এ সব অনুগা হৈয়া, প্রেমসেবা নিব চাইয়া,
ইঙ্গিতে বুঝিব সব কাজ ।
রূপে গুণে ডগমগি, সদা হব অনুরাগী,
বসতি করিব সখী-মাঝ ॥ ৫৩ ॥
e saba anugā haiyā, prema-sebā niba cāiyā,
iṅgite bujhiba saba kāja |
rūpe guṇe ḍagamagi, sadā haba anurāgī,
basati kariba sakhī-mājha || 53 ||
As a follower of these mañjarīs, I shall request and receive the loving service of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Simply by seeing their gestures, I shall understand all my duties. Constantly submerged in Yugala-Kiśora’s beauty and virtues, I shall devote myself to them and live among their sakhīs.
A Prayer for Prema-Sevā
Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In this verse, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya now expresses his desire to attain prema-sevā in allegiance to the nitya-siddhā-mañjarīs as well as the competence to perform that sevā. First he says, e saba anugā haiyā, prema-sebā niba cāiyā, iṅgite bujhiba saba kāja. Without following the rāgātmikā-nitya-siddha-pārṣadas (pārṣada means companion), there will be no success in vraja-bhajana. rāgamayī-bhaktira haya rāgātmikā nāma, tāhā śuni lubdha haya kona bhāgyabān. lobhe brajabāsī-bhābe kare anugati ityādi (Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 22.152-153). “Devotion marked by loving attachment is called rāgātmikā-bhakti. By hearing about this, some fortunate person may begin to long for it. With great eagerness, he or she follows the moods of the Vrajavāsīs.” After performing bhajana in allegiance to the vraja-gopīs, the ṛṣis living in the Daṇḍaka forest and the presiding deities of the śrutis became gopīs themselves and were blessed with the service of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Vraja. On the other hand, Śrī Lakṣmīdevī, the Goddess of Vaikuṇṭha, did not follow the gopīs, and though she lived in Vrajadhāma and performed austerities, she was unable to attain a relationship with Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This has been described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other purāṇas. Regarding this, we see the following in Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s words to Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa in Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 9.133-137:
śruti-saba gopī-gaṇera anugata hañā |
brajeśvarī-suta bhaje gopī-bhāba lañā ||
bāhyāntare gopī-deha braje yabe pāila |
sei dehe kṛṣṇa-saṅge rāsa-krīḍā kaila ||
gopa-jāti kṛṣṇa–gopī preyasī tāṅhāra |
debī bā anya strī kṛṣṇa nā kare aṅgīkāra ||
lakṣmī cāhe sei dehe kṛṣṇera saṅgama |
gopikā-anugā hañā nā kaila bhajana ||
anya dehe nā pāiye rāsa-bilāsa |
ataeba ‘nāyaṁ’ śloka kahe bedabyāsa ||
“All the śrutis became followers of the gopīs and served Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the mood of those gopīs. In Vraja, when they attained gopī bodies within and without, in those bodies they performed the rāsa-līlā with Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Kṛṣṇa was born into a community of cowherds and the gopīs are most dear to him: he does not accept goddesses or any other women. Lakṣmīdevī wanted to meet with Kṛṣṇa in her current body, so she performed bhajana without becoming a follower of the gopikās. But in any other body than that of a gopī, one does not get to enter the rāsa pastimes. Therefore, Vedavyāsa has composed the ‘nāyaṁ’ verse.” (See Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.9.21.)
The exalted author says, śrī-rūpādi mañjarī-gaṇera anugā haiyā, prema-sebā niba cāiyā. “Having longed for it, I shall receive the loving service of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava from the mañjarīs led by Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī.” There is a specific reason he has used the words prema-sevā here instead of just sevā. Prema, love, is the best thing to offer during one’s service to Śrī Bhagavān. If prema does not exist in the sevaka’s heart, then the fruits, water, cooked foods and other articles she offers cannot bring happiness to Śrī Bhagavān. Therefore, the following has been mentioned in the Padyāvalī:
nānopacāra-kṛta-pūjanam ārta-bandhoḥ
premṇaiva bhakta-hṛdayaṁ sukha-vidrutaṁ syāt |
yāvat kṣud asti jaṭhare jaraṭhā pipāsā
tāvat sukhāya bhavato nanu bhakṣya-peye ||
“O devotee! When Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the friend of the afflicted, is lovingly worshiped with various kinds of articles, his heart melts with joy. As long as there is strong hunger and thirst in the stomach, food and drink are no doubt enjoyable and satisfying.”* The devotee’s anxious love causes a powerful longing to awaken in Śrī Bhagavān’s heart to accept the articles of worship offered by the devotee.
