“But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support these entire universes.” (Bg. 10.42)

Thus this material world is existing on one plenary portion of Kåñëa. If Kåñëa didn’t enter this universe, it could not exist. Similarly, unless the spirit soul, which is a fragmental portion of Kåñëa, enters this body, this body cannot exist. As soon as the spirit soul leaves, the body immediately becomes useless: when Kåñëa enters into matter, matter has value. This is true for the minute individual atom and the great universe as well.

Since the manifestations of Kåñëa are so great, we should know that His enjoyment is far greater than ours. We have to try to understand what kind of enjoyment Kåñëa likes. Everyone knows that God is great, and we can conclude from this that His enjoyment is great also. In this regard, Svarüpa Dämodara Gosvämé has written a verse which says that although the loving affairs of Rädhä and Kåñëa may appear like ordinary material affairs, this is not actually the case. Rädhäräëé is the pleasure potency of Kåñëa. In the Vedänta-sütra the Absolute Truth is said to be always enjoying the pleasure potency. When we want pleasure, we cannot have it alone. We feel pleasure in the company of friends or family. I may speak in a room alone, but if I speak in a room before other people, the pleasure is increased. Pleasure means that there must be others, and therefore Kåñëa, the Absolute Truth, who is always engaged in enjoying Himself, has become many.

We are Kåñëa’s parts and parcels and have been created to give pleasure to Kåñëa. The chief pleasure potency is Rädhäräëé, and so Rädhä-Kåñëa are always together. Whereas the material energy is conducted by the external potency, Mäyä, the spiritual world is conducted by the internal potency, Rädhäräëé. We often pray to Rädhäräëé because She is the pleasure potency of Kåñëa. The very word “Kåñëa” means all-attractive, but Rädhäräëé is so great that She attracts Kåñëa. If Kåñëa is always attractive to everyone, and Rädhäräëé is attractive to Kåñëa, how can we imagine the position of Çrématé Rädhäräëé? We should try humbly to understand and offer Her our obeisances, saying, “Rädhäräëé, You are so dear to Kåñëa. You are the daughter of King Våñabhänu, and You are Kåñëa’s beloved. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You. Rädhäräëé is very dear to Kåñëa, and if we approach Kåñëa through the mercy of Rädhäräëé, we can easily attain Him. If Rädhäräëé recommends a devotee, Kåñëa immediately accepts him, however foolish he may be. Consequently in Våndävana we find that devotees chant Rädhäräëé’s name more often than Kåñëa’s. Wherever we go in India we will find devotees calling, “Jaya Rädhe.” We should be more interested in worshiping Rädhäräëé, for however fallen we may be, if somehow or other we can please Her, we can very easily understand Kåñëa. If we try to understand Kåñëa by the speculative process, we will have to spend many lifetimes of speculation; but if we take to devotional service and just try to please Rädhäräëé, then Kåñëa can be very easily realized. Rädhäräëé is such a great devotee that She can deliver Kåñëa.

Even Kåñëa cannot understand Rädhäräëé’s qualities. He fails to understand Her because She is so great. In order to understand Rädhäräëé, Kåñëa actually accepted Her position. Kåñëa thought, “Although I am full and complete in every respect, I still don’t understand Rädhäräëé. Why is that?” This obliged Kåñëa to accept the propensities of Rädhäräëé, and this accounts for His manifestation as Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu. Caitanya Mahäprabhu is Kåñëa Himself, but He is Kåñëa accepting the propensities of Rädhäräëé. Rädhäräëé is always feeling separation from Kåñëa, and similarly, in the position of Rädhäräëé. Lord Caitanya was always feeling that separation. Furthermore, those who follow the teachings of Lord Caitanya should experience and relish the feelings of separation, not of meeting.

The gosvämés, disciples of Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu, the most perfect and highly elevated beings, never said, “I have seen Kåñëa.” Instead, they constantly cried, “Where is Rädhäräëé? Where are Lalitä and Viçäkhä and the other damsels of Våndävana?” In their mature stage of love of Godhead, when they were living in Våndävana, the gosvämés would also cry, “Rädhäräëé, where are You? Where are Your associates? Where are You, O son of Nanda Mahäräja? Where are you all?” In this way they were searching after Kåñëa, and they never at any time said, “Last night I saw Kåñëa dancing with the gopés.” Such claims are not made by a mature devotee, but by one who takes things very cheaply. Some people think that Rädhä and Kåñëa are so cheap that They may be seen every night, but this is not the teaching of the gosvämés who were always searching after Kåñëa crying, “Where are You? Where are You Rädhäräëé? Where are You Kåñëa? Are You there by Govardhana Hill? Are You on the bank of the Yamunä?” In this way, throughout the whole tract of Våndävana, the gosvämés were crying and searching after Rädhä and Kåñëa like madmen.

We have to follow in the footprints of the gosvämés and search out Rädhä and Kåñëa in this way. Våndävana is in our hearts, and we must search for Him there. This is the process recommended by Caitanya Mahäprabhu, the process of worship in separation. Feeling separation from Kåñëa, Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu would throw Himself into the sea. Sometimes He would leave His room in the dead of night and disappear. No one would know where He had gone, but all the while He was searching after Kåñëa. Thus it is not that we are to enjoy the loving exchanges between Kåñëa and Rädhä like spectators at some sports show. We must feel separation from Them. The more we feel separation, the more we should understand that we are advancing. With our material senses, we cannot see Kåñëa, nor can we even hear His name. We can begin to perceive Him when we advance in devotional service. That devotional service begins with the tongue, not the legs, eyes or ears. The tongue must be utilized to chant Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare and take Kåñëa prasädam. Thus the tongue has a dual function, and by utilizing it in this way, we will realize Kåñëa. We cannot see Kåñëa with our material eyes, nor hear about Him with material ears, nor touch Him with our hands; but if we engage our tongue in His service, He will reveal Himself, saying, “Here I am.”

This chanting of Hare Kåñëa extinguishes the blazing fire of material nature. This is also the purport to the following prayer to the spiritual master.