Radha Krishna, worship as Laxmi Narayana

 
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After the scorching heat of the summer season, it is very pleasing to see dark clouds in the sky. As confirmed in Brahma-samhita: barhavatamsam asitambuda-sundarahgam. The Lord wears a peacock feather in His hair, and His bodily complexion is just like a blackish cloud. The word sundara, or snigdha, means very pleasing, even when compared with kandarpa-koti-kamaniya. Krsna's beauty is so pleasing that not even millions upon millions of Cupids can compare to it. The Lord's form as Visnu is decorated in all opulence; therefore Lord Siva is trying to see that most opulent form of Narayana, or Visnu. Generally the worship of the Lord begins with the worship of Narayana or Visnu, whereas the worship of Lord Krsna and Radha is most confidential. Lord Narayana is worshipable by the Pancaratrika-vidhi, or regulative principles, whereas Lord Krsna is worshipable by the Bhagavata-vidhi. No one can worship the Lord in the Bhagavata-vidhi without going through the regulations of the Pancaratrika-vidhi. Actually neophyte devotees worship the Lord according to the Pancaratrika-vidhi, or the regulative principles enjoined in the Narada-pancaratra. Radha-Krsna cannot be approached by the neophyte devotees; therefore temple worship according to regulative principles is offered to Laksmi-Narayana. Although there may be a Radha-Krsna vigraha, or form, the worship of the neophyte devotees is acceptable as Laksmi-Narayana worship. Worship according to the Pancaratrika-vidhi is called vidhi-marga, and worship according to the Bhagavata-vidhi principles is called raga-marga. The principles of raga-marga are especially meant for devotees who are elevated to the Vrndavana platform.    (More...)
Without serving Krsna according to the vidhi-marga regulative principles of the Pancaratrika-vidhi, unscrupulous persons want to jump immediately to the raga-marga principles. Such persons are called sahajiya. There are also demons who enjoy depicting Krsna and His pastimes with the gopis, taking advantage of Krsna by their licentious character. These demons who print books and write lyrics on the raga-marga principles are surely on the way to hell. Unfortunately, they lead others down with them. Devotees in Krsna consciousness should be very careful to avoid such demons. One should strictly follow the vidhi-marga regulative principles in the worship of Laksmi-Narayana, although the Lord is present in the temple as Radha-Krsna. Radha-Krsna includes Laksmi-Narayana; therefore when one worships the Lord according to the regulative principles, the Lord accepts the service in the role of Laksmi-Narayana. In Nectar of Devotion full instructions are given about the vidhi-marga worship of Radha-Krsna or Laksmi-Narayana. Although there are sixty-four kinds of offenses one can commit in vidhi-marga worship, in raga-marga worship there is no consideration of such offenses because the devotees on that platform are very much elevated, and there is no question of offense. But if we do not follow the regulative principles on the vidhi-marga platform and keep our eyes trained to spot offenses, we will not make progress.    (More...)

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