Sriya Suka and Radharani

A reason given as to why Sukadeva Goswami did not directly mention Srimati Radharani's name in the Srimad-Bhagavatam is because Maharaja Pariksit had only seven days to live, and uttering Radhika's name would have thrown Sukadeva into ecstatic trance for six months. In the Brahma-vaivarta Purana, it is mentioned sri radha-nama mantrena murcha sanmasiki bhavet noccareta mata spastam pariksit hit krn munih: if Sukadeva Goswami uttered the name of Srimati Radhika, he would at once remember Her pastimes. Due to his radha-prema he would have become avista-citta, excited and fixed in remembering Her pastimes and activities in the service of Krsna. He would then have become internally fixed on Krsna and externally inert for six months. But Pariksit Maharaja had only seven days to live, and Sukadeva wanted him to have the benefit of hearing the entire

Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Why would Sukadeva Goswami go into an ecstatic trance at the mere mention of the name of Srimati Radhika? In his commentary on his own Brhad-bhagavatamrta, Sanatana Goswami writes, "Srimati Radhika was the worshipable goddess of Sukadeva Goswami, so whenever he uttered Her name, he would become avista-citta, internally spiritually excited and externally inert. So in the Srimad-Bhagavatam he has given the name of Radhika and other gopis in a hidden way." Sukadeva Goswami has therefore not uttered Her name directly, but only indirectly. According to the rasa-sastra, an indirect utterance is better than a direct one.

veda brahmatma-visayas

tri-kanda-visaya ime

paroksa-vada rsayah

paroksam mama ca priyam

Srimad-Bhag. 11.21.35

Krsna says, "The Vedas, divided into three divisions, ultimately reveal the living entity as pure spirit soul. The Vedic seers and mantras, however, deal in esoteric terms, and I am also pleased by such confidential descriptions."

So Sukadeva Goswami also uttered the gopis names indirectly, as in 'anayaradhito' (Srimad-Bhag. 10.30.28), which indicates that gopi by whom Krsna was perfectly worshipped, Srimati Radhika. A rasika-bhakta can understand that it was Srimati Radhika who had most perfectly worshipped Krsna, who Krsna had taken away from the rasa-sthali (the arena of the rasa dance), and whom He had disappeared with in the forest. It was only this gopi whose head and feet Krsna had decorated in a secluded place. Even upon uttering the word 'aradhito', which indicates Srimati Radharani and sounds so much like Her name, Sukadeva Goswami at once started becoming avista-citta. But after becoming so emotional, he then changed the subject.

Also in verse 2.4.14 of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sukadeva Goswami used the word 'radhasa ', meaning Krsna's unequalled opulence, as an indirect reference to Srimati Radhika. Sanatana Goswami says that in the five chapters of the Tenth Canto of the Bhagavatam which describe rasa, in the Gopi-gita, in the Bhramara-gita, and in the Uddhava-sandesa, Sukadeva Goswami has also carefully used other words to indirectly denote Srimati Radhika. He has used the words kascid doham hitva in verse 10.29.5, the words tais taih padais in verse 10.30.26, the words yam gopim anayat in verse 10.30.35, the words sa vadhur anvatapyata in verse 10.30.38, and the words kacit karambujam saurer in verse 10.32.4. Each of these quotes denote Srimati Radhika and the other gopis. Those who are rasika-bhaktas, whose eyes are open, can see the names of the gopis and the name of Srimati Radhika everywhere, but those who are blind cannot. Therefore we are especially grateful to Sanatana Goswami, for without his revealing these truths to us, we could never understand.

But why would Sukadeva Goswami really become so emotional at the mere mention of the name of Srimati Radhika? In the Bhagavatam it is often stated, "sri suka uvaca." Sri suka means sriya suka, or the suka, parrot, of Sri, Srimati Radhika. In his Sri Ananda-Vrndavana-campu, Kavi Karnapura explains that previously Sukadeva was the parrot of Radhika, and used to sit on Srimati Radhika's left hand while she would feed him the seeds from a pomegranate fruit. She would pet him affectionately telling him, "Bolo Krsna! Krsna!" This parrot would then sweetly utter the names of Krsna.

