Gayatri as Radharani

Question: I have read in an article that brahma-gayatri worships Srimati Radharani. Where does this conception have its origin?
Answer: The origin of gayatri is Krsna Himself and therefore the conception of gayatri worshiping Srimati Radharani finds its primeval origin in Krsna. The meaning of brahma-gayatri is self-effulgent; "Above the three planes of mundane experience, bhur, bhuvah, svah, is the soul, savitur, who shows us everything just like the sun. Above the soul is the super-subjective plane which is varenyam, most venerated and worshipable. That worshipable plane of existence is called bhargo, brilliant and illuminating. The super-subjective area, bhargo, is the plane known as the svarupa-sakti which is the internal pleasure potency of deva, Krsna, Reality the Beautiful. That bhargo is His own divine potency, Srimati Radharani. Let us meditate upon the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani, whose extended self and essential nature, maha-bhava, is the svarupa-sakti, and who enthuses our capacity of devotional service. Let us surrender unto Her divine service."
Gayatri springs from the flute of Krsna. Gayatri-muralista kirtana danam radha-padam dhimahe - the flute song of Krsna only sings the glories of Srimati Radharani.
I once quoted this portion of a verse to a learned scholar who sarcastically remarked, "That is found in many places." Why this gentleman said like that I do not know, but the fact is that since the universe began until now the clear and pristine explanation of gayatri as Krishna's flute glorification of Srimati Radharani can only be found in one place and one place only, the Gayatri-Nigudhartha by Srila B.R. Sridhara Maharaja.
The Gayatri-Nigudhartha is a realized explanation of brahma-gayatri that manifested in the heart of Srila Sridhara Maharaja by the divine grace of his Gurudeva, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Srila Sridhara Maharaja wrote the Gayatri Nigudhartha in 1974 and it was published in his Matha's journal with a limited distribution. Later in the early 1980's many western devotees took shelter of Srila Sridhara Maharaja after the departure of our Guru Maharaja, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. At that time the Gayatri-Nigudhartha began to receive a much wider circulation, being printed in several of Srila Sridhara Maharaja's books.
Srila Sridhara Maharaja has mentioned that Jiva Gosvami has drawn the conception of gayatri to Krsna but that he (Sridhara Maharaja) felt the tendency within to show that brahma-gayatri worshiped Srimati Radharani. Thus he wrote Gayatri-Nigudhartha in Sanskrit.
These days some unscrupulous persons are trying to present themselves as the revealers of the hidden meaning of gayatri but due to envy they do not quote the Gayatri-Nigudhartha or give credit to Srila Sridhara Maharaja for his spiritual genius. Thus they are not able to give us more than the general explanation that, "Yes, gayatri worships Radhika."
In Gayatri-Nigudhartha Srila Sridhara Maharaja gives a most detailed meaning of brahma-gayatri and draws its ultimate meaning to the worship of Srimati Radharani. Without taking this line of approach, as shown by Srila Sridhara Maharaja in Gayatri-Nigudhartha, it is not possible for anyone to demonstrate to us how gayatri actually worships Radharani.
Srila Bhakti Pramoda Puri Maharaja has described the Gayatri Nigudhartha as follows: "The explanation of brahma-gayatri, the mother of all Vedas, signifying devotional worship unto Srimati Radharani, sri radhanudhyana-para, explanation which was revealed in the depth of realization of Pujyapada Sridhara Deva Gosvami Maharaja, possessed with the divine grace of Paramaradhya Sri Srila Prabhupada (Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura) upon his head - is deeply appreciated by those fortunate, intelligent devotees who are aware of the relishable beauty of pure devotional service."
Srila Sridhara Maharaja has said, that OM is the seed mantra which contains everything within it. Bhur is where we are, bhu-loka, the world of our experience. Bhuvah (Bhuvarloka) is the world of mental acquisition, the background of our experience. The mental world (Bhuvarloka) means acceptance and rejection. Svah (Svaloka) is the plane of decision, the world of intelligence. In this way the material world is composed of three general layers, bhu, the physical world, bhuvah, the mental world, and svah, the intellectual world. These three planes of experience have been summarized in a word, tat.
Savitur generally means surya, the Sun - that which shows or illuminates, that by which we can see. But actually the world is not shown to us by the Sun, but by the soul. The Sun can show color to our eyes, the ear can reveal the sound world, and the hand can reveal the touch world. But really, in the center is the soul. It is the soul who gives light to this world. All perception is possible only because of the soul. So savitur can only mean soul, like the Sun, which shows us everything.
Varenyam means puja: worshipable, venerable. This indicates that although within this plane (the objective world) the soul is the subject, there is another domain that is to be venerated and worshiped by the soul. That is the Supersoul area.
That worshipable plane of existence is known as bhargo. Bhargo means the subjective area, the area of the Supersoul. Bhargo is svarupa-shakti. Bhargo belongs to whom? It belongs to Deva, to Krsna.
Deva (devasya) means who is beautiful and playful, that is Krsna, Reality the Beautiful. He is full of lila, pastimes and beauty combined. His domain is bhargo, brilliant and it is varenyam, to be venerated by the soul. Svarupa-sakti is the extension of Srimati Radharani. She holds the full energy to serve Krsna. Bhargo is no less than the extended body of Srimati Radharani. Bhargo means Radharani and Deva means Krsna.
Dhimahi, come to meditate. Dhimahi means to participate in the spontaneous flow, the current of devotion in Vrndavana. Dhiyo yo nah pracodayat, the capacity to serve will increase within us. That is the remuneration of prema. The result of prema (divine love) will be that we are given more energy to serve.
Gayatri is the song of deliverance that also means sankirtana. The sankirtana of Mahaprabhu improves us toward the highest goal and reinstates us in our highest serving position. Gayatri (and thus kirtana) in connection to Mahaprabhu will always excite us to be mindful about Srimati Radharani's lotus feet and to obey Her orders.
For a clear and detailed understanding of what Srila Sridhara Maharaja has revealed in brahma-gayatri it is recommended that one study the Gayatri-Nigudhartha which can be found in Sri Gayatri Mantrartha Dipika, a chapter summary and excerpts with purport published by Sri Narasingha Caitanya Matha.
 

