Çré Paramä Ekädaçé
Issue no: 216
The Supreme Lover
Krishna and The Gopis MeeT For The rasa dance
Srila Sukadeva Goswami
The acTual supreMe lover Disciples of His Divine Grace
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
rasa lila and radha-Kunda
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura
12th August 2023
Krishna and The Gopis MeeT For The rasa dance
Srila Sukadeva Goswami
Sri Badarayani said: Sri Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full in all opulences, yet upon seeing those autumn nights scented with blossoming jasmine flowers, He turned His mind toward loving affairs. To fulfill His purposes He employed His internal potency. The moon then rose, anointing the face of the eastern horizon with the reddish hue of his comforting rays, and thus dispelling the pain of all who watched him rise. The moon was like a beloved husband who returns after a long absence and adorns the face of his beloved wife with red kumkuma.
Lord Krishna saw the unbroken disk of the full moon glowing with the red effulgence of newly applied vermilion, as if it were the face of the goddess of fortune. He also saw the kumuda lotuses opening in response to the moon’s presence and the forest gently illumined by its rays. Thus the Lord began to play sweetly on His flute, attracting the minds of the beautiful-eyed gopés. When the young women of Vrindavan heard Krishna’s flute-song, which arouses romantic feelings, their minds were captivated by the Lord. They went to where their lover waited, each unknown to the others, moving so quickly that their earrings swung back and forth. Some of the gopés were milking cows when they heard Krishna’s flute. They stopped milking and went off to meet Him. Some left milk curdling on the stove, and others left cakes burning in the oven. Some of them were getting dressed, feeding milk to their infants or rendering personal service to their husbands, but they all gave up these duties and went to meet Krishna. Other gopés were taking their evening meals, washing themselves, putting on cosmetics or applying kajjala to their eyes. But all the gopés stopped these activities at once and, though their clothes and ornaments were in complete disarray, rushed off to Krishna.
Their husbands, fathers, brothers and other relatives tried to stop them, but Krishna had already stolen their hearts. Enchanted by the sound of His flute, they refused to turn back. Some of the gopés, however, could not manage to get out of their
houses, and instead they remained home with eyes closed, meditating upon Him in pure love. For those gopés who could not go to see Krishna, intolerable separation from their beloved caused an intense agony that burned away all impious karma. By meditating upon Him they realized His embrace, and the ecstasy they then felt exhausted their material piety. Although Lord Krishna is the Supreme Soul, these girls simply thought of Him as their male lover and associated with Him in that intimate mood. Thus their karmic bondage was nullified and they abandoned their gross material bodies.
Sri Pariksit Maharaja said: O sage, the gopés knew Krishna only as their lover, not as the Supreme Absolute Truth. So how could these girls, their minds caught up in the waves of the modes of nature, free themselves from material attachment?
Sukadeva Gosvami said: This point was explained to you previously. Since even Sisupala, who hated Krishna, achieved perfection, then what to speak of the Lord’s dear devotees. O King, the Supreme Lord is inexhaustible and immeasurable, and He is untouched by the material modes because He is their controller. His personal appearance in this world is meant for bestowing the highest benefit on humanity. Persons who constantly direct their lust, anger, fear, protective affection, feeling of impersonal oneness or friendship toward Lord Hari are sure to become absorbed in thought of Him. You should not be so astonished by Krishna, the unborn master of all masters of mystic power, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. After all, it is the Lord who liberates this world. Seeing that the girls of Vraja had arrived, Lord Krishna, the best of speakers, greeted them with charming words that bewildered their minds.
[Lord Krishna said:] O most fortunate ladies, welcome. What may I do to please you? Is everything well in Vraja? Please tell Me the reason for your coming here. This night is quite frightening, and frightening creatures are lurking about. Return to Vraja, slender-waisted girls. This is not a proper place for women. Not finding you at home, your mothers, fathers, sons, brothers and husbands are certainly searching for you. Don’t
cause anxiety for your family members. Now you have seen this Vrindavan forest, full of flowers and resplendent with the light of the full moon. You have seen the beauty of the trees, with their leaves trembling in the gentle breeze coming from the Yamuna. So now go back to the cowherd village. Don’t delay. O chaste ladies, serve your husbands and give milk to your crying babies and calves.
