निजप्राणैश्वर्या यदपि दयनीयेयमिति मां
मुहुश्चुम्बत्यालिङ्गति सुरतमाध्व्या मदयति ।
विचित्रां स्नेहर्द्धिं रचयति तथाप्यद्भुतगते-
स्तवैव श्रीराधे पदरसविलासे मम मनः ॥ ५६ ॥
nija-prāṇaiśvaryā yad api dayanīyeyam iti māṁ
muhuś cumbaty āliṅgati surata-mādhvyā madayati |
vicitrāṁ sneharddhiṁ racayati tathāpy adbhuta-gates
tavaiva śrī-rādhe pada-rasa-vilāse mama manaḥ || 56 ||
“O Śrī Rādhā, whose movements are astonishing! Knowing me to be a vessel of the mercy of the goddess of his own life, Śrī Kṛṣṇa tries to kiss, embrace and intoxicate me with passion, thus revealing his wonderful wealth of affection. Still, my mind remains absorbed in the nectarous beauty of your lotus feet.”
Devotion to Mañjarī-Bhāva
Rasa-Varṣiṇī-Vyākhyā: Śrīpāda’s mind is submerged in the nectar of Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet. An impulse of spontaneous love has awakened an unprecedented experience of Śrī Rādhā’s dāsya-rasa in his heart and mind. The self-concept of being Śrī Rādhā’s dāsī has swallowed up all other interests and stood up firmly, raising its head in the field of his heart like an immovable peak of Mt. Sumeru. The memory of his svāminī is most joyful. Everything in the material world is fraught with suffering. Therefore, the bhakta earnestly prays, “Do not let me fall again amidst the refuse of worldly existence. This time, please let me be a maidservant at your lotus feet.” Thinking of himself as one of Śrī Rādhā’s followers, Śrīpāda in this verse reveals the firm and focused devotion of a mañjarī.
In the previous verse, in external consciousness after the end of his mystic vision, Śrīpāda prayed for uninterrupted remembrance of Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet. By Śrīmatī’s mercy, within a short while a vision of one particular līlā appeared before his eyes. Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Śyāma were engaged in pastimes in Śrī Vṛndāvana. In kiṅkarī-form, Śrīpāda was constantly engrossed in serving Śrī Yugala, following them like a shadow. Śrīmatī was pleased with the kiṅkarī’s service, so with a glance to her lover, she urged him to embrace and kiss the kiṅkarī, just to display the kiṅkarī’s devotion to sevā. The desire for bodily contact with the kiṅkarīs does not awaken in Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s heart. Still, because he knows that they are vessels of his prāṇeśvarī Śrī Rādhā’s mercy, in order to show the difference between the bhāva-niṣṭhās of the sakhīs and the mañjarīs, Kṛṣṇa responds to Śrīmatī’s signal by embracing and kissing the kiṅkarī, trying to intoxicate her with the honey-wine of passion. In this way, he reveals his wonderful wealth of affection. Here, the phrase ‘wonderful wealth of affection’ means an abundance of affection born of astonishment or surprise. Śrī Kṛṣṇa never feels the desire for union with a mañjarī. Because the kiṅkarī’s mind is submerged in the nectar of serving Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet, she says, “No! No!” when Kṛṣṇa tries to kiss her. Then she falls at her īśvarī’s feet, asking her to make Kṛṣṇa stop. Śrī Rādhā smiles when she sees the kiṅkarī’s devotion to sevā. Regarding this, Śrīpāda has written the following in Vṛndāvana-Mahimāmṛtam 16.94:
ananya-śrī-rādhā-pada-kamala-dāsyaika-rasa-dhīr
hareḥ saṅge raṅgaṁ svapana-samaye nāpi dadhatī |
balāt kṛṣṇe kūrpāsaka-bhidi kim apy ācarati kā-
py udaśrur meveti pralapati mamātmā ca hasati ||
“The mañjarīs serve Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet with single-minded devotion. Even in dreams, they have no desire for union with Śrī Hari. If he should do something like pulling on their bodices, they say ‘No!’ and begin to weep and wail. Seeing this, Śrī Rādhā, the embodiment of my soul, reveals her smile.” The purity of the mañjarīs’ love is indescribable. They are mañjarīs by name and mañjarīs by nature. A creeper growing near a blossoming flower heightens the bees’ desire for the flower, but the creeper does not sport with the bees. In the same way, the mañjarīs remain near Śrī Rādhā to increase Madhusūdana’s desire for her. They never wish to personally unite with him. This is what distinguishes the mañjarīs from the other sakhīs. From Mādhava-Mahotsava 7.131:
baka-ripu-parirambhāsvāda-vāñchā-viraktiṁ
vratam iva sakhi kartrī svāli-saukhyaika-tṛṣṇā |
phalam alabhata kastūry-ādir āliḥ sakhīnāṁ
