मञ्जुस्वभावमधिकल्पलता-निकुञ्जं
व्यञ्जन्तमद्भुत-कृपारसपुञ्जमेव ।
प्रेमामृताम्बुधिमगाधमबाधमेतं
राधाभिधं द्रुतमुपाश्रय साधुचेतः ॥ २८ ॥
mañju-svabhāvam adhi-kalpa-latā-nikuñjaṁ
vyañjantam adbhuta-kṛpā-rasa-puñjam eva |
premāmṛtāmbudhim agādham abādham etaṁ
rādhābhidhaṁ drutam upāśraya sādhu-cetaḥ || 28 ||
“O virtuous mind and heart! Quickly take shelter of that supreme truth named Rādhā, who is sweet-natured and is like the presiding deity of a bower of wish-fulfilling creepers. She displays astonishing compassion and is a nectarous ocean of unlimited and unobstructed prema.”
Sweet-Natured Śrī Rādhā
Rasa-Varṣiṇī-Vyākhyā: In the previous verse, Śrīpāda prayed in sādhaka-consciousness for his most-cherished Śrī Rādhā to forever shine in his heart like a precious jewel. His prayer is so sweet because it arose from his svarūpa (true nature). Śrī Jīva Gosvāmipāda has written, samprārthanā anutpanna-bhāvasya, lālasā jāta-bhāvasyeti bhedā jñeyaḥ (Durgama-Saṅgamanī). The sādhaka whose love has not yet evolved offers prayers, while the one whose love has evolved offers prayers filled with longing. Śrīpāda is in the kingdom of mahābhāva; his prayers therefore are filled with profound longing. The subtle hum of rādhā-dāsya is present even in external consciousness. The nectarous rasa of Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet is also the ultimate shelter for the sādhaka. Those who have experienced a little of the joy of sādhana will feel some yearning for Śrī Rādhā. They will suffer anguish due to their inability to attain her. In meditation, dreams and visions, they will experience Svāminī’s form, qualities and pastimes as well as her voice and touch. That realization shines the light of hope in the sādhaka’s heart. The intensity of this condition is revealed in those who are siddha (accomplished). The Gosvāmīs are Śrī Rādhā’s nitya-siddha companions; thus, their feelings of separation from her are very strong. The love in Śrīpāda’s heart can be understood by the sweetness of his prayer.
In sādhaka-consciousness, Śrīpāda addresses his own citta:(1) “O virtuous one! Quickly take shelter of the supreme reality known as Rādhā.” A heart devoted exclusively to its desired object is a sādhu-citta. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmipāda said that sādhus are those who have given up their cheating propensities, including the desire for liberation, and devoted themselves to bhagavad-bhakti. sādhubhiḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ mokṣa-paryanta-kāmanā-rahitair ity arthaḥ (Krama-Sandarbhaḥ commentary on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.4.46). The esteemed author of this book was at first a follower of the doctrine of mukti (liberation). By Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s boundless mercy, he became free from the grip of the demon of desire for mukti and discovered vraja-rasa. For this reason, it is appropriate for him to address his own heart as sādhu-citta. He is encouraging his heart and mind to seek complete refuge at Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet. This śaraṇāgati is the giver of life to sādhana-bhajana. If śaraṇāgati-bhāva is not well-established in the sādhaka’s heart, there is no worship of Bhagavān’s lotus feet. The sādhaka who desires bhagavad-bhakti takes exclusive shelter at Śrī Bhagavān’s lotus feet to become free from the influence of various anarthas and attain his goal of prema-sevā. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmipāda said, ananya-gati-tvaṁ ca dvidhā darśyate. āśrayāntasyābhāva-kathanena, nātiprajñayā kathaṁcid āśritasyānyasya tyajanena ca (Bhakti-Sandarbhaḥ 236 Anuḥ). Exclusivity is accomplished in two ways: First, by understanding that the heart has no shelter other than Śrī Bhagavān’s lotus feet, the embodiments of fearlessness and immortality. Second, by taking shelter of another due to lack of knowledge, but then abandoning that and devoting oneself exclusively to Bhagavān. However, the hearts of Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s dāsīs are not satisfied by taking shelter at Bhagavān’s lotus feet. Their only refuge is at the feet of Śrī Rādhā. As a result of this śaraṇāgati, they obtain the amazingly sweet rasa of bhagavat-sevā, the highest accomplishment. This will be described in the appropriate place.
