Vilapa Kusumanjali Adb
Vilapa Kusumanjali Adb
Vilapa Kusumanjali Adb
J ( R I $ %
V IL S V P
This is the last and foremost writing o f SrTla Raghunatha Dasa Gosvaml, written
towards the end o f his life, at iT RadhSkunda. T his beautiful prayer can give us som e insight
into his intense feelings o f transcendental love-in-separation from his SvaminI (mistress, or
queen), before he entered into Sfl-Srl Radha-Krsna's eternal transcendental pastimes in his
siddfta svarupa, or maiijarT svariipa, as far as his words, however beautiful they were, could
describe them. Just as a swan sings his most beautiful, pitiful songs just before his death,
sim ilarly Srlla Rupa G osvam l and Sfila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvam l wrote the m ost beautiful
books in the end o f their manifest existence, pulling everything they ultimately had to say in
them.
m aiijan bhilva sadhanil, the spiritual practise in the mood o f a maidservant o f Srlmatl
RadharanT, is the unique gift of 5rl Caitanya Mahaprabhu to the fallen souls o f this age of Kali
(quarrel). It is this item that really distinguishes the Gaudlya Vai$nava sampradaya from all
other religious and spiritual traditions. Srlla Raghunatha Dasa GosvSmi's 'Viljipa Kusumailjali'
is the m ost mature revelation o f this manjarf bhdva updsana. These prayers arc exclusively
dedicated to the personal service of $rTmat? RadharanT. 3rTla Raghunatha Dasa Gosvaml was
elevated beyond all bodily coneiousncss and was immersed in an ocean o f Hid rasa, the flavour
o f Radha and Krona's transcendental pastimes. Day and night he wept for the service o f his
Svamint, sitting or rolling on the bank o f Sri Radhakunda, the most holy abode where he spent
about half a century. That is why this book is named 'Vilapa Kusumafijali': A bouquet of
lamentations. The Bengali historybook 'Bhakti Ratnakara (ocean o f devotion) colorfully
describes Stria Raghunatha D2$a Gosvanu's old age:
IflfrothvMion*
4
above verse as a result o f hearing and chanting the Rasa-fi7u, and the destruction o f lust and the
attainment of equilibrium later, is very significant in this connection. Sri Jlva GosvamI
comments, as follow s on this: atm tu hrd-rogapahdndt purvam eva parama bhakti prdptih
tasmdt parama balavad evedam sddhanam iti bhdvah (Laghu To$anT TTka): "The fact that the
attainment o f the highest bhakti is mentioned before the destruction of lust shows that hearing
and chanting o f the Rasa-pastimes o f Krsna and the gopis is the most powerful spiritual
practise. First the lamp (of love) is kindled, and then the darkness (o f lust and ignorance) is
destroyed, ragdnuga bhakti, spontaneous (literally: follow ing ones sacred passion) devotion is
therefore not necessarily only meant for the most advanced, purified souls. The distinction
between practitioners of vidhi bhakti (compulsory devotion) and rdga bhakti (passionate
devotion) is made because of their mood, not because o f their possible different levels of
purity. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has proven to Vyenkata Bhatta (See C.C. Madhya 9) that the
goddess o f fortune did perform many purifying austerities to attain the position o f the gopTs,
but that she could not attain it because she did not have the sweet intimate attitude towards
Him.
Introduction
The difference between (hern lies not in personal purity, but in their m ood. Srlla Rupa
GosvamI writes in Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu:
The famous author/publisher Syaraa dasa from VmdSvana recalls: "In. 1954, jin
Vrndavanii's 3ri-Sn Radha-Diimodara Mandira, I was so forturihle to hear matchless pdUicis
(lectures) on $ tl Vilapa Kusuinanjali from the mouth o f .Advaita Prabhupada VaiftSuvatamsa
Acarya Pravara Pujyapadai Sri Ananda Gopala PrabhujI. Many learned acqiyas and Gbsvanps,
not only o f the Gaudlya Sampradaya, but also o f the Sri Nimbarka and .Sri Radha Ballabha .
samproddyas cam e there. Everyone was astonished to hear lire sweet' and .essential explanations
o f each and every'V/oka that emanated from S n Acaryapada's mouth. They had a smoke-screen
of different ideas about the superiority of madhura rasa on the canvas o f their hearts, which
they had accrued from different descriptions they had heard, but no.w this smoke screen
became faint. T hey loudly had to confess that tire m ost brilliant stream o f madhura rasa
emanates from the. Gaudlya GosvSmls. W here the ra.va-stream o f other lectures stopped is
where 5rl Ananda Gopala GosvamI started, because it was self-m anifest that the upasand
(mode of worship) o f radha-dasya is greater than sakhl >fteir0&"and stands above all. In e&felr..
sloka Sri Acury^pada led them through the course of the aytakalika llld and solved all the
problems and questions that the mahjan bhava sadhakas had in their sadhaiia by drawing live
pictures of mahjarT bhava for them. Thus he blessed them forever by- depicting to them the
sequence o f devotional services and lire places* where direct devotional service in Priya
Priyatama's nikuhja pastimes are rendered.1 The srutidhqra ^(person w ho can remember and
recite a text after a single hearing) &n Nivarana Babu m ade elaborate notes o f these lectures,
which were later show n to and approved by 3rllaj^nanda Gopala Gosyam is: ^_ .
The late Krsna d is MadrasiiBaba o f R5dh5kundawasTor
incoraparibly valuable treasure o f these elaborate notes. ^ri Nivaraim ;gabu-,:w.^
disciple o f Sri Ananda Gopal Praljhu, spoke this sacred text to a B engali GosyamTi \^W E 8te
them down- in Bengali script. Around the early
..
give path (devotional lectures) in Radhakunda's Govindaji Mandir.-aiid' the -Vaisnaya$:j,yant$d
to hear Vilapa Kusumanjtili from him. Krsna das Madrasi Baba told .Panditji that a GosvamI .-in
Vrndavana had the notes of Ananda Gopal GosvamTs lectures on-V ilapa Kusumanjali.-A
srutldhara (Nivaran Babu) had noted it down, but he passed away and now it was in the hands'
of the GosvamI. Panditji went to Vrndavana and told the Gpsviiml that he was seiying die .
Vaisnavas at Radhakund (witli path) and hence he wanted , to have the-notes. Gosvamljl
declined, afraid it would be broadcast/but since he came from'Radhakunda and was a
Vaisnava he could look at it and read it. Panditji said: "I dont have the memory o f the ryi yuga
(previous age when all could be learned from a single hearing or reading)", so he read it but
could not remember all o f it. When he returned to Radhakunda Baba asked him what happened
and Panditji said: "He w ill not give it." Bab3 laughed and said: "You see, it is with me if you
like I can read it to you, but it is written in Malayalam script."
N ow one day the GosvamI in Vrndavana had left the notebook outside, and by chance a
monkey took it along and droppped it at the place where Krsna das Baba's brother Haridas
resided. Although Haridas was from Kerala, he could read Bengali. Gosvamljl searched
everywhere and finally heard tliat the monkey had dropped it at Haridas' place, so he came/to
Haridasji and said: "Look, return the notebook to me. It is yery dearjo-m e, 1 don't gi v e i Uto
anyone." Haridasji replied: "Look, if you consictefifep^pperly.this-Pp^fe9oidis-.o,qw.
.
not steal itt-W h y after all did the monkey bring .thenotebook to i^2;.G pnaderri|^|sop& e
notebook is now mine." There was nothing Gosaiji epuid do. But Haridasji agreed tareLyrn the
notebook to him--after copying it. Gosaiji objected: "Why- should.yoii copy it? It will be
broadcast all over the place?' H aridas replied: "No problem. I will copy it in M alayalam (th at'
^
#.
1 From Sri Syania dasas introduction to Vilapa KusumMjali (Hindi) published by Vraja Gaurava Publications,
Vrndavana. Quoted with permission of the author.
'
5
2 NolccI from a lecture by Pandit Aiumta das Babaji at Radliakuuda. April 12. 1999
.t
VJ
S %
- S %
' A B O U Q U E f I O
I _
l L
&
f L
f L S tM E 9 ffS V T I0 9 (y '
$ y J n f a % g y fm n a tk a CDasa Q o sv a m t
\\Z II
VERSE 1:
TV A M RUPA M ANJARISAKH IPRATH TTA PURE'SM IN
PUM SAH PARASHA VAD ANAM N A H I Pt A SYA SITI
b im b A d i i a r e ic s a t a m a n A g a t a b h a r t r k a y a
tvatii - you; rupa maiijari - 0 Rupa Manjari; sakhi - my dear girlfriend; prathitd - well
known; pure - in the town; asrnin - in; pumsah - man; parasya - o f another; vadanam - the face; na not; hi - surely ; pasyasi - you look; iii - thus; bimba-adhare - on your lips, that look like red
Bimba-fruits; kfatam - bites; andgata - not come; bharirkdyd - your husband; yat - which; le - you;
vyadhayi - caused; kim u - what; tat - that; &uka - parrot; puiigavena - by the best of.
M y dear friend Rfipa Manjari! In the township o f f/raja you are w ed hpoztfn for
your chastity, you don't even Coodat the faces o f other men! It is therefore surprising that
your tips, that are as Beautiful as red (BimBa-fruits, have Been Bitten, although your
husband is not at home 9(as this maySe Been done By the Best of parrots?
MM
Srt^nWCapa 'K\isumanja(i
satisfied anymore with Ms experiences during smaratia, dreams and visions (sphurana) as he was
before. He is const antly burning in the fire of want for Uic direct attainment of his beloved. When on
top of. that these visions and other awarenesses also vanish from him, this lire assumes a terrible
form and he finds no way to keep himself alive. In (hat condition Ms beloved deity personally comes
to console him, or His associates come to console Mm. In (Jus verse Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvfunl
is in svarupdvesa ami sees himself as $ri Radhas maidservant, but whenever he loses hold o f Ms
spiritual absorption he suffers intolerable pain. Rolling on the bank of Radhakunda he then cries out
loudly for his Svaniini.
Srimad Rapa Maftjari has accomplished the meeting of Radhika and Syamasundara in a
solitary cave of Govurdhaua Hill, and she secretly looks through a hole in that cave to witness Their
sweet love-pastimes. Radha and Syiiina arc both intoxicated by Eachothers presence. How expertly
are They playing Their pastimes! At the end of these pastimes Syfunasundara bites Srlmatls lips,
leaving a mark there. The relationship between Rttdhika. and RQpa MafljaiT is so pure dial all the
signs o f Krsna's lovemaking on Sri Radhikas body, such as His bitemarks on Her lips, become
manifest on 11 Rupa Mafijarfs body also. Sri Rupa Maftjari is beside herself of ecstasy, so site's not
aware :of (his reflection. Then she thinks to herself: "Aha! My sakhT TulasI Mafijari (Raghunatha
Dasa GosvamT) has not seen these sweet pastimes! Where is she? Alas, I should bring her here and
show this to her!", so she leaves the window and starts searching for TulasT. When TulasI meets
Rttpa 'Maftjari, she notices Krsna's bite marks on her lips and jokingly asks her: "My dear friend
Rupa Maftjari! You never look at the faces of other men! You're famous in Vraja for your chastity!
But, despite the fact that your husband is not at home, 1 see that your lips have been bitten! Has
some great parrot maybe done tliis?"1 If anyone considers (he words suka pungavena to indicate that
Sri Rupa Mafijari was enjoyed by Sri Kr$na, then that would contradict the definition the dedtyas
have given o f the mafijarfs within their books.
^ h is pastime and die preceding paragraph are described by &n KiSora Gopala Gosvfunl, the eldest son of
Srila Ananda Gopala Gosvumi.
4
Srz-Jn 1'ft&pff
showing Your erotic dancing ails on (lie stage of erotic dancing named Sri Radha! All the girls of
Vraja find the limit of perfection on the strength of tills service, therefore, 0 Gokula-candra! My
mind is never eager to relish the rasa of Your Ananga-sanga (erotic union)' Please just engage me in
this long-desired servicer &T ViSvaniilha CakravarU writes in his 'Ananda Candrikif commentary on
tliis verse: ivaytl saha sdhga safiga sukhdd api jdla rtmdhradau $rl radlimga-sanga darsanoffimii
$iik}ta/tl adhikam anubhutam man mauasa. na hi labdluldhika stikha jana alpe sukhe pravartunte its
bhavah. T relish more pleasure in witnessing Your spoils with Sri Radha in the kuhja looking
through the holes in (he vines than in personally enjoying with You. People don't endeavour for a
smaller happiness when they can attain greater happiness!" Even Sri Radha Herself fails in having
them meet with Sri Kr$na:
rati-rane sramayuta,
ndgarl ndgara
mukha bhari tdmbuk yogdya
malaya-jakunkuma,
mfga-mada karpura,
militahi gdta Idgdya
apariipa priya sakhl prema!
nija prdna koti,
dei niramanchni,
naha tuhi lakho bdna hema
"How wonderfril is the love of the priya sakhisl They serve Nfigari (heroine Radhikil) and
Nagara (hero Krsna) with millions of lives when They are tired of lovemaking, by filling Their
mouths with betelleaves and by anointing Their bodies with sandalwoodpastc, vermilion, musk and
camphor. Their love is so pure that it cannot even be compared to gold molten a hundredthousand
times over!"
nuinornma mdlya,
dnhu go!e arpai,
vfjai sUa npfdu bdta
sugandhi sitala,
koru jtda nrpnna,
yaiche hoiti duhu sdilta
"They offer enchanting garlands to Their necks, give Them a cool breeze by fanning Them,
and relieve Them from Their healed affliction by offering Them cool and fragrant water."
- 'O
irigite sayana,
korolo duhu sakhi-gana
. sabahu manoratha pura
"'lliese sakltTs again softly massage Their feet and thus remove Their fatigue. Oil Their
indication they put the Divine Pair to rest and fulfill any of Their other desires."
>
"Your husband is not at home, but still I see cuts all over your Bimbalruit-like lips! 1
understand that the king of parrots has done this, otherwise tliis is impossible!" Sri Rasika-Candra
Dasa
Jn-SnVtf&pa iKttsttmanjafi.
qc5cpqfc*ft[ ^
s if t
W
ft s t o r e s s * p ^
^ rc ftr ^
I
n p f fE o p p ft
n q 11
Vfi/fSE 2;
gran them prdrambha kori mahgaldcarana; guru vai$#ava bhagavan tinera smarana
tinera smarane hoy vtghna vin&iana; m&yctse hoy nija v&fichita purana (C.C.)
"In the beginning of (his book I make a mahgaldcarana in which I remember the spiritual
master, die V a r a v a s and the Lord. Remembrance of these three will destroy all obstacles to
spiritual life and will easily fulfill all sacred desires." In the first verse rfla Raghunfflha-d&sa
GosvamI, in his s\>arupavesat reveals the super-excellence of his guru through some rasika joking
kind of praise, and in tills second verse he reveals die super-excellence of Iris isla-devl ri Radhika in
the same way.
Rupa and Tulasi enter into the famja and, seeing a landlotus before them, praise SvaminJ by
saying: "O Landlotus, it's fitting that You laugh so proudly, for the Krna-bee leaves all the other
fragrant flower-like gopls to search for You only]" There, in the transcendental inigdra rasa
(amorous)-kingdoni of Radha and Kr$na, everything is full of jokes and laughter: kafhd gdnahi
n&tyani ganumaih (Bralima Sam hita)" In the spiritual Goloka-planct cvety word is a song and every
step is a dance." Can there be any doubt then that the words and activities of die saklus and manjaris,
who are non-different from the Yugala Ki$ora, that always swims in the ocean of srhgdra rasa, arc
also filled with the Srngara parihdsa rasa (die flavours of erotic humour)? The rdga-bhakti
practitioner will also become qualified to make such transcendental romantic jokes if lie engages in
healing and chanting o f these sweet sentiments, gradually becoming completely absorbed in them.
The fact that Svamirn is here addressed as 'landlotus', indicates that She is not close to the $yanvaocean of rasa (the word kamala means waterflower (ka = water and mala = dirt), but She's named
sthaki-kamalim, landlotus, here), but Tulasi uses this word to encourage the Radha-landlotus to go
into the ocean of Syama (to go and meet Him) and she herself also very much likes to witness that
3Tliis pastime is described by Sri Ki$ora Gopala Gosvaml.
Jn - Jn l/ifapa tKiisumltijafi
sweet meeting*1. Hie words garvitd kanane'smin show (hat Sri Rudha's pride of Her fortune of being
Synmasundatas most dearly beloved in &T Vrndavana is justified, because She alone is endowed
with the unique mddtma mahd bhdva. The words api nihhila lata std saurabhdkta sa rmmean
mrgayati (ova mdrgani krsna-bhrhgo yad adya show that Kr$na clearly abandoned CandrSvaH's
assistants Padma and $aibya on the way. Although Candritvall anti other YutheSvarTs (goptgroupleadcrs) are clearly scented with the fragrance of mahd bhdva the madana mahd bhdva of
Srlmatl Radliikfi is most capable o f subduing the Kr$na-blackbee; that, is shown in this verse.
Some consider (his verse to be Sripada's addressing Sri Rupa Mafijai! in svarupavetia. This
explanation is also endorsed by the mahatmas. When Sri Rupa Maftjari heard herself praised in tire
first verse, a smile blossomed on her face. Seeing Uijs, ThlasI addressed a blooming laodlotus before
her and praised her gurudm once more by revealing the glories of her beauty and fortune. iSrila
VlgvaitfUha Cakravarll glorifies the beauty o f the manjarts as follows in his fKp?na Bhavaniimrta'
(3-2):
ayi sihalakamalini,
vpiddranya puspamani,
puspa-guccha viketfera chale.
hdsyakara aiiiaya,
yukti-yukia idhd hoy\
tdi sabe garavim bole.
"Ayi Iandlotus, jewel of all flowers o f Vpidavanal On the pretext o f making your cluster of
flowers blossom you're laughing excessively! Tliis is justly done, and therefore everyone calls you
garavinl, proud girl I"
yehetu se kr$na-bhniga,
(yaji anya lalu-sanga>
yadi-o sttgandhi-yuta sab
lava patha anvesatia,
koriteche anuksana,
ihdtei sdjiche gaurava.
"Because this Krna-bce leaves all the other vines' company, although they are all very
fragrant, and constantly searches down the road for You You have become very proud!" 0ri RasikaCandraDSsa)4
W fc
4Tbis paint is made by $rila Ananda Gopala Gosvaml.
9
hi R h t
h 3
S rif*
data (j<uvtmZ.
VERSE 3:
VRAJENDRA VA SATISTH ALE VIVIDHA B A L IA B ISA N K U L E
TV A M EVA R A T I M A N JA R IP R A C U R A PUNYA PUNJODAYA
VILASA-BH ARA VISM RTA P R A N A Y IM E K H A IA M ARG ANE
YAD A D Y A NIJA N ATH AYA VR A JA SIN A TH ITA KAND ARAM
vrajendra - the king of Vraja; vasati sthale - in the abode; vividha - different kinds; ballabx cowherdgirls; safikule - in Hie group; tvam - you; eva - only; rati mafijari - Rati Mailjari; pracura abundant; punya - fortune o f great love; punja - abundance; udaya - the arising; vildsa - love
pastimes; bhara - absorbed; vismrta - forgotten; prarjayi - beloved; mekhala - belt; margafte - for
searching out; yad - which; adya - now; nija - own; ndihayd - by the Queen; vrajasi - you go; ndlhiid
- requested; kandaram - to a cave.
9danjaH! you. are the most fortunate cowkerdgirC in the abode o f the ffatg o f
Vrajal When, your mistress 0 n
forgets iH et Beloved sash o f Betts due to
absorption uiffler toveptay, She ash you to fetch it from the cave where She left itl
Notes: The spiritual visions How on like an unbroken stream for Srila Raghunatha dasa
GosvamJ, who is in his svarupavesa. In the first verse he made luscious jokes about the love-marks
of Sri Radliika that were reflected on ROpa M anjaif s lips when she saw the amorous pastimes of
Radlia and Kr$na, thus offering rasika praises to liis guru, and in (he second verse Radhika met Her
girlfriends in another kimjat leaving Her lover in an amorous swoon alter Their amorous pastimes,
and made many jokes about it with them in the wonderfully intoxicated mood o f madiyata. TulasI
praises her mistress in a joking way. She consoles die anxious Hero, who is suffering separation
from His beloved, and brings Him into the kunja after telling SvuminT how eager He is to meet Her,
seals Him next to Her on Her throne in the assembly of sakJns and relishes the sweetness of Uic
Yugala KiSora, the youthful Couple of Vraja.
m *
10
mpetjta $rl krsnathSa \>i$nvadmath kndd-sahdyam karoti vraje tu kaya-vyitha prakd&aih saha svayath
rupa i n rddhd svayiuh rupath f r l krsmth bahutara prakarena rasam dsvddayattiy arthah. "Outside
of Vraja, for instance in ihc innumerable Vaikunlha-plancts and in abodes like Mathura and DvSraka,
Kisna's Vi$j,iu-expansions and His appearances like Vasudeva are being assisted in Their pastimes by
countless goddesses o f fortune and different Queens, but in Vraja Sri Radha with Her different goptexpansions^makes the Original Personality o f Godhead 3ri Kr$iia relish Uie sweetness o f erotic
mellows in so many ways," Kr$na> in His topmost feature as Vrajcndra-nandana, the soil of Nanda
Maharaja, is also known as Rasika 3ekhara, the crownjcwel of all relishers, who is always veiy
greedy for relishing sweet mellows, and He relishes the pinnacle of bliss in His pastimes with die
& ila Vrajadcvls (the most beautiful girls of Vraja), who make Him relish their most, blissful and
luscious forms, seems and flavours, that are scented with the love-mellows known as tnahd bhdva.
On SnmatJ's indication the sakhTs begin to dance on the courtyard of the kxmja. How wonderful is
the sweetness o f (heir artistic dancing! They are nondifferent from PremamayT Srimatl, and'they give
a wonderful joy to the Youtliful Couple with their dancing, which is full of prema rasa. The sakhTs
show unlimited expertise in dancing with their light, yet fasl dancingsteps. Tlicir waists are naturally
thin, and when you see how expertly they change their sides in their dancing postures it looks as if
their vine-like bodies are breaking in two. Their sprout-like hands are swinging like sprouts on vines
that are trembling in (lie wind, their veils slip from their heads and their shining jewelled earrings are
dangling on their cheeks. They look very beautiful as their braided hair and sashes loosen in the
swing of tlie dance and they sing vernal songs (yasanta ruga) that incite erotic feelings and that
describe the sweetness o f the Divine Couple.
% kafikana
kinkint
* ratai
11
'prill vimyemande lad aSraydnanda; laha nahi nija sukha vanchdra sambandhet
mrupddhi prema yahd - tdhd ei rtii; prtli visaya sukhe dsrayera prili
(Caitanya Caritamrta, Adi 4,199-200)
"The happiness of tire abode of love is the happiness o f the object o f that love. This is not a
relationship of desire for personal happiness, it is one of causeless love. The reservoir of love
becomes happy when the object of love is happy," Tins causeless love is the natural cause of these
pastimes being so glorious. Alter hearing the truth about RSdhS-K|*$na from Ramananda Raya, 3ri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu said:
prabhu kohe - jdnilo krsna rddhd prema tattva
rdya kohe - kr$na hoy dlura kdita; niranlara kamaknda - ydhdra carita
ratri dina kimje kitda kore rddhd songe; kciisoru vayas saphaia koilo krTdd raftge
&T Ramananda Raya replied: r,Kr?na is called Dhlra Lalila (one who is clever, of fresh
youthful beauty, expert in joking, free from worries and who is controlled by the Jove o f His dearest
gopTs). He always engages in erotic pastimes, that is His nature. Day and night He plays with Radlia
in the groves of Vraja, and in this way He makes His adolescence successful." (C.C. Madhya 8,187,
189) How wonderful are the glories of these pastimes! Who can describe the greatness o f that power
that awakens an irrepressible greed for tasting such perfectly delectable spoils with His dear gopTs in
the kufijas in the Supreme Brahman, the embodiment o f full transcendental bliss, God Himself, day
and night? Urged by Their insatiable divine desires, Radlia and Krsna float in innumerable directions
on the stream of their transcendental pastimes. They greatly desire to make Eachother happy,
completely forgetting Their personal interest, so it is not so astonishing that in this consciousness Sri
Radliika forgot Her sash of bells, however dear it may be lo Her. But She cannot ask Her girlfriends
to bring it back, for theyll make jokes about Her. But the maidservants arc as close to Her as Her
very life and body, so She has nothing to hide from them, and of all of them again She finally picks
Rati (or TOlasI) for doing this service. rimatl Rupa Mafijail's heart is sprinkled with the nectar of
5 Stfp&da Raghunatha Dasa Gosvaml's siddha svampa-imwt is 'Rati MafijarT and her nickname is Tulasl
MafijarT. In $rila Gopala Guru Gosvamlpada's book Taddliali-trayam' (Sloka 469-472) it is written-
ratyambnjdkhyah kufijesimdulekhd kmja daksine* tairaiva titfhati sadd surflpd rati mafijarT
tftrflvalT dukfdeyatli (adit tulya tanu-cchabih. daksind mrdvika khydia tulasiti variant!yam
asyil vayo dvimasadhya hayanastu irayodaia. pitasyd vr$abhah kanto divakltyah Sarada prasnh
"In Uic kitilja known as Ratyambuja (the lotus of Rati), south of lndulckha's kuiija, the beautiful Rati
Mailjari always resides. Her dress is decorated with a cluster of stars and her body shines like lightning. She
has a mild, submissive nature and is nick-named TuiasV. She is 13 years and two months old. Her father is
Vfsabha, her husband Diva and her mother is named arada.
6Xhis pastime is described by Srila Ananda Gopala Gosvfmu.
12
iSifapa 5Kitstiwanjafifi
love for Kali Manjarl, so there's no limit to her bliss when she sees that Rati Manjari gets the honour
of fetching the sash o f bells.
Tulasl gets the sash from the cave and comes back to Svamim at the .time when the sakhis have
stopped dancing. The kinkarts begin to gladden the sakhTs by fanning their sweat-anointed bodies
and everyone is absorbed in different nice rasika conversations. TulasT uses this opportunity to put
the bell back on SvaminT's waist without being seen by the others. Tulasls service makes SvslininT
very happy! Absorbed in liis spiritual identification &T Raghunatha dasa writes tliis verse,
understanding it is the merciful blessing of his (her) guru Rttpa Manjari upon him (her),7
Rasikananda dfisajl sings;
rasa-vilcisera bhare,
vismrla mekhala tare,
nijefvart Hjha-mate tumi.
anvesite hard dhatte,
coliteche sayatanet
girirdja kandarUkhya hhfani
"When your mistress forgot Her sasli-of-bells, being absorbed in Her rasika pastimes, She ordered
you to go and diligently search for Her lost wealth in or around a cave of Govardhana H illM
VERSE 4 :
PRABIiUR API YADUNANDANO YA ESA
PRIYA YADUNANDANA UNNATA PRABh A vAH
SVAYAM ATULA KRPAMRTABHISEKAM
MAMA KRTAVAMS TAMAHAM GURUlfc PRAPADYE
7 The words pracura pimya pttFijodaya do not mean that Rati Manjarl attained fills great fortune
through the performance o f mundane pious activities. 5rfla Jiva GosvamI writes: ... bhagavatah
parama prasdda hetutvena punyah (Laghu TosanI commentary on Bhag. 10.12.11): punya means
'the mercy o f God*. Ed. Tills pastime was described by Srila Ananda GopSla GosvamI.
13
prabhuh - master; api - even; yadu-nandanah - Yadummdana Aeurya; yah - who; esah - he; priya dear; yadunandana - Kfsn-a, the son of the Yacius; unnata - elevated; prabhdvah - power; svayam himself; alula - matchless; krpd - mercy; amrta - nectar; abhi$ekaih - showered; mama - mine;
krtavdihs - did; tani - to him; ahmit - 1; gurorfr - to my teacher; prapadye - 1 take shelter.
14
sivdnanda kohe - tenho hoy prabhura s lltdne; paramo, vikhyaln teniso, keva ndhi jane
svarupera stlulne tare koriydehen samarpana;
prabhura bhakta-ganera tenho hoyprdita m m
rsitri dims kore tenho ndma sankirtana; k$ana mdtra ndhi chade prabhura carana
pararni vairdgya - ndhi bhaksya paridhana; yaiche taiche ahara kori rdkhaye pararn
"Sivananda said: "Yes, he is with the Lord and he is most famous; who does not know him?
The Lord placed him in SvarQpa DSmodara's care and he is the very life of the devotees there! He's
chanting the holy name day and night and he does not leave the feet of the Lord for even a moment!
He is most renounced, he hardly dresses or eats. Somehow or other he keeps himself alive!"
'llie guru-principle (guru tattva) is explained by the use of the words priya yadunandana
utmaia prabhavah: he became very powerful because he is so dear to Lord Yadunandana (Kr$na),
The guru is a wonderful combination of Godhead and devotee, the appearance o f God in tire form of
a pure devotee: .
krpdmaya diksa-guru,
prema-bhakti kalpatam,
sri yadunandana ndnui yarn
sri kr$nera priya ati,
taro pade mhu maii,
janme janmc prabhu ye amara.
itnnata prabhfwa-ytUa,
krpdmaya ndbhuta,
prema-bhakti data siromaui
mo'heno adhama jane,
krpitmrta varisane
- abhisiktd koriltl dpani
"My dlksd-guru, named Yadunandanacfuya, is full of mercy, like a wishyieiding tree of love
of God. Let my mind slick at his lotusfeet, for he is very dear to Sri Krsna. He is my master, birth
15
^ *TT f E R %
M e?
jm
w si # 3 F W S ( M
f r
II * II *
VERSE 5:
YO MAM DUSTARA GEHA NIRJALA MAHA k Qp AD APARAKLAM AT
SADYAH SANDRA DAYAMBUDHIH PRAKRTITAH SVAIRl KRPA RAJJUBHIH
UDDHRTYATMA SAROJA NINDICARANA PRANTAM PRAPADYA SVAYAM
SRI d X m ODARA SACCAKARA TAM AHAM CAITANYA-CANDRAM BHAJE
yah - he; warn - me; dustara - hard to cross; geha - household; nirjala - waterless; maitd great; kupdt - from the well; apdra - boundless; klamdt - from misery; sadyah - suddenly; sdndra deep; dayd - mercy; ambudhih - ocean; prakrtitah - by nature; svdirl - independent; Jbpa - mercy;
rajjuhhih - with the ropes; uddhrti - redeemed; (lima - His own; snro/n - lolusflowers; nindi defeating; carana - feet; prdnta - tips; prapadya - taking shelter; svaycah - personally; Sri ddtnadora
- Sffla Svarupa Damodara; sdccakdra - accepting; taih - of Him; chain - 1;
candrani - the
nioonlike Lord Caitanya; bhaje - 1 wonsiiip.
I worship the moonlifzp L ori Caitanya^ who with the ropes o f 9Gs mercy, suddenly
puffed me out o f the deep waterless w ed o f household life, which is so difficult to come out
o f and is fu ff o f limitless suffering, gave me shelter at the tips oftfGsfeet, that defeat the
Beauty <f (otusfCowers, and entrusted me into the care cfJriSvarupa *Damodara+
Notes: In his external absorption $rl Raghunatha dasa now praises most merciful Stfman
Mahaprabhu, by whose grace he became disgusted with all the royal opulence that is desired by
worldly people. When one tastes the transcendental mellows o f pure devotion one considers even
liberation or the bliss of Brahman to be insignificant, what to speak of royal opulence?
tmhdprabhura bhakta-ganera vairagya pradhdna; ydhd dekhi prita hoy gaum bhagavdn (C.C.)
"Renunciation is very important for the devotees of Mahaprabhu; when Lord Gaura sees I*Iis
devotees1 dispassion He is very pleased.'' After instructing Sanatana GosvamT on the truths about
devotion Lord Caitanya sent him to Vfndavana, saying: krnlha karahgiya mora kangala
bhoktagana; vpxddvane dile tarn koriho pdlana (C.C.) "My devotees are very poor, having only tom
quilts and small waterpots. When you come to Vrndavana you should proLecL and maintain them",
and in the Caitanya Candrodaya Nfuakam it is said that after taking sannydsa Lite Lord personally
told Sn Advaita Ac&rya: vind sarvn txjfigmh bhavati bhajmtam mhynsupate "Witliout renouncing
everything one cannot property worship ICrsna," litis is certainly not the Lord's own concoction,
16
Sn-Sn'Vilapa
because it is also described in &Tmad Bhagavaia, which is considered lo be the essence o f the
Vedanta, Unit the devotees who renounce everything sutrender to the l-ord wholeheaitedly:
'rhe Lord told Durvasil Muni: "How can I let down My devotee who has given up wife, house, sons,
relatives and wealth to take shelter of Me?" 5nla Raghunatha dasa Gosvaim is an eternal associate of
Sriman Mahaprabhu, but still he practised severe austerities and renunciation along with lender
loving devotion, just to give the perfect example to the practising devotees and to illuminate their
devotional paths.
Before offering his flower-like lamentations to &TmatI ROdharanfs lotusfeet,
Raglmnathas body
and mind are illuminated by the effulgence of Sriman Mahiiprabhu's compassion, and he praises the
lotusfeet of this most mcrcirul Lord by saying that He is prakrtitah sandra daydmbudhih, naturally a
deep ocean of mercy. Remembering the Lord's mercy, through which he began to feel the burning
suffering of household life, considering his opulences, that were like those o f the heavenly'king
India, and his wife, who was as beautiful as an angel, to be like the biting poison o f a snake or a
scorpion, and his household-life to be a blind waterless well, RaghunSthas mind is startled. Through
the loving punishment of Nitai Cafid, who is nondifferent from MaMprabhu and whose body melts
with feelings of compassion, he got the signal from Mahaprabhu dial it was time for him to renounce
household-life and he became the object of the mercy o f Mahaprabhus devotees. Finally
Mahaprabhu appeared in the form o f his guru Yadunandana Acarya and helped him to escape from
householdlifc by making him fcich the house-priest at the end of the night. In this way (lie Lord
pulled Raghunatha out of the miserable blind well of householdlifc with the ropes of His mercy.
Being pulled at by the ropes of the Lord's mercy, Raghunatha managed to reach the lotusfeet of the
Lord at Purusottama (Puri) within twelve days, without sleeping or eating. There RaghunStha's
burning heart was soothed by the shade of MahSprabhu's feet, that defeat the beauty of lotusflowers!
The Lord was sitting together with 3variipa Damodaia and others when Raghunatha came up to
meet Him. Staying at a distance in the courtyard Raghunatha ollered his obeisances and Mukunda
Dalta said: "O, here! Raghunatha has come!" The Lord said: Come here! and Raghunatha clasped
His lotusfeet, but the Lord told him to get up and mercifully embraced Mm. Raghunatha then bowed
down to the feet o f Svarupa Damodara and others. All the devotees then embraced Mm, seeing how
much mercy he had gotten ftom the Lord. The Lord said: "Kronas mercy is stronger than anytMng,
for he has released you from sensual life, wliicii is like a ditch into wMch people pass stool!"
Raghunatha thought, to Mmself: "I do not know who Krsna is; I only know that I was redeemed by
Your mercy!"
5rl Dasa GosvamT says: svayath Sn damodara sdccakdra "The Lord personally handed me over to
3ri Svarupa Damodara." Raghunatha, who was used lo live like a prince, was tired of travelling1. He
had hardly eaten and slept on the way, and he felt as if his tender body was on lire.
17
raghunatheru k$inata malinya dekhiya; svarupera kohe krpd antra cilia hoiya
ei raghuniithe ami soiiipilo toniare; prabhu bhrtya rupe lutni koro ahgikare
tina raghunatha name hoy amiira gane; 'svariipera raghu' aji hoite ihdra name
eto kohi raghunathera haste dharilo; svartipera haste tare samarpatia koiio
Seeing how emaciated and dirty Raghunatha was the Lord's heart melted of compassion and He told
Svartipa Damodara: "I have placed this Raghunatha in your care. Please accept, him as a master
accepts a servant! Now I have tlirce Raghunalhas in My group; from today tills one shall be known
as 'Svarupas Raghunatha, Saying this, the Lord took Raghunathas hand and placed it in Svartipa
Damodaras hand." Svartipa held the Lord's order on his head and affectionately embraced
Raghunatha once more. Raghunatha dasa had been so eager to see Mahaprabhu that he came to Purl
without eating or sleeping, forgetting about his body and his home. Seeing Raghuniitha's tarnished
face Bhakta-vatsala Mahfiprabhu told His personal servant Govinda to give Raghunatha some
prasdda of Lord Jagannalha alter he had taken a bath in the ocean and had taken darfana of Lord
Jagannatha in the temple. H ien the Lord went to perform His noontime duties. The devotees were
astonished to see how sweetly and mercifully the Lord had received Raghunatha and they praised his
fortune again and again. Raghunatha took prasdda from Govinda tor five days, and then he thought
it better for a renounced devotee to go out begging for liis meals near the Lion-gate of the
Jagannatha-temple. Hearing o f Raghunathas renounced behaviour from Govinda, the Lord was
unlimitedly happy.
ditni tusta hoiya prabhu kohile lagild; bhaio koiio vairagl dharma dcarila
vairaglkoribo sada nama sankXrtana; magiyd khaiya kore jtvana raksana
vairagi hoiya yeba kore parapeksa; kdrya siddhi nahe, krsna koraye upeksa
vairagl hoiya kore jihvara lalasa; paramdrtha yaya tara, hoya rasera vaia
"The Lord was very satisfied and said: "He has done well to adopt such a renounced life! A
renunciant should always chant die holy name and keep himself alive simply by begging some food.
If a renunciant becomes dependent on others (on material circumstances, his own arrangements or
anyone else but the l.ord Himself, Ed.) be will not attain perfection and Kr?na will not help him. If a
renunciant desires to gratify liis tongue Ills spiritual life will be ruined, because he becomes
controlled by the flavours of tliis world." One day Raghunatha, being a mine full of jewels of
humility, inquired from Mahaprabhu, through Svarupa Diintodara, what Iris duties were. The Lord
smiled and said: "Even I dont, know the (ruth about die means and the goal as well as Svarupa does.
Hes instructing even Me in these things! Nevertheless, if you have any faith in My words, then
listen and I will tell you something in short:
grdtnya katha na sunibe, grarnya vartu na kohibe; bhaio na khaibe, dra bhaio na podibe
amanl mdnada krsna nama sada lobe; vraje rddha-krfna seva indnase koribe
"Don't speak any mundane topics and don't listen to them eidicr. Dont, eat nicely and don't dress
nicely. Always chant die holy name of Krsna, not expecting any honour from anyone and giving all
honour to everyone, and mentally serve Radha and Rfsna in Vraja." These nectarean instructions
emanated direcLly from the lotusmoulh of the Lord, and Uiey were revealed by StTpada Svardpa
Damodara. After receiving these nectarean instructions Raghunatha dasa offered his obeisances unto
the Lord's lotusfeet and the Lord embraced him widi love before handing him once more to Svarupa
Damodara. Being showered by a stream from the deep ocean of die Lord's mercy, Rfighunfidia, who
was a mine with innumerable jewellike qualities, gradually developed an extraordinary detachment
and loving devotion that is quite ,unique and new in the transcendental annals o f the devotional
tradition. Sri Raghunatha gave up begging at the Lion-gate and began to visit the poor relief,
considering tliis to be better for his spiritual development. The Lord was very pleased widi
Raghunathas decision and gave him a stone from Govardhana Hill and a string of gn/y-bcads,
ordering him to worsliip them ill a pure and simple way with water and TulasMeaves. Sri
^ankartiranya Sarasvat! had brought diese things from Vrndavana and had presented diem to (lie
18
*l/i(apa %y.sumitnjilftft
Lord, The Lord had personally offered a wonderful -worship to the stone and (he siring for three years
before He gave them to Raghunatha dasa.
dui apun>a vastu pdiyd prabhu tusta hoild; smaranera kale gale pore gunjd maid
govardhanera slid kabhu hrdaye. netre dhare; kabhu ndsdya ghrdna loya> kabhu loya sire
netra jale sei SiId bhije nirantara; sildke kohena prabhu 'krsna kalemra
"The Lord was very happy to get these two wonderful presents. When I-Ie was remembering Krona's
pastimes or His mantras the Lord had the gunjd-mdld around His neck. The Lord held the
Govardhana-i/Za before His eyes or on His heart; sometimes He smelled it with His nose and
sometimes He held it on His head. He always moistened the Slid with His tears o f love and said that
it was 'the body o f Krsna'.M
eimata tina varsara Slid mala dharilo; tu$ta hoiya Slid maid raghundthe dilo
prabhu kohe - ei Slid fkr$rtera vigrahaf; ihdra sevd koro turni koriyd dgraha
ei Sildra koro lumi sdtivika piijana; acirdte pdbe tumi krpta prema dhana
,rIn this way the Lord kept the siting and the rock for three years, and then He gave it to Raghunatha,
being pleased with him. The Lord said: "This stone is the form of Kr$na. Worship it with great care.
Offer it a pure worship and you will swiftly attain the treasure of love for Krsna,"
19
bhdgavaia ettdamani,
raghundtha dasa gosvami,
vildpa kusumdnjali granthe.
uijdbhifta puma tare, mangaldcarwia hare,
vandi gaura caranaravinde
20
Sn-Sn'Vtfdpa JQisumatyofiji
"In his book Vilapa Kusiimiifijali the ci'ownjewel of devotee-saints, SrTla Kaghunaiha dasa GosvamT,
makes an auspicious invocation by praising Lord Gauia's Iotusfect tor (he fulfillment o f Ids sacred
aspirations]"
TR R R 3 JigTO R lfo II H
VERSE 6:
v a ir A g y a
vairagya - renunciation; yuk - connected with; bhakti - devotion; rasam - neclarean taste; prayatnaUi
- carefully; apayayat - made drink; mam - me; anabhfpstwi - unwilling; andham - blind;
krpdmbudhxh - ocean of mercy; yah - who; para - of others; duhka - misery; duhkt - was Sony;
sanatanatH - Sanfitana Gosvaim; tarh - him; prabhum - lord; dSraydmi - 1 take shelter.
I tahs shelter o f my lord Sanatana QosvdmT, who was an ocean o f compassion and who
always fe lt sorry fo r the suffering o f others. Although I was unwitting and Blinded By
ignorance, he diligently made me drinfahe nectar o f devotion la u d with renunciation*
Notes: In this verse
Raghunatha d3sa GosvamT praises his instructing teacher $rila Sanatana
Gosvaml, another one of Mahaprabhus eternal associates. Because he is an eternal associate o f the
Lord loving devotion and renunciation of sense-gratification is Raghunatha's innate wealth.
21
yon milrath raghunatha dasa iti vikhyatah ksitau radhikdkrsna prerna mahanjavonin nivahe ghrnan sadd dlvyati
drsldnta prakara prabhdbharam atityaivdnayor bhrajator
yas Udyatva padam matas tribhuvane sdscaryam dryoitamaih
"Raghunatha Dasa has become worldfamous for being the friend o f Sri Rupa and Sanatana. He
always swims in the waves of the great ocean of love for Rudhrfea and Kr$na. The greatest saints say
that no one in Uie world can be compared with Rupa and Sanatana, but amazingly enough
Raghunatha D3$a has attained a position equal to theirsl" Despite tills, rila Raghunatha dasa, being
a mine o f humility, considers ROpa and Sanatana to be his superiors, and prays to their lotusfeet as
follows: .
JnSn'l/tfapa 3Q*sumaitjaU
caitanyera agocare,
nija kesa chindi kore,
virdhe akula waje gela.
delta tyaga kori mane,
gela giri govardhane,
dui gosai taMre dekhita
'
"When Lord Caitanya became unmanifest Raghunatha shaved his head and went to
Vraja, greatly agitated by feelings of love-in-separation. Wanting to commit suicide he went to
Govardhana Hill, where he saw the two Gosvamls (Rupa and Sanatana), who saved his life by
forbidding him to commit suicide. On the order of these two Gosvamls Raghunatha went to the
bank o f Radhfikuijda and settled down there, practising a strict devotional discipline.
Sri Sanatana Gosvami said: "Raghunatha! The mercy of guru and Gauraiiga is everything
to us! I also wanted to commit suicide once by throwing myself before the wheels o f Lord
Jagannatha's chariot, but Lord Caitanya, who is the Inner Overseer, knew what was on my mind
and he forbade m e to do it, saying:
23
24
JfiJti'PWSpa. JQtmnmjaCi
(Siksajtakarn - 7)
"O Govinda! Oul. o f separation from You, tire whole world appears sis void to M e!"
Remembering the love and compassion o f Sanatana GosvamT, Raghunatha dfisa says: "I
iake shelter of my master Sanatana GosvamT, who was an ocean of compassion and who always
felt sorry for the suffering o f others. Although I was unwilling and blinded by ignorance, he
diligently made me drink the nectar o f devotion laced with renunciation".
Srila Haripada Sila sings:
r w H t* r e
f^ r
i
u*u
VERSE 7:
A T Y U TK A T E N A N 1 T A R A M V IR A H A N A L E N A
D A N D A H Y A M A N A -H R D A Y A K IL A K A P ID A S I
25
O Svamini (my mistress ftjuQie)! rlRt Reart of tfiis maidservant constantly Sums in a
greatfire o f separationfrom you. (Being thus afflicted, tmd crying zoitk great tove, I (ament
in tkefotto-unxg verses!
'" N otes: In the first three verses Srila Raghunalha Dasa GosvainT offered prayers in his
spiritual identity, in tire next three verses in his external identity, and from this verse on he will
offer one flower-like lamentation after the other to SrimatT RadharariT's lotusfeet, absorbed in his
spiritual identity of Rati or TulasI Manjari. This full transcendental absorption in Rfidha's
maidservant-hood has now completely swallowed all his other absorptions. His external
absorption is also not mundane, since he is an eternal associate of Mahaprabhu, but he has now
forgotten even his internal absorption! How wonderfully deep is his absorption in his pure
service to Sfi Radha! He has no other support than &T Radha's feet, dial's why his heart burns so
much out o f separation from Her! ulkata virahanala A severe fire o f separation! He declares
himself to be helpless and he cannot live anymore without submitting this to Her. He only misses
Sr! Radhar3i.iT, there is nothing else he misses. He simply laments: "O Premamayi Radhe (You
who are full of divine Love)! W here arc You? I am Your maidservant, and You are all that I long
for! I only like Syamasundara because He's Your lover! I've fully surrendered myself unto You!
Listen once to my lamentation and please notice me!" The more the time of 5>ri Raghunatha's
aprakata kdla (passing away) approaches, the more he becomes absorbed in his mailjarl svarupa
and the more eager he becomes to see and serve SiT Radha as a maini premavati xevikd (greatly
loving maidservant). The flames of this high fire o f love-in-separation are bursting out from this
Vilapa Kusumanjali. On the one hand die heartbreaking cries and lamentations dial are caused by
this great pain o f separation defeat the depth o f even die deepest ocean, and on the other hand
they mock the fierceness of the highest and most fiercely burning flames.
One may ask now how this kind o f apparent agony can be recognised as die goal o f life,
since ,all goals o f life are supposed to be blissful. It is natural that someone who has no
experience with prema (love of God), especially Vraja-prema, will ask such a question. Although
the feelings o f separation from K^na appear to be miserable they are actually a special
culmination o f transcendental ecstasy, prema has two bodies - one is meeting and the other is
separation. Consequently, the loving devotees always swim in the ocean of very painful love-in
separation as w ell as in the ocean of most blissful love-in-meeting. These feelings can never be
compared to the ordinary feelings of joy and sorrow that are experienced in this material world;
only experienced devotees know this.
26
"Anyone who has this Love in the heart knows its power* It is like a mixture o f poison
and nectar. (Caitanya Caritacnrfa M adhya 2,51) In tills connection J^rimat Sanauura GosvamT has
written in his Brhal. Bhagavatamita (1.7.125-126):
pratiyogT ghana himadi $]mr$ena padddy angesu jdyamdm parama malm jddyasya jvalad aftgdra
$paravad abhijna $ydt. taira hi yathdngdra sparsa pratitir mithya parama rnahd jddyam eva satyam
tathdtrdpi duhkaeya prattler mithydtvam eva $ukha$yaiva satyatvatit vijneyam . "Just as the feet and
other limbs, when they are touched by ice, which is ju st the opposite o f fire, feel as if they are
burned by charcoal, and on the other hand one feels great frigidity upon being touched by
burning charcoal, similarly the apparent suffering from feelings o f separation is actually not real.
