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Srila Sridhar Maharaj: When I was in Madras, Prabhupada's Vyasa Puja took place at the Caitanya Math in Mayapura. Professor Sannyal had written an article in English for the occasion. He wrote, "I do not know Krsna, but because you tell me that I am to worship Krsna, I do it."
I could not understand the meaning of this statement, the internal meaning. I could not help but wonder why he had said this. Three or four years later, an incident occurred at Radha Kunda that helped me to understand.
Paramananda Brahmacari came to Prabhupada and reported that the Diwan of Bharatpura State was circumambulating Radha Kunda by prostrating himself on the ground and slowly advancing by measuring the length of each successive prostration. Paramananda Prabhu told Prabhupada with much ardor, "They have so much esteem for Radharani!"
Prabhupada then came out from his inner quarters and said, "Yes, but their concern for Radharani and our concern for Radharani are quite different. They come to Radharani because She is Krsna's favorite; but our position is the opposite. We worship Krsna because He is Radharani's favorite. Our interest is in Radharani, and Krsna is Her favorite. And only because She wants Krsna do we have any connection with Him."
At that time I could not understand what Professor Sannyal had written. Then later I read that some jivas are born out of Baladeva's anga-jyoti, the brahmajyoti, the non-distinguishable divine effulgence. That is the source from whence some of us are born. Some have connection with Baladeva's anga-jyoti, but others originate from the halo of Radharani and Her group.
These souls have a direct connection with Radharani. She is their Mistress and they necessarily follow whatever She does. Prabhupada told us that we are really saktas, worshipers of God's potency; not saktas like the worshipers of Durga, but suddha-saktas. The real, original potency, Krsna's dedicating Moiety, is in Vraja. Both direct and indirect connections with Krsna come through Her. This is Radha's position. We heard all these things from Prabhupada.
This is also the significance of the sannyasa-mantra. In ordinary mantras, a direct connection with Krsna is established, but in the sannyasa-mantra, our spiritual connection is shown to be with the gopis. That is Radha-dasya, the service of Radhika. It is above Krsna-dasya. The purport, the gist of the sannyasa-mantra, is gopi-dasya.
