13 Sep 2021
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Qualities of Srimati Radharani, Radhastami, Srimati Radharani
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Qualities of Srimati Radharani, Radha, Radharani, Radhastami, Srimati Radharani, Teachings of Lord Caitanya
Today marks the appearance of Srimati Radharani, otherwise known as Radhastami. We honor it with a half day fast, followed by a feast after Her appearance at noon.
Srimati Radharani has twenty-five transcendental qualities. Her transcendental qualities are as follows:
1. She is sweetness personified
2. She is a fresh young girl
3. Her eyes are always moving
4. She is always brightly smiling
5. She possesses all auspicious marks on her body
6. She can agitate Krishna by the flavor of Her person
7. She is expert in the art of singing
8. She can speak very nicely and sweetly
9. She is expert in presenting feminine attractions
10. She is modest and gentle
11. She is always very merciful
12. She is transcendentally cunning
13. She knows how to dress nicely
14. She is always shy
15. She is always respectful
16. She is always patient
17. She is very grave
18. She is enjoyed by Krishna
19. She is situated on the highest devotional platform
20. She is the abode of love of the residents of Gokula
21. She can give shelter to all kinds of devotees
22. She is always affectionate to superiors and inferiors
23. She is always obliged by the dealings of Her associates
24. She is the greatest amongst Krishna’s girlfriends
25. She always keeps Krishna under Her control
25 Aug 2020
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Kachori, Radhaballabha Kachoris, Radhastami, Srimati Radharani, The Hare Krsna Cookbook, Vegetarian Cooking, Vegetarian Recipies
Tags: appearance day of srimati radharani, hare krishna cookbook, Krishna, Radha, radhallabha kachoris recipe, Srimate Radharani, vegetarian cooking
Today we celebrate the Appearance Day of Srimati Radharani [Radhastami] with a half day fast followed by a feast cooked in honor of Srimati Radharani. She appears at noon so we begin our day with songs in praise of Srimati Radharani and time in the kitchen cooking up a nice vegetarian offering. Since She is fond of Kachori’s, we share with you this nice recipe from “The Hare Krishna Cookbok”; Radhaballabha Kachoris.
“This preparation is one of Srimati Radharani’s favorites and is always prepared for Her appearance day. There is nothing in the material world to compare with the flavor of Radhaballabha Kachoris”.
Radhaballabha Kachoris Recipe
ghee for deep frying
1 cup of cleaned, split urad dhal
2 cups white flour
cayenne pepper
asafoetida
2 T. freshly ground anise seed
butter or ghee solids
Wash urad dahl thoroughly. Soak in water overnight. Drain, leaving a tiny bit of water. In a blender, grind urad dhal untill it is a smooth paste, adding a little more water if necessary. The past should ve very thick. Set aside. Add ground anise seed to paste. Using white flour, butter or ghee solids and water, make a soft dough, like puri dough. (not wet.) Let the dough sit for one hour under a dampened cloth. Meanwhile prepare three very small bowls in the following manner:
1. Put in a mixture of 1 T. water and 1/2 t. asafoetida.
2. Put plain salt in the second.
3. Put cayenne pepper in the third.
Pinch off balls of dough one inch in diameter. Roll them out into circles of 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Pinch off a ball of kachori paste about one inch in diameter; dip into each of bowls in succession, and place in the center of the circle of kachori dough. Gather up the dough around the paste as you would gather a paper bag. Make sure all the urad dahl paste is covered, and seal the top edge very well using a little water. Flatten the sealed kachori with a rolling pin and then roll gently as you would apuri or chapati.
Be carful not to break the surfaces. If necessary, pat them out by hand. Deep-fry the kachori in fairly hot ghee as you would a puri. Stand up kachoris on paper toweling to drain. Before offering them, re-fry very quickly, but do not brown.
“This preparation is one of Srimati Radharani’s favorites and is always prepared for Her appearance day. There is nothing in the material world to compare with the flavor of Radhaballabha Kachoris”.
