Śrī Śrī Rādhāṣṭamī

For the upcoming Rādhāṣṭamī festival, we present the following article written by Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Purī Gosvāmī which was originally published in Caitanya-vāṇī magazine (Vol. 16, Issue 8) in 1968. Śrīla Purī Mahārāja describes the glories of observing Rādhāṣṭamī, the various accounts of Rādhārāṇī’s appearance, and the importance and efficacy of rādhā-nāma.

*Mādhava-tithi bhakti-jananī *(‘days that are dear to Mādhava are the mother of bhakti’). For this reason, the appearance day of Śrī Rādhā, the dearmost of Śrī Mādhava, is the crown-jewel amongst all days that are dear to Mādhava. In Śrī Padma Purāṇa it is said that when Devaṛṣi Nārada wished to hear the glories of Śrī Rādhāṣṭamī from his revered father Śrī Brahmā, Brahmā said that except for Śrī Hari, nobody is capable of describing the appearance day of His beloved. Ekādaśī is indeed the beloved day of Śrī Hari, however, the result that a person attains by following a thousand Ekādaśī vratas is a hundred times more if he observes the Śrī Rādhāṣṭamī vrata, which awards him sukṛti that leads to bhakti.

*ekādaśyāḥ sahasreṇa yat phalaṁ labhate naraḥ

*rādhā janamāṣṭamī puṇyaṁ tasmācchatguṇādhikam

By observing a thousand Ekādaśīs, a man attains a particular result, but the merit obtained from observing Rādhā-Janmāṣṭamī (the appearance of Rādhā on the eighth lunar day) is a hundred times greater than that.

Fearing various disturbances in the great forest of Gokula, the birthplace of Śrī Nanda-nandana Kṛṣṇa, Śrī Nanda Mahārāja re-established his residence on top of the hill of Nandīśvara. Similarly, Śrī Nanda’s closest friend, Śrī Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja, also anticipated trouble and left Rāvel, or Rawl. He established his residence on top of Varsānu, or Varṣāṇā hill, which is on the southern side of Nandīśvara Hill. The year following Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s birth, in Rāvel itself, in the home of Śrī Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja and his queen, Kīrtidā (or Kṛttikā), Śrī Rādhikā, the svārūpa-śakti and personification of the hlādinī-śakti of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, manifested Her appearance pastime at noon, on Anurādhā nakṣatra, on the eighth day of the waxing moon during the month of Bhādra,

Actually, according to the principle of Nyāya, śakti-śaktimator abheda (‘there is no difference between the potency the Possessor of potency’), the appearance of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s svarūpa-śakti occurs simultaneously with His appearance. Externally however, in His appearance pastimes, an interval of one year is observed.

*tata ārabhya nandasya vrajaḥ sarva-samṛddhimān

*harer nivāsātma-guṇai ramākrīḍam *abhūn nṛpa

*(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.5.18)

In this śloka from the Bhāgavata, the speaker, Śrī Śukadeva, is addressing the listener, Śrī Parīkṣit, “O King, Nanda’s Vraja is known as the residence of Śrī Hari, and due to His qualities, it is eternally magnificent in every respect. Moreover, from the time of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s appearance there, it became the abode of pastimes for Lakṣmī.” By the phrase ‘it became the abode of pastimes for Lakṣmī’ Śrīmatī Rādhikā, the personification of all Lakṣmīs, who appeared after Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is indicated.

In his book *Śrī Gopāla Campū (Pūrva 15.19-20), *Śrīla Śrī Jīva Gosvāmipāda writes:

satyaṁ bahu-suta-ratnākara tāṁ *sa prāpa gopa-dugdhābdhiḥ

*kintvamṛta-dyuti-rādhā *lakṣmī-jana-nādgāt pūrtim

**sā khalu śrī-kṛṣṇa-janma-varṣānantara varṣe sarva-sukha satre *

rādhā nāmni nakṣatre jāteti rādhābhidhīyate

The meaning is – “It is certainly true that even if this cowherd (Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja), who is like an ocean of milk, possessed many jewel-like sons, yet he achieved fulfilment by the appearance of this Rādhā, who possesses nectarean radiance and surpasses many goddesses of fortune. Indeed, She appeared one year after the appearance of Śrī Kṛṣṇa on the Anurādhā nakṣatra. Therefore, She was known by the name of Rādhā.”

