(Canto 1, Chapter 16: Description of Śrī Rādhikā’s Wedding)
Śrī Nārada said: One day Nanda was herding the cows, holding his infant son in his arms, and he came to Bhāṇḍīravana, where the trees trembled in the breeze blowing from the bank of the Yamunā. Then, by Kṛṣṇa’s own wish, the sky filled with clouds, and a fierce wind shook the young tamāla and kadamba trees and made their twigs fall. A great blinding darkness came, and the frightened infant in Nanda’s arms began to cry. Nanda also became afraid. Clutching his boy, he took shelter of Lord Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Then an effulgence greater than millions of suns gathered from all directions, and in it Nanda Mahārāja, king of the nine Nandas, saw Vṛṣabhānu’s daughter Rādhā. She was fair and splendid as millions of moons, dressed in blue garments, and decorated with sweetly tinkling anklets and ankle-bells, tinkling bracelets and belt, armlets, rings, a necklace, a pearl in Her nose, a jewelled pendant, and earrings.
Overwhelmed by Her effulgence, Nanda bowed down and said with folded hands, “He is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, and You, O Rādhā, are His foremost beloved. I know this secret from the mouth of Garga Muni. O Rādhā, please take Your Lord from my arms. The clouds have frightened Him, so please take Him home. I speak as if I were a person controlled by the modes of nature, saying that He is frightened. I offer my respectful obeisances to You. Please protect me in this world. You are Kṛṣṇa’s dearmost, and You are beyond the modes of material nature.”
Hearing these words, Śrī Rādhā, splendid as a host of moons, said to the king of the gopas, “O noble-hearted one, ask for a benediction, for anything you wish, even something impossible for anyone else to attain. I am pleased with your sincere devotion. O Nanda, it is very difficult for anyone to see Me.”
Nanda said, “If You are pleased, then let me have firm devotion to the lotus feet of You both, let me have devotion to Your devotees, and let me have their association, millennium after millennium.”
Saying “So be it,” Rādhā took Lord Hari from Nanda’s arms with both hands. After Nanda, the king of Vraja, offered his obeisances and left, She went into the forest of Bhāṇḍīravana.
Then the spiritual land of Goloka descended there. In a moment everything became golden and studded with rubies and many jewels. The forest of Vṛndāvana manifested its splendid transcendental form, with beautiful desire trees. The bank of the Yamunā had jewelled steps and golden palaces. Govardhana Hill was made of jewels, with glittering golden peaks, intoxicated bees, and caves beautified by swiftly flowing streams. O king, it looked like a great, gigantic elephant. The forest grove assumed its real form, with many assembly halls, courtyards, splendid pavilions, bumblebees, and the cooing of peacocks, pigeons, and cuckoos, filled with the sweetness of spring. It had roofs of gold and jewels and fluttering flags, and its lakes were full of blossoming golden lotuses licked by swarms of black bees.
Then the Supreme Personality of Godhead became a youth, dark and splendid like a cloud, dressed in yellow garments, decorated with the Kaustubha gem, holding a flute, and more enchanting than a great host of Kāmadevas. Smiling, Lord Hari took His beloved by the hand and went to the wedding pavilion, which was decorated with sacred threads, kuśa grass, water pots, and all the other articles for a wedding. Embracing and speaking sweetly on a beautiful throne, They shone like a flash of lightning with a dark cloud in the sky.
Then Lord Brahmā, the best of the demigods, came down from the sky. Bowing down to Lord Kṛṣṇa, he spoke eloquently and sweetly with folded hands:
“I take shelter of You, Śrī Kṛṣṇacandra, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, who are without beginning yet the beginning of everything, affectionate to Your devotees, master of countless universes, greater than the greatest, and the husband of Rādhā.
“You are the playful king of Goloka, and She is Your playful companion. When You are the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, She, the daughter of Vṛṣabhānu, is the goddess Lakṣmī. When You are Rāmacandra in this world, She is Sītā, the daughter of Janaka. When You are Lord Hari, She is Kamalā. When You are Yajña, She is Dakṣiṇā, the best of wives. When You are Nṛsiṁha, She is Ramā. When You are Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi, the friend of Nara, She becomes the goddess Śānti and follows You like Your shadow. When You are Brahman, She is Prakṛti. When You are Time, the wise know Her as Pradhāna. When You are the mahat-tattva from which the universes sprout, She is the potency Māyā, full of the three modes. When You become the heart, mind, intelligence, and ego, She becomes the power of understanding. When You become the universal form that contains everything, She becomes the earth. I take shelter of You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, greater than the greatest, master of Goloka, who now appear as a fair and a dark splendor.
“A person who regularly recites these prayers describing the Divine Couple will go to the transcendental abode of Goloka, and even in this world he will be blessed with beauty, opulence, and many perfections.
“You are greater than the greatest and perfect for each other. You are already an eternally loving husband and wife. Still, following the customs of this world, I will now perform Your wedding.”
Then Brahmā rose, kindled the sacred fire, and performed the Vedic wedding ceremony of the Divine Couple. He had Lord Hari and Śrī Rādhikā circumambulate the sacred fire and bow to it, and Brahmā, the knower of the Vedas, recited the seven mantras. Placing Śrī Rādhikā’s hand on Lord Hari’s chest and Lord Hari’s hand on Śrī Rādhikā’s back, he recited many mantras. Then with both hands Śrī Rādhā placed a lotus garland humming with bees around Lord Kṛṣṇa’s neck, and Lord Hari placed a similar garland around Śrī Rādhā’s neck. Brahmā had Them bow before the sacred fire. Seating the silent Divine Couple on two thrones, Brahmā recited five mantras with folded hands, and then, as a father gives away his daughter, Brahmā gave Śrī Rādhā in marriage.
