Śrī-Rādhā-Rasa-Sudhā-Nidhiḥ 17 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

 

उज्जागरं रसिकनागरसङ्गरङ्गैः 

कुञ्जोदरे कृतवती नु मुदा रजन्याम् ।

सुस्नापिता हि मधुनैव सुभोजिता त्वं 

राधे कदा स्वपिषि मत्करलालिताङ्घ्रिः ॥ १७ ॥

ujjāgaraṁ rasika-nāgara-saṅga-raṅgaiḥ 

kuñjodare kṛtavatī nu mudā rajanyām |

susnāpitā hi madhunaiva subhojitā tvaṁ 

rādhe kadā svapiṣi mat-kara-lālitāṅghriḥ || 17 ||

“O Rādhā, when will you wake from a joyful night in the bower with your playful lover and let me bathe you, feed you delicious foods and massage your lotus feet as you again drift into pleasant sleep?”

The Service Mood of Rādhā’s Dāsīs

Rasa-Varṣiṇī-Vyākhyā: In the previous verse, Śrīpāda, while absorbed in his spiritual form, has performed wonderful service by uniting Śrī Rādhā, adorned with the ornament of vilāsa, with Śyāmasundara, who was eager for the sweetness of her love. There is a distinct experience of sevā-rasa that sustains the lives of Rādhā’s kiṅkarīs. Without a distinct experience of this cherished substance, they would be attracted by worldly life. Till now, jīvas like us knew nothing of this substance. Seeing everything as our own, we have forgotten Śrī Kṛṣṇa and absorbed our minds in insignificant worldly matters. By their personal behavior, the ācāryas teach their students how to forget the world, take their cherished deities within their hearts and progress in the realm of sādhana. Śrīmat Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda and Śrīla Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmipāda were both intoxicated by rādhā-rasa. Day and night they cried, “Rādhārāṇī! Where are you? I am struggling in the ocean of misery; please save me with your merciful glance!” “Alas, Rādhā! I am drowning in a terrible sea of destruction. Please bless my eyes, even for a moment, with your tender mercy.” “I don’t want to die without seeing you. Please be kind and let me see you once before I die.” By considering the behavior of the ācāryas, the sādhaka should think, “When shall I feel anxious for want of my beloved?” For this reason he comes to Vṛndāvana. Bhajana must be performed after yearning awakens in the heart. The sādhaka’s intense longing causes Śrī Bhagavān to desire the sādhaka’s sevā. Just as a thirsty person wants water, Bhagavān thirsts for bhakti. When he gets the scent of the yearning bhakta’s devotion, Bhagavān comes running. But Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s mercy is boundless. If my soul is somehow beautiful to her, she will undoubtedly come searching for me. And how uniquely beautiful is Śrīpāda Sarasvatīcaraṇa’s soul! With his entire heart he cries out, “When shall I see you ornamented with the bhāva known as vilāsa?”

A vision of the previous līlā reawakens before anxious Śrīpāda’s eyes. After the union of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, the kiṅkarī helped Śrīmatī bathe in the Yamunā and then brought her home. Śrīmatī has been well-bathed! On the one hand, she was bathed in the sweetness of śrī-kṛṣṇa-rasa, while on the other, she was bathed in the cool, invigorating waters of the Yamunā as her kiṅkarī entertained her with rasa-kathā. Having been bathed in both kinds of kṛṣṇāmṛta, Svāminī has truly been well-bathed! When Śyāmasundara left, the kiṅkarī brought her lovesick svāminī home, all the while speaking to her sweetly and reminding her of him. How can she so instinctively serve a girl mad with kṛṣṇa-prema? She understands her svāminī’s heart; only the skillful kiṅkarī can know such sevā. Even the sakhīs don’t have this extraordinary characteristic!

When Śrīmatī arrived at home, the sakhīs and mañjarīs dressed and decorated her as they continued to help her taste śrī-kṛṣṇa-rasa.(1) As they dressed her, the sakhīs told Śrīmatī many stories about Kṛṣṇa. When the decorating was finished, a kiṅkarī quickly fed her. Such abundant affection, or mamatā,(2) is the mark of their prema. In his gambhīrā-līlā, Kali-Pāvanāvatāra(3) Śrīman Mahāprabhu was overwhelmed by tasting the sweetness of Śrī Rādhā’s viraha-rasa. He neither slept nor ate, but was always submerged in tasting kṛṣṇa-kathā with Śrīpāda Svarūpa Dāmodara and Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya. Prabhu had not slept the entire night; it was past 9 a.m. and he had still not regained external consciousness. His servant Śrīla Govinda Dāsa fell in the dust and rolled about. Crying, he begged Śrīpāda Svarūpa Dāmodara, “Śrīpāda Svarūpa! Please make Prabhu just a little conscious. Alas! The day has passed its third prahara and I have been unable to put even a little water in his mouth.” This is the profound depth of mamatā of one whose life is sevā.

