The Presiding Deity of the Hladini-shakti

It is written in Chaitanya Charitamrita about hladini-shakti, sandhini-shakti, samvit-shakti—sad-amse sandhini, anand-amse hladini, cid-amse samvid. Samvit-shakti-mat vigraha is Krishna, sandhini-shakti-mat vigraha is Baladeva and hladini-shakti-mati is Radhika. Radhika extends Herself first into eight forms to serve Nandanandana Krishna in eight modes of worship. They have taken different forms. Of them Lalita is prominent, chief. We belong to Lalita's School of thought. Lalita, Vishakha, Chitra, Indulekha, Champaklata, Rangadevi, Tungavidya and Sudevi are eight sakhis(confidantes). There are millions of sakhis but eight sakhis are prominent and they have got other personal associates, attendants, they are called manjaris. Amongst the manjaris, Rupa Manjari is the highest under Lalita Sakhi’s channel. Rupa Manjari is Rupa Goswami, in Mahaprabhu’s pastimes who in Krishna’s pastimes is Rupa Manjari.

Bhaktivinode Thakur has written one thing which we have to think about very carefully. In his own Bengali writing, he has written about how we can get absolute shelter at Radha-Krishna’s Lotus feet. 'Radha-krishna pad kamale mana kemane labhive carama sharana' — how will I get ultimate shelter and service of the lotus feet of Sri Radha-Krishna? Radha-Krishna is the object of our worship, not only Krishna or Radha, it is Radha and Krishna both. One is not complete without the other. Now Srimati Radharani extended Herself first into eight forms, principle forms. It is written in Brahmavaivarta Purana that She has infinite forms. There are some persons they say there is no scriptural evidence about Srimati Radharani. It is completely wrong. Clearly you will find evidences in Brahmavaivarta Purana, in Padma Purana written by Vedavyasa Muni. You will also find it in Devi Bhagavat and other scriptures like Varaha Purana etc. And even Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami has written in Sri Chaitanya Charitamrta in detail, in Govinda Lilamrita and all Goswamis they have written about Her. And if you go to Vrindavan, you will find everywhere Radha-Krishna, not Krishna alone, Radha-Govinda, Radha-Madanmohan, Radha-Raman etc. Radha is the counter-part of Supreme Lord Krishna, complete Transcendental Spiritual potency; chinmay-shakti is represented by Srimati Radharani. Radha, in Sanskrit language, means 'aradhana'. Aradhana means to worship, worship of Krishna we say aradhana of Krishna and one who performs aradhana, one who worships is called aradhak and in feminine aradhika and briefly radhika, more briefly Radha. Krishna is serving Himself. Radha is not different from Krishna, Krishna’s full complete spiritual potency. Krishna Himself is serving Krishna. Our Gurudeva used to explain it by giving evidence from Gita, karya-karana-kartrtve hetuh prakrtir ucyate purusah sukha-duhkhanam bhoktrtve hetur ucyate — Prakrti (nature) is the cause of all material causes and effects, whereas the living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in this world.'

Karya is effect; karana is cause, cause and effect. Prakrti is the cause of material causes and effects. Prakriti means material energy consisting of three primal qualities mode of goodness (sattva), mode of passion (rajo) and mode of ignorance (tamo). In this world everything is happening by the action of prakrti, material energy. My both the bodies, the gross and the subtle, are outcome of material energy. But my real self is the outcome of the spiritual energy or more correctly to say, marginal energy. Though jivas come from marginal energy, their form is spiritual. You will find two aspects in the human being. I have got my potency, my energy. That energy is doing all activities, karya and karana (effect and cause), here prakrti is dominant but the feelings of contentment or sorrow (suffering) can be felt only by the conscious principle. That conscious principle which is existing eternally which has the knowledge and which is blissful is 'atma'. Atma is bhoktrtve hetur ucyate — the cause of suffering and enjoyments in this world. Whatever is happening, if it is congenial to me I think it to be good and if not congenial I feel suffering. Atma experiences this happiness and distress. He is also called 'purush'. 'Purusah sukha-dukhanam bhoktrtve hetur ucyate—purush experiences happiness and distress.' Purush is the predominating aspect of the moiety. That word is used there in the West in English, which our Guruvarga also used. 'Moiety', there are two halves of one thing; two halves make one complete thing.

The predominating aspect of the moiety is Krishna, predominated aspect of moiety is Srimati Radharani. The predominating aspect Krishna is the original Bhagavan and other forms, descended forms, they are not at par with Nandanandan Krishna. They are coming from Him, and do not have all the mellows or all the delightful relations which you find in Krishna. They are ontologically same, but the pastimes are different. Nandananda Krishna’s pastimes are the highest. Nandanandan Krishna is feeling satisfaction and His complete potency is serving Him, giving Him hlada that is called hladini-sakti. Sandhini, Samvit, Hladini shakti. Sad-amse Sandhini-shakti, chida-amse Samvit-shakti, and anand-amshe hladini-shakti. Hladini means that which gives exhilarating happiness, ecstatic feeling. Ananda-dayini-shakti gives ananda, gives happiness, ecstatic feelings, exhilarating feelings to Krishna. Srimati Radharani is the presiding deity of the hladini-shakti. If you want ananda you have to get the grace of hladini-shakti.