Sri Radha is para-shakti. The supreme shakti. She is the source of all the Lakshmis. Some may refer to shakti as Lakshmi or Durga but Sri Radha is the absolute shakti. Sri Radha is the height of the supreme shakti or para-shakti. Sri Krishna is shaktiman while Sri Radha is shakti. Sri Radha is the gem of Mahabhav. Mahabhav-svarupini, the personification of the highest form of love. She is made of Mahabhav. She is the essence of Hladini shakti and the personified form of Madan Mahabhav. Hladini shakti personified (supremely blissful potency). Sri Rupa Goswami refers to this as Madanakhya-Mahabhava. Madanakhya-Mahabhava is the unique experience of Sri Radha. Sri Radha has a molten gold complexion. A blue garment since Krishna is blue, and a red upper garment which is made out of deep love (anurag). Sri Rupa Goswami has cited 25 special qualities that mesmerise Sri Krishna. Taken from Radha-Tattva by Sri Ananta Das Babaji
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Vinod Baba – Take shelter of Radha Naam and Radharani.
English translation by Radhanath Das. Among all the names of God, Radha naam is the superior most name. By chanting Radha naam, all sins wash away and Krishna himself tries to please and shower mercy on the devotee. For a fallen soul victimized by the negative traits of Kali-Yuga, the best path is to take shelter of Srimati Radharani and Radha naam. – Vinod Baba
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Vinod Baba on Radha Naam.
English translation by Radhanath Das. Padmapuran has answered that among all the names of Bhagwan, Radha naam is the superior most name. By chanting Radha naam, all sins wash away and Krishna himself tries to please and shower mercy on the sadhak. For a fallen soul victimized by the negative traits of Kaliyuga, the best path is to take shelter of Srimati Radharani and Radha naam, and pray to her, “He Radharani, He Karunamayi, I take the shelter of your lotus feet. I am yours. Please save me! Please have mercy on me! Please protect me!” Krishna says He will give all kinds of Siddhis to such a sadhak and will eventually free him from all wordly ties to accept him in his pastimes of Goloka. Vinod Baba
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Vinod Baba on Srimati Radharani.
English translation by Radhanath Das. This source of happiness is Radharani. She is the hladini shakti of Krishna, indifferent from him. That is why she is the most compassionate personality. She is always giving happiness to everyone who sees her, calls her and even remembers her. And she bestows upon her devotees this quality of compassion. She overlooks the shortcomings of the devotee since she knows humans have so many shortcomings and can never be free from them without her unconditional grace. Once a devotee takes the shelter of her lotus feet and prays to her, “Hey karunamayi, o the compassion personified, o the love personified, please accept this fallen jivatma. I have no power to fight with your Maya, your delusive power. I am your servant but am constantly serving this body’s senses and even have no desire to free myself from their slavery. Such a fool I am! Please please shower your mercy on me and drag my mind to your lotus feet. I am totally incapable of freeing myself from the worldly attractions. Please have mercy on me!” Hearing this Radharani’s heart becomes flooded with compassion. Such compassion is not there in all the goddesses combined, though […]
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Radha mantra – VM Verses 73-76
Radha mantra as described by Prabodhananda Sarasvati in Vrindavan Mahimamrta. Text 15.73 I will speak her mantra which is not known in all the Vedas and which is not revealed anywhere in the confidential āgamas. When the mantra is chanted all great siddhīs fall at the person’s feet and by its power the Lord’s bhāva comes into his hand. Text 15.74 For the person who chants this mantra there is no rule or prohibition. The dust from the lotus feet of the mantra purifies the knowledge of the Vedas. Its nectar is most sweet, auspicious among all auspicious things, and most astonishing, and produces the most unlimited greatness among all methods. Text 15.75 It is the supreme goal among all goals. They say that is the supreme, passionate bliss among all passionate types of bliss. It is the secret among all great secrets. Chant “Rādhā” constantly without thinking anything else. Text 15.76 It is a stream of the essence of sweetness churned from all types of nectar, a stream of astonishing treasure of passionate rasa of bliss in prema. Who among us, you or anyone else, knows this? Who knows that it is a stream of supreme joy of the […]
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8 Sakhis of Srimati Radharani
The 8 chief sakhis known as the Ashta-Sakhis of Sri Radha are as follows: The two most important are Lalita and Visakha. Sri Lalita Sakhi (also known as Anuradha) born in Karhala and from Unchaagaon. Sri Vishakha Sakhi from Kamai. Sri Champaklata Sakhi from Karhala. Sri Chitra Sakhi from Chiksauli. Sri Indulekha Sakhi from Aanjanaukh. Sri Rang Devi from Rankauli. Sri Sudevi from Suhara. Sri Tungvidya Sakhi from Dabhara.
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Lalita, Visakha…Candravali?
Lalita…Viskaha…Candravali are gopis that appear in the literature of our acharayas very often. They are vital to the eternal pastimes and pleasure of Sri Sri Radha Govinda. Sva-paksa means those sakhis who are totally on the side of Srimati Radhika. Vipaksa means those sakhis who are totally on the opposite side. For example those sakhis who are supporting Candravali and opposed to Srimati Radhika. Lalita and Visakha are examples of gopis who are svapaksa to Srimati Radhika. Both Lalita and Visakha are fully dedicated to Srimati Radhrani. We must pray to both Lalita and Visakha sakhis very sincerly to attain the grace of Sri Radha. They are much more powerful than any of the demigods of this material world and they can Radha-dasyam when pleased. We can do this through the songs of our acharayas or sanskrit verses. I will be sharing some examples on this blog. Candravali is vipaksa. She is opposed to our Srimati Radharani. She is Radha’s chief competitor in Golok Vrindavan, more specifically Gokul Vrindvan. She is Radharani’s niece. She desires union with Krishna herself and this is played out in the Nikunj pastimes. A note – Candravali is not worshipped by any Vaisnav sampraday. Radhanath […]
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Kadamba Tree & Tamal Tree
The Kadamba tree signifies Radha, and the Tamal tree signifies Krishna. Both grow in Vrindavan. The Kadamba tree A beautiful tree with large spherical orange fruit. Once Krishna arrived late for his meeting with Radha in a kunj. Radha gathered madhavi-latas to tie Krishna up to a Kadamba tree. This is the Radha-Damodar lila. The Tamal tree The Tamal tree trunk has a dark and blackish colour thus reminding us of Krishna.