Question Seven

What Does It Mean to Serve Rädhä-kuëòa?

Çréla Prabhupäda tells us at the end of his text 11p that “By serving Rädhä-kuëòa, one
can get an opportunity to become an assistant of Çrématé Rädhäräëé under the eternal
guidance of the gopés.”

Çréla Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé gives some insight into this statement in Text 5 of his Çré
Rädhä-kuëòäñöaka, “The mercy obtained by serving Rädhä-kuëòa makes the celestial
vine of pure love for the prince of Vraja sprout. Such love is famous for bearing the
flower of service to my Queen. May that very fragrant Rädhä-kuëòa be my shelter.”

So what does it mean to serve Rädhä-kuëòa?

Let’s answer this question by taking a glimpse of the mood, mindset and activities of
Rädhä-kuëòa’s best servitors.

Çréla Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé

Without a doubt, the most renowned of Çré Rädhä-kuëòa’s servants was Çréla
Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé. He not only excavated both Rädhä-kuëòa and Çyäma
Kuëòa to make Them more accessible to we fallen souls, he also gave the most perfect
example of Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé’s teachings in Çré Upadesämåta — especially Texts 8-11.

How did Çréla Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé spend his time?

As a daily duty, he regularly offered one thousand obeisances to the Lord, chanted at
least one hundred thousand holy names and offered obeisances to two thousand
Vaiñëavas. Day and night he rendered service within his mind to Rädhä-Kåñëa, and for
three hours a day he discoursed about the character of Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu. Çré
Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé took three baths daily in the Rädhä-kuëòa lake. As soon as
he found a Vaiñëava residing in Våndävana, he would embrace him and give him all
respect. He engaged himself in devotional service for more than twenty-two and a half
hours a day, and for less than two hours he slept, although on some days that also was
not possible.
 CC Ädi 10.99-102

What was his mood?

Çréla Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé’s mood was one of intense separation  not only from
Çrématé Rädhäräëé and Her service, but also from his dear mentors and associates who
left this material world before him.
 devi duùkha-kula-sägarodare
düyamänam ati-durgataà janam
tvaà kåpä-prabala-naukayädbhutaà
präpaya sva-pada-paìkajälayam

O Queen, please rescue this unfortunate person drowning in an ocean of pain. Place him
on the strong boat of Your mercy and carry him to the wonderful realm of Your lotus
feet.
tvad-alokana-kälähi-
daàçair eva måtaà janam
tvat-padäbja-milal-lakña-
bheñajair devi jévaya

O Queen, with the medicine of the red lac from Your lotus feet, please bring back to life
this person now dead from the bite of the black snake called separation from You.
 Çré Viläpa-kusumäïjali

When will I serve Çré Rädhä, who is dearer to Lord Kåñëa than His own life, who
considers the dust of Lord Kåñëa’s feet millions of times more dear than Her own life,
who is supremely fortunate, whose fame shines in the three worlds, and who is the jewel
crown of Lord Kåñëa’s gopé beloveds? Oh, when will I serve Çré Rädhä?!
 Çré Utkaëöhä-daçaka

apürva-premäbdheù parimala-payaù-phena-nivahaiù
sadä yo jévätur yam iha kåpayäsiïcad atulam
idänéà durdaivät pratipada-vipad-däva-valito
nirälambaù so 'yaà kam iha tam åte yätu çaraëam

He was my life and soul. Again and again he kindly splashed me with the fragrant waters
of shoreless ocean of limitless love. Now misfortune forces me to become swallowed by
the forest fires of material calamities. I have no shelter. Except for him, of whom can I
take shelter?

çünyäyate mahä-goñöhaà
giréndro 'jagaräyate
vyäghra-tuëòäyate kuëòaà
jévätu-rahitasya me

Now that I no longer have the sustainer of my life, the land of Vraja has become empty
and desolate, Govardhana Hill has become like a great python, and Rädhä-kuëòa has
become like the gaping mouth of a ferocious tiger.*
* In both verses he is speaking of Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé
 Çréla Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé, Çré Prärthanäçraya-caturdaçaka, Texts 10-11

What was his mindset?

Çréla Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé kindly gave us three treasures:
1) Stavävalé
2) Muktä-carita
3) Çré Däna-keli-cintämaëi (Çré Däna-carita)

The Stavävalé in particular gives us a great deal of insight into his mindset. And a lot of it
comes in the form of very valuable instruction concerning the appropriate mindset for an
aspiring servant of Rädhä-kuëòa.

