gave up everything and began to meditate.

There are many hundreds of instances in Indian history that to realize the Brahman pleasure they gave up everything. They gave up everything. That is the way. Tapasya means voluntarily accepting something severe for realizing the supreme pleasure. That is called tapasya. So if, for tasting a little Brahman pleasure, all materialistic pleasures are to be given up, do you think that the Supreme Brahman, Lord Krishna, is enjoying this material pleasure? Is it very reasonable? This Krishna, He’s enjoying laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam [Bs. 5.29]. Hundreds and thousands of goddess of fortune are engaged in His service. Do you think these laksmis are material women? How Krishna can take pleasure in the material women? No. This is mistake. Ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhis tabhir ya eva nija-rupataya kalabhih [Bs. 5.37]. In the Brahma-samhita you’ll find that He expands His ananda-cinmaya-rasa, the mellow of transcendental pleasure potency. And these gopis are expansion of His pleasure potency. And Radharani is the center. Radharani is the center. So Radharani is not… Don’t take that Radharani is an ordinary woman like we have our wife or sister or mother. No. She is the pleasure potency. And the birth of Radharani was not from the womb of any human being. She was found by her father in the field. While father was plowing, he saw one little nice child is lying there, and he had no children, so he caught it and presented to the queen, “Oh, here we have got a very nice child.” “How you got?” “Oh, in the field.” Just see. Radharani’s janma is like that. So this janma is today and Radha, this name is sometimes not found in Bhagavata. So the atheistic class of men protest this Radharani’s name is not in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. How this name came, Radharani? But they do not know how to see it. There is anayaradhyate. There are many gopis, but there is mention that by this particular gopi He is served more pleasingly. Krishna accepts this gopi’s service more gladly. Anayaradhyate. Aradhyate. This aradhate, this word, aradhyate means worshiping. From this word aradhyate, Radha has come. But Radha’s name are there in other Puranas. So this is the origin.

So Radha, so Radha and Krishna. Krishna is the enjoyer and He wants to enjoy. So He’s the Supreme Brahman. He cannot enjoy anything, atmarama, He can enjoy it in Himself. Therefore Radharani is the expansion of His pleasure potency. Krishna hasn’t got to seek external things for His pleasure. No. He is in Himself full, atmarama. So Radharani is expansion of Krishna. Krishna is the energetic, and Radharani is the energy. Just like energy and energetic, you cannot separate. Fire and the heat you cannot separate. Wherever there is fire there is heat, and wherever there is heat there is fire. Similarly, wherever there is Krishna there is Radha. And wherever there is Radha there is Krishna. They are inseparable. But He is enjoying. So Svarupa Damodara Gosvami has described this intricate philosophy of Radha and Krishna in one verse, very nice verse. Radha krishna-pranaya-vikrtir hladini-saktir asmad ekatmanav api bhuvi pura deha-bhedam gatau tau [Cc. Adi 1.5]. So Radha and Krishna is the one Supreme, but in order to enjoy, They have divided into two. Again Lord Chaitanya joined the two into one. Chaitanyakhyam prakatam adhuna. That one means Krishna in the ecstasy of Radha. Sometimes Krishna is in ecstasy of Radha. Sometimes Radha is in ecstasy of Krishna. This is going on. But the whole thing is Radha and Krishna means the one, the Supreme.

So Radha-Krishna philosophy is a very great philosophy. It is to be understood in the liberated stage. Radha-Krishna philosophy is not to be understood in the conditioned stage. But when we worship Radha-Krishna in our conditional stage, actually we worship Laksmi-Narayana. You have seen that picture, this viddhi-marg and raga-marg. Radha-Krishna worship is on the platform of pure love, and Laksmi-Narayana worship is on the regulative principles. So long we do not develop our pure love, we have to worship on the regulative principles. One has to become a brahmachari, one has to become a sannyasi, one has to perform the worship in this way, in the morning he has to rise, he has to offer. So many rules and regulations. There are at least sixty-four rules and regulations. So we shall introduce them gradually as you develop. So in the viddhi-marg, when you have no love for God or Krishna, we have to follow the regulative principles and automatically…, there is practice. When practicing. Just like you practice this mridanga playing. In the beginning it is not in order, but when you become well versed in the practice, the sound will come so nice. Similarly, when we are engaged by regulative principles in the worship of Radha-Krishna, that is called viddhi-marg. And actually when you are on the love platform, then that is called raga-marg. So without viddhi-marg, if anyone wants to learn the raga-marg immediately, that is foolishness. That is foolishness. Nobody can pass M.A. examination without going through the regulative principles of primary schools and colleges. So therefore I do not, I mean to say, indulge in the discussions of Radha and Krishna so easily. Rather go on with the regulative principle at the present moment. Gradually, as you become purified, as you become on the transcendental platform, you’ll understand what is Radha-Krishna. Don’t try to understand Radha-Krishna very quickly. It is a very big subject. If we want to understand Radha-Krishna very quickly, then there will be so many prakrita-sahajiyas. In India there are prakrita-sahajiya. Just like Radha-Krishna dancing. Radha-Krishna has become a plaything. The painting Radha-Krishna, Krishna is kissing Radha, Radha is kissing. These are all nonsense. Radha-Krishna philosophy has to be understood by the liberated person, not by the conditioned soul. So we shall await for the fortunate moment when we are liberated, then we shall understand radha- krishna-pranaya-vikrtir. Because Krishna and Radha, They are not on the material field. Try to understand. This is Jiva Gosvami’s analysis, that Krishna is the Supreme Brahman. The Supreme Brahman cannot accept anything material. So Radha is not in the material field.

Now there is a very nice song. I shall sing if you can play on the
harmonium. Yes. This is a Rupa Gosvami’s song. (sings)

radhe jaya jaya madhava-dayite
gokula-taruni-mandala-mahite
damodara-rati-vardhana-vese
hari-niskuta-vrnda-vipinese
vrsabhanu-dadhi-nava-sasi-lekhe
lalita-sakhi guna-ramita-visakhe
karunam kuru mayi karuna-bharite
sanaka-sanatana-varnita-carite
radhe jaya jaya madhava-dayite