From our practical experience we can say we got this chance. We got this chance. We got very nice parents. And I was born in a family, a very pure family. And, of course, in those days they were rich also. We had Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa mūrti-sevā. So from the childhood I was taught... Not taught. I asked my father, "Give me this Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa mūrti. I shall worship." And father encouraged me. I was performing this Ratha-yātrā festival. My father encouraged. So this means that I got this chance again.
Radha-Krsna worship (Lectures)
Expressions researched:
"worship"
|"worshiped"
|"worshipers"
|"worshipful"
|"worshiping"
|"worships"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
And because we are also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we have got the propensity to dance with young girls or enjoy the company of the young girls. That propensity is not unnatural. It is natural, jubilation, but because it is in material contact, we cannot enjoy it fully. There are so many inebrieties. Those who have seen our temple, we worship Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in jubilation. They are, along with the gopīs, playing the flute and many musical instruments, dancing. That is the definition given in the Vedānta-sūtra. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt, means "by nature jubilant." There is no moroseness. There is no unhappiness. That is the kingdom of God.
Therefore we worship Kṛṣṇa not alone—Kṛṣṇa with Rādhārāṇī. You have seen the picture. Kṛṣṇa is standing with Rādhārāṇī. So that is full realization of the Absolute Truth. Without energy, simply energetic Kṛṣṇa, that is not full realization. So all the Vaiṣṇavas, they worship the Absolute Truth Personality of Godhead, with the energy. Just like there are many devotees, Sītā-Rāma. They worship mother Sītā and Rāma. There are other Vaiṣṇavas who worship Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, and Nārāyaṇa. In this way, we Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇavas, we worship Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.
So children, they generally imitate, imitate the parents' habits or activities. So fortunately we had the opportunity of getting such a father. So we are imitating our father. In my childhood I imitated my father. He was worshiping Deity of Kṛṣṇa. So I asked him, "My dear father, I shall worship. Give me the Deity of Kṛṣṇa." So he gave me a little Deity of Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā and I was imitating. So beginning of life... So these are actually facts. Mahārāja Parīkṣit also, he was playing with Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa dolls. Just like Mirabhai. She was playing with Kṛṣṇa doll and later on she became a very high-grade devotee. So these chances are there.
Of course, our family was not very poor, but we were not very rich men. But my father was very pious man. So he was worshiping Kṛṣṇa. So in my childhood, when I was five or six years old, I requested my father that "Father, give me this Deity. I shall worship." So father purchased for me little Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā, and he gave me, and I was imitating. Whatever foodstuff I was getting, I was offering to Kṛṣṇa and eating. In this way I got my life developed. And there was a temple in our neighborhood. So I was seeing the Kṛṣṇa Deity. Oh, I was thinking... I still remember. I was standing for hours together.
And if you simply increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa, then asaṁśayam, without any doubt, samagram, and in fullness, you can understand what is God. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We have got our Kṛṣṇa's form. Just like you see Kṛṣṇa is playing on His flute. Here is also Kṛṣṇa standing with His brother Balarāma. So Kṛṣṇa is sometimes with Rādhārāṇī, so we worship Kṛṣṇa-Rādhā, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in our temple. Those who have not seen—we invite all of you to our temple—there is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity. So this process, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is to teach people how to increase his attachment for Kṛṣṇa.
So sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. This is the description of the God, Kṛṣṇa, in this age. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam (SB 11.5.32). And how to worship Him? What is the process? Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ. That's all. You keep Caitanya Mahāprabhu's Deity and chant and dance—your life is successful. So easy. We are worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. That is very difficult. But if we keep Caitanya Mahāprabhu with His associates, this Pañca-tattva, Gaura-Nitāi, Gaura-Gadādhara, or Pañca-tattva, and worship Him according to the śāstra description... The śāstra description is yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ. This is yajña.
Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that, hari hari bifale janama goṅāinu. "My dear Lord, Hari, I have simply spoiled my life." Bifale jan..., hari hari bifale janama goṅāinu. "I have wasted my time." Why? Manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu. "I got this nice human form of body especially for worshiping Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, but I have not done that. Therefore willingly I have drunk poison."
