Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: The Nectar of Instruction 11

krishnasyoccaih pranaya-vasatih preyasībhyo 'pi rādhā

kundam cāsyā munibhir abhitas tādrig eva vyadhāyi

yat preshthair apy alam asulabham kim punar bhakti-bhājām

tat premedam sakrid api sarah snātur āvishkaroti

SYNONYMS

krishnasya — of Lord Śrī Krishna; uccaih — very highly; pranaya-vasatih — object of love; preyasībhyah — out of the many lovable gopīs; api — certainly; rādhā — Śrīmatī Rādhārānī; kundam — lake; ca — also; asyāh — of Her; munibhih — by great sages; abhitah — in all respects; tādrik eva — similarly; vyadhāyi — is described; yat — which; preshthaih — by the most advanced devotees; api — even; alam — enough; asulabham — difficult to obtain; kim — what; punah — again; bhakti-bhājām — for persons engaged in devotional service; tat — that; prema — love of Godhead; idam — this; sakrit — once; api — even; sarah — lake; snātuh — of one who has bathed; āvishkaroti — arouses.

TRANSLATION

Of the many objects of favored delight and of all the lovable damsels of Vrajabhūmi, Śrīmatī Rādhārānī is certainly the most treasured object of Krishna's love. And, in every respect, Her divine kunda is described by great sages as similarly dear to Him. Undoubtedly Rādhā-kunda is very rarely attained even by the great devotees; therefore it is even more difficult for ordinary devotees to attain. If one simply bathes once within those holy waters, one's pure love of Krishna is fully aroused.

PURPORT

Why is Rādhā-kunda so exalted? The lake is so exalted because it belongs to Śrīmatī Rādhārānī, who is the most beloved object of Śrī Krishna. Among all the gopīs, She is the most beloved. Similarly, Her lake, Śrī Rādhā-kunda, is also described by great sages as the lake that is as dear to Krishna as Rādhā Herself. Indeed, Krishna's love for Rādhā-kunda and Śrīmatī Rādhārānī is the same in all respects. Rādhā-kunda is very rarely attained, even by great personalities fully engaged in devotional service, not to speak of ordinary devotees who are only engaged in the practice of vaidhī bhakti.

It is stated that a devotee will at once develop pure love of Krishna in the wake of the gopīs if he once takes a bath in Rādhā-kunda. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī recommends that even if one cannot live permanently on the banks of Rādhā-kunda, he should at least take a bath in the lake as many times as possible. This is a most important item in the execution of devotional service. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Thākura writes in this connection that Śrī Rādhā-kunda is the most select place for those interested in advancing their devotional service in the wake of the lady friends (sakhīs) and confidential serving maids (mańjarīs) of Śrīmatī Rādhārānī. Living entities who are eager to return home to the transcendental kingdom of God, Goloka Vrindāvana, by means of attaining their spiritual bodies (siddha-deha) should live at Rādhā-kunda, take shelter of the confidential serving maids of Śrī Rādhā and under their direction engage constantly in Her service. This is the most exalted method for those engaged in devotional service under the protection of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. In this connection Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Thākura writes that even great sages and great devotees like Nārada and Sanaka do not get an opportunity to come to Rādhā-kunda to take their baths. What, then, to speak of ordinary devotees? If, by great fortune, one gets an opportunity to come to Rādhā-kunda and bathe even once, he can develop his transcendental love for Krishna, exactly as the gopīs did. It is also recommended that one should live on the banks of Rādhā-kunda and should be absorbed in the loving service of the Lord. One should bathe there regularly and give up all material conceptions, taking shelter of Śrī Rādhā and Her assistant gopīs. If one is thus constantly engaged during his lifetime, after giving up the body he will return back to Godhead to serve Śrī Rādhā in the same way as he contemplated during his life on the banks of Rādhā-kunda. The conclusion is that to live on the banks of the Rādhā-kunda and to bathe there daily constitute the highest perfection of devotional service. It is a difficult position to attain, even for great sages and devotees like Nārada. Thus there is no limit to the glory of Śrī Rādhā-kunda. By serving Rādhā-kunda, one can get an opportunity to become an assistant of Śrīmatī Rādhārānī under the eternal guidance of the gopīs.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness