English
17 January 2020
Perform devotional service like Radharani
You are all welcome this morning.
This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s teaching. It is said in Sanskrit and there are many
aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam
ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargenava kalpita
And moving forward:
srimad-bhagavatam pramanam amalam prema pumarthomahan
sri-caitanya-mahaprabhor matamidam tatradaro nah parah
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)
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is inspiring us and showing us when we perform our worship, how we should do it. It should be the way in which the gopis performed worship. Make the gopis your ideal heroine. And of all the Gopis, Radha is the topmost. This word aradhana is called such due to Radharani. anayārādhito nūnaṁ
The gopis were searching for Krsna in the forest and just after seeing the Lord’s footprints, they could see some other footprints also. Before this they could not see any footprints and there was no sign whatsoever, but they kept searching and then they saw Krsna’s footprints. It was like a ray of hope as they saw the Lord’s footprints. ‘Krsna’s footprints are here so He must be here nearby. He must have walked this way.’ When gopis see His footprints what happens? He is caught like a thief. When there is robbery in the village people search for the footprints of the thief. Where he came from? Where he went? Till where he went? So the presence of footprints means there is hope that the person is around. First they saw Krsna’s footprints and then following those footprints after some time they again saw some other person’s foot prints.
As they saw this other set of footprints they started talking amongst themselves. They started guessing whose footprints they may be. So another Gopi exclaimed, ‘You silly girl, can’t you understand this? Who else’s footprints can these be? These must be Radhika’s footprints.’
And they spoke in these words,
anayārādhito nūnaṁ
bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ
yan no vihāya govindaḥ
prīto yām anayad rahaḥ [SB 10.30.28]
Translation:
Certainly this particular gopī has perfectly worshiped the all-powerful Personality of Godhead, Govinda, since He was so pleased with Her that He abandoned the rest of us and brought Her to a secluded place.
These footprints are definitely of Aradhita, the one who worships Krsna. Krsna aradhita, the one who worships Krsna.
They did not say ‘Radha’ directly, but they said anayārādhito nūnaṁ, yan no vihāya govindaḥ. Govinda left us when the Rasa dance was just about to take place. They were feeling hopeful that the rasa dance would start, but then He took this particular Gopi, this Aradhita, He took Her away alone somewhere. So where did He take Her? He brought Her here. He left us at that place and He took away that Gopi. Can you see Her footprints here? Govind bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ Hari has taken Her.
They called Him Bhagavan and Isvara as well as Hari. He who takes away our chitta. He took Radha away. He separated us from Himself. We were all with Radha, but that Govinda – Govinda means one who gives pleasure to the sense, to the cows, to the land. So the Gopis said ‘Govind, Isvara, Bhagavan, anayad’ He took Her away. This is the place, He has bought Her here. These footprints are Aradhita’s. They have not said her name directly, they have not said Radha. They said that He has bought the one who worships Him – Aradhita. There is only one place in the Bhagavatam where She is mentioned and Her name Radha is not mentioned directly, but indirectly ‘Aradhita’ the one who worships, that Gopi – Aradhita. These are Her footprints. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, ‘We should worship Lord Krsna like the gopis or like Radharani worships Lord Krsna.’
sri caitanya mahaprabhor matam idam tatradaro na parah.
This is the opinion of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Radha’s bhava, the Gopi’s bhava, bhakti bhava is matchless. According to the opinion of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He gives inspiration to all the Gaudiya Vaisnavas that one should worship like the Gopis, worship like Srimati Radharani. Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not just tell us, but He Himself worshipped the Lord like this and stayed in Radha bhava. The pastimes He performed in Jagannatha Puri, when He was staying in Gambhira, along with Swarup Damodar and Ramananda Raya, there Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu was constantly in Radha bhava -in the mood of Srimati Radharani, Gopi bhava. This was a confidential, personal, private reason for His appearance, He wanted to understand Radharani.
