Śrī-Śrī-Gaura-Govinda-Līlāmṛta Guṭikā 28

Navadvīpa: Mahāprabhu Takes His Meal and Rests with His Friends

In Navadvīpa, Śrīman Mahāprabhu and his companions were in the assembly hall of the Śrī Nārāyaṇa Mandira absorbed in songs describing Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s meals. At that time, Śacī Mātā arrived and said, “O Nimāi! It’s getting late; finish the kīrtana and bring everyone to take prasāda.” Hearing this, Śrīman Mahāprabhu roared with a gar gar sound and returned to his external state. Svarūpa, Rāmānanda and the others then concluded the kīrtana. After Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosvāmī finished offering food to Śrī Nārāyaṇa, he gave him water to sip and offered tāmbūla. Then he performed ārati and offered the ṭhākura a bed. Śrīman Mahāprabhu, the two prabhus and the bhaktas all entered the dining hall and sat on āsanas. Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu sat on Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s right side and Śrī Advaita Prabhu sat on his left. The twelve gopālas sat in front and on the two sides sat Svarūpa and the other mahāntas, Gadādhara, Jagadānanda, Murāri and so on. Haridāsa Ṭhākura sat in the courtyard. Śacī Mātā and Mālinī Devī began to serve their meals. Śrī Jāhnavā, Viṣṇupriyā and others brought rice, vegetables and so on from the storeroom and put them in their hands. Mātā began to carefully distribute them, one after another. Immersed in vraja-bhāva, Śrī Rūpa and the other gosvāmīs, the śrī-guru-varga and so on began to watch the prabhus’ bhojana-līlā from the courtyard, while the dāsas became immersed in the rasa of serving vegetables and so on. Because he was absorbed in vraja-bhāva, Mahāprabhu would occasionally stop eating for a while. When Śacī Mātā saw this, she felt anxious and said to him with affection, “Nimāi, my son! Why do you have such a poor appetite? Only if you eat your favorite śuktā, śāka,(1) rice, vegetables and other delicious sweets and cooked foods will the cooking be successful. Seeing this will make me happy, so please, O child, try to eat a little more.” When Mahāprabhu heard his mother’s tender words, he concealed his ecstasy and began to enjoy the meal. Mātā was also pleased and resumed serving the excellent foods. After the meal, the dāsas provided scented water for rinsing their hands and mouths and soft towels for drying them. Then they all went to their respective bedrooms and sat on jeweled couches, where the dāsas served them tāmbūla and so on. When Mahāprabhu lay down, the sādhaka-dāsa began to massage his lotus feet, as instructed by his gurudeva. Meanwhile, at Śacī Mātā’s invitation, the śrī-gosvāmī-varga and the śrī-guru-varga all took their meals. After rinsing their hands and mouths, they took rest in their respective bedrooms. When Mahāprabhu had fallen asleep, the sādhaka-dāsa massaged the feet of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and the śrī-guru-varga, one after another. When Mā asked the sādhaka-dāsa when he would take prasāda, the sādhaka told her he would do so after finishing his duties. Pleased to hear this, Mā put aside some prasāda for him. The sādhaka took everyone’s food remnants and placed them in his room. After cleaning the dining area, the pots and so on, he sat at the feet of his gurudeva.

Having rested for a short while, Mahāprabhu roared with a gar gar sound, awakened by the fragrance of the flowers in the six-season forest and the sounds of the bees, cuckoos and so on. When the two prabhus and the bhaktas heard that, they woke, got out of bed and went to see Mahāprabhu. Mahāprabhu rose from his bed and sat on the verandah with the two prabhus. The sādhaka-dāsa brought a golden basin and scented water in a golden pitcher so the three prabhus could wash their hands and faces. The dāsas served them tāmbūla and began to fan them and perform other services. Knowing Mahāprabhu’s mind, Svarūpa Gosvāmī began to sing about Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s rendezvous at Gupta-Kuṇḍa, in the six-season forest to the west of Nandīśvara in Vraja. Hearing this, everyone became absorbed in vraja-bhāva.

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1. Śuktā is a bitter vegetable and śāka is any edible herb, creeper or leaf such as spinach.