Sri Lalita-devi and Srimati Radharani

Svarupa-damodara is the constant companion of Mahaprabhu in Puri. He is a scholar of the highest class and also a very good singer. Without consideration of his elevated social position, he will perform the simplest service. Svarupa-damodara is there always, everywhere with Mahaprabhu. When Mahaprabhu was lost, the devotees inquired after Him the whole night and Svarupa-damodara was there with a lantern, moving along the seashore, looking for Him. In krsna-lila Svarupa-damodara is Lalita-devi.
"I offer my respects to charming and virtuous Lalita-devi. If Lalita meets any person in Vraja and perceives that they are favorable towards Srimati Radharani, she immediately requests Radharani to accept that person in Her camp. Radharani obeys Lalita and fulfills the desires of such a fortunate person." (Lalita-pranama Stotra 7)
Whoever Lalita-devi meets in Vraja-dhama, she requests them to join her own party. And when they come, “Yes, come with me.” At once she is giving admission. “Come! Join the service of Radharani.” She is canvassing to look after the interests of Radharani. Such intense attention to the service of Radharani is never found anywhere else. Lalita-devi sometimes even chastises Krsna boldly. She takes risks by reproaching Krsna, “You do not know the dignity of my Mistress.”

Sometimes Radharani feels ashamed within Her mind. She thinks, “What does He say about Me?” Lalita-devi replies, “This shame is very bad. You just sit quietly. You do not know Your own interest. I know what is Your interest, Your position. I cannot tolerate that Your dignity should be minimized in any way, ever.” That is the spirit of Lalita-devi. Rupa Gosvami has composed one stanza:
"I offer respects to charming and virtuous Lalita-devi, who worships the perspiration from Sri Sri Radha-Mukunda's feet, and who, out of great love, is very bold and agressive." (Lalita-pranama Stotra 1)
At the source of her aggression and interference in the affairs of Radha and Krsna we find a great and deep affection. This justifies all her activities as the leader accepted by the associates of Radha-Krsna. She always veers towards that Couple with such a standard. She can’t tolerate a drop of sweat on the foot of the Divine Damsel. On that level she works, as if with millions of bodies she wants to correct it, to remove that drop of sweat. She can’t tolerate any trouble, not the least trouble. Uttunga-sauhrda-visesa-bharat pragalbham – she is very aggressive and talkative, and goes forward to do anything and everything as if she is mad with leadership. But at the source is her great concern for Them. This justification is there.

