vaikuṇṭhÄj janito varÄ madhu-purÄ« tatrÄpi rÄsotsavÄd
vá¹›ndÄraṇyam udÄra-pÄṇi-ramaṇÄt tatrÄpi govardhanaḥ
rÄdhÄ-kuṇá¸am ihÄpi gokula-pateḥ premÄmá¹›tÄplÄvanÄt
kuryÄd asya virÄjato giri-taá¹­e sevÄá¹ vivekÄ« na kaḥ

 vaikuṇṭhÄt - than Vaikuṇṭha, the spiritual world; janitaḥ - because of birth; varÄ - better; madhu-purÄ« - the transcendental city known as MathurÄ; tatra api - superior to that; rÄsa-utsavÄt - because of the performance of the rÄsa-lÄ«lÄ; vá¹›ndÄ-araṇyam - the forest of Vá¹›ndÄvana; udÄra-pÄṇi - of Lord Kṛṣṇa; ramaṇÄt - because of various kinds of loving pastimes; tatra api - superior to that; govardhanaḥ - Govardhana Hill; rÄdhÄ-kuṇá¸am - a place called RÄdhÄ-kuṇá¸a; iha api - superior to this; gokula-pateḥ - of Kṛṣṇa, the master of Gokula; prema-amá¹›ta - with the nectar of divine love; ÄplÄvanÄt - because of being overflooded; kuryÄt - would do; asya - of this (RÄdhÄ-kuṇá¸a); virÄjataḥ - situated; giri-taá¹­e - at the foot of Govardhana Hill; sevÄm - service; vivekÄ« - who is intelligent; na - not; kaḥ - who.


Text

The holy place known as MathurÄ is spiritually superior to Vaikuṇṭha, the transcendental world, because the Lord appeared there. Superior to MathurÄ-purÄ« is the transcendental forest of Vá¹›ndÄvana because of Kṛṣṇa’s rÄsa-lÄ«lÄ pastimes. And superior to the forest of Vá¹›ndÄvana is Govardhana Hill, for it was raised by the divine hand of ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa and was the site of His various loving pastimes. And, above all, the superexcellent ÅšrÄ« RÄdhÄ-kuṇá¸a stands supreme, for it is overflooded with the ambrosial nectarean prema of the Lord of Gokula, ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa. Where, then, is that intelligent Person who is unwilling to serve this divine RÄdhÄ-kuṇá¸a, 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, MathurÄ 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 MathurÄ. The interior forests of Vá¹›ndÄvana are considered superior to MathurÄ because of the presence of the twelve forests (dvÄdaÅ›a-vana), such as TÄlavana, Madhuvana and BahulÄvana, which are famous for the various pastimes of the Lord. Thus the interior Vá¹›ndÄvana forest is considered superior to MathurÄ, 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 ÅšrÄ« RÄdhÄ and engaged in loving pastimes with Her. RÄdhÄ-kuṇá¸a, at the foot of Govardhana, is superior to all because it is there that love of Kṛṣṇa overflows. Advanced devotees prefer to reside at RÄdhÄ-kuṇá¸a because this place is the site of many memories of the eternal loving affairs between Kṛṣṇa and RÄdhÄrÄṇī (rati-vilÄsa).

In Caitanya-caritÄmá¹›ta (Madhya-lÄ«lÄ) it is stated that when ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu ï¬rst visited the area of Vraja-bhÅ«mi, He could not at ï¬rst ï¬nd the location of RÄdhÄ-kuṇá¸a. This means that ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu was actually searching for the exact location of RÄdhÄ-kuṇá¸a. 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 RÄdhÄ-kuṇá¸a was situated there. Later the pond was excavated by Lord Caitanya’s devotees, headed ï¬rst by the Six GosvÄmÄ«s, such as RÅ«pa and RaghunÄtha dÄsa. Presently there is a large lake known as RÄdhÄ-kuṇá¸a there. ÅšrÄ«la RÅ«pa GosvÄmÄ« has given much stress to RÄdhÄ-kuṇá¸a because of ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu’s desire to ï¬nd it. Who, then, would give up RÄdhÄ-kuṇá¸a and try to reside elsewhere? No person with transcendental intelligence would do so. The importance of RÄdhÄ-kuṇá¸a, however, cannot be realized by other Vaiṣṇava sampradÄyas, nor can persons uninterested in the devotional service of Lord Caitanya MahÄprabhu understand the spiritual importance and divine nature of RÄdhÄ-kuṇá¸a. Thus RÄdhÄ-kuṇá¸a is mainly worshiped by the Gauá¸Ä«ya Vaiṣṇavas, the followers of Lord ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa Caitanya MahÄprabhu.