Sep 30: Celebrating Radha Devi

Navaratri is a celebration for women – the celebration of Shakti / strength and knowledge culmination of the victory (Vijayadasami) of good over evil.  In Bengal, a Durga deity is sculpted on the auspicious Mahalaya Amavasya day and the Mother is worshipped across the nine days.

Ramayana Navaha is read over the nine days and Dusshera is celebrated as the victory of Rama over Ravana.  For Krishna Bhaktas, it is the celebration of Krishna – his love and compassion – which is verily the form of Radha Devi.  Thus Navaratri is also a celebration of Radha Devi.

The shakti of the Lord cannot be separated from the Lord – as the Upanishad says ‘shakti-shaktimatorabhedah’ – ‘the power and possessor of the power cannot be separated.’  Thus the Lord cannot be separated from his consort – as Vishnu Purana says that the Universe was created not by Narayana but by Sri Lakshmi Narayana.  This power has three dimensions – wealth/’aishwarya’ – in the physical dimension, compassion and patience – in the mental dimension and the happiness (‘hlaadini’), which is beyond physical and mental planes, which are Sri Devi, Bhu Devi and Neela Devi respectively.  The Vedas speak of the three Devis as also speaks Dravida Veda – Sri Devi, Bhu Devi and Nappinai Piratti (Andal).

Lord Rama was an ‘ekapatnivrata’ and hence couldn’t afford to have the three dimensions separately, and hence had Sita Devi as an embodiment of all the three forms as our Guru Maharaj sings ‘Porumaiyum karunaiyum thavamum serndhu’.  Only the Divine Mother can recommend us to the Lord no matter how many sins we may have committed.

Ramayana is a ‘Sharanagati Shastra’ and the Lord accepts the ‘Prapanna’ (one who has surrendered).  The worst kind of sinner – Kakasura, gets the grace of Lord Rama only after being recommended by Sita Devi, although he had tormented her.  The greatest Sharanagati spoken about in Ramayana – Vibhishana Sharanagati – happens when the divine Mother was separated from the Lord.  Valmiki says that Vibhishana came with a mace in his hand through the sky – ‘antarisksha gatah srimaan braataavai raakshasaadipam’ along with other Rakshasas.  Interesting is the adjective he uses to denote Vibhishana – ‘Sriman’. Periyavachan Pillai gives a beautiful commentary on Valmiki’s choice of this adjective.  While Vibhishana sailed through the clouds, Sita Devi in Ashoka Vana, looked up in the sky and asked Trijata who that was, and the latter said that it was her father – Vibhishana, going to the Feet of Lord Rama to seek refuge, after having fought with his brother Ravana.  The Divine Mother’s compassion springs up and prays, ‘Oh God! Hope Lord Rama accepts this surrender and grants refuge to Vibhishana.’ – she recommended to the Lord through her prayers!

The eight Mahishis of Krishna – embody one specific quality each, but the embodiment of pure love is none but Radha Devi – our Madhuri Sakhi, but for whom, we wouldn’t be enjoying Krishna.   And Krishna’s heart houses Radha Devi all the time.  And she gives Krishna to us, thus taking the ‘Guru Sthana’ – ‘rAdhikAm mama gurum sharaNam prapadye’ – uniting us with Bhagavan out of compassion.

Bhagavatam deals Krishna’s Lilas in detail, and Mahans like Surdas, Meera, Oothukaadu Venkata Kavi have enjoyed Lilas even beyond those found in Bhagavatam.  But not many speak about Radha Devi. In fact Sri Shuka does not even dare to mention her name!  The reason is, one cannot understand the greatness of Radha Devi’s if we become a Vrajavasi / Gopi ourselves.  Unless we shed the base qualities and get elevated to that supreme state of the Gopis, it is hard to write/sing about Radha Devi and any mundane composition would only end up demeaning Her greatness.

All we can do is read, sing and enjoy compositions that Mahans may have performed, without even trying to interpret its meaning.

Vrushabhanu Maharaja and Nanda were friends, so were their spouses – Kalavati and Yashoda.  Krishna arrived at Nanda’s house and Kalavati longed to have a child like Krishna, but as Krishna was unique, she prayed for a baby girl who would marry Krishna.  Back in Goloka, Radha Devi questioned the Lord if there was a place filled with pure love and the Lord pointed down to Vrajabhoomi – Brindavan and Radha Devi wished to experience this love – through ‘Viraha’ – separation, and chose to be born down.  Meera, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu were born to experience the same ‘viraha’.

Thus Radha Devi was born to Kalavati (Keerthirani) in the Shukla Ashtami of Bhadrapada month, a fortnight after Krishna was born.  Puranas say that Radha Devi, after she was born, did not speak a word – just like Nammazhwar, Jatabharata, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.  And Narada Bhagavan came down, chanted Krishna Nama and immediately, the baby smiled.