Once he flew into Krsna's garden at Nandagrama where he began singing 'Krsna, Krsna' as sweetly as Srimati Radhika Herself would, and in the same melodious tone. Hearing this, Krsna was very attracted, and noticing this beautiful parrot sitting in the pomegranate tree, He said, "Please speak some more." Then the parrot began to lament, "Oh, I am very wretched and 'akrtajna', ungrateful, because I was sitting in the hand of Srimati Radhika Herself, and She was feeding me pomegranate seeds, milk, and rice. She was teaching me how to sing 'Krsna, Krsna' very sweetly, but I flew away and have come here, so I am very unfortunate." Then Krsna took the parrot in His hand and began to fondle it. In the meantime, Lalita and Visakha came and said, "This parrot belongs to our mistress, Srimati Radhika. It is so dear to Her that She cannot live without it, so please give it to us, and we will return it to Radhika."

Krsna replied, "If it is really Hers, then when you call it, it will come to you. And sakhis, if he is not really Hers, then he will not come to you."

They tried many times to call the parrot, but it would not come to them. Then they began scolding Krsna, saying, "Whatever comes to You never gets returned to its rightful owner!" Next they approached Mother Yasoda and explained the situation, so Yasoda came and snatched the parrot away from Krsna, saying, "You are always doing nothing but playing with animals and birds! It is time for Your bath. Your father is prepared to take his meal, but without You he cannot take it. So come at once!" Then she gave the parrot to Lalita and Visakha and dragged Krsna away.

Before Radha and Krsna returned to Goloka-Vrndavana, They told the parrot, "You must remain in this world to propagate the Srimad-Bhagavatam." The parrot began to weep, but They both told him, "Except for you there is no qualified personality to manifest the Bhagavatam, so you must remain here." So after the disappearance of Radhika and Krsna, the parrot began searching for a place where krsna-katha was being spoken. Knowing that Sankara was a great devotee of Krsna, he flew to Kailasa Mountain where he found Sankara reciting that same Srimad-Bhagavatam to his wife Parvati. So he sat in a tree, and being well camouflaged, his presence was unknown to Sankara.

Because the first three cantos of the Bhagavatam are very philosophical, in accordance with the nature of a woman, Parvati fell asleep as she was hearing it. She wanted to hear only the romantic pastimes, especially how Radha and Krsna would meet and walk and laugh together. But now and then the parrot would reply, "Yes, yes" and Sankara would carry on eagerly reciting, thinking that Parvati was listening.

When Sankara completed reciting the Twelfth Canto, Parvati at once awakened and said, "But I have not heard what I desired to! Have you already spoken the Tenth Canto? Please recite it to me again." Then Sankara thought, "Then who has been hearing, and from time to time saying, 'Yes, yes, it is very nice' in the same tone as Parvati?" He began searching, and then, noticing that there was a very beautiful parrot sitting on the branch of a nearby tree, he thought, "A parrot can imitate anyone's voice, so perhaps he has been saying it. No unqualified person should hear Srimad-Bhagavatam. Because he is a bird, he is unqualified, so he should be immediately killed, otherwise he may misuse what he has heard." Picking up his trident, Sankara went to kill the parrot, but it flew away and entered the asrama of Vyasadeva on the bank of the river Ganges at Badrikasrama. There he saw that Vyasadeva was reciting the same Srimad-Bhagavatam to his wife, who was so wonderstruck upon hearing it that her mouth was hanging open in astonishment. Therefore the parrot flew into her mouth and went inside her. Pursuing that parrot, Sankara arrived there with his trident in his hand and said:

"Vyasadeva, I offer pranama to you. I am following a parrot have you seen it?"

Laughing, Vyasadeva replied, "Why are you searching for a parrot?"

"I want to kill it."

"Why?"

"Because he has heard the Srimad-Bhagavatam, but he is unqualified to have done so."

"May I ask you what is the result of hearing the Bhagavatam?"