hari-vana-vara-rājye siñcate tāṁ yad adya ||
“Those such as Kastūrī Mañjarī who have accepted as though a vow their disinterest in Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s embrace, and whose only desire is for Śrī Rādhā’s happiness, meaning to unite her with Śrī Kṛṣṇa, have today obtained their desired result in Vṛndāvana.” The confidential sevā of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa is most desirable for them. Obtaining such sevā is the ultimate fruit of this vow of disinterest in Kṛṣṇa’s embrace. siddhasya lakṣaṇaṁ yat syāt sādhanaṁ sādhakasya tat. “That which is the characteristic of a siddha-bhakta is the sādhana of a sādhaka.” According to this method, it is appropriate for a mañjarī-bhāva-sādhaka to want only the sevā of Śrī Yugala during the period of sādhana. In Prārthanā 28 and 35, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says,
kālindīra kūle keli-kadambera bana |
ratana bedīropara basāba du’jana ||
śyāma-gaurī-aṅge diba candanera gandha |
cāmara ḍhulāba kabe heriba mukha-candra ||
gāṁthiyā mālatīra māla diba doṁhāra gale |
adhare tuliyā diba karpūra tāmbūle ||
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nīla-paṭāmbara, yatane parāiba, pāye diba ratana-mañjīre |
bhṛṅgārera jale rāṅgā, caraṇa dhoyāiba, mochāba āpana cikure ||
kusuma-kamala-dale, śeja bichāiba, śayana karāba doṁhākāre |
dhabala cāmara āni, mṛdu mṛdu bījaba, charamita duṁhuka śarīre ||
“When will I seat those two persons upon a jeweled throne in a kadamba grove on the banks of the Yamunā? When will I anoint their dark-blue and golden bodies with fragrant sandalwood paste? When will I fan them with a cāmara? When will I see their beautiful moonlike faces? When will I string garlands of mālatī flowers and place them around their necks? When will I place camphor-scented tāmbūla in their mouths?”
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“With great care, I will dress her in blue silk clothing and place jeweled anklets upon her lotus feet. With water from a golden pot, I will wash her reddish feet and dry them with my hair. I will spread a bed of lotus petals and lay them both upon it. I will bring a white cāmara and gently fan their exhausted bodies.”
This is the goal (sādhya) and the way to attain it (sādhana). This is the lifelong desire of a Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava. Sādhana, bhajana and taking shelter of Śrī Guru are all done to attain this supreme objective. If nothing else, it is still a gain if one is able to die with this desire in his heart.
jībane maraṇe gati, rādhā-kṛṣṇa prāṇa-pati, doṁhāra pirīti-rasa-sukhe |
yugala-saṅgati yārā, mora prāṇa gale hārā, ei kathā rahu mora buke ||
“Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa are the rulers of my life and my only shelter in this world and the next. Those sakhīs and mañjarīs who are always with them, submerged in the joy of the Divine Couple’s mutual love, are like a garland around not only my neck, but also my very life. Let these words remain forever in my heart.” (Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 42)
The kiṅkarī, submerged in Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s prīti-rasa, has thoroughly rejected the great treasure of bodily contact with Śrī Govinda, which is the ultimate desire of countless vraja-gopīs.
rādhā-raṅga-lasat-tvad-ujjvala-kalā-sañcāraṇa-prakriyā-
cāturyottaram eva sevanam ahaṁ govinda saṁprārthaye |
yenāśeṣa-vadhū-janodbhaṭa-mano-rājya-prapañcāvadhau
nautsukyaṁ bhavad-aṅga-saṅgama-rase’py ālambate man-manaḥ ||
Some mañjarī had been gathering flowers so she could make garlands for yugala-sevā. When Śrī Kṛṣṇa saw her, he said, “O beautiful one! If you spend a little while sporting in this kuñja with me, you will make your birth fruitful indeed.” Casting aside the coyness and cleverness that comes easily to women, the mañjarī expressed her heart’s intention, saying, “O Govinda! I want expertise in the skills of śṛṅgāra-rasa to serve you wherever you sport in your delightful dance of love with Śrī Rādhā. The heart’s desire of countless young women is to enjoy the nectar of physical intimacy with you, but my mind never goes there. Therefore, please submerge me in the happiness I desire.” (Ujjvala-Nīlamaṇiḥ 8.88) Just as Śrī Kṛṣṇa cannot stimulate the mañjarīs to desire his bodily contact, neither can Śrī Rādhā.
