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| Radha Astami |
Saying this, let us remember the pastime about how Srimati Radharani appeared. She came just to serve Krsna. . . She wanted to make devotees for Him, just like Gadadhara Pandit (who is Her expansion), also came to make devotees for MahaPrabhu's.
When King Vrshabhanu offers his Beautiful, blind baby girl to Narada Muni for blessings, Narada Muni became overwhelmed in ecstasy, his hair stood on end, tears were flowing from his eyes, all his body was shivering. . .Narada Muni took that girl baby and put her on his lap. He started to think :'I have gone to all the places in the entire universe, no where I had found such a beautiful girl like this. NOWHERE!!
I am very fortunate.' Then he tells King Vrshabhanu that he is very very fortunate to have this baby girl as daughter. Wherever this girl is, this place resides the Goddess of Fortune. So your duty is just to take care of this baby and nothing else. Narada Muni prayed to Radharani with very pleasing prayers, having Her on his lap. He asked Her to give darshan of Her Youthful Kishori form. Radharani being very pleased appeared before him with all Her sakhis and told Narada Muni to meet Her in Kusum Sarovar. Accordingly Narada Muni got darshan of Srimati Radharani in Her Kishori Form which is very very pleasing, which attracts the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Sri Radha is the Best Gopi:
“The SKANDA PURANA states that out of many thousands of gopis, sixteen thousand are predominant; and out of 108 gopis, eight are still more prominent; out of eight gopis Radharani and Candravalli are prominent; and out of these two gopis, Radharani is the most prominent” (KB Chap. 31). “Because Radha possesses all the charm and sweetness, She is the better of the two. In the Sruti-sastra Radharani is known by the name Gandharva-devi. Srimati Radharani considers Sri Krsna millions and millions of times more dear than Her own life’s breath”. (RKG) When we compare the gopis, it appears that Srimati Radharani is most important because Her real feature expresses the highest ecstasy of love. The mahabhava (ecstasy of love) experienced by the other gopis cannot be compared to that of Sri Radha. Radharani is the very form of ecstatic love for Sri Krsna who says: “The happiness I feel when meeting Radharani is a hundred times greater than the happiness I get from meeting others”. (CC Adi 4.258) “Srimati Radharani is the beloved consort of Krsna, and She is the wealth of Krsna’s life. Without Radharani surpasses all in beauty, good qualities, in good fortune, and, above all, in love”. (CC Adi 4.214)
Being the greatest devotee and the nest worshiper of Sri Krsna, Sri Radha possesses the most exemplary
The Special Reason for Writing the SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM
“Since so many Puranas already depict Krsna’s pastimes, it was not necessary to retell Lord Krsna’s pastimes in the SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM. What was the special reason for writing the SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM? The SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM was written to introduce and describe the glories of the gopis; and especially to establish Srimati Radharani’s supremely elevated position as the most beloved of the Supreme Lord Krsna”. (SVMP) According to Srila Visvanatha Cakravati Thakur, in the SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM verse (10.83.42) the word “sriyah” refers to the supreme goddess of fortune, Srimati Radharani.” “The transcendental goddess, Srimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Lord Sri Krsna. Radha is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. Radharani possesses all attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. Radharani is the internal potency of the Lord”. (BGT)
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