Çré Rädhäñöamé

Excerpt from a lecture delivered by

Çré Çrémad Bhakti Prajïäna Keçava Gosvämé Mahäräja

 

[NOTE: This page uses Balarama font (available here)
for better transliteration of Sanskrit into English]

3 September 1965, Çré Devänanda Gauòéya Maöha, Navadvépa

 

 

Today is Çré Rädhäñöamé. This is the next añöamé-tithi, half moon, after Janmäñöamé. Today we shall speak about Rädhäñöamé. The glorification  of the atimartya, transcendental life and character, of my gurupäda-padma is the principal subject for discussion on this Rädhäñöamé day. 1 My gurupäda-padma, Çré Çrémad Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Gosvämé Prabhupäda, is situated here [in his deity form], in the Çré Mandira of Çré Devänanda Gauòéya Maöha.

 

We come across many paramahaàsas in this world. After due deliberation, however, we can perceive that they are not eligible to be compared to even an ordinary aàça of an aàça, or part of a part, of this great personality (mahäpuruña). Nevertheless such persons are honoured by the foolish masses of this world. Most of them do not have the qualification to be measured against even those who have attained but a single particle of dust from the lotus feet of this mahäpuruña. Therefore, many people address my gurupäda-padma as paramahaàsa-cüòämaëé, crest jewel among the paramahaàsas. I do not have any objection to this; still, in my opinion he is in fact paramahaàsa-kula-svämé, the master of the family of paramahaàsas. His eminence is such that he instructs even them. Therefore he is celebrated as jagad-guru.

 

In Navadvépa many räsa-léläs take place these days. According to the teachings of this mahäpuruña, we know them all to be vulgar. These are the expressions of the jealous thoughts of many people who are devoid of çästric knowledge. Therefore to educate the general masses in the teachings of çästra, we have been holding Kåñëa-lélä Pradarçané (an exhibition of Kåñëa’s pastimes) since Janmäñöamé. 2

 

The word pradarçané is used in various ways. In using it here we do not refer to mere fun and entertainment. Pradarçana means prakåñöa-rüpeëa darçana, thorough and complete darçana. In other words, pradarçana is seeing and understanding thoroughly. Our only conception (vicära) is that which the philosophically-minded gosvämés have stated regarding Çré Kåñëa’s appearance. The meaning of pradarçané is prakåñöa vicära, thorough and complete consideration or understanding. Thus, the true understanding of Çré Kåñëa’s birth should be revealed. This pradarçané lies within the realm of philosophical instruction, and it is theistic. I am strongly against the räsa-lélä of the Naked Mother (Kälé) that takes place in Navadvépa.

 

This pradarçané has been open until today, Çré Rädhäñöamé. There is one lunar fortnight (pakña) between Kåñëäñöamé and Rädhäñöamé. Thus, the dark fortnight (kåñëa-pakña) and the bright fortnight (çukla-pakña) have united to become a single pakña. The two fortnights have become one; they tend towards a single entity. Janmäñöamé-tithi has become illuminated today, on çukläñöamé [i.e. Rädhäñöamétithi]. The service of those who worship Kåñëa outside the guidance of Rädhäräëé is valueless. Smärtas do not observe Rädhäñöamé. According to käla-vicära, consideration of time, Kåñëäñöamé and Rädhäñöamé have been taken together and regarded as a single fortnight.

 

Vedänta-sütra states, “çakti-çaktimatayor abhedaù – there is no difference between the energy and the energetic.” All çakti has emanated from a toenail of Rädhäräëé. Umä, Ramä, Satyä and all other goddesses have appeared from Her toenails. All the goddesses that are found in Bengal, such as Kälé and Durgä, have come from Rädhäräëé. People can worship various goddesses who are aàças, fragments, of potency; however, by excluding the müla-çakti, the original potency, their worship is entirely worthless.

 

 Mahäprabhu is none other than Rädhä and Kåñëa. With Mahäprabhu’s mantra, the worship of Rädhä- Kåñëa is performed. There is no fault in this. Many people may ask why Kåñëa, Rädhäräëé and Gaura all have white complexions in this temple. The answer is that we are rädhä-pakñéya, partial to Çrématé Rädhäräëé. Çréla Prabhupäda, the mahäpuruña situated in this temple, is rädhä-pakñéya. In all countries of the world, people know him as “Prabhupäda”. Indeed we perform his ärati here first of all.

 

It is recommended that the ärati of this mahäpuruña be performed throughout the world. If his ärati is stopped, the entire globe will be devastated and will descend into the hellish planets known as Rasätala. Bhakti-dharma will disappear from the world. Therefore, the world calls him “Prabhupäda”.

 

I entreat those who perform the räsa of the Naked Mother (Kälé) not to come and hear my kathä. I will be happy if they do not hear me analytically explain the tattva of what prabhupäda means. They have descended to such a low level that they will have to wait many hundreds of thousands of lifetimes before they can understand this rädhä-tattva.

