Glories of Kartik month, Sri Radha Kunda

Yesterday was the appearance of Sri Radha Kunda. Srila Rupa Gosvami has given us NOI and we are called Rupanugas because we are the followers of Rupa Gosvami and he was the one who gave us these scriptures. We should follow NOI. He says Bharatvarsha is very glorious, out of that Vrindavan, out of that Govardhan parikrama - if you have never done Govardhan parikrama please plan to do it as it is the sweetest place to do parikrama. It is just permeating with the mood of Krsna and on Govardhan the most powerful place is Sri Radha Kunda. Why is it so glorious? Rupa Gosvami explains because it the kunda of Srimati Radharani. She used to bathe in this kunda and it was her favorite place. As it was so pleasing to Radharani it is the most favorite place of Krsna. Why? Because she saw this place as the most confidential place to perform her past times with Krsna. This was here that Radharani was able to perform her most confidential past times with Krsna. Krsna, Radharani and all the gopis performed so many pasttimes here. Whoever takes bath in this kunda I will award that person love for Krsna. The waters of Radha Kunda are the liquid form of mercy. There are so many glories of Radha Kunda in scriptures. Hence, it's the meditation place for Radha and Krsna. Hence, lots of pure devotees performed bhajan here and there are lots of  bhajan kutirs at this place. Jhanava devi, Raghunathadas Gosvami and many others. SP also met his Guru Maharaj at Radha Kunda and at this bank he got his instruction that if you ever get money, print books. 

He instructed to SP, this communal feeling of envy and non-cooperation between each other will disturb the family of vaishnavas. His Gurudeva said you should be very careful of this fire of communal unrest. He said there is fire in the mutt and if it were upto mean I would sell the marble of the temple and print books. SP took this instruction on his head and he started the BBT which is the largest publications today. This seed of the movement of book distribution all over the world was actually planted at the banks of Radha kunda. This mercy manifested in the form of books at the banks of Radha kunda. Preaching is nothing but the mercy of Radharani, distributing books is nothing but the mercy of Radharani. So when we go there, we pray to Srimati Radharani that we become instrumental in the hands of our Gurudeva. We must understand the proper mood of Radhakunda and that is to beg for devotional service. How did this Radhakunda come about?

This area is also called Aritagram. Demon in the form of a bull. Krsna killed this Aritasura, Radharani and the gopis came to Krsna and said by killing the bull you have committed a sin. Killing of bull and cow is considered a big sin. They are dharma and mother personified. Now you need to purify yourself. How do I do it? Radharani said you have to go to all the holy places and bathe there. Krsna called for all the personalities personified and Krsna by his heel dug a hole and this hole became a large hole by the power of his heel and then asked all the holy rivers to fill this kunda. Krsna jumped into the kunda and he took bathe and he said I have now got purified. But as you sided with the bull who was a demon you have also performed a sin and now you need to purify yourself. So with their bangles they became to dig a hole. They dug a hole and millions of gopis formed a line and they were trying to get the water from manasa ganga. Krsna went to Radha and said my dear Radharani please allow me to serve you and he asked all the rivers to come and then they filled the kunda by Radha's permission. Radharani took bath in this Radhakunda and also Krsna took bath and he declared this is the dearest place for me in this whole wide earth.

These kundas were lost actually in kali yuga, when Sri Mahaprabhu was visiting Vrindavan which was also covered he was singing where are all the holy places and was meditating on Shyam kunda and Radhakunda. He found two paddy fields and he declared these are Radhakunda and Shyamkunda. He gave Radhakunda to Sri Raghunatha dasa Gosvami and he built the existing Radhakunda. This is how we are so merciful to get mercy of Radhakunda. Actually everyday millions of Vrajavasis go to Radhakunda to offer lamps and to pray to get pure love for Krsna.

All these pasttimes in month of Kartik are to meditate upon Krsna and to beg for his mercy. Next week is Dipavali *23rd Oct. Same day when he performed Damodar lila. Our hearts have been eternally in darkness, but by remembering these pasttimes and lighting the diyas during this month of Kartik we should absorb ourselves in the past times of Krsna so we can get rid of all the anarthas and the darkness from our hearts. Damodar lila is etched in the hearts of the devotees. He charmed the hearts of the devotees and esp. Yashodamaya. It was the day of Dipavali and baby Krsna who was a few years old he was sleeping and in the early morning hours she was churning butter for the pleasure of Kana. It is explained that Yashodamaya was churning the butter. Acaryas have said it was being made by the the best milk on the planet. While they were churning butter, the gopis used to think about Krsna's past time from last day and while thinking about these past times they would compose beautiful bhajans and hence we should learn the bhajans of the Vaishanav acharyas along with the translation/meaning and with this we will be always KC. As Yashodamata was churning the butter her bangles were rubbing against each other and they were sounding like kartalas. More details in this section about this lila - http://radhekrishnaprema.blogspot.com/2012/11/karthik-damodar-leela-damodara-rope.html  One good point Prabhuji shared - Mother Yashoda while serving Krsna she went to save the milk because she knew that even the milk will be used in the service of Krsna. That's how expert devotees are - they know when lots of services come at the same time which one should they do. Similarly we need to understand how we can do service to Krsna all the time.

