Tag Archive for: ChaitraPurnima

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

According to Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya tattva acarya Sri Jiva Goswamipada, Sri Sri Radha-Krishna personally manifested Shyama Kunda and Radha Kunda at midnight of Chaitra Purnima.

He revealed this truth in his tika to Srimad Bhagavatam (10.45.3):

“Sri Krishna killed Aristasura on Chaitra Purnima when Krishna was eleven years old.”

In Gopal Champu (I. 31.8), Sri Jiva Goswamipada says, “When the full moon of the Chaitra month is in the Chitra nakshatra (star), that is the exact time of the appearance of Radha Kunda, yada-hi–chitra–yuta–purna–candram-purnimam-anu–turnita–cetah.”

The Vishnu Purana (part V, section 14, verse 1) says: pradosardhe-aristah-samupagatah, “The Arista demon arrived in the middle of Pradosh Kal (late evening) when Sri Krishna was relishing Rasa Lila with His gopi sweethearts.”

Pradosh Kal runs from PM 836-1048, which means Arista came to finish Sri Krishna, and ruin the rasa dance at approximately 9.30 pm on Chaitra Purnima evening.  After a brief tussle, Krishna killed the beast and formed the beautiful Shyama Kunda.

After some playful joking with Priyatama, Priyaji and Her sakhis created the magnificent lake of love divine, Sri Radha Kunda, in one hour (10-11 PM), according to Shri Visvanatha Cakravartipada’s tika to Shrimad Bhagavatam (10.36.16): divyam-sarah-prakatitam–ghatika–dvayena.

Now everyone clearly understands that according to our Gaudiya Vaishnava acharyas, Radha Kunda and Shyama Kunda manifested near or about midnight 12 AM on Chaitra Purnima.

EXACT BATHING TIME: Sri Radha Kunda appeared on Chaitra Purnima after Pradosh-kal (PM 836-1048) during Chitra Nakshatra. Since this year, Chitra Nakshatra ends at 10.31pm, it is best to bathe in Shyam kunda and Radha kunda between 9-10.30 pm.

In 2019, ISKCON GBC passed resolution 423.3: “The observance of the appearance of Radha Kunda on Karttika Bahulastami is incorrect. The appearance of Radha Kunda SHOULD BE OBSERVED ON CHAITRA PURNIMA.”

Before offering arati and bathing in Radha Kunda, one can meditate on Sri Raghunatha Dasa Goswami’s “Radha-kundastakam” which follows:

The very dear, beautiful and fragrant Radha Kunda, that appeared after a joking quarrel between Radha and Krishna about piety after killing of the Arista bull demon, and which was joyfully revealed and filled up by Sri Radha’s own hand, with the assistance of Her sakhis, is my only shelter!

The very fragrant, dear and beautiful Radha Kunda, that instantly makes a desire-tree of Krishna prema sprout in the heart of anyone who bathes there, although this is very difficult to attain even by the Vraja-gopis, is my only shelter!

The very dear, beautiful and fragrant Radha Kunda, where Aghari Krishna eagerly bathes and submissively serves to obtain the merciful glance of Devi Radhika, is my only shelter!

 The very dear, beautiful and fragrant Radha Kunda, that is the abode of love for Vrajachandra, which is as dear to Krishna as Sri Radha, the crown-jewel of the sweet vraja-kishoris. Radha Kunda, which was named after Radharani by Krishna, is my only shelter!

The very beautiful and fragrant Radha Kunda, by whose mercy the desire vine of Krishna prema bearing the flowers of seva to my Ishvari Sri Radha, instantly sprouts in the heart of anyone who serves there, is my only shelter!

The very beautiful and fragrant Radha Kunda, whose shores are divided among Sri Radhika’s sakhis who have their own sweet kunjas named after them, and where the bees buzz sweetly, is my only shelter!

The very beautiful and fragrant Radha Kunda, where my Ishvari Sri Radhika makes ever-so-sweet and pleasant jokes about Vrndavanachandra, with Her dearest sakhis on a nice platform on the shore, is my only shelter!

The very beautiful and fragrant Radha Kunda, in whose water, that is filled with nicely smelling lotus flowers, Radha Madhava daily sport in loving intoxication along with Their sakhis, who are in a similar loving frenzy, is my only shelter!

Shruti phala: Anyone who recites this beautiful Radha-kundastakam for Devi Radha with a peaceful mind, a fixed intelligence, and submission to Radha’s blissful seva, will soon see Radha-Krishna in a delightful loving embrace.

Jai Jai Sri Radhe! Sri Radha Kunda ki jai!

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

According to Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya tattva acarya Sri Jiva Goswamipada, Sri Sri Radha-Krishna personally manifested Shyamkund and Radhakund on midnight of Chaitra Purnima.

He revealed this truth in his tika to Srimad Bhagavatam (10.45.3), and in Gopal Champu (I. 31.8), wherein Sri Jiva Goswamipada says: “When the full moon of the Chaitra month is in the CHITRA NAKSATRA (star), that is the EXACT TIME OF THE APPEARANCE OF Radha Kund, yada-hi–CHITRA–yuta–purna–candram-purnimam-anu–turnita–cetah.”

In 2019, ISKCON GBC passed the following resolution: “According to research, the observance of “the appearance of Radha-kunda” on Bahulastami in Karttika is incorrect. And the appearance of Radha-kunda SHOULD BE OBSERVED ON CHAITRA PURNIMA.”

