Swami Prakashanand beautifully explains the profound spiritual essence of Radha in this enlightening four-part discourse. This is Part 1, where he introduces Radha as the soul of all rasik saints and the ultimate embodiment of Divine love, known as Mahabhao. Through this series, Swami Ji reveals how Radha’s love is the source of blissful leelas across realms like Saket, Dwarika, and Vrindaban, and how She inspires deep devotion in the hearts of all rasik saints.
According to Swami Prakashanand Saraswati’s
Radha is rangili. She is the life source, soul, everything of all the rasik saints. Rangili word indicates that She has all the loving, exciting forms of Divine love in Her, and from Her all the forms of loving leelas happen.
The one who receives the Divine love of God is called rasik. There are many kinds of rasik saints because “ras” means Divine love. The bliss of Divine love is experienced in many abodes, starting from Saket to Dwarika to Golok to Vrindaban. Those who worship Bhagwan Ram are called rasik saints. Those who experience the bliss of Dwarikadish are also rasik Saints. And those who receive the bliss of Braj leelas, they are also rasik Saints.
How could it happen that Radha is the source of bliss of Saket where Bhagwan Ram and Sita are there, or the source of bliss of Dwarika where Krishn and Rukmani are there? For this we have to understand the personality of Radha Rani.
Radha and Krishn are not two. They are one. Radha is Krishn.
Krishn is Radha, but they are in two forms. That’s how Divine love happens. You see, if there is only one existence, there cannot be any leela. The same Divine love power is in male form, Krishn, and female form, Radha. Radha Krishn both reveal the leela bliss of all kinds, as we know through the Bhagwatam and writings of other Saints. The main form of Radha (explained in detail in The Divine Vision of Radha Krishn), Radha tattva, is the absoluteness of absolute Divine love, the absolute limit. Radha in that form is called Mahabhao.
I’ll give you an example because it’s absolutely impossible to even grasp the situation with a material mind, but you can have some idea. Radha and Krishn are sitting, and Krishn is looking towards Radha. Radha is looking towards Krishn. Some Gopis are there. Krishn feels so much love for Radha, He thinks, “Oh, Radha is so beautiful, She’s so great, She is so kind.” Seeing her kindness, her beauty, her love, her affection, her Grace for the Gopis, He drowns in Her love.
He is experiencing that love, and then He IS that (love); His understanding drowns in that love. Is He still experiencing? Yes, He is experiencing but He has now drowned in that love. The same thing happens to Radha also. “Oh Krishn is so great, He is so loving, He’s so affectionate, He’s so handsome, He’s so charming.” Radha also is experiencing love from Krishn. As I said before, Radha is Krishn, and Krishn is Radha, and both are same. It is called achintya bhed abhed, which means it is beyond the intellect.
Krishn experienced and drowned in that love. Now He’s in that absolute ecstacy nearing Mahabhao. But Radha is still conscious. Radha is still conscious, and She watchesKrishn drown in her love. Then she feels, “Oh, Krishn, how much He loves me.” She drowns in her own love. This is just a little expression of Mahabhao.
Krishn drowned in Radha’s love, but Radha was still conscious. So, Radha is the absolute supreme state of Divine love. So, She’s called Mahabhao.
Conclusion:
In this way, Swami Prakashanand reveals that Radha, as Mahabhao, is the pinnacle of Divine love. She is all forms of bliss across the spiritual realms. Her love transcends comprehension; She is the source of Divine love for all rasik saints, and She unites them with the loving divine essence of Radha and Krishn.
Stay connected for Part 2 as we continue exploring the divine love of Radha and Krishn with excerpts from Swami Prakashanand teachings.