The following is an excerpt from a darśana with Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja in Pui O, Hong Kong, on April 11, 2008, published in Walking with a Saint – Morning Walks and Conversations 2008
Pītāmbara dāsa: Gurudeva, how did Rādhārāṇī exit Her earthly pastimes?
Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī left in the same way that Śrī Kṛṣṇa left – by the arrangement of Kṛṣṇa’s yogamāyā potency. When Kṛṣṇa returned on a chariot to Vraja, Gokula, from Dvārakā, He stayed there for some time. Then, along with all His Vraja associates like Nanda Bābā, Yaśodā-maiyā, and all the sakhīs, including Rādhikā, Lalitā, Viśākhā, and Candrāvalī, He returned to Goloka Vṛndāvana. At that time, His Vraja pastimes became aprakaṭa (unmanifest in this world).
Nanda-nandana Kṛṣṇa’s expansion Vāsudeva Kṛṣṇa (the son of Vasudeva) got back on His chariot and returned to Dvārakā alone. Later on, before the eyes of demigods like Lord Brahmā and Śaṅkara, He ascended to His abode, Goloka, in His own transcendental form.*
While Śrī Kṛṣṇa was still present in Dvārakā, it seemed as though all His sons and other relatives, like 
Pradyumna, Aniruddha, and so many others, fought with and killed each other. However, this was like a magic show. It was simply an external exhibition.
What actually happened was that all of Kṛṣṇa’s eternal associates entered Goloka with Him. Those who had come from Svarga (the heavenly planets) to participate in His pastimes, like Indra and other demigods, returned to Svarga after His pastimes were completed, and mixed with Indra and the other demigods there. In other words, the demigods had expanded to become the members of the Yadu dynasty (the family members of Kṛṣṇa in Dvārakā). Then, at the end of those pastimes, the portions of the demigods who were in the Yadu dynasty mixed again into their own demigod forms. Those who had come from Ayodhyā returned there, and all those who had come from Vaikuṇṭha returned there.
Vallabha-kānti dāsa: Gurudeva, some people have asked my wife to do some preaching for children in the schools. We want to know if we can have your blessings to do that.
Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: (To Asalata dāsī) You should go everywhere to preach – to schools, colleges, universities, and door-to-door. You are qualified, more so than your husband. You can preach. My blessings to you. Along with your husband, try to preach everywhere. It is not that you should always be writing. I also write, but I also preach throughout the world.
Rādhā-kānta dāsa: When Śrīmatī Rādhikā left Vṛndāvana, She entered the Yamunā, didn’t she? She apparently gave up Her body in the Yamunā?
Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: No. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has described the pastime in this way [in his book, Śrī Lalita-mādhava]: Rādhikā entered the Yamunā, but from there She went via the Sun planet to Dvārakā. Lalitā, Viśākhā, and all other sakhīs also manifested in Dvārakā, where they appeared as Kṛṣṇa’s queens Rukmiṇī, Satyabhāmā, Jāmbavatī, and so on. Later on, they met Kṛṣṇa, and in the end, they understood that they were really from Vraja.
We also see in Lalita-mādhava that, due to feelings of separation from Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhikā jumped into a lake in Dvārakā to end Her life, but Kṛṣṇa entered the lake and embraced Her. So many pastimes are revealed in Lalita-mādhava and Vidagdha-mādhava; you can read such pastimes there.
The following is an excerpt from Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja’s commentary on Śrī Bhajana-rahasya
In his Lalita-mādhava, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī gives the following narration. In one kalpa, Śrī Rādhā was 
so unable to tolerate the affliction of separation from Kṛṣṇa after He had left for Mathurā that She jumped into the Yamunā. Yamunā, the daughter of Sūryadeva, then took Śrī Rādhā to her father. Sūryadeva entrusted Her to his friend and devotee, Satrājit, who was childless, and told him, “Her name is Satyabhāmā. Consider Her to be your daughter.” Later, upon being instructed by Nārada, King Satrājit sent Satyabhāmā to Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s inner quarters in Dvārakā. The wife of Sūrya, Saṁjñā, was the daughter of Viśvakarmā. Through her father, Saṁjñā had previously created the captivating Nava-vṛndāvana for Satyabhāmā (Śrī Rādhā) in Dvārakā. Rukmiṇī, Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s principal queen, kept the extraordinarily charming and beautiful Satyabhāmā hidden in Nava-vṛndāvana so that Kṛṣṇa would not see Her. In due course, however, Satyabhāmā did meet with Kṛṣṇa, and the secret that Satyabhāmā is actually Rādhā and Rukmiṇī is actually Candrāvalī was revealed. Thereafter, Rukmiṇī arranged for Satyabhāmā’s marriage to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. At the time of the wedding, Yaśodārāṇī, Paurṇamāsī, Mukharā and other Vrajavāsīs were present in Dvārakā.
