Śrī-Rādhā-Rasa-Sudhā-Nidhiḥ 48 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

कुञ्जान्तरे किमपि जातरसोत्सवायाः

श्रुत्वा तदालपित-शिञ्जित-मिश्रितानि ।

श्रीराधिके तव रहःपरिचारिकाहं

द्वारस्थिता रसह्रदे पतिता कदा स्याम् ॥ ४८ ॥

kuñjāntare kim api jāta-rasotsavāyāḥ

śrutvā tad-ālapita-śiñjita-miśritāni |

śrī-rādhike tava rahaḥ-paricārikāhaṁ

dvāra-sthitā rasa-hrade patitā kadā syām || 48 ||

“O Śrī Rādhikā! When will I be immersed in a lake of rasa as I perform confidential service for you? I will stand at the gate of the bower as you create an indescribable festival of rasa therein. I will hear your sweet conversations and the pleasant jingling of your ornaments.”

A Lake of Rasa

Rasa-Varṣiṇī-Vyākhyā: In the previous verse, Śrīpāda got an extraordinary taste of Śyāmāmaṇi’s prema-vaicittya-rasa. The visions of līlā flowed one after another in a stream. There is truth even in visions, and within them a wonderful experience of rasa has been stored. One who has found the truth can never be deceived by lies. In his vision, Śrīpāda stays with Svāminī constantly like a shadow. Śyāmasundara was captivated when he saw Śrī Rādhā’s loving gestures while she was feeling prema-vaicittya. bhaktera prema-ceṣṭā dekhi kṛṣṇera camatkāra (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛtam). “Kṛṣṇa is amazed to see the loving efforts of his bhaktas.” Mādanākhya-prema is the highest state. Therefore, Śyāmasundara’s amazement is also unprecedented. Śrī Rādhā is the enchanter of the one who enchants the whole world. An experience of Śyāmasundara’s heart awakens in the heart of the kiṅkarī. The sādhaka must also to some degree get a taste of that rasa through meditation. The sādhaka’s mental conception regarding this is not refined. One must follow the ācāryas. Following them means hearing and reciting their wise teachings. The powerful teachings, like powerful mantras, will perfume the sādhaka’s heart and mind with the desire to serve Śrī Rādhā. Every syllable is full of bhajana-rasa. The sweet taste of a mahājana’s words is so desirable that Śrī Bhagavān longs for the company of his dear bhaktas. But Śrīman Mahāprabhu ultimately forbade the bhaktas to come to Nīlācala. In the Gambhīrā, along with Svarūpa and Rāmānanda, he relished the stream of nectar coming from the works of Caṇḍidāsa and Vidyāpati, Rāmānanda’s Jagannātha-Vallabha-Nāṭakam, Kṛṣṇa-Karṇāmṛtam and Gīta-Govindam. In this current of enjoyment, where the undivided, non-dual knowledge of ultimate reality has drifted away, there is a domain forever beyond the comprehension of the world of jīvas. By relishing those great teachings, the sādhaka-bhaktas forget the world and are blessed with a taste of Śrī Yugala’s transcendental sweetness.

