Text 10

कर्मिभ्यः परितो हरेः प्रियतया व्यक्तिं यायुर्ज्ञानिनस्
तेभ्यो ज्ञानविमुक्तभक्तिपरमाः प्रेमैकनिष्ठास्ततः ।
तेभ्यास्ताः पशुपालपङ्कजदृशस्ताभ्योऽपि सा राधिका
प्रेष्ठा तद्वदियं तदीयसरसी तां नाश्रयेत कः कृती ॥१०॥

karmibhyaḥ parito hareḥ priyatayā vyaktiṁ yayur jñāninas
tebhyo jñāna-vimukta-bhakti-paramāḥ premaika-niṣṭhās tataḥ
tebhyas tāḥ paśu-pāla-paṅkaja-dṛśas tābhyo ‘pi sā rādhikā
preṣṭhā tadvad iyaṁ tadīya-sarasī tāṁ nāśrayet kaḥ kṛtī

karmibhyaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigkarmibhyaḥ

than all fruitive workers; than the fruitive worker.—than all fruitive workers; paritaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigparitah

all around; all over; being surrounded; everywhere; in all respects; surrounded by; surrounding.—in all respects; hareḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bighareḥ

always in reference to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; by the Supreme Lord; by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; from the Supreme Personality of Godhead; of God; of Hari (the Lord); of Hari; of Hari, the Lord; of Hari, the Personality of Godhead; of Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; of Indra; of Kṛṣṇa; of Lord Hari; of Lord Kṛṣṇa; of Lord Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu; of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Hari; of Lord Viṣṇu; of Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; of Lord Śrī Hari; of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; of the Lord; of the Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa; of the Personality of Godhead; of the Supreme Lord; of the Supreme Lord, Hari; of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari; of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa; the Supreme Personality of Godhead; to Kṛṣṇa; to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; who is Lord Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; without Hari, the Lord.—by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; priyatayāplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigpriyatayā

because of being favored.—because of being favored; vyaktimplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigvyaktim

manifestation; personality; revelation. yayuḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigyayuḥ

approached; could reach; departed; entered; entered the mouth; obtain; obtained; returned; returned home, back to Godhead; started; started from that place; they fled (the fighting); they went; took; went.—it is said in the śāstra; jñāninaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigjñāninaḥ

of the knower; person in knowledge; persons advanced in knowledge; the self-realized; those advanced in knowledge.—those advanced in knowledge; tebhyaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtebhyaḥ

better than them; from all the Pracetās; from them; out of that; regarding further questions; superior to them; than them; them; to them; unto Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and the other demigods; unto the brāhmaṇas; unto the cowherd men; unto them (the demigods); unto them (the learned brāhmaṇas); unto them.—superior to them; jñānaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigjñāna

and knowledge; as knowledge; by acquired knowledge; by knowledge; by the knowledge of the philosophy of the monist Māyāvādīs; cultivation of knowledge; empiric knowledge; having full knowledge; knowledge; knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; knowledge, philosophical speculations; knowledge-acquiring; knowledge-acquiring senses; material knowledge; notion; of knowledge; of knowledge through Vedic scriptures; of perfect knowledge; of philosophical speculation; of real spiritual knowledge; of scriptural knowledge; perfect knowledge; philosophical speculation; speculative cultivation of knowledge; speculative knowledge; such a consideration; such knowledge; the knowledge; the path of knowledge; the path of philosophical speculation; the path of speculative knowledge; with knowledge.-vimuktaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigvimukta

completely liberated from; freed from; liberated; liberated from.—liberated by knowledge; bhaktiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigbhakti

and devotion; and devotional service; bhakti; by devotional service; by dint of devotional service; devotion; devotional cult; devotional service; known as devotional service; of devotional service; respect; the cult of devotional service; the devotional service; the platform of devotional service; through devotion; with devotion.-paramāḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigparamah

greatest; perfect; supreme; supreme, highest, always engaged with all senses; the greatest of all; the highest; the supreme; the supreme shelter; ultimate; very, very.—those engaged in devotional service; premaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigprema

affection; affectionate; and ecstatic love; and love; and love of Godhead; and of love of God; by love of Godhead; ecstasy; ecstasy of love; ecstatic love; ecstatic love for God; ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa; his love for the Lord; in ecstatic love; in feelings of love; in love; in love of Kṛṣṇa; love; love for God; love of God; love of Godhead; love of Kṛṣṇa; loving; loving affairs; loving service; of affection; of ecstatic love; of ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa; of love; of love of God; of love of Godhead; of the loving affairs; out of affection and love; out of love; pure love; real love of Kṛṣṇa; the ecstatic love; the love; the love of Godhead; transcendental bliss; transcendental love; with love.-ekaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigeka

alone; another; even; exclusively; first; for one; foremost; is one; of only one; of the oneness; one; one by one; one item; one only; one pot; only; only one; or one; the only one; uniquely; with one.-niṣṭhāḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bignisthah

something ends there.—those who have attained pure love of God; tataḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtatah

after Kṛṣṇa took action to kill the demon's body from within the mouth; after purifying the seven planets of the seven great sages; after that; after that incident; after this; again from King Udgītha; among them; and there; and thereafter; as such; at that; at this time; because of that; because of this; because of this self-realization; beyond the brahmajyoti, or in His own Vaikuṇṭha planet; beyond whom; by such activities; by such duality; father; from Abhimanyu; from Agniveśya; from Bālika; from Citrakṛt; from Devadatta; from Devadyumna; from Divāka; from him (Ayu); from him (Ayutāyu); from him (Bhīmaratha); from him (Budha); from him (Cyavana); from him (Deva-ṛṣabha); from him (Dharma); from him (Dhundhumān); from him (Dhṛti); from him (Jaya); from him (Mīḍhvān); from him (Nandivardhana); from him (Pracinvān); from him (Ripuñjaya); from him (Ruṣadratha); from him (Sahasrānīka); from him (Satkarmā); from him (Satyaratha); from him (Skanda); from him (Suratha); from him (Svarga); from him (Sārvabhauma); from him (Vahni); from him (Vasu); therefore; therefore, because of this; therein; thereof; thereupon; whereby.—superior to them; tebhyaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtebhyaḥ

better than them; from all the Pracetās; from them; out of that; regarding further questions; superior to them; than them; them; to them; unto Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and the other demigods; unto the brāhmaṇas; unto the cowherd men; unto them (the demigods); unto them (the learned brāhmaṇas); unto them.—better than them; tāḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtah

all; all of them; all the wives of Saubhari; all the women, the wives and daughters of the cowherd men; all those; such words; that; that water; the other gopīs; them; these; they (the queens who did not have sons); they; they, headed by Kauśalyā and Kaikeyī; those; those talks.—they; paśuplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigpaśu

an animal; animals; horses and elephants; of animals (cows, elephants and other household animals); of the animals.-pālaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigpala

of the scale of weight; palas.-paṅkajaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigpaṅkaja

lotus; lotus flower; of a lotus; of the lotus.-dṛśaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigdṛśaḥ

and vision; eyes; observer; of all directions; of the eye; on sight; sight; vision; whose faculty of judgment.—the gopīs who are always dependent on Kṛṣṇa, the cowherd boy; tābhyaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtābhyaḥ

above all of them; from them; than them.—above all of them; apiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigapi

also; api; a still more secluded place; again; alas; also (confirms); also (the human beings); also; although (I am in such a position); although; although apparently different; although he is; although He is so; although it is so; although not exposed to common eyes; although one; although there is; although there was; and also; as also; as He is; as well as; as you have stated; at the same time; better than that; certainly; definitely; despite; either; else; especially; even; even if; even if the body is so exalted; even though; even though it is so; even though new calves were present; even though there is; even with; exactly; for the sake of; I am wondering; if; if also; if so; in due course; in spite of; in spite of this situation; including; indeed; it may be; just now; may be; moreover; of the word api; or; others; over and above; so; still; surely; the word api; then; though; thus; verily; virtually; whether.—certainly; sāplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsa

accompanied by; along with; he; her; that; with.—She; rādhikāplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigrādhikā

of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī; Śrīmatī Rādhikā; Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.—Śrīmatī Rādhikā; preṣṭhāplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigprestha

