Song Name: Radha Kunda Tata Kunja Kutir
Official Name: Bhakti Anukula Matra Karyera Svikara Song 4
Author: Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
Book Name: Śaraṇāgatii
Language: Bengali
LYRICS
(১)
রাধা-কুণ্ড-তট-কুঞ্জ-কুটীর
গোবর্ধন-পর্বত, যামুন-তীর
rādhā-kuṇḍa-taṭa-kuñja-kuṭīra
govardhana-parvata yāmuna-tīra [1]
rādhā–of Rādhārāṇī; kuṇḍa–the pond; taṭa–on the bank; kuñja–in a grove; kuṭīra (śrī kṛṣṇera vilāsa-bhavana)–the cottage (amorous pleasure-house of Śrī Kṛṣṇa); govardhana–known as Govardhan (‘He who nourishes the cows’); parvata–the hill; yāmuna–of the Yamunā; tīra–the bank. [1]
The cottage in the grove on the bank of Rādhā-Kuṇḍa, the great Govardhan Hill, the banks of the river Yamunā ...
(২)
কুসুম-সরোবর, মানস-গঙ্গা
কলিন্দ-নন্দিনী বিপুল-তরঙ্গ
kusuma-sarovara, mānasa-gaṅgā
kalinda-nandinī vipula-taraṅgā [2]
kusuma-sarovara–the pond near Govardhan Hill; mānasa-gaṅgā–a pond near Govardhan Hill; kalinda-nandinī–of the river Yamunā (the daughter of Mount Kalinda); vipula–great; taraṅgā–waves. [2]
Kusum-Sarovara, Mānasa-Gaṅgā, the daughter of Kalinda (the Yamunā) with her great many waves ...
(৩)
বংশী-বট, গোকুল, ধীর-সমীর
বৃন্দাবন-তরু-লতিকা-বানীর
vaṁśī-vaṭa, gokula, dhīra-samīra
vṛndāvana-taru-latikā-vānīra [3]
vaṁśī-vaṭa–the place beneath a banyan tree near the site of the rāsa-līlā in Vṛndāvan where Kṛṣṇa stands and plays His flute; gokula–the land of Kṛṣṇa’s Pastimes; dhīra-samīra–a site of various Pastimes of Kṛṣṇa (lit. ‘gentle breeze’); vṛndāvana–of the homeland of Kṛṣṇa (lit. forest of tulasī); taru–trees; latikā–vines; vānīra (vetasa vṛkṣa)–palm trees. [3]
The Vaṁśī-vaṭ, Gokula, Dhīra-Samīra (places of pastimes), the creepers and vines, the palm-trees of Vṛndāvan ...
(৪)
খগ-মৃগ-কুল, মলয়-বাতাস
ময়ূর, ভ্রমর, মুরলী-বিলাস
khaga-mṛga-kula, malaya-vātāsa
mayūra, bhramara, muralī-vilāsa [4]
khaga–birds; mṛga–animals; kula–multitudes; malaya (vasanta)–springtime; vātāsa (samīraṇa)–breezes; mayūra–peacocks; bhramara–bumblebees; muralī–of the eighteen-inch wooden flute known as muralī ; vilāsa–play. [4]
The birds, the animals, the cool springtime breeze, the peacocks, the bumblebees, the play of the muralī flute ...
(৫)
বেনু, শৃঙ্গ, পদ-চিহ্ন, মেঘ-মালা
বসন্ত, শশঙ্ক, শঙ্খ, করতাল
veṇu, śṛṅga, pada-chihṇa, megha-mālā
vasanta, śaśāṅka, śaṅkha, karatāla [5]
veṇu–the six-inch whistling flute known as veṇu; śṛṅga–horn; pada-chihṇa–footprints (of the cows); megha–of clouds; mālā–rows; vasanta–springtime; śaśāṅka–moon; śaṅkha–conch; karatāla–hand-cymbals. [5]
The veṇu flute, the horn bugle, the footprints of the cows, the rows of clouds, the springtime, the moon, the conch, the kartāls ...
(৬)
য়ুগল-বিলাসে অনুকূল জানি
লীলা-বিলাসে-উদ্দীপক মানি
yugala-vilāse anukūla jāni
līlā-vilāsa-uddīpaka māni [6]
yugala–of the Divine Couple; vilāse–within the Pastimes; anukūla–favourable; jāni–I know; līlā-vilāsa–Their Pastimes of love; uddīpaka–stimulate; māni–I know. [6]
I know all of these things are favourable to the Divine Couple’s Pastimes. I know they all stimulate Their loving Pastimes.
(৭)
এ সব ছোড়ত কঁহি নাহি যাউ
এ সব ছোড়ত পরাণ হারাউ
e saba chhoḍata kāhā nāhi yāu
e saba chhoḍata parāṇa hārāu [7]
e–these; saba–all; chhoḍata–abandoning; kāhā (kothāo)–somewhere; nāhi–not; yāu–I will go; e–these; saba–all; chhoḍata–abandoning; parāṇa–my life; hārāu (hārāi)–I will lose. [7]
I will never abandon these things and go elsewhere, for to abandon them is to abandon life itself.
(৮)
ভকতিবিনোদ কহে, শুন কান!
তুয়া উদ্দীপক হামারা পরাণ
bhakativinoda kahe śuna kāna!
tuyā uddīpaka hāmāra parāṇa [8]
bhakati-vinoda–Bhakti-Vinoda; kahe–says; śuna–please listen; kāna!–O Kṛṣṇa!; tuyā–of You; uddīpaka (smāraka vastu-samūha)–stimulating (all things which cause remembrance); hāmāra–my; parāṇa–life and soul. [8]
Bhakti Vinod says, "Please listen, O Kāna! (Kṛṣṇa!). All these things that remind me of your pastimes, are my very life and soul."