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Śrī-Śrī-Gaura-Govinda-Līlāmṛta Guṭikā 27

Baṭu replied, “Hey foolish cowherd! Your svadharma is grazing cows. What do you know of the enjoyment of rasa? You should go in the forest now to graze your cows.” Then Śrī Kṛṣṇa inquired, “Hey Baṭu! You study the rasa-śāstras, don’t you?” Madhumaṅgala replied, “Hey Kṛṣṇa! The rhetoricians believe there are eight rasas, but I think there are only six, including bitter, sour, sweet and so on. After abandoning the rasas embodied in vegetables, soups and other foods, those who endeavor to experience the formless śṛṅgāra-rasa and so on are like thirsty people who abandon pure water and chase after a mirage. It is only useless labor. Those who say that chewing(1) brings the rasa out will not know what that means even after millions of births. It is not possible to chew unembodied rasa. The chewing of embodied rasa in the form of rice, vegetables, sweets and so on is immediately realized.” Curious about Baṭu’s novel conclusions regarding rasa, Śrī Baladeva inquired, “Baṭu, in your opinion, what are sāttvika and anubhāva in the tasting of rasa? What is sañcāri-bhāva and what is sthāyi-bhāva? Please explain.” Baṭu replied, “Haladhara! The rhetoricians think that the sāttvika called tears appears after tasting rasa, but I think tears come before tasting rasa if there is a shortage of food. Moreover, goosebumps and euphoria appear in harmony with such foods. Because of extreme pleasure while eating, my complexion becomes resplendent. Thus, my change of color. When I sometimes shout while eating, that is my broken speech. If there are abundant sweets present and I’m unable to eat much, I feel unhappy and become motionless. You can see my perspiration. You can see that I sometimes pass out after eating a big meal. Lethargy, worry, sleep, joy and so on are sañcāris (passing states) in my tasting of rasa. My sthāyi-bhāva is simply enjoyment, but it is known by various names such as vegetables, soups, sweets, cooked foods and so on.” In this way, Kṛṣṇa, Baladeva and their sakhās began to eat, sunk in the joy of Baṭu’s witty banter.

Behind Rohiṇī Devī, who was engaged in serving food, Kṛṣṇa glanced at Priyājī’s beautiful face and was overwhelmed by a flood of emotions. His appetite weakened and he appeared distracted. Seeing that, Yaśodā Mā became anxious and said, “O child! Though being hungry, why do you not eat these carefully prepared foods? A curse on my head! Please eat some more.” Rohiṇī Mā said, “Child! Śrī Rādhā, though being more delicate than a mallikā flower, has cooked all these delicious foods with great effort. If you don’t eat them, this young girl won’t take the trouble to come here again for cooking.” Kṛṣṇa then concealed his emotional state born of seeing Rādhā and slowly began to eat. Seeing this, his two mothers became very happy. Then Yaśodā served Balarāma, Kṛṣṇa and their sakhās many kinds(2) of sweet and juicy foods and drinks. After eating, Kṛṣṇa washed his hands and mouth and dried them with a soft towel. He chewed delicious tāmbūla scented with cardamom, cloves and camphor as he walked a hundred steps to his bedroom, where he rested on a jeweled couch. After washing her hands and feet, Śrī Rādhā entered the room and felt great joy upon seeing her lover’s lotus face. Then Yaśodā Mātā instructed Rohiṇī Mātā to feed Śrī Rādhā and her sakhīs. Rohiṇī Mā prepared all the food and gave it to Dhaniṣṭhā. Dhaniṣṭhā then secretly mixed it with the nectar from Kṛṣṇa’s lips.(3)

Waiting to eat, Śrī Rādhā bashfully lowered her head and covered it with the border of her dress. Seeing this, Yaśodā Mā spoke affectionately to her, “O Rādhā, am I different from your mother? Why are you being so shy? Whenever I see Kṛṣṇa, I feel great joy; I also feel great joy whenever I see you. I always praise your beauty, qualities and work. Please take your meal in front of me today. O Lalitā! O Viśākhā! All of you girls give up your shyness and have some food in my home. Please freely eat, rest, laugh and play just as in your own mother’s home.” After hearing Yaśodā’s words of favor and affection, Śrī Rādhā and her sakhīs happily partook of the nectar from Kṛṣṇa’s lips. Then, Śrīmatī and her sakhīs washed their hands and mouths and went to her bedroom. They sat on a jeweled couch while the mañjarīs offered them tāmbūla, and the sādhaka-dāsī began to fan them, wave a cāmara and perform other sevās appropriate for the time. With Yaśodā Mā’s permission, Rūpa Mañjarī and the other kiṅkarīs ate the food remaining on the plates of Śrī Rādhā and her sakhīs and then came to join them. After that, the guru-mañjarīs took their meals and the sādhaka-dāsī ate everyone’s food remnants. The sādhaka-dāsī then washed her hands and mouth, cleaned the dishes and came to sit at her gurudevī’s feet in the presence of Śrī Rādhā. Śrīmatī kindly gave pieces of her chewed tāmbūla to each of the kiṅkarīs. When Śrī Rādhā lay down, the sādhaka-dāsī began to massage her lotus feet, as instructed by her guru-mañjarī. Then the mañjarīs all took rest in their respective places.

