Question: We understand that Krishna is all knowing. Based upon this understanding, how are we to understand that He could not experience the depth of love and ecstasy of Srimati Radharani’s heart and He had to appear as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to experience those loving feelings? Please enlighten us.
Answer by Romapada Swami:
Your question is quite natural: Since Krishna is all-powerful, self-sufficient, and all-knowing, how He is not able to know the love that Srimati Radharani feels for Him?
Additional questions can be also raised. For example: Why Krishna needs to personally come to reestablish the religious principles Himself? Owing to the omnipotent nature of the Lord, why does He personally come to kill demons, when that work could simply be done just by His wish, etc.?
Therefore, it is very important to understand Krsna and His transcendental pastimes, appearances, as they are mentioned in the scriptures and from the commentaries of our bonafide acaryas. Otherwise, one may get bewildered by the various pastimes and incarnations of the Supreme Lord Krsna.
Returning to your initial question, it is important to understand the position of Srimati Radharani.
Srimati Radharani is the pleasure potency portion of the internal potency, the hladhini-sakti of Krsna. When Krishna wants to enjoy Himself, He expands His potency or energy within Himself that gives Him enjoyment. This pleasure potency is a person. Her name is Srimati Radharani.
Radharani is not a different person from Krishna, or, rather, she is both one with and different from Him.
Radha and Krishna are simultaneously one and different. Krishna, the self-effulgent Lord, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Srimati Radharani is His supreme pleasure energy. Together They constitute the complete Absolute Truth.
A very important verse from Caitanya-caritamrta (Cc Adi 4.55) that capsulizes this message is as follows: “The loving affairs of Sri Radha and Krsna are transcendental manifestations of the Lord’s internal pleasure-giving potency. Although Radha and Krsna are one in Their identity, previously They separated Themselves. Now, these two transcendental identities have again united, in the form of Sri Krsna Caitanya. I bow down to Him, who has manifested Himself with the sentiment and complexion of Srimati Radharani although He is Krsna Himself.”
There are 3 external and 3 internal reasons for Lord Caitanya to appear in Kali Yuga:
External reasons are described in Cc Adi 3.13-29:
1. Advaita Acarya’s prayers for the Lord to come. Advaita Acarya was a contemporary of Lord Caitanya’s father. He felt sorry for the condition of the world because even after Lord Krsna’s appearance, no one had interest in devotional service to Krsna. This forgetfulness was so overwhelming that Advaita Prabhu was convinced that no one but Lord Krsna Himself could enlighten people about devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Therefore, Advaita requested Lord Krsna to appear as Lord Caitanya. Offering Tulasi leaves and Ganges water, He cried for the Lord’s appearance. The Lord, being satisfied by His pure devotees, descends to satisfy them. As such, being pleased by Advaita Acarya, Lord Caitanya appeared.
2. For a long time, I have not bestowed unalloyed loving service to Me upon the inhabitants of the world. Without such loving attachment, the existence of the material world is useless.
3. Everywhere in the world people worship Me according to scriptural injunctions. But simply by following such regulative principles one cannot attain the loving sentiments of the devotees in Vrajabhumi.
4. Knowing My opulences, the whole world looks upon Me with awe and veneration. But devotion made feeble by such reverence does not attract Me.
5. I shall personally inaugurate the religion of the age – nama-sankirtana, the congregational chanting of the holy name. I shall make the world dance in ecstasy, realizing the four mellows of loving devotional service.
6. I shall accept the role of a devotee, and I shall teach devotional service by practicing it Myself.
7. My plenary portions can establish the principles of religion for each age. No one but Me, however, can bestow the kind of loving service performed by the residents of Vraja.
8. There may be many all-auspicious incarnations of the Personality of Godhead, but who other than Lord Sri Krsna can bestow love of God upon the surrendered souls?
9. Therefore, in the company of My devotees I shall appear on earth and perform various colorful pastimes.
Thinking thus, the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna Himself, descended at Nadia early in the Age of Kali.
There are internal reasons for Lord to come as Caitanya Mahaprabhu:
1. To relish the position of Srimati Radharani
2. Also, to understand the transcendental mellow of Himself. Krsna wanted to experience the attraction Srimati Radharani feels for Him and understand the transcendental sweetness of Himself, He accepted the mood of Srimati Radharani.
3. He wanted to enjoy the transcendental bliss that Radharani experiences for Him.
Krsna thus accomplishes many purposes simultaneously with His coming as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