Śrīpāda, in his siddha-svarūpa, is giving praise to the goddess of the bower. Śyāmāmaṇi’s prema-vaicittya-bhāva gradually fades away and she can once again see Śyāmasundara. As she returned to her normal state, she lowered her head slightly in shyness. Her beloved’s state of ecstasy had not yet subsided. After experiencing Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s prema-vaicittya-bhāva, Śyāmasundara’s heart and mind became immersed in ānanda-rasa (joy). His eyes were closed. Śrī Rādhā became curious when she saw Śyāmasundara’s condition. Smiling gently, she then hid herself in a nearby bower. Seeing the fun, the kiṅkarī laughed and covered her mouth. With an eye gesture, Śrīmatī forbade the kiṅkarī to tell Śyāmasundara what she had said. (“O Mohana, where are you?”) Gradually, consciousness returned to Rasarāja’s mind, which had been immersed in rādhā-rasa. As he opened his eyes, he saw that Priyājī was nowhere to be found. Alarmed, he looked in every direction of the bower. “O Rādhā! Where are you? Let me see you!” Saying this repeatedly, he frantically began to search for Śrī Rādhā. In his kiṅkarī form, Śrīpāda was hiding among the creepers and relishing the sweetness of Śyāmasundara’s face as he longed for Śrī Rādhā. “O dear one! Where are you? Stop joking. In your absence, the merciless god of love gives me great pain.” dehi sundari darśanaṁ mama manmathena dunomi. “O dear one! How much longer will you tease me? Let me see you and thus cool my heart, which burns from viraha.” Kṛṣṇa began to see Rādhā everywhere. He mistakenly embraced a golden creeper, thinking it was Rādhā. 

kanakalatā dhari āliṅgaye tuyā kalebara bhāne |

birahe bibaśa bhaigela mādhaba mūrache madana-bāṇe ||

“Mādhava embraced a golden creeper, thinking it to be your body. Pierced by Madana’s arrows, he swooned, overwhelmed by the pain of separation.” (Mahājana) This is the condition of a nāgara made helpless by viraha. He forgets his own body. He inquires from the does and peacocks about news of Śrī Rādhā. After seeing Śyāma’s condition, the kiṅkarī was beside herself with pride. She was proud of Śrī Rādhā’s glory. Whereas countless vraja-sundarīs yearn for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, he yearns for Śrī Rādhā. When the kiṅkarī saw Śyāmasundara’s extreme anxiety, she revealed herself to him. Seeing Rādhā’s kiṅkarī, he felt reassured and with folded hands asked her about Priyājī. “O Sakhī! Tell me, where is your īśvarī? Is she hiding in some kuñja just to tease me? Please quickly tell me where to find her.”

The kiṅkarī smiled sweetly and said, “O crest-jewel of rasikas! You don’t know where the nāyikā in your lap went? Look; a little while ago Svāminī was sitting in your lap, but feeling separation from you, she began to weep. Now, though you’ve lost her, you don’t cry even a little? She has gone with her sakhīs to Yāvaṭa. You can abandon any hope of being with her today.” Śyāmasundara could understand by seeing the kiṅkarī’s face that she was joking. Śrī Rādhārāṇī was undoubtedly hiding in some nearby kuñja. He expressed his anguish to the kiṅkarī so he could be with Rādhārāṇī. Seeing Śyāma’s intense suffering, the kiṅkarī directed him to the kuñja with a gesture. He entered the kuñja and when he and Rādhā saw each other, they both became overwhelmed by prema. The kiṅkarī felt blessed upon seeing Śrī Yugala’s sweet forms, filled with intense yearning and the nectar of love.

doṁhe doṁhā kore āgori | sahacarī heri bibhorī ||

adabhuta prema ki carita | heraite camakita cita |

puna doṁhe nibiḍa bilāsa | dūre geo biraha hutāśa ||

“The sakhī is overwhelmed by seeing them in close embrace. How wondrous is their affection! Her heart and mind are amazed to see their pastimes. They are again deeply immersed in the play of love. The fire of viraha has gone far away.” (Pada-Kalpa-Taru) 

kuñjāntare kim api jāta-rasotsavāyāḥ. After their pain of separation had ended, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa celebrated their reunion in the bower. Śrī Rādhā showered streams of nectar into her beloved’s ears with her sweet and gentle words. She said,

rati biśārada tuhuṁ rākha māna |

bāḍile yaubana tāhe diba dāna ||

ebe se alapa-rase nā pūrabe āśa |

thori-salile tuyā nā yābe piyāsa ||

alape alape yadi cāha niti niti |

pratipada cāṁda kalā sama rīti ||

“O expert in the art of love, maintain your honor. When my youth has fully blossomed, I will offer it to you as a gift. Right now, a little nectar will not fulfill your longing. A few drops of water will not satisfy your thirst. But if you seek me little by little, day by day, our love will grow like the phases of the moon.” (Vidyāpati)

