Rādhā’s beauty

In Her resides all beauty and brilliance. All the lakṣmīs derive their beauty from Her.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 4.92

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 4.92 in the last of a series of verses expressing the idea that the eight lakṣmīs, most beautiful, most splendid, most prosperous and fortunate of all demigods, derive their beauty from Rādhā. 

We know Rādhā’s outward appearance to be beautiful. Images of her physical qualities adorn every corner of Vrindavan.  

But these verses confirm that Rādhā is not only beautiful, she is also the source of all beauty. She is both beautiful and she bestows beauty on others. If there is beauty, then Rādhā is at its root. 

Any object we find beautiful, from the charm of the most delicate flower, to the wonder of the sun-rays at dawn, from the smile of an infant to the glow that flows from the eyes of the wise, traces its beauty back to Rādhā. Any object that gives pleasure, not only to the eyes, but to any of the senses may be called beautiful.  The pleasure it brings, the happiness it causes, can be attributed to Rādhā. 

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Rādhā is the source of beauty

I walk on the beach in the setting sun. The air is soft. The sand under my feet is warm. The rush of the surf quiets, as the calm of the evening falls. I feel happiness, a soft and blissful feeling covers me, touches my material senses and my spiritual body.

What causes this feeling of happiness? What does it mean? Where will it take me? What does it ask of me? 

My first and most natural reflex is to think that I have come to the beach seeking this experience, that I know when and where and how to enjoy it. The sunrise is a fact, the beach is a fact, the heat and the light, and all the beauty I experience are part of this world. It is a world that I can experience at my pleasure, at my convenience, on my terms, according to my needs. 

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