To know Radharani, you have to perform devotional service like Radharani in the mood of Radharani. If we have Gopi bhava, if we worship like the Gopis, only then we will be able to understand devotional service. Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu took up Radha bhava.
radha bhava dyuti suvalitam naumi Krsna swarupam
He took up Radha’s mood, Radha’s complexion. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became Gauranga, the colour of Radharani. tapta-kancana-gaurangi and Radharani is Gaurangi. Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Gauranga. Gaura is constant – both are of Gauravarna. Radharani is gauravarna and Caitanya Mahaprabhu also became gauravarna.
Hemangi, so just from the outside, bahir gaura He became the colour of Gaura. radha bhava dyuti suvalitam. Radha’s complexion and Her bhava, Her mood from the inside and the outside He was Radharani. He is looking like Radha, He has Her complexion and her bhava, her whole mood is like hers. So Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taken Radha’s mood. He has taken also the mood of renunciation and He has all the right to tell us, take up Radha bhava, Radha’s mood, the Gopi’s mood. This is the mood of Sad Goswamis of Vrndavan. They used to run towards the forest searching for Krsna. kvasikvasimaha-bhuja. The six Goswamis are saying, he radhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sunokutah, in the 8th verse of Sadgoswamiastak. ghoṣantāvitisarvatovraja-pure khedairmahā-vihvalau The Goswamis would become impatient, eager and through the whole of Vraja-mandala they would run and search ‘kutah’ where are You? ‘He Radhe, he vraja-devike, he Lailite, he nanda sunokutah!
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
We also have to do this chanting in the same mood - Gopibhava, or the six Goswamis of Vrindavan’s bhava. We read in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta the devotion of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He became a devotee and showed by His example how one should perform devotional service.
apani achari jagate sikhaye
He taught the world through His own His behaviour, His dealings. Then He went to Jagannatha Puri and performed such devotional service. Why in Jagannatha Puri? Jagannatha who is there in Jagannatha Puri is now sitting in Dvaraka and He is remembering the Gopis and mother Yasoda. The memories of the Gopis and the pastimes with the cowherd boys and Sridhama Sakha is always bewildering Him. He is eager to meet all of them. All these pastimes, ‘Oh when will I play?’ and the Vatsalya bhava with mother Yasoda, ‘When will I experience that again? And my friends! uddhav mohe braja visrat nahi. The Lord cried and cried as He spoke these words to Uddhava in Mathura.
So this Lord who cannot forget Vraja or the Vrajvasis and has this mood in His heart is sitting as Lord Jagannatha in Jagannatha Puri. That is why His eyes are so big.
Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu reached Jagannatha Puri. And as Lord Jagannatha has the mood of searching for His devotees ‘Where are My devotees, when will I see My devotees?’ In this same way when Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is reaching Puri He is thinking ‘When will I see My Lord?’ He is in Radha bhava, Gopi bhava. He is very eager to see the Lord, and to have His darsana and to embrace the Lord. Jagannatha is lamenting as He got separated from His devotees. Caiatanya Mahaprabhu in gopi bhava is thinking, “Krsna left me and went away.”
soduniya gopina krsna mathuresi gela
He left the gopis and went to Mathura. From there He was to come back but then He moved ahead, He went to Dvaraka. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu was in Jagannatha Puri, this was the mood He had. This is a nice combination of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Jagannatha. They search for each other, love each other and are in intense separation from each other. This is the mood Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took up and He has ordered or rather instructed that you all take up that mood up, service in separation, the mood of devotion in separation.
ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena va kalpita
One should chant with this mood. This is the practice, sadhana to have these thoughts, this bhava this mood while chanting. Otherwise remember and meditate on Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu or His mood, the Gopis’ mood. You can meditate on Radharani’s mood and evoke that mood within you and chant,
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
nitya-siddha krsna-prema sadhya kabhu naya
shravandi-shuddha-chitte karaye udaya
Translation:
“Pure love for Krishna is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens." (C.C. Madya 22.107)
As we hear Hare Krishna, the holy name with that sadhana as we move forward with our mood of devotion, our Krsna prema will be revived.
Gaura Premanande Hari Haribol