 

Rädhäräëé sometimes possesses vämya-bhäva, a contrary mood, towards Kåñëa, which enhances the variety of Her service to Him. Once Rädhäräëé was feeling jealous anger (mäna). Being absorbed in thoughts of His beloved in this condition, Kåñëa took on Her very complexion:

 

rädhä-cintä-niveçena yasya käntir vilopitä

çré-kåñëa-caraëaà vande rädhäliìgita-vigraham

 

I worship the lotus feet of Çré Kåñëa, whose own dark

complexion vanishes and who assumes the bright,

golden complexion of Çrématé Rädhikä, as if being

embraced by Her, due to being thoroughly immersed

in separation from Her.

 

This conception is explained in the opening verse of “Çré Rädhä Vinoda-bihäré Tattväñöakam”.3 The word rädhäliìgita has two meanings: rädhäyä liìgita and rädhäyä äliìgita. Liìgita means “marked” or “bearing a sign or impression”, and äliìgita means “embraced”.

 

In this phenomenal world we see that when a käïca-pokä, a type of bright-green insect, catches a tela-pokä, a variety of cockroach, the tela-pokä becomes so absorbed in thoughts of the käïca-pokä that it begins to resemble its predator. Accordingly, it is illegitimate and against the conclusion of çästra to assert that one can become brahma by performing sädhana. The Gauòéya Vedänta Samiti never preaches such bogus philosophy (ku-siddhänta) to the world. [By absorption in the features of the Absolute Truth] a person may attain a form like that of the Lord (särüpya-mukti), but he will not merge into the Lord (säyujya). None who actually knows the purport of the Vedas can claim or demonstrate that the practitioner (sädhaka) becomes one with the object of his practice (sädhya).

 

The käïca-pokä and tela-pokä never merge to become one insect. They merely become similar in form. This is an instance of särüpya-mukti, not säyujya.

 

Deeply absorbed in vipralambha-bhäva, the mood of separation, Kåñëa was overwhelmed by thoughts of Rädhäräëé, and He lost His own complexion. In other words, His black luster disappeared and He assumed Rädhäräëé’s hue. This, indeed, is rädhäliìgita-vigraha. This vigraha is manifest here. This tattva is explained in the Svapna-viläsämåtam of Çréla Viçvanätha

Cakravarté Öhäkura, the king of rasika devotees. My gurupäda-padma has revealed it to the world from the very core of his heart.

 

Çréla Prabhupäda was rädhä-pakñéya. Among those who serve vipralambha-rasa through the topmost path of bhajana [i.e. räga-märga], most will meditate upon Rädhäräëé’s separation from Kåñëa. However, my gurupäda-padma, Çréla Prabhupäda, used to meditate on Kåñëa’s separation from Rädhäräëé.

 

I want to clarify this with an illustration. When Çré Kåñëa is engaged in a competitive sport with Rädhäräëé, those who are rädhä-pakñéya always think about Her victory and Kåñëa’s defeat. Her victory is their sole desire and purpose. And when Rädhäräëé wins, they experience profuse bliss and, clapping their hands, declare, “Kåñëa has lost, what a joy!” But those who are kåñëa-pakñéya are overcome by sadness.

 

My gurupäda-padma used to think more about Kåñëa’s feeling separation from Rädhäräëé than Rädhäräëé’s feeling separation from Kåñëa. In Her separation from Him, Rädhäräëé is stricken by grief. This type of perfection in vipralambha-bhäva is cherished by ordinary people. However, Çréla Prabhupäda’s mood was entirely opposite to this. It is indeed Kåñëa who, deeply immersed in thoughts of Rädhäräëé, has lost His complexion and become rädhälingita- vigraha – taken on the colour of His beloved. Çréman Mahäprabhu has in all respects preached and instructed this type of vipralambharasa only. Let Kåñëa remain absorbed in His meditation

on Rädhäräëé. This alone is the ideal of the Çré Gauòéya Vedänta Samiti.

 

Many people have requested that the Kåñëa-lélä Pradarçané continue for a few more days. Therefore, by the request of the locals, this exhibition will be extended until Ekädaçé. Ekädaçé is the day when Rädhä and Kåñëa meet. Just as Kåñëäñöamé-tithi is Bhagavän Himself, so too is Ekädaçé-tithi, whereas Rädhäñöamé-tithi is Bhagavän’s parä-çakti, His supreme potency, which is non-different in tattva from Him.

 

·

1 Only through the medium of çré guru can one come to understand

Çrématé Rädhäräëé, for he is intimately related to Her

as Her personal associate and is our only connection with

Divinity.

 

2  In 1965 a beautiful dioramic display of Çré Kåñëa’s pastimes

was set up on Janmäñöamé at Çré Devänanda Gauòéya Maöha.

Officially named “Kåñëa-lélä Pradarçané”, it was due to remain

until Rädhäñöamé.

 

3 This añöaka was composed by Çréla Bhakti Prajïäna Keçava Gosvämé Mahäräja himself.

Translated from Sri Gaudiya Patrika, Year 17, Issue 9
by the Rays of The Harmonist team.
Published in English for the first time in Rays of The Harmonist No. 13 Karttika 2003