Fortunate Yet Condemned

The fate of those who understand the glory of Sri Radha by the grace of Sri Gauranga.

By Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj

hena radha-paricharya yakara dhana
bhakati-vinoda tara magaye charana

Bhakti Vinod Thakur says, “I want the foot-dust of those who like to serve Radharani; I want to serve those who hold in their hearts the service of Radharani. I want to fall at the feet and get the dust of the holy feet of those whose only wealth is the service of Sri Radhika.”

radha-bhajane yadi mati nahi bhela
krsna-bhajana tava akarana gela

“If you cannot give your mind to the service of Radharani, then all your attempts towards Krishna have gone blank; they are all useless. You must see this. If you cannot acquire earnestness to serve Sri Radhika, then all your labour for Krishna has gone to hell.

atapa-rahita suraya nahi jani
radha-virahita madhava nahi mani

“As we don’t understand the sun without its heat, its potency, so no conception of Krishna is possible without Sri Radhika.

atapa-rahita suraya nahi jani
radha-virahita madhava nahi mani

“We don’t, we can’t, know Madhava without Radhika. She is the other half.” In Prabhupad’s language, the moiety. There is the predominated moiety and predominating moiety. The other half of the whole is represented by Her. Service and dedication as a whole are represented by Her, both in intensity and in comprehensiveness.

uma, rama, satya, sachi, chandra, rukmini
radha-avatara sabe—amnaya-vani

There are so many examples of pious ladies in early history recorded in the Puranas: Uma, Rama, Satya, Sati, Sachi, Chandra, Rukmini, and others. Uma means the goddess Durga. Rama means Laksmi Devi. Satya means Krishna’s favourite Satyabhama. Sachi is the faithful wife of Indra. Chandra is the antagonist of Radharani: Chandravali. Rukmini is the principle queen of Dvaraka. They are all different parts of Radharani. They all spring from the main potency who is known as Radha. ‘Radha’ comes from aradhana: She who can best serve, worship, respect, and love Krishna. All other ladies who are famous for their good actions are all partial products of Radharani. If we scrutinise their position in scriptures, then we’ll find that Sri Radhika is the source of them all. She is the main.

radhika-dasi yadi haya abhimana
nischaya-i mila-i tava gokula-kana

Your fate is assured of success in getting the grace of Krishna if you can think of yourself as a servitor in the group of Sri Radharani. Your future is insured if, anyhow, you can be counted in the group of the servitors of Sri Radhika.

hena radha-paricharya yakara dhana
bhakati-vinoda tara magaye charana

Serving those that can serve Radharani is the way to go to Her vicinity: serving the servants, the servants of love.

hena radha-paricharya yakara dhana

“I bow down to the feet and take the dust of the holy feet of those whose only wealth is the service of Radharani. I hanker after nothing else.” This is Bhakti Vinod.

One who knows this, has a sincere heart, and travels on this path is the most fortunate. The ideal makes one great, not possession of anything. One who has the highest ideal is really a rich man. Less valuable things should be eliminated, and there should be concentration in the proper place. This saves one from wild goose chasing. Mahaprabhu came to show us this path, and we can find great intensity for it if we go through His class and teachings.

The scholarship of Sukadev and that of Sri Gauranga have helped to a certain extent to establish that love is above knowledge. Sukadev is admitted on all hands to have the highest attainment amongst the learned. He is almost unanimously admitted by the scholars to hold the highest position, and he comes to inaugurate that love is above all. Mahaprabhu also showed His scholarship to the existing scholars. He excelled all in intelligence and scholarship, and then He came with the tidings of love divine. It was then easy for the ordinary man to try for it, to understand, “Yes. It is the highest.” So, Vasudev Datta says,

yadi gaura na hata kemane ha-ite
kemane dharitam dehe

If Mahaprabhu did not appear in this Kali-yuga, then how could we tolerate our life? How could we sustain our life? What He has given is the very gist of life, the very taste and charm of life. Without that, we think it is impossible for anyone to live in this world. Such a thing has been discovered by Gauranga. If He had not come, then how could we live? It is impossible to live devoid of such a holy, gracious thing as love divine.

prema-rasa-sima radhara mahima
jagate janata ke

How could we know that Radharani stands above all in the world of love divine? All these things we have received from Him, and therefore we think that life is worth living. Otherwise, to live would be suicidal. Now, we feel this way.

In this human life, somehow, we have got some sort of connection with that. But still, we are passing our days in wild goose chasing. How much of our time we can devote to questing for such things? So many things that are not very important are encroaching on our time and energy, and we can’t concentrate wholly on this holiest prospect. We are not to be blamed less than those that have no trace of it. They have got their solace: they do not know. We are more punishable: despite knowing of it, somewhat, we are passing our days idly. What explanation do we have to give to our masters? “You knew to a certain extent, and still you wasted your energy.” What will be our explanation for this? We are more condemned.