What does Radharani's mood of separation from Krishna teach us?

It teaches us that we should also cultivate a similar mood of separation from Krishna. If one has not developed an intense hankering for meeting Vrajendra Nandana Krishna, one won’t be able to join the Saradiya Maha-Rasa Lila. This is an occasion when a new gopi will meet Krishna for the very first time, under the Vamshi vata tree.

Please note that my answer is applicable only for certain qualified devotees who are sincerely aspiring for madhurya bhava, under the guidance of a bonafide Guru. So, my answer may not be generalized.

Among the sages of Dandakaranya who received the forms of gopis, some of them were not able to join the Maha-Rasa Lila that takes place once a year in the autumn season, during Krishna’s manifest pastimes in this world. Thus, few of them weren’t able to meet Krishna and had to wait for another night, another year, until their mood of separation sufficiently matured for Krishna. Only when their bhava fully matured, all their household barriers were destroyed by the merciful arrangement of Yoga-Maya and thus they were able to finally meet Krishna for the very first time.

Point to be noted. No one can and should artificially or prematurely imitate the mood of separation of Srimati Radharani. It is impossible for any conditioned living entity or even a liberated entity to ever do so. As a sadhaka, while living in a current material body, one should sincerely nourish one’s intense greed by constantly chanting the holy names of Krishna and serving the instructions of the advanced pure devotees, who are situated in a similar mood.

Finally, when one is liberated from this material body and takes a spiritual birth in the eternal manifest pastimes of Krishna, the bhava will advance to the topmost possible limit through receiving the fortunate association of eternal associates of Srimati Radharani. That is the success of life. Only then, one will meet Vamshidhari.

Thank You

Hare Krishna

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.

What are some of the interesting facts about Sri Radharani?

 

• Śrī Rādhikā is the Mother of Mahāviṣṇu and the Origin of Universes

Rādhikā is Mūla Prakṛti, the ultimate source of all creation, encompassing even the principal male deities.

The Nārada Pañcarātra, Discourse on the Highest Knowledge, Verse 61:

"All the universes exist in the pores of Mahāvişnu ; I am His Mother; the Origin of all; and it is I that am the Räseśvari (the Lady in the circle of dance of Rasa) embodying all the forces (Saktis)."

Nārada Pañcarātra, Second Night, Chapter 3, Verses 39-41:

"While three was going on Rasa dancing in Vrindavan, that Devi delivered an egg. At the sight of the egg, Rādhā became very engry and kicked that. That egg fell down on the waters and broke into two. The boy that was born of the egg, is known as Mahā Vişnu. From each of His pores, separate universes came out."

• Śrī Rādhikā is Identical to the Supreme Brahman

She is the Supreme Brahman Herself.

Kṛṣṇayāmala Mahātantram, Chapter 25, Verse 23:

"In the Supreme Brahman Krishna, there is not even a slight difference from Rādhā. The knowers of Brahman call it the one non-dual Brahman."

Nārada Pañcarātra, Second Night, Chapter 3, Verse 51:

"As Sri Krsna, who is verify Brahma, is beyond Prakaști, so Rādhikā is also Brahma, unattached and beyond Prakriti."

• In the Rādhā Tantra, Kṛṣṇa is Kālī and Rādhā is Tripurasundarī

In the Rādhā Tantra, Śrī Rādhā is portrayed not as a mere cowherdess, but as a manifestation of the Tripurasundarī, while Kṛṣṇa is depicted as a manifestation of Goddess Kālī.

Rādhā Tantra, Paṭala 33, Verse 176:

"Kṛṣṇa is directly Kālikā, Rādhā is Prakṛti Padminī, and Govinda, O Devesi, is Tripurasundari herself."

Rādhā Tantra, Paṭala 9, Verses 1-2:

"Rādhā is Padminī, dear to Viṣṇu. Tripurā, the greatest mistress, is Mahāmāyā Jagaddhātrī. Padminī, fragrant as a lotus, is her dūtī, and because of her firm devotion to Viṣṇu, Padminī is dear to him."

• Kṛṣṇa Worships Rādhā to Attain Siddhi

In the Rādhā Tantra, Kṛṣṇa is portrayed as a Sādhaka who can only achieve spiritual perfection through the grace of Rādhā and the practice of Kulācāra with her.

Rādhā Tantra, Paṭala 22, Verses 7-8:

"In this way, Kṛṣṇa, the abode of the quality of sattva, performed the most arduous Clan behaviour (Kulācāra), sweetly smiling one. By coming together with Padminī, Kṛṣṇa became one with Brahman. She who is Padminī Rādhā is herself a form of Brahman."

Nārada Pañcarātra, Second Night, Chapter 6, Verse 12:

"In days of yore, in the holy Vrindavan forest, Kışņa, with great loving devotion applied the sweet juice of the wet red powder (alakta rasa) on the nails of the toes of Rādhā."

• Vṛndāvana is a Śaktipīṭha of Śrī Rādhikā

The Devī Bhāgavata Purāṇa (7.30.69) and the Matsya Purāṇa (13.38) clearly state that Bhagavatī Rādhikā is the presiding deity of the Vṛndāvana Śaktipīṭha. The Bṛhannīla Tantram (5.141) further honors Her as the Gopeśvarī of this sacred place, signifying that She is the supreme sovereign ruler of this spiritual realm.

• Without Rādhā, Kṛṣṇa is Incapable of Action

Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa, Kṛṣṇa Janma Khaṇḍa, 6.216–223 records Kṛṣṇa stating this directly to Rādhā:

"O sundarī! Without me you become lifeless, and without you I become invisible (avyakta). Without you i certainly cannot create the universe. Just as a potter cannot make a pot without clay, and a goldsmith cannot make ornaments without gold, similarly I can do nothing without you."

Devī Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 9, Adhyāya 50, Verses 7-8:

"There is no right to worship Kṛṣṇa without the worship of Rādhā. Therefore, all Vaiṣṇavas must perform the worship of Rādhikā. She is the presiding deity of Kṛṣṇa's life breath, and the omnipresent Lord is subordinate to her. She is the eternal controller of the Rāsa dance, and He does not exist without her."