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    Radha-kunda: India’s Most Sacred Lake - Where Lord Krishna Bathed At Midnight
    Radha-kunda: India’s Most Sacred Lake - Where Lord Krishna Bathed At Midnight
    Radha-kunda: India’s Most Sacred Lake - Where Lord Krishna Bathed At Midnight
    Ebook92 pages1 hour

    Radha-kunda: India’s Most Sacred Lake - Where Lord Krishna Bathed At Midnight

    By Rajasekhara

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    The day on which Radha-kunda appeared in this world is known Bahulashtami, which means the eighth day of the waning moon. In this regard the word ‘bahula’ refers to the ‘dark fortnight’ of the waning moon, also known as krishna-paksha, and ‘ashtami’ means the ‘eighth day’. Because Radha-kunda appeared on the stroke of midnight, hundreds of thousands the pilgrims descend on Radha-kunda on the night of bahulashtami to take their sacred bath on the exact stroke of midnight. Therefore this night-time bath at Radha-kunda is called the adiratri-snana (mid-night bath) and it is the only snana or ritual bath in the whole world that is performed at midnight. In the Padma Purana (Karttika Mahatmya) it says. ”If a person takes bath in Radha-kunda on the day of Bahulashtami in the month of Karttika, they become very dear to Krishna.”
    The great spiritual benefit one achieves by simply bathing once in Radha-kunda is incomparable, but as Krishna has said, such bathing must be done with ‘full faith and devotion’ in order for such bathing to have its full transcendental effect. It is not that some sinful devil can simply take bath in the sacred kunda and immediately achieve divine love for Radharani, equal to that of Krishna Himself. That kind of sentimental assumption is not philosophically correct. Krishna’s injunction is that those who bathe must also be properly qualified, or in other words, the bather must possess the qualification of complete faithfulness and devotion, which can only be achieved by the mercy of a bona-fide spiritual master and through the practice of pure devotional service.
    The following verses from Vaishnava scriptures glorify the benefits obtained by bathing at Radha-kunda. “One can immediately attain pure love of God by once bathing in Radha-kunda.” Radha-kundastakam – Raghunatha Dasa Goswami. “Shri Krishna gives ecstatic love like that of Radharani to whoever bathes in Radha-kunda.” Chaitanya-charitamrita – Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami. “A devotee will at once develop pure love of Krishna in the wake of the gopis if he once takes bath in Radha-kunda.” The Bhaktivedanta purport to Upadeshamrita says. “Because these two lakes are manifestations of Radha and Krishna’s divine love, those who bathe there are most fortunate, because bathing there is like bathing in the transcendental love of Radha and Krishna.”

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRajasekhara
    Release dateMay 22, 2015
    ISBN9781311690791
    Radha-kunda: India’s Most Sacred Lake - Where Lord Krishna Bathed At Midnight
    Author

