Śrī Rādhākuṇḍāṣṭakam
Śrī Rādhā Kuṇḍa -- Sacred bathing place of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī
"Just as Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is most dear to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Her
bathing place [Rādhā-kuṇḍa] is also dear to Him. Among all the
gopīs, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is supermost and very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa."
श्री राधाकुण्डाष्टकम्
Śrī Rādhākuṇḍāṣṭakam
Eight prayers glorifying Śrī Rādhākuṇḍa
by Śrīla Raghunath Das Goswami
वृषभदनुजनाशान् नर्मधर्मोक्तिरङ्गैर्
निखिलनिजसखीभिर् यत् स्वहस्तेन पूर्णम् |
प्रकटितम् अपि वृन्दारण्यराज्ञा प्रमोदैस्
तद् अतिसुरभि राधाकुण्डम् एवाश्रयो मे || १||
vṛṣabhadanujanāśān narmadharmoktiraṅgair
nikhilanijasakhībhir yat svahastena pūrṇam |
prakaṭitam api vṛndāraṇyarājñā pramodais
tad atisurabhi rādhākuṇḍam evāśrayo me || 1||
"After the killig of Ariṣṭāsura, Śrīmatī Rādhikā and Her sakhīs exchanged many joking words with Śrī Kṛṣṇa concerning the necessary atonement for one who has committed the offence of killing a bull. As a result, the Queen of Vṛndāvana, Śrīmatī Rādhikā, and Her sakhīs joyfully excavated and filled Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa with their own hands. May that immensely fragrant Rādhā-kuṇḍa be my shelter."
व्रजभुवि मुरशत्रोः प्रेयसीनां निकामैर्
असुलभम् अपि तूर्णं प्रेमकल्पद्रुमं तम् |
जनयति हृदि भूमौ स्नातुर् उच्चैर् प्रियं यत्
तद् अतिसुरभि राधाकुण्डम् एवाश्रयो मे || २||
vrajabhuvi muraśatroḥ preyasīnāṁ nikāmair
asulabham api tūrṇaṁ premakalpadrumaṁ tam |
janayati hṛdi bhūmau snātur uccair priyaṁ yat
tad atisurabhi rādhākuṇḍam evāśrayo me || 2||
In the land of the hearts of those who bathe in Rādhā-kuṇḍa, a desire tree of the superlative prema, which is not attainable even for Kṛṣṇa’s principal queens in Dvārakā, will arise. May that supremely charming Rādhā-kuṇḍa be my shelter.
अघरिपुर् अपि यत्नाद् अत्र देव्याः प्रसाद
प्रसरकृतकताक्षप्राप्तिकामः प्रकामम् |
अनुसरति यद् उचैः स्नानसेवानुबन्धैस्
तद् अतिसुरभि राधाकुण्डम् एवाश्रयो मे || ३||
agharipur api yatnād atra devyāḥ prasāda
prasarakṛtakatākṣaprāptikāmaḥ prakāmam |
anusarati yad ucaaiḥ snānasevānubandhais
tad atisurabhi rādhākuṇḍam evāśrayo me || 3||
For the pleasure of Śrīmatī Rādhikā, even Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, yearning to attain Her merciful sidelong glance, regularly bathes in Rādhā-kuṇḍa, carefully observing all the appropriate rituals. May that supremely enchanting Rādhā-kuṇḍa be my shelter.
व्रजभुवनसुधांशोः प्रेमभूमिर् निकामं
व्रजमधुरकिशोरीमौलिरत्नप्रियेव |
परिचितम् अपि नाम्ना यच् च तेनैव तस्यास्
तद् अतिसुरभि राधाकुण्डम् एवाश्रयो मे || ४||
vrajabhuvanasudhāṁśoḥ premabhūmir nikāmaṁ
vrajamadhurakiśorīmauliratnapriyeva |
paricitam api nāmnā yac ca tenaiva tasyās
tad atisurabhi rādhākuṇḍam evāśrayo me || 4||
May that supremely enchanting Rādhā-kuṇḍa, which the moon of Vraja, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, loves as much as He loves the crown-jewel amongst the sweet girls of Vraja, Śrīmatī Rādhikā, and which He has made known by the name of Rādhikā Herself, be my shelter.
अपि जन इह कश्चिद् यस्य सेवाप्रसादैः
प्रणयसुरलता स्यात् तस्य गोष्ठेन्द्रसूनोः |
सपदि किल मदीशादास्यपुष्पप्रशस्या
तद् अतिसुरभि राधाकुण्डम् एवाश्रयो मे || ५||
api jana iha kaścid yasya sevāprasādaiḥ
praṇayasuralatā syāt tasya goṣṭhendrasūnoḥ |
sapadi kila madīśādāsyapuṣpapraśasyā
tad atisurabhi rādhākuṇḍam evāśrayo me || 5||
The mercy obtained by serving Rādhā-kuṇḍa makes the desire-creeper of prema for the prince of Vraja sprout and is celebrated for bearing the flower of service to my Svāmini Śrīmatī Rādhikā. May that supremely charming Rādhā-kuṇḍa be my shelter.