Our heart is flooded with so many anarthas - desires, lust etc - but Krsna has come to flood our hearts with the ecstacy of his past times. In this way, Krsna is performing these past times during Kartik. Hence, we need to be always very humble and always pray for the mercy of Krsna so he can pick us up. 

BG 11.34 -38 summary by HG Shyamsundar prabhu

We are continuing with Arjuna's prayers after he saw the Universal form. We saw that he started to offer prayers to Krsna and the lesson we learnt from the last verse is that name of Krsna is so powerful that all in-auspiciousness will go away from our life and all auspiciousness will begin. In today's verse he is explaining Krsna's position as being the original creator and you are even greater than Brahma. Most people think Brahma is supreme, even Naradji thought Brahma is the supreme and he prayed to Brahma that you are the Supreme and please clarify the doubts in my mind. Then Brahma chastised him that I'm not the supreme but I'm the secondary creator and above me is Krsna who is the supreme creator.

Brahmaji clarified how he is born from the navel of Lord Visnu and is sitting on the lotus flower which sprouts from there and he climbed down the stem but still didn't see anything and he heard TAPA which means he needed to do tapasya. So after millions of years he did tapasya to understand who He is and who is the supreme personality of Godhead Krsna. Also, Arjuna after seeing the Universal form he understands that Krsna is the supreme personality of Godhead.

But we, even after reading BG and hearing from so many devotees still don't accept or even if we accept we don't act on it because of our conditioned state. The process of getting over our conditioning is by giving aural reception to the words of Lord Krsna. By regularly hearing and reciting the words of Lord Krsna it will help us uncover the dualities of this world and come to the point of being the servant and true self with our relationship with Krsna.  Hence it's very imp to have some serious understanding. Here Arjuna is saying he's greater than Brahma. But Brahma is not an ordinary person. He is the engineer of this entire manifestation. His 1 day is 43 trillion years of our time and same time for a night and he lives for 100 years. He is an exalted soul and here Arjuna is saying Krsna you are greater than Him. Hence, after this deep understanding Arjuna is saying you are the Supreme and we should offer obeisances to you. You are the shelter of this entire universe. This entire universe is resting on you.You are the refuge of everything just like pearls are strung on a string. He is holding everything.

Krsna is telling Arjuna very clearly that foolish people think that I am an ordinary human being. Just because I've come in my original form people think I'm ordinary. But they are mudas because they don't know my transcendental form which is actually transcendental to this material creation but they don't understand. But because they don't understand this, all their attempts to fulfill their desires, their attempts to gains knowledge and on the contrary they fall to the demons. Hence no one should make the mistake to put Krsna as a common person. People these days are bringing the dog to the position of God and are calling God as a common person. One who may make the biggest mistake is that they think Krsna is an ordinary person. But he is actually a Transcendental being and is completely aloof of this material world. We are actually nobodies. A sincere student tries to put Krsna on an alter and he is the Supreme personality of Godhead. Krsna is too too high which we can't even fathom.

"You are the original Personality of Godhead, the oldest, the ultimate sanctuary of this manifested cosmic world. You are the knower of everything, and You are all that is knowable. You are the supreme refuge, above the material modes. O limitless form! This whole cosmic manifestation is pervaded by You!"

Here again Arjuna is saying that you are the oldest and is declaring that you know everything past, present and future. He is all knowing. He knows everything. He know what is happening in our lives, in our heart. Sometimes we feel Krsna doesn't know our problems, he isn't listening to me. But Krsna knows everything, past, present and future. He is all pervading. He knows it all. He is transcendental, provided we learn to seeing him in everything of this world. Ex. Prahlad maharaj had seen the art of seeing Krsna everywhere. Prahalad maharaj said with full confidence that Krsna is present in this pillar, that is the perfect way of seeing Krsna completely in everything. That is the art of seeing Krsna. How can we see God everywhere - LOVE FOR KRSNA - When we get love for Krsna all the time then the devotees of Krsna are constantly seeing Krsna through their hearts everywhere, all the time. Because their eyes are covered with the ointment of Love they are seeing Krsna everywhere. Just like the child remembers the mother everywhere and the mother sees the child everywhere. The whole purpose of getting faith, having determination, being the servant of the servant of devotees, reading BG, SB, chanting all for just one goal - TO LOVE KRSNA. BY THIS LOVE WE CAN PURCHASE KRSNA.