Let’s take a look at four verses from his very famous “Manaù-çikñä” (Instructions to the
Mind) to get some idea:

gurau goñöhe goñöhälayiñu sujane bhüsura-gaëe

sva-mantre çré-nämni vraja-nava-yuva-dvandva-çaraëe
sadä dambhaà hitvä kuru ratim apürväm atitaräm
aye sväntar-bhrätaç caöubhir abhiyäce dhåta-padaù
O mind, I grasp your feet and beg you with sweet words: Please cast away all hypocrisy
and pride and develop intense, unprecedented love for my spiritual master, Vrajabhümi,
the people of Vraja, the Vaiñëavas, the brähmaëas, the gäyatré mantra, the holy name,
and the transcendental shelter that is the fresh young couple of Vraja, Rädhä and Kåñëa.
(1)
yathä duñöatvaà me darayati çaöhasyäpi kåpayä
yathä mahyaà premämåtam api dadäty ujjvalam asau
yathä çré-gändharvä-bhajana-vidhaye prerayati mäà
tathä goñöhe käkvä giridharam iha tvaà bhaja manaù
So that He will mercifully smash my wickedness (even though I am a great rascal), so
that He will give me the splendid nectar of transcendental love, and so that He will
engage me in Çré Rädhä’s service, please, O mind, with words choked with emotion,
worship Lord Giridhäré here in Vraja. (8)

ratià gauré-léle api tapati saundarya-kiraëaiù

çacé-lakñmé-satyäù paribhavati saubhägya-balanaiù
vaçé-käraiç candrävali-mukha-navéna-vraja-satéù
kñipaty äräd yä täà hari-dayita-rädhäà bhaja manaù
O mind, please worship Lord Hari’s beloved Rädhä, with the splendor of Her beauty
She makes Rati, Gauré, and Lélä burn with envy, with the power of Her good fortune She
defeats Çacé, Lakñmé, and Satyabhämä, and with Her ability to control Kåñëa She
completely eclipses Candrävali and the other pious young girls of Vraja. (10)

samaà çré-rüpeëa smara-vivaça-rädhä-giribhåtor

vraje säkñät-sevä-labhana-vidhaye tad-gaëa-yujoù
tad-ijyäkhyä-dhyäna-çravaëa-nati-païcämåtam idaà
dhayan nityaà govardhanam anudinaà tvaà bhaja manaù

O mind, in order to attain the direct service of the two divine lovers, Çré Çré Rädhä-
Giridhäré, in the company of Their friends, every day you must constantly drink with
Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé, the five nectars of worshiping Them, chanting Their names,
meditating on Them, hearing about Them, and bowing down before Them, and every
day you must worship Govardhana Hill. (11)

Something to work on, isn’t it?!

Çréla Kåñëadäsa Kaviräja Gosvämé

How did Çréla Kåñëadäsa Kaviräja Gosvämé spend his time?

There is not record of Çréla Kåñëadäsa Kaviräja Gosvämé’s daily activities, but much of
his time in old age was dedicated to his presentation of Çré Caitanya-caritämåta. He also
gave us 2 other treasures:
1) Çré Govinda-lélämåta and
2) A commentary on Çré Kåñëa-karëämåta

What was his mood and mindset?

Çréla Kåñëadäsa Kaviräja Gosvämé was the personification of humility as his own words
about writing Caitanya-caritämåta clearly indicate:
Actually Çré Caitanya-caritämåta is not my writing but the dictation of Çré Madana-
mohana. My writing is like the repetition of a parrot. As a wooden doll is made to dance
by a magician, I write as Madana-gopäla orders me to do so. I accept as my family Deity
Madana-mohana, whose worshipers are Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé, Çré Rüpa Gosvämé
and Sanätana Gosvämé. I took permission from Çréla Våndävana däsa Öhäkura by
praying at his lotus feet, and upon receiving his order I have attempted to write this
auspicious literature. Çréla Våndävana däsa Öhäkura is the authorized writer on the
pastimes of Lord Caitanya. Without his mercy, therefore, one cannot describe these
pastimes. I am foolish, lowborn and insignificant, and I always desire material enjoyment;
yet by the order of the Vaiñëavas I am greatly enthusiastic to write this transcendental
literature. The lotus feet of Çré Rüpa Gosvämé and Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé are my
source of strength. Remembering their lotus feet can fulfill all one’s desires. Praying at the
lotus feet of Çré Rüpa and Çré Raghunätha, always desiring their mercy, I, Kåñëadäsa,
narrate Çré Caitanya-caritämåta, following in their footsteps.
 CC Ädi 8.78-85

Çréla Kåñëadäsa Kaviräja Gosvämé’s opinion of himself was very, very low, but what was
Çrématé Rädhäräëé’s opinion of him?

