Śrī Janmāṣṭamī Līlā Kṛṣṇa's birthday festival takes place on the eighth day of the dark lunar quarter of the month of Bhādra, corresponding with the month of August, sometimes September. Siddha Śrī Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī here narrates both the celebration in Navadvīpa in Gaura-līlā and the celebration in Vraja in Kṛṣṇa-līlā. On the first day … Continue reading Siddha Śrī Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābā’s description of Śrī Janmāṣṭamī līlā

VṚNDĀVANEŚVARI TAVAIVA PADĀRAVINDA PREMĀMṚTAIKA MAKARANDA RASAUGHA PŪRṆAM HṚDYARPITAṀ MADHUPATEḤ SMARA-TĀPAM UGRAṀ NIRVĀPAYAT PARAMA ŚĪTALAM ĀŚRAYĀMI O Queen of Vṛndāvana! When Madhupati (Kṛṣṇa, the rasika bee) holds Your most cooling lotus-feet, which are filled with the honey of nectarine love taste, to His heart He extinguishes the terrible fire of His desire. I take shelter of … Continue reading Śrī-Śrī Rādhā Rasa Sudhānidhi, verse 13

VERSE 12: UJJṚMBHAMĀNA RASA VĀRINIDHES TARAṄGAIR AṄGAIR IVA PRAṆAYA LOLA VILOCANĀYĀḤ TASYĀḤ KADĀ NU BHAVITĀ MAYI PUṆYA DṚṢṬIR VṚNDĀṬAVĪ NAVA NIKUÑJA GṚHĀDHIDEVYĀḤ When will the auspicious glance of the young goddess of the bower-cottage of Vṛndāvana, Whose restless eyes are swaying on the waves of the swelling ocean of rasa, Kṛṣṇa's limbs, fall on me? … Continue reading Śrī-Śrī Rādhā Rasa Sudhānidhi, verse 12

The vine of devotion, which Śrīman Mahāprabhu gave to the people of the world, yields the fruit of brilliant rasa, the amorous love of Vraja, particularly the rasa of the most confidential personal service of Śrīmatī Rādhārānī, named mañjarī-bhāva-sādhanā.This great gift was not given before by any other descension of God; even the wise men … Continue reading The mercy of the Lord completely erases the candidate’s unworthiness.

VERSE 11: YAT PĀDAPADMA NAKHACANDRA MAṆI CCHAṬĀYĀVISPHŪRJITAṀ KIM API GOPA VADHŪṢV ADARŚPŪRṆĀNURĀGA RASA SĀGARA SĀRA MŪRTIḤSĀ RĀDHIKĀ MAYI KADĀPI KṚPĀṀ KAROTU When will that Rādhikā, Who is recognisable amongst the gopīs by the effulgence coming from the moonstone like toenails on Her lotus-feet, and Who is the very form of the essence of rasa and … Continue reading Śrī-Śrī Rādhā Rasa Sudhānidhi, verse 11

VERSE 10: KENĀPI NĀGARA VAREṆA PADE NIPATYA SAṀPRĀRTHITAIKA PARIRAMBHA RASOTSAVĀYĀḤ SA-BHRŪ-VIBHAṄGAM ATI RAṄGA-NIDHEḤ KADĀ TE ŚRĪ RĀDHIKE NAHI NAHĪTI GIRAḤ ŚṚṆOMI O Śrī Rādhike! O jewel of play! When will I see You frowning Your eyebrows and hear You saying "no no!" (although You are actually very happy) when Kṛṣṇa, the best of lovers, falls … Continue reading Śrī-Śrī Rādhā Rasa Sudhānidhi, verse 10

VṚNDĀNI SARVA MAHATĀM APAHĀYA DŪRĀD VṚNDĀṬAVĪM ANUSARA PRAṆAYENA CETAḤ SAT TĀRANĪ KṚTA SUBHĀVA SUDHĀ RASAUGHAM RĀDHĀBHIDHĀNAM IHA DIVYA NIDHĀNAM ASTI O Mind! Leave all great things (or persons) far from you and go to Vṛndāvana with love, for there is a divine jewel, a nectar-stream of good moods named Rādhā there, Who redeems the sincere … Continue reading Śrī-Śrī Rādhā Rasa Sudhānidhi, verse 9

A spiritual vision saves the life of a devotee who feels separation from the Divine Couple, and when there is any delay in that vision it becomes very difficult to tolerate the resultant misery. The stories we hear in the confidential rāgānuga Vaiṣṇava history about Rūpa Gosvāmī's strong yearning for Rādhā and Mādhava's service and … Continue reading Deep Loving Thirst

The desire to serve in one's siddha deha in the wake of the gopīs' feelings will remove the hardness from the heart and cause it to melt. Just as hunger helps one enjoying one's dishes, similarly the desire to serve in the wake of the feelings of the kiṅkarīs helps one to relish the sweetness … Continue reading Snippets Of Nectar

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī anxiously prays to the beloved friends of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava and tells them of his painful love-in-separation. The aspirant devotee can only understand this by awakening his svarūpa. How sweet is that feeling: "I am a maidservant, dedicated to the devotional service of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava!" Bhāva (feeling) makes the stream of thoughts in … Continue reading Being absorbed and the mercy of the great saints