Taking into account my age and health, I have decided to stop translating the Guṭikā and focus on Rādhā-Rasa-Sudhā-Nidhiḥ and Bhāvanā-Sāra-Saṅgrahaḥ. The following is the last post I’ll make on the Guṭikā.
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Vrajadhāma: Yogapīṭha—Meeting and Sevā
Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Śyāma are immersed in amorous pastimes in Aśokānandada-Kuñja, on the banks of Gupta-Kuṇḍa in Nandīśvara, Vraja. Through an opening in the bower, the minnow-like eyes of the sakhīs and mañjarīs swim happily in the endless waves of the surging oceans of bhāva and rasa. After their vilāsa had ended, Śrī Yugala left the kuñja and stood in the pericarp of the yogapīṭha lotus. The yogapīṭha-mandira is adorned with multicolored gems and is always served by the six seasons, giving happiness to all. It is beautified by a canopy with fringe made of pearls inlaid with various jewels. Though being brighter than countless suns, it is cooler than countless moons. A beautiful jeweled throne shaped like an eight-petaled lotus sits in the center. Soft mattresses and pillows are spread about its gem-studded pericarp. Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava, the oceans of endless beauty and sweetness, stood together lovingly on the pericarp, surrounded by the aṣṭa-sakhīs on the eight petals. Lalitā stands on the northern petal, Viśākhā on the northeastern, Citra on the eastern, Indulekhā on the southeastern, Campakalatā on the southern, Raṅgadevī on the southwestern, Tuṅgavidyā on the western and Sudevī on the northwestern petal. On the outer petals, Anaṅga Mañjarī stands on the northern petal, Kalāvatī on the northeastern, Śubhāṅgadā on the eastern, Hiraṇyāṅgī on the southeastern, Ratnalekhā on the southern, Śikhāvatī on the southwestern, Kandarpa Mañjarī on the western and Phullakalikā on the northwestern outer petal. On the stamens, Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī stood on the northern part, Mañjulālī Mañjarī on the northeastern, Rasa Mañjarī on the eastern, Rati Mañjarī on the southeastern, Guṇa Mañjarī on the southern, Vilāsa Mañjarī on the southwestern, Lavaṅga Mañjarī on the western and Kastūrī Mañjarī on the northwestern part. There are four doorkeepers on the four sides of the yogapīṭha. Muralādevī is on the northern side, Vṛndādevī on the eastern, Vṛndārikādevī on the southern and Menakādevī on the western. The sādhaka-mañjarī stood behind her gurudevī and her śrī-guru-mañjarī-varga, who surrounded Śrī Anaṅga Mañjarī on her outer petal.
At that time, the sādhaka-mañjarī’s gurudevī signaled her to bring the two golden trays she had prepared containing jeweled cups, tulasī, candana, saffron, flowers, garlands, incense, ghee lamps and so on (as in the description of the navadvīpa-yogapīṭha). Śrī Gurudevī took one of those trays and offered the tulasī, candana, flowers and garlands to Śrī Yugala-Kiśora and their sakhīs and mañjarīs respectively. She then performed ārati with the incense, ghee lamp and so on. After that, she performed sevā for each of the śrī-guru-mañjarīs and handed the prasādī tray to the sādhaka-mañjarī. The sādhaka-mañjarī then performed arcanā of her śrī-guru-mañjarī with the śrī-yugala-prasādī articles. First, she placed the prasādī-tulasīs and flowers in Śrī Gurudevī’s hand or on her head. After placing candana on her forehead and a garland around her neck, the sādhaka-mañjarī performed ārati. Then, she washed her hands and, with the permission of śrī-guru-mañjarī and the śrī-guru-mañjarī-varga, she happily entered the yogapīṭha pericarp carrying another golden tray. First, she placed eight tulasī-mañjarīs on Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s feet (wiping her hand after each offering) and then offered flowers. She then applied candana to his forehead and placed a garland around his neck. She worshiped Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s lotus feet in the same way and then placed Kṛṣṇa’s prasādī-tulasīs and flowers in Śrī Rādhā’s hand or on her head. After that, she first worshiped Śrī Anaṅga Mañjarī on her outer petal with śrī-kṛṣṇa-prasādī-tulasī and flowers placed in her hands or on her head, followed by candana on her forehead and a garland around her neck. She then worshiped Lalitā and the rest of the aṣṭa-sakhīs on their petals, Kalāvatī and the other sakhīs on their outer petals, followed by Vṛndā and the other doorkeepers in the same way. After that, the sādhaka-mañjarī worshiped Śrī Rūpa and the rest of the aṣṭa-mañjarīs with Śrī Yugala’s prasādī articles and then worshiped the śrī-guru-mañjarī-varga in the same way. After that, she washed her hands and performed Śrī Yugala’s ārati with incense, ghee lamp and so on. Then she performed ārati for everyone else in the above mentioned order with the prasādī-dhūpa and dīpa. She then went and stood to the left of her gurudevī.
In this way, the sādhaka will perform yogapīṭha-mānasa-sevā and iṣṭa-mantra and gāyatrī-smaraṇa. Externally, he will worship Śrī Giridhārī, Śrī Vigraha or a picture. There are three yogapīṭhas: In Navadvīpa, Mahāprabhu and his companions meet in the morning at the yogapīṭha in his home. At noon, they meet in the mādhavī pavilion in Śrīvāsa’s flower garden, and at night they meet at the yogapīṭha in Śrīvāsa’s courtyard. In Śrī Vṛndāvana, they meet in the morning at the yogapīṭha in Gupta-Kuṇḍa. At noon, they meet at Śrī Madana-Sukhadā Kuñja in Śrī Rādhā-Kuṇḍa, and at night they meet at the mahā-yogapīṭha in the jeweled mandira at Govinda-Sthalī. The three types of yogapīṭhas are differentiated as uttama, madhyama and kaniṣṭha. The sādhaka will meditate on his sevā in the yogapīṭha according to personal taste and ability.
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