Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 90 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

করিয়ে লোচন পান,        রূপলীলা দুঁহ গান,

আনন্দে মগন সহচরী ।

বেদবিধি-অগোচর,        রতন-বেদীর পর,

সেব নিতি কিশোর-কিশোরী ॥ ৯০ ॥

kariye locana pāna,        rūpa-līlā duṅha gāna,

ānande magana sahacarī |

beda-bidhi-agocara,        ratana-bedīra para,

seba niti kiśora-kiśorī || 90 ||

     Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s girlfriends drink in the divine couple’s beauty and pastimes through their eyes and sing of them in great joy. Always offer service to Śrī Kiśorī-Kiśora as they sit upon a jeweled loveseat in Vraja. This is beyond the reach of Vedic injunctions.

     टीका–आनन्दे इत्यादि–सख्य एवं कृत्वा आनन्दे मग्न भवन्ति ।

The Joy of the Sakhīs

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: After describing Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s prema-mādhurī (sweetness of love) and rūpa-mādhurī (sweetness of form), Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya now speaks of the sakhīs’ joyful experience of that sweetness. Filled with beauty and charm, Kiśorī-Kiśora Śrī Rādhā-Śyāma happily relax on a jeweled loveseat in a bower-cottage in delightful Śrī Vṛndāvana. Śrī Rādhā’s girlfriends, who surround them on all sides, are unique portraits of prema-rasa. They are unparalleled in beauty, sweetness and humor, and they sport everywhere, far and wide, as though the oceans of prema and rasa were overflowing. The sakhīs’ bee-like eyes drink with intense devotion the nectar flowing from Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s astonishing golden lotus and blue lotus forms, glowing with beauty and sweetness. The sakhīs sing in mellow voices about Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s charming pastimes in śṛṅgāra-rasa (the erotic sentiment). In this way, the sakhīs swim in the nectarous ocean of the divine couple’s forms, qualities and pastimes, immersed in the highest joy. Śrī Rādhā’s maidservants, her mañjarīs, are also sakhīs. Though they swim in the endless river of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness, the mañjarīs are always engaged in service to them and the other sakhīs. They never ignore their sevā and just absorb themselves in mādhurya. They bathe in Śrī Yugala’s mādhurī-rasa by engaging in acts of service. This is the difference between them and the other sakhīs. We can get a clear idea of this from some verses in Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya’s Prārthanā:

aruṇa-kamala-dale, seja bichāiba, basāiba kiśora-kiśorī |

alakā-āvṛta-mukha, paṅkaja manohara, marakata-śyāma hema-gaurī ||

prāṇeśvari! kabe more habe kṛpā-diṭhi |

ājñāya āniba kabe, bibidha phula-bara, śunaba bacana duṅha miṭhi ||

mṛga-mada tilaka, sindūra banāyaba, lepaba candana-gandhe |

gāṅthi mālatī-phula, hāra pahirāoba, dhāoyāba madhukara-bṛnde ||

lalitā kabe more, bījana deoyaba, bījaba māruta mande |

śrama-jala sakala, miṭaba duṅha kalebara, heraba parama ānande ||

narottama dāsa, āśa pada-paṅkaja, sebana mādhurī pāne |

haoyaba hena dina, nā dekhiye kona cina, duṅha jana heraba nayāne ||

     “I will scatter red lotus petals upon their bed and invite Kiśorī-Kiśora to sit. Their captivating emerald* and golden lotus faces are surrounded by locks of dark hair. O goddess of my life! When will you give your merciful glance to me? When, with your permission, will I bring you a bouquet of beautiful flowers? When will I hear your sweet conversations? I will decorate you with musk tilaka and vermilion in the part of your hair. I will anoint you both with fragrant sandalwood paste. I will string garlands of jasmine flowers and place them round your necks. If too many bees come, attracted by the aroma, I will shoo them all away. When Lalitā gives a fan to me, I will dry your perspiration with a gentle breeze. I will behold all this in great joy. Narottama Dāsa’s only wish is to drink the sweet nectar of service to your lotus feet. Alas, I see no sign of the day when I will gaze upon you two with my own eyes.”

     These verses from Prārthanā give us a very clear notion of how the mañjarīs relish the sweetness of the divine couple through service. Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas perform yugala-bhajana following the path of Śrī Rādhā’s maidservants. Śrīmat Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda wrote the following in his reflections on the nature of Śrī Rādhā’s kiṅkarīs in Vṛndāvana-Mahimāmṛta 2.86:

śrī-rādhā-pāda-padma-cchavi-madhuratara-prema-cij-jyotir-ekām-

bhodher udbhūta-phena-stabakamaya-tanūḥ sarva-vaidagdhya-pūrṇāḥ |

kaiśora-vyañjitās tad-ghana-rug-apaghana-śrī-camatkāra-bhājo

divyālaṅkāra-vastrā anusarata sakhe rādhikā-kiṅkarīs tāḥ ||

     “The luster from Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet is a sea of light born of sweet spiritual love. From that sea the forms of Śrī Rādhā’s kiṅkarīs have risen like clusters of foam. They are adolescent in age and expert in all skills. They are vessels of extraordinary beauty; they glow with the freshness of youth and are adorned with elegant clothing and ornaments. O friend! Follow them.” Śrīpāda has also described their divine forms in Vṛndāvana-Mahimāmṛta 2.58-59:

kiśora-vayasaḥ sphurat-puraṭa-rociṣo mohinīḥ

sucāru-kṛśa-madhyamāḥ pṛthu-nitamba-vakṣoruhāḥ |

suratna-kanakāñcita-sphurita-nāsika-mauktikāḥ

suveṇi-paṭa-bhūṣaṇāḥ smarata rādhikā-kiṅkarīḥ ||

suramyā dor-vallī-valaya-gaṇa-keyūra-rucirāḥ

kvaṇat-kāñcī-mañjīraka-maṇi-sutāṭaṅka-lalitāḥ |

lasad-veṇī vakṣoruha-mukula-hārāvali-rucaḥ

smarānanya-snigdhāḥ kanaka-ruci-rādhāṅghry-anucarīḥ ||

     “Meditate upon Śrī Rādhikā’s youthful handmaids, who have radiant, golden complexions and are the embodiments of charm. Their waists are lovely and slender; their hips and breasts well-formed. From their noses dangle lustrous pearls set in gold and fine jewels. Their hair is tied in elegant braids and they dress in silken cloth.