Śrī Rādhā’s kiṅkarīs are the direct embodiments of sevā-rasa. Their forms are molded from sevā-rasa. The love in their hearts is so pure and exalted that it has reached maturity in the form of sevā. Like iron that has become one with fire, their love and sevā are so similar in nature that they appear as one undivided thing. Therefore, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has used the term prema-sevā. This prema-sevā must be obtained from the nitya-siddhā-kiṅkarīs. The prema-sevā of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava is the personal treasure of the mañjarīs. It is possible for the kiṅkarī-bhāva-sādhaka to attain this if it is compassionately bestowed by the mañjarīs. By the words prema-sebā niba cāiyā, it has been implied that everything from the sādhaka’s expertise in bhajana to his resultant eagerness for prema is meant to invoke their compassion. Such sādhakas who are eager for kiṅkarī-bhāva must with a sorrowful prayer beg for Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s prema-sevā from the mañjarīs. The mañjarīs are also boundlessly merciful; when they see the distress of the worthy new dāsī, they will bless her with the appropriate sevā. This is the implied meaning of the words prema-sebā niba cāiyā.
Then he says, iṅgite bujhiba saba kāja. By Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s mercy, her kiṅkarīs are able to understand all of the gestures she makes with her eyes, speech, hands, feet and so on. śrīśvarī-dṛṣṭi-vāgādi-sarveṅgita-vicakṣaṇām (Śrī-Vṛndāvana-Mahimāmṛta 8.32). “Śrī Rādhā’s kiṅkarīs can understand all of the gestures their prāṇeśvarī makes with her eyes, words and so on.” They are also expert in understanding all the different gestures made by the sakhīs as well as by the mañjarīs led by Śrī Rūpa. Without understanding all the signals involved in parakīya-madhura-rasa-sevā, such service is not possible. In the kuñja, Yugala-Kiśora are engaged in passionate vilāsa. The sakhīs and mañjarīs are silently relishing Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s beauty by peering through an opening in the bower. When they hear the slightest sound, they know the intensity of the lovemaking has dissipated. If the kiṅkarī is not qualified for sevā by understanding all these different signals of the sakhīs and mañjarīs, she cannot obtain that sevā. Besides their sevā in the kuñja, the kiṅkarīs must also be expert in understanding the signals for sevā in Śrīmatī’s own home. In the morning, Jaṭilā enters Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s room and awakens her. Roused from sleep by her mother-in-law’s call, Śrīmatī sits upon her bed, exhausted from last night’s pastimes. When her friend Viśākhā sees the love-marks on Śrīmatī’s body, she becomes alarmed. If the old lady notices them, everything is lost! Viśākhā then signals Śrīmatī’s devoted kiṅkarī with an eye gesture; the kiṅkarī understands and immediately covers the love-marks with makeup. In this way, expertise in understanding the signals for all kinds of services in parakīya-madhura-rasa is necessary. iṅgite bujhiba saba kāja.
Then Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya said, rūpe guṇe ḍagamagi, sadā haba anurāgī, basati kariba sakhī-mājha. “I shall devote myself to Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava, always immersed in their beauty and qualities, meaning, at every moment I shall be overwhelmed by tasting the sweetness of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s ever-youthful forms, qualities and so on.” Or, having discussed the attainment of prema-sevā in allegiance to the mañjarīs and expertise in that service, he now speaks about the suitability of their svarūpas (natures or forms). He will be absorbed in the rūpa of a maidservant of Śrī Rādhā, meaning in a beautiful bodily form, as well as in various qualities like modesty, sweet disposition, good character and so on. The form, qualities and so on of a siddha-svarūpa have been described to guide the mañjarī-bhāva-sādhakas in contemplating their own svarūpas.