Premānanda-rasa overflowed from the dulcet tones of their anklets, waist-bells and other ornaments mixed with soft and sweet conversations, with voices choked by emotion. Śrīpāda is their maidservant in this secluded place. She has obtained the good fortune of performing confidential service to the Divine Couple, even when they are making love. She remains at the gate and relishes the sweetness of their nectarous conversations and the delightful sounds of their ornaments. It is as though she has fallen into a lake of rasa and obtained complete happiness. Just as a lake is a confined body of water, this lake of rasa is confined within the secluded bowers of Śrī Vṛndāvana. This lake of rasa does not appear in any of Śrī Bhagavān’s other pastimes, forms or abodes. This is the treasure of Vṛndāvana’s bowers. Therefore, information about this lake of rasa is forever difficult to access and obtain for even Brahmā, Maheśvara, Śrī Uddhava and others. In this particular kali-yuga, Śrīman Mahāprabhu and the ācāryas sheltered at his lotus feet have introduced confidential information about this lake of rasa to the worldly jīvas who are afflicted by the miseries of kali. These kali-jīvas have been given the great blessing of swimming in this lake of rasa. 

Śrīpāda is a recipient of Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s profound mercy. He has been fortunate enough to swim in a lake of rasa as he performs intimate service to Śrī Yugala. Suddenly, his mystical vision ends. Weeping, he prays, “O Śrī Rādhikā! When will I be immersed in a lake of rasa as I perform confidential service for you? I will stand at the gate of the bower as you create an indescribable festival of rasa therein. I will hear your sweet conversations and the pleasant jingling of your ornaments.” Those who are disinterested in other kinds of sādhana and want only the service of Śrī Rādhikā, the most beloved of Śrīman Madana-Gopāladeva, think “I am Śrī Rādhikā’s dāsī.” They nourish only this sentiment and consider its attainment the fulfillment of all their desires. They reside in the unfathomable Śrī Vṛndāvana, the land of Śrī Rādhā’s pastimes. (If it is not possible to live there physically, live there mentally.) They engage in the internal prema-sādhanas of hearing, chanting, remembering and so on in the association of rasika-bhaktas. They soon discover this mysterious lake of rasa and are blessed. This is the essential teaching for the sādhaka-bhaktas.

Śrī-Rādhā-Rasa-Sudhā-Nidhiḥ 47 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

अङ्कस्थितेऽपि दयिते किमपि प्रलापं

हा मोहनेति मधुरं विदधत्यकस्मात् ।

श्यामानुरागमदविह्वल-मोहनाङ्गी

श्यामामणिर्जयति कापि निकुञ्जसीम्नि ॥ ४७ ॥

aṅka-sthite’pi dayite kim api pralāpaṁ

hā mohaneti madhuraṁ vidadhaty akasmāt |

śyāmānurāga-mada-vihvala-mohanāṅgī

śyāmā-maṇir jayati kāpi nikuñja-sīmni || 47 ||

“Though sitting in the lap of her beloved, Śrī Rādhā suddenly began to lament in sweet, incoherent words, crying out, ‘O Mohana!’ Intoxicated by her love for Śyāma, this beautiful crown-jewel of śyāmā-nāyikās reigns supreme within the borders of the forest bower.”