     “Meditate upon Śrī Rādhā’s delightful, golden-hued handmaids, who are devoted to none but her. Their delicate creeper-like arms are adorned with exquisite bracelets and armlets. They are decorated with jingling waist-bells, anklets, jeweled earrings and glistening plaits. Their beauty is enhanced by the luster of the necklaces resting on their budding breasts.”

     Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya is saying that the confidential bhajana of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava in the mood of Śrī Rādhā’s kiṅkarīs in Vraja, the abode of sweetness, is beyond the reach of Vedic injunctions. beda-bidhi-agocara, ratana-bedīra para, seba niti kiśora-kiśorī. The Vedas discuss karma, jñāna and upāsanā. In the chapter on upāsanā, or worship, the topics mostly relate to vidhi-bhakti or the worship of Bhagavān’s majestic forms. In this particular kali-yuga, Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu’s compassionate contribution, never before offered, is Vraja’s sweet mañjarī-bhāva-upāsanā. Śrīmat Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda has written the following in Śrī-Caitanya-Candrāmṛtam 111:

śrīmad-bhāgavatasya yatra paramaṁ tātparyam uṭṭaṅkitaṁ

śrī-vaiyāsakinā duranvayatayā rāsa-prasaṅge’pi yat |

yad-rādhā-rati-keli-nāgara-rasāsvādaika-sad-bhājanaṁ

tad-vastu-prathanāya gaura-vapuṣā loke’vatīrṇo hariḥ ||

     “Because the highest meaning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the cream of all vedānta, is very confidential and difficult to comprehend, Śrī Vyāsa’s son Śrīpāda Śukadeva Muni has only given a hint of it in his discourse on rāsa-līlā. To relish the erotic pastimes of Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s lover Śrī Kṛṣṇa and to propagate in the world the madhura-rasa type of prema, which is the cause of such enjoyment, Śrī Hari descended in the form of Gaurāṅga.”

     Therefore, this confidential worship of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa sitting on a jeweled loveseat under a desire tree in Śrī Vṛndāvana, which is beyond the reach of Vedic injunctions, is the extraordinary good fortune of the jīvas of kali-yuga. The people of kali-yuga should take shelter at Śrī Gaura’s lotus feet and perform the transcendental bhajana or sevā of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava. Hence, Śrīmat Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda has written the following in Śrī-Caitanya-Candrāmṛtam 34:

are mūḍhā gūḍhāṁ vicinuta harer bhakti-padavīṁ

davīyasyā dṛṣṭyāpy aparicita-pūrvāṁ muni-varaiḥ |

na viśrambhaś citte yadi yadi ca daurlabhyam iva tat

parityajyāśeṣaṁ vrajata śaraṇaṁ gaura-caraṇam ||

     “O deluded ones! Search out the confidential service of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s lotus feet. In previous times, even the wisest of sages were unable to obtain this knowledge. (Because of this, there is nothing said about it in the Vedas.) If you have no faith in this or if you think it is very difficult to attain (even for sages), then just give up everything and take shelter of Śrī Gaurāṅga’s lotus feet.” The implication is that by doing this, one will no doubt be blessed with the qualification for this esoteric bhajana.

*“Śrī Kṛṣṇa is said to possess the hue of the sapphire. Here he has been likened to an emerald apparently due to his color being blended with the golden hue of the gopīs and thus appearing green rather than cerulean.” From a comment on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.33.7 (Gītā Press Edition)

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 89 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

রাধিকা প্রেয়সীবরা,        বামা দিক্-মনোহরা,

কনক-কেশর-কান্তি ধরে ।

অনুরাগে রক্তশাড়ী,        নীলপট্টমনোহারী,

মণিময় আভরণ পরে ॥ ৮৯ ॥

rādhikā preyasī-barā,        bāmā dik-manoharā,

kanaka-keśara-kānti dhare |

anurāge rakta-śāḍī,        nīla-paṭṭa-manohārī,

maṇimaya ābharaṇa pare || 89 ||

     Śrī Rādhikā is Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s dearest sweetheart. She is strong-willed by nature; she charms the whole world. Her complexion is golden like the filaments of a lotus. She wears a crimson petticoat to express her hidden love. She looks enchanting wearing her dark blue dress and adorned with jeweled ornaments.

     टीका–नीलपट्ट-कृष्णवर्ण-सादृश्येन । अनुरागे–अनुरागेण हेतुना । वामा–वाम स्वभाव ॥

Kṛṣṇa’s Favorite: Śrī Rādhā

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In the commentary on the pīriti sukhera duṅhu bandhu segment of the previous verse, it was said that without Śrī Rādhārāṇī, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is unable to find joy even in the company of countless gopīs. In this verse, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya explains the reason for that by describing Śrī Rādhārāṇī. He first says, rādhikā preyasī-barā, bāmā dik-manoharā, kanaka-keśara-kānti dhare. Śrī Rādhārāṇī is the crest jewel of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s lovers. All of the vraja-gopīs who are Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s lovers are to be regarded as Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s bodily expansions; Śrī Rādhā is incomparable in beauty, good qualities and prema. We find the following description in Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, chapter 4:

