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Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava
by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-bihārī
gopī-jana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī
jaya–all glories to: rādhā-mādhava–Rādhā and the Lord of sweetness; kuñja-bihārī–He who enjoys loving pastimes in the groves of Vṛndāvana; gopī-jana-vallabha–the lover of the cowherd maidens of Vraja; giri-vara-dhārī–the holder of the great hill named Govardhana;
Krsna is the lover of Radha. He displays many amorous pastimes in the groves of Vrndavana, He is the lover of the cowherd maidens of Vraja, and the holder of the great hill named Govardhana.
yaśodā-nandana braja-jana-rañjana
yāmuna-tīra-vana-cārī
yaśodā-nandana–the beloved son of mother Yaśodā; vraja-jana-rañjana–the delighter of the inhabitants of Vraja; yāmuna-tīra-vana-cārī–who wanders in the forests along the banks of the river Yamunā
He is the beloved son of mother Yasoda, the delighter of the inhabitants of Vraja, and He wanders in the forests along the banks of the River Yamuna!
Purport to Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava
New York, July 20, 1971
Prabhupāda: So you know this song Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava?
Devotees: Jaya!
Prabhupāda: So you can follow me?
Devotees: Jaya! Haribol! (Śrīla Prabhupāda leads singing of Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava)
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Prabhupāda: So this is the original nature of Kṛṣṇa, original nature of Kṛṣṇa. He is Rādhā-Mādhava. He is the lover of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. And kuñja-vihārī, always enjoying the company of the gopīs within the bushes of Vrndavana forest. Rādhā-mādhava kuñja-vihārī. So He’s not only lover of Rādhārāṇī, but braja-jana-vallabha. The whole residents of Vṛndāvana, they love Kṛṣṇa. They do not know anything else. They do not know whether Kṛṣṇa is God, or not; neither they are very much harassed, that “I shall love Kṛṣṇa if He is God.” “He may be God or He may be whatever He is. It doesn’t matter, but we love God, Kṛṣṇa.” That’s all. That is called unalloyed love.
“If Kṛṣṇa is God, then I shall love Him”—this is conditional love. This is not pure love. Kṛṣṇa may be God or whatever He may be, but by His wonderful acts, the Vrajavāsī, they are thinking, “Oh Kṛṣṇa, He is very wonderful child, maybe some demigod. Maybe some demigod.” Because people are generally under impression that the demigods are all-powerful. They’re powerful within this material world. But they do not know that Kṛṣṇa is above all of them. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. The highest demigod, Brahmā, is giving his opinion, “The supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa.”
So as the residents of Vṛndāvana, they love Kṛṣṇa without any condition, similarly, Kṛṣṇa also loves them without any condition. Vraja-jana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī. When the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana were in danger because they stopped Indra-yajña and Indra became very angry, and he sent very great, powerful cloud and rained over Vṛndāvana incessantly for seven days, so when the inhabitants became very much disturbed, Kṛṣṇa, although He was only seven years old boy, He saved them by lifting the Govardhana Hill. So He taught Indradeva, demigod, that “To stop your disturbance is the business of My little finger. That’s all.” So he came down to his knees. These things you’ll find in Kṛṣṇa book. So as the Gopī-jana-vallabha, His only business is how to protect gopī-jana.
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is how to become one of the gopī-jana. Then Kṛṣṇa will save us from any danger, even by lifting a hill or mountain. Kṛṣṇa is so kind and so powerful. When Kṛṣṇa lifted the hill, He did not practice some yoga system. And that is God. Although He was a child, He was playing like a child, He was dealing like a child, but when there was need, He was manifesting as God. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa, not that He has to go and practice some yoga system. Then He becomes God. No. He’s not that type of God, not manufactured God. He’s God.
So gopī-jana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī.
And as a child, as beloved child of Yaśodā, Yaśodā-nandana,… Kṛṣṇa likes to be a child of a devotee. He wants to be chastised from His devotee father and mother. Because everyone worships Him, nobody goes to chastise Him, so He takes pleasure when a devotee chastises Him. That is Kṛṣṇa’s service. If Kṛṣṇa takes pleasure being chastised, so the responsibility is taken by a devotee: “All right, I shall become Your father and chastise You.” When Kṛṣṇa wants to fight, one of His devotees becomes Hiraṇyakaśipu and fights with Him. So all activities of Kṛṣṇa is with His devotees. He is… Therefore, to become associate of Kṛṣṇa, to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness… Yaśodā-nandana vraja-jana-vallabha, vraja-jana-rañjana. His only business is how to satisfy… As braja-jana’s business is how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, similarly, Kṛṣṇa’s business is how to satisfy braja-jana. This is reciprocation of love. Yamunā-tīra-vana-cārī. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is wandering on the banks of Yamunā to please the gopīs, the cowherd boys, the birds, beasts, calves. They are not ordinary birds, beasts, calves or men. They are on the top of self-realization. Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ [SB 10.12.11]. After many, many lives they got that position, to play with Kṛṣṇa.
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that everyone can go to Kṛṣṇaloka and become His associate, as a friend or so many other things, as a servant, as father, as mother. And Kṛṣṇa is agreeable to any one of these propositions. These things are described very nicely in our Teachings of Lord Caitanya. So Kṛṣṇa does not go even a step from Vṛndāvana. The original Kṛṣṇa is Vṛndāvana. That is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā,
cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-
lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam
lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambrahma-sevyamānaṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ (tam ahaṁ bhajāmi)
[Bs. 5.29]
Brahmā is accepting the Supreme Personality of Govinda, Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam: “He is engaged in playing His flute.”
