Question:

Hare Krishna! Dear Tarun Govinda das, in your nice blog I oftentimes read that your tradition (Nityananda parivar) recommends to meditate or contemplate on Sri Sri Radha Krishna´s lila during the chanting of the Maha-Mantra after having heard about these lilas or read about them in the books of our acaryas.
In our tradition (ISKCON), it is not recommended and even sometimes forbidden to meditate on the lilas of the Divine Couple while we chant the Maha-Mantra. Could you elaborate on this different approach?
Also, in our tradition it is forbidden to hear about the rasa-lila or similar intimate lilas of the Divine Couple until our heart is fully pure. Any thoughts?

Reply:

Radhe Radhe.

First of all, I thank you for your sincere and respectful inquiry. It is clear that your heart is genuinely seeking understanding, and for that, I am grateful.

Although I generally avoid “controversial” topics, especially those that might cause friction among devotees or between devotional lineages, I feel moved to offer a gentle and honest reply based on my own experience, the teachings of our Gaudiya acharyas, and the blessings of my Sri Gurudeva.

Like you, I spent many years in ISKCON, and I deeply revere Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swāmī Mahārāja. I know what he taught on these topics and how those teachings have been applied across his movement. What I offer here is not meant to contradict or criticize but to illuminate a different stream within the same sacred river of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

1) Līlā-smaraṇa during Nāma-japa

You are absolutely right that, in the early stages of spiritual life, it is not recommended to attempt meditation on the intimate līlās of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa while chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahāmantra. When we first take up japa, our minds are often scattered—jumping from one distraction to the next, like monkeys swinging from branch to branch. It can be quite a battle just to hear the Holy Name attentively.

However, we must also recognize that not every sādhaka begins at the same starting point. Some are “new” in this life, but inwardly they are continuing from where they left off in previous births. These rare souls may exhibit natural steadiness, taste, and attraction for both nāma and līlā from the outset. Nevertheless, for most of us, the mind is unruly, and it takes time, effort, and grace to bring it under control.

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī writes in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.295):

“sevā sādhaka-rūpeṇa siddha-rūpeṇa cātra hi | tad-bhāva-lipsunā kāryā vraja-lokānusārataḥ”

“Following the residents of Vraja, one should serve the Divine Couple both in one’s physical body (sādhaka-rūpa) and in one’s internally contemplated siddha-rūpa, with a longing to attain their bhāva.”

As our chanting matures and we begin to chant without offense, the heart becomes purified and a natural greed (lobha) arises—to hear the sweet pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, especially from the lotus mouth of a self-realized guru. When that greed awakens, the remembrance of līlā during nāma-japa becomes not only possible but spiritually nourishing.

There is a beautiful practice that I often recommend, once a devotee has reached a certain steadiness in nāma-japa:

Before beginning a round, read a verse or a short passage from the writings of the Gosvāmīs or other rasika mahājanas—something that evokes a specific līlā. Then, with your heart softened and mind attuned, begin your japa. Try to hear the Holy Name attentively while gently remembering the līlā you just read. Do not force it. Let it come naturally, like fragrance rising from a flower. In the beginning, you may not be able to do both simultaneously. That’s okay. Over time, the two streams—nāma and līlā—will begin to nourish each other.

Eventually, chanting becomes not merely repetition of syllables but a meditative, immersive experience—a divine darśana of the līlā flowing from the syllables of the Holy Name.

2) The Question of Qualification

Yes, caution is required. One should not prematurely dive into the most intimate līlās of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, especially those involving erotic or highly esoteric exchanges. But this does not mean we must wait until our hearts are completely pure before we can begin any form of līlā-smaraṇa.

There is a wide spectrum of līlā-kathā—from general, sweet pastimes (like the playful water games or the swing pastimes) to the more confidential rāsa-līlā and kuñja-līlā. The acharyas have filled their books with suitable content for all levels of sādhakas. By choosing our meditations wisely and under guidance, we avoid the danger of offense or misinterpretation.

Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swāmī himself wrote in a letter (to Sevananda, April 12, 1968):

„Is it offensive to think of Krishna’s pastimes while chanting? I think you should know that it is not offensive, but rather it is required. One must try for the point when one simply hears Krishna and immediately all of Krishna—His pastimes, His form, His qualities—are in his thoughts.”

He does add that in the beginning, one should focus on hearing the Holy Name, but he clearly states that līlā-smaraṇa is a natural progression and certainly not forbidden.

3) The Gradual Process of Smaraṇa

In Bhakti Sandarbha (Anuccheda 278), Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī outlines five progressive stages of remembrance:

Smarana – Occasional or irregular recollection.

Dhāraṇā – Withdrawing the mind from all else and fixing it on the object of meditation.

Dhyāna – Continuous meditation on the form and attributes of the Lord.

Druvānusmṛti – Uninterrupted flow of meditation, like a stream of nectar.

Samādhi – When the object of meditation becomes fully manifest in the heart.

We do not begin with samādhi. We begin where we are. Even a glimpse, a vague remembrance, is valuable. The key is to begin sincerely, under guidance, and to let the process unfold.

Śrī Jīva further emphasizes (Anuccheda 262) that one should hear repeatedly the names, forms, qualities, and pastimes of that specific form of the Lord toward whom one feels natural attraction. This is not only allowed—it is recommended.

He quotes SB 11.3.48:

„Having obtained the mercy of his guru, who reveals to the disciple the injunctions of the Vedas, the devotee should worship the Supreme Lord in the particular form he finds most attractive.”

Thus, we are encouraged to hear and contemplate that very form of the Lord who captivates our heart—and for us, that is Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava.

4) Hearing Rāsa-līlā in an Unqualified State?

Here lies one of the most commonly misunderstood principles. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.33.39) says:

„A person who faithfully hears or describes the Lord’s pastimes of the rāsa-līlā with the gopīs of Vraja attains supreme devotion for the Lord. He quickly becomes steady and conquers over the senses, giving up lust, the disease of the heart.”

This means that hearing even the rāsa-līlā, when done with faith and in the proper mood—from a qualified source—purifies the heart rather than contaminates it.

Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda, in Mādhurya-kādambinī, explains that bhakti is so powerful that even when performed by a conditioned soul afflicted with lust, it still gradually purifies the heart. The idea that one must be completely pure before hearing rāsa-līlā is not supported by our śāstra or acharyas. What is required is faith and the right mood of reverence and longing.

Final Thoughts

What matters most is the guidance of a realized guru and the sincerity of our own hearts. The Nityānanda-parivāra, like many traditional branches of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, encourages the gradual cultivation of līlā-smaraṇa once sufficient steadiness in nāma has been attained. This is not to undermine the teachings of ISKCON, but rather to show that the broader Gaudiya tradition accommodates a spectrum of approaches, each suited to different stages and temperaments of sādhakas.

Let us never forget: the Holy Name contains all līlās, all forms, and all sweetness of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. If we chant purely, the līlā will reveal itself naturally from within the Name.

With faith, patience, and proper guidance, may our nāma-japa become a gateway to the eternal service of the Divine Couple in Vṛndāvana.

Jaya Rādhe!