kṛṣṇa-kāntā-gaṇa dekhi tribidha prakāra | 

eka lakṣmī-gaṇa pure mahiṣī-gaṇa āra ||

brajāṅganā-rūpa āra kāntā-gaṇa sāra | 

śrī-rādhikā haite kāntā-gaṇera bistāra ||

lakṣmī-gaṇa tāṅra baibhaba-bilāsāṁśa-rūpa | 

mahiṣī-gaṇa baibhaba-prakāśa-svarūpa ||

ākāra svabhāba bhede braja-debī-gaṇa | 

kāya-byūha-rūpa tāṅra rasera kāraṇa ||

bahu kāntā binā nahe rasera ullāsa | 

līlāra sahāya lāgi bahuta prakāśa ||

tāra madhye braje nānā bhāba rasa-bhede | 

kṛṣṇake karāya rāsādika līlāsvāde ||

gobindānandinī rādhā gobinda-mohinī | 

gobinda-sarbasva sarba-kāntā-śiromaṇi ||

     “Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s lovers are seen to be of three types: the goddesses of fortune, the queens of Dvārakā and, best of all, the beautiful girls of Vraja. They are all expansions of Śrī Rādhikā. The lakṣmīs are partial expressions of her vaibhava-vilāsa and the queens represent her vaibhava-prakāśa. The Vrajadevīs are all unique in appearance and nature. They are expansions of Śrī Rādhā’s body and are the instruments of rasa. Without many lovers the rasa does not come forth, so there are many manifested in Vraja with various natures and sentiments favorable to the līlā. They cause Śrī Kṛṣṇa to enjoy the rāsa-līlā and other pastimes. Śrī Rādhā gives joy to Govinda, enchants Govinda and is everything to Govinda. She is the crest-jewel of his lovers.”

     The reason that Śrī Rādhārāṇī is everything to Govinda, and the crest-jewel of all his lovers, is that present within her is the mahābhāva (great love) known as mādana, which intoxicates the transcendental young God of Love Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This treasure of love belongs only to Śrī Rādhārāṇī. She possesses extraordinary qualities that have arisen from this mādanākhya-mahābhāva which are not possible in any other lover. A few of those qualities can be seen in this verse from the Bṛhad-Gautamīya-Tantra:

devī kṛṣṇa-mayī proktā rādhikā para-devatā |
sarva-lakṣmī-mayī sarva-kāntiḥ sammohinī parāḥ ||

     “Śrī Rādhikā has been described as devī, kṛṣṇa-mayī, para-devatā, sarva-lakṣmī-mayī, sarva-kānti, sammohinī and parā.” These qualities have been explained in Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Ādi 4.84-88:

debī kahi–dyotamānā paramā sundarī | 

kimbā kṛṣṇa-pūjā-krīḍāra basati nagarī ||

kṛṣṇa-mayī–kṛṣṇa yāra antare bāhire | 

yāṅhā yāṅhā netra paḍe tāṅhā kṛṣṇa sphure ||

kimbā prema-rasa-maya kṛṣṇera svarūpa | 

tāṅra śakti tāṅra saha haya eka-rūpa ||

kṛṣṇa-bāñchā-pūrti-rūpa kare ārādhane | 

ataeba ‘rādhikā’ nāma purāṇe bākhāne ||

     “The word devī means a brilliant and most beautiful young woman; or it can also mean the abode of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes and worship. Kṛṣṇa-mayī means one for whom Śrī Kṛṣṇa is within and without; wherever her eyes may fall, Kṛṣṇa appears. Or, Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s form is filled with the nectar of love and his śakti is identical with him. Through her worship she fulfills all of Kṛṣṇa’s desires; she is therefore known in the Purāṇas as Rādhikā.” Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.30.28 says the following:

anayārādhito nūnaṁ bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ | 

yan no vihāya govindaḥ prīto yām anayad rahaḥ ||

     During the great rāsa dance, Śrī Kṛṣṇa took Śrī Rādhārāṇī from the circle of gopīs and disappeared. When searching diligently for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the other gopīs came upon Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s lotus footprints. After seeing that Candrāvalī and their other rivals had become extremely perturbed, Śrī Rādhā’s gopī friends said, “This girl has surely given abundant service to Bhagavān Lord Hari because Govinda abandoned all of us and led her with great pleasure to a secluded place.” From Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Ādi 4.89-95:

ataeba sarba-pūjyā parama-debatā | 

sarba-pālikā sarba-jagatera mātā ||

‘sarba-lakṣmī’-śabda pūrbe kariyāchi byākhyāna | 

sarba-lakṣmī-gaṇera teṅho haya adhiṣṭhāna ||

kimbā ‘sarba-lakṣmī’–kṛṣṇera ṣaḍ-bidha aiśvarya | 

tāṅra adhiṣṭhātrī śakti–sarba-śakti-barya ||

sarba-saundarya-kānti baisaye yāṅhāte | 

sarba-lakṣmī-gaṇera śobhā haya yāṅhā haite ||

kimbā ‘kānti’-śabde kṛṣṇera saba icchā kahe | 

kṛṣṇera sakala bāñchā rādhātei rahe ||

rādhikā karena kṛṣṇera bāñchita pūraṇa | 

‘sarba-kānti’-śabdera ei artha bibaraṇa ||

jagata-mohana kṛṣṇa, tāṅhāra mohinī | 

ataeba samastera parā ṭhākurāṇī ||

     “Therefore, Śrī Rādhā is to be worshiped by all. She is the supreme goddess, the guardian of all and the mother of the entire world. I have already given one explanation of the phrase sarva-lakṣmī: she is the basis of all the goddesses of fortune. Or, sarva-lakṣmī means she is the presiding deity of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s six opulences. She is the greatest of all śaktis. Sarva-kānti means that all beauty and grace rest within her; the loveliness of the lakṣmīs originates in her. Or, the word kānti can mean the totality of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s desires; all of his desires live in Śrī Rādhā. Śrī Rādhikā fulfills all of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s desires. This is the meaning of sarva-kānti. Śrī Kṛṣṇa enchants the entire universe, but Śrī Rādhā enchants even him. Therefore, she is the supreme goddess.”