This recipe I copied from; “The Hare Krishna Cookbook” [click on link to down load the entire book]
16 Sep 2018
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Radhastami, Srila Rupa Goswami, Srimati Radharani
Tags: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Radharani, Radhastami, SB 10.5.18, Sri Prarthana-paddhati, Srila Rupa Goswami, Srimati Radharani
Today we celebrate the appearance day of Srimati Radharani with a quote from Srila Rupa Goswami and an excerpt from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad Bhagavatam purport. She appears at noon.
“So this is our philosophy, to please Krishna through Radharani, and just today is the auspicious day of Radharani appearance. So we should offer puspanjali and pray to Radharani that ‘Radharani, kindly be merciful and tell about me to Your Krishna. To Your Krishna. Krishna is Yours.’ Krishna, Radha-Krishna. Krishna is not independent. Krishna is Radharani’s property. So you have to approach Krishna through Radharani. That is, today is the auspicious day. Worship Radharani very nicely and be happy.” (Srila Prabhupada Lecture, September 5, 1973)
…Wherever Kṛṣṇa goes, the goddess of fortune naturally resides with Him. The chief of the goddesses of fortune is Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa’s appearance in the land of Vraja indicated that the chief goddess of fortune, Rādhārāṇī, would also appear there very soon. (excerpted from purport to SB 10,5.18)
“O Radharani, O Queen of Vrindavana, Your complexion is like molten gold, Your doe-like eyes are captivatingly restless, a million full and brilliant moons wane before Your lustrous countenance, and a blue sari, having stolen the hue of a fresh rain-laden cloud, has enwrapped Your exquisite form. O Radha, You are the crest-jewel of all the dallying damsels of Vrindavana, fragrant and pristine like a budding jasmine flower. Your sublime form is adorned with priceless jewelry, and you are the best of all the charming and intelligent gopis. You are decorated with all wonderful excellences and surrounded by eight dedicated and beloved cowherd girls known as the asta-sakhis.
“The ambrosia of Your beautiful lips, red as the bimba fruit, is life-giving syrup to Krishna. O Radha, I am rolling on the banks of the Yamuna, my poor heart filled with anticipation, praying to You with all humility. I am guilty of being an offender, a rascal, a useless wretch — yet I beg You to kindly engage me in even the smallest service to Your lotus feet. O most merciful Lady, it will not become You to ignore this most distressed soul, for Your heart is always overflowing with compassion and love.”
[Sri Prarthana-paddhati [Stavamala], Srila Rupa goswami]
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29 Aug 2017
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Qualities of Srimati Radharani, Quotes by Srila Prabhupada, Radha Krishna, Radha Madhava, Radhastami, Srimati Radharani
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, jaya radhe, mercy of Srimati Radharani, pleasure optency of Lord Krishna, pure devotees, Radha Krishna, Radharani, Srila Prabhupada, Srimati Radharani, Vrindavana
Today marks the Appearance of Srimati Radharani. We honor it with a half day fast, puspanjali, discussion on the glories of Srimati Radharani, followed by a feast.
The following are just a few of the many quotes from Srila Prabhupada which encourage us to approach Krishna through the mercy of Srimati Radharani, Krishna’s eternal consort. For those of us who feel that there is no hope of making spiritual progress in this lifetime, Srimati Radharani, Who is compassion personified, kindly comes to our rescue if we can humbly invoke Her divine blessings.
tapta-kancana-gaurangi radhe vrndavanesvari
vrsabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye
“I offer my respects to Radharani whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vrndavana. You are the daughter of King Vrsabhanu, and You are very dear to Lord Krishna.”
(Sri Radha Pranama)
“So this is our philosophy, to please Krishna through Radharani, and just today is the auspicious day of Radharani appearance. So we should offer puspanjali and pray to Radharani that ‘Radharani, kindly be merciful and tell about me to Your Krishna. To Your Krishna. Krishna is Yours.’ Krishna, Radha-Krishna. Krishna is not independent. Krishna is Radharani’s property. So you have to approach Krishna through Radharani. That is, today is the auspicious day. Worship Radharani very nicely and be happy.”
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, September 5, 1973)
“The beauty of Srimati Radharani’s eyes forcibly devours the beauty of newly grown blue lotus flowers, and the beauty of Her face surpasses that of an entire forest of fully blossomed lotuses. Her bodily luster seems to place even gold into a painful situation. Thus the wonderful, unprecedented beauty of Srimati Radharani is awakening in Vrindavana.”
