Verse Nine
वैकुण्ठाज्जनितो वरा मधुपुरी तत्रापि रासोत्सवाद्
वृन्दारण्यमुदारपाणिरमणात्तत्रापि गोवर्द्धनः ।
राधाकुण्डमिहापि गोकुलपतेः प्रेमामृताप्लावनात्
कुर्यादस्य विराजतो गिरितटे सेवां विवेकी न कः ॥९॥
vaikunthaj janito vara madhu-puri tatrapi rasotsavad-
vrndaranyam udara-pani-ramanat tatrapi govardhanah
radha-kundam ihapi gokula-pateh premamrtaplavanat
kuryad asya virajato giri-tate sevam viveki na kah [9]
madhu-puri–Mathura, janitah–because of [Krishna’s] birth [there, is] vara–higher vaikunthaj–than Vaikuntha. tatra api–Therein, vrndaranyam–Vrndavan [is higher] rasotsavat–because of the Rasa Dance. tatra api–Therein, govardhanah–Govardhan [is higher] ramanat–because of the amorous play [of He who has] udara–liberal pani–hands. iha api–Herein, radha-kundam–Radha Kunda [is higher] aplavanat–because of the flood amrta–of the nectar pateh–of the Lord gokula–of Goloka’s prema–divine love. kah–What viveki–wise soul na kuryat–would not engage sevam–in the service asya–of it [Radha Kunda], virajatah–situated tate–beside giri–Govardhan? [9]
Translation:
Above Vaikuntha is Mathura,where Krishna took birth.
Above Mathura is Vrndavan, where Krishna enjoys the Rasa Dance.
Above Vrndavan is Govardhan, where Krishna plays amorously.
And above Govardhan is Radha Kunda,
where the nectar of Krishna’s divine love overflows.
What wise soul would not serve
Radha Kunda at the base of Govardhan Hill?
Bhasa by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur
বৈকুণ্ঠ অপেক্ষা শ্রেষ্ঠ মাথুরমণ্ডল ।
তদপেক্ষা বৃন্দাবন যথা রাসস্থল ॥১॥
vaikuntha apeksa srestha mathura-mandala
tad apeksa vrndavan yatha rasa-sthala [1]
srestha–Higher apeksa–than vaikuntha–Vaikuntha [is] mandala–the land mathura–of Mathura, [and higher] apeksa–than tad–that [is] vrndavan–Vrndavan, yatha–where [there is] sthala–the place rasa–of the Rasa Dance. [1]
Translation:
Above Vaikuntha is Mathura Mandal, and above that is Vrndavan, the place of the Rasa Dance.
তদপেক্ষা গোবর্দ্ধন নিত্য কেলিস্থান ।
রাধাকুণ্ডে তদপেক্ষা প্রেমের বিজ্ঞান ॥২॥
tad apeksa govardhan nitya keli-sthana
radha-kunde tad apeksa premera vijnana [2]
[Higher] apeksa–than tad–that [is] govardhan–Govardhan, sthana–the place [of the Lord’s] nitya–daily keli–play, [and higher] apeksa–than tad–that [is] radha-kunde–Radha Kunda, [where there is] vijnana–full realisation premera–of divine love. [2]
Translation:
Higher than Vrndavan is Govardhan, the place of the Lord’s daily play, and higher than that is Radha Kunda, where there is full realisation of divine love.
Piyusa-varsini-vrtti by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur
Amongst places of service, Sri Radha Kunda is the highest of all. This is shown in the ninth verse. Because of Krishna’s birth, Mathura is higher than the opulent abode of Vaikuntha in the spiritual sky. Because of the Rasa Dance, Vrndavan is highest within the district of Mathura. Because it is the place of various types of amorous play by liberal-handed Sri Krishna, Sri Govardhan is highest within Vraja. Sri Radha Kunda is situated near Sri Govardhan. Because the nectar of Sri Krishna’s divine love overflows there, it is the highest of all. What soul who is expert in service would not serve Radha Kunda? Such a soul should always reside there, either in their gross or subtle body, and follow the method of service previously described.
Bhasa by Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur
বৈকুণ্ঠ হইতে শ্রেষ্ঠা মথুরানগরী ।
জনম লভিলা যথা কৃষ্ণচন্দ্র হরি ॥১॥
vaikuntha ha-ite srestha mathura-nagari
janama labhila yatha krsnachandra hari [1]
srestha–Higher ha-ite–than vaikuntha–Vaikuntha [is] nagari–the city mathura–of Mathura, yatha–where hari–the Lord, krsnachandra–the moon Sri Krishna, janama labhila–took birth. [1]
Translation:
Higher than Vaikuntha is the city of Mathura, where the Lord, the moon Sri Krishna, took birth.
