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Gratitude

Radhanatha Swami’s Embrace

Note: Please read Radhanath Swami’s “Intentional Mistake”? and Radhanath Swami : The Prayer-er Writer first….

On the last day of my editing service for Radhanath Swami, he went through the draft that I had written about the glorious service of Hanuman to Lord Rama. After refining it, he called me to have a look at it. In his own inimitably sweet and humble way, he asked me, as he had asked often during the last fortnight, “Is that good?”

As I read the changed draft, I marveled at how the text seemed to have come alive. Radhanath Swami’s excellence at descriptive writing has few parallels; he is a genius at describing events and emotions, places and people. Indeed, an early review of The Journey Home by the author Joshua Greene stated quite insightfully: “This book is a testimony to the power of words to express the affairs of the heart.” Of course, I would ascribe the power not just to the words, but also to the person whose heart is so sensitive to experience subtle emotions and whose words are so dexterous to express them.

When I finished reading the revised, nay enriched, text, I turned to Radhanath Swami and said, “This is beautiful. What I had written was like a report, but you have made it into a drama.” Radhanath Swami started smiling not so much because I was praising him, but because the glory of the bhakti of Hanuman had successfully manifested thorough his pen (or, shall we say, his keyboard). The selfless spiritual nature of his pleasure became apparent to me through the entirely unexpected but enchantingly unforgettable event that transpired next.

But before describing that event, I need to share a little background about Hanuman’s bhakti. When Hanuman returned to Lord Rama after performing unparalleled heroic feats in his service, the Lord being overwhelmed with gratitude offered his gallant servant the best that he could in those circumstances. The Lord offered Hanuman his own embrace, which was for the servant-hero the greatest of all gifts. This endearing exchange was expressed in eloquent and heart-rending language by Radhanath Swami and so I said to him, “Especially when Lord Rama embraces Hanuman, the emotions are coming out so sweetly over there.”

Radhanath Swami’s smile became broader and he said, “Then I will embrace you.” I was delighted to receive his long and sweet embrace. And as I thought – a bit self-indulgently, no doubt  – that he was pleased with my service of editing – probably in some small way as Lord Rama was pleased with the service of Hanuman, my joy knew no bounds.

Later, as I reflected on the incident, the grave message that Radhanath Swami had communicated through this sweet exchange eventually registered in my dull mind. As devotees, we understand that the loving dealings between the Lord and his devotee are not just sentimental tales for pious entertainment or sweet stories from a bygone era. They are eternal realities in the spiritual realm which sometimes manifest to our perception as dramatic narratives in universal history. So as devotees, our goal is not just to relish their literary eloquence, but to experience their devotional essence –and to share that divine essence through our writings. Radhanath Swami was relishing Rama-lila at that exalted devotional level and, as my spiritual mentor, he wanted me to rise from my literary-intellectual level to that divine level. And so he embraced me – to give me an experience of his sublime love and to gently prod me to rise to the pure devotional level where I could constantly relish that divine love. I pray that the sweet memory of Radhanath Swami’s embrace – and the grave lesson taught through it – constantly illumine my hear and life.

Chaitanya Charan Das

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148 replies on “Radhanatha Swami’s Embrace”

Thank you prabhu for sharing this. For giving us the experience of loving embrace of a pure devotee, Radhanath Swami

maharaj teaches so much by his example and that too so subtly that we loose on the treasure if we are not smart enough to understand it…

Wow! Amazing realization by the author. Only who is very sincere on the path of devotional service could understand mood of Maharajah.

This is a truly sublime interaction that the writer, or may we say writer turned devotee, has had with Radhanath Swami

this is one of the most blissful exchanges that one has ever experienced with HHRNSM, immensely fortunate and blissful, haribol, bhakti

simply blissful and amazing the manner in which HHRNSM embraces his devotees and conveys his feelings and love for them, its almost like a pass time for one of the events of the Lord himself, haribol, rajesh karia

Wonderful pastime of Radhanath Swami. He is very kind to all the devotees and dvery few times a fortunate devotee recieves his kind blessings in the form of an embrace. Thank you very much for sharing this with us all.

