Radha Krishna Nectar Book!
About eleven or twelve years ago, I came across a book called the Radha Krishna Nectar Book. Basically “everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Radha and Krishna, but were afraid to ask.” It’s a huge nearly 300 page xeroxed book about Radha and Krishna.
Ever since I saw it, I wanted my own copy. And for years and years it was out of print. But, thankfully, Nectar Books has reprinted it and here it is!
Guess who’s thrilled?!
It’s a “collection of ancient songs, prayers, mantras, lists, charts, transcendental miscellany and assorted nectar-tidbits form Sanskrit and Bengali sources.” Much of it is from the writings of the Goswamis of Vrndavana.
The table of contents gives a quick run down of what you’ll find within:
Topics About Radha-Krishna and Their Friends – As you can imagine, there’s a ton of fun to be had here! Everything from what the markings on Their feet mean to Radhika’s yearly traveling schedule. From detailed descriptions of the gopis and gopas to a list with stories of Krishna’s disguises to fool Radha!
Topics About Lord Gauranga – Now, the lila of Caitanya isn’t as cute as that of Radha and Krishna, but it’s pretty intense. We’ve got a few really early songs, a bit about how Radha and Krishna unite to become Lord Gauranga, more songs, a couple of essays about instruments in the kirtana and a list of kirtana-mantras sung during Gauranga’s time.
Nama-stotras – Prayers in Glorification of Holy Names – You want lists? Well here you go! Twelves names of Lord Caitanya, 108 names of Radha, 108 names of Krishna, 108 names of Radha-Krishna, etc etc etc!!
Other Prayers – A lot of songs by Ray Shekhara (that’s not Ray like the English name… It’s pronounced sort of like “Roy”.. but with kind of an “a” sound). My favorite is Sri Sri Madhuraastakam… I’ll type that out someday.
Daily Pastimes – Stuff about deity worship in Vrndavana, and one of the greatest bits in the whole book: Asta-Kaliya-Seva. It was compiled by Dasaratha-suta Dasa, the editor of the book, from three books by Rupa Goswami, Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami and Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura. It describes how the gopis closest to Radha spend their day. Sweet does not begin to describe it.
The book is rounded out with some essays and poems by Dasaratha-sura Dasa as well as maps of places where Radha and Krishna’s lila takes place.
Some fun tidbits:
Krishna has two parrots. They are named Daksa and Vicaksana. Daksa means “the clever one” while Vicaksana means “the particularly clever one.” Cute! He also has a dog named Bhramara, which means “bumblebee.” CUTE!
There’s a great song called Sri Chaurastakam by an unknown Vaisnava author. It’s Eight Prayers Glorifying the Divine Thief (Krishna). It starts out praising Krishna for stealing butter and the poison of Kaliya, then he praises Krishna for stealing the distress of His parents, and the life of the demons and the poverty of Sudama. He steals the bewilderment of Arjuna as well. The last verse is really sweet because Krishna steals everything from those who have just attained His service.
Most devotees definitely understand that. 
Bliss!