Śrīpāda wants to take shelter of the supreme reality named Rādhā. A little of the greatness of that supreme reality is hinted at in this verse. He first says rādhā mañju-svabhāvā—she has a sweet and affectionate nature. She shows this nature toward Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the sakhīs and mañjarīs, and to the jīvas of the world. Śrīmatī is so beautiful when she manifests her sweet nature, which is devoid of the desire for sense-enjoyment and filled with the joy of govinda-sevā. The sakhīs and mañjarīs are also continuously blessed with a shower of Śrī Rādhā’s natural sweetness. She is bound by the love of her sakhīs and is affectionate to her countless dāsīs.
No one can abandon his or her nature. Śrī Bhagavān said,
samo’haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo’sti na priyaḥ |
ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā mayi te teṣu cāpy aham ||
yadyapi svatantra āmi svatantra-ācāra |
tathāpiha bhakta-baśa svabhāba āmāra ||
“I am equal to all beings; I am neither friend nor foe to anyone. But those who worship me with devotion are in me and I am in them.” (Śrī-Bhagavad-Gītā 9.29) “Though I am supremely independent, it is my nature to be submissive to my devotees. I am unable to give that up under any circumstance.” (Śrī-Caitanya-Bhāgavata 3.1.268)
However one may worship Śrī Kṛṣṇa, he will be blessed in the same way. ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (Śrī-Bhagavad-Gītā 4.11). But sweet-natured Śrī Rādhā gives herself freely to the jīvas of the world without waiting for their worship. Śrī Rādhā’s nature is manifest in Śrī Gaurasundara. Mahāprabhu gave prema to the jīvas without consideration; this is the power of Śrīmatī’s nature. Having accepted Śrīmatī’s nature and complexion, the Lord of Vraja has become Gaurāṅga. Therefore, the giving of prema without judgement is Śrīmatī’s svabhāva, not Govinda’s.
Moreover, Śrī Rādhā is adhi-kalpa-latā-nikuñjam. She presides over a bower of desire-fulfilling creepers in Śrī Vṛndāvana and causes Śrī Govinda, the embodiment of amorous passion (śṛṅgāra), to drink the honey-like śṛṅgāra-rasa (the erotic sentiment). kṛṣṇake karāya śyāma-rasa-madhu-pāna, nirantara pūrṇa kare kṛṣṇera sarba-kāma (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 8.180). “By causing Kṛṣṇa to drink the nectarous śyāma-rasa, she constantly fulfills all of his desires.” Śyāmasundara is the embodiment of the desire to taste the sweetness of condensed kāntā-rasa.(2) He is the incarnation of amorous passion. The desire for śṛṅgāra-rasa appears within his heart and the embodiment of the fulfillment of that desire is the presiding deity Śrī Rādhā. Unlike with the consorts of the other forms of Bhagavān, there is no possibility or way for him to experience the sweetness of the śṛṅgāra-rasa of the girls of Vraja in their own pleasant homes, surrounded by their mothers, fathers, relatives and friends. After Yogamāyā produced the notion of parakīya-bhāva, she made arrangements that Kṛṣṇa’s meetings with the gopīs would be difficult to obtain, filled with obstacles and require that their desires be concealed in order to make the rasa-mādhurya surge. Therefore, they took great pains to meet in secrecy. The most secluded and private hiding place of Vraja is the cottage in the bower. She who is the presiding deity of that enchanting cottage succeeded in obtaining a joyful meeting with Śyāmasundara in a place surrounded by wonderful natural beauty.
