20210917 Rādhā-kuṇḍa

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation

By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 17^th September 2021 in

Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, India

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

hariḥ oṁ tat sat

Introduction: So, this morning I attended His Holiness Bhakti Chāru Swami's Vyāsa-pūjā in Māyāpur, and I just attended the Special Srila Prabhupada Memorial Vyāsa-pūjā in Bangladesh. Bhakti Charu Swmai Mahārāja was very dear to Śrīla Prabhupāda, so I just wanted to mention a little bit that His Vyāsa pūjā was today, Also today is Indhulekhā Sakhī’s appearance day, Today is also Vāmana Ekādaśī and in Bengal they observe the Viśvakarma-pūjā, we respect him as a Vaiṣṇava. Anyway we will continue with the class, the compilation of Caitanya līlā book, the chapter entitled today is:

Rādhā-kuṇḍa

Under the Section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s Visit to Śrī Vṛndāvana

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.1

vṛndāvana-bhramaṇakārī gaurasundara:—

vṛndāvane sthira-carān
nandayan svāvalokanaiḥ
ātmānaṁ ca tad-ālokād
gaurāṅgaḥ parito ’bhramat

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu traveled all over Vṛndāvana and pleased all living entities, moving and nonmoving, with His glances. The Lord took much personal pleasure in seeing everyone. In this way Lord Gaurāṅga traveled in Vṛndāvana.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, it is said that Lord Caitanya, whenever he heard about Vṛndāvana, His ecstasy would increase hundred times, when He was in Mathurā, His ecstasy increased a thousand time and when He was in Vṛndāvana it increased ten thousand times or more, SO Lord Caitanya was in great ecstasy visiting the holy dhāma of Vṛndāvana again. This was the dhāma that He was present as Lord Kṛṣṇa and now as Kṛṣṇa Caitanya He is visiting it again.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.3

āriṭ-grāme āsiyā bāhyadaśā-prāpti:—

ei-mata mahāprabhu nācite nācite
‘āriṭ’-grāme āsi’ ‘bāhya’ haila ācambite

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu danced in ecstasy, but when He arrived at Āriṭ-grāma, His sense perception was awakened.

Purport: Āriṭ-grāma is also called Ariṣṭa-grāma. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu understood that in that village Ariṣṭāsura had been killed by Śrī Kṛṣṇa. While there, He inquired about Rādhā-kuṇḍa, but no one could tell Him where it was. The brāhmaṇa accompanying Him could also not ascertain its whereabouts. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu could then understand that the holy places known as Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa were at that time lost to everyone’s vision. He therefore discovered Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa, which were two reservoirs of water in two paddy fields. Although there was very little water, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was omniscient and could understand that formerly these two ponds were called Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa. In this way Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa were discovered.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, after 4500 years the exact location of Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa was lost from the vision of people and Lord Caitanya had found them and being omniscient, He could identify that these were Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa. At the present time these kuṇḍas has been excavated and people go there and respect these most holiest  of places.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.4

tathāya rādhā-kuṇḍa-vṛttānta-jijñāsā, sakalera tadviṣaye ajñatā:—

āriṭe rādhā-kuṇḍa-vārtā puche loka-sthāne
keha nāhi kahe, saṅgera brāhmaṇa nā jāne

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked the local people, “Where is Rādhā-kuṇḍa?” No one could inform Him, and the brāhmaṇa accompanying Him did not know either.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the local people didn’t know, and the Sanoḍiyā Brāhmaṇa he didn’t know where was Rādhā-kuṇḍa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.5

rādhā-bhāva-dyutisubalita gaura-karttṛrka antarhita śrī-rādhā-kuṇḍā-viṣkāra:—

tīrtha ‘lupta’ jāni’ prabhu sarvajña bhagavān
dui dhānya-kṣetre alpa-jale kailā snāna

Translation: The Lord then understood that the holy place called Rādhā-kuṇḍa was no longer visible. However, being the omniscient Supreme Personality of Godhead, He discovered Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa in two paddy fields. There was only a little water, but He took His bath there.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, since Lord Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa with the heart of Śrīmatī Rādhārānī, He could understand where this Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa were. Although there was very little water in the paddy field, He took His bath there and thus He indicated where Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa were.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.6

dekhi’ saba grāmya-lokera vismaya haila mana
preme prabhu kare rādhā-kuṇḍera stavana

Translation: When the people of the village saw Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taking His bath in those two ponds in the middle of the paddy fields, they were very much astonished. The Lord then offered His prayers to Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, in the book of the Upadeśāmṛta, it is mentioned that the Rādhā-kuṇḍa is the most sacred place for Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava so Lord Caitanya could identify that these two ponds were Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.7

prabhukarttṛka śrī-rādhābhinna śrī-rādhā-kuṇḍera mahimā-stava:—

saba gopī haite rādhā kṛṣṇera preyasī
taiche rādhā-kuṇḍa priya ‘priyāra sarasī’

Translation: “Of all the gopīs, Rādhārāṇī is the dearmost. Similarly, the lake known as Rādhā-kuṇḍa is very dear to the Lord because it is very dear to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

Jayapatākā Swami: So,  Lord Caitanya He identified the Rādhā-kuṇḍa as the special tirtha because Rādhā-kuṇḍa was dear to Rādhārānī so it was very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.8

padma-purāṇa-vākya:—

yathā rādhā priyā viṣṇos
tasyāḥ kuṇḍaṁ priyaṁ tathā
sarva-gopīṣu saivaikā
viṣṇor atyanta-vallabhā

Translation: “’Just as Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is most dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, so Her lake, known as Rādhā-kuṇḍa, is also very dear to Him. Of all the gopīs, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is certainly the most beloved.’

