पत्रावलीं रचयितुं कुचयोः कपोले
बद्धुं विचित्रकवरीं नवमल्लिकाभिः ।
अङ्गं च भूषयितुमाभरणैर्धृताशे
श्रीराधिके मयि विधेहि कृपावलोकम् ॥ ३७ ॥
patrāvalīṁ racayituṁ kucayoḥ kapole
baddhuṁ vicitra-kavarīṁ nava-mallikābhiḥ |
aṅgaṁ ca bhūṣayitum ābharaṇair dhṛtāśe
śrī-rādhike mayi vidhehi kṛpāvalokam || 37 ||
“O Śrī Rādhikā! I long to paint leaves on your breasts and cheeks, to bind your beautiful braid with a jasmine garland, and to decorate your limbs with ornaments. Please cast your merciful glance upon me.”
Desire for Service
Rasa-Varṣiṇī-Vyākhyā: Śrīpāda’s stream of visions has not ended. After being overwhelmed by the beauty of Śrī Rādhā’s breasts, which are a treasure trove of good qualities, Śrīpāda offers obeisance to them. They drive Śyāmasundara mad during love-play, though he is the embodiment of eternity, knowledge and bliss. The sādhaka must join his mind with Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s and taste the sweetness of remembering their pastimes. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrīpāda Śuka Muni has said that when Uddhava Mahāśaya arrived in Vṛndāvana with a message from Kṛṣṇa, he met privately with a group of vraja-gopikās and answered their questions. rahasy apṛcchat (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.47.3). It is natural to ask how one can be private when in the company of innumerable Vraja girls. In the Vaiṣṇava-Toṣaṇī commentary it says that all of their heartstrings are tuned to the same note; there are no outsiders present. For this reason the word nirjana (private) has been used. rahasi vijātīya-bhāvāgocare. In the same way, the rāga-mārga-sādhaka is a follower of those who are dear to his beloved Kṛṣṇa, so he tunes his own heartstrings to the bhāva of their heart-vīṇās. This harmonious sound will awaken the vibrations of compassion in Śrī Yugala’s heart. Without mercy, one cannot realize the confidential truths of yugala-līlā. If one’s mundane mentality is reawakened, he may be submerged again in the ocean of saṁsāra. Śrīmad Dāsa Gosvāmipāda wrote the following in his Abhīṣṭa-Sūcanam:
ābhīra-pallī-pati-putra-kāntā-
dāsyābhilāṣātibalāśva-vāraḥ |
śrī-rūpa-cintāmala-sapti-saṁsthā
mat-svānta-durdānta-hayecchur āstām ||
“Let my unruly mind-horse join the pure thought-horses of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmipāda. He is like a powerful horseman, the embodiment of the desire to serve Śrī Rādhā, the lover of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda, the king of Vraja.” The meaning is that in the matter of obtaining rādhā-dāsya, my own thoughts are not so good. Let my mind, immersed in the pure stream of Śrīmad Rūpa Gosvāmipāda’s thoughts, be engaged in service to Śrī Rādhā. Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa are very compassionate. After personally experiencing their pure feelings, they deposited them in the author.
In his kiṅkarī form, Śrīpāda has been blessed to taste with his eyes the juicy sweetness of yugala-vilāsa through an opening in the bower. The pastime has come to an end; understanding that the time for sevā had arrived, the kiṅkarī entered the bower-house. The sweet sevā of the sweet couple at the end of the līlā is the exclusive treasure of the kiṅkarīs. This is how the kiṅkarīs differ from the sakhīs.
rati-raṇe śrama-yuta, nāgarī nāgara, mukha bhari tāmbūla yogāya |
malayaja kuṅkuma, mṛga-mada karpūra, militaṅhi gāta lāgāya ||
aparūpa priya-sakhī prema |
nija prāṇa-koṭi, deha niramañchai, naha tula lākhabāna hema ||
manohara mālya, duṅhu gale arpai, bījai śīta mṛdu-bāta |
sugandhī śītala, jala karu arpaṇa, yaiche hoyata duṅhu śānta ||
“The two sweethearts are exhausted from their battle of love. Their bodies are more lustrous than gold smelted 100,000 times. Their priya-sakhīs give them tāmbūla to chew and anoint their bodies with sandalwood paste, saffron, musk and camphor. They love Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa more than millions of their own lives. They place beautiful garlands on their necks, fan them to make a gentle breeze and offer cool, fragrant water to their satisfaction.” (Mahājana)
Because of so much love-play, Śrī Rādhā’s clothing and ornaments have become undone. She said to Kṛṣṇa, “Quickly dress and decorate me; if my sakhīs come, they will make fun of me.” Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the best of lovers, was completely overwhelmed by the sweetness of Śrī Rādhā’s rasa. He must paint leaves on her breasts, but when he saw how beautiful they were, he became so helpless that his hands went limp and his body erupted in goosebumps. When Śrī Rādhā, the jewel of intriguing girls, saw his condition, she smiled softly and said to the kiṅkarī, “Dress me quickly; my lover is not able to do it.” The kiṅkarī gave Kṛṣṇa a gentle push and said, “Go; you won’t be doing this today.” Kṛṣṇa thought, “Alas, I am so inept. If only I had been blessed with the good fortune of a kiṅkarī!” With great skill, the kiṅkarī painted leaves on Śrī Rādhā’s breasts and cheeks. She performs her sevā with deep affection. The love in her heart takes shape in service. Enchanted, the helpless lover watches the kiṅkarī’s skillful sevā. The dāsī arranged Rādhā’s disheveled hair into a braid and bound it with a garland of jasmines. She adorned her lovely limbs with various kinds of ornaments. As Kṛṣṇa watched the sevā methods of the highly skilled kiṅkarī, a powerful desire awakened in him to become Śrī Rādhā’s maidservant. When he incarnated in the form of Śrī Gaura to taste the sweetness of Rādhā’s bhāva, he relished the sweetness of her viraha in the gambhīrā-līlā. At that time, he saw how the mañjarīs served Śrī Rādhā in a Vṛndāvana bower and the desire for such service awakened in him. Śrīla Kavirāja Gosvāmipāda said in Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛtam, Ādi 17.305-306:
ithe tarka kari keha nā kara saṁśaya |
kṛṣṇera acintya-śakti ei mata haya ||
acintya adbhuta kṛṣṇa caitanya bihāra |
citra-bhāba citra-guṇa citra-byabahāra ||
“Let no one argue or raise doubts in this matter. Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s unfathomable power is like this. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya’s pastimes are inconceivable and astonishing; his nature, qualities and behavior are wonderful.”