vācā sūcita-śarvarī-rati-kalā-prāgalbhyayā rādhikāṁ
vrīḍā-kuñcita-locanāṁ viracayann agre sakhīnām asau |
tad-vakṣoruha-citra-keli-makarī-pāṇḍitya-pāraṁgataḥ
kaiśoraṁ saphalī-karoti kalayan kuñje vihāraṁ hariḥ ||
“One day, Śrī Rādhā was in the bower surrounded by her companions. Śrī Hari was showing off his expertise to the sakhīs by painting pictures of dolphins upon Rādhā’s breasts. She narrowed her eyes in embarrassment after he boasted about their love-play the previous night. Śrī Hari makes his adolescence fruitful through his pastimes in the bower.” (Bhakti-Rasāmṛta-Sindhuḥ 2.1.231)
Or, adhi-kalpa-latā-nikuñjam means that Śrī Rādhā is the presiding deity of the desire-fulfilling creepers of the bower. She fulfills Nikuñja-Vilāsī Śyāmasundara’s heart’s desire beyond his wildest dreams. The waves of Śrī Rādhā’s mādana-rasa wash over his heart and mind in such a way that he cannot even imagine such enjoyment. Or, Śrīmatī is a forest bower of wish-fulfilling creepers that satisfies beyond their wildest dreams the desires of the sakhīs and mañjarīs, as well as of the sādhaka-bhaktas whose hearts are saturated with love. A single kalpa-latā fulfills all desires, but to fulfill the desires of those who have taken refuge in her, Śrī Rādhā becomes like a forest bower full of kalpa-latās. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.38.22 says,
na tasya kaścid dayitaḥ suhṛttamo
na cāpriyo dveṣya upekṣya eva vā |
tathāpi bhaktān bhajate yathā tathā
sura-drumo yadvad upāśrito’rtha-daḥ ||
“To Śrī Bhagavān, no one is dear, objectionable, friendly, to be hated or neglected. Still, like a desire-tree gives its fruits only to those who have approached it, Śrī Bhagavān only fulfills the desires of his sheltered bhaktas.” There is no injustice in this. The commentators on this verse have said that Śrī Bhagavān is subservient to those who have taken refuge, whereas a kalpa-taru is not. Therefore, Śrī Bhagavān is more generous than a kalpa-taru because he gives himself to his bhakta. Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s affection for her devotees is many times greater than even Śrī Bhagavān’s. Therefore, Śrīpāda has said, vyañjantam adbhuta-kṛpā-rasa-puñjam eva. Śrī Rādhā is renowned for her astonishing mercy. She showers countless streams of mercy-nectar upon her sheltered ones without judgement. Her mercy is adbhuta, or astonishing, meaning that even a tiny bit of her mercy infuses one with love for Śrī Govinda. She is the presiding deity of love—the prema-lakṣmī. We have said that now, in this particular kali-yuga, Śrīman Mahāprabhu has held Śrī Rādhā’s compassionate mood in his heart and flooded the world with a stream of prema: hema-jalada-kāya, prema-dhārā bariṣaya (Mahājana). Because he accepted Śrī Rādhā’s compassionate mood, his willpower has now become subservient to the power of compassion. yadyapi bhagavata icchādhīnaiva karuṇā tathāpi karuṇā paratantratvaṁ tasyeti kadācit karuṇāpi svatantrā bhavatīti, karuṇāyā eva sāhāyyena yad-bhavati tad eva bhaviṣyatīti (Śrī-Caitanya-Candrodaya-Nāṭaka, Tenth Act). The meaning is that even though Śrī Bhagavān’s mercy is subservient to his will, sometimes his mercy becomes strong and subordinates his will. Then, whatever is going to happen happens with the help of his mercy. ei dekhi caitanyera kṛpā mahābala, tāṅra anusandhāna binā karaye saphala (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 14.16). “I see that Caitanya’s mercy is very powerful; it succeeds even without an aim.” This is a wonderful strategy for manifesting Śrī Rādhā’s astonishing mercy.
Moreover, Śrī Rādhā is an unlimited and unobstructed ocean of nectarous prema. premāmṛtāmbudhim agādham abādham. This nectarous prema, though being showered abundantly, can never be totally exhausted because it is unlimited. Mahābhāva-Svarūpinī Śrī Rādhā is the supreme shelter of the love of all her companions and bhaktas. She is a boundless ocean of prema-rasa and has therefore been called agādha or unlimited. An ocean of the material world will be totally consumed by time, but the transcendental ocean of prema is eternal. It grows moment by moment and because it can never lose even a drop, it is called unlimited. The oceans of the world are dwelling places for crocodiles, sharks and other ferocious beasts. But in this ocean of nectarous prema, there are no crocodiles or sharks in the form of desires for sense-enjoyment and liberation. Therefore, it has been called abādha or unobstructed.
