English
6 SEPTEMBER 2019
APPEARANCE DAY OF RADHARANI !
When we chant, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna / Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama / Rama Rama Hare Hare /, we are praying to Radha and Krsna. Hare Krsna prayers say, ‘Oh Radhe! Oh Krsna!’, In that way we are directing our prayers to Radha and Krsna .We are addressing and begging for mercy and engagement. They would engage us in Their service.
nija-seva-yogyam kuru.
‘Please make me eligible to serve you Oh Radhe! Oh Krsna!’
Today is the appearance day of Radharani. Whenever Their names are chanted They appear, but today is the day of the birthday of Radharani. Today is Radhastami. Whenever we chant the name of Radha or whenever we say Hare Krishna it is also expected that Radha and Krsna would make Their appearance. They would appear Lord Hari says to Narada, "naham vasami vaikunthe yoginam hridaye na cha, mad-bhakta yatra gayanti tatra tishthami narada" "I dwell not in Vaikuntha nor in the hearts of the Yogis, but I dwell where my devotees sing my name, O Narada." tatra tishthami - I reside where My devotees chant together. We are here to remember that if we chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra then Radha Krsna are appearing.
Radha Krsna were willing to reciprocate with us , deal with us , hear us and then in Their presence you could continue to pray to Them, address Them , beg for Their mercy.
satyam satyam punah satyam satya evam puna puna,
vina radhiko praade, mata prasade na vidyte
Sri Krsna says:"O Narada! I tell you truly truly, again truly, truly, again and again - without the mercy of “Radharani”, one cannot attain my mercy. (Narada Purana)
Radha, it is my prayer. It is the truth that without the mercy of Radharani we cannot get Krsna. We cannot get the mercy of Krsna, service of Krsna. We have to approach Krsna through Radharani. She is the leading servant of Sri Krsna . Sri Krsna is purna purushottam and Radharani is purna sakti. Krsna is Purush and Radharani is Prakriti or alladhini sakti - radha krsna pran mora jugala kisor. Radha and Krsna are my life and soul, the goal of my life, Narottam Dasa Thakur says. He is also praying , meditating, contemplating, desiring , aspiring to serve Radha and Krsna. This song could also provide a topic for our contemplation and meditation by chanting Hare Krishna.
kalindira kule keli-kadambera vana
There
There on the bank of Yamuna are lots of kadamba trees. I see one asana throne. Radha and Krsna are on that throne. I will approach Them, Their lotus feet.
malate mala haar gale
I offer a garland of malti flowers. One could meditate that I am making garlands for Them but when I get there, it's very hot. Then I will offer chamara which will bring some cooling effect for Them. But when I get there,
lalita vishakha adi jata sakhi vrinda adnyay karibo seva caranravinda
Once I get there I will take permission from Lalita and Vishakha. ‘May I render service? Could you just give me something to do for Radha Krsna?’
vrindaranya kalpadrumadaha srimad ratnagaar simhasano sri sri radha
govinda devo presthalidhi sevyamanam smarami
That's the meditation. Radha and Krsna are seated and they are surrounded by asta gopis. So when I get there I will get permission from Lalita and Vishakha sakhi to serve Radha and Krsna. Lalita and Vishakha may check that this sakhi who wants to serve. They check with Radharani if it is fine to engage me. Because ultimately Radharani has to give permission to serve Them or serve Krsna. Sri Krsna Caitanya Prabhu said dasa-dasa-dasanudasaḥ.
So like that this devotee is the servant of the servant of the servant. Radharani’s sakhis are Lalita and Vishakha and their dasis and then their dasis. Like that there is a whole chain of parampara of devotees. In that chain of master and servant, gurus and disciples, the original guru is Radharani and in that parampara our spiritual master is also there and we are his servants.
mahatmanas tu mam partha
daivim prakrtim asritah
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jnatva bhutadim avyayam
.
TRANSLATION
O son of Prtha, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible. (BG 9.13)
Sri Krsna has described a Mahatma as one who has taken shelter of daivi prakriti, the divine energy and that is Radharani. He is a great soul. For us evan parampara praptam, the spiritual master is available unto whom we can take shelter . We are the servants of the servant of the servant of the servant. Through them we ultimately serve Radha and Krsna. Our spiritual master gives us a mantra and we are formally initiated. First we receive the pranam mantra. You could offer your pranams or obeisances . And then the recommendation for Harinama diksa .Our spiritual master give us mahamantra:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
Like that the spiritual master on behalf of Radha and Krsna, on behalf of all the others in that chain permits you to begin chanting Hare Krishna, which means serve Radha Krsna. While chanting Hare Krishna you continue to serve. We are chanting and begging Radha and Krsna for Their service. They are giving us service. The chanting of Hare Krishna is also a service. It is glorifying Radha and Krsna. When we say Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna we say a lot of things. We are reminded of a lot of thoughts, pastimes, form, beauty of Radha and Krsna, the dhama of Radha and Krsna.
There are commentaries on the Hare Krishna maha-mantra by various acaryas. Gopal Guru Goswami was one of them. He has commented on the Hare Krishna maha-mantra with an explanation and interpretation of each word of the maha-mantra. Gopal Guru Goswami was a contemporary of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was a disciple of Vakreshwar Pandit and used to reside in Jagannatha Puri. We even have a commentary on Hare Krishna maha-mantra. There are commentaries on some verses of the Bhagavad- gita. Our acaryas have written commentaries. Like this there are commentaries on the Hare Krishna maha-mantra where it is explained in detail. On Hare there is a commentary. On Krsna there is commentary.