On the other hand, perhaps you have come here out of your great love for Me, which has taken control of your hearts. This is of course quite commendable on your part, since all living entities possess natural affection for Me. The highest religious duty for a woman is to sincerely serve her husband, behave well toward her husband’s family and take good care of her children. Women who desire a good destination in the next life should never abandon a husband who has not fallen from his religious standards, even if he is obnoxious, unfortunate, old, unintelligent, sickly or poor. For a woman from a respectable family, petty adulterous affairs are always condemned. They bar her from heaven, ruin her reputation and bring her difficulty and fear. Transcendental love for Me arises by the devotional processes of hearing about Me, seeing My Deity form, meditating on Me and faithfully chanting My glories. The same result is not achieved by mere physical proximity. So please go back to your homes.
Sukadeva Gosvami said: Hearing these unpleasant words spoken by Govinda, the gopés became morose. Their great hopes were frustrated and they felt insurmountable anxiety. Their heads hanging down and their heavy, sorrowful breathing drying up their reddened lips, the gopés scratched the ground with their toes. Tears flowed from their eyes, carrying their kajjala and washing away the vermilion smeared on their breasts. Thus they stood, silently bearing the burden of their unhappiness. Although Krishna was their beloved, and although they had abandoned all other objects of desire for His sake, He had been speaking to them unfavorably. Nonetheless, they remained unflinching in their attachment to Him. Stopping their crying, they wiped their eyes and began to speak, their voices stammering with agitation.
[The beautiful gopés said:] O all-powerful one, You should not speak in this cruel way. Do not reject us, who have renounced all material enjoy-
ment to render devotional service to Your lotus feet. Reciprocate with us, O stubborn one, just as the primeval Lord, Sri Narayana, reciprocates with His devotees in their endeavors for liberation. Our dear Krishna, as an expert in religion You have advised us that the proper religious duty for women is to faithfully serve their husbands, children and other relatives. We agree that this principle is valid, but actually this service should be rendered to You. After all, O Lord, You are the dearmost friend of all embodied souls. You are their most intimate relative and indeed their very Self. Expert transcendentalists always direct their affection toward You because they recognize You as their true Self and eternal beloved. What use do we have for these husbands, children and relatives of ours, who simply give us trouble? Therefore, O supreme controller, grant us Your mercy.
O lotus-eyed one, please do not cut down our long-cherished hope to have Your association. Until today our minds were absorbed in household affairs, but You easily stole both our minds and our hands away from our housework. Now our feet won’t move one step from Your lotus feet. How can we go back to Vraja? What would we do there? Dear Krishna, please pour the nectar of Your lips upon the fire within our heartsa fire You ignited with Your smiling glances and the sweet song of Your flute. If You do not, we will consign our bodies to the fire of separation from You, O friend, and thus like yogés attain to the abode of Your lotus feet by meditation.
O lotus-eyed one, the goddess of fortune considers it a festive occasion whenever she touches the soles of Your lotus feet. You are very dear to the residents of the forest, and therefore we will also touch those lotus feet. From that time on we will be unable even to stand in the presence of any other man, for we will have been fully satisfied by You. Goddess Lakshmi, whose glance is sought after by the demigods with great endeavor, has achieved the unique position of always remaining on the chest of her Lord, Narayana. Still, she desires the dust of His lotus feet, even though she has to share that dust with Tulasi-devi and indeed with the Lord’s many other servants. Similarly, we have approached the dust of Your lotus feet for shelter.
Therefore, O vanquisher of all distress, please show us mercy.
To approach Your lotus feet we abandoned our families and homes, and we have no desire other than to serve You. Our hearts are burning with intense desires generated by Your beautiful smiling glances. O jewel among men, please make us Your maidservants. Seeing Your face encircled by curling locks of hair, Your cheeks beautified by earrings, Your lips full of nectar, and Your smiling glance, and also seeing Your two imposing arms, which take away our fear, and Your chest, which is the only source of pleasure for the goddess of fortune, we must become Your maidservants. Dear Krishna, what woman in all the three worlds wouldn’t deviate from religious behavior when bewildered by the sweet, drawn-out melody of Your flute? Your beauty makes all three worlds auspicious. Indeed, even the cows, birds, trees and deer manifest the ecstatic symptom of bodily hair standing on end when they see Your beautiful form. Clearly You have taken birth in this world to relieve the fear and distress of the people of Vraja, just as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the primeval Lord, protects the domain of the demigods. Therefore, O friend of the distressed, kindly place Your lotus hand on Your maidservants’ heads and burning breasts.
