Who is Radha? (source: Jagadguru Kripalu Maharaj)

Prakati Kirti Kumari,  Kirti Ghar !

Radha is not a separate personality.  Sri Krishna Himself became two – one is Radha form and one, Krishna, Vedas declare. Just as Sri Krishna appeared, so she also descended. They reside in heart.  Her body is not made of five elements.  Radha is only bliss (ananda matra). Ras is greater than Anand. There is Anand and there is Rasa. The bliss of Formless God that a jnani gets, greater than that is Divine Love or Prem Rasa that a devotee gets. Divine Love is condensed essence of bliss.

Sat, Chit, Anand are the three aspects of God. The core essence of Anand is Hladini Shakti and Prem (Divine Love) is the core essence of Hladini Shakti. That is why the great teachers have said that if you multiply Brahma-Anand (bliss of Formless God) by a parodh (a parodh means 1 followed by 17 zeros) it will not compare to even a drop of Prem-Ananda. Such is the Rasa or bliss of Divine Love.

And there are classes even within Ras. Ahead of Prem Bhakti is Sneha Bhakti, then Maan Bhakti, Prananya Bhakti, Raag Bhakti, Anurag Bhakti, Bhav Bhakti and then Mahabhav Bhakti, the ultimate stage.  Mahabhav is also of two kinds: Rudh Mahabhav and Adhirudh Mahabhav.  Adhirudh Mahabhav is of two kinds: Modan and Mohan.  And there is another bhav distinct from all these is a bhav called Madankhya Mahabhav. No saint has attained this bhav even in Golok.  Not even RadhaRani’s most personal associate – Lalita, Vishakha etc. have attained it. This state exists only with Radha Rani. That is, Radha Rani only heard the name ‘Krishna’ and became fully surrendered. She simply heard the flute and became fully dedicated. She simply saw his picture and went into a divine trance. This is Madanakhya Mahabhav.  So the One possessing the supreme state of Madanakhya Mahabhav, that supreme power is Radha. Such an indescribable, divine, supreme entity is Radha, who appeared in the lap of Mother Kirti !

Unlimited happiness, the divine bliss that a mother gets even the father does not get, the siblings get even less and rest of the public in Braj get even lesser. But even the lesser amount of it is countless times that of Brahma Ananda.  Forget about competing with mother Kirti, but even if a donkey of Braj gets a vision of Radha Rani, that Ras is still be greater than countless billions of Brahma-ananda. Such a Radha Rani appeared in mother Kirti’s home.

When something auspicious happens, the Vedas mantra are recited, especially the ‘Swasti’ recitation

स्वस्ति न इन्द्रो वृद्धश्रवाः ।
स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः ॥

svasti na indro vṛddhaśravāḥ |
svasti naḥ pūṣā viśvavedāḥ ||

May Indra, who is provided with great speed, has good will toward us. |
May Pusha, who knows the world, has good will toward us. ||

Brahma himself came to recite verses. Brahma found out by Radha Rani’s grace that She, the supreme power is coming to our world and Her Bliss, Love will shower like it has never showered before. So Brahma came to recite the ‘Swasti’ mantra. When Brahma came, the four Vedas said, ‘O’ Brahma, you are going! Why should we be left behind?’ The four Vedas themselves recited the mantras. So the four Vedas also arrived. They are so overjoyed that they could not control themselves, so they came without being called to welcome Radha Rani.

Prakati Kirti Kumari, Kirti Ghar !!

Brahmadik Swastaya patth kara

Astuti kar sruti cari, Kirti Ghar

Prakati Kirti Kumari, Kirti Ghar !

Now saints to sing Her glories also came. Narad and others glorify Her by singing her virtues: Radha rani is like this, She bestows grace etc.

Parakati Kirti Kumari, Kirti ghar !

Naradadi, Virdavali gavata

Kahi jaya Bhanu dulari, Kirti ghar

Parakai Kirti Kumari, Kirti ghar !

So the Vedas praised and sang glories. Lord Shiva came to dance – tandava dance that occurs in trance.

Tandava nirtaya karat Shiv Shankra

Sudhi budhi dina bisari, Kirti ghar

Parakati Kirti Kumari, Kirti ghar !

Who will do the Aarti? There are three great powers: Brahma, Vishnu, Shankar. Their Hladini shakti (power of love-bliss) – Uma, Rama, Brahmani – all 3 arrived and performed divine aarti and took part in welcoming Radha Rani.

Uma, Rama, Brahmani adika

Aarti Kumari uttari, Kirti ghar !

Prakati Kirti kumari, Kirti ghar.

Some Paramhamsa, ultimate jnanis absorbed in Brahmanand, also reached there. They kept looking at Her. Their brahm-samadhi turned around and became Prem-samadhi. When they regained consciousness, they just said one word – ‘Balihaar’, meaning we sacrifice our Brahmanand on this divine form. They could not say anything else, but one word, ‘Balihaar’. Because the Brahmanand that those souls had acquired was on the basis of the mind. They realised Brahm when the mind still existed, and when the mind was finished, then only the existence remained, i.e. only the soul remained and the soul merged into God. Now who is left to experience? When the mind still existed, they could not experience the Formless God and when they suffered the karmas and finished the mind, then the time came to realize Brahm. But how can the poor souls experience Brahm without the mind? He does not even have a mind or intellect – forget body or senses. So there were a few rare jnanis who received grace from a Rasik saint so that they could experience Ras of divine personal form of Brahm. The rest of the souls merge into Brahm forever.

Prakati Kirti Kumari, Kirti ghar !

Lakhata Kripalu gyani jan ik tak

Puni puni kahi balihari, Kirti Gahr

Prakati Kirti Kumari, Kirti ghar !