Contents
Radha’s Prem -Swami Sivananda
INTRODUCTION
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Lord Krishna is the embodiment of bliss. He is the source and centre of real happiness. Bliss is divine elixir that bestows immortality. Sensual pleasure is a poison which causes diseases and death. Lord Krishna has a certain energy called Antaranga or Svarup Shakti. This Shakti which has the power of giving delight to Krishna and His Devotees, is called Hladini Shakti or delight-giving energy. The essence of Hladini is Prem or selfless Krishna’s Prem. This selfless love is called Ananda-Chinmaya-Rasa. The quintessence of this Rasa or Mahabhava is Radha. Radha is the embodiment of Mahabhava. The word Radha etymologically means a devotee. Radha is the chief of Krishna’s sweethearts. All the Lakshmis of Vaikuntha are Her Vilasa-Murtis. The queens of Dwaraka are Her reflections. Lalita and other Gopis of Vrindavan are Her manifold forms. She pervades the Gopis in Her subtle form in order to contribute to Krishna’s enjoyment. Radha is Krishna’s delighter, charmer and life’s all. She is the queen of all the lovely maidens of Vraja. She is the Crest-Gem of all celestial beauties. Radha and Krishna are inseparable as fire and its heat, ice and its coolness, the flowers and its fragrance. The body of Radha is made up of sweet tenderness and loveliness for Sri Krishna. The substance of her subtle form as Mahabhava is Krishna Prem. Ardent passion for Sri Krishna is her dress. Her sweet radiant smile is the camphor. All good qualities are her garlands. All the Bhavas form the ornaments, her limbs. Lord Krishna’s name, qualities form the ornaments of Her ears. Krishna’s name and qualities flow out in a stream from Her tongue. She serves Krishna with the drink of Premarasa or Shyama-rasa. The culmination of Bhakti is reached in Madhurya-Bhava. The lover and the Beloved become one through the intensity of love. Radha had this type of love. In Madhurya-bhava there is the closest relationship between the devotee and the Lord. There is no sensuality in Madhurya-Bhava. There is no tinge of carnality in it. Passionate people cannot understand this Bhava as their minds are saturated with passion and lower sexual appetite. In the secular sphere the only “love” which approaches this Bhava to an appreciable nearness is the love, a grown-up son has to his mother. Here, there is not even a semblance of the sex-element prevalent. Is there the least carnality in the love, a son has for his mother? Sufistis saints also have the Bhava of lover and the beloved (Madhurya-Bhava). Gita Govinda written by Jaya Deva is full of Madhurya-Rasa. The language of love which the mystic uses cannot be comprehended by worldly persons. Only Gopis, Radha, Mira, Tukkaram, Narada, Hafiz, can understand the language. Glory to Radha, the consort of Lord Krishna! Glory, glory to Lord Krishna, the Joy of Devaki, the goal of Yogis, the refuge of devotees, and the delight of Yasoda and Nanda. May their blessings be upon you all! |
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