DIFFERENT TRANSLATION
1) A vine-covered bower on the banks of Rādhā-kuṇḍa; Govardhana Hill; the shores of the Yamunā…
2) …Kusuma-sarovara; Mānasa-gaṅgā; the daughter of the Kalinda Mountain (Yamunā) with her expansive waves…
3) …Vaṁśīvaṭa; Gokula; Dhīra-samīra; the trees, creepers, and shrubs of Vṛndāvana…
4) …the birds and deer; a cooling springtime breeze from the Malaya Hills; peacocks and bumblebees; the play of the muralī flute…
5) …the veṇu flute; the horn bugle; footprints in the dust of that land; rows of clouds; springtime; the crescent of the moon; the conch and the karatālas…
6) I know that all these things are most favorable to the Divine Couple’s loving exchanges, and thus I consider them uddīpana, stimuli that invokes remembrance of Their playful, amorous pastimes.
7) I will not go anywhere giving up such stimuli, for to abandon them is to give up my very own life.
8) Bhaktivinoda says, "Please listen, O Kāna! All these things that remind me of You, are my life and soul.”
------
"Just as Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is most dear to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Her
bathing place [Rādhā-kuṇḍa] is also dear to Him. Among all the
gopīs, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is supermost and very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa."
--------
Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals the Glory of Rādhā-kuṇḍa
vaikuṇṭhāj janito varā madhu-purī tatrāpi rāsotsavād
vṛndāraṇyam udāra-pāṇi-ramaṇāt tatrāpi govardhanaḥ
rādhā-kuṇḍam ihāpi gokula-pateḥ premāmṛtāplāvanāt
kuryād asya virājato giri-taṭe sevāṁ vivekī na kaḥ
vaikuṇṭhāt—than Vaikuṇṭha, the spiritual world; janitaḥ—because of birth; varā—better; madhu-purī—the transcendental city known as Mathurā; tatra api—superior to that; rāsa-utsavāt—because of the performance of the rāsa-līlā; vṛndā-araṇyam—the forest of Vṛndāvana; udāra-pāṇi—of Lord Kṛṣṇa; ramaṇāt—because of various kinds of loving pastimes; tatra api—superior to that; govardhanaḥ—Govardhana Hill; rādhā-kuṇḍam—a place called Rādhā-kuṇḍa; iha api—superior to this; gokula-pateḥ—of Kṛṣṇa, the master of Gokula; prema-amṛta—with the nectar of divine love; āplāvanāt—because of being overflooded; kuryāt—would do; asya—of this (Rādhā-kuṇḍa); virājataḥ—situated; giri-taṭe—at the foot of Govardhana Hill; sevām—service; vivekī—who is intelligent; na—not; kaḥ—who.
TRANSLATION: The holy place known as Mathurā is spiritually superior to Vaikuṇṭha, the transcendental world, because the Lord appeared there. Superior to Mathurā-Purī is the transcendental forest of Vṛndāvana because of Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa-līlā pastimes. And superior to the forest of Vṛndāvana is Govardhana Hill, for it was raised by the divine hand of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and was the site of His various loving pastimes. And, above all, the superexcellent Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa stands supreme, for it is overflooded with the ambrosial nectarean prema of the Lord of Gokula, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Where, then, is that intelligent Person who is unwilling to serve this divine Rādhā-kuṇḍa, which is situated at the foot of Govardhana Hill?
PURPORT:
The spiritual world is three fourths of the total creation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it is the most exalted region. The spiritual world is naturally superior to the material world; however, Mathurā and the adjoining areas, although appearing in the material world, are considered superior to the spiritual world because the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself appeared at Mathurā. The interior forests of Vṛndāvana are considered superior to Mathurā because of the presence of the twelve forests (dvādaśa-vana), such as Tālavana, Madhuvana and Bahulāvana, which are famous for the various pastimes of the Lord. Thus the interior Vṛndāvana forest is considered superior to Mathurā, but superior to these forests is the divine Govardhana Hill because Kṛṣṇa lifted Govardhana Hill like an umbrella, raising it with His lotuslike beautiful hand to protect His associates, the denizens of Vraja, from the torrential rains sent by the angry Indra, King of the demigods. It is also at Govardhana Hill that Kṛṣṇa tends the cows with His cowherd friends, and there also He had His rendezvous with His most beloved Śrī Rādhā and engaged in loving pastimes with Her. Rādhā-kuṇḍa, at the foot of Govardhana, is superior to all because it is there that love of Kṛṣṇa overflows. Advanced devotees prefer to reside at Rādhā-kuṇḍa because this place is the site of many memories of the eternal loving affairs between Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī (rati-vilāsa).
In Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā) it is stated that when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu first visited the area of Vrajabhūmi, He could not at first find the location of Rādhā-kuṇḍa. This means that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was actually searching for the exact location of Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Finally He found the holy spot, and there was a small pond there. He took His bath in that small pond and told His devotees that the actual Rādhā-kuṇḍa was situated there. Later the pond was excavated by Lord Caitanya’s devotees, headed first by the six Gosvāmīs, such as Rūpa and Raghunātha dāsa. Presently there is a large lake known as Rādhā-kuṇḍa there. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has given much stress to Rādhā-kuṇḍa because of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s desire to find it. Who, then, would give up Rādhā-kuṇḍa and try to reside elsewhere? No person with transcendental intelligence would do so.
The importance of Rādhā-kuṇḍa, however, cannot be realized by other Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas, nor can persons uninterested in the devotional service of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu understand the spiritual importance and divine nature of Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Thus Rādhā-kuṇḍa is mainly worshiped by the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, the followers of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (NOI Text 9)