Once, the lord of the waters, Śrī Varuṇadeva, after finding Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is like a priceless gem, in his palace, said with great joy:

adya me nibhṛto deho *dyaivārtho’dhigataḥ prabho

**tvat-pāda-bhājo bhagavann avāpuḥ pāram adhvanaḥ

*(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.28.5)

The meaning is – “O Master, O Bhagavān, today my life has become truly successful. I have attained the supreme treasure. Although I am the master of all the treasures of the ocean, I have never obtained such a wealth as this. The servants at Your divine lotus feet have achieved liberation. Therefore, I too, as Your servant, aspire for the same supreme destiny.”

In the Padma Purāṇa it is mentioned how Śrī Rādhā appeared at Śrī Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja’s yajña-sthala:

*iti ṣrutvāpi sā rādhā pṛthvīṁ tataḥ

*bhādre māsi site pakṣe aṣṭamī saṁjñike tithau

*vṛṣabhānoryajñabhūmau jātā sā rādhikā divā

*yajñārthaṁ śodhitāyāṁ ca dṛṣṭā sā divyarūpiṇī

*rājānandamanā bhūtvā tāṁ prāpya nijamandiram

**dattavān mahiṣīṁ nītvā sā ca tāṁ paryapālayat

*(Padma Purāṇa, Brahma-khaṇḍa 7.40-42)

The meaning is – “In the month of Bhādra, on the eighth lunar day of the bright fortnight (during midday), Śrī Rādhā appeared at the yajña-sthala of King Vṛṣabhānu. At that purified place which was meant for yajñā, Śrī Rādhā manifested Her divine form. Having attained Her, Śrī Vṛṣabhānu Rāja was filled with bliss. He took Her to his palace and entrusted Her to his queen (Kīrtidā Devī) who began taking care of Her.”

Elsewhere, a similar account is found, that Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja, during his early morning bath in the Yamunā, found a fully bloomed lotus floating nearby, upon which an extraordinarily beautiful baby girl was lying. With supreme bliss, he immediately held Her to his chest, took Her home, and offered Her to the hands of his queen, Kīrtidā. Kīrtidā Devī, or Kattikā, embraced Her with utmost joy and nurtured Her with boundless affection. But seeing that the girl’s eyes were closed, both the king and queen, with deeply pained hearts, began praying to the feet of Śrī Bhagavān for Her eyesight. In the meantime, Śrī Nanda Rāja’s queen arrived from Gokula to the palace of King Vṛṣabhānu in Rāvel carrying Kṛṣṇa in her arms. The couple welcomed him with utmost respect. Holding Kṛṣṇa in her arms, Śrī Yaśodā gazed unblinkingly at the new-born daughter of Kīrtidā Devī, who was lying in her embrace. At that moment, an extraordinary event took place. As Yaśodā-nandana Kṛṣṇa approached baby Rādhā, Her eyes, which were previously closed, opened up to see Him. Of all things, the first thing she gazed at was Her dear Kṛṣṇa’s moon-like face, and Kṛṣṇa was also overwhelmed with joy, He was also lost in the sight of his beloved’s moon-like face. There was an eye-to-eye meeting. There was no limit to the bliss felt by Vṛṣabhānu Rāja and his queen, and a great festival was organised.

(Within the temple of Śrī Caitanya Gauḍīya Maṭha, by the auspicious desire of the revered Śrī Ācāryadeva, this concept of Śrī Rādhā’s appearance upon a hundred-petaled lotus has been presented.)

In the book, Śrī Lalita Mādhava, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmipāda has also given similar indications. Śrī Rūpa, Śrī Sanātana, Śrīla Raghunātha and other Gosvāmīs have described the glories of Śrī Rādhārāṇī in innumerable ways, with supreme love and reverence. How Śrī Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda has relished the nectarean glories of Śrī Rādhā with unparalleled excellence in his book Śrī Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhi!

