Sri Radhashtami Katha
26th August, 2020

Radhastami Mahotsav ki jai !!!

Today is the day, our Radha Pandharinath appeared on Radhastami, 16 years ago. So there is another occasion, the 16th anniversary of Radha Pandharinath Temple, Pandharpur opening. Also Radhastami is a day in New Delhi in 1976, Srila Prabhupada gave me a, I would call it a special benediction, instruction to start padayatra. So that was 1976’s Radhastami, if I remember correctly, it was 1st of September, Lajpat Nagar 21, Firoz Shah Gandhi Road.

So it’s a very special day for me, as a special mercy of Radha Rani for me, I consider as Srila Prabhupada instructions for me to travel in a bullock cart. Which then gradually became a padayatra with the bullock cart or sometimes the horse cart , for sometime no carts, just to go to as many villages, as many towns. So that was the 1976 Radhastami instruction I received, for which I am very grateful to Srila Prabhupada for such instructions.

I consider Radharani appeared to Srila Prabhupada in his heart and in his mind and then he gave me these very special instructions, padayatra, Bullock cart Sankirtan party program. Then in 1984, we did padayatra on Radhastami, 8000 km padayatra from Dwarka to Mayapur via Kanyakumari. It took us 18 months. So it is the grace of Radharani again that we were able to regain and it never finished. We did arrive with padayatra in Mayapur and then we couldn’t just stop, Radharani was pushing us, Gauranga was inspiring us to carry on, so we went on and on and on and on. So today we are completing 36 years of the padayatra in India. Hari Bol !!!

This is the 36th anniversary of all India padayatra. And that same Padayatra was here, 11 years ago, when we had the Silver Jubilee Celebration of Padayatra, all India Padayatra here in Pandharpur on Radhastami day and then they started their journey from Pandharpur. We appointed Acarya Prabhu president of Padayatra or incharge of Padayatra and you would be glad to know that they have successfully travelled to thousands of villages and towns in the last 11 years, since their departure from Pandharpur.

So we congratulate those all India padyatri’s also for this accomplishment and of course all the padayatris from all over the world. We congratulate them and we are thankful for carrying forward Srila Prabhupada’s instructions or mission which is ultimately of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ki Jay !!!

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu mission of spreading the holy name to every town and village. And making Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction come true, that is to spread the names of Radha and Krishna all over the world. Right!
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said,

Prithvite ache yata nagaradi grama
sarvatra prachara haibe mora nama [Chaitanya Bhagavat]
Translation:
In as many towns and villages as there are on the surface of the earth, My holy name will be preached.

My name will spread all over the world. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s name is Radha Krishna, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Radha, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna. So when he said my name will spread means Radha Krishna’s name will spread and this mahamantra is nothing but Radha Krishna’s name

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare

The padayatras around the world are spreading the name of Radha, the name of Krishna. My name will reach every town, every village, Radha’s name will reach, Krishna’s name will reach. You see the connection – Radha that appears today, some 5200+ years ago, that her name is now been spread all over the world by the members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, and amongst them some members are going out on padayatra and bringing Radha’s name to the heart of all. And anyone who hears Radha’s name, Krishna’s name,

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare

So, RadhaRani who appeared today on Radhastami day, She is now appearing in so many towns and villages. Yes! Do you understand this?

tatra tisthami narada
yatra gayanti mad-bhaktah

Oh Narada, where My devotees get together and chant My names, My glories, I am very much there. So if Hare is chanted, Krishna is chanted, Radha Krishna make their appearance in those villages and towns. So She doesn’t remain in Ravalgaon. Ravalgaon wali ki jai jai jai !!!

No one says that. They do say, Barsane wali ki jai jai jai !!!
That Radha Rani of Barsana She is not remaining limited to Barsana anymore. She is becoming, Delhi wali ki jai or Moscow wali ki jai. In fact, one time Srila Prabhupada installed Radha Pariseshwar and Radha Londoneshwar. Then he installed Radha Pariseshwar, that Radha of Pariseshwar. Prabhupada was talking, how the ladies, women of France, Paris were beautiful and he said, “Look at our Radharani, She is the most beautiful”. So he was making some connection with the women of Paris, in the form of deities also.