The sakhīs and kiṅkarīs have finished dressing Śrīmatī and fed her some sweets and other foods. Śrīmatī is madhunaiva subhojitā (well-fed with delicious foods). The kiṅkarī knows that Śrīmatī will eat nothing but kṛṣṇādharāmṛta, food that contains the nectar from Kṛṣṇa’s lips. So she gives sweets to her that have been secretly mixed with Kṛṣṇa’s lip-nectar, and Śrīmatī tastes that nectar as though it were directly from him. She distinctly feels the intoxicating power of Kṛṣṇa’s lips. One can comprehend the taste of food, but it is impossible to comprehend the taste of the nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s lips. Some are able, even in Kṛṣṇa’s absence, to experience through deep meditation Kṛṣṇa’s form, rasa and so on as though he were directly present. For such a person, it is also possible to experience the intoxication of direct contact with Kṛṣṇa’s lips by tasting food mixed with his lip-nectar. While in rādhā-bhāva, Śrīman Mahāprabhu became intoxicated by tasting the prasāda from Śrī Jagannātha’s gopāla-vallabha-bhoga offering and taught the devotees that mahāprasāda soaked in Kṛṣṇa’s lip-nectar is truly powerful. Śrī Gaurāṅga was lost in ecstasy while describing the glory of mahāprasāda to the devotees. Sāttvika-vikāras(4) spread throughout his beautiful body. His eyes filled with tears and his limbs erupted in goosebumps. Delirious, in a voice choked with emotion, he said,

tanu-mana kare kṣobha,          bāḍāya surata-lobha,

harṣa-śokādi-bhāba bināśaya |

pāsarāya anya rasa,          jagat kare ātma-baśa,

lajjā dharma dhairya kare kṣaya ||

nāgara! śuna tomāra adhara carita |

mātāya nārīra mana,          jihvā kare ākarṣaṇa,

bicārite saba biparīta ||

“O lover! Listen as I describe the nature of your lips: they agitate one’s body and mind, increase the desire for romance and destroy both joy and sorrow. They cause one to forget any other rasas, bring the whole world under their control and destroy shyness, virtue and patience. They cause women to go mad, attract the tongue and make everything seem to be the opposite of what it is.” (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Antya 16.121-122)

adharera ei rīti,          āra śunaha kunīti,

se adhara-sane yāra melā |

sei bhakṣya-bhojya-pāna,          haya amṛta-samāna,

nāma tāra haya kṛṣṇa-phelā ||

se phelāra eka laba,          nā pāya debatā saba,

ei dambhe kebā pātiyāya |

bahu-janma puṇya kare,          tabe ‘sukṛti’ nāma dhare,

se sukṛti tāra laba pāya ||

“Listen to more about the corrupting influence of these lips: whatever food or drink comes in contact with them becomes just like nectar. That food or drink is called Kṛṣṇa’s leftovers. None of the gods can get even one morsel of those leftovers. Whoever falls for this trickery must perform pious acts for many births, and by that sukṛti, they can then get a small amount.” (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Antya 16.130-131) No one can comprehend Mahāprabhu’s incoherent state after he has floated so far in the stream of rādhā-bhāva-rasa. 

After being nicely fed, Śrīmatī washed her hands and mouth and sat down with her sakhīs. Chewing tāmbūla given by a kiṅkarī, Śrīmatī and her friends sank into the rasa of kṛṣṇa-kathā. In the form of a kiṅkarī, Śrīpāda is thinking that his svāminī needs to take some rest. Śrīmatī had in great happiness spent the previous night in the bower cottage with her rasika lover, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Wide awake (ujjāgaram), without naps or drowsiness, they had passed the night laughing and joking. In the kuñja, there was a bed made of young shoots with tender leaves, with a pillow made of flowers. Śyāmasundara rested his head upon the pillow while Śrīmatī used his left arm as her pillow. Lying on their sides, they faced one another and talked, admired the other’s beauty, laughed and pushed each other. So much rasa! Their hearts and minds flowed toward infinity in a stream of mutual love! Therefore they were wide awake. A kiṅkarī said, “Svāminī! You have been awake all night; you should take a little rest.” The sakhīs commended the kiṅkarī: “She knows how to serve you correctly; we had forgotten that you need to rest. Go now, Sakhī! Go take a nap.” Holding Śrīmatī’s hand, the kiṅkarī took her to a bed of roses she had prepared and made her lie down. To remind her of Śyāma, the kiṅkarī covered Śrīmatī’s body with a black cādara (shawl). In his kiṅkarī form, Śrīpāda has gotten the good fortune of massaging Śrīmatī’s lotus feet. She is massaging them with the utmost tenderness. The word lālana means “affectionate service.” The kiṅkarī feels gratified seeing the beauty of Śrīmatī’s feet. Svāminī falls asleep. The kiṅkarī sometimes holds Svāminī’s feet to her bosom and sometimes kisses them. There is no limit to the joy of such a fortunate maidservant. Suddenly, the vision ends. In sādhaka consciousness, he humbly prays to obtain that sevā. rādhe kadā svapiṣi mat-kara-lālitāṅghriḥ?

------------------------------------

1. See the fourth chapter of Śrīpāda Viśvanātha Cakravartipāda’s Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-Bhāvanāmṛtam for a description of Śrī Rādhā’s dressing and so on in the early morning.

2. Considering a person or thing as one’s own (Samsad)

3. The incarnation that rescues us from the age of Kali

4. External manifestations of internal ecstasies

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Śrī-Rādhā-Rasa-Sudhā-Nidhiḥ 16 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

 

पादाङ्गुलीनिहितदृष्टिमपत्रपिष्णुं

दूरादुदीक्ष्य रसिकेन्द्रमुखेन्दुबिम्बम् ।

वीक्षे चलत्पदगतिं चरिताभिरामां

झङ्कार-नूपुरवतीं बत कर्हि राधाम् ॥ १६ ॥

pādāṅgulī-nihita-dṛṣṭim apatrapiṣṇuṁ

dūrād udīkṣya rasikendra-mukhendu-bimbam |

vīkṣe calat-pada-gatiṁ caritābhirāmāṁ

jhaṅkāra-nūpuravatīṁ bata karhi rādhām || 16 ||

“Ah! When shall I see that most charming Śrī Rādhā, whose anklets jingle sweetly as she walks, and who looks bashfully at her toes upon seeing from afar the moonlike face of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the king of rasikas?”