When Mahāprabhu saw the Caṭaka Mountain, because he was intoxicated with prema, he thought it to be Govardhana and started running toward it. He was attacked simultaneously by the astonishing eight sāttvika-vikāras (ecstatic transformations). After being cared for by his companions, he began to regain consciousness and spoke incoherently in a half-external state.
iṅhā haite āji mui geluṅ gobardhana |
dekhoṅ yadi kṛṣṇa kare godhana-cāraṇa ||
gobardhane caḍhi kṛṣṇa bājāilā beṇu |
gobardhanera caudike care saba dhenu ||
beṇu-dhvani śuni āilā rādhā-ṭhākurāṇī |
tāṅra rūpa bhāba sakhi! barṇite nā jāni ||
rādhā lañā kṛṣṇa prabeśilā kandarāte |
sakhī-gaṇa kahe more phula uṭhāite ||
hena-kāle tumi saba kolāhala kailā |
tāṅhā haite dhari more iṅhā laiyā āilā ||
“Today I went to Govardhana to see if Kṛṣṇa was tending the cows. He was playing his flute as he climbed the hill, surrounded by the grazing cows. After hearing the sound of his flute, Rādhā Ṭhākurāṇī arrived there. Friend! I don’t know how to describe her beauty and nature. Kṛṣṇa then took Rādhā into a mountain cave; the sakhīs told me to go and pick some flowers. At that time, you all made a tumultuous noise and carried me back here.” (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛtam, Antya 14.106-110)
The sakhīs directed the kiṅkarīs to pick flowers for yugala-sevā. Therefore, through this, we get a clear idea of bhakti-rasa-avatāra Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s experience of rādhā-kiṅkarī-bhāva. Moreover, when he fell into the ocean, he rambled on, half-conscious, as follows:
kālindī dekhiyā āmi gelāma bṛndābana |
dekhi—jala-krīḍā kare brajendra-nandana ||
rādhikādi gopī-gaṇa saṅge eka meli |
yamunāra jale mahāraṅge kare keli ||
tīre rahi dekhi āmi sakhī-gaṇa saṅge |
eka sakhī dekhāya more sei saba raṅge ||
“I went to Vṛndāvana and saw the Kālindī. I saw Vrajendranandana enjoying water-sports with Śrī Rādhikā and the other gopīs in the Yamunā. I remained on the bank and watched with the sakhīs, one of whom showed me all the fun.” (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛtam, Antya 18.80-82) This rādhā-dāsya is Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s gift of mercy. Having personally experienced this, he has left instructions for the sādhakas of the world:
āpane kari āsvādane, śikhāila bhakta-gaṇe,
prema-cintāmaṇira prabhu dhanī |
nāhi jāne sthānāsthāna, yāre tāre kaila dāna,
mahāprabhu dātā śiromaṇi ||
aiche gupta-bhāba-sindhu, brahmā nā pāya yāra bindu,
hena dhana bilāila saṁsāre |
aiche dayālu abatāra, aiche dātā nāhi āra,
guṇa keho nāre barṇibāre ||
kahibāra kathā nahe, kahile keha nā bujhaye,
aiche citra caitanyera raṅga |
se-i se bujhite pāre, caitanyera kṛpā yāre,
haya tāra dāsānudāsa-saṅga ||
“After tasting it himself, he taught the bhaktas. Mahāprabhu is rich in prema-cintāmaṇi (thought-gems of love). He does not consider whether a recipient is suitable or not; he offers his gift to all. Mahāprabhu is the greatest benefactor. Brahmā got not a drop of this secret ocean of love. Mahāprabhu distributed this wealth in the world. He is the most compassionate avatāra; there is no greater benefactor. No one can describe his qualities. There are no words to describe them. If someone tries, no one will understand. Such pastimes of Śrī Caitanya are wonderful. Only one who has the mercy of Śrī Caitanya can understand. He gets the association of the servants of his servants.” (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛtam, Madhya 2.81-83) Śrīpāda’s vision ended after Śrī Rādhā was dressed. In sādhaka-consciousness, he offered this prayer: “O Śrī Rādhikā! I sit here bearing hope to someday dress you. Please quickly make my tree of hope fruitful with your merciful glance.”
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