So Radha is rare and Radha’s appearance is rare, Her personality is rare, She is rare to be obtained. But by the grace of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu now Radharani is becoming known to all over the world.

yadi gaura na hoito, tabe ki hoito,
kemane dharita de?

It is written by Narottam Das Thakur. So he said, you cannot even imagine if Gauranga has not appeared then how could we have survived and revived our love for Radha and Krishna. And how could we have thrived also. Not just survive but revive and thrive. We are thriving, the members of Krishna Consciousness movements are thriving. Because of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu he appeared.

radhara mahima, prema-rasa-sima,
jagate janata ke

If Gauranga Mahaprabhu had not appeared, then radhara mahima, the greatness of Radha Rani, which is because of the ras and rasa, the mellow and the devotion and Her emotions for which She is known. Rasa sima, that the rasa, that the mellow, that she possesses are unlimited, aseem, no seema, no limits. So that kind of Radha Rani, how could we have come to realise or know Radharani, if Gauranga Mahaprabhu had not appeared. How the world could have come to know? Many people of Radhakund, they could have found out. Or people, residents of Jagannath Puri or maybe of Navadvipa, Mayapur, just a few places here and there, but jagat, the whole world, how could the world have found ? Radhara mahima and Premras, sima, unlimited rasa. Rupa Goswami’s song, if anybody knows Radha Rani, Rupa Goswami is the one who knows, among those who knows Radharani, Rupa Goswami is the one. How come he knows Radharani? He is always with Radharani as a manjiri, Rupa manjiri in Golok. He is always around Radharani. So that Rupa manjari appears as Rupa Goswami and we could also say that,

yadi gaura na hoito, tabe ki hoito,
kemane dharita de?
radhara mahima, prema-rasa-sima,
jagate janata ke

So we have also come to know the glories of Radharani because of Rupa Goswami. So it’s not only Chaitanya Mahaprabhu or infact to introduce Radharani to the whole world, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had come with a very major strategy and lots of manpower. He was not going alone to spread the glories of Radharani and make Radharani known to the world but he had appeared with a big team of those Golokvasis. So they all put together, headed by Gauranga. The goal was to grace the world, bless towns and villages with the mercy of Radha and Krishna. Especially Radha, because if you don’t get mercy of Radharani, then no mercy of Krishna. So Rupa Goswami has compiled so many songs and ashtakas glorifying Radharani and this is one of his very popular song,

Radhe jaya jay madhava dayite

So it’s a very great day as we did say earlier. It’s Radharani’s day. This ashtami has become known as Radhashtami. A lot of people even do not know that Radha exists. A lot of people doubt about Her existence and they also keep wondering “Oh! Radharani is not mentioned in Bhagavatam” and we know most of the people in the world do not know today is Radharani’s day and how many in, Chandrabhaga ke par, the other side of Chandrabhaga river in Pandharpur, how many are aware that today is Radhashtami. I wonder whether even the temple authorities of Rukmini Vitthal mandir, I think we had been reminding them and they had been doing something in the past, abhishek of Radharani and special dress for Radharani but there was a time they did not even know that Radhashtami is something or Radhashtami exists or this day is known as the appearance day. So that is the state of affair.
In south India Radharani practically, they go for Rukmini, Bhudevi, Sridevi that’s it. Radha? forget it.

Gaurang Mahaprabhu, appeared, 500 years ago and kind of started a campaign. He wanted the world to know Radharani and knowing Radharani is the way to get the mercy of Radharani. So, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu wanted the whole world to be benedicted by the mercy of Radharani. Jai Radhe! Since the foundation of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and since Srila Prabhupada started travelling and preaching all over the world, and he started spreading,

Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare,
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare,

People started to know Radharani. O this Hara, hara is hare, when you address Hara, this Hara is Radha and when your address Hara, Hara is Radha becomes Hare while explaining the maha mantra also. Then they were explaining Radharani otherwise, that Srila Prabhupada was preaching on the footpath of New York roadside and chanting Hare Krsna Hare Krsna. Then in the middle he would stop and people gathered around him and he would say, you show them a photograph of Radha and Krishna and say this is Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just by hearing that they were like “Ah! Then what is that girl doing there, next to your God?”. These westerns ignorant and fools, well easterners also could be and are ignorant and fools, there are plenty of them around. So they did not know Radha.