It's truly experienced as bliss only."
Therefore we always see so many feelings o f love-in-separation for I<v$ya in the people of
Vraja, Separation is making their love so elevated and great. They can relish that advanced stage o f
love, but not all devotees can reach that elevated level o f 'blissful pain in separation o f the
Vrajavasls. Amongst the Vrajavasls &T Radha is again the greatest lover of Kv$na. When Kr$na had
left Vraja to go to Mathura, She showed the symptoms o f divyonpifida, divine madness, the pinnacle
of loving ecstasy, that was later also relished by Oilman Mahaprabhu, who accepted the ecstatic love
of Sri Radha while He was in the Gambhlra at Puri. Of the six GosvSmls SriJa Raghunatha Dnsa
Gosvfuiu was lire only direct witness of MahSprahhu's astonishing Gamblura-/i/<3, and therefore a
faint presence o f these symptoms o f divine love-in-separation is also visible in liim. However, these
things can not be experienced as long as one identifies oneself with the material body.
Sri Raghunatha, suffering the pangs o f separation from &ri Radha, cries and sighs on the
bank of Radhakunda: "O Svamini! I cannot tolerate the pain of separation ftom You anymore! How
clearly he reveals die tremendous pain of separation he feels in his heart by addressing RadharanI
like tliis! The language o f the heart can only be spoken in solitude. It is the pinnacle of grief. How
sweetly Raghunatha Dasa addresses RadharanI here, calling Her Svamini! There is an absorption in
intoxication in this address. There's not even a wliiff of bodily awareness in Raghuiialha's mind; he is
now Tulasl Mafijari. The aspirant-devotees should also fix themselves on their svarupdvesa, for no
one can get a response from Svamini without being being totally free from mayd, As soon as the
mind wanders off elsewhere, it is as if Svamini runs away, saying: "First become mine! When you
ftilly surrender yourself to Me you must stick to Me like My shadow, and then you will get My
response!" S it Raghunatha becomes overwhelmed while he is crying, and he reveals Iris heartache
through these verses. 0 Svamini! I don't have anyone else but you in tins world! With whom else
should I stay? I cannot carry the burden of life anymore without seeing You and serving You!" In
this way 3ri Raghunatha DSsa Gosvami was in the same condition as Mahaprabhu when He wept:
tomdra darsana vine, adhanya ei rdtri dijte, ei kdla nd ydya kfifma "Without seeing You, these days
and nights are miserable and this time cannot be passed."
Because of-his suffering o f separation &T Raghunatha himself writes: kdpi dost. 1 am Your
fallen maidservant, that's why my heart i$ burning in want, of Your personal service!" The mood of
the maidservants is identical with Rftdhariuifs mood. Just as Radhikft is the personification of full
27
;.
maha bhava, so Her maidservants arc (lie personifications of sevd rasa (the flavour o f service), Tlieir
svarupas (intrinsic conditions) are made of tiiis service-flavour. No one understands Radlia-Kv$na's
wishes as well as they do, dial's why they suffer so much when they arc deprived of their devotional
service. No one else is as qualified to understand, to catch experience of what are Svaminljis
innermost feelings but them, not even SvSminfa own girlfriends ($akhls)\ One day Svaminl is angry
with Syfuna and Krsna comes to Her kunjci, dressed as a girl, trying to please Her, but Svaminl gives
a hint to TulasI to kick Him out of the kufija:
28
J n J n 'l/tfa p a 9(u$umtffijtiCs-
accordingly belore They get there. They make a bed for only one person to lie on, with one pillow they know by experience what pastime will be performed! The sakJus know that die kinkarTs have
entrance into the intimate pastimes, they engage them accoixlingly: lalita adesa paiya, sevana koribo
jdiyd, priya sakhi sange harsa mane (Narotlama Dasa Thakura) "Receiving the order from Lalita I
will blissfully go to do my service along with my dearest girlfriends/' The mood o f the maidservants
is identical with rnahd bhdva, Sri Radharfuil consists o f mahdbhdva; She is the very CiiUfnnatu-jewel
that fulfills ail of Kt$nas desires: sei tnaha-hhava hoy cinldntani scira; krsna vcmchd puma kore - ei
kdrya yarn (C.C.) "This mahd-bhdva is the quintessence of the Cintamapi-gem of love of God, and it
serves to fulfill all of Krona's desires." The maidservants are like the CintSmaj,u-stone$ that fulfill the
desires of both the Couple, therefore Krna pitifully prays to them for RadharanTs indescribable
mercy.
29
directly seeing Her. His life-airs reach lids tliroat because of tills separation, so he falls on the bank of
Radhakunda and laments:
radha krsna praptl Idgi sadd utkanihita; sadd ha hd kdra k$ane sthira nahe cita
anuraga pardkdsfhd Sri rddhd govinde; diva nifi rtdhi jane maua premanande
(Bhakti Ratnakara)
"Srila Raghunatha dasa GosvamI was always very eager to attain RSdM and Kf$nar always
lamenting without being peaceful at heart for even a moment. He was supremely attached to 5rl
Radha Govinda, anti because he was mad with loving ecstasy he did not know whether it was day or
night.'1
The service of Sri Radha is bhdva grdhya, only understood with (the proper) feeling. The
experience of the sweetness and beauty of this service is incomparible! Krsna is the embodiment of
all nectarcan flavours and Sri Rfidha is the embodiment o f the full mahd bhdva. Mahabhava
Svatupinl Sri Radha makes Rasika Sekhara (the king of relishers) Kr$nat who is also called rasa
brahmant the delectable transcendence, relish the full sweetness of the erotic transcendental flavour.
&rimat Rupa GosvamI has written: ityasydm krpta saukhydrtham eva kevalam udyamah (U.N.) "All
30
J n J tf'ttifa p a 'Kiistmiinjad
(he endeavours of the Vn\jti-gopi$, dial are endowed with the samartha rati (the Itighest, causeless
love for Kr$na) are meant for. Krona's pleasure. In the same way all the endeavours Of Radlnkas
maidservanls are meant for the pleasure of Radha and Madhava. Indeed, they lose themselves in the
ecstasy of the devotional service of the divine Couple and are also blessed with the sweet savour of
die Yu gal a Kionu Sola Naiottama dasa Jliakura exemplifies as follows how the manjaris relish
Radha and Krspa's sweetness during llieir service:
. hart hari! ara hi emon daSd hobo
chddiyd purusa deha, kobe vd prakrti hobo
se nd rupa mddhun,
dekhibo nayana bhari,
ei kori mane abhililsa
jaya rupa sanatoria,
ddio more ei dhana,
nivedaye narottama ddsa
"In my mind I desire to fill my eyes with Their sweet forms. Glory to you, RGpa and
Sanatana! Please give me this treasure! This is tire prayer o f Natollama dasa!
An intolerable fire starts burning in the heart o f the loving devotee when he misses this
devotional service. The best way to worsliip the Divine Couple RadhS and Kr?na is the path shown
by Sri Dasa Gosvfunl; it is a path of worsliip that does not depend on anything else but "Where are
You, Radharaiii?!" Without seeing RadharanTs lotusfeet the world is empty. The devotee is
maddened by Her attractive sweetness and beauty on the one hand and agitated at heart by great
anxiety and eagerness on the other hand. According to the great devotees Sri Bilvamahgala Thakuia
showed Gie highest signs of love in a sadhaka-bo<\y. When he was suffering the pangs of separation
from Sri Kr$na he said:
31
wide eyes? This verse shows (hat Srlpada Bilvamahgala's heart was maddened-by attraction to
Krsna's great sweetness on the one hand and by his eagerness to sec Him on Uie other hand.
he svamini vniddvanesvari!
tomara virahdnalet . divd-nisl hiyd jvalet
atyutkata sahite net pari
" 0 Svamini! 0 VrndfivaneSvari! My heart bums in the fire of separation from You, day and
night! It is so intense dial I can not tolerate it!"
^
<=f ^TT
m h h Ri
JfTW ^ W i f o i T 5 5 ^ II ; ||
VERSE S:
O goddess! I'm helpless and a fflicted in the middle o f an ocean o f sorrow! !P(ease taffe me to
the w onderful abode o f y o u r (otusfeet in the p o w erfu l Boat o f y o u r mercy!
Notes: When the mind is very agitated by feelings of separation the loving devotee may feel helpless
or unfortunate* unable to make an end to i t Although he Feels smashed by the pain of separation he
knows there's no other remedy than the direct attainment o f Sri Radhika's audience and service. Srila
Raghunadia dasa Gosvaiul feels as if he is lying in the middle of an ocean of misery, which knows
no comparison in lliis mundane world. No amount of material or spiritual suffering can compare to
i t One day 3ri GauridevT (PSrvatl) asked her divine husband Sriman MahSdeva (Lord Siva) about
the superexcellence of ri Radhas love and Lord Siva told her:
"O Sive! (Parvatl) If you would make separate piles of all the happiness and misery of all the three
worlds as well as of all the spiritual worlds, it could not be compared with even a drop o f the
happiness (during meeting) and misery (during separation) that ri Radhika feels out of Her love for
Kr$na!MThe kinkarts also experience some of this happiness and distress, because they are nondifferent from Sri Radhik5 at heart and they have some of Her mahei bhava infused in them, and thus
if a loving devotee hears even a taint reflection of die high dancing waves that roll on the terrible
ocean o f ri RaghunStha's suffering-from-separation from a. distance he will immediately
understand: No devotee-aspirant in the world can speak like that. Only a pure devotee can. Then the
picture of the sad moonlike face of Sriman Mahaprabhu, the personification of the vipralambha rasa
(mood of love-in-scparation), as He relished Sri R adius feelings of separation from 3rl Kr$na in die
Gambhlra, will be drawn on tire slate of Iris mind.
33
When the life-airs reach the tluoat because of strong feelings o f love-in-separation then again a
vision o f the deity may come to the devotee which helps him to stay alive again. Then there's no end
to his bliss and he thinks he is close to his beloved again! This constant succession of meeting and
separation brings the devotee in an indescribable condition. Tliis is the speciality of the love o f Vraja
and it is known as the great treasure of the Vrajz-rasa-uptisaka (practitioner of tile flavours of Vraja);
34
sits in the hearts of those who hear and sing about Him and cleanses all material contamination from
these hearts, making them worthy places for Him to s it
35
J n la
d'fisti (}osvSml.
these contorts it is said vasali nugan She is the abode. She is not just Krona's beloved, She is also
the object of His worslup8 .
Now (he picture of u sweet lild appears in Sri Raghunatha's mind. 5ri-Sri Rfidha-Madhava arc
enjoying in a kwlja and Tulasi, who is non-different from Svamirtl in heart and body, is engaged in
fanning Them. During Their amorous pastimes, in wltich Kr?na plays the passive role as a qualified
hero, Krsna faints of ecstasy, overwhelmed by Her niadana mahd bhdva, but Anuragavatl
(passionate Radhika) is not satisfied. She Herself had enchanted Her qualified hero, and now He
doesn't know what to do anymore! During Cupid's festival SvaniinT strikes Her hero with Her
playlotus. Tulas! giggles when she sees this and that laughter maddens SySmasundara. This is one of
the kinkans' matchless services, which can only be experienced by the rasika devotees. Svaminf sits
up on the bed, Her dress dishevelled, but still effulgent {dyotamana). It is as if sweetness drips from
each of Her limbs. Our hero is maddened by that sweetness, lild ante sukhe ihdra ye ojlga-mddhun;
idhci dekhi sukhe ami dpand pasari (Caitanya Caritamrta) "When 1 sec the sweetness of Her body after
We made love I am beside Myself of ecstasy!11 SvaminI then tells Krsna: "O beautiful One! Redress
Me before My sakhls come here and make fun o f Met"
Our hero then eagerly sits down at Svaminl's feet, ready to decorate Her.910*PiafieSvari says: "Smear
footlac (red lac worn around the footsoles) around My feet!" LaljT starts the job, holding Her feet to
His chest and getting immersed in their sweetness while looking at them. Impatiently SvaminI says:
"What are You doing? Quickly put that lac on! What will My girlfriends say if they see Me like
this?" But our Hero sometimes holds Her feet to His chest, sometimes kisses them and sometimes
also paints some lac on them with trembling hands, as if He finally found a jewel, but didn't know
where to keep it: aneka yatane, ratana pdiyd, thuite that nd pdya. Some o f the wet red lac gets stuck
on SySma's bluish chest, making it look like the rising sun in the dense darkness, or like a red
lotusflower growing in the blackish water of the Yamuna. This blazing red lac o f loving RSdhikus
feel defeats the beauty of the 5rivatsa-sign, the Kaustubha-gem and the golden line that represents
the goddess o f fortune on Krsna's chest!J0
Syama is enchanted by die beauty of Srijl's feet (jagata mohana kr$na tcihdra mohinl, Kr$na
enchants die world, but Radhika enchants even Him, C.C.) so She says: "O Beautiful One! I
understand! You cannot do it! Tulasi, come! You put this footlac on!,r, making Syama diink to
Himself: "Alas! How unqualified I am!" Getting SvaminI's order, Tulasi softly pushes Syama and
says: Move up! Through You it can't be done! I'll do it!1111Just as Tulasi stretches out her hand to
catch Svaminfs feet, die transcendental revelation disappears and she begins to lament, thinking:
"Now I'm helplessly'falling in an ocean of misery! Your lotusfeet are my abode! Please take me there
wiLli the wonderful boat of Your mercy, across this ocean of suffering!"
Sri Rasika-Candra D&sa sings:
putftsah striydth striyWt puthsi sathyogasya ca yd sprha; sa srftgflra iti khydto rati-kfUtildi karanam.
10 Kavi Kamapura, Alafikara Kaustubiia.
! 1Tiiis pastime is described by Sflla Ananda Gopiiia Gosv&mt.
36
Jn -^ rl Pittipa
# 3 3 ii s ii
VERSE 9:
TVAD ALOKANA KALAHI
DAMSAIR EVA MRTAM JANAM
TVAT PADABJA MILAL LAKSA
BHESAJAIR DEVI JIVAYA
tvad - Your; alokma,* mot seeing;,/rate - black;ahi - snake; datiiSaih - by die bites; eva - surely;
mriath - died; janam - person;,/vw/ - Your; pndor feet; abja- lotus; nrilat - meeting;;7fe5 - fodtl-ac;
bfie$ajaiit - by Uie medicines; d m - Goddess! ;jivaya - revive.
O Qod&ssl *fliis person* Has dxe&from tfUBties of the btacfc^snaf& <rfseparation front tyou*
tBUast rtvwz meutitk tfit TnedUitiaCto tffa
Notes: In the previous verse SiTpOda attained the relish o f Sv5minljl. Now the vision lias abated and
he feels die intense burning of ldVe-in-sepamtion, Just as somephe>qulckIy dies when being bitten by
a terrible black snake; being scorched from lip to toe by the intense life of die poison,
Raghuhatha feels like dying when he is burning in the poison of separation from &n Rudharanl.
Svaminfs footlac is then the only elixer which can revive Tblasi, nothing else can help against this
burning lire of separation from $ff Radh5r3itf! Even though Syamasundara. was accompanied by
millions o f gopls He could not find pleasux^- without ii R5dha. Suffering separation from Her He
went to.the bank o f ifte Yamuna and lamented for Her;
The poet Jayadeva describes the Vasanta Rasa (the vernal Rasa-dance) as follows: "Kaifts&ri (Kj*na)
left all the oilier beautiful girls o f Vraja to take Radha, who is the essential chain who binds Him to
His lusty desires* in His heart. When Sri RSdhika became jealous and left Krsna behind, Kr$na
looked for Her everywhere. His mind pierced by Cupid's darts* When He could not llnd Her,
Madhava entered a kuhja oil the bank of tlie Yamuna and began to lament there.'1 Saia kvu gopite
nahe kdma nirvapana (C.C.): Even a billion gopls cannot soothe Krsna's pain of separation from Sri
Radhfi. Sri mat Dasa GosvSmT described in liis 'Muktii Caritra' how Kr$na anxiously lamented about
Sri RadhS's absence to His own Queen Satyabhamft in Dvarakft after describing His Vnija-/?75 to her:
1Ha Radhet You are the abode for the pigeon o f My life, a boundless river with a stream of
sweetness that is enhanced by prema? and a mine o f jokes, riddles, qualities and arts! You are the
moonlight that feeds the Cakora-blrd of My eyes! Alas! Alas! Winch force of bad luck has taken Me
away from You after first finding You?" In the same way the kiftkans have no other shelter but
Srimatls lotusfeet, from whom the embodiment o f full transcendental bliss, Sri Krsna, suffers so
much separation, and there is no oilier means to soothe their hearts, that are burning in the fire of
separation from Her, then to see these beautiful feet. H ie kitikans don't want Kf$na alone. Their love
for Srimatl is so pure dial even in their dreams they don't desite Krona's intimate company. One of
the 108 names that our Dasa GosvamI gives to Sri Radhika is svagajtddvaita jlvatu svtydhahkdra
vardhinl "She is the only life-support o f Her maidservants, and this increases their pride. These
maidservants have such a deep love for Sri Radha; they do not even have that for Kf^iia! No one but
the kifikaris -are so worthy of being RadhikA's priyci-pdira (object oflove). Tills is experienced best at
the ti'iiie of separation. By Svaminfs grace the virahini dost has wonderful experiences during
smarana, dreams and sphurana (transcendental revelations), and these experiences are her only lifesupport. A revelation gives temporary peace, and separation gives a burning suffering. The root
cause o f tills suffering is want of the direct service of the Yugala KiSora. H ie manjaris' love for
KiSora and KiSori is causeless. Where is the bliss of worshipping only Krsna? The real ecstasy lies in
the Yugala bhajan\ yugala carana dekhi, saphala koribo tlftklii, ei mora manera kdmand (Prarthana)
1 will make my eyes successful by seeing the Yugalas lotusfeet; this is the desire on my mind!" The
Gaudfya Vai$nava Acaryas (mahd-janas) desire to see the Divine Couple to extinguish the burning
Fire o f their love-in-separation, and they pray for the service of Their lotusfeet:
^n-Jn'Vifupn 'JQisufiuVtjaiift
"Please give me Hie service of Your lotusfeeU Don't let me down! You are both oceans of
compassion! I don't know anyone else but You two, and l would feel greatly fortunate if I could
surrender to the service o f Your lotusfeet! I ani a very deeply fallen wretch*
"saftc&ri bhdms are like waves that rise and sink in the nectar-ocean oftlie sihdyi bhdva (permanent
mood), increasing it and then merging M o it again," These words are spoken in svampavetia. Death
is the final stage o f transcendental loving ecstasy, so the death that is spoken o f here is riot a physical
death, but a spiritual death. The soul is a maidservant of Sri Rfidha, Raghuniitha's svarupa is being
squashed and that feels more miserable tlian death. $rila Nkottama Dasa 'Di^ktira sings (in Sri Rupa
Mafijarl pada):
Jrifa
tfilsa Qosv&mu
forgetfulness (of these lotus feet) is like death; he should also feel some of this heartache, tuyd
vLvmirana Sela bake "Forgetfulness of You hurts me like a spear in my heart!" The nature of bodily
conciousness is that it awakens remembrance of temporary matters and causes one to forget the
lotusfeel of the Divine Couple. "O wicked mind! Why don't you stick to these lotusfect all of the
time? Why does material existence always come in the heart? May ray whole conciousness take You
along, so that it will not go anywhere else!" The practitioners should anxiously pray like tills lo
Srlmatfs lotusfect! They can learn this from the mahd vdtn (great words) of Siila RaghunStha dasa
GosvSml. The devotee who is fixed in stnarana should forget his own sense o f doership in the
practise of smanma', he should no longer be able to think "I am doing smaranal" In iris siddha
svarupa the devotee experiences tlraL he is close to his favorite deity. How blissful it is to be close to
&n Radhas lotusfect even in sw trana! rlla Raghunatha dasa GosvamT is an eternal associate o f the
Lord, so his experiences and his bliss are more vivid than anything. His mind only relishes the
remembrance of 6rl Radha. How wonderful is the splendor o f Her toenails! How can Madhusudana
(the relishing honeybee Kr?na) survive without relishing the lioney from such lotusfeet? Sn
Raghunatha is the maidservant of She whose footlac colors Syama's curly locks! Sy5ma Himself
cannot apply this footlac on SvaminFs lotusfeet; all His limbs are overwhelmed by loving ecstasy
and His eyes arc filled with tears of love. SvaminI then says: "Sundara! Here, You don't know how
to put My footlac on! TulasI, come here! You do it!" But then, when TUlasI stretches out her hands,
she does not see or feel anything anymore. When the transcendental vision disappears* she laments
once more:
tava adarsana,
ki bolibo hdyah
kdla bhujaftgama,
damSana mrtera prdya
vissra jvdldya,
jivana jvaliyd yaya
devi! tomdra mahimd jdni!
sofitpi kdya mane,
o rahga carane,
Savona loinu ami
tava padatale,
praphulla kamale,
alakta bhesaja bhdya
td d'tyd ivarita,
koro sanjivita,
ei bhiksd ddst cdya
(Sri Raslka-Candra dasa)
"I am as if dead, being biuen by the black snake o f not seeing You, Alas! What can I say? My life is
burning in its poison! O Devi! I know Your glories! I have taken shelter of Your colorful lotusfeel
and 1 have offered my mind and body to You! Your footsoles resemble blooming lotusllowcrs and
they are like a medicinal herb for me! Quickly give them to me and thus revive me! This is the aim
that Your maidservant begs from You!"
3 ft 3 W P
o t
ft9 # T F R c C m ^ : 1
g q M a q n j t : || ?o ||
VERSE 10:
40
J n - J n JJX(5pa V(usu.miWtiSfi
devi - goddess!; te Your; carana - loot; padma. - lotus; drtofta/h - maidservant; v/pray^n separation; bhara - full; dcivrt - forest; pava/cm/i - by fires: dahycnmnatara - being burned; kdya body; va/tomh - vine-like; jTvaya - revive; /r.;<?na - for a moment; rtfrifc$a/ur - glance; amrtaih - by the
nectars.
pfdti^hdsd dhrtfa spapdea raimnf me hrdi natei kathmh sadliu premd spfsati sucir etmr nanu
manali Tliis desirefor distinction does not allow die natural love for the ioiusfeet o f the beloved
deity to come in the heart The root cause of this pollution is identification with the material body. In
\n& svarupavesa the aspirant must certainly experience that "I dont have anyone else but You in this
world!" Unless one thinks like that One cannot proceed towards die lotusfeet. of the beloved deity.
Out o f eagerness for Ills beloved deity the practising devotee can not sit quietly. He feels like a deer
pierced by an arrow, so he eagerly comes to Vrndavana, hoping to catch a glimpse of his beloved.
&Tla Narqltama dasa Thakura has sung:
sukhamaya vrndavnna,
kobehobedarasana,
se dhftli mdkhibo kobe gdya
preme gadagada hoiyd,
rddhtl-krsna ndiiw loii/di
kandibo beddbo ubhdrdya
"When will I see blissful Vrndavana and smear its dust on my body?: When can I lovingly roll
around' there,-chanting .the names o f Radh5 and Kr$na and weeping profusely?"
niWirta nikuiija ydiyd,
41
"I will go to the solitary arbours and fall flat on die ground, crying out: "O Lord o f Radha!" When
will 1 go to the bank o f the Yamuna, touch her waters and drink it with the cups o f my handpalms?"
"When can I fill my eyes with the view of Govardhana Hill and when can I live at Radhakunda?"
The lowly Narottama dasa sings: "When will my body fall while I wander around there?" Sripada
Prabodh&nanda Sarasvatl has said: kada syarh sri radhe .arietta iha vrndtlvaua bhuvi "Ha Radhe!
When can I live in Vpidfivana in great astonishment, remembering die wave o f Your nectarcan
pastimes? When will I look all around for You, thinking: Now You have come, I understand I'm
getting it!?" This eagerness for experience will swillly bring the Mas before the eyes. "Although I
am living in Vmdavana I don't experience anything. I have so many things to say about it, but
actually my heart is empty. I want to get some result from my life of devotional practise. Even if I
can just spend my lime with the hope that "You are my mistress!", then I will attain You!"
Sri Raghunatha dasa says: devi te carnm padma dasikfuh ttO goddess Sri Radhe! I am a maidservant
of Your lotusfeet! The vine-like body of this fallen maidservant is totally burning in the forestfire of
separation from You! My mind is surrendered to You - dahyamamlara kaya-vallarim. Then it is as if
Svaminl asks him: "O, isn't your heart eager for Me? Then how can you attain Me?" She is the
limitless ocean o f compassion and She knows very well how to take Her maidservants to Her
lotusfeet by making them eager for Her! How much She relishes the eager lamentations of Her
loving devotees! The maidservant is very eager, and Sv5minl takes SySmasundara along to listen to
her lamentations. The Lord enjoys the flavours of devotion. Sri Krsna told Bilvamafigala Thakura: "I
am with you and I am very happy to hear your lamentations of separation from Me, Since your
words delighted My ears so much I will call your book fKf$na Karnamrta1, nectar for Kronas ears!"
Sri RaghunStha's anxiety is heartrending. His vine-like body bums in a great forestfire. of love inseparation, and he cannot survive anymore without submitting this. "I am a maidservant of Your
lotusfeet, that soothe even Syamasundara's afflicted heart when He takes them to His chest. The
vine-tike body o f this fallen maidservant is burning in the forestfire of separation from You. Please
once revive me with Your nectarean glance! rila Raghunatha dasa Gosvaml is a nitya siddha(etemally perfect) devotee, but the eagerness of the sddhana siddhas, the devotees who have attained
the perfection o f love o f God in this lifetime, is also wonderful! rfla Siddha Kr?na dasa Babajl, who
lived in Govardhana, prayed as follows:
ha hd prdneivari! tuya viccheda anale; niravadhi prana mora dhiki dhiki jvale
e duhka sdgara hoite uddhdra koriya; srl Canute rakho more kihkari koriya
"O Queen of my life! My heart is constantly burning in the lire of separation from You! Please save
me from this ocean of sorrow by keeping me at Your lotusfeet and making me Your maidservant!"
heno dina ki hobe tava in mukhera vdnt; karnete iunibo dra nupurera dhvani
tomiira hlvanydmrki nayana ca$ake; kobe vd koribo pdna pardrumda sukhe
42
aghrdna koribo tava ahga parimala; ptdake purnita hobe mora kalevara
kobe tavocchistdmrla dibe krpd kori; pdiyd krtdrthd hobe e nova kihkan
"When will I hear (he delectable words from Your beautiful mouth and the jingling of Your
anklcbells? When will 1 drink the nectar o f Your indescribable beauty through the cups o f my eyes in
topmost ecstasy, and when will I smell Your bodily fragrance, making all (ho hairs o f my body stand
on end? Please bless this new maidservant by giving her the nectarean foodremnants that emanate
from Your lotusmouth!"
fund mora japa tapci tumi mora dhydna; janmdvadhi soma vind ndhi jani ana
kdntdli sahita tumi yathdya vihara; krpd kori sei sthdne more ddst koro
kdnde dlna krsna dasa dante tnia dhari; abhildsa punia mora koro hemagauri
"You are my japa, You are my penance and You are my meditation, and since I was bom I haven't
known anyone but You! Wherever You sport with Your lover and Your girlfriends, please take me
there also as Your maidservant. Thus the fallen Krsna dasa weeps, holding a straw between his teeth
and praying: O golden beauty! Please fiilfill my desires!"
How am I spending the day, having such great teachers! Some o f this eagerness and enthusiasm will
appear in the lives of those who naturally perform their bJiajan, How much Sri RaghunStha dasa is
lamenting! It is as if his heart is breaking! Suddenly, like a lightningstrike, a new spiritual vision
comes to him. He secs that Syama is decorating SvamiM, while Sri Rupa Mafijari holds the dressingparaphernalia in her hand. SySma paints pictures of Makari-fishes on RSdhika's cheeks, but it doesnt
work so well because His hands are shivering of loving ecstasy. Seeing how SySma is absorbed in
decorating Her, SvfuninI softly smiles. Thai smile is like nectar - what if it will fall off? Kr?na wont
allow it to fall, so He catches it with the cups of His lips (by kissing Her). SvSmini casts a restless
glance on Syama's face, and enchants Him completely with this. S n Raghunatha dasa is absorbed in
relishing this nectarean pastime in his siddha svariipa. Seeing Syamas incompetence, Svamiiu looks
towards Tulasi, hinting at her that she should take Syama's job over. Tuiasi's heart is filled with bliss
when she gets this order, but when she gets up the vision disappears and Sri Raghunatha dasa,
returning to Ms external absorption, falls on the bank o f Radhakuruja, crying and lamenting. Burning
with endless feelings of separation, he considers Radhakunda to be just like the gaping mouth of a
tiger;
V E R SE 11:
S V A P N E 'P I K IM S U M U K H IT E C A R A N A M B U JA T A
r A j a t p a r a g a p a t a v A s a V IB H U SA N E N A
s o b h Am p a r a m a t it A r a m a iw h o t t a m a n g a m
O Sum ukhi (ffahfacedgirQ l W hen w tit 1, even in a dream, 6c ju s tifie d in caOhtg m y Head
the highest GmS (uttamdnga) o f my Body By Beautifying i t vidth the glistening fragrant
p o tttn o f our Cotusfeet?
Notes: The more intense Sri Raghunathas spiritual vision of R& M and Krsna's pastimes was, the
more intense the suffering of separation becomes when the vision disappears, and the greater his
eagerness in sadhakdvesa becomes to experience Svaminfs rarely attained form, qualities and
pastimes again. Sripada Baladcva VidySbhu$ana writes in his commentary on die first verse of Srila
Rupa Gosvaml's 'Utkalika Vallari1 alabdhabhTstasydbhlstotkanthayd vigalita cittasya talidbhe
svdyogyatva sphurtydbhyudita dainyasya bhaktasya sakratido'&ru nirjharah patatiti MWlien the
devotee cannot experience Ills beloved deity anymore because his spiritual vision vanishes his heart,
melts with eagerness and a great feeling of humility surges up in Itis heart. Then he cries incessantly,
realizing how unqualified he is." Srila Raghunatha dftsa Gosvfiml is exactly in that situation. In his
44
svarupdveSa he says: "You are rarely seen directly. Will I at least in a dream be justified to call my
liead the liighest limb of iny body by wearing the fragrant pollen of Your lotusfeet on it? Only when
it wears this fragrant pollen my head is justly called my highest limb!MHow intensely he desires this!
Although Raghunatha understands that he desires something wliich is hard to attain, he cannot give
up hoping, apanii ayogya dekhi mane poo ksobha; tathapi tomdra gune upajdya iobha (C,C).
"Although I sec that Im unworthy, my mind is still greedy for Your attributes". Although he sees
that hes completely unqualified, his mind is still illuminated by the hope for getting Their sweet
mercy. SrTla Rupa Gosvaml wrote:
"O King and Queen of VrndSvana! Although the greatest souls were not able to get Your direct
audience for even a moment, this fallen soul desires it, swallowing his fear and his shame! But what
is my fault in Hus? Who will not be intoxicated by the ever-fresh sweetness of Your qualities?" 3ri
Raghunfilha's heart is greatly agitated when he relishes Srimatfs sweetness and beauty and the
sweetness of Her attributes and pastimes. Just as Agaslya Muni once drank the water of all the seven
oceans, Raghunatha dasa's eagerness now also drinks the ocean o f Ids patience and dries it up
completely. The expertise of the acd/yas' bhajan can be seen in the sweetness of their activities.
When a person on the devotional path is attacked by mdyd he will commit offenses and he won't be
able to relish the joy of devotion. How sweet are the teachings of the dcdryasl When prasdda is
being taken they say: "Beware, 0 saints! Dont become immersed in enjoying the tongue now!
Remember that you are here only to taste the remnants of the Lord's foodstuffs!" In this way all
physical activities, like sleeping and eating should be performed as items o f bhajan. When these
things are seen as worldly activities the devotee is deceived.
In this verse Sri Raghunatha prays to the lotusfeet of SrimatT in Ills svarftpdveSa. How sweetly he
addresses Her with ayi surnukhil How many sweet lilds he remembers when he sees Her beautiful
face! Krsoa is the amorous dfura lalita-hwo who is carefree and controlled by His sweethearts. He is
not encumbered with maintaining the world, rdtri dina kufija krida kore rddhd sahge; kaiSora
vayasa saphala koilo kridd range (C.C.) "Day and night He plays with Radha in the groves of
Vrndavana. In this way He makes His adolescence successful with His lovesports." Just like Kf$na
RSdh5 is also always absorbed in pastimes, and when Kr$na secs Her beautiful face (SumukhI),
which is filled with the rasa of mahd bhdvat He also becomes absorbed in erotic pastimes, forgetting
every tiling else."
45
46
15 This is quoted from Sri VKvan&tlia CakravartTs commentary on Srlmad Bhagavata 10.14.37
16 This pastime is described by Srila Ananda Gopaia Gosvaml.
17 Quoted by Editor.
47
3T
sp p f^ f
: I
^#i
it n li
VERSE 12:
AMRTABDHI RASA PRAYAIS
TAVA NUPURA SINJ1TA1H
HA KADA MAMA KAL y X n I
BADHIRYAM APANESYATE
amrta - nectar; abdhi - ocean; rasa - spiritual flavour; prayaih - great; lava - Your; niipura anklebells; sinjitaih - by the jingling; ha - O!; kadd - when; mama - my; kalydni - beautiful, or
auspicious girl; badhiryam - deafness, apanesyate - will remove.
0 %gtyani (auspicious or 6cautifiiCgvrQl When <wift the jvngGng o f Jour anffthetts, that is
likp art ocean ofnectarean rasa, cure my deafness?
Notes: Only a faint reflection o f the illumination o f Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvaml's love-inseparation from SvaminT is revealed through the syllables o f litis Vilapa Kusumanjali. Krsna Himself
descended to earth as Gaura to experience His own sweetness and the sweetness of Srlmatl Radhika's
love for Him. For this He became virahT - experiencing separation from Himself - and taught all the
sddhakas o f flie world that one must first experience viraha before being able to relish milana,
meeting. In tins way He increases the prema sindhu, the ocean o f love, of His devotees. 5rila
Raghunatha Dasa Gosvliml also relishes Sri R&dhikSTs sweetness through viraha, although he is Her
eternally perfect maidservant
Sri Radhika always acts for Krsna's welfare, therefore She is named KalyanT here. Nanda MahSr&ja
daily feeds millions o f brahmanas for Kr$na'$ kalydna and mother YaSoda gets up early every
morning to pronounce mantras for Krsna's protection before He goes out into the forest.18
18 T h i s point is m a d e b y Silla A n a n d a G o p S l a G o s v a n n .
48
vrsabhanu nandini,
japaye rati dini
bharama na bolaye an,
fakho lakho dhani,
bolaye madhura viiitl
svapane na pdiaye kdn.
4
"Day and night He murmurs: Vrsabhanu Nandini], without saying anytiiing else out of confusion.
Although hundreds of thousands o f girls speak sweet words to Him, He does not listen to them even
in dreams!11
11
"Govinda Dasa submits this news about Kanu (K?$na) to Your lotusfeet; Know that He feels
miserable and that only Your grace (Kalyona) can destroy His suffering!"
One morning RfidharanI sees Kr$na witfi the signs of CandrSvalfs lovemaking on His body, so She
becomes angry with Him and refuses to speak with Him. Her sakhis tell Her: "Radhe! The whole of
Vraja is miserably suffering because of Your stubborn huff towards Krsna! Everyone is unhappy,
except You! He who is the life o f the life of Vraja rails on the ground and has given up eating and
sleeping out o f misery! He has become weak and skinny! Seeing His condition, all the mobile and
immobile creatures o f Vraja are also loudly crying; only You are happy, giving milk to the snake of
Your pique! Is that auspicious? That's not auspicious! Give up Your pique!"19 Out of separation Sri
Raghunaiha dasa says: "You are my Kalyatu!"
Not only is 5rl Radhika auspicious for Sri Krsna, She is auspicious to the whole world, for She gives
joy to tire world as God's pleasure potency, o f which the essence is pretna, love. She gives that
transcendental loving ecstasy to all the devotees, and thus sustains their lives! The Upani$ads speak
of Sreya (Kalyana, or that wliich is good for us) and preya (that what we like):
absorption o f Srila Raghunalha dasa GosvamT can be experienced. Not everyone can be addressed so
lovingly with 'KalySitf1: All-auspicious SvSminJ! The sweetness of tills address docs not indicate the
heart's perception of anything from this material world. These transcendental pastimes bloom up
within the heart in such a way (hat nothing from the visible world can be perceived within the heart
anymore. Material conciousness maddens the heart of the aspirant, 'Otis experience cannot be had
through mere dry knowledge but only through pure love, characterised by an intense feeling of mineness. The great sage Sukadcva was astonished by the feelings of mineness felt towards Kr$paby His
loving devotees in Vraja and he told Maharaja Parffc$il:
20 Purport b y & i l a A n a n d a G o p a i a G o s v a m T .
51
parrots can see Kr$na, but there's no way for Me to see Him!" Sy&masundara also cries for RadhikS
all night, missing Her* although He is ananda ghana vigraha, the very form of intense transcendental
bliss. And when He opens His eyes He thinks He sees His mother giving Him a cloth that is yellow
like haldi. In this way He remembers Her again21 2. Who in this world knows how to love like Her?
Still, Syama did not manage to experience Her love fully, so He accepted Her mood and complexion
and showed an anurdga similar to Radhikas (as Sri Gauraiiga), During the final twelve years of His
manifest appearance Sri Gauraiiga was burning in the fire of that love-in- separation. What a
condition for the embodiment of transcendental bliss! Each pore of His hair was on fire! That is the
agony o f Konas Kalyana-kfuinl (&*! Radhikti, who acts for Krsna's welfare)! With His own hand
Kr$na completed a verse of Gita Govinda with the words dehi pddapallavam uddram "RSdhc! Give
Me Your generous lotusfeel!" it is as if Krsna said to the poet Jayadcva: " 0 Jayadcva! Why are you
hesitating to write tins down? My whole life is fulfilled when I attain these lotusfeet! Who else
knows how to love but She? The whole world tells Me: "Give, give!", only She says: "Take! Take!"
<
0
"She worships Krsna in a form that fulfills His desires, and thus the Puranas call Her Radhika." She
is the Queen of the Jcwl/a-cottage, who makes eager Syama enjoy so much, as if He is a beggar
getting a meal in the royal palace. Sri RaghunStha dasa says: "You are making everything auspicious
for Kr$ita - we're very happy to see that! When will Your anklebells, that jingle while You fulfill all
o f Syama's desires, remove my deafness, so that I will not desire to hear anything else anymore?"
The jingling o f these anklebells takes place when the yama -rasa is relished, but these anklebells
don't just jingle straightaway; they jingle within this relish. This sound will awaken such devotional
yearning that the ears do not want to hear anything else anymore. That is the poetic, secondary
meaning of the. word bddhirya, or deafness. Hearing material soundvibrations, like radios, traffic,
mundane topics and so, is also meant by 'deafness' here. In this connection ri Kr$na says:
22
Then 6ri Raghunatha dasa sees a sweet pastime through his spiritual eyes: RadhS and K ^na dance
lire Rasa. Krsna stands still and Rfidhika's anklebells give the rhythm to the sweet tune of His flute,
which is the emperor of sounds, and increase that sweetness. Meanwhile Syama relishes the sweet
jingling o f Radliika's anklebells as well as the sweetness o f His own fluteplaying, which is like an
ocean o f sweetness. That sound, that tune is the great opulence of the kingdom of God. Sabda
brahma-mayarli vetutm vddayaniafii mukhdmbuje (Brahma Sarhhita) "His lotuslike mouth makes the
flute play the sounds of brahman" This sweetness makes everything sweet, and reverses the natural
behaviour of all living beings, aspandanam gatimatam pulakas tarundm (S. Bhagavata 10.21,19) "It
stuns the moving creatures and it causes the trees to get goosepimples o f ecstasy. In this way the
jingling o f Radhika's anklebells causes the ocean of sweetness of Kr$na's flutesong to increase. Srila
Rupa Gosvami wrote (Utkalika Vallari 27):
3 n 3 n 'VUaptt 'XiisamattjaR
VERSE 13:
SASAKABHRD ABHISARE NETRA-BHRNGANCALABHYAM
DISIVIDISIBIIAYEN OD GHURNrrABHYAM VANANI
KUVALAYA-DALA K O S A m E V A k l r p t A n i yA b h y A m
KIM U KILA KALANIYO DEVI TABHYAM JANCTYAM
sasakabhrd - in (he moonlit night; abhhare - daring (lie rendez-vous; netra - eyes; bhrnga bees; ancalabhycim - with the corners; dtii - (he four main directions; vidm - the four subdirections;
bhayena - with fear; udghurniklbhycuh - spinning around; vandni - the forests; kuvalaya - a kind of
blue iotusflower; data - petals; kosm i - whorls; eva - surely; klrptani - made; yahhyath - with which;
kitn u - what; kila - surely; kalaniyo - worthy to be seen; devi - 0 Goddess!; labhyarh - by both; jana
ayam - this person.
'Ptfilpa J ^tsumSajoli
scmmukhe rohiya kobe camara dhulabo; aguru candana gaiidha donhe aiige dibo
snkhirti djudya kobe tdmbuta yogdbo; sindiim tilaka kobe dohhake pordbo
vilasa kautuka keli dekhibo nayane; aindm-mukiia niraidtibo bosdye siihhasane
sadii $e madhttri dekhi manera lalase; koto dine hobe days mrotta?na diise
"I will stand before Them and fan Them with a yaklail fan, and 1 will anoint. Their limbs
with aguru and sandalwood-scents. On the order of the sakhts I will serve Them betel leaves and 1
will decorate Them with lilaka and sindiira. I will witness Their moonlike faces as They play Their
funny pastimes and I will seal Them on a lion-throne. When will the day come that Narottama dasa
sees these sweet pastimes? My mind yearns for Their mercy!"
At home, before n Radhika goes on abhisara (rendez-vous), the sakhis ask Her:
"Radhe! Why don't You sleep a little before we go out?" S n Radhika then says: "No, no, no
need! I have to stay up the whole night, sleeping will only divert M y mind!", so She sits up the
whole night with closed eyes. She has to walk in the deep darkness over the slippery paths of
Vraja, so in the daytime She throws some water over the courtyard and starts slipping and sliding
around to prepare Herself for the night-trip. Before She goes She closes all doors and windows
of H er home. The saklus ask Her: "Radhe! W hy ate You making everything dark? You cannot
even see where You walk anymore!" S n Radhika replies: "O-rey! I'm just training Myself for
going out later tonight!" When She sees the picture of a snake at H er home, She shivers o f fear
and terror, but later, when She's out on the foresipaths, and She encounters a real live snake, She
fearlessly covers the jewels on its hoods so that H er superiors won't be able to see Her in their
shining light, and She even covers the snake's mouth with Her own hand, afraid that its hissing
wilt be heard by Her superiors!26 That's how She is: Sometimes softer than a flower and
sometimes harder than a thunderbolt!
Is only Radhika going oil abhisara, going (sara) closer {abhi) to Kr$na? No, the
practising devotees are also all on abhisara, but their abhisara is much slower than Hers. We are
on the way, chanting and hearing for 25 years and we may think: "What's the difference between
my consciousness now and that of 25 years ago?" It is aparadha (offenses) and anarthas (bad
habits and attachments) that make us move so slowly. When life is full o f devotion, there will
never be any shortage of love of God. bhajana means to search for God. Stlla Jlva GosvamI
writes in his Pilti Sandarbha (discourse on love divine): vi$aymtarair anavacchedyd
tatparydntaram asahamdm "Devotion is not cut asunder by oilier topics or interests and it can
also not tolerate other purposes of life". If, by the grace of Sri Guru, transcendental greed for this
is awakened within the sadhaka, then he will surely attain this relish, bhajana means to search
and cry out: "Where arc You RadharapI?!" Every individual soul is qualified to become
Radhika's maidservant; this is the great, unprecedented gift of Soman Mahaprabhu. "Sri Radha is
the embodiment of malm bhdva, will maya drag me away from Her? 0 Radhe! Will I be lashed
by mSya, being Your maidservant?" The practising devotee feels as if he has fallen away from
his beloved deity, and lie will cry out: " 0 Radhe! where are You?" In this way the heart will be
squashed. Can Svamini ignore the eager prayer of someone who has given up everything for Her
sake? Taking Syania by the hand, She will come to witness the devotees loving activities.
bhaktera prema ce$ta dekhi krwera camatkara (C.C.) "Krsua is astonished when He sees the
loving endeavours of His devotees." Tiie Lord is the relisher of bltakli-rasa, the honey of
devotion. He told Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita (9.26-27):
"What can I say about RSi's passionate love for Hari? Cupid is constantly awaking in Her
mind! Her body is naturally shining with beauty, and She goes out on rendez-vous in a full moon
night in autumn."
dhavala vasana tanu candana pura; aruna adhare dharti visada kapura
knvan upore karu kunda vithara; kati^he vilambita motima ham '
*
"Her body is draped in a while dress, instead of Her usual blue one, and anointed with white
sandalwood pulp. She puts white camphor-lipstick on Her red lips, Her braid is beautified with a
garland of Kunda-flowers and a pearl necklace hangs and oscillates on Her neck."
56
come! Why are You afraid? I am here with You] Sftrnad Bhagavata says: yad vibheti svayarh
bhayatU\ Fear i(self is afraid of God, but now, in the lTlat the Lord's very pleasure potency shows
signs o f fear: hhayenodghrmutdbhydm. Furthermore, in the Eleventh Canto of the Bhagavata, the
Nine Yogendras proclaim: bhayam dvitlydbhinive&itah sydt Udd apeiasya viparyayo smriih; "Fear is
caused by forgetfulness of God, expressing itself in dehdsmlti buddhih, die idea that "I am this
body", making one afraid of deaui, disease, old age, accidents and the lot. The Upani$ads say: 0
hey! You (conditioned souls) arc the cliildren of amrta (the neciarean Lord, or immortality)! What
are you afraid of? But Sri Radhika is Kr$ua-conciousne$$ personified, and still She's afraid! Her
eyes are restlessly going here and there. What a wonderful lxld\ The pastime of abhisdra is unique in
Vraja. SItii-devT or RukmiM-devl don't have to face such obstacles to meet their Lord, but sSrl
Radhika's love is secret and therefore more exciting and pleasing to Kr$na.
SvanriinT looks at TulasT, who makes Her fearless. She feels consoled and silently walks on, Tulasl is
Svsminfs shelter. Blessed is this maidservant, that she can render such service! She provides shelter
to Svaminl, who is the shelter of Sri Govinda, who is again tile slielter of the whole world! TUlasi
says: T will bring You into the hands of He who eagerly sits down, hoping to meet You! How
incomparibly beautiful is tbc heart o f this maidservant! "How unfortunate I am that I am deprived of
this neciarean rddha-ddsya, although I know everything about it! I always identify myself with my
material body and I never think o f myself as Radha's maidservant. I'm simply mad after profit,
adoration and distinction! Mercy is the only hope!" Tulasl takes Svaminl along, making Her fearless,
57
Tulasi enters the uysting-kunja with Sri Radha, who is dressed in whiLc, like (he fame and glory of
the ornamentation of amorous enjoyment. &yama is eagerly waiting and he floats in an ocean of rasa
when He sees Tulasl and SvaminT coming. Holding Svaminrs hand, Tulasi says: "A moonlit night!
Fear of superiors! Day-like illumination! With unlimited expertise I have brought Your Sukumarl
(tender girl) here! Here! Take Your beloved!", and places Svamihfs hand in Kona's hand,27 As &fi
Raghunatha dasa stretches out Ills hand* he doesn't catch anything anymore. The revelation has
disappeared and he begins to lament: "Alas, O Svamini! When will that boundlessly sweet glance of
Yours become visible to my eyes? RaghunStha's life-airs reach his throat when he feels tliis agony
of love-in-separation.
iT Rasika-Candra Dasa sings:
VERSE 14:
*
9
27
J n J r t <I4 % 'JQisumutijtifi
yat - what; amdlu - until; mama - my; kacit - some; nmnjarl - maidservant; rupa pCuva named Rupa; vrajabhim - in Vraja; baia - alas!; netra - eye; dvandva - couple; dlptinx - shining;
cakara - did; tad avadJii - from then; lava - Your; vrnddranya - Vrndrivana; rajni - O queen!;
prakdmarh - strong desire; carana - feet; karnala - lotus; Idksa - lac; sar)ididrk$a - completely see;
mania - mine; abhfa - became.
