Śrī-Rādhā-Rasa-Sudhā-Nidhiḥ 8 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

 

यत्किङ्करीषु बहुशः खलु काकुवाणी 

नित्यं परस्य पुरुषस्य शिखण्डमौलेः ।

तस्याः कदा रसनिधेर्वृषभानुजाया-

स्तत्केलिकुञ्जभवनाङ्गण-मार्जनी स्याम् ॥ ८ ॥

yat-kiṅkarīṣu bahuśaḥ khalu kāku-vāṇī 

nityaṁ parasya puruṣasya śikhaṇḍa-mauleḥ |

tasyāḥ kadā rasa-nidher vṛṣabhānu-jāyās

tat-keli-kuñja-bhavanāṅgaṇa-mārjanī syām || 8 ||

“When shall I become a broom in the courtyard of the forest cottage of that ocean of rasa Vṛṣabhānu-Nandinī Śrī Rādhā? Her kiṅkarīs are forever being supplicated by the Supreme Person, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose hair is always adorned with a peacock feather.”

The Glory of Śrī Rādhā's Maidservants

Rasa-Varṣiṇī-Vyākhyā: In the previous two verses, Śrīpāda, absorbed in his spiritual form, had obtained a sweet vision of the springtime rāsa dance. Having abandoned the other gopīs who were dancing with him in the rāsa, Śrī Kṛṣṇa relished the mādhurya of Rāseśvarī’s moonlike face in a secret kuñja. After experiencing this līlā in a vision, Śrīpāda expressed in the seventh verse his intense longing to see the sweetness of her face again. Floating in the waves of his prayer, Śrīpāda’s mind has again entered the realm of līlā. He obtained a vision of that līlā by Śrīmatī’s mercy. He made no personal effort to obtain the sphūrti: it appeared spontaneously. A vision is experienced as though one is in the direct presence of the object.

After reviving her transcendental young lover by sprinkling him with the life-giving nectar of her bodily touch, Śrīmatī and her beloved entered the decorated cottage in the bower and began their romantic sport! Svāminī’s passion has caused her lover to also become restless. Svāminī is intoxicated by sporting with the king of śṛṅgāra-rasa.(1) She can never get enough of such pastimes with her beloved! Śyāma is overwhelmed by the unprecedented ingredients of mādana-rasa, like a beggar sitting before a feast in the royal palace! Svāminī, the guru of fine arts, amuses herself by teaching her submissive lover the games of śṛṅgāra-rasa, thus making him her own! In the form of a kiṅkarī, Śrīpāda has obtained the great fortune of tasting Śrī Yugala’s līlā-mādhurī by peeking through an opening in the kuñja. Such are the wonderful ways of prema! Suddenly, another mood awoke in Svāminī’s heart. Compassionate Śrī Rādhā thought of her sakhīs. On this rāsa night, hundreds of sakhīs were searching for the divine couple. Śrīmatī thought, “Alas, our pastimes are so sweet, but why do my friends not get to taste this rasa?” To nourish Śrī Yugala’s līlā-rasa, the līlā-śakti(2) has caused this change in Śrīmatī’s mental state.

Because, prema-līlā-vihārāṇāṁ samyag vistārikā sakhī (Ujjvala-Nīlamaṇi 8.1). The sakhīs amplify the prema-līlā and amorous pastimes in every way. The word vistāra means “to proclaim and further develop.” The sakhīs proclaim in a very sweet and wonderful way the nāyikā’s love for the nāyaka and the nāyaka’s love for the nāyikā, as well as further develop the couple’s loving devotion to each other.(3) After having brought Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda together at the pastime site by arranging their abhisāra,(4) they laugh and joke to nourish Rādhā’s vāmya-bhāva, or contrary mood, thus increasing the couple’s līlā-mādhurī. Then later, at another time and place, the sakhīs recount those sweet pastimes to them. By encouraging Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa to overcome the obstructions presented by their elders and uniting them at the place for love-sports, the sakhīs nourish the pastimes and increase the couple’s vihāra-mādhurya. Then, reminiscing about the love-making, they once again celebrate its sweet rasa. Therefore, without the assistance of the sakhīs, the wonderful varieties of līlā would not occur.(5)