This is the lamentation of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a Vaiṣṇava. Saṁsāra-biṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jvale. "In this material existence, this eating, sleeping, mating and defending, with this business, always my heart is burning." Saṁsāra-biṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jvale, juṛāite nā kainu upāya. "I did not make any means to get out of this." Golokera prema-dhana. Therefore indirectly he is giving hint that human life is meant for worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.
There is Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings very nice song, hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu: "My dear Lord, Hari, I have simply spoiled my life." Hari hari biphale, janama goṅāinu. Manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā: "I got very nice body, just fit for worshiping Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa." Manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa..., jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu: "Knowingly I have drunk poison." Jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu. This is the life of mūḍha. One should be conscious that "I have got this opportunity of human life. I must be, in this life, simply Kṛṣṇa conscious. I shall simply think of Kṛṣṇa."
This is the ultimate end of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that anta-kāle, at the time of death, at the end of life, anta-kāle ca mām, "unto Me," anta-kāle ca mām eva (BG 8.5), "certainly," smaran, "remembering..." The Deity worship especially meant for this purpose, so that you go on worshiping the Deity of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, naturally you'll be practiced to think of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa always within your heart. This practice required. Anta-kāle ca mām eva smaran muktvā (BG 8.5). This is the mukti.
This is jñāna, regretting "My dear Lord, I got this very opportune moment to possess this human form of life, manuṣya-janama pāiyā, but my duty was to worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa." That is the highest perfection of worshiping. Ramya kecid upāsanā vraja-vadhu-vargabhir ya kalpita. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended, "The upāsanā, the worship which was invented by the gopīs to worship Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, ramya kecid upāsanā, there is no more perfect upāsanā." So this rādhā-kṛṣṇa-upāsanā is the perfection of upāsanā. Even it is better than viṣṇu-upāsanā. In the material way of life viṣṇu-upāsanā has been recommended as the highest.
So Śrī Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that "I got this opportunity of human life, but instead of worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, I have worshiped so many things." Somebody is worshiping his body, somebody is worshiping his mind, somebody is worshiping his country, somebody is worshiping his something else, something else, or somebody is worshiping some other demigods also.
Therefore the Deity worship is very important. If you are engaged in Deity worship, you always get impression of Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī. And if you think of Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī always within your heart, then you become the topmost yogi. Mayy arpita-mano-buddhiḥ. Yo mad-bhaktaḥ. "In this way, one who executes devotional service," sa me priyaḥ, "he is very dear to Me." So if you want to be dear, if you want to be seen by Kṛṣṇa, if you want to be seen by God, follow this instruction and your life will be successful.
We don't worship nirākāra. Beautiful, the most beautiful. The most beautiful. Kṛṣṇa is the most beautiful, Rādhārāṇī is the most beautiful. Couple, young couple. Our object of worship when we see how nice Rādhārāṇī, how nice Kṛṣṇa, beauty. Yes.
Wherefrom the beauty worship has come in this material world unless there is beauty in the original form, Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī? So God cannot be nirākāra. Otherwise, why this beauty worship has come?
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Actually, this was the practice in India in every home. There was Deity. At least, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, they had Deity, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Sītā-Rāma, or Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa, or Nārāyaṇa śilā. Every house, it was being worshiped. But we have lost our culture.
Just like we have got this temple. We are worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity. That's all right. But side by side we must develop to hear about Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise it will be finished after a few days.
So actually love, the word love, has come from Kṛṣṇa. That is a fact. Therefore you will see always Kṛṣṇa always with Rādhārāṇī. We worship Kṛṣṇa-Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa, Sītā-Rāma. This is Vaiṣṇava's worshipable Deity. We do not worship alone God. We Vaiṣṇava, we want to see Kṛṣṇa and His energy, potency. That is the Vedic system.
Just like I was born in a family. Although I was not a member of that family, but I was born in a very rich family. They had a temple. Still that temple existing. When I last year went to India, I stayed in that temple. Acyutānanda, recently he was there. He informed me that he is staying in that temple. So that is the facility. We got the facility of this temple. Because we were born in that family, from the very beginning of our life we got the idea of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa worship. It is very nice.
So śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). So there is no loss. He begins again worship of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, either in the brāhmaṇa family or in the rich family.
Page Title: | Radha-Krsna worship (Lectures) |
Compiler: | Alakananda |
Created: | 09 of May, 2011 |
Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=74, Con=0, Let=0 |
No. of Quotes: | 74 |