Sukadeva Gosvami said: Smiling upon hearing these despondent words from the gopés, Lord Krishna, the supreme master of all masters of mystic yoga, mercifully enjoyed with them, although He is self-satisfied. Among the assembled gopés, the infallible Lord Krishna appeared just like the moon surrounded by stars. He whose activities are so magnanimous made their faces blossom with His affectionate glances, and His broad smiles revealed the effulgence of His jasmine-bud-like teeth. As the gopés sang His praises, that leader of hundreds of women sang loudly in reply. He moved among them, wearing His Vaijayanti garland, beautifying the Vrindavan forest. Sri Krishna went with the gopés to the bank of the Yamuna, where the sand was cooling and the wind, enlivened by the river’s waves, bore the fragrance of lotuses. There Krishna threw His arms around the gopés and embraced them. He aroused Cupid in the beautiful young ladies of Vraja by touching their hands, hair, thighs, belts and breasts, by
playfully scratching them with His fingernails, and also by joking with them, glancing at them and laughing with them. In this way the Lord enjoyed His pastimes. The gopés became proud of themselves for having received such special attention from Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and each of them thought herself the best woman on earth. Lord Keshava, seeing the gopés too proud of their good fortune, wanted to relieve them of this pride and show them further mercy. Thus He immediately disappeared.
The acTual supreMe lover Disciples of His Divine Grace
As we begin the famous narration of Lord Krishna's räsa dance, a dance of love with beautiful young girls, questions will inevitably arise in the minds of ordinary people regarding the propriety of God's romantic dancing with many young girls in the middle of a full-moon autumn night. In his description of the Lord's räsa dance in Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Srila Prabhupada painstakingly explains the spiritual purity of these transcendental activities. Those advanced in the science of Krishna—the great teachers, or äcäryas—leave no doubt that Lord Krishna is full and satisfied in Himself, free of all material desire, which is, after all, a sense of incompleteness or lack.
Materialistic persons and impersonal philosophers stubbornly reject the bona fide explanation of Sri Krishna's transcendental nature. There is no reason to deny the beautiful reality of an absolute person able to perform absolute romantic activities, of which our so-called romance is merely a shadow or perverted reflection. The irrational insistence that material activities cannot be a reflection of the perfect, spiritual activities performed by God reflects the unimaginative emotional disposition of those who oppose the reality of Sri Krishna. This psychological disposition of the nondevotees, which leads them to fervently deny the very existence of the absolute person, unfortunately boils down to what may be suc-
cinctly described as envy, since the overwhelming majority of the impersonal critics eagerly pursue their own romantic affairs, which they consider quite real and even "spiritual."
The actual supreme lover is Lord Krishna. The Vedänta-sütra begins by declaring that the Absolute Truth is the source of everything, and even Western philosophy was born in a somewhat awkward attempt at finding the original One behind the apparent many of material existence. Conjugal love, one of the most intense and demanding aspects of human existence, can hardly have nothing at all to do with supreme reality.
In fact, the conjugal love experienced by human beings is a mere reflection of spiritual reality, in which the same love exists in an absolute, pristine state. Thus it is clearly stated here that when Krishna decided to enjoy the romantic atmosphere of autumn, "He resorted to His spiritual potency" (yoga-mäyäm upäçritaù). The spiritual nature of Lord Krishna's conjugal affairs is a major theme in this section of Çrémad-Bhägavatam
A woman is attractive because of the sweet sound of her voice, her beauty and gentleness, her enchanting fragrance and tenderness, and also because of her cleverness and skill in music and dance. The most attractive ladies of all are the young gopés of Vrindavan, who are Lord Krishna's internal potency, and this chapter tells how He enjoyed their brilliant feminine qualities—even though, as Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura has mentioned, Lord Krishna was an eight-year-old boy when these events took place.
