SRI SRI RADHA RASA SUDHANIDHI by Sripad Prabhodhananda Sarasvati Thakur

VERSE 142:

RADHA NAMA SUDHA-RASAM RASAYITUM JIHVAS TU ME VIHVALA
PADAU TAT PADAKANKITASU CARATAM VRiNDATAVI VITHIShU
TAT KARMAIVA KARAH KAROTU HRiDAYAM TASYAH PADAM DHYAYATAT
TAD BHAVOTSAVATAH PARAM BHAVATU ME TAT PRANANATHE RATIH

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 be engaged only in Her menial service, may my heart meditate on Her lotusfeet, and may I develop love for the Lord of Her life (Krishna) through Her festival of emotions.
DESIRING RADHA’S WORSHIP:

Commentary by Radhakunda Mahanta Srila Ananta das Babaji:

First of all Sripada, who is, just like in the previous verse, in sadhakavesa (external consciousness), says: radha nama sudha rasam rasayitum jihvas tu me vihvala “May my tongue become overwhelmed by relishing the nectar of Radha’s holy name!” The best way to attain prema is nama sankirtana. Actually, when the tongue becomes overwhelmed by chanting the holy name, all the other senses also become overwhelmed by its sweetness. This is what Sanatana Gosvami says in Brihad Bhagavatamrita (2.3.162):

ekasminn indriye pradurbhutam namamritam rasaih
aplavayati sarvanindriyani madhurair nijaih

Furthermore, Sanatana Gosvami says nijaih svakiyaih svabhavikair va “The holy name naturally contains all of its own sweetness”.

Sri Rupa Gosvami writes in his ‘Krishna nama stotram’:
narada vinojjivana sudhormi niryasa madhuri pura
tvam krishna nama kamam sphura me rasane rasena me

“O Holy name of Krishna! You are the very life of Narada Muni’s Vina and the stream of Your sweetness is the quintessence of nectar! Please always give that savour to my tongue!” But even Krishna is overwhelmed when His tongue relishes the nectar of Radha’s name! When you love somebody, it is natural that you love that person’s name also. Srila Rupa Gosvami writes in Act VI of ‘Vidagdha Madhava’ that when Krishna was burning in the forestfire of separation from Sri Radha, his comrade Madhumangala consoled Him by writing the two syllables Ra-dha on a leaf and showing it to Him, saying: “O Friend, accept Your Radha!” Krishna was very happy when He saw the syllables on the leaf and said: “O friend! You fully satisfied Me with this gift!”

Because:

kramat kaksham akshnoh parisara bhuvam va sravanayor
manag adhyarudham pranayi jana namakshara padam
kam apy antas tosham vitarad avilambad anupadam
nisargad visvesam hridaya padavim utsukayati

“Who will not be happy when the name of one’s beloved comes to the edges of the eyes or the ears? The hearts of all the people of the world are naturally always eager for this!” Offenders cannot taste the natural sweetness of the holy name, but the holy name destroys the offenses of a surrendered chanter and becomes self-manifest on his tongue. When a devotee does not experience any taste, he should humbly pray: “O Holy name! O Cintamani-jewel! O Lord! O form of topmost bliss! Reveal Your spotless, blissful form on my tongue! You are the most merciful descension in the form of syllables! Please bless this fallen soul with a little taste of Your endless sweetness!” Thus the sincere devotee will surely be blessed with some sweet taste (sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuratyadhah).

Then Sripada says: padau tat padakankitasu caratam vrindatavi vithishu “Let my feet walk over the pathways of Vrindavana, that are marked by Her lotusfeet! May I experience the fact that my Isvari always walks here! Each speck of Vraja’s dust is sprinkled with the honey of Her supreme love, and even great devotees like Uddhava prayed for a shower of that dust over their heads! When I remember this I will surely be blessed with a life full of bhajana in Vraja!”

tat karmaiva karah karotu: “May my hands be engaged in Radha’s service. My hands and feet have been serving so many persons. Let them become stunned now and become solely engaged in Sri Radha’s service.”

hridayam tasyah padam dhyayatat “May my heart meditate on Sri Radha’s lotusfeet, as well as on Her whole form, Her pastimes and Her qualities. My mind is always restlessly wandering away from it’s sweet meditation on Sri Radha! If it could only aquire some taste for Her lotusfeet, then it would remain calm and fixed there! Not only the tongue, the hands, the feet and the mind should be engaged, but all the other senses as well! Let my eyes look at beautiful Radhakunda and at Radha’s devotees, let my nose smell the incense offered to Her, and let my ears hear the singing of Her holy names, pastimes and attributes!”
Someone may say: “Sripada! Why don’t You worship Govinda while living in Vrindavana?” As an answer he says: “tad bhavotsavatah param bhavatu me tat prananathe ratih When I surrender exclusively to Sri Radha’s lotusfeet, my worship of Govinda will automatically be more successful! Knowing me to be the greatest object of Sri Radha’s mercy, Govinda will automatically come to me and give me even more mercy than He gives to His own devotees (pritah svam bhajato’pi, verse 118)! Rather, since Sri Radha is hard to attain even for Him, Sri Govinda will always need me in order to get Her mercy also! I will not need Him, but He will need me!” Here the word bhavotsava means manjari bhava, a preference for Sri Radha over Sri Krishna (bhavollasa rati), and a strong feeling of mine-ness towards Her. The manjaris love Krishna only because He is connected to Sri Radha. Sri Rupa Gosvami concludes his ‘Catu Pushpanjali’ by praying:

karunam muhur arthaye param tava vrindavana cakravartini
api kesiripor yaya bhavet sa catu prarthana bhajanam janah

“O Queen of Vrindavana! I pray for Your mercy again and again, so that I may once become the object of Krishna’s flattering prayers! I will be Your maidservant and when You are angry with Krishna He will have to flatter me by saying: “O Sundari (beautiful girl) O merciful one! (dayavati)! Please please Your Svamini for Me, so that the fire of My separation from Her will be extinguished!” Then I will take Him by the hand and bring Him to You!” Such will be our love for Govinda in the festival of Radha’s bhava! This is the greatest aspiration for a Gaudiya Vaishnava!