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1. The word ‘chew’ can also mean ‘to meditate on or ponder.’

2. Foods to be chewed, to be sucked, to be licked and to be drunk

3. His food remnants

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Śrī-Rādhā-Rasa-Sudhā-Nidhiḥ 20 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

 

श्रीराधिके सुरतरङ्गि-नितम्बभागे 

काञ्चीकलापकलहंस-कलानुलापैः ।

मञ्जीर-शिञ्जित-मधुव्रत-गुञ्जिताङ्घ्रि-

पङ्केरुहैः शिशिरय स्वरसच्छटाभिः ॥ २० ॥

śrī-rādhike surata-raṅgi-nitamba-bhāge 

kāñcī-kalāpa-kalahaṁsa-kalānulāpaiḥ |

mañjīra-śiñjita-madhuvrata-guñjitāṅghri-

paṅkeruhaiḥ śiśiraya sva-rasa-cchaṭābhiḥ || 20 ||

“O Śrī Rādhikā! O one whose hips delight in making love! By the sweet, swanlike sounds of your waist-bells, by your lotus feet, on which anklets tinkle like humming bees, and by the splendor of your own essence, please cool my burning heart.”

Abhisārikā(1) Śrī Rādhā

Rasa-Varṣiṇī-Vyākhyā: While absorbed in his svarūpa, Śrīpāda has experienced amazing visions. He feels that he is in the presence of Śrī Rādhārāṇī. The relishing of rasa is always intrinsic to sevā. Because in his soul Śrīpāda has fully accepted himself as a maidservant of Śrī Rādhā, her sweetness has awakened the experience of various rasas within his heart. In a vision, there is no personal effort; a vision is natural and spontaneous. If one’s heart is suitable, a stream of līlā appears within it. Visions of līlā do not occur spontaneously in a heart full of material qualities. Sādhana-bhakti gradually lifts the sādhaka’s mind and heart beyond the modes of nature. Śrī Bhagavān told Śrī Uddhava that his work is to lift the sādhaka’s awareness above the modes of material nature through the process of bhakti.

martyo yadā tyakta-samasta-karmā, niveditātmā vicikīrṣito me |

tadāmṛtatvaṁ pratipadyamāno, mayātmabhūyāya ca kalpate vai ||

“O Uddhava, when a mortal abandons all duties and dedicates himself to me, I want to give him special distinction above the jñānīs and yogīs. He attains immortality and my nature, meaning he gets a transcendental body as my companion and is blessed with my sevā.” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.29.34)

If one’s mind remains at the feet of his cherished deity, a gentleness or pleasantness of the mind is experienced. By the mercy of līlā, a condition arises such that even if one tries to forget the form, qualities and so on of the cherished one, it cannot be done. For jīvas like me, it is certainly the opposite condition. Even if we want to forget worldly life, our body and things related to the body, we cannot. For us, the situation is so bad that even though we know how enjoyable Śrī Rādhā’s service is, we still cannot adopt it. We are intoxicated by our engrossment in the transitory body. This bodily obsession is a problem because it carries away the mind. Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has given us the following instruction in Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 101:

āna kathā nā baliba, āna kathā nā śuniba, sakali kariba paramārtha |

prārthanā kariba sadā, lālasā abhīṣṭa-kathā, ihā binā sakali anartha ||

“I shall neither speak nor hear of other topics. I shall do everything for the highest purpose. I pray that I may always long to hear about the pastimes of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava. Other than this, everything is useless.”

How gentle are the hearts of Śrī Rādhā’s kiṅkarīs! Their hearts are filled with sweetness! heri duṅhu lābaṇi, duṅhu sambhāṣaṇa śuni, sakhī āṅkhi śrabaṇa juḍāya. “The sakhī’s eyes and ears are satisfied by seeing the divine couple’s beauty and hearing their sweet conversations.” (Ṭhākura Mahāśaya)

