Do a Little but do it with Love

Radharani’s Lotus Feet

The beautiful month of Kartik is upon us and like every year we think hard of ways to please Srimati Radharani as this full month is dedicated to Her. We have many one day festivals for celebrating Krishna’s appearances. But for the service of Radharani and for Her pleasure we have a full one month of opportunity. What can we really do for Radharani? What is our mood and prayer? What are the reasons why we do so many austerities and fasts?

There may be many reasons why and many moods with which we can approach this month of Kartik. But some guidelines are given by our Acharyas, our Guru Parampara, and many other senior Vaishnavas. First of all, understand that anything that is coming your way in terms of instructions from seniors is not happening by chance. If we come across such information at this stage in our bhakti process, then we are being given an opportunity by Krishna to practice such things. I say this because for many years we got this mercy to be associated with Krishna and His teachings. We have been trying to keep many fasts, including Kartik Niyam seva (regulated service). Each time it was different as each time we were a little more mature in our path. Each time the feelings were different, and hopefully stronger as we progressed on the bhakti path. For example very early on in our bhakti we hear that in Kartik we do not eat Urad Dal so we only followed that, and now we are hearing that some sadhus eat one meal a day with just boiled food. So as we progress, instructions come our way by Krishna. The senior practitioners of bhakti give us these guidelines which we must follow as best as we can. Doing even a little bit for Radha Krishna but doing it with a lot of love will go a long way in our devotional life. That is the advice and example our Gurudev has set for us. The nature of humans is to always look for their own benefit (“what will I get out of it”) and look for an easy way out. So when we say do it with love then it means love which has no conditions, nothing wanted in return. Actually our desire to love and serve Sri Radha Krishna is the only thing we can really give Them. Everything belongs to Them, what we can actually give is our desire.

SB 3.12.19

tapasaiva paraṁ jyotir
bhagavantam adhokṣajam
sarva-bhūta-guhāvāsam
añjasā vindate pumān

By penance only can one even approach the Personality of Godhead, who is within the heart of every living entity and at the same time beyond the reach of all senses.

Source: https://www.vedabase.com/en/sb/3/12/19

Tapasya, penance or austerity, is the only means of approaching the Lord. Tapasya is often translated as "austerity," but its etymological root, tapas ("deep meditation"), indicates a process of purification by which you make yourself more seasoned and mature.

Tapasya includes control over one’s physical body, speech, thoughts and mind. It helps an individual meditate properly, control the ego, and create a disciplined mind that will not accept the desires of the body.

Source: https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/6638/tapasya

So in essence, our Kartik Niyam seva is meant to teach us how to lead a disciplined way of devotional life. That is Radharani’s mercy. She gives a whole month to practice that. We can see in our Gurudev, that for him, his daily life is a Niyam seva for Srimati Radharani. His daily practices are the same. The goal of some mundane fasting will not do it; our intention behind fasting is more important. Spiritual fasting done for the Lord will make us realize that we are different from this body. That we are a spirit soul. This understanding comes when we perform many austerities of the body, mind and speech. We realize that we are not this body.

When we go through a list of things to do in Kartik one should also think of things that one can adopt into his or her regular devotional life. Eating simple foods at regulated mealtimes is recommended for good health. Offering everything to the Lord and having only prasad is also recommended to do all the time not only in Kartik. In addition when we eat prasad we should sit in silence and we can internally chant the name of Radhe! Radhe! Radhe! with each bite and see each cell in our body get transformed. Singing kirtan, bhajans, and various prayers can be a very nice part of our daily practice. And the same goes for reading scriptures, even if just one sloka; regulated practice is the idea. Chant prayers first thing in the morning as that sets the tone for the day. It reminds you after 8 hours of unconsciousness that your purpose in life and your body that is waking up is to be used for the service of Radhe Shyam. At night be your own accountant and see what service you did, how you did, and what can be improved. In this social media age we are used to looking at pictures and posts constantly getting notifications. Set aside time so one is not disturbed throughout the day. Turn off notifications of unwanted material. One can listen to katha/lectures on the phone or read articles but it’s very easy to get swayed away. It is alright to look at pictures of Deities online, but better yet take those pictures internally. Better to practice smaran, remembrance, as at the time of death no one is going to hold our phone to our face. We don’t know in which circumstances we shall leave our body so practicing internalizing and smaran is a good habit. Also it is told to wake up early in the hours of Brahma Muhurat, one and half hours before sunrise. So in this month make it a chance to see how you feel when you are up early chanting, how peaceful it is. Let that feeling be an impetus to do it throughout your life. Take a day off from work, if possible on ekadasi days, and spend the day in bhajan. Give notice ahead or call in sick. We may not have another Kartik to do this again. Moment to Moment Radha Consciousness….then our Kartik vrata will be successful. Slowly slowly by practice, we do these as an offering for the pleasure of Srimati Radharani daily. Lord Krishna tells us in Bhagavad Gita that by abhyasa, which is practice, we can attain Prema Bhakti, the topmost goal.

