Radhanath Swami On Jahnava Devi’s Mission

Before leaving Vrindavan she went to take darshan of Sri Sri Radha Gopinath.While she was taking darshanof Gopinath she saw that Srimati Radharani was very tiny and Gopinath was large in size. But as that thought appeared in her mind she felt, “Who am I to make a judgement, this is how They appeared” and she left. That night in her dream the murti of Gopinath appeared and said, “What you are saying is correct. Srimati Radharani is too small for Me. I want you to go back to Kardaha in Bengal and get a suitable size deity of Srimati Radharani.” Then Srimati Radharani appeared in her dream and said, “What ever my beloved Lord said is what I want as well.”

She soon left Vrindavan and went to Bengal. Under the careful guidance of Jahnava Devi, an expert craftsman named Nayana carved the deity of Srimati Radharani.The deity was then sent to Vrindavan. On the way great devotees like Narrotam Das Thakur, Srinivas Acarya and Shyamananda Prabhu welcomed the deity with great jubiliation. When the king Birambhir (who previously was a dacoit) saw the loving exchanges of the devotees he was struck with wonder.

The real testimony of true devotion is how devotees lovingly serve and honor each other with Sri Radha and Krishna as the center of their lives. And when Krishna sees everyone loving each other, that gives Him unlimited happiness.

In a glorious ceremony presided over by Madhu pandit, Srimati Radharani was installed next to Gopinath. The smaller deity of Srimati Radharani was kept on the other side of Gopinath. When Jahnava Devi closed her pastimes in this world she entered into the small deity of Srimati Radharani. Since in Goloka Jahnava Devi is Radharani’s younger sister, Ananga manjari, from that time the small deity of Srimati Radharani is worshipped as Sri Ananga Manjari.

Gopinath is the prayojana murti and He bestows the ultimate perfection of the gopis’ love. This is the single purpose of the Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya. We simply want to serve with love unconditionally and this love of the inhabitants of Vrindavan was the special gift of Lord Caitanya that Srila Prabhupada brought to the whole world.

– Radhanath Swami