O My most dear one.—very dear; tadvatplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtadvat

in that way; similarly; so.—similarly; iyamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigiyam

all these; Devakī; this (Lakṣmī); this; this earth; this female; this female child; this girl; this land of our kingdom; this material world; this one (Rādhikā); this one; this world.—this; tadīyaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtadīya

Her; of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; related to the Lord.-sarasīplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsarasi

in the lake; in the water.—Her lake, Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa; tāmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtam

by Him; Dhruva; Dhruva Mahārāja; for that reason; from him (Kardama); from him (Maitreya); him (Ajāmila); him (Arjuna); him (Bali); him (Cyavana); him (Dhruva Mahārāja); him (Gajendra); him (Gargamuni); him (Hiraṇyakaśipu); him (Indra); him (Jaḍa Bharata); him (Kardama); him (King Yayāti); him (King Yudhiṣṭhira); Him (Kṛṣṇa); him (Lord Indra); Him (Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva); him (Lord Śiva); Him (Nara-Nārāyaṇa); him (Nārada Muni); him (Prahlāda Mahārāja); him (Prajāpati Dakṣa); him (Pṛthu); him (Pṛṣadhra); Him (Rohiṇī-nandana, the son of Rohiṇī); him (the bull); him (the condemned person); him (the he-goat); him (the King of heaven, Indra); him (the King); Him (the Lord); him (the male bird); him (the saintly person); Him (the Supreme Lord); Him (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); Him (the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa); him (Tṛṇabindu); him (Vasudeva); him (Vidura); him (Viśvarūpa); Him (Vāmanadeva); him (Vṛtrāsura); him; Him, Lord Rāmacandra; him, Mahārāja Sumitra.—Rādhā-kuṇḍa; naplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigna

never; not; are not; but not; cannot; certainly not; could not; did not; do not; does it not; does not; is not; it is not; it is not so; may not; neither; never; never does; never to be; no; no one; none; nor; not; not like that; not preceded by oṁ; not suitable; nothing; or not; shall not; should never; there is none; there is not; there should not be; was not; whether; without.—not; āśrayetplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigāśrayet

must take upon; should take shelter of; would take shelter of.—would take shelter of; kaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigkah

Brahmā (or arkaḥ---Sūrya); Brahmā; Brahmā, the original living creature; Dakṣa; Kaśyapa Muni; Lord Brahmā; Prajāpati Dakṣa; the prajāpati; the prajāpatis; what; what is that; who (Dakṣa); who (is there); who (is); who; who are; who else; who is he; who is that; who is that man; who is that person; who is there; whoever.—who; kṛtīplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigkrti

a son named Kṛtī; learned man; most fortunate; very celebrated; very expert.—most fortunate. ¶

In the śāstra it is said that of all types of fruitive workers, he who is advanced in knowledge of the higher values of life is favored by the Supreme Lord Hari. Out of many such people who are advanced in knowledge [jñānīs], one who is practically liberated by virtue of his knowledge may take to devotional service. He is superior to the others. However, one who has actually attained prema, pure love of Kṛṣṇa, is superior to him. The gopīs are exalted above all the advanced devotees because they are always totally dependent upon Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the transcendental cowherd boy. Among the gopīs, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the most dear to Kṛṣṇa. Her kuṇḍa [lake] is as profoundly dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa as this most beloved of the gopīs. Who, then, will not reside at Rādhā-kuṇḍa and, in a spiritual body surcharged with ecstatic devotional feelings [aprākṛtabhāva], render loving service to the divine couple Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, who perform Their aṣṭakālīya-līlā, Their eternal eightfold daily pastimes. Indeed, those who execute devotional service on the banks of Rādhā-kuṇḍa are the most fortunate people in the universe. ¶

At the present moment almost everyone is engaged in some kind of fruitive activity. Those who are desirous of gaining material profits by working are called karmīs, or fruitive workers. All living entities within this material world have come under the spell of māyā. This is described in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (6.7.61): ¶

viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā
kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā
avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā
tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate
[Cc. Madhya 6.154]plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigŚrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.154

" 'The internal potency of the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, is spiritual, as verified by the śāstras. There is another spiritual potency, known as kṣetra-jña, or the living entity. The third potency, which is known as nescience, makes the living entity godless and fills him with fruitive activity.

