SYAMA’S VASANTA PURNIMA RASALILA

Mahanidhi  Madan Gopal Das

Every year in Vraja Dhama in spring time (Mar-Apr), cool sandal- scented southern breezes arrive to excite the hearts of Syama and His beloved cowherd damsels. Kamadeva, the invincible God of Eros, starts dancing in the minds of Krsna and gopis. The full moon rises majestically and illuminates the Rasa Mandala with royal crimson hues. In Gita Govinda, Sri Jayadeva Gosvami wonderfully describes this Vasanta Rasalila. Feeling anxious and lonely, Radhika searches for Her Priyatama Syama in each and every forest bower along the Yamuna. Suddenly, Radha discovers that Syama is nearby dancing and reveling in amorous sports amidst a group of playful gopis. Feeling indignant at being neglected, Radha runs away in a huff to hide inside a shady bower resounding with buzzing bees. Realizing His mistake, Syama abandons the gopis, goes to a lonely bower, and enters a deep state of depression and remorse in separation from His Priyaji Radhika. Sakhi messengers then run back and forth between the separated lovers, conveying news of each other’s feelings and changing attitudes.
Eventually Priyatama Syama pacified Priyaji’s wounded heart. Then the Divine Couple unite again in blissful embraces followed by spins and whirls, Bends and bows, glances and prances as they dance the night away in the joy of Rasalila.

Nikunjesvari Radharani ki jai!
Rasabihari Syama ki jai!

A VRAJAVASI MEETS RAMA

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

While travelling from Vaikuntha to Ayodhya, Gopa kumara chanted, “O Sitapate! O Sri Raghunatha! O Laksmana Jyestha! O Prabhu! O Hanumat Priyesvara!” Upon entering Ayodhya dhama, Gopa kumara met some monkeys jumping here and there shouting, “Rama! Rama!” and tried to snatch his flute. Then Hanuman took Gopa kumara to meet Rama who was happily sitting on a royal throne. Sita- devi stood beside Rama happily offering Him betel nut. Gopa kumara bowed down before Lord Rama and repeatedly said, “Jai! Jai!” With gentle speech full of nectar, Lord Rama said, “O my dear son of a Vrajavasi cowherd, very good. Now just relax, for you are my very dear friend.” Gopa kumara stayed for a while in Ayodhya dhama observing Sri Rama, the Lion King of the Raghus, perform His royal dharmic lila. However despite experiencing the bliss of serving Rama in Ayodhya, Gopa kumara’s heart again hankered for the sweet life of Vrajabhumi, wherein he would embrace his friend and Lord, Madana Gopala. The all-compassionate Lord Rama understood Gopa kumara’s mood, so He sent him forward in his spiritual sojourn to Sri Dhama Vrndavana.
(Brhad Bhag.)
Jai Sita Rama! 
Jai Radhe Syama!
Jai Vraja Dhama!

The Sweet Service of Radha’s Lotus Feet

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

One who does not carefully worship the lotus feet of Srimati Radhika, which are the abode of everything good; 

One who does not take shelter in the divine land of Vrindavana, which is decorated with the beautiful lotus flower named Radha; 

One who has not associate with Radhika’s devotees, who are very wise and deeply devoted to Radha; 

How will such a person ever experience the bliss of bathing in the ocean of Shyamasundara’s sublime mellows? 

Srimati Radhika is the exemplary teacher of the brilliant mellows of conjugal love, ujjvala-raser acharya. One should discuss the pure love, shuddha-prema, between Radha and Madhava.

He who tightly holds the lotus feet of Radha with great care obtains the lotus feet of Krishna, which are like priceless jewels.

Without taking shelter of Radha’s lotus feet of Radha, one will never personally meet Bhagavan Sri Krishna. The Vedas state that Krishna is the property of the maidservants of Sri Radha.

Abandon your wealth, followers, wife, sons, friends, karma and jnana, so that you can be absorbed in the sweet service Radha’s lotus feet, radha-pada madhura seva. (Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Gitavalli)

Why Vrajavasis Did Not Go to Mathura?

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

Devotees often ask, “If the Vrajavasis loved Krishna so much, then why didn’t they go to Mathura to meet their dearest after Akrura whisked Krishna away from their hearts one dismal day in February? After all, Mathura is only eight kilometers from Vrndavana.”

For the following five reasons, the Vrajavasis did not go to Mathura:

1) Sweet Intimate Pastimes:

Mathura and Dvaraka are filled with opulence and grandeur (aishwarya), formality and social etiquette which generate an atmosphere of awe and reverence that creates a bridge between loving hearts. Vaikuntha is God’s office and Vrndavana is God’s playground. Only here in Vrndavana, and nowhere else, can Krishna experience the sweet and natural, free-flowing, uninhibited love of the Vrajavasis. In Vrndavana, Krishna carries Nanda’s slippers on head; Yasoda bathes Krishna in cow urine and dung; Govinda carries the winning gopas upon His shoulders; Madhava massages Radha’s feet and bathes them with His tears to mollify Hermaan; and Krishna sometimes dons a female disguise to meet Radha in Her in-laws home. In nowhere else but VrajaDhamacan such inconceivably close and warm loving exchanges take place. Thus the Vrajavasis could not leaveVrndavana, and visit Krishna in Mathura.

2) Faith in Krishna’s Promise:

Because of their innocence and simple love, the Vrajavasis had full faith in Krishna’s promise that He would returnsoon. Thus they patiently awaited Krishna’s arrival.”