     For these reasons, Śrī Rādhārāṇī is Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s most beloved sweetheart. Moreover, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya describes her as vāmā, meaning she is strong-willed by nature. aher iva gatiḥ premṇaḥ svabhāva-kuṭilā bhavet; ato hetor ahetoś ca yūnor māna udañcati. “Just as the movement of a snake is by nature crooked, in the same way, the movement of prema is naturally crooked. Therefore, with or without cause, the pride of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and his Vraja girlfriends may at any time appear.” Śrī Rādhārāṇī is above all others. We see the following in Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 14.160-162:

gopī-gaṇa madhye śreṣṭhā rādhā-ṭhākurāṇī | 

nirmala-ujjvala-rasa-prema-ratna-khani ||

bayase ‘madhyamā’ teṅho–svabhābete samā | 

gāḍha prema-bhābe teṅho nirantara ‘bāmā’ ||

bāmya-svabhābe ‘māna’ uṭhe nirantara | 

uṅhāra bāmye uṭhe kṛṣṇera ānanda-sāgara ||

     “Among all the gopīs, Śrī Rādhā Ṭhākurāṇī is the best; she is a jewel-mine of pure and passionate love. In age, she is neither youngest nor oldest. She is equable in disposition. Though deeply in love, she remains strong-willed. From her contrary nature, indignation rises within her, causing Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s ocean of joy to swell.”

     Moreover, Śrī Rādhārāṇī is dik-manoharā, meaning she captivates all the mobile and immobile creatures in all ten directions. Śrīmat Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda has described Śrī Rādhā’s enchanting form in his Saṅgīta-Mādhava 2.29-39:

vara-sīmanta-rasāmṛta-saraṇī-dhṛta-sindūra-surekhām |

śrī-vṛṣabhānu-kulāmbudhi-sambhava-subhaga-sudhākara-lekhām ||

smaratu mano mama niravadhi rādhām |

madhupati-rūpa-guṇa-śravaṇodita-sahaja-manobhava-bādhām ||

surucira-kavari-virājita-komala-parimala-malli-sumālām |

mada-cala-khañjana-khelana-gañjana-locana-kamala-viśālām ||

mada-karirāja-virājad anuttama-calita-lalita-gati-bhaṅgīm |

atisukumāra-kanaka-nava-campaka-gaura-madhura-madhurāṅgīm ||

maṇi-keyūra-lalita-valayāvali-maṇḍita-mṛdu-bhuja-vallīm |

pratipadam adbhuta-rūpa-camatkṛti-mohana-yuvati-matallīm ||

mṛdu-mṛdu-hāsa-lalita-mukha-maṇḍala-kṛta-śaśi-bimba-viḍambām |

kiṅkiṇi-jāla-khacita-pṛthu-sundara-nava-rasa-rāśi-nitambām ||

citrita-kañculikā-sthagitodbhaṭa-kuca-hāṭaka-ghaṭa-śobhām |

sphurad-aruṇādhara-sīdhu-sudhā-rasa-kṛta-hari-mānasa-lobhām ||

sundara-cibuka-virājita-mohana-mecaka-bindu-vilāsām |

sakanaka-ratna-khacita-pṛthu-mauktika-ruci-rucirojjvala-nāsām ||

ujjvala-rāga-rasāmṛta-sāgara-sāra-tanuṁ sukha-rūpām |

nipatita-mādhava-mugdha-mano-mṛga-nābhi-sudhā-rasa-kūpām ||

nūpura-hāra-manohara-kuṇḍala-kṛta-rucim aruṇa-dukūlām |

pathi pathi madana-madākula-gokula-candra-kalita-pada-mūlām ||

rasika-sarasvatī-gīta-mahādbhuta-rādhā-rūpa-rahasyam |

vṛndāvana-rasa-lālasa-manasām idam upageyam avaśyam ||

     “May my mind always remember Śrī Rādhā, who appeared from the ocean of Vṛṣabhānu’s family like a lovely crescent moon. She wears a beautiful vermilion streak in the part of her hair, which is like a channel for the flow of nectar. When she hears about Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s form, qualities and so on, she spontaneously feels lovesick. In her beautiful braid she wears a splendid garland of soft and fragrant jasmine flowers. The movements of her large eyes, excited with joy, defeat the dancing of a restless wagtail. Her captivating gait is graceful like that of an elephant king in rut. Her delicate and charming form is yellowish in color, like a fresh golden campaka flower. Her soft, slender arms are adorned with jeweled armlets and bangles. At every moment, her extraordinary and astonishing beauty creates wonder in all the young women. Her delightful, gently smiling face is more radiant than a full moon. She wears strings of tiny bells around her shapely hips, the embodiments of ever-fresh rasa. A colorful bodice covers the beauty of her flawless, golden-pot breasts. The nectar of her beguiling reddish lips allures Śrī Hari’s mind. Her exquisite chin is adorned with an elegant dot of musk, and her lovely nose is enhanced by the luster of a large pearl set in gold and jewels. Her body is the essence of the ocean of the nectar of passionate love. She is the embodiment of happiness. The enchanted deer of Mādhava’s mind has fallen into the well of nectar that is her navel. Her bodily luster is made brighter by her ankle bells, necklaces and earrings; she wears a crimson dress. Gokulacandra becomes intoxicated by love when he sees Śrī Rādhā’s footprints on the pathways. Those whose hearts and minds long for vṛndāvana-rasa should sing about the mysterious and extraordinary form of Śrī Rādhā as described by the rasika Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī.”

     Another reading is bāma-dike manoharā, which means “Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s beloved Śrī Rādhā looks very beautiful standing at his left side.” Śrīmat Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda wrote the following in Saṅgīta-Mādhava 2.43:

cetaḥ kām api kunda-sundara-sudhā-niḥsyandi-mandasmita-

jyotir-mohana-vaktra-candra-vigalat-premāmṛtāmbho-nidhim |

pratyaṅgocchalitānurāga-sahajānaṅgotsavaikāvadhiṁ

śrī-vṛndāvana-candra-durmada-manaś-caurīṁ kiśorīṁ smara ||

     “O mind! Always remember Śrī Rādhā, the indescribable jewel among young women, who steals the lovesick mind and heart of Śrī Vṛndāvanacandra. An ocean of sweet love flows from her captivating moonlike face, illumined by the luster of her gentle smile, beautiful and oozing nectar like a jasmine flower. Passion surges through her every limb; she is the singular limit of the natural festival of love.”