Śrī Rādhā’s Swoon of Love

Rasa-Varṣiṇī-Vyākhyā: Śrīpāda is feeling anxious due to his separation from Śrī Rādhā. His experience of the sweetness of Svāminī’s form, qualities and so on in his vision has increased his impatience in the sādhaka state. The mind becomes absorbed wholeheartedly in its cherished one’s lotus feet, so occasionally the vision pauses. Absorbing oneself in thoughts of one’s beloved and forgetting everything else is called prema. If a miserly person obtains great wealth but suddenly loses it, the thought of that wealth dominates all other thoughts and spreads such a web of influence on the mind that it becomes very difficult to let the thought go. In the same way, if a premika attains Śrī Bhagavān directly or in a vision and then suddenly loses him, the mind becomes so absorbed in thinking about him that it becomes very difficult to let him go. Moreover, Śrī Rādhā’s kiṅkarī is the direct embodiment of sevā-rasa (the nectar of service). Śrīpāda was getting a taste of sevā-rasa in his mystical vision. When the vision ended, he felt like his heart was breaking in grief due to a lack of sevā. For one to taste the unbounded mādhurya-rasa of the endlessly sweet Yugala-Kiśora, one condition must be met. If a mañjarī-bhāva-sādhaka devotes himself to bhajana for some time, by the mercy of Śrī Rādhārāṇī, he will gradually attain this condition. Śrī Rādhārāṇī is the embodiment of prema. If one is able to surrender himself at her lotus feet, his life will be successful. How wonderful to be under the shelter of Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet, where the joy of govinda-rasa personally welcomes the sādhaka in an indescribable way! saṁsiddhanti yad-āśrayeṇa hi paraṁ govinda-sakhy-utsukāḥ (Śrī-Rādhā-Rasa-Sudhā-Nidhiḥ 98). Under the shelter of Śrī Rādhārāṇī, the joy of govinda-rasa is completely realized.  

Śrīpāda has tasted the sweetness of Śrī Yugala’s conversation, an elixir for the ears, by the power of taking exclusive shelter of Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet. After his vision came to an end, the absence of it caused a great agitation in his heart. By Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s mercy, a vision of that līlā appeared to him again. The kiṅkarī entered the kuñja after Śrī Yugala’s lovemaking ended, knowing it to be the appropriate time for sevā. Śrī Yugala’s beautiful bodies were covered with perspiration, so she cooled them with the breeze of a charming fan. She was also blessed with other sevās such as offering water, tāmbūla and so on. The kiṅkarīs make every effort to please the divine couple. Their desire is to remain close to Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and make them happy, not caring for their own happiness. Although there are many selfless premikas in Vraja, Śrī Rādhā’s kiṅkarīs are the most selfless of all. The kiṅkarī was submerged in Śrī Yugala’s sevā-rasa. Suddenly she saw that Śrī Rādhā had become intoxicated by drinking the nectar-wine of the indomitable Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Though seated on Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s lap, she was overcome by viraha and cried out, “O Mohana! Where are you?” and then began to speak incoherently. The state called prema-vaicittya has arrived.

priyasya sannikarṣe’pi premotkarṣa-svabhāvataḥ |

yā viśleṣa-dhiyārtis tat prema-vaicittyam ucyate ||

“Prema-vaicittya is the rise of anguish caused by the thought of separation, due to the natural intensity of prema, even though being in the presence of the beloved.” (Ujjvala-Nīlamaṇi 15.147)

sajani! premaka ko kaha biśeṣa |

kānuka kore, kalābatī kātara, kahata kānu paradeśa ||

cāṁdaka heri, suraya kari bhākhaye, dinahiṁ rajanī kari māna |

bilapai tāpe, tapāyata antara, priyaka biraha kari bhāna ||

“O friend! Who can describe the special nature of love? Though seated on Kṛṣṇa’s lap, Rādhā, the abode of fine arts, is distraught, even saying that he had gone to another land. She mistakes the moon for the sun and the day for the night. She laments with a burning heart, suffering from an imagined separation from her lover.” (Vallabha Dāsa)

Suddenly, beautiful Śrī Rādhā became alarmed. Burning in the powerful blaze of viraha, she began to weep loudly and rave. vyarthālāpaḥ pralāpaḥ syāt (Śrī-Ujjvala-Nīlamaṇi 11.87). Incomprehensible conversation is called pralāpa (delirium). Even though she was sitting on Śyāmasundara’s lap, she became overwhelmed by viraha and began to cry loudly and speak incoherently.

