Shri Shri Radha Shyamasundar Temple

Radha Syamasundara TempleThis temple is situated close to Shri Shri Radha Damodar temple.  It was established by Shrila Shyamanand Pandit. Just across the street is the Samadhi Mandir of Shrila Shyamanand Pandit and the place where he found the anklet of Shrimati Radharani. The smaller deity   of Shyamasundar Krishna was personally gifted by Shrimati Radharani to Shrila Shyamanand Pandit. The main deity   of Radha Shyamasundar was being personally worshiped by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushan. The deities of Radha Shyamasundar are wonderfully decorated and give beautiful darshans throughout the year.

There is a beautiful story about how Shyamanand Pandit found the anklet of Shrimati Radharani at this place while humbly sweeping the streets of Vrindavan. Radhanath Swami narrated this sweet pastime while guiding a big group of devotees through Vrindavan some years ago. Shyamanand Pandit’s original name was Dukhi Krishna Das. He was the disciple of Hridaya Chaitanya, who resided in Ambika Kalna in Bengal near Navadvipa. Hridaya Chaitanya sent Dukhi Krishna Das to Vrindavan to study under Srila Jiva Goswami.  Jiva Goswami gave Shyamanand Prabhu the service of sweeping the streets of Vraja Bhoomi, especially in the holy place called Nidhuvan.  For long durations, every day, this great scholar and very advanced devotee would spend very humbly sweeping the streets of Vraja with a broom in his hand. He would get completely covered with the dust of Vrindavan. And he did this for many many years.

One day when he was sweeping the Nidhuvan forest, he found a very beautiful valuable, precious, bejeweled anklet. Shortly a beautiful young girl came to him and said, “Did you find an anklet?”

He said, “Yes, it has been lying here in the ground.”

The girl said, “It belongs to my sister, please give it to me”.

Dukhi Krishna Das was thinking that it was a very very transcendental experience. He could understand by his spiritual insight that this little girl was Lalita Sakhi and the sister that she was talking about was Srimati Radharani. So Dukhi Krishna Das said, “I will return it to your sister directly.”

Lalita Sakhi went away and she came back after few minutes with Shrimati Radharani. And when Shyamanand saw the beautiful darshan of Shrimati Radharani, returning the anklet to Her, he bowed down at Her lotus feet surrendering his life. Shrimati Radharani being very pleased with him pressed the anklet against his forehead and created a very different type of tilak.  Shyamanand Prabhu considered himself very fortunate. He understood that because he had accepted that menial service of being a street sweeper, Srimati Radharani was pleased with him and rewarded him.

But when he returned the other devotees began to ask him, “What type of nonsense tilak have you put on?  This is not the way Gaudiya Vaishnavas put on the tilak.” He was told by Shrimati Radharani not to reveal this secret darshan to anyone.  So, he remained quiet and accepted all sorts of criticisms even from his own brother Vaishnavas. When it came to Jiva Goswami’s attention, he also remarked, “Why you are putting this new type of tilak?” But then Shrimati Radharani revealed to Shrila Jiva Goswami about the incident in the forest of Nidhuvan. Jiva Goswami was very pleased to hear that how his Siksa disciple received this special mercy of Shri Radhika. Consequently he rewarded Dukhi Krishna Das a new name – Shyamanand Pandit. Shyama is Srimati Radharani and Shyamanand is one who gives great pleasure to Srimati Radharani or one who always rejoices in the loving service of Srimati Radharani.

Giving purports to this pastime, Radhanath Swami said that devotees should never think that any service of the Lord is low.  Anything that we are allowed to do in the service of the Lord, Guru and the Vaishnavas is the greatest of all attainments. Just to have the opportunity to perform any service is the greatest of all benedictions. One should be deeply grateful to the Lord and His devotees for bestowing such opportunity of service upon us.  It is because Shyamanand Prabhu took the position of such a humble servant of the servant, just sweeping the streets of Vrindavan, that he received the beautiful darshan of Srimati Radharani.

Jai Jai Shri Radhe Shyama.

Shri Shri Radha Shyamasundar Mandir Ki Jai.

Shri Shyamanand prabhu Ki jai.