tvayā yad-upabhujyate murajid-aṅga-saṅge sukhaṁ
tad eva bahu jānatī svayam avāptitaḥ śuddha-dhīḥ |
mayā kṛti-vilobhanāpy adhika-cāturī-caryayā
kadāpi maṇi-mañjarī na kurute’bhisāra-spṛhām ||
One day, Śrīmatī Rādhā employed some sakhī to convince Maṇi Mañjarī to indulge in a lover’s tryst with Śrī Kṛṣṇa. After conferring with Maṇi Mañjarī, the sakhī returned, unable to persuade her. She said to Śrī Rādhā, “O dear friend, at your direction, I tried to stimulate Maṇi Mañjarī to enjoy the happiness of Kṛṣṇa’s bodily touch. I spoke with alluring words, but she has no desire to do so, knowing that that pleasure is only to be enjoyed by you. Therefore, I understood that her heart has become completely pure.”(Śrī-Ujjvala-Nīlamaṇiḥ 8.89)
In the verse under discussion, the efforts by both Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa to instigate the mañjarī to unite with Kṛṣṇa have been fruitless. The bee of the mañjarī’s mind has no other desire than to drink the nectar from Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet. Śrī Rādhā is a wondrous refuge; therefore, service to her is also wondrous. The dāsī’s mind is always submerged in the nectarous beauty of Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet.
There is another kind of sweet commentary that can be relished in this verse. Śrī Rādhā was on a journey to meet her lover. In his kiṅkarī form, Śrīpāda followed her like a shadow. Śrīmatī, eager to join with Śyāma, had traversed a long path and was now at the entrance to the trysting bower. Śrī Rādhā’s delicate feet were tired after her long walk and she was unable to go any further. Understanding Śrīmatī’s mind, the kiṅkarī massaged her lotus feet and the fatigue went away. Śrī Rādhā was delighted that she was now able to perform her service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. She was most satisfied by the kiṅkarī’s sevā and wanted to give her a reward. Filled with affection, she pulled the kiṅkarī to her chest and repeatedly embraced and kissed her. Śrīmatī was drunk on the wine of passionate love for Kṛṣṇa; by a whiff of its scent, the kiṅkarī also felt euphoric. (Meaning, when Śrīmatī remembered her loving pastimes with Kṛṣṇa, she felt intoxicated. In the same way, when the kiṅkarī saw Śrīmatī’s beautiful form, she became intoxicated by the desire to quickly unite her with Kṛṣṇa.) Śrī Rādhā was displaying unprecedented affection toward the kiṅkarī, which made her feel successful and satisfied. She gazed at Śrīmatī’s lotus feet, thinking, “O Śrī Rādhā! You are a wondrous refuge! The nectarous pastimes of your lotus feet are also wondrous. Therefore, O Goddess of my life, please give me your mercy so that I do not abandon the happiness of sevā and become enticed by some other type of happiness.” The kiṅkarīs do not want to forgo their sevā and have a friendship with Śrī Rādhā like the sakhīs possess. Śrīpāda Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmipāda has said,
pādābjayos tava vinā vara-dāsyam eva
nānyat kadāpi samaye kila devi yāce |
sakhyāya te mama namo’stu namo’stu nityaṁ
dāsyāya te mama raso’stu raso’stu satyam ||
“O Goddess! I only want to serve your lotus feet. I bow to your friendship. I hold your friendship on my head, but I am truly eager to serve as your dāsī.” (Vilāpa-Kusumāñjaliḥ 16) Though being a sakhī (companion), she is also a dāsī (maidservant). Her sevā is imbued with madhura-rasa. She has the form and qualities of an adolescent girl. She is qualified to perform confidential service and is a vessel for dāsya-rasa. The purpose of bhakti is sevā. A premika is one whose entire life is devoted to serving his beloved deity. Śrīmad Rūpa Gosvāmipāda prayed at Śrī Yugala’s lotus feet:
sevām evādya vāṁ devāv īhe kiñcana nāparam |
prasādābhimukhau hanta bhavantau bhavatāṁ mayi ||
nāthitaṁ paramevedam anātha-jana-vatsalau |
svaṁ sākṣād-dāsyam evāsmin prasādī-kurutaṁ jane ||
añjaliṁ mūrdhni vinyasya dīno’yaṁ bhikṣate janaḥ |
asya siddhir abhīṣṭasya sakṛd apy upapādyatām ||
“O Kṛṣṇa! O Rādhā! I want nothing but service at your lotus feet. Be pleased with me and fulfill my heart’s desire. O Kṛṣṇa! You are affectionate to those who have no refuge. O Rādhā! You maintain those who have no shelter. Please bless me with the gift of direct service to you. This poor person, with hands folded on his head, begs for your mercy. Please fulfill my desire to serve you.” Though Śrīpāda Sarasvaticaraṇa had obtained Śrī Rādhā’s incomparable treasure of affection, he did not forget the aspect of sevā. tavaiva śrī-rādhe pada-rasa-vilāse mama manaḥ. “O Śrī Rādhā! My mind is always absorbed in the nectarous beauty of your lotus feet.”
