Transcendental birth of Sri Radha

[Paramananda das]

Transcendental birth of Sri Radha

GARGA SAMHITA CANTO 1 CHAPTER 8

IN VARAHA KALPA SRI RADHA APPEARED FROM THE WOMB KIRTIDA DEVI BIRTHPLACE IS RAVAL ,,IN Gokula in Varaha Kalpa another day of Lord Brahma ,Srila Rupa Goswami has described Sri Radhas birth differently for this Dvarpara Yuga,,,

Chapter Eight

Sri Radhika-janma-varnana

Description of Sri Radhika's Birth

Text 1

sri-garga uvaca

srutva tada saunaka bhakti-yuktah

sri-maithilo jnana-bhritam varishthah

natva punah praha munim mahantam

devarshi-varyam hari-bhakti-nishthah

Sri Garga Muni said: O Saunaka, when Bahulasva, the king of Mithila, who was filled with faith and devotion to Lord Hari and who was the best of the wise, heard this, he again bowed down and spoke to the great sage Narada, the best of the devarshis.

Text 2

sri-bahulasva uvaca

tvaya kulam kau visadi-kritam me

subham harer yad yasasamalena

sri-krishna-bhakta-kshana-sangamena

jano 'pi sat syad bahuna kim u svit

Sri Bahulasva said: By giving it the narrations of Lord Hari's pure glories you purified my materialistic family and made it auspicious. By a moment's touch with Lord Krishna's devotee even an ordinary person will become a saint. What more need I say?

Text 3

sri-radhaya purnatamas tu sakshad

gatva vraje kim caritam cakara

tad bruhi me deva rise risisa

tri-tapa-duhkhat paripahi mam tvam

What did the Supreme Personality of Godhead do when He came with Sri Radha to Vraja? O Lord, O great sage, please tell me. O king of the sages, please save me from the three miseries.

Text 4

sri-narada uvaca

dhanyam kulam yan nimina nripena

sri-krishna-bhaktena parat-parena

purni-kritam yatra bhavan prajatah

suktau hi mukta-bhavanam na citram

Sri Narada said: The family of your birth is fortunate for it was made perfect by King Nimi, who was a very great devotee of Lord Krishna. It is not surprising that a pearl is born in an oyster.

Text 5

atha prabhos tasya pavitra-lilam

su-mangalam samsrinutam parasya

abhut satam yo bhuvi rakshanartham

na kevalam kamsa-vadhaya krishnah

Please hear the purifying pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord did not only come to kill Kamsa. He also came to protect the devotees.

Text 6

athaiva radha vrisabhanu-patnyam

avesya rupam mahasah parakhyam

kalindaja-kula-nikunja-dese

su-mandire savatatara rajan

Then, placing Her glorious transcendental form in (the womb of) King Vrishabhanu's wife, Sri Radha descended into a great palace in a garden by the Yamuna's shore.

Text 7

ghanavrite vyomni dinasya madhye

bhadre site naga-tithau ca some

avakiran deva-ganah sphuradbhis

tan-mandire nandanajaih prasunaih

In the month of Bhadra (August-September), on a Monday that was the eighth day of the bright fortnight of the moon, at midday, when the sky was covered with clouds, (to celebrate Radha's descent) the demigods scattered flowers that had blossomed in the Nandana gardens.

Text 8

radhavatarena tada babhuvur

nadyo 'malambhas ca disah praseduh

vavus ca vata aravinda-ragaih

su-sitalah sundara-manda-yanah

Because of Radha's descent the rivers became very pure and clear, the directions became auspicious and happy, and graceful, gentle, cooling breezes carried the pollen of lotus flowers.

Text 9

sutam sarac-candra-satabhiramam

drittvatha kirtir mudam apa gopi

subham vidhayasu dadau dvijebhyo

dvi-laksham ananda-karam gavam ca

Gazing at her daughter beautiful as hundreds of moons, the gopi Kirti became happy. To bring auspiciousness she gave two hundred thousand cows in charity to please the brahmanas.

How Radha's Parents Became Fortunate to Have Her

Seeing the beautiful baby girl shining like millions of autumnal moons, mother Kirtida was overcome with joy and immediately arranged for all kinds of religious rites to be performed and donated thousands of cows to the brahmanas.

