संलापमुच्छलदनङ्ग-तरङ्गमाला-
संक्षोभितेन वपुषा व्रजनागरेण ।
प्रत्यक्षरं क्षरदपार-रसामृताब्धिं
श्रीराधिके तव कदा नु शृणोम्यदूरात् ॥ ४६ ॥
saṁlāpam ucchalad-anaṅga-taraṅga-mālā-
saṁkṣobhitena vapuṣā vraja-nāgareṇa |
praty-akṣaraṁ kṣarad-apāra-rasāmṛtābdhiṁ
śrī-rādhike tava kadā nu śṛṇomy adūrāt || 46 ||
“O Śrī Rādhikā! When will I get to stand nearby and hear your conversations with the gallant of Vraja, as your bodies tremble from the surging waves of love. Every syllable you speak is a drop of the boundless ocean of nectar.”
Śrī Rādhā’s Conversation
Rasa-Varṣiṇī-Vyākhyā: Absorbed in his svarūpa in a mystical vision, Śrīpāda is giving Kiśorī-Maṇi Śrī Rādhā a taste of śyāma-rasa as he leads her into the bower. “The sweetness of your most captivating adolescence steals the heart and mind of even Śyāmasundara, the enchanter of the whole world. The sweetness of your adolescence steals even from other thieves—such is its power. śrī-vṛndāvana-candra-durmada-manaś-caurīṁ kiśorīṁ smara (Saṅgīta-Mādhava 43). The mind of Vṛndāvana-Candra Śrī Śyāmasundara is difficult to subdue. He personally steals the hearts and minds of the world. Who will steal his mind? In this matter, Kiśorī-Maṇi Śrī Rādhā is the most capable.” The kiṅkarī was speaking so sweetly that some eagerness to meet with Śyāma was awakening in Śrīmatī’s heart. Happiness, enthusiasm and hope must be instilled in the heart of mahābhāva. This is the specialty of rādhā-dāsya. Without following the path of the mahājanas, a person will not understand the essence of this truth. Śrī Rūpa, Śrī Raghunātha and Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatipāda are the ṛṣis of vraja-rasa. The essence of the mañjarī-bhāva-sādhaka’s sādhana is to follow in their footsteps. Without this, the meaning of the subject matter cannot be understood. The king of rasa is served through mahābhāva. This is the most important thing in a life of bhajana. To attain this, the sādhaka must constantly think of Śrī Rādhārāṇī. Without intense longing, one cannot keep Śrīmatī in one’s thoughts. Hearing and singing the great teachings of the ācāryas will cause intense longing to awaken in the sādhaka’s heart. If the sādhaka devotes himself to these great teachings, a desire for whole-hearted worship of Śrī Rādhā will arise within him. The ācāryas teach that absorption in anything else will hinder a relationship with Śrī Rādhārāṇī.
tavaivāsmi tavaivāsmi na jīvāmi tvayā vinā |
iti vijñāya devi tvaṁ naya māṁ caraṇāntikam ||
“O Śrī Rādhikā, my Goddess! I am yours, I am yours—I cannot live for even a moment without you. Knowing this, please accept me at the tips of your lotus feet.” (Vilāpa-Kusumāñjaliḥ 96) These sweet, sweet teachings are perceived through bhajana-rasa. I do not get a taste of these teachings in my life. If one gives some of his mind to saṁsāra and some to Śrī Rādhārāṇī, the sweetness of her sevā-rasa will not be perceived. One’s full mind must be given to Śrī Rādhārāṇī. One must constantly remain in the presence of Śrīmatī’s lotus feet while in spiritual consciousness. Śrīpāda Sarasvaticaraṇa has amazing realizations of sevā-rasa! By describing the victory of Śrīmatī’s adolescence over Mohana’s supreme charm (in the previous verse), the kiṅkarī caused her to become eager to meet with the king of nāgaras, who had been anxiously waiting for her. Having met now, they are both excited to please each other. Śrī Rādhārāṇī says, nā gaṇi āpana duḥkha, sabe bāñchi tāṁra sukha, tāṁra sukhe āmāra tātparya. “I do not consider my own misery. In all situations, I want him to be happy. My goal is to make him happy.” In the same way, to also show Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s unselfish nature, Śrīla