Friday, August 21, 2026

What are some glories of Radharani?

 As a child attempts to catch the moon, let me also similarly attempt to describe a few glories of Srimati Radharani, taking shelter of the statements of scriptures and Vaishnava acharyas.

The whole world is running after Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However, Lord Krishna is running after someone. In this regard, Mahajanas sing as follows

dhani dhani ramani janama dhani tor! saba jana kahnu, kahnu kori jhuraye, se tuwa bhave vibhor

The whole world is crying, ‘’Krishna! Krishna!’’ But He Himself is absorbed in love for You (Srimati Radharani)!

In the words of Srila Prabhupada

Krishna, everyone is trying to love Krishna, but Krishna is trying to love somebody. Now how great She is. Just try to understand. Everyone, the whole world, the whole universe, all living entities, they are trying to love Krishna, krsna-prema.

Lord Caitanya describes, prema-pumartho mahan. And Rupa Gosvami described that ‘You are distributing krsna-prema.’ So krsna-prema is so valuable, but Krishna is after Radharani. Just see how Radharani is great. Just try to understand the greatness of Radharani. Therefore She is so great, and we have to offer our respect.

- Srila Prabhupada’s Lecture, August 30, 1968

In the words of Srila Prabodhananda Saraswati Thakura,

yo brahma-rudra-śuka-nārada-bhīṣma-mukhyair ālakṣito na sahasā puruṣasya tasya

sadyo-vaśīkaraṇa-cūrṇam ananta-śaktiṁ taṁ rādhikā-caraṇa-reṇum anusmarāmi

I constantly remember the foot dust of Śrī Rādhikā, whose unlimited power instantly subdues even the Supreme Person (Śrī Kṛṣṇa), Who Himself cannot be easily seen even by the greatest devotees such as Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, Nārada Muni and Bhīṣma.- Sri Radha Rasa Sudha Nidhi [4]

Our acharyas describe that only as long as one has not been attacked by the sidelong glance of Lord Hari, attachment to the home, wealth, family, friends, etc. remains, not afterwards.

draviṇaṁ bhavanam apatyaṁ tāvan mitraṁ tathābhijātyaṁ ca

upayamunaṁ vanamālī yāvan netre na nartayati

As long as Vanamālī, who is standing on the bank of Yamunā, does not shoot one a sidelong glance with His dancing eyes, one remains attached to wealth, home, children, friends and family. The moment He casts His sidelong glance, everything else is forgotten. -Sri Padyavali [173]

Vedas also describe that by the mere glance of Lord Krishna, countless universes are created, maintained, and destroyed.

sa īkṣata lokān nu sṛjā

With a glance, Lord creates the universe.-Aitareya Upanisad (1.1.1)

Thus, it is an established fact in the Vedic scriptures that the glance of Lord Krishna is very powerful. But, how wonderful!, the glance of Srimati Radharani is even more powerful than that of Lord Krishna, for She completely subdues the all-powerful Lord who controls the whole world. In this regard, Srila Prabodhananda Saraswati Thakura sings

veṇuṁ karān nipatitaṁ skhalitaṁ śikhaṇḍaṁ bhraṣṭaṁ ca pīta-vasanaṁ vraja-rāja-sūnoḥ

yasyāḥ kaṭākṣa-śara-ghāta-vimūrcchitasya tāṁ rādhikāṁ paricarāmi kadā rasena

When can I blissfully worship Śrī Rādhikā, whose shower of arrow-like sidelong glances causes Śrī Nandanandana to faint, flute to tumble from His hands, crown of peacock feathers to fall from His head, and yellow cloth to slip from His hips? -Sri Radha Rasa Sudha Nidhi [39]

In Urdhvamnaya Tantra, Lord Shiva, seeking the merciful glance of Srimati Radharani, prays as follows

ananta-koṭi-viṣṇu-loka-namra-padmajārcite himādrijā-pulomajā-viriñcijā-vara-prade

apāra-siddhi-ṛddhi-digdha-sat-padāńgulī-nakhe kadā kariṣyasīha māḿ kṛpā-katākṣa-bhājanam

Oh, You who is humbly worshipped by all the Lord Brahmas in unlimited millions of universes created by Lord Visnu! Oh, You who is the bestower of benedictions to the daughter of the Himalaya, Parvati (Siva's wife), the daughter of Puloma, Saci (Indra's wife), and Brahma's wife, Sarasvati! Oh, You Whose toenails glow with the radiance of boundless mystic perfections and opulences! When oh, When will you make me the object of Your side-long glance of causeless mercy? -Sri Radha Krpa Kataksa Stava Raja, Urdhvamnaya Tantra

In this way, I have attempted to indicate some of the glories of Srimati Radharani. In time, even if scientists are able to count all the atoms of millions of universes, the particles of snow, or perhaps even the shining photon particles radiating from the sun, the stars and other luminaries, still then, one won’t be able to count the transcendental qualities of the all-glorious Srimati Radharani.