VERSES 4-5: MUDĀ VAIDAGDHYĀNTAR LALITA NAVA KARPŪRA MILANA SPHURAN NĀNĀ NARMOTKARA MADHURA MĀDHVĪKA RACANE SAGARVAṀ GĀNDHARVĀ GIRIDHARA KṚTE PREMA VIVAŚĀ VIŚĀKHĀ ME ŚIKṢĀṀ VITARATU GURUS TAD YUGA SAKHĪ KUHŪ KAṆṬHĪ KAṆṬHĀD API KAMANA KAṆṬHĪ MAYI PUNAR VIŚĀKHĀ GĀNASYĀPI CA RUCIRA ŚIKṢĀṀ PRAṆAYATU YATHĀHAṀ TENAITAD YUVA YUGALAM ULLĀSYA SAGAṆĀL LABHE RĀSE TASMĀN MAṆI-PADAKA HĀRĀN IHA MUHUḤ … Continue reading Sva Sankalpa Prakasa Stotram, verse 4 – 5 (Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami)

VERSE 3: ALAṀ MĀNA GRANTHER NIBHṚTA CAṬU MOKṢĀYA NIBHṚTAṀ MUKUNDE HĀ HETI PRATHAYATI NITĀNTAṀ MAYI JANE TAD ARTHAṀ GĀNDHARVĀ CARAṆA PATITAṀ PREKṢYA KUṬILAṀ KADĀ PREMA KRAURYĀT PRAKHARA LALITĀ BHARTSAYATI MĀM Once Mukunda flatters me in private and cries out: "Alas! Alas!", asking me to help Him untie the knot of Rādhā's causeless pique, so for … Continue reading Sva Sankalpa Prakasa Stotram, verse 3 (Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami)

Sadhana-bhakti is of two types - • vaidhi • raganuga Vaidhi -bhakti is when we perform bhakti because of scriptural injunctions, while raganuga-bhakti has only one qualification – greed. When we are greedy for Sri Krishna-prema and this is the sole reason why we practice bhakti, then we call it raganuga bhakti. When we practice … Continue reading Authentic raganuga-bhakti is never cheap

NAVAṀ DIVYAṀ KĀVYAṀ SVAKṚTAM ATULAṀ NĀṬAKA-KULAṀ PRAHELĪ GŪḌHĀRTHĀḤ SAKHI RUCIRA VĪṆĀ DHVANI GATĪḤ KADĀ SNEHOLLĀSAIR LALITA LALITĀ PRERAṆA BALĀT SALAJJAṀ GĀNDHARVĀ SARASAM ASAKṚC CHIKṢAYATI MĀM O dear friend Rūpa Mañjari! When will Gāndharvā (Rādhikā), on the instigation of lovely Lalitā, shyly, joyfully, tastefully and affectionately teach me new divine poems, different kinds of self-made plays, … Continue reading Sva Sankalpa Prakasa Stotram, verse 2 (Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami)

ANĀRĀDHYA RĀDHĀ PADĀMBHOJA REṆUM ANĀŚRITYA VṚNDĀṬAVĪṀ TAT PADĀṄKĀM ASAMBHĀÑYA TAD BHĀVA GAMBHĪRA CITTĀN KUTAḤ ŚYĀMA-SINDHO RASASYĀVAGĀHAḤ How can anyone enter the Śyāma-ocean of rasa without having worshipped the dust of Śrī Rādhā's lotus feet, without having taken shelter of Vṛndāvana, where Her footprints lie, and without conversing with those persons whose hearts are deep with … Continue reading Sva Sankalpa Prakasa Stotram, verse 1 (Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami)

bāhye antara ihāra dui to sādhana; bāhya - sādhaka dehe kore śravaṇa kīrtana mane - nija siddha deha koriyā bhāvana; rātri-dina kore vraje kṛṣṇera sevana (C.C.) "There are two kinds of sādhana (devotional practice) - external and internal. Externally, within the sādhaka deha (gross physical body), one practices hearing and chanting the glories of Kṛṣṇa … Continue reading Spiritual self-esteem

Śrī Rādhā is (6) the ocean of amṛta cchabi rūpa. She is the very form of glowing nectar and Her form is like a vast ocean. She is mahābhāva personified and mahābhāva is compared to nectar. It is the deepest possible love for Kṛṣṇa, and Rādhā's form reveals this beauty and tastefulness to the utmost, … Continue reading ŚRĪ RĀDHĀ EMBODIES THE SEVEN OCEANS – part 6 & 7 (The oceans of sugarcane juice & salt water)

Śrīmatī is (5) the ocean of lāvaṇya. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī defines lāvaṇya as follows in his 'Ujjvala Nīlamaṇi': muktāphaleṣu chāyāyās taralatvam ivāntarāpratibhāti yad aṅgeṣu lāvaṇyam tad ihocyate     "The luster that gushes out of each bodily limb like the luster shining out from inside pearls, is called lāvaṇya." Śrīmati is the ocean of lāvaṇya, or … Continue reading ŚRĪ RĀDHĀ EMBODIES THE SEVEN OCEANS – part 5 (The ocean of wine)

Śrī Rādhā is (4) the ocean of deep compassion, always showering Her devotees with the nectarstream of Her mercy. Those who have been touched by the nectar of that compassion, can testify. In the eighth canto of his 'Vṛndāvana Mahimāmṛta', Śrīpāda has drawn a very sweet picture of how Śrī Rādhā showers Her maidservants with … Continue reading ŚRĪ RĀDHĀ EMBODIES THE SEVEN OCEANS – part 4 (The ocean of ghee)

Śrī Rādhā is (3) the ocean of vātsalya. Vātsalya means love for the poor and the fallen. Just as Śrī Rādhā is an inexhaustible storehouse of amorous rasa She is also a great ocean of vātsalya-affection. The writers of the rasa śāstras (aesthetic scriptures) say that the vātsalya rasa is not compatible with the madhura … Continue reading ŚRĪ RĀDHĀ EMBODIES THE SEVEN OCEANS – part 3 (The ocean of yoghurt)