One day, in this Nava-vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇa said to Rādhā, “O Dearest, what more can I do to make You happy?”
Śrī Rādhā replied, “Prāṇeśvara, all the sakhīs of Vraja, My cousin-sister Candrāvalī, Mother Vrajeśvarī and everyone else came here, and I met with them. Nonetheless, My earnest request to You is to please leave this abode of opulence, Dvārakā, and in Your form as a fresh, youthful, expert dancer, wearing the attire of a cowherd boy, enjoy with Me in the kuñjas of Vraja-dhāma, the renowned land of eternal pastimes.”
The following is an excerpt from a transcription of a discourse delivered by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja at Śrī Keśavajī Gauḍīya Maṭha in Mathurā, on February 3, 1999, published in Śrī Hari-kathāmṛta Volume One
Here, a question may arise concerning differing descriptions given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Lalitā-mādhava-nāṭaka. The Bhāgavatam describes how Śrīmatī Rādhikā went to Kurukṣetra for the solar eclipse, but of course, she really went there to meet Kṛṣṇa. Just as she would regularly go to Sūrya-kuṇḍa in Vṛndāvana to perform sūrya-pūjā, on this occasion she went to Kurukṣetra to offer pūjā to Sūrya during the solar eclipse. There is a very deep meaning in her having travelled to Kurukṣetra. Very unhappily, she went there, but thinking that her inner desires of her heart would certainly be fulfilled, she went with this intention and was somewhat successful. Upon meeting Kṛṣṇa, she said:
anyera hṛdaya — mana, mora mana — vṛndāvana,
‘mane’ ‘vane’ eka kari’ jāni
tāhāṅ tomāra pada-dvaya, karāha yadi udaya,
tabe tomāra pūrṇa kṛpā māni
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 13.137)
[“(Speaking in the mood of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said:) ‘For most people, the mind and heart are one, but because My mind is never separated from Vṛndāvana, I consider My mind and Vṛndāvana to be one. My mind is already Vṛndāvana, and since You like Vṛndāvana, will You please place Your lotus feet there? I would deem that Your full mercy.’ ”]
“I have come here — why? To take you back to Vṛndāvana. Other people’s hearts and minds are one, but because my mind is never separated from Vṛndāvana, I consider my mind and Vṛndāvana to be one. Do you actually reside within the hearts of all?”
Kṛṣṇa replied, “Yes, I do.”
“Then please live in my heart also. My heart is none other than Vṛndāvana, so please make your lotus 
feet appear there. It will be for the benefit of myself and all the other residents there. And I know that you also appear within those hearts that are purified, so please appear within my pure heart, Vṛndāvana.”
Then Kṛṣṇa said, “But you have met with me here in Kurukṣetra.”
“But here you are in royal attire, you do not refer to Nanda and Yaśodā as your parents, you are wearing a golden crown, and you are accompanied by all your weapons and armies. Therefore meeting you here is not a meeting of the heart. For such a meeting to take place, please come to Vṛndāvana. Kṛṣṇa agreed and sat upon his manoratha (chariot of his heart’s desires). Then the gopīs pulled him back to Vṛndāvana with both their hands and their hearts. There he remained with the gopīs until the very end when the manifest pastimes (prakaṭa-līlā) changed to the unmanifest pastimes (aprakaṭa-līlā).
Then the Lalitā-mādhava describes how, when Kṛṣṇa went from Vṛndāvana to Dvārakā, the gopīs began wailing in separation from him. Rādhikā couldn’t tolerate separation from him and went to Khelanvana, which is near the present-day village of Śergarh. There, Rādhikā and Kṛṣṇa used to enjoy playing. Crying out “Hā Kṛṣṇa! Hā Kṛṣṇa!” She jumped into the Yamunā there and was never seen again. But this instance did not take place in this kalpa. In this present kalpa, in a form which was unseen to others, Kṛṣṇa returned from Dvārakā and took all the gopīs with him back to Goloka-Vṛndāvana. In this instance, Rādhikā jumped into the Yamunā, and the Yamunā is none other than Viśākhā. So Viśākhā took her to the home of her father, Sūrya, and from there they went to the Nava-vṛndāvana in Dvārakā.
