Śrī-Rādhā-Rasa-Sudhā-Nidhiḥ 16 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

 

पादाङ्गुलीनिहितदृष्टिमपत्रपिष्णुं

दूरादुदीक्ष्य रसिकेन्द्रमुखेन्दुबिम्बम् ।

वीक्षे चलत्पदगतिं चरिताभिरामां

झङ्कार-नूपुरवतीं बत कर्हि राधाम् ॥ १६ ॥

pādāṅgulī-nihita-dṛṣṭim apatrapiṣṇuṁ

dūrād udīkṣya rasikendra-mukhendu-bimbam |

vīkṣe calat-pada-gatiṁ caritābhirāmāṁ

jhaṅkāra-nūpuravatīṁ bata karhi rādhām || 16 ||

“Ah! When shall I see that most charming Śrī Rādhā, whose anklets jingle sweetly as she walks, and who looks bashfully at her toes upon seeing from afar the moonlike face of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the king of rasikas?”

Bashful Śrī Rādhā

Rasa-Varṣiṇī-Vyākhyā: When a vision becomes very deep, the devotee feels that he is directly perceiving Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, when the vision ends, he cries with heart-rending lamentation. During the vision, he is ecstatic from tasting sevā-rasa; when it ends and there is no more sevā, he feels sadness to the same degree. It can easily be deduced that if no sevā comes to those who are the embodiments of sevā-rasa, they will experience indescribable sadness. This feeling also comes to some degree in the sādhaka state. If there is no such feeling, then one’s bhakti is considered weak. In rādhā-dāsya-bhajana, this feeling is inevitable. Rādhārāṇī mercifully gives help and support. In a discussion of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s glories in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.2.33, Śrī Brahmā and the other gods said, 

tathā na te mādhava tāvakāḥ kvacid

bhraśyanti mārgāt tvayi baddha-sauhṛdāḥ |

tvayābhiguptā vicaranti nirbhayā

vināyakānīkapa-mūrdhasu prabho ||

“O Lord! O Mādhava! Though the sādhana of the jñānīs and yogīs is often impeded by obstacles, devotees who have taken shelter of your lotus feet are never overcome by such obstacles because you mercifully help them. By your mercy the devotees’ obstacles become like a staircase that leads them fearlessly to your feet.”

Rādhārāṇī is even more merciful; her mercy has no bounds. Those who are a little advanced in bhajana get to hear Rādhārāṇī’s call. She whose heart is soft with compassion beckons the bhakta in a tender voice! The bhakta then weeps uncontrollably. To attain this state, the sādhaka should offer a little prayer at his svāminī’s lotus feet: “Svāminī! Please respond! If you do not respond, how will I advance on the path of bhajana?” Śrīmatī’s compassion will gradually descend and the sādhaka will be blessed with a taste of her līlā-mādhurī in a dream. 

Śrīpāda’s heart was restless and impatient; at this time a vision came to him. In the first interpretation of the previous verse, Śrī Rādhārāṇī revealed her desire to go bathe in the Yamunā. After joking with her, the kiṅkarī received Śrīmatī’s mercy. Now, having obtained another vision of that līlā, she is taking Śrī Rādhā to bathe in the Yamunā. Meanwhile, Śyāmasundara finished milking the cows and heard from a parrot that Śrī Rādhā was going to bathe in the Yamunā. Under the pretext of going to see the beautiful groves near Nandīśvara Hill, he left his friends and came to the bank of the Yamunā. Svāminī saw Rasikendra’s moonlike face from some distance away. When she had at first seen the water of the Yamunā from a distance, it reminded her of Śyāmasundara and a powerful wave of affection for him danced in her heart. Seeing his face again now caused sweet and boundless love to surge within her. Śrī Rādhā was adorned with the ornament of love upon seeing Rasikendra’s moonlike face. Among the twenty ornaments that manifest upon her lovely form, one is known as vilāsa.