In 1965-66 Srila Prabhupada was only one who knew Radha and then we could see by now how many persons in America, in Canada, in South America, in Africa, in Australia, in Russia, in New Zealand, like that around the world, how many have come to know who is Radharani and not only they have come to know but I am confident that today, the whole world is celebrating Radhastami festival. Over 100 countries are celebrating Radha’s appearance day today. The world has come to know Radharani along with Krishna. This is because of Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Having said that Radharani is rare and it’s not easy to understand Radharani. You may understand women, you may understand Durga or you may even understand Laxmi, you may understand Sita also. But, Radharani is very difficult to understand because of her exalted nature and purity of Radharani and emotions of Radharani, Radha bhav.

radha-bhava-dyuti-suvalitam naumi krishna-svarupam [CC Adi 1.5]

To understand Radha’s emotions, Radha’s thoughts, simple living and high thinking. Radharani’s thinking is highest. No one thinks the way Radha thinks. Her thoughts are the highest thoughts, what She thinks is the highest thinking. So to understand Radha’s emotions, Radha’s bhava, Radha’s thoughts, what is on Radha’s mind, it is so very difficult that even Krishna doesn’t know. Rukmini has said to Dwarkadhish, “There is something my Lord, maybe I know something and Radharani knows more, so there is something that only Radharani knows and you do not know. What Radharani goes through when she is in vipralambha bhava, feelings of separation and emotions of those times are so intense and so deep and so pure that you don’t know what I go through”. This is Rukmini talking, “Radharani knows what Radharani experiences, you don’t know”. So when Krishna heard that, he must have been like “What you are talking about. You did not read the bhagavatam? Open the first verse of bhagavatam and there it says abhigya, svarat. I am supposed to be abhigya, a knower of everything. I am known for knowing everything and you say there is something that I do not know”. Rukmani says, “Yes, yes, there is something you do not know only Radharani knows, my dear Lord”. And so that was the time Lord made up his mind, that next time I appear, my homework is going to be to know Radharani. I would know Radharani, I would want to know, this will be my pastimes, activities, endeavours to know Radharani.

And thinking like that, he was thinking 5000 years ago like this, he made up his mind, he took sankalpa, he took vow, next time I am going to be. And in order to know Radharani I will become Radharani, I will become Radharani. That’s why we sing; Narottamdas Thakur has sung, “Yadi Gaur na hoite tabe ki hoite”. Gauranga Mahaprabhu had not appeared. To begin with Krishna he could not have found or known Radha rani fully well and then he also could not have shared his understanding, Krishna’s understanding with the world.

Radhar mahima prema rasa sima jagate janate ke

So, Lord did go ahead. He appeared as Gauranga and so this is mentioned that Lord’s confidential reason for his advent. General reason everyone knows, the routine reason everyone knows, what is that?

paritranaya sadhunam
vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge [BG 4.8]

Translation
In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.

But this time as he has appeared as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he has one additional homework. He has one additional agenda as they say and that is to know Radharani. He is going to be acting like Radharani also, not only knowing but acting like Radharani. So, Lord had to take one whole avatar just to know Radharani. We can hardly imagine how difficult it is to know Radharani that even Krishna did not know some things and then he appeared as Gauranga and then he had spent the last 18 years studying Radha’s life and teachings, Radha-bhava. Of course he has assumed the Gaura varna – golden complexion so he is Gauranga.

antah krsnam bahir gauram [CC Adi 3.81]

Inside he is hiding as Krishna and outside he is Radharani, complexion like Radharani and his emotions are Radha-bhava

radha-bhava-dyuti-suvalitam naumi krsna-svarupam [CC Adi 1.5]