This is all described in Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Lalitā-mādhava. Upon reading this, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī cried and cried and could not put the book aside. In those days, books were handwritten, so Rūpa Gosvāmī could see that the book would be damaged if Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī’s tears continued to mix with the ink. Therefore, he wrote another book, Dāna-keli-kaumudī, and gave it to Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī to read. At the same time, he cleverly asked for the Lalitā-mādhava back, saying, “I have to add a few things to it.” Rūpa Gosvāmī was also thinking, “If I don’t take this book away from him, he 
may die in separation.” Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī were always very worried that Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī might give up his life and therefore be unable to perform bhajana, so they always looked after him. Once Sanātana Gosvāmī saw a tiger come and drink water from the ghāṭa where Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī was meditating. After this, Sanātana Gosvāmī told him, “Now you must have your own hut, and it is my personal vow that you will always reside in it.” In this way, they always looked after him. Keeping the body healthy is necessary to perform sādhana-bhajana. Bhagavān has given us the material body, which is nothing less than a temple. If we leave the body, then we will be deprived of the opportunity to perform sādhana-bhajana. While engaged in sādhana-bhajana, we should also take care of the body. Only when we become like Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, when the body becomes completely spiritual, will there no longer be any necessity to look after it. Even if we have such an elevated association as Rūpa Gosvāmī, if we lose the body, then the opportunity to perform sādhana-bhajana is also lost. So Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī took care of Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī as if he were their son, younger brother and disciple and taught him everything.
The Lalitā-mādhava says that after having “drowned” in the Yamunā, Rādhikā assumed the form of Satyabhāmā and met Kṛṣṇa again at the Nava-vṛndāvana in Dvārakā. Just like Rādhikā, Satyabhāmā was very beautiful and possessed a very sweet, affectionate disposition as well as a contrary nature. Therefore, when Kṛṣṇa eventually married her, he thought of Rādhikā; otherwise, he wouldn’t have married her. When Rukmiṇī saw Satyabhāmā for the first time, she thought, “If Kṛṣṇa sees her, he will forget me.” Just see, these feelings also exist within the spiritual world. Their reflection is plainly visible in this world, and when these feelings become pure, they transform into transcendental sentiments. So, because Rukmiṇī didn’t want Kṛṣṇa to meet Satyabhāmā, she lovingly but slyly kept her away from Kṛṣṇa. But somehow or other, with the help of both Satyabhāmā’s friends and Kṛṣṇa’s friends, such as Madhumaṅgala, an arrangement was made for Rādhikā in the form of Satyabhāmā to again meet with 
Kṛṣṇa. When Rukmiṇī was preventing Satyabhāmā from meeting Kṛṣṇa, Satyabhāmā threatened to give up her life. Then Satyabhāmā went to the banks of the Yamunā there, which was really the shore of the ocean, with the intention of drowning herself. But what happened next? From behind, Kṛṣṇa grabbed her with both hands, and because his hands were cold like a snake, she thought he was a black snake. When it didn’t immediately bite her, she thought, “Oh, Bhagavān is not favourable towards me and will not just let me die — why is this snake not biting me? If it will bite me now, I will drown and die in separation from Kṛṣṇa.” Then Kṛṣṇa came before her and gave her his darśana. Having witnessed this incident, Rukmiṇī became more liberal and later arranged their marriage. 
The reason I mention these two descriptions is that it is not mentioned in the Bhāgavatam or any other scripture that Rādhikā ever went to Dvārakā to meet Kṛṣṇa. Yet, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī says in this verse under discussion that she could conceivably have gone there. So how will we harmonise this? Has he written something incorrectly? The answer is that there are many different manifestations of Kṛṣṇa, such as Vṛndāvana-Kṛṣṇa, Mathurā-Kṛṣṇa and Dvārakā-Kṛṣṇa, and they are all separate. In the same way, the Rādhikā who went to Kurukṣetra was one particular Rādhikā, the Rādhikā who went to Dvārakā was another, and the Rādhikā in Vṛndāvana is yet another. Vṛṣabhānu-nandinī Rādhikā, the original form of Rādhikā, never leaves Vṛndāvana to go anywhere. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa also never goes anywhere else. Rādhikā has two expansions: one is saṁyoginī, and the other is viyoginī. This is described in this verse from the Sanat-kumāra-saṁhitā:
śaktiḥ saṁyoginī kāmā vāmā śaktir viyoginī
hlādinī kīrtidā-putrī caivaṁ rādhā-trayaṁ vraje
mama prāṇeśvaraḥ kṛṣṇas tyaktvā vṛndāvanaṁ kvacit
kadācin naiva yātīti jānīte kīrtidā-sutā
“Śrīmatī Rādhikā has three manifestations: (1) as saṁyoginī (endeavouring to meet with Śrī Kṛṣṇa) or kāmā (desirous of meeting with Śrī Kṛṣṇa), (2) as viyoginī (anguished due to separation from Śrī Kṛṣṇa) or vāmā (discontented and indignant due to Kṛṣṇa’s leaving her for another place) and (3) as the daughter of Kīrtidā in Vraja. Saṁyoginī and viyoginī are two different manifestations of the original Śrī Rādhā, the daughter of Kīrtidā. Saṁyoginī refers to the feature of Śrī Rādhā when she goes to meet Kṛṣṇa in Kurukṣetra, and viyoginī refers to her manifestation in Sūrya-loka and Nava-vṛndāvana in Dvārakā. The daughter of Kīrtidā thinks, “My prāṇeśvara Śrī Kṛṣṇa never leaves Vṛndāvana to go anywhere else.”
