5 November 2023

Today is a very special day. I was thinking, it’s Radha-kunda’s appearance day and as I reached here, you reminded me of a very fortunate day when I was initiated by Srila Prabhupada. It was also Kartik. I was also in Vrindavan at that time. The video of the initiation which has recorded the event very nicely, is also there. I was watching the video. I was sitting there at the time of initiation and Srila Prabhupada handed me my mala and asked me what are the 4 regulative principles. And told me to chant 16 rounds daily. My material name whatever it was, started from the letter – R. So I was thinking my new name would be Radha Raman or something like that, but Prabhupada gave me the name Lokanath and I was reminded of Lokanath Goswami.

Prabhupada gave me harinama and that’s everything.

bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate
vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma su-durlabhah

Translation:

After many births of spiritual practice, one who is endowed with knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be all that is. Such a great soul is indeed very rare. (BG 7.19)

Radha Krsna are all in all.

radha-krishna prana mora jugala-kisora
jivane marane gati aro nahi mora

Translation:

The divine couple, Sri Sri Radha and Krishna, are my life and soul. In life or death I have no other refuge but them.

I am serving harinama for the last 51 years. Krsna’s name has caught me and it’s not leaving me. Today 51 years ago I officially received Harinama.

We all stayed with Prabhupada for the whole of Kartik masa. At that time Prabhupada stayed in a small room in Radha Damodara temple. The rent of the room was 5 Rupees. I had seen Prabhupada for the first time in 1971. I was attracted to his simplicity and I was reminded of the Shadh Goswamis. I could experience his renunciation and humility.

Prabhupada had recently bought the land where we now have the Krishna Balarama temple. That land was donated by Mr. Saraf to Prabhupada and in March, the ground breaking ceremony was done. Srila Prabhupada would daily send us to the construction site and we would go from Radha Damodara temple to the construction site performing kirtana.

The Tamala tree was in the courtyard and at that time that tree was my height. In Damodara masa we would spend our time in Radha Damodara temple and every evening we attended English classes by Prabhupada on the Nectar of Devotion.

It was the first time we had darshan of the Saligram Sila given by the Lord to Sanatana Goswami. He would offer 2000 obeisances to the devotees. We don’t even pay one. So the Lord gave him a Saligram Sila and do Parikrama. We had not even heard name of Radha-kunda. I did not know it was the appearance day of Radha-kunda. If we don’t die, we become old gradually. But as age increases there should be jnana vardhana also.

The first instruction Prabhupada gave me was related to Govardhan and the last instruction was also related to Govardhan. Prabhupada sent me and Dravida Prabhu to Agra to bring groceries for Annakuta. That’s the first instruction related to Govardhan. In 1977 Prabhupada said to me, “Take me to Govardhan by bullock cart.” Both instructions are related to Govardhan.

Jiva Goswami had said to Srinivasa Acarya to go to West Bengal. In the same way, Prabhupada told me to go to Mayapur doing Padayatra.

We also started Vraja-mandala Parikrama. As I received initiation on Bahulastami, Srila Prabhupada made by connection to Vraja Dhama. One holy dip in Radha-kunda and your life is successful. So in this way, Srila Prabhupada gave perfection to my life. Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

Trillions of Gopis had come here and meanwhile came Aristasur in the form of an ox and created lot of turbulence. He was so huge that as he was running, the earth was trembling. Krsna was saying, ’Do not fear, Oh Dear I am here.’

As the demon came face to face with Krsna, Krsna was fearless and seeing this the demon was very angry. Krsna caught his horns and whirled it round and round and threw him away. Same time, same place, same tithi, 5000 years back. Krsna meets Radharani and Krsna says, “What did I do wrong?” Radharani replied, “ Oh, You killed an ox. You have committed a big sin. Don’t touch Me. First take bath in all the holy rivers.”

So Krsna made a kunda with his heel and He also used His flute and called all the holy rivers. He took a dip in that Kunda – Shyama-kunda. Now Krsna says, “Radha, you don’t talk to Me because You have committed a sin. You take a bath in all the holy rivers.”

At one place, Aristasur had hit the land and there was a ditch and all the Gopis dug around it and in one hour made Radha-kunda. But it was empty so Krsna said, “Take water from my Kunda.”

Radharani said, “No, that water is impure because You have taken bath in it.”

Gopis brought water from Manasi Ganga, but it was not practical and the Kunda wouldn’t fill completely with that. Krsna again said, “Take the water” and Radharani agreed. And the Kunda was filled with water.

Then Krsna said, “ Radhe, Your Kunda is dear to Me as You are dear to Me. And your Kunda will be more famous than my Kunda.” So you see that’s happening. People hardly talk of Shyama-kunda.

Radha-kunda’s water is not just water. It’s love of Radha and Krsna. And our way to achieve Krsna Prem is made easy by Radha-kunda. When Krsna develops compassion for His devotees His heart melts and begins flowing and that is Ganga maiya. Radha Krsna’s krpa and daya had made our Krsna realisation very easy.

yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke
sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih
yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij
janesv abhijnesu sa eva go-kharah

Translation:

One who identifies his self as the inert body composed of mucus, bile and air, who assumes his wife and family are permanently his own, who thinks an earthen image or the land of his birth is worshipable, or who sees a place of pilgrimage as merely the water there, but who never identifies himself with, feels kinship with, worships or even visits those who are wise in spiritual truth — such a person is no better than a cow or an ass. (SB 10.84.13)

Krsna was saying this to all the rsis and munis. If we do not hear from the realised souls what is the use of being in the dhama.

At Prayag, we have sangam of Ganga and Yamuna. People ask where Saraswati is? Saraswati flows from the mouth of the sadhus, that makes the Sangam of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. Take a bath and also hear from the sadhus and go back to Godhead. Caitanya Mahaprabhu would also say, when He was with the devotees, as if He is taking us up and up. Go ahead and progress in devotional life. Complete one mala of 12 forests. Radha Raman Maharaja is at number one and has completed 36 malas. Bhadra Prabhu has completed many malas and Varaha Rupa Mataji has completed 33 malas.

It’s 84 Kosa Parikrama, so one who completes Vraja Mandal Parikrama never returns to 84 species of life.