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SERVING THE YUGAL
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Serving the Yugal in Nityavihar with Sakhibhav
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Hita Harivamsa Prabhu understands us abut service of the Yugal. Here service of the Yugal meant service of Radha and Krishna. If so, is it his view to worship Radhakrishna as two separate Divine Personalities?. Or to view them as transcendental personality (bhava swaroop) and behold and serve them in Yugal Bhav (transcendental feeling of oneness in two) as one form (swaroop)? According to the devotional feeling of the devotee either Sri Radhaji emerges or Sri Krishna, from the very single personality.
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The Geeta enunciates, "ye yadhamam prapadyante tam tadhaiva bhajamyaham". I bless my darshan according to the Bhav (devotional preference or feeling) of the devotee. That is, the Lord appears before the devotee in his meditation according to his wish or liking. In the same way the Radhikatapanyopanishad as contained in the Atharvaveda enunciates that 'one Radha swaroop' to fulfill the wishes of devotees blesses its darshan as dual armed Krishna and immerses them in ecstasy by playing the Divine Flute. The very Upanishad further says that when Radhaji assumes the form of dual armed Krishna playing Divine Flute, Nandanadan filled with ecstasy, hurriedly gathers flowers and prepares garlands and lovingly adorns the Murali Krishna form of Radhaji. The inner meaning of the Divine Play is
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(1) There is no difference between Radha and Krishna
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(2) Worship of either becomes worship of Sri Yugal (Radhakrishna).
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There cannot be any comparison between the Tatva (nature) of the world of Bhav (Bhav Jagat) and that of outer world (Bahya Jagat). The outer world is the world of Maya filled with name and form. The Bhav Jagat is free from limitations like name and form. Two persons of the outer world exist with many variations. But in the Bhav Jagat there cannot be 'two-ness'. If Radhaji appears there before us and we call Her 'He Krishna', Radhaji disappears and Krishna appears in Her place. Like-wise if we call Krishna as 'Radha', Radhaji appears in place of Krishna.
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The 'Yugal Seva' enunciated by Hitaji meant that one can behold both Radha and Krishna in either of them.
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We should not treat Radha and Krishna as individuals. Their Bhav Swaroop (Transcendental Form) should always be kept in mind. In Vrindavan, Ban ke Bihariji though appears as one single idol, both Radha and Krishna grace their darshan to the devotees out of that single form. The Scriptures declared, having similar Bhav we also can worship Sri Radhaji alone.
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In this context we may understand the averments of Krishna in Padma Purana.
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On the banks of the Yamuna in Vrindavan Lord Krishna graced his appearance of dual armed swaroop to Lord Shiva and said that devotees vary rarely get opportunity to have the darshan that Divine Form.
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| Viharamya naya nityamasyah premavasee kruthah |
| Imanthu mathpriyam Vidhi Radhikam paradevatham |
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Captivated by her Love I always roam with her. Know that she is my Deity Sri Radhaji. Know that she is the essence of Divine Love
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-Padma puranam
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Lord Shiva asked
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How to reach your Lotus Feet.
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Sri Krishna replied,
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With 'Gopi Bhava' (devotional feeling of a cowherd girl) surrender unto both of us. You can attain me.
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| Yo mameva prapannascha mathpriyam na maheswara |
| na kadapi sachapnothi Mamevam The Mayoditham |
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If one surrenders to me without having surrendered to Radhaji one cannot get my 'darshan'.
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-Padma puranam
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| Sakrudavam Prapanno va Mathpriyamekikam Sutha |
| Sevathenananyabhavena Sa mamethi na samsayaha |
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Even if one does not surrender to me but worships and serves Sri Radhaji alone with Ananyanishta, I will bless him with my 'darshan'. This is beyond any doubt.
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-Padma puranam
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The above declarations of Sri Krishna in the Padma Purana elucidated that even if a Jeeva worships and surrenders himself to Radhaji without doing so for Sri Krishna, He (Sri Krishna) will surely shower His grace upon such being.
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Devee Bhagawatha says that without Sri Radha, Krishna does not exist.
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| Krishnarchanaya nadhikaromato radharchanam vina |
| Vaishnavaih sakalaismat kartavyam radhikarchanam |
| Krishna pranadhika devee tadadheeno vibhuryatah |
| Raseswari tasya nityam taya heenona tishtati. |
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A person who doesn't worship Sri Radha becomes ineligible to worship Krishna too. Therefore it is the primary duty of every Vaishnava to worship Radhaji. She is the very life of Krishna. Krishna always remains in the control of Sri Radha. She is the eternal controller and nourisher of the Raas played by Krishna. Without Radha there is no Krishna.
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-Devi Bhagavatham
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Radha and Krishna do always remain as one, never they are two separate entities.