Bashful Śrī Rādhā

Rasa-Varṣiṇī-Vyākhyā: When a vision becomes very deep, the devotee feels that he is directly perceiving Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, when the vision ends, he cries with heart-rending lamentation. During the vision, he is ecstatic from tasting sevā-rasa; when it ends and there is no more sevā, he feels sadness to the same degree. It can easily be deduced that if no sevā comes to those who are the embodiments of sevā-rasa, they will experience indescribable sadness. This feeling also comes to some degree in the sādhaka state. If there is no such feeling, then one’s bhakti is considered weak. In rādhā-dāsya-bhajana, this feeling is inevitable. Rādhārāṇī mercifully gives help and support. In a discussion of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s glories in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.2.33, Śrī Brahmā and the other gods said, 

tathā na te mādhava tāvakāḥ kvacid

bhraśyanti mārgāt tvayi baddha-sauhṛdāḥ |

tvayābhiguptā vicaranti nirbhayā

vināyakānīkapa-mūrdhasu prabho ||

“O Lord! O Mādhava! Though the sādhana of the jñānīs and yogīs is often impeded by obstacles, devotees who have taken shelter of your lotus feet are never overcome by such obstacles because you mercifully help them. By your mercy the devotees’ obstacles become like a staircase that leads them fearlessly to your feet.”

Rādhārāṇī is even more merciful; her mercy has no bounds. Those who are a little advanced in bhajana get to hear Rādhārāṇī’s call. She whose heart is soft with compassion beckons the bhakta in a tender voice! The bhakta then weeps uncontrollably. To attain this state, the sādhaka should offer a little prayer at his svāminī’s lotus feet: “Svāminī! Please respond! If you do not respond, how will I advance on the path of bhajana?” Śrīmatī’s compassion will gradually descend and the sādhaka will be blessed with a taste of her līlā-mādhurī in a dream. 

Śrīpāda’s heart was restless and impatient; at this time a vision came to him. In the first interpretation of the previous verse, Śrī Rādhārāṇī revealed her desire to go bathe in the Yamunā. After joking with her, the kiṅkarī received Śrīmatī’s mercy. Now, having obtained another vision of that līlā, she is taking Śrī Rādhā to bathe in the Yamunā. Meanwhile, Śyāmasundara finished milking the cows and heard from a parrot that Śrī Rādhā was going to bathe in the Yamunā. Under the pretext of going to see the beautiful groves near Nandīśvara Hill, he left his friends and came to the bank of the Yamunā. Svāminī saw Rasikendra’s moonlike face from some distance away. When she had at first seen the water of the Yamunā from a distance, it reminded her of Śyāmasundara and a powerful wave of affection for him danced in her heart. Seeing his face again now caused sweet and boundless love to surge within her. Śrī Rādhā was adorned with the ornament of love upon seeing Rasikendra’s moonlike face. Among the twenty ornaments that manifest upon her lovely form, one is known as vilāsa.

gati-sthānāsanādīnāṁ mukha-netrādi-karmaṇām |

tātkālikaṁ tu vaiśiṣṭyaṁ vilāsaḥ priya-saṅga-jam ||

“The particular way the nāyikā walks, stands, sits, gestures with her mouth, eyes and so on when she meets with her beloved is known as vilāsa.” (Ujjvala-Nīlamaṇiḥ 11:31) Śrīmatī is apatrapiṣṇum, meaning that because she is bashful, pādāṅgulī-nihita-dṛṣṭim, she has fixed her sight upon her toes. How sweet her modest nature is! Her sweetness swells and falls as though in gushes.

rādhā basi āche kibā bṛndābane yāya | 

tāṅhā yadi ācambite kṛṣṇa darśana pāya ||

dekhitei nānā-bhāba haya bilakṣaṇa | 

ei bailakṣaṇyera nāma bilāsa-bhūṣaṇa ||

lajjā harṣa abhilāṣa sambhrama bāmya bhaya | 

eta bhāba mili rādhāya cañcala karaya ||

“If Rādhā happens to be sitting somewhere or is on her way to Vṛndāvana and suddenly sees Kṛṣṇa, various amazing moods appear within her. This change of states is called the ornament of vilāsa and is marked by shyness, joy, desire, confusion, contrariness and fear. With so many moods mixing together, Rādhā becomes restless.” (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 14.185-186, 188)

puraḥ kṛṣṇālokāt sthagita-kuṭilāsyā gatir abhūt |

tiraścīnaṁ kṛṣṇāmbara-dara-vṛtaṁ śrī-mukham api ||

calat-tāraṁ sphāraṁ nayana-yugam ābhugnam iti sā |

vilāsākhya-svālaṅkaraṇa-valitāsīt priya-mude ||

“When Śrī Rādhā suddenly saw Śrī Kṛṣṇa before her, she immediately stopped walking and then began again, but on a zigzag course. She scrunched up her face and slightly covered it with her blue cloth. Her starlike eyes were wide, restless and modestly downcast. Beautified by her ornament known as vilāsa, Śrī Rādhā gave Śrī Kṛṣṇa great joy.” (Govinda-Lilāmṛtam 9.11)

ei bhāba-yukta dekhi’ rādhāsya nayana |

saṅgama haite sukha pāya koṭi-guṇa ||

“When Kṛṣṇa sees this mood expressed in Rādhā’s face and eyes, his happiness is a million times greater than through union with her.” (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta Madhya 14.179)