Because the original form of Rādhikā never leaves Vṛndāvana, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī states in this verse that he will also never leave Vṛndāvana to go elsewhere. This was his firm resolution. But as viyoginī, Rādhikā drowned in the Yamunā, then went to the Nava-vṛndāvana, and there met with Śyāmasundara Kṛṣṇa, Vraja-Kṛṣṇa, who plays the flute. It was not actually Dvārakādhīśa Kṛṣṇa who grabbed Rādhikā in the form of Satyabhāmā and was mistaken for a black snake. It was a sphūrti (brief revelation) of Śyāmasundara Kṛṣṇa. They did not meet directly, but through sphūrti, they met. In this way, it was Vraja-Kṛṣṇa who touched her. This was also viyoginī Rādhikā, the manifestation of Rādhikā who met Kṛṣṇa in Dvārakā, but the original form of Rādhikā never leaves Vṛndāvana. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī is saying that if, like this, she ever enters a state of transcendental madness where her intelligence becomes unsteady and she goes to Dvārakā, then at that time it is possible that he may also go there. He is saying that unless any location, attire or any other thing is related to Rādhikā, he has no necessity for it. He says, “Rādhikā is my mistress (svāminī) and my only relationship is with her.”
The following is an excerpt from a transcription of a discourse delivered by Śrīla Gaura 
Govinda Svāmī Mahārāja in New Vrindaban, West Virginia, on May 29, 1995, published in Śrī Rādhā – Our Supreme Shelter, First Edition 2016
In his drama Vidagdha-mādhava, Rūpa Gosvāmī described vraja-līlā kahānī (the pastimes of Vraja). In his Lalita-mādhava, up to the Second Act, he also described vraja-līlā. In the second act, there is the killing of Śaṅkhacūḍa. Then, in the Third Act, Akrūra came to Vrajabhūmi and took Rāma and Kṛṣṇa away to Mathurā. This is bhāvi-viraha (separation felt in anticipation of the beloved’s departure). The Vrajavāsīs (inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi) felt acute pangs of separation from Kṛṣṇa. Then, when the wheels of the ratha (chariot) started rolling, they felt bhavan-viraha (separation at the time of the beloved’s departure). When Kṛṣṇa got into the chariot and sat down, He said, “etās tūrṇaṁ nayata kiratīr ārti-miśras tamisrā – O My dear Vrajavāsīs (inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi), somehow you pass these most distressful days, distressful nights. In the future, there will be union. I will come back.” He gave them that consolation, “Yes, I will come back.” He said, “bhāvī bhāvyā punar api mayā maṅgalaḥ saṅgamo vā – In the future there will be union. Somehow tolerate these distressful days and nights of separation.”
Paurṇamāsī-devī is yogamāyā-śakti. When Paurṇamāsī-devī was looking at the wheels of the ratha, she said:
yena syandana-nemi-nirmita-mahā-sīmanta-dambhād idaṁ
hā sarvaṁsahayāpi nirbharam abhūd dūrād vidīṛṇaṁ bhuvā
Śrī Lalita-mādhava (3.1.44)
[“Mother Earth tolerates everything, but still she is splitting and cracking from the wheels of Akrūra’s chariot. She could not tolerate the distress and pain of Kṛṣṇa’s separation.”]
