Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: The Nectar of Instruction 9

vaikunthāj janito varā madhu-purī tatrāpi rāsotsavād

vrindāranyam udāra-pāni-ramanāt tatrāpi govardhanah

rādhā-kundam ihāpi gokula-pateh premāmritāplāvanāt

kuryād asya virājato giri-tate sevām vivekī na kah

SYNONYMS

vaikunthāt — than Vaikuntha, the spiritual world; janitah — because of birth; varā — better; madhu-purī — the transcendental city known as Mathurā; tatra api — superior to that; rāsa-utsavāt — because of the performance of the rāsa-līlā; vrindā-aranyam — the forest of Vrindāvana; udāra-pāni — of Lord Krishna; ramanāt — because of various kinds of loving pastimes; tatra api — superior to that; govardhanah — Govardhana Hill; rādhā-kundam — a place called Rādhā-kunda; iha api — superior to this; gokula-pateh — of Krishna, the master of Gokula; prema-amrita — with the nectar of divine love; āplāvanāt — because of being overflooded; kuryāt — would do; asya — of this (Rādhā-kunda); virājatah — situated; giri-tate — at the foot of Govardhana Hill; sevām — service; vivekī — who is intelligent; na — not; kah — who.

TRANSLATION

The holy place known as Mathurā is spiritually superior to Vaikuntha, the transcendental world, because the Lord appeared there. Superior to Mathurā-Purī is the transcendental forest of Vrindāvana because of Krishna's rāsa-līlā pastimes. And superior to the forest of Vrindāvana is Govardhana Hill, for it was raised by the divine hand of Śrī Krishna and was the site of His various loving pastimes. And, above all, the superexcellent Śrī Rādhā-kunda stands supreme, for it is overflooded with the ambrosial nectarean prema of the Lord of Gokula, Śrī Krishna. Where, then, is that intelligent Person who is unwilling to serve this divine Rādhā-kunda, which is situated at the foot of Govardhana Hill?

PURPORT

The spiritual world is three fourths of the total creation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it is the most exalted region. The spiritual world is naturally superior to the material world; however, Mathurā and the adjoining areas, although appearing in the material world, are considered superior to the spiritual world because the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself appeared at Mathurā. The interior forests of Vrindāvana are considered superior to Mathurā because of the presence of the twelve forests (dvādaśa-vana), such as Tālavana, Madhuvana and Bahulāvana, which are famous for the various pastimes of the Lord. Thus the interior Vrindāvana forest is considered superior to Mathurā, but superior to these forests is the divine Govardhana Hill because Krishna lifted Govardhana Hill like an umbrella, raising it with His lotuslike beautiful hand to protect His associates, the denizens of Vraja, from the torrential rains sent by the angry Indra, King of the demigods. It is also at Govardhana Hill that Krishna tends the cows with His cowherd friends, and there also He had His rendezvous with His most beloved Śrī Rādhā and engaged in loving pastimes with Her. Rādhā-kunda, at the foot of Govardhana, is superior to all because it is there that love of Krishna overflows. Advanced devotees prefer to reside at Rādhā-kunda because this place is the site of many memories of the eternal loving affairs between Krishna and Rādhārānī (rati-vilāsa).

In Caitanya-caritāmrita (Madhya-līlā) it is stated that when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu first visited the area of Vrajabhūmi, He could not at first find the location of Rādhā-kunda. This means that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was actually searching for the exact location of Rādhā-kunda. Finally He found the holy spot, and there was a small pond there. He took His bath in that small pond and told His devotees that the actual Rādhā-kunda was situated there. Later the pond was excavated by Lord Caitanya's devotees, headed first by the six Gosvāmīs, such as Rūpa and Raghunātha dāsa. Presently there is a large lake known as Rādhā-kunda there. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has given much stress to Rādhā-kunda because of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's desire to find it. Who, then, would give up Rādhā-kunda and try to reside elsewhere? No person with transcendental intelligence would do so. The importance of Rādhā-kunda, however, cannot be realized by other Vaishnava sampradāyas, nor can persons uninterested in the devotional service of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu understand the spiritual importance and divine nature of Rādhā-kunda. Thus Rādhā-kunda is mainly worshiped by the Gaudīya Vaishnavas, the followers of Lord Śrī Krishna Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

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