The function of mahābhāva is to make Śrī Kṛṣṇa happy. When love reaches an unbounded state, it destroys like the sun the dark desire for sense-gratification lying deep within one’s heart and stimulates thoughts of Kṛṣṇa’s happiness in one’s mind. That state is known as mahābhāva. Her form is shaped by this mahābhāva. Therefore, it is logical that all of her efforts are meant for Kṛṣṇa’s happiness.

When beautiful and affectionate Śrī Rādhā sees her lover’s face, she fixes her eyes on her feet and slowly walks zigzag along the path. The bells on her lotus feet are jingling. It seems the sight of her beloved has caused drops of sweet love to fall from the icon of mahābhāva. Ankle-bells made from this sweet love jingle melodiously on the feet of mahābhāva. Śrīpāda Rūpa Gosvāmipāda has described the sweet sound of Śrī Rādhā’s ankle bells in Utkalikā-Vallarī 27:

dhvasta-brahma-marāla-kūjita-bharair ūrjeśvarī-nūpura-

kvāṇair ūrjita-vaibhavas tava vibho vaṁśī-prasūtaḥ kalaḥ |

labdhaḥ śasta-samasta-nāda-nagarī-sāmrājya-lakṣmīṁ parām

ārādhyaḥ pramadāt kadā śravaṇayor dvandvena mandena me ||

“O Lord! When in great joy shall my defiled ears be blessed with the beautiful sound of your flute, which reigns like an empress over the city of all beautiful sounds. It is enriched by the tinkling of Śrī Rādhā’s ankle-bells and is sweeter than the warbling of Brahmā’s swan.” (Utkalikā-Vallarī 27)

The rāsa dance is under way. As Śrīmatī dances, her ankle-bells jingle. Śyāmasundara is also playing his flute. He is the lord of beauty and sweetness. The whole world has been submerged in only one drop of his sweetness, so the sweet sound of his flute is like no other. But even that sound is nourished and enriched by the sound of Śrī Rādhā’s ankle-bells. Suddenly, one of her anklets falls off. The tone of Kṛṣṇa’s flute is no longer so pleasing. What is missing? Why is the flute’s tone not being enriched like before? Kṛṣṇa searched for the cause and saw that one of Śrīmatī’s anklets had fallen off. Placing his flute in his waistband, Kṛṣṇa danced over to Rādhā and sat near her feet. He took her foot upon his chest and replaced the anklet, keeping with the rhythm of the dance. The charming ankle-bells on Rādhā’s feet jingled like before. As Śyāma began to play his flute again, he saw that the problem had been solved. The sound of Śrīmatī’s anklets have enriched even the tone of the flute that drives the whole world mad. 

The kiṅkarī observes that after Śrīmatī sees the moonlike face of her lover, she is now adorned with the ornament called vilāsa. The anklets on her feet are jingling and each jingle vibrates the strings of her dark lover’s heart. The kiṅkarī now realizes that Śrīmatī is caritābhirāmā, or one whose nature is pleasing to the minds and eyes of both Śyāmasundara and her dāsīs. By seeing Śrī Rādhā’s sweet and charming behavior, Śrīpāda experiences the fruit of his inner vision in sakhī-bhāva. The kiṅkarī has succeeded in bringing the heroine and her pleasure-hungry lover together. After uniting the couple in a nearby kuñja, the kiṅkarī is blessed with a taste of their combined sweetness. Suddenly, his mystic vision ends. The author has expressed his wish while in sādhaka consciousness to see Śrī Rādhā adorned with the ornament called vilāsa.

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My translations of Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā and Bhāvanā-Sāra-Saṅgrahaḥ are both 15% off through April 7. Use the code BCORP15. Click on the book images on the right of the blog page. Applies to print copies only. 

Śrī-Śrī-Gaura-Govinda-Līlāmṛta Guṭikā 22

When Śrī Rādhā saw Kundalatā, a fountain of sweet nectar seemed to gush in her eager heart. Śrīmatī joyfully stood up and said with a smile, “Kundalatā, my friend! I think that under the guise of Vrajeśvarī Mā’s order some mercy nectar has been sent my way. After appealing to my mother-in-law, you have swiftly come to me.” When Kundalatā drank in the nectar of lovely-eyed Rādhā’s sweet and logical words, her heart and mind danced in delight. Moonlight beamed from the gentle smile on her parted lips. She said in earnest, “Sakhī Rādhā! After you have understood everything, you and your sakhīs should leave immediately for Vrajeśvarī’s home. O beautiful lotus-eyed one! The flavor of the food you cook makes even the nectar of heaven seem insignificant. Your expertise in cooking is well-known throughout Vrajapura. O friend! Maharṣi Durvāsā has given you the boon that whatever you may cook will be filled with nectar, and that whoever eats it will have a long life, good health and strength and be the subduer of Indra. Ever since Vrajeśvarī heard about the boon, she has wanted Kṛṣṇa to eat your hand-cooked food regularly. Young Kṛṣṇa has killed some powerful demons and she firmly believes this is due to the qualities of the food you cook. Furthermore, O Moonface! Listen, I will tell you a secret. Just as Vrajeśvarī becomes anxious when she cannot see her son, she also feels the same way when she cannot see you.” Śrī Rādhā’s heart was bathed in ānanda-rasa when she heard Kundalatā’s words, which were like an elixir for her ears. Still, Śrīmatī concealed the great rush of delight in her heart and with a quick, disinterested glance at Kundalatā, she replied, “Sakhī Kundalatā! Everything you say makes sense. But, O wise one! Is it reasonable for girls who are known for their virtue to go to another person’s home every day? Think about it. Especially when it is your brother-in-law—I hear he is always greedy for the family girls. For virtuous girls, the effort to protect their family dharma is the most important thing. Therefore, my friend, I have no desire to go there.”