3) Memories

Although the Vrajavasis were all burning in separation from Krishna, they sustained their lives by remembering Krishna’s lilas in the fields, forests and towns of Vraja. Memories connect separated hearts.

4) News Reports

The regular visits of Narada Muni and Uddhavato Vraja, bringing the latest news of Krishna’s activities in Mathura, gave immense pleasure. Thus the Vrajavasis remained in Vrndavana, because for them, Vrndavana was Krishna and Krishna was Vrndavana.

5) Prevent Suffering for Krishna

The Vrajavasis felt so distressed without Krishna that they wanted to give up their bodies. But they didn’t, because they thought it would cause too much pain to Krishna when He finds out. So they dragged on somehow maintaining their lives.

Our goal is Vrndavana and VrajaPrema; to lovingly serve Radha and Krishna like the Vrajavasis do in Vrndavana. I have revealed here just one drop from the unlimited ocean of attachment for Krishna that the Vrajavasis swim in. By hearing this, we can get a little understanding of the degree and depth of their absolutely selfless, totally self-sacrificing pure divine love for Krishna.

Krishna’s seventeen Unique Qualities

Mahanidhi  Madan Gopal Das

Scriptures state that Bhagavan Sri Krishna has 64 transcendental qualities exhibited in their

highest degree. Sri Krishna’s  good qualities are also inexhaustible, unlimited in quality and

eternally existing. Exalted personalities like Brahma and Shiva can possess 55 of these qualities,

and living entities like ourselves can have 50 of these qualities in a minute quantity for a brief

time.

In Priti Sandarbha, Sri Jiva Goswamipada lists seventeen unique qualities possessed only by

Bhagavan Sri Krishna. While chanting nama-japa, one can remember these divine qualities of

Our Sweet Lord Shyama, and thus mentally worship Krishna’s most wonderful and variegated

Personality.

1.Power to attain ANYTHING Simply by desiring it.

2.Complete control over a host of achintya-shaktis.

3.Sole resting place of perfect goodness.

4.Protector of all the worlds.

5.Grants Vaikuntha residence to demons He kills.

6.Attractive to all liberated souls.

7.Served by Brahma, Shiva, all demigods and sages.

8.Krishna’s spiritual form contains inconceivable transcendental potencies.

9.Krishna’s beauty and other virtues are limitless, eternally new and fresh.

10.In His purusha-avatara forms, Sri Krishna controls the world of Maya.

11.Krishana is God- the generator, operator and destroyer of the material worlds.

12.Krishna is the source of all avataras.

13.Unlimited material universes reside in the pores of His transcendental form.

14.Within His form as the original Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan Sri Krishna has all the

inconceivable potencies and transcendental qualities of Vishnu, Narayana, Vasudeva and all other divine expansions.

15.Sri Krishna gives liberation and devotional service to the demons He kills.

16.Sri Krishna’s divine form and features display a wonderful, incomparable sweetness.

17.Association with Krishna brings a perfect bliss- far, far beyond anything the material mind

and senses can ever know.

Ananda Khanda Bhagavan Sri Krishna ki jai!

Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

Srila Prabhupada Glorifies Rasa Lila

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

You will be surprised to know that way back in 1969, Srila Prabhupada glorified the hearing of rasa lila and even encouraged it in the right circumstances. Gurudeva even went so far as to say that conditioned souls, which means everyone on this planet, “SHOULD HEAR THE RASA LILA.” Please do the needful after deeply reflecting on the following statements Srila Prabhupada made in his Kåñëa Book printed in 1969. In the early days, Srila Prabhupada’s disciples made sure they read Kåñëa Book everyday without fail. May those days come again. And may all my friends dive deep into the ocean of pure spiritual nectar called Kåñëa Book.

In chapter 33 of Kåñëa Book, Srila Prabhupada said, “Discussion of the räsa-lélä among people in general is discouraged, but if one who is advanced explains and people hear from him, certainly the hearers will be gradually elevated to the position of Kåñëa consciousness and liberated from materially contaminated life.

“In other words, one who actually hears the räsa-lélä will become completely freed from the lusty desire of sex life and elevated to the highest level of spiritual understanding.

“The conditioned soul should hear the räsa-lélä dance from an authorized spiritual master and be trained by him so that he can understand the whole situation. Thus one can be elevated to the highest standard of spiritual life.

“One who has developed his faith in Kåñëa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Spirit Soul, can both describe and hear the räsa-lélä. So one must always follow the disciplic succession and not hear from any stray professional reciter.

“Anuçåëuyät means that one must hear from an authorized person who is in the disciplic succession and is always engaged in Kåñëa consciousness. When a person hears the räsa-lélä in this way, the effect will be sure: he will be elevated to the highest position of spiritual life.” (Kåñëa Book, Srila Prabhupada)

Prayer for Radha Bhajana

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

“May my tongue become overwhelmed in ecstasy tasting the nectarine ambrosia of Radha-nama. May my feet wander over the footpaths of Vrindavana marked with the glorious footprints of Radhika. May my hands be engaged only in Priyaji’s menial service. May my heart always meditate on Kishori’s lotus feet. May I develop pure love for Radha’s Prananatha through Radhika’s divinely rapturous festival of love.” (Radha-rasa-sudha-nidhi 142)

A Verse Meditation:

Look at a beautiful painting of Sri Radha; 

Read the verse above with full concentration;

Pray to Radhika for the memory power or shakti to remember it; 

Close your eyes; 

Chant japa while immersing your mind and heart in this divine illumination.  

Jai Jai Sri Radhe!