He has become Gauranga. In the beginning of Chaitanya Charitamrit Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami he has explained or shared a beautiful and confidential verse,

samajani saci-garbha-sindhau harinduh [CC Adi 1.6]

That Lord has appeared as Ajani – Gauranga Mahaprabhu appeared. Saci-garbha-sindhau – from the womb of saci-garbha, womb of Saci-mata is like an ocean.

vrsabhanudadhi-n ava-sasi-lekhe

Vrsabhanudadhi- Vrishabhanu is like a ocean dadhi is a ocean, nava-sasi-lekhe – and from that ocean normally it is kind of understood that when the moon rises if you are on a bank of some ocean, you experience that as if the moon has risen right out of the ocean. Moon has risen out of the ocean. So, vrsabhanudadhi-nava-sasi-lekhe, Vrishabhanu is ocean and sasi is moon, and Radharani has appeared. Vrishabhanu is also ocean and kirtida is also ocean so put together – ocean, so from that ocean Radharani has appeared. So, here, in this verse he says, saci-garbha-sindhau – from the womb of Saci mata whose womb is like sindhu – ocean. Harinduh – hari is hari, indu is chandrama – moon, moon appeared, Gaurachandra appeared. So, having appeared now what is His mission which He is going to accomplish while He is in Jagannath Puri for 18 years. So, Lord has a agenda and that’s what Krishnadas Kaviraj has mentioned

sri-radhayah pranaya-mahima kidrso [CC Adi 1.6]

kidrso – of what kind? radhayah pranaya-mahima – the greatness of Radha’s love, what kind of love it is? Radha’s love – I want to understand. So, there are three items mentioned here. One is the greatness of Radha’s love, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who is Krishna, he wants to know the greatness of Radha’s love. Special experience; She is experiencing me, my sweetness. So, if she relishes my sweetness, what is that sweetness like? What is that experience of Radharani is like? That I don’t know, that only she knows that is her experience. In other words, I want to understand even myself through the eyes of Radharani or Radharani point of view. Who am I? Am I supposed to be wonderful? Am I supposed to be sweet? Oh, sweet Lord. So, these are the three questions that Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has or three agenda items. So it’s kind of getting to know each other. I want to know Radharani but I also want to know myself, the way she understands me, her satshaktkar – her anubhava,

mad-anubhavatah kidrsas
veti lobhat tad-bhavadhyah [CC Adi 1.6]

So Krishna has become greedy and eager to know these things and then he is hi bhava, his emotions have become more flourished or more solidified. He is determined to understand Radha and understand Krishna also through Radha.

sri krishna chaitanya radha krishna nahe anya [Chaitanya Bhagavat]

Translation
Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is none other than the combined form of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna.

Gauranga Mahaprabhu has appeared to first realise Radha Krishna, realise Radha and then he is gonna share that Radharani, glories of Radha, glories of Krishna with rest of the world. So all we could say, as Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is realising, realising the realisations of Radha, having access to Radha’ mind and heart and to know Radha as she is. So all that experience of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he has invested that in the mahamantra. He did not give big discourse, 700 verses Bhagavad Gita as he did as Krishna. He just condensed everything, all that you need to know in fact is all in it.

namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktis
tatrarpita niyamita smarane na kalah [Siksastakam Verse 2]

All the energies, even Radharani. Radharani is the energy of the Lord, Hladini shakti of the Lord. Shaktiman, Sri Krishna is there and Shakti, hladini shakti, Radharani is there, are there in these names. He said okay, take this mantra and spread it, go everywhere, let the world know Radha and Krishna. Just introduce them to the holy name and then he also says harer namaiva kevalam, this is all that you need. Just chant, chant and chant and as you attain matra-siddhi then you will have realisation, you will have darshan of Radha and Krishna, just by chanting the holy names of the Lord. As you chant and chant, as sadhaka you are going to be attempting to become further purified, become free from anarthas. While chanting you are going to be praying & crying,

ayi nanda-tanuja kinkarama
patitam mam visame bhavambhudhua
krpya tava pada-pankaja
sthita- duli- sadrsham vichintya [Siksastakam Verse 5]

Translation
O son of Maharaja Nanda (Krsna), I am Your eternal servitor, yet somehow or other I have fallen into the ocean of birth and death. Please pick me up from this ocean of death and place me as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet.

