Radhashtami 2014

“My dear friend, do You think that this walking personality is a tamala tree? If He is a tamala tree, then how is it possible for Him to walk and be so beautiful? Then, this personality might be a cloud. But if He's a cloud, then where is the beautiful moon within? Under the circumstances, I think it may be granted that this person is the same enchanting Personality of Godhead by whose flute vibration the three worlds are captivated. He must be the same Mukunda who is standing before Govardhan Hill.” (Shrimati Radharani, The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 30)

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What does it mean to have perfect vision? Is it passing an exam prior to getting your motor vehicle license? Is it being able to read letters on a screen from a distance? Is it being able to identify something that should be known to you? One person in particular has perfect vision, and that perfection does not relate to any of these things. Rather, she sees Krishna everywhere. That Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the definition behind the abstract concept of a supreme controller. Since she has this perfect vision, she is most worshipable and dear to Krishna. On the occasion of Radhashtami we celebrate her appearance in this world.

In the inverse situation, the poor vision does not see God anywhere. Perhaps we are in this situation presently. How can we see God when we don’t know what He looks like? Is He in the pillar holding up the building across the street? Is He in the wind that blows through the trees? Is He in the sound of the music that I most prefer to listen to? He is indeed in all of these things, but the person lacking the perfect vision cannot notice this.

Lacking the sight necessary for perceiving Him, such unfortunate souls might descend to the point that they’ll think God does not even exist.

“Everything occurs randomly. There is no order to the universe. People just made up God as a way to deal with death. It’s a primitive way of thinking. We are more advanced now. We can see within the body to identify the disease. We can see deep into outer space to study the universe. We can predict a hurricane several days prior to its arrival. Where is God’s influence in this? Why do you speak of a God when man has done all of this?”

Actually, the ability to apply intelligence already indicates the presence of a higher force. Man has intelligence, there is no doubt about this. While he can do amazing things he can’t figure out why he has taken birth. He can’t figure out why he is compelled to die. Instead, in futility he tries to prolong life indefinitely. This endeavor is always a failure, and so success gets redefined down to living a few extra years from the average.

The periods of the seasons, the rising and setting of the sun, the ability to study the life cycle of the human being and other species, the predictability of disease and human behavior - these things all give an indication of God. But you don’t need to even dig that deep. Simply looking upon a tree can give you the vision of God. This is the case with Shrimati Radharani.

She lives in Vrindavana, which exists both in the earthly realm and in the spiritual sky. We know of her earthly pastimes based on works of literature passed on since many thousands of years. In Vrindavana there is a type of tree called tamala, which has a unique color. It is blue, which is rare for a tree. That color is a perfect match for the bodily hue of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna. A few of those trees are still around in the earthly Vrindavana, so this allows one way of knowing exactly what God’s body looks like.

Shrimati Radharani sees Krishna everywhere in fact. This is due to her consciousness. Never for a moment does she forget Him. And that consciousness is in a loving mood. Not for her own satisfaction, but always looking for Shyama’s pleasure, Radharani constantly thinks of Him. This thinking makes a person more happy than otherwise possible. Real happiness is this thinking, and so Radharani is the ideal example for any human being wishing to know the inner secrets to the creation and their own existence.

Radha’s vision is so perfect that simply upon seeing a tamala tree she thinks that Krishna has appeared. She embraces such a tree sometimes, thinking that her beloved has come. Indeed, why should not the tree remind us of Krishna? The pious trees provide fruits which allow us to live on. The impious trees at the very least provide shade and oxygen, which can help us to stay alive.

When Radha and her friends, known as the gopis, see an ordinary tree they also think of Krishna’s flute. The flute is made from wood that comes from the tree, and so they have so much appreciation for that tree. They then extend their appreciation to the flowers that surround the tree. Then the nearby river also gets praises.

Radha sees Krishna in His friends, who give the Lord so much pleasure with their daily play in the pristine forests of Vrindavana. She sees Him in the dark blue cloud that is ready to pour down rain. She sees Him in the Govardhana Hill, which Krishna once famously lifted to save the lives of the residents of Vrindavana. She sees Him in the cream that stands atop the pot of yogurt. She and her friends try to sell this yogurt in the neighboring town of Mathura, but Krishna intercepts them and playfully eats the cream, thus making the yogurt not very appealing for sale.

As Radha always sees Krishna, one who sees Radha the proper way will also see the Supreme Lord. He is always together with His pleasure potency expansion, the beloved daughter of Vrishabhanu and Kiritida. To please Radha means to easily get the mercy of Shri Krishna, whose single glance can transform a life previously spent in misery into one full of optimism that renews every day with the knowledge of the chance to serve the beloved pair, Shri Shri Radha and Govinda.

In Closing:

From just the vision of a tree,

Image of the Supreme Lord to see.

 

Tamala of the color blue,

Perfectly matches bodily hue.

 

Of Shri Krishna, to Radha so dear,

She having vision pure and clear.

 

Radhashtami celebrating day of her appearance,

By her favor, for bhakti’s success getting clearance.