Swamadhuryen mam chittam aakarshay that is a part of commentary. When we say Hare Krishna, we say 'Krsna' then we are praying, - please attract my attention to Your madhurya or sweetness. You are the sweet Lord . Oh! When
would I experience that sweetness?
While chanting the names of the Lord, we have to absorb ourselves in remembering Radha and Krsna. It is not sunyavad or voidism. That is not the goal of our meditation. This is not impersonal meditation on some formless light or meditation on nothing. This is Hare Krishna mantra meditation. There are a lot of topics to meditate upon. Srila Prabhupada says when you talk of meditation immediately the first thing you do is decide on the object of your meditation. What are you going to be meditating on? Chanting of Hare Krishna maha-mantra is time to meditate.
sri-radhika-madhavayor apara-madhurya-lila-guna-rupa-namnam
This is a topic, object of meditation. Radha-Madhav, their madhurya lila, their pastimes, remembering their gunas - qualities, rupa - the form and name. Of course we want to meditate upon Radha and Krsna or Radha Krsna qualities,
or Their pastimes, form, but we are used to meditating on all wordly forms and beauties, activities and wonderings. We have millions of topics to talk and think about. That was our life thus far, before we came in contact with the
devotees , before we got initiated or before we started chanting, we had been meditating on all such topics. Everyone had been meditating on all such topics.
dhyayato visaayan pumsah
sangas tesupajayate
sangat sañjayate kaman
kamat krodho 'bhijayate
Krsna says in the second chapter of Bhagavad-gita, dhyayato visaayan , the whole world is meditating upon visaayan, objects of sense enjoyment. sangas tesupajayate, as one meditates upon wordly forms and activities and qualities and or shabda,, sparsha rupa, rasa, gandha objects of meditation. Shabda means touch - object of meditation. Like that there are five types of objects of meditation. As one contemplates, meditates which one the whole world does day and night, sangas tesupajayate one becomes attached to that object and that gives rise to kamaha (lust) an intense will to enjoy those objects of sense enjoyment. First of all , acquire them and then enjoy. While chanting of Hare Krishna our previous meditation, previous asarama, our attachment to so many objects of sense enjoyment is going to be troubling us, going to be stumbling blocks for us. During chanting we the practitioners have to work on getting rid of it. That is the kind of meditation, remembrance. The mind is going to be dragged here and there.
yato yato niscalati
manas cañcalam asthiram
tatas tato niyamyaitad
atmany eva vasam nayet( B.G. 6.26)
This is the advice of Lord Sri Krsna in the sixth chapter of Bhagavad-gita, which deals with ashtanga yoga or meditation. The mind goes during chanting to some man or woman and not to Radha Krsna. We have to be very, very attentive while chanting. Watch out! Where is your mind now? While we are chanting our rounds - one round chanted , three rounds, five rounds , but our mind is making so many rounds, going around the world. Went to Moscow so many times, brought it back, went here, went there. So there is a lot of homework to be done while chanting of Hare Krishna. You should be telling to yourself - Neti! Neti! Neti! Not this! Not this! Don't think of this. Don't go there. Bringing the mind back and fix it on:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare.
Think of Radha Krsna. Remember Radha Krsna. Pray to Radha Krsna. Pray to Radha. Today is Her birthday. She is kinder today. We could take advantage of Her kindness. We could pray to Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is Radha and Krsna combined. He has become tum bina ke dayalu jagat sansare. Who is kinder than you, Oh Lord! Caitanya Mahaprabhu -patita-pavana-hetu tava avatara. mo sama patita prabhu na paibe are You have appeared Radhe, You have appeared along with Krsna in the form of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in this age of Kali and I am fallen, very fallen. My mind is going here and there. Please lift me.
ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram
patitam mam visame bhavambudhau
krpaya tava pada-pankaja-
sthita-dhuli-sadrsam vicintaya ((Siksastakam verse 5)
Siksastakam prayers are also there. We have to think on those terms. When we say Hare Krishna, Oh! Krsna , ayi nanda-tanuja, Krsna, son of Nanda Maharaja, I am your kinkar. See what has happened to me, I am fallen. I am falling in this devotion of Russia. So please pick me up. Fix me in the dust particle of Your lotus feet. Engage me in service of Your lotus feet. Like that we have to drag your mind away from wherever it goes to the worldly objects.
bhaj hu re mana sri nanda nandana abhaya caranravinda re
This is also an appeal to the mind. ‘My dear mind, please worship the lotus feet of abhay caranaravinda. The Lord’s lotus feet which are fearless. O mind. please meditate.’ So we could turn to our mind and beg the mind to please think of Radha and Krsna. We could pray or sometimes Srila Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati Thakur recommends that we beat the mind, slap the rascal mind with the broom. A broom is used for sweeping in the morning hours. Beat the mind with shoes, army shoes or bigger thicker shoes. Try to bring the mind to the senses. "yena kena prakarena manah krsna niveshayat". "Somehow or the other one must associate with Lord Krsna".
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
Keep thinking, contemplating, meditating. We practice everyday. We chant our prescribed number of rounds everyday, and this practice we do everyday, day after day. It is expected of us to make progress and eventually attain perfection. Attain mantra- siddhi, perfection in chanting of Hare Krishna. So we wish you success in chanting of Hare Krishna maha-mantra. May Radharani bless you all, on the occasion of Her Appearance Day.
Jay Radhe!