At that time baby Radhika was placed in a gem-studded cradle and gently rocked back and forth by all the little girls of the village. Day by day Her luster increased just like the digits of the moon.

Within a short while it was observed that the baby girl made no noise and had not yet opened Her eyes. Vrishabhanu and his wife feared that their baby girl was perhaps blind from birth and also dumb.

At that time, Srila Narada Muni visited the home of Vrishabhanu and informed him that regardless of the girl’s apparent blindness, they should continue with the birth celebrations.

Vrishabhanu therefore made elaborate arrangements for a lavish birth celebration and sent out invitations to all the residents of Ravala and Gokula and especially to his dear friend Nanda Maharaja and his family.

Only when Krsna came and put His lotusfinger in Radhas mouth He had dipped in butter did Sri Radha open Her lotus eyes

Jaya Sri Radhe

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada stated the birthday of Sri Radha should be celebrated as a Nirjala fast till the next day,, and the result of this fast in glorified in Padma Purana as being more spiritual potent than fasting on 100.000 Ekadasis ,,when we fast on Pandava Nirjala we get the benefit of 12 months fasting of Ekadasis fasting on all Ekadasis in one year so even once fasting on Radhastami fully till next day has such transcendental blessings

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada asked his disciples too learn 2 slokas from Padma Purana and fast ..one young man from Badger California Rasika Mohan now a sannyasis condemns fasting on Radhastami as Sahajiya ,,,Sahajiya actually means to properly follow,, but the Prakrita Sahajiyas like himself do not understand Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupadas order as he is an ignorant boy

may Sri Radha forgive this ignorant rascal and fool

Inline image

I heard from the lotusmouth of Srila Bhakti Vaibhava Puri Maharaja a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada always observed Radhastami according to Padma Purana and his father Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura that also did Nirjala fasting on Radhastami

Veda sastra anurakta ye tulasi vana palakah ,Radhastami vrata rata, vijneyas ce ta vaisnavah,Sri Krsna purato ye ca dipam ,Yacchanti Sraddhaya para nindam na kurvanti vijneyas te ca vaisnavah this sloka is from Padma Purana ,Brahma Khanda 1.31.32 : Those who are attached to studying Vedic litteratures ,those who protect Tulsi forests .those who fast on Radhastami day ,those who offer a lamp to Krsna with good faith and those who do not criticize others are understood to be vaisnavas.

This is the statement by Srila Vyasadeva in the Padma Purana , THOSE WHO DO NOT accept this are demons

: ekadasyam sahasrena yat phalam labhate narah Radha janma astami punyam tasmat satagu nadhikam :whatever result one can attain by fasting on 1000 ekadasis one hundred times greater results can be attained by fasting on Radhastami and Janmastami days Brahma Khanda of Padma Purana 7.8

from Padma Purana about Radhastami fasting !

Chapter 7 - The Greatness of Rādhāṣṭamī

Section 4 - Brahma-khaṇḍa (Section on Brahman)

Saunaka said:

1. O very wise one, O you very intelligent one, tell me due to which act a man goes to the world of cows from the ocean of the mundane existence which is difficult to cross and, O Sūta, about Rādhāṣṭamī and its excellent importance.

Sūta said:

2. O brāhmaṇa, O great sage, formerly Nārada had asked this from Brahmā. Listen, in brief, to what he had asked him.

Nārada said:

3-5. O grandsire, O very wise one, O best among those who know all the sacred texts, O dear one, tell me (about) Rādhāṣṭamī. O lord, what is its religious fruit? Who observed it in olden days? O brahman, what would be the sin of those men who do not observe it? In what way is the vow to be observed? When is it to be observed? Tell me (all) that from the beginning, from whom Rādhā was born.

Brahmā said:

6-12. O child, listen very attentively to (the description of the vow of) Rādhāṣṭamī. I shall tell you in brief the entire (account). O Nārada, except Viṣṇu it is not possible (for anyone) to tell about its meritorious fruit. That sin like the murder of a brāhmaṇa, of them who have earned it through a crore of existences, perishes in a moment, (when) they devoutly observe it (i.e. the vow). The religious merit of Rādhāṣṭamī is hundred times more than the fruit which a man obtains by observing (a fast on) a thousand Ekādaśī (days). The merit due to Rādhāṣṭamī observed (but) once, is hundred times more that the fruit obtained by giving gold equal to the Meru (mountain). People obtain that fruit from the Rādhāṣṭamī, which (merit) they obtain by giving a thousand virgins (in marriage). A man gets that fruit of the Aṣṭamī of the beloved of Kṛṣṇa (i.e. Rādhāṣṭamī), which he would get by bathing in holy places like Gaṅgā. (Even) a sinner who observes this vow casually or devoutly, would along with a crore members of his family go to Viṣṇu’s heaven.

