Sri Sri Vraja-Vilasa-Stava (by Sripad Raghunath das Goswami)
pura premodrekaih pratipada-navananda-madhuraih
krita-sri-gandharvacyuta-carana-varyarcana-balat
nikamam svaminyah priyatara-saras-tira-bhuvane
vasanti sphita ye ta iha mama jivatava ime
Because of having worshiped the beautiful lotus feet of Sri Gandharva and Acyuta with the ever-fresh sweetness of ecstatic spiritual love in their previous lives, some great souls are able to live on the bank of Svamini’s dear most lake (Sri Radhakunda).
These great devotees are my life and soul!
Stavamrita Kana Vyakhya :
In this verse, Sripada Raghunatha praises the great souls who live around Sri Radhakunda.
Sri Radhakunda is the crown jewel of Vraja and the exclusive abode of Sri-Sri Radha-Madhava’s confidential noon-pastimes. There is no place more dear to the Divine Pair than this one. Sri Radhakunda is as dear to Sri Krishna as Sri Radha is and Sri Syamakunda is as dear to Sri Radha as Syamasundara is, because the two kundas are non-different from Sri Radha-Madhava.
These two kundas especially are assisting the separated Couple when They want to meet Each other, or to soothe the blazing fire of separation They feel when They are unable to meet Each other.
The Mahajanas sing:
sri krishna yokhon radha darasana lagi utkanthita hoy;
sakala upaya viphala hoiya radhakundasraya loy
tat kale radhara paya darasana emati kunda prabhava;
radhara-o temati syamakundasraye krishna sanga hoy labha
“When Krishna becomes eager to see Radha and all His endeavours fail, He takes shelter of Radhakunda. At that moment, He gets the audience of Radha on the strength of the kunda. In the same way Radha also takes shelter of Syamakunda and thus attains the company of Sri Krishna.”
Therefore, the most fortunate (sukriti-sali) people reside around Sri Radhakunda, the crown jewel of Vraja. The sukriti mentioned here does not refer to ordinary pious merit, but the great merit accrued from worshipping the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda, which is attained by the grace of the great devotees.
Hence Sripada Raghunatha has written in this verse:
pura premodrekaih pratipada navananda madhuraih krita sri gandharvacyuta carana varyarcana balat
“Because of having worshiped the beautiful lotus feet of Sri Gandharva and Acyuta with the ever-fresh sweetness of ecstatic spiritual love in their previous lives…”
When this great abundance of sweet love appears in the heart of the sadhaka, he will become able to relish the ever-fresh transcendental bliss of bhajana.
Sri Radharani mercifully bestows on those, who have previously worshipped Sri-Sri Radha-Madhava’s lotus feet with such love, a place to stay at Sri Radhakunda.
The attraction to reside around Sri Radhakunda awakens within the heart of a person who is totally fixed on Sri Radha’s lotus feet. Their knowledge and meditations are all aimed at Svamini Sri Radha, for whom She is everything and to whom She is dearer than millions of life-airs, and they don’t know anything but Her lotus feet, in life or in death.
Those who are fixed in Her worship develop the desire to love Sri Krishna’s lotus feet.
For example, Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati has written:
radha nama sudharasam rasayitum jihvas tu me vihvala
padau tat padakankitasu caratam vrindatavi vithishu
tat karmaiva karah karotu hridayam tasyah padam dhyayatat
tat bhavotsavatah param bhavatu me tat prananathe ratih
(Radha Rasa Sudhanidhi 142)
“May my tongue become overwhelmed by relishing the nectarean flavour of Radha’s holy name, may my feet walk over Vrindavana’s pathways that are marked with Her footprints, may my hands only be engaged in Her menial service, may my heart meditate on Her lotus feet, and may I develop love for the Lord of Her life (Krishna) through Her festival of emotions.”
It is such sadhakas, who are so fixed in Radha, that Svamini mercifully allows to live on the bank of Her kunda, which is non-different from Her, and such fortunate sadhakas are thus living on the bank of the kunda, nourished by drinking the nectar of prema.
In other words, the greatly intelligent souls who exchange hearing, chanting and remembering topics about Sri Radha’s names, forms, qualities and pastimes with each other reside on the bank of Svamini’s kunda.
Sripada Raghunatha never left the bank of the kunda to go anywhere else. His firm determination was to stay on the bank of the kunda, spend his time serving (eating) fruits, roots and buttermilk from Vraja and ultimately to leave his body there.
atraiva mama samvasa ihaiva mama samsthiti
(Vilapa Kusumanjali)
“Here I will live and here I will stay”.
With the same determination, Sripada Raghunatha prays: “May the great souls who live around Sri Radhakunda be my means of survival.”
pratipade navananda, sumadhura sevananda,
yugalera arcana prabhave.
purakale santa gane, krishna premamrita pane,
vasa kore radhakunda-tire.
se sab mahanta gana, nama dhare mahajana,
sabe mora jivana upaya.
brahmanda tarite pare, jane jane sakti dhare,
koto dine lutaibo paya?
“All the great souls who live on the bank of Radhakunda on the strength of their sweet and constantly blissful worship of the Divine Pair in previous lives, in which they drank the nectar of love for Krishna, are my very life.
Each one of these great souls, who are called mahajanas, is able to save the whole world. How many days more, before I can roll at their feet?”
– commentary by Radhakunda Mahanta Pandit Sri Srimat Ananta das Babaji
– translated by Sripad Advaita das