Śrīpāda’s heart and mind are in the kingdom of līlā. In his siddha form, he has received a vision of Śrīmatī’s abhisāra-līlā. Śrīmatī’s body had become paralyzed by the intoxicating sound of Kṛṣṇa’s bamboo flute. Absorbed in his spiritual form as a kiṅkarī, Śrīpāda has brought news of Kṛṣṇa, hoping to enable Rādhā’s body and mind to reach the rendezvous place. She quickly dressed Śrīmatī in clothing suitable for the tryst. This is how to serve one maddened by prema. By captivating Śrīmatī’s mind with sweet words about Kṛṣṇa, she was able to put all the ornaments in their proper places. If she had let Śrī Rādhā dress and decorate herself, it would have been a disaster. The mahājana Vaṁśīvadana has sung,

rāi sāje bāṁśi bāje paḍi gela ula |

ki karite kinā kare saba haila bhula ||

mukure āñcaḍi rāi bāndhe keśa-bhāra |

pāye bāndhe phulera mālā nā kare bicāra ||

karete nūpura pare jaṅghe pare tāḍa |

galete kiṅkiṇī pare kaṭitaṭe hāra ||

caraṇe kājara pare nayane ālatā |

hiyāra upare pare baṅkarāja pātā ||

“While Śrī Rādhā was getting dressed, she heard the sound of Kṛṣṇa’s flute and became disoriented. Not knowing what to do or how to do it, she bungled everything. She combed her hair with a mirror and then tied it in a clump. Without thinking, she tied flower garlands on her feet, put ankle-bells on her hands, armlets on her shanks and waist-bells on her neck. She placed a necklace on her waist, collyrium on her soles, lac-dye around her eyes, and a foot-ornament on her bosom.”

As a result of being oblivious to her body at the time of abhisāra, Śrīmatī’s dressing of herself can be a problem. This time, Śrīpāda, in his kiṅkarī form, has positioned all the clothing and ornaments in their proper places. From a distance comes the sweet, heart-tugging call of the flute. It distinctly sounds out Śrī Rādhā’s name. How can Śrīmatī possibly remain calm? The dam of her composure has broken. She says,

ki kahiba re sakhi! iha duḥkha ora |

bāṁśi-niśāsa-garale tanu bhora ||

haṭha sañe paiṭhaye śrabaṇaka mājha |

taikhane bigalita tanu-mana lāja ||

bipula pulaka pari-puraye deha |

“What can I say, O friend? This is the limit of misery! My body is overwhelmed by the poisonous breath of that flute. When it forcefully enters my ears, the modesty of my body and mind melts and I am filled with a deep feeling of joy.”

After speaking like this, Śrīmatī fell silent! Having experienced Kṛṣṇa through the captivating sound of his flute, she was ready to calm down. Seeing this, Śrīpāda, in his kiṅkarī form, said, “O Rādhikā! No one knows how to serve Kṛṣṇa like you. His desire has been made clear by his flute calling your name. Now you must help him realize that desire. And why do you delay? Quickly; go to your rendezvous. O one whose hips delight in making love! There is so much passion for lovemaking expressed in your hips, but because of their weight, you are unable to move quickly. This is why I’m telling you to hurry. When you walk slowly before your lover at the meeting place, the sash-bells on your broad hips will proclaim Cupid’s commands, like swan-calls on the banks of the Yamunā. rasatu rasanāpi tava ghana-jaghana-maṇḍale ghoṣayatu manmatha-nideśam (Jayadeva). The beauty of your broad hips will wring out the mind of your lover. He will be astonished to hear the sound of your waist-bells.”

rādhā-śroṇir iyaṁ samāna-pulinaiḥ satyā kaver gīr iyaṁ

yad-veṇī yamunā tad eva pulinaṁ kāñcī marālī-tatiḥ |

no cet tatra harer mano-naṭavaraḥ śrī-rāsa-lāsyaṁ kathaṁ

svābhir vṛtti-sakhī-naṭibhir aniśaṁ kurvan na viśrāmyati ||

“The poet’s statement that ‘Śrī Rādhā’s hips are like the banks of the Yamunā’ is true. The braid of hair fallen between her hips is the Yamunā, her hips are the banks and her waist-bells the flocks of swans. If this is not so, then why does the king of dancers (Kṛṣṇa’s mind) dance tirelessly with the gopīs (his thoughts) in the beautiful rāsa dance on those banks?” (Govinda-Līlāmṛtam 11.60)

The kiṅkarī is saying, “Your abhisāra is so amazingly sweet. With each step, the anklets on your lotus feet tinkle like the humming of bees. Enticed by the wonderful fragrance of your lotus feet, the real bees follow you. Thinking the tinkling of your anklets to be the humming of bees, they also hum along sweetly.”

calaite caraṇera, saṅge calu madhukara, makaranda pāna kī lobhe |

saurabhe unamata, dharaṇī cumbaye kata, yāṅhā yāṅhā pada-cihna śobhe ||

  “As she walks, the restless bees drink eagerly the nectar of her lotus feet, and intoxicated by their fragrance, the bees repeatedly kiss the earth wherever they find her beautiful footprints.” (Mahājana)

