Camp: Pune, Maharastra

Dear Devotees,
Please accept my humble obeisances.

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada. All Glories to Guru Maharaja.

I am sending you an exceprt from Guru Maharaja's lecture during Radhastami on September 14th, 2002 given in Juhu, Bombay at 8:30am.

The lecture was given in Hindi. Unfortunately I do not speak fluent Hindi, but I do understand most of it. I tried to catch as much as I could, and given below is whatever I was able to transcribe....

Guru Maharaja's lecture during Radhastami.
September 14th, 2002; Juhu, Bombay

Radharani is one of the topmost elevated devotees of Krisna, and devotees always pray to Radharani for mercy. Gour Mohan de, Srila Prabhupada's father, used to invite sadhus to visit his house. Whenever any sadhus would visit his house, he would ask these sadhus: "Please bestow Radharani's blessings upon my son Abhai Charan."

When we chant Hare Krishna, why do we chant Hare first? Because Krishna is pleased when Radharani's name comes first, and when Radharani sees that Krishna is pleased, she is also pleased in this way. Hare and Radha is non-different. We don't say Krishna first, and then Radha, we say Radha, and then Krishna. Hare Krishna; Hare is Radharani. There is no difference between Radha Krishna and Hare Krishna.

There are many gopis, but Radharani is the topmost. Krishna has many different names, and one of the names is Madan-Mohan. It means one who attracts thousands of cupids, but what is Radharani's name? Madan-Mohan-Mohini. She attracts Krishna, who is Madan-mohan.

We should not think that Radharani's and Krishna's pastimes are material. Once Radharani got a blessing from Durvasa muni that she can cook better than anyone in this universe. And Yasoda mata used to invite Radharani to cook for Krishna. Radharani had only one thought for 24 hours - how to serve Krishna. She was remembering only Krishna-lila, she didn't think of anything else. When Krishna went to Dvaraka, Radharani didn't go. Krishna's lila in Dvaraka was the one of a king. Once there was solar eclipse in Kurukshetra, and all gopis came there. Krishna also came with all his ministers, etc.. And when Radharani met Krishna, she said that she didn't like all this royal atmosphere. She told Krishna: let's go to Vrindavan. That is where
Ratha-yatra festival came from.

When Radharani doesn't see Krishna, she becomes unhappy. But by being unhappy she is also happy. She thinks that if Krishna wants me to be unhappy, then I should please him, and in this way she also becomes happy knowing that she's pleasing Krishna. Once Krishna said that he has headache. He asked Narada Muni to go and get some dust from lotus feet of some of his devotees to eliminate this headache. Narada went to munis, sages, etc.. but they all said.. how can we give dust from our feet? We'll go to hell. But when Narada approached gopis, they said: we are ready to go even to hell, if Krishna's headache will go away. So gopi's only concern is to please Krishna in any possible way.

Radharani takes care of devotees very nicely. Raghunath das Goswami was a big minister at one time, but then he became became a sadhu. Once he was sitting at Radha-kunda chanting holy names in hot sun. It was so hot, that no one would be able to sit like that. So once Radharani came and covered Raghunath das Goswami with a piece of her sari. When Rupa Goswami saw this, he got very angry at Raghunath.. He said why are you letting Radharani serve you? After this incident Raghunath das Goswami built bhajan kutir in order to perfom his daily bhajan.

Radharani is very charming to look at. Radharani is always freshly youthful. Sri Radha's face is smiling and ever-blissful. We can look at Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari here, Radharani is smiling.. She is always auspicious. Radharani attracts Krishna with fragrant body aroma. Radha's words are charming and pleasing. Radha is expert in telling jokes about Krishna. She is exceptionally humble. She has all good qualities. And Krishna, by seeing these qualities becomes very attracted. She is full of mercy and compassion. Because she is very merciful, we devotees should always pray for her mercy. Radharani is most affectionate towards superiors. She is the chief amongst gopis. She always awaits for Krishna's command.

In order to understand relationship between Radha and Krishna we should all purify our heart. We should attentively chant Hare Krishna mahamantra, and the more attentively we chant the faster we'll achieve the desired result Krishna Prema.

*

During Radhastami Guru Maharaj was in Bombay. After morning lecture about Srimati Radharani, Guru Maharaj gave initiation to 26 people in the temple room. Initiation was over by 12:25pm, and at 12:30pm abhisheka of Their Lorships Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari began. Guru Maharaj brought his Giriraj-shila to the main alter, and Giriraj was also bathed along with Their Lordships on this wonderful occasion.

At 2:30 all devotees and congregational members enjoyed the feast, which was served out in prasadam hall and ground floor of the Gurukula building.

At around 8pm Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari were taken around in a boat. This boat festival in Bombay temple is being held every year during Radhastami. Temple court-yard is filled up with water, and small Deities from the main alter ride around temple court-yard in a beatufully decorated boat, accompanied by melodious bhajanas. For about 1,5 hours Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari accept offerings from devotees and guests, who seat around this "transcendental water pool", and enjoy this blissful water festival, not missing a chance to catch some maha-prasadam or a maha-garland when it flies by.

Right now Guru Maharaj is in Pune, and he will be most probably going back to Delhi on Wednesday evening. Around September 26th Guru Maharaj is planning on going to Russia for 5 weeks, and then come back to India for Kartik.

I hope this meets you well.

Your servant,
Sri Balaram das

P.s. Unfortunately I have some technical problems with digital camera, and therefore I was unable to take the pictures.