Make this a very special Kartik vrata where you surrender completely your mind, intelligence and ego to Sri Radha. All your waking and sleeping hours try to meditate on her sweet form and qualities. We have no capacity to write about Srimati Radharani but this is a humble attempt to encourage everyone to do a little something, but do it with love. In closing below is a paragraph taken from Sri Sri Vraj Vilas Stava by Raghunatha Goswami where he is expressing his most precious aspiration, the lotus feet of Sri Radha!! May we all aspire for the lotus feet of Sri Radha!!

Sri Sri Vraj Vilas Stava, translated by Sri Ananta Das Babaji Maharaj

VERSE 106:

rägena rüpa-manjaryä raktikrta-muradvisah
gunärädhita-rädhäyäh päda-yugme ratir mama

May my loving attachment live in the lotus feet of Sri Rädhä, Who is worshiped by all the divine attributes such as cleverness and to whom Rüpa Manjari has passionately made Krishna very attached.

Stavämrta Kanä Vyäkhyä : After praising the holy dhäma and Sri Sri Rädhä-Mädhava and Their associates, Sripad Raghunätha now prays for his most precious aspiration - Sri rädhäyah päda-yugme mama ratir astu "May I love the lotus feet of Sri Rädhä." This is the practice and this is the goal. This is the highest treasure that is aspired for by the Gaudiya Vaishnavas who are endowed with rädhä snehädhika rati (a greater love for Rädhä than for Krishna). As a result of being exclusively fixed on the lotus feet of Sri Rädhä, all the desires of Vrindävana’s rasa-sädhakas are fulfilled. One may ask: "The Gaudiya Vaishnavas are yugal upäsakas: they worship and serve Sri Rädhä-Mädhava and meditate on Them. How can love for only Sri Rädhä’s feet be their goal? Shouldn’t they aspire for love for the lotus feet of the Divine Pair?" As an answer to such questions it is said: "There is absolutely no difference between love for the Pair’s lotus feet and love for Rädhä’s lotus feet. Rather, love for Rädhä’s lotus feet automatically brings love for the Divine Pair and service to Their lotus feet to even greater perfection. Although the practicing devotee, who is fixed in Rädhä’s lotus feet, does not want Sri Krishna, Sri Krishna Himself comes out searching for him to make him His. Sri Rädhä is known as Krishnamayi, Krishnamayi Krishna yära antara bähire (C.C.) "Krishnamayi means She whose inside out is Krishna". Through Sri Krishna, Sri Rädhä is worshiped. Therefore, how can Rädhä be worshiped and how can love for Her lotus feet be accomplished without Krishna? Therefore although they are yugal upäsakas, the Gaudiya Vaishnavas always think themselves to be Rädhä’s maidservants – "I am Rädhä’s. I have exclusively given my heart to Her!" This is why Sripada Raghunätha desires love for Sri Rädhä’s lotus feet. What this Sri Rädhä is like is described in this verse – Sri Rädhä is worshiped by all the attributes, like cleverness. She, who is always worshiped by all the divine qualities, is Sri Rädhä.

Jai Sri Radhe!!

Here are this week’s tunes

Happy Chanting!!