korahi śyāma camaki dhanī bolata, kabe mohe milaba kāna |

hṛdayaka tāpa, tabahuṁ majhu miṭaba, amiyā karaba sināna ||

so mukha-mādhurī, baṅka nehārai, soṅari soṅari mana jhura |

so tanu sarasa, paraśa yaba pāoba, tabahīṁ manoratha pūra ||

eta kahi sundarī, dīgha niśāsai, mūrachita harala geyāna |

ākula rāi, śyāma parabodhai, gobinda dāsa paramāṇa ||

“Sitting on Śyāma’s lap, enchanted Rādhā became alarmed and said, ‘When will I meet Kṛṣṇa? My heart burns, but I will be satisfied; I will bathe in nectar. Remembering his sweet face and sidelong glances disintegrates my mind. When will I touch his handsome form and fulfill my heart’s desire?’ The beautiful Rādhā then sighed deeply and fell into a swoon. Rādhā was anxious; Śyāma consoled her. Govinda Dāsa was a witness.”

Śrīpāda says, śyāmānurāga-mada-vihvala-mohanāṅgī. “The captivating Śrī Rādhā was intoxicated by the wine of her love for Śyāma.” This prema-vaicittya is the result of intense, yearning passion. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartipāda has clearly mentioned the cause of prema-vaicittya in his Ānanda-Candrikā commentary on the previously mentioned verse beginning with priyasya sannikarṣe’pi. Namely, premotkarṣo’nurāgaḥ sthāyī sa ca tṛṣṇātiprābalya-mūlaka eva muhur anubhūtasyāpi vastuno’nanubhūtatva-bhāna-samarpako bhavet. yathā kaścid atibubhukṣu-svabhāvo vipro bhojayitvocyate brahman suṣṭhu bhuktaṁ bhavateti. tatas tena pratyucyate na kiñcid api bhuktam iti tathaiva…yatra sati śrī-kṛṣṇaṁ sākṣāt śaśvad anubhavato’pi janasya buddhi-vṛtter api tathā lopaḥ syād ayathā śrī-kṛṣṇaṁ nānu bhavānīty eva pratyayaḥ syāt yathā sannipātavato janasya pratikṣaṇaṁ jalaṁ pibato’pi hāhā māṁ jalaṁ pāyayety uktiḥ. atreyaṁ yuktiḥ anurāge kvacid buddhi-vṛttes tathā sūkṣmatvaṁ syāt yathā sā śrī-kṛṣṇaṁ tadīya-guṇa-gaṇa-mādhuryaṁ ca yugapanna viṣayī karoti. yataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇānubhave tadīya-guṇādy-anunabhavaḥ tadīya guṇānubhave tad-ananubhavaḥ. yathā kācid atisūkṣmā sūcī-vastra-syūtāv atisūkṣmam apy ekaṁ sūtram eva vidhyati natu sūtra-dvaya-sandhim iti, tathaiva sambhogākhye rase kānto’yaṁ māṁ saṁbhuṅkte yasya surata-lāmpaṭya vāk-cāturya gīta-vādya-nṛtyādayo guṇā apārā iti guṇeṣu praviṣṭāyāṁ buddhi-vṛttau kṣaṇāntare ca yasya guṇā īdṛśāḥ sa kva iti guṇān api tyaktvā tan-mārgaṇe praviṣṭā viraham evānubhāvayantī pura-sthitam api taṁ na viṣayī karotīti jñeyā. The meaning is that the sthāyībhāva(1) of prema-vaicittya-rasa is anurāga (affection), which springs from the intense power of the desire for prema. This anurāga gives rise to a lack of perception even of objects constantly perceived. For example, some naturally hungry brāhmaṇa eats a hearty meal, but afterward feels like he has eaten nothing at all. In the same way, because of the thirsty nature of anurāga, the anurāgī feels like he is never fortunate enough to taste kṛṣṇa-mādhurya, even though he tastes it all the time. A typhoid patient cries “water, water” in distress, even though he constantly drinks water. Regarding this, the argument is that in deep anurāga, the intellect is so intensely focused that it becomes impossible to conceive of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and his sweet qualities simultaneously. In this condition, when one perceives Śrī Kṛṣṇa, there is no perception of his sweet qualities, and when one perceives his sweet qualities, there is no perception of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. When sewing a piece of cloth with a slender needle, only one fine thread can fit through the eye of the needle, not two. In the same way, because of deep anurāga, the intellect becomes so focused that when meeting Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Śrī Rādhā thinks, “My beloved Kṛṣṇa and I are engaged in love-play. He is adorned with endless qualities such as fondness for making love, eloquence of speech and so on.” In this way, when her intellect enters into Kṛṣṇa’s qualities, she comprehends them in full but loses awareness of his form. Therefore, after a moment she thinks, “Where is the lord of my life, who is adorned with endless heroic qualities?” Like this, after having forgotten even talking about Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s qualities, Śrī Rādhā’s intellect began to eagerly search for him. Then, although he was nearby, she could not see him.