Ordinary people prefer God simply to be a witness of their romantic affairs. When a boy desires a girl or a girl desires a boy, sometimes they pray to God for their enjoyment. Such people are shocked and dismayed to find out that the Lord can enjoy His own loving affairs with His own transcendental senses. In truth, Sri Krishna is the original Cupid, and His exciting conjugal pastimes will be described in this section of the Bhägavatam
When Lord Krishna descends to the earth, His spiritual body seems to take birth and grow as He displays His variegated pastimes. The Lord could hardly allow His boyhood to pass without exhibiting the supreme loving affairs between a young boy and young girls. Thus, Vishvanatha
Cakravarti Thakura quotes Srila Rupa Gosvami as follows: kaiçoraà saphalé-karoti kalayan kuïje vihäraà hariù. "Lord Hari perfects His youth by arranging loving pastimes in the groves of the Vrindavan forest."
— Çrémad-Bhägavatam (Bhägavata Puräëa) » Canto 10: The Summum Bonum » Chapter 29 » Verse 1 » Purport by Disciples of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
rasa lila and radha-Kunda
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura
The eighth instruction of Srila Rupa Prabhu is the essence of all instructions. It is as follows:
tan-näma-rüpa-caritädi-sukértanänusmåtyoù krameëa rasanä-manasé niyojya tiñöhan vraje tad-anurägi janänugämé kälaà nayed akhilam ity upadeça-säram
The essence of all advice is that one should utilize one’s full time twenty-four hours a day, in nicely chanting and remembering the Lord’s divine name, transcendental form, qualities, and eternal pastimes, thereby gradually engaging one’s tongue and mind. In this way, one should reside in Vraja [Goloka Vrindavan dhäma] and serve Krishna under the guidance of devotees. One should follow in the footsteps of the Lord’s beloved devotees, who are deeply attached to His devotional service. We have to always remain subordinate to the Vrajaväsés. The banks of Yamuna, the playground for Krishna’s amorous pastimes, the waters of the Yamuna, the cows, sticks, horns, and flutes are all Vrajaväsés. They are Vrajaväsés on the platform of çänta-rasa. Raktaka, Citraka, Patraka, and others are Vrajaväsés on the platform of däsya-rasa. Externally making a show of residing in Vraja while thinking internally about material enjoyment unrelated to Krishna cannot be called vrajaväsa, living in Vraja. Vrajaväsés are those who cannot engage in anything other than Krishna’s service even in their dreams or while unconscious, and who have natural attachment for Krishna. If one is unable to physically live in Vraja, he should live there mentally. This means that he must always keep his mind absorbed in thoughts of Vraja. One has to give up both material enjoyment and dry
renunciation. According to Çrémad-Bhägavatam, an attached householder and a staunch, dry renunciant cannot worship Hari.
We have to follow the gradual path. We must start with hearing the holy names and kåñëa-kathä. Krishna’s holy name reveals Himself as the Lord’s forms, qualities, pastimes, and associates. After hearing, we have to act accordingly. We have to constantly chant whatever we have heard. Then the state of remembrance will come. There are five kinds of remembrance. The final stage of remembrance is called samädhi, uninterrupted remembrance. After the stage of remembrance one attains the stage of self-realization, after which one attains the ultimate goal of life and goes back to Godhead.
One must properly glorify the Lord’s name, form, and characteristics. One will not yield any result if one simply makes a pretense of glorifying the Lord. Çrémad-Bhägavatam (2.8.4) states:
çåëvataù çraddhayä nityaà, gåëataç ca sva-ceñöitam kälena nätidérgheëa, bhagavän viçate hådi
Persons who hear Çrémad-Bhägavatam regularly and are always taking the matter very seriously will have the Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna manifested in their hearts within a short time.
Trying to artificially remember the Lord by giving up one’s chanting is not real remembrance. The pretension of remembrance without chanting will leave one meditating on sense objects. The çästras have described two paths, the path of çreyas and the path of preyas. That which we like is the path of preyas, and that which we don’t like is the path of çreyas. When çreyas and preyas merge, our hearts will rush toward Sri Radha-Krishna’ service. In that stage çreyas appears as preyas and preyas as çreyas. This is how exalted devotees think.
