Sharanagati

One of my favorite stories is… it is not really a story, but it’s rather a temperament, a feeling, a mood… when Shrimati Radharani is depressed. Usually we want to hear stories where there is jubilation. And jubilation comes from yoga or sambhoga – when they meet, when the lovers are together. So the love story was not invented in Hollywood. This is the original story. But the really touching movies always speak about separation – because fulfilled love is not really interesting – unfulfilled love, that is really interesting! There is sadness. There is pain. Still that pain is so deeply emotional that we like the story. Such a love story becomes a hit on the movies. Millions of people go and watch the story. So something about these emotions… When Radha and Krishna meet – there is jubilation, and it is a very intensive and a very high feeling. But when They are separate… then the feelings are even more deep. Just imagine, now we sitting here and exchanging these views – it’s ecstatic! It is very good, very satisfying. But when you go home and when you miss the company of Shrila Sadhu Maharaj – then you will be able to really appreciate the value. To be in yoga, to have the company – it is very nice. But when we don’t have that connection – it is an even more penetrating feeling. So the meeting of Radha and Krishna is intensive and high, no doubt. But Their separation…! When there is need – then it is much more interesting.

And sometimes these feelings are so intensive that Radhika is close to death. Her temperature rises and then drops almost to ice-cold. Whole the body is dried up – no water element inside… Life energy is almost gone… No breathing or almost no breathing…. Everybody is completely sad in Vrindavan… Because Vrindavana has no king, this is not a kingdom – this is a queendom. There is only one Queen in Vrindavan. Without the Queen the whole village is just dying!

And other times, when Krishna turns Her down too much, then She’s just crushing on the ground… unable to speak… so deeply touched by emotions, so much frustrated, that She is able only to draw some figures in the sand. This is my favorite…

And when I see the devotees in the same depressed mood – that just melts my heart completely. So I try to do my best – in order that they could come closer to these feelings, the divine depth of separation.

The only problem with separation is thinking that this is the only path.