Then the acute pangs of separation of the gopīs and Rādhārāṇī began: their divyonmāda (divine madness), udghūrṇā (uncontrollable giddiness), and citra-jalpa (various types of raving speech). The Bhramara-gītā (The Song of the Bumblebee), in the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, describes the udghūrṇā and citra-jalpa of Rādhārāṇī. The Third Act of Lalita-mādhava is titled Unmatta-rādhikā. Unmatta means ‘mad’. After Kṛṣṇa left for Mathurā, Rādhārāṇī, feeling acute pangs of separation from Kṛṣṇa, said:
kva nanda-kula-candramāḥ kva śikhi-candra-kālaṅkṛtiḥ
kva mandra-muralī-ravaḥ kva nu surendra-nīla-dyutiḥ
kva rāsa-rasa-tāṇḍavī kva sakhi jīva-rakṣauṣadhir
nidhir mama suhṛttamaḥ kva tava hanta hā dhig vidhiḥ
Śrī Lalita-mādhava (3.1.45)
[“Where is nanda-kula-candramāḥ (the moon of the Nanda dynasty)? Where is śikhi-candra-kālaṅkṛtiḥ (that Kṛṣṇa on whose crest is a peacock feather)? Kva mandra-muralī-ravaḥ – Where is that Kṛṣṇa who plays the flute so sweetly? Kva rāsa-rasa-tāṇḍavī – Where is that Kṛṣṇa who dances in rāsa? Kva sakhī jīva-rakṣauṣadhir nidhir mama – Where is that Kṛṣṇa who is the soothing balm for My afflicted heart? Hā! Dhik! (Alas, alas!)”]
Śyāma viraha unmādinī – Rādhārāṇī became completely mad, feeling separation from Śyāma. With Her intimate sakhī Viśākhā, She jumped into the Kālindī (the Yamunā), and drowned. “Na una hado utthidā, na una hado utthidā – Never to rise again, never to rise again” (Śrī Lalita-mādhava 3.2.74). There are ten acts in Lalita-mādhava. After Rādhārāṇī drowns Herself in the Third Act, then mathurā-dvārakā-līlā begins in the Fourth Act.
Mahāprabhu ordered Rūpa Gosvāmī, “kṛṣṇere bāhira nāhi kariha vraja haite – do not take Kṛṣṇa out of Vrajabhūmi.” But what did Rūpa Gosvāmī do? In Lalita-mādhava, he described how Akrūra came and took Kṛṣṇa away from Vrajabhūmi. Apparently, Rūpa Gosvāmī has disobeyed Mahāprabhu. But if you understand according to tattva-vicāra, then you will see that there is no disobedience.
If Rādhā drowned with Her prāṇa-sakhī Viśākhā in the Kālindī, then how will She unite with Kṛṣṇa? This 
is our problem and question, and it should be solved. After Rādhā and Viśākhā Sakhī drowned in the Kālindī, Kālindī-devī took Rādhā and handed Her over to Her father, Sūryadeva (the sun god). Sūryadeva’s dear devotee is Satrājit. Satrājit’s daughter is Satyabhāmā. Rādhā entered into Satyabhāmā in Dvārakā. That is Nava-vṛndāvana-saṅgama. Nava Vṛnda-devī, one of Rādhā’s maid-servants, was there with Her. Rādhā was there in Satyabhāmā, feeling acute pangs of separation from Kṛṣṇa. In order to get some relief from the pangs of separation, She ordered Viśvakarmā to create an artificial Vṛndāvana, Nava-vṛndāvana, like this New Vrindaban. She also ordered Viśvakarmā to make a deity of Śyāma. So Viśvakarmā did all these things.
When Rādhā, in Satyabhāmā, saw that deity of Śyāma, She said, “so ’yam jīvita-bandhur indu-vadane bhūyaḥ samāsāditaḥ – I have again obtained the most beloved Lord of My heart.” Every day She would decorate that deity, putting tilaka, sandalwood paste and garlands on Him, and She would offer Him pūjā with incense, pādya and arghya.
Kṛṣṇa was also in Dvārakā, feeling pangs of separation from Rādhā. To get some relief from these pangs of separation, Kṛṣṇa would sometimes come to the Nava-vṛndāvana created by Viśvakarmā. One day, Śyāmasundara came there with His friend Madhumaṅgala. When He entered Nava-vṛndāvana, He saw this beautiful deity, His own deity. He was amazed and said, “sakhe madhumaṅgala! katham āraṇya-veśa-dhāriṇī hariṇīyaṁ mad-aṅga-pratimā – It is a great jungle here. How has this deity come here? I think it is definitely the creation of Viśvakarmā.”