“O Śrī Rādhikā! In this way, by traveling to the meeting place, sva-rasa-cchaṭābhiḥ śiśiraya svasyātipriya-janasya śrī-kṛṣṇasya cchaṭābhiḥ aṅga-kāntibhiḥ śiśiraya tapta-hṛdayaṁ śītalī-kuru, let your heart, burning from separation, be cooled by the dark, cloud-like complexion of your beloved Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the embodiment of rasa.” Or, sva-rasa-cchaṭābhiḥ svīya-rasa-mādhurībhiḥ taptaṁ śrī-kṛṣṇaṁ śītalī-kuru. “Let Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who burns in separation from you, be cooled by your own rasa-mādhurī.” Or, “by meeting with Śyāmasundara, the splendor of your unprecedented rasa will manifest, and with it you will cool the burning heart of this person who has desired it for so long.” Or, at the time of Śrīmatī’s abhisāra, the kiṅkarī has prayed that her own senses be cooled by their objects: Śrī Rādhā’s sound, touch, beauty, taste and fragrance. She has prayed that her ears be cooled by hearing the sound of Śrīmatī’s waist-bells; her eyes by seeing the beauty of Śrīmatī’s hips; her tongue by describing the sweetness of her romantic pastimes; her nose by smelling the fragrance of her lotus feet, surrounded by humming bees; and her skin by the touch of those lotus feet.

Because this prayer arose from his svarūpa, it is filled with mādhurī. Even a sādhaka absorbed in his svarūpa experiences Śrīmatī’s sound, touch and so on while meditating. There is nothing in the world more pleasant than immersion in one’s svarūpa. Therefore, the sādhaka always thinks, “I am close to Śrī Rādhā.” Attachment for the material world diminishes and smaraṇa gradually becomes deeper and deeper until eventually a mystic vision appears. For Śrīpāda, the līlā-rasa has been flowing in a stream of uninterrupted visions.

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1. A woman who goes to meet her lover

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Śrī-Rādhā-Rasa-Sudhā-Nidhiḥ 19 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

दृष्ट्वैव चम्पकलतेव चमत्कृताङ्गी 

वेणुध्वनिं क्व च निशम्य च विह्वलाङ्गी ।

सा श्यामसुन्दर-गुणैरनुगीयमानैः 

प्रीता परिष्वजतु मां वृषभानुपुत्री ॥ १९ ॥

dṛṣṭvaiva campaka-lateva camat-kṛtāṅgī 

veṇu-dhvaniṁ kva ca niśamya ca vihvalāṅgī |

sā śyāmasundara-guṇair anugīyamānaiḥ 

prītā pariṣvajatu māṁ vṛṣabhānu-putrī || 19 ||

“When Śrī Rādhā hears the sound of the flute, her body becomes like an astonished and bewildered campaka creeper. May the daughter of Vṛṣabhānu be pleased by my singing of Śyāmasundara’s virtues. May she notice me. May she embrace me.”     

Śrī Rādhā Astonished by the Sound of Kṛṣṇa’s Flute

Rasa-Varṣiṇī-Vyākhyā: In the previous verse, Śrīpāda received a revelation of Śrī Rādhā’s sweet qualities while he was in sādhaka consciousness. Even the sādhaka state is very pleasant. One must be humble and eager to experience Śrī Bhagavān’s sweet forms, qualities and pastimes. For this reason, even his nitya-siddha companions desire to taste the nectar of sādhanā. Śrī Bhagavān also wants the bhakta to taste this sādhanā-rasa. He said to Śrī Līlāśuka, “Living as a sādhaka in Vṛndāvana is blissful. I shall cause you to experience that joy.” The virahī-sādhaka obtains the state of a proṣita-bhartṛkā, a woman whose husband has gone abroad. Such a woman does not visit others’ homes, attend community festivals or keep her hair or clothing tidy. Rather, she sits at home and cries, feeling acutely her husband’s absence. In the same way, the virahī-sādhaka experiences separation from Śrī Bhagavān. This condition deeply softens and sanctifies the sādhaka’s heart and makes him eager to experience Bhagavān’s mādhurya. The beauty and sweetness of the profound state of rādhā-dāsya, feeling oneself to be the servant of Śrī Rādhā, is incomparable. This is the highest experience of rasa-brahma (spiritual delight). Even the prayers of one in the sādhaka state are wonderfully sweet.

