Of all the festivals that have existed since eternity, or will exist in the future, the crest jewel of all these festivals is the festival of Sharad Poornima. Why is this festival so special? It is on this night that Lord Shri Krishna performed the ‘Maharaas.’ To understand its significance, we look at the terms involved: One is ‘Ras’, Another is ‘Raas’. And yet another is ‘Maharaas.’ ‘Ras’ signifies the divine essence, and in this context, it refers to God Himself—Shri Krishna, the embodiment of ‘Ras.’ This is declared in the Vedas. When Lord Krishna bestows the essence of all ‘Ras’ upon individual souls, it is referred to as ‘Raas.’ However, when He engages in ‘Raas’ with countless Gopis, it is elevated to the realm of ‘Maharaas.’ What Maharaas is, no one can tell. Not even Shri Krishna. It is indescribable.

Whether you love God with knowledge or without, whether you know He is God or not — as long as the love is of the mind, the result will come. Whether you touch iron with the stone of Paras or strike it with iron, it becomes gold. Krishna is Vishuddh — absolutely pure. When the impure comes into contact with the Pure, it becomes pure. If a dirty stream merges into the Ganges, does the Ganges become impure? No — that stream becomes Ganges. The Ganges remains ever-pure.

And at that time, the Gopīs did not even know Krishna to be God. Even so, they received such an extraordinary result. Then what to speak of those who love Krishna knowing Him to be Bhagavān? Why is that? Consider this: When you fall ill and take medicine, you are cured. Do you know how that medicine was manufactured? No. Even the one who made the medicine — if he falls ill, he too will take the same medicine and be cured. The result is the same.

So what happened in the rāsa-līlā? There was singing, dancing, and musical performance. Mahā-rāsa pertains to the sixth bhāva (stage of devotion). At present, you are all engaged in sādhanā at the first stage. When the mind becomes pure, and the Guru bestows divine power, then such topics may be realised.

Even among Saints, only one in millions becomes qualified to receive the grace of Mahā-rāsa. Not all Saints attain this. Mahā-rāsa is the very essence of all rasas — the culmination of divine love. The qualification (adhikāritvā) for Mahā-rāsa is extremely rare.

So today’s festival is a most fortunate occasion. We have received this opportunity. Let us celebrate this festival with deep Bhagavat bhakti (devotion to God) and fully embrace its significance.

Each year on Sharad Poornima, we must also take the time to reflect on our actions from the past year. How much progress have we made? Have we reduced our worldly attachments? Have our inner challenges (material diseases) – such as lust, anger, greed, illusion, ego, jealousy, and hypocrisy—lessened, or do they still persist? Have we stopped committing spiritual transgressions? It’s vital to reflect on these questions, identify areas for improvement, and strive towards our ultimate spiritual goal of God-realisation.

Sharad Poornima holds profound significance not only for the celebration of the Maharaas but also as the birth anniversary of our revered Guru, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj, who was born in 1922 on this auspicious night, into a revered Brahmin family in the remote village of Mangarh, Pratapgarh district, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is significant that five thousand years ago, on this very full moon night, Lord Krishna revealed His divine form and bestowed divine love to the Gopis at Vrindavan. This connection makes Sharad Poornima a deeply significant occasion for all devotees, celebrating both the legacy of our Guru and the timeless love of Shri Radha Krishna.