This is the prayer, while chanting Hare Krsna, you are praying like this with all humility at your command. Of course, Lord has already said this-

trinad api sunichena
trorar api sahishnuna
amanina mandena
kirtaniyah sada harih [Siksastakam Verse 3]

Translation
One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.

If you did this, you’re humble. Humbler than the straw in the street. Mahaprabhu has just given these 8 verses (mantras). All these teachings, he has condensed them into this Hare Krsna maha mantra. Go ahead and unpack it, open up this maha mantra, and then maha mantra will reveal unto you and eventually will reveal the darshan of Radha Pandrinath ki jai, Radha Shyamsundar ki jai, Radha Madhav ki jai, Radha Ras Bihari ki jai.

You will have darshan of the Lord, you will have Radha bhava, little sampling of Radha bhava. So you will have Radha bhava and you will have Gopi bhava. Bhaktas, devotees in order to do their services. Bhakti is done with bhakti bhava, Bhakti is done with emotions, feelings, what kind of feelings, we are asked to cultivate feelings, what kind of feelings we have to cultivate.

ramya kascid upasana vraja vadhu varga virya kalpita

Vraj vadhu varga, this Gopi’s emotions like them, so for us also the bhava that we have, whenever we have, whenever we get that bhava, that is Radha’s bhava, Bhakti’s bhava and Gopi’s bhava. Bhava is bhava, everyone doesn’t have a different bhava, once you are in bhakti, life of devotion and devotional service is nothing like Mauritius bhakti bhava orthis bhava is Chinese bhava, there may be Chinese bazaar bhava, there are different business techniques and thoughts while doing the business and making money, they may differ, but once, we are in the field of devotional service then all that bhava is same bhava. They are the same thing like oos donga pari rase nohe donga, that is also there just because of some sugarcane sticks, some sticks of sugarcane are straight and some are bent, but the juice inside, rasa nohe donga, the juice inside is the same in all of them. No one says ” Give me juice of only straight sticks, not this bent stick, there is no sugar inside, no, no, we know the sugar is the same, same sweetness. So it doesn’t matter, there is no different bhava, as we talk on bhava, emotions, it’s universal, univerally the same. So whether it is practiced in Goloka, practiced in Gokul, of course, that is another thing, sakhya bhava, dasya bhava, vatsalya bhava, these are varieties. Variety is there, but basically they are similar in nature of character as part of our constitutional nature,

hitvanyatha rupam
sva- rupena vyavasthitih [SB 2.10.6]

Sva- rupean, as we are situated in our own svarup, then that bhava, those emotions, those thoughts are the same as Radha’s bhava or Gopi’s bhava. So that is what Sri Krishna Chaitnya Mahaprabhu, he practiced, he was cultivating that bhava, try to realise that Radha’s bhava, Gopi’s bhava in Jagannath puri. Then Chaitanya Mahaprabhu with the help of Lalita and Vishakha. SwarupaDamodar is Lalita’s and Ramanand is Vishakha and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, sri krishna chaitanya, radha krishna nahe anya, he is both Radha and Krishna. But in Jagannatha puri Krishna kind of takes a back seat and in the forefront is Radharani. He did act as Krishna, dharma- samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge, he takes sanyas. He travels all over the world

radha rabhave gaura avatar, hare krishna nama gaura karila prachar

He has propagated the holy name, so while spreading the holy name around, here and there, South India, he comes to Pandharpur, spreading the holy names. He goes through Jharkhand forest spreading the holy name amongst the animals and other preachers in Jharkhand, he is Krishna. He is Krishna there, Krishna is in the forefront and Radharani is waiting to act like Radharani or play her role. So Lord does that as he finally returns form Vrindavan, now he is Jagannath puri and Chaitnya Mahaprabhu is simply Radha there. He also sent Balaram, Balrama what are you doing here? Go preach, preach in Bengal. So, he is giving a small team, take this dwadash gopas and others and you go. You go away, so that I could be now Radharani. You can not be around me while I’m in the mood of Radharani or I‘m with Radharani. Brother, now it’s time for you to give me some social distancing, leave me alone, this is personal, private life. So don’t meddle in the middle.