śrī-guroś caraṇāmbhoja-kṛpāsikta-kalevarām |
kiśorīṁ gopa-vanitāṁ nānālaṅkāra-bhūṣitām ||
pṛthutuṅga-kuca-dvandvāṁ catuḥṣaṣṭi-kalānvitām |
rakta-citrāntarīyam āvṛta-śuklottarīyakām ||
svarṇa-citrāruṇa-prānta-muktādāma-sukāñcalīm |
candanāguru-kāśmīra-carcitāṅgīṁ madhu-smitām ||
sevopāyana-nirmāṇa-kuśalāṁ sevanotsukām |
vinayādi guṇopetāṁ śrī-rādhā-karuṇārthiṇīm ||
rādhā-kṛṣṇa-sukhāmoda-mātra-ceṣṭāṁ supadminīm |
nigūḍha-bhāvāṁ govinde madanānanda-mohinīm ||
nānā-rasa-kalālāpa-śālinīṁ divya-rūpiṇīm |
saṅgīta-rasa-sañjāta-bhāvollāsa-bharāṇvitām ||
tapta-kāñcana-śuddhābhāṁ svasaukhya-gandha-varjitām |
divā-niśaṁ manomadhye dvayoḥ prema-bharākulām ||
evam ātmānam īśaṁ bhāvayed bhaktim āśritaḥ ||
“The mañjarī’s body has been sprinkled with the nectar of mercy from Śrī Guru’s lotus feet. She is an adolescent cowherd girl adorned with various kinds of ornaments. Her breasts are ample and prominent. She is well-educated in the sixty-four arts. She is dressed in a red skirt and white shawl, wearing a fine golden bodice adorned with strings of pearls and a charming crimson border. (All these garments and ornaments are prasāda from Śrī Rādhārāṇī, given to the girls when she is pleased with their sevā.) Her body is anointed with sandalwood paste, aloeswood, saffron and so on. She is adorned with a sweet smile and is very expert in preparing the articles for yugala-sevā. She is always eager to perform her service. She is endowed with qualities such as modesty and so on. She longs for Śrī Rādhā’s compassion. Her every action is meant for the happiness of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. She is a girl of superior mental gifts and physical features (padminī) and she has a hidden love for Śrī Govinda. When Śrī Kṛṣṇa sees her, he is overwhelmed by the joy of erotic love. (The desire to accept the devotee’s prema-sevā is awakened in Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s heart according to the type and degree of the premika’s love. This is the transcendental nature of that love. The desire to unite with Śrī Kṛṣṇa never arises within Śrī Rādhā’s kiṅkarīs, not even in dreams. Therefore, although they are extremely beautiful and qualified, and worthy of being group leaders themselves, when Śrī Kṛṣṇa sees their forms, so devoted to sevā, he is overwhelmed by the joy of erotic love or by his desire for union with Śrī Rādhā. This is the secret and profound mood they have in relation to Śrī Govinda. Because this bhāva is very different from that of the sakhīs, it has been called nigūḍha or hidden.) She is expert in the fine art of sweet and pleasant conversation. She has a beautiful and lustrous body, and she takes great delight in singing and hearing music. Her complexion is like pure molten gold. She hasn’t even a whiff of desire for her own happiness. Day and night, she is overwhelmed by the weight of love for Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. The Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava sādhakas who have taken shelter of the path of bhakti shall always think of themselves in this way.” Like this, having established the self-concept of being an adolescent cowherd girl endowed with beauty and noble qualities, the sādhaka shall contemplate herself as living among the sakhīs with her heart and mind filled with loving devotion for Śrī Yugala-Kiśora.
*Another interpretation of this verse: “When Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the friend of the afflicted, is lovingly worshiped with various kinds of articles, the devotee’s heart melts with joy.” (Translator)
