The Perfection of all Bhajana
By Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura
Bhaktivinode Thakur discusses the glories of Sri Radha Kunda in his piyusha-varshini commentary on the last verse of Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Upadesamrita.
sri-radha-krishnera svabhavika mahatmya varna-na-dvara sadhakera citte dridhata utpanna karibara abhipraye ekadasa slokera avatarana. sri radhika sri krishnera atisaya pranaya-vasati evam anya- priyajana apeksha sarvatabhave preshtha. munigana sastre ei-rupa utkarsha sri-radha-kunda sambandhe likhiyachena. kevala sadhaka-bhakta digera ta kathai nai, ye prema naradadi preshtha-vargera paksha-u durlabha, taha anayase bhaktipurvaka radha-kunde snana karile sei kunda pradana karena. sutaram radha-kundai samasta bhajana- parayana-digera-vasa-yogya sthana. aprakrita vraje aprakrita jiva aprakrita gopi-deha labha kariya sri-radha-kunde sviya guru-rupa sakhira kunje palya-dasi-bhave avasthiti karatah bahye nirantara namasraya-purvaka krishnera ashta-kaliya sevaya srimati radhikara paricarya karai sri-caitanya-caranasrita vyaktira bhajana-caturi.
Through the description of the natural glories of Sri Sri Radha Krishna[1], this eleventh verse is composed with the intention of solidifying the devotional consciousness of the practitioner of devotional service.
Srimati Radhika is the topmost abode of deep-rooted love of Krishna, and moreover She is superior in all respects to all other dear cowherd girls. The glories of Her kunda have also been described by the great sages in a similar way in the revealed scriptures.
The prema that is difficult to attain even for sages like Narada, what to speak of general practitioners, is attained by devotionally bathing in the waters of this kunda. Therefore, its banks are the ideal residence for all those engaged in perfecting their devotional life.
The expertise of a living entity sheltered at the feet of Lord Chaitanya will be exhibited in three ways:
1) he will externally chant and remember the asta-kaliya pastimes of the divine couple,
2) he will internally serve Srimati Radharani by acquiring a spiritually perfected gopi body in the divine realm of Vrindavan, and
3) he will always keep a mood of being the maintainer maid-servant[2] of the flowery bower[3] created by the sakhi who is one’s guru[4].
[1] In a previous verse of the same book.
[2] A palya-dasi
[3] Kunja
[4] Translated from the Sri Upadesamrita with various commentaries published by Sri Chaitanya Math, Mayapur.
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