(Adapted from a talk given at Rādhākuṇda, on 11th April 1994)
When Kṛṣṇa killed the demon Ariṣṭāsura, who had taken the form of a bull, He wanted to resume His pastimes. However, the gopīs objected, saying, "You have killed a bull, so now you are contaminated, and you must purify yourself." They explained that Kṛṣṇa needed to perform prayāścitta (atonement) and recommended, "You must visit all the holy rivers and bathe in them. Only then will we play with you again. Otherwise, you are a kaccha, a third-class man." Kṛṣṇa replied, "Yes, but I don’t have time to travel to so many places, nor do I want to leave Vṛndāvana."
To solve this, Kṛṣṇa pressed His foot into the ground, creating a hole, and called upon the holy rivers. One by one, the Yamuna, the Ganges, the Saraswati, the Narmada, the Sindhu, the Kaveri, and many others appeared, bowed before Kṛṣṇa, and entered the hole He had made. After taking His bath, Kṛṣṇa invited the gopīs, "Come, let’s play in My kuṇḍa, Śyāmakuṇḍa." But the gopīs refused, saying, "No, this place is now dirty because you killed a bull and bathed here. How can we enter this water? It carries the sin of your killing."
An argument ensued, and Kṛṣṇa challenged them, "Then where will you bathe? How will you enjoy water pastimes? You have no kuṇḍa." Determined, the gopīs replied, "We will make our own kuṇḍa." They began digging with their bangles and created a kuṇḍa. Eventually, the holy rivers appeared again, and a compromise was reached. The rivers entered the gopīs' kuṇḍa, Rādhākuṇḍa, which stood side by side with Śyāmakuṇḍa. In this way, the two kuṇḍas manifested as part of Kṛṣṇa's līlā in the course of a day. Yet, Rādhākuṇḍa and Śyāmakuṇḍa are eternally present, just like Kṛṣṇa, who is eternally existent. Though He appears to take birth in this world, He is aja, or "unborn." Likewise, Rādhākuṇḍa and Śyāmakuṇḍa have always existed.
When Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited this village, He inquired about Śyāmakuṇḍa and Rādhākuṇḍa, asking, "Where is that place?" However, no one seemed to know. After further inquiries, He learned there was some water in the paddy fields, which the locals referred to as Śyāma-gauri. Curious, Mahāprabhu went to investigate. As soon as He came into contact with these two small ponds, the signs of ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa immediately manifested in Him. Offering His obeisances, Caitanya Mahāprabhu promptly took a bath in both Śyāmakuṇḍa and Rādhākuṇḍa. After His bath, He took mud from the side of the ponds and used it for tilak.
When the village people saw Caitanya Mahāprabhu bathing in these two small ponds with such great ecstasy, they were astonished. To them, the ponds seemed insignificant. In this way, Rādhā and Govinda, through the form of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, revealed their two sacred places, Śyāmakuṇḍa and Rādhākuṇḍa. The spot where Mahāprabhu sat down to chant is near two palm trees, by a small yellow house that holds His footprints. We do not sit on the side where Mahāprabhu sat, instead we sit on the other side of the steps. This is because we do not see things exactly as He did. Nearby is an area where all six Goswāmīs performed their bhajans. Even they did not try to sit where Caitanya Mahāprabhu had sat.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa in the mood of Rādhārāṇī, but we especially worship the mood of Rādhārāṇī in Him. In this way, both Rūpa and Sanātana Goswāmīs, being devoted to Rādhārāṇī, performed their bhajans on this side, not on the other. As worshippers of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we cannot exactly imitate Him. In fact, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not the founder of our Sampradāya, but rather its deity, known as the Iṣṭadeva. Another name for Him is Vipralambha-mūrti, where mūrti means deity and vipralambha refers to separation. He is the embodiment of separation from Kṛṣṇa.