Radhanath Swami has such a personal and special way of communicating with each and everyone. Through words, actions and gestures, he is always teaching the higher principles of life.

A completely wonderful and blissful exchange with Radhanath Swami! Reading this fills ones heart with love and gratitude.

Thank you very much for sharing. Only by the mercy of Guru, one is able to taste the Love for Krishna

Such a fortunate soul you are to get the most blessed and loving embrace of Radhanath Swami and an opportunity to serve him.

You are one of the fortunate souls who got the opportunity to serve HH Maharaj and receive his special mercy…Hare Krishna…

Thank you sharing this wonderful incident. When Lord Sri Krsna came back to Dwarka, the queens of dwarka were able to embrace the lord in their hearts through the medium of their sons whom krsna was embracing. Similarly by reading this incident, all of us were able to experience the ecstacy of the embrace between Lord Rama and Hanumanji through the medium of Radhanath Maharaj’s embrace with you.

Such a wounderful exchange prabhu. Yes that loving exchange between Lord Ram and Hanuman would be so blissful

Oh! how fortunate is the person who receives the embrace of a pure devotee. How great is a pure devotee of Lord who teaches principles of bhakti through his every word and actions?!!

Thank you Prabhuji for sharing this experience… Really when Radhanath Swami writes or gives lecture his preaching is with full of emotions and sensitivity that it touches the heart of listener…

As per Vedic literature it is mentioned, Guru is the abode of pure devotional service and by this incident we can see how by association of pure devotee is feeling spiritual ecstasy.

Very surcharging event.We regularly hear Radhanath Swami in temple and while hearing we deeply get involved when he narrates particular pastime of the Lord Radha and Krishna or Shri Rama and His glorious devotees.This is because Swamiji actully sees the lila while he narates it to us and therefore this eternal reality is explained in a very beautiful way and by words.Thanks for sharing with us the joyful event.

The embrace of exalted souls like HH Radhanath Swami not only fills our heart with great joy but also unfolds the true devotion towards Lord with plethora of realisations. Thank you Prabhuji for such a wonderful narration. We desire to get a similar embrace from you to shore up our service attitude towards HH Radhanath Swami and to Lord.

Thank you for sharing this very special experience with Radhanath Swami. I am sure that embrace with this holy man would have completely satisfied all your desires.

Devotees have craved for a glance of Maharaj and when we get one, the feeling is of sheer joy. Jai !!

“As devotees, our goal is not just to relish their literary eloquence, but to experience their devotional essence –and to share that divine essence through our writings”,Such an important lesson.

thank you for sharing this wonderful account and the realizations with Radhanath Swami Maharaj.

Radhanath Swami Maharaj expertly touches the heart of others through his compassionate dealings.

thank you pr ji for sharing this experience of yours of divine love coming from Lord through His representatives

Thanks for sharing the experience with us, we could experience the devotional essence by reading this loving exchange of Radhanath Swami

Very instructive and inspiring too – Thanks a lot Prabhuji for sharing this transcedental experience with HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj. Many thanks for explaining the grave message taught through it.

What a sweet exchange of relationships connecting past with present.Thanks to you and Radhanath Swami

These are exciting tales from the loving pastimes of Radhanath Swami and his followers.

Its so wonderful to hear such a lesson from such a loving exchange. Really very deep realization by the writer and I also pray like him to get a glimspe of such pure devotional service in my life also…. thank you very much for sharing

All Glories To H.H Radhanath Swami Maharaj

What an beautiful experience. Truly said the texts just do not narrate history, but those are eternal and sweet pastimes that the lord exhibited them here, and Maharaj through his power of expressions brings them alive.

Hare Krishna

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