O king, the demigods showered flowers, and the demigoddesses danced with the Vidyādharīs. The Gandharvas, Vidyādharas, Cāraṇas, and Kinnaras sang auspicious songs glorifying Lord Kṛṣṇa. In the heavens the great demigods played mṛdaṅgas, vīṇās, flutes, conchshells, drums, and cymbals again and again, calling out “Glory!” and filling the sky with auspicious sound.
When Lord Hari said to Brahmā, “Please ask whatever you wish as your priestly fee,” Brahmā replied, “O Lord, as my fee please give me devotion to Your lotus feet.” Lord Hari said, “So be it.” Then Brahmā placed his head again and again at the beautiful and auspicious feet of Lord Hari and Śrī Rādhikā, and, happily bowing down, he returned to his own abode.
Then, in the forest groves, Lord Kṛṣṇa ate the four kinds of delicious divine foods His beloved offered Him, and Śrī Rādhā chewed the betel Kṛṣṇa offered Her. Taking His beloved’s hand, Lord Hari walked through the grove, speaking sweetly as He gazed at the beautiful Yamunā, the forest of Vṛndāvana, and the many flowering vines. Laughing, Kṛṣṇa disappeared into a grove of flowering vines. Seeing Him hiding behind a tree, Rādhā went up to Him and caught hold of His yellow garment. Then She slipped away from His lotus hand, and with running footsteps She disappeared into a forest by the Yamunā, but Lord Hari’s hand drew Her out again. Like a tamāla tree with a vine of golden flowers, like a dark cloud with a flash of lightning, like a dark mountain with a vein of gold, Lord Hari shone with beautiful Śrī Rādhā.
In a beautiful secluded arena Lord Hari enjoyed the nectar of the rāsa dance with Śrī Rādhā. Lord Hari, the transcendental master of loving pastimes, wandered through Vṛndāvana forest, which was filled with flowering vines and the sounds of peacocks and bees. He danced with Śrī Rādhā in the caves of Govardhana Hill, by the lakes, streams, rapids, and waterfalls, and among the splendid flowering vines filled with intoxicated bumblebees.
When They came to the Yamunā, Kṛṣṇa played a charming game with the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu. Taking the hundred-thousand-petalled lotus from Rādhā’s hand, He suddenly dove into the waters of the Yamunā. Laughing, Rādhā quickly took Lord Hari’s flute, stick, and yellow cloth. When Lord Hari said, “Give back My flute!” She teased Him and said, “You give back My lotus!” Lord Hari, the master of the demigods, gave Her the lotus, Rādhā gave Him back His flute, stick, and yellow cloth, and They continued Their pastimes on the bank of the Yamunā.
Then, in Bhāṇḍīravana, He who is the jewel of the gopas of Vraja beautifully decorated His beloved with many flowers and jewels and with designs drawn in red yāvaka, black kajjala, and many other colors. But as Rādhā was about to decorate Him in return, Lord Kṛṣṇa suddenly gave up His youthful form and became an infant again. He became the infant crawling on the ground and crying, just as Nanda had given Him to Her.
Seeing Lord Hari like this, Śrī Rādhikā cried out, “O Lord Hari, why do You show this illusion to Me?” As Rādhā wept in despair, a voice from the sky said, “O Rādhā, do not lament. In time Your desire will be fulfilled.”
Hearing this, Rādhā took Lord Hari and quickly went to the home of the queen of Vraja. Giving the child to Nanda’s wife, She said, “Your husband gave Him to Me on the path.”
King Nanda’s wife said, “O Rādhā, daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, You are fortunate. When the sky was covered with clouds and my child was frightened in the forest, You protected Him.” After greatly honoring Her and praising Her transcendental qualities, Yaśodā gave Her permission to leave, and the happy daughter of Śrī Vṛṣabhānu slowly returned to Her own home.
Sins will never touch those who hear, read silently, or recite aloud this auspicious and confidential narration of Śrī Rādhā’s wedding.
Lessons to be learned
This pastime, described in detail in the Garga-saṁhitā, shows that Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are eternally one and eternally united. Brahmā himself says, “You are already husband and wife; I perform the ceremony only to follow the customs of the world.” Brahmā’s prayer shows that Rādhā is the source of all the Lord’s consorts: Lakṣmī, Sītā, Dakṣiṇā, and the others are all Her expansions. This agrees with the Gauḍīya understanding, taught by Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja and explained by Śrīla Prabhupāda, that Rādhā is the Lord’s hlādinī-śakti, His pleasure potency, from whom all the goddesses of fortune expand.
Nanda Mahārāja did not ask for wealth or liberation. He asked for firm devotion to the lotus feet of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, devotion to Their devotees, and the association of devotees, life after life. Śrīla Prabhupāda taught that the association of devotees is the most valuable thing in this world. Nanda’s prayer is a perfect prayer for every devotee.
Brahmā, the creator of the universe, asked as his fee only devotion to the Lord’s lotus feet. Even the greatest demigods consider pure devotion the highest gain.
When Kṛṣṇa became an infant again, Rādhā wept, and a voice promised that Her desire would be fulfilled in time. The ācāryas teach that separation (vipralambha) nourishes love. Even the Divine Couple’s pastimes include longing, which increases the sweetness of union.
Kṛṣṇa gave this pastime only to those who were fit to see it. Our ācāryas warn that these confidential pastimes must be heard with reverence and a purified heart, never with a mundane mentality. Śrīla Prabhupāda said that one should first understand Kṛṣṇa’s position as the Supreme Lord, and only then approach His intimate pastimes. When heard in that spirit, this narration destroys sin, as the text promises.