Śrī Śrīla Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda, in his Sva-niyamaṣṭaka and other works, describes this, as well as the supremely worshippable Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswāmī Prabhupāda. In his *Anubhāṣya *commentary to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, his explanation on the ten ecstatic states in Śrī Rūpa’s Ujjvala Nīlamaṇi, his padyānuvāda (verse translations) of Śrī Bhramara Gīta and Śrī Mahīṣī Gīta, his maṅgalācaraṇa to his Prārthanā-rasa-vivṛti commentary on Śrīla Narottama Ṭhākura Mahāśaya’s *Prārthanā, *in the *maṅgalācaraṇa *of his Gauḍīya-bhāsya commentary on *Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, *and within his Anvṛtti commentary to Śrī Rūpa’s *Upadeśāmṛṭa, *he shows a profound eagerness for śrī-rādhā-dāsya which is a matter of repeated cultivation for us.

On the day our revered Guru-pāda-padma, the most worshippable Prabhupāda, first met his Gurudeva, Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīla Gaura Kīśora Prabhu, he saw him singing a particular kīrtana while coming towards Śrī Svānanda Sukhada Kuñja in the attire of an avadhūta. He jotted down that song with his own hand and preserved that as the wealth of his own bhajana. Therefore, it is extremely necessary for us, as the servants of his servants, to also seek out and preserve this confidential treasure.

The Six Gosvāmīs have shown the ideal of wandering everywhere in Vraja, crying out, “Ha Rādhe! Ha Rādhe!” with deep yearning. The only wealth of bhajana we have is to sincerely cry out to attain the genuine mercy of the personification of compassion, Śrī Rādhārāṇī. There is no other way to obtain this treasure except through the causeless mercy of Śrī Guru-pada-padma. Śrīla Bābājī Mahāśaya’s devotional song is as follows:

*kothāya go premamayi rādhe rādhe

*rādhe rādhe go jaya rādhe rādhe

O where is that embodiment of prema? All glories to Śrī Rādhā!

*dekhā diye prāṇa rākha rādhe rādhe

*tomāra kāṅgāla tomāya ḍāke rādhe rādhe

O Rādhā, please grant me Your darśana and save my life. This wretched beggar calls out to You.

*rādhe vṛndāvana-vilāsinī rādhe rādhe

*rādhe kānu-mano-mohinī rādhe rādhe

O Rādhā, You are the enjoyer of pastimes in the forest of Vṛndāvana, wherein You enchant the mind of Kṛṣṇa.

*rādhe aṣṭa-sakhīra śiromaṇi rādhe rādhe

*rādhe vṛṣabhānu-nandinī rādhe rādhe

O Rādhā, You are the crest-jewel among the eight principal sakhīs. O Rādhā, daughter of Vṛṣabhānu.

(gosāi) niyama ka’re sadāi ḍāke rādhe rādhe

The Gosvāmīs are always calling out, “Rādhe! Rādhe!”

*(gosāi) eka-bāra ḍāke keśī-ghāṭe

*ābāra ḍāke vaṁśī-vaṭe rādhe rādhe

Sometimes at Keśī-ghāṭa, sometimes at Vaṁśī-vaṭa they cry, “Rādhe! Rādhe!”

*(gosāi) eka-bāra ḍāke nidhu-vane

*ābāra ḍāke kuñja-vane rādhe rādhe

Sometimes in Nidhuvana, sometimes in Sevā-kuñja they cry, “Rādhe! Rādhe!”

(*gosāi) eka-bāra ḍāke rādhā-kuṇḍe

*ābāra ḍāke śyāma-kuṇḍe rādhe rādhe

Sometimes at Rādhā-kuṇḍa, sometimes at Śyāma-kuṇḍa they cry, “Rādhe! Rādhe!”

*(gosāi) eka-bāra ḍāke kusuma-vane

*ābāra ḍāke govardhane rādhe rādhe

Sometimes in the forest near Kusuma-sarovara, sometimes at Govardhana they cry “Rādhe! Rādhe!”

*(gosāi) eka-bāra ḍāke tāla-vane

*ābāra ḍāke tamāla-vane rādhe rādhe

Sometimes at Tālavana, and sometimes at Tamālavana they cry out, “Rādhe! Rādhe!”

*(gosāi) malina vasana diye gāya

*vrajera dhūlāya gaḍāgaḍi jaya rādhe rādhe

The Gosvāmīs simple clothing appears dirty because they are always rolling in the dust of Vraja crying out, “Rādhe! Rādhe!”

*(gosāi) mukhe rādhā rādhā bale

*bhāse nayanera jale rādhe rādhe

The Gosvāmīs call out “Rādhe! Rādhe!” as their eyes create a flood of tears.