    Rajasekhara

    ABOUT THE AUTHORRajasekhara was born in England in 1948. From the age of seven he began his inquiry into the meaning of life, after realizing that although death seemed inevitable for everyone, it also appeared completely illogical, as the life-force and will to exist appeared far too dynamic to simply cease to exist at the point of death. As he grew-up, he became disenchanted with what he saw was a world full of cruelty and suffering. His ambition was to discover the answers to life, and not wishing to be involved in the mundane affairs of material existence or raising a family, he began to study philosophy and religion. In 1970 at the age of 21, he became a vegetarian and a follower of Buddhism, and began to practice hatha-yoga and kundalini meditation. In 1972, Rajasekhara adopted Krishna consciousness and bhakti-yoga as the best means for self-realization, and in November that year, he joined the Hare Krishna Movement. In May 1973, he received initiation from Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Hare Krishna founder, at the Bhaktivedanta Manor, the Tudor manor near Watford, donated by George Harrison of the Beatles, where he served as the manor’s first temple commander. The name 'Rajasekhara', given by Swami Prabhupada at the time of initiation, means 'king of kings' and is pronounced as 'raaja-sheykhaara'.In January 1975, desiring to make further advancement in spiritual life, Rajasekhara moved to India and the holy city of Vrindavana, where he became a temple priest at the Krishna-Balarama Mandira. Since 1975, Rajasekhara has lived in India, where he has continued his practice of yoga while studying Vedic philosophy and metaphysics. During his long sojourn in India, Rajasekhara has visited all the important holy places of pilgrimage in the sub-continent from Kashmir to Kanya Kumari, including such famous places as Badrinatha, Yamunotri, Haridwara, Rishikesha, Dwaraka, Tirupati, Rangapatnam, Tiruvanantapuram, Madurai, Kumbhakonam, Tanjore, Navadwipa and Jagannatha Puri, to name just a few. Due to his extensive travelling, he has gained a treasure-trove of knowledge while imbibing the very essence of India’s ancient Vedic culture. His understanding of Vedic philosophy has been acknowledged by all those who have read his books and heard him speak on Vedanta philosophy and Gaudiya Vaishnava siddhanta.Rajasekhara is presently considered to be one of the world’s leading authorities on the subject of Vrindavana Dhama and its holy places, his numerous books about Vrindavana are read the world over by those interested in understanding the deeper mysteries of Lord Krishna’s spiritual abode, where the Lord performed His transcendental pastimes on Earth over 5,000 years ago. Rajasekhara is also known for his exquisite photography of Vrindavana Dhama, featured throughout his books and which perfectly capture the transcendental atmosphere of Lord Krishna’s transcendental land. His personal experience and spiritual realizations, after having lived in India and the holy land of Vrindavana for so many years – is adequately conveyed through his writings, and those who read his books find themselves immediately transported to the transcendental spiritual platform.In 1991, on reaching the age of 42, Rajasekhara, established Vedanta Vision Publications, for the purpose of writing and self-publishing transcendental literature that propagate the glorification of Vrindavana Dhama, the holy land connected to Lord Krishna transcendental pastimes. In 2001, on reaching the age of 52, Rajasekhara, inaugurated the Vedic Heritage Foundation, to expand the awareness of Vedic culture, philosophy and traditions, and to continue his research into the Vedic scriptures.Amongst his upcoming publications, Rajasekhara is working on the highly anticipated Bhu-mandala Tattva-darshan – a five part summary study based on the 5th canto of the Vedic classic Shrimad Bhagavatam – which deals with the subject of Vedic cosmology, the fabled Mount Meru and the island of Jambhudwipa, the kingdom of demigod’s, the heavenly and hellish worlds, and the position of the planets in the solar system as revealed in the Vedas.Another important book now being prepared, concerns the hidden facts regarding the death in 1977, of the Hare Krishna founder, Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, which Rajasekhara personally witnessed, and the deviations that took place in the Krishna movement after the demise of its founder who was regarded as the world's foremost Vedic acharya.In 2015, in his 66th year, Rajasekhara released a truly dynamic and forthright presentation based Vedic sex education entitled ‘Kama Sutra-Dharma Sutra - The Yoga of Pure Sex’, for those who wish to understand the true essence of yoga practice, that enables one to cross over the great ocean of material suffering and achieve liberation from the shackles of sex-desire that is the root cause of the living beings reincarnation and repeated birth and death in the material world.

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      Book preview

      Radha-kunda - Rajasekhara

      India’s Most Sacred Lake

      RADHA-KUNDA

      Where Lord Krishna Bathed At Midnight

      By

      Rajasekhara

      This Book Is Dedicated To The Lotus Feet Of

      His Divine Grace

      A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

      Founder-acharya International Society for Krishna Consciousness

      namah om vishnu-padaya krishna-presthaya bhu-tale

      srimate bhaktivedanta swamin iti namine

      namas te saraswati deve gaura-vani-pracarine

      nirvisesa-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine

      We bow down with great reverence and adoration before your Divine Grace

      Because you are so firmly situated in serving the lotus feet of Lord Krishna

      You are the most worthy and trusted disciple of Saraswati Goswami

      And without fear you preached aloud the glories of the Lord’s holy names

      The transcendental vibration of Krishna’s holy name was heard around the world

      You came as an emissary on the order of your Gurudeva and Lord Gauranga

      And most forcefully dispelled atheistic belief in impersonalism and voidism

      RADHA-KUNDA - India’s Most Sacred Lake - Where Lord Krishna Bathed At Midnight

      Copyright: Rajasekhara 2015

      Published by Rajasekhara at Smashwords

      ISBN: 9781311690791

      Front Cover Photo: A View Of Radha-kunda From Jhulan Ghata

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hardwork of this author.

      All rights reserved, including those of translation into other languages, transmitted in any form, or by any other means, electrical, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or otherwise, without the written permission of the author/copyright holder.

      BSP Vedic Heritage Foundation,

      Heritage House,

      Parikrama Marg, Dorera,

      District Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India.