Mahans have sung how Radha Devi grew up.  Our Guru Maharaj sings how she learnt to walk – ‘thalar nadai nadakkindraal sri radhai…’.  She would wear blue colored clothes all the time, because Krishna was blue-hued!  When she slept, she would reserve the other half of the bed for Krishna, for He would come to her in her dreams.  She was in Krishna bhaava all the time.  – His very Name attracted her.

The mothers have a very unique way of teaching their children.  They show different things around them and teach words and objects.  – a moon, the stars, the crow, cow, peacock or a parrot for example.

Mahatmas have done various compositions on Krishna, and many a time, they use objects to draw comparisons to Krishna – Krishna’s lips are compared to ruby, Krishna’s cheeks being compared to a mirror and so on.  That is because all of us know only the world and hence we take worldly examples to understand how Krishna was. But here, it is the other way round!  Radha knew only Krishna and hence everything in the world, she relates to Krishna!

‘shikshati kalaavati nijasutaam udhyaana vane…’

‘Kathamasti chandrah bruhi radhe’ – how is the moon, my dear Radhe!
‘krushna mukham iva…’ – it is like Krishna’s face, mom!

‘kokilah katam koojati radhe’ – how does the cuckoo sing, Radhe?
‘krishna kantadwaniriva madhuram…’ – the cuckoo sings as sweet as Krishna’s voice!

How is the color of the sky, Kalavati asks, and Radha says, that is like Krishna.
Pointing to the lotus in the pond, Radha Devi asks what that is, and instantly, Radha says it is like Krishna’s feet.

Pointing to a nest where a bird is nursing its chickens, Kalavati asks, what it is, and Radhe replies, ‘Amma, Itis like Krishna taking care of His Bhaktas!’.

An elephant reminds of Krishna’s walk and a peacock feather reminds her of Krishna’s hair dressing. Pointing to a creeper of clover, the mother asks what it was, and Radha Devi says that it was as tender as Krishna’s hands.  The darkness of the night reminds her of the heart that does not have devotion to Lord Krishna.   The mirror reminds her of Krishna’s reflective cheeks.

Eventually, the mother asks, ‘Oh Radha, where do you live?’ and pat came the reply, ‘muralidhara nayana yugale maatah’ – ‘I live in the eyes of Muralidhara!

That is how Radha Devi grew up, eventually to wed Krishna – the divine Radha Kalyanam signifies this union.

How do we celebrate Radha Devi? How does one become recipient of the Lord’s grace – by verily chanting ‘Radhe’ ‘Radhe’ – that is the only way to get devotion to Krishna.

‘Radhe Radhe endraal thithikkude naakku’
thenum paalum andha draakshai pazhamum karumbum karkkandum samamagumo idharkku’

Sings our Guru Maharaj.  Verily chanting the Radhe Nama sweetens our tongue – a sweetness that cannot be compared the sweetness of sugar, milk, honey, sugarcane or the grapefruit.

‘Kanakkattra piravigalil thavam seithor naavil oru kanam ival irundhiduvaale
kannanin bhaktargalin naavinilo thinnamaai ivalum irundhiduvaale’

Even if one performs penances for a million years, they may not have the fortune of Radha Devi residing in their lips (uttering Radha Nama), but for Krishna bhaktas, she resides in their lips forever!

When we go in front of Madhuri Sakhi, this is the prayer we can make unto her – ‘Gopi Bhaava bhaktim dehime sri radhe’ – Oh Radhe! Give me the Bhakti that is as pure as that of the Gopis!

‘raasa mandala pradaaneshwari; rasikajana bhakata hrudayeshwari
madhumati veena vaadana priya; madhura muralidhara shriye..’

Sings our Guru Maharaj.

The satsang ended with prayers and Nama Sankirtan.

Sep 2: Mahaprabhu – Bala Lilas

Bhagavatam says that the Brahman is just a ‘sakshi’ – a witness and not a doer of anything – and in order for the Brahman to bestow grace upon us, someone should ‘induce’ it  and that is verily Radha Devi – who is referred to by Mahatmas as ‘brahma prerana kAriNi’.  Radha Devi’s grace and Guru’s grace are no different. And Radha-Madhav Vivah – or – Radha Kalyanam that is celebrated as the union of the Jivatma and the Brahman.  And it is purely through Radha Devi’s krupa that one is able to get Satsang and Krishna Bhakti.  Radha Ashtami (the birth of Radha Devi) is celebrated 15-days after Krishna Janmashtami.