Or, the word rādhābhidha means Śrī Rādhā’s name. In sādhaka-consciousness, Śrīpāda humbly said, “O my virtuous mind and heart! Quickly take exclusive refuge in the name of Rādhā.” He gives four attributes of that rādhā-nāma. Śrī Nāma is mañju-svabhāvam, meaning it has a very charming nature. It is an unfailing direct avatāra of the mercy of the one named. na tu parameśvarasyaiva tat-tad-yogyatā-sambhavād varṇa-mātrasya tathoktiḥ stuti-rūpaiveti mantavyam. avatārāntaravat parameśvarasyaiva varṇa-rūpenāvatāro’yam iti (Bhagavat-Sandarbhaḥ 46 Anuḥ). Let no one think that because Parameśvara is capable of releasing one from limitless sins, giving liberation and bestowing prema that narrations about the glory of his names are adulatory only. Like other avatāras of Parameśvara, Śrī Nāma is also the incarnation of Śrī Bhagavān’s condensed mercy. The verbal root nam means “to bring down.” If people take shelter of the sweet name of Rādhā in any form, Śrī Nāma brings Śrī Rādhā down to them. namayatīti nāma. Because it brings the one named to the one who accepts the name, the word nāma is appropriate. Śrī Nāma never abandons its nature as it destroys all the sins of the sheltered one and brings the named one to him. If the tongue just once utters that naturally sweet rādhā-nāma, it never wants to give it up and the desire to taste it gradually increases. Śrī Rādhā’s name never abandons its delightful nature. Śrī Nāma is adhi-kalpa-latā-nikuñjam, meaning it is like a forest bower full of wish-fulfilling creepers meant to fulfill the sheltered one’s desires. nāmera phale kṛṣṇa-pade prema upajaye (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Antya 7.108). “As a result of chanting nāma, one develops pure love for Kṛṣṇa.” Śrī Rādhā’s name is a mahāmantra for attracting Śrī Kṛṣṇa. yaj-jāpaḥ sakṛd eva gokula-pater ākarṣakas tat-kṣaṇāt (Rādhā-Rasa-Sudhā-Nidhiḥ 95). If one speaks rādhā-nāma only once, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of Gokula, is immediately attracted. Śrī Rādhā’s name reveals her astonishing compassion. Śrī Nāma is even more merciful than Śrī Rādhārāṇī. Śrīman Mahāprabhu has described the glory of Śrī Bhagavān’s nāma-kīrtana:
saṅkīrtana haite—pāpa-saṁsāra-nāśana |
citta-śuddhi, sarba-bhakti-sādhana udgama ||
kṛṣṇa-premodgama, premāmṛta-āsvādana |
kṛṣṇa-prāpti sebāmṛta samudre majjana ||
“As a result of the performance of saṅkīrtana, the world of sin is destroyed, the mind and heart are purified and all forms of bhakti-sādhana come forth. Love for Kṛṣṇa appears and one tastes the nectar of prema. Kṛṣṇa is attained and one sinks into the ocean of delightful sevā.” (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Antya 20.13-14)
The glories of śrī-rādhā-nāma are even more widespread. The following is seen in Brahma-Vaivarta-Purāṇa:
‘rā’ śabdoccāraṇād eva sphīto bhavati mādhavaḥ |
‘dhā’ śabdoccārataḥ paścād dhāvaty eva sasambhramaḥ ||
“When someone simply utters the sound rā, Mādhava becomes jubilant. When he hears that person say dhā, he runs after him with excitement.” Because the name and the one named are non-different, he then describes śrī-rādhā-nāma as an unlimited and unobstructed ocean of nectarous prema.
“O virtuous heart and mind! Be good or you will not get a taste for nāma. Relish the supreme truth by becoming competent in the performance of śrī-rādhā-nāma-kīrtana.” Śrīpāda Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmicaraṇa has praised śrī-rādhā-nāma in Śrī-Stavāvalī, Abhīṣṭa-Sūcanam 10 as follows:
rādheti nāma nava-sundara-sīdhu-mugdhaṁ
kṛṣṇeti nāma madhurādbhuta-gāḍha-dugdham |
sarva-kṣaṇaṁ surabhi-rāga-himena ramyaṁ
kṛtvā tad eva piba me rasane kṣudhārte ||
“O my thirsty tongue! The name ‘Rādhā’ is like ever-fresh and delicious nectar; the name ‘Kṛṣṇa’ is like sweet and amazing condensed milk. Mix these two extraordinary substances with fragrant ice(3) in the form of love and drink it at every moment.” If a sādhaka takes exclusive shelter of rādhā-nāma, he will be blessed to taste its sweetness and to obtain the nikuñja-sevā he most desires.
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1. Citta means heart or mind.
2. Kāntā means a beloved woman.
3. The word used here is hima, which can mean ice or camphor.