hari hari! āra ki emana daśā haba |

kabe bṛṣabhānu pure, āhirī gopera ghare, tanayā haiyā janamiba ||

jābaṭe āmāra kabe, e pāṇi-grahaṇa habe, basati kariba kabe tāya |

sakhīra parama-śreṣṭha, ye tāhāra haya preṣṭha, sebana kariba tāṅra pāya ||

teṅho kṛpābān haiyā, rātula-caraṇe laiyā, āmāre karibe samarpaṇa |

saphala haibe daśā, puribe manera āśā, sebi doṅhāra yugala-caraṇa ||

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doṅhā mukha-candra dekhi, juḍābe tāpita āṅkhi, nayane bahibe aśru-dhāra || ityādi

“Hari! Hari! Will I ever reach such a state? When shall I be born as the daughter of a cowherd in the village of Śrī Vṛṣabhānu? When shall my marriage take place in Yāvaṭa? When shall I make my residence there and serve Śrī Lalitā and her beloved Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī? Being merciful, they will offer me at Śrī Rādhā’s crimson feet. My life will be successful, all my hopes will be fulfilled and I will serve Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. Seeing their moonlike faces, my burning eyes will be cooled by a stream of tears.” (Śrī-Prārthanā 31)

Overwhelmed by emotion, Śrīpāda began to cry, pleading for Śrī Rādhā, the ocean of good qualities, to appear within his heart. Suddenly a vision came. It was evening. Śrīpāda, in his kiṅkarī form, was engaged in serving Śrīmatī in Yāvaṭa. The sound of Śyāmasundara’s flute arose in a distant forest, resonating the low, sweet tone of the all-attractive kāma-bīja-mantra. se dhvani caudike dhāya, aṇḍa-bhedī baikuṇṭhe yāya, bale paiśe jagatera kāṇe. sabā mātoyāla kari, balātkāre āne dhari, biśeṣata yubatīra gaṇe. dhvani baḍa uddhata, patibratāra bhāṅge brata, patikola haite ṭāni āne. baikuṇṭhera lakṣmī-gaṇe, ye bā kare ākarṣaṇe, tāra āge kebā gopī-gaṇe. “That sound runs in all directions, pierces the universe and goes to Vaikuṇṭha. By its great power, it enters everyone’s ears, intoxicates and captures them all, especially the young women. That sound is so powerful that it breaks the vows of devoted wives and pulls them from the laps of their husbands. It attracts even the Lakṣmīs of Vaikuṇṭha, not to speak of the gopīs.” (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 21.141-142) Kṛṣṇa’s flute is sounding Rādhā’s name! “Come, come” it calls. The sound of the flute is Kṛṣṇa’s unique mādhurya. Śrīmat Jīva Gosvāmipāda has said, kṛṣṇa-mādhuryasya premaika-svādyatvam. “Only through prema is Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness realized.” In a life devoid of prema, there is no experience of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s mādhurya. Moreover, it is not that all premika-bhaktas will get the same experience of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness. yasya yāvat premā sa tāvat śrī-kṛṣṇa-mādhuryam āsvādayati, na tu sarve samānam. (Śrīla Viśvanātha) “The amount of prema one has determines the amount of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s mādhurya one tastes.” Prema is at its highest level in Śrī Rādhārāṇī. Therefore, she also has the greatest capacity for tasting Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness. rādhā-dhairya-dharādharendra-damane dambholir unmīlati. (Śrī Rūpapāda) “The sound of Kṛṣṇa’s flute can pulverize Śrī Rādhā’s mountain of composure like a thunderbolt.” Simply by hearing the sound of his flute, Śrī Rādhā loses her composure. She becomes motionless. Her body is like an astonished campaka creeper. The wonder of mahābhāva within her heart becomes manifest in her body. When she hears the flute, she becomes astonished as though struck by a thunderbolt. This astonishment is the result of tasting rasa. rase sāraś camatkāro yaṁ vinā na raso rasaḥ. “If, when experiencing something, there is no state of wonder, that cannot be called rasa.” Śrīmatī feels astonished and bewildered. Her body becomes numb from the stupor produced by sāttvika-vikāras (ecstatic transformations). She must be brought back to consciousness so she can meet with Śyāmasundara. Her body is like an astonished campaka creeper, but with an extraordinary quality. Though an ordinary campaka creeper brightens the forest by its beautiful golden color, it remains far from the touch of a clever bee greedy for nectar. The nectar of a campaka flower is bitter, so the bee will not be attracted to it. Nevertheless, Śrī Rādhā is a campaka creeper with an amazing quality and Śrī Kṛṣṇa is a bee who is eager to drink her nectar, so he is trying to attract her to himself through his flute-tone humming. But who will revive his benumbed Śrī Rādhā, who is his mūla-śakti, or principal power, and bring her to him? By Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s mercy, her kiṅkarī is most expert in this matter. Her songs about Śyāmasundara’s sweet and loving pastimes awaken Śrīmatī’s mind and invigorate her body. When the kiṅkarī sees Śyāmasundara’s līlā, she paints it on the canvas of her own heart with the brush of love. Then, like a skilled artist, she tries to enliven Śrī Rādhā’s consciousness by painting those same pictures on the canvas of Śrī Rādhā’s heart. What wonderful skills the blessed maidservants of Śrī Rādhā have! Descriptions of līlā cause that līlā to appear before the eyes of one who has bhāva. Śrī Rādhā could not understand whether she was hearing or seeing the līlā. As her bewilderment passed, she slowly regained consciousness. When Śrīman Mahāprabhu, in the mood of Śrī Rādhā, became overwhelmed by separation from Śrī Kṛṣṇa, songs about kṛṣṇa-līlā were the only thing that would bring him back to consciousness.