মথুরা হইতে শ্রেষ্ঠ বৃন্দাবন-ধাম ।
যথা সাধিয়াছে হরি রাসোৎসব-কাম ॥২॥
mathura ha-ite srestha vrndavana-dhama
yatha sadhiyachhe hari rasotasava-kama [2]
srestha–Higher ha-ite–than mathura–Mathura [is] dhama–the abode vrndavana–of Vrndavan, yatha–where hari–the Lord sadhiyachhe–fulfilled [His] kama–desire rasotasava–for the Rasa Dance. [2]
Translation:
Higher than Mathura is the land of Vrndavan, where the Lord fulfilled His desire for the Rasa Dance.
বৃন্দাবন হইতে শ্রেষ্ঠ গোবর্দ্ধন-শৈল ।
গিরিধারী-গান্ধর্ব্বিকা যথা ক্রীড়া কৈল ॥৩॥
vrndavana ha-ite srestha govardhana-saila
giridhari-gandharvika yatha krida kaila [3]
srestha–Higher ha-ite–than vrndavana–Vrndavan [is] saila–the mountain govardhana–Govardhan, yatha–where gandharvika–Sri Radha, the best of dancers, [and] giridhari–Krishna, the lifter of Govardhan, krida kaila–play [together]. [3]
Translation:
Higher than Vrndavan is Govardhan Hill, where Gandharvika, the best of dancers, and Giridhari, the lifter of Govardhan Hill, play together.
গোবর্দ্ধন হৈতে শ্রেষ্ঠ রাধাকুণ্ডতট ।
প্রেমামৃতে ভাসাইল গোকুল-লম্পট ॥৪॥
govardhana haite srestha radha-kunda-tata
premamrte bhasaila gokula-lampata [4]
srestha–Higher ha-ite–than govardhana–Govardhan [is] tata–the bank radha-kunda–of Radha Kunda, [where] lampata–the debauchee gokula–of Gokula [lets] amrte–the nectar prema–of divine love bhasaila–overflow. [4]
Translation:
Higher than Govardhan is the bank of Radha Kunda, where the debauchee of Gokula lets the nectar of divine love overflow.
গোবর্দ্ধন-গিরিতট রাধাকুণ্ড ছাড়ি’ ।
অন্যত্র যে করে নিজ কুঞ্জ পুষ্পবাড়ী ॥৫॥
নির্ব্বোধ তাহার সম কেহ নাহি আর ।
কুণ্ডতীর সর্ব্বোত্তম স্থান প্রেমাধার ॥৬॥
govardhana-giri-tata radha-kunda chhadi’
anyatra ye kare nija kunja puspa-badi [5]
nirbodha tahara sama keha nahi ara
kunda-tira sarvottama sthana premadhara [6]
ara keha nahi–There is no one sama–as nirbodha–foolish [as] tahara–someone ye–who chhadi’–leaves radha-kunda–Radha Kunda tata–at the base govardhana–of Govardhan giri–Hill [and] puspa-badi kare–makes a tent of flowers [in their] nija–own kunja–grove anyatra–elsewhere. tira–The bank kunda–of Radha Kunda [is] uttama–the highest sarva–of all sthana–places [and] adhara–the treasury prema–of divine love. [5–6]
Translation:
There is no one as foolish as someone who leaves Radha Kunda at the base of Govardhan Hill and makes a tent of flowers in their own grove elsewhere. The bank of Radha Kunda is the highest of all places and the treasury of divine love.
Anuvrtti by Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur
Vaikuntha, situated in the spiritual sky, is higher than all other abodes. The district of Mathura is higher than Vaikuntha because the Lord took birth there. Vrndavan, the place of Krishna’s Rasa Dance, is higher than Mathura. Govardhan, the place of the Lord’s spontaneous play, is higher than Vrndavan. Radha Kunda, where the nectar of Krishna’s divine love completely overflows, is higher than Govardhan. What wise and sincere devotee would reject service at Sri Radha Kunda, situated at the base of Govardhan Hill, and attend to any other service? Sriman Mahaprabhu’s extremely intimate devotee, Sri Rupa Goswami Prabhu, has instructed that service at Radha Kunda is the highest mood in the heart of Sri Gaurahari and the ultimate culmination of service. To Vaisnavas in the schools of Sri Nimbarka and other Acharyas, and even to devotees situated in madhura-rasa who are devoid of devotion to Gaura, this service is completely inconceivable and unattainable.