The phrase tad anurägi in the original verse refers to the Vrajaväsés who are deeply attached to the Lord. The cows, sticks, horns, flute, kadamba trees, and the banks of the Yamuna are deeply attached Vrajaväsés in çänta-rasa. Raktaka, Citraka, and Patraka, who are Nanda’s house servants and who serve Krishna when He returns from the pasturing
ground, are deeply attached Vrajaväsés in däsya-rasa. Friends like Sridama or Sudama are deeply attached Vrajaväsés of viçrambha-sakhya-rasa, friendship with love. Arjuna’s idea of the Lord is mixed with knowledge of His godhood and is therefore not pure friendship. There is a difference between viçrambha-sakhya-rasa and gaurava-sakhya-rasa (friendship with awe and reverence). On the platform of viçrambha-sakhya-rasa, Krishna’s friends will climb on Krishna’s shoulders, feed Him contaminated täla fruits in the Talavana forest, fight with Him, and compel Him to carry them on His shoulders. But Arjuna is struck with wonder when he sees Krishna’s universal form. He says, “O Lord! You are so opulent and great. I have committed an offense by addressing You as friend. Please forgive me.” He spoke like this because he was overwhelmed by Krishna’s opulence.
Personalities like Nanda and Yasoda are deeply attached Vrajaväsés in vätsalya-rasa. Raghupati Upadhyaya, a disciple of Sri Madhavendra Puri said:
çrutim apare småtim itare, bhäratam anye bhajantu bhava-bhétäù aham iha nandaà vande, yasyälinde paraà brahma
Those who are afraid of material existence worship the Vedic literature. Some worship småti, the corollaries to the Vedic literature, and others worship the Mahäbhärata. As far as I am concerned, I worship Krishna’s father, Mahäräja Nanda, in whose courtyard the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, is playing. (Padyävali 126)
The Vraja gopés are deeply attached Vrajaväsés in the topmost mädhurya-rasa. When the gopés, who were afflicted by separation from Krishna met Him at Kurukshetra during the solar eclipse, they said:
ähuç ca te nalina-näbha padäravindaà yogeçvarair hådi vicintyam agädha-bodhaiù saàsära-küpa-patitottaraëävalambaà gehaà juñäm api manasy udiyät sadä naù
Dear Lord whose navel is just like a lotus flower, Your lotus feet are the only shelter for those who have fallen into the deep well of material
existence. Your feet are worshiped and meditated upon by great mystic yogés and highly learned philosophers. We wish that these lotus feet may also be awakened within our hearts, although we are only ordinary persons engaged in household affairs. (Çrémad Bhagavatam 10.82.48)
Materialists are motivated by a desire to become liberated from material existence. Renunciant yogés practice meditation to realize the subtle object. Surpassing these considerations is the topmost platform of devotional service found in the gopés of Vraja. The gopés are not prepared to serve Krishna from a distance like the yogés who practice meditation. Their meditation is spontaneous and natural.
These above mentioned five kinds of rasas are found in Goloka and in the Vraja of this world. In Vaikuntha there are two and half kinds of rasas, çänta, däsya, and gaurava-sakhya. Viçrambha-sakhya does not exist there.
In Sri Rupa Prabhu’s ninth instruction, he determines the best place to perform bhajana as follows:
vaikuëöhäj janito varä madhu-puré taträpi räsotsaväd våndäraëyam udära-päëi-ramaëät taträpi Govardhanù rädhä-kuëòam ihäpi gokula-pateù premämåtäplävanät kuryäd asya viräjato giri-taöe seväà viveké na kaù
The holy place known as Mathura is spiritually superior to Vaikuntha, the transcendental world, because the Lord appeared there. Superior to Mathurapuri is the transcendental forest of Vrindavan, because of Krishna’s räsa-lélä pastimes. And superior to the forest of Vrindavan is Govardhan Hill, for it was raised by the divine hand of Sri Krishna and was the site of His various loving pastimes. And, above all, the superexcellent Sri Radha-kunda stands supreme, for it is over-flooded with the ambrosial nectarean prema of the Lord of Gokula, Sri Krishna. Where, then, is that intelligent person who is unwilling to serve this divine Radha-kunda, which is situated at the foot of Govardhan Hill?
As the surrendered maidservants of Sri Radha, we have to constantly live on the banks of Radha-kunda. In the conception of Narayana there is no existence of father and mother. Narayana is unborn. But when that unborn Lord appears as the son of Devaki and Vasudeva in Mathura, He
performs the pastime of taking birth. The Lord of Vaikuntha is unborn. But since that unborn Lord, due to His inconceivable potency, manifested His pastime of taking birth, His position as the Supreme Lord becomes more glorious. Therefore Mathura is superior to Vaikuntha.