Even when visiting Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāmakuṇḍa, we must never forget Caitanya Mahāprabhu, not even for a moment. Without Him, no one has any rightful access to these sacred places. Yet, many people come here without following the direction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and such individuals are never truly appreciated in our Sampradāya. Now, consider this: What is the deep connection between Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Rādhā-kuṇḍa? We can recall that when Kṛṣṇa Dasa Kavirāja Goswāmī wrote the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the biography and teachings of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he wrote it right here, nearby Rādhā-kuṇḍa. One might think, "Why not write about Caitanya Mahāprabhu in Navadvīpa?" But he wrote it here at Rādhā-kuṇḍa, showing a profound inner connection.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the complete embodiment of Madhurya-rasa, the sweet devotional mood. In fact, it is not possible to truly worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa or Rādhā-Govinda without first worshipping Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This understanding is taught in the Upadeśāmṛta by Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī.
karmibhyaḥ parito hareḥ priyatayā vyaktiṁ yayur jñāninas
tebhyo jñāna-vimukta-bhakti-paramāḥ premaika-niṣṭhās tataḥ
tebhyas tāḥ paśu-pāla-paṅkaja-dṛśas tābhyo ’pi sā rādhikā
preṣṭhā tadvad iyaṁ tadīya-sarasī tāṁ nāśrayet kaḥ kṛtī
The śāstras explain that among all types of material workers, those who are advanced in knowledge are favored by the Supreme Lord. These are called jñānīs. Out of the jñānīs, one who is liberated may take to devotional service, showing that the devotee is superior to the jñānī. But even among the devotees, one who has attained prema, pure love of Kṛṣṇa, is the highest. And among all the prema-bhaktas, the gopīs are the most advanced because they are always fully dependent on Kṛṣṇa. Among the gopīs, Rādhārāṇī is the dearest to Kṛṣṇa.
Rādhā-kuṇḍa is extremely dear to Kṛṣṇa, as it is non-different from Rādhārāṇī herself. For this reason, we take the water of Rādhā-kuṇḍa on our heads with great respect. If you do this reverently, you will receive the full benefits. However, if the water touches your feet, it could be considered offensive. In 1976, there was a large kīrtana at Rādhā-kuṇḍa, with maybe 300 devotees present. Everyone stopped, gave obeisances, and bowed down. I had my chaddar with me, and as I was preparing to leave for Africa, I thought, "I need some blessings." So I placed my chaddar in the water to absorb the shakti. Suddenly, devotees started jumping, leaping, and running into Rādhā-kuṇḍa, swimming and racing as if it were an Olympic pool.
That night, Śrīla Prabhupāda became very angry. Someone must have told him what happened, or perhaps he found out another way—I’m not sure how. He told the devotees, "What you did is very bad." He then said, "You have kicked Rādhārāṇī on the head," and instructed them, "Never take a bath in this place again." From that day forward, Śrīla Prabhupāda never allowed any of his devotees to bathe in these places. I later learned that Śrīla Prabhupāda himself never bathed here either. Only taking few drops on the head, never a full bath. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta never bathed here either. All of Bhaktisiddhānta's good disciples and sannyāsis followed this rule, taking the water only on their heads.
Rādhā-kuṇḍa is no different from Rādhārāṇī herself, and Śyāmakuṇḍa is no different from Śyāmasundara Kṛṣṇa. It is said that only in one's spiritual body can one take a full bath here. That state is known as bhāva and prema. Right now, we are in the stage of bhajana-kriya, anartha-nivṛtti, progressing toward niṣṭha as we follow the process of purification and becoming fixed in devotion. After niṣṭha comes rūci, then attachment (āsakti). When you reach āsakti, you will never waste even a single moment on anything other than exclusive devotion to Kṛṣṇa. Even at that stage, however, you are still not qualified to bathe in Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Only those with prema-bhakti, who have attained their spiritual body, are qualified, as the spiritual body is never offensive in any way.
Knowing all this, who would not want to reside at Rādhā-kuṇḍa in a spiritual body full of prema, serving Rādhā-Govinda in their pastimes twenty-four hours a day? When you truly understand this sacred truth about Rādhārāṇī and the holiness of Rādhā-kuṇḍa, and when you set this as the goal of your life, then through that meditation, you will certainly achieve the perfection of life—prema. You will surely qualify. But if we do not focus on the goal, what is our purpose? If we are not mindful of the truth, it is like a foggy day. Just like the cloudy mornings in London, where the sun cannot fully rise due to the fog, the sun represents the full prema. Those who are able to perform their bhajans here at Rādhā-kuṇḍa are the most qualified of all devotees.