sakhī binā ei līlāra puṣṭi nāhi haya | 

sakhī līlā bistāriyā sakhī āsvādaya ||

“Without the sakhīs, the līlā would not be nourished. The sakhīs both relish and expand the līlā.” (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 8.203) However, when Śrīmatī was concerned about her sakhīs, Rasika-Maṇi Kṛṣṇa understood the state of her heart and considered that in this condition she would feel no joy from their love sports. Therefore, thinking that without the sakhīs the līlā-rasa could not reach full development, Rasikendra left the kuñja to search for them. Meanwhile, the sakhīs met up with Śrīmatī on another path. Because Śyāma was a little delayed in returning, Śrīmatī begins to think, “Tonight is the rāsa dance and countless vraja-sundarīs are sporting in the forest. So, that one who is lusty for all the beautiful damsels of Vraja has no doubt joined with some other nāyikā.” Thinking in this way, Śrīmatī became intensely jealous and began to sulk. This jealous sulking has arisen from love.

snehaṁ vinā bhayaṁ na syān nerṣyā ca praṇayaṁ vinā |

tasmān māna-prakāro’yaṁ dvayoḥ prema-prakāśakaḥ || 

“There can be no fear without affection, nor jealousy without love. Therefore, this māna(6) causes the appearance of prema in both the nāyaka and nāyikā.” (Ujjvala-Nīlamaṇi 15.78) Filled with intense indignation, Śrīmatī ordered her kiṅkarīs to stand guard at the kuñja’s gateway and stop Śrī Kṛṣṇa from entering. Meanwhile, Nāgararāja(7) returned to the kuñja after being unable to find the sakhīs in the forest. The kiṅkarīs stationed at the gate informed him of Śrīmatī’s orders: “O king of debauchees, where have you been for so long after leaving our Svāminī? She is very annoyed with you; you are not allowed in the kuñja. Go back to the one you were with for all that time! Go! Move away from here quickly or Svāminī will scold us.” Śyāmasundara, who wears a peacock feather in his hair, desperately pleads with Śrī Rādhā’s kiṅkarīs to allow him entrance into the kuñja. They refuse to leave their post. The nāgara, tormented by separation, folds his hands and in a humble voice says, “I now have no refuge but you. Please make your īśvarī understand that her anger is unnecessary. I’ve done nothing wrong; I just went to look for her sakhīs to make her happy. If you reject me, where shall I go?” Svayaṁ Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person, is glorifying the mañjarīs with such endearing words. kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yaḥ (Brahma-Saṁhitā 5.39). Śrī Bhagavān, the complete and ultimate truth, is praying to Śrī Rādhā’s dāsīs with folded hands! He for whose mercy all living entities pray is himself praying to Śrī Rādhā’s maidservants! Blessed is rādhā-dāsya. Therefore, Śrīmad Rūpa Gosvāmipāda has prayed,