Kṛṣṇa knows everything. He said, “My friend Madhumaṅgala, who is it that comes daily and offers worship to this deity? Who is She? When She comes to worship this deity, She sheds tears from her eyes while offering Him candana (sandalwood paste). The tears She sheds from Her eyes are clearly marked there.” Kṛṣṇa thought, “Today I want to catch Her. Who is She?” Then what did Kṛṣṇa do? With the help of Madhumaṅgala, He removed that deity from the kuñja and He Himself stood there like a deity. Today Kṛṣṇa will see with His own eyes.
Then Satyabhāmā came there with Her girl companion (sakhī) Nava Vṛnda. Seeing Satyabhāmā, Kṛṣṇa recognised Rādhārāṇī and became completely amazed. Kṛṣṇa spoke out, “hanta hanta kathaṁ saiveyaṁ me prāṇa-vallabhā rādhā – Oh! This is My prāṇa-vallabha Rādhā.” Kṛṣṇa knew that Rādhā had given up Her body and had drowned Herself in the Kālindī, that She was no more in this world. “But somehow, this is My prāṇa-vallabha Rādhā. Viśvakarmā has created this Nava-vṛndāvana, this artificial Vṛndāvana, for My happiness. Otherwise, how is it that Rādhā is here in Dvārakā?”
Rādhārāṇī, in Satyabhāmā, used to come every day to offer worship to the deity. But today, Kṛṣṇa Himself was standing there.
When She looked at the deity, She said, “Aho! This is Kṛṣṇa. This is not a deity. Oh, Viśvakarmā has made such a lifelike deity.” Then She shed tears. With folded hands, She said, “a-i padibimbe.” Pratibimba means ‘reflection,’ or ‘deity.’ She asked, “Is He all right? Is Padma-locana (lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa) all right? Is everything auspicious for Him?” Kṛṣṇa was standing there. Kṛṣṇa said, “ayi māyā-yantra-mayī rādhike – O illusion of Rādhā created by magical spells, Kṛṣṇa is all right now. All auspiciousness is with Him, because You are like Rādhā and You have come here. Rādhā is here no more, but like Rādhā, kuśala-praśna, You are asking about the auspiciousness of Kṛṣṇa.” Rūpa Gosvāmī has written: “satyam idānīm eva kṛṣṇaḥ kṣemī. yad iyam sarva-mudrayā taṁ lokottaram anukurvati tvam asya kṣemaṁ pṛcchasi – Kṛṣṇa is indeed very happy at this moment because Your features exactly resemble the extraordinary features of Rādhārāṇī, and You are now asking about His welfare.”
Then satyabhāmā-rūpa-rādhā (Rādhā in the form of Satyabhāmā), told Her sakhī Nava Vṛnda, “sakhī, padimavi edaṁ kiṁ pi mahuraṁ vaharedi – What a wonderful deity Viśvakarmā has made. The deity is speaking so sweetly.”
Kṛṣṇa was thinking in His heart, “aho gandharva-purānukāriṇo ’pi māyā-gandharva-nāṭyasya kāpi cira-camatkāra-kāritā – Ah! This magical mirage of Rādhā is very wonderful. Rādhā is clearly reflected in this very place. Viśvakarmā is very expert. He has created such a wonderful Nava-vṛndāvana here. Although this is an artificial Vṛndāvana, I still saw Rādhā here. It really looks like Rādhārāṇī.”
After that, satyabhāmā-rūpa-rādhā, crying in a piteous voice, said, “a-i kṛṣṇa-paḍime – O deity of Kṛṣṇa, ha durbhāginī – I am ill-fated. O deity, I am begging alms from You. I am most distressed. I am duḥkhiṇī. I am feeling acute pangs of separation from Kṛṣṇa. Please appear before Me as a living, moving person. Then My eyes will get some pleasure.”
Kṛṣṇa-virahi. Kṛṣṇa was also feeling separation from Rādhā. At that time, tears rolled down from Kṛṣṇa’s eyes. Satyabhāmā-Rādhā immediately wiped away His tears. Still, Satyabhāmā-Rādhā could not understand that the real Kṛṣṇa was there. Thinking it was a deity, and praising the skill of Viśvakarmā, She said, “He has made such a lifelike deity. And the deity is speaking with such a sweet voice.” At the same time, Rādhā is feeling pangs of separation from Kṛṣṇa. Although She was in the presence of Her beloved, still She felt separation. This is known as prema-vaicittya in Vrajabhūmi. This is sambhoga (union). Only for a short time is such a thing there. This is such a wonderful, sweet, nectarean mellow. Rūpa Gosvāmī has mentioned so many things.