Kundalatā understood that Śrī Rādhā was internally delighted but outwardly reluctant. Extremely pleased, she replied, “Sakhī Rādhā! Your desire to protect your family’s dharma will be easily realized. Since Durvāsā Muni is favorable toward you, by his mercy nothing inauspicious will happen. Therefore, go quickly, without delay!” Elderly Jaṭilā was listening to Rādhā and Kundalatā’s witty conversation from a distance. She heard Rādhā’s words about going to Nanda’s house and accepted them to mean she was reluctant. Then she approached the girls and said, “O chaste Kundalatā! I trust you completely; for this reason I have placed my daughter-in-law into your hands.”Although the old woman is sharp-tongued by nature, she looked at Śrī Rādhā and said in a serious but calm and sweet voice, “My child, since it is inappropriate for a chaste woman to go even one foot from her husband’s home, you should not in any way go near Kṛṣṇa, who is known as the crown jewel of debauchees. This is settled. Still, O Rādhā, how many times can the words of Devī Paurṇamāsī and the humble request of the wife of the king of Vraja be ignored? Therefore, unable to disobey them, I am asking you to go there. But do not worry; Bhagavān Śrī Hari, who preserves the dharma of virtuous girls, will protect you. So, O lovely one, I have placed you in his lotus hands and am now carefree.” Though Jaṭilā was referring to Śrī Nārāyaṇa when she mentioned the word Hari, the quick-witted sakhīs smiled slightly, taking the word to mean Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Śrīmatī stopped the sakhīs with a gesture and remained silent. Then Kundalatā pulled Śrīmatī’s hand and led her and her sakhīs away with delight.(1) Kundalatā walked in front of Śrī Rādhā, with Śrī Lalitā on the right, Śrī Viśākhā on the left and Anaṅga Mañjarī and the other sakhīs behind. Śrī Rūpa and the other principal mañjarīs came next, followed by the guru-mañjarīs. Behind them, the sādhaka-dāsī carried laḍḍus and other types of Kṛṣṇa’s favorite foods as directed by Lalitā.

Nandālaya lies to the southwest of Yāvaṭa. The sakhīs led Śrī Rādhā outside the village through the southern gate. Rows of bakula and other trees lined both sides of the bejeweled path and their limbs and branches intertwined above it. They were covered with various kinds of blossoming creepers providing dense shade. Śrīmatī and her sakhīs walked to Nanda’s house like swans, listening to the sweet sounds of cuckoos and other birds mixed with the humming of bees on the flower-scented path. The path was illumined by her radiant golden complexion. Charming Rādhā was absorbed in the joy of seeing Kṛṣṇa. Goosebumps covered her beautiful form, she walked with a slow gait and her clothing had become loose. Seeing the marks from last night’s love-play on Śrīmatī’s body, Kundalatā joked, “O Rādhā! Your husband Abhimanyu was away for three or four days. He returned yesterday evening and spent the night in the cowshed. Still, I see nail-marks on your body and wounds on your lips. It seems these are clear signs of your customary chastity.” After hearing Kundalatā’s words, Lalitā could see that although Rādhā had narrowed her eyes externally, she was jubilant within. Lalitā replied, “O Kundalatā! Yesterday in the forest an audacious parrot mistook Śrīmatī’s breasts for pomegranates and scratched them with his claws. That same parrot bit her on the lips, thinking them to be bimba fruits. So why are you concerned that it is something else?” As Śrīmatī listened to their conversation, a memory of her previous night’s pastimes appeared. Her heart was filled with delight and her body numbed by joy. In this way, everyone floated in a stream of happiness as they moved toward Nanda’s house engaged in playful banter.

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1. Author’s note: During the time when Śrī Rādhā resides in Varṣāṇā, Kundalatā takes her to Nanda’s home after getting permission from Kīrtidā Mā.

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Śrī-Rādhā-Rasa-Sudhā-Nidhiḥ 15 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

 

कृष्णामृतं चल विगाढुमितीरिताहं 

तावत् सहस्व रजनी सखि यावदेति ।

इत्थं विहस्य वृषभानुसुताह लप्स्ये 

मानं कदा रसदकेलिकदम्बजातम् ॥ १५ ॥

kṛṣṇāmṛtaṁ cala vigāḍhum itīritāhaṁ 

tāvat sahasva rajanī sakhi yāvad eti |

itthaṁ vihasya vṛṣabhānu-sutāha(1) lapsye 

mānaṁ kadā rasada-keli-kadamba-jātam || 15 ||

“O daughter of Vṛṣabhānu! When you say to me, ‘Take me to bathe in the kṛṣṇāmṛta,’ meaning the nectarous waters of the Yamunā, I will take the meaning of kṛṣṇāmṛta to be the nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s association. I will say, ‘O friend, you will have to endure until nightfall. Then I will take you to the kuñja and bathe you in kṛṣṇāmṛta.’ Hearing my joking words, you will laugh and pelt me repeatedly with honey-oozing kadamba flowers. Ah, when shall I get such an honor?”