karuṇāṁ muhur arthaye paraṁ 

tava vṛndāvana-cakravartini |

api keśi-ripor yayā bhavet 

sa caṭu-prārthana-bhājanaṁ janaḥ ||

“O Queen of Vṛndāvana! I pray constantly for your mercy; please bless me. If you see fit, please allow this humble maidservant to be a vessel for Kṛṣṇa’s sweet supplications.” (Stavamālā, Cāṭupuṣpāñjalī 23) By Śrīmatī’s mercy, her dāsīs are blessed with this great fortune. Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s specific gift of compassion is rādhā-dāsya. Her dāsī is the vessel for madhura-rasa. In form and qualities, she is an adolescent girl (kiśorī), perfectly suited to assist in Śrī Rādhā’s romantic pastimes. Her sevā is saturated with madhura-rasa! This dāsya is very enjoyable and desirable for the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas. First comes the experience of rasa; at the end comes sevā. kabe hāma bujhaba se yugala piriti (Ṭhākura Mahāśaya). “When will I comprehend the sweetness of their mutual love?” This sevā becomes possible for those who know the ways of Rasamaya and Rasamayī’s hearts. The mañjarīs possess rādhā-snehādhikā-bhāvollāsā-rati.(8) They love Śrī Kṛṣṇa because he is Rādhārāṇī’s lover, not independently. They think that Rādhārāṇī belongs to them. If Kṛṣṇa causes any disturbance, they make him leave the kuñja. Without the permission of the mañjarīs, headed by Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī, Śrī Rādhā’s bodily touch remains far away from him. Śyāma has no authority to enter even the courtyard of the lovers’ cottage. The glory of Śrī Rādhā’s dāsīs is indescribable. 

Because Śrī Kṛṣṇa desired Rādhā’s love, he did much pleading with the kiṅkarīs. Seeing Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s unbounded eagerness and impatience, the kiṅkarīs allowed him into the cottage without waiting for Rādhārāṇī’s permission. They knew that even though Rādhā was angry, she was also feeling distressed and anxious about Śyāmasundara. If Śyāmasundara should go to her, they knew that she would be pleased with them for arranging the meeting and quickly give up her anger. After entering the kuñja, Rasika-Śiromaṇi Kṛṣṇa drove away Rasikā-Maṇi Rādhā’s huff with his affectionate words. As Śrīmatī’s sulking mood waned, a gentle and sweet smile appeared upon her beautiful face. Rasikendramauli(9) then pulled the love of his life to his chest as though she were his heart’s treasure, and sank deeply into vilāsa-rasa.(10) Having tasted this līlā-mādhurī in the form of a kiṅkarī, Śrīpāda said, rasa-nidher vṛṣabhānu-jāyāḥ. rasasya śrī-kṛṣṇasya nidhiḥ hṛdaya-ratna-svarūpāyāḥ. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the embodiment of rasa and Śrī Rādhā is the embodiment of his heart’s dearest treasure. Śrī Rādhā’s beauty and sweetness reach their highest stage of manifestation during her romantic pastimes with Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

kṛṣṇa-mañjula-tāpiñche vilasat svarṇa-yuthikā |

govinda navya-pāthode sthira-vidyul-latādbhutā ||

“Śrī Rādhā appears like a radiant golden creeper caressing the charming tamāla tree Kṛṣṇa, or a wonderful, motionless streak of lightning resting upon the newly-formed cloud Govinda.” (Viśākhānandada Stotram)

A mahājana has said,

o naba jaladhara aṅga | iha thira bijurī taraṅga ||

o bara marakata-ṭhāma | iha kāñcana daśābāna ||

o matta madhukara rāja | iha naba paduminī sāja ||

o naba taruṇa tamāla | iha hemayūthi rasāla ||

o mukha cāṅda cakora | iha diṭhi lubadha-cakora ||

“That person’s body is like a rain cloud; this one’s is like a motionless streak of lightning. That one is like a splendid emerald; this one is golden. That one is the king of drunken bees; this one is adorned with lotus buds. That one is like a young tamāla tree; this one, a lovely yellow jasmine. That one’s face is like the moon; this one’s eyes are like thirsty cakora birds.”(11)

Or, rasa-nidhi means that she is like an ocean of rasa. She extends the waves of wonderfully sweet rasa and gives her beloved incomparable joy by submerging him in them.

