Overawed by Sri Sri Radha-Govinda

On Thursday 26 November we made a quick one day foray from Vrindavan to Jaipur and got the darshan of Sri Sri Radha Govinda. By taxi it is about five hours in each direction. We departed Vrindavan at 3:30am and got to Jaipur just in time for the an early morning darshan at 8:30am. We were in ecstasy to behold, bow down to, and pray for the mercy of these extraordinary deities.

These are the original deities of Srila Rupa Goswami and one of the three principle traditional deities of Sri Vrindavan Dham. They were installed centuries ago in Vrindavan in a beautiful seven storied temple, but had to be suddenly whisked away to Rajasthan for their protection on that tragic day when the Muslim tyrant Aurangzeb sent his soldiers to Vrindavan to smash them and destroy their temple.

We paid one hundred rupees per person so that our party consisting of me, my wife, and my disciples, Krishna Caitanya Das and Vraja Kishore Das, could have a special close up darshan. We were ushered by a pujari to a spot a few feet away from Their lotus feet where we could sit for several minutes and drink in the supreme nectar of Their darshan. It was truly the most beautiful, magnificent sight I have ever feasted my eyes upon. Sri Sri Radha Govinda were resplendent with radiant mystical energy and were showering an ocean of their mercy upon me. I began singing in great joy, "Jaya Radha Govinda, Radha Govinda, Radhe", and then the pujari indicated it was time for us to move on so the next persons could get their turn. That all too short but oh so sweet darshan now lives on in my heart forever as a tender, uplifting moment of transcendental bliss in the divine shower of Sri Sri Radha Govinda's mercy.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question:Why Choose Krishna Consciousness if Everything is Predestined?

Dear Gurudeva,

Please accept my dandavats.

We often hear from elders and seniors that everything in our lives is destined. If it is true, then is our liberation also destined? And if that is so, why do we have make the conscious choice to take up the practice of Krishna consciousness?

Your servant,

Ankit

Answer: Krishna Consciousness is Transcendental to Destiny

Everything in material life is pre-destined. That is a fact, just as your elders have informed you. This is known as the law of karma. But because they are still caught up in the clutches of karma they probably did not inform you that at any time you can take control of your own destiny by consciously choosing to take up the practice of Krishna consciousness. No one comes to Krishna consciousness as an automatic matter of destiny because as long as you remain within destiny you will remain eternally in the material world. One only comes to Krishna consciousness when he opts to get out of destiny's clutches and take control of his destiny by surrendering to Krishna. Then instead of being the slave of destiny he becomes the master of destiny.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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