"One becomes immortal."

"So if he has now become immortal, how will you kill him? You should abandon this idea and return to your asrama."

Realising that the parrot could not be killed, Sankara returned to Kailasa. After living in his mother's womb for sixteen years, this parrot appeared in the form of Sukadeva and later spoke the Bhagavatam. So because Sukadeva was previously sriya suka, the parrot of Srimati Radhika Herself, he was so rasika that he could not utter the name of Radhika without becoming avista-citta.

Other Puranas mention Srimati Radharani directly, but these Puranas are not one-hundred percent free from the tinges of karma and jnana. The Bhagavatam is beyond the other Puranas and unique in its freedom from all expressions other than the glorification of krsna-bhakti. No hint of karma or jnana taint its pages.

The goal of the Bhagavatam, in essence, even more than glorifying Krsna, is to glorify Srimati Radharani. This is so because Radhika possesses the most selfless love for Krsna, more than the other residents of Vrndavana, and even more than the other gopis. This being true, the Bhagavatam thus mentions the glories of Radhika in practically every verse. Those who have the eyes to see can perceive Radhika's name everywhere, in every verse. But Sukadeva Goswami has carefully spoken the Srimad-Bhagavatam so that these glories are mentioned only indirectly. This is natural, for one keeps those things which are dearest to him hidden, protected from the unqualified who cannot fully appreciate them. As a chaste wife covers her head in public with her sari and uncovers it only in the presence of her husband, so Sukadeva has presented the truth about Srimati Radhika in a covered fashion. Only the rasika-bhaktas who possess the proper eligibility can actually pierce Sukadeva's covering.

Another analogy can help us to understand this point. The naked body of a woman is not so beautiful, but if she covers her body with a fine transparent cloth and then water is poured on that cloth, each of her features are revealed. This is how to appreciate the beautiful features of a woman. Similarly, the glories of Srimati Radhika are enhanced through the thin covering supplied by the author, the supremely intelligent Sukadeva Goswami. Covering Her supreme position also enhances the ultimate revelation of those glories, as things obtained with hardship are appreciated more than those easily attained. Therefore the attainment of prema must necessarily include the overcoming of obstacles.

Like oil hidden within mustard seeds or butter hidden within milk, the glories of Srimati Radhika are hidden within the Srimad-Bhagavatam. But the foolish cannot recognise them. The commentaries of Srila Jiva Goswami and Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, however, reveal those glories to us. In verse 10.14.34, Brahma prayed to become a blade of grass in Vrndavana so he could catch the dust from the feet of all the residents of Vraja. Uddhava, on the other hand, also desired to take birth as a blade of grass in Vrndavana, but only wished to obtain the dust of the feet of one gopi. (The word carana-renu, "the dust from the feet," is singular in verse 10.47.61.) He wanted only the dust from the feet of that gopi who had gone off alone during the rasa dance. And who was that gopi? Srimati Radhika.

After leaving the gopis during the rasa dance, Krsna was smiling a mild, closed smile. Inside, He felt ashamed that He had caused the gopis some difficulty. Verses 10.32.4, 5, 7, and 8 describe that one gopi (Candravali) took Krsna's feet in her lap, another (Syamala) took His hand, another (Saibya) took His other hand, yet another (Padma) mildly chastised Him, another (Lalita) said with some sarcasm, "Oh, You are a very good friend!", and another (Visakha) was crying. Verse 10.32.6 describes a seventh gopi who exhibited mana, jealous anger, from a distance, expressing through Her glance that She believed Krsna was ungrateful considering all that the gopis had done for Him. This was Srimati Radhika.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna Himself having assumed the mood of Srimati Radhika, and He tells us that the gopis are the best worshippers of Krsna. If the Bhagavatam did not contain the glories of Srimati Radhika, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would have never touched it. But because Her glories are present within every verse, He embraced the Bhagavatam close to His breast.

Thus the Srimad-Bhagavatam is certainly the spotless Purana, and because of its level of presentation of rasa and siddhanta, it is without a doubt the most authorised scripture.