     Then, to describe the beauty of Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s complexion, dress and ornaments, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya said, kanaka-keśara-kānti dhare, anurāge rakta-śāḍī, nīla-paṭṭa-manohārī, maṇimaya ābharaṇa pare. Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, whose complexion is golden like the filaments of a lotus, looks enchantingly beautiful as she stands on the left side of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose complexion is deep-blue, like a brilliant sapphire. The love for Kṛṣṇa in her heart manifests as a scarlet petticoat on her lovely form. Red is the color of anurāga or passion. Śrīmatī keeps her love for Kṛṣṇa hidden in her heart; accordingly, she wears a scarlet undergarment. Śrīmatī is devoted to Śyāma, so she has great fondness for the color blue. She always looks very charming in her elegant dark blue dress. For Śyāma’s happiness, Śrīmatī adorns her graceful limbs with ornaments made of gems and jewels.

Paddhati

I just added an updated version of Dhyānacandra's Paddhati (5th edition) to the list of free books over to the right. It now has a clickable table of contents.

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 88 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

রাধাকৃষ্ণ দুঁহু প্রেম,        লক্ষবান যেন হেম,

যাহার হিল্লোল রসসিন্ধু ।

চকোর-নয়ন প্রেম,        কামরতি করে ধ্যান,

পীরিতি সুখের দুঁহু বন্ধু ॥ ৮৮ ॥

rādhā-kṛṣṇa duṅhu prema,        lakṣabāna yena hema,

yāhāra hillola rasa-sindhu |

cakora-nayana prema,        kāma-rati kare dhyāna,

pīriti sukhera duṅhu bandhu || 88 ||

     Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s mutual love is like gold smelted a hundred thousand times. It is like billowy waves in the ocean of rasa. Kāma and Rati meditate on the love in Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s cakora eyes. Love is a friend to their happiness.

     टीका–युवयोर्मुखचन्द्रयोश्चकोराविव ये नयने तयोः प्रेमाणं रतिकामौ ध्यायतः । যাহার হিল্লোল इत्यादि–श्रीवृन्दावनस्य सम्बन्धे लीलारस एव सिन्धुस्तस्य तरङ्गरूपः श्रीराधाकृष्णयोः प्रेमाः ॥

Gold Purified a Hundred Thousand Times

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In this verse, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya describes the sweetness of rasa and the purity of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s mutual love. Reflecting upon this purity, he first says, rādhā-kṛṣṇa duṅhu prema, lakṣabāna yena hema. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s mutual love is pure like gold smelted a hundred thousand times. The more times gold is smelted, the purer it becomes. But regardless of how much base metal is mixed with the gold, after being smelted five times all the base metal is gone and the gold reaches its purest state. Therefore, no one ever smelts gold a hundred thousand times, nor is it necessary. Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya is saying that if it were possible that gold smelted a hundred thousand times existed somewhere, then Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s love would be similar to that in purity. But such gold does not exist. Therefore, there is nothing comparable to Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s love. In this particular kali-yuga, Śrī Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu took Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s bhāva within his heart and clearly demonstrated the purity of her love to the people of the world. In the final verse of Śikṣāṣṭaka, he says the following:

āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām 

adarśanān marma-hatāṁ karotu vā |

yathā tathā vā vidadhātu lampaṭo 

mat-prāṇa-nāthas tu sa eva nāparaḥ ||

     Śrī Rādhārāṇī said to her priya-sakhī, “O friend! I am devoted to Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. He may embrace me, hold me tightly to his chest and take me only for himself, or he may wound my heart by not letting me see him. Loved by many girls, he may sport with them anywhere and everywhere. Why not let him do what he wants? He is the lord of my life; there is no other.” Śrīman Mahāprabhu has personally revealed an extraordinary inner meaning of this verse in Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Antya 20.48-62:

āmi kṛṣṇa-pada-dāsī, teṅho rasa-sukha-rāśi, āliṅgiyā kare ātma-sātha |

kibā nā dena daraśana, jārena āmāra tanu-mana, tabu teṅho mora prāṇa-nātha ||

sakhi he! śuna mora manera niścaya |

kibā anurāga kare, kibā duḥkha diyā māre, mora prāṇeśa kṛṣṇa anya naya ||

chāḍi anya nārī-gaṇa, mora baśa tanu-mana, mora saubhāgya prakaṭa kariyā |

tā-sabāre dena pīḍā, āmā-sane kare krīḍā, sei nārī-gaṇe dekhāiyā ||

kibā teṅho lampaṭa, śaṭha dhṛṣṭa sakapaṭa, anya nārī-gaṇa kari sātha |

more dite manaḥ-pīḍā, mora āge kare krīḍā, tabu teṅho mora prāṇa-nātha ||

     “‘I am a servant of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. He is the embodiment of nectarous joy. Embracing me, he makes me his own. Or he may cause my body and mind to waste away by not letting me see him. Still, he is the lord of my life. O friend! Hear the conviction of my heart. Whether he shows me affection or pierces me with misery, Kṛṣṇa is the sole lord of my life. Charmed by me in body and mind, he abandons the other girls and reveals my good fortune. He gives them pain by sporting with me where they can see. Sometimes he is a greedy, arrogant, deceitful rogue who keeps company with other girls. He flirts with them in front of me, just to cause me anguish. Even so, he is the lord of my life.