gati-sthānāsanādīnāṁ mukha-netrādi-karmaṇām |

tātkālikaṁ tu vaiśiṣṭyaṁ vilāsaḥ priya-saṅga-jam ||

“The particular way the nāyikā walks, stands, sits, gestures with her mouth, eyes and so on when she meets with her beloved is known as vilāsa.” (Ujjvala-Nīlamaṇiḥ 11:31) Śrīmatī is apatrapiṣṇum, meaning that because she is bashful, pādāṅgulī-nihita-dṛṣṭim, she has fixed her sight upon her toes. How sweet her modest nature is! Her sweetness swells and falls as though in gushes.

rādhā basi āche kibā bṛndābane yāya | 

tāṅhā yadi ācambite kṛṣṇa darśana pāya ||

dekhitei nānā-bhāba haya bilakṣaṇa | 

ei bailakṣaṇyera nāma bilāsa-bhūṣaṇa ||

lajjā harṣa abhilāṣa sambhrama bāmya bhaya | 

eta bhāba mili rādhāya cañcala karaya ||

“If Rādhā happens to be sitting somewhere or is on her way to Vṛndāvana and suddenly sees Kṛṣṇa, various amazing moods appear within her. This change of states is called the ornament of vilāsa and is marked by shyness, joy, desire, confusion, contrariness and fear. With so many moods mixing together, Rādhā becomes restless.” (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 14.185-186, 188)

puraḥ kṛṣṇālokāt sthagita-kuṭilāsyā gatir abhūt |

tiraścīnaṁ kṛṣṇāmbara-dara-vṛtaṁ śrī-mukham api ||

calat-tāraṁ sphāraṁ nayana-yugam ābhugnam iti sā |

vilāsākhya-svālaṅkaraṇa-valitāsīt priya-mude ||

“When Śrī Rādhā suddenly saw Śrī Kṛṣṇa before her, she immediately stopped walking and then began again, but on a zigzag course. She scrunched up her face and slightly covered it with her blue cloth. Her starlike eyes were wide, restless and modestly downcast. Beautified by her ornament known as vilāsa, Śrī Rādhā gave Śrī Kṛṣṇa great joy.” (Govinda-Lilāmṛtam 9.11)

ei bhāba-yukta dekhi’ rādhāsya nayana |

saṅgama haite sukha pāya koṭi-guṇa ||

“When Kṛṣṇa sees this mood expressed in Rādhā’s face and eyes, his happiness is a million times greater than through union with her.” (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta Madhya 14.179)

The function of mahābhāva is to make Śrī Kṛṣṇa happy. When love reaches an unbounded state, it destroys like the sun the dark desire for sense-gratification lying deep within one’s heart and stimulates thoughts of Kṛṣṇa’s happiness in one’s mind. That state is known as mahābhāva. Her form is shaped by this mahābhāva. Therefore, it is logical that all of her efforts are meant for Kṛṣṇa’s happiness.

When beautiful and affectionate Śrī Rādhā sees her lover’s face, she fixes her eyes on her feet and slowly walks zigzag along the path. The bells on her lotus feet are jingling. It seems the sight of her beloved has caused drops of sweet love to fall from the icon of mahābhāva. Ankle-bells made from this sweet love jingle melodiously on the feet of mahābhāva. Śrīpāda Rūpa Gosvāmipāda has described the sweet sound of Śrī Rādhā’s ankle bells in Utkalikā-Vallarī 27:

dhvasta-brahma-marāla-kūjita-bharair ūrjeśvarī-nūpura-

kvāṇair ūrjita-vaibhavas tava vibho vaṁśī-prasūtaḥ kalaḥ |

labdhaḥ śasta-samasta-nāda-nagarī-sāmrājya-lakṣmīṁ parām

ārādhyaḥ pramadāt kadā śravaṇayor dvandvena mandena me ||

“O Lord! When in great joy shall my defiled ears be blessed with the beautiful sound of your flute, which reigns like an empress over the city of all beautiful sounds. It is enriched by the tinkling of Śrī Rādhā’s ankle-bells and is sweeter than the warbling of Brahmā’s swan.” (Utkalikā-Vallarī 27)