While sitting on Kṛṣṇa’s lap, Śrīmatī called out, “O Mohana! Where are you?” and wept in confusion. The skillful Śrī Kṛṣṇa began to console Śyāmāmaṇi(2) Śrī Rādhā with sweet words. Śyāmāmaṇi, intoxicated by her love for Śyāma, is also the enchanter of Śyāma. Her beauty and charm are naturally captivating to Kṛṣṇa. sā lāvaṇya-camatkṛtir nava-vayo rūpaṁ ca tan-mohanam (Śrī-Rādhā-Rasa-Sudhā-Nidhiḥ 103). “Mohana means astonishing charm, youthfulness and beauty.” Moreover, her unprecedented charm flows from her beautiful body in waves of prema-vaicittya-rasa. Though still sitting in the lap of her beloved, she has become intoxicated. viveka-hara ullāso madaḥ (Bhakti-Rasāmṛta-Sindhuḥ 2.4.35). “Excessive joy that steals one’s power of discrimination is called mada.” By using the words mada-vihvala (overwhelmed by joy), it is made clear that this viraha is the ultimate fruit of the great happiness born of contact with Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The Gosvāmīs have ascertained that the pleasantness, astonishment and flavor of joy produced by viraha is greater than even the joy of meeting with Śrī Kṛṣṇa.(3) For this reason, prema-vaicittya has been called rasa. The prema-vaicittya of the mahiṣīs (Kṛṣṇa’s queens) is also described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.90.15. But the sweetness of prema-vaicittya risen from mahābhāva is of a much higher order. Though seated in Kṛṣṇa’s lap, Śyāmāmaṇi is lamenting incoherently in a display of intense separation. A śyāmā is a particular type of nāyikā (heroine):

śīta-kāle bhaved uṣṇā grīṣma-kāle ca śītalā |

padma-gandhi-mukhaṁ yasyāḥ sā śyāmā parikīrtitā ||

“A woman who is warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and whose mouth is fragrant like a lotus, is known as a śyāmā.” Śrī Rādhā is the crown-jewel of śyāmā-nāyikās. In his kiṅkarī-form, Śrīpāda is celebrating Śrī Rādhā’s prema-vaicittya-bhāva. May Śyāmāmaṇi Śrī Rādhā remain in her supreme glory! The stream of līlā-visions continues to flow, one after another.