The Honor of Being Śrī Rādhā’s Maidservant

Rasa-Varṣiṇī-Vyākhyā: Śrīpāda is deeply absorbed in his svarūpa. He has no other aim than Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s lotus feet. The ācāryas are our role models. Our sādhaka lives must be shaped by following them. We want this life of sādhana to be filled with realization. It is not that now we will do bhajana and then some day in the future we will get realization. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.2.42 says that when one performs bhajana, both realization and apathy toward sense objects simultaneously arise.

bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra caiṣa trika eka-kālaḥ |

prapadyamānasya yathāśnataḥ syus tuṣṭiḥ puṣṭiḥ kṣud-apāyo’nughāsam ||

“When one eats a meal, he is simultaneously satisfied, nourished and relieved from hunger. In the same way, when one performs bhajana, then devotion, realization of Bhagavān and apathy toward sense objects all arise simultaneously.” 

A jīva like me is thoroughly absorbed in his body, so there is no feeling that “I am Rādhā’s dāsī.” My affinity with māyā seems like a good thing. To instruct people like me, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has written,

biṣaya garalamaya, tāhe māna sukhacaya, sei sukha duḥkha kari jāna |

gobinda-biṣaya-rasa, saṅga kara tāra dāsa, prema-bhakti satya kari jāna ||

gauḍīya baiṣṇabera śrī-rādhārāṇīra sebāi sukha, āra saba duḥkhamaya |

sakhī-gaṇa cāripāśe, sebā kari abhilāṣe, se sebā parama sukha-dhare ||

“Sense objects are filled with poison, which you consider to be pleasure. That pleasure is misery. Just meditate on the rasa of things related to Govinda, associate with his servants and know that prema-bhakti is real. For the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava, service to Śrī Rādhārāṇī is true happiness and anything else is misery. Long to serve her in the company of the sakhīs, for that service contains the supreme happiness.”

In the previous verse, while absorbed in his svarūpa, Śrīpāda experienced the sweet pastimes of Śrī Śrī Yugala-Kiśora and the joy of sevā. At the end of his vision, he felt overwhelmed with viraha and prayed, “Let my mind delight in Śrī Rādhā’s forest playground of Vṛndāvana.” Within a short while, another vision appeared. It was summertime, in the morning, in Yāvaṭa. Śrīmatī and her sakhīs were submerged in the nectar of kṛṣṇa-kathā. Her friend Śyāmalā had just arrived. Śrī Rādhā joyfully embraced her and made her sit beside her. A wonderful stream of delightful memories began to flow. The minnow-like hearts of the sakhīs and mañjarīs began to swim happily in that stream. Śrī Rādhā said, “My dear friend Śyāmalā, last night, in the bower cottage, I was indeed momentarily bathed in a shower of strange blue radiance from a dark cloud. But friend, after a thirsty person drinks a refreshing beverage in her dream, she remains as thirsty as before. In the same way, without any satisfaction from the night’s play, it all seems like a dream to me.” Hearing Śrī Rādhā’s words, Śyāmalā laughed and jokingly said, “My dear friend Rādhā, that was neither a dream nor magic; your mind is truly bewildered. The sweet aroma of that person’s lotus mouth makes respectable girls go blind even from a distance. You have drunk the delicious honey from that lotus mouth in large quantities, so it is no surprise that your mind would be bewildered by intoxication.” In this way, Śyāmalā was cracking so many jokes, and Śrī Rādhā and her sakhīs sank into the rasa. When Śyāmalā had gone, the sakhīs prepared for Śrī Rādhā’s bath. Śrīmatī said, kṛṣṇāmṛtaṁ cala vigāḍhum. “Now let’s go bathe in the nectar of the Yamunā.” Śrīpāda, in his kiṅkarī-form, took Śrīmatī’s words (kṛṣṇāmṛtam) to mean ‘the nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s association’ and replied, tāvat sahasva rajanī sakhi yāvad eti. “Hey Sakhī Rādhā, you will have to endure until nightfall. Then I will take you to the bower cottage and bathe you in kṛṣṇāmṛta.”

What a wonderful nature she has! Even though she is a maidservant, she is also a friend, a vessel of sakhya-rasa. Because she is a kiṅkarī, she has no hesitation in laughing and joking when she experiences sakhya-rasa. Śrīpāda Dāsa Gosvāmī has said, “I have no other desire than to perform the best kind of service at your lotus feet. I offer obeisance to the type of friendship that has no servitude in it; I hold it on my head. But what I want is servitude mixed with friendship.” (Vilāpa-Kusumāñjalī 16) This is the best type of dāsya because it also allows the kiṅkarīs, like the sakhīs, to freely laugh and joke with Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. In Sudevī‘s kuñja, Śrī Yugala placed their wagers and began to play a game of dice. Śyāmasundara is defeated. At Śrīmatī’s signal, a dāsī begins to joke with Śyāmasundara. “Mādhava! You should not come here to play dice anymore. Grazing cows is fine, but when doing so, one’s intelligence becomes like a cow’s. The virtues and faults of association are unavoidable.  For this reason, you should only play games that require bodily strength; you should no longer play games that require intelligence.” She is both a sakhī (friend) and a dāsī (maidservant). What a sweet way to worship! This rādhā-dāsya is Mahāprabhu’s great gift: sublime, unrestrained, nectarous bhakti that has never been offered before.