nā gaṇi āpana duḥkha, sabe bāñchi tāra sukha, tāṅra sukhe āmāra tātparya |

more yadi dile duḥkha, tāṅra haila mahāsukha, sei duḥkha mora sukhabarya ||

ye nārīke bāñche kṛṣṇa, tāra rūpe satṛṣṇa, tāre nā pāñā haya duḥkhī |

muñi tāra pāye paḍi, lañā yāṅ hāte dhari, krīḍā karāñā karoṅ tāṅre sukhī ||

kāntā kṛṣṇe kare roṣa, kṛṣṇa pāya santoṣa, sukha pāya tāḍana bhartsane |

yathāyogya kare māna, kṛṣṇa tāte sukha pāna, chāḍe māna alpa sādhane ||

sei nārī jīye kene, kṛṣṇera marma-byathā nāhi jāne, tabu kṛṣṇe kare gāḍha-roṣa |

nija-sukhe māne kāja, paḍu tāra śire bāja, kṛṣṇera mātra cāhiye santoṣa ||

     ‘I don’t care about my own suffering; all I want is for him to be happy. I have devoted myself to his well-being. If it makes him happy to give me misery, that misery is my greatest joy. If Kṛṣṇa is drawn to the beauty of some girl and wants but cannot have her, he becomes sad. I fall at her feet, take her hand and bring her to him. By arranging such pastimes, I make him happy. When his lover becomes angry with him, Kṛṣṇa feels pleasure. He enjoys being chastised and scolded. Appropriately, she begins to sulk, delighting him even further. With a little charm from Kṛṣṇa, she soon gives up her anger. Why does such a girl continue living? She knows nothing of Kṛṣṇa’s inner pain, but still directs her anger at him. She only cares about her own happiness. Let a thunderbolt fall on her head! I only want Kṛṣṇa to be happy.

ye gopī mora kare dveṣe, kṛṣṇera kare santoṣe, kṛṣṇa yāre kare abhilāṣa |

muñi tāra ghare yāñā, tāre seboṅ dāsī hañā, tabe mora sukhera ullāsa ||

kuṣṭhī-biprera ramaṇī, patibratā-śiromaṇi, pati lāgi kaila beśyāra sebā |

stambhila sūryera gati, jīyāila mṛta pati, tuṣṭa kaila mukhya tina debā ||

kṛṣṇa mora jībana, kṛṣṇa mora prāṇa-dhana, kṛṣṇa mora prāṇera parāṇa |

hṛdaya-upare dharoṅ, sebā kari sukhī karoṅ, ei mora sadā rahe dhyāna ||

mora sukha sebane, kṛṣṇera sukha saṅgame, ataeba deha deṅa dāna |

kṛṣṇa more ‘kāntā’ kari, kahe ‘tumi prāṇeśvarī’, mora haya ‘dāsī’ abhimāna ||

     ‘If some gopī who dislikes me pleases Kṛṣṇa and he desires her, I will go to her home and serve as her dāsī. Then my happiness will grow. The wife of a leprous brāhmaṇa became the crown-jewel of chaste women when she served a prostitute for the sake of her husband. She stopped the movement of the sun, revived her deceased husband and satisfied the three principal deities. Kṛṣṇa is my life, the treasure of my life, the life of my life. I will hold him to my chest, serve him and make him happy. This is my constant meditation. My happiness lies in service; Kṛṣṇa’s lies in loving union. Therefore, I give him my body. Kṛṣṇa makes me his lover, says to me, “You are the Goddess of my life.” I consider myself his maidservant.

kānta-sebā sukha-pūra, saṅgama haite sumadhura, tāte sākṣī lakṣmī-ṭhākurāṇī |

nārāyaṇera hṛde sthiti, tabu pāda-sebāya mati, sebā kare dāsī-abhimānī ||

ei rādhāra bacana, biśuddha-prema-lakṣaṇa, āsvādaye śrī-gaurāṅga rāya |

bhābe mana asthira, sāttvike byāpe śarīra, mana-deha dharaṇa nā yāya ||

brajera biśuddha prema, yena jāmbūnada-hema, ātma-sukhera yāhe nāhi gandha |

se prema jānāite loke, prabhu kaila ei śloke, pade kaila arthera nirbandha ||

     ‘Service to one’s lover is full of happiness and sweeter than union. Evidence of that is Śrī Lakṣmīdevī, who, though situated on Śrī Nārāyaṇa’s chest, is inclined to serve his lotus feet as though she were a dāsī.’ Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu relishes Śrī Rādhā’s words, which are symptoms of the purest love. In such a state, his mind becomes restless and sāttvika transformations pervade his body. He can no longer sustain his mind and form. The pure love of Vraja is like gold from the Jāmbū River; there is no trace of the desire for personal happiness. To teach the people about this prema, Mahāprabhu composed this Sanskrit verse (āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām) and then explained its meaning in these Bengali verses.” 

     In these lines of poetry, Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s words revealed the purity of Śrī Rādhā’s love in a very simple and straightforward way. Nothing in the world compares to this. According to the love of the premika devotee, Śrī Kṛṣṇa shows his love toward him or her. This is the natural dharma of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose essence is eternity, knowledge and bliss. Therefore, it should be understood that Śrī Kṛṣṇa, thoroughly enchanted by Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s love, also expresses his pure love for her.

     Then Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya said, yāhāra hillola rasa-sindhu. In his commentary on this segment, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartipāda has written, yāhāra hillola ity ādi–śrī-vṛndāvanasya sambandhe līlā-rasa eva sindhus tasya taraṅga-rūpaḥ śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇayoḥ premāḥ. The meaning is that the līlā-rasa of Śrī Vṛndāvana is like an ocean; its endless, billowy waves are śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-prema. Pure, sweet Vṛndāvana, like an ocean of līlā-rasa, is boundless, unfathomable and difficult to enter. In that ocean, Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s love swells in endless waves. Two kinds of oceans are seen: one with waves and one without. An ocean’s pleasant-sounding, continuous string of waves enchants the eyes and mind of one who experiences it. In the ocean of Śrī Vṛndāvana’s sweet and pure līlā-rasa, Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s love billows day and night with endless waves of emotion. The heart and mind of one who witnesses this become utterly captivated. Even though these waves of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s love are difficult to comprehend or enter, at present, in the yuga of Śrīman Mahāprabhu, the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava ācāryas sheltered at his lotus feet have revealed the mystery of this love through various means in their books. In this way, they have bestowed upon even the poor, lowly and fallen people the great fortune of bathing in those waves. Therefore, those who have obtained a human body in this particular kali-yuga but are unable to experience a drop of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s waves of love are the most unfortunate jīvas in the universe.

     Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya then said, cakora-nayana prema, kāma-rati kare dhyāna, pīriti sukhera duṅhu bandhu. In his commentary on this segment, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartipāda wrote, yuvayor mukha-candrayoś cakorāv iva ye nayane tayoḥ premāṇaṁ rati-kāmau dhyāyataḥ. “Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa! Like cakora birds, your eyes drink the sweet nectar of each other’s moonlike face. Even Kāma and Rati constantly meditate on obtaining such love.” The purport is that the function of prema is to cause the lover (āśraya-tattva) to relish the sweetness of the beloved (viṣaya-tattva). Prema is the natural instrument for, or doorway into, tasting mādhurya. Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s mutual love causes them to taste each other’s sweetness, mainly through the chalices of their eyes. Through their eyes, their playful, amorous moods are revealed; through their eyes, they taste the sweetness of each other’s beauty. Therefore it has been said that Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s cakora-like eyes drink the sweet nectar of each other’s moonlike face. Their love is fully expressed through their reciprocal gazes, which even Kāma and his wife Rati always contemplate in hopes of attaining such affection for each other. In this, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is revealed as Madana-mohana, or “one who enchants even the god of love.” rādhā-saṅge yadā bhāti, tadā madana-mohanaḥ; anyathā viśva-moho’pi, svayaṁ madana-mohitaḥ. “When Śrī Kṛṣṇa is with Śrī Rādhā he is Madana-mohana; otherwise, he is himself charmed by the god of love, though he charms the whole world.” Similarly, if Śrī Rādhā is not with Śrī Kṛṣṇa, she becomes dejected and suffers feelings of separation. For this reason he says, pīriti sukhera duṅhu bandhu. Just as a friend increases the happiness of a friend in various ways, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa increase each other’s enjoyment of love. In the matter of tasting the nectar of love, Śrī Kṛṣṇa cannot be happy without Śrī Rādhārāṇī, even in the company of countless other gopīs. Other than Vrajendranandana, no other form of Bhagavān, including Dvārakānātha, can give Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī the joy of love.

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 87 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

বচনের অগোচর,        বৃন্দাবন হেন স্থল,

স্বপ্রকাশ প্রেমানন্দঘন ।

যাহাতে প্রকট সুখ,        নাহি জরা-মৃত্যু-দুখ,

কৃষ্ণলীলারস অনুক্ষণ ॥ ৮৭ ॥

bacanera agocara,        bṛndābana hena sthala,

svaprakāśa premānanda-ghana |

yāhāte prakaṭa sukha,        nāhi jarā-mṛtyu-dukha,

kṛṣṇa-līlā-rasa anukṣaṇa || 87 ||

     Vṛndāvana is a place beyond the reach of words. It is self-manifesting, a condensed form of the joy of love, where happiness is conspicuous. No one suffers the miseries of old age and death. Everyone enjoys the sweet rasa of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes at every moment.

टीका—श्रीवृन्दावनं विशिनष्टि “বচনের অগোচর” इत्यादिना । বচনের অগোচর—अनिर्वचनीयं निर्वक्तुमशक्यमित्यर्थः ।।

The True Nature of Śrī Vṛndāvana

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In order to reveal the truth of Śrī Vṛndāvana, in this verse Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya first says, bacanera agocara, bṛndābana hena sthala. Just as the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava ācāryas have established the spirituality and eternality of Śrī Bhagavān’s identities, pastimes, forms, associates and so on, in the same way they have ascertained the spirituality and eternality of his abodes. The material world is a transformation of prakṛti or the external māyā-śakti, but Śrī Dhāma is a transformation of the internal cit-śakti, though residing in the manifest world. Śrī Dhāma’s foundation is in the sandhinī-śakti. Although Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma is situated in the visible world, it is spiritual or beyond the world. Therefore, it is in all respects detached from the material part of prakṛti. There is much scriptural evidence that Śrī Vraja Dhāma is beyond the material world, eternal, transcendental, imperceptible to the physical eyes and outside the reach of the mind and words. Chāndogya-Upaniṣad 7.24 says, sa bhagavaḥ kasmin pratiṣṭhita iti sve mahimni. “Where is the Supreme Being called Hari situated?” The reply: “He is situated in his own inconceivable glory.” Śrī-Gopāla-Tāpanī Śruti says, sākṣād-brahma-gopāla-purīhīti. “Vraja Dhāma, the abode of Śrī Gopāla, is directly brahma.” In the Varāha-Purāṇa, there is a narration regarding Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma’s transcendental state: anyera kācit sā sṛṣṭir vidhātu-vyatirekiṇa. “Brahmā creates everything in the universe, but Mathurā is created independent of Brahmā; that is another kind of creation.” The following is seen in the Pātāla-Khaṇḍa of Padma-Purāṇa regarding Vraja’s eternality: ṛṣir māthura-nāmātra tapaḥ kurvati śāśvata iti. “The ṛṣi named Māthura perpetually performs austerities here (in Mathurā).” There is no reason to doubt the eternality of the place where Māthura Ṛṣi incessantly performs austerities. Incessant austerities are not possible in a place that is not eternal. The transcendental nature of Vraja has been described in the Ādi-Varāha-Purāṇa: bhūr bhuvaḥ svas talenāpi na pātāla-tale’malam; nordhvaloke mayā dṛṣṭaṁ tādṛk kṣetraṁ vasundhare. Śrī Varāhadeva said to Śrī Dharaṇī, “O Mother Earth! I do not see anywhere within Bhūloka, Bhuvarloka or Svargaloka, in Pātāla or even the higher worlds a place so pure as Mathurā.” There is a statement in the Pātāla-Khaṇḍa of Padma-Purāṇa in regard to Vraja being imperceptible to the physical eye: tejomayam idaṁ ramyam adṛśyaṁ carma-cakṣuṣā. “This radiant and delightful Vṛndāvana Dhāma is invisible to the physical eye.” By implication we can understand that Śrī Dhāma is also beyond the range of speech. Therefore Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya said, bacanera agocara, bṛndābana hena sthala.