O Qjieen o f Vrndavanai *Ever since some manjan named *Rjipafitte d my eyes toith
light in l/rajaBhumif I haw strongly desired to see the red Cdc on our (otusfeet!
Notes: In (he previous verse Sri Raghunfitha attained a very sweet vision of SrimatTs
sukldbhisdra (rendez-vous in the moonlit night), and when that vision vanishes he experiences
intolerable pain of separation. The more bliss was felt during union, the more misery is felt,
during separation. The maidservants of
Radha are the embodiments of devotional service, and
when they are deprived o f that service they are feeling so much pain! Only the merciful glance of
SvSminT can revive the maidservant. Even in the stage o f practise a devotee must have some
experience of this. When there is no experience bhajana can be called lifeless. "I am chanting the
holy name, but I don't relish the sweetness o f the name. I am performing all items of devotion,
like hearing, chanting and deity-worship, just like a machine!1' In &rimad Bhagavata it is said just as the body is nourished, strengthened and relieved from lnmger by every mouthful of food
that we take, devotion, experience of God and renunciation of sense-gratification all appear
simultaneously when we do bhajana.
d rifts .
60
J n - J n Vdiipa tKusmtUnjttd
0 sakhi Rupa Manjari! When the divine Couple completes Their erotic battle in Cupid's
assembly Their bodies meet in sleep. When will 1, on Their order, quickly approach Them and
eagerly serve Them by moving a fan of flowers?"
prabhu lokanatlta kobe sarige laydjdbe; srf rupera pada-padme more samarpibe
m
"When will my master Lokanatha GosvamI take me along and submit me to &ri ROpa
(GosvamI or marljan)'$ lotusfeet?"
ei mwa ddsl boli srl rupa cdhibe; heno Subha k$ana morn koto dine hobe
sighradjm koriben - ddsi hetltd dya! sevdra susajjd kdrya koroho tvardya
"When will that blessed moment come when Sri Rupa Mafijari will look at me and call me
this new maidservant', quickly ordering me: " 0 ddsil Come here! Quickly get ihe paraphernalia of
your service!'?"
nmmdita hoiyd hiyd tarn djnd bole; pavitra monete kdrya koribo tatkdle
sevdra sdnuigri ralm tlmkte kortyd; suvdsita vdri svarna jhdrite pUriya
dotthdra smnmukhe lo'ye dibo slghmgati; narottamera dasa kobe hoibe email
"My heart will be filled with joy when she orders me like tills, and I will do my service with
a pure heart. I will keep my paraphernalia for service on a jewelled plate, fill up a golden pitcher
willi scented water and quickly come before RSdha and Krsna. When will Narottama Dasa attain that
state?"
$n rupa pasciUe ami rohibo bluta hoiyd; donhe puna kohiben fund pane ediyd
sadaya hpdaye donhe kohiben hdsi; kotlwy pdile rupa ei nava ddsi?
srf rupa maiijart iabe donha vdkya suni; numjuldlt dilo more ei ddsi dni!
ati jtamra citta ami iltdra jdnilo; sevd kdrya diyd tabe hethdya rdkhilo
heno tatlva dohhakdra sdksdte kohiyd; narottame sevdya dibe niyukta koriyd
"I will shyly stand behind
Rupa as Radha and Ktsna look at me again, smile and ask
RGpa with kind hearts: 0 RGpa! Where did you get this new maidservant? Hearing Tlieir inquiry,
&T Rupa Mafijari then tells Them: MaftjuIGII Mafijari (the spiritual name of Srila Lokanatha
GosvamI) has given me this maidservant to bring her before You! Knowing her to be very humble I
. kept her there to serve You". Alter telling Them this directly she will engage Narottama dasa in
Their service."
In this way the chief maidservant of Sri Radlva, SrTmatT Rupa Mafijari, descended to earth
along with 6ri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the age o f Kali in the lbnn of Srila Rupa GosvamI, to preach
the message about the rasika pastimes of Vrndavana, that had become lost in due course o f time.
&rila Narottama dfisa Thiikura sings:
61
62
Sn-Jn'Pifapa
"The Lord said: "When I met liim at PrayOga (Allahabad) My mind was pleased wiih his qualities, I
am very pleased witli his poetry with ai! its embellishments; without such poetry there can be no
preaching of rasa, Everyone should be merciful to him and bless him with this boon - let liim always
describe the prema-rasa o f Vraja-tfia!"
TulasI tells Svfuninl: "It was by Rupa Munjari's grace that Im now fixed in Your service, and now I
desire to see the red lac on Your lotuslike footsoles! And not just seeing - sarhdidrkfd , completely
seeing. And when can I admire that red lac more than when it shines on a blackish background? It
would be very sweet if Your red lac would perk on &yaura's blackish chest! I want to see Your
lovers eagerness to color His chest so beautifully with this lac, I dont want to sec only You, I also
like to see Your Syama, if He is Yours! Although I am not really eager to see Syama on die straight
of having taken shelter of Your lotusfeet, I will automatically still get to see Him also." rddhikd
carana renu, bhusana koriyd ianu, andydse plibe giridhdri (Prema Bhakti Candrika) "When you
decorate your body with ri Radhikas footdust you will easily get Giridhari". This is the internal
meaning of the word satiididrksa?* There is no end to the stream of Raghunalhas visions.
Actually, all the devotees practising rdgdnuga bhakti and who are able to Laste prema rasa have
received that great gift from 5rila Rupa GosvainL Although this verse is a personal prayer of Srila
Raghun3tha dasa Gosvaml, it is also universally applying to all ragdnuga devotees. SrT caitanya
mano'bhistarh sthdpilaik yena bhutaie svayam rupa kadd mahyafil daddli sva paddatikdm "When
will Srila Rupa Gosvaml, who has come to establish the desire o f Sri Caitanyas mind on the surface
o f the earth, take, me to his lotusfeet?" Ed. Sn Rasika-Candra dasa sings:
tribhuvane anupama,
fydmarupa manorama,
tdha fieri yoto sukha pdi.
tdhe yadi idge tava,
ydvakera cihna lava,
daraSane sukha adhikdi. .
"When I see the lac-marks on Your footsoles I find even more bliss then when I see the beautiful
form of Syama, which is matchless within the three worlds!"
33T
3037
3 ^ 3 lR 3 ^ R d ^ I
t q aiH^ q w n g ^ l a t s 3 3
28 This pastime is described by &Ila Ananda Gopiila Gosvaml
63
3%
u n
ii2
8
VERSE 15:
YADA TAVA SAROVARAM SARASA BHRNGA SANGHOLLASAT
SARORUHA KULOJJVALAM MADHURA VARISAMPURITAM
SPHUTAT SARASIJAKSI HE NA YANA - YU GMA SAKSAD VA KHAU
TADAIVA MAMA LALASAJANITAVAIVA DASYE RASE
yada - when; tava - Your; sarovaram - pond; sarasa - humming; bhmga - bees; saiigha - multitude;
ullasat - blissful; saroruha - waierlotuses; kula - multitude; ujjvalarii - glistening; madhura - sweet;
vari - water; sampuritam - filled; sphutat - blooming; sarasija - waterlotus; ak$i - eyes; he - 0!;
nayana - eyes; yugma - couple; sak?dd - directly; vabhau - appeared; (add - then; eva - only; mama nunc; lalasa - desire; ajani - appeared; tava - Your; eva - only; dasye - service; rase - the spiritual
flavour.
O 'BCooming Cotus-eyedgirC (!Rpdfie){ When my eyes directCy saw your pond (Rpdhaiqmda.),
which is fitted with, sweet water and CotusfCowers surrounded By Bdssfudy humming Bees,
then I ready got the desire to taste the nectar off/our service!
Notes: In the previous verse Sri RaghunStha dasa prayed to Siimatl that he may once see Her
lotusfeet anointed with lac-dye, and in this verse he prays for the actual service o f these anointed
lotusfeet, having become greedy for that, service. " 0 lotus-eyed Radhe! Ever since I got to see Your
lake I developed a liking for Your devotional service!" Sri Radhakunda is the limitlcssly beautiful
crownjewcl of Vraja (yraja mukutamani), Priyajfs Saras! which is most dear to those whose
everything is the service of Sn Radhika's lotusfeet.
The kunda is as sweet as R5dh$ sweetness and the kunda is as great as Radhas greatness. Sn
Krsna will bestow a love equal to that o f Radhas to anyone who bathes even once in this kunda".
Only the experienced devotees understand the complete feelings o f mine-ness o f the Radha-niy/M
devotees (those who are completely loyal to R5dh5), who love PriyajI with their whole hearts and
who have offfered their hearts to Her lotusfeet towards Sn Radhakunda. It is here that if-n Radha
Madhava eternally play Their midday-pastimes* and there is no place so dear to Them as this. The
kunda is related to Svaminl as being non-different from Her, so along witli the kunda those devotees
who are surrendered to Her see the tila.
When Sri Krsna is eager to meet ri Radlia and can find no means to see Her, He takes shelter of Jri
Radhakuiitfa. The most fortunate souls can live on the banks of Sri Radhakunda. and that fortune
consists of Radharani's personal mercy upon them. In Vraja Vilftsa Stava (101) iStfla DSisa Gosv5mI
writes:
64
65
sahyatdm ayam ayarii mama pdthah seka ity atha nigadya sa mxihah
preyasT vadana eva saharsah sasmitarit sarasam ambit vavarsah
2y S e e the final verse o f the Rasa-paficfulhyaya in S n m a d IJUfigavata (vikrtditaih vrajavadhnbhih etc., verse
10.33140) a n d its L a g h u T o $ a l - c o n u n c n t n r y b y Sri Jfiva G o s v a m l .
66
S n ^ n ^ fd p a 9Qtsumanjadfi
Syama claps in His hands and says; "Youre defeated! Youre vanquished! (Jive Me My prize! I'm the
victor! But nobody, not even (he parrots in the trees, sings Kronas glories. All the creatures in Vraja
feel sony for Radhika. How beautiful arc Svriminl's eyes when 3yama holds Her around the neck!
Although Her eyes are filled with water She still keeps them wide open. $iT Raghunatha dtSsa
addresses Her here as sphuUtt sarasijdksi; blooming lotuseyed girl! Her eyes have become slighLly
reddish from all the water, although (hey are usually compared to blue lotusflowcrs by the malid
Janas.
aiasa locana fieri kdjare ujala; jale bosi tapa kore nlla uiapala
"When they see Rfidhikas languid eyes, made up with eyeliner, the blue lotusflowcrs sit in the water
and perform penances (to become as beautiful as them)."
3 ft
3 *r
i
Pic4!
VERSE 16:
68
r0 goddess11 shaft never pray to you fo r anything eke hut the ei&eftent service o f your
(otusfeeU I offer my constant obeisances to the idea of becoming your friend, hut I ruddy
rtiish the idea o f becoming your nuAdseroantl
Notes: The transcendental revelations do not fade away from Sri Raghunatha dasa. Svfuninl stands
before TuIasT and wants Lo offer her a friendly relationship, saying; "Tulasi! Please accept My
friendship! You can become equal to Lalila and the others and serve both Mo and y&inasundara!'*
Tulasi then says; M0 goddess! I don't want anything else but the excellent service of Your lotus feet! I
offer my obeisances to Your friendship! Let it. stay on my head! I only want to serve You!" No one
but Dfisa Gosvami is so fixed in that desire for Sri Rfidha's service! That should be our target! Such
sincere eagerness cannot be found anywhere else! Srila Raghunatha dasa GosvamI is an eternally
liberated maidservant of Srimatl Radharani, so he is the greatest authority, the acarya of the
(Gaudlya Vaisnava) sampraddya (tradition) and by following in his footsteps one will surely attain
this service. He gave the perfect example to the aspirants with his sMhana-maya jlvana, Iiis life, that
was full of devotional practise. "I want to tiiinic of myself as a follower of the GosvSmls like Rupa
and Raghunatha dasa. What can I do to accomplish that?'1 Hearing and chanting o f the malm van!
(great words) o f 5rila Raghunatha dSsa GosvamI will awaken that identification as follower of Rupa
and Raghunatha. His very powerful words tire even greater than the words of the Ris o f yore, for
these words are filled with the lild-rasa o f the most confidential Vraja nikuhjas to which even the
great sages did not have access. The kmkarls know even better how to attain Radh3r3pfs footservicc
than Radhfiraru Herself! The six Gosvamls are all eternally perfect maidservants from the groves of
Vraja, therefore it is required to follow in their footsteps. Sri Raghunatha's love can be understood
through tins Vilapa. For this reason we arc discussing Vilapa Kusumailjali.
&Tla Raghunatha dasa GosvamI prays: "Ha devi! Please give me the excellent service of Your
lotusfeetr This service is so excellent because it is completely free from shame and reverence, and it
is very luscious. Such service cannot be found anywhere, but now it is given as a special token of
mercy o f 3ri Gaurasundara. Raghunatha dSsa is a nilya siddha kiiikan and the guru of The (Gaudlya)
sampraddya, Tile beautiful and sweet service of &ri Radhft is also most dear to us. Of all kinds of
servanthood the servitude of 3ri Radha is die greatest. Although you are a sakhTy you are also a
maidservant, adolescent in form and attributes, and qualified for the most intimate services. There is
no other kind o f servitude that can soothe the hearts of the Gaudlya Vai$navas. H ie tmhjarls are
actually taking part, in die madhura rasa, but still it is servitude, for their service is widiin die scope
of the madhura rasa30.
69
makes llie devotees forget the material world and who maddens them with His transcendental form,
qualities and pastimes, is the transcendental youthful Cupid, and on Him wc meditate (dhimahi).
gdyantam trdyate yasmiid ili gayatri: "That which liberates by being sung is a gdyairL" The worship
with Hie KamdL-gdyatrTtmntra is meant to save us from material existence and to make our bodies,
minds and life-airs fit for relishing the flavours of RftdhS-Govinda's transcendental pastimes.
In his spiritual absorption Sri Raghun&tha d&sa submits to SvamihTs feet: "Let me meditate how You
overwhelm Syama with Your ecstatic plays in the kunjasl When even You are unable to bring Him
back to conciousness. You will need me". During His loving pastimes in Hie kunja Syama faints of
ecstasy because o f encountering the waves of Radhikfi's vast mddma mahd bhava, but Anuragavatl
(passionate Radluka) is not satisfied yet, so here some excellent service is required SvaminI thinks:
"Tulasi! I cannot break Priyatama's swoon! Why don't you please come?"31 Where else is such a
confidential service to be found? Even Lalita and Visftkha cannot attain this! This is the most
excellent service! RSdhika is called devi in this verse because She takes part in such playful sports.
Once the Divine Couple plays a game of dice for a wager. She who gives the most joy wins. Syama
is defeated. On Radharatffs indication the maidservant begins to deride Syama, saying: "Ohe! Don't
come here to play dice anymore! Better You go and herd the cows, understand? For cowherding You
need-a cow's brain! You must have become like them because o f too much association with them!
Qualifications are indispensible! Go and play there where bodily strength is required! For this game
You need some brain, You understand?! Don't come here to play this game anymore!"32 Syama is
embarrassed by these joking words. There's no limit to Svamiru's ecstasy! This is the most excellent
service! What a sweet, updsand (subject of meditation)! How can servitude ever be supreme? When it
is anointed with the madhura rasa\ Without being in madhura bhdva (a sweet spiritual mood) one
can not enter into Radha and Kona's pastimes. Only those who know the feelings and the thoughts
of Bhavamaya and Bhavamayl (all-emotional RadhikS and Kr$na-candra) can enter into this. The
maidservants don't want. Kr$na alone, not even in their dreams! They pray to Krsna: "Please take me
along wherever You plays Your loving pastimes - with Your PriySjf - so that I can engage in Your
loving service!"33
Srimat Rupa Gosvfiml says: The kdma rupa rdga bhakti (spontaneous devotion in the erotic mood) is
of two kinds: sambhogecchdtmikd (devotion full o f desire to enjoy with Krsna personally) and tad
bhdvecchdtmikd (sakhTbhdva) : tad bhdvecchdtmikd tdsdih bhava mddhurya kdmild (Bhakti
Rasanuia Sindhuh L2.299). These devotees are finding more happiness in assisting Krspa's direct
lady-lovers, like Radha and Candravall, in meeting Rr?na than in meeting Him personally. Examples
are sakhis like Lalita and ViSakha. Their sthdyi bhava (intrinsic, permanent mood) is Kf$ria-rati
(lovet.-for Kr?na), and Uicir suhrt rati (love for the friend like Rodharanl) is a sancaribhava, an
infused mood, sahedrayanti bhdvasya galitii sahcdrino'pi te (B.R.S. 2.4.2). They love Kr?na first,
and that love is infused in RadMranl. During purva rdga (beginnings of love), Sn Radha met Lalita
and the sakhis on the bank of the Kaiiya-hrada. Because they had the same mood they became
acquainted with eachother that day, but when the gopfs saw the superiority of Sri Radio's love for
Ky$pa they wanted to become happy by arranging for Her meeting with Kr$na. Krsna then told His
friend Subala:
71
riZ iz
"Rainai 'Jhakura said: Pi case (ell me more about bhavottdsa ratiV' Mother Jahnava said: "Listen
carefully, () son* Bhavollasa rati can only be found in Vindavana!"
"They are all endowed witli bhdvolldsd ratiy and they are happy only when the Divine Couple is
happy; they don't know anything else but that. They are completely equal to Srimati; only their
bodies are different. They are one soul and one life-air and they are all controlled by RadM."
Someone who wants to relish Krona's sweetness to the utmost most take complete shelter o f Sri
Radha. Sripada PrahodhQnanda Sarasvatl writes in Radha Rasa Sudhanidhih (261): kvdsau radha
nigama padavf duragd kutra cdsaa krsnas (asydh kuca mukulayor antaraikdnta vdsah "Where is this
Rlidha, who is hard to perceive by following the Vedas, and where is Krsna, who always lives
inbetween Her bud-like breasts?1' Sri RadMranT says: "If you want to see My Sundara (beautiful
Kr$na) you must take full shelter of My lotusfeet!" And why do the maiijaris love Kysha? Because
He is Radharanfs gallant! "Remember Krsna in this Vraja forest as the Prana-vallabha o f my
SvaminJ! First Radha - then Syfuna! When Krsna makes any trouble we'll take Him by the hand and
tlirow Him out o f the kunjal We are the maidservants of Radha!" Why do the kihkaris love Kf$i)a?
Because He is the lover of Radharam!
Once, when Kr$na takes His supper in NandTSvara, a Jcinkan fans Him. Without being seen by others
Syama keeps His hand on that kihkafis foot, as a means of asking her: "Will I meet My Dearest One
or not?" That maidservant then places one toe on Syamas hand, indicating that a meeting will be
possible - that is the most excellent service! (Syama sits on the floor, eating with-His right hand and
supporting Himself with His left hand. With her foot the kihkart touches a particular finger of
Kr$na's, indicating a particular trysting-fcwtfja where He can meet His beloved. This code was
previously agreed upon. The assembly o f elders is absorbed in speaking with eachother and thus
does not notice this exchange). This is vara ddsya, the most excellent service!34 Nothing is done for
personal happiness, everything is done for the pleasure of the Yugala! Although the maftjafts are in
the category ofsakhfs they are servants because of their complete dedication to devotional service.
The sakhTs may have a superior position in the pastimes, but the fortune of service is greater for the
manjarisl They know Sri Ruditika's innermost purpose and therefore they can perform their service
without hesitation like no one else in the world.
One day Radha and Kr$na are intimately enjoying Themselves in a kuhja, and a manjari relishes the
sweetness of these pastimes through a passage between the vines. It appears to the maidservant that
there is some obstacle in Radha and Krsjia's pastimes, but They don't notice anything out of ecstasy.
The maidservant then notices that Radha and Krsna got stuck to Eachother with Their hair, so y eiy
34 These services are described by Srila Ananda Gopala Gosvamt.
72
S n -J n 'Vtf&pd J Qtsumattjafifi
carefully she enters the kunja, so as not lo disturb Them, and unravels the hairs, so that the amorous
pastimes can continue again.35 Who else can perform such a clever, intimate service? Even Lalita and
the sakhts don't know! This is vara dasya, the most excellent service, wliich is attained by chanting
the name of Sri RacM: jaya jaya rddhd ndma, vnidavana ydra dhdma, krsna sukha vildsera nidhi
(Narottama Dasa lliakura, Prcma BhakLi Candrika) "Glory, glory to ri Radha's name, that dwells in
Vrnd&vana and that is the jewel of Sri Kronas blissful pastimes ["
"O Radhe! For attaining Your most excellent service I'm taking shelLer of Your lotusfeet, that, even
3yama holds to His chest for soothing His lust-afftictcd heart!
73
"Your lotusfect arc the abode ofloving devotion. In life or in death, I dont want anything else but a
service-mood towards them! I don't want friendship with You or anything else!"
S ift ^ # 5 3 S5Icllfe5S
'K 'K & ^ R c*i
fr3 ^
3
VERSE 17:
74
ii ?v9 ii
O ybti whose golden (vat possesses the pride o f the color i f a turmcric-bulb scratched by a
fingemaill When w ill yon, having, out o f great satisfaction, marfed my arms with fou r
emblems o f good fortune that are anointed with Jour very lovelyfootlac, bestow the service
of four Cotusfeet on me?
Notes: SrTmati Radhika is very satisfied with Sri Raghunatha dSsas liinitlessly eager prayer for
devotional service in the last verse. Sri Raghunatha dasa laments: "I don't wish to be acquainted with
anyone who is not related with You in this world! Let the whole world know that I have nobody else
but You! Everyone will understand that Tulasi is Sri Radhikas maidservant!" The eternal spiritual
absorption of 5rf Raghunatha dasa is unadulterated; ianu van manobhir aham tavdsmi "I am Yours
with body, mind and words! Im not just Your quiet, hidden maidservant! I want to be Your marked
maidservant!" This firm loyalty swallows the whole ego. Even in so-called 'external conciousness*
the twanging of Uie siddha svarupa is audible, even then the devotee covets lire service o f 6 n Radha.
He is not even satisfied with dreams, smarana or visions - he wants the real thing!. Even in external
conciousness Raghunatha dSsa strongly feels the absence o f SvaminT, so he rolls on the bank of
RQdhakunda and weeps:
75
76
J n -J n Wfapa T^usumtmjalifi
"May my mind be fixed on Sri Krspa, the Supreme Self, whose hair was flowing as it was greyed by
the dust thrown up by the hooves of the horses during the battle, whose face was adorned by
sweatdrops, and who enjoyed being pierced by my sharp arrowst" In the same way the marljarls
want to meditate on Sri Rftdhika in a particular way! TJicy always desire to see the most enchanting
Couple moistened with sweatdrops of exhaustion of Their erotic battle, Their dresses and ornaments
loosened. The perfection of the eyes is to see the subdued hero and the independent heroine whose
lustre defeats the pride of golden-colored turmeric. Tulasl says: "Please mark me with tire footlac
which was applied to Your footsoles by Your dedicated and submissive hero!* Sri Raghunatha
shows great longing for devotional service, carana kamala sevath ha kadd dasyasi tvam "O! When
will You give me the devotional service o f Your lotusfeet.?"38 Devotion means service, bhaj tiye$a
vai dhdtuh sevdydth pariktrtitah. Devotional service is everything for a loving devotee. The pleasure
of the sevya (the worshipped) is the target of such service, not one's personal pleasure, dnukulyena
krsndnuiilmam bhaklir unarm (Shakti Rasamita Slndhuh 1,1.11) "The highest devotion is that
devotion wliich is favorable to Krsna". Sri Jlva GosvamT writes tlxe following commentary on this
verse: dnukulyam cdsminn uddesydya in krsndya rocamemdh pravruih "Favorable means something
that is pleasing to Kp$na.n "It is prescribed by the scriptures, and that's why I'm doing it, but I have
no idea if my beloved deity enjoys it or not". This is not the way o f rdgdnugd bhakli. When the
beloved deity responds within my heart, saying: "I am enjoying and relishing your devotional
service", then I will know that my service is a success! In the book BhaktamSl39 it is described that
Sri Bahki BiftarijI40 passed over Haiidssa Svami's raja bhoga (luxurious noon-time offering) in favor
of the simple Med chickpeas that were offered by JagannathI Madhava It's also known (from
Caitanya Caritamfta) that SaksI Gopala asked the Queen o f Orissa to place a pearl in His nose. This
is not the worsliip of the indifferent - it is the worship o f lovers. Tills religion of love is completely
devoid o f any kind of deceit, dharmah projjhiia kaitavaJi (S.B.1.L2)41 , Love makes one forget
bodily happiness. The loving worshipper does not desire sensual, physical or even spiritual
pleasures, for all kinds o f personal pleasure is cheating, but this is not so easy to give up. Therefore
5 rila Premananda Thakura has said in his Manah &k$a (90):
muktike'aiivarya bolt,
diirete diydcho pheli,
ifigite bujhdo ei tattva.
anitya asdra artha,
$e bhalo saddi prdrthya,
yd idgi rajanl diva matta.
"You call liberation a luxurious distraction and have thrown it far away. Give me a hint so that I can
understand this truth. Fleeting, useless riches are always desirable and you are going mad thinking
about it day and night"
nirhetu ydjana kora,
hetu se chddite ndro,
38
39
40
41
77
42 ndpi lobhanTya vastu praptau svasya yogyayogyaiva viedrah ko'py udbhavati. (Raga Vartma
Candrika, VigvanSlha Cakravartl)
78
^n-Sri'lfiGipa 'KitsummjaM
the use o f mainting this body still?" Hie girl said: "Who said you that don't get the mercyV It is Her
mercy that you can live here in Vrndavana! Drink, some milk and conic for madhukarl again from
tomorrow! Only if you remain in physical health you can do bhajan, after all!" After saying this* (lie
girl le ft Sri ROpa was enchanted by Her charming movements and thought: "Who is this amazing
girl? Meanwiiile, by Radharanfs arrangement Srila SanStana Gosvaml came by to find out how
Rupa Gosvaml (who was his disciple)'s bhajan was going. Sri Rupa had already planned to offer
some milk to Sri Samliana prabhu, so he offered liim the milk which was handed to him by the
wonderful cowherd girl* but when Sanfitana Gosvaml simply smelled the fragrance of the milk he
fainted of ecstatic love. Later* when he heard from Rupa Gosvaml where the milk came from,
Sanatana told him: "Rupa! She (Snmati Radhika) is the embodiment of great compassion! Will you
make Her toil like tills?" 3ri Rupa understood Sanatana Gosvfunfs purport and decided to resume his
practice o f mddhukarL
Srila Raghunatha DSsa says: "I will not request You for these blessed marks * You will
spontaneously print lliem on me, being satisfied with my service! You will say: "Tulasi! Come! I
need you!" Your kicks with file foot are a sign that You arc satisfied with me. You don't just kick
everyone like that!" How intense is tills feeling o f mine-ness! (When &rl Radhika says): "You are
Mine!", that will be concealed by (the kiftkan saying): "I am Yours!" H ie maidservant is exclusively
surrendered to her Sv&nihr, like a flower that was never even smelt by any honeybee! PraneSvari
gives tlie service o f Her lotusfeet by saying: Tulasi, come! My necklace is broken* restring it! My
iilaka has faded away, put it back on!*, and so on!43 djndya koribo sevd carandravinda (being
ordered* I will serve RSdlia and Kr$na's lotusfeet, Narottama dSsa Thakura) $rl Raghunatha dasa
Gosvaml prays: "Take me as Your marked maidservant! I want to serve Your lotusfeet!" How eager
he is to serve the embodiment of ecstatic love! Suddenly he gets a vision of wonderful gradual
services, that will commence from the next verse.
ri Rasika-Candra Dasa sings:
fitera^n i
^ W T R kmR i ^ 4 i,M
{^n^ #
iiRr r s
s
ii
7s5 ii
VJSffSfi /<?:
pranalwi - the drain; klldlaih - with water, bahubhih - with an abundance of; abhisafik$alya completely rinsing; - with sweet; mtidd - blissfully; sammarja - rubbed; svaih - with the own; vivrta opened; kaca-vntdaih - with the hairs; priyataya. - considering it very dear; kadtt - when;
bdhydgdrath - latrine; vara - excellent; parimalaih - with scents; dhupa - incense; nivahaih - with an
abundance; vidhasye - 1 will do; le - Your; devi - O Goddess!; prati - each; dinam - day; aJio - O!;
vasitam -scented; aham - L
O my goddess! When may I, afterjoyfufty rinsing four drain with sweetly scented water
and lovingly sweeping it with my loosened hair, considering it very dear, daily mafy four
latrinefragrant with nice incenses?
Notes: Prayer unlocks the shackles of the Lords mercy. In the previous verse ff Raghunruha dfisa
had a vision of a very sweet pastime in his svarupavesa. Svaminl had made TulasT Manjari her
marked maidservant with the fresh lac-dye-anointed signs o f fortune that adorn Her loLusfcet, and
when that vision vanishes RaghunStha considers his life to be useless. In this way Svaminl plays
hide-and-seek with Her maidservants, sometimes disappearing from them and sometimes re
appearing. It is like a succession of the illumination and shade of transcendental happiness and
distress,.which is the current, of life for a loving devotee, suddha prema sukha sindhu, pdi tdra eka
bindu, sei bindu jagata dubaya (C.C.) "Even one drop from the blissful ocean of pure love inundates
the world,1' Although Sri RSghun&tha always swims in that blissful ocean he is still always lamenting
out o f divine love. &rl Radha is the embodiment ofcomplete love, but still'the devotee feels so much
pain while constantly attaining Her in dreams, smarana and visions! This is tire speciality of Vrajaprema. Remembering this prema a poet has said: bodo vedandra mow bejecho he, tumi drndra
pranel "You annnounced it to me in a very painful way, but You are my very life!" Still, lliis agony
is a special kind of transcendental bliss, therefore the dedryas have classified it as a rasa. Those who
wander in die kingdom of ecstatic love know tire purport of dial. When the vision vanishes
Raghunatha becomes very anxious.
80
eyes like i*ain showered from a monsooncloud," Such is the condition of Sri Raghuniitha dilsa;
wiLhoul the persona! service of Srlinall he considers the world to be empty, and therefore he weeps
and laments in great agony. His heart pines from the kaihkarya rasa (flavour of service) o f &*I
RfKM,
Suddenly a sweet vision umies to Sri Raghunfttha: He secs himself on the terrace of Sri Radha's
house in Her abode Yuvaja, in his spiritual form of Tulasl MafijaiT. It is niomingtime, but Oilman is
still sleeping in Her bedroom, exhausted of Her amorous nocturnal pastimes with Sri Kr$na, Snmatl
Rupa MaiijaiT mercifully gives Tulasl a menial service to begin with. Devotional service is
everything, starting from the most menial services. It. is summertime and Tulasl begins to Hush
^nm atfs latrine with a lot of cold water, letting it run off through the drain. Then she opens her braid
and rubs the latrine clean with heropened hair, thinking: "Why should I only clean this place with
my opened hair? It would be better if I rubbed it with my very life! It is PraneSvatTs latrine, so this
service is also as dear as life to the devotees. Hie fortunate sddhakas always relish the flavours of
tliis remembrance. This is the means and the goal at the same time. The mahdjanas say:
"I will scent the latrine with burning fragrant incense while singing Hail's glories. When can I do this
service, as a rule, every day? This is my humble prayer! Haripada always Uiinks of these sweet and
delectable prayers of Dasa Gosvfunl in the morning."
82
$n-Sn*Vtlapti *KttswndnjaH
^ttvft^osr
'^rpn
spsFfsii ^ tf^ f^ r
x^
^ i-teTwiRr? nbfcii
VERSE 19:
OBhavini (Beautifulor emotionalgirt)! When can I diligently Bring clay mh&d with
camphor along with scented water into your room, wash your totusRhpfeet with a stream
o f this water in a place suitable for washing your lotusfeet, and dry them with my hair?
Notes; The service of Sri Radhar&nl is not like the service of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; it is the service of ecstatic love personified! In his Premambhoja Maranda Stavaraja Sri
Raghuniitlia dasa has written: mahdbhavojjvata cinta-ratnodbhavila vigraham"Her form is
bom from the glistening thought-gem of malm bhava," mahdbhava cintdiuaiii radhdra svariipa
(C.C.) Where are the insignificant living entities, and where is that maha bhaval
S3
"Not even for a moment will I go near that impure place where a proud hypocrite
worships Govinda alone while neglecting or disrespecting His most expert lover Sri Gandharva
(Radha), whose glories are sung by the Vedic scriptures and great sages like Nfuada Muni, who
carries the Vina, Thai is my solemn vow!" Whoever carries Radhas lotusleel in the heart has
such a beautiful mind.
Sola Raghunatha dasa cries in anguish and then, by the mercy ol: Srimat! he gets a vision
of his gradual morning-services. (After cleansing Svamim's toilet TulasI first takes a bath and
then enters Svamirif s bedroom. Ed.) Svamiifl lies to sleep on Her jewelled bedstead, that is as
while as the foam of milk, exhausted of Her nocturnal pastimes. In Her dream Krsnamay! (Sri
Radhika, who is always absorbed in Krna-consciou$ne$s) relishes the sweetness o f Si!
SySmasundara. This is clearly visible on the expression o f Her beautiful face. The sakhTs and
ntanjam understand everything about Her wealth o f ecstatic love. At that moment Sri
RadhikS's maternal grandmother Mukhara enters and says: O Rfidhe! My dear
granddaughter! Where are You?" Hearing Mukhara's calls and being prodded by Her sakhTs
Srimat! slowly wakes up and sits up on Her bed. Mukhara then sees Krsnas yellow dhofi,
that Radhika accidentally pul on before leaving Krsna in the end o f the night, on Her
84
J t f ^ r T 'Viffipa JQisumiUijadft
body, and says with a highly suspicious mind: "Alas! Alas! What is this? 0 ViSakhe! Last evening I
saw this yellow cloth on Kr$na, and now I sec it on your sakhll What kind of behaviour is this for a
married girl?" When ViSakha hears Mukhara's words and sees Kronas yellow cloth on Her sakhi she
is initially alarmed, but then she gets herself together again and says: 0 Bewildered grandmother!
You mistake the golden neL of mofning-sunrays that pierce through the window and shine on my
sakhts blue garment to be a yellow garment! Dont be vainly afraid!" While ViSakha says IMS TulasI
immediately takes Krona's yellow cloth off SvaminIs limbs and exchanges it for &7matfs usual blue
garment When Mukiiarii looks again and sees the blue dress she becomes ashamed of her mistake
and goes off, Then Lalitu and Visakha and all the other sakhts bathe and dress themselves and enter
into SrimatTs bedroom, where they become like stars that surround the Rudha-moon in the eveningsky, When the sakhis come together different waves o f parihdsa-rasa (playful joking) well up.
Meamvlule Syamala-sa/r/rr, who is very eager to hear SiTmatfs passionate rasodgara (recollection of
previous amorous pastimes and their concomitant emotions), arrives at Yavat. Stfmatl blissfully
embraces Syamala and seats her close to Her. Full of anurdga Srimatl then says: "Sakhi Syamale!
Just as I thought about you you came! 0
If the tree of My desires bears fruits I will consider
this to be a good morning! Alas! I dont know when I will be able to see these most ecstatic fruits!
3ymala jokingly replies: 0 sakhi Radhe! Your lips have even become bruised from tasting these
fruits from the tree of Your yearnings and their red juice has stained Your eyelids, and still You say
that tills tree has not borne fruit yet! How amazing!" ri Radhika replied: " 0 &yamel You joke about
Me because you dont know My heartache! Just as the lightning illuminates the cloudless night just
once, first destroying the darkness and then disappearing again, making the darkness twice as dense
as before, similarly after having seen Ktsna just once, His disappearance doubles the misery o f His
absence!" Hie hearts of the sakhts and manjaris arc like fishes that swim on the waves of this ocean
of SrimatTs passionate rasodgara with Syamala. Then Madhurika-joft/if arrives from Nanda's village
and tells SrTmatT how PaurnanulsT came to Yafioda's abode, how YaSoda and Paumamasl woke Kr$$a
up, how they washed His face andLhow they worshipped Him along with Baladeva, how Kr$na ate
makhan-mi&ri (Butter with rock-candy, His favorite savoury) and how Kr$na took Baladeva and His
cowhcrdboyfriends along to the goSald to milk the cows. After making Snmatl relish the nectar of
Krsna's morning-pastimes Syamala and Madhuri k& leave. As long as these two sakhJs were there the
fire of RSdhika's separation was somewhat under control, but after they left its flames rose up high
again.46 Bhavinl means 'Radha, who is mad with ecstatic love for Kr$na' and the pinnacle of lhal
ecstasy has now been reached. Hie kiftkarts know how to serve Sviimlnl in such a way that this fire
of separation can be extinguished or at least pacified. They keep the pictures of Syamasundara and
His pastimes marked in their hearts and carry (hem along wherever they go. While they perform their
service, the manjaris ease the pain of separation SvaminI feels from Her Priyaiama by singing the
Hare Kr&ia mafia mantra to Her. In tills case the mantra serves to remind SvaminI of Kr$na and is as
if spoken by Her alone, "Hare!" then basically means: "You take away all My attachments to My
husband, family and prestige, "Krsna" means "You attract Me with the sweet playing of Your flute
and with Your beautiful appearance, so that Xleave My home to go out into the forest to meet You",
and "REima" (Radha Rarnana) here means: "When 1 come into the forest You make love {ramayati)
with Me, enjoying (Rama) Me!"47 For the mailjarl bhava updsakas the Hare Krsna maha-mantra is
not a Yugala (Radha-Kr$na)-mcw*ra, but only a Kr$na-/??nmra. In this way someone who meditates
upon himself as being a spiritual maidservant o f timatl RSdhika can always remember Her in this
sweet way while repeating the mafia mantra throughout the day. There are two kinds of service:
prasahgar which means hearing and chanting, and paricarya, which is practical service like
massaging the feet, fanning, cooking etc. The manjarl bhava updsakas practise both of (hem, the
former by chanting ri Konas glories to their SvaminI Rftdhika and the latter by rendering the
above-mentioned practical services,48
The maidservants have learned all the arts of service from Syama. Tulasi conies with fragrant clay
46 This is quoted from Sri ViSvanatlm Cakravaifi's
BhnvanSmrta", chapter 3.
47 $fila Raghunatha dasa GosvikmTs explanation of the mahQmantra.
4R Note by the editor.
85
VE R SE 20:
IT
praksdlya - having washed; pada - feet; 'kamalam - lotus; krta - done; danta - teetli; kasthcuh - twig;
sndna cuiham - for Your bath; anya - other; sadane - in a room; bhavatuh - You; nivistarh - enter;
abhyajya - having tubbed; gandhitalaraih - very fragrant; ilia - hem; taila - oil; ptlraili - with a
flood; prodvartayisyati - she will massage; kada - when; kirn - what; u - certainly; kihkan This service was described by Sri Ananda Gopala Gosvami.
50 Within 48 minutes before sunrise.
86
Jn'jfntyiihpci {J(usummjaPi
flood; prodvartayisyaii - she will anoint; kada - when; kim - what; u - certainly; kiiikarT maidservant; iyatn - this.
Wft-en may this maidservant, after washing your lotusfeet and Brushing your teeth
with a twig, seat you in the Bathroom and, having anointed you with very fragrant oils,
massage you thereP
Notes: In the previous verse Sri Raghunfilha had a vision of his service of washing SiTniatfs
lotusfeet, and in this verse he sees him/herself rinsing Stfmatl's mouth, brushing Her teeth with a
twig, taking Her into another room and massaging Her with fragrant oil there. How intense is his
devotional yearning, and how vivid and genuine are Iris spiritual visions! When the sddhaka has such
a vision he feels as if the beloved deity takes him by the hand! The more purified the heart is die
more vivid these transcendental experiences ore. By the mercy of
Gaurasundara all these
beautiful things have been revealed by the acaryas. Is there any greater cause of heartrending
lamentation if I am deprived o f the treasure they came to bring., although I was bom in
Gaurasundara's age? In the previous verse
Raghunatha d&sa had a vision of Iiimself washing &T
Radliikas lotusfeet in the morning and when this vision disappears he feels a greatly burning
sensation in his heart, sevd diyd prcuia rakho "Save my life by giving me Your .devotional
service!1 These aspirations for RadharanTs devotional service do not awaken in an ordinary heart.
They will awaken in the heart of a person who is able to completely give up Ills dependence on the
material world. How can radha-dasya find a place in a heart which is filled with worldly feelings?
The working of mdyd must have disappeared from the mind and intelligence. The Lord tells Arjuna
in the Bhagavad Gita: mayyarpita memo buddhir yo mad bhaktah se me priyah: "The devotee who
has offered his mind and intelligence to Me, is very dear to Me." radha-dasya is even more difficult.
Without full absorption it cannot be accomplished. Srilu Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was once
absorbed in Inis bhajana in an open place on ihe bank of Syamakunda while Krsna stood right behind
him, relishing the sweetness of this devotee's love. Just then two tigers came to drink water from the
kmday passing by right before Raghunatha, who did not notice anything, being completely absorbed.
rila Sanulana Gosvami saw what happened from a distance and said: "Raghunatha! Your fame will
increase if you sit out hero in the open! bhajana devoid of humility is lifeless! Unless you engage
body, words and mind you can not savour the rasa of bhajanai Therefore stay in a cottage and
meditate on SvaminTs form, qualities and pastimes there!" Sanatana Gosvami, whose mind was
sprinkled with love for 3ri Raghunatha, did not tell him what had actually happened. From that, day
on the Au/iVa-systcm started at Rfidhakunda,
Lacking his desired service Sri Raghunatha cries, but by SvaminTs grace He gets a
transcendental vision of Iiis siddha service. Tulasi uses a soft twig o f a mango-tree to brush 5ri
RadhikS's teeth and pours water on SvaminTs hands from the nozzle of a golden pitcher. The water
becomes red when it runs over SrlmatTs hands and the fragrant water she pours over Her face
becomes even more fragrant afterwards.31 Svaminf spits the water with which She flushed Her
mouth into a golden lota. With the fingers of her left hand TulaSl wipes SvaminTs curly locks away
from Her limitlessly beautiful and lustrous forehead, cheeks and eyes, to avoid that She becomes
overwhelmed by remembering Syama though the bluish colour of these locks. It is the service of
Bhavamayl, whose mahti-bhava is thus welling up. When Tulasi takes Svaminl into the bathroom
after combing Her hair, she gives Svaminl a matchless savour by showing Her a sweet picture of
Syamasundara there. Pointing at it with her finger, Tulasi says: "Your teeth look like pomegranateseeds that attract the parrot, of Vnidavana! Here He is! Look at Him!" ViSakha had drawn that picture
when she had just fallen in love with Kr$na {pun-a raga). Tulasi reminds Svaminl of the sweet
history of that picture, saying: "Svamini! I remember you once wrote a letter (to Krsna), saying:51
51 From Kavi Karpapura's Kf?iiahiuka Kaumudl', Chapter 2.
87
After massaging Her limbs with oil TUlasT will now perfume Svaminl with lotus-pollen and
soft fragrant powders. When TulasI massaged Her with oil Svamini experienced the touch of
Syamasundara. Tulasfs call is falling from the sky for Her. While She perfumes Svaminl TulasI
attracts Her attention by reminding Her of Her previous pastimes with Kr$na and thus drowns Her in
waves of rasa. Svamini! I remember how one day I perfumed You in a lonely place on the bank of
the Yamuna, and that Nagara was silting up in a high Kadamba-tree, secretly watching You in tins
sweet undressed state, and winking to me not to tell You, as if repeatedly begging me with folded
hands: "TUlasi, let Me enjoy this sight for a moment! 1 gave Him so much relish that time by
showing You to Him in this beautiful way, without, dress and ornaments!"54 Blessed lliese
maidscrvants.are with this sublime service! They know exactly how to serve according to time, place
and circumstances, bringing all these relishable memories to Bhavamayl's heart and making Her
swim in waves of rasa\ Svaminl is immersed in the bliss of Kr$na-consciousness when She hears
Tulasfs rasika descriptions! pnti vi$ayananda tad tliraymumda (C.C.) The pleasure of the object of
love is tiie pleasure of die subject of love." Blessed is this kinkarl\55 She serves exactly according to
the requirement and the time. Now follows the relish of die snana seva. In tills way one (service)
follows the odier.56
Sri Haripada Sila sings:
89
* 0 Radhe! I will wash Your lotusfeet and brush Your amazing row of teeth before bringing
You into another room For Your bath, where I will beg You to sit down on a platform."
a #
cjiftdM i
i
11 w
11
VERSE 21:
ayi - address o f a female person; vimala - spotless; jalanath - with water; gandha - flagrant;
karpura - camphor; puspaih - with flowers; jita - defeating; vidhu - moon; mukha - mouth; padme lotus; vasitfmarii - scented; ghata - jugs; attghaih - with floods; pranaya - loving; ledita - charming;
sokhya - by a girlfriend; dlyamanaih - given; purastdt - before You; lava - Your; varam - excellent;
abhisekarh - bath; lid - O!; kada - when; a/ia/lt -1; karisye - will do.
O you whose Cotustikp face defeats the moon in Beautyl When may I give you an
e&eCCcnt Bath with manyjugs o f spotless water scented with camphor and flowers, Brought
in advance By a sahfii who is Beautified By her Covefo r you?
Notes: After Sri RaghunStha dasa massaged Sri Radhas limbs with oil and perfumed Her, the vision
ends, and in order to cast off the misery of separation, he prays to SvaminTs lotusfeet. He is the
sevdmaya vigraha, a transcendental form consisting entirely of devotional service, therefore if there
is no devotional service there is no end to his distress. Suddenly he attains the vision o f Sri Radliika's
bathing-service. "When can I give You an excellent bath {vara abhiseka)T Bathing Srimatl is the
most excellent service, and Tulasl will bathe Svaminl with perfumes and water which is scented
with camphor and flowers. The sakius are die embodiments of pranaya, divine love, and they arc
bringing the jugs. The jugs, the water - everything is lull of pranaya1
. "I will bathe You with pranaya
90
rasa)" All llils can never be experienced without Sri Rftdluka's mercy! At the beginning of creation
llie Supreme Lord instructed the creator Brahma with four verses:
4 h i^
i4
f^ r
VERSE 22:
P A N IYA M C lN A VASTRAIH SASIM UKHISANAKA1H RAM YA M RD VAtiG A-YASTER
YATNAD UTSARYA MODAD D ISI-D ISIV IC A LA N NETRA M INANCALAYAH _
SRO N AU R A K TA M DUKULAM TAD A P A R A M ATU LAM CARU N ILAM SIR O G RAT
SARVANGESU PRAM O D AT PULAK1TA VAPUSA KIM M AYA TE PRAYOJYAM
pdmyam - drinking water; cina * thin, fine, silk; vastraih - with clothes; Safimukhi - moonfaced girl;
sauakaih - gradually; ramya - beautiful; mrdu **tender; ahga-yasieh - of the limbs; yalndt - carefully;
5 This line i$ added by the editor.
93
O
(m oon facedgirQ l S ifte r (fo u r Bath, m ay I gentCy a n d carefu lly w ip e th e w a te r
fr o m y o u r ten d er RrnBs w ith f in e toweCs a s th e Borders o f y o u r fish-R ffe eyes jo y fu lly m ove
in aid d irectio n s a n d then, w ith gooseptmpCes o f e c sta sy on m y Body, a fte r covering y o u r
h ip s w ith a r e d s ilf e n p e ttic o a t, m ay I cover a ll y o u r GmBs, fr o m y o u r h e a d d o w n , w ith an
incompariBCy B ea u tifu l Blue s o n ?