Lord Krishna appears in the pure mind of a practitioner. That pure mind is also Mathura. Many people consider Mathura a mythical place, a place described in fairy tales. Doing so denies Krishna’s inconceivable potency. By His inconceivable potency Mathura appears along with Krishna in this material world.
Vrindavan, where Krishna enjoyed the räsa lélä, is superior to Mathura, where Krishna took birth. Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 1.17) states:
çrémän räsa-rasärambhé vaàçévaöa-taöa-sthitaù karñan veëu-svanair gopér gopé-näthaùçriye ’stu naù
Sri Gopinatha, who originated the transcendental mellow of the räsa dance, stands on the shore in Vamsivata and attracts the attention of the cowherd damsels with the sound of His celebrated flute. May They all confer upon us Their benedictions.
In Mathura, Krishna enjoys His pastimes as an immature boy. In the räsa-lélä arena He is a mature boy. Krishna enjoyed the räsa-lélä pastimes with His different types of gopé friends. When Sri Radha arrived and saw that the special characteristics of Her service could not be exhibited in a räsa-lélä that included so many types of gopés, She left the arena and went to Govardhan. Chandravali also arrived. When Sri Radha saw Sri Krishna sitting inside a cave at Govardhan with Chandravali, She became very upset. After tactfully deceiving Chandravali’s messenger Shaibya, Radha's gopé friends, Tulasi, Dhanistha, and others, sent Chandravali to Sakhisthali. That is why Srila Dasa Gosvami Prabhupada, who was a staunch follower of Sri Rupa, offered his obeisances to Sakhisthali from a distance. After deceiving Chandravali, Sri Radha's followers brought Shyamasundara to Radha-kunda.
Sri Govardhan, where Sri Radha-Krishna’s most confidential amorous pastimes take place, is superior to Vrindavan. In his prayer to Sri Govardhan,
Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami wrote (Stavävalé, Vol. 1, text 6):
yasyäm-mädhava-näviko rasavatém ädhäya rädhäm-tarau madhye caïcala-keli-päta-valanät träsaiù stuvatyäs tataù sväbhiñöham-paëam ädadhe vahati sä yasmin mano-jähnavé kas tam-tan nava-dam-pati-pratibhuvam-govardhanm-näçrayet
Who will not take shelter of Govardhan Hill, where the divine couple enjoy Their rescue-fee pastimes, and where the Manasa-ganga flows? In the Manasa-ganga the pilot Madhava took sweetly beautiful Radha on His boat, and when She, frightened by a great storm, prayed that He calm it, He claimed from Her as a rescue-fee the fulfillment of His amorous desires.
Radha-kunda is superior to Govardhan because it is flooded fully with nectarean love of Sri Krishna. Sri Rupa-manjari, who understood Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s confidential intention, instructed that service to Radha-kunda, the highest object of Sri Gaurahari’s internal mood, is the ultimate goal of all service. Sri Radha-kunda is totally incomprehensible and unattainable by followers of the Nimbärka-sampradäya, by the followers of any sampradäya under Chandravali's guidance, and by the so-called followers of mädhurya-rasa who are devoid of devotion to Gaura. Therefore Srila Dasa Gosvami wrote in his prayer to Sri Radha-kunda (Stavävalé text 2):
vraja-bhuvi mura-çatroù preyasénäà nikämair asulabham api türëaà prema-kalpa-drumaà tam janayati hådi bhümau snätur uccair priyaà yat tad ati-surabhi rädhä-kuëòam eväçrayo me
May very dear and fragrant Radha-kunda, which, for one who bathes in it immediately creates in the land of the heart a desire tree of pure love rare even among the gopé beloveds of Lord Krishna in Vraja, be my shelter.