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1. Lasting or durable state of mind or feeling—MW

2. Jewel among beautiful women

3. tathāpi sambhoga-sukhād api stutaḥ sa ko’pi nirvācyatamo manoramaḥ | pramoda-rāśiḥ pariṇāmato dhruvaṁ tatra sphuret tad rasikaika-vedyaḥ || “The misery of separation transforms into a state of happiness that is more praiseworthy than even the pleasure of union. It causes the manifestation of an indescribable delight to be known only by the rasika-bhakta.” (Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛtam 1.7.126)

Bhāvanā-Sāra-Saṅgrahaḥ, Madhyāhna 656-662

 

ललिताह यस्य दरगन्धमात्रत-

स्त्वमुदारमुन्मुरहराभिलक्ष्यसे ।

मकरन्दमस्य किमु हास्यसि त्वमि-

त्यतिशङ्कया कवलितां करोषि माम् ॥ ६५६ ॥

lalitāha yasya dara-gandha-mātratas

tvam udāram un mura-harābhilakṣyase |

makarandam asya kim u hāsyasi tvam i-

ty atiśaṅkayā kavalitāṁ karoṣi mām || 656 ||

Lalitā said, “O Murahara (destroyer of the Mura demon)! You became overjoyed after inhaling just a slight breath of that aroma. Why have you now given up on relishing the nectar of her lotus mouth? The apprehension you caused has swallowed me up.” (Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-Bhāvanāmṛtam 12.14)

सखि मा विषीद कति वा न माधुरी-

सरितः स्रवन्ति परितो यतोऽनिशम् ।

सकृदेव पञ्चषपृषन्ति-पानतः

सरसोऽस्य किं नु भविता दरिद्रता ॥ ६५७ ॥

sakhi mā viṣīda kati vā na mādhurī-

saritaḥ sravanti parito yato’niśam |

sakṛd eva pañcaṣa-pṛṣanti-pānataḥ

saraso’sya kiṁ nu bhavitā daridratā || 657 ||

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said, “Lalitā, my friend, do not be sad. Countless rivers of sweetness are flowing incessantly in every direction from Śrī Rādhā’s lake-like mouth. If someone drinks five or six drops just once, will the lake feel deprived?” (Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-Bhāvanāmṛtam 12.15)

इति सव्यदोर्भुजगपाश-वेष्टनैः

स्वबलाद्वशीकृततनोर्नतभ्रुवः ।

अधरामृतं यदपिबत्तदुत्थिता

वदनद्वयद्युतिरतीतृपत् सखीः ॥ ६५८ ॥

iti savya-dor-bhujaga-pāśa-veṣṭanaiḥ

svabalād-vaśī-kṛta-tanor nata-bhruvaḥ |

adharāmṛtaṁ yad apibat tad utthitā

vadana-dvaya-dyutir atītṛpat sakhīḥ || 658 ||

Having said this, Kṛṣṇa wrapped his left arm firmly around Rādhā’s body like a noose around a snake. Her eyebrows arched and he began to drink the nectar of her lips. The splendor of the beautiful couple’s faces at that time was very pleasing to the sakhīs. (Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-Bhāvanāmṛtam 12.16)

पक्वाम्रातक-पिङ्गलामरुणितां सत्पक्वनारङ्गकैः

पीतां पक्त्रिमकर्मरङ्गकफलैः श्यामां च भल्लातकैः ।

आपक्वैरथ फुल्ललोध्रधवलामम्लायदम्लानकां

श्रीकृष्णो विपिनस्थलीमथ ययौ हेमन्त-सन्तोषिकाम् ॥ ६५९ ॥

pakvāmrātaka-piṅgalām aruṇitāṁ sat-pakvanāraṅgakaiḥ

pītāṁ paktrima-karma-raṅgaka-phalaiḥ śyāmāṁ ca bhallātakaiḥ |

āpakvair atha phullalodhra-dhavalām amlāyad amlānakāṁ

śrī-kṛṣṇo vipina-sthalīm atha yayau hemanta-santoṣikām || 659 ||

Then Śrī Kṛṣṇa went with his friends to a place in the forest known as Hemanta-Santoṣa (winter delight). It was adorned with beautiful and colorful trees bearing ripe, yellowish-brown hog plums, oranges, yellow star fruits, nearly ripe black bhallātaka nuts, and blossoming white lodhra flowers. (Kṛṣṇāhnika-Kaumudī 3.62)