So, Chaitnya mahaprabhu has planned that, sending Balarama away as preaching is going on and he has already done the dharma- samsthapanarthaya, he has already travelled for 6 years. He has done that duty and now he is free from obligations and he is going to be more renounced. He is going to do his nirjana bhajan in a secluded place, so he has selected gambhira and he has very selected group of devotees, his associates, just the right ones, appropriate ones who would nourish his emotions, his feelings, increase his bhakti bhava. In Jagannath Ratha yatra is he there as Krishna or Radha? He is there only as Radha, Krishna is in the chariot and Radharani is in front of the chariot on the ground.

While He is dancing in front of Jagannath’s cart, He is Radharani, His thoughts are like Radharani, He is thinking like Radharani or even having the dialogues with Jagannath in the chariot. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s ecstatic dance in front of Jagannath’s chariot that chapter has so many verses, all Radharani’s thoughts, feelings and emotions.

Vrindavan Dhaam ki jai! Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ki jai!

It’s so common, I always say this but then sometime this thing just slips and what a great misfortune. Yeah I got it. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says, mora man vrindavan, we are all pulling your chariot, bringing you to Vrindavan and we know you are anxious to return to Vrindavan but O Lord! Now Radharani is speaking to Krishna that mora man vrindavan, we are bringing to back to Vrindavan, you love to be in Vrindavan but please take a note mora man vrindavan, please enter my mind, please reside in my heart. So these are Radharani’s emotions.

So Mahaprabhu is lying down, He is Radharani, from inside He is only Radharani. He is thinking like Radharani. Talking of these siksastakam prayers,

ashlishya va pada-ratam pinashtu mam
adarshanan marma-hatam karotu va
yatha tatha va vidadhatu lampato
mat-prana-nathas tu sa eva naparah [Siksastakam 8]

Translation
I know no one but Krsna as my Lord, and He shall remain so even if He handles me roughly by His embrace or makes me brokenhearted by not being present before me. He is completely free to do anything and everything, for He is always my worshipful Lord, unconditionally.

So, this is said by Radharani, of course Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is compiler and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu saying it, this is how we read here but here Radharani is speaking. This is even the earlier bhava that one moment is like years or more longe.

Many passages, sections in Chaitanya Charitamrita where all these Radha’s emotions, Radha’s thoughts are expressed. It is written there in black and white by Krishnadas Kaviraj Gowswami. Study of Bhagavatam is graduation, graduate course textbook syllabus is Bhagavatam and if you want to do post graduation, your masters degree then you have to study Chaitanya Charitamrita.

Radharani is mentioned, Her talks are included in Chaitanya Charitamrita, Her thoughts and Her feelings and this is because of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Sri krsna chaitanya radha krsna nahi anya. The whole purpose of his advent is to know Radharani as we presented in the beginning, sri-radhayah pranaya-mahima kidrso.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared and he has made Radharani known to the world. So we can not imagine what could have happened, how could the world have found out about Radharani if Chaitnya Mahaprabhu had not appeared. Hence, our acharyas sing the song,

yadi gaura na hoito, tabe ki hoito,
kemane dharita de?
radhara mahima, prema-rasa-sima,
jagate janata ke

How could the world have found out Radharani and her love for Krishna, her understanding Krishna or her Krishna. This is my Krishna, Radharani says, this is my Krishna, like we have written, My Prabhupada, he is everybody’s Prabhupada, he is Keshav Prabhu’s Prabhupada also, he could also say my Prabhupada, right?. But then there could be a difference between Lokanath Swami’s Prabhupad and Keshav Prabhu’s Prabhupad, it is expected right? Like that, one thing is my Krishna, myself saying my Krishna or Keshav saying or Maharaj saying or everybody saying my Krishna and then if Radharani could say this is my Krishna. I think there is going to be a word of difference, same Krishna but how much you understand Krishna and you call him my Krishna and how much Radharani understands Krishna and then she proudly says, this is my Krishna, my Krishna.