Also, in the Tenth Act (daśama aṅka), you will find that Rūpa Gosvāmī again described union. All of the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi were united in Dvārakā. At that time, Kṛṣṇa said to Rādhā, “prāṇeśvari rādhe prathayasva, im ataḥ paraṁ priya karavāṇi – O My dear Rādhe, please tell Me what I can do to please You?”
Rādhā said:
yā te līlā-pada-parimalodgāri-vanyā-parītā
dhanyā kṣauṇī vilasati vṛtā māthurī mādhurībhiḥ
tatrāsmābhiś caṭula-paśupī-bhāva-mugdhāntarābhiḥ
samvītaṁ tvāṁ kalaya vadanollāsi-veṇur vihāram
Śrī Lalita-mādhava (10.261)
[“O Lord who places the glistening flute to His handsome mouth, please grant this benediction. In the district of Mathurā, where the many forests bear the sweet fragrance of places where You enjoy pastimes, and which is auspicious, splendid, and endowed with all kinds of sweetness, please always enjoy transcendental pastimes with us gopīs, whose hearts are overcome with love for You.”]
Rādhārāṇī said, “O fickle-natured Kṛṣṇa (caṭula-cañcala), this is My prayer: ‘Please come to Vrajabhūmi, 
please come to Vrajabhūmi. That Vṛndāvana is still there, where You played during Your kaiśora-līlā. The jungle is there. The kuñjas are there. The peacocks are there, and the Yamunā River is there. Giri Govardhana is there. Everything is there. Everyone has been waiting for You. That Vṛndāvana is so beautiful! Vṛndāvana’s beauty is anupamā (incomparable). Please come there. We are going. Let vraja-līlā again be manifested. Let all of us surround You with Your tribhaṅga-lalita (charming three-curved rūpa), as You stand playing Your flute so sweetly.’ ”
In Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 1.82, 1.80) Kavirāja Gosvāmī has described Rādhārāṇī’s words:
tomāra caraṇa mora vraja-pura-ghare
udaya karaye yadi, tabe vāñchā pūre
[“O Kṛṣṇa, if Your lotus feet again come to our home in Vṛndāvana, then our desires will be fulfilled.”]
sei bhāva, sei kṛṣṇa, sei vṛndāvana
yabe pāi, tabe haya vāñchita pūraṇa
[“Thus meeting with Kṛṣṇa and thinking of the Vṛndāvana atmosphere, Rādhārāṇī longed for Kṛṣṇa to take Her to Vṛndāvana again to fulfill Her desire in that calm atmosphere.”]
Rādhārāṇī told Kṛṣṇa, “Please come to Vrajapura. Place Your lotus feet there again. Then My desire will be fulfilled. That Vṛndāvana is there. All the residents of Vṛndāvana are there. You are that Kṛṣṇa. We are there. If You go there, then My desire will be fulfilled. This is My prayer.”
Kṛṣṇaḥ priye tathāstu – Kṛṣṇa said, “Let it be granted.” Then Rādhā said, “kadham vi-a – How is it possible? You are here.” Śrī kṛṣṇaḥ sthagitam ivāpasavyato vilokate. Then Kṛṣṇa, without saying anything, looked towards the southern direction as if waiting for someone. Praviśaya gārgyā sahāpaṭī-kṣepeṇaikānaṁśā. At that time, the daughter of Garga Muni, named Gārgī, along with Ekānaṁśā, came there. Yaśodā gave birth to twins, one son and one daughter. The son is Kṛṣṇa, and the daughter is Ekānaṁśā or Yogamāyā. Yogamāyā said:
sakhi rādhe mātrā saṁśayaṁ kṛthāḥ. yato bhavatyaḥ
śrīmad-gokule tatraiva vartante. kintu mayaiva kāla-
kṣepārtham anyathā prapancitam. tad etan manasy
anubhūyatām. kṛṣṇo ‘py esa tatra gata eva pratīyatām.
Śrī Lalita-mādhava (10. 264)
[“My friend Rādhā, do not doubt. At this moment, You are standing in the beautiful and opulent abode of Gokula Vṛndāvana, although by the power of time I have arranged it in a different way. This truth You will be able to see directly within Your heart. Please understand that right now You are in Vṛndāvana and Your Kṛṣṇa is standing by Your side.”]