Sages have divided the energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead into three categories—namely, the spiritual energy, marginal energy and material energy. The material energy is considered to be the third-class energy (tṛtīyā śaktiḥ). Those living beings within the jurisdiction of the material energy sometimes engage themselves like dogs and hogs in working very hard simply for sense gratification. However, in this life, or, after executing pious activities, in the next life, some karmīs become strongly attracted to performing various kinds of sacrifices mentioned in the Vedas. Thus on the strength of their pious merit, they are elevated to heavenly planets. Actually those who perform sacrifices strictly according to Vedic injunctions are elevated to the moon and planets above the moon. As mentioned in Bhagavad-gītā (9.21)plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 9.21

When they have thus enjoyed heavenly sense pleasure, they return to this mortal planet again. Thus, through the Vedic principles, they achieve only flickering happiness., kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti: after exhausting the results of their so-called pious activities, they again return to the earth, which is called martya-loka, the place of death. Although such persons may be elevated to the heavenly planets by their pious activities and although they may enjoy life there for many thousands of years, they nonetheless must return to this planet when the results of their pious activities are exhausted. ¶

This is the position of all karmīs, including those who act piously and those who act impiously. On this planet we find many businessmen, politicians and others who are simply interested in material happiness. They attempt to earn money by all means, not considering whether such means are pious or impious. Such people are called karmīs, or gross materialists. Among the karmīs are some vikarmīs, people who act without the guidance of Vedic knowledge. Those who act on the basis of Vedic knowledge perform sacrifices for the satisfaction of Lord Viṣṇu and to receive benedictions from Him. In this way they are elevated to higher planetary systems. Such karmīs are superior to the vikarmīs, for they are faithful to the directions of the Vedas and are certainly dear to Kṛṣṇa. In Bhagavad-gītā (4.11)plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 4.11

All of them—as they surrender unto Me—I reward accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛthā., Kṛṣṇa says: ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham. “In whatever way one surrenders unto Me, I reward him accordingly.” Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He fulfilled the desires of the karmīs and jñānīs, not to speak of the bhaktas. Although the karmīs are sometimes elevated to higher planetary systems, as long as they remain attached to fruitive activities they must accept new material bodies after death. If one acts piously, he can attain a new body among the demigods in the higher planetary systems, or he may attain some other position in which he can enjoy a higher standard of material happiness. On the other hand, those who are engaged in impious activities are degraded and take birth as animals, trees and plants. Thus those fruitive actors who do not care for the Vedic directions (vikarmīs) are not appreciated by learned saintly persons. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.5.4)plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigŚrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.5.4

When a person considers sense gratification the aim of life, he certainly becomes mad after materialistic living and engages in all kinds of sinful activity. He does not know that due to his past misdeeds he has already received a body which, although temporary, is the cause of his misery. Actually the living entity should not have taken on a material body, but he has been awarded the material body for sense gratification. Therefore I think it not befitting an intelligent man to involve himself again in the activities of sense gratification by which he perpetually gets material bodies one after another.: ¶

nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma
yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti
na sādhu manye yata ātmano ‘yam
asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ

“Materialists who work hard like dogs and hogs simply for sense gratification are actually mad. They simply perform all kinds of abominable activities simply for sense gratification. Materialistic activities are not at all worthy of an intelligent man, for as a result of such activities, one gets a material body, which is full of misery.” The purpose of human life is to get out of the threefold miserable conditions, which are concomitant with material existence. Unfortunately, fruitive workers are mad to earn money and acquire temporary material comforts by all means; therefore they risk being degraded to lower species of life. Materialists foolishly make many plans to become happy in this material world. They do not stop to consider that they will live only for a certain number of years, out of which they must spend the major portion acquiring money for sense gratification. Ultimately such activities end in death. Materialists do not consider that after giving up the body they may become embodied as lower animals, plants or trees. Thus all their activities simply defeat the purpose of life. Not only are they born ignorant, but they act on the platform of ignorance, thinking that they are getting material benefits in the shape of skyscraper buildings, big cars, honorable positions and so on. The materialists do not know that in the next life they will be degraded and that all their activities simply serve as parābhava, their defeat. This is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.5.5)plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigŚrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.5.5