Suddenly Śrīpāda’s sphūrti (vision) comes to an end. Returning to sādhaka consciousness, he feels deep humility and sorrow in his heart. He has become so overwhelmed by the glories of Śrī Rādhā’s kiṅkarīs that he humbly proclaims his heartfelt prayer to become a broom in the courtyard of her kuñja, hoping that he may be blessed to serve the dust of their feet and also obtain such great fortune. Or, reflecting upon the boundless good fortune of Śrī Rādhā’s dāsīs, Śrīpāda considers, “Am I worthy of that extremely rare position of serving as her dāsī?” Suddenly a glimmer of hope appears in his heart. He considers that with Śrī Rādhā’s mercy, anything is possible. Therefore, hoping to get her mercy, he proclaims his desire to become a broom in the courtyard of her kuñja, where particles of her foot-dust have fallen.

1. Erotic rasa

2. Pastime potency

3. Nāyaka is the masculine for “lover” and nāyikā the feminine.

4. Lovers’ tryst

5. This is a translation of the gist of the Ānanda-Candrikā commentary on the above-quoted partial verse from Ujjvala-Nīlamaṇi.

6. Anger or indignation excited by jealousy (MW)

7. King of paramours

8. A joyful love wherein affection for Śrī Rādhā predominates

9. King of rasikas

10. Love-making

11. Cakora birds are said to drink moonbeams.

My books are 15% off through July 29

My translations of Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā and Bhāvanā-Sāra-Saṅgrahaḥ are both 15% off through July 29. Use the code DREAM15. Click on the book images on the right of the blog page. Applies to print copies only.  

Śrī-Śrī-Gaura-Govinda-Līlāmṛta Guṭikā 13

Prātar-Līlā: Vraja-Dhāma (2 Hours 24 Minutes)

From 6:00 AM to 8:24 AM

Śrī-Śrī-Vrajadhāma-Prātar-Līlā-Sūtra:

rādhāṁ snāta-vibhūṣitāṁ vraja-payāhūtāṁ sakhībhiḥ prage

tad-gehe vihitānna-pāka-racanāṁ kṛṣṇāvaśeṣāśanām |

kṛṣṇaṁ buddham avāpta-dhenu-sadanaṁ nirvyūḍha-godohanaṁ

susnātaṁ kṛta-bhojanaṁ sahacarais tāṁ cātha taṁ cāśraye ||

“I seek refuge at Śrī Rādhikā’s lotus feet. After being bathed and decorated in the early morning, she and her sakhīs are called by Mother Yaśodā to cook for Kṛṣṇa, and afterwards, they all eat the food remnants left by him. I also seek refuge from Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who wakes in the morning and goes to the cowshed to milk the cows, then returns, bathes and eats breakfast with his dear friends.” (Govinda-Līlāmṛtam 2.1)

Vrajadhāma: Śrī Rādhā Rises from Bed and Reminisces with Her Friends

In the early morning in Vraja, the sādhaka-mañjarī rose from bed in her home in the village of Yāvaṭa. After brushing her teeth and completing her other morning duties, she cleaned the toilets of Śrī Rādhā, Śrī Gurudevī and so on, washing them with scented water, drying them with her hair and perfuming them with incense. After bathing, she adorned herself with Śrī Rādhā’s prasādī clothing, ornaments and so on. Then she cleaned the courtyard outside Śrī Gurudevī’s bedroom and prepared the articles for morning sevā. The sādhaka-mañjarī then awakened Śrī Gurudevī by massaging her feet. After Śrī Gurudevī finished her morning duties, the sādhaka-mañjarī bathed her and adorned her with clothing and ornaments. (In this way, each of the guru-mañjarīs is served by her own kiṅkarīs.) Then the sādhaka-dāsī followed Śrī Gurudevī to join with the other guru-mañjarīs, after which they all entered Śrī Rādhā’s home. Śrī Rūpa and the other mañjarīs also arrived at Śrī Rādhā’s house after they had bathed and decorated themselves. They then all entered the house, admiring its beauty. 

