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Topic: Bahulaastami & 53rd Initiation Anniversary of HH Lokanath Swami Maharaj Date: 14th October 2025 HH Lokanath Swami Gurumaharaj: Every year the appearance of Radhakund occurs. In 1975, when for the first time I came to Vrindavan in Kartik Maas. Do you know in which temple of Vrindavan did I take my first shower? It was Sri Radha Damodar Temple. I took darshans of Radha Damodar in the month of Damodar in Kartik Maas and that day or in that month Srila Prabhupada was present there and we had his darshans just after that that. Hari Hari. In this month, yesterday on the day of Bahulastami, I took my spiritual birth as well. On the appearance day of Radhakund, I also appeared! So for me this festival is very special. For Radha and Krishna, Radhakund is special. In the spiritual world there are many places but in all of them, Radhakund is the most dear to them. When Radharani had to appear in this material world, she said that she will not appear in the mortal world without Vrindavan, Yamuna Mai and Radha kund! So you didn’t feel strange about this? Ok, so where Goverdhan is not there. Vrindavan dham is eternal, there is never a time when Vrindavan Dharm was not present, that is before and after the appearance of Radha and Krishna. So such Lords appeared in Vrindavan. Srila Rupa Goswami explains that which place is better than which place, so Mathura is better than Vrindavan, why? Because he appeared in Mathura. In Vaikuntha, there is no such appearance of the Lord, there is no mother and father of the Lord in Vaikuntha. So the appearance place is Mathura is it is superior than Vaikuntha this is explained by Rupa Goswami in Updeshamrita aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena va kalpita srimad bhagavatam pramanam amalam prema pum-artho mahan sri-caitanya mahaprabhor matam idam tatradarah na parah Translation The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna, the son of Nanda Maharaja, is worshipped along with His transcendental abode Vrndavana. The most pleasing form of worship for the Lord is that which was performed by the gopis of Vrndavana. Srimad Bhagavatam is the spotless authority on everything and pure love of Godhead is the ultimate goal of life for all men. These statements, for which we have the highest regard, are the opinion of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. (Caitanya-matta-manjusa by Srila Viswanatha Cakravarti Thakura) There is Rasalila stali in the 12 forests of Vrindavan, and Giriraj is superior than these 12 forests that’s why Lord held the Goverdhan hill on his tiny finger for 7 days and became Giridhar. This Goverdhan lila is very dear to devotees because for 7 days and 7 nights the Brajwasis were together 24*7 non-stop. There is no lila in Vrindavan where Krishna gives constant darshans for this long. So, that’s why Giriraj is superior than these 12 forests. Only one place is superior than Goverdhan that is Radha kund! This Radha kund is the most superior. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (3.8–9) substantiate this as follows: vedāham etaṁ puruṣaṁ mahāntam āditya-varṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt tam eva viditvāti mṛtyum eti nānyaḥ panthā vidyate ’yanāya yasmāt paraṁ nāparam asti kiñcid yasmān nāṇīyo no jyāyo ’sti kiñcit vṛkṣa iva stabdho divi tiṣṭhaty ekas tenedaṁ pūrṇaṁ puruṣeṇa sarvam “I know that Supreme Personality of Godhead who is transcendental to all material conceptions of darkness. Only he who knows Him can transcend the bonds of birth and death. There is no way for liberation other than this knowledge of that Supreme Person.” In all the places similarly just as no one is greater than Krishna, Radhakund is the highest. It is not there, and will not be in future also. yatha radha priya visnos-tasyah kundam priyam tatha sarva gopisu saivaika visnor-atyanta-vallabha (Laghu-bhagavatamrta, 45) "Srimati Radharani is dear to Krishna, and Her kunda, known as Radha Kunda is similarly dear to Him. It is the favorite place of Krishna. Of all the gopis, Srimati Radharani is the most dear to Krishna." Just as Krishna is dear to Radharani similarly Radharani is dear to Krishna. “‘Priya Krishna’ means Krishna Himself.Krishna is ‘Rādhā-vallabha’—the beloved of Rādhā, ‘Gopī-vallabha’—the beloved of the gopīs, and among all, Rādhārāṇī is the dearmost to Him. Among all the gopīs, Rādhā alone is supremely dear; therefore, scriptures glorify Her as atyanta vallabhā—the most beloved of Kṛṣṇa. In this way, by explaining just one word, the greatness of Rādhā is revealed. Here the glories of Rādhā are being sung. This is the sacred place of Kṛṣṇa’s eternal pastimes—Rādhā-kuṇḍa. This is the eternal place of pastime for the Lordships. Every day, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa meet here and perform Their sweet loving pastimes. Sometimes Their meeting takes place in one forest, sometimes in another, but Rādhā-kuṇḍa is that special place where Their divine meeting happens every single day. Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes are of many kinds and take place throughout the twenty-four hours of the day, which are divided into eight periods (aṣṭa-kāla). Each period lasts about two and a half hours, except two—midnight and midday—which are about five hours each. During these two extended times, the Lord spends His intimate moments with Rādhā and the gopīs of Vṛndāvana, performing His most confidential, sweet pastimes (mādhurya-līlās).At night, from 10:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m., Kṛṣṇa engages in these nocturnal pastimes.You all are sleeping now only! When Mother Yaśodā puts Him to sleep—feeding Him milk, telling Him stories—He only pretends to sleep. As soon as Yaśodā leaves, Kṛṣṇa jumps up from His bed and quietly slips out to meet the gopīs. He begins playing His flute, but only the gopīs can hear its enchanting sound. Hearing that divine melody, the gopīs immediately run in the direction of the sound, and the Rāsa-līlā begins—lasting for about five hours. These divine lilas include not only Rāsa dance but also water pastimes (jala-kṛīdā), swinging (jhūlana), and playful wanderings in the bowers of Vṛndāvana—hence the name Rādhā-Mādhava Kuñja-bihārī. Although the Bhāgavatam briefly mentions these in the five chapters of the Rāsa-līlā, they are elaborated upon by the ācāryas. In the daytime, again from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Kṛṣṇa spends time at Rādhā-kuṇḍa, performing His eternal pastimes with Rādhā, His dearmost beloved. Rādhā-kuṇḍa is as dear to Kṛṣṇa as Rādhā Herself. Thus, in this sacred place, the Lord daily performs His eternal loving sports with Rādhārāṇī. In the morning, Rādhā and the gopīs go to Kusuma-sarovara—a beautiful lake surrounded by colorful flowers—to collect blossoms and make garlands for Kṛṣṇa, including the famous Vaijayantī-mālā, made of five kinds of flowers of different colors. I hope you know about this place. Any Kusum mataji is sitting here? Yes! Right at the back one mataji is sitting. We don’t here about such places only actor and actresses’ names we know. Sometimes Kṛṣṇa mischievously climbs a tree there. When Rādhā tries to pluck flowers, the branch bends down, and as She reaches for it, Kṛṣṇa withdraws—revealing Himself, and Their divine play unfolds. Nearby is Śyāma-kuṇḍa, which, along with Rādhā-kuṇḍa, appeared on the same night during Bālaṣṭamī. Kṛṣṇa declared, ‘People may or may not remember Śyāma-kuṇḍa, but your kuṇḍa, O Rādhā, will be eternally glorified.’ That is why devotees joyfully chant ‘Jaya Śrī Rādhe!’ Around Rādhā-kuṇḍa are eight sacred bowers (kuñjas), belonging to Rādhā’s eight principal sakhīs—Lalitā, Viśākhā, and others. Each kuñja has a unique atmosphere, flora, fragrance, and mood to suit different pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa which we cannot see with our material eyes. Our acharyas have given us a treasure of all the shastras and granthas. These Goswamis were themselves Manjiris and gopis in the pastimes of the Lord. Updeshamrita glories the Radhakund. Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami wrote Chaitanya Charitamrita. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī lived right on the banks of Rādhā-kuṇḍa. His bhajana-kuṭīra—his place of worship and meditation—was situated on the very shore of Rādhā-kuṇḍa. And where did he write Caitanya-caritāmṛta? He wrote it on the bank of Rādhā-kuṇḍa itself. Along with this, he also described the glories and pastimes of Rādhā-kuṇḍa, exactly as they are — as it is. Here, in Rādhā-kuṇḍa, on its banks, and in the kuñjas (flower bowers) around the kuṇḍa, Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, along with the gopīs, perform Their sweet pastimes. Only the gopīs are allowed to enter these kuñjas — no male is permitted. Actually, there is only one male — Kṛṣṇa. All others are His energies — prakṛti. In these kuñjas, many varieties of sweet, intimate pastimes (mādhurya-līlās) take place—filled with transcendental sweetness and love. Every kuñja, every bower, has its own unique atmosphere—its own climate, fragrance, and mood. Even Vṛndāvana-dhāma itself is known as Vancha-Kalpa-taru-dhāma, the land of desire-fulfilling trees.These trees are not ordinary; they fulfill whatever desire Kṛṣṇa has. If the Lord wishes to perform a pastime of summer during the winter season, or a winter pastime during the summer, there is no need to wait for the season to change. The environment immediately transforms according to His will. Around the bank of Rādhā-kuṇḍa are eight kuñjas, and each kuñja has its own arrangement — different kinds of trees, birds, and flowers. According to His desire, Kṛṣṇa enters whichever kuñja He wishes and performs His divine pastimes there.When He learns that someone might be coming —perhaps Jaṭilā or Kuṭilā (Rādhārāṇī’s mother-in-law or sister-in-law) —they may be coming, searching, “Where has our daughter-in-law gone?” If there is any chance they might arrive, Kṛṣṇa immediately arranges a clever plan. Suppose Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are swinging together on a swing during the Jhūlan-yātrā (swing festival). Behind the swing, there is a backdrop of flowers. Now, what color do you think those flowers are? Kṛṣṇa arranges the background with flowers of the same color as His own body. So if Jaṭilā or Kuṭilā come from afar, they will see only Rādhā on the swing, alone.They will think, “Kṛṣṇa is not here.” Kṛṣṇa’s garment also blends with the color of the flowers. Thus, from a distance, they see only Rādhārāṇī swinging and think she is alone. In this way, Kṛṣṇa uses His intelligence and playful strategies to continue His divine pastimes without interruption. Such are the confidential sports that constantly take place here. Rādhā-kuṇḍa means “the pond of Rādhā.”The water of Rādhā-kuṇḍa is what truly makes it the kuṇḍa. If there were only a pit without water, what kind of kuṇḍa would it be? So the water of Rādhā-kuṇḍa is its essence. And this water is not ordinary water—not from Delhi, Haryana, or any bottled Bisleri water. It is not H₂O.This water is nectar—amṛta. It is a stream of divine love. It is liquid prema. To come in contact with this water—to touch it—is to touch Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī Herself.In fact, we may also say that Rādhā Herself manifests in the form of the waters of Rādhā-kuṇḍa to make Herself accessible to devotees. Even if we perceive nothing externally except water, that water is not material. But to truly see it as such requires eyes anointed with the salve of love—prema-janita-bhakti-vilocana. Only through eyes of devotion born of love can one perceive the spiritual reality of Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Therefore, bathing in or touching the waters of Rādhā-kuṇḍa must be done with great devotion, meditation, and prayer. These acts are part of one’s spiritual practice (sādhana), meant to increase one’s reverence and love for Rādhārāṇī. Thus, sincere practitioners, while performing their sādhana and service, should sometimes visit Rādhā-kuṇḍa, offer their respects, and meditate there. And how do we actually see Rādhā? Or even see Vṛndāvana, or see Kṛṣṇa? Nowadays, someone may take a video of Rādhā-kuṇḍa or Vṛndāvana and send it to us; we watch it and think, “Oh, I have seen it.” But that is not the true method of darśana. What is the real way to behold Rādhā, Kṛṣṇa, and Vṛndāvana? ŚB 7.5.23-24 śrī-prahrāda uvāca śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau bhaktiś cen nava-lakṣaṇā kriyeta bhagavaty addhā tan manye ’dhītam uttamam Translation Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one’s best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words) — these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṇa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge. It is through hearing (śravaṇam), chanting (kīrtanam), and remembering (smaraṇam). By continuously hearing and chanting, we attain remembrance —Kṛṣṇa-smaraṇam, or Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa-smaraṇam, or Sītā-Rāma-smaraṇam. That remembrance is true darśana. Jaya Śrī Rādhe! That’s all — Jaya Śrī Rādhe! All glories to His Holiness Lokanāth Swami Mahārāja.

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