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Declaring the same Truth the Scriptures affirmed:
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| Avayorbheda buddinca yah karoti naradhama |
| Tasya vasah kala sutre yavachandra divakarau |
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Oh! Radha, that inferior human who thinks that we are different from each other, will suffer in the hell-Kalasutra as long as the Sun and the Moon last.
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Its inner meaning is Yugal swaroop of Radhakrishna is but the transcendental phenomenon of Radhaji (Bhav Swaroop of Radhaji). Sri Radha and Krishna are one entity. When the Divine play commences they appear as two. This is a grand secret which is beyond the comprehension of mundane Jeeva.
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After marriage ceremony, looking at Sri Ramachandra who is seated in a chariot Janakidevi said, "the wife should regard herself as the servent of her husband. My mother told while leaving my parental Home now". The Ramayana says that Sri Rama detested the very feeling of servitude by wife. Wife is the companion of husband. The same spirit of companion ship is symbolized in ' wife walking seven steps' along with her husband around the fire while Vedic mantra are recited in the backdrop. This is real spirit of companionship.
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All the Eight Sakhis of replete with the same Bhav always accompany Sri Radhaji without leaving Her a moment.
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Among the devotees of Chaitanya Prabhu, Raghunadh das goswami occupies a superior state in Radha devotion. He used to live on the bank of Radha Kund in Vrindavan. An incident in his life reveals his depth and one-pointedness of devotion. On the occasion of installation ceremony of Govindji which is the foremost temple in Vrindavan, all the Goswamis of Chaitanya Prabhu invited Raghunadh to attend the ceremony. But Raghunadh politely replied,
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To remain attached to Radhaji alone is my life. There cannot be any change in this life. I serve Radhaji at the Radhakund. I cannot come to the installation ceremony.
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Saying so, Raghunadh ultimately did not go to Govindji's installation ceremony. This is a kind of Sahachari Bhav (Divine Feeling of companionship). Reaching higher state in Radhaji's devotion a devotee cannot part with Sahachari Bhav even a moment. He cannot live a moment without this Bhav. Whenever Sri Radhakrishna roam in the Vana Sakhis always accompany them. Though they are visibly not seen no Sakhi can ever leave Radhaji even a moment.
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In the meditation of Radhaji, when the seeker involves in worldly activities forgetting the presence of Radhaji, it will be regarded as 'parting with Radhaji'. A seeker who follows the path of meditation always remains attached to Her presence-feeling or Radha Bhav. He remembers Mother within the mind, reflects Mother's living presence in his speech and involves himself in the activities of Mother. All the more, the most important thing is the innate feeling of companionship of Sriji as a Sakhi. That is always to live in accordance with the 'will and liking (preeti)' of Radhaji, always immersing in the presence of Radhaji. In all, living life in the way Radhaji lives- in word, deed and thought. This is known as living the life of Radha Bhav. After living in Radha Bhav for some time, a body develops within the Sadhaka (seeker) which is beyond his Physical, Astral and Causal bodies (Every Jeeva possesses these three bodies). This is Bhava Deha and this is formed and nourished only with the grace of Radhaji.
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If a Seeker lives the life of Radha Bhav throughout his life, from the stand point of Bhav, he becomes Radhaji Herself. Such a Jeeva resembles Radhaji in the outer plane as well as in the mental plane. Such a great soul is regarded as 'Eternal Sakhi' (Nitya Sakhi) of Radhaji. In Vraj Purana (stories of Divine Play of Radha Krishna in the Vraj) there is story about an eternal Sakhi of Radhaji.
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Once on the banks of the Yamuna Radha Krishna were roaming together. Suddenly Krishna said,
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Radhe. Radhe..a mysterious power is taking me away
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Saying so, Gopal was going off in the air in a direction. Sri Radha was also going along with Him. Moments later, they entered a beautiful flowery garden. In the middle of the garden many youthful women gathered around a young man and they were fondly serving him in many ways.
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Kanhaiya, is n't their play indecent? Why did you bring me here?
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Sri Radhaji questioned.
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He Radhe! Inwardly this man has attached himself only to me. Now, I will distance my self for minute, see what happens
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replied Kanhaiya. Forthwith the young man got up and started uttering loudly, "He, Krishna, Where are you going leaving me here. You are my life. What is going away from me is not you but my life itself", saying so, the youth ran around like a mad person.
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Now we have noticed the transcendental Bhav of Krishna. Similarly a Jeeva possessing Radha Bhav cannot live a moment leaving Radhaji.
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Sri Radhaji is the life-breath of Krishna. She is the master of Divine play of Krisna. As Krishna cannot live a moment without Radha, the devotee of Radhaji cannot live without Her. The Sakhi's life is Radha. Sakhi's controller and master also is Sri Radha. There is no Sakhi without Radha.
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