Yogamāyā said, “O Rādhe, do not be doubtful. You are all in Vrajabhūmi. You have not left Vrajabhūmi. No one has left, neither Kṛṣṇa nor You. You are all in Vrajabhūmi. I have done this just to create something wonderful.” Yogamāyā is orchestrating all of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. Kṛṣṇa is there still in Vrajabhūmi. He never left.
Rādhā said to Kṛṣṇa, “bahiraṅga-janālakṣyatayā śrī-gokulam api sva-svarūpair alaṅkaravāmeti – Unseen by outsiders, let Us both decorate this land of Gokula in Our original transcendental forms.”
Bahiraṅga-jana. Those persons who are not very internal and who cannot understand internal things are bahiraṅga (external). They cannot understand this. Rādhārāṇī said, “Only very intimate devotees can understand such internal things. Since We are in Vrajabhūmi, let Us manifest our līlās here.” Then Kṛṣṇa said, “priye tatāsthu — Let it be granted. Let Your desire be fulfilled.”
Therefore, vraja-vilāsa (Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes in Vṛndāvana) are nitya (eternal). Kṛṣṇa never leaves Vṛndāvana. Kṛṣṇa’s leaving Vṛndāvana for Mathurā and Dvārakā is Yogamāyā’s wonderful, wonderful act (līlā-prakāśa). Yugala-kiśora, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are always in Vṛndāvana. Vṛndāvanaṁ parityajya padam ekaṁ na gacchati – They never step even one foot out of Vṛndāvana. And Rūpa-pāda has obeyed the order of Mahāprabhu. He has not disobeyed.
Sanātana Gosvāmī has mentioned this in his Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta. Kṛṣṇa said, “I had a long dream that I had gone to Dvārakā. I became king there and married many wives.” Kṛṣṇa is transcendental and absolute. His dream is also transcendental and absolute. So Kṛṣṇa is always in Vrajabhūmi. He never leaves. Vrajabhūmi is antara-vāsa (an inner chamber), nitya ujjvala-rasa vihāra kṣetra (a place where His effulgent pleasure pastimes are eternally going on). “Ujjvala-rasa, parakīyā-bhāve jāhā vrajete prakāśa – Vṛndāvana is the place where Kṛṣṇa’s parakīyā-rasa is manifest.” Dvārakā and Mathurā are madhyama-vāsa (intermediary chambers). Dvārakā and Mathurā are prābhava-vilāsa-kṣetra (the place of Kṛṣṇa’s prābhava expansions). Vaikuṇṭha is tṛtīyā-vāsa (His third apartment). That is vaibhava-vilāsa-kṣetra.
Līlā-satyadhārī, Yogamāyā, manifests wonderful līlās. She is very expert in making the aghaṭana (impossible), sa-ghaṭana (possible) – aghaṭa-ghaṭana-patīyasī. Therefore, she made such a wonderful thing. This is a dream.
In tattva, Kṛṣṇa is always in Vṛndāvana. Kṛṣṇa is nitya-kiśora, always a ten- or eleven-year-old boy, tri-bhaṅgima-śikhaṇḍa-cūḍā (in a three-fold bending form with a peacock feather on His head). Muralī-vadana, nitya-vihāra kṣetra vraja-dhāma – Kṛṣṇa is eternally playing His flute and enjoying His pleasure pastimes in Vṛndāvana. He never leaves. Although Mathurā and Dvārakā are nitya (eternal) dhāmas, 
still His pastimes there are like a dream.
Navadvīpa-līlā is vipralambha (of separation). Mahāprabhu is crying. Therefore, Mahāprabhu went to Puruṣottama-kṣetra (Purī), which is vipralambha-kṣetra (a place of crying). There, Kṛṣṇa in the form of Jagannātha is crying for Rādhā, and Rādhā in the form of Mahāprabhu is crying for Kṛṣṇa. Both are crying. It is vipralambha-kṣetra. But Vrajabhūmi is sambhoga-kṣetra. There is no crying, only union. Rūpa Gosvāmī has written about prema-vaicittya; although union is there, still Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are feeling separation, two opposites for a short time. This is prema-vaicittya.
Thank you very much.
* The idea is that the demons saw that He died and left a body behind; the demigods saw Him ascend, in His transcendental form, through the heavens to His spiritual abode. Regarding His eternal associates, they did not see anything because their pastimes had become unmanifest to us, but continued as usual for them.
Source: Purebhakti.com
Image(s) made possible by Pixabay.com, Krishnapath.org.in, Keystone Press / Alamy Stock Photo and / or Bhaktiart.net
Unless indicated otherwise, all verse translations and quotes are from the books by Śrīla Prabhupāda (Vedabase.com)
