Today is the appearance of Radha Kunda. I was trying to remember Radha Kunda while chanting today.
Also the below verse,
yathā rādhā priyā viṣṇos
tasyāḥ kuṇḍaṁ priyaṁ tathā
sarva-gopīṣu saivaikā
viṣṇor atyanta-vallabhā
“Just as Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is most dear to Kṛṣṇa, Her bathing pond is similarly dear. Of all the gopīs, She is the most beloved of the Lord.”
Let us have a look at how our acaryas gave an extremely high regard to Radha Kunda:
Shrila Prabhupada
The Nectar of Instruction describes Radha Kunda as the most elevated place in all the three worlds. It is the topmost place in the entire creation. Shrila Prabhupada was extremely cautious to allow his disciples to go there. He would be very particular that his devotees do not take bath there. There was a high chance they may take it causally.
Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura had a Gaudiya Matha near Radha Kunda. Yet, when he would go with his disciples there, once he had told that there was no need to discuss anything about Srimati Radharani. First we must teach the suddha-bhakti of Prahlada. At other time, he was intent on speaking the first verse of Nectar of Instruction which tells us to control the different urges that one must control to progress on the path of bhakti.
Raghunatha Dasa Goswami
Raghunatha Dasa Goswami would stay near the banks of Radha Kunda. He was ordered to do so after the disappearance of Lord Caitanya. There is a pastime of how Srimati Radharani personally provided shade to Dasa Goswami from the hot sun by Her own saree while he was absorbed in his bhajan. That was seen by Sanatana Goswami, and he ordered Raghunatha Dasa to build a small kutir for his bhajan.
Mahaprabhu Himself excavated Radha Kunda and Shyama Kunda during his Vrindavan visit. He saw two small reservoirs of water in two paddy fields. And He could understand them to be non-different than Radha Kunda and Shyama Kunda.
Later, Raghunath Dasa Goswami renovated Radha Kunda and Shyama Kunda. A merchant who wanted to give a large donation to Badri Vishal in Badrinath was personally told in dream by Lord Narayana to go to Vrindavan, and give the amount to Raghunatha. The merchant immediately set out for Vrindavan. He met Raghunatha, and wanted to give the money to him. Raghunatha refused at first, but when he heard it as the Lord’s order, he reluctantly took it. With the help of Jiva Goswami, he then purchased the two paddy fields, and constructed Radha Kunda and Shyama Kunda.
Instruction that Shrila Prabhupada received at Radha Kunda:
Shrila Prabhupada writes in the Eighth Canto, First chapter summary, “Sometime in the year 1935 when His Divine Grace was staying at Rādhā-kuṇḍa, I went to see him from Bombay. At that time, he gave me many important instructions in regard to constructing temples and publishing books. He personally told me that publishing books is more important than constructing temples.”
Prabhupada received the instruction of publishing books at Radha Kunda. How wonderful this is!! At the topmost place in the entire creation, Prabhupada received his life’s instruction. And the fulfillment of that instruction has led to countless number of people getting the grace of Srimati Radharani in their lives.
Our approach towards Radha Kunda:
We must approach these divine places in the mood of our parampara acaryas. Raghunatha Dasa Goswami is our prayojana acarya. Krishna prema is our prayojana. And the sambandha and abhidheya acaryas are Rupa and Sanatana Goswamis, who lived in Vrindavan simply to execute the order of Mahaprabhu.
We cannot attain the prayojana or the destination directly without going through the process (abhidheya). We must follow in the footsteps of Rupa Goswami, and try to fulfill the instructions of our predecessor gurus than to straight jump at the prayojana.
There are many people who wish to simply live in Radha Kunda. Neither Shrila Saraswati Thakura nor Shrila Prabhupada were happy with them. One cannot attain the prayojana of Krishna prema simply by being at Radha Kunda. If sambandha and abhidheya are missing, one is sure to miss the goal. While living in Radha Kunda also, one may miss attaining Krishna Prema.
Therefore, with high regard, one must keep such places at the top of our head, meditate on the grace of Radha and Krishna in our lives, and with great determination try to advance in bhakti. One is sure to attain perfection if one follows the right process.
The story of the origin of Radha Kunda is described in the below purport by the disciples of Shrila Prabhupada where they quote Shrila Vishwanath Chakravarti Thakura.
