In this second part of our 4-part series on Radha’s divine love, we delve deeper into the concept of Mahabhao, the ultimate state of Divine love. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati explains that Mahabhao is a state where only Radha remains conscious while Krishn drowns in Her love. His profound insights help us to understand that Radha is the origin of all Divine love. In Part 2, Swami Ji illuminates the distinction between Divine love in Vrindaban and Dwarika and the sacred role Radha plays in both.
Swami Prakashanand Saraswati Explains…
Mahabhao means the absolute supreme expression or experience of Divine love. In Mahabhao only Radha remains in a conscious state, Krishn drowns in that love. The rasik Saints of Vrindaban know this secret and experience a part of that love. Their experience is called “bhao”, a part of Mahabhao.
Where did this love originate from? Radha Herself. Radha is the origin of Divine love. The state of Mahabhao is beyond intellect, beyond experience. Gopis don’t experience it and Krishn drowns in that love. Only Radha experiences it. When it comes to experiencing Divine love, Krishn and Radha are Both exactly the same.
You can experience the same kind of love by worshipping Krishn alone and respecting Radha, or Radha alone and respecting Krishn, or worshipping Both Radha and Krishn. All the Gopis love Radha and Krishn, but sometimes they favor a little towards Krishn or a little towards Radha. Shree Radha’s love is fully seen in Divine Vrindaban and a part of that was reflected when Krishn did Maharas 5,000 years ago.
What was the love Krishn’s playmates, Mother Yashoda, and the Brajwasis felt for Krishn as compared to the experience of Gopi’s love? When Saints compare, they say Gopi’s love for Krishn was much sweeter and much deeper than other forms of love in Braj.
All the kinds of bhao are within Gopi bhao. Suppose Krishn comes and says, “Oh, Gopi, I’m hungry. I want to eat something.”She lovingly gives some food to Krishn. When she is feeding Krishn, she feels like a mother. “Ok, some more. Eat some more.” Suppose Krishn is talking to a Gopi, she can give some advice like a friend. In the Gopi bhao, all the bhao are there, the relationship like a friend, like a mother, like a companion. In fact, all the blissfulness which Mother Yashoda experienced or the Gwalbals experienced, it also really came from Radha Rani. She is the originator of all the blissful experiences of Vrindaban and Golok.
But in Dwarika Radha is not there – only Krishn. And Saket is the abode of Ram and Sita. How could Radha be the source of all that blissfulness? Krishn of Braj, the same Krishn who did maharas, concealed a part of His lovingness when He was in Dwarika. That’s why the Gopis never went to Dwarika. Mathura is very close to Vrindaban, it is physically within Braj, but the Gopis never went to Mathura to see Krishn, because Krishn in Mathura was not the same as He was in Braj.
A rasik Saint said once, “Binu Murali Chandrika nahipahichanatShyam.” He says, “Oh, Krishn, if You come to me without wearing Your peacock feather diadem, without holding a flute, I won’t recognize you. I’ll know it is You, but not that Krishn who is my Krishn.” Krishn never held His flute when He went to Mathura or when He went to Dwarika. Because He was not that loving Krishn, He was like a king Krishn. Yet He loved all of His wives, all of His playmates, all of His friends… but not the same as He loved His playmates of Braj. It’s not of the same class.
When Krishn’s friend, the great gyani Uddhao, went to Braj he saw the difference. “I love Krishn. He is my friend. But these Gopis and the gwalbals and Mother Yashoda, how much they love Krishn is something very different.” He was overwhelmed and he surrendered himself, “Oh, Radhey, please bless me.” Radha graced him internally. When He opened his eyes, his whole vision was changed. Now he saw Gopis with Krishn, gwalbals with Krishn, Mother Yashoda quarreling with Krishn. Uddhao said, “Oh, now I can see what is Braj. What is Braj ras.”
Although a similar kind of love is seen in Dwarika, that bliss is not that great as compared to the love of Brajwasis for Krishn. Who is the giver of that love? Krishn is the giver of that love. But when Krishn went to Dwarika He was acting like almighty God, so He could only give that kind of love. Krishn was the same as He was in Braj, but in Dwarika His love was a little more restricted. Who is Krishn? Radha Herself. So you can say that it was also Radha’s grace which was shown through Krishn in Dwarika, and all the Dwarikawasis(residents of Dwarika) experienced the love of Krishn which was really coming from Radha. The original source was Radha.
Conclusion: As Swami Prakashanand Saraswati reveals, the love of Braj, experienced by the Gopis and Brajwasis, surpasses all others in sweetness and depth, embodying the supreme expression of Mahabhao. He reveals that Radha’s love is the source of all Divine bliss, and Her grace extends through Krishn to all realms, including Dwarika. Stay connected with us for Part 3 as we continue to explore the divine journey of Radha and Krishn through the wisdom of Swami Prakashanand Saraswati.
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