तटमधुरनिकुञ्जः क्ल्प्तनामान उच्चैर्
निजपरिजनवर्गैः सम्विभज्याश्रितस् तैः |
मधुकररुतरम्या यस्य राजन्ति काम्यास्
तद् अतिसुरभि राधाकुण्डम् एवाश्रयो मे || ६||
taṭamadhuranikuñjaḥ klptanāmāna uccair
nijaparijanavargaiḥ samvibhajyāśritas taiḥ |
madhukararutaramyā yasya rājanti kāmyās
tad atisurabhi rādhākuṇḍam evāśrayo me || 6||
Gloriously manifest on the banks of Rādhā-kuṇḍa are eight kuñjas named after Rādhikā’s principal sakhīs.* Acting as stimuli for the amorous pastimes of the Divine Couple, these kuñjas are filled with the sweet humming of bumblebees. The lotus feet of that Rādhikā, who sends Kṛṣṇa to enjoy in all the different kuñjas, are desired by everyone. May that supremely enchanting Rādhā-kuṇḍa be the shelter of my life.
*On the eastern bank is the kuñja known as Citrā-sukhada, on the southeastern side is Indulekhā-sukhada, on the southern bank is Campakalatā-sukhada, on the southwestern side is Rangadevī-sukhada, on the western bank is Tuṅgāvidyā-sukhada, on the north- western side is Sudevī-sukhada, on the northern bank is Lalitā-sukhada, and on the northeastern side is the kuñja known as Viśākhā-sukhada.
तटभुवि वरवेद्यां यस्य नर्मातिहृद्यां
मधुरमधुरवार्तां गोष्ठचन्द्रस्य भङ्ग्या |
प्रठयति मिथ ईशा प्राणसख्यालिभिः सा
तद् अतिसुरभि राधाकुण्डम् एवाश्रयो मे || ७||
taṭabhuvi varavedyāṁ yasya narmātihṛdyāṁ
madhuramadhuravārtāṁ goṣṭhacandrasya bhaṅgyā |
praṭhayati mitha īśā prāṇasakhyālibhiḥ sā
tad atisurabhi rādhākuṇḍam evāśrayo me || 7||
Situated on an exquisite dais on the bank of Rādhā-kuṇḍa and accompanied by Her beloved sakhīs, our svāmini Śrīmatī Rādhikā charmingly engages in sweet, joking words with Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the moon of Vraja. These playful verbal exchanges are enhanced by the suggestion of so many innuendoes. May that Rādhā-kuṇḍa be the shelter of my life.
अनुदिनम् अतिरङ्गैः प्रेममत्तालिसङ्घैर्
वरसरसिजगन्धैर् हारिवारिप्रपूर्णे |
विहरत इह यस्मिन् दम्पती तौ प्रमत्तौ
तद् अतिसुरभि राधाकुण्डम् एवाश्रयो मे || ८||
anudinam atiraṅgaiḥ premamattālisaṅghair
varasarasijagandhair hārivāriprapūrṇe |
viharata iha yasmin dampatī tau pramattau
tad atisurabhi rādhākuṇḍam evāśrayo me || 8||
May that very charming and especially fragrant Rādhā-kuṇḍa, where intoxicated with love the Divine Couple and the sakhīs daily sport with great joy in the water so fragrant with exquisite lotus flowers, be the sole shelter of my life.
फलश्रुति
phalaśruti
the result of hearing / reading this Stotra
अविकलम् अति देव्याश् चारु कुण्डाष्टकं यः
परिपठति तदीयोल्लासिदास्यार्पितात्मा |
अचिरम् इह शरीरे दर्शयत्य् एव तस्मै
मधुरिपुर् अतिमोदैः श्लिष्यमाणां प्रियां ताम् || ९||
avikalam ati devyāś cāru kuṇḍāṣṭakaṁ yaḥ
paripaṭhati tadīyollāsidāsyārpitātmā |
aciram iha śarīre darśayaty eva tasmai
madhuripur atimodaiḥ śliṣyamāṇāṁ priyāṁ tām || 9||
To that devotee who, in a resolute mood of aspiring to serve Śrīmatī Rādhikā, reads this charming prayer describing Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa, even in their present body Śrī Kṛṣṇa will quickly grant them darśana of not only His beloved Rādhikā, but also of Their many variegated amorous pastimes. Witnessing these pastimes and envisioning himself serving Yugala-kiśora in various ways, such a devotee will feel immense jubilation.
(This astaka is recited in the poetic meter known as "Malini.")
Śrī Rādhā Kuṇḍa -- Sacred bathing place of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī
Download PDF
sri-radhakunda-astakam.pdf
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Rādhā Kuṇḍa YouTube Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-hrR5i6d0o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkrBibkZ4j8