Her residence is inlaid with multifarious gems and jewels; its splendor surpasses that of countless moons. The sound of the maidservants churning milk and grinding wheat was like the roar of the sea. The house’s four sides have golden walls. On the eastern and southern sides are two large gates with diamond panels. Two private entrances are located on the northern and western sides. The house is surrounded by a beautiful six-season garden with rows of trees bowed by the weight of their fruits and flowers. Coral, night jasmine, white sandalwood and other trees sway in the gentle breeze; they spread their fragrance and intoxicate the bees. The trees are adorned with blossoming creepers bearing large clusters of flowers. When touched by a breeze, like expert dancers they captivate the mind of the viewer. The cuckoos and other birds sing with sweet voices and the peacocks dance in great joy. On the northern side of the house stands a grove of golden plantain trees. Within that, the toilets of Śrī Rādhā and Anaṅga-Mañjarī are in a bower of mādhavī, mālatī, svarṇa-yūthī and nava-mallikā creepers. The house is surrounded by plantain groves, flower groves and fruit groves, one after the other. Four pathways come through four gates and meet in the middle. The house is divided into four sections containing a total of twenty-five rooms. Jaṭilā has nine rooms in a section of the northeast corner: Gola Gopa’s room is in the northwest, to the east of that is Jaṭilā’s bedroom and to the east of that is Durmada’s room. To the south of that is Āyāna’s room and to the west of that is a sitting room. A storeroom lies to the west of that and a kitchen to the south of that. To the east of that is the dining room and to the east of that is a room for meeting with friends. Śrī Rādhā has three sections with a total of sixteen rooms. There are six rooms in a section of the southeast corner: In the northeast part of that is Śyāmalā’s room and to the south of that a candraśālā. To the west of that is a room for the sakhīs and to the north of that a room for the mañjarīs and other dāsīs. To the west of that is Śrī Rādhā’s dining room and to the south of that her sitting room. There are also six rooms in the southwest section: In the northeast part of that is a room for dressing Śrī Rādhā and Śrī Anaṅga Mañjarī. To the south of that is Śrī Rādhā’s bedroom. (Abhisāra and so on are carried out from this bedroom through a secret pathway on the southern side of the house.) Anaṅga Mañjarī’s bedroom is to the south of that, and to the west of that is a storeroom for sweets and a kitchen. To the north of that is a storeroom for jewels and to the north of that is a storeroom for milk. There are four more rooms in a section of the northwest corner: In the northeast part of that is Śrī Rādhā’s and Śrī Anaṅga Mañjarī’s tooth-brushing room. To the south of that is their bathing room, to the west of that is a storeroom for ghee and to the north of that is an aviary. In the four sections there are a total of twenty-five rooms. 

My books are 15% off through July 15.

My translations of Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā and Bhāvanā-Sāra-Saṅgrahaḥ are both 15% off through July 15. Use the code MANGA15. Click on the book images on the right of the blog page. Applies to print copies only. 

Śrī-Rādhā-Rasa-Sudhā-Nidhiḥ 7 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

तन्नः प्रतीक्षण-चमत्कृत-चारुलीला-

लावण्य-मोहन-महामधुराङ्गभङ्गि ।

राधाननं हि मधुराङ्गकलानिधान- 

माविर्भविष्यति कदा रससिन्धुसारम् ॥ ७ ॥

tan naḥ pratīkṣaṇa-camatkṛta-cāru-līlā-

lāvaṇya-mohana-mahāmadhurāṅga-bhaṅgi |

rādhānanaṁ hi madhurāṅga-kalā-nidhānam 

āvirbhaviṣyati kadā rasa-sindhu-sāram || 7 ||

“When Śrī Rādhā sees Śrī Kṛṣṇa, many wonderful, charming and playful expressions appear on her beautiful face. When will that incomparably sweet moonlike face, the essence of the ocean of rasa, appear before us?”