Notes: In ins svarupaveto &rl Raghunatha dasa has a wonderful vision. May mdyd, in the form of
bodily conciousness, not take my mind away from the Ioiusfeet of my beloved deity!' Maya stops
one from remembering the beloved deity, hoiyd mdydra ddsat kori ?idnd abiuldsa, tomdra smarana
gelo dure (Prarthana) "As a servant of mdyd I desire different tilings and my remembrance of You
has gone far away! H ie scriptures and the great teachers have said that the raga-devotee must fix
himself firmly on his svarupdveSa:
94
crying of pain {in the form of the walerdrops that are dripping out),60 While TulasI wipes SvSminfs
limbs Svaminfs fishlike eyes blissfully look in all directions. Seeing the sweetness o f Sri Radhika's
eyes TulasI addresses Her as Sa&mukhi, or moonfaced girl. When she docs that the remembrance of
Radha and Krona's pastimes in the kunja is woven criss-cross through her mind. Why? Once, during
His loveplay with Sri Radhika, MSdhava became enchanted by the beauty o f Sri Radhika's eyes and
He eagerly kissed them61 , saying: "Ahaha! How beautiful Your eyes are!" Sri Radhika suddenly
smiled when She saw (hat some of Her kajjal (eyeliner) got stuck on Kona's lips after He had kissed
Her. Seeing Her sweet smile, Kr$na said: ,rOh! What a neciarean smile!" and tasted some of this
nectar by kissing Her lips, leaving a black spot o f kajjal on them. This black spot made Her
otherwise spotless divine moon-like face glow like the ordinary moon, that also has so many black
spots. When TulasI sees this restlessness of Svaminfs eyes she awakens the remembrance of this
pastime in Her mind and calls Her SaSimukhi, or Moonfaced Girir here. In this way the comparison
between ri Radhika's spotless moonlike face and the ordinary moon, which is full o f spots, is
successful.62 The word mrdvahga (tender limbs) is nicely explained in Srila Rupa Gosvamfs 'Ujjvala
Nllamani1:
J n -J n tfiftipa tKusunuVtjtidfi
'S&l
era ^
rihi^ ihl i
J T o i W l s ^ ii 3 ? fl
it
VERSE 23:
P R A K SA L Y A P AD A K A M A L A M TA D A N U K R A M E N A
G O STH END RA SU N U D AYFTE T A V A KESA-PA& AM
H A N A R M A D A G R ATH ITA SU N D A R A SU K SM A M A L Y A IR
VENIM K A R IS Y A T IK A D A F R A N A Y A IR JA N O 'Y A M
prak$alya - having washed; pada - feet; kamalaih - lotus; tad - that; anukramena - in sequence;
go$tha - pastures; indra - the king; sunu - the son; dayite - O dearest One!; tava - Your; keSa paSam hair; h d - 01; narmada - a girl named Narmada; grathita - strung; sundara - beautiful; suksma - fine;
mdlyaih - with garlands; venim - a braid; karisyati - will do; kadd - when; pranayaih *with love;
janah - person; ayam - this.
Notes: In liis svarupaveki SiT Raghunatha dasa has dried off SrimatFs limbs after Her bath and
dressed Her, Then, when that vision leaves him, he cries and rolls on the bank o f Sri Rfidhakunda,
saying: "When will You fulfill the longstanding aspirations of this wretch by giving me my desired
service?11 His heart melts for want of direct, personal service. Then again humility wells up in his
heart and, understanding his unworthiness, he begins to weep again. Still he cannot give up hoping.
When he remembers the compassion of his beloved deity his heart is illuminated by the light of
hope. This hope is nectar that revives the sddhaka, who is suffering the pangs of separation. In
StavamSlS ri1a Rupa GosvaiM prays: .
Jn-Jn-Wfipa 'JQisumanjafift
Gosvainis are eternal associates of the Lord they still relish the flavours of sddhatm, calling out and
lamenting: "Ha Svamini! Be merciful lo me and take me into the kingdom of devotional service!"
Then Raghunatha's mind and heart return to the kingdom of transcendental pastimes as he gels a
vision of his next gradual service.
In h;s spiritual identity as Tulasl SiT Raghunatha takes Svamini into the dressingroom and washes
Her lotusfeet again there before she starts drying Svaminl's wet hair by squeezing it in a wliite cloth
and perfuming it with fragrant agum-(a\oc) incense. How expert she is in that, service! updsand
means: Staying close by. ffla Narottama dfisa Thakura sings:
Sri Radha sits on a golden platform and TulasT combs Her curly monsooncloud-1 ike hair with a
golden comb, making it look like a golden net (the coinh) that is dragged through the blackish
Yamuna-watcr (the hair), sometimes contracting it by holding it in her left fist and sometimes
allowing it to expand and to swallow Her blooming lotuslike face when she opens her left fist and
combs it again68. What a loving servicel Each single strand of hair is dearer to TulasT than millions
of lives! These are, alter all, wo ordinary hairs! The dedryas define Srlmatls hair as follows:
"
"By always thinking of Kr$na tiie viuc-sprouts o f Radha's thoughts and desires have become black,
and after they were sprinkled by tine nectar of love for Him they have come out as Her thin, long
hair.11 Tire maidservants experience this more vividly than anybody else, for their hearts are nondifferent from Svaininl's! Outside of prema's domain there can be no acquaintance with Premamayl
Radha at all!
TulasT has finished combing R5dhikas hair and sits down on her knees behind Her now to braid it
with loving expertise. She sits beltind Svamini, but she strongly desires to see Her beautiful face.
That's why she calls Her gosthendra sunu dayite: O beloved o f the prince o f Vrafa! This address is
full of secrets. How many emotions can be known through this address! Svamini is Krona's
bhavamayi (full of love for Him) and the kinkarts are SvaminI's bhavamayl. Srimatl loves Sri Kr$na
and the maidservants love Srimatl. TulasT maddens Svamiiu by awakening the remembrance in Her
of one o f Her sweet sports with Kr$na. The word gosthendra sunu dayite can mean You are the
beloved of the prince of Vraja* or 'the prince of Vraja is Your beloved' (Because it is a bahu-vnhi
compound in the sixth tense, which is mutually applicable). This shows Their mutual love. TulasT
says: "At the end of Your pastimes in the kunja SySma is making Your braid with His own hands,
and You also put His crown on. Or sometimes, out o f deep love, You may reverse roles and Sy3ma
may think Himself to be You and You think o f Yourself as Him and then He will pul His crown on
Your head and You will lovingly braid His hair. Can I also once serve You so expertly and lovingly
as Syama does? I am Your poor unqualified maidservant. Be so merciful to give me that service!
That is my desire! When Svamini hears Herself being called beloved of the prince o f Vraja', She is
overwhelmed and thinks that it is Syania who makes Her braid instead of TulasT. She keeps Her eyes
half closed while She relishes that thought and feeling, like a bee falling into the nectar o f a blue
lotusflower. Blessed is TulasT! Blessed is her service! With one address she manages to crystallize
the lilfrrasa and submerge Svamini in relishing that savour.69 The practising devotee should try to
remember these sweet pastimes every day. When the svariipavefa remains mCiyd has no chance to
contaminate the devotees mind. All of may&'s disturbances are caused by bodily conciousness.
Narmada, the florist's daughter, makes beautiful small garlands with fragrant YuthI and Camellflowers for TulasT to make a braid with.. With a beautiful handicraft! Just as TulasT stretches out her
hand to do the work the spiritual vision disappears and she cries and laments out of disappointment:
"When can tins fallen soul lovingly make Your braid with small garlands that were strung by
Narmada?"
ri Rasika-Candra Dasa sings:
pdkhalibo paripfitf,
^ d | x T cfaffo en ^ ^
II ^ 8 II
VERSE 24:
S U B H A G A M R G A M A D E N A K H A N D A S U B H R A M S U V A T TE
T 1 L A K A M I H A L A L A T E D E V I M O D A D V ID H A Y A
M A S R N A G H U S R N A C A R C A M A R P A Y IT V A C A G A T R E
S T A N A -Y U G A M A P I G A N D H A IS C IT R IT A M K I M K A R 1 SYE
subhaga - beautiful; mrgamadena - with musk; akhanda - full; SubhrdmSuval - like a moon; te Your; tilakam - tilaka; iha - here; laldte - on the forehead; devi - O Goddess!; moddt - out of joy;
vidhdya - placing; masnia - shining; ghusnia - kuhkuma; carcam - ointment; arpayitvd - placing; ca
- and; gdlre - on the body; stanayugam - on both breasts; api - eveti; gandhaih - with perfumes;
citritam - pictures; kim - what; fain?ye will do.
Notes; rl Raghunatha suffers intolerable agony because he cannot attain his beloved deity, and then
101
again he relishes the flavours of Svamini's devotional service in a transcendental vision. After
bathing Svaminl he dried Her off, dressed Her and made Her braid, and now he will make a tilakmark on Her forehead. How can the devotee continue on his path if he never experiences or relishes
anything? This relish causes the devotee to forget everything else and awakens his constant
meditation on the Lord. Ttiis is the purpose of updsand In the introduction to his commentary to the
Chandogya Upaniad, Srlpada &afikarScaryn has explained the word updsana as follows; updsanam
tu yathd-sdstra samapitam kiheid dlambanam updddya tasmin samdna citta vrtli santdna karanam (ad avilaksana pratyayantaritam i i i : "Updsana means to hold on to a certain subject of meditation,
according to the scriptural injunctions, with such one-pointedness that no other subject matter can
enter." For 5rila Raghunatha Dasa GosvamJ there is nothing in this world except his connection with
Sri Radha. In Bhakti Ratnakara (Filth Wave) it is described how, in his spiritual absorption, he
rejected buttermilk from SakhTsthali, the village o f RadlvS's arch-rival Candmvall:
$ n -$ a *MMSpa DQtsuvuVfjnM
of tliis .spiritual practise will gel some of this feeling of minc-ness towards Radhfuanl also, and, even
though it may not be so strong* he will also feel some separation from Sri Radha! Tire nectar of Sri
RadM's lotusfeet. is the greatest support for a devotee. "The body and everyone and every tiling
connected with it is all temporary, it will all go! With whom shall I slay then? I don't have any other
place to stay but Sri RadM's lotusfeet! This is the mood of an e&wra-(one-poiuted) devotee. When
feelings of separation set in, the devotee tcels intolerable agony. He cannot eat, sleep and be merry
anymore, and nothing can please his heart anymore. He can only be consoled by experiencing
SvSminI's form, taste, sound, touch and smell* whether in dreams, smarana or during revelations.
In his spiritual identity as TulasI, Sri RaghunStha sits down close to Stfmatr, lovingly holds Her chin
with her left hand and a brush in her right hand, and starts to make full moon-shaped tilaka of musk
on Her golden forehead. First she draws a circle of aguru mixed with musk, within that circle she
draws a beautiful fine lotus with lines of sindura and in that fine lotus she makes a tilaka-dot with
sandalwoodpulp mixed with camphor. This sweet tilaka, that vshimmers on SvaminI's sweet forehead,
is known as the Kama-yantra, or Cupid's instrument, is able to control Syamasundara and give Him
the greatest bliss. It reminds Svaminl of SySma because it has the same colour and fragrance as His.
While TulasI relishes all Hiis beauty she calls Svaminl devi. How many meanings are hidden in this
single word!
essence of remembrance is the pastimes of Sri Radha and Kr$na," From (he words of the GosviiinTs
we can understand how expert they are in reli slung the sweetness of tliese transcendental pastimes.
Sff Rflpa Gosvaml writes:
12 This paragraph is quoted from Sr! Jlva Gosvamis comment ary on the Bhagavata verse 10.21.17.
73 Quoted by 3rlla Ananda Gopala Gosvaml.
104
f t j 3 ? n c ^ # # R i f t 11 w
VE RSE
2 5
S IN D U R A R E K IIA S IM A N T E
D EVI R A TN A SALAKAYA
M A Y A Y A K A L P IT A K I M T E
S A L A K A M S O B H A Y IS Y A T I
sindura - vermilion; rekhd - line; stmanie - in the part; devi - O Goddess!; ratna - jewelled;
Zaidkaya - with a pencil; mayd - by me; yd - what; kalpiid - considered; kith - what; te - Your; so
alakam - with hair; iobhayisyati - will beautify.
Notes: After he painted wonderful, playful Makarl-flshes on &T Radhikas breasts Sri
Raghunatha experiences the pain of separation when this vision vanishes from him. Then, when he
experiences the flavours of devotional service again, the ocean of his bliss wells up again. In this
way it goes on continuously. Nothing in this world can compare to that succession of bliss and
agony, which is always present in a lively way in the hearts of the rasika devotees. It is as if the
ocean o f joy and sorrow is being churned, producing the reviving nectar (of union) and the
concomitant poison (of separation). Hie hearts of Lite loving devotees arc constantly immersed in (he
ocean of prema and the clashing waves in that ocean sometimes produce the transcendental agony of
separation and sometimes the transcendental bliss of meeting. The devotees are permanently
105
'
marame kohiluth,
mo puna thekilurH
se jandra pirlti phahde
rati dina cite,
bhdvite bhdvite,
tare se pardna kdiide
"He told Me what's on His heart and He touched Me again! He was trapped in (he noose o f
love; night and day He was thinking of Me and crying His life-airs out!"
kaipura tdmbula,
dpani sdjiyd,
morn mukha bhari deya
hdsiya hdsiyd,
cibuka dhariyd,
mukhe mukha diyd leya
"He singlehandcdly makes betelleaves with camphor and fills My mouth with them. He
laughs and smiles and holds My chin as He takes the pan out of My mouth with His mouth."
sdjdiyd kdcdiyd,
vasanapordiyd,
aveSe loiyd kore.
(Upa loiyd hate,
mukhe nirakhxte9
titila tiayatie lore
106
"He drosses Me, bathes Me and ornaments Me and ecstatically takes Me on His lap. He lakes a lamp
in His hand lo look at My face.as tears trickle from His eyes."
carane dhariya,
ydvaka racai,
auldiyd bdndhaye keSa.
balarama cite,
bhuvite bhavius,
pdAjara hoilo sesa
"Holding My feet He anoints them with footlac and He binds My dishevelled hair into a braid. As
Balarama d3sa meditates on this pastime the song ends."
TulasT awakens all these sweet memories witliin Svaminfs mind while marking Her part with a line
of sindura, Now expert Tulasx holds a big m inor before Bhavamayl (all-emolional Radhika) and
says; "Just see how I've decorated You! I have dressed You, but now I want to sec my work spoiled
(by 5yama)!75 SvSmini is startled when She secs Her own form in the m irror Proudly She thinks:
"If even My undecorated body makes SyStna mad, what then to speak of this fully decorated body?
How long before I can make My hero enjoy this sweet form of Mine? When can I make Him happy
with tins limitless youthful beauty, that knows no match in all the three worlds?"76 Such beautiful
thoughts are even desired by the Lord. During a particular pastime He sees His own reflection in
SrimatT RndharanTs breasts and with an enchanted heart He says:
Rughunatha dasa Gosvami, the embodiment o f eager devotion, carries a strong desire for devotional
service in bis heart when he addresses Sri RadhS with the word devPz . krsna kridd pujdra vosaii
nagarl "She is the empress of the town of Krona's worship". When will I see yama*s curly locks
become reddened by the sindilra that I apply to Your part?'* Why wouldn't this ornamentation
(Snigdra) become filled with srhgdra rasa (the flavours of eros)? The Niiyaka (hero) is timg&ra-rasa
personified, the Nayika is maha bhdva personified and the bodies of the maidservants are made of
seva-rasa (the flavour o f devotional service). The verbal root div means play. "You should play in
such a way that the line of sindura that 1 made on Your part will be spoiled!" There are three kinds
of Smgdra-p\ny: 1) One in winch Krsna leads and SvSmirn assists 2) One in which SvamiriT leads
and Krspa assists, and 3) One in which both are leading. "Rasa itself will decorate You! May I see
this after Your pastimes!" SvaminI becomes overwhelmed when She hears the moving words of the
maidservant. How can SvaminI be decorated by rasa (spiritual flavour)? By Her crushed
flowergarfand, Her half opened braid, Her broken necklaces. Her loosened dress and ornaments, Her
inwardly exhausted, blooming and roiling eyes and Her externally softly crying, yet sweetly smiling
face, &ri Krna Himself, who is transcendental blissful flavour personified (rasdnam rasatamalu He
is ihe.greatest flavour o f all flavours) and who lire devotees want to experience in the innermost core
o f their hearts, loses Himself in beholding that beauty. A loving poet has written about Krona's
experiences:
78 In 'StavavalV are the brilliant examples of how wonderfully eager Srila RaghunStha dasa Gosvami prayed
for the devotional service of Srimatl Radliarani. A devotee should particularly study his 'Ulkaniha da$akam\
108
fB o p n ^
^ n
> 5 W ^ % f
hR
+ ^ i:
ii
11
VERSE 26:
H A N TA D EVI TILA K A SYA SA M A N TAD
BIND AVO R U N A SU G A N D H IR A SE N A
K R SN A M AD A K A M A H A U SA D H IM U K H YA
D H lR A H A S T A M IH A K IM PARIK ALPYAH
hanta - alas!; devi - 0 Goddess!; tilakasya - of the tilak; samantdd - all around; bindavah - drops;
aruria - crimson; sugandhi - fragrant; rasena - with the substance; krsna - o f Kr?na; madaka Intoxicating ; mahd - great; ausadhi - medicinal herb; mukhya - chief; dhira - steady; hastam - hand;
iha - here; kirn - what; parikalpydlt - done.
Notes: In his svarupdvefa Sn RaghunStha has placed the swr/nra-stripe on &lmat?s part, and now
he sees himself making red spots all around Her tilaka. The deity of his vision appears before him.
The only way to attain rdga bhakti is deep sacred greed, and SrJ Raghunatha's heart is filled with Unit
intense yearning. The more the rdga bhakta becomes filled with tills great anxious devotional
yeanling, the more he forgets about his body and his home and die sooner the time of his attainment
o f his beloved deity comes near, Sri Raghunatha d5sa GosvamJ's intense yearning for liis Kvarl's
dartiana after She vanishes from him is a good subject of meditation for the neophyte devotees. The
deity of Raghunathas meditation is playing inside and outside of him. With love TulasI sits down
before Svamim, holds Her chin with her left hand and begins to make fragrant red spots around Her
tilaka with full concentration. How deeply she concentrates can be seen on her eyes, her face and her
hands. The practising devotee should mentally sit next to her to learn such expertise from her! The
GosvJiims are the gurus of the Yugala-seyo, and die greatest aspiration of the Gaudlya Vai$navas is
to follow in their footsteps.
priya sahacarT sange, sevana koribo range,
109
dnandah kr$na Sabda vacya iti jneyam. sa ca fabdah devakx-nandana eva rudbah. asyatva
sarvdnahdakatvath vdsudevopanisadi drtfam 'devakTnandano nikhilam dnandayel ill dnanda
mdtram avikdram ananya siddham, "He who is attracting everyone's hearts with His form and
qualities and gives the greatest transcendental bliss is called Krsna. Another, more conventional
meaning of. the name Kr$na is Sri DevakT-nandana (the son o f DevakI or YaSodS, since DevakI is
another name for mother YaSodfc o f Vraja). D ie Vasudeva-Upani$ad declares His all-blissful nature
by saying: "DevakT-nandana delights the world. That delight is purely transcendental and is
exclusively perfect in SiT K|*$na, in other words, it cannot be found in any other form of God". Only
love can awaken waves of desire in this pure ocean o f transcendental bliss. Sri Radhararii is the
personification o f complete, condensed prema-rasa. She is the quintessence of love of God called
Maha bhava, and it is this mahd-bhdva which serves as an intoxicating herb for Kf$na, Whatever
falls into an ocean of nectar becomes immortal and nectarean, and similarly the spots that are made
on ri Radhikil's forehead, which is an ocean nectarean mahd-bhdva become a great enchanting herb
for
TuiasI is the teacher of love for the Yugala Ki$ora, and she thinks: "These spots will make
sure that Kr$na will not be attracted to any other girl! All these obstacles will he crossed over and
You will be able to meet Him freely!" Although RadhikSs chief rival Candravali also has rnahd
bhava for Kriia, TuiasI is always proudly aware o f the tact that her mistress RadM can attract Him
more with Her strong feeling of minc-ness. Srila Rupa Gosvaml writes (UlkalikS Vallari 60):
*
110
111
VERSE 27:
G O STH END RA PU TRA M A D A CITTA K A R IN D R A R AJA B A N D H A YA PUSPA-DHANUSAIIJKILA BAN D H A RAJJOH
K IM K A R N A YO S TA V A V A R O R U V A R A V A T A M SA
YUGM ENA B H U SA N A M A R A M SUKH ITA K ARISYE
4
gosthendra - the king of Vraja; putra - son; mada - intoxicated; citia - heart; kartndra - king of
elephants; raja - king; bandhaya - for binding up; puspa-dhamsah - by Cupid, the flower-archer;
kila - surely; bandha - binding; rajjob - the rope; kith - what; karnayoh - both ears; tava - Your; vara
- nice; uru - thighs; vara - excellent; avatahmi - earrings; yugmena - by a pair; bhusanam ornament; aham - 1; sukhitd - happy girl; karisye - will do.
0 Varam (nicety-thighedgirQ! your epcpedent earrings are Iffif ropes that the flcnaerarcher
Cupid has placed to 6ind the mad elephant Rjng o f the prince of Vraja's heartl Can this
happyg irt hang these ornaments on your ears?
Notes;
Raghunatha dasa, who suffers separation from his beloved deity, experiences the gradual
service o f the embodiment o f mahd bhdva. After tilaka and srngara he puts on Her earrings in this
verse. *It is the nature of mahd bhdva to make Krsna happy by playing with Hint. Only mahd bhdva
contains all the ingredients to awaken Vrajaraja-nandana Krsna's desires for irngdra rasa and to
fulfilLthesc desires as well, sei mahd bhava cintdmani sdra; krsna vdnchd purna kore ei kdrya ydra
(C.C.7 "This malm bhava is the quintessence of the Cintamani-jewel of love, whose only duty is to
fulfill K ir a 's desires." Therefore this rasika kifikarT immerses Mahri-bhSvamayl in an ocean of bliss
by speaking ever-so-sweet Kr$nz-kathd to Her. "Do You know what Vraja-rfija-nandana's heart is
like? Like the maddened king o f elephants!" A relishable tiling can be understood in two ways: in the
taftv-way and in the rasa-way, or the way of truth and the way of flavour. Take a rasagolla (sweetball), To know how the rasagolla is made and what ingredients.are required to make it is the tattvaway of understanding it, and to place it on the tongue and aclually taste it is the rasa-way of
understanding it. Without placing the rasagolla on the tongue its taste cannot be known and relished.
In the same way God is our relishable object. Tins prince of Vraja is Himself the full manifestation
of nondual truth, the abode of full opulence and sweetness, and transcendental relish personified (the
Upanisads therefore call Him rasa vai soli - 'He is taste'). All the sensual pleasure of the world is just
the reflection o f a single drop from the ocean of die Lord's endless transcendental bliss, and only
pure selfless love can make waves of desire in tliis ocean of bliss. Nothing else but the ropes of pure
selfless love can bind down tliis freely enjoying, mad elephant-like prince. That is the fattva-point ol:
view, but from the rasika point of view He is always spotting with &ri RadhatanT and the gopis of
112
\S n Radhu's cheeks defeafthe lustre of golden mirrors, and they are like two ponds full of nectarcan
elegance in golden soil. There are two golden lotusbuds hanging ou them from Her ears (Her
earrings), they are covered with moss (the musk-pictures that Her maidservants have drawn on Her
cheeks) am! Capricorns (aquatic beings, or Her callings) arc playing in them. Therefore these cheeks
naturally quench Ki$na\s (erode) thirst." rrsita ealaka jami jedadhare milalo, bhukhilo cakora cam
caiide "He Teels like a thirsty Calaka-bhd meeting a monsooncloud or like a hungry Cakora-bird
meeting the beautiful moon."
Tlilasl calls SvSmim 'Varonf, or the girl will! the' best Hughs, here. What docs the sweetness of the
earrings have to do with Her Hughs? What is the relationship of the mad elephant Kr$na with these
excellent Hughs? That is also explained in Govjnda LTliimria (11.56):
asya mistit prasrtayor tnadandya haimdliina dvayah vidhir addd amunarthiiah kith
yat krsna cista madamatla gajafix sa cdstnin
tan mMhun sudrdha Srnkhalayci babandha
"Has Hie Creator given Cupid, upon being asked for, Radhika's thighs, that are like golden posts for
tying up elephants? These posts have now tightly bound down Kr?na*s mad elephant-like mind with
the chain of their sweet beauty." Only Krsna can directly experience how excellent these thighs are!
Tluough the address Varoru we must understand that earrings are oscillaUng on Radha's ears. When
Radh5 and Ky$na dance Hie R5sa Sv&niiitfs dance attracts yuma'$ eyes. How sweetly Svamihfs
locks arc swinging on Her thighs with the rhythm of the music! Svaminfs dancing attracts
Syamasundara, and Tie rewards Her with kisses on Her cheeks and Her thighs. That's when He
enjoys both the earrings and the Jiice tliighs. Sri Radhikas maidservants understand all this, the
Divine Couple cannot hide anything from them! TulasT serves SvaminI by letting Her understand
what is on ^ySmasundara's mind. No-one else but the ktitkam can serve like that! 'This is Hie
supreme goal o f the Gaudlyu Vaisnavas in (he age of Sri Caitanya Mabaprabhu! All this can be
understood by following in the footsteps o f Rupa and TulasT MaftjarT,
SvaminI asks TulasT: "If My cars are anyway so beautiful, then why do you bother hanging earrings
on them?" TulasT says: "You are that Varoru (nicely-Uughed girl)!'1SvaminI slightly smiles and says:
'Tulasi! Have You remembered all (his (Hie explanations o f Varoru given above)?" TulasT says:
"Simply by serving You even a little, I was able to remember all this!"
According to Srila Rupa Gosvatnl Uiere are live kinds of earrings; Tadahka, Kundala, PuspI, Karnika
and Karna Vesfana. Tlie Tacjahkas are made of palmleaves and are cither made of colourful flowers
or of petals of golden KetakT-fiowers. Kundalas are shaped like peacoekfeathers, the faces of
Mak'ara-Oshes, lotusflowcrs and halfmoous or of flowers that resemble these shapes. Pu?pls are
usually round floral earrings, clusters of flowers or gw/l/d-beads. Karnikas are made from golden
loluswhorls. One of them is known as a pomegranate-flower with a bumblebee. In the Amara Ko$a
dictionary it is said Uiat Kariukas look like round palmleaves. Kanja Ve&anas are also called hoopearrings and are further discussed in verse 38 o f VflSpa Kusumahjali.81
Sri Rasika-Candra Dasa sings:
"O Niecly-Ulighed girl! 0 enchantress of Kisna! Your playful ears arc like Cupid's bindingropes* that find no inarch in this world"
f ^ l
f * 0 [ T&
ft II?* I
VERSE 28:
yd - which; te - Your; kanculih - blouse; atra - here; sundari - beautiful girl!; mayd - by me;
vakfojayoh -on the breasts; arpild - placed; sydma - Kr?na; acchadaim - covered; kdtnyayd - desiring;
kila - surely; na - not; sd - that (blouse); satya - true; iii - (liis; vijndyatdm - to be known; kintu - but;
svamini - O mistress; kr$na - Kxna; eva - only; sahasd - suddenly; tat - that; idm - that; avdpya attained; svayath - himself; prdnebhyah - than life; api - wen; adhikam - more; svakath - his own;
nidhi - jewel; yugaih - pair; sangopayati - hides; eva - surely; hi - certainty.
Notes: The earrings are hung and now Tulasl must put on SvaminTs bodice. "Svamini! I did
not put this Syama-coloretf bodice on You to cover Your breasts - I puL it on so that SySma will
suddenly come and cover Your breasts Himself, thereby serving as Your real, best-fitting blouse!"
This expertise in service must be learned from the eternal maidservants, as Sfila Narottama dasa
Thakuia has taught:
115
lid
J riJn'Vi& pa JQisumaajafi
become grave* having given up hearts diseases like lust, (see the final verse of the Rasa-/f/a, stalling
with vikriditam vrajavadhubhih). Therefore, if that is so, then the qualification to worship i'X-Sn
RSdlnl-Madhava will be accomplished through the process of hearing and chanting these pastimes.
The great words of the dedryas are the support for the weak sadhakas. These words are very
powerful and they will scent the hearts of the fortunate devotee with the desire for StTinalTs
devotional service* like a powerful mantra.
"Her braid hangs over Her breasts like a snake hanging over llie golden Mem-mountain. She
is decorated widi many jewels and walks with (lie charming gait o f an elephant. She plays the Vina,
Her anklehells jingle sweetly, She has goosepimples on Her skin when She relishes die rati rasa
(erotic mellow) and She enchants the world."
M -J n iMapa dQisuimlnjaOft
VERSE 29:
tiand - various; mani - jewels; prakara - multitude; gumphita - Strung; cam - beautiful; pustyd increased; mukid - pearl; srajah - necklace; lava - Your; suvafqasi - nice chest; hema gauri - golden;
Sranti - fatigue; dbhrteilcisa - resting; mukunda - the bestower of liberation; su iulikdydm - on die nice
cotton-like chest; kitii - what; kalpayisyatitarath - will fashion; tava - Your; dasikd - maidservant;
iyam - tliis.
Notes: In his svarupdvesa Sfi Raghunfitha dasa serves Svamini and says: " 0 Hema Gauri! (Hema
Gauri means: She Who is more golden than gold) When can tliis fallen maidservant of Yours hang
this pearl necklace, made o f different jewels, on Your beautiful chest?" TulasI siLs down to hang the
pearl necklace on SvaminI's beautiful chest and (o enchant Her mind with her cver-so-beautiful talks
about Kr?na. Apparently TulasI has strung that necklace herself. Holding the necklace before
SvaminTs eyes, TulasI says: "Tliis necklace is so beautiful because it was strung with different kinds
o f gems, and it is so dear to You because it brings the remembrance of Your beloved here!" With her
119
prattling TuIasT draws a picture of previous pastimes on the canvas of Svaminfs heart. ,rWhy is the
necklace so dear to You? Because it enabled You to see Krsna after You performed surya puja (ritual
worsiiip o f the sungod), in which He dressed up like a brdhmana-ptlc$t to perform the puja for You
right in front of Your mother-in-law Jalilft. When JatM took You back home You purposefully broke
Your pearl necklace to have another good chance to look at Kr$na while picking up the pearls, before
You had to separate from Him for the rest of the day. And in the morning, when Syama goes out to
the meadows to lend His cows, You can see Him reflected in Your pearl necklace even in front of
Your superiors. How happy that makes You!" In this way Tulasl immerses Svaminfs mind in
thoughts of Sy&ma. The word pustyd (increased) in the text here stands lor; attracting the eyes (of
both Syfuna and Svamini). Stfmati experiences Her Priyatama through lhe jewel-string. Sometimes it
is as if a dream comes true. Once during purva~rdga Prane^varl revealed the following dream to a
saklu:
manera marama kathd,
tomdre kohiye etha,
Suno uno pardnera soi!
svapane dekhilum ye>
sydmala varana de,
tafia vind dra kdru nai
"Listen, oh listen! Prana sakhil Now Tin revealing My heart's secret to you! In My. dream I saw this
Syamala (blackisli/bluish) boy! It could not have been anyone else but Him!1'
120
J r f ^ r t 'lA fd p a % \tsumdnjaTt.
yoto nivdriye cila nivfira nd ydya; ana pathe dim pada kdnu paths dhaya
e chdra rasand morn hoilo ki vdma; yarn ndma nd loibo loya tdra ndma
e chdra ndsikd mui yoto kora bandha; tabu to ddruna ndsd pdya Sydma gaiidhe
yarn katlul nd sunibo kori anumdna; parasanga sunite dpani ydya kdna
dhik rahu e chdra indriya-gana sab; sadd $e kdliyd kdnu hoy anubhava
candf dd$a kohe rdi bhdlo bhdve dcho; ntanera marama knlhd kdre jdni pucho
"No matter how much I try to control My mind, it cannot be controlled. If I run down
another path KSnu also runs there. Have I lost control over this contemptible tongue? Although I do
not (want to) pronounce His name it pronounces His name! No matter how much I try to block My
rubbish nose, this cruel nose still catches Syama's fragrance. Although I try not to hear topics about
Him, My ears automatically go off and listen to talks about Him! Let all My useless senses be
cursed, for They always experience Kaliya Kanu! Caudi dasa says: " 0 RSQ! Youre doing fine - just,
ask someone if they know what You're lliinking!"
krsiumiayT krsm yarn antare bdhire; ydhd ydhd netra pode tdhd kfsna sphure (C.C.) "&T
Radhikas name Krsnamayl means that Kf?na is within Her and without Her, wherever She casts Her
glance there She perceives Kr$na.,r How enchanting are the rewards this Scvikfi (maidservant) gets*85
* Padakarta Jnana dasa was a disciple of Mother Jfihnava, Sri Nityananda's consort (C.C. Adi 11,52). I*Ie was
a life-loug ronunciant and wrote many padas in Bengali and Vraja-bulL
85 QuoLed from Srila ROpa GosvfnnT's 'Vidagdha Madhava Najakam\ Act II.
121
from Krsmunayi! Vigakhu Leaches TulasT how to sing lovesongs when Svfiminr suddenly passes by
and asks her: "O how sweet! Won't, you let Me hear it?" When TulasT dances and sweetly sings this
song it is as if the subject of the song, the pastimes of Sri-Sri R&dhfi-MBdhava, lakes shape before
SvaininTl How beautiful are Tulasis dancing-gestures I Everyone is fully engrossed. SvfnninI feels
that She should give TulasT a reward, so She goes up to SySma, unlocks one of His pearl necklaces
and hangs it around Tulasts neck. TulasT iecls blessed with such a reward, for this necklace has
become very sweet by relishing the flavours of the Yugala KiSora. Tulasl sees how this necklace
dances on Svaminfs breasts during the game of frhgdra rasa. 3rila Rupa Gosvaml writes in Ujjvala
Nllamani:
Jn-J>n Ifilapa
tabu kaise madhava koho luhu nwya; vidyapati koho - duhu dohd hoy
"You are the minor in My hand, the flower on My head, the eyeliner around My eyes and the
betelleaves in My mouth? You are lire musk on My breasts, the necklace around My neck and the allin-all o f My body and My house! You are to Me what the wings are lo the bird, the water is for the
llsh, and the lire is to the soul. O Madhava! Whal are You not to Me?" Vidyapati says; "In this way
They belong to Eacholher!"
Srila Riipa Gosvaml says that Svamims necklace is called Hari Manohara, Die enchanter o f the
enchanting Hari,86
ri Rasika-Candra Dasa sings:
"O Golden beauty! When You play reverse pastimes 6yama becomes exhausted and You lie down
on the couch o f His chest."
S ift 3 3 3 3
3 3 f^ ft t o
ft? 3 II 3 0 II
33^
VERSE 30:
M A N I-C A YA K H A C rrA B H W N IL A CUDAVALlBHIR
H A R I D AYITA K ALAVID D V A N D V A M lNDFVARAKSI
A P I BATA TAVA D IV YA IR A N G U L lR AN G U LIYA IH
KVACID A P I K ILA KALE B H U SAYISYAM
I K IM N U
0
w
marti - jewels; caya - many; khacildbhih - studded with; rula - blue; cuddvalibhih - with bangles;
had - of Hari; dayita - dear; kalavid - knower of all aits; dvandvam - couple; indsvara - kind of blue
lotusflower; aksi - eyes (fern,); api - even; bata - o!; tava - Your; divyaih - divine, beautiful,
glistening; ahgulf - fingers; ahguliyaih - with fingerrings; kvacid api - at any time; kilo - certainly;
kale - in time; bhusayisydmi - 1 will decorate; kith - what; ;iw - whether.
86
Q u o te d b y E d ito r fro m
d ie R a d h a * K f$ iia G a n o d d e S a l^ ip ik a .
123
J n ^ rf^ ld p a VQtsu&tifijafifc
O In d w a ra fe i (g ir t w ith Blue Coins-eyes)! W ill th ere ever Be a tim e w h en I can ornam ent
ou. w ith BCw bangles in set u n til m an y je w e ls ? W h en c m I adorn Both y o u r hands, th a t are
ex p ert in atC a rts a n d th a t are very d ea r to S ftlH a ri, w ith B ea u tifu lg listen in g rin gs?
Notes: A divine stream of transcendental visions streams through Sri Raghunatha's heart. Even those
who are in the class of neophytes have some of these realizations, but Sn RaghunStha is in the
kingdom of mahd-bhdva, He experiences ail these things in a lively and vivid way, and after
experiencing this he reveals it through his prayers. Even in his external conciousness the internal
conciousness twangs through, that's why ills prayers are touching tire heart so much! In his
svarupdveSa ftrl Raghun&tha dasa GosvSmI, as TulasT, puts blue bangles on SvSminfs wrists. A
golden colour slightly shimmers through the blue, reminding Svaminl of Syama (the blue bangles)
and His yellow dhoti (the golden colour). What a wonderful handicraft! How wonderful is also the
address 'indlvariUcsi*! TulasT especially addresses Svaminl like this to express what She relishes
within Her heart as She sees the blue bangles. All the emotions arc manifest in BMvamayi. Her form
and Her bhdva ate one and the same tiling. Caitanya Caritamrta says: premera svarupa deha prema
vibhdvita; krsnera preyasi Sresthd jagate vidita "Her body consists o f prema and is formed by
prema, hence She is known in tiie world as Krnas beloved." From the time of purva rdga, when
Radhikft fust saw Krsna, She saw the whole world to be full o f Krna. Therefore She told Her
girlfriends:
124
S n ^ n Vtmpa !/Qtswni(isjaM
eyes she calls Her Iiuilvartiksi, She whose eyes are as beautiful as blue IndTvara-lotuses. "Your eyes
arc naturally beautiful, but when they see Syama they are so much more beautiful!"87 In the opening
verse oi' his Dana Kcli Kaumudi &rila RGpa GosvamI prays to Sri RadhS's eyes, that reveal the
ecstatic symptom of kila kincit, for the welfare of the world.
"Alia! How sweetly He stands there in His threefold bending form! The life of that ladylove who
does not see that sweetness is wasted!" Hearing these words of Her friends, Sriinali becomes eager
to see Krsna and looks at Him once. Thus Her first resolution is broken! Her second resolution is: "I
won't speak with Him!" How nicely Krsna is speaking! Svainiiu cannot slay silent anymore and tells
Him: "Go to that girl that You love {another gopi), what are You standing here for, speaking such
cicvcr words?" Thus Her second vow is gone! Her third vow is: "I won'L touch Him", but Kr$na
gradually brings His foot forward and touches the tips o f 3iim atfs toes. This makes Her unsteady, so
She angrily takes Krsna by the hand and pushes Him out of the kunja* Sriinali thinks: "Just see, now
Ive also touched Him! If I could not keep any vow, then how can I keep Him away?", so She holds
Him by the neck and brings Him back into the kunja. In this way Ilari steals Svaminis heart in so
many ways. Therefore She once told Her sakhis:
"O sakhi,\o\\ Me, what should I do? I don't know what kind of spell Vidagdlia Ray (the king of
clever.pranksters) has put on Me!"
"Yet, I can't resist the temptation to step onto the veranda to see Him, without considering how crazy
and dangerous that is!"
nicely as .You do!" Tulasi gladdens Bh3vamayfs (emotional RadhikSs) heart with the pictures o f
these reminiscences. How beautiful are SvaminTs eyes when She is with Syiima! Svfuninl says:
"Tulasi! I am anyway mad (after Him)! Why do You make Me even more mad by reminding Me of
Him?1'89 Alter hanging the bangles on Tulasi puts jewelled rings on SvaminTs fingers, that defeat the
buds of golden Campaka-{lowers in beauty. Srila ViSvanStha Cakravartl writes in Rf$na
Bhfivanfunrta (4.S6):
he indlvarak$i radhe
krsna hhriiga akarsitet
toma boi nahi keho dr&
tomdrn yugala kare,
manimaya alafikftre,
sdjdibo vdsand amdra.
" 0 Radhe with the blue lotuseyes! No one can attract the Kr$na-bec like You! I have a keen desire to
decorate Your hands with jewelled ornaments!1'
VERSE 31:
R S d lia -K r$ n a -G a n o d d e 6 a D ip ik a ( 2 .2 0 3 ) :
mardinl
127
S n - $ n 'tfiiapti iKttsumdsljalifi
O Sunetre (fair-eyedgirl)! *WUCI soon worship your lotusfeet By carefully putting jewelled
ankfeBeCCs on them, and worship the petals o f those lotuses (your toes) with your dearest
toerings? W ill I soon worship your waist, which is %Zf$na's matchless (oveseat, with a
golden sash ofjingGng Belts ?
Notes: First
Raghunatha has a vision in his svarupdveSa and then he prays for devotional service
in his 'external1conciousness; in this way it varies. The sadhaka does not concoct his own path and
he does not want his independent conceptions; he depends on the \vords of (lie dedryas. His prayers
will be very pure when he serves the Gosvamls' syllables by hearing and chanting them. Each of
these syllables is filled with the flavour o f worship and the great eagerness with which their voices
were filled when they offered their prayers. There is a mcrcifiil blessing for those who serve these
syllables:
128
Svfmiinl shows the thoughts on Her mine! through Her artistic dancing. The anklebells jingle along
with every gesture She makes during the dance.91
Wliile she makes Svaminl dive in the ocean of Syama-rasa Tulasl puts the jewelled anklebells on,
calling Her Sunetrc (beautiful-eyed girl), seeing the wonderful blooming beauty of Her eyes. Tlie eye
that sees Kr?jia is a stwayana, a good eye, but the gopTs will never call that eye that does not see
Kr$na, a beautiful eye, rather they will curse such an eye:
129
J n -J n W ap ti ^ u h iM ja C ift
serves Svaminl by crystallizing &yaina before Her with her rasika descriptions. Then Tulasi puls
sweetly jingling toerings on &nmatfs lovely toes, calling item prestha (dearly beloved) and
thinking; 'Alia! How fortunate are these toe-rings! What il* I could always slay on Svaminfs sweet,
lotusfeet like that? Who would not feel fulfilled by always staying on these lotusfeet?" SiTla
Naroltama Dasa Thakura sings:
"Sweetness Itself rolled at Sri Rsidhikas feet to make itself successful in different ways, appearing as
Her footornaments and engaging other fortunate souls in praising Her glories by making sounds like
'rana rattia\" mahakrtd niahatd nuidanena kirn nija grhe jagrhe mani toranam (K.B. 4.92) "Just as
wealthy people almost always have a festivity at their homes the vety wealthy Cupid also made a
jewelled gate (in the form of the bells that hang from Sri Radhika's buttocks) in front of his own
house to perform his endless festival." Prema pujdrini (the priest o f love) Tulasi hangs a belt with
bells on Svaminfs hips and says: "1 want to see SySma going mad from (lie jingling of Your jewelled
sash of bells when You turn and swing during Ihe Rasa-dance with Your matchless buttocks! All His
heart's attachments are in Your hips! It is the incompatible seat of His love!" idam atularft katitatath
kamscir&teh premapTfhath. Svaminfs beautiful eyes ate startled when She hears TulaSi speaking
about Kaihsari. She anxiously looks at Tulasfs face with some fear in Her eyes. Tulasi says: nTherers
no need to be afraid! This powerful hero, who is able to kill Kamsa, is now completely captured by
the beauty of Your buttocks. There's no comparison to them (and to Him)! Hearing the word
Kaihsari ri Radhika thinks: "Has He come?"
Srila Rupa GosvSmI calls SiTmatTs $ash 'Kancana Citrahgf, tlic wonderful golden body, and Her
anklebells 'Ratna Gopura\ whose jewels (ratna) are lull (pura) of brilliant rays (go)?*
$rilu llasika-Candra Dasa sings:
130
,rI will put. ornaments (rings) on Your toes, that, are like the petals of Your lolusfeet, and I will
beautify Your thin waist, that, is the seat of $n Kr$na's love, with a sash of bells!"
nwid^in
gi wit
11
VERSE 32:
LA LITA TA R A M R N A l IK A L P A B A B U D V A Y A M TE
M U R A JA YI M A T I IIA ltiS I DHA1RYA VIDITVAMSA D A K SA M
M AN I-K U LA R A C TrA B B YA M A N G A D A B H Y A M P U R A STA T
P RA M AD A-BH ARA VIN AM RA K A LP A YISYA M I K IM VA
lulitatara - very lovely; mrndli - loLusstem; kalpa - considered; bdhu - ai*m; dvayam - couple; te Your; marajayi - the victor of Mura; mati - mind; harm - (fem.) swan; dhairya - patience;
vidhvamsa - destroying; daksant - expert; manikula - jewels; racildbhydfu - both made with;
ahgadabhyfm - with both armlets; purastcii - in the presence; pramada - bliss; bhara - abundance;
vinamrd - humbly; kalpayiqydmi -1 will make; him - what; v - or.
fife
When can I humbly and joyfully decorate *four arms, that are
very lovely lotusstems
that are expert in destroying the patience in the swan-life intelligence offMurajayi
with armlets studded with variousjewels, or render any other service to If on?
Notes: Thus (he loving maidservant serves & i Radhararu. The sendees that are dear to the heart are
externally manifest in these prayers. Sffla Raghuuatha dasa Gosvaml is Srnnan Mahaprabhus mercyincarnation, descending along with the Lord to give the world the perfect example of bhajan. He and
the other Gosvamls are Vraja's eternally perfect manjans, who have descended to earth as
Mahaprabhus beloved associates to teach the world the ways of bhajan. Oilman Mah9prabhu gave
(hem that responsibility, and there is no other shelter than their lolusfeet. One must meditate on how
TOIasI renders her devotional service. They are extraordinary maidservants, and they never come
down from their maidservant-seats! Lalita and Vigakha are sometimes acting as Kjsna's Nayikas
(heroines, or amorous partners), but the kifikaris do not accept that position even in their dreams,
although in form and qualities they are qualified Lo be YulheSvarls (go/w-groupleaders) in all
respects!
131
"Each line on these manjaris1toes defeats the blight splendour o f the lightning. They are cleverness
personified and although they are qualified to be yutheSvaris (go/;F-groupleadcrs) they have no taste
for tills at all. They arc always immersed in die nectarocean o f
Radhikas service. in dreams,
wakefulness or deep sleep the light of 5ri Radha's shimmering toe-nails sliines in the kinkarTs' hearts.
Srila Dasa Gosvami says "I offer my obeisances unto Your friendship! I only desire Your devotional
service!" They are manjarT in name, maftjan in nature and manjarT in form (immjari means fbud' and
the manjans are similarly girls of very tender youth, both in form and in nature). Buds never allow
the bumblebee (Krsna) to enjoy them, although they do increase the bees thirst lor the blooming
flowers that they accompany. This is their supreme purity. Sri Rupa Mafijari is the bud (mahjari) of
Sri Radha's form (rupa)y and Sri Rati is the bud of Sri Radha's love (rail).
TulasI serves Svamim with prasahga $evd> making Her relish Her own sweetness wiiile putting Her
armlets on. TulasI says: Do You know what Your arms are like?" Svam inl: "No. tell Me!" Thlasl:
"He who understands it has made me understand. Syama is a good follower of Yours! His swan-Iikc
mind was enchanted by the sweetness of Your golden lotusstem-like arms and'it destroyed His
patience! (Swans are naturally fond of eating sweet lotusstems by die shores of the ponds)
Sometimes, when You arc proud and angry with Him, Krsna will beg You for a festival of embraces,
but You will wave Your arms and say: No! No!" You diink 1 did not understand dial? Even the
patience of the victor of the Mura-dcmon will be destroyed by the beauty of Your arms and he will
anxiously pray: 'My heart is breaking, give Me some happiness!" In diis way TulasI maddens
Svaminl by reminding Her of Her lover with Her prasahga-szrvict.94
How wonderfully the truth hums through tills rasika verse: murajayi-mati-hamsi dhariya vidhvaihsa
daksam "The beauty of Your arms destroys the patience of Murajayi Kr?na's swan-like intelligence,"
Hie word 'mad* in the text means: 'that intelligence which determines die truth'. Only the beautiful
arms of &rimatl can destroy die great intelligence of that great hero who destroyed the demon Mura,
That shows how great Srimatfs love for Him is, for it is Her love that makes Her so beautiful.
ayam bhamlLsarva Sakti sarva sukha paripumah saiya svarupo nitya jndnddimayo'py ahath kaddeit
jaratT bhaydt rddhd prdhgana kone nihrtya tt^ihdmi kaddeit nldhd sahga sukhdfayd tad dgamana
panthdnam paiydmi kaddeit tad orthani chadma-vetii bhavdmi kaddeit latdydm tad bhrdnto
9,1 Purport by Stfia Anauda Gopala Gosvami.