Purport: This is a verse from the Padma Purāṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Padma Purāṇa also declares that Rādhā-kuṇḍa is a very sacred and a special place.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.9

yei kuṇḍe nitya kṛṣṇa rādhikāra saṅge
jale jala-keli kare, tīre rāsa-raṅge

Translation: “In that lake, Lord Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī used to sport daily in the water and have a rāsa dance on the bank.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, here the activities of Rādhā-kuṇḍa are being explained, this was the place where Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa would come every day.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.10

sei kuṇḍe yei eka-bāra kare snāna
tāṅre rādhā-sama ’prema’ kṛṣṇa kare dāna

Translation: “Indeed, Lord Kṛṣṇa gives ecstatic love like that of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī to whoever bathes in that lake even once in his life.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Śrīla Prabhupāda said that it is the right of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava to bathe in the Rādhā-kuṇḍa, but one should do so very respectfully after offering obeisances, and going in and coming out, taking ablution.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.11

kuṇḍera ‘mādhurī’—yena rādhāra ‘madhurimā’
kuṇḍera ‘mahimā’—yena rādhāra ‘mahimā’

Translation: “The attraction of Rādhā-kuṇḍa is as sweet as that of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Similarly, the glories of the kuṇḍa [lake] are as great as Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this lake Rādhā-kuṇḍa is so glorious, that just as Radaharani is glorious and Rādhā-kuṇḍa is also glorious.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.12

śrī-rādheva hares tadīya-sarasī preṣṭhādbhutaiḥ svair guṇair
yasyāṁ śrī-yuta-mādhavendur aniśaṁ prītyā tayā krīḍati
premāsmin bata rādhikeva labhate yasyāṁ sakṛt snāna-kṛt
tasyā vai mahimā tathā madhurimā kenāstu varṇyaḥ kṣitau

śrī-rādhā-kuṇḍa-mahimā-mādhurya avarṇanīya:—

Śrī-Govinda-līlāmṛte (7/102)—

Translation: “‘Because of its wonderful transcendental qualities, Rādhā-kuṇḍa is as dear to Kṛṣṇa as Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. It was in that lake that the all-opulent Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa performed His pastimes with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī with great pleasure and transcendental bliss. Whoever bathes just once in Rādhā-kuṇḍa attains Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s loving attraction for Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Who within this world can describe the glories and sweetness of Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa?’”

Purport: This verse is found in the Govinda-līlāmṛta (7.102).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, as Kṛṣṇa’s līlā, His pastimes, His qualities, His holy name are all non-different, similarly the holy dhāma is non-different. Since the Rādhā-kuṇḍa is a place of Kṛṣṇa’s intimate pastimes with Rādhārānī, naturally Rādhā-kuṇḍa is also so dear to Kṛṣṇa. 

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.13

premāveśe prabhura stuti:—

ei-mata stuti kare premāviṣṭa hañā
tīre nṛtya kare kuṇḍa-līlā saṅariyā

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu thus offered prayers to Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Overwhelmed by ecstatic love, He danced on the bank, remembering the pastimes Lord Kṛṣṇa performed on the bank of Rādhā-kuṇḍa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya remembered all the pastimes that Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa performed in Rādhā Kuṇḍa and He was dancing in great ecstasy.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.14

kuṇḍamṛttikāya prabhura tilakaracanā, kichu saṅge grahaṇa:—

kuṇḍera mṛttikā lañā tilaka karila
bhaṭṭācārya-dvārā mṛttikā saṅge kari’ laila

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then marked His body with tilaka made from the mud of Rādhā-kuṇḍa, and with the help of Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya, He collected some of the mud and took it with Him.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, tilaka, the twelve ūrdva-puṇdra tilaka markings on the body are generally put from Gopī candana got from Dvārakā. But also the earth from Rādhā Kuṇḍa is considered very sacred, therefore one may also use the tilaka from the Rādhā-kuṇḍa mud.

Jaya Śrī Rādhā Kuṇḍa and Syama Kuṇḍa ki jai!

Actually. we found the place of Rādhā Kuṇḍa in Ṛtudvīpa of Navadvīpa dhāma and in this way all the holy places Kṛṣṇa had called them to Navadvīpa dhāma. So, by being in Navadvīpa we are also in Vṛndāvana, non-different. Navadvīpa is the land of unlimited mercy, audārya dhāma, here one can easily get Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa's mercy,  but it may be bit more difficult in Vṛndāvana.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Rādhā-kuṇḍa

Under the Section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s Visit to Śrī Vṛndāvana

Transcribed and Verified by JPS Archives 19^th Sep 2021