Due to the kiṅkarī’s words, the bhāva known as rati has risen in Śrīmatī’s mind. Goosebumps appear on her beautiful body. She tries to hide her transformed bhāva from the kiṅkarī, but a gentle smile nevertheless illuminates her beautiful face. The kiṅkarī relishes the sweetness of that smile! Feigning anger, Śrīmatī chastises the kiṅkarī with a disapproving glance. In the early morning, the dāsīs had brought kadamba flowers for making Śrīmatī’s garlands and other decorations. Śrīmatī takes some of those fresh, nectar-oozing flowers and pelts the kiṅkarī with them, and the kiṅkarī relishes the beauty of Śrīmatī’s eyes and mouth as she does so! The kiṅkarī thinks that under the guise of striking her with kadamba flowers, merciful Śrī Rādhā is giving her an immeasurable honor. Suddenly the vision has ended. In sādhaka consciousness, he humbly reveals his heartfelt prayer at Śrīmatī’s lotus feet: “When shall I get such an honor from you?”

Another reading for the words yāvad eti in this verse is yāvatīti. By accepting this reading, we can relish another kind of sweet explanation. Today, Mādhava sent a messenger to inform Śrīmatī of their rendezvous in the keli-kadamba-kuñja.(2) Sri Rādhā dressed appropriately for the dark night: by smearing her beautiful lightning-like skin with blue ointment and donning a blue dress, she seems to merge with the darkness.

nīlima mṛga-made tanu anulepana nīlima hāra ujora |

nīla balaya-gaṇe bhuja-yuga maṇḍita pahiraṇa nīla-nicola ||

sundarī hari abhisāraka lāgi |

naba anurāge gorī bhela śyāmarī kuhu yāminī bhaya bhāgi ||

“Her body is smeared with blue musk, she wears a radiant blue necklace and blue scarf, and her arms are adorned with blue bangles. The beautiful fair-skinned girl has become dark. She touches her lover Hari with renewed affection. The sweet cooing of a cuckoo drives away the fear of night.” (Govinda Dāsa)

Śrīmatī has arrived in the courtyard of the saṅketa-kuñja(3) filled with love. The eager nāgara(4) is enchanted by the sound of her ankle bells, so he comes out of the kuñja and tenderly brings his sweetheart inside. Their hearts melt for each other. baiṭhali rāi śyāma bāma-pāśa; duṅhu jana purala mana abhilāṣa. “Rādhā sits to the left of Śyāma; both are filled with desire.” (Mahājana)

Śrīpāda is serving the Divine Couple in the form of a kiṅkarī and she understands that they want to make love. The kiṅkarī goes outside the kuñja, peeks through a hole and is blessed with a taste of their sweet union.

duṅhu rase bhora heri pāñca-bāṇa | keli-kalā kiye karala sandhāna ||

dekha puna cetana duṅhu abalamba | punahi acetana yaba duṅhu cumba ||

bipula pulaka-bara sveda sañcāra | cira-thira nayane nīra anibāra ||

kāṅpai tharahari gadagada bhāṣa | duṅhu doṅhā paraśane katahuṅ ullāsa ||

āna āna saṅge raṅge bharu aṅga | ko karu anubhaba prema-taraṅga ||

“Seeing the couple submerged in rasa, Kāmadeva united them with his erotic skills. Look! When they are conscious again they lean on each other for support, then kiss and swoon once more. Goosebumps and perspiration cover their limbs. They remain still for long periods and tears fill their eyes. They tremble incessantly and their voices are choked with emotion. They feel great delight and are overwhelmed with passion when their bodies touch. Who can experience such waves of love?” (Rādhāmohana Dāsa) 

The kiṅkarī now approaches the delightful keli-kadamba-kuñja. The bower cottage is permeated with the sweet nectar of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. When the love-making is over, the kiṅkarīs know it is time for sevā, so they enter the kuñja.

sebana parāyaṇā sahacarī āi | cāmara bījana bījai tāi ||

bāsita bāri koi sakhī dela | badanaka carabaṇa-tāmbūla nela ||

“When her devoted companions arrived for sevā, one sakhī fanned them with a cāmara, another gave them scented water and another brought tāmbūla for them to chew. (Mahājana)

Everyone has become delirious from the amorous play of the jewel of charming girls. Though she is with Śyāma, she thinks she is alone; she considers night to be day. cāṅdaka heri, suraya kari bhākhaye, dinahi rajanī kari māna. “Seeing the moon, she calls it the sun; she takes night to be day.” (Mahājana)

She says to the kiṅkarī, “Sakhī! Let’s go bathe in the Yamunā (kṛṣṇāmṛtaṁ cala vigāḍhum).” The kiṅkarī replies, tāvat sahasva rajanī sakhi yāvatīti. “O Rādhā, it is nighttime now; you can bathe in the Yamunā in the morning.” Hearing the kiṅkarī’s words, Śrīmatī realized her mistake and laughed a little. The kiṅkarī considered the sweetness of that laugh to be the greatest reward and sheltered it within her heart. After his vision has ended, Śrīpāda prays, “When shall I get that honor again?”