Gosvāmipāda has said, sarvātiśāyi premavatīnāṁ śrī-vraja-sundarīṇāṁ manoratha-paripūraṇam eva priya-mātra-sukhārthaṁ sarvaṁ kurvataḥ śrī-bhagavato mukhyatama prayojanam iti (Vaiṣṇava-Toṣaṇī commentary of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.29.1). Even though Śrī Bhagavān is ātmārāma (rejoices in himself), āpta-kāma (has all his desires fulfilled) and nitya-tṛpta (ever satisfied), he is also bhakta-vatsala (affectionate to his devotees). Bhakti, the faculty of the hlādinī-śakti in the bhakta’s heart, causes waves of desire for the bhakta’s prema-sevā to arise in the heart of the always self-satisfied Śrī Bhagavān. Therefore, after accepting the bhakta’s prema-sevā, Śrī Bhagavān becomes extremely eager to make the bhakta happy. Among all the bhaktas, the vraja-sundarīs are preeminent. Moreover, even among the vraja-sundarīs, Śrī Rādhārāṇī is the greatest of all. Thus, after accepting Śrī Rādhā’s sevā, Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s primary goal is to make her happy. For this reason, there is so much sweetness in their meeting, so many sweet feelings.
Nāgararāja Śrī Kṛṣṇa is captivated by the beauty of Bhāvamayī Śrī Rādhā’s feminine gestures, nature, charm and other ornaments. The kiṅkarī is floating in an ocean of joy. The sevā she has done, meaning the awakening of eagerness in Śrīmatī’s heart by giving her a taste of sweet, sweet śyāma-rasa, has united the river of Rādhā with the ocean of Śyāma. As a result of that, the kiṅkarī is now enjoying the surging waves of Śrī Yugala’s mādhurya. How sweet is rādhā-dāsya! If you get a little taste, you will offer your life at her lotus feet. The kiṅkarī sees that Śrī Yugala’s amazing beauty surpasses that of fully blossomed blue and golden lotuses. Moreover, the ocean of mādhurya-rasa is overflowing from the beautiful mouth and eyes of Śrī Rādhā, the embodiment of great wisdom and enchanter of the son of the king of cowherds. Śrī Yugala’s nectarous pastime has begun. Through an opening in the bower, the kiṅkarī is tasting with her eyes and ears the overflowing sweetness of their bodies and words. The sādhaka must immerse himself in the nectar of remembering this rasa.
yugala-caraṇa sebi, nirantara ei bhābi,
anurāgī thākiba sadāya |
sādhane bhābiba yāhā, siddha-dehe pāba tāhā,
rāga-pathera ei se upāya ||
sādhane ye dhana cāi, siddha-dehe tāhā pāi,
pakvāpakva mātra se bicāra |
pākile se prema-bhakti, apakve sādhana-gati,
bhakati lakṣaṇa tattva-sāra ||
“I shall always remained devoted to Śrī Yugala’s lotus feet and shall constantly meditate on serving them. I shall obtain in my siddha-deha that which I contemplate during sādhana. This is the method for those on the path of rāga.
“I shall attain in my siddha-deha the treasure that I long for during sādhana: the only consideration is ripeness or unripeness. The unripe stage consists of the practices of sādhana; the ripened stage is prema-bhakti. This is the essential characteristic of the path of devotion.” (Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 55-56)
As a result of deep contemplation, the sādhaka experiences rasa as though directly. In the mind of one established in viśuddha-sattva, the beautiful līlās are also experienced as though directly. During his Deccan tour, Mahāprabhu visited the temple of Śrī Raṅgakṣetra, where he saw a brāhmaṇa lecturing on Śrī-Bhagavad-Gītā. Noticing that he was displaying sāttvika-vikāras such as tears, goosebumps and so on, Mahāprabhu asked the brāhmaṇa later on how he had obtained such a blissful experience. The brāhmaṇa replied that as he was speaking, he got to see Śrī Kṛṣṇa sitting on Arjuna’s chariot giving him instructions. This caused his ocean of joy to overflow.
arjunera rathe kṛṣṇa hañā rajju-dhara | basiyāche hāte totra śyāmala sundara ||
arjunere kahitechena hita-upadeśa | ihā dekhi haya mora ānanda-ābeśa ||
yābat paḍoṁ tābat pāṅ tāṁra daraśana | ei lāgi gītā-pāṭha nā chāḍe mora mana ||
“Beautiful, dark Kṛṣṇa was sitting on Arjuna’s chariot with the reins in his hands. He was giving Arjuna instructions for his well-being. After seeing this, I was overcome with joy. For as long as I keep reading, I get his darśana. Because of this, my mind never stops reciting the Gītā.” (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛtam, Madhya 9.99-101)
As a result of deep smaraṇa, the sādhaka experiences Śrī Yugala’s mādhurī as though directly. Therefore, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya said, sādhana-smaraṇa-līlā, ihāte nā kara helā, kāya-mane kariyā susāra (Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 14). “Do not neglect the practice of līlā-smaraṇa; following this process with one’s body and mind is very powerful.”
In his kiṅkarī form, Śrīpāda is seeing the moon-faced Śrī Rādhā conversing in a faltering voice with the king of gallants. Śrīmatī is feeling incomparable joy from the love, happiness, touch and sweet greeting of her beloved. What a sweet conversation! Every syllable is soaked in mādana-rasa.(1) Nectar is oozing from every word. When Kṛṣṇa heard her nectarous speech, his body became agitated by rising waves of passion. This is the extraordinary effect of mahābhāva on Saccidānanda Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This is the intoxicating power of mādana-rasa on the mind and heart of the transcendental young god of love. ukti-pratyuktimad-vākyaṁ saṁlāpa iti kīrtyate. “Speech containing both statements and replies is called saṁlāpa or conversation.” (Ujjvala-Nīlamaṇi 11.85) Perhaps Śrī Yugala’s nectarous conversations are something like this: Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, “O dear one! We see that even miserly people in the world sometimes show generosity to allay the suffering of beggars. You are distressed by the misery of others. Why, though I have asked for it, do you not grant me the nectar of your lips? This is surprising!” Śrīmatī replies, “O best of rogues! Unfortunately, today even my dearest sakhī has opposed me and left me in your hands. This is not your fault. In spite of wandering from forest to forest in search of a deer, a hunter may be unsuccessful. But if suddenly a golden deer falls into his hands, he will feel proud. Thus, without hesitation you dare ask for the lip-nectar of a girl from a noble family.” Hearing this, Śrī Kṛṣṇa said, “O Gaurāṅgī! A newly-formed raincloud bearing a streak of lightning on his chest becomes most beautiful and inevitably thinks himself honored. The lightning, having given her own luster to the new cloud, should also consider herself most fortunate. Therefore, is it not appropriate that the cloud and lightning pass their time together rather than separately?” Śrīmatī replied, “O Gokulānanda! We are of noble descent. How can we abandon the kula-dharma we have faithfully practiced in accord with our family traditions? Tell me. Oho! My sakhīs brought me this far to pick flowers for sūrya-pūjā, which is the kula-dharma of a gopī. You are the son of a king. Why are you being so unkind to this helpless girl?”(2) When the ocean was churned, only one pot of nectar flowed out, but in Śrī Yugala’s conversation, every syllable is filled with an ocean of nectar. The kiṅkarī is swimming in that ocean as she hides nearby.
Suddenly his mystical vision came to an end. His heart and mind were deeply afflicted and he lamented loudly. The sweetness of the līlā he experienced has awakened a wonderful sense of excitement in his mind. Crying and crying he prayed, “When will I taste the sweetness of your conversations? Why did you leave me so far away? Please bring me closer to you.” As Śrīpāda floated on the waves of his prayer, a vision of that līlā appeared to him again. We will taste that in the next verse.
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1. Mādana means the god of love, intoxication, exhilaration.
2. One drop of this conversation has been taken from Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartipāda’s Surata-Kathāmṛtam. For an extended experience, please refer to the original book.