Raghunātha dāsa Goswāmī represents the most qualified section of devotees. However, without being properly qualified, one should not attempt to come here, rent a house, and live at Rādhā-kuṇḍa. That would be very inappropriate. Once, one of Prabhupāda's disciples bought a house here, and Prabhupāda was very angry. Even earlier, some devotees, including Sanskrit editor devotees, came to stay for a week or two, and Prabhupāda was similarly upset. Nevertheless, it is essential that we visit Rādhā-kuṇḍa and always offer worship to Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa.
There is also a verse that captures the significance of Rādhā-kuṇḍa:
yathā rādhā priyā viṣṇos
tasyāḥ kuṇḍaṁ priyaṁ tathā
sarva-gopīṣu saivaikā
viṣṇor atyanta-vallabhā
"Just as Rādhārāṇī is dear to Kṛṣṇa, so too is the place of Rādhārāṇī's bath, Rādhā-kuṇḍa, most dear to Kṛṣṇa. Among all the gopīs, She alone is Supreme. She is the Lord's most beloved." (Padma Purāṇa, Quoted in CC Madhya 18.8)
In other words, Rādhārāṇī receives the greatest mercy from Kṛṣṇa. She gives the most love to Kṛṣṇa and is the most surrendered to Him. Her need for Kṛṣṇa is the greatest of all. Every living entity needs Kṛṣṇa. But how intense is Rādhārāṇī's need for Kṛṣṇa? That is the greatest.
Question:You were talking about not bathing here, so how should one approach this? Should anyone even bathe here at all? I mean, there are so many people living here, and obviously, they are bathing in Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Is it also considered an offense for the residents to bathe here?
Swami Narasiṅgha: It would be difficult to sort out everything clearly. For those who are born here, things may be different—what is appropriate for them may not be suitable for us. We belong to a particular group of servitors, and just as different branches of the military have different training requirements, what works for one group may not work for another. According to our ācāryas, taking a full bath at Rādhā-kuṇḍa is not recommended for us. We are trying to cultivate an exclusive and deep devotion to Rādhārāṇī, while others are primarily focused on devotion to Kṛṣṇa.
I once told a story about the king of Bharatpur. He came to Rādhā-kuṇḍa, performing dāndavat (full prostration) parikrama over and over as an expression of his devotion to Rādhā-kuṇḍa. However, Bhaktisiddhānta said, 'No, actually their approach is just the opposite.' They revere Rādhā-kuṇḍa because they know that it is dear to Kṛṣṇa, and they want Kṛṣṇa. They come to Rādhā-kuṇḍa to bathe in its water, much like how Hanuman, hearing that Rāma was pleased when Sītā applied kum-kum, smeared himself with it to please Lord Rāma. They are bathing in Rādhā-kuṇḍa to please Kṛṣṇa because they want Kṛṣṇa.
But as Sarasvatī Ṭhākura pointed out, our ultimate devotion is different. This is especially evident in the life of Raghunātha dāsa Goswāmī, who revealed the heart of Rūpa and Sanātana. His devotion to Rādhārāṇī was so intense that he said, 'Actually, without Rādhārāṇī, I don’t want Kṛṣṇa.' Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāja explains the verse as follows—
asa-bharair amrita-sindhu mayaih kathanchit
kalo mayati-gamitah kila sampratam hi
tvan chet kripam mayi vidhasyasi naiva kim me
pranair vraje na cha varoru bakarinapi
This sloka is a direct prayer to Radharani. It expresses a particular type of hope which is so sweet and reassuring that it is compared with an unlimited ocean of nectar. He says, "With that hope I am somehow passing my days, flagging my days, dragging my life through these tedious times only for that hope. That hope is sustaining me, the nectarean ocean of hope is attracting me and sustaining me. Somehow I am dragging my days to my only safety.
"Otherwise, I have lost the direct association of Mahaprabhu, Svarup Damodar and so many other great souls, and still I am living. Why? I have a particular ray of hope. And the prospect and quality of my hope is very great and high. But my patience has reached its end. I can't endure it any longer. I can't wait. I am finished; I can't wait any more. At this moment if You do not show Your grace to me, I am finished. I shall lose the chance forever. I shall have no desire to continue my life. It will all be useless.
