Text 1
vṛṣabha-danuja-nāśān narma-dharmokti-raṅgair
nikhila-nija-sakhībhir yat sva-hastena pūrṇam
prakaṭitam api vṛndāraṇya-rājñā pramodais
tad ati-surabhi rādhā-kuṇḍam evāśrayo me
May very fragrant Rādhā-kuṇḍa, which, prodded by the gopīs' many joking words after Vṛṣabhāsura's death, the king of Vṛndāvana forest happily built and filled with His own hand, be my shelter.
Text 2
vraja-bhuvi mura-śatroḥ preyasīnāṁ nikāmair
asulabham api tūrṇaṁ prema-kalpa-drumaṁ tam
janayati hṛdi bhūmau snātur uccair priyaṁ yat
tad ati-surabhi rādhā-kuṇḍam evāśrayo me
May very dear and fragrant Rādhā-kuṇḍa, which, for one who bathes in it immediately creates in the land of the heart a desire tree of pure love rare even among the gopī beloveds of Lord Kṛṣṇa in Vraja, be my shelter.
Text 3
agha-ripur api yatnād atra devyāḥ prasāda-
prasara-kṛta-katākṣa-prāpti-kāmaḥ prakāmam
anusarati yad ucaaiḥ snāna-sevānubandhais
tad ati-surabhi rādhā-kuṇḍam evāśrayo me
May very dear and fragrant Rādhā-kuṇḍa, where, yearning to attain the merciful sidelong glance of His queen, Lord Kṛṣṇa diligently follows Her bathing attendants, be my shelter.
Text 4
vraja-bhuvana-sudhāṁśoḥ prema-bhūmir nikāmaṁ
vraja-madhura-kiśorī-mauli-ratna-priyeva
paricitam api nāmnā yac ca tenaiva tasyās
tad ati-surabhi rādhā-kuṇḍam evāśrayo me
May very fragrant Rādhā-kuṇḍa, which is named after a girl who is a realm of love for He who is the moon of Vraja, a girl who is like the most precious jewel in the crown of the sweet girls of Vraja, be my shelter.
Text 5
api jana iha kaścid yasya sevā-prasādaiḥ
praṇaya-sura-latā syāt tasya goṣṭhendra-sūnoḥ
sapadi kila mad-īśā-dāsya-puṣpa-praśasyā
tad ati-surabhi rādhā-kuṇḍam evāśrayo me
The mercy obtained by serving Rādhā-kuṇḍa makes the celestial vine of pure love for the prince of Vraja, which is famous for bearing the flowers of service to my queen, sprout. May that very fragrant Rādhā-kuṇḍa be my shelter.
Text 6
taṭa-madhura-nikuñjaḥ klpta-nāmāna uccair
nija-parijana-vargaiḥ samvibhajyāśritas taiḥ
madhukara-ruta-ramyā yasya rājanti kāmyās
tad ati-surabhi rādhā-kuṇḍam evāśrayo me
May very fragrant Rādhā-kuṇḍa, on the shores of which are many splendid and charming forest groves filled with the sweet sounds of bumblebees and each named after one of Śrī Rādhā's friends, be my shelter.
Text 7
taṭa-bhuvi vara-vedyāṁ yasya narmāti-hṛdyāṁ
madhura-madhura-vārtāṁ goṣṭha-candrasya bhaṅgyā
praṭhayati mitha īśā prāṇa-sakhyālibhiḥ sā
tad ati-surabhi rādhā-kuṇḍam evāśrayo me
May very fragrant Rādhā-kuṇḍa, on the shore of which, in a pleasant courtyard Queen Rādhā and Her friends sweetly joke with Lord Kṛṣṇa, the moon of Vraja, be my shelter.
Text 8
anudinam ati-raṅgaiḥ prema-mattāli-saṅghair
vara-sarasija-gandhair hāri-vāri-prapūrṇe
viharata iha yasmin dam-patī tau pramattau
tad ati-surabhi rādhā-kuṇḍam evāśrayo me
May very fragrant Rādhā-kuṇḍa, where the passionate divine couple daily plays with Their passionate friends in the charming lotus-scented water, be my shelter.
- phala-śruti -
the result of hearing/ reading this Stotra
avikalam ati devyāś cāru kuṇḍāṣṭakaṁ yaḥ
paripaṭhati tadīyollāsi-dāsyārpitātmā
aciram iha śarīre darśayaty eva tasmai
madhu-ripur ati-modaiḥ śliṣyamāṇāṁ priyāṁ tām
To one who is completely dedicated to Queen Rādhā's service and who happily reads these eight beautiful verses describing Her lake, even in this present body Lord Kṛṣṇa shows His beloved as he happily embraces Her.