As long as one does not inquire about the spiritual values of life, one is defeated and subjected to miseries arising from ignorance. Be it sinful or pious, karma has its resultant actions. If a person is engaged in any kind of karma, his mind is called karmātmaka, colored with fruitive activity. As long as the mind is impure, consciousness is unclear, and as long as one is absorbed in fruitive activity, he has to accept a material body.: parābhavas tāvad abodha jātaḥ. ¶

One should therefore be eager to understand the science of the soul (ātma-tattva). Unless one comes to the platform of ātma-tattva, by which one understands that the soul and not the body is oneself, one remains on the platform of ignorance. Out of thousands and even millions of ignorant people who are wasting their time simply gratifying their senses, one may come to the platform of knowledge and understand higher values of life. Such a person is called a jñānī. The jñānī knows that fruitive activities will bind him to material existence and cause him to transmigrate from one kind of body to another. As indicated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by the term śarīra-bandha (bound to bodily existence), as long as one maintains any conception of sense enjoyment, his mind will be absorbed in karma, fruitive activity, and this will oblige him to transmigrate from one body to another. ¶

Thus a jñānī is considered superior to a karmī because he at least refrains from the blind activities of sense enjoyment. This is the verdict of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However, although a jñānī may be liberated from the ignorance of the karmīs, unless he comes to the platform of devotional service he is still considered to be in ignorance (avidyā). Although one may be accepted as a jñānī, or one advanced in knowledge, his knowledge is considered impure because he has no information of devotional service and thus neglects the direct worship of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. ¶

When a jñānī takes to devotional service, he rapidly becomes superior to an ordinary jñānī. Such an advanced person is described as jñāna-vimukta-bhakti-parama. How a jñānī takes to devotional service is mentioned in Bhagavad-gītā (7.19)plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 7.19

After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare., wherein Kṛṣṇa says: ¶

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ

“After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” Actually a person is wise when he surrenders unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, but such a mahātmā, great soul, is very rare. ¶

After taking to devotional service under the regulative principles, a person may come to the platform of spontaneous love of Godhead, following in the footsteps of great devotees like Nārada and Sanaka and Sanātana. The Supreme Personality of Godhead then recognizes him to be superior. The devotees who have developed love of Godhead are certainly in an exalted position. ¶

Of all these devotees, the gopīs are recognized as superior because they do not know anything other than satisfying Kṛṣṇa. Nor do the gopīs expect any return from Kṛṣṇa. Indeed, sometimes Kṛṣṇa puts them into extreme suffering by separating Himself from them. Nonetheless, they cannot forget Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa left Vṛndāvana for Mathurā, the gopīs became most dejected and spent the rest of their lives simply crying in separation from Kṛṣṇa. This means that in one sense they were never actually separated from Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference between thinking of Kṛṣṇa and associating with Him. Rather, vipralambha-sevā, thinking of Kṛṣṇa in separation, as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did, is far better than serving Kṛṣṇa directly. Thus of all the devotees who have developed unalloyed devotional love for Kṛṣṇa, the gopīs are most exalted, and out of all these exalted gopīs, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the highest. No one can excel the devotional service of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Indeed, even Kṛṣṇa cannot understand the attitude of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī; therefore He took Her position and appeared as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, just to understand Her transcendental feelings. ¶

In this way Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī gradually concludes that Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the most exalted devotee of Kṛṣṇa and that Her kuṇḍa (lake), Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa, is the most exalted place. This is verified in a quotation from Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta (Uttara-khaṇḍa 45), as quoted in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: ¶

yathā rādhā priyā viṣṇos
tasyāḥ kuṇḍaṁ priyaṁ tathā
sarva-gopīṣu saivaikā
viṣṇor atyanta-vallabhā

“Just as Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is dear to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa [Viṣṇu], so Her bathing place [Rādhā-kuṇḍa] is equally dear to Kṛṣṇa. Among all the gopīs, She alone stands supreme as the Lord’s most beloved.” ¶

Therefore everyone interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should ultimately take shelter of Rādhā-kuṇḍa and execute devotional service there throughout one’s life. This is the conclusion of Rūpa Gosvāmī in the tenth verse of Upadeśāmṛta. ¶