8.255
’sravana-madhye jivera kon srestha sravana?’
’radha-krsna-prema-keli karna-rasayana’
SYNONYMS
sravana-madhye—out of all topics for hearing; jivera—of the living entity; kon—what; srestha—most important; sravana—topic of hearing; radha-krsna-prema-keli—the loving affairs between Radha and Krsna; karna-rasa-ayana—most pleasing to the ear.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked, “Out of all topics people listen to, which is best for all living entities?”
Ramananda Raya replied, “Hearing about the loving affairs between Radha and Krsna is most pleasing to the ear.”
PURPORT
According to Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.33.39):
vikriditam vraja-vadhubhir idam ca visnoh
sraddhanvito ’nusrnuyad atha varnayed yah
bhaktim param bhagavati pratilabhya kamam
hrd-rogam asv apahinoty acirena dhirah “He who faithfully hears about the dealings between Lord Krsna and the gopis in the rasa dance and he who describes these activities attain to the perfectional stage of devotional service and simultaneously lose material, lusty desires.” A liberated person who hears about the loving affairs of Radha and Krsna is not inclined to have lusty desires.
One mundane rogue once said that when the Vaisnavas chant the name “Radha, Radha,” he simply remembers a barber’s wife named Radha.
This is a practical example.
Unless one is liberated, he should not try to hear about the loving affairs between Radha and Krsna.
If one is not liberated and listens to a relation of the rasa dance, he may remember his mundane activities and illicit connections with some woman whose name may also be Radha.
In the conditioned stage one should not even try to remember such things.
By practicing the regulative principles, one should rise to the platform of spontaneous attraction for Krsna.
Then and only then should one hear about radha-krsna-lila.
Although these affairs may be very pleasing both to conditioned and to liberated souls, the conditioned soul should not try to hear them.
The talks between Ramananda Raya and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are conducted on the platform of liberation.