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After seeing many sacred places in India, and living many months each year for ten in the Dhamas of Navadvipa and Jagannatha Puri Dhama,
I genuinely feel that Radha-kunda is everything and Radha-kunda is my only shelter! Jai Jai Sri Radhe!
Such a feeling arises from association with and serving the sadhus staying in Sri Kunda, and surrendering to and praying to the books of Sri Raghunatha Dasa Goswami i.e. Stavavali.
The sacred words and teachings of Sri Raghunatha Dasa Goswami give the mentality to realize Radha-kunda; the vision to see Radha-kunda; and the heart to feel Radha-kunda. For Sri Radha-kunda is non-different from and one with Srimati Herself!
The determination to stay in Radha-kunda, despite all difficulties and opposition, will come by realizing the mercy packed in the following verse by Sri Raghunatha Dasa Goswami.
“O Lolakshi Radha! You and Your beloved Shyama forever dwell in Radha-kunda. Here only I will live and here alone I will stay!”
sva kundam tava lolakshi, sa priyayah sadas padam,
atraiva mama samvasa, ihaiva mama samsthitih (Vilapa Kusumanjali 97)
Regarding the shelter of Radha-kunda, in a very important quote Srila Prabhupada addresses every single devotee concerning doing bhajana in Radha-kunda. In fact, Srila Prabhupada glorifies the shelter of Radha-kunda as “THE ULTIMATE SHELTER”.
Srila Prabhupada said, “Everyone interested in Krishna consciousness should ultimately take shelter of Radha-kunda, and execute devotional service there throughout one’s life. This is the conclusion of Sri Rupa Gosvami.” (tika v. 10 Upadeshamrita)
To further glorify Radha-kunda and the principle of taking full shelter there, we offer the following prayers by Sri Raghunatha Dasa Goswami from Stavavali:
Sri Radha-kunda Ashtakam
1 VṚṢABHA DANUJA NĀŚĀN, NARMA DHARMOKTI RAṄGAIḤ
NIKHILA NIJA SAKHĪBHIR, YAT SVAHASTENA PŪRṆAM
PRAKAṬITAM API VṚNDĀ, RAṆYA RĀJṢĀ PRAMODAIS
TAD ATI SURABHI RADHA, KUNDAM EVĀŚRAYO ME
After the killing of the Arishta bull demon, Radha-kunda appeared as a result of a joking quarrel between Radha and Krishna about piety. Radha-kunda was joyfully revealed and filled up by the hands of Sri Radha and Her sakhis. That very dear, beautiful and fragrant Radha-kunda is my only shelter!
2 VRAJABHUVI MURAŚATROḤ, PREYASĪNĀṀ NIKĀMAIR
ASULABHAM API TŪRṆAṀ, PREMA KALPA DRUMAṀ TVAM
JANAYATI HṚDI BHŪMAU, SNĀTUR UCCAIḤ PRIYAṀ YAT
TAD ATI SURABHI RADHA, KUNDAM EVĀŚRAYO ME
Radha-kunda instantly makes a desire-tree of Krishna prema sprout in the heartland of anyone who bathes there, although this is very difficult to attain even for Krishna’s beloveds in Vrajabhumi. That very fragrant, dear and beautiful Radha-kunda is my only shelter!
3 AGHARIPUR API YATNĀD, ATRA DEVYĀḤ PRASĀDA
PRASARA KṚTA KAṬĀKṢA, PRĀPTIKĀMAḤ PRAKĀMAM
ANUSARATI YAD UCCAIḤ, SNĀNA SEVĀNU BANDHAIS
TAD ATI SURABHI RADHA, KUNDAM EVĀŚRAYO ME
Desiring to obtain the merciful glance of Devi Radha, Agharipu Sri Krishna eagerly and carefully bathes and expertly renders submissive seva in Radha-kunda. That very dear, beautiful and fragrant Radha-kunda is my only shelter!