132
JrT'Jn'ltifnpa WfcsumdfijQfifi
bhavamTty adikam tat premaiva karayaiiti. "Sri Rftdhas love makes Me dance various dances. This
means that although I am all-powerful, the power of Radio's love makes Me hide in a comer o f Her
courtyard out o f fear o f Her mother-in-law Jalila, although I am the embodiment o f bliss I sometimes
look down the road for RSdM to come, being overwhelmed by desires for Her blissful company,
although I am the embodiment of truth I sometimes may disguise Myself (for the sake o f meeting
Ilcr) and although I am the eternal embodiment o f knowledge I sometimes embrace a vine,
mistaking it to be Her. All these tilings I do because of Her great love for Me."
Addressing the armlet, TulasT says: "O Ahgada! Surely you will take care that the matchless body of
the One who wears You will be given to Someone (afiga means body and da means giver, thus:
'giver of the body1)." I have put this Ahgada called Hari-rarigada (delightcr o f Hari) on Your arms,
and if I don't then the derivative meaning o f the word ahga-da (giver of the body) will be reversed
and mean he who severs the body (dd dhdiu chedanarthe, the verbal root dd means cutting)1.
Through this interpretation Your fault will be publicly announced]
TulasT tells SvaminI: "I have placed the Harinrahgada-ahgada on Your arm. Dance once with
3yamasundara while waving Your arms and singing sweetly, Your maidservant will be so fortunate
to see You! Syfuna will be a good Dohara95 for You! That day You will place Your lovely arms on
His shoulder and embrace Him! Your arms will be studded with goosepimples when You embrace
Eachothcr! You will have given it to Him exactly the way He wanted it; Your arm will be attended
to by Syama's shoulder, hence I called this ahgada Hari-rangada! How much wonderful happiness
will that give to Syama!" TulasT intoxicates Sv5inim by reminding Her of all these bygone pastimes.
When TulasT said all this, SvaminJ said: "Allright, put them on then!"96 Jri Lfl5uka has said:
93 A member of the choir who repeats the pradfulna, the leaden a yes-man.
96 Narrated by SrTla Ananda Gopala Gosvaml.
97 Note by the editor.
133
w )w Ft. i 3 3 li
VERSE 33:
RASO TSA VE YA JHA G O KU LA-CAND RA B A lIU
s p a r Se n a SAU BH AG A-BH ARAM n j t a r a m A V A P A
GRAIVEYAKENA K IM U T A M TAVA K A N TH A D E SAM
SA M P U JA YISYA TIP U N A H SUBHAGE JA N O Y A M
rasa utsave - ill the Rasa-dance festival; ya - who; ilia - here; gokula candra - the moon of Gokula,
or the pleaser of the senses; bdhu - arm; sparSena - by the touch; saubhaga - fortune; bhararh - full;
nitaram -fully; avapa - attained; graiveyakeiya - by a so called neck-ornament; kim - whether; u indeed; tath - that; tv - Your; kaiitha-deiani - area of Your neck; sampiijayisyati - will fully
worship; punah - again; subhage - O beautiful, Or fortunate girl!;
- person; ayam - tills.
O SuBhage (Beautiful, fortunate girQl W ill this person, one day worship (four nech, which
attained a ll good fortune when it was touched By %fiya, the moon of Qofytla, during the
festiva l o f the tRpsa-dance, with a Jraiveya-omament?
<
Notes: In his svarupdvesa Sri Raghunatha serves Svfuninl according to his/her feelings. Each verse
of .this book is filled with Ills eager yearning for Her devotional service, and this yearning for the
beloved deity is called prenta. &I Raghunatha dasa lives in the kingdom of maha bhdva, therefore
lids strong yearning causes Him to experience the divine pastimes and his personal service in his
siddha svarupa. Ttie armlets have been placed and now TulasI will place Hie Graiveya-ornament,
which is hung around Ihe neck and which hangs like a triangle on the chest. Raghunatha then
remembers the Rasa-dance: "O Subhage (beautiful, rortunate girl)! Will this person one day worship
Your neck, which attained all good fortune when it was touched by Kr$na, the moon of Gokula,
134
$n-Jn.4lSif&pa JQtsutsumjadfi
cannot see Ills Svaminl anymore! My heart wants to fee! separation, what a goal! Be virahj (one
separated), otherwise you cannot experience the joy of milana (meeting)! How sweet is the address
Subhage or Sundari! Such an address is not possible in bodily conciousness! It is Tulasi Maftjarl who
speaks of (lie Rasa-testivalTnot Raghunatha! Tulasi infuses experience in SvaminT's heart, as if she
wants to show the Wa to Svamim's eyes. She paints it on the canvas o f Her heart with the brush o f
love and gives it shape again tluough words.
She sees the festival of the Rasa-dance: The Rasa-ground is flooded with concentric circles: gopTkr$na-gopT-krsna-gopt Let tills effulgence shine in my heart! AH the Krsnas are at the g o p i chests,
like sapphire medals in a golden <?/?f-ncck1ace. madhye mamnath haimdndnt mahd marakato yathd
(Bhagavata Purana). The word rasa is a derivative o f the word rasa. Rasa is being taken (dddna) and
given (praddna) , and the root ingredient (updddna) o f the Rasa is rasa. Srila Jiva GosvamT writes in
his Laghu Toanl-commentaty rdsah parama rasa kadambamaya: The Rasa-dance Is a great
abundance o f rasa, spiritual flavour. The greatest and most desirable rasa of Vraja is mahd bhdva,
and &T Radha has Uie parama rasa called mddana mahd bhava, hence She is called Ragesvarl, The
Rasa is only there so that Kr$na can enjoy RadhSranT, but a festival cannot be accomplished with two
or three people only. Billions o f gopTs are there ju st to increase the beauty of this pastime; therefore
it is called 'an abundance of die greatest rasa\ In fact these gopTs are all 5rl Radha's expansions.
dkdra-svabhdva bhede vraja goplgana; kaya vyuha rupa tara rasera kdrana
bahu kdntd vind nahe rasera ulldsa; ITldra sahdya lagi bahuta praka6a
jara madhye vraje ndtid bhdva rasa bhede; kr$nake koraya rdsddika llldsvdde
govinddnandinl radha - govinda mohint; govinda sarvasva - sarva kdntd iiromani
(Caitanya CaritSmita)
"The Vraja-goddesscs (gopTs) appear in different forms and with different natures. They are all
RadhSs expansions and diey arc the cause of rasa. Without die presence o f many consorts Uierc can
be no joy in rasa, diereforc many consorts are manifested to assist in the pasdmes. O f them, there are
many kinds of consorts in Vraja with different natures and different flavours, that make Krtia relish
the Rasa-Hid and other pastimes. Radha delights Govinda, She enchants Govinda, She is everything
to Govinda and She is the crownjewel of all divine consorts!" There are many gopTs and there's only
one Kr$na, so there is no limit to die ecstasy of the festival of rasa\ The gopTs see dial one Kr$na
dances like a fire-brand in between many gopTs widi great expertise. How wonderful is His beauty!
Tile Mahajanas Sing:
kdneana map i-gane, janu niramdyalo,
mdjhai trnjha,
ramam-mandala sdja.
mahd marakata sama; Sydmaru natavara rdjd.
"The circle of girls resembles a chain o f gold and jewels and in the middle is the great emerald
Sy5ma, the king o f dancers."
"O fortunate girl! How wonderful is this Rasa-play! 'Die restless inonsooncloud constantly showers
rasa, having met with the steady lightningstrikes!"
&fi'n tftlapa K
iisumanjaGit
Tulasl says: "Your neck was worshiped by the touch of Gokula-candtxfs arm. Kr$na pleases {candra)
Your senses (go-kuld), therefore He is named Gokula Candra, He performs the RSsa-dance simply to
make You relish rasa] The Dundubhi-drum o f Your good fortune resounds; shouldn't such a
fortunate girl like You be worshiped (by Kr$na)? Gokula-candra used His arm as an ingredient for
this pujd\ now that arm is not manifest (because Kr$na is not with You now); if it was then I could
not put this ornament on You, so now I use this (golden) Graiveya-omamenl to worship You! Right
now that is the best item of worship! May He go mad when He sees tills ornament and take the pujd
over from Me, beautifying Your neck by embracing You! Desiring this to happen, I am now
decorating You!" Blessed is (his maidservant! Blessed is Her service! She crystallizes the lild before
Bhavamayi by serving Her this deep relish. Sensitive devotees will directly experience this pastime
by heating about it. Their purified hearts ate like clear minors that will directly reflect this lila-rasa,
which will be spontaneously manifest in them. Mahabhavamayl's mind and heart are always
absorbed in an ocean of lild-rasa and Tulasl makevS great waves on that ocean by describing these
different iflar to Her while serving Her. Bhavamayfs mind and heart are greatly agitated. Tulasl
says: "i put the Graiveya-omament around Your neck now! May I now see that a new ornament has
come to Your neck!" After tliis the vision disappears and Raghunatha d5sa cries of agony when he
misses His beloved SvamiriT once again.
Sri Rasika-Candra Dasa sings:
vrnddvane rasotsave,
vrajardja suta yabet
tava kantha koilo dlifigma.
tdhdte saubhdga bhare,
tava kantha manohara,
loye kobe kantha <7bharana.
peye tava krpadefe* pordfbo se kanthadeset
sada mone kori e vasand
he subhage tumi kobe,
karma nayane cdbe,
purdibe ddslra kdmana
"When (he prince of Vraja embraces You in Vrndnvana's Rasa-festival, it increases the beauty of
Your enchanting neck. When can i take a neck-ornament and hang it around Your neck after
receiving Your merciful order? Such are the desires on my mind! 0 Beautiful girl! When will You
fulfill the desires of this maidservant by mercifully glancing at her?11
137
dtisa CjosvamT
cfrf:
W ^F
f^3w=w# ^
i 98it
VERSE 34:
D A TTA H P R A LA M B A -R TPUNODBHATA SANKHACUDA
n a sAt p r a t o si h r d a ya m m a d h u m a n g a la sya
H ASTEN A YAH SU M U K H I KAUSTUBH A M IT R A M ETAM
K IM TE S Y A M A N T A K A M A N IM TA R A L A M K ARISYE
daltah - given; pralamba - the demon Pralamba; ripuna - by the enemy (Balarama); udbhaia - proud;
iafikhacuda - SankhacQ<Ia-demon; ndSdl - after destroying; pratosi - satisfied; hrdayath - heart;
madhumangctlasya - of Madhumangata; hasten# - by the hand; yah - who; sumukhi - O Fair-faced
girl; kaustubha - die Kaustubha gem; mitram - the friend; eiatii - this; hint - what; te - Your,
syamantaka manith - the Syamantaka jewel; taralam - on the locket; kari$ye - 1 will do.
Notes: In the previous verse Sri Raghunatha had a vision of himself hanging the Graivcya-omament
around Svamim's neck, and when the vision subsides he feels a burning heartache. A great attraction
to Svamim's beauty and sweetness and die sweetness of Her love awakens in his heart. The taruru
sevikd (young maidservant) is eagerly crying out of separation from her Kvan, who is dearer to her
than millions o f her own llfe-mrs. Here all lamentations over bodily conditions are absent Sfila
Raghunatha dSsa Gosvailll feels separation from RSdharanJ, and that separation is like a darkness
that becomes twice as deep after the lightning flash of Her sporadic audience is seen in the sky of his
heart. She is like a golden Piki-bird that flies in and out o f the garden o f his heart. Weeping and
weeping Sri Raghunatha's heart, that is eager to attain Her internally and externally, goes to the
kingdom of pastimes, where he has one vision o f Svamirifs dressing-pastimes after the other. This
time he perceives his service of hanging the Syamaniaka-jewel in a locket around SiTmatT's neck.
"Shall I hang tills Syamantaka-jewel, which is the friend of Krsna's Kaustubha-jcwel, in a locket on
Your chest?" SrT Baladeva, the destroyer or the Pralamba-demon, was very pleased with Sri Kr$na,
the killer of the Saiikliacuda-demon, and gave Sri RSdha the Syamantaka-jewel through the hands of
Madhumaftgala. TulasT awakens the remembrance of so many previous pastimes in Svaminljls heait!
The story o f the killing of Sankhacutfa is related in Snmad Bhagavata, canto Ten, chapter 34. One
spring-night, the night of Holi", die ftvo divine brothers, Krsna and Balarama, enjoyed with the
gopTs in Vraja's forest. How wonderful is Vrndavana's beauty!
138
J n -J n 'iStfilpa 'Ktistimmjalift
eke rtu-raja,
vraja samdjd
hori radge rangiyd
ndgan-vara hori radge,
unamati cita Sydma sange,
ndcata koto bhangiyd
gayata koto rasa prasaftgo*
bdyata koto vlndmucanga,
thaiyd thaiyd mrdangtyd
"It is the king o f seasons, spring* and the society of Vraja blissfully celebrates Holi. The gopts, the
best of amorous heroines, are madly dancing with &yama, making so many delectable movements!
How many rasika songs tliey sing and how many Vinas and other instruments they play! The
mrdangas are pounding 'thaiyd thaiydV1
enjoying with the girls on the Holi-fullmoon night when Sahkhacuda came and took Radhika away,
along with the throne She sat on. When he saw that Balarama and Kr$na began lo chase him in order
to kill him he lei go o f Radliika and ran away. A short distance from there (between Kusuma
Sarovara and Govardhana) Kr$na killed him, took away his crown jewel and gave it to Balarama."
After Krsna had killed the demon He took the Syamantaka jewel, that shone like the sun, from his
head and gave it to His older brother Balarama in front, of all the gopfs.
priyatamdyai Sri rddhikayai tnanir esoWaSyam arpayitum isyate sdksdrt mayd daue.ca khcilu rnahyam
asuyd sambhaveu "Krsiia, after lolling Sahkhacuda, thought to Himself: "Surely Ilhhave to give this
jewel tcrMy heart's beloved Sri Radhika, but if 1 give it to Her directly all the other gopfs will be
jealous o f Her and blame Me!" tato'grajaya datto'py ayam paramdbhijnena mat prTty ekapeksyakena
tasya evanena datavyah tato na rosali kop i Sankate. gurau ca tdsdth katham apy asuyd "Let Me
tlierefore give it to My older brother. He knows everything and, out o f love for Me, will give it to Sri
Radhika. No gopi can be angry with Him or blame Him, because He is My superior!" Ill his own
commentary (Sarartha Dar$im), 6ri Vivanatha CakravartI continues: sa ca mahd vijfiah
krsndbhlpsita sthala eva tam manirii nyadhad iti jneyam: "He (Balarama) knows everything, so He
will give the jewel to Madhumahgala, who will give it Lo Sri R&dhikS," Balarama thus blesses Sri
Radhika as if She is His younger sister-in-law. Because of Balaramas sweet affection TulasI can now
decorate her Svtimim with this costly jewel. TUlasl is like Svaminl's shadow, never leaving Her. Her
gaze is fixed on Her service and she serves Svamini the honey-sweet llla-rasa. How sweet it is to sit
by their lotustcet, even while hearing and chanting about these services! "The Kaustubha-jewel on
K onas chest is the friend of the Syamantaka-jewel on Your bosom! They are friends through the
Utii, not. despite the Ifldl" A slight sweet smile appears like a line on RadliikS's face as She hears the
sweet intimate words of Her mrasifca kinkaril
The Kaustubha-gcm and the Syamantaka-jewel are friends, like two devotees whose friendship is
centered, around Sri-Sri Radha-Kr$na. The hinkaris' friendship is also based on their service to Sri
Radhika. How wonderful is die friendship of Rupa and RaghunStha! The friendship o f Kaustubha
and Syamantaka is just like that, accomplished through the Itlasl Tlxis cannot be experienced witliout
liiinking of oneself as Sri Radhas maidservant As long as die mind drags the devotee here and there
and keeps him absorbed in bodily conciousness tlierc can be no aim at the truth. "Why am I always
carried away by tilings that were not there before and that will not remain later? I am ruining myself
by forsaking the service of the Lord, who is my all-in-all. I cannot forsake temporary things and
strive for the eternal!" Raghunatha dasa GosvamT lived like a prince before he joined MahOprabhu.
He was as wealthy as the heavenly king Indra, and his wife was as beautiful as an angel, but he gave
it all up. Mahaprabhu, being very satisfied with his extraordinary example of loving devotion and
renunciation, presented him with a Govardhana-&7a and a gunja-tndld, thereby offering Iiim to the
lotusfeel of Giridhari and Sri Radhika, In tills way Sri Radluka took a seat in his heart. The aspirants
should also be asleep to the world and be awake to SrT RsSdharanTs service - that is the teaching of
the dedryas.
TulasI calls SvSminl 'Sumukhi1. By speaking about the friendship between the Kaustubha- and
Syamaniaka-jcwels she awakens the memories of so many rasika pastimes within Svaminl's mind.
SrlmatT's eyes and face light up with feelings of love when She hears Tulasf s nectarean words about
the jewels. This beautiful lace is the gate through which the feelings of the embodiment of feeling
140
are manifest. That is why TulasI calls Her Sumuklii, or lair-faced girl, here. Srlla RGpa Gosvami
describes the endless waves of bhdva on the ocean of &*Tmatfs face as follows when he gives an
example of Radhika's quality of Suviklsft in Ujjvala Nllamani (Rfidlia Prakarana - 41):
'
"He blissfully handed the jewel to BalarSma, who gave it to Madhumahgala, who again presented it
to You. That Syamantaka-jewel is itself a mine full o f jewels o f beauty and is befriended with
Kr$na$ Kaustubha-jewcl."
100 The commentary on diis verse by Sri ViSvanadia CakravartI (named Ananda Candrika) is especially
rclishable for die devotees.
101 Narrated by SrTla Ananda Gopala Gosvami.
141
U1 will string that king of jewels on a pearl necklace and hang it around Your neck, O Fairfaced girl!
Tell me, when will You grant me that service and keep me at Your feet as a maidservant?11
TO
&tT=pcTO
ii
it
VERSE 35:
PRA N TA -D V AYE PARTVIRAJTTA GUCCHA-YUGM A
VIBHRAJITENA N A V A K A N C A N A D O RA K EN A
K S IN A lti T R U T A T Y A T H A KR&ODARI CED IT lV A
B A D H N A M IB H O S TA V A K A D A t I BH AYENA M A D H Y A M
pranta - at the end; dvaye - both; parivirajita - manifest; guccha - lassies; yugma - pair; vibhrdjilena
- shining; nova - new; kdneana - golden; dorakena - with a string; ksinaih - thin; trufati - it breaks;
atha - and then; krsodari - O slender girl!; cet - if; iti - thus; iva - as if; badhnami -1 will bind; bho 0 !; tava - Your; kadd - when; ati - very much; bhayena - with fear; madhyam - middle.
0 SQrJodari (slendergirQl your waist is so thin that I'm very much afraid that it wi&hreaJt
when I hind it w ith a golden string w ith tassCes at both endsl
Notes: In the previous verse ri Raghunatha hung the Syamantaka-jcwel around Svamini's neck and
when tills vision disappears he laments: "When will You give Me Your personal service?" Suddenly
the vision of his devotional service returns and alter hanging the Syamantaka-jewel he sees himself
hanging a golden sash around Svamini's waist with tassles on both ends. "Ayi KrSodari (slender
girl)! When will I very fearfully hang this string around Your waist? Afraid that Your waist will
break I Fwil! hang this string around it, just to bind it up!" Seeing how thin SrlniatT's: waist is TulasT is
afraid that it will break. Hie MallSjanas sing: kesari jini, krto majhakhdni, muthe kori ydya dharii
"Her waist is more thin than that of a lion and it cau be held even with a fist!" One can never serve
God with love unless one knows the desires on His mind. We must get some impulse from Him
therefore. On the strength of his loving devotion the curtain of God's mind will open for the devotee
and he can see what is the Lords desire. How glorious then arc the kifikarTs, who are dedicated to the
service of the full madana mahd bhdva, Supreme Love personified, Srimatl Radhika, who keeps
even Kr?na under Her control? Ki?na Himself worships prema, Divine Love, therefore He is also
subdued by Sri Radhika's maidservants; that is their full pride and glory. Kr$na became Gaura to
taste the Love that Radhika feels for Him, and after He had experienced that He also wanted to taste
the nectar of the kihknrls' service. While He relished the mood of the marijarTs the Lords body
became formed like a turtle {kumdkrti), or sometimes His limbs would loosen and stretch out (asihisandhi viyoga). Sri Caitanya Caritamrta describes MahSprabhu's mad words after He came out of His
kurmdkrii (Antya-Mi chapter 14):
142
S rT -J n V ifu p ci tKitSuntanjaGA
143
ye kale vd svapane,
dekhinu varirfi vadane
se kale dild did vain
dnanda dra madana,
hari nilo mora mon,
dekhite na pdinu neira bhari
"Hial lime or dream in which I saw Kr$na holding the flute to His mouth, two enemies came: ecstasy
and Cupid. Hiey stole My mind, so that I could not fully see Him anymore."
VERSE 36:
K A N A K A G U NITAM UCCAIR M AU K TIK AM M A T K A R A T TE
TILA KUSUM A VIJETRl N ASIK A SA SU VRTTAM
M AD H U -M ATH AN A M A H A L IK SO B H A K A M H EM A-G AU RI
P R jlK A T A T A R A M A R A N D A P R A Y A M AD ASYATE K IM
kanaka - golden; gunitam - strings; uccaih - great; mauktikam - pearl; mat - my; karat *from
the hand; te - Your; tila-kusuma - sesame flower; vijetrl - defeating; ndsikd - nose; sd - that; suvrttam
- round; madhu-mathana - Kj$na, the churner o f the honey; trnhd - great; ati - bumblebee;
m Narrated by -Srlla Ananda Gopala Gosv&ml.
145
O H tma- gauri (golden gtrljl W hen wUC (four nose,, that defeats the Beauty o f a
sesame j'tower, taf& a great, round nosepearl, attached to a golden string/ from my hand?
^Thegreat Bee 9dadhumathana
toiC Be very agitated By the honey that appears thus!
Notes: When the transcendental vision disappears ,and die lack of devotional service is felt it
becomes hard to tolerate the resultant misery. Sometimes the premika devotee even faints,, but
when the beloved deity responds the swoon may subside. When there is no vision there is again
lamentation and prayers for devotional service. In this way it gradually continues. From this
verse we can understand that Tulasi has fainted, but now Svamini personally calls H er back to
consciousness in a transcendental vision: Tulasi! Won't you put on My nosering? Sri
Raghunatlia is awakened by Svamirifs merciful call. He is sitting there* waiting for devotional
service and thinking; "I see I'm getting it, I'm getting it! How can I survive if I cannot serve Her
even a little?" TuIasTs vine-like body is burning in the forest-fire of separation, and nothing but
the shower o f SvaminTs mercy can save his life! How merciful SvaminI is to call Tulasi for
service like that!
"External consciousness is an obstacle for a conditioned soul like me. M y mind is going
in the other direction, I have no relationship with my svanqm at all! How intense are my wordly
relationships, I cannol forget them even if I try! All the things that drive me mad are temporary.
All these things will go, with whom shall I stay?" Again others decide to keep one share for their
bodies and those things related to the body, and another share for the Lord. But by lugging at the
heart like this, ttying to divide it into different parts, Oilman's mercy cannot be attained! The
whole heart must be given to Radharani, all oilier engrossments are simply stumbling blocks this is the teaching of the dcdryasl We should live in Vraja to follow the example of these
acatyas. Srlpada Prabodh&ianda SarasvatT has written in Radha Rasa Sudhanidhi (60):
J n ^n ^d a p a *JQisum8fija(i$
treasure of incomparible emotions in the form of this guidebook for spiritual remembrance {smarana
paddhati), that is full of ever-expanding feelings of ecstatic love, in this world.
Svaminl calls Tulasi: "Tulasi, come! Won't you put on My nosepearl?" Tulasi thinks: "Ive put on all
decorations, now the nosepearl on the golden string is left! Let me see if Sv5mim will take it Herself
or not!", and openly she says: "Your nose-pearl is hooked to a golden string] Wiii You take it from
my hand? This pearl is very dear to You> and I have to put it on You! If there is no gold on Your
nose Your breathing may be inauspicious for Priyatama, thats why You want to wear the nosepearl!
My heart cries for lliis ordered service." Blessed is tins kihkarT, who knows like nobody else how to
serve the deity according to His heart's desire! Sripada -Suka Muni has called mother YaSodfc krsna
hitaisim , she who works for Kr$na's well-being. When His names, qualities and pastimes are being
heard, chanted and remembered Kr$na bestows the greatest welfare on the world, but mother YaSoda
is always worried about His welfare. Kr$na is all-pervading (yibhu), and on Qie strength o f His great
love even the greatest sinner can be liberated from the material world and attain ecstatic love o f God,
simply by chanting Hi$ holy name. This Kr$na became known in the world as Damodara because
His mother Yaoda bound Him with ropes. For Krona's welfare Sri Radhika goes to His village
NandKvara every morning to cook for Him, being blessed by Durvasa Muni that whatever She
would cook would be like nectar, increasing the life-span and health of anyone who would eat it and
curing him from diseases. Every day Svaminl worships the Sungod and prays to him for the good
health of Her PrananStha. That is the nature of the love of Vraja, and that's why Svaminl asks Tulasi
for this nosepearl on a golden string. When Tulasi puls on the nosepearl she immerses Svaminl in an
ocean o f sweet Kr?na-topics. "Your nose defeats even the sesame-flower in beauty and will make the
Kr$na-bee very greedy! Even a Hero like Him cannot resist it!"105 $ri Krona's purva rdga is
described as follows:
gc{
s e i#
148
j n - j n Viftlpu. 'JQisumafljaltfi
^
V E R SE
3 7
ii
ii
A N G A D E N A T A V A V A M A D O H STH A LE
S V A K N A -G A U R IN A V A R A T N A -M A L 1 K A M
P A T T A GUCCHA P A R 1S0B H 1T A M IM A M
A jn a y A
p a r in a y a m i te k a d
angadena - with the armlet; lava - Your; vama - left; doh - arm; sthale - in the place; svamagauri golden beauty; nava - new, or nine; ratna - jewelled; rndlikdm - siring; pafta guccha - silken lassies;
pantiobhitdm - beautified; imdm - this; ajnaya - on Your order; parinayami - 1 will marry; te - Your;
kada - when.
O S o m y n g a m i (golden g irQ l W hen w ill l , o n tYour order, m arry (join } th e arm let on y o u r
le f t a m w ith a n e w strin g o f je w e ls, B ea u tified 6 y a s ilfy n ta ssle?
Notes; 5rl Raghunatha dasa's heart is immersed in the mellow of devotional service. Sometimes he
serves as he wants it and sometimes as he is ordered. He relished the flavours of devotional service
as an associate o f Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. T1trough his own life, that was full of sddhand, he
showed that the aedryas are doing hhajan in faithful adherence. Sri Raghunatha d5sa follows rl
Rupa GosvainT:
149
Snt&'Jtyflfiunatfm {ftisa(jOsvumX
110 The jewel suing is female (milld) aud the armlet is male (aftgacla). Ed
111 This paragraph is narrated by Sri Ananda Gopala GosvamT.
150
$n.-$n fflfupa
Svaminl passionately stretches out Her left arm to grab the string of new jewels. Aha! How
wonderful is the beauty of Her arm! Tulasl is enchanted. This is not a mundane arm. Some compare
it with a golden Ioiussiem, and some say: m ite svarna mrndlake rati-pater ye pa&Uam agate: These
are not golden lotusstems, but Cupid's ropes! (Govinda Ultimata) These ropes are expert in
embracing the black Tamala-tree Kr?na. How many past sports with Priyatama is Tulasl awakening
in SvaminTs memory! Blessed is this maidservant, the embodiment of love! How many ornaments of
love isn't she using? With great attachment the devotee should meditate on the loving services he is
rendering to His ISvari (goddess), who is dearer to him than millions o f lives. It is not enough for the
aspirant to systematically memorize a quota o f verses about these services and to remember tine
gradual asta kdiiya Hid (Radhfi and Kama's eternal eightfold daily pastimes) without having actual
love, devotion, humility, intuition and spiritual experience. That is not rdgdnuga bhakti, This kind
of devotion is not based on mere book knowledge or scriptural injunctions, but on divine passionate
greed that arises after hearing about the activities o f the people of Vraja, on the manifest plane (the
six Gosvamls) and on the unmanifest plane (Nanda, Ya$od3, Radharam, Rupa Manjari etc.), tad
bhava lipsund kdryd vrajalokanusdratah (Bhakti RasSmrta Sindhuh) rlla Rupa Gosvanil and Srila
Raghunatha Dasa Gosvfunl are the greatest shelter for such spontaneous devotees. Without hearing
their expert loving prayers for devotional service one's sddhana can not be beautiful and successful.
How greatly Raghunatha suffers when he does not feel Sv&nitifs hand holding him! He laments and
prays:
3 i
w pt
ii
ii
VERSE 38:
K A R N A Y O R U PAR1C AK RA-SALAK E
C A N C A L A K SIN IH JT E M A Y A K A T E
K SO B IIAK A M N IK H ILA GO PA VAD H U N AM
CAKRAVAD B H R A M A YA TA M M U R A -A T R UM
karnayoh - both ears; upari - above; cakra M ake - hoop earrings; cailcaldksi - restless eyed girl;
nihite - placed; mayakd - by this fallen maiden; te - Your; ksobhakarii - agitating; nikhila - all; gopa
vadhundm - of the cowherdgirls; cakravad - like a disc; bhramayaiath - making spin; mura-Satrum the enemy of Mura, Kr$i.ia.
151
JnfxilRftgfiuu&tfta, dasa Q ow am l
Notes: The visions of devotional service and the end of those visions follow eachothcr successively,
creating simultaneously an amazing satisfaction and agony. This agony is a deeply rclishable bliss.
Although Srlla Diisa Gosvami is an eternal maidservant of Sri RSdhika he always feels as if he loves
Her for the first time, regardless of what condition he is in. At every moment the awareness of a lack
of direct meeting with the beloved deity awakens in Ms heart. How great is his agony! MI have fallen
on the bank of Your lake! Please take me to Your lolusfeet, knowing me to be Your lallen
maidservant!11The neophyte devotees must learn this eager devotional longing from him. Tire life of
a devotee is naturally full of thoughts of the beloved deity and nothing else. His mind wants nothing
and nobody else, Such intimicy with Sn RRdharanI cannot be attained while being engrossed in the
mundane kingdom. "A person like me has left all his kith and kin far behind to go to Vraja, where
his mind became absorbed in dunking of temporary things. I'm living in VrndSvana, where the birds
are singing &T Radhika's glories, where the trees and vines shudder out o f love fof n RSdhika and
where each speck of dust is sprinkled with the mafia bhdva that emanates from 3rl Rfidhika's
foolsolcs - where is that realization?" Sensitive devotees experience the real form of Vraja, but
fellows devoid o f devotion see it as just an ordinary, mundane place. Therefore the aspirants should
give up their material conditionings and bring in their transcendental conceptions. The soul thrives
on prema-rasa and must relish that and attain the honey-sweet association of the Divine Couple.
Sii Dasa Gosvami sits on the bank of Sri Radhakuirfa and weeps for want o f the direct, personal
service of Srimati Radhikfu to whom he has offered Ms whole mind and heart. The Gosvamls have
taught by example that, if die mind wanders off elsewhere Svamini is running off. "Why won't I
become absorbed in You? Why can I not make my life a full success? I will purify my muddy mind
with this mahd-vdnlY' A person who thinks like that is a bhakta-vlra (devotee-hero). Sri
Raghunatha's life-curs reach Ms throat when he suffers the pain of love-in-separation. Just then he
gets a vision; he's no longer RaghunStha, now he is TulasI Mafijarl. "Svamini! I have put these hoopearrings above Your ears! How wonderful is the slight smile that appears on Svdniinfs face then!
niramala vadana, hdsa rasa parimale, nialitia sudhdkara ambare roi "When the spotted moon in
the sky sees Radhika's spotless face scented with the rasa of laughter, he must cry." TulasI serves
without hesitation, and Svamini also accepts her service without hesitation. Is this only a mental
concoction? She accepts all service rendered within the mind. &ri Dasa Gosvami personally relished
the sweet rasa of devotional service and taught: vraje rddhd-krsna pracura paricarydm iha ianu
(Manah Siksa 1) "Elaborately serve RStiha and Kr$na in Vraja! Serve (he heart's friend o f ri Radha
within die mind, He will accept it all! Tills mental service is the very life-force of the externally
rendered devotional service. &rila Rupa Gosvami has proven from die Padma Purana diat one who
always selves Lord Hari mentally has direct association with He who is otherwise not perceived with
(material) words and mind:
152
^ n - J r f Vifdpa
doctor insisted. RaghunStha Dasa then confirmed tlie doctor's diagnosis, saying: l,It is true. I had
mentally offered kslra (sweet dee) to Radhfi and Kr$na and l mentally ate too much o f the remnants
o f Their enjoyed food." This is one of several occasions in which the mental contact with God
becomes physically manifest.
In a vivid vision TuIasT places hoop-earrings above ^rlrnatfs ears. SrTmatl is still absorbed in (lie
placing of the jewel-string on Her left arm. Her body consists of bhdva and it is as if She searches for
someone with Her restless eyes. TulasT attracts Her mind by saying: 0 Caficalak$i, restless-eyed
girl! Hey &ym3jQ! Your eyes restlessly go here and there, mistaking every object to be Ki^na!
Hence I call You CailcalaksI, or restless-eyed girl!" Svaminl says: "Tulasi! For whose sake have you
ornamented Me?" Tulasi replies: "I will make MuraSatru, who agiLates all die gopls with His
matchless all-attractive beauty and sweetness, spin around like a disc! When He cannot find His
beloved anywhere He will come to You, spinning and spinning!" That Kr$a, who is very anxious to
meet. Rndharartf, is very dear to the mafijaria. The kinkarls ate very proud of the sweet form of their
mistress, and they say: I will bring Mura$atru here, spinning like a disc, by attracting Him with
these disc-shaped hoop-earrings!"112 In purva rdga a dial describes Syamasundara's condition to
Sfimatl when He anxiously searches for Her:
vrsabhdnu nandini,
japaye rati dini
bharama nd bolaye an
lakho idkha dhani,
bolaye madhura vdm,
svapane na pdtaye kdn.
"Day and night He murmurs: 'Vi^abhanu Nandini!' without saying anything else. Although hundreds
of thousands o f fortunate girls speak sweet words to Him He does not listen to them even in
dreams!"
Vdr kohi 'dJia'pahum, kohoi na pdroi,
153
Tulasl says; "Although it is just an insignificant ornament it will still cause Ki$ha to spin around
after I put it on You! That was my intention! I wanted to agitate Him and make Him spin around like
this, searching and searching for You until He meets You!" Kr?na is very dear to Lite manjarTs when
He becomes anxious to meet Sri Rudhika. The heart of the kiftkan is filled with pride when she sees
the sweet form of her mistress, and she says: "These disc-like earrings will make MuraSatru spin like
a disc and bring Him to You!" How many hundreds o f experiences o f Kr$na ThlasT gives to SvaminI
in this way! Tlie word mayakd in the text is a sign o f humility: 'I am not qualified to serve You, but
You are all-merciftil and You have accepted this sevikd (maidservant)! Alas! Although You are
anxious to meet yama, I have not been able to bring Him here! How unfortunate I am! Despite all
tiiis, You are full of love (premaimyt), and I have placed these disc-shaped hair-pins above Your
ears to pull Syama towards You, spinning and spinning! 1 will agitate even Muraatru, who can
agitate all the goptsl"u2 In the night of the Rasa-dance the gopts personally expressed how agitated
they were by seeing Kronas beauty and sweetness:
"O friend! Kf$i?a behaves like a hunter! Not counting what is virtue and vice He steals the hearts of
the doe-like gopls through different means!"
ganda-sihala jhalamala,
ndee makara kundala,
sei nrtye hare ndrT-caya
sasmita katdk$a bane,
td sabhdra hrdaye hone,
nan vadhe ndhi kichu bhaya
"His dancing Makata-earrings shimmer on His checks and their dancing steals the hearts of the girls.
His smiling glances are like arrows that pierce their hearts. He's not at all afraid to commit the crime
of killing women!"
subalita dirghargala>
kr$na bhuja yugala
bhuja nahe - krsna sarpa kdya
dui Saila chidre poi$e,
ndnra hrdaye darhse,
mare ndrt se visa jvdldya
"Krspa's long and strong su ms are like bolts. They are not arms - they are the bodies of black snakes,
penetrating in the holes of the gopis' breasts and biting their hearts, making them die of the burning
poison."
155
5 n 7i i
"O Restless-eyed Rfidhe! I submit my desire to Your Iotusfeet: I blissfully want to decorate Your
cars with aslonisliing disc-shaped hairpins!"
II
II
VERSE 39:
KAD A TE M R G A S A vA K S I
c ib u k e m r g a n a b h in A
BIN D U M U LLASAYISYAM I
m u k u n d Am o d a M AN D W E
kadd - when; te - Your; mrga sdvdksi - O fawn-eyed girl!; cibuke - on tire chin; mrga ndbhind - with
musk (obtained from the navel o f a deer); bindum - drop; ulldsayisydmi - 1 will gladden; mukunda Mukunda; amoda - bliss; mandire - in the abode.
150
J tT 'Jn l/tfdptl X
itsumStijafUl
O 9drga avati$i (farm-eyedjfirQi When can 1 Beautify your cfim, that is the aSode o f
fhCufQtndds BRss, roith a drop o f musk?
Notes: During a transcendental vision
Raghunatha, in svarftpdveia, hangs disc-shaped hairpins
above SiTmatTs ears, and now he proceeds by placing a musk-drop on Her chin. When the vision of
placing the hairpins disappears Raghunalha dasa laments. The pain of separation that a jdta-prema
devotee (a devotee whose love for Kr$na has' awakened) feels is very intense, no doubt, but 3iHa
Raghunatha dasa Gosviimi is in the kingdom of maim bhdva (far beyond that). When the devotee
readies the stage of rati he gets visions of the Lord's forms and qualities and he experiences great
transcendental ecstasy. But when the stage o f prema is attained tiiere is not so much bliss felt from
perceiving the Lord's form in a sphurti anymore. The mind then becomes greedy after something
even more special - that is the attainment of (lie Lord's direct darfana. Sri Raghunalha dasa is on the
level of mahd bhdva, so his heart is always filled with great eagerness to see the Lord directly.
Between sphurti (visions) and sdk$dt darsana (direct seeing) there is an medium-stage which is
called sok$dikara kalpa or visphurti, a more vivid kind o f sphurtL All the transcendental visions of
Sff Raghunatha dasa are in that category. Both in his external conciousness and during
transcendental visions lie is focused on Sn Radha's lotusfeel. Wherever there is full surrender there
can be no question of a division of interests. The perfection of prema cannot be attained by thinking:
"I will give something to my body and my family, and the rest I will give to my beloved deity."
Everything must be surrendered to the lolusfeet'of the beloved deity! A devotee must lake shelter
unequivocally, ni$kapate nd bhajinu tomd (Sri Narottama dSsa) "O Lord! I did not worship You
without hidden motives!11 If there are any oilier motives within Uie heart it is called deceitfulness.
Without being free from ulterior motives the prema sddhand cannot be done. The desire for
distinction is a great enemy of the aspirant. Even a person who has renounced everything may desire
to touch the hog-stool o f the desire for distinction: 'Tin a great scholar. I'm very qualified, I'm very
wise, I'm absorbed in bhajan, Fin very famous! I will lord it over everyone and thus become very
happy!" These desires are called pratisthasa, or desire for distinction, and theres no greater obstacle
to the development of devotion than that. Tliis desire is like a band of pirates that enters the boat of
sddhand and plunders it* dragging it down to hell. In his 'Manah &ik$a (teachings for the mind)1J>rl
Raghunatha d5sa writes:
"Do not endeavour for the false, like profit, adoration and distinction. Always think of Govindas
lolusieet! All calamities will then go and you will become very happy. This is the greatest cause for
loving devotion!"
157
5 rifo
Unequivocal surrender cannot, take place when we keep on pulling between different interests. "I am
ri Rlidhas maidservant! I don't have a relationship with anyone else!" This kind of loyalty will
awaken in the heart o f a pure, independent devotee. &1 Raghunftlha dasa falls on the bank of
RiklhSkunda and weeps. What to do, how to become Sri Riidharaius beloved, that, must be learned
from the dedryas.
TulasT is in the kingdom of Hid, Holding a cup with musk in her left hand and a brush in her right
hand, she stands before SvaminI, wearing Her leftover glistening blue sdn. SvaniinT mercifully gave
her the sdn because She was very much satisfied with Tulasl's service. How beautiful she looks in it!
Seeing SvaminTs playful eyebrows and eyes, Tulasl calls Her mrga savdk$i (fawn-eyed girl). She
holds the cup with fragrant musk dose to SvaminJ's nose so that She will remember Krsna's bodily
fragrance, Wliile Her eyes, that extend to Her ears, move around restlessly, SvaminI asks Tulasl:
"Where does that fragrance come from? I understand that My Priyatama is coming)114
158
J n -S n 'iMapa Igjtstimattjafift
come and facie that drop ouL by kissing Your chin! And that's exactly what I want!"115 Being fully
surrendered to Her, the maidservants know exactly what is on Svaminls mahd-bhdva-m nd>and they
serve Her accordingly, By SvfiminI's grace they know exactly what She needs! "I call myself a
maidservant, but still Svflminl does not respond! As soon as my mind and my heart become qualified
She will certainly respond! I cant eat, I cant sleep, I'm crying for Her day and night! Can merciful
Svfuninl remain silent and callous, although She sees all this?" In 5rimad Bhagavala (9.4.65) Sri
Narayaya told DurvSsS Muni:
CN
I goI
VERSE 40:
D A SA N A M S TE K A D A R A K T A
REK H ABIIIR B H U SA YA M Y A H A M
D EVI M U K t A p IIA L A N IH A
P AD M A RA G A G U N
A IR IV A
*
dalanam - teeth; te - Your; kadd - when; rakta - red; rekhdbhih - with lines; bhusaydmi - will adorn;
aham - 1; devi - 0 Goddess!; nniktd-phaldm - of a pearl; iha - here; padmardga - ruby; giuiaih - with
strings; iva - as i f
O 2>tvi (Qoddess)t When w ilt I decorate yb u r teetfi with, reddish fines, making them Cook,
ju s t fikp pearls w ith fines ofruBtf on them?
Notes: The stream of Sri Raghunatha's transcendental visions flows on. This time he serves
SvaminT's row of teeth, saying: " 0 goddess! When will I decorate Your teeth with reddish lines,
making them look just like pearls with lines of ruby on them?" & l Raghuntilha's heart is filled with
an amazing eagerness lo serve his Svaminljl. Just as food docs not taste sweet when one is not
hungry, the flavour o f devotional service is not astonishing when there is no eagerness in the
devotee's heart. Svfuninl stood behind Raghunatha to relish the sweetness of His eager and earnest
devotion, She did not show Herself in front of him!116 The Lord enjoys the eagerness of His
devotees.
autsukyera prdvinye,
jiti anya bhava sainye,
ndoya koilo nija rdjya mane
mone hath Idlasa,
nd hoy apana vasa,,
duhke mone korena bhartsane
"His liighly developed eagerness conquered all other soldiers of ecstasy and an
uncontrollable desire arose in the kingdom of His mind. Then he sadly rebuked His own mind,"
161
"Without Krsna My poor mind will die within a moment, just like a fish out o f water.
Krsna's sweetly smiling lace, which is like a reviving elixir for the mind and eyes, make My thirst
lor Kr$na double."
vadasi yadi kincid api danfa ruci kaumudt lmrati dara timiram ati ghoram
sphurad adhara sfdhave lava vadana candrama rocayati locaua cakoram
priye ! aim sile! munca tmyi mdnam aniddmm !
snpadi imdandnalo dahati mama infinasam dehi mukha karnala madhupdnam
(Gita Govinda)
"If You say even the slightest tiling the moonlight of Your beautiful teeth will take away the
dense darkness! The nectar of Your lips, that emanates from Your moonlike face, pleases My
Cakora-bird-like eyes. O Beloved! 0 Girl with (lie beautiful nature! Give up Your causeless pique!
My mind burns in the fire of lust! Please give Me the honeydrink from Your loluslike face!"
Tulasfs prattling crystallizes Syama before SvaminL How many pastimes can she awaken
within SvaminTs memory! Now it is as if SvaminI is krsna kridd piijdra vasati nagarl, the empress
of (he town of Kr$nas play and worship. That's why TuiasT calls Her devi, TulasI draws red lines on
Svamini's teeth and is astonished by their beauty, saying: "Alia! How beautiful are Your teeth! They
look just like pearls with lines o f ruby on them! All these endeavours are made to increase the greed
162
1
i
J fT -S n W fu p a
o f the Krsnn-parrot. When He can relish this all my endeavours have become worthwhile!" In
Srimad Bhfigavata (11.1630) Sri Krsna says 10 Uddhava: rat/umdth padmardgo'smi - 'Of gems I am
the ruby1. In lliis way Kr$na always resides on Radhikifs pearllike teeth!117 The beauty of this
peerless service must be learned from the Gosvamls. It is the service of mahd-bham and must be
understood through miha bhfmi. Where are the insignificant living entities, and where is that mahilbhdva, the essence of love of God? But now, in tliis particular age of Kali, the afflicted souls have
become so fortunate to enter into (ills kingdom of mahd-bhdva, which is otherwise difficult of
access, by the special mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Being empowered by Mahaprabhu the
Gosvamls have revealed this kingdom, and the only way to get the great fortune of relishing
Svamiiu's devotional service is to follow in their footsteps, rasa can only be understood through
personal experience and it can only be outlined by the mercy of the rasika devotees. The desired Uldkatha (talks about Radha and Kr$na's pastimes) cannot be done with others than with rasika
devotees;. Even the Lord Himself is very greedy to taste these topics with the rasika devotees.
Mahaprabhu told &ii R5mananda Raya:
(6. 10):
yogi yuiijitn satatam dtmdnam rahn$i sthilah
ekxkiyataciitatma nirdsir aparigrabali
"The yogi always remains alone with himself in a lonely place, controlling his senses and his
mind, free from desires and not taking anything for himself." In the SShkhya-dar&uia there is a verse
saying bahubhir yoge virodho rdgddibhili kunuiri sankhavat "When you live witli many people
together, anger and conflicts wall arise and the resultant quarrel will rain your Y0gn-practi.se, just as
the maiden's bangles will always jingle as long as she moves her hands, and as long as she wears
even more than one bangle on each wrist." But when the Lord discusses the devotional practise of
the devotees He says:
tiifa iiG j w m
i# d | ^ s f ^ <=& f ^ n ^ f
f ^ k
11 b ? ii
VERSE 41:
U TKHADIRENA N A V A C AND RA VIRAJITENA
R A G E N A TE VARA SU D H AD H ARA BIM BA-YUGM E
G A N G E Y A -G A T R IM A Y A K A P A R IR A N JITE 'SM IN
D A M SA M V ID H A S Y A T IH A T H A T K IM U K R SN A -K IR A
uikhadirena - with catechu; nova - fresh; candra - camphor; virdjitena - with shining;
ragena - \vi(h colour; te - Your; vara - excellent; sudha - nectar; adhara - lips; bimba - Bimba fruits;
yugme on the couple; gdngeya - golden; gdtrl - (iem.) body; mayakd - by me; pariranjHe - colored:
asmin - in this; damfarii - bite; vidhUsyati - will do; halhdt - by force, or suddenly; him it - whether;
krsna - Kr$na; kira - parrot.
O Qdhgeya Q5toi (girl with a golden body)! When wUC I colour *fowr excellent
ntctar&fe figs, that are re<C life Bimbafiuits, with lipstick o f catechu m&Kpd with fresh
camphor? W ill the HQ'fna-parrot suddenly come then andforcibly Bite them?
Notes: Sri Raghunalha's prayers for devotional service, that arc resting in Iiis heart, flow on
like a clear stream of ever-increasing emotions. It is as if Srimatl RadhiSrSnT sits in his heart and
soothes it. A wonderful relish of love of Krsna can be lasted while serving Priyajfs (Radhika's)
lotusfeel on the bank of Her kunda. Wilhout worshiping Sri RSdhas lotusfeet and taking shelter of
Her divine abode, Kr$na's sweetness cannot be relished. SrTla Raghunatha d&sa writes in his Sva
Sankalpa Prakaga stotram (1):
164
^ n - S n ^ s t S p a tK jisum ifnjafifi.
bhdva. It is natural for Her to make Kf$na relish frdgdra rasa. krsnake kordya fydnmrasa
madhupema; nirantara puma kore krsnera sarva kdma (Caitanya Caiitamrta): "She makes Kr$na
drink the honcydrink of sydma-rasa (erotic flavours), and She always fulfills all o f K onas desires/*
H ie Gosvamls prayed to Sri Radha: "Please personally teach me how to serve You more expertly!"