Once there was a devotee Mukunda sarkar. He was a great devotee of Krsna. Once he was called upon by the king who was muslim. Mukunada sarkar goes and as he goes he sees that the servants are fanning the king with peacock feathers - just seeing the peacock feather he remembers Krsna and he goes into Ecstasy. He was on a raised platform and he fell down and when he came back to his material consciousness they asked him how are you doing and out of his humility he said that I get these epileptic attacks. This way we should develop the love for Krsna so we can see Krsna everywhere. Just like Sun is the cause of shadow, similarly only when there is Krsna there is everything, hence is the cause of all causes. Only because of him we are all there. When Krsna is absent in a person then he becomes sinful and even here he becomes the cause. Hence he is the cause for both the good and the bad.

Here we see in this verse how Arjuna after such deep realization he is giving such beautiful prayers. Haribol!

Summary - BG 10.9 - Thursday Call with HG Shyamsundar Prabhu

"The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me."

This describes the characteristics of the pure devotee. When we come in contact with a great person we want to make a connection with him and try to attract him, please him. How can we do that? By offering our attention to him and by serving him. When we give our attention to somebody we care for them. Krishna loves all of us and how can we get his attention by service. There is absolutley no meaning of love if you don't do any service. Lust is you do something for my sense pleasure and love is doing service to them. So to understand Krishna's position is the most important.

This is a very nice progression of devotees when the pure devotees dwell in me and their service is devoted to his service and they get a lot of bliss by conversion with him. So serving Krishna is always such a blissful experience for everybody. When we engage in such a service to the lord, then one begins their journey to the highest platform what a living entity can reach.

Chaitanya mahaprabhu is instruction Rupa Goswami about the Bhakti-Lata seed - the living entity is traversing from one planet to another in search for joy. One rare soul begins fortunate to meet a pure devotee and gets a chance to serve him. And the pure devotee the Guru puts the seed of Bhakti-lata seed into the devotee and then the creeper starts growing and growing and it reaches Goloka Vrindavan where Krishna is residing and reaches Krishna's lotus feet. When the devotee waters the seed - it is hearing and chanting. With such regular hearing and chanting it produces the love of God.

This verse puts great emphasis on Sravanam and Kirtanam. This is the root of the 9 parts of Bhakti. Actually when we have full control of hearing and chanting then we give up the material covering.

Ex: Ghandi's 3 monkeys - don't hear anything bad, don't speak anything bad and don't see anything bad.

So one should choose one's hearing and chanting only by the pure devotee. Hearing and Chanting should be very carefully guarded and is the crux of Krishna conciousness.

In SB there is a very nice verse - "By dear Rajendra, in this material world, there are 100 and 1000s of subject matters for hearing and seeing, however, people who are blind to the ultimate truth have relish for them." This drains the life energy and is feeling suffocated by not talking about Krishna. If Krishna prem is dormant in the heart of a subject matter then they enjoy other matters other than Krishna. It is the transcendental subject matter to study about Krishna. It gives great joy to the heart - Why? Because scientifically we are part and parcels of Krishna and we are directly related to Krishna. Krishna is father and we are children. Right now only of - lust, anger, greed, power, - hence we are denying only things which aren't good for us. We are in denial.

When we hear about Krishna, we get rejunated about it. ex: When a mother is told about a child, she is all ears, same way when we talk about Krishna we get a lot of Joy. That is the power of Krishna katha. In such a state the devotee becomes purer.

Hence a pure devotee of Krishna is always conversing about Krishna. This is Vrindavan. The only talk going on 24 hrs was about Krishna. Mother yashoda - was only talking about Krishna all the time. When he wakes up at night terrified I need to give him a hug. Sometime I need to punish him, how can he be the Lord, he's my son. Gopis are talking about him. Gopas are talking about him everybody is talking about him.

Even in brhmasamhita all are talking about him. When SP was on the planet - hours and hours he was talking about Krishna.

Hence if we are talking about naything other than Krishna it is only for our sense pleasure about our lust, our pride, our anger etc - this results in pain and when the same energy is diverted to Krishna, then the same hearing and chanting will give us solace, peace, happiness and bliss and that is the only way to get to Krishna in this and the next life. Chant and be happy! The pure devotees and relishing hearing and chanting.

By chanting, reading, serving, you can start thinking about Krishna all the time and increase our talks about Krishna. ex- adopt a highway - adopt the highway to Krishna. - This is the outlook of a devotee he reads, hears, sees anything and is always thinking of Krishna and is constantly serving Krishna and engaged in him then you are seeing everything in relation to Krishna. You might be reading something ordinary yet you might have a powerful realization about Krishna. Because you have a strong sadhana. This will bring you to a powerful position of always thinking about Krishna and talking about him all the time. Hare Krishna!