The rāsa dance is under way. As Śrīmatī dances, her ankle-bells jingle. Śyāmasundara is also playing his flute. He is the lord of beauty and sweetness. The whole world has been submerged in only one drop of his sweetness, so the sweet sound of his flute is like no other. But even that sound is nourished and enriched by the sound of Śrī Rādhā’s ankle-bells. Suddenly, one of her anklets falls off. The tone of Kṛṣṇa’s flute is no longer so pleasing. What is missing? Why is the flute’s tone not being enriched like before? Kṛṣṇa searched for the cause and saw that one of Śrīmatī’s anklets had fallen off. Placing his flute in his waistband, Kṛṣṇa danced over to Rādhā and sat near her feet. He took her foot upon his chest and replaced the anklet, keeping with the rhythm of the dance. The charming ankle-bells on Rādhā’s feet jingled like before. As Śyāma began to play his flute again, he saw that the problem had been solved. The sound of Śrīmatī’s anklets have enriched even the tone of the flute that drives the whole world mad. 

The kiṅkarī observes that after Śrīmatī sees the moonlike face of her lover, she is now adorned with the ornament called vilāsa. The anklets on her feet are jingling and each jingle vibrates the strings of her dark lover’s heart. The kiṅkarī now realizes that Śrīmatī is caritābhirāmā, or one whose nature is pleasing to the minds and eyes of both Śyāmasundara and her dāsīs. By seeing Śrī Rādhā’s sweet and charming behavior, Śrīpāda experiences the fruit of his inner vision in sakhī-bhāva. The kiṅkarī has succeeded in bringing the heroine and her pleasure-hungry lover together. After uniting the couple in a nearby kuñja, the kiṅkarī is blessed with a taste of their combined sweetness. Suddenly, his mystic vision ends. The author has expressed his wish while in sādhaka consciousness to see Śrī Rādhā adorned with the ornament called vilāsa.

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Śrī-Śrī-Gaura-Govinda-Līlāmṛta Guṭikā 22

When Śrī Rādhā saw Kundalatā, a fountain of sweet nectar seemed to gush in her eager heart. Śrīmatī joyfully stood up and said with a smile, “Kundalatā, my friend! I think that under the guise of Vrajeśvarī Mā’s order some mercy nectar has been sent my way. After appealing to my mother-in-law, you have swiftly come to me.” When Kundalatā drank in the nectar of lovely-eyed Rādhā’s sweet and logical words, her heart and mind danced in delight. Moonlight beamed from the gentle smile on her parted lips. She said in earnest, “Sakhī Rādhā! After you have understood everything, you and your sakhīs should leave immediately for Vrajeśvarī’s home. O beautiful lotus-eyed one! The flavor of the food you cook makes even the nectar of heaven seem insignificant. Your expertise in cooking is well-known throughout Vrajapura. O friend! Maharṣi Durvāsā has given you the boon that whatever you may cook will be filled with nectar, and that whoever eats it will have a long life, good health and strength and be the subduer of Indra. Ever since Vrajeśvarī heard about the boon, she has wanted Kṛṣṇa to eat your hand-cooked food regularly. Young Kṛṣṇa has killed some powerful demons and she firmly believes this is due to the qualities of the food you cook. Furthermore, O Moonface! Listen, I will tell you a secret. Just as Vrajeśvarī becomes anxious when she cannot see her son, she also feels the same way when she cannot see you.” Śrī Rādhā’s heart was bathed in ānanda-rasa when she heard Kundalatā’s words, which were like an elixir for her ears. Still, Śrīmatī concealed the great rush of delight in her heart and with a quick, disinterested glance at Kundalatā, she replied, “Sakhī Kundalatā! Everything you say makes sense. But, O wise one! Is it reasonable for girls who are known for their virtue to go to another person’s home every day? Think about it. Especially when it is your brother-in-law—I hear he is always greedy for the family girls. For virtuous girls, the effort to protect their family dharma is the most important thing. Therefore, my friend, I have no desire to go there.”