"You suy 1 worsiup Vrndavana\ but you're happily staying at home - you love all exterior trappings.
You're satisfied with praise, hut are enraged when insulted. How did you manage to destroy the
happiness of your soul?"
atulitn su^amdya,
pakka bimbapbala prdya,
hobe tdhd ati suSobhana
nirakhiya Syama iuka,
hoiben samutsuka,
mam sukhe koribe dninsana
"These Ups are already as beautiful as ripe Bimba-fruits, but now they will become even more
beautiful. When the Syama-parrot sees this He will become very enthusiastic to bite them to His
minds pleasure!"
sFR ^cf
II
II
VERSE 42:
ttH.tlt even the slightest hGn^Jrom. the comers o f your eyes yon immediately tie down the
fang o f elephants IKfsiya tightly. When w ill this person worship those two eyes, that defeat
the fichfeness o f the wqgtaUBird, with eyeliner?
Notes: Sffmat Raghunatha dasa GosvamI attains a virtual succession o f rclishable devotional
services to Svaminl. The devotees Uiat are fixed in smarana will also attain these relisiiable services
within their minds. When smarana becomes deep it is called dhyana, or meditation. This dhyana or
nidhidhyasana is the best means of meeting the Lord face-to-face. In the Palailjala-datSana it is
167
168
J fv J n W tlp a yQtsuttulttjflfifr
"The Creator sal down in solitude to create the pupils of Her two eyes. Thinking them to be blue
lolusflowers, the greedy bumblebees (or Kr$ua) constantly run for them."
The beauty o f 3ri Radhika's eyes subdue SrT Krsna, the freely enjoying mad young elephant of Vraja,
who is otherwise uncontrollable. Kr$iia is named 'Had' because He steals everyone's hearts and
minds with His extraordinary beauty and sweetness, and He is named 'Kr$paf because I-Ic is allattractive and all-blissful. He can only be controlled by pure selfless love and there are different
amounts of love different devotees have for Him. The amounts arc classified in four levels: anu
(atomic), Speksika nyutmdhika-maya (more or less), mahan (great) and parama tnahfm (the greatest
love). Ordinary devotees have an atomic amount o f prerna, Narada Muni and other sages have more
or less prema, the VrajavSSsls have great love and only Radhariuji has the greatest love. Kr$na is
controlled by His devotees according to ihe amount oflove they have for Him, and Sri Radhika has
the greatest love for Him, therefore She controls Him to the utmost. Madaua Mohana, the enchanter
of Cupid, is bound tightly by even SvSminTs slightest glance, like (lie king of elephants.
When Krsna returns to His village in the afternoon (this Ilia is called uttara go$tha) Svaminl stands
on Her moontower to discretely admire His beauty from a distance, burning in the fire o f separation
from Ktsna and considering each second thaL She is separated from Him to last like a millenium. Her
girlfriends show Her: simdari pa$ya milati vanamdlt\nx "O beautiful girl! Look, Vanamall (Kr^ijta
who wears a garland of forestflowers) has come!" Our Hero does not look up, so Svaminl, Her heart
filled with tremendous anguish of love-in-separation, stares fully at Him, drinking the boundless
nectar of His form with the cups o f Her eyes. How many hundreds o f emotions She reveals! The
forestfire of separation that burned in Her heart was extinguished simply by seeing Syamasundara.
This time Syamasundara looks back at Her, and both the Lovers become shy. Sri Radhika pulls Her
veil straight and goes away. Then She stops and turns around again, thinking: 'Before I go I have to
see Him once more1, and casts a slight glance at Him, it is a restless, momentary glance because She
is very shy. She slightly smiles in a nervous way because She's so happy to sec Him, Her beautiful
glance is anointed with baslifillness and humility. SySma thirsts for that glance o f Svamirif, Svaminl
thinks io Herself: '1 could not give anything to You (during Our midday pastimes)', that's why Her
sidelong glance is also filled with humility, and She is very glad, because She thinks: 'At least one
time I could see Him!' How many things is She telling Him through Her glances! Her glance is the
great medicine that saves (he life of Syama, who also suffers of separation from Her. This is the
treasure of His meditation! Syama keeps the sweetness of that glance carved on the slab of His heart.
Without receiving this formal worship o f Her (in the form of these flowerlike glances, see also
Srlmad Bhagavata 10.15.42-43, Ed.) Syama could not survive. "How many tilings She told Me
through this momentary glance!, Syama meditates. During purva raga these glances madden Him
and keep Him awake all night. Although Kfna controls everything and everyone these momentary
glances control even Him! Allhough innumerable gopis arc eager tor His sweet glance, Krsna
eagerly covets Radliika's slightest beautiful glance! The slightest gesture o f these eyes bewilder
Kfspa, the king of elephants! The sweetness of these eyes makes Him helpless. TulasI serves
Svaminl and makes Her relish the flavours o f the remembrance o f these pastimes as well, saying:
"Hey Syamaju! Can tills maidservant not worsliip Your eyes, that control the Kr$pa-elephant with
even the slightest movement? Is such a goddess not offered pujaT1
21122 The MahSjanas say that this
exchange of glances is even more rciishablc than the intimate sexual pastimes. That's why there is so
much worsliip o f Sri Radha's emotioual, loving glances!
HS9
Jn'Jn W a p a tKitswnSiijahli
"He gets bound up and spins ail around Your lotusfeet, desiring Your blissful company! When can I
ornament Your restless eyes, that defeat the fickleness of the wagtail-bird, with this crushed
eyeliner?1'
V E R SE 43:
yasya - whose; atika - mark; ranjila - colours; tirah - head; tava - Your; mana - o f the pique; bhange
- breaking; gosiha indra - Hie king of Vraja; sunuh - the son; adhikam - more; susamam - beauty;
upaiti - attains; laksd - footlac; rasali - liquid; sa - He; ca - and; kadd - when; padayoh - both feet;
adhah - under; te - Your; nyasta - placed; mayd - by me; apt - even; atitardrii - great; chabim splendor; dpsyati - attains; iha - here.
Just to soothe your proud pique, the prince o f Vraja places your fe e t on Jits head, thus
making it even more Beautiful with the mark (fyo u rfo o tla ci When w ill I makp your fe et
most splendid w ith this nectarean footlac?
Notes: 3ri RaghunfUha's smrupdveia is very vivid, and in tills absorption he prays to Svnminl for
Her devotional service. How wonderful is his savour o f these visions! How agitated he is when he
loses this conciousness again! Those who have attained perfection have nothing else but experience,
and those who are advanced in bhajan also experience some kind o f succession of experiences,
otherwise, how could they continue? Tliis succession of transcendental experiences, including even
their dreams, are the life-support of the premika devotees. Sri Raghunatha's svarupdveia is genuine
and not at all false. The sddhdkas should first endeavour for these experiences, and afterwards
everything becomes natural, as is the case with the devotees who have attained rati. How sweet, it is
to be with Svamihl in a transcendental absorption! 'Hie experienced devotee is always immersed in
this rasa!
A great agony awakens in Sri Raghunathas heart when the vision (of the previous verse) disappears
from him,, and Ills heart, is floating once again on the waves o f anxious prayer that carry him back
into the kingdom of llld. This time he (she) will anoint 5ri Radhika's footsoles with lac-dye, saying:
"Hey Syamaju! Do You know the greatness of the footlac?" How sweet arc these words, even if they
are just uttered within the mind! When the smarana becomes very intense it is as if one speaks them
directly to Sv&minT, One does not think anymore: "I am doing $marami\" This is a visphurti of 5ri
Raghunatha dasa Gosvaml, 6r! Dasa GosvamI sees that, as ThlasI Maftjarl, he/she takes a cup of
footlac and a brush while sweetly saying: "Vrajendra-nandana's head will become more beautiful
171
when it is anointed with Your footlac as He tries to soothe Your pique by placing Your feet on His
head. But that docs not make Kr$na inferior, it will increase His superiority!" The GosvSnus say that
Sri Krsna's greatest qualities are that His mind melts with love and that He is controlled by love.
Tins attribute gives life to all other attributes. Sri Radliika is the embodiment o f that love, so
naturally She controls Kr?na the most and Krsna's quality of prema vaiyaid, subjugation by love, is
manifested to the utmost when He is with Her. Everyone wants to reveal his own superiority. When
the poet Jayadeva was describing in his famous 'Gita Govindam1how Kr$jna held Radhfi's feet on His
head jusL to soothe Her pique, he could not find the right words to end the Sanskrit verse. While the
poet went for his bath, Krsna Himself came and wrote the missing syllables down for him in the
book: dehi pdda paltavam uddram : 'Give M e Your generous lotusfeet\ We meditate on Krsna as
He submits Himself to Sri Radhika. The lac-dye from Sri Radha's lolusfeet sticks on Kfftia's head
and the marks form Its decoration. The colorful peacockfealher-crown can not make His head as
beautiful as this red footlac of Sri Radhika's! The kinkafis know the purpose o f this very well. Srila
LTlaSuka says: "You are uniquely known as fikhi-pincha maulT, He who wears a crown of
peacocktcathers!" Why does Krsna wear the peacockfeather? When He enters Vrndavana forest to
tend the cows, the peacocks, seeing His fresh monsooncloud-Iikc lustre, dance in ecstasy. Seeing
their dancing, 3ri Govinda Na|ar5ja, the king o f dancers, dances along with them, imitating them by
wiggling around on His knees and lifting His hands. When they see this, the peacocks dance in even
greater ecstasy, dropping a feather or two. Sri Kr$na thinks that the peacocks thus say to Him : "O
God of love! If Fate had given us human bodies we could have served You with fruits and flowers
from the forest, but alas! We are not so fortunate! We are just birds and everybody loves our
feathers! If You would lovingly accept this insignificant offering, then we would be blessed!" So
Kr$pa, who is gives Himself away in exchange for an offering o f even a spoon of water and a TulasIleaf, accepted tills simple gift of love on His head. Sri Radhika makes the best offering by printing
Her red footlac on His head with great pride. It is the love with which She docs it that increases the
beauty of His head, not just the colour of the footlac! Transcendence becomes decorated with the
colour of pure love in this way. Srila Kavi Karnapura has expertly glorified Radhika's footlac as
follows:
172
"I praise Hari, who is gladdened by a wonderful festival of play who is the very form of intense,
cnchanLing rasa, and whose beautiful pcacockfeather rolls at Sri Raciha's l'eet/* Because He forgets
everything and becomes absorbed in die madhurya rasa Kr$a is called rasa-ghana mohana muni ,
the embodiment of tliickly condensed flavours. Such rasa cannot exist if there Is still a fibre o f awe
and reverence for Kr^na as die majestic Lord. TulasT holds Svaminj's feet to her chest and paints die
red Ibollac on them wiiile making Her relish the rasa of so many llIds. She dries the lac off by
blowing on it. Who else but an expert kihkan can render such a service? How beautiful is that red
lac! It looks like die king of sunrise taking shelter of Her reddish lotus-footsoles to serve them. The
sun is, after all, the friend of the lotusllowers! Anunlgini TulasT, admiring the beauty and loveliness
of these footsoles, tells the red lac: "O red tootlac! Dont be distressed, thinking that you are not
qualified to colour these coral-red footsoles! It's not tlirough a small amount o f good fortune that you
can attain die shelter o f these feet! As a result o f taking shelter of these feet Your fortune will simply
increase. You will be able even to beautify the curly locks of 5ysma$undaia! Blessed you are for
attaining the shelter of Mahiibhavamayl's lotusfeet!11 How many sweet tilings TulasT speaks within
her mind! Svfuninfs mind is elsewhere. Her mind is immersed iu die rasa that was served to Her by
TulasL Then TulasT attracts Svaminj's mind by saying: "Hey SyamSjU! We will feel blessed by
seeing You beautify 5y5masundara's crest! This red lac will increase the beauty o f His deep blackish
curly locks!" From the Gaudiya Vai$nava dcdiyas we can learn the greatness of surrender to
Radha's lotusfeet. They love Radlia more than Krspa (rddlid sneMdhikd). This is the great gift of Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Jiva GosvSml laments for those who do not take shelter of Sri Radha's
feet in the age of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, although they may have taken shelter o f Sri Krspa's feet:
"That humorous, amorous girl sat down, opened her golden box and filled a clean jug with scented
water. Then she began to make Rfiis nails as beautiful as Ole moon with Her naillac. This barber-girl
is named Svama and blissfully wanders around like a puppet o f butter."
"She rubbed and rubbed Rai's feet widi foollac and constantly looked whether it was done nicely or
not. Holding Rai's feet to her chest, she wrote her name on Her footsoles in a wonderful way,"
S n -S n VtSipti Xttsitmfitijttfift
'
"When will I apply dial lac to Yoiir.footsoles with my own hands and fill my eyes with ifs beauty,
(hat breaks (he pride of all other luster with the rising of its blossoming sweetness?
^ f^ f;
II
II
VERSE 44:
K A L A V A T IN A T A M S A Y O H PRACU RA K AM A PUNJOJJVALAT
K A L A N ID IIIM U R A -D V ISA H P RA K ATA R A SA SAM BH AVAYO H
B IIR A M A D B H R A M A R A JH ANKRTAIR M AD H U RA M A L L IM A L A M M UD A
K AD A TAVA TAYO H SA M A R P A YA TI DEVI D ASI-JAN AH
kalavatl - artistic girl; nata - lowered; athsayoh - shoulders; pracum - abundant; kdma - lust; punja
abundant; ujjvalat - blazing; kalanidhi - ocean of arts, or a full moon of lust; mura-dvisah - Kr$na,
the enemy of Mura; prakata - manifest; rasa - Rasa dance; samhhdvayoh - meeting; bhramad wandering; bhramara - bees; jhahkrtaih - by humming; madhura - sweet; main - jasmine flowers;
malaAi - garland; nutda - joyfully; kadii - when; tava - Your; tayoh - of them; samarpayaii - offers;
devi - goddess; ddsTjanah - maidservant.
O (Devi, when !He touches tYour Cowered shoulders in the (Rgsa-dmce, Ofaya, the enemy o f
ShCura, loohs
ci fu ll mom (9&Gmidhi) shining with an abundance o f fast. O fKgIdvati
(artistic girQl When w ill this maidservantjoyfully place agarland o f sweetjasmine flowers,
surrounded By wandering humming Bees, on those shoulders?
Notes: When the vision (of the previous verse) disappears &T Raghunatha dasa prays /for direct
service. After applying &n Radhikas foollac he now proceeds with hanging a jasmine-garland
surrounded by sweetly humming bees around Her neck. How many beautiful pastimes TulasT
remembers when she hangs tins sweet jasmine-garland on Her shoulders! When she calls Her
Kalilvati she perceives the Rasa-/r/& How sweet are Snmatrs shoulders when She dances the RSsa
and She is embraced by Rasa VilasTs (Krsna, the enjoyer of the Rasa-dance) strong arms! How many
arts SySmasuntiara shows! Thats why He is called Kala-nidhi, the ocean of arts and RSdhika is
called Kalftvail, the artistic girl.
175
bdmihufl bandhu,
madhura adhare dhari,
mohana murali bcijdy
kdtninl koti,
nayana mla utapala,
paripujile mukha-canda
"Krsna plays His enchanting Murali-fiutc, holding it to His sweet lips, that arc* the friends of the
beautiful Bandhuka-flower, while millions o f gopTs worship His moonlike face with the blue
lotusflowers of their eyes*'*
Although there are millions of gopts in the Rasa-dance, Kalavatl Radha gets special attention, A
sweet remembrance o f this Rasa-festival awakens in Thlasfs heart, and she inftises that relish in
Svaminfs heart.- One person's feelings are thus transferred to another person's heart, just as a person
can have devotion infused within his heart by associating with a great devotee. The devotee should
serve Svamittl and make Her float on the waves o f the proper moods at the same time. How can we
serve like this unless our hearts are qualified for these feelings? We must transfer this joy to the heart
of mafia bltdva personified, &*I RSdhika! We serve irngdra (Kr$i.ia, the personification of the
transcendental erotic flavours) through mafia bhava (Sri Radha, the personification of the greatest
ecstatic love) and we serve mafia bhava lluough Srfigdra. &ila Narottama TMkura MahaSsaya sings:
rddhikd preyasl-vardt
vclnm dike manohard,
kanaka keSara kdnti dhare
anurdge rakta sddl,
nlia patta manohdrl,
manimaya dbharana pore
"n Radhika is Krsna's Dearmosl Beloved, She is generally in opposition to Him and She is very
enchanting, having the lustre of a golden KcSara-flower. Her red sari shows Her passionate love for
Kr$na and Her silken blue outer-garments are very enchanting, decorated with jewelled ornaments."
'Vifitpu iKjisutttmjaWl
"Drink Their neelarcan forms and pastimes with Your eves and sing Their glories, being Their
female assistant absorbed in bliss! Nicely serve KiSoni-Kiforl, who are unknown to (he Vedic rules
and who
sit on a jewelled platform!"
/
When we serve (lie mahd-vdm (great words) of the dedryas our hearts will become qualified, 'file
m m itself will bring the qualification! kevala bhakaki safiga, prana bfiakti rasa radga, lild kathd
vraja rasapure (Preina Bhakti Candrika) "Only in the company of devotees one can blisslully
discuss Krsna's rasika pastimes in Vraja in a loving, devotional way/' Tins process o f hearing,
chanting and remembering the rasika pastimes o f Vraja is again illuminated by the best of devotional
practise, Naina SahkTrtana! Sri Sanatana Gosvami teaches in Brhad BhSgavatamrta (2.5.218);
oSprema
The word naidmsayoh brings Svamirtfs beautiful shoulders on the path of our memories. How sweet
are Sri Radhika's shoulders during the Rasa-hid! Her shoulders are lowered because Rasa Vilas!
Syfunasimdara keeps His big rod-like arm on them. How many arts of Syamasundara are revealed!
KalSvati Sri RadhH, Kal&iidhi 5ri Krna. Artistic Radhil and 5yama! How beautiful is Their expert
meeting! Without accepting tlie mood of a maidservant lliis beauty is hand to imagine.127 In his
narration of the Rasa-ffJd Sn &uka Muni has certainly mainly described the Nayika-bhava (the
relationships of independent heroines with ri Kr$iia), but it is not that he did not mention sakJubhdva (the mood o f die gopts who prefer to arrange for Radha and Kn^a's meetings over tlieir own
meetings with Kv$i.uO at all! Maujarls arc a kind of sakhls. They are dedicated to devotional service
alone, it cannot be conclusively ascertained from die verses of rimad Bhagavata Puriina whether
there were man]am present during the Rasa-dance or not, but 3ula Kavi Karnaptira writes in
'Ananda Vrndfwana CainpOh, Ills elaboration on tlie Tenth Canto o f 3rimad Bhagavata, about
mucaifs* or maidservants, in (he Rasa-dance. And &rila Rfipa Gosvami has written a verse in his
beautiful book 'Utkalika Vallari (42) about manjarTs in die R5sadtld and about their superiority over
the sakfiTs:
177
after all, (he embodiment of the transcendental erotic flavour. This desire i$ not a mundane, selfish
desire. Stfla .TTva GosvarnT writes about (he opening verse of the Rfisa-tfM chapters of SrTmad
Bhagavata. {vfksya ranutrh manm cakre S.B. 10.29.1): saivafisaya premavalinarii .jrT vrajaxtmdarifiani manomtha paripuratmm eva priya maira sukhdrthaih sarvam kurvatah aVF hhagavato
123 Purport b y S n A u a i t d a G o p a l a G o s v a m l .
178
*Vi(apa JQtsimtmjfllifi
Sri Raghunathas mind is in the kingdom of transcendental pastimes. Standing before SvaminI he/shc
says: "Look! I will adorn Your lowered shoulders with this jasmine-garland!" Radha and Syama
keep Their anns on Eachofhers shoulder, that's why Their shoulders are low. How sweetly and
expertly They shuffle with Their feet! When Syama places His left aim, that is so long that it reaches
down to His knees, on Stlinafl's left shoulder during the RSsa-ciance, He extends it so far that He can
touch Her left breast, but SvaminI slaps Him on the hand to stop Him from such naughty acts. They
lick (relish) Eachother's sight from the corners of Their eyes and Their arms are studded with
gooscpimples. Gauri (golden) Svamiin and blackish Syama have low shoulders because o f Their
meetings, TulasI says: "Syama is set alight by the fire'of abundant lust, and You extinguished that
fire."129 Sti Ramananda Raya told Sif Caitanya Mahaprabhu:
Blessed is tliis maidservant! How much rasa she makes SvaminI relish while serving Her! This can
not be experienced without allegiance to 3rila Rflpa and $rfla Raghunatha dasa Gosvaml 3rila
Narottama dasa Thakura sings: jaya sanatana riipa prema-bhakti rasakupa "All glories to Sanatana
and Rupa Gosvaml, the wells o f nectar of loving devotion!" The mind should be immersed in that
well!
While TulasI hangs the garland around Svaminl's neck she reminds Her o f Her past sports with
Syama: "If Syama was now embracing You, there would be no need and no chance anymore for me
to put this garland on!"130
The word kala (as in Kalavati and KalSnidhi) contains the syllables ka and la, that indicate the keimablja (lit,: seed of desire), the invocatory syllable of the kama-gayatiT-mantra in which Kr$na is
meditated upon as the transcendental youthful Cupid o f Vrndavana who shines with au abundance of
lust (pracura kama puhjojjvala), The 24-and-a-half syllables of tliis mantra shine like so many
moons on each limb of Kx?iia's luscious body, and each of these syllables is like a shining full moon
(kalanidhi) o f lust. But even though Krona's moonlike splendor fills the whole world with desire,
still His desires increase when He sees Sit Radha's moonlike face!
180
"I will hang a sweet jasmine-garland, that is .surrounded by a swarm of buzzing bumblebees, around
that neck and thus make it even more splendid. Sri Dnsa Gosvaml prays: I will stay at Your feet and
render so many kinds of service!1'
HIcFc?
B ^ iP r f 3 % w f a
c a fo & r a a x
VE R SE 45:
SU R YA YA S U R Y A M A N IN IR M IT A VED IM AD H YE
M U G D H A N G IB H A V A T A IH A LI-K U LA IR V RTAYAH
A R G H Y A M SAM ARPAYTTU M UTKA D H IYAS T A V A R A t
SAJJANI K IM SU M U K H ID A SY A T ID A SIK E Y A M
sury'aya - unto the sungod; suryantmi - sunstones; nimiita - made of; vedi - altar; madhye - on;
mugdhdngi - beautiful-limbed girl; bhavata - with love; iha - here; ali - girlfriends; kulaih - by a
group; vriayah - surrounded; arghyath - oblation; samarpayiium - to offer; utka - eager; dhiyah heart; lava - Your; ami - near; sajjdni - the articles of worsilip; kirn - what; sumukhi - fair-faced girl;
dasyati - will give; ddsika - maidservant; iyam - tills.
Notes: In his transcendental visions Sri Raghunatha dasa relishes the flavours of ornamenting
SvaminJ and when this vision disappears he prays tor devotional service. For the benefit of the
neophytes in ragdmtga-bhakti he has revealed the expertise of these ornamenting-services through
his prayers. The neophyte should not serve as he likes it; he should serve according to &ri
Radharaiji's wish, following in the footsteps o f those who understand what Is on Her mind. Srila
Narottama dasa Thakura has described it like this in his Prema Bhakti Candrikfi: mahdjanera yei
paiha, ta'te hobo anurauit purvdpara koriyd vicara "Be dedicated to the path outlined by the rnahdjanas (the Gosv5mls), and consider their teacliings in past and present". The Gau<Jiya Vai$navas that
take shelter of the Yug&ln-bhajana (worship of Radha and Kr?na) follow in the footsteps of &rl Rflpa
and Sri Raghunatha dfisa Gosvaml. They are Vraja's manjans* that have descended Lo eartli with Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu to leach expertise in serving the Divine Couple. They are very eager to teach
the world how the maidservants, that are called sdksdt sevddhikarinl (girls that are qualified for
direct devotional service), must serve the Divine Pair. The compilations Stavamaia* of Srila Rupa
Gosvaml and 'Slavavalf of Srila Raghunatha d9sa Gosvaml are filled with their experiences and their
expertise in bhajana, and are thus most relishable. From this confidential treasure of bhajana can be
J81
learned how to be eager for devotional service. How intense was the love-in-separation of Rupa and
Raghun&tha! This distress is not a worcily kind of distress, it is distress soaked in transcendental
bliss! Is iL so easy to feel the want, of Sri Radhika? It cannot be felt without being absorbed in the
identification of a maidservant! The acaryas have taught - do bhajana by awakening your want*
When feelings of separation have awoken everything can be given up, nothing can or should be
given up by force. Sri Warottama prays: kobe krsna-dhana pabo, hiydra majhdre thobo, judaibe e
papa parana (Prarthana): "When wall I get the Krsna-trcasure and keep il in my heart, thus soothing
my sinful life-airs? There's no other way to soothe the liie-airs! Taste for wordly things will
automatically be lost. Can a flowergarland around the shoulder and sandalwoodpulp on the forehead
satisfy you when you are hungry? Can you peacefully eat and sleep when your heart is pierced by a
lance? In die same way the Gosvamls naturally lost their appetite for material pleasure out of
separation from Kr$iia. Tliis stage should be reached through die sane process of balanced
detachment and sincere selfless devotion. One must practise great patience in that process and not try
to jump artificially to such soaring heights, pabo radhii-krsna pa, ghuclbe monera gha, dure ydbe e
sab vikala When I attain Radha-Kr$has lotusfeet all contamination will go from my mind and all
anxiety will go far away." Until now I could not recognize myself as $rf Radhika's maidservant! This
is the worship oflove, and all love accepts defeat by die love ofRadharani's maidservants!
Snmatl is called SumukhT, fairfaced girl, in the text because Her face is very beautiful when She
looks at Her dedicated maidservants after they have satisfied Her with their service.133 The name
Mugdhangl means dial Her divine bodily fragrance makes Her very enchanting.134 How wonderful
the mood of.thc maftjans who worship 5 n Radhika ($n rddhikaradhika) is! Srlpada Prabodhananda
Sarasvall glorifies them as follows:
radlta-krsm paddravinda makarandastmda madyan manobhrngd[i santatam udgatdsru puhkas lat prema tivraughatah
aty dnanda bhariit kadapy ati taye socymtya dlmesayoh
sevmjfih vi!wte[i sphurantu mama td ri rMhikaradhikd
(Vrndavana Mahimainrta 6.81)
"May the worsiiipers (maidservants) of
Radhika, whoso minds are like bumblebees that tue
intoxicated by constantly drinking the honey from RSSdhS and Kr$nas lotusfeet, who always cry great
streams of tears, whose bodies are studded with goosepimples out of great ecstatic love for Them,
and who greatly lament when diey arc unable to serve their master and mistress for even a moment,
because they have momentarily fainted of great ecstasy, or because die Divine Pair have hidden
Themselves from diem in great ecstasy, be revealed to me!11
.
f * *
V
i*
After Svamiid has been fully dressed and ornamented She goes to Kronas abode Nandftvara to cook
for Kisna, but first She will offer oblations to the Sungod, Her father's worshipable deity, on a
platform made o f sun-stones. She does not desire any material benefit from the Sungod, but She
simply prays for Syamasundaras welfare and for a meeting with Him without obstacles. Later in the
afternoon, at about 3.p.m She offers a full formal worsliip (pujS) to the Sungod. Since the next
verse, 46, deals with the afternoon-pastimes, this verse can apply to die afternoon-pw/a also. That is
described in Govinda Lfl&mila (Chapter 18): $rT Radhika comes to die town of Suryakunda (about
12 km north of Radhakuiida) with Her girlfriends, while Krsna has come dressed like a priest
{brahmana), named ViSva Sarnia Bralimacatf to perform the ceremony. His body, draped in saffron
robes, shines with die resultant effulgence of celibacy! Mother Jafila is there, so Kr$pa says: T m a
brahmaaln (celibate student)! I dont touch women! Touch Qiis KuSa-grass while accepting Me as
Your priest!" How wonderful is that mantra of acceptance!
182
$n~Jn*t/tfSpa K
iisumanjoTtfi
183
"O Sn Radluke with the enchanting limbs I O Princess of Vr$abhanu! Surrounded by Your dearmost
girl friends You sit on a brilliant altar made of sun-stones and offer oblations to the Sun-God with
great devotion!
flte+tsi
qsg
V E R SE 46:
VRAJAPU RA P A T IR A JN Y A A jN A Y A M IST A M A N N A M
B A H U V JD H A M A T IY A T N A T SVENA P A K K A M V A R O R U
SA P A D IN IJA SA K H fN A M M A D VID H A N AM CA H A STA IR
M A D H U M A TIIA N A N IM IT T A M K IM TVA YA SA N N ID R A P Y A M
vrajapura - o f Vraja; paii rajnya - by (be Queen; ajnayd - on (he order; mistam - sweet; annarh rice; balm - many; vidham - kinds; ati - very; yatnat - carefully; svena - personally; pakkaih cooked; varoru - nicely thighed girl; sapadi - simultaneously; nija - own; saklunarh - of the
girlfriends; mad - my; vidhandrh - like; ca - and; hastaih - by the hands; madhumathana - Krsna;
nitniUaiit - for tlie sake; kiih - what; ivaya - by You; sannidhapyam - placed.
O Varoru (nicety thighed girl)! Sifter you. very carefully cook, many kinds o f svteets fo r
Madhumathana (fKfflf*l) on the order o f the Qjieen c f 1/rqja, yalodS, you hand them to
your girlfriends
me (to Bring them to 2Q-ftta).
fifo
Notes; In his svarupdveda Sri RaghunStha d3sa serves Svamirn. He has a very vivid experience of
these rasika services. In the previous verse he perceived (he surya-puja, and in this verse he sees
how he/she is ordered by SvfiminI to bring laddux and other savouries to Kr$na's abode NandlSvara
in (he afternoon, after Svaminl had been ordered to diligently prepare these dishes by Mother
YaSodS. After Srlmatl performed the worship of the Sungod (at 3.30 p.m), She is forced to separate
from Kr$na (after playing wi(h Him for more than four hours at midday) because Her mother-in-law
takes Her back home. In Govinda Lllamrta (18.94) this event is beautifully depicted:
184
"I will bring water, coconuts, gfn, small bananas, sugar and farina and I will grind black pepper and
hand that to You while You blissfully sit down on a stool When will You delight (lie eyes of (his
maidservant by making Amrta KelikS-pies and oilier savouries for Your beloved?"
The preparations Svainim singlehandedly cooks for Her Priinanatha in die evening, on the order of
mother YaSoda, are excellent. She does not wear many ornaments and She cooks alone. There's
nobody around so She does not have many clothes on. The maidservant can thus relish the sweetness
of Her scantily clad body, and she jokingly says:
Sn-Jn'l/ifapa 9QiSum3fyafi(i
5R R I5R 1# l
jN
Jiq fo r
11 w
VERSE 47:
N lT A N N A M AD -VID H A LA LA TA -TA TE L A L A J A M
P R IT YA P RA D A YA M U D ITA VRAJARAJA R A JN I
P R E M N A P R A S U R IV A B H A V A TK U SA L A SY A PRC C IIAM
BHAVYE V ID H A SYA TIK A D A M A Y IT A V A K A T V A T
- brought; anna - eatables; mad vidha - like me; lalata - forehead; tale - on the edge; lalillam on the forehead; pntyd - with love; pradaya - given; mudila - happily; vraja - of Vraja; raja rdjm the Queen; premnei - with love; prasiih - mother; iva - just like; bhavat - Your;, kusalasya - of
welfare;prcchath - inquires; bhavye - 0 beautiful, auspicious girl!; vidhasyati- will do; kada - when;
nuiyi - to me; tavakatvdt - knowing that I am Yours.
him
O (Bhavye (Beautifid, auspicious girCjl When wUC the Qjceen of Vraja, as I Bring her the
sweets, hoCd her forehead on my forehead in Cot/ingjoy as i f she is my mother, and inquire
aBout your wc(C6eing, fatowing me to Be yours ?
Notes: In a divine vision Sri Raghunatha perceived his devotional service, and now (hat the vision is
gone he prays. In tills way it goes on continuously. Sn Radhika sends TulasI off to NandKvara with
sweets for Kr$na, When TulasI arrives at NandlSvara she keeps the plate with eatables on a proper
place and bows down to mother YaSoda. Mother YaSoda embraces TulasI, affectionately holds her
forehead on Tulasfs forehead, and asks her about Radhika's welfare. Sri Radhika is called Bhavya
here, or auspicious girl, She who works for Kr$na's welfare. Ma YaSoda loves Rftdliika as much as
Her own mother KIrlida does and nla Raghunatha Dasa says: vrajendra grlunT krsita praya sneha
187
niketanam (Sri Radhiku 108 nfuna Stotraui) - she loves Radiiika as much as she loves Kr?na even!
Mow much mother YaSoda loves RadharanT! Srila Rupa GosvSmJ has written: vatsalacyuta mafrkd
"She is loved by Acyuta's mother" It was only seven or eight hours since RSdhika was at NandlSvara
(o cook Krsna's breakfast, yet mother Ya$oda is already very anxious about Her welfare. How much
YaSodii loves Ihc maidservants, knowing them to belong to Sri Radhfi! She loves them as if she is
their own mother! Sc! Raghunalha dasa, who floats on die waves of prayer, directly perceives tiiis
pastime within his heart. Through their own example the acaryas have shown that one must be veiy
eager to attain one's beloved Lord. The devotee should never think: "Whatever I do, I'm satisfied
with it!" It. is the nature of devotion that one is never satiated with it. In Brhad Bhagavatamna
(i.7.135-139) Sri Sanatana Gosvaml describes how Narada Muni prayed for the following boon:
"O Teacher of all clever arts! What kind o f boon do you seek from Me? My devotion, My mercy and
My love arc,naturally inexhaustible!"
YaSoda sees (hem she is as happy as when she sees Radharattf Herself. Blessed is Sri Radha's
service! The devotees should eagerly wander from forest to forest of Vraja, crying and crying: MOhe
Vrndavana! O Vrnduvanas inhabitants! O Vrndavana's sky, wind, trees, vines, deer arid birds! Lei
everyone know that I am Radha's maidservant! You all be kind to me! Make this conciousness
within me very firm! 0 Radhe! Where are You? This whole forest is illuminated by Your golden
splendour! Keep me (spiritually) alive with just one drop of tills luster! I dont have anyone else but
You!136
Tulasi enjoys mother Yagoda's affection. Mother Yaoda engages Sri Radiiika in cooking for her
Gopala because she knows that it will increase His lifespan, His health and I*Iis beauty. Tins purpose
is clearly visible in her eyes. How much mine-ness she feels for the eatables that were cooked by
Rfidhika's own hands! Mother YafiodJl is Copula's Kalyana-karinI, she who arranges for Copula's
welfare. 'Hus is clearly visible in her eyes. Tulasi understands her mood and thus calls RSdliika
'Bhavye', She who works for Kona's welfare. Tulasls heart is filled with Mother YaSodS's direction
and &T RSdhika's great glories and this makes her very proud. Suddenly the divine vision vanishes
and anxiously Raghunfilha dfisa tails on tlie bank o f Radhakunda and prays for devotional service.
tor
3 ft
II
II
VERSE 48:
K R S N A VAKTRAM BUJOCCHISTAM
PRASAD A M P A R A M A D A R A T
D A TT A M D H AN ISTH A YA DEVI
K IM A N E S Y A M I TE 'G R A T A Il
krsrja - Kv$t,ia; vaktra - mouth; ambuja - lotus; ucchistam - remnants; prasadam - mercy; paraih supreme; adarat - out of affection; dattaiii - given; dhanisihayd - by Dhaui${ha; devi - O Goddess!;
kim - whether; anesyami -1 will take; te - Your; agraiah - before.
O (Devi (goddess)' When ztritt I most affectionately Bring the remnants from %ffnas
CotusGfip mouth, that were given to me By iVhaniftha, Beforeyou?
190
Notes: How wonderful is Sri Raghunatha's devotional service in full svarupdvesa) On SvaminTs
order Tolas! has gone lo NandiSvara to serve yamasundara Her own cooked dishes there. After
Syamasundam has eaten, mother Yagoda lovingly gives some of His sweet remnants to Tulasl, so
that she can bring them to Svaminl. Dhanistha had secretly mixed some of Kjsna's adharamrta (lipncclar, or ibod-remnants) in it. Sn Krna knew what Dhanistha wanted, so> while giving her a hint
with His eyes, He spat some food out as if He did not like i t Dhanistha picked that food up and
mixed it with the sweets that YaSodS had reserved for Sri R M liktl Dhanis{M is responsible for all
devotional services at NandKvara, as is Kundalata. Both of them are very attached to the Loving
Pair, They know what is on Their minds and they render their services in secret, unnoticed by others.
All tins can only be understood by awakening one's svarupa. A person who is absorbed in bodily
conciousness is not qualified to render these confidential services to the Sn Yugala, How deeply Sit
Dasa Gosvfuul is absorbed in Ids svarupal How vividly he experiences these services! Can the
sddhoka continue when he does not even experience a little of this kind o f devotional service? How I
wasted such a pure life with all kinds o f external dealings! When will I cry for Sv5mim with a
breaking heart?
lomdra ae and, and dra kdru not;
sddhoka farlram prdyo jahativa virdjata manuttd ca lac carandravinda makaranda eva madhukan
bhavitum upakrameteti (Madhurya KSdambinT - 7th Shower) rila Vigvanatha CakravartI writes that
when ran' appears the devotee's feeling of 'I-ness' (self-idehtitification) enters into the spiritual body,
which is fit for the execution of devotional service, and it is as if he leaves his material devotee-body
(sddhaka-scirlra). The feeling of mineness then turns into a bumblebee that is very thirsty for the
honey that trickles from the Lord's lotusfeet". Die dedryas are in the kingdom of mahd bhdva.
Holding straws between their teeth, they are loudly crying: "I cannot tolerate tills waiting anymore!
Quickly make the tree of my aspirations bear fruit!" kurusva ksiprath me phalatu niiar&tii tarsa
vitapt (Utkaliku Vallari) In tliis way they cry out for Svaminl and call Her. How merciful the
dedryas are for recording their transcendental experiences in their books! If SvaminTs mercy comes
from within their stmrana or their experiences then we will sell our hearts to their lotusfeet. 5ri
Raghunatha dasa eagerly cries out: " 0 my lords Rupa and Sanatana!" The worship of Vraja is one of
faithful allegiance. Because the goddess of Vaikuutha, Kamaia-cievT, did not accept the mood of
Vraja she could not attain Govinda's devotional service, despite performing so many austerities - tap
kore tabu ridhi pdya. By following in the footsteps of the gopts the Upanisuds and the sages of the
Dautfaka-forest attained the service of Sri Krsna (in Vraja), In Caitanya Caiilamrta (Madhya 9) it is
described:
191
(Praithanfunrta TarailgiM)
"Lovingly she held her forehead on my forehead and inquired about Your welfare, intoxicated by
ecstatic love. How much love the Queen of Vraja gave me, knowing me to be Yours!"
Svaminl pulls Tulasi on Her lap and repeatedly asks her: "He has eaten nicely, hasn't He? 1 couldn't
cook so nicely! I'm sure He didifl like the sweets! You were close by, weren't you?" Svaminl
thoroughly questions Tulasi, and fortunate Thlasl gives sweet answers to all the questions, thus
rendering a wonderful service by submerging Svaminl in the nectar-ocean of talks about Krsna:
"DhanisthS has given me some remnants of Krona's food and I brought it with me for You!"
Sri Radhika is like a Catakl-bird that does not eat anything else but the nectar from Kona's lips. As
soon as She hears about this nectar the thirst o f Her cars and Her heart is immediately quenched.
"Didn't He say anything to you?", She asks Tulasl. "How can He, in front o f His superiors?, TUlasi
answers. "With His eyes He asked me if He could meet You tonight in Vpidavana and I told Him,
also with the hints from my eyes, "Surely You will meet Her!" Svaminl says; "Tulasi! Look at Me
once! I'm so unfortunate that I could not see Him personally! Let Me see if Heds hidden in your eyes
or not!", and She gazes in Tuiasrs eyes without blinking. Her eyes are full of tears and Her body is
shivering of ecstatic love. "When I look into your eyes I can understand that you have seen Him!
Otherwise your eyes could never have been so beautiful!11, Svaminl says. What a wonderful service
Tulasi is rendering by carrying Kr$pa's picture to Svaminl in her eyes! Blessed is this maidservant!
Now Srimatl starts to take Her meal. How wonderful is Tulasfs expertise in devotional service!139
ti Bahgabihari VidyalafikSia writes: devT devasya devdndtn acyuto yatheti fitya SrT kr$tiasya
preyasT: "Sri RSdliika is called devl in this text because She is the eternal consort of Deva, Acyuta.
Srimad BMgavata ends with devanam acyuto yathd: Of all the gods, Acyuta (the infallible Sri
Krsna) is the greatest'. Therefore of all the goddesses, Sri Radiiika is also the greatest!
Sri Haripada Sila sings:
"When will I carry Krsnas remnants on my head and place them before You? When can I fill my
eyes with the sweet vision of Unmadiiu (love-intoxicatcd RSi) seeing and smelling the prasadaV
*0^ i
193
^ W n%
w t% m <3 w
l ^ r a ^ w t e i % n n $% ti
VERSE 49:
O SCpnf&manyi (girCruhose Body shines Gfy vermilion)! WBen xtHUI carefuOy serve yo n the
many finds o f remnants (eft By fKfsna, th at are (Ufa an efbdr o f the quintessence o f nectar/
mixpd roith other eataBCes and drinhs, as yo u s it dorm , surrounded By LaRtd and other
girCfriends?
Notes: Iji a transcendental vision Sri Raghunatha sees SvfuninTs sweet bhojana-lild (eatingpastimes), TulasI has brought Syama's adhardmrta (lip-nectar, or food-remnants). Even a fibre of
Madana Mohana's adhardmrta is sukrti labhya pheld lava, only attainable by a lot of pious merit,
krptera ye bhukta $e$a tara pheld ndma; Idra eka lava pdya sei bhdgyavan
sdnumya bhdgya hoite tdra prdpti ndhi hoy; kr$#era yd'te puma krpd sei lahd pay
sukrti iabde kohe - krsna krpd helu punya; sei ydra hoy pheld pdya sei dhanya
(Caitanya Caritamrta Antya 16)
"Kvsiia's food-remnants arc called pheld, and anyone who gets even a fibre of it is very lucky* These
remnants are not available through ordinary luck - only a person who has gotten Kr$nas full mercy
gets it, 'Hie word sukrti here means merit which is attained by Kronas personal mercy. A person who
gets this pheld is greatly fortunate." This prasada is rclishablc according to one's amount of love for
Kr$na. Radharfuii loves Kj^na Lhe most, and therefore She also relishes His prasada to the utmost! sa
me madana mohanah sakhi lanoti jihvd-sprhdm "O sakhil This Madana Mohana increases the
yearning of My tongue!" (Govinda Lllamrta). How Srimatl relishes this nectar is best understood
from Caitanya Caritamrta (Antya lilai chapter 16), which describes how &ri Caitanya Mahaprabliu, in
Srimatl RSdiiikas mood, relishes Lord Jagannalha's prasada at Jagannatha Puri, named Gopiila
Vallabha:
194
*\?i(apa 'JQtsutndtljattft
"Tasting these dishes, that were millions o r times more rclishable than nectar, the Lord became
astonished. He had goosepimples of ecstasy ail over His body unci tears of love flowed from His
eyes. He thought to Himself: "Where has such a delicious food come from? Kr$na's lip-nectar is
infused in ill Mahaprabhu relished a little of this food and then told Govinda to tie the rest in the
end of his dhoti and take it along. H ie whole day Mahaprabhu was deeply absorbed in Konas
adharamrta, When the evening came one star-like devotee after the other came to surround the
golden Gaura-moon and a stream of Krsiia-fatf/w took its rise. On the Lords indication Govinda
began to distribute the prasada (hat lie kept in liis robe to everyone present. The Lord then began to
explain the glories o f the prasada:
prabhu kohe - ei sab prakria dravya; aiksava karptira marica elaci labahga gavya
rasavasa gudatvak ddi yoio saba; prakria vaslura svadu, sabhdra anubhava
sei dravyera ei svadu gandha iokdtita; dsvdda koriyd dekho sabhdra pratlta
"The Lord said: "These ingredients, like cane-sugar, camphor, black pepper, cardamom, cloves* ghT,
spices and licorice, are all material. Everyone has tasted them before. But now these dishes have an
extraordinary taste and fragrance. Everyone should taste it and experience the difference,"
dsvdda dure rahu, ydra gandhe mate mana; dpand vim anya mMhurya kordya vismdrana
td'le ei dravye krsnddhara sparsa hollo; adharera guria sab ihdte saficdrilo
alaukika gandha svadu - anya vismdrana; mahd rnadaka ei krsnddharera guna
"What to speak of the taste, even the fragrance is maddening and makes one forget all other
sweetnesses but its own! The nectar of Krsna's lips have touched it and has infused the qualities of
these lips in the food. The attributes of Kronas lips are greatly intoxicating and their extraordinary
fragrance and taste make one forget all oilier experiences.
Just as Sri Radhika secretly relishes the nectar of Krsna's lips with Her sakhts Mahaprabhu relished
this nectar in secret with Sri Svarupa Dfimodara and Sri Ramananda Raya:
"Then the flute angrily told Me: "Give up Your shame, fear and religion and come to drink the nectar
o f Krona's lips! On that condition I shall give them up. If you don't give up your attachments to
virtue, though, I will keep on drinking it forever more. I'm a little afraid of You gopls, for you may
have the power to compete with me, but all others I consider to be no more than blades of grass!"
adharera ei riiit
dra suno kunlti,
se adhara sane ydra meld
sei bhaksya bhojya pdna,
hoy amrta samdna,
ndma idra hoy krsna pheld
*0, listen lo the manners of these lips and other injustices! Everything that is touched by these lips like food and drinks - becomes just like nectar and is called krsna pheld.u
.
.K
"Evetflhe demigods cannot get one drop of this pheld Who can fathom the pride of tJhis phelal By
performing pious activities for many births one becomes known as a virtuous man, and such a person
may get a fibre o f this pheldV'
Fortunate Tulasl makes Bhavamayl and Her sdkhxs relish Kx&ia's lip-nectar. The devotees will be
consoled by the remembrance o f these pastimes. The all-enchanting nature of Radhika's names,
forms, qualities and pastimes cause the experience of sweetness, and tills takes the conciousness
forwards. The forms, qualities and pastimes o f the beloved deity then become the quintessence o f a
devotee's life. Absorbed in experiencing 6yamasundara's sweetness, Sri LTiaSuka told Him:
196
,r0 Lord! You arc My giver of love, (Ire Ixililllcr o f my desires, die bestower of devotional knowledge
and the treasure of my heart You and no-one else are my life and my fate!" To this Sri Kr$ua said:
Very well, Lflauka! Very well! I have become very pleased with your loyalty to Me! My darSana
will never be in vain for you! Please pray for a boon t.o Me!" Then Lilfifiuka prayed for die following
boon:
mo
"Piw E p f m m -
V E RSE SO:
P A N A Y A V A R JM A D H U R A M N A V A P A T A L A D I
K A R P U R A V A SIT A T A R A M T A R A L A K SID A T T V A
KALE K AD A TAVA M A Y A C A M A N I y A D A N T A k a s t i i A d i k a m p r a n a y a t a h P A R A M A R P A N IY A M
pdtidya - for drinking; vdri - water; madhurath - sweet; nava - fresh; pdtala - rose; ddi - etc,; karpura
- camphor; vdsitatarath - more scented; taralaksi - girl with restless eyes; dativd - having given; kale
- in time; kadd - when; tava - Your; mayd - by me; dcamantya - for washing the mouth; danla teeth; kdstha - twig; ddikam - beginning with; pranayatah - out of love; param - great; arpaniyam to be offered
198
0 *Taratofyi (restless eyed girQl When w ill the time come when I cm offer you sweet
drinlQng water scented with fresh roses and camphorfor flushing your mouth, along with a
twig fo r Brushing your teeth?