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1. Suteha is another reading here, according to Śrī Purīdāsa.

2. The kadamba tree under which the amorous sports of Kṛṣṇa were held (Samsad)

3. The bower where their secret tryst takes place

4. Male lover

Śrī-Śrī-Gaura-Govinda-Līlāmṛta Guṭikā 21

Navadvīpa: Mahāprabhu Becomes Absorbed in Bhāva after Hearing Bhāgavata 

In Navadvīpa, Śrīman Mahāprabhu was sitting on the dressing platform with his companions, all of them immersed in bhāva. Meanwhile, Īśāna Dāsa arrived, having been sent by Śacī Mātā, and said, “O Gaurāṅga! Your mother is calling for you to come and see Ṭhākurajī’s ārati.” Hearing this, Mahāprabhu roared and returned to external consciousness along with his companions. Svarūpa Gosvāmī concluded his singing. Mahāprabhu and his companions stood in Śrī Nārāyaṇa’s assembly hall (jagamohana) and watched the ārati. At the end of ārati, Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita offered the lamp to the three prabhus and then sprinkled the bhaktas with water from the conch shell. After that, they all circumambulated the Śrī Mandira and Tulasī Devī, offered water to Tulasī and performed daṇḍavat-praṇāma. Then Mother Śacī sent Īśāna Dāsa to invite Mahāprabhu and the bhaktas to come for refreshments. They arrived at the dining hall in due order and were affectionately given sweets, cooked foods and so on by his mother. After eating, they went to the room where the Bhāgavata was to be recited and sat down. Gadādhara Paṇḍita accepted Mahāprabhu’s food remnants and then came to the room and sat on the vyāsāsana to chant the Bhāgavata. After that the gosvāmīs and gurus accepted Mahāprabhu’s food remnants and arrived at the room. The three prabhus sat in front with the bhaktas behind them. Paṇḍita Gosvāmī worshiped Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with Tulasī leaves, sandalwood paste, flowers and garlands and then began to speak.

Meanwhile, the sādhaka-dāsa placed in his own room the nectarous food remnants from the three prabhus and the bhaktas. After cleaning the dining hall, the pots and so on, he furnished the hall with seats, eating vessels, bowls of tāmbūla and waterpots. Then he went to the Bhāgavata recitation room and sat to the left of Śrī Gurudeva. Śrī Svarūpa Gosvāmī gave the Bhāgavata’s prasādī sandalwood paste and garlands to the three prabhus and the bhaktas respectively. Śacī Mātā and others finished the refreshments and then went inside to do some cooking. As Śrīman Mahāprabhu was listening to the Bhāgavata recitation, he began to contemplate Kundalatā coming to take Śrī Rādhā to Nanda’s house to cook. The bhaktas also became submerged in vraja-bhāva.

Vrajadhāma: Śrī Rādhā Goes to Nandīśvara for Cooking

In Vraja, in Yāvaṭa, Śrī Rādhā and her sakhīs were enjoying the nectar from Kṛṣṇa’s lips (prasāda) that Hiraṇyāṅgī had brought. After that, they all sat in the parlor and Śrīmatī began to feel anxious about Kundalatā’s arrival from Nanda’s house. Kundalatā soon arrived, blossoming in the dewy coolness of Vrajeśvarī Śrī Yaśodā’s instructions. She went to Jaṭilā and offered obeisance, then told her of Vrajeśvarī’s wish. Kundalatā said, “O Mother! Vrajeśvarī Mā Yaśodā sends her respects and has a request. Kṛṣṇa has not been eating properly because of his weak appetite. Your daughter-in-law is known as “Nectar Hands” due to the boon of Durvāsā Ṛṣi. By eating her hand-cooked food, Kṛṣṇa’s longevity, strength and wealth will be increased and he will become healthy and happy. Therefore, please send your daughter-in-law to Vrajeśvarī’s house to cook. This is her humble request.” After hearing Vrajeśvarī Mātā’s plea, Jaṭilā thought about it and felt concerned that Kṛṣṇa might try some mischief with her daughter-in-law. She then said to Kundalatā, “O my child, Kundalatā! My son’s wife is a virtuous girl. She is very sweet because she is filled with the honey of excellent qualities. The local people are faultfinders and that son of Nanda is extremely restless. Moreover, we cannot ignore Bhagavatī Paurṇamāsī’s statement that Vrajeśvarī’s order must never be neglected. So this dilemma is making my mind waver. What do you think I should do?” Kundalatā replied, “Mother, what you say is true, but Nandanandana is not as restless as those malicious people told you. Everyone knows he is the giver of joy and remover of misery for this cowherd village. Therefore, he will also bring joy to your virtuous daughter-in-law. Look, Kṛṣṇa’s charm drives the women of the world mad; this is just his nature. Your apprehension and protection of her from him is no doubt reasonable, but you should not worry about it. Even your daughter-in-law’s shadow will not fall within the range of Kṛṣṇa’s sight. In this way, I will take her and then bring her back to you without delay.” Jaṭilā replied, “Kundalatā, my daughter! Everyone in this village respects you for your integrity. Therefore, I am placing this innocent girl into your hands. Make arrangements so that Kṛṣṇa’s roving eyes do not get to see her.” Kundalatā was delighted to hear Jaṭilā’s words and went to look for Śrī Rādhā.