(Caitanya-caritamrita Antya 1.169)
“I emphatically say to you, O brothers, you will obtain your good fortune from the Supreme Lord Krishna only when Srimati Radharani becomes pleased with you.”
(Prayer to the Lotus Feet of Krishna, September 13, 1965)
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09 Sep 2016
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Festivals, Radhastami, Srimati Radharani
Tags: love for God, Radha, Radha and Krishna, Radha Krsna plilosophy, Radhastami, Srimati Radharani
Today we honor the appearance of Srimati Radharani, Radhastami, with a half day fast, and a celebration at noon (when She appears).
click on image to enlarge
…”All glories to Rādhārāṇī.” Rādhe jaya jaya mādhava-dayite. “She’s so dear to Kṛṣṇa.” Kṛṣṇa, everyone is trying to love Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa is trying to love somebody. Now how great She is. Just try to understand. Everyone, the whole world, the whole universe, all living entities, they are trying to love Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-prema. Lord Caitanya describes, prema-pumārtho mahān. And Rūpa Gosvāmī described that “You are distributing kṛṣṇa-prema.” So kṛṣṇa-prema is so valuable, but Kṛṣṇa is after Rādhārāṇī. Just see how Rādhārāṇī is great. Just try to understand the greatness of Rādhārāṇī. Therefore She is so great, and we have to offer our respect. (from Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s Appearance Day Lecture, Montreal August 30, 1968)
Full Lecture More
08 Sep 2016
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Qualities of Srimati Radharani, Radha Krishna, Radha Madhava, Radhastami, Slokas, Sri Radhika Stotra, Srimati Radharani, Transcendental Qualities of Radha
Tags: 108 names of Radharani, Radharani's beauty, Radhastami, Sri Raghunatha dasa Goswami, Srimati Radharani
Sri Radhika Stotra 108 Names of Srimati Radharani
by Srila Raghunatha Dasa Goswami
aviksatmesvari kascid vrndavana-mahesvarim
tat padamboja-matraika gati dasyati katara
patita tat-saras tire ruda tyartha-ravakulam
tac chri-vaktreksanavaptyai namanyetani sanjagau
Some maidservant, unable to find her Mistress, has fallen on the bank of Radhakunda, crying in great anxiety, being very eager to take exclusive shelter of Her Lotus Feet, glorifying Her by singing the following names of Her Mistress:
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08 Sep 2016
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Qualities of Srimati Radharani, Radha Krishna, Radha Madhava, Radhastami, radhe jaya jaya madhava-dayite, Rupa Goswami, Srila Rupa Goswami, Srimati Radharani
Tags: beloved of Madhava, friend of Lalita, girls of Gokula, Lord Damodara, lord hari, O Radha, queen of Vrndavana, Radha Krishna, Radhastmi, Srimati Radharani, Visakha
Sri Radhika Stavah
by Srila Rupa Goswami
radhe jaya jaya madhava-dayite
gokula-taruni-mandala-mahite
damodara-rati-vardhana-vese
hari-niskuta-vrnda-vipinese
vrsabhanudadhi-nava-sasi-lekhe
lalita-sakhi guna-ramita-visakhe
karunam kuru mayi karuna-bharite
sanaka-sanatana-varnita-carite
radhe jaya jaya madhava-dayite
Glories, Glories to Srimati Radharani, the beloved of Madhava and most worshipable of the cowheard girls of Gokula Mandala!
Decorated by the dress of Lord Damodara’s increasing ecstacy, You are the lady of the house of Lord Hari and the groves of Vrndavana
From the ocean of Vrsabhanu has arisen a new moon which is overwhelming the qualties of Lalita and Viskha.
O Goddess Your Qualities are described by Sanaka Rsis and by Sanatana Goswami. Please bestow Your Mercy upon me. (from the Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas)
Purport from Lecture: Montreal, Aug 30, 68, Srimati Radharani’s Appearance Day. More
07 Sep 2014
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Kirtanananda Swami, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, New Vrindavan, Radha Krishna, Radhastami, Srimati Radharani
click on image to enlarge
The above image was taken at New Vrindavan at 12:00 noon, at the moment of Srimati Radharani’s Appearance. The altar looks particularly nice today, and Srimati Radharani is overwhelmingly beautiful on this her appearance day. Jaya Radhe!