This we can come to understand only by the mercy of Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté
Öhäkura’s commentary on Çré Caitanya-caritämåta.

While Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura was writing his commentary on CC Madhya
21.125, he was unable to understand why Çréla Kåñëadäsa Kaviräja Gosvämé had written
that the Käma-gäyatré mantra consists of 24 1/2 syllables, not 25. He became so
distressed by his inability to understand that he finally took a wow to starve to death on
the banks of Rädhä-kuëòa. While he was chanting on the banks in the middle of the
night, he dozed off.

Çrématé Rädhäräëé then appeared to him in a dream and said, “O Viçvanätha! getup!
Kåñëadäsa Kaviräja Gosvämé has indeed written correctly. He is My very dear sakhé and
gives Me great pleasure. I have blessed him so that he can understand the most intimate
things about Me. Do not doubt anything he has written. In the book Varëägama-
bhäsvadi, it is written that whenever the syllable ya is followed by the syllable vi, it is
considered a half syllable. Check and you will see. Then be peaceful and confident that
I have revealed the deepest and most esoteric truths about the Absolute Truth to Çréla
Kåñëadäsa Kaviräja Gosvämé. Every word he has written is to be taken as the supreme
spiritual truth.” Çrématé Rädhäräëé then disappeared from his vision, and Çréla
Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura was encouraged and enlivened to continue his Caitanya-
caritämåta öékä.

Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura writes of Çré Caitanya-caritämåta

“Even if the Çrémad-Bhägavatam were lost, leaving only the Caitanya-caritämåta, there
would still be no loss to humanity, for that which has not been revealed in the
Bhagavatam is found in Caitanya-caritämåta. The supreme absolute truth is Çré Caitanya
Mahäprabhu the combined form of Rädhä and Kåñëa. The Caitanya-caritämåta is His
sound incarnation. The divine mystery of Çrématé Rädhäräëé’s divine status and glories
are found therein. Can there be any doubt, therefore, of the supreme status of this piece
of transcendental literature?”
 Çré Caitanya: His Life & Associates p198
Çréla Prabhupäda

Now, let’s move on to catch a glimpse of Çréla Prabhupäda’s unique position as an ideal
servitor of Çré Rädhä-kuëòa.

Let’s begin by reading from Çréla Prabhupäda-lélämåta:

The banks of Rädhä-kuëòa were overhung with bright green foliage growing from the
gnarled branches of ancient tamarind, tamäla, and nim trees. In the shallows of the
water, cranes stood on stiltlike legs, while river terns skimmed across the lake,
sometimes abruptly diving for fish. Sometimes a tortoise would poke its nose up from
the water's depth, or a fish would jump. Green parrots, usually in pairs, flew in and out
of the green trees, and sparrows chirped and hopped from place to place. Peacocks were
also there, mostly in nearby gardens, as were occasional rabbits and even deer.

Already on this visit Abhay had had occasion to be alone with his spiritual master, who
had remembered Abhay's son and presented him with a small bandhé (jacket). And now,
as they walked together alone on the bank of Rädhä-kuëòa, Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta
turned and spoke confidentially to Abhay. There had been some quarreling amongst his
leading disciples in Calcutta, he said, and this distressed him very much. Even now, in
Våndävana, it weighed heavily on his mind…… Abhay felt his spiritual master speaking
to him in urgency, as if asking him for help or warning him to avert a disaster. But what
could he do?

Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta then said directly to Abhay, “Ämär icchä chila kichu bai karänä”:
“I had a desire to print some books. If you ever get money, print books.” Standing by
Rädhä-kuëòa and beholding his spiritual master, Abhay felt the words deeply enter his
own life  “If you ever get money, print books.”

 Çréla Prabhupäda-lélämåta, A Lifetime in Preparation  How Shall I Serve you?

 It is now 2017, 82 years have passed by. The BBT Book Distribution Newsletter tells
us that official book distribution scores have now exceeded 150 million.

 Over 150 million As-it-is books purely presenting the teachings of Çré Caitanya
Mahäprabhu have been distributed to date on this planet!

 And it all began with Çréla Prabhupäda taking to heart 7 words he heard from his
beloved Gurudeva at Rädhä-kuëòa in 1935: If you ever get money, print books”.

 How many 100’s of 1,000’s of people from all nationalities and walks of life have
learnt of Rädhä-kuëòa and come to Her banks to bathe and beg for Her mercy
because of Çréla Prabhupäda’s extraordinary vision and inconceivable mercy? His
position as Rädhä-kuëòa’s servitor is quite unique, isn’t it?