     Then he says, svaprakāśa premānanda-ghana. Just as Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s vigraha (body) is self-manifested, Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma, which is a transformation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s sandhinī-śakti, is similarly self-manifested. For this reason, the following has been written in Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Ādi 5.18: sarba-ga ananta bibhu kṛṣṇa-tanu sama, upary-adho byāpi āche nāhika niyama. “Like Kṛṣṇa’s body, his dhāma is all-pervasive, boundless and eternal. It extends above and below without restriction.” Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma is Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s svarūpa-vibhūti, an expansion of his own form and nature. Therefore, like Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s body, it is also self-manifested. Because it is self-manifesting, it exists in the highest realm of the spiritual sky while also being always present in that same form on earth. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmipāda has written, tad evaṁ tad-dhāmnām upary-adhaḥ prakāśa-mātratvenobhaya-vidhatvaṁ prasaktam; vastutas tu śrī-bhagavan-nityādhiṣṭhānatvena tac-chrī-vigrahavad ubhayatra prakāśāvirodhāt samāna-guṇa-nāma-rūpatvenāmnātatvāl lāghavāc caika-vidhatvam eva mantavyam;…eka-vidhatvaṁ tasyācintya-śakti-svīkāreṇa sambhāvitam eva (Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-Sandarbhaḥ 106 anuḥ). “Śrī Bhagavān’s dhāmas are self-manifesting; they are famous for appearing in both the upper part and lower part, meaning in Paravyoma as well as on earth. Actually, because Śrī Bhagavān’s eternal abode appears in both places, one should think of the dhāmas as identical. Just as Śrī Bhagavān’s vigraha appears in many places at once, so should his dhāma be understood. The qualities, names, forms and so on of both dhāmas are celebrated as being identical or of one kind. Moreover, if this identity is accepted, it becomes easy to understand the tattva. Otherwise, the existence of endless dhāmas in the spiritual sky as well as in endless material universes is beyond imagination.”

     That transcendental Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma is the playground of Svayaṁ Bhagavān Vrajendranandana and Śrī Rādhārāṇī, the embodiment of mahābhāva. Is there any doubt that it is a condensed form of the joy of love? Śrīpāda Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī has written the following in Śrī-Vṛndāvana-Mahimāmṛta 6.10:

premānanda-rasātivihvalatame nānā-camatkāra-bhṛd-

divyāneka-maṇi-sthale bahula-sad-vallī-dru-gulmādike |

divyaiḥ pakṣi-mṛgaiḥ sarovara-saric-chailādibhiś cādbhute 

śrī-vṛndā-vipine kadā nu lalitaikātmyaṁ kiśoraṁ bhaje ||

     “When shall I worship the most charming, inseparably united Śrī Yugala-Kiśora in the wonderful Śrī Vṛndāvana, which is filled with lakes, rivers and mountains, pervaded by beautiful birds and animals, decorated with many kinds of splendid trees and creepers, adorned with astonishing and delightful bejeweled locations, and always overwhelmed by the nectar of joyful love?”

     Then he says, yāhāte prakaṭa sukha, nāhi jarā-mṛtyu-dukha, kṛṣṇa-līlā-rasa anukṣaṇa. Both the manifest and unmanifest displays of Śrī Vṛndāvana, the place of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s confidential pastimes, are truly inexpressible, made of sat, cit and ānanda, and are the condensed forms of the joy of love. Hence, cinmayānanda-rasa is always present there. All the mobile and immobile beings there are joyful. Because it is beyond māyā, no one suffers the miseries of old age, death and so on. Everyone enjoys the sweet rasa of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s nectarous pastimes at every moment. 

     In the visible manifestation, meaning the Vṛndāvana we can see with our physical eyes, we encounter old age, death, disease, grief and other miseries. The eyes of common people are shown these things so their worldly view of Śrī Dhāma is not disturbed. The purport is that if the outward-looking people of the world do not see the old age, death, sickness and sorrow of the residents of Vṛndāvana, they will all come to Vṛndāvana seeking immortality or freedom from misery. But this is not of true benefit to them because they are not qualified for either bhakti or residence in Vraja. If they take up residence there, their worldly view will be disturbed and the mystical nature of bhakti will also be harmed. We see all kinds of humans, animals, birds, trees and creepers in the visible manifestation of Vraja. By the power of Śrī Dhāma, they inevitably obtain a saccidānanda body and proximity to Śrī Bhagavān. Because of this, Śrī Bhagavān says the following in Padma-Purāṇa: idaṁ vṛndāvanaṁ ramyaṁ mama dhāmaiva kevalam. atra ye paśavo pakṣi-vṛkṣāḥ kīṭā narāmarāḥ. ye vasanti mamādhiṣṇe mṛtā yānti mamālayam. Therefore, all living beings of Vṛndāvana must be understood to be saccidānanda in nature. If someone considers the Vrajavāsīs to be like creatures of the material world, ordinary jīvas bound by karma and afflicted by old age and death, then because of that offense he will not attain the supreme path of service to Śrī Rādhā. Śrīmat Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda has written the following in Vṛndāvana-Mahimāmṛta 17.83-84:

svānanda-sac-cid-ghana-rūpatā-matir

yāvan na vṛndāvana-vāsi-jantuṣu |

tāvat praviṣṭo’pi na tatra vindate

tato’parādhāt padavīṁ parātparām ||

yadaiva sac-cid-rasa-rūpa-buddhir

vṛndāvana-stha-sthira-jaṅgameṣu |

syān nirvyalīkaṁ puruṣas tadaiva

cakāsti rādhā-priya-sevi-rūpaḥ ||

     “Even though one has entered Vṛndāvana, as long as he does not think of its residents as embodiments of condensed saccidānanda or filled with transcendental rasa, he will due to this offense be unable to attain the ultimate state of rādhā-dāsya. When a person free from deceit understands the transcendental nature of the mobile and immobile creatures of Vṛndāvana, he or she obtains a mañjarī form that is suitable for Śrī Rādhā’s intimate service and becomes radiant.” Then, blessed to constantly enjoy the līlā-rasa of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava, who are supremely joyful, the sādhaka is crowned with success.