4 VRAJABHUVANA SUDHĀṀŚOḤ, PREMABHŪMIR NIKĀMAṀ
VRAJA MADHURA KIŚORĪ, MAULI RATNA PRIYEVA
PARICITAM API NĀMNĀ, YAC CA TENAIVA TASYĀS
TAD ATI SURABHI RADHA, KUNDAM EVĀŚRAYO ME
Radha-kunda—the abode of love for Sri Krishna, the moon of Vraja—is as dear to Shyama as Sri Radhika Herself, the crownjewel of sweet adolescent girls in Vraja, and which Krishna named after Radha. That very dear, beautiful and fragrant Radha-kunda is my only shelter!
5 API JANA IHA KAŚCID, YASYA SEVĀ PRASĀDAIḤ
PRAṆAYA SURALATĀ SYĀT, TASYA GOṢṬHENDRA SŪNOḤ
SAPADI KILA MAD ĪŚĀ, DĀSYA PUṢPA PRAŚASYĀS
TAD ATI SURABHI RADHA, KUNDAM EVĀŚRAYO ME
By the mercy of Radha-kunda the desire vine of love for Krishna, bearing the flowers of seva to my Queen Sri Radha, instantly sprouts in the heart of anyone who performs seva there. That very beautiful and fragrant Radha-kunda is my only shelter!
6 TAṬA MADHURA NIKUṢJĀḤ, KḶṚPTA NĀMĀNA UCCAIR
NIJA PARIJANA VARGAIḤ, SAṀVIBHĀJ YĀŚRITĀS TAIḤ
MADHUKARA RUTA RAMYĀ, YASYA RĀJANTI KĀMYĀS
TAD ATI SURABHI RADHA, KUNDAM EVĀŚRAYO ME
On the banks surrounding Radha-kunda, Sri Radhika’s girlfriends each have their own sweet nikunjas that are filled with sweetly buzzing bees and named after them. That very beautiful and fragrant Radha-kunda is my only shelter!
7 TAṬA BHUVI VARA VEDYĀṀ, YASYA NARMĀTI HṚDYĀṀ
MADHURA MADHURA VĀRTĀṀ, GOṢṬHA CANDRASYA BHAṄGYĀ
PRATHAYATI MITHA ĪŚĀ, PRĀṆA SAKH YĀLIBHIḤ SĀ
TAD ATI SURABHI RADHA, KUNDAM EVĀŚRAYO ME
On the shore of Radha-kunda, my Isha Radha sits on a nice platform with Her beloved sakhis and makes pleasant ever-so-sweet jokes about Goshthachandra Sri Krishna. That very beautiful and fragrant Radha-kunda is my only shelter!
8 ANUDINAM ATI RAṄGAIḤ, PREMA MATTĀLI SAṄGHAIḤ
VARA SARASIJA GANDHAIR, HĀRI VĀRI PRAPŪRṆE
VIHARATA IHA YASMIN, DAMPATI TAU PRAMATTAU
TAD ATI SURABHI RADHA, KUNDAM EVĀŚRAYO ME
Everyday in Radha-kunda, which is filled with sweet smelling lotus flowers, Radha-Krishna sport in love’s madness along with Their beloved sakhis who are similarly maddened in love. That very beautiful and fragrant Radha-kunda is my only shelter!
AVIKALA MATI DEVYĀŚ, CĀRU KUNDĀṢṬAKAṀ YAḤ
PARI PAṬHATI TADĪ YOLLĀSI DĀS YĀRPITĀTMĀ
ACIRAM IHA ŚARĪRE, DARŚAYATY EVA TASMAI
MADHURIPUR ATIMODAIḤ, ŚLIṢYAMĀṆĀṀ PRIYĀṀ TĀM
Phala Shruti: Anyone who, with a completely fixed intelligence, submits him/her self to Devi Radha’s blissful service, and then recites this beautiful Radha-kunda ashtakam will, in this sadhaka body, soon see Madhuripu Krishna happily embracing Priyaji Radha!
Radha-kunda vasa ki jai! Jaya Jaya Sri Radhe!
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