utkaṭa biyoga-duḥkha yabe bāhirāya | 

tabe ye baikalya prabhura barṇana nā yāya ||

rāmānandera kṛṣṇa-kathā svarūpera gāna | 

biraha-bedanāya prabhura rākhaye parāṇa ||

dine prabhu nānā-saṅge haya anyamanā | 

rātri-kāle bāḍe prabhura biraha-bedanā ||

tāṅra sukha-hetu saṅge rahe dui-janā | 

kṛṣṇa-rasa-śloka-gīte karena sāntvanā ||

“There are no words to describe Mahāprabhu’s agitation when his agony of separation from Kṛṣṇa appeared externally. Rāmānanda’s stories about Kṛṣṇa, along with Svarūpa Dāmodara’s songs, kept Mahāprabhu alive at such times. In the daytime, he associated with various people and was preoccupied with other thoughts, but at night his suffering increased. To comfort and console him, the two devotees stayed with him, chanting verses and singing songs filled with kṛṣṇa-rasa.” (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Antya 6.5-8)

In the form of a sakhī devoted to sevā, Śrīpāda brought Śrī Rādhā out of her stupor with a sprinkling of Kṛṣṇa’s sweet līlā-rasa. Śrīmatī got the strength to complete her journey to meet with Śyāmasundara! Her kiṅkarī was the physician who cured her of the disease of separation from Śyāma. Śrīmatī had personally taught her all these skills of sevā. Jubilant, Śrī Rādhā was thinking that the sweetness of Śyāma’s flute had overwhelmed her and made her incapable of going to meet him. By assisting Śrī Rādhā in accomplishing that, the kiṅkarī had done incomparable sevā. Satisfied by such service, Śrīmatī decided to reward her, so she glanced toward the kiṅkarī and smiled. So much mercy was showered upon the kiṅkarī by those beautiful eyes! Filled with affection, Śrīmatī tenderly embraced her and held her to her bosom. The dāsī was pleased to receive such a reward. Her merciful svāminī had given herself to the kiṅkarī in the form of an embrace. Who is more merciful than this? Śrīpāda is getting visions of this līlā, one after another.

Śrī-Śrī-Gaura-Govinda-Līlāmṛta Guṭikā 26

The cooking was complete. When Yaśomatī Mā went to the kitchen to see the finished preparations, Rohiṇī Mā praised “Nectar Hands” Śrī Rādhā’s cooking and showed Yaśodā the various kinds of rice, vegetables and sweets kept in vessels on a clean table. Astonished at the sight of all those fragrant, beautiful and delightful rices, vegetables, sweets and baked foods, Yaśodā Mā asked, “How have you prepared so many beautiful and delectable dishes in such a short time?” Śrī Rohiṇīdevī replied, “This is a quality of Śrī Rādhā’s hands: whatever she touches becomes like nectar.” When Śrī Rādhā heard the description of her skill in cooking, she bowed her head in modesty. Yaśomatī Mā’s heart melted with affection after seeing Rādhā’s body wet with perspiration from her hard work. She instructed the dāsīs to fan Rādhā and then went somewhere else. The sādhaka-dāsī removed Śrīmatī’s cooking dress, wiped her body with a soft, moist cloth and began to fan her. Mātā directed Rohiṇīdevī to take a little of each of the foods for Śrī Nārāyaṇa’s offering and then sent Kamala Dāsa to invite Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and their friends to come and eat. Meanwhile, Yaśomatī Mā directed Madhumaṅgala to offer tulasī and fragrant water to Śrī Nārāyaṇa along with the foods provided by Rohiṇīdevī.