Śrī Rādhā's Face is the Essence of the Ocean of Rasa

Rasa-Varṣiṇī-Vyākhyā: In the previous verse, Śrīmat Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda, absorbed in his svarūpa, perceived his beloved Goddess as nikuñjadevī. The word devī means “to be worshipped.” The worship that Rasikendra(1) performs within the kuñja is even more astonishing than that of the sakhīs and mañjarīs. Therefore, she who is worshipped by Rasika-Śekhara Śrī Kṛṣṇa is called devī. When Kṛṣṇa entered the well-decorated kuñja with Priyājī, his heart filled with love for her. He has perceived Priyājī as kuñjadevī, so now he wants to do some sevā for her. After washing Priyājī’s feet with the help of a kiṅkarī, he affectionately dried them with his yellow cloth. Knowing Śyāmasundara’s mind, a kiṅkarī had brought some flower petals. Saying jaya premamayī, Śyāma offered the flowers at Śrīmatī’s feet and bowed before her! Tears streamed from his eyes. pāda-sparśa-rasotsavaṁ praṇatibhiḥ (verse 61). “Bowing to touch Śrī Rādhā’s feet is a festival of rasa for Śyāmasundara.” Śrīmatī revealed her incomparable beauty when she saw her devoted lover’s face! So much erotic līlā emerged from her own sweet face! Many wonderful, charming and lovely expressions appeared in her eyes, eyebrows and so on. From Śrī-Ujjvala-Nīlamaṇiḥ, Uddīpana 28:

muktā-phaleṣu chāyāyās taralatvam ivāntarā | 

pratibhāti yad aṅgeṣu lāvaṇyaṁ tad ihocyate ||

“If a luster or radiance emerges from the different parts of the body, like the splendor from a pearl, that is called lāvaṇya.” A beautiful radiance emerges from Śrīmatī’s countenance. What wonderful facial expressions! She is adorned with the ornament of charm. From Śrī-Ujjvala-Nīlamaṇiḥ, Anubhāva 56:

vinyāsa-bhaṅgir aṅgānāṁ bhrū-vilāsa-manoharā | 

sukumārā bhaved yatra lalitaṁ tad-udīritam ||

“The appearance of alluring, playful movements of the eyebrows along with attractive gestures of the limbs of the body is called lalita, the ornament of charm.”

Moreover, Śrī Rādhā’s moonlike face is the essence of the ocean of rasa. Just as during the churning of the ocean of milk, its essence manifested as the nectar-bearing moon, in the same way, the essence of the ocean of prema-rasa is Śrī Rādhā’s spotless moonlike face. At the appearance of just one drop of prema-rasa, even the brahmānandīs’ minds are immediately drawn away from the joy of brahman and intoxicated with premānanda(2).

yasya sphūrti-lavāṅkureṇa laghunāpy antar munīnāṁ manaḥ

spṛṣṭaṁ mokṣa-sukhād virajyati jhaṭity āsvādyamānād api |

premṇas tasya mukunda! sāhasitayā śaknotu kaḥ prārthane

bhūyāj janmani janmani pracayinī kintu spṛhāpy atra me ||

“Even the experience of a slight blossoming of such divine love causes the introspective minds of the brahmānandī sages to instantly lose interest in the joy of liberation. O Mukunda! Who will be bold enough to pray for such love? Please, therefore, bless me that in birth after birth my longing for prema continually increases.” (Stava-Mālā)

Just one particle of prema-rasa has such great power! Prema is so very rare, and the essence of that vast ocean of prema-rasa is Śrī Rādhā’s moonlike face. The luminosity of her face is not like a light beam produced from some shiny object, but is rather a natural manifestation of mahābhāva-rasa. Such examples as “a face like the moon, eyes like lotuses and a nose like a sesame flower” are useless there. Mahābhāva must be understood through bhāva: there is no other language. Śrī Rādhā is the embodiment of prema. Her beauty is revealed in her amorous pastimes with Kṛṣṇa. Her beauty is the essence of all beauty. When, by the mercy of Śrī Rādhā, viśuddha-sattva(3) appears within the heart of a bhakta, he gets a slight realization of that self-luminous form. This is most likely the meaning intended by the phrase rasa-sindhu-sāram (the essence of the ocean of rasa). Her moonlike face is madhurāṅga-kalānidhānam (a spotless moon). Unlike the moon of this world, Śrī Rādhā’s face is unblemished by spots or pallor. Having returned to sādhaka-consciousness after his vision ended, Śrīpāda said, “Will that moonlike face ever appear before us?”