*(gosāi) vṛndāvane kuli kuli kende beḍāya

*rādhā bali’ rādhe rādhe

The Gosvāmīs wander throughout the paths of Vṛndāvana crying out, “Rādhe! Rādhe!”

*(gosāi) chāpānna daṇḍa rātri-dine

*jāne nā rādhā-govinda vine rādhe rādhe

The Gosvāmīs know nothing but Rādhā-Govinda throughout the day and night. Rādhe! Rādhe!

*tāra para cāri daṇḍa śuti’ thāke

*svapne rādhā-govinda dekhe, rādhe rādhe

Each night they only take rest for an hour and a half. Even at that time they receive darśana of Śrī Rādhā-Govinda in their dreams. Rādhe! Rādhe!

(Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura‘s hand-written copy of Gaura-kiśora Dāsa Bābājī’s song)

On the day when my heart and mind become genuinely and sincerely eager to attain this precious wealth of bhajana, I will know that Śrī Guru-pāda-padma has accepted me without reservation. Oh, when will such good fortune occur? The number of days that I have left in this life will soon come to an end!

At the beginning, while describing Śrī Rādhā’s one hundred and eight names, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmīpāda has written thus – one time, Śrī Rādhārāṇī, became sulky towards Śrī Kṛṣṇa and did not become appeased, despite hundreds of pleas from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa went away with a pained heart. A short while later, after giving up Her pouting, Rādhārāṇī, with a heart full of great anxiety, was overwhelmed with thoughts of Kṛṣṇa’s virtues and began to feel deep regret.

“Oh, how many harsh words I have spoken, causing Kṛṣṇa, that ocean of good qualities, to become disheartened. Will He ever return to Me now?”

Understanding Her to be deeply remorseful, Tuṅgavidyā, who was embellished with many qualities such as learning etc., began to address Her saying, “O beautiful Rādhā! Give up your pouting mood towards Kṛṣṇa and listen carefully to my words. Do not think, ‘I have spoken so many cruel words to Kṛṣṇa that have caused Him to be despondent. He will not come to Me anymore.’ Previously, a certain sakhī known as Kandarpa Sundarī, eager to establish a friendly relationship with You, was advised by Śrī Paurṇamāsī Devī to chant Your Names one-hundred and eight times as a means to achieve her desired goal. At this moment, the forest-goddess Vṛndā, understanding the suggestion of Śrī Paurṇamāsī, has written those Names with sindhura and offered them to the Lord of Your life, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. In your absence, Kṛṣṇa, while chanting those one-hundred and eight Names, is feeling some peace in His heart. It has been said that these Names, which are all-attractive and the embodiment of all mantras which contain great potency, should be written in sindūra.”

In this way, Śrīla Gosvāmīpāda has described the most unparalleled and deep mood of the one-hundred and eight Names of Śrī Vṛndāvaneśvarī in the preface of the text named *Śrī Premendu-sudhā Satra *(‘A collection of nectar from the moon of Divine Love’). His other prayers are also supremely admirable. Similarly, in his Stavāvalī, Śrīla Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī has also described one-hundred and eight Names of Śrī Rādhā along with other prayers.

Actually, being controlled by Śrī Rādhā’s love, Kṛṣṇa constantly chants śrī-rādhā-nāma. Thus, by nature, it is an extremely esoteric mantra. Without following Śrī Rādhā exclusively, the mercy of Kṛṣṇa is most difficult to attain. The supremely worshipable Śrīla Prabhupāda has said:

“Kṛṣṇa is adhokṣaja–śaktimān (the Possessor of all potencies who is beyond the mundane senses) and Rādhā is adhokṣajā–śaktimatī (the potency who is beyond the mundane senses). Anayā mīyate iti māyā (‘that which is measurable is Māyā’) – this is tarka-panthā, the path of material logic; anayā rādhitaḥ iti *rādhā *(‘that which is worshippable is Rādhā’) – this is the acme of the śrauta-panthā, the path of the Vedas. The perfected stage for those who follow the *śrauta-panthā *is to worship or satisfy Kṛṣṇa with all the limbs of the body and all the senses.”