…Agriculture and protecting the cow, this is the main business of the residents of Vrindaban, and above all simply loving Krishna. The cows, the trees, the cowherd men and Gopis, their chief engagement was loving Krishna, and in New Vrindaban we want to create this atmosphere and thereby show the whole world how practical and sublime our movement is. (Letter to Kirtanananda July 27, 1973)
Full letter and more images More
02 Sep 2014
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, B. G. Sharma Art, Radha Krishna, Radhastami, Srimati Radharani
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, appearance day of srimati radharani, beauty of krsna, beauty of radharani, Lord Caitanya, Radha, Radha-Krsna, Radharani, Ramananda Raya, SB 2.3.23, Spiritual world, Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam, Srimati Radharani
click on image to enlarge
So today being the appearance day of Srimati Radharani, my mind has been absorbed in thoughts of Radha and Krsna. It is described that she is the beloved consort of Krsna, Krsna’s pleasure potency, and the spiritual energy of Krsna.
…Lord Caitanya requested Rāmānanda Rāya to explain something more: “What are the transcendental features of Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī, and what are the transcendental features of the reciprocation of Their feelings, and what is the love between Them? If you kindly describe all this to Me, I will be very much obliged. But for you, no one can describe such things.” (Teachings of Lord Caitanya Chapter 30)
…In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that when Kṛṣṇa comes before Rādhārāṇī, She becomes so much engladdened by seeing the beauty of Kṛṣṇa that She becomes more beautiful, and as soon as Rādhārāṇī becomes beautiful, Kṛṣṇa becomes engladdened and He becomes more beautiful. So unlimitedly there is competition of becoming more beautiful. That is the state. Competition. Because in the spiritual world everything is unlimited. So unlimitedly both of them becoming beautiful and both of them enjoying unlimitedly. ((Lecture on SB 1.2.8 New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972)
…Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is a tenderhearted feminine counterpart of the supreme whole, resembling the perfectional stage of the worldly feminine nature. Therefore, the mercy of Rādhārāṇī is available very readily to the sincere devotees, and once She recommends such a devotee to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Lord at once accepts the devotee’s admittance into His association. (Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 2, Chapter 3, Text 23)
…She is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa divided Himself into His energy and Himself. That energy, original spiritual energy, is Rādhārāṇī. ((Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 Melbourne, June 26, 1974)
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02 Sep 2014
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, Krishna Consciousness, Lectures, Radhastami, Srimati Radharani
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, appearance day of srimati radharani, jaya radhe, Lecture by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, lecture by his divine grace srila prabhuada, Lord Caitanya, mercy of radha, mood of seperation, Radha, radha festival, Radharani, Radhastami, Srimati Radharani, Vrndavana
click on image to enlarge
Today we honor the appearance day of Srimati Radharani (Radhastami). We share with you a lecture given by Srila Prabhupada, given on Srimati Radharani’s appearance day, in London, September 18, 1969.
…Rādhārāṇī is hari-priyā, very dear to Kṛṣṇa. So if we approach Kṛṣṇa through Rādhārāṇī, through the mercy of Rādhārāṇī, then it becomes very easy. If Rādhārāṇī recommends that “This devotee is very nice,” then Kṛṣṇa immediately accepts, however fool I may be. Because it is recommended by Rādhārāṇī, Kṛṣṇa accepts. Therefore in Vṛndāvana you’ll find all the devotees, they’re chanting more Rādhārāṇī’s name than Kṛṣṇa’s. Wherever you’ll go, you’ll find the devotees are addressing, “Jaya Rādhe.” You’ll find still in Vṛndāvana. They are glorifying Rādhārāṇī. They’re more interested, worshiping Rādhārāṇī. Because however fallen I may be, if some way or other I can please Rādhārāṇī, then it is very easy for me to understand Kṛṣṇa. (Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s Appearance Day Lecture, London, September 18, 1969
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