'Your happiness is my happiness! This is an important principle. Unless you realise this, Mother will not come. The whole Bhagawata is the essence of this principle - Tatsukhena sukhitwam. Vedavyasa wrote the four Vedas and eighteen puranas and also preached the brahmasutras. Yet his mind was not satisfied. Seeing that he was feeling sad, God sent his representative Narada Maharshi to him. Narada asked 'Vedavyasa, why are you sad?' 'Devarshi. I have written so many religious books. I have written the most sacred Mahabharata, which is considered as the fifth Veda. Yet my mind is not peaceful. I am unable to understand the reason. 'Vyasa Maharshi. It is true that you have written so many books. All these books are knowledge based. You have not written anything that will provide happiness to God such as works related to bhakti tattwa or tales of the devotees. When he is not happy how can you be happy? Sing in the glory of God; praise his kindness and mercy towards his devotees. This will please God and you will be happy. Only his happiness is the happiness of all living beings.' Then Vyasa Maharshi happily wrote Srimad Bhagawata. The Bhagawata is a repository of rasa. It has declared the intimate bond of love between God and His devotees. The devotees praise the divine qualities of God while He listens to the stories of his devotees. In this way both mutually derive happiness.
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| Nee padakamala sevayu |
| Nee padarchakulathodi neyyamunu nitam |
| Taparabhoota dayayunu |
| Tapasa mandara naku daya seyagade |
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Serving at the feet of the Lord, association with His devotees, kindness towards all living beings - these are the positive qualities that please God. The devotee finds his happiness only in God's happiness.
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-Srimad Bhagagawata
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The Gopikas occupy the place of a Guru regarding devotion towards Krishna. Sandilya bhakti principle is 'Tatsukhena sukhitwam prema lakshnanam'. The essence of this principle is Gopikas life.
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| Nijangamapi ya gopyah mameti samupasate |
| Tabhyah param sa me kinchit nigudhah prema bhajanam |
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Krishna himself said, 'The Gopikas protected (took care) of their body with the bhava that their body belongs to me. Though they are not interested, they adorn them self. No one has attained the love which is concealed within me as much as the Gopikas.'
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-Srimad Bhagagawata
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Once, the Gopikas told Uddhava, 'If it pleases Krishna to remain in Mathura, let him stay there only. Though the separation from him is unbearable for us, we don't want anything other than his happiness.' Uddhava was taken aback by this love. He applied the dust at their feet on his forehead (as a mark of respect) saying:
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| Vande nanadavrajastreenam padarenumabheekshanam |
| Yasam harikathodgeetam punati bhuvana trayam |
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-Srimad Bhagagawata
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Sri Krishna who has ananya bhakti towards Sri Radha demonstrated 'Tatsukhena sukhitwam' through his life. Sri Hitacharya explained these qualities of Krishna in his book 'Hita chaurasi'
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| Nagari nikunj ain kisalay dal rachit sain |
| Kok kala kusal kuvari ati udar ri |
| .................. |
| Mukhar noopuuran subhav, kinkani vichitra rav |
| Viram viram nath badhat varavihar ri |
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In the nikunj lies a decorated bed. Radhaji who has mastery in all arts is seated on the bed. Then She began to dance and Her anklets and bangles were making unique musical sound. Sri Krishna was raptly watching the dance with immense joy. He noticed that his beloved was getting tired and stopped Her saying, 'Hey Radhe! Please take rest'
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It gives Krishna immense pleasure to see the dance of Sri Radha, who teaches dance even to the science of dance! When someone is in a state of experiencing total happiness, he can think of the happiness of his beloved only if he follows the principle of Tatsukhena sukhitwam. Shyamasundar is not concentrating on his pleasure; he is thinking only of Radhaji's pleasure. When he noticed that She was tired, he pleaded with Her to take rest. This nature of Krishna is the highest example to understand Tatsukhena sukhitwam.
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All the leelas in which Sri Radha and Krishna are seen together form the essence of Tatsukhena sukhitwam.
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One day Sri Radha and Krishna were walking in Brinda nikunj. Krishna was awestruck by Sri Radha's incomparable, nityanutana (always new) and anukshana vardhamana (increasing every moment) rasa beauty and he was swooning every minute. Observing this, Radha smiled at him. Krishna was bewildered by the radiance of that smile. Then She made him stand at a distance, away from Her. Krishna pleaded with Her, 'Shyamaji. Why have You made me stay away from You. What is my mistake? Don't You know that I cannot live even for a moment away from You.' Radhaji said, 'Shyam, you take my appearance'. The very moment, he followed Her order and took Her appearance. Then She said, 'Krishna go into that nikunj'. Without any questions, he entered the nikunj.
