Importance of Radha Kunda for Gaudiya Vaishnavas

Importance of Radha Kunda for Gaudiya Vaishnavas

Anyone who wants to progress seriously in his Krsna consciousness, it become quintessential for him to take shelter of Radha Kunda. The spiritual world is three fourth of the creation of the supreme personality of godhead, but still there is a hierarchy in the spiritual world too. It is same in tattva but in Rasa there is a hierarchy and in it Radha Kunda holds the top most position leaving behind Govardhana Hill which krsna lifted with his lotus hand, the exalted twelve forests of vrindavaan, mathura puri and vaikuntha respectively. The super excellent Radha Kunda stands supreme for it is over flooded with ambrosial nectarine prema of the lord.

Radha Kunda situated at the foot hills of Govardhana is a place where the advance devotees prefer to reside as this place is the site of many memories of the eternal loving affairs between radha rani and Krsna, the rati vilasas.

Radha Kunda is so exalted because it belongs to srimati Radha Rani who is the most beloved gopi of Sri Krsna. It so happened, after the killing of demon Aristasur, which came in the form a bull, the gopis started to tease Krsna that since he had killed a bull, he has inculcate lot of sins. And now, he need to get purified by bathing in all holy rivers. Krsna evoke the deities of all holy river and with them syama kunda was made. Krsna took the bath there and counter tease gopis that since they have sided with a demon, now all sins have accumulated in their accounts. The gopis also tried to make their kunda by digging with their bangles and started to fill it with yamuna water. It was on persuasion of deities of all holy river that Radha rani allowed them to fill her Kunda. And since than Radha kunda is represented as the liquefied love of Radha Rani for Krsna. Radha Kunda is so pure that it is very rarely attained by even the great personalities like Narada and Sanaka, what to speak of ordinary devotees who are engaged in Vaidhi bhakti.

Even it is stated in Caitanya Caritamrita, madhya lila, when Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited the holy dham of Vrindavaan he searched for Radha kunda. But he couldn't find. Finally he found paddy fields which he could recognise as exact spot of Radha Kunda and took bath in the water there. Later that pond was excavated by the devotees of Caitanya Mahaprabu, headed first by six Goswamis of Vrindavaan such as Rupa Goswami and Raghunath Das Goswami. So when the Caitany Mahaprabhu himself stressed upon the importance of Radha Kunda, who came to freely distrubute freely the love of Godhead than how can any Gaudiya Vaishnav ignore his instructions. Hence the spiritual importance and divine nature of Radha Kunda can't be realised by any other Vaishnava sampradayas who are not the followers of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Because it was so much stressed upon by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Rupa Goswami recommended that if one can't permanently stay on the banks of Radha Kunda, he must take bath in it as many times as possible as Radha Kund is so potent that it can bestow pure love of Krsna in wake of gopis with just one bath. Hence those Gaudiya Vaishnavas who are eager to return home to transcendental realm of Krsna, Goloka Vrindavaan by attaining their spiritual bodies {siddha- dhea} in wake of the lady friends {sakhis} and confidential serving maids {manjaris} of srimati Radha Rani should take shelter of Radha Kunda. Hence, the conclusion for all Gaudiya Vaishnavas is that one should give up all material conceptions and bath regularly at Radha Kunda under the guidance of Radha Rani and her assistant gopis.

Srila Prabhupada attitude towards bathing and residing at Radha Kunda.

According to to Srila Prabhupada, one should give up all material conceptions and bath regularly in Radha Kunda under the shelter Sri Radha and her assistant gopis, as mentioned in the purport of text 11 of Upadeshamrita. Prabhupada not only highlighted the potency of radha kunda but also the exclusivity of it's availability, which is not easily attained by great personalities like Narda and Sanata.

But when Prabhupäda was present, he heard that some devotees were behaving frivolously in Radha Kunda. He became angry and forbade them to bathe there. Since Radha Kunda is so exalted for gaudiya vaisnavas that even Caitanya Mahaprabhu stressed upon it. If such an exalted place is taken cheaply than this is an offens. And instead of spiritually uplifting, it can lead to a fall down of devotee.

Hence Srila Prabhupada forbade devotees to take bath in Radha kunda. Sirla Prabhupäda gave permission according to time, place and circumstance and withdrew it likewise. The injunction, however, to bathe in Radha Kunda is set down in scripture in a permanent form, including Prabhupäda's purport. We can understand Prabhupäda's anger had to do with the neophyte attitude of enjoying spirit, offensive to Srimati Radha rani and not to the spiritual principle of bathing in Radha Kunda. The conclusion is that we should adopt the serious, mature, reverential mood desired by the äcäryas and take bath there for our eternal, spiritual benefit.

In room conversation on August 16, 1976, Prabhupada again stressed upon the point that how one should behave at Radha Kunda;

1. One should have thoroughly controlled all his vegas according to upadeshamrita text 1, vaco vegam, mansa krodha vegam.... and when he becomes dhira, Like in Bhagvad gita 2.13 dhiras tatra na muhyati..., a sober person remain unchanged, that's one'e qualification to live at Radha Kunda. Not like that he live there with three dozens of seva dasis. Prabhupada explained it with an example that how his Guru Maharaj wanted to print Govinda-lilamrita and he seek permission from Bhaktivinoda Thakur, who said that if he was so eager to publish than he should publish only one copy of it. He strictly forbid him to print for distribution. So first one have understand Krsna properly and than Krsna Lilas not jump in rasa lila immediately. Similarly Prabhupada stressed upon that first one should be Dhira rather than jumping like monkeys in Radha Kunda.

2. Another thing pointed out By srila Prabhupada is that one should inculcate the right behaviour by following the footsteps of the acharyas who have resided at Radha Kunda and learn how to deal with Radha Kunda. Like Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé showed how to live in Radha Kunda. Saìkhyä-pürvaka-näma-gäna-natibhiù kälävasäné-kåtau. He was circumambulating Radha Kunda, falling down. Not only he counted holy names, but offered obeisances so many hundred times. So much vairägya he showed. He can take bath in the Radha Kunda. One have to follow like Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé than he can bathe in Radha Kunda.

3. One should not act independently when he have a guru. Therefore one need to take permission from his Guru to bathe in Radha Kunda. As we sing everyday Guru-mukha-padma-väkya cittete kariyä aikya ära nä kariha mane äçä , hence it becomes mandatory to taken order from Guru Mahäräja.

Hence the conclusion is that Prabhupada wanted everyone to stay at Radha Kunda and bathe there daily because it constituted the highest perfection of devotional service but at same time he didn't want Radha Kund to be taken cheaply. Instead of bathing there he stressed more on to inculcate the service attitude towards Radha Kunda and by service one will eventually realise the divinity and glories of Radha Kunda.