Lecture given by His Divine Grace Srila B.S. Govinda Dev Goswami Maharaj on the Appearance day of Lalita devi, Moscow, Sept. 1996

Srila Govinda Maharaj: Today is Lalita-devi's avirbhav day, appearance day, and tomorrow is Radhastami. Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu composed one poem, one prayer for Lalita-devi, Lalita-astakam.

This sloka is a very beautiful sloka, it is an expression of her service mood. Lalita-devi has taken the whole service charge of the sakhis and manjaris to the service of Radha Krsna. And Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu in the form of Rupa Manjari is serving Radha - Govinda very exclusively. And the exclusive service to Radha-Govinda is arranged by Lalita-devi for Rupa Goswami/Rupa Manjari. When Radha-Govinda are in their private room there the sakhis don't enter, but if there is any important service necessary, by the order of Lalita devi Sri Rupa Manjari and her associates are attending. Radharani and Krsna both are respecting Lalita-devi as Their head-servitor. And why she is head? That little explanation is given in the first sloka by Rupa Goswami.

'She is always ready to serve with her thousand times of energy through her associates and her own self for the satisfaction of Radha-Govinda. Even when They are playing as couple, paramour couple, if that time one drop of sweat comes in Their lotus-feet Lalita-devi wants to take immediately one lakh of forms only to remove that quickly." Lalita-devi has that type of service eagerness and service capacity. For that she is the general of all the sakhis and manjaris. Lalita-devi is one year older than Radharani.

Everyone is respecting her personality. All that group of sakhis and manjaris they are respecting her as their guardian for the service to Radha-Govinda. Even if Krsna Himself doesn't know if He is hungry or not, Lalita-devi knows it. And what kind of pastimes today will be for service to Krsna, what kind of lila , that arrangement also by the order, by the inspiration of Lalita-devi Yogamaya is arranging. Even Radharani and Krsna They are waiting for Lalita-devi, what kind of enjoyment They need. It is very difficult to understand within this mundane environment and for that it is not mentioned in the scriptures so much. But in Srimad Bhagavatam and also Garga-samhita, Hari-vamsa, like that many places the pastimes of Radha-Krsna are explained little bit. And our Guru-varga they indicated for that service-world something, but they did not explain so much.

All the good qualities exist within Lalita-devi and her service. She is arranging smoothly everything in favour of pastimes of Radha-Krsna. For the service sometimes she is showing like guardian of Radharani. And for that Rupa Goswami explained in this sloka, she is sometimes also chastising Radharani, that is her extreme affection for Radharani. And if necessary sheis also chastising Krsna. For the pastimes of Radha-Govinda she is sometimes creating varieties of tasteful situation. But her guardianship in the group of the sakhis is unquestionable. Krsna and Radharani have 8 principle sakhis as Their girl-friends. Lalita is first, then Vishaka second, then Chitra, Champakalatika, Tunga-vidya, Indurekha, Sudevi, and Rangadevika. When we are chanting the beads, there is one indication separating 8 beads from108, because that 8 are for the rememberance of that principle sakhis. Lalita-devi's mind is very free for the service to Radha-Giridhari. Radharani has one group for satisfaction of Krsna, but there is an ?anti-group", that is the group of Chandravali. It is the pastimes of Krsna, if there is not any ?anti-part"it will not be so tasteful. For that another group of servants of Krsna are existing, and both parties are playing very intelligently to take Krsna to their kunja. And there Lalita-devi is arranging very cleverly to take Krsna into Radharani's group. It is manifested by Radharani's shakti for the pastimes of Krsna.

I told something about the service of Lalita-devi. And because Rupa Goswami Prabhu did not tell so much, it will manifest naturally in the heart when we will be qualified.

There are many groups in the name of Lalita-devi's service camp. Lalita-devi's house is in Uchagram. When I went with Guru Maharaj there it was very peaceful. Only one pujari lived there. Once I asked Srila Guru Maharaj, 'If we shall make any ashram in Vrndavan where we shall make that? It will be in Radhakunda or in Vrndavan or somewhere? Srila Guru Maharaj said, 'You can make ashram in Goverdhan and by the order of Lalita devi we will go early in the morning and collect the flowers from Kusum-sarovar and collect some milk and go to Radhakunda for the service to Radha-Govinda early in the morning. At Kusum sarovar we will collect the flowers, but we will not stay at the Radhakunda. When Radha-Krsna will sleep we will come back to our ashram in Goverdhan and again early in the morning we will start that seva.There our leader is Srila Rupa Goswami in the form of Rupa Manjari. Her instruction we will follow as appropriate for us."

Near to Shyamkunda and Radhakunda we will see there is still the Lalita-kunda. And for her remembrance there is also one small temple. In Vrndavan dham, rasa-sthali, when rasa-lila with the gopis is organized, Lalita-devi gives guidance to all the gopis. Fortunately we made ashram by the grace of Guru Maharaj in Goverdhan. And we are very fortunate that by the grace of Guru Maharaj and Rupa Goswami we have got one piece of land, adjoining with Rupa Goswami's samadhi. I didn't want to take that land, because most of my friends are Westerners and they do not know how to behave properly there. But surprisingly we have got that land by the grace of Rupa Goswami and Jiva Goswami. There is Krsnadas Kaviraj Goswami Maharaj's samadhi, Jiva Goswami's samadhi, Rupa Goswami's samadhi, Srila Swami Maharaj's first preaching mission started from that place, Radha-Damodar existing there and with many of the deities adjoining land. And many principle Mahapurush Vaishnavas' samadhi existing there. When I have got that land, my heart was crying, ?Why Krsna has given me that." Actually I am very unqualified and very much insignificant jiva-soul, But they are very merciful. And I remembered Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur's pastimes. Srila Saraswati Thakur did his power transmission to Srila Guru Maharaj through the song, 'Sri Rupa Manjari pada'. And when I have got that land I was thinking, 'O it is extremely perfect decision taken by Rupa Goswami and Jiva Goswami. I am unqualified maybe, but my Guru is not unqualified.' This is our fortune, you all have your share of fortune with us. But be conscious about your fortune. You are all initiated in the line of Rupa Goswami and he is guided by Lalita-devi, and she is also guardian of Radharani. And today is her appearance day. All the beautiful and special qualities are full within Lalita-devi. And tomorrow also is Radhastami day. All our Maths are observing one-month festival in this time, including Lalita-Devi's appearance, Sita Thakurani's appearance, Radhastami, Janmastami, Jhulan-yatra, Rupa Goswami's tirobhav etc.

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