In Madhurapuri Ashram, Sri Swamiji often speaks about Radha Devi’s darshan (and a few exalted devotees have also had this experience).  When someone asked Our Guru Maharaj as to why one gets Radha Darshan (and not even Krishna Darshan) in its precincts, Sri Swamiji said that it is because of Mahamantra Kirtan.  In one of the Puranas, it is said Kalavati and Vrushhabanu prayed for a child that would be the apt pair for Krishna.  Narada Maharshi came there and advised them to perform the ‘Hare Rama…’ Mahamantra Kirtan, after which Radha Devi was born to the couple.   Thus wherever Mahamantra is chanted, that is where Bhakti, Guru Krupa, Satsang and Krishna Krupa is born  She is the one who bestows of all goodness, peace and prosperity – ‘mangalam kuru dayayaa…’ sings our Guru Maharaj.

Our Bharata Desha is full of Mahans. At a single point of time, there have been numerous contemporary Mahatmas.  That is the greatness of our country.  Poondhanam, a great Mahatma sees a vision of lives departing from the Earth begging to be born in India – right from a mosquito to a human being.  This is because India is considered as the Puja room when the entire world is a home.  Once a westerner complained to our Guru Maharaj that India is full of mosquitoes and that they didn’t have such issues in the West.  Jokingly our Guru Maharaj said, ‘even mosquitoes wish to be born only in our desha!’.

One descent of the ‘Poornavatara’ to spread the Mahamantra is our Chaitanya Mahaprabhuji.  Mahans are always born in this earth.  One may have done sadhanas in his previous birth, and they would continue to lead a normal life in this birth, and then all of a sudden, one day, after some incident, they would become spiritually charged and culminate with the Supreme.  They are Mahans.  In contrast, an Avatara Purusha is born that way, with a purpose.   It was the year 1486 – a full moon day – and a lunar eclipse.  When our Bharata Mata was reeling under foreign rule, and Dharma was in an abyss; the Lord decided to descend to show an easy path to mankind, as when times are easy, the path to attain Him is tough (eg. Krita Yuga), and when times are tough, the path is easy!

Kunti says, ‘Krishna! No one understands what is in your mind.  Munis think that you have come to redeem the Dharma,  devotees think that you have come to perform lilas that they could sing, the Devas think that you have come to relieve the Earth of her burden, but only you know the reason for your descent.’  When Avatara Purushas remain at a place, it may seem that they are static, but their mere presence makes the world move, just like a fan that spins at a very high speed seems like it is stationery.  Such an Avatara Purusha, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born in conditions similar to Krishna Avatar.  The minds of every benign soul was pure and pristine, the Devas were awaiting the descent, and at this time, a golden baby was born in the sacred place – Mayapur in West Bengal.  Everyone were chanting Hari Nam as it was the time of eclipse and that signified the purpose of his avatara.  Just like Devaki Mata suffered at the hands of Kamsa, Sachi Mata and Jagannatha Prabhu were undergoing suffering as their earlier babies did not last long, and the Lord was born.

The area was suffering from a famine and when the divine one descended it poured!  The little one’s grandfather named him ‘Nimayi’ (neem) as the bitter taste of neem would repel the God of Death who had taken away his elder siblings.  He was officially christened as ‘Vishwambar’ – one who maintains the whole world, amidst the chanting of the Vedas.  He was affectionately called ‘Gaur Hari’  and Gauranga because of his golden complexion.

The little baby would cry and nothing would stop him, until his elder brother, Vishwarupa would chant ‘Hari Bol’, ‘Hari Bol’!   These were signs of what were to come.

One day, Sachi Mata had the baby play in the living room and was busy in the kitchen and soon after the baby went misising.  The baby was later found to be playing with a snake fearlessly, just like Prahalada was fearless when confronted with a poison or an elephant!  After all, it was Adisesha swaroopa for Nimayi.

During his childhood, Nimayi was found eating mud, just like Krishna did!  Once a Sadhu had come home.  He had a practice of cooking his own food and partaking of it.  So he was given the utensils and material to cook.  The Sadhu cooked his food for hours together and then when everything was ready, closed his eyes in prayer and offered it to the Lord.  The moment he opened his eyes, he was angered to see Nimayi tasting it!  Enraged, he began cooking all over again, and this time too, Nimayi was caught eating the food while it was being offered to the Lord!  Mishraji got extremely angry with Nimayi and chastised him thoroughly.  That night in his dreams, the Sadhu saw that it was verily Lord Krishna who partook of his food and immediately fell at the little Gauranga’s feet and told his parents of his greatness.

Nimayi performed such untold ‘bala leelas’, just like Krishna did.

Such was the childhood of our Mahaprabhuji.