Kundalatā understood that Śrī Rādhā was internally delighted but outwardly reluctant. Extremely pleased, she replied, “Sakhī Rādhā! Your desire to protect your family’s dharma will be easily realized. Since Durvāsā Muni is favorable toward you, by his mercy nothing inauspicious will happen. Therefore, go quickly, without delay!” Elderly Jaṭilā was listening to Rādhā and Kundalatā’s witty conversation from a distance. She heard Rādhā’s words about going to Nanda’s house and accepted them to mean she was reluctant. Then she approached the girls and said, “O chaste Kundalatā! I trust you completely; for this reason I have placed my daughter-in-law into your hands.”Although the old woman is sharp-tongued by nature, she looked at Śrī Rādhā and said in a serious but calm and sweet voice, “My child, since it is inappropriate for a chaste woman to go even one foot from her husband’s home, you should not in any way go near Kṛṣṇa, who is known as the crown jewel of debauchees. This is settled. Still, O Rādhā, how many times can the words of Devī Paurṇamāsī and the humble request of the wife of the king of Vraja be ignored? Therefore, unable to disobey them, I am asking you to go there. But do not worry; Bhagavān Śrī Hari, who preserves the dharma of virtuous girls, will protect you. So, O lovely one, I have placed you in his lotus hands and am now carefree.” Though Jaṭilā was referring to Śrī Nārāyaṇa when she mentioned the word Hari, the quick-witted sakhīs smiled slightly, taking the word to mean Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Śrīmatī stopped the sakhīs with a gesture and remained silent. Then Kundalatā pulled Śrīmatī’s hand and led her and her sakhīs away with delight.(1) Kundalatā walked in front of Śrī Rādhā, with Śrī Lalitā on the right, Śrī Viśākhā on the left and Anaṅga Mañjarī and the other sakhīs behind. Śrī Rūpa and the other principal mañjarīs came next, followed by the guru-mañjarīs. Behind them, the sādhaka-dāsī carried laḍḍus and other types of Kṛṣṇa’s favorite foods as directed by Lalitā.

Nandālaya lies to the southwest of Yāvaṭa. The sakhīs led Śrī Rādhā outside the village through the southern gate. Rows of bakula and other trees lined both sides of the bejeweled path and their limbs and branches intertwined above it. They were covered with various kinds of blossoming creepers providing dense shade. Śrīmatī and her sakhīs walked to Nanda’s house like swans, listening to the sweet sounds of cuckoos and other birds mixed with the humming of bees on the flower-scented path. The path was illumined by her radiant golden complexion. Charming Rādhā was absorbed in the joy of seeing Kṛṣṇa. Goosebumps covered her beautiful form, she walked with a slow gait and her clothing had become loose. Seeing the marks from last night’s love-play on Śrīmatī’s body, Kundalatā joked, “O Rādhā! Your husband Abhimanyu was away for three or four days. He returned yesterday evening and spent the night in the cowshed. Still, I see nail-marks on your body and wounds on your lips. It seems these are clear signs of your customary chastity.” After hearing Kundalatā’s words, Lalitā could see that although Rādhā had narrowed her eyes externally, she was jubilant within. Lalitā replied, “O Kundalatā! Yesterday in the forest an audacious parrot mistook Śrīmatī’s breasts for pomegranates and scratched them with his claws. That same parrot bit her on the lips, thinking them to be bimba fruits. So why are you concerned that it is something else?” As Śrīmatī listened to their conversation, a memory of her previous night’s pastimes appeared. Her heart was filled with delight and her body numbed by joy. In this way, everyone floated in a stream of happiness as they moved toward Nanda’s house engaged in playful banter.

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1. Author’s note: During the time when Śrī Rādhā resides in Varṣāṇā, Kundalatā takes her to Nanda’s home after getting permission from Kīrtidā Mā.