Or, the sweetness of this verse can be tasted in another way: “When will Śrī Rādhā’s moonlike face become visible to our eyes? Her sweet form is the repository of all artistic skills and is the essence of the ocean of rasa. It even causes Śyāmasundara’s sweet form to bend in three places, though he forever infatuates the world with his wondrous and captivating pastimes.” While in the form of a kiṅkarī, Śrīpāda witnessed Śrī Śyāmasundara’s service to Nikuñjadevī and realized his charming pastimes are amazing at every moment. The utmost wonder of Śyāmasundara’s līlā is revealed to the kiṅkarīs’ eyes. In that līlā, he remains thoroughly subjugated by Śrī Rādhā. All of Mādhurya-Mūrti Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s līlās are sweet, but in his romantic pastimes with Śrī Rādhā, the boundless attributes of his līlā-śakti are well-preserved. Moreover, when the kiṅkarīs see śṛṅgāra-līlā wherein Śrī Kṛṣṇa is completely submissive to Śrī Rādhā, their Prema-Mandākinī(4) surges toward the heavens in continuous waves through a fountain with a hundred mouths. In such līlā, there is wonder at every moment! Therefore it has been said that Śrī Rādhā’s moonlike face enchants even Kṛṣṇa, whose beautiful pastimes are astonishing at every moment, and causes his sweet form to bend in three places. Why does Śyāma bend in three places? Enchanted by seeing the sweetness of Rādhā’s face, he bends in three places to touch the border of her skirt with his heel. In this threefold bending posture, he leans slightly to the left and his eyes move slightly toward their corners. It seems as though his body bends in three places because it cannot bear the weight of tasting Rādhā’s sweetness. That pose is charming and most enjoyable. However, the bhakta experiences it according to his prema. āmāra mādhurya nitya naba-naba haya, sva-sva-prema-anurūpa bhakte āsvādaya (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Ādi 4.143). “My sweetness is always fresh and enjoyable to the bhakta, according to his love.”

Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s most exalted prema is the ultimate stage in the tasting of mādhurya. Because of her extraordinary mādanākhya-prema, her experience of Kṛṣṇa’s endlessly fresh sweetness is unsurpassed. ei prema-dvāre nitya rādhikā ekali, āmāra mādhuryāmṛta āsvāde sakali (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Ādi 4.139). “Through her prema, Śrī Rādhikā alone always tastes my sweet nectar in full.”

Rādhā’s love and Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness nourish each other such that both continually increase.(5) gopī-preme kare kṛṣṇa-mādhuryera puṣṭi, mādhurya bāḍāya premā haiyā mahā-tuṣṭi (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Ādi 4.198). “As a result of the gopīs’ love, Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness is nourished; his sweetness causes their love to increase and they become most satisfied.”

In this way, the sakhīs and mañjarīs enjoy tasting the constantly increasing mādhurya of Śrī Yugala-Kiśora. Therefore, it has been said that when Śrī Kṛṣṇa sees Śrī Rādhā, the sweetness of his tribhaṅga form becomes even sweeter. Hence, it is called mahā-madhura (really, really sweet)! From Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-Karṇāmṛtam 92:

madhuraṁ madhuraṁ vapur asya vibhor 

madhuraṁ madhuraṁ vadanaṁ madhuram |

madhu-gandhi mṛdu-smitam etad aho 

madhuraṁ madhuraṁ madhuraṁ madhuram ||

Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s form is sweet, his face is sweet and the smile on his face is sweeter than sweet. Of the beautiful, everything is beautiful, and of the sweet, everything is sweet! madhurādhipater akhilaṁ madhuram. Such sweetness blossoms in the presence of Śrī Rādhā.