Notes: During deep transcendental visions Sri Raghunalha relishes the sweetness of devotional
service as if he is directly with SvaminI, and when (lie revelation disappears he laments while
remembering the pastimes he had attained. How severely the fire o f (lie remembrance of his lost joy
burns! The remembrance of this joy increases the severeness of his suffering. And then he swims in
an ocean of bliss once more, as another transcendental revelation comes to him. In this way the
stream o f the devotees life flows on, like a succession of the light o f union and the darkness of
separation, Sri Radhika and Her saklus have relished the nectar of Kona's lips (die remnants of His
food), and now Tulasl serves drinkingwater, sweetened with the flavour of roses and camphor.
E m a il's eyes are restless also then. Stic doesnt know whether She tastes the nectar of Kr$jja's lips or
whether She eats the remnants of Ilis food! When She meets Kr$na She relishes rasolta&a and when
She is separated from Him She tastes bhavoltasa. She feels a deeper bliss when She is separated
from Kr$na then when She is together with Him. Sri RQpa GosvamI writes:
199
panels eloquent verses! We never hear You gossiping or joking with Your friends anymore! How
beautifully You arc now playing Your Vina! Where has this all gone now?"141
gharera bfihire,
dande .fata bare,
tile tile iiiso yao
tsuina ucdkma,
ttiMvam saghana,
kadamba kdnane cdo
rail entott kene vcl hoile
guru duritjane,
bhaya nahi mane,
hatha vd hi deva pdile
saddi caficala,
vasanaaheala,
samvorana ndhi koro
bosi thdki Ihdkit
uftiahocamaki,
bhusana khasdyd poro
.*
_
boyosekiion,
rdjdra kumdrT,
take kulavadhu bald
ki vd abhila$et bcidhale Idlase,
m bujhi tomdra chaid
tomdra carite,
heno bujhi cite,
hdta bd<jdile catide
canfi ddsa bhane,
kori anumdne,
thekile kdliyd phdhde
"You're going in and out of Your house a hundred times in half an hour! Your mine! is very agitated
and You breathe deeply as You gaze at the Kadamba-fbrest! Rail How have You become like tills?
Youre not even afraid of Your wicked superiors! Have You become posvsessed by a ghost or so? You
don't stop the edge of Your sort from constantly moving in a restless way (betraying Your own
restless mood). You may sil down, but then You become startled and get up again, making Your
ornaments fall off in the shock. You are an adolescent girl, a princess, and You are married as w ell I
don't understand which desire is increasing Your anxiety! When I study Your behaviour I think that
You're stretching Your hand out to the moon (You're trying to achieve the impossible)]" Can<fr dasa
sings:'"l think You have fallen into Kaliya's (Krsna's) trap!
W h e n c e sakhTs see the beauty of TaralfiksTs restless eyes, they joke in so many ways, saying: "O
sakhi] It seems as if VanamSlI (Kr$na, who wears a garland of foreslflowers) has stolen the jewel of
Your mind!" After Bhavamayl USdhika and Her friends have relished the nectar of Kr$na's lips
TulasI brings drinking water scented with camphor and fresh loses, with which they can flush their
mouths. Tulasl's pure love gives the water an exlra flavour. The maftjans are love personified. What
to speak of tile kihkans, the whole of Vraja-dhdma is the kingdom of love, therefore TMkura
Bilvamahgala spoke to the Lord as follows:
W & era
VERSE 51:
142 These two paragraphs have been quoted and narrated by &I Ananda Gopala Gosvaiiu.
201
bhojanasya - of (he meal; samaye - at Hie lime; tava - Your; yatnai - carefully; devi - O
Goddess!; dhupa - incense; nivahdn - much; vara - excellent; gandhan - fragrance; vTjana - fanning;
adyam - beginning with; apt - even; tat - that; ksana - moment; yogyath - suitable; ha - O!; kada when; pranayatah - with love; pnmayami - 1 will do.
O (Devi (gotCdess)l When can 1, while y o n are eating/ lovingly and attentively tight a lot o f
nicelyfragrant incense/fan yo u or render other services appropriate fo r that moment?
Notes: The ocean of Sri Raghunatha dasa Gosvamfs prema is stirred, and as a result he
relishes the flavours of wondcrlul services and he anxiously laments. The course of love is very
amazing!
bhakta premera yoto daSd ye gad prakdra; yoto sukha yoto duhka yoteko vikdra
krstja tfihci samyak nil pare jchute; bhakta bhdva ahgikdre tdhd dsvddite
krsnere naedya prema bhaktere ndedya; apatte ndcaye - tine nace eka thdi
(Caitanya Caritruiula Antya 18)
"All the loving phases of the devotee, liis happiness, his distress, all the different
transformations - even Kr$na cannot know them completely. Thai is why He accepted the mood of a
devotee to relish them. Prema makes Krsna dance, makes the devotees dance and dances itself - all
tliree are dancing at one place!"
When Svaininl takes Her meal TulasT very carefully offers Her (he most exquisite incenses
and fans Her according to the time of the year. In the summer this is more required than in the
winter. In his visions Raghunatha personally experiences this, and when the visions vanish he
anxiously prays. Without devotional service the pure devotee finds it hard to stay alive. ri
Raghunatha dasa wept as follows:
**
202
RadhdrSiJi gave Her prasadf tambfrfa to one disciple of Srlpada Gopala Bhatta GosvamT on
Harivfisara day {ekadast). While chewing tnese beteileaves he came to see Sri CJurudeva, who then
rejected his disciple for eating pan on ekadast. Sri Racthclvlim then asked Bhafla GosvrunI - "Is the
law o f the Gosvamfs books even higher than Her grace?" SrTpada replied to ri RridharanI's lotusfeet.
that Her natural mercy can never come in violation of saddedm (regulative principles). He had
rejected his disciple, knowing for sure that some test (of Radhfirani) was hidden in the event. Sri
RadharSnjf replied: "I understood that you have become qualified as a bona fide dcaryal" When
bhajana is spoiled everything is spoiled. 5fiman Mahaprabhu said: krsna praptira updya dm ndhi
bhajana vine: "There is no other way to attain Kr$na Than bhajana]" Bhajana is the means and
bhajana is the goal. Mahaprabhu Himself was always absorbed in the devotional item of 'hearing1:
tasmin mahd mukharita madhubhic caritra pTyusa $esa saritah paritah sravanti
id ye pibanty avitrso ttrpa gddha hamais tan na sprsanty asana tni bhaya .ioka rnohdii
(Srimad BMgavata 4,29.41)
"O King! A stream of (lie quintessence of nectar in the form of narrations of Sri Krona's
pastimes flows from die mouths o f the great saints, and those who insatiably drink this nectar with
their deeply absorbed cars will not be touched by feelings of hunger, thirst, fear, lamentation or
delusion," Sri Jjva GosvamT comments as follows on this verse: tdnoidn medial kTrtyamdndni
bhagavad yaSdnisi sva mdhdtmyena durTkrtya sva sukham anubhdvayantlli "The glories of the Lord
143 Note by the editor.
203
SriUi
dasa dsvdm t
that emanate from the mouths o f Uie great souls arc self-manifest and they remove all feelings of
hunger, thirst, fear, lamentations and delusion, making the hearer experience his own bliss." The
books of the deciryas are like the twanging of the strings of their hearts, that are like stringed
instruments. The devotee will tune his heart into the tune o f those stringed instruments. ri Suka
Muni said: "The gopikas of Vraja asked Uddhava about Ki^na in private", rahasya predial (SJB.
10.47.3) Sri JIva GosvamT then asks rahasi vijclliya bhftvogocare "How can there be any question of
conlldential inquiry when there are millions of gopTs around? The same tune resounds on all their
stringed instrument-like hearts. This place is inaccessible to those who have a different mood,
therefore it is called a private, solitary place. On the strength of one-pointed devotion all other moods
will subside and the devotee will get the same desires as the dedryas. Rupa and RftghunStha ciasa ate
absorhed in their bhajana:
chdpdnna damia rdtri dine,
rddh&krsna gtma gone,
Mthilyafii sva bhakiddi krla mdnitvam tty evam adim mahat sangadt laksarta bhaktydpi
nivartayituin duskardni citta hi tasyaparddhasyaiva kdryditi tdny eva ca prdcinasya tasya liftgdni
"Crookedness, faithlessness, becoming absorbed in things that have nothing to do with Kv$na and
that cause one to fall down from the path of bhajana, weakness in bhajana and pride o f one's
bhajana. When the devotee is unable to give up these shortcomings, despite the very powerful
influence of association with the great saints and the process of devotional service itself, then it must
be understood that offenses to the holy name and crookedness have found their place in the heart. If
no offense was committed in the present life then they must have been committed in a previous
birth." Therefore Sri Narottama Thakura sings: sddhu mukhe kathdmrla, Smiyd- vitnala cita, ndhi
bhelo aparddha kdrana MI could not purify my mind by listening to the nectarean discussions of the
saints, because I have committed offenses," When the devotee becomes free from his offensive
attitude by the mercy o f the saints, he gets real taste and he cannot live without bhajana anymore.
Then his bhajana swiftly reaches perfection:
204
H H Io |$ 4 " flfe ^ lH R * R 4 d
*T^FTlf% ^5[T
t
4O T falft II
1
II
V E R SE 52:
K A R P U R A P U R A P A R IP U R 1T A N A G A V A L L I
p a r n A d i P U G A P A R IK A L P IT A V ST IK A M TE
V A K T R A M B U JE M A D H U R A G A T R IM U D A K A D A H A M
P R O T P H U L L A R O M A N IK A R A IH P A R A M A R P A Y A M I
9
karpura - camphor; piira - by a flood; paripiirita - filled with; nagavallt- betel; parna - leaf; ddi and so; puga - abundance; parikalpila - made; vTtikam - betelnuts; te - Your; vaktra - face; ambuje in the lotus; madhura - sweet; gdtri - body (fern.); mudd - blissful; kada - when; aham - 1; proiphulla
- blossoming; roma - skinpores; nikaraih - with an abundance; param - great; arpaydmi - I will
offer.
O thCadfrura atri (sweet-Gmhedgirt)! When w ill my hair stand on end o f ecstasy when I
place a hetefteaf w ith camphor,, catechu? cloves (m dguvahjnto I f our lotusRfe mouth?
Notes: In svarupaveSa Sri RaghuntUha dasa has a wonderful relish of devotional service. Just as a
conditioned soul is in maya wliile sleeping, dreaming and being awake the devotee is always
absorbed in bhajan* wliile sleeping, dreaming and being awake. Bliajan means keeping the mind
fixed and attracted. The mind should be poured into the Yugala KiSora. rddJia-krsna duhu paya, tanu
mana rahu iaya, dra dure yank vdsand "Let my mind and body dwell in Rfidha and Kronas lotusfeeL
and let all my material desires go far away." 6npada LllaSuka, being attracted to Krsija's sweetness,
said:
205
JagannaUia when He was in ecstasy (while dancing in the Ratha Yfttra). jaja gaga jaja gaga gadgada
vacana (C.C.) "lie was saying 'jaja.gaga jaja gaga' with faUering voice." Then the Lord relished
pratipcidani punidmrtdsvadanam, the flill nectar at every step. rHa Dasa GosvamT has said:
206
Wfiipa JQtstiiitmjaiifi
VERSE 53:
O <Devi (goddess)! W hite L alita jo yfu lly performs the arati-ceremony to Jon, and the other
sahfris worship yo u w ith new, auspicious songs and flow ers, can this maidservant, to whom
yo u are dearer than BUCions o f fives, worship yo u w ith her hair?
Notes: &T RaghuMtha d5sa is deeply absorbed in his svariipavesa. In the way he experiences things
in his smarana* dreams, or visions he reveals his desires for attaining devotional service. After
taking Her meal Svaminl holds court with Her sakltls* sitting on a beautiful raised jewelled seal,
enjoying a pan. Now Lalita, the leader o f the sakfus, will perfonn Her draft with lamps, incense and
so on. The maidservants bring all (he paraphernalia. One wave o f devotional service after the other is
coming over them. No one knows how to* serve Radhft so expertly as Her maidservants. Without lull
surrender one cannot perceive this devotional sendee to Radharam. Sripada Prabodhananda Saras vati
has written:
4
4
208
Krsna lalert at nightfall, by Govinda Slhall or oilier places in Ypndavana, after v/liich Sri Rgdhikfi
can enjoy Herself with Him by dancing the Rasa, playing in the water of the Yamuna, drinking
honcywinc and wandering in the forest with Him. For such an auspicious accomplishment this
arairika is performed. Lalita will perform this loving ceremony. Her bodily complexion is like
Gorocana-pigment, shes a little older in age, and has a very harsh (loving) naLure. She orders
different people around while Tulasl brings the draft'-paraphernalia. SvaminJ sits down like a steady
lighlningslreak, that's why She is addressed in the verse as Devi, d m kohe dyolamanci paranm
sundarT (C.C.) Devi means effulgent, and most beautiful, A wonderful golden light emanates from
Her body. She feels that Syama is close to Her. He plays in Her heart. In bhavoildsci (times of
meeting, Ed.) She is krldd vasatT nagart (C.C.), living in the town of play. How many past sports
SvaminI remembers during the draff, like pictures arising in Her mind! In the same way Lalita
performs the drati of the Divine Pair together ill the kunja, in the presence of the sakhls and
manjarlsl How beautiful! How sweet this is! The boat of SvSminTs mind sinks in the river of
remembrance otKi'$na and that can be seen by tire soft sweet smile on Her lotuslike face. How does
She laugh? The Bhagavata says hasaty atho rodiii raitti gdyaiy unmddavan nftyati loka hahya{i "He
laughs, cries, sings and dances like mad, ignoring the people!" That is the condition of someone who
has prema. What then to say of the condition of maha-biiavamayl Radha?
During the ceremony there ate no bells ringing. With sweet voices the sakhls sing new
auspicious songs to bum up all inauspiciousness, while Lalita lovingly swings the lamp around
before SvaminI. This drati is a great ceremony of divine love. The light of the lamp even increases
the effulgence o f &T Radhika's face, that mocks the lustre of molten gold. All the sakhts and
rnanjaris sing and dance, spinning around and around. Lalita blows a conchshell and some kiAkarTs
shower (heir beloved SvaminI with flowers. Some sing Taya Jaya' and others make the nlu-dhvani (a
high sound made while moving the tongue in the mouth). How brightly SvaminI shimmers during
the flna/iT She certainly deserves the name devil Lalita offers a conchshell with water and then she
wipes away all kinds o f misfortune with a handkerchief. Lalilfi is the embodiment o f love, and with
all her love she performs this ceremony. The sadhaka will relish these pastimes in his meditations; it
is very sweet, smarana manera prana, madhura madhura dhdma (Prema Bhakti Candrika.)
"smarana is the life of the mind and (lie abode of all sweetness," In the end Tulasl, who stands in the
back, worships SvaminI with billions of hearts, by opening her braid, taking her hair in the hand
before her bosom and waving it around as an offering to SvaminI. The hair is black, Krsna is also
black. What a wonderful way to remind SvaminI of Kysna! Svfuninl sits alone on Her sofa, but over
the pathways o f their minds (smrti-pathe) the maidservants bring Her 3yama there also, to sit on Her
right side. Alter drati there are singing-lessons and examinations in singing and dancing in the
assembly o f sakhls. There's no limit to the ecstasy! 145 Suddenly the transcendental vision of Sri
Raghunatha breaks and lie weeps and prays:
e ddsira abhilasa,
hate loiyd kea-pa$a,
drali koribo koti prcuie
tuyci priya ei sevii,
kobe vd dmdre diba,
kichu nCthi bhdya ihd vine
(Sri Rasika-Candra dfisa)
"This maidservant desires to hold her braided hair in her hands and thus perform drati with millions
of life-airs. When will You give me that beloved service? I don't waul anything else but that!"
I
II * 8 II
VERSE 54:
dll-kidena - by girlfriends; lalitd - l^alita; pramukhena - headed by; sdrdham - with; dtanvalTmanifesting; tvam - You; iha - here; nirbhara - great; narma - intimate; gosihtm - discusion; mat my; pant - hand; kalpita - made; manohara - beautiful; keli - play; talpam - bed; dbhusayi$yasi You will decorate; kadd - when; svapanena - by dreaming; devi - O Goddess!
O Dew (goddess)! While you are aSsorBed in an intimate jofqng discussion with your
girlfriends headed By Lolita, I w ill makp a BeautifulplayBedfor you with mg own hands
When w ill you decorate that Bed By dreaming on it?
Notes; Clear visions, dreams or smarona are the life-support for the practitioners o f kinkaribhava. and if this does not take place tliey will become attracted to the material world. "Until now a
person like me has not become acquainted with his beloved deity. My mind is still absorbed in so
many paltry things. I cannot put aside even a penny for the Lord, but for one penny I can give up the
Lord!" We must make advancement by making the world alien to us and taking die Lord into the
heart. 'Die Lord is so thirsty for devotion that as soon as He smells any He comes running to drink it.
The soul is by nature the abode of causeless love of God, and the Lord is the Self of Selves, the Soul
of souls. How dear He is to us! Lord Brahma prayed to Krsija in the Bhagavata (10.14.36):
211
vsv 5nn
" 0 Krsna! As long as the people do not turn (o You, their attachments will act like thieves on them,
their houses will remain prisons for them, and their illusion will remain their shackles!" Sri JIva
GosvamI comments us follows on this verse: wtra mrupddhi premdspadasyatn\cuio'py dtmatvena
(v<un m i rdgasya sv&bhavika paramo, yogydtiwyah, atas tal laksona nija svaminam amtpalabhyaiva
bhratnann axon jandndm subha vasand rupcim wad bhajana xamagnrh harams count eva. fatas tad
anuvariino'pi tddrsah. "You are Lhc natural abode o f everyone's causeless love, because You sue the
soul of souls. Therefore You are the best shelter- for everyone's love. It is natural to love one's
beloved object or person. When the living entities dont get attached to You as their master their
attachments will act like thieves that steal the paraphernalia of their worship from them, and greed
and delusion will follow." "Hie aspirant devotees should lament: "Alas! Such a wonderful thing I
have forgotten to become mad after temporary, bodily affairs!"
Sri Raghunutha dasa is the embodiment of lovc-in-scparation. He has nobody in this world
but SvaminT: ali kadana samudre majjato ha krpdrdre ksanam api mama rddhe! neiram anandaya
tvom "O Merciful Radhet I'm drowning in an ocean o f misery!-Please show Yourself just once and
thus delight my eyes!" The aspirant should also have some of this eagerness. "O Sv&mini! I will not
mix with this world! I will become as SvaminT wants me to be; then She will accept me!" The drali
is over now. SvaminT is surrounded by Her girlfriends, sitting on a jewel-studded sofa. She makes
jokes with Her girlfriends, but these are not ordinary jokes: nirbhara narma gosthlm. It is a very
funny conversation. While Srimatl is absorbed in such a joking discussion y5malfi-$akhl comes
before Her with a new sakhL Seeing her, &Tmatl asks: "Sakhi Syamale! Come, come! Who is that
girl with you? Syamala says: "This is my friend Navina-safc/if! She hasnt met You yet, but Shes
very eager to meet You!" SvaminT is enchanted when She sees NavTna-saWif and siares at her in
astonishment, saying: "Aha! You arc so beautiful! If you are ^yfunalas friend, then you're also My
friend! What's your name and where do you live?" Navlna sakhi says: "My name is Navlna and I've
come here with my friend Syamala to see You! From Syaniala I have heard about Your malcliless
Ruin and attributes, so I became very eager to meet You!" Svaminfs heart melts when She hears
NavInSs nice voice and She says: "Do you know how to sing, dance and play musical instruments?"
NavTna says: "A little biL!" SvaminT takes Navlna close to Herself while She exclaims: "Alia! How
beautiful your face is! How sweet is your smile and how sweet are your words! Come here, come
here! It is just like Ive seen you somewhere before!" Then Navinfk-sakfn begins to dance and sing.
Aha! How wonderful is her dance! How sweetly she sings and how nicely she moves her eyes and
hands! Tire sakhTs faint of ecstasy when they see it. Again and again SvaminT says: "Bravo! Well
done!" and gives Navlna a light hug. But while She embraces Navlna She feels a familiar shivering
over Her own body and that makes Her doubt. Who is this? SvaminT then pulls the veil from
NavJna's head and exclaims: " 0 mil! WhaL is this? This is Krsna! Syamaie? You are so naughty!"
Syama and the sakhTs have so much fun then! 'Die sakhTs roll against eachother of laughter. What a
wonderful fun they have! Ailer Syama has gone home TulasI prepares a bed for SvaminT to lie on.
Although all kinds of funny discussions are going on TulasT does not forget her service.146 Devotion
consists of service, bhaj ity esa vai dhaiuh semyam pariklrttiah. Devotional service is relishable in
all tliree stages - sddhana hhakii, bhdva bhokti, and prema bhokti. Compared to that savour
everything in this world is tasteless, including sense-gratification (phukii) and liberation (mukti).
There will be nothing left to want and to get from the material world. 'I just want to fall at Your
lotusi'eel, stay with them and serve them. The kiftkarTs are the embodiments of the flavours of
devotional service. &ri Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but He wants something from
these maidservants. The Lord of the universe stretches His hand out. to them. There is nothing as
glorious and fortunate as this! 5rila Rupa GosvamI said (in Catu Puspaiijali, 23):
212
Anfa
tfdsa Qosvaml
m n **
ft;
ii
VERSE 55:
SAMVAHAYISYATIPADAU TAVA KINKARIYAM
HA RUPA MAfijARIR ASAU CA KARAMBUJE DVE
YASMIN MANOJNA HRDAYE SADAYE'NAYO KIM
Sr i m a n b h a v is y a t it a r a m s u b h a vA s a r a h* SAH
samvdhayisyaii - will massage; padau - both feel; iava - Your; kihkan - maidservant; iyath - this; ha
- 0 !; rupa manjari - Rapa Mafijan; asait - that; ca - and; kara - hand; amlntje - in both lotuses
1-18 Narrated by Sri Amuida Gopala Gosvami.
214
dve - Uvo (fern.); yasmtn - in which; manojha - beautiful; hrdaye - 0 heart (fern,)!; sadaye - O
merciful girl; anayah - of them both; kith - whether; Srlmdn beautiful; bhavisyaiitardm - will be;
subha - auspicious; vdsarah - day; sail - he.
(fcm .);
visaya garala-maya,
idle mdna sukhacaya,
sei snkha duhka kori mono
govinda visaya rasa,
sahga koro tdra dasa,
prema bhakti satya kori jdno,
I consider the poison of sense-gratification to be happiness, although I should know it to be
miserable. Taste the nectar of the Govinda-subject, and associate with His devotees. Know loving
devotion lo be real!" Govinda's sendee is bliss and a lack of His service is misery, sakhl-gana edri
pdse seva kori abhildse, se sevd paramo sttkha dhare (ibid) "I desire service, being surrounded by
the sakhls. That service contains the greatest bliss." When you love God the divine remnants of dial
love will be scattered throughout the universe. Then you can experience universal love as it is. Then
the spiritual world is sweet, the material world is sweet, and sweet Kr$na is even more sweet.
Sweetness will be pervading inside out.
215
SvaminT lies lo test on an excellent bed, covered with a bluish sheet. This sheet is very clear to Her
simply because it is black (and reminds Her or Syama). She dreams o f Syama and His sweetness
makes Her happy inside and outside. Rupa Mafljat! and Tulasi can both admire Her charming beauty
and serve Her limbs at that time. How wonderful is their love for SvaminT!M9 Rupa and Tulasi's
friendship is similar in Uii$ material world, where they are known as Rupa Gosvarnl and Raghunatha
Dasa Gosvarnl. 6rila Raghunftlha Dasa introduces himself as follows by writing In the end of his
VigaklianaiKlada-stolram:
rddha prati krsna sneha sugandhl udvartana; td'te ati sugandhl deha ujjvala varana
karunydmrta dhdrdya sndna praihama;. tdrmyamrta dhdrdya sndna madhyama
Idvanydmrta dhdrdya lad upan sndna; nija lajjd Sydma pana Sailparidhdna
"Radha is-anointed with die fragrant ointment of affection towards Kr$na. This makes Her very
fragrant body shine brightly. She takes Her firstbath in a stream of the nectar of compassion, Her
middle-baLh in (he stream o f ncctarcan youfhiiilness and Her final bath in the sLrcam of nectarean
beauty. Then She puts on a silken blue sdrl made of Her own bashfulncss."
krsna anurdga dvitlya aruna vasana; pranaya mdna kaficulikdya vaksah dcchddana
sawtdarya- kuhkuma, sakhT-pranaya- candana; smita kdnti. karpftra- line atlga vtlepana
krsnera ujjvala rasa mrgamada bhara; sei mrgamade vicilrita kalevare
"Her second,red garment consists of passionate love for Krsna and Her breasts are covered with a
blouse o f loving pique. She is anointed with llirec ointments - the vermilion of beauty, (he
sandalwoodpulp o f the love of Her girlfriends and the camphor of Her Tusuous smile. Her body is
decorated with musk-pictures that, represent Kronas brilliant erotic rasa"
kiia kinciiddi bhdva virtitiati bhusita; guria srenl pu?pa-mald saivahge purita
saubhdgya tilaka cam laldfe ujjvala; prema vaiciltya raina, hrdaye tarala
madhya vaya stkiti sakhT skandhe kara nydsa; krsna flld manovrtti sakhl dfa pa$a
"She is also adorned with twenty oilier bhdvas>such ns.kiln kihciUL Her whole body is hung with
flowergarlands o f attributes. Her forehead is brightened by beautiful tilaka of fortune, Prema
Vaieittya is the jewel, and Her heart is the locket. She places Her hand on the shoulder of a girlfriend
named adolescence and She is surrounded by Her sakhis that represent Her menial activities, that are
concentrated on Krsnas pastimes."
nijaftga saurabhdlaye gatva paryanka; tdTte bosi ache sadd cinte krsna safiga
krsna noma gunayaSah avatamsa kdne; krstja natna guna yakih pravdha vacane
krsnake kordya sydma-rasa madhupdna; nirantara puma kore krsnera sarva kdma
krsnera visuddha prema ratnera dkara; anupama gunagana puma kalevara
"She sits on a bed of pride in the abode o f Her aroma that is Her body, always thinking of Kp$na.
Krsna's names, attributes and glories are Her earrings (she loves to hear about, them), and Krona's
names, qualities and glories form the stream of Her words. She makes Kr$na drink the honeybeverage called Syama-msn (erotic flavours) and She always fulfills all of Kronas desires. She's a
mine full of jewels of pure love for Kr$na, and Her body is filled with all incompatible attributes."
0 bhdvuka bhaktavrnda (sensitive devotees)! This is the introduction to the embodiment of love for
Kr?na! That is why the address manojna hrdaye is justified here. SiTmatT lies down on the bed
prepared for Her by Tulasl, like the Queen of swans (rdja-hamsi) lying on an ocean o f milk,
enjoying with 6ySma in Her dream. She speaks, She laughs and She turns on Her other side in Her
dream. Although Rupa Mafijavl usually massages SrimatTs feet she has now mercifully given that
service to Tulasl and has taken to the service of Svaminfs hands151 {manojna also means 'merciful'.
Sri Bahgabiharl Vidyfilankara writes: para kdtarydsahanena manoharath hrdayaih mdnasam "She
whose heart is enchanting because She cannot tolerate another person's miser}7 is called manojna).
SvaminI Herself mercifully places Her lotusfeet on Her Tulasfs chest, knowing how anxious she is
to serve them, bhaktdndm hrt-saroje madhura-rasa-sudha syandi padaravindd (Radha Rasa
151 Narrated by Sri AnawJa Copula Gosvfmu.
Jn fa
<fasa Qosvaml
Sudhanidhi 127) "Her lotusl'cct pour the nectar of sweet rasa over the loluslike hearts of the
.devotees". That is why She is addressed here as Sadaye, or merciful girl. Knowing what is on
Tulasi's mind Svt&mini lifts Her feet upon her chest. How intense is their feeling of 'mine-ness'! She
takes Her maidservants to Her in all respects, calling them 'My Rupa! My TuIasT!' How blissful it is
to heai all Uiis, what to speak of actually attaining this in truth? How mercifully Svaminl lifts Her
lotusfeet on Tulasfs chest! Sri Raghunatha experiences this and calls Her Sadaye, merciful girl. How
beautiful are Svaminfs limbs! She sees Rasa-raja Sri Krsna in Her dream. Syfuna pervades Svamim's
dreams; how wonderfully She relishes this! Each of Her limbs blossoms up by relishing this sweet
taste.152 The fortunate maidservant swims in an ocean o f rasa. Suddenly the vision vanishes and Sri
Raghunatha dSsa pitifully prays for this devotional service:
a #
: n
it
VERSE 56:
T A V O D G IR N A M BH O JYAM SU M U K 1IIK ILA K A LL O L A SA L IL A M
t a t h A p a d a m b h o j a m r t a m ih a m a y A b h a k t i l a t a y A
A Y I P K EM N A SA R D H A M PR A N A Y I JANA VAR.GAIR B A H U VID H AIR
A H O LAB D H A V YA M K IM P R A CURA TARA B H A G YO D A YA B A L A IH
lava - Your; udgfnjam - expelled; hhojyath - eatables; sumukhi - 0 fairfaccd Girl!; kiln - certainly;
kallola - waves; salilani - water; tathd - and then; pddambhoja - lotusfeet; amriam - nectar; iha here; mayii - by me; bhakti - devotion; latayd - by a vine; ayi - O!; premnd sardharh - with love;
152 Narrated by Sri Ananda Gopala GosviUril.
218
pranayi - loving; Jana - friends; vargaih - with groups; bahu - many; vulhaih - kinds; aha - oJ;
labdhavyam - to be obtained; kim - whether; pracuraiara - greater amount; bhdgya - fortune; udaya arising of; balaih - by the forces.
O SumufcfU (fair-facedgirl)! When roill I, life a vine of devotion, on the strength o f great
arising fortune, obtain the remnants o f fo o d that you spat out along with your gargling
water and the water that has washed your lotuslife feet? *With love I shall enjoy it in so
many ways along with your other Covingfriends!
Notes: Sri TulasT has massaged SvSminTs lotusfeei and &ri Rupa has massaged Her hands. Svaminl
lies to sleep on a wonderful bed. When tiiis delectable vision vanishes $rf RaghunStlm weeps and
laments, revealing liis heartache to SvaminL Again a revelation comes to him. He need not
endeavour for such visions, bhakti mrsta citta vrttisu svataeva sphurilesu "In hearts that are purified
by devotion these visions appear spontaneously." The Hid is then the doer, not the smarma-kdrt (tlie
devotee who practises smarana), This free flow o f ITlds cannot lake place in a mind that is possessed
by the material modes. The modes o f darkness (tamo-guruz) and passion (rajo-guna), and even that
of goodness (sattva-gund) will not allow smarana to take place, but devotion will gradually carry
the devotee's heart and mind beyond these psycliic qualities. Devotion liberates the soul from the
knot of ahankdra (false ego) and tills it with the identification of "I am God's servant."
219
JrTfa
"My eyes want to see the golden form of Rai, and are crying out o f (his desire, Kona's very
enchanting body shines in the world like a dripping raincloud.
$ ri n \Stfapti
knows so many ways to give Her mercy (prasdda) to Her maidservants. Snla Rupa Gosvaml wrote
in Ulkalika Vallari (62):
Your gargling water, that lias the power to bestow Ki^m-bhakti, will shower my vine of devotion,
and the ncclarean water that washed Your Iotusfeet will cause the seed of my prema to sprout."
1SS These two paragraphs are narrated by Sri Ananda Gopala Gosvaml.
221
*m
5^
i f
ii
VERSE 57:
BH 0 JA N AVASARE D EVI
SNEL1ENA SV A MUKHAMI3UJAT
M A H Y A M T V A D G ATA C ITTAYAI
K IM SU D H AS T V A M P R A D A SYA SI
bhojana - eating; avasare - opportunity; devi - goddess; snehena - affectionately; sva - own; mukha mouth; ambujdt - from die lotus; mahyam - to me; tvad - unto You; gala - dedicated; cittayai - unto
the heart (fem.); kim - whether; sudftd - nectar; tvam - You; praddsyasi - will give.
O *Dtvi (goddess)! When w ittyou, white you are eating, affectionateCygive me, whose heart
is dedicated to you, the nectorean remnants from your (otusRhp mouth?
Notes: Sri Raghunalha dasa GosvSmT falls on the bank of Sri Rftdhakunda and laments pitifully: "Ha
SvSmini! Tin passing my lime in great pain, because tire lamp of hope is still burning! If You are not
merciful, then what's the use of my living in Vraja? What's the use of my maintaining my life, that is
only burning with separation? What's the use even of attaining Kr$na to me? Actually, without
&*JmatI RadharanJ's mercy Krsna can never be attained, vm l rddhd prasddena krsna-praptir na
jay ate. SrTla Narottama dasa piakura sings:
222
J n - S n W u p a 'JfysumURjadfi
Srlman Mahilprabhu instructs us in chanting the dual Rfidha-Rr$na name, which consists of thirtytwo syllables, sixteen words and eight joints, Tliis mantra is called dhvandtmaka ndma, which
means that one calls out to the Lord with it (it is not just for silent meditation, like most other
mantras), or fdraka brahma ndma (die transcendental saviour-name), The best way to enter into the
nikunja mandira and to serve Sn RSdhika there is to congregationally chant this hare krsnasambodhandtmaka nama (a mantra simply consisting of addresses). Sriia Sanatana Gosvaml says:
223
'Vitapd %usumanjaCth
" Aiuwlga is a lasting and even increasing attraction to somelliing wliich is being experienced all the
time, Tliis anurdga makes the beloved object appear to be ever-fresh." (Ujjvala Nilamaiii Stliayi 146)
This tlxirsty anuraga is clearly seen in all o f die verses of Vilapa Kusumiinjali. The lamentations of
Sri Raghunalha dasa. who was greatly afflicted by feelings of separation before leaving llie manifest
plane (passing away) are heartbreaking and cause (lie hearts o f the devotees to melt.
In his svarupdvesa Sri Raghun&tha, in his form ofTulasT Maftjarl, lays SvaminT to rest on a selfmade
bed and attains the good fortune o f massaging Her lotusteet. When She falls asleep the maidservants,
that are like Her very own life, drink Ihc water that has flushed Her mouth (adhardmrfa) and that has
washed Her feet {carandmrta). In this verse TulasT desires another indescribable prasada. Wlien
Raghunatha is absorbed in his vision he gets the prasada in his siddha svarupa and when the vision
stops he prays. While eating SvaminT will use some opportunity (avasard) to secretly call Tulasi
close to Her to affectionately give Her the nectarean foodremnants from Her lotuslike mouth. How
great are Her feelings of mine-ness! The kifikarTs want nothing else and know nothing else in this
world but 611 RadliikiTs lotusfeet and Her happiness. That's why She is so merciful to them! TulasT
has given her heart to Sri Radha and reveals her maidservant's heart to Her. How much love and
affection there is between them, (hat should one time be considered. Some editions of tins book
mention the reading rad gafa cittayat, wliich means: *My heart is dedicated to Your foodremnants'.
(tasyd mukhdmbujastha sudhayarii gatarii magnarh ciftarh yasydhsd) TulasT thinks: 'Just fancy if I
could get some (of these remnants)! SvSminl knows her mind and secretly calls her near. 1 have
rendered my service, and I am d o se by now. Perhaps SvaminT will draw me towards Her and kiss
me, or give me Her chewed betcllcaves. How merciful She is! O Premamayi, Karunamayi Radhe!
When will I be blessed by attaining a drop o f Your mercy? I'm sitting here, constantly waiting for the
blessed day that I will gel Your mercy!"156 The aspirant should also become greedy for tliis
indescribable prasada. With such transcendental greed the devotee should enter the path o f ragdnuga
bhaktL Sacred greed after the mood of the people of Vraja, like Tulasi Mafijarl, is the only means to
enter into that and there is no consideration within the mind of such a devotee of being qualified or
unqualified. The transcendental greed causes all discrimination to vanish and awakens only
insatiable desires in the heart of the devotee. Tliis is the opinion of Srila ViSvanfUha Cakravartl. Srila
Rupa GosvamI has defined the eligibility to enter into rdgdnuga bhakti as follows:
224
he devi nivedana,
tomara sttkha sadJtane,
ekanut hoyeche mom mana.
ei dhydna ei japiu ei vrata ei tapa,
ei mom dharama korama
"O Devil This is my prayer! Making You happy is the only desire on my mind! This is my
meditation, my japa* my vow, my austerity, my religious principle and my duty!"
bhojanera avasare,
krpd ditlie sneha bhare\
muJdia padma hoite phela lava
dmdra vdflchita nidhi,
nija pada dost bhdvi,
kobe dibe parama sampad ?
"Wltiie You eat You cast an affectionate glance at me and drop a fragment of Your food from Your
Ioluslike mouth. That is my desired treasure. When will You give this footmaiden that supreme
treasure?"
VERSE 58:
O Svamini (mistress)l While you are on your v/ay to the abode o f the king o f Vraja
(ffjpndtdvara) to cook,fo r (Madhava, every pore o f hair on your body stands erect o f jo y and
you r gait falters. W ill my eyes ever attain this visum?
Notes: The more the devotee experiences, the more the devotee's devotional hope increases. When
devotion appem-s in the heart the devotee feels himself unqualified, but he is also bound by strong
hopes for attaining the beloved:
225
bodies and giving them (he taste of nectar. For this reason mother Ya&xfa, who is always
overwhelmed by feelings of love for her son, daily asks Her to come to her home to cook for Krsna
through the agency of Kundalata, Of course, vSriinari RadharanT, being svayath bhagavati, the
Supreme and Original Goddess, does not need boons from anyone. Garga Muni and Durvasa Muni
are only (unconciously) assisting in increasing the spiritual erotic flavour for Krsna. Kundalata
obtains permission from mother Jatila to bring Radtukfi to NandlSvara, although Jafila mistrusts the
naughty son of Nanda, Krsna. All (lie gopTs walk along with Kundalata like a marketplace of moons,
illuminating all the forestpaLhs with their sweet .splendour. All the gopTs cover their heads with their
veils when they pass through (he village of Yaval, but when they leave the boundaries of the village
they open their veils again. How sweetly TulasT addresses RadharanT here: 'Svihnini!1 There's not a
whiff o f bodily conciousness in this address. "You're going to cook for Your Prapanatha, that's why
You are overwhelmed by ecstasy and You may sometimes trip and stumble. I will see it and
understand it! The veil of Your mind will be opened for me and notliing will remain hidden!" This
must be understood Uuough (he mind of the acarya. Just see once how the sincere devotees tire fixed
in remcmeinbering these transcendental pastimes! They arc horripilating of ecstasy when they
remember the sweetness of Svfuninl's each and every limb and gesture. Sv&mirii's happiness will
awaken in (he heart of (lie kinkan (the kinkan knows when her SviiminTis happy). We also want to
become qualified (o experience this in (he heart. srfsvarT drsti vdg ddi sarvehgiia vicak$a?iam: One
should want (o understand all hints that SriSvarT makes with Her glances and words etc. This is not
possible without giving up all desires other than the lotusfeet of Sri Radha, One should always desire
lo absorb one's mind in the ocean of blissful love for Sri RSdha:
227
Jjrfa
efiisa CjMvuiiti
"O Svamini Radbika! O worshiper of Kona's plays! When You go to the town of NandlSvara, the
abode of ilie king of Vraja, with Your girlfriends to cook Madhava's meal, tears are constantly
streaming from Your eyes, Your skin is studded with gooscpimples of ecstasy and Your mouth sings
the name of Govinda. Your gait stumbles and Your mind is absorbed in rasa, remembering
Sy&masundara/'
s f e t w r a G rikfm i ^
w
r a
fo ja ^
qf=
i
u %% n
ft?
VERSE 59:
+
m *
p A r S v a - d v a y e l a l it a y a t iia v j s a k h a y a c a
T V A M SA R V A TA H PARI-JANA1S CA P A R A IH P A R lT A M
P A S c A N M A Y A VIBHRTA BH ANG U RA M AD H YA BH AG AM
K IM R U P A M A fijA R IR IY A M P A T H IN E SY A T IH A
parSva - side; dvaye - on both; lalitayci - by Lolita; atha - then; visdkhayd - by YiSakha; ca - and;
tvarii - You; sarvafah - everywhere; parijanaih - by friends; ca - and; paraih - by others; parttam surrounded;* pafcdt - beliind; mayo - by Me; vibhria - carried; bhahgitra - brittle; madhya bhdgdto waist; kith - whether; riipa manjarili - RtJpa Mafljarl; iyaih - tins; pailii - on the path; nesyatt - takes;
iha - here.
WiCCHtfipa 9danjan Ccadifoti on the path with La&ta and Vijaf&a on your two sides, Jour
friends att around ou, and me (voiding i f out hrittie waist from Behind?
Notes: In smarema, dreams and in visions Sri RaghunStha feels the vicinity o f SrT RadharanT and
experiences SrTmalfs most coveted form, fragrance, touch, sound and taste. Now he sees Svamini
going to NandKvara to cook for Her beloved Kr$jtia, How vivid is the experience of the perfected
souls! Siddha Krsnu dasa BabajI of Govardhana has written;
228
0 Queen of my heart! As Kundalata holds Your hand and You walk along with Lalila and
other sakhis I will follow You with a pitcher of water."
'
"Kundalaia asks You so many rasika playful questions and You happily converse with Your
girlfriends. Your hairs will stand on end and Your gait will falter as You experience the bliss of
Ki'sna-consciousneKS."
It's great ecstasy! Svaminl goes to Kr$i;a to make Him happy with Her service. The nature of
prema is that it just wants to make Krsna happy. &*T JIva Gosvami has described three grounds to
prema - visayonukfdyatinakas taddnukidydnugata tat sprhd tad anubhava hetukolldsamaya jndna
visesah priyatd (Pmi Sandarbha 61)1): "The soul of prlti is the desire to make Kr$na happy or to be
favorable to IBs happiness. 2) The arising of different desires in the lover for die sake of Kona's
happiness 3) When Krsna is happy the lover is happy. The first o f these is the constitutional hallmark
{svarupa lak$ana) o f prema and the other two are the marginal hallmarks (tatastha laksatia). The
extraordinary constitutional position of prema is the exclusive aim to make Us object (Sri Kr$$a)
happy. The desires arise in the heart of the loving devotee to make Kr$ija happy with different
devotional services that please Him and that help the devotee to attain Him, The awareness that
Kr$na is happy gives the devotee boundless bliss, although he does not have his desires for personal
happiness fulfilled,
he svdmini vinodim,
nandisvare yabe nmd,
nanddloye paramo, llnonde
lalita visdkhd sakhi,
dui pdrsve sobha dekhi,
cart dike yoto sakhtvpide
"O Svainini! O Vinodini (source of Kxsna's pleasure)! When You go to NandiSvara, the
abode o f Nanda, in topmost ecstasy, I see how beautiful You look when You are flanked by Your
best friends Lalita and Vi&ikM and surrounded by all Your other girlfriends."
137 Narrated by Sri Anauda Gopala Gosvfunl.
230
jn -S n W iipa IKusu/mwjaiift
W l f t ^TnH i
t: I
n 5 0 n
s F s r s t#
a ra i t e r o M
^hkRi^Ri
1
11
<??it
VERSES 60-61:
H A M V A -R A V A IR IH A G AVAM A P I B A L LA B A N A M
K O LA H A LA IR VIYIDIIA V A N D IK A L A V A T A M TA IH
SAM BHRAJATE P R IYA TA YA VRAJARAjA SU N O R
G O VARD H AN AD A P I G U RU R VRAJA VANDTTAD YA H
P R A P T A M NIJA P R A N A Y IN l P R A K A R A IH p a r I t A m
n a n d Is v a r a m v r a j a m a h e n d r a m a i i A l a y a m TAM
DURE N IR IK SYA M U D ITA TVA RITAM D H AN ISTH A
t v A m A n a y i st y a t i k a d a p r a n a y a i r m a m A g r e
hatnva - mooing; ravaih - sounds; ilia - here; gavdm - cows; api - even; ballabanarii - cl' the
cowherders; kolahalaih - noises; vividha - different kinds; vandi - panegyrists; tofawatfrii - artists;
/flf/i - by (hem; sambhrajate - shines fully; priynfa>Yl - with love; myfa raja sm oh - of (he prince of
groups; /wrifa/i/
.
king; maha - great; dfay<wh - abode; fan/ - him; dure - in a distance; nirfksya - seeing;
blissfully; ivaritam - quickly; rf/k?m?fAa - Dhani$tha; tvam - You; dnayisyati - will bring; kada when; pranayaih - with love; mama - mine; agre - before.
When you arrive at thfyndtfvara, the great abode o f ftfgmda, the king o f Vrqja, which is
fitte d with the bettowing of cows, the shouts o f the cowherders and the different songs of
panegyrists and artists, and which shines with Cove, being dearer to the prince o f Vroja
(SQ'fna) than even Qovardfuma, you are surrounded by your Coving friends. When w itt I
then see *Dhanistha quickfy and CovingCy taking you inside in front o f me, after she sees you
comingfrom afar?
Notes: In Ills svarupdvesa Sri Raghunatha dasa relishes a stream of the flavour of devotional service,
Svaminl goes to NandiSvara, the abode of the king of Vraja and his son Sri Krsna. How dear this
abode is to Svaminl! The cows ate mooing and the whole town is filled with the sounds of
cowherders* reciters and artists. Tins place is even greater than Govardhana Hill, which is praised by
all the people of Vraja! The NandiSvara Hill is always served by hundreds and hundreds of
AmaravatTs (the celestial abode of Indra). When Svaminl sees the hill, Her unrivalled sweetness and
beauty wells up and gushes out with a hundred streams. How many hundreds of emotions are
manifest in the embodiment of emotion! How sweet are the paces of Bhavamayl and Her sahhlsl
This picture is ever to be meditated upon by the devotees. The Mahajauas are singing:
dafanaha jyoti,
mod naha samatuhu
hasaite kha.se mani jdni
kdheana kirana,
varana naha samatula,
vacana jiniyd piku-vdm
"Even t>carls cannot compare to the lustre of Her teeth and jewels fall out of Her mouth when She
laughs. Golden rays cannot compare to Her bodily complexion and Her voice defeats that of the
cuckoos."
kara padatala,
"Her handpalms and footsoles shine like red landlotus-petals and Her anklebclls are jingling.
Govinda dilsa says: "This crown jewel of women defeats even king Cupid lH
232
Rfulhika that Syama, who is just as anxious, stands before the Gopura, playing with His friends
after milking His cows. How eager the Lord is at heart to accept the loving sendee of His
devotees! Only a devotee's heart can know how anxious the Supreme Brahman is! How sweet it
is to think: 'T he Lord wauls me!" In truth the Lord is Self-satisfied, accomplished in His desires,
full of bliss, unagilaled, and free from hankerings, but in His playful pastimes He is the enjoyer,
who thirsts for happiness. Especially the love of the gopis awakens unbridled desires in His
head, and ornaments Him with a beautiful dress with which He rambles from kunja to kunja with
the gopfs. How many colored pictures His desires mark on the canvas of His heart! RadharanI is
the greatest; He's so eagerly waiting lo see Her. She is the presiding goddess of love, the
embodiment of madanakhya maim bhdva. If even one drop of this love enters the vessel of the
individual soul the Lord becomes so eager to have it! Sri Narayana, the Lord o f Vaikuitfha, told
Gopa Kumara:
233
bhajana is not beautiful as long as there arc selfish desires, bhajana will be beautiful when (he heart
only seeks (he happiness of Ihc beloved deily. "1 will see what He misses and how 1 can fill up that
void." In this way expertise in bhajana will come. How much eagerness there is in each o f hyaena's
limbs to relish thist It is wintertime and SvfuninI has covered Her head with a veil. How wonderful is
Her sweetness I Sri' Rupa ManjiuT shows SvaminT the way and TulasT follows. The devotee who is
fixed in smarana relishes the sweetness of these emotions, bhajana fails if the devotee does not slay
with SvaminT and serves Her. KundalaLa shows Her: "0 Radhe! Look at (hat bluish aura by ihc
towngatc that destroys the patience of all the Vraja-gopi'.?!" SvaminT sees dial Krsna holds His left
arm on the shoulder of His dearest, friend Subala and He twirls a lolusflowcr around in His right
hand. With this playlotus He also twirls the minds of the gopis around! SrlmatT is completely
overwhelmed with ecstasy when She drinks the nectar of Kundalata's words with the cups of Her
ears, the nectarean vision of Kr$na with the cups of Her eyes and His ncctarcan fragrance with the
cups of Her nostrils. Seeing the fortunate position of Krsnas friends, Radhika laments:
234
Sri Rupa MafijaiT and TulasI serve SvaminT day and nighty according lo (he rime. They arc primarily
interested in service, and relisiiing SvaminTs form, qualities and pastimes comes afterwards. They
serve Her both in meeting and in separation from Krsiia. The pretnika sevikd always stays with
Svannnj, i^irst SvftminT must be loved, and (hen the sweetness of Her form, qualities and pastimes
can be relished. The worship of Vraja is a worship of love, not a worship according lo scriptural
injunctions. U is a bhajan based on greed. Svfunihi shyly asks LalilSi with trembling voice; "Sakhi! Is
there no other way to go to the house of king Nanda? I cannot, go along this road anymore!" Lai it a
says: "Radhe! Because You act on the order of Your superiors there will be no fault in You! You
will not be blamed! Come sakhi, just go on over the main road!" Srlmatl, very happy lo hear Lalila's
clever encouragement, proceeds slowly but surely down the main road while the sakJus and manjans
are swimming in oceans of nectarean rasa as they behold this scene.