(veṇuṁ kvaṇantam) aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ
barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam
kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
[Bs. 5.30]
So take advantage of these books, this knowledge, and this prasādam, this chanting, and be happy and go to Kṛṣṇa. So nice thing. All right. (end)
Also:
Kṛṣṇa is the supreme bliss. We therefore see Kṛṣṇa always enjoying, jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-bihārī. That is Kṛṣṇa. He is always in company with Rādhārāṇī, and kuñja-bihārī, and enjoying Her company in different kuñjas (groves). And gopī-jana-vallabha, He is very dear to the gopīs or the gopas, gopī jana, in Vṛndāvana. Gopī-jana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī. And because He loves the gopīs and the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana so much, as soon as there is some danger, He is prepared. He lifted the Govardhana Hill for them. They did not know except Kṛṣṇa. Indra, the demigod Indra wanted to punish the residents of Vṛndāvana, because on the word of Kṛṣṇa they stopped Indra-yajña. So Indra became very angry: “Who is this boy, cowherd boy? He has stopped my yajña.” So the demigods become very angry if the particular type of yajña is not performed. But Kṛṣṇa proved that “Your anger is not even comparable with the, My little finger’s end, that’s all.” So this was compromise; therefore this is Indra-yajña story, Govardhana Hill pūjā. So gopī-jana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī.
And yaśodā-nandana. When you address Kṛṣṇa as the son of Yaśodā, He becomes very, very glad. If you address Kṛṣṇa, “Oh, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12),” as Arjuna did, “paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān śāśvataṁ puruṣam adyam,” they’re all the Vedic hymns, they’re praying for Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa is very, very pleased if you address Kṛṣṇa as yaśodā-nandana, nanda-nandana, rādhā-mādhava, He is so pleased. Immediately responds. He likes it. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is always worshiped by everyone as sublime, but nobody wants to chastise you, but He wants to be chastised also, and that power is given to Mother Yaśodā. He wants! He is disgusted sometimes, that; “Everyone praise Me; nobody comes to chastise Me.” You see. “Ah, here is another devotee, ‘Yes, I am prepared to chastise You.’ ” Just like in Vaikuṇṭha there is no fight, but Kṛṣṇa wanted to fight. Therefore some of His devotees, Jaya and Vijaya, they came as Rāvaṇa, and he fought with Kṛṣṇa, Rāmacandra. Otherwise, who can fight with Rāmacandra? He is also devotee when he is satisfying. Kṛṣṇa wanted to fight, the devotee is prepared, “Yes, I shall fight You.” And He’ll kill you. This is (indistinct); this is devotee. (from Lecture on the Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.10, December 28,1972 Bombay)
And From:
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.10
Delhi, November 16, 1973
Prabhupāda: …I spoke in Hindi. Now today I speak in English. If required I shall again speak in Hindi tomorrow. In this way, alternatively…
So we are worshiping Kṛṣṇa. His simple business is, as we have described, Rādhā-Mādhava, He is lover of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Kṛṣṇa means lover. This very word Kṛṣṇa means “all-attractive.” You can attract by your love, not by anything else. Therefore His name is Kṛṣṇa.
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Purport to Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava
Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971
Srila Prabhupada was very fond of this song and sang it just before his lectures. In Allahabad and Gorakhpur Srila Prabhupada fell into a trance after singing the first two lines, and after some time he came back into external consciousness and said, “Now just chant Hare Krsna.” ”
Prabhupāda: …gopī-jana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī, yasoda-nandana braja-jana-rañjana yamunā-tīra-vana-cārī. This small song you can practice. The tune I can give you. (Prabhupāda sings each line and devotees respond, then with mṛdaṅga and karatālas.) This is actual picture of Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-Mādhava giri-vara-dhārī. Original Kṛṣṇa this is. Rādhā-Mādhava giri-vara-dhārī. Vraja-jana-vallabha. His business is to please the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. That’s all. He has no other business. And the vraja-jana also, they have no other business than to please Kṛṣṇa. That’s all. This is original Kṛṣṇa. Vraja-jana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī. And first business is Rādhā-Madhave. Of course, Kṛṣṇa is concerned with everyone, especially concerned with Rādhārāṇī. Rādhā-Mādhava, kuñja-bihārī, and enjoys with Rādhā in different kuñjas, bushes, of Vṛndāvana. And then, yaśodā-nandana. Next He wants to please His mother, Yaśodā. Yaśodā-nandana vraja-jana-rañjana. And Kṛṣṇa is very affectionate to all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. The son of Yaśodā and Nanda Mahārāja. They love Kṛṣṇa, all the elderly persons. They love. Elderly ladies and persons, they love Kṛṣṇa. “Oh, here is the son of Yaśodā and Nanda Mahārāja.” They’re all tenants and subordinates to Nanda Mahārāja. Nanda Mahārāja is the chief man in Vṛndāvana, and they are their subjects. So they are affectionate to Kṛṣṇa because He happens to be son of Yaśodā and Nanda Mahārāja. And Kṛṣṇa’s business is (Śrīla Prabhupāda goes into trance) (end)
Srila Prabhupada said that this song is “a picture of Vrndavana. Everything is there–Srimati Radharani, Vrndavana, Govardhana, Yasoda, and all the cowherd boys.
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