Radha Shyam ki Katha Bhagwati Ends with Satisfaction and More Thirst.

In the path of devotion, four things are important:

1. God’s name – Sing God’s name with others and chant His name in solo.
2. God’s place – Devotion is nurtured by visiting God’s holy places such as Gokul, Dwarka etc.
3. God’s pastimes – God has incarnated and done these pastimes to give joy to devotees.
4. God’s form – God incarnates in various forms for His devotees.

In reality, no one is independent. We are all inter-dependent. Will you be able to live without food, air, sun etc? Equally, one human being needs another human being. We must learn to value other human beings. We need the nature and other human beings. Dharma is creating harmony with other. This is the art of living which is religion.

Shri Krishna is a universal Guru because his thoughts and philosophy are applicable in the present times to all. He teaches us through His pastimes.

Radha Shyam ki Katha Bhagwati – Radha is one who worships Shri Krishna. Shri Krishna also worships Radha. The entire world chants Lord Krishna’s name whereas Lord Krishna chants Shri Radha’s name. On saying ‘Ra’ in Radha, Lord Krishna liberates one and on saying ‘Dha’ He runs after one in the greed to listen to Radhaji’s name. On saying ‘Ra’, all sins are destroyed and on saying ‘Dha’ all doors close to prevent the sins from entering. To take joy in the meet and separation from each other, this one entity has become two as Radha and Krishna.

Sorrow and happiness are both needed in life. Everyone works for happiness. Do not fear when troubles come as they are bodyguards and make you appreciate happiness. There are no complaints in the path of devotion. There is only acceptance. A devotee accepts everything as God’s prasād.

Lord Krishna grew up and began playing. Gopis came and complained to mother Yashoda:

1. Your son is stealing our butter and eating it – Stealing butter symbolises stealing our mind. The mind must be tender and fresh daily. In the shock of the past and the worry of the future, the mind cannot remain fresh. The mind remains fresh by living in the current times. Forgive. Do not remember the ill acts of people towards you. God likes freshness. Celebrations like New Year, Holi/Dhuleti etc are a chance to forgive one another and forget.
2. Your son is releasing the calves before we have milked the cows – The calves are beloved devotees. God liberates His beloved devotees sometimes, by showering His grace, even when not eligible.
3. Your son is pinching our children and waking them up – children are ignorant souls. God sometimes teaches us a lesson to wake us up in this world when we have fallen asleep.

God says in Gitaji, “Give me your mind and engross it in me”. We worry on how we can do so when it is unstable? God replies, “If you cannot, I will steal your mind”. Gopis did not perform Yoga to concentrate their mind on God. Lord Krishna stole their mind.

Once Lord Krishna ate the soil. Shri Krishna opened His mouth and mother Yashoda saw the entire universe in Him. She realised her son’s prosperity and that He is the Supreme Almighty. She bowed to Him and sang His glory. Lord Krishna did not like this. He was trying to prove that everything is inside Him and He is in all. God then used the power of illusion and mother Yashoda forgot that Lord Krishna is God. Build a relationship with God, whichever you prefer. Deovtees build a relationship with God either as parents to God, as a friend to God, with God being the master, with God as the beloved or with God as the Supreme Peace.

Pujya Bhaishri then narrated the Damodar leela. This was followed by the liberation of Vatsasur which signifies attachment to the material world, Bakasur which symbolises hypocrisy and Aghasur who signifies sins. The liberation of Aghasur was carried out when Lord Krishna was five years old, but the cowherds informed their mothers when Lord Krishna was six years old. This is because Lord Brahmā had stolen the calves and cowherds for a year. In this pastime of Bhramāji, Lord Krishna informed Brahmāji that He is the entire existence.

Balramji (meaning, self-realisation) liberated the demon Dhenukasur (symbolising affection for the gross body) and Pralambasur (perceiving oneself as the subtle body). Therefater, God brought under control the Kaliya snake, meaning to control one’s senses. Now, Lord Krishna began to play the flute. Gopis sang the Venu Geet and engrossed the mind in God. This is meditation. When you love someone, you do not have to make an effort to meditate upon or remember your beloved.

Once, the Gopis left their clothes at the banks of Maa Yamuna and went in to bathe. Lord Krishna stole their clothes and hung them on a tree. Gopis asked for their clothes back and Lord Krishna refused to throw them. This teaches us to give money with respect. When donating, our wealth is being purified. This avoids there being an ego in donating. This pastime symbolises that until there is attachment to the body, the love of a Gopi does not develop. Until then, one cannot experience Rās, meaning Radha Krishna.

Pujya Bhaishri then narrated the Govardhan leela in which he destroyed Indra’s ego. The pastime of Nandbaba being kidnapped in the abode of Varuna symbolises control of the tongue for food and speech.

Rās panchādhyāya is the Katha of the union of the soul with God. Shukdevji would not have narrated this Katha if it was a material relationship between a man and a woman especially to one dying in seven days. During the Ras, every Gopi thought Lord Krishna is playing only with me and I am the best. This ego made God disappear. Radhaji could not tolerate this arrogance so she also left. Gopis started looking for Shri Krishna and calling Him. They were in pain due to separation and sang the Gopi Geet which is the summit of Bhagavat. Gopis know that Lord Krishna is God. They are not just in love with a handsome boy of Yashodaji. In this pain, their ego melted and Shri Krishna returned.

The problem is that we do not miss God when engrossed in the material world. If we love Him, we will miss Him.

Upon God returning to His abode, Dwapar Yug ended and Kaliyug began. Despite having many faults, it is easiest to attain God in Kaliyug through singing God’s name/pastimes. It is the best of eras.

Shukdevji said, “King, I will not stay here to see your death. Until I’m here, Takshak snake will not come. I have narrated the Katha to you”. Kind Parikshit said, “You have given me darshan of God. I have no fear of death now because I am going to meet God”.

Kind Parkishit united with God. Sadguru unites one with God. Shukdevji blessed the king and left. Takshak snake arrived and burnt the king’s body into ashes through its poison. Prior to that, the king had united with God.

Sutji then tells Shanunak and other Rishis regarding the Vedas and its branches, Puranas and the summary of Bhagavat. He then bowed to God. Bhagavat ends with Satyam Param Dhimahi.

Radha Shyam ki Katha Bhagwati at Manchester ended in bliss and Pujya Bhaishri blessing the Vadera family as well as everyone else involved. At the end, celebrations were done with a cake to celebrate forthcoming Janmashtami and Pujya Bhaishri’s birthday.