Those on the path of logic can show off their arrogance, but they cannot even reach the threshold of bhakti, let alone anything else. It is seen in his Manaḥ-śikṣā, that Śrīla Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī Prabhu humbly advises us to give up pride and to quickly develop unparalleled attachment for Śrī Gurudeva, the forests of Vraja, the residents of Vraja, the divine Vaiṣṇavas, the Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇas who are like gods on earth, our īṣta-mantra (dīkṣa-mantra), the Holy Name in the form of the mahā-mantra, and the intrinsically supreme refuge of the lotus feet of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, the youthful Divine Couple of Vraja. As long as the false ego arising from birth, wealth, learning, beauty etc. remains, one can never engage in even a little bhajana-sādhana. Moreover, pride in one’s bhajana or renunciation etc. also becomes a significant obstacle to devotion. By always consciously remembering the ‘tṛṇād api sunīcena’ śloka of Śrīman Mahāprabhu, and by exclusively following Śrī Guru-pāda-padma, we must constantly seek the mercy of Śrī Rādhārāṇī, aspiring to become a recipient of the grace of Śrī Rādhā’s beloved.

*vinā rādhā prasādena hari-bhaktiḥ sudurlabhā

Without Rādhā’s mercy, hari-bhakti is extremely rare.

*rādhā-bhajane yadi mati nāhi bhelā

*kṛṣṇa-bhajana taba akāraṇa gelā

If your mind is not inclined towards rādhā-bhajana, then kṛṣṇa-bhajana will be in vain. (*Gītāvalī, Śrī Rādhāṣṭaka *8.1)

In the book, Krama Dīpikā, Śrī Kṛṣṇa tells Candra, the moon-god:

*mama nāma-śatenaiva rādhā-nāma sad-uttamam

*yaḥ smaret tu sadā rādhāṁ na jāne tasya kiṁ phalam

The meaning is – “Compared to My one-hundred Names, the name of Śrī Rādhā is far superior. One who always remembers the name of Rādhā achieves a result so great that even I am unaware of it.”

Just as Śrī Kṛṣṇa, overwhelmed by separation from His beloved, constantly chants rādhā-nāma, similarly, Rādhā, in her deep anguish due to separation from Her beloved, continually chants kṛṣṇa-nāma. Thus, the combined Names of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa are the foremost Names for a jīva to chant. It is said in Śrī Rāya Rāmānanda Saṁvāda:

*sampattira madhye jīvera kon sampatti gaṇi

*rādhā-kṛṣṇe prema yāṅra sei baḍa dhanī

Mahāprabhu asked: “Amongst all the treasures of the jīva, which treasure is considered to be topmost?” Rāmānanda replied: “One who possesses prema for Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa is most wealthy.”

*gāna-madhye kona gāna jīvera nija dharma

*rādhā-kṛṣṇera prema-keli yei gītera marma

Mahāprabhu asked, “Among all songs, which song describes the jīva’s true dharma?” Rāmānanda replied, “The song which describes the love-laden play of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.”

*dhyeya-madhye jīvera kartavya kon dhyāna

*rādhā-kṛṣṇa-padāmbuja-dhyāna pradhāna

Mahāprabhu asked, “Amongst all types of meditation, which meditation is the goal of the jīva?” Rāmānanda replied, “Meditating upon the lotus feet of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa is primary.”

*sarva tyaji jīvera kartavya kāhāṅ vāsa

*vraja-bhūmi vṛndāvana yāhāṅ līlā-rāsa

Mahāprabhu asked, “Abandoning all other places, where should the jīva reside?” Rāmānanda replied, “At Vṛndāvana in Vraja-bhūmi, where the rāsa–*līlā *occurred.”

*śravaṇa-madhye jīvera kon śreṣṭha śravaṇa

*rādhā-kṛṣṇa-prema-keli karṇa-rasāyana

Mahāprabhu asked, “Of all things to listen to, which is the best for the jīva?” Rāmānanda replied, “Hearing Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s love-pastimes is an elixir for the ear.”

*upāsyera madhye kon upāsya pradhāna

*śreṣṭha upāsya yugala rādhā-kṛṣṇa nāma

Mahāprabhu asked, “Amongst all worshippable things, which is the best?” Rāmānanda replied, “The most worshippable object is the combined Names of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.”

(Translated by Swami Bhaktivijñāna Giri)