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Srila Prabhupada reveals the glory of Radha Kunda.
vaikuṇṭhāj janito varā madhu-purī tatrāpi rāsotsavād
vṛndāraṇyam udāra-pāṇi-ramaṇāt tatrāpi govardhanaḥ
rādhā-kuṇḍam ihāpi gokula-pateḥ premāmṛtāplāvanāt
kuryād asya virājato giri-taṭe sevāṁ vivekī na kaḥ
SYNONYMS
vaikuṇṭhāt—than Vaikuṇṭha, the spiritual world; janitaḥ—because of birth; varā—better; madhu-purī—the transcendental city known as Mathurā; tatra api—superior to that; rāsa-utsavāt—because of the performance of the rāsa-līlā; vṛndā-araṇyam—the forest of Vṛndāvana; udāra-pāṇi—of Lord Kṛṣṇa; ramaṇāt—because of various kinds of loving pastimes; tatra api—superior to that; govardhanaḥ—Govardhana Hill; rādhā-kuṇḍam—a place called Rādhā-kuṇḍa; iha api—superior to this; gokula-pateḥ—of Kṛṣṇa, the master of Gokula; prema-amṛta—with the nectar of divine love; āplāvanāt—because of being overflooded; kuryāt—would do; asya—of this (Rādhā-kuṇḍa); virājataḥ—situated; giri-taṭe—at the foot of Govardhana Hill; sevām—service; vivekī—who is intelligent; na—not; kaḥ—who.
TRANSLATION
The holy place known as Mathurā is spiritually superior to Vaikuṇṭha, the transcendental world, because the Lord appeared there. Superior to Mathurā-Purī is the transcendental forest of Vṛndāvana because of Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa-līlā pastimes. And superior to the forest of Vṛndāvana is Govardhana Hill, for it was raised by the divine hand of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and was the site of His various loving pastimes. And, above all, the superexcellent Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa stands supreme, for it is overflooded with the ambrosial nectarean prema of the Lord of Gokula, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Where, then, is that intelligent Person who is unwilling to serve this divine Rādhā-kuṇḍa, which is situated at the foot of Govardhana Hill?
PURPORT
The spiritual world is three fourths of the total creation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it is the most exalted region. The spiritual world is naturally superior to the material world; however, Mathurā and the adjoining areas, although appearing in the material world, are considered superior to the spiritual world because the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself appeared at Mathurā. The interior forests of Vṛndāvana are considered superior to Mathurā because of the presence of the twelve forests (dvādaśa-vana), such as Tālavana, Madhuvana and Bahulāvana, which are famous for the various pastimes of the Lord. Thus the interior Vṛndāvana forest is considered superior to Mathurā, but superior to these forests is the divine Govardhana Hill because Kṛṣṇa lifted Govardhana Hill like an umbrella, raising it with His lotuslike beautiful hand to protect His associates, the denizens of Vraja, from the torrential rains sent by the angry Indra, King of the demigods. It is also at Govardhana Hill that Kṛṣṇa tends the cows with His cowherd friends, and there also He had His rendezvous with His most beloved Śrī Rādhā and engaged in loving pastimes with Her. Rādhā-kuṇḍa, at the foot of Govardhana, is superior to all because it is there that love of Kṛṣṇa overflows. Advanced devotees prefer to reside at Rādhā-kuṇḍa because this place is the site of many memories of the eternal loving affairs between Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī (rati-vilāsa).
In Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā) it is stated that when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu first visited the area of Vrajabhūmi, He could not at first find the location of Rādhā-kuṇḍa. This means that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was actually searching for the exact location of Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Finally He found the holy spot, and there was a small pond there. He took His bath in that small pond and told His devotees that the actual Rādhā-kuṇḍa was situated there. Later the pond was excavated by Lord Caitanya’s devotees, headed first by the six Gosvāmīs, such as Rūpa and Raghunātha dāsa. Presently there is a large lake known as Rādhā-kuṇḍa there. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has given much stress to Rādhā-kuṇḍa because of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s desire to find it. Who, then, would give up Rādhā-kuṇḍa and try to reside elsewhere? No person with transcendental intelligence would do so. The importance of Rādhā-kuṇḍa, however, cannot be realized by other Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas, nor can persons uninterested in the devotional service of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu understand the spiritual importance and divine nature of Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Thus Rādhā-kuṇḍa is mainly worshiped by the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, the followers of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (NOI Text 9) |