So as Lord had appeared as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and then Chaitnaya Mahaprabhu is Radha and Krishna combined. In that, Radharani finally becomes motivated and activated, going through the whole experience of Krishna realisation and then Radharani has realised Krishna. Those are the three questions. As Radharani understands me, so as Radharani in Chaitanya Mahaprabhu understands Krishna and then if Radharani would say this is my Krishna that understanding is going to be the complete understanding of Krishna. Krishna was not understanding Radharani before and then he appears as Gauranga Mahaprabhu and makes his mission, mission of life, goal of his life. Goal of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s life is to know Radharani, realise Radharani. So Krishna becomes Radharani realised and Radharani has also become Krishna realised. So this is full manifestation, they are realising each other and there love for each other is also anandambudhi-vardhanam, is expanding and increasing.

So by the grace of Gauranga that world has, to begin with he has given the holy names and by chanting this holy names you are introduced to Radha and Krishna. The mode of worship, the way we worship Radha and Krishna in this age of kali is chanting Hare Krsna and this is how,

Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah [SB 11.5.32]

By the performance of this sankirtana yajna you are worshipping Radha and Krishna. So one may ask how do I worship Radha and Krishna? Or today is Radharani’s appearance day, how do I worship Radharani? Our answer is chant Hare Krsna, Radharani will be happy by this.

So Radharani is about to appear, very soon. So she is going to be very very happy or to make us happy in fact. Happy birthday to Radharani!! We are grateful to our parampara acharyas, beginning with 6 goswamis of Vrindavan, archayas like Narottam Thakur and others acharyas, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, Srila Bhakti Siddhant Saraswati Thakur and Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada ki jai!!

We are linked to Radha and Krsihna through this parampara. They have kept all the knowledge intact and live and they have landed that down to their disciples and followers. So we have reached all the way from the day Radharani has appeared 5000 years ago to this day 2020. All the glories of Radharani, all the beauty of Radharani, all the pastimes of Radharani, everything about Radharani we get to know, we get to sit and hear, we get to open scriptures and read and understand through the pages of different scriptures. So we are grateful to all those involved for bring Radha’s mercy, Radha’s knowledge from that day Radhashtami day to today. It also becomes our duty, we have received so we should be happy and do nothing? Should we be doing something? We should distribute, share Radharani. be generous. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu became generous with us by spreading the holy name and he asked each one of us to,

yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna’-upadesa
amara ajnaya guru haaa tara’ ei desa [CC Madhya 7.128]

Translation
Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Sri Krsna as they are given in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.

You all become gurus and hand down the form of holy name, form of all these scriptures, all these books which Srila Prabhupada has given us, Radharani and prasadam of Radharani. Radharani was the best cook, share that prasad and that happens everyday, we feed her everyday. Distribute Radha prasad, Krishna prasad, so that Radharani’s mercy could reach souls in form of remnants or prasad.

Today is the 16th anniversary of Radha Pandarinath temple opening. So it was 16 years ago, 2004, we had this hall but not this big, Prahlad Prabhu had expanded it further. There were many Maharaj, Prabhus, devotees from many places, I am sure many demigods might be there. It was quite a wonderful event, deity installation, special abhishek and special kirtans, they were long, I also was doing kirtans that day. And we have prasadam also in front of that old stone house. Memorable event, so we remember it and we are grateful for all those devotees’ attendance and participation in our grand opening of Radha Pandharinath temple. But this temple is not the final temple, for pleasure of Radha Pandharinath we would like to build much much bigger temple, palace. Maybe we should take that sankalp on their appearance day that we want to build a monument that will become a big landmark in Pandharpur, centre of attraction in Pandharpur. So that the whole world could come and take darshan of Radha Pandharinath and Sri Sri Rukmani Vitthal. So let us not be satisfied with what we have, so lets work towards that goal of building that grand temple for Radha Pandhrinath.

Radha Pandharinath ki jai!!