Celebrating Women's Day

My very dear mother Srimati Radharani,

As my writing journey is gaining momentum, I find myself pondering over fuel of topics to drive my imaginations and refer the maps of the scriptures to serve my reader passengers.

As I was contemplating on my next topic yesterday, it suddenly struck me to write on the women’s day and no wonder, I decided that You will be the highlight of my article, since You are the prime of all forms of feminine nature, emblem of all wonderful feminine qualities to please the supreme masculine form of Sri Krishna. People talk of woman empowerment, feminism, etc., but they don’t know that here is the feminine form unto whom even the supreme absolute truth, Krishna, bows down. As I was thinking, I didn’t exactly know the date of the woman’s day, so I left that topic to consider later. When today morning I was standing in the meeting room with all my colleagues, one of my colleague, Ijaj, was chatting with his friends on his smartphone. When I peeked a little, I saw him pinging – “Happy Woman’s Day‘ – to his friend. It clicked me that You want me to write this article today itself! So here I am immediately at Your service.

I remember my very first day and class I attended with devotees, when I was invited to morning program at the student centre near my college. The speaker started singing Mangalacharan prayers and he arrived at the sloka,

tapta-kanchana-gaurangi    radhe vrindavaneshvari

vrishabhanu-sute devi    pranamami hari-priye

I stumbled at the word ‘Haripriya’, who is Radharani who is soooo dear to Hari among all his devotees and other living entities. I asked questioned the speaker at the end of his talk, “Can you please tell me about Radharani?” The topic of the class was “Ascending From fear to love” and my question was quite irrelevant to the topic and it was totally unexpected from the newcomer coming for first time to go into topic of Krishna and his esoteric devotees. So the speaker (Krishna Kishore Prabhu  :-)) told me that he was unqualified to speak. Others were mildly giggling. I couldn’t actually understand why he answered like that. You were kind of complete mystery for me. But now I understand my disqualification.

Then Your festival of appearance came and devotees would sweetly sing the Radhikashtakam prayers. I was determined to get Your mercy, to know and please you. I learnt it by heart. It was the first devotional song I memorized. In our apartment, there was Your picture in Your form as the deity of ISKCON Vrindavan, with the mahamantra printed on it. That form was so sweet; I would chant most of my rounds meditating on it. And I cherished the desire to at least one day in my life, to dress and worship Your this beautiful form in Vrindavan.

In youthful age surrounding temptations are very strong. But I thought in my heart that here are You, most qualified[Sad kaladi pandita], possessor of all virtuous qualities [Sad Gunali Mandita], compassionate[Karuna Bharite] and beautiful and this is only feminine form in my life I want to live for and serve primarily . I was protected, please protect me throughout my life. I heard Radhanath Swami in his class. One boy asked him a question “It’s said ‘Behind all successful males there is a female’. Then who is the female behind all the brahmacharis and you?” Maharaj’s impromptu reply was ‘Srimati Radharani’. You are behind all of us to nourish our devotional service.

Now after spending some time in Bhakti, I have taken things to be granted and I sometimes slip from the level of purity which is expected from me, I pray at Your lotus feet to please protect me from the pitfalls and let Your loving devotional service be the only goal of my life. 

Oh Dear mother, Varshabhanavi devi,

Most Celebrated female of divine glory.

At your lotus feet I am,

Offering my petty life story.

With little borrowed devotion,

Connection to your kins is my only qualification.

Seeing your pure devotees,

makes me understand a little about purification,

But deep in my heart still there is a commotion.

Within lurking desires of enjoyment and tiny devotion

Laying in doubts and apprehension,

Passing days in anxiety and desperation.

In forgetfulness you, O’ mother,

I am like a lonely fawn, lost in forest

Suffering and bewildered,

In remembrance of relation with you.

In shade of your shelter,

Our eternal mother,

Life is much smoother.

Please grant me your remembrance always and allow me to render service purely at your lotus feet throughout my life. May I be able to please you one day!

krsna taba punya habe bhai

e-punya koribe jabe radharani khusi habe

dhruva ati boli toma tai

“I emphatically say to you, O brothers, you will obtain your good fortune from Sri Kriṣhṇa only when Srimati Radharani becomes pleased with you.” [Bhagavan Krishner Pada, Prayer unto the lotus feet of Krishna, 13. sept. 1965,Srila Prabhupad]

Your tiny little servant,

Tushar.