Navadvīpa: Mahāprabhu’s State of Mind after Hearing about Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s Meal

In Navadvīpa, Śrīman Mahāprabhu and his companions were absorbed in vraja-bhāva as they listened to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Meanwhile, Īśāna Dāsa arrived, having been sent by Śacī Mātā. He said, “O Gauracandra, the food has been prepared for Śrī Nārāyaṇa. Mā is asking you to come for the offering.” Hearing that, Mahāprabhu roared and returned to his external state along with his companions. Paṇḍita Gosvāmī ended his recitation of the Bhāgavata. Śrīman Mahāprabhu and his companions then went to Śrī Nārāyaṇa’s assembly hall and began to sing the bhoga-ārati-kīrtana. Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosvāmī offered the food to Śrī Nārāyaṇa along with water and tulasī, according to the rules. Understanding Mahāprabhu’s mind, Svarūpa Gosvāmī began to sing verses about Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s meal. Hearing this, Mahāprabhu was attacked by sāttvika-vikāras like tears and goosebumps and was overcome by vraja-bhāva. The bhaktas also became absorbed in their respective siddha-svarūpas and sank into vraja-rasa.

Vrajadhāma: Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Take Their Meals and Rest

After Śrī Nārāyaṇa’s meal was finished in Vraja, Śrī Madhumaṅgala offered tāmbūla to him and then had him lie down. Meanwhile, Kamala Dāsa brought Śrī Rāma, Śrī Kṛṣṇa and their sakhas to take their meals. After washing their hands and faces, they all entered the dining hall, which was scented with the smoke of fine aguru incense. Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva enjoyed eating with their friends as they sat on beautiful seats at golden tables with golden pitchers of fragrant water placed here and there. Śrīdāma and Subala sat on Kṛṣṇa’s left, Baladeva on his right and Madhumaṅgala in front. Some of the other sakhas sat on his left, some on his right and some in front. First, Mā Yaśomatī gave Balarāma, Kṛṣṇa and their friends delicious drinks, made from coconut water and sugarcane juice, that were brought by Citra Sakhī. Yaśodā had invited the mothers of Kṛṣṇa’s friends, and with deep parental love they brought sweets and cooked foods for Kṛṣṇa. Mā Yaśodā brought the foods on a golden platter and distributed them with great respect. Then everyone happily began to eat. Śrī Rādhā had brought a sweet called gaṅgājala from home for Kṛṣṇa. At Rādhā’s signal, Raṅgadevī gave it to Yaśodā and she put a portion on each person’s plate. As Kṛṣṇa and his friends were eating in a jovial mood, he glanced once toward Śrī Rādhā. Her sakhīs saw this and were delighted. Then Yaśodā Mā began to speak as she pointed out the different foods with her forefinger. “O child! This preparation is very good. This one is sweet and these are delicious. Eat some of these.” Kṛṣṇa smiled as he took from his own plate the food that each friend liked the most and then gave it to him. 

Noticing that Kṛṣṇa was eating slowly and Yaśodā was intently engaged in serving food, the brāhmaṇa jokester Madhumaṅgala said to her, “Mother! Kṛṣṇa is not eating anything. Just give all those foods to me. After eating, I will embrace him and his body will be nourished too. Because of his poor appetite, Kṛṣṇa is not able to eat foods cooked in ghee, so give those to me. Give him some easily digested rice and vegetables.” After hearing Madhumaṅgala’s words, Kṛṣṇa laughed and took five or six handfuls of cooked food from his own plate and filled Madhumaṅgala’s, saying, “Eat!” In great joy, Baṭu repeatedly struck his left elbow against his side and said, “Friend! Look at this. I’m eating everything.” Stuffing his mouth with two or three mouthfuls at once, he said, “Mā! Please give me a little yogurt.” When Mātā left to get some yogurt, Baṭu said to the sakhas, “Look there; a monkey is dancing in hopes of getting some cooked food.” As soon as they heard that, the sakhas all raised their heads and looked in that direction. Baṭu quickly took the foods from his own plate and placed it on theirs. Then he bragged, “Look; I’ve eaten everything!” When he saw Yaśodā enter with the yogurt bowl in her hand, he said, “Mā, I ate all the foods even without yogurt, so now please give me a big bowl of sweet-rice.” Then Rohiṇī Mā began to serve sweet-rice, rice and vegetables, tender breads, sweets and so on that Śrī Rādhā had brought from the storeroom. Seeing that the foods were tasty and abundant, Baṭu laughed again and said, “On the one hand, we have these amazing foods cooked by Lakṣmī herself. On the other, we have all these cowherds who know nothing about the flavors of foods.” Then Śrīdāma laughed and said, “Hey Baṭu! You became a brāhmaṇa for the sake of your belly. Now quickly fill it with food.”