"Without Your grace, I can't stand to live another moment. And Vṛndāvan, which is even dearer to me than my life itself - I am disgusted with it. It is painful; it is always pinching me. What to speak of anything else, I am even disgusted with Krishna. It is shameful to utter such words, but I can have no love even for Krishna, until and unless You take me up within Your confidential camp of service. Such charm I have come for. I have seen the clue of such charm within the service of Your camp. Without that, everything is tasteless to me. And I can't maintain my existence even in Vṛndāvan. And even Krishna, what to speak of others, has no charm for me." This is the prayer of Raghunath Das Goswami.
Śrīla Raghunātha Dāsa Goswāmī expressed such profound devotion in his writings, especially Vilāpa Kusumañjali, that he became known as the Prayojana Ācārya, the teacher who reveals the ultimate goal of life. Through these prayers, he unveiled the highest attainment for the living entity. Everything becomes clear to us if we follow the teachings of Raghunātha dāsa Goswāmī and his bona fide representatives.
Question: I heard that when Raghunath Das Goswami discovered that a devotee had gone to Sakhi-sthali, the village of Candrāvalī, to get a leaf cup, he remarked that we would not go to that village to take anything. Why is that?
Swami Narasiṅgha: We are taking the dust of Vṛndāvana, the transcendental abode. Vṛndāvana is Vṛndāvana, and it remains eternally sacred. However, after entering this holy place, Raghunātha dāsa Goswāmī refused to take anything from that particular village. How can this be? Even though that village is also cintāmaṇi (a wish-fulfilling gem), Raghunātha dāsa Goswāmī had gone even deeper into Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He had become a member of Rādhārāṇī's intimate group. Rādhā-kuṇḍa was always in opposition to that other village. This opposition heightened the mood. So, what to speak of dust, he wouldn’t even take a leaf from a tree of that place.
But who is Candrāvali, the rival of Rādhārāṇī? Candrāvali is actually an expansion of Rādhārāṇī herself. There isn’t any other personality who can truly compete with Rādhārāṇī. Rather, this competition exists to intensify the mood. Rādhārāṇī takes on the role of Candrāvali and engages in playful mock battles, increasing the excitement of the divine pastimes. Kṛṣṇa creates these divine plays, and while everyone may say, "We must all be united," the reality is that even in the spiritual world, there are inherent differences. Kṛṣṇa brings out these differences to advance the pastimes. If everyone joined in a single group, everything would become too melancholy. But through transcendental competition, with different groups, the intensity and beauty of the pastimes increase.
We should recognize it as coming down from the spiritual world, and then we can happily deal with it. But if we forget it, we may become offensive. Certainly, one cannot be offensive to Candrāvali. But when one has entered into the deepest stage of devotion, then he may speak such things. "I do not want even a leaf from that village." Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, "I don't even want to hear her name. I don't want to see her face. Anyone who comes to challenge Rādhārāṇī, I cannot tolerate." Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says so. Just so we all understand, Rūpa Goswāmī has taken the liberty to explain who is who in the spiritual world. He has explained that actually Candrāvali is an expansion of Rādhārāṇī.
And at the very last moment, the truth comes from Candrāvali herself. The supreme truth in the Bhāgavatam is spoken by Candrāvali, as she praises, "Actually, only Rādhārāṇī can fully satisfy Kṛṣṇa. She is the best."
anayārādhito nūnaṁ
bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ
yan no vihāya govindaḥ
prīto yām anayad rahaḥ
When the gopīs began to talk among themselves, they said, 'Dear friends, the gopī who has been taken away by Kṛṣṇa to a secluded place must have worshiped the Lord more than anyone else.' (Bhāgavatam 10.30.28)
It is Candrāvali who speaks this, not Viśākhā, not Lalitā—Candrāvali is the one who ultimately reveals the truth. It’s like a courtroom drama, filled with intensity. The court is trying to determine who is guilty and who is correct. Then, at the last minute, someone from the opposing side stands up and says, "I must speak the truth." They reveal the truth, and suddenly the entire situation becomes glorious. Until that final moment, the person remained hidden, seemingly on the opposite side.