13-20. O child, formerly in Kṛtayuga an excellent, very beautiful woman, having a beautiful (i.e. slender) waist, having eyes like those of a female deer, of a beautiful form, having lovely hair, lovely ears, was known by the name Līlāvatī. She had committed very grave sins. Once, she, hankering after wealth, went to another city moving out from her own city. There, in a beautiful temple, she saw many wise people intent on observing the Rādhāṣṭamī vow. They were worshipping devoutly the excellent image of Rādhā with sandal, flowers, incense, lamps, (pieces of) cloth and various kinds of fruits. Some sang, danced, recited the excellent hymn of praise. Some (others) joyfully played upon the lute and beat the drum. Seeing them like that, she, full of curiosity, went near them, and politely asked them: “O you religious-minded ones, what are you, full of joy, doing? O virtuous ones, tell me who am full of politeness (what you are doing).”

21-24. Those devotees, intent upon the observance of the vow, and interested in obliging and doing good to others, started speaking.

Those who observed the Rādhā (-aṣṭamī) vow said: “Today that eighth day on which—i.e. on the eighth day of the bright fortnight—Rādhā was born, has arrived. We are observing it carefully. This (vow of) the Aṣṭamī which is observed (like this) quickly destroys men’s sins like the sin due to the murder of a cow, or arising from stealing, or killing a brāhmaṇa, or which is due to carrying off the wife of another person, or due to (a man’s) violating his teacher’s bed (i.e. wife).”

25-42. Hearing their words, and repeatedly thinking (to herself), ‘I shall observe (this vow) which destroys all sins’ she observed that excellent vow there only along with those who were observing it. That pure woman died due to being hurt (i.e. bitten) by a serpent. Then (Yama’s) messengers with nooses and hammers in their hands came there by Yama’s order, and tied her in a very painful way. When they decided to take her to Yama’s abode, messengers of Viṣṇu holding conches and maces came (there). (They had brought with them) an auspicious aeroplane made of gold, to which royal swans were yoked. Having quickly cut off (the nooses) with edges of their discs, they put that woman whose sin had gone (away), into the chariot. They took her to the charming city of Viṣṇu, called Goloka, where she stayed with Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā due to the propitiousness of the vow. O dear one, for him who, a fool, does not observe the vow of Rādhāṣṭamī, there is no acquittance from hell even for hundreds of crores of kalpas. Those women also who do not observe this vow which causes auspiciousness, which delights Rādhā and Viṣṇu, which destroys all sins, go to Yama’s city in the end and fall into a hell for a long time. If per chance they get a birth on the earth, they certainly (become) widows. O child, once (this) earth was struck by the groups of the wicked. She, being extremely helpless, became a cow, and approached me. Weeping again and again, she told me (about) her grief. Hearing her words, I went to the proximity of Viṣṇu. I quickly narrated to Kṛṣṇa (i.e. Viṣṇu) the intensity of her grief. He said (to me): “O brahman, with the gods go to the earth. Later I (shall) also go there with my attendants.” Hearing that I, along with the gods, came to the earth. Then Kṛṣṇa, calling Rādhā (who was to him) greater than his own life, said (these) words (to her); “O goddess, I am going to the earth to destroy the burden ofthe earth. You (also) go to the earth.” Having heard those (words), Rādhā also then went to the earth. That Rādhikā sprang up by day on the sacrificial ground ofVṛṣabhānu on the day called Aṣṭamī in the bright half of the month of Bhādrapada. When purified for the sacrifice, she, having a divine form, was seen (there). The king, delighted in mind, took her to his house and handed her over to his queen. She, too, nourished her.

43. Thus, O child, the words that I have told you are to be kept secret, to be kept secret, to be kept secret carefully.

Sūta said:

44. He who would devoutly listen to this (account of the vow) giving the fruit of the four goals (of human life), becomes free from all sins and ultimately goes to Viṣṇu’s house.