Sometimes she chastises Radharani Herself, “You do not know how to behave with Krsna. I will teach You what to do. Don’t make Yourself available to Krsna so cheaply. You must be careful of Your own dignity.” Though a little younger, still Lalita takes the position as caretaker of Radharani, always first to look after the cause of Radharani, to espouse the cause of Radharani. And she is always thinking herself responsible for all the affairs concerning Them.

Sometimes she goes to chastise Krsna also, “You don’t know the dignified position, what dignified love my friend has towards You. You undermine that. I cannot allow it.
We are mad with this lust, but such madness is only perverted. In the original position it is a noble thing. It is self-forgetfulness, sacrifice, reckless sacrifice for the satisfaction of the Prime Cause, the Autocrat whose extent cannot be calculated. It is noble. Such intensity can never by calculated, it cannot come into our calculation here in this plane. Renunciation, liberation, salvation, these are only the negative aspect of lust. But the positive life, the life of sacrifice, the acme is found only there.
There are other friends of Radharani. Some are neutral towards Krsna and Radharani, some are a little partial towards Krsna, but Lalita-devi is cent-percent partial towards Radharani’s cause. This is Lalita-devi. Her birthday, the day of her appearance, is just before that of Radharani.

We are told that Radharani was found floating in a lotus. Her father, Vrsabhanu Raja, was childless. He was a gopa chief, the cowherd king, the chief cow-keeper. But he did not have any children. Then one day he found a beautiful girl in a lotus flower on the lake. He found Her and took Her home. The girl was very beautiful, perfect, but Her eyes did not open.
In vatsalya-rasa the Lord is showing autocracy, the autocratic nature of exacting affection from the environment. And autocratic nature is also there extracting the highest form of love from the consort group, in madhurya-rasa. We are to understand all these things in a scientific way.

Everything belongs to Krsna. Yasoda prepares everything for satisfying Krsna, to make Him eat, to feed Him. But He is not satisfied to take in that way. Everything belongs to Him; He is the enjoyer of everything, the Absolute. But still, aher iva gatih premnah svabhava – just as a snake naturally moves in a crooked way, so the crooked movement of the waves of love is natural. We are to approach it in this way. If we understand these relationships step by step in a scientific way, then we’ll be able to answer any questions that may generally come. “What is the ideal of God, that He is a debauchee? He is stealing! How can such things be adjusted with the ideal of the holiness of God?”

Generally people will come and attack in this way. But they forget that they cannot understand; they cannot follow that first this must be understood from the plane of sacrifice, not from the plane of enjoyment or exploitation. It is beyond renunciation and sacrifice; it is dedication. He is the owner and consumer of anything and everything. He can take it in any way. Everything is for Him. And no one has been given a position to comment on this. It is eternal and irresistible; it is the flow of the divine plane. The highest fundamental flow, the flow of the fundamental plane is of such nature. There is no question of morality, because there is not a second party present there. He is the only party. His movement is such. None may question. It is such by nature.

We have come to rebuke God, but who are we? What is our position that we have become jealous of His activities, which are advaya-jnana, Absolute? We are culprits, nirmatsaranam satam. In the beginning Veda-Vyasa says, “What I am going to say here is not meant for malicious people, for the jealous. Such foolish, jealous and malicious people have no entrance into this ¬ of Krsna, which I will describe. Only the sympathetic, the innocent, those who understand His position, what He is, only they may enter.” He cannot be questioned. If we question the Absolute movement, then He is wrong. But the absolute lila can never be wrong. It is causeless and irresistible. It is the sweetest and the purest.
We can participate if we simply remove all our selfishness, crookedness, and jealous temperament. Then we will be considered fit to connect with that most fundamental wave of Absolute sweetness. This is the background of Radha-Govinda lila. We must prepare ourselves in such a way if we wish to approach that highest plane of divinity. This is Vrndavana, the characteristic of Vrndavana. Mahaprabhu and the acaryas, Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura came with this fact to give it to the world.