      TABLE OF CONTENTS

      INTRODUCTION

      The Sacred Lakes Of Radha-kunda And Syama-kunda

      The Killing of Arishtasura and the Appearance of Radha-kunda

      Bahulashtami the Appearance Day of Radha-kunda

      The Benefits of Bathing at Radha-kunda

      Taking Caution when Bathing at Radha-kunda

      The Gaudiya Goswami Deities at Radha-kunda

      Performing Radha-kunda Parikrama

      The Spiritual Benefits Of Performing Parikrama

      Important Guidelines to Observe While Performing Parikrama

      PART ONE – Kundeshwara Mahadeva To Radharamana Temple

      R.1 Kundeshwara Mahadeva Mandira

      R.2 Radha Krishna Purana Mandira

      R.3 Jhulana Sthali

      EXCURSION To Radha-kunja-bihari temple, Siva Khora

      3A. Radha Kunja-bihari Mandira

      3B. Malyahari-kunda

      3C. Shiva Khora (Shiva Pushkarini)

      END OF EXCURSION

      R.4 Gopala Manipura Mandira

      R.5 Radha Kanta Mandira

      R.6 Radha Shyamasundara Mandira

      R.7 Radha Damodara Mandira

      R.8 Shrinivasa Acharya Kunja

      R.9 Radha Gopinatha Mandira

      R.10 Jahnava Mata Baithaka

      R.11 Raghunatha Dasa Goswami Samadhi

      R.12 Radharamana Mandira

      PART TWO – Radha Govinda Temple To Lalita-kunda

      R.13 Radha Govinda Mandira

      R.14 Jihva Mandira

      R.15 Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami Bhajana Kutira

      R.16 Raghnatha Dasa Goswami Bhajana Kutira

      R.17 Vishvanatha Chakravarti Bhajana Kutira

      R.18 Teen Goswami Samadhi

      R.19 Gopala Bhatta Goswami Bhajana Kutira

      R.20 Manasa-pavana Ghata

      R.21 Pancha Pandava Ghata

      R.22 Bhaktivinoda Thakura Bhajana Kutira

      R.23 Jiva Goswami Bhajana Kutira

      R.24 Lalita-kunda

      PART THREE – Radha Vinoda To Radha Gokulananda Temple

      R25 Radha Vinoda Mandira

      R.26 Madhavendra Puri Baithaka

      R.27 Gopi Kupa

      R.28 Radha Madhava Mandira

      R.29 Chaitanya Baithaka

      R.30 Madana-mohana Mandira / Sanatana Goswami Baithaka

      R.31 Sangama / Charana-chinha

      R.32 Imli Tala

      R.33 Nityananda Baithaka

      R.34 Radha Gopinatha Mandira

      R.35 Radha Gokulananda Mandira

      The Tradition of Bathing at the End of Radha-kunda Parikrama

      APPENDIX

      GLOSSARY

      BIBLIOGRAPHY

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      BOOKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR

      RADHA-KUNDA GUIDE MAPS

      INTRODUCTION

      The Sacred Lakes of Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda

      The sacred lakes known as Radha-kunda and Shyama-kunda are considered amongst the holiest places within the three worlds, because these two lakes were the most confidential bathing places of thr Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Shri Krishnaand His eternal consort Shrimati Radharani. The sacred lake of Radha-kunda was also the place where the ‘divine lovers’ Radha and Krishna would secretly meet every day to enjoy Their transcendental pastimes. In fact, Radha-kunda was one of the principle sites of the ashta-kaliya-lila or eight-fold daily pastimes that take place between Radha and Krishna and also one of the places where They performed the rasa-lila. There are six rasa-mandalas at Radha-kunda established by Narayana Bhatta that commemorate the rasa-lila pastimes. The Puranas also say that Radha-kunda is one of the important upavanas or sub-forests of Vraja and is known as Shrivana. The name Shri is another name of Radharani.

      Sometime after the disappearance of Lord Krishna from the vision of the world, His great grandson, Vajranabha Maharaja, who was at that time the king of Mathura, excavated the sacred kundas and built stone ghatas around both Radha-kunda and Shyama-kunda. Unfortunately, due to the long passage of time and the ever changing socio-political climate in India during the course of the following fifty centuries, these two sacred kunda’s were eventually forgotten and within time became covered over and completely disappeared. Then in the early 16TH Century, the sacred lakes of Radha-kunda and Shyama-kunda were rediscovered by the ‘Golden Avatara’ Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, during His historic parikrama around the twelve sacred forests of Vrindavana in the year 1515. Lord Chaitanya later sent His senior-most disciples in the form of the Six Goswamis to excavate Radha-kunda and all the other holy places connected to Lord Krishna’s transcendental pastimes in Vraja Mandala that had taken place five thousand years earlier.

      The Slaying of Arishtasura and the Appearance of Radha-kunda

      During the despotic reign of King Kamsa, the demon Arishtasura, who possessed

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