A Description of Hemantavan’s Beauty

नान्दीमुखी तदनु ताववदद्वनेशौ

निध्यायतं स्वपुरतो वनभागमेतम् ।

हेमन्तशन्तमतया प्रथितं निजैः सत्-

सम्पच्चयैश्चरणमर्चितुमुत्सुकं वाम् ॥ ६६० ॥

nāndīmukhī tad anu tāv avadad vaneśau

nidhyāyataṁ svapurato vana-bhāgam etam |

hemanta-śantamatayā prathitaṁ nijaiḥ sat-

sampac-cayaiś caraṇam arcitum utsukaṁ vām || 660 ||

After that, Nāndīmukhī said to Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, “O rulers of Vṛndāvana, look before you at the part of the forest known as Hemanta-Śantama.(1) It is eager to worship your lotus feet with its abundant fruits and flowers.” (Govinda-Līlāmṛtam 13.45)

चित्राम्लान-कुरुण्डकैः कुरुवकैः फुल्लैर्लसत्सौरभा-

माद्यत्तित्तिरि-लाव-षट्पद-किखी-कीरारवैर्मञ्जुला ।

हृद्या पक्त्रिम-नागरङ्गरुचकैः शीता तुषारानीलैः

सेयं भाति वनस्थलीह भवतोः पञ्चेन्द्रियाह्लादिनी ॥ ६६१ ॥

citrāmlāna-kuruṇḍakaiḥ kuruvakaiḥ phullair lasat-saurabhā-

mādyat-tittiri-lāva-ṣaṭpada-kikhī-kīrāravair mañjulā |

hṛdyā paktrima-nāgaraṅga-rucakaiḥ śītā tuṣārānīlaiḥ

seyaṁ bhāti vana-sthalīha bhavatoḥ pañcendriyāhlādinī || 661 ||

“This area of the forest is abloom with fragrant red and yellow amaranth flowers along with ready-to-eat oranges and citrons. The sounds of the ecstatic partridges, quails, bees, monkeys and parrots are captivating. The cool breeze joins in to give joy to your five senses.” (Govinda-Līlāmṛtam 13.46)

स्फुरित-सहचरालीवेष्टितोऽम्लानकान्ति-

स्तत-कुसुमधनुर्मूर्च्छालिगोपीप्रगीतः ।

विकचकुसुमबाणः कृष्ण ते देहतुल्यो

मुखरित-शुकलीलो भाति हेमन्तकालः ॥ ६६२ ॥

sphurita-sahacarālī-veṣṭito’mlāna-kāntis

tata-kusuma-dhanur mūrcchāli-gopī-pragītaḥ |

vikaca-kusuma-bāṇaḥ kṛṣṇa te deha-tulyo

mukharita-śuka-līlo bhāti hemanta-kālaḥ || 662 ||

“O Kṛṣṇa! Like your body, the winter is also beautiful. Just as your body is always accompanied by your friends, in the same way, the winter is accompanied by her friends, the yellow amaranths. Just as your body is ornamented with unfading radiance, in the same way, the winter is unfading because of her bright flowers. Just as Kandarpa, whose bow is made of flowers, flourishes through your body, in the same way, Kandarpa also flourishes in the winter. Just as your body is beautified by the joyful gopīs, in the same way, the winter is beautified by flowering creepers known as gopīs. Just as Kandarpa, whose arrows are made of flowers, delights in the beauty of your body, so also does he delight in the beauty of winter. Just as Śrī Śukadeva sings of your pastimes, in the same way, the parrots sing joyfully in the winter.” (Govinda-Līlāmṛtam 13.47)

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1. Winter happiness