Unfortunately, due to the present restrictions the proper observance of Radha-kunda appearance with a midnight nectar bath will not be possible even if one lives in Radha-kunda or Vrndavana; what to speak of New Delhi. Thus, we will explain how to mentally observe this most wonderful and amazingly merciful appearance of Radha and Krishna as two lakes of prema ambrosia.

Note: Everyone regardless of where you are staying, should honor Radha-kunda avirbhav by staying awake on this day until 12.30 a.m. or so. If you have a container of Radha-kunda amrit, you can honorably place it on a table. Then you can both mentally and physically observe the appearance of Radha-kunda by doing parikrama of the container, offer bhoga, arati and dandavats to it, and finally sprinkle some of the Radha-kunda amrit on your head.   

1. Mental Kunds Parikrama; Mentally think now it’s 11 p.m. Chaitra Purnima, and I am in Radha-kund doing parikrama beginning with dandavats and prayers to Kundeshvara Mahadeva. Then immediately on my right I see and offer dandavats to Radha-Krishna kunds and the Sangam. Continuing on parikram, I will pause before each temple doorway and offer pranams beginning with Purana Radha-Krishna Mandir, Jhulan Sthali, then on to Radha-Kanta, Gopalji, Shyamsundarji, Damodarji, Gopinath Ji, Ma Jahnava Bhaitak, Das Goswami Samadhi, Radha-Ramanji, Govindaji, Ras Mandal, Jagannathji, Vallabhaji, Sita-Ram, Damodarji, Lalita-kund, Mahadeva, Giridhari, Lalita-Bihariji, Prachin Radha Govindadeva, Vinodilal, Gopi-kua, Nita-Gaur Sitanath, Asta-Sakhis, Radha-Madhava, Bankhandi Siva, Mahaprabhu Baithak, Laxmi-Narayana, Madan-Mohan, Gaur-Nitai, Prachin Radha-Gopinath, Nitai Baithak,  Hanumanji, then complete parikrama with dandavats to Kundeshvara.

2. Prayers; sit in your favorite place or before Giriraj Baba on the Sangam between the kunds, and offer prayers such as Sri Raghunatha Dasa Goswami’s “Radha-kundastakam”:

That very dear, beautiful and fragrant Radhakund, that appeared after a joking quarrel between Radha and Krishna about piety after the killing of the Arishta bull demon, and which was joyfully revealed and filled up by Sri Radha’s own hand, with the assistance of Her sakhis, is my only shelter!

That very fragrant, dear and beautiful Radhakund, that instantly makes a desire-tree of prema, love of Krishna, sprout in the land of the heart of anyone who bathes there, although this is very difficult to attain even by the Vraja-gopis, is my only shelter!

That very dear, beautiful and fragrant Radhakund, where even Krishna, the enemy of Aghasura, eagerly and carefully bathes and renders submissive and expert devotional service, desiring to obtain the merciful glance of goddess Radhika, is my only shelter!

That very dear, beautiful and fragrant Radhakund, that is the abode of love for Vrajachandra, which is as dear to Krishna as the crownjewel of sweet adolescent damsels of Vraja, Sri Radhika Herself, and which was called after Her by Krishna, is my only shelter!

That very beautiful and fragrant Radhakund, by whose mercy the desire vine of love for Krishna, that bears the flowers of service of my Ishvari Sri Radha, instantly sprouts in the heart of anyone who performs devotional service there, is my only shelter!

That very beautiful and fragrant Radhakund, whose shores are divided among Sri Radhika’s girlfriends who all have their own sweet nikunjas named after them, and where the bees are buzzing sweetly, is my only shelter!

That very beautiful and fragrant Radhakund, where my Ishvari Sri Radhika makes ever-so-sweet and pleasant jokes about Vrndavanachandra, with Her dearest sakhis  on a nice platform on the shore, is my only shelter!

That very beautiful and fragrant Radhakund, in whose water, that is filled with nicely smelling lotus flowers, Radha and Krishna daily sport in loving intoxication, along with Their sakhis, who are in a similar loving frenzy, is my only shelter!

The benediction offered by Sri Raghunatha Dasa Goswami:

Anyone who recites this beautiful Radha-kundastakam for Devi Radha with a peaceful mind and a fixed intelligence and who submits one’s self to Radha’s blissful service, will soon see Madhuripu Krishna in Radha’s delightful embrace, even in this material body!

2. Offer Puja: Mentally stand on the Sangam and offer to both Shyamkund and Radhakund a panchamrita abhishek, some sweet bhog, and arati with dhoop, deep and flowers.

3. Do Harinam Kirtan for few minutes to sanctify your being.

4. Mental Snana; Then at 12 midnight mentally or physically offer dandavats to Sri Guru, Six Goswamis, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and Radha Govinda Yugala; then sprinkle few sacred sweet drops of kundamrita on your head and in mouth; then most humbly, respectfully and prayerfully bathe first in Shyamkund at Manasa Pavan Ghat followed by snana in Radha-kunda.

5. Dan; Give some money and sweet mahaprasad to any Brahmin you see at Radha-kunda. 

Hopefully next year, by Srimati Radharani’s loving grace, all the Krishna bhaktas will be able to physically come to Radha-kunda on Chaitra Purnima to experience the full ecstasy of honoring the holy appearance of Shyamkund and Radha-kunda.

Radha-kunda divine appearance day ki jai! Jai Jai Sri Radhe!