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Srilalita, Srivisakha and remaining ashta sakhis were in the nikunj planning those leelas of love, which would give pleasure to their Swamini. When they saw Radhaji (Shyam) who entered the nikunj, the sakhis were overcome with love and surrounded Her saying. 'Hey Swamini Radhe, You have come!' They formed a circle around Her and began to serve Her with their dance and songs. Slowly, not only Krishna's external appearance but his inner self also transformed into Radha and he also participated in the sakhis Sri seva. Krishna's eyes shed tears of joy at the sight of this divine love.
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What is Sri Radha conveying through this leela? She wants even Krishna to experience the bliss of rasa along with the sakhis. If Krishna goes with his original appearance, the sakhis will not entertain him. That's why She made him take Her appearance and sent him near the sakhis. She gained great pleasure seeing Krishna's joy as he danced along with Her sakhis (with Her appearance). This leela is completely filled with Tatsukhena sukhitwam.
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The splendor of Sri Radha and Krishna's love and Sri Radha's charming rasa leelas are beyond the Vedas. The sweetness of that bhava intensifies the sakhi's pangs of separation from Her love.
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So we must always live in such a way considering that Mother's happiness is ours. What is it that pleases Mother? She is happy when all human beings are happy. 'Sarvejana sukhino bhavantu'- all the people must be happy. If we are able to contribute in any way towards this cause, it will please Mother. Her happiness is ours! I will give up my life for Her happiness. I want only Her happiness. Those who think of their own happiness should accept smaller things from smaller Gods. But if you want to enter the most superior Maharasaleela, you must give up all pleasures including Moksha and live only for the pleasure of the Supreme Radhaji. Even Brahma and other Gods are not permitted the darshan of Rasa. It is the highest! We will reach that highest state.
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We must understand what pleases Mother. We will celebrate Mother's birthday with a cradle ceremony. This is only to please Her. Ravali is the place where Mother came to this earth. The people in that area are very innocent. We must arrange for their stay and serve them good food and savories. Mother will be watching us,'they are making arrangements for my festival. They are serving me'. She will be pleased. The most important of all is seva (service). She is very fond of seva. Her seva is continuous and very delicate and sensitive. Once She came as a nine-year old girl, enquired and solved the problem of the Bengali baba. He was a great devotee. That is why She looked after his comforts and ensured that he got food throughout his life. The same happened in the life of Narayanabhatt. He used to clean all the steps of Barsana hill with his turban. He would do any work uttering Radhe Radhe. Anything that he did was only for Her pleasure. She watched what he did for Her. One cold night, She sent Her blanket from the sky to cover him. The devotees thought about Her happiness and She looked after their happiness. Tatsukhena sukhitwam does not restrict to how you must live with respect to Mother alone; you must behave in the same manner with other devotees also. The little birds eat the crumbs of biscuits that I give. We should feel very happy by such an act. Don't be harsh with anybody. Don't entertain the thoughts that someone is superior or inferior. Engage yourself in seva. That gives Mother more happiness than yagya, japa or tapa. It pleases Her very much.
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So adorning yourself means mould your mind to be sensitive. If anyone is in need, help him and serve him affectionately. You must live for Mother's joy, for Her pleasure not yours. The gopikas showed us what Tatsukhena sukhitwam means. Once, Narada told the gopikas that Krishna was suffering from unbearable headache, which could be cured only by drinking water containing the dust at the feet of his devotees. He also cautioned that the devotees who give the dust would go to hell. 'We want nothing other than our Krishna's happiness. We are ready to bear any amount of suffering in hell, we don't fear. We only want him to be happy'. Saying this all the gopikas came forward to offer the dust at their feet. Krishna enacted this play of headache only to show the quality of Tatsukhena sukhitwam to the world!
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If you wish to attain the grace of Radhaji, if you want to satisfy Her, you must train your mind. How much you may suffer, how many difficulties you may face, Mother must be happy. It doesn't matter even if you go to hell for Her pleasure. We must have such kind of love towards Mother.
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| Asatho ma sadgamaya |
| Tamaso ma jyothirgamaya |
| Mrutyorma amrutam gamaya |
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Speak the truth, not lie. Be in light, not darkness. Attain longevity, not death.
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Everyone must try to conduct his life according to this saying. By that everyone will be happy. This will please Mother very much.
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| Indriyani paranyaham |
| Indriyebhyah param manah |
| Manasasthu para buddhih |
| Yo buddhe paratasthu sah |
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Gita says 'Sense organs are above materialistic objects; mind is above sense organs; intellect is above mind; soul is above intellect.
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- Gita: 3-42
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It gives Radhaji great pleasure when man sees with his soul, regains his earlier greatness and ascends to an elevated state.
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