In his tenth instruction Sri Rupa Gosvami has ascertained who among the devotees is the best:
karmibhyaù parito hareù priyatayä
vyaktià yayur jïäninas
tebhyo jïäna-vimukta-bhakti-paramäù premaika-niñöhäs tataù
tebhyas täù paçu-päla-paìkaja-dåças
täbhyo ’pi sä rädhikä
preñöhä tadvad iyaà tadéya-sarasé
täà näçrayet kaù kåté
In the çästra it is said that of all types of fruitive workers, he who is advanced in knowledge of the higher values of life is favored by the Supreme Lord Hari. Out of many such people who are advanced in knowledge [jïänés], one who is practically liberated by virtue of his knowledge may take to devotional service. He is superior to the others. However, one who has actually attained prema, pure love of Krishna, is superior to him. The gopés are exalted above all the advanced devotees because they are always totally dependent upon Sri Krishna, the transcendental cowherd boy. Among the gopés, Srimati Radharani is the most dear to Krishna. Her kuëòa [lake] is as profoundly dear to Lord Krishna as this most beloved of the gopés. Who, then, will not reside at Radha-kunda, and in a spiritual body surcharged with ecstatic devotional feelings [apräkåta-bhäva], render loving service to the divine couple Sri Sri Radha-Govinda, who perform Their añöa-käléya-lélä, Their eternal eightfold daily pastimes. Indeed, those who execute devtioal service on the banks of Radha-kunda are the most fortunate people in the universe.
Only the most fortunate live in the most sanctified place, Sri Radha-kunda, with pure hearts, and worship Krishna twenty-four hours a day. Sri Radha-kunda is the topmost section of Goloka, the most confidential place in the spiritual sky, and the only shelter for devotees on the platform of mädhurya-rasa. Planets like Bhu, Bhuvah, and Svah are meant for ambitious householders. Above them are planets like Mahar, Jana, Tapa, and Satya, which are meant for the celibates. Upakurvaëa-brahmacärés live in Maharloka, naiñöhika-brahmacärés attain Janaloka, vänaprasthas attain Tapaloka, and sannyäsés enjoy in Satyaloka. Bhagavad-gétä (8.16) confirms:
ä-brahma-bhuvanäl lokäù punar ävartino ’rjuna
mäm upetya tu kaunteya punar janma na vidyate
From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kunté, never takes birth again.
The ecstatic spiritual abode of Vaikuntha is rarely attained even by liberated souls. The Lord’s devotees who are free from material desire at once attain that abode after leaving their material bodies. Mathura is superior to Vaikuntha, Vrindavan, the abode of the räsa-lélä, is superior to Mathura, Govardhan is superior to Vrindavan, and Radha-kunda is the best of all.
Srila Sanatana Gosvami Prabhu’s explanation that the Lord’s abode is three-fourths of the creation is most scientific. The impersonal Brahman is situated beyond the Causal Ocean. Impersonalists think that ultimately there is nothing there. They think all the “imaginary” gods as well as the imaginary form of Brahman will be merged, having become one. The Hayaçérña Pancarätra states:
yä yäçrutir jalpati nirviçeñaà, sä säbhidhatte sa-viçeñam eva vicära-yoge sati hanta täsäà, präyo baléyaù sa-viçeñam eva
Whatever Vedic mantras describe the Absolute Truth impersonally only prove in the end that the Absolute Truth is a person. The Supreme Lord is understood in two features, impersonal and personal. If one considers the Supreme Personality of Godhead in both features, he can actually understand the Absolute Truth. He knows that the personal understanding is stronger because he can see that everything is full of variety. No one can see anything that is not full of variety.
Sriman Mahaprabhu says:
nirviçeña’ täìre kahe yei çruti-gaëa präkåta’ niñedhi kare ’apräkåta’ sthäpana
Wherever there is an impersonal description in the Vedas, the Vedas mean to establish that everything belonging to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is transcendental and free of mun-
Since they think they have defeated material variegatedness, spiritual variegatedness must similarly be rejected. Because they think spiritual variegatedness must be as illusory as material variegatedness, those who pursue this philosophy are called Mäyävädés. The abode of the impersonal Brahman lies on the other side of the Causal Ocean. The concept of the Brahman effulgence arises after washing off the three modes of material nature. But jyotir abhyantate rupaà atulaàçyämasundaraà: “Within that effulgence is the beautiful and unique form of Lord Shyamasundara.”
Vaikuntha possesses spiritual variegatedness. There are two and half rasas found there. The Supreme Lord is omnipotent; both matter and spirit are under His control. This is the philosophy taught by Sri Ramanuja. The Lord is the proprietor of the material and spiritual energies.
— A lecture given by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada on the bank of Sri Radha-kunda during his Vraja-maëòala Parikrama on Sunday afternoon, October 16, 1932. !
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A.C. BhaktiVedanta Swami Prabhupada
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