Also, rādhānanaṁ hi madhurāṅga-kalā-nidhānam: Śrī Rādhā’s face is the kalā-nidhānam (abode of fine arts) for Śrī Kṛṣṇa's sweet form, meaning it amplifies the romantic desire in his body. (By the combination of the letters ka and la, the kāma-bīja is indicated.) The twenty-four and a half syllables of the kāma-gāyatrī-mantra are present in the form of moons in Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s bodily limbs. This means that even Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose sweet body radiates moonlight that fills the world with romantic desire, even he feels his kāma increased by seeing the beautiful face of Śrī Rādhā.

kāma-gāyatrī-mantra-rūpa, haya kṛṣṇa-svarūpa, sārdha cabbiśa akṣara tāra haya |

se akṣara candra haya, kṛṣṇe kari udaya, trijagat kaila kāmamaya ||

sakhi he! kṛṣṇa-mukha dvija-rāja-rāja |

kṛṣṇa-bapu siṁhāsane, basiyāche rājya-śāsane, saṅge kari candrera samāja ||

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ei cāṅdera baḍa nāṭa, pasāri cāṅdera hāṭa, binimūlye bilāya nijāmṛta |

kāṅho smita jyotsnāmṛte, kāhāke adharāmṛte, saba loka kare āpyāyita ||

bipula āyatāruṇa, madana-mada-ghūrṇana, mantrī yāra ei dui nayana |

 lābaṇya-keli-sadana, jana-netra-rasāyana, sukhamaya gobinda-badana ||

“The kāma-gāyatrī is Kṛṣṇa in the form of a twenty-four and a half syllable mantra. These syllables are like moons that rise in Kṛṣṇa to fill the three worlds with romantic desire. O Sakhī! Kṛṣṇa’s face is the king of moons and his body is the throne from which he rules his kingdom of moons. (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 21.125-126)

“There is much dancing by this moon, and like a shopkeeper in a market of moons, he freely distributes his own nectar. The whole world is pleased, some by the nectarous moonlight of his gentle smile, some by the nectar of his lips. His broad reddish rolling eyes, drunk with desire, are this king’s ministers. Śrī Govinda’s joyous face is the abode of charming pastimes and the elixir for everyone’s eyes.” (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 21.130-131)

Moreover, just as when the moon appears, the ocean’s waves swell and surge, in the same way, when Śrī Kṛṣṇa sees Śrī Rādhā’s moonlike face, the waves of the transcendent young God of Love’s ocean of erotic desire also swell and surge! After experiencing this mādhurya while in his siddha-svarūpa in the realm of līlā, Śrīpāda’s vision ends and he once again enters sādhaka-consciousness. He prays, “When shall we see that beautiful moonlike face of Śrī Rādhā?” The deeper meaning of this prayer is that he is asking when he will be blessed to obtain his cherished sevā and taste the playful couple’s ever-increasing līlā-mādhurī, rūpa-mādhurī and prema-mādhurī(6), which arise as Śrī Kṛṣṇa sees Śrī Rādhā’s moonlike face and his desire for vilāsa(7) grows stronger. By saying “present before us” he is praying that all the yugala-rasa-bhaktas of the world may be blessed with such devotion. This profound āśīrvāda(8) gives us a glimpse of Śrīpāda’s deep compassion.

(1) Kṛṣṇa, the king of rasikas
(2) The joy of divine love
(3) Pure goodness
(4) Mandākinī is another name for the Gaṅgā, which usually flows from the heavens to earth, but here, the kiṅkarīs’ prema flows toward the heavens.
(5) And Kṛṣṇa’s love and Rādhā’s sweetness nourish each other and they both increase.
(6) Pastime sweetness, form sweetness and love sweetness
(7) Amorous sport
(8) Blessing, benediction