The Tantrik Worship of Krsna and Rādhā

Having explored the philosophy and life of Sri Krishna Chaitanya, and having outlined Bhakti in practice as part of last year's Gaur Purnima (Chaitanya Jayanti) celebration, we now turn to some more specialized themes in our study of Tantrik Vaishnavism beginning with some dhyāna mantras (meditation and visualization techniques) for Krishna and Rādhā Rāni! 

Here is some of what we shared in the talk:

“I meditate on the golden hued Gauranga whose beautiful hair is bound by a string of pearls whose moonlike face beams a gentle smile his body is smeared with sandalwood and other fragrant pastes and a beautiful cloth who is garlanded and ornamented in a divine way. Asborbed in dancing, he delights in rasa (the sweetness of devotion/chanting the name). He shines brighter than the Cupid (kandarpa-veśojvallam) and is attended to by His devotees.” 
 
 Brahma Samhita:

A great hexagonal yantra in which the Kāma-bīja is the diamond peg in the center, accompanied by Rādha and Krishna surrounded by the Krishna mantra, the 18 syllabled Gopāla mantra and then the Kāma gāyatrī surrounded by the ashta-manjaris and beyond the petals the abode of the sakis…
 “evambhūta yoga-pīthe srī srī rādhā-krshnau smaret”

...”mīlitam bhāti mudritam” it blooms and contracts through the desire of rādhā-krishna-līla-rasa (the bliss of the union of Rādhā and Krishna) 
 
 dhyayed vrndāvane ramye
 gopa-gobhir alankrte 
 kadamba pādapacchāye
 yamuna jala śitale

rādhaya sahitam krshnam 
 vamśī vādana tat param 
 tribhanga lalitam devam 
 bhaktānugraha kārakam 
 
 “Krishna plays in the cool waters of the Yamuna, rests in the shade of the Kadamba tree in Vrndāvan. He is surrounded by cows and milkmen/milkmaids and is with Srī Rādha. He stands playfully with three bends and plays the flute, blessing us with the gift of devotion! 

 From svayambhuvāgama: 
 
 Kāmadevāya vidmahe 
 pushpa-bānāya dhīmahi 

Tan no’nanga pracodayāt 
 
 From Gaurī Tantra

“I mediate on Rādhā who is shining red (sphurad-aruna) with a smiling lotus mouth, dressed in crimson, the border of her cloth is her veil, from the braids in her hair a lotus flower dangles, and with her thumb and forefinger she offers a tambulam into the mouth of Sri Krishna. She has beautiful long ears and eyes and she is filled with honey, the sweetest in all the three worlds!” 
 
 Śrī-rādhikayai vidmahe 
 prema-rūpāyai dhīmahi 
 tanno rādha pracodayāt 

Here is our playlist on all things Tantrik Vaishnavism! 

Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815

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