The abode o f NandfSvara Hill is M l of cows and cowherders and there are streams and pools of
yoghurt and milk. King Nanda's palace is crystal-wliile and the roofs are made of gold and jewels.
King Nanda built a high tower of seven stories from which Kz$$a can enjoy the sweet sight of
Vraja's meadows, rivers, lakes, forests and mountains.159 When SvaminT walks Uirough the alleys of
the town, She becomes more grave. Krna considers the jingling of Her anklebclls to be like a stream
of nectar entering into His ears. Sri RadliikS is the very life of Queen YaSoda's maidservant
Dhanistha, who restlessly walks in and out of the palace, looking out for Her and thinking: "Why has
RadhikS not conic yet?" When she finally sees RudhikS coming in the distance, she quickly comes
out, takes Her by the hand and asks Her: "Why are You so late? I was so distressed because of not
seeing You!" SvaminT replies: "You know that I am controlled by My superiors!" When i?matl is
led inside king Nanda's abode Site illuminates the whole place with Her sweet effulgence. When
Dhanifllia lakes Radhika before queen YaSoda, Yaoda exclaims: "Alio! 1 understand that the
goddess of beauty of all the three worlds has appeared within my house! 160
mire dekhivd,
e
mukhdni dhariyd,
se ye rasavatt,
s
uruati hoiya,
cumbana korite,
korolo pranati,
235
Srifa
dtlsa (josvamT
spending (heir days simply weeping, and whenever there is some slight opportunity (here is a
meeting with Kj<;na. How blissful is dial meeting! Goviuda greatly yearns for that kind o f delectable
happiness, which is the quintessence of transcendental flavours. This is due to Yogamiiyifs expertise.
dharma chddi rage dotihe koroye milamr, kabhu mile, kabhu ml mile, - daivera ghcitana
ei sab rasa nirydsa koribo asvdda; ei dvdre karibo sarva bhaklera prasada
vrajera nirmala rdga .funi bhakta-gana; rdga marge bhaje yeno chadi dharma karma
(Caitanya CaritSmrta Adi 4)
"Tliis passionate love causes us to give up religious principles and to meet eacholher. Sometimes we
meet, sometimes we don't meet - that's up to Fate. I will relish the quintessence o f rasa and In (his
way I shall bless all the devotees. When they hear o f the pure love of Vraja They will also worship
Me on the path o f rdga bhakti, giving up all social and religious principles." SrI uka Muni
described (he supreme astonishment of the extramarital love of the gopls in the Rtfisa-OH, which is
the crownjewel of all transcendental pastimes, as follows in Stimad Bhagavaia (10.33,36):
"Out of compassion for all the devotees Hie Lord took shelter of a human form and performed such
pastimes. Anyone who hears about this pastime will become devoted lo Him ."162 The Lord and the
Vmja-sundarTs perform this pastime to delight and benefit Themselves, Their pleasure-potencies,
Their associates in Vraja and indeed all the people of the world! Anyway, Mother YaSoda, who is the
embodiment of maternal love, sprinkles SvaminT with her tears o f love and blesses Her, saying:
fafimukhif saraddm ialam jayaivatit sukhaya maho anyone mamety udiivau* "O moonfaced girl!
May You live for a hundred years and may You always delight my eyes and my mind!" The sakhts
and mafijarls also bow down to mother's feet and YaSoda also embraces and blesses them. Srlmatl
and Her friends look very beautiful when ihey wear garlands of Wimw-flowers coming from (he vine
of mother YagodtYs parental love. Mother YaSodfi, her heart melting of affection, scats RadhikS on
(lie best sitlingplace and has some of the best sweets brought. SvaminT bows Her head out of shyness
when YaSoda requests Her to eat the sweets, so YaSoda leaves it up to Dhani$lha to serve Rfidliika
Her meal and goes elsewhere lo perforin other duties. After Srlmatl Radliika has eaten mother
YaSoda takes Her to (ire kitchen and says: "O Radhe! You arc the goddess o f fortune Herself! You
always glance mercifully on my house, so my storehouse is filled to the brim! There is no shortage
of any ingredient in my unlimited storehouse! Whatever You need for cooking You can take!"
Ulinsavatl SiTmatl is very happy to get that order from Queen Yagoda, so She starts cooking for Her
dearmost Priyatama. Then the vision vanishes and Sri Raghunatha dasa prays: "When can I see You
like this?" Falling on the bank of RiidhSkunda he weeps, battling his chest with his own tears.
Sri Haupada Sila sings:
236
Jn-JnW&ipa- 'JCimtmftijaQfi
ttsttor
it
m o
jt^ bt r ^ tt
w i u s r ii
237
O XpJaBt (BeautifnC, auspicious gvrQt y o u arc an. tKptrtcookS A fte r I washed, your CotusGfy
fe e t y o u enter into the kitchen and offer y a w obeisances to the queen o f *tfraja (yadodd)
and other superiors. When wtfCyou drown me in an ocean ofhGss By doing this?
Notes: In his svarupaveia &n Raghunalha has a vision of his devotional service and when the vision
vanishes lie prays: "Ayi KuSale! O all-auspicious Svamini! When will You enter the kitchen after
washing Your feet and offering Your obeisances to VrajeSvatT YaSodfi and other superiors?" The
maidservant changes Srimatl's clotlies and Ornaments and dresses Her in clothes that arc lit for use in
Lhe kitchen. Sri Raghunatha clearly perceives this pastime. During visualization it appears as if it is
directly happening, but after llie vision subsides, one considers; "Oh, that wasn't real - it was just a
vision!" Then with piteous cries one prays again. Then the meditation appears again as if it is
directly happening. In this way the Uld smarana gradually continues. When a sensitive devotee hears
and recites this he will think: "Alio! Blessed is Sri Dasa Gosvfunl! He was totally free from bodily
conciousness when he fell on the bank o f Radhakunda, the crownjewel o f Vraja, and was blessed
with the full vision o f the greatly swelling sweetness of (he Divine Couple, day and night! Will I
ever attain even a single drop o f this ocean of bhavd, by his grace? 5ri Kavi Kamapura teaches in
Alankara Kaustubha: vibhdvayati uipadayatTii vibhdva "A vibhdva causes the dormant desires for
devotion to awaken in the hearts of the devotees who have similar feelings {sahrdaya). Although,
perhaps, Sri Dasa GosvUml is not able to awaken his listeners' emotions to the same extent as his, he
is still able to water the seeds in their hearts, making them fit for such desires to fructify in them.
The more the devotees hear and read the words of Dasa GosvamT, the more the seed of their dormant
love o f God will fructify and grow. Tins is the effect that vibhdva has on the listener.
A
238
Mother Rohiiu also blesses Sri Radha as if She is her own daughter, saying: pacana caturataratdsi
jale: pacamanasd tava hhdii yad yathd to?16'1 " 0 daughter of mine! You are a veiy good cook, cook
whatever You like!*' Hearing mother Rohinl's words SviiminT shyly bows Her head down. The
kifikarTs change Svaminfs regular dress and ornaments for a dress suitable for cooking.
Affectionately mother RoliinI seats Smnatl close to the stove on a golden chair covered with a white
sheet. The Ore is burning on cedar, aloe and pinewood and all the ingredients are lying before
SvaminT, handed to Her by a maidservant whenever She needs any.
"sakhil Who told Me tills name Radha? Hearing it I fell My heart was soothed! How much sweetness
is there in that name? It filled My ears with nectar! How many names aren't there in Gokula? None
134
Jn-Jn^fdpa
o f them agitated Me like tills one! When Her form manifests itself in My heart it is as if l reside in an
ocean of nectar!" Yadunnndana's mind weeps: "When 1 sec Her My eyes are fulfilled!"
No other consort is so fortunate! Kr$na can forget everything, but not Her! This is. the Lord we
worship! Tie is Hid vildsl.; a playful enjoycr. The killing of demons and other worldly duties are
perfortned by Lord Vi$nu. He performs these duties through Krsna's hands. krstia kore visnu dvdre
asnra samhdra (Caitanya Caritiimrla). He is the carefree DhTra Laliia-hero, enjoying in every kunja
with Sri Radha. Playing and playing, He infuses His prema in (he trees and vines. He revives the old
and dry trees and causes the rocks to melt with His fiulesong. We will not see our worsfiipable Lord
outside of His pastimes. In the Gamblma Srlman Mahaprabhu embraced
Svarupa Damodara and
Sii RSmitnanda Raya and wept. Ilis heart, that was burning in Ore fire o f love-in-separation, was
soothed by the cooling nectar of suitable songs and verses from Krsna KarnamrLa, Gita Govinda,
Candldasa and Vidyapali that were sung to Him by Svarupa and Rama Raya.
240
J ft'J r l W fapa
Yafcda gives SvaiuinT full freedom in cooking, but she is present on the other bank of the pond to
arrange for Kona's unguents and dresses. Svainim wears a pink silken sari with a deep purple
border. She has a strong desire to look at Kr?na> to admire His beauty and His funny irolicks with
His friends, but She is siiy and afraid because so many cowherdboys are there, along, with mother
YaSoda. Somehow the Yugala Kigora manages to exchange some sweel glances with Eachother, with
which They express Their desires. 169
Sri Huiipada Sila sings:
241
^ 5 ^
II S 3 II
VERSE 63:
M AD H AVAYA N A T A V A K T R A M A D R T A
BHOrYA PEYA R A SA SA N C A YA M K R A M A T
T A m A T I T V A M IH A R O H IN l R A R E
DEVI PH U LLA-VAD AN AM KADEKSYASE
mddhavdiya - unto Madhava; note - lowered; vaktram - face; ddrki - out of respect; bhojya - eatables;
peya - drinks; rasa - nectar; sancayath - collects; kramcit - gradually; tanvafi - gives; tmm - You; iha
- here; whim - RoliinT; hare - in the hand; devi - 0 goddess; phtdla - blooming; vadatiaih - face;
kadd - when; tksyose - 1 will see.
O fDevi/ when cm I see f/aur lowered Hushing face affectionately looking at {Madhava
while {you. collect all {fitsfood and drinks tmdplace them in {Rphints hands?
Notes: In (he previous verse it was described how Radha and Syama felt boundless bliss when They
saw Eachother in the kitchen. In this way even the kitchen had become a Rasavatl, a delicious place.
"When will You thus fully immerse me in an ocean of bliss?" The devotee thinks: "I want to become
happy by making You happy*11Everyone in the world wants to be happy, and even in (lie pure loving
devotees some extremely subtle desire for personal happiness dwells (1 want to be happy by
rendering devotional service, I waul to relish the flavours o f devotion etc. Ed.) Only the
maidservants of Sri Radha are completely free from-this. They are the summit of selflessness. Hie
Gautfya Vai$navas practise (he updsand of Radha-dasya. H ie aspirant should advance by thinking:
"What will make Them (Radha-Krsna) happy? bhajan can not lake place as long as there is the stain
of personal desire. Wliile doing bhajan it is not easy to give up (he desire for distinction. Why would
sadhu prema (beautiful love) come in the heart where the dog-eating woman of the desire for
distinction still dwells? One should fear (he desire for distinction, as SrTpOda Mfidhavendra Puri did.
pratisflulra bhaye pari geld paldiyd; kr&na-prema sange prafisthd cole logo loiyd (C.C.)
"Madhavendra Puri fled out of fear of distinction, but reputation automatically comes along with a
lover of Kr?na.n A devotee who still lias personal desires cannot possibly fathom the ecstasy there is
in selfless worship. In selfish worship there is misery, and as long as there is still a whiff o f desire
(lie true joy of devotion cannot be attained.
242
vidhi agocara,
yoto upahdra,
dichena rohiin may
rddhdra vadana,
dekhi acetan at
holla ndgara ray
"Even the Creator cannot imagine how many dishes Mother RohinI is serving! I see that NSgara
Raya (Kf$q&) lias fainted alter seeing Radha's face!11
aruci dekhiyd,
dkula hoiyd,
kohoye nandera ram,
rddhd rasavatT,
karpura malatT,
tomdra lagiyil dni
"Nandariinl Yasoda becomes very upset when she sees Kona's lack of appetite, so she says: "Rasika
Radha has brought camphor and MalatT for You!"
twni nd khdile,
rdi nd dsibe,
svarupa kohilwn tore,
visdkhd lalitd}
dra kundalatd,
thdriyd kohiche more
"I tell You truly, if You don't eat Rai will not come anymore! ViSakhS, Lalila and Kundalata have
hinted that to me!11
. mdyera vacane,
pdolo ceiana,
ndgara Sekhara km
rdiye sukha diydf
dkantha pfiriyd,
korolo bhojana pan
(Padakarta Raya Sekhara)
"When NSgara Sekhara, Kr$na> the king of amorous heroes, hears these words of His mother, He fills
Himself upto the neck with food and drinks, just to please RM
Svaminl enters the dining room, Her head lowered out of shyness. Balarftma and mother YaSoda arc
there, after all. rimatl blushes out of shyness and She tries to make Her bangles and anklebehs
1 Snla Jlva Gosvaim explains the name Roliini as follows: r o l i a y a t i j a n a y a t i v r a j a - s t i k h a t i i
"Because she increases and creates joy in Vraja with her character she is called RohinI*.
243
ta c c h lle ti r o h in i
jingle as softly as possible while She brings the full dishes in and lakes the empty dishes back out
again. Her pace is as nectarean as (lie dishes that She brings in! How carefully She carries
Syarnasundara's dishes! rasa sancaya means: She serves rasa, spiritual flavours. The dishes o f Sri
Kf$na, Subala, the sakhfs and tnanjaris taste of amorous love, and the dishes of Balarama, Rotihu
and YaSoda (asie of fraternal and parental love. What a wonderful meal!
rohini-nandana,
koroye bhojana,
kanura dotting bosi,
vamete sitba la,
samnuikhe mangala,
saghane ufhaye hast
Roliinl-nandanu Balarama sits on Krona's right, Subala sits on His left and Madhumafigala faces Him
as He eats. YaSodd points ai the different dishes with her indexflnger and says: nO Son! This
preparation is very nice, that one is so tasty, this one is very sweet!" The expert joker
MadhumaAgala, seeing K m a s weak appetite, tells queen YaSoda: "Mai Kr$na doesn't cat anything!
Just give Him some light food, like rice and sabjl, and give me the rich food cooked in ghll I will
nourish Him by embracing Him after I filled up my own belly!" Everyone laughs after hearing
Madhumaflgula's joking words while Madhava relishes a new infusion of sweet flavours while
viewing RfidliikAs face. & I Radhas face is blossoming - phulla vadanarn. Svaminl is known as
Maryadavatl, a girl who neatly follows the etiquette. All the superiors are present, but still, can She
survive without glancing at least slightly at Madhava? All Her activities ure aimed at Madhava's
satisfaction. ri BaftgabihiiiT Vidyfilafikara says: he devi krsna manoharana parivesana krTdavati
"Devi means playful girl, a girl who playfully enchants Kr$oa in die way She serves the meal."
Madhava means the Lord (dhava) of all limitless beauty {md or Sri). The palace of rasa (spiritual
flavours) is built on die foundation o f tattva (spiritual truth). She is the tool energy of the Original
Person, Sri Krsna, (he fountainhead of all consorts of the Lord. Caitanya Caritamrta (Adi 4, 75-82)
states:
244
Or: Mu means 'beauty', and Kr$na is Her Lord (dhava), the abode of limitless beauty and sweetness.
A flood awakens on the ocean of sweetness when Sr! Radha is seen and Radliika's maidservants
relish that sight. They nourish Eacholhcrs beauty; that's why SrI Radha is addressed as devL The
most beautiful and effulgent One, dyotamdnd paramii sandarL With some trick Syamasundara is
able (o look at SvaminT withouL being noticed by Olliers. SvaminT also blinks at yama'$ sweet face
while She bauds die plates lq mother RohinT, thinking: "How beautiful is My Priyatatna!" After
eating one sweet, Syamasundara says: "MS! this sweet is amazing!" At that time mother RohinT is
serving elsewhere, so mother Yaftxia says: "RSdhe! Bring that sandeSa here!" Svaininl brings it and
mother YuSoda says: "Come, give it to Him!" Just as Svaininl shyly wants to put the sweeL on
Kr$na's plate Krsna stretches out His opened hand to receive it from Her. That is a sign of affection
and Srimatl blushes of shyness when He does that. How beautiful is Her shyly blushing, blooming
face at that time]170 Tulasl relishes (his sweetness and greatly desires to see that blossoming
lotusface again.
he radhe icchamata,
sevdra sdmagn yoto,
nija kare prastuia koriyd.
carvya cosya lehya peya,
parammna yebd hoy,
nuana thdldte sdjdiyd.
"O Radhe! According to Your own wish You prepare Konas dishes, like sweet rice that can be
chewed, sucked, licked or drunk, with Your own hands and place them on jewelled plates
"In this way, O Nava Gauri (fresh golden beauLy), 1 will fill up my eyes with the vision of Your face,
that blooms (shines) like millions of moons. Vilapa Kusumafijali is the treasure of worship and the
elixir for the minds of the rasikas !"
5!
II 8 II
VERSE 64:
170 Apart from the quotations the entire purport is by Sri Ananda Gopiila Gosvfuwl.
245
J r iJ ir
(fSstt ijt)$vami
Notes: Ayi Madhure! O Sweet Girl! How beautiful You are when You are seen by Madhava in (he
assembly of superiors! Svaininl is serving through the hands of mother RohinL Mother YaSoda is
there* Baladeva-candra is there, but somehow Syftmasundara is catching a glimpse of Her. He cannot
freely gaze at Her, but if He looks at Sv&minl's face just once He can understand how eager She is.
246
$ n n*Wapa Xusumanjalxfi
medication can be realized with closed eyes. When Srlla Bilvamangala Thakura came to Vrnditvana
he saw Kr$da wherever he cast Ills glance. He went up to Him to catch Him, but then he understood it was not a direct meeting, it was a vision. How clear were his visions!
Ultra ca Sriigarddi sarva rasa kadamba murtir bhagavcm tat tad abhiprdydnusdrena vabhau na
sdkxdyena saivesdm itydha mallanam hi "The different people saw Kr?na according to their own
mood, desire, opinion and eligibility, but no one could see Him as the embodiment of all the
different transcendental flavours, like the erotic flavour.
SvfuninI has placed all the tasty dishes in Mother Rollings hands. How wonderful are tiie movements
of Her hands! Syamasundara is absorbed! He relished Svaminfs inner feelings. I-Iow eager He is to
have Her! It is said te mukha-padmaiii, Your lolusface. Madhava's eyes are like bumblebees.
Restlessly, these thirsty bees drink the nectar of SvaminI's lotuslike face. There is not much time for
Radha and Krsna to glance at Eachother, but somehow They find some consolation by blinking at
Euchother lor a while with lowered faces. In that one second They drink all (lie honey from
Eacholher's lotuslikc faces with Their bee-like eyes. The relish of the honey of Tlieir loluseycs is
247
"May the devotional service of (he Yugala's lotusfeet remain on my mind. May I meditate on Their
feet and may my mind love (his Yugaia KiSora, that are the monarch? over all Cupids and Ratis!"
vtksyamdnam iha te mukha-padnuxth "I want to see all the tricks Kr$i;ia uses to see You, even in the
assembly of His superiors! Sri Raghumllha says: O Madhure (sweet girl)! Your cheeks start to
blossom like a lotusflower in a river when they experience the touch of the sunrays o f MSdhava's
glance! We will see it and understand it all! You cannot hide anything from us! None of Radha and
MSdhava's secrets will remain hidden from those who understand the power o f Their ecstatic love,
Tliis is how wonderful the love o f the matljarfs is! Before Radhika and Madhava meet, these deists
know in which kufija Their pastimes will take place and they will decorate that place before Radha
and Krsna arrive there. There will be no limit to Tulasfs ecstasy when the Yugaia meets under lour
eyes (ediurdkfika milana)\m
Si! Haripada $ ila sings:
"Subala and ndama sit on Krsnas loll and fi Balatama sits on His right with the sweel-natuied
Madhumangala, wliile His superior surround Him on all sides, looking as beautiful as a
marketplace o f moons as YaSomall serves prasada."
"Rasikendra Cudamani (Kr^na, the crownjewel of relishers) is enchanted while relishing the four
different kinds of sweet rice and He is most ecstatic when He enjoys the Sikharinl-drink, that is more
tasty than the essence of nectar and that smells of lotusflowcrs at every step.'*
se mddhurya candrfinana,
kobe hobe daraSana,
he rddhe mddhurya Sdlini!
vildpa kusumdnjalk
ki amrla rasa kelit
bhajaua sampad raina khani.
"O Radhe! O Abode of sweetness! When can I see Your sweet, moonlike face like this? Vilapa
Kusuinanjali is like a neclarean play of r o w and a jewelmine filled with the treasure o f bhajan !"
VERSE 65:
A Y I VIPIN AM A T A N T A M SA U R A B IIE Y l K U LA n A M
VRAJA N K P A T IK U M A R A M R AK SA N E D lK SIT A M TAM
VIK ALA M A T IJA N A N Y A L A L Y A M A N A M K A D A TVAM
SM1TA M AD H U RA K A P O LA M VIKSYASE VIKSYAM A n A
249
J n -^ n V ifa p a tKttstmatijoRft
ayi - 0 !; vipinam - forest; atantam - wandering; semrabheyi - of the SurabhI-cows; ktddndth - o f the
herds; vraja - of Vraja; nr-pati - king; kumaram - son; raksane - for keeping; dik$itath - initialed;
(am - him; vikala - agilaLed; mail - heart; jananya - by moLher; Icdyamanaih - being fondled; kadd when; ivam - You; smita - smile; madhura - sweet; kapolam - check; vTksyase - seen; vlksyamdnd being seen.
When w ill the prince o f Vraja ($(rsna) glance at Ifou. with Mis smiling face as He goes out
to wander in the forest with the SuraBfn-cows, in whose care Me was initiated/ Being
fondled By M
is worried mother?
Notes: Alter Kfstja has His meal 3rl Radha and Her girlfriends eat, then (here is an amorous meeting
between Them in a garden near NandlSvara-villagc, named YogapTpia Milana, and after this Krsna
goes out to the meadows to tend His cows (yana-gamana ltld)7 as is described in this verse. In this
way the gradual pastimes are fully described. But SrUa Raghunatha dasa Gosvfunl is so overwhelmed
by ecstatic feelings o f love-in-separation that he first describes the vana-gamana, and after that Sri
R&dha having Her meal with Her girlfriends. Although he himself relishes these pastimes in the
proper order, in his prayers he reveals them in this order, Kr$na goes out to tend His cows and His
mother fondles Him, not wanting to let Him go. Anxiously she holds Her son to her chest and tells
Him, while bathing in her own tears:
250
Vitfipa Xusnmanjaiifi
kuSera ankura bodo,
Cetera samdna dada,
Simile sincidd pode gdya
sirisa kusuma doi(it
jiniyd caranatala,
kemone dhdibe heno pdya
"Im afraid llie big Ku&vgrassroois will hint You like javelins. Hearing il 1 sprinkle my body
(wiih tears). How will Your (ootsoles, that are more lender than Si)l$a-lloweipeials, run over Uiis
around?
rndyera karund vdni,
Suniyd gokula want,
koto mate mdyere bujhdya.
visfida ud koro mone,
kichu bhay Haiti vane,
itbe sdthi esekhara rdya
"Hearing His mother's pitiful words, Gokula-mapi Krsna explains His mother in so many
ways: "Don't be sad at heart! There's liotliing to fear in the forest!", and Raya Sekhara is the witness!.
When Krsna, (he jewel o f Gokula, hears these pitiful words He consoles His mother by
saying: "Ma! You've not seen the forest of Vrndavana! Don't worry in vain! The forestpaths are
softened by flowers falling from the trees and vines and there are no sharp pebbles or thorns there.
We always play in the shade o f the trees and the sharp sunrays cannot harm us! The bumblebees
zoom around the blooming honey-filled flowers, different birds are blissfully chirping and we enjoy
eating the sweet and ripe pomegranates that fall from the trees. In the evening we simply blow our
flutes in the flowergaidens to call our peacefully grazing cows together before we return home. Ma!
Will you deprive us of this festival of bliss by keeping Me locked in the house (he whole day? On
the strength of your l'ootdust nothing will happen to us, ma! And what's more, (he cows don't want to
go into the forest without Me! Mother thinks: "Aha, if my Gopala feels so happy in the forest, then
let Him go !"173 Then she utters the HrsiMvi-inarUras for Gopalas protection and gives Him some
beautiful instructions:
dmdra sapati Idge,
nd dhdiho dhenur age,
pardnera pardna mtamani
nikate rakhiho dhenu,
ptlriho mohana venu,
ghare bosi dmi jeno Sum
0 lif e o f my life, blue gem of mine! Don't run in front of the cows! Keep them close to
You and play Your enchanting flute, so that I can heav You when I sit at home!"
baldi dhdibe dget
dra sisu vdma bhdge
sriddma suddma sob pdche
mini tdra mdjhe dhdio,
saitga chddd nd hoiyo,
mdihe bow ripitbhoy dche
"Bal&i (Hulai-funa) should run in front of You, all the other boys on Your left and Sridfuna
and Sudama behind You! Slay between them and don't leave them! Fin very much afraid of our
enemies, the demons!"
ksudhd hoile cahi khdio, patha pane cdlii yfii-o,
ai'daya trndhkurapad\e
kdm bole bodo dhenu,
phirdite nd ydio kdnu
hdta tuli deho more, mddxe
dtdkibe tarura chdya,
minali koricho mdya.
ravi yeno ndlu lage gdya
"When You led hungry then eat and look in front of You while You walk, there arc many
bulbs and pebbles on the road! Promise me, 0 Kanu (Kr51.n1), lhat You won't wander in front of the
big cows! Your mother humble asks You: Stay in the shade of the trees, so lhat. the sum-ays will not
scorch Your body!" The gopTs express their anxiety as follows:
m f t a f t m 7^ ' s s 4 w F f f f ^ r i f a t e m 3
11 $ $ n
VERSE 66:
G O STIIE SA YA TIIA KUTUKAC C H A P A TH A D IP U R V A M
SU SN IG D H AYA SU M U KH I M A T E P A R A R D H A T O T I
IIA H R lM A T I PR1YA-G AN AIH SAH A BH O JYA M AN A M
K IM T V A M N IR lK SY A IIR D A YE M U D A M A D Y A LAPSYE
%
go$tha - of Vraja; TSayd - by 1he Queen; atha - then; kulukdt - joyfully; sapotha - swearing; adi - and
so on; purvath - by doing; susnigdhayd - with great affection; sm ukhi - fairfaced girl; mdtr - mother;
pardrdhataJi - than billions; api - even; ha - O!; hrtmati - shy girl; priya - deai'; ganaih saha - with
groups; bhojyamdtidm - being fed; kith - whether; tvam - You; niriksya - seeing; hrdaye - in the
heart; madam - joy; adya -now; lapsye - will obtain.
Notes: In the previous verse there was an exchange of glances and a prayer for viewing tills beautiful
scene. In this verse lies a prayer lo see SvaminI's bhojandild (pastimes of eating). Mother YaSoda
now takes care that SvilminI eats something. Mother wants to feed Her, but Lajjavatl SvaminJ does
not want to eat.
yasodd dkuli,
hoiyd vikali,
mire korolo kore,
dmdra bachani,
mo yew nichanu
bhojana koroho bole
(Pada Kalpataru)
"Anxip.usly motiier YaSoda takes Riii on her lap and say: " 0 my girl! Don't go now! Eat somctliing
first!" Mother YaSodB touches Sv&miitf and swears Her to sit down and eat. How much affection she
has! More than even billions of mothers: "Why dont You eat a little? Do You think that Im different
from Your own mother? You can laugh, joke, sleep and eat. in my house just as You can do in Your
own mother KlrtidiYs house! For whom should You be shy?" Molher YaSoda then sits close to Sri
R$dhik?i and personally feeds Her. Sri Radhika does not eat anything else but the neciarean
remnants from Krsna's meal, so Dhanistha has secretly mixed that in die dishes that molher YaSoda
selves Her.
254
great fun in seeing mother YuSoda feeding 5rimatT. The sakhTs make sly hints to Sri Radhika, as if
they want to say: I understand Your belly will not be filled unless mother YaSoda feeds You
(Krsnas remnants)?" Tulasl, whose bliss knows no bounds, stands close by SvaminI, silently hoping
that She will give her some of Her remnants, and Svaminl, understanding what is on her mind,
secretly drops some of Her chewed food in Tblasi's hand,176 Blessed is this loving maidservant!
After SvfuninJ lias flushed Her mouth and prepares Herself for returning to Her hometown Yaval,
mother YaSoda anxiously tells Her:
goddess of prema. No one knows how to serve Krsna like She does and She is not known in
connection with anything else but loving Kr$na. The bondage of emotions is called prema:
"prema is that bondage of emotions between a loving couple that is never destroyed, although there
may be ample reasons to break up". This docs not come from one side, but from both sides, RSdha is
die embodiment of love (hat has Krsna as its object, and that is again meeting with the love Kr$na
feels for RadhtL Because RSdhika loves Krspa completely Sri Kr$na also surrenders to Her service
by applying red lac to Her footsolcs, making tilaka on Her forehead, massaging Her feet and so on.
As an independent ladylove (svddhlna bhartrka) &rimatl can order Him to do these tilings without
any hesitation! It is not the service of the maidservants, nor even the service o f Sri Kr$na then, it is
Love, itself serving Her! It is the culmination of deep love, hearts service. For instance, at night's
end, the sakhls arc asking: "Why are You messing up our Priya sakhVs clothes and ornaments? Put
them back where they were! yama dresses Svamim:
"Yagomatl, who is agitated by her feelings of total love, speaks honey-sweet words to You, saying:
HHey Vatse (daughter)! Hey Kalyani (beautiful, auspicious girl)! You are the jcwellike object, of my
parental love, just as my NUamani (blue jewel Ki^na)!"
257
3 fT fe f^ T
*.
^ w
^
trri
W tfe .
I
ii
s*
ii
VERSE 67:
O %&anjanafii (girt with eyes as restless as wagtail Birds) When w ilt I f e d a great
festiva l c f jo y in my Heart when I see fo il Being fondled By the Qyeen o f Vraja, who
emBraces fou , losses fou r head and lovingly stares at fo n as if fo u are fler newly married
daughter-in-law?
Notes: SrT Raghunatha submits to SvaminTs lolusfeet how severely his heart suffers for want of Her.
His desire to see Her is also just for Her pleasure, only to serve Her, not for his own happiness.
There is no dcccitfulness in a pure, loving heart, and this love is most pure in Vraja. When the
sddhaka follows in the footsteps of Kr?nafs devotees in Vraja the rays of the moon of nlga bhakti
will be reflected in his crystal-clear heart. Then love will be lice from deceit. Outside of Vraja all
forms o f love of God are more or less mixed with feelings of awe and reverence, even in the
appendix of Vraja-lila1, NavadvTpa-lTla. RSmananda Raya was, for instance, Vi&\\kha-sakhT in Vraja,
so he should have had pure fraternal love for Sffman Mahaprabhu. But when he met the Lord on the
bank of the Godavari-river, and their mutual love arose, Rama Raya could not take the Lord to his
own home. The Yedic brdhtnanas invited the Lord and Raya respectfully told Him:
258
in Haridasu TMkura's cottage at Purl, afraid to approach Mahaprabhu directly. But in Vraja, as Rupa
ManjaiT, he prays:
259
RaglumiHhu, now he is Tulasl Mailjaff and falls on (he bank of Sri Radhakunda, anxiously
lamenting: " 0 Beautiful lake! How many pastimes isn't my ISvail playing on Your banks with Her
most, dearly beloved Priyatama? How dear you are to Radha-Syama! 1 don't want anything else!
Please show me I^vuri's lolusfeet just once!" Some of this love-in-separation for Svamini will also
awaken in (he heart of the aspirant who follows in the footsteps of Such an aedrya as Srlla
Raahunattia dfisa GosvamT,
Sri Raghunatha now sees another transcendental picture before his eyes; He can relish the sweet
sight of how mother YaSoda sweetly fondles Svamini, After eating Svamini takes a little rest. Then
MS calls Her and Tulasl brings Her to mother Ya$oda, who tightly embraces Her, fondles Her, kisses
Her and smells Her head as if She is Her own newly married daughter-in-law. Again and again
mother holds SvaminI's chin and looks in Her eyes, floating in her own loving tears. With choked
voice mother YaSoda says; "O my girl, without You my whole life is dark! Dont forget to come here
always!" 3ri Radhika may he respectful to mother YaSoda, but Her control over Her son is complete.
Nobody can deal so freely with Krsna as She can. Sri Radhika has no such tears and worries about
stepping on Krsna's feet. Because of Her supreme love lor Him, She can do with Him whatever She
likes. She even puts Her feet on His chest if She likes, "When will I see You like that?" navavadhum iva lalyamdndm. Srlla Kr$na Dasa Kaviraja writes in Govinda Lflamjta (4,70-71):
hrdy udgataih suta kardgrahandbhild^ais iad bhusanaih m bahutoh saha ytini yamdt
nispadya (an nava vadhu prati-rupakdni snehad dhrtdni sadane vara sampuiesu
tair bhusanair atha dhani^hakayopamtais tambrda candana varambara ndgajaiS ca
dlivrlam nava vadhum iva tdm vrajeSd sammdnya harda balita muditd vabhuva
"Filled with affectionately eager desires to marry her son, YaSoda carefully placed many suitable
ornaments in excellent baskets at her home, as if Sri RadhikH was her newly married daughter-inlaw. Dhanistha brought these baskets to Sri Radhika along with betelleaves, sandalpaste, vermilion
and new garments. Queen YaSodS was very happy to see Sri Radhika surrounded by Her friends, as
if She was her own newly married daughter-in-law." Sanskrit commentator Sri BangeSvara
Vidyabhusana adds: yasodci sneha-yantritvena svdcchandydbhdvdd vanagata
krsndbhisdrdya
sakhindm cdturydkanksayd lusdm mukha nirikmudya khanjane iva Tksane yasya "On the one hand
Sri Radhika is subdued by the love of mother Ya$od& and on the other hand She is unable to freely
join 5ri Krsna, who is about to go out to the forest. Desiring some clever solution from Her
girlfriends She blinks at their faces. Hence She is called Khaftjanak$I, or a girl whose eyes are as
restless as wagtail-birds." At this time Dhanistha will arrange for a short meeting of RadhS and
Ki*ha;(y<?grt pF/Afl) in the Giri Nikunja at NandTSvara. Srlla Raghunatha D5$a GosvamT described that
in hisVraja Vilasa Stava (33);
260
'pttfapa. 'JQuiwtfiftjafth
VERSE 68:
FLA RUPA M A N JA R IS A K H I P R A N A YE N A DEV1M
TVAD b A f i u d a t t a BHUJA V A LLA R IM A y a t A k s I m
PASCAD A H A M K A LITA K AM A TA R A N G A R A N G A M
N E SYA M I K IM IIARI-VIBH U SITA KELI-KUNJAM
ha - O!; rupa mafijari - Rupa Manjari; sakhi - girlfriend; premayena - with love; devlth - goddess
Radhika; tvad - Your; bdhu - arm; daita - given; bhuja vallarim - vine-like aim; dyata - wide; aksim
- eyes (fem.); pascat - from behind; aham - I; kalita - moved; kdma - o f pure love shown in file form
of lust; tarahga - waves; ratlgdm - place; neyydmi - I will take; kith - whether; hart - by Hari;
vibhusita - decorated; keli - play; kuhjam - grove.
O my dearfriendfRjipa Manjari! When can I waQ^fehmdyou when yon lovingly tafe wideeyed goddess IRgdhife, who is moved By waves of desire, to the playgrove that is decorated
By JriMari, as She holds J(er vine-life arm with yours?
261
Notes: Srlla Raghunatha Dasa Gosvaml now arrives at the description of Srl-SiT Radha-Kr$nas
midday pastimes. 5ri Raghunatha's stale of divine madness simply increases because of (lie intense
pain of Iove-iEi-separation he feels. His svanlpdvexa is his only support. In it he can relish SvaminTs
form, qualities and pastimes. Decause o f his divine madness of love he is unable to find words to
express Ills experiences. Whatever he could bring under words he Iras revealed in (his 'Vilapa
KusumSfijali. SrimalT Radliika will surely come to console he who is weeping over Her and for
whom She is everything, and take him to Her lotusfeeL. Who can be as merciful as She is? One of
the 108 names $rl Raghunatha dasa gives Her is koruna vidravad deha\ "She whose body melts out
of compassion", Normally only a person's heart melts out of compassion, but SrimatT makes Her
whole body melt. This is unheard of before! Sri Krsna will not give His mercy to one who does not.
worship Him. He has said that Himself in Bhagavad Gita: ye yathd mam prapadyante tarns tathaiva
bhajdmy aham. But Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gives prema even if He is rejected or insulted. He lias
become so merciful because He has accepted SvarninljTs mood. Then it may be asked, but it is said
in Laghu Bhugavatamita (Purva 5.37):
S n ^ n iW&pa OittsttmanjaCifi
loLusfect: "My Svamini, I know You! You will introduce Yourself to me in (he company of Your
Priyacama! mad tfa ndihatve vraja vipina candr<un,..bhaja manah (Manah &ik$a - 9): "O mind!
Remember that (he moon of (lie Vraja-forest (Krsna) is (he Lord of My Queen (Radha)!" First
Radha, (hen Syania! tundra Uvart hon vrnddvanesvarT; tdra prananalha bolt bhaji giridhan: "My
mistress is Radha, (he Queen of Vnuiavana, and I worsliip Giridhari because I know He is the Lord
of Her lifer Tins loyally fills & i Raghunatha's heart.
When tills revelation disappears Raghunatha Dasa cries pitifully, falling on the bank of Radhakunda.
Then he suddenly hears (he jingling of ankJebclls, wliicti soothes his pain somewhat. He sees Srlmati
Rupa Manjari before liim. Seeing her lie remembers Svamini, since she is the manjari (bud) of
Svaminl's rupa (form). A beautiful form, not yet blossoming. A bumblebee will not sit on an unripe
flower, Rupa sweeily asks him: "Tulasi, what's happening?" These customs have nothing to do with
worldly customs. How sweetly she says: "O see Tulasi, I have come!" In his spiritual absorption
Raghunatha gets up and says: "O sakhi Rupa Manjari! I cannot tolerate the burning separation from
Svamini anymore! Will I not attain Her service at all7" Rupa Manjari says: "What service will you
render?" TulasT: "1 want to come along with you to bring Svamini into that kunja on the bank of Sri
Radhakunda wliich is decorated by Hari!"m Syama, being eager to meet Svamini, sends a girlrnessenger in the form of His lluteplaying (jmiralt-dutt) and when Premamayl Radhika hears that
sound She becomes impatient and forgets all other considerations.
matha hi tapana,
Uxpaiti patha bdluka,
dtapa dahana vithara
nonika pulali tanu,
carana kamala jemu,
dina-hi koyolo ahhisdra
\
2 63
it for a rival gopl embracing Him. You will help Her (out oi' Her illusion), while I will help SvaminT
meet with SySma in a kunja-housc which He adorns with His own bodily luster. The words kama
tarahga ratigam apply hereto billowing waves of mddana rasa, die pinnacle oflove of God, and not
to material lust. The taittras say: premaiva goparamdndm kama ity agamat pratham - "The pure love
of (he gopTs is known as lust because the .external activity appears to be the same". Nevertheless,
there is complete absence here of desire for personal sense enjoyment. That's a deep paradoxical
secret! sahaja gopira prema nahe prdkrta kama; kama krldd samye tare kohe kama noma (C.C.) In
(his world it is also nolicable that some activities appear the same externally, but have .different
targets. For instance, two persons may be picking flowers in a garden. One of (hem is doing it to
gratify his own nose, and the other is doing it to worsliip (he Lord. The first person binds himself to
Oils illusory world by striving for sense-gratification, while the other awakens his dormant love of
God by working within fee realm of the Lord's svarupa Sakti (innate energy) named bhagavadbhaktl It is well known that the Lord is not captured by mere lust wliich is not attented with pure
love for Him. Seeing diat the Lord is controlled to die utmost by^ the goplkas' lust it can be easily
understood that this lust is fee pinnacle of deep Jove. Therefore Sri Ilva GosvamI writes in Bhakti
Sandarbha: esa bhavah (Hants bhavah) kama lulyatval rl gopikdsu kamadi sabdendpy abhihitalu
smarakhya kama viSe$a$ tvanya vailaksanyat, kama sdmdnyam khahi sprha samfinyatmakani priti
satndnyas tu viyaydnukidyatmakas tad anugata visaya sprhadi mayo jrldna vie$a iti laksitam. taio
dvayoh samana prdya. cestatve'pi kama samanyasya cesta svtydnukjilya tdtparya. Suddha priti
matrasya cesta tu priydnukulya tatparyaiva "This conjugal love is called kama or lust because it
resembles lust. But the mundane Cupid called Smara is different from (his, for many differences can
be seen between fee two. Usually fee word kdma is used to indicate desire or lust and priti or prema
the altitude of wanting to please the Lord. Therefore, although the activities of lust and love appear
lo be the same, the desire to please oneself has been called lusi and fee desire to please Sri Kf$na lias
been called pure love. From tliis it is easily understood that fee lust of fee gopis, who are free from
desires for personal sense-pleasures, is (he pinnacle of pure love."
SvaminT goes on abhisdra, holding & ! Rupa MahjaiTs hand. Waves of lust are manifest in each of
Her limbs. Her passionate love for Krsnu is like a wave, wliich is manifest through the gestures of
Her eyes. Her gait and Her words. It's a strong desire to meet Him, but it is all for Kronas pleasure!
Anxiously She asks ROpa MafijarT: "How long will it take before I can see Him again? Tell Me
Rupa, how far is it still? Aha! How eagerly He must be sitting there, waiting for Me !? 179 There is a
delight in separation, although it brings suffering. Such delight cannot be found in tills world. Unless
feelings o f separation awaken there can be no awakening of a strong desire lo attain fee beloved.
Therefore the first target of fee aspirant must be love-in-separation. Unless there is eagerness, born
from a feeling of want, one cannot become qualified to experience anything. The devotee should not
forget this when becoming absorbed in the bliss of meditation. "A person like me feels no spiritual
want at all. I'm having fun, my belly is full, everything's OK!" The aspirant will feel ashamed when
he realizes (lie difference between his careless way of life and fee activities of fee Gosvamis. pitman
MaliSprabhu stood behind the Garuda Pillar and viewed Lord Jagannatha from there, bathing in His
own tears, garuda stambhera tale, ache eka nimna khede, se khdla bharito airu jale (C.C.) &ri
Gaurasundara is Radha-bhavatfhya, enriched by Radha's mood, seeing Himself meeting Kina at
Kuruk?eira as a beggar-woman. Although Kr$na is Her all-in-all, Svamiiu could not embrace Him
and hold Him to Her heart. What pain, what, an anguish! Boundless bliss agitates the ocean of
anguish as She thinks to Herself: "Go to Vraja, I want to see You in Vraja!" Raghunafea dasa is the
embodiment of Sriman Mahapiabhu's grace. His love-in-separation is natural. The devotees will
greatly benefit by hearing and chanting about the stream of his worship.
Sanskrit commentator Bahgabilvari Vidyalankara adds: m krsndvalokandydyaiaui duradarSi ikyaiiatn
caksur indriyath yasyds tam iti vcl The name 'ayatakst, or wide-eyed girl, used for Radhika in this
verse, is very appropriate. Wide eyes can see for a n d ^ rl Radhika needs feat capacity to save Her
own life by seeing how far it is still before they come to Kr$na!
,79 Narrated by Sri Aiianda Gopftla Gosvaufl.
264
Together with TulasI and RQpa SvaminI arrives at the gate of the kunja. hari vibfiu$ita keli-kunja.
Sri IJari singlehandedly decorated the trystingplacc where Rupa and TulasI bring SvaminI and is
waiting there for Her. Radhika is known as vasaka sajjikd, a gill who decorates (lie trysting-placc
awaiting Her hero, but now the situation is reversed. Hari made a sittingplace for Her with flowers
moistened by His own loving tears. The kunja is adorned by Hari's form, qualities and
craftsmanship. How expert He is in decorating! It i$ as if He decorates all four sides of the kttnja
with His pure love for His Priyajt, thinking: 'Here I will sit. with My beloved !1 This is the expertise of
prema seva, Hie mutual service of love. When SvaminI enters the kunja with Rupa and TulasI She is
amazed. First of all it is the kunja which delights Cupid, and then it is also decorated by the very
hands of Hie transcendental youtliful Cupid of Vrndavana! SvaminI asks: "Syfuna! Who decorated
this kunja?' Hari says: "Who knows? You understand!" Srlmatl: "You have done it, nobody else
can decorate like this! You have done all this work, knowing that. I would come! I should have been
here with You to help You!" Today She is very munificent. It is Svaminl's Hari, who steals (harana)
Her heart with this loving expertise. Two teardrops trickle from Radliikas eyes. How affectionately
yama helps Her onto Her sittingplace! How much love He has in His heart as He sits at Her soft
feet (sitting Himself on the pedestal) and takes them to His chest! Asking Her: "How have You come
all the way here with these tender feet? The ground of Vraja is so hard!", He repeatedly looks at
Svaminl's lotusfeet (hat are greyed by dust. TulasI understands the mood and brings a golden pitcher
with water and a golden bowl. While TulasI pours out the water yama washes Svaminl's feet and
dries them off with His yellow dhoti, while tears trickle from His eyes. Without the mercy of the
dedryas this cannot be experienced. By their grace the divine remembrance of this pastime will
awaken within the heart. The mind must be absorbed in this subject. How beautiful Syflma is, sitting
by Svaminl's feet! SvaminI lifts Kr$na up and seats Him next to Her. How beautiful Syama looks
with these loving tears in His eyes! Holding Her cheek on His cheek, SvaminI asks 3yama: 'Why do
You love Me so much? I could not do anything for You! I have so many shortcomings! How many
qualified girls are there not always waiting for You? How You could leave them all for an
unfortunate girl like Me?'! SyOma slates at Svaminl's face. What He has gotten - that He's unaware
of!
^ n fa tgpgfiuTiiUfta d a ta (josvam l
in one place. They arc both absorbed in rasika ecstasy and Amnia dasa cannot find die limits to
this l
Suddenly the vision vanishes. It is as if the eyes have become void and Sri Raghunalha d5sa weeps,
prays and laments as follows;
m i z w i t i f e f c p p jjt m w i;
iW ifcr
m m
i
n
st
VERSE 69:
I K IM
sdknm tvayd - with you; sakhi - 0 friend; nikufija - grove; grhe - in a cottage; sarasydh - of the lake;
svasydh - o f you; tote - on the bank; kusuma - flowers; bhdvila - made of; bhusanena - with
ornaments; Sriigariiam - decorates; vidadhaU - performs; priyam - Her beloved; isvarl - our goddess;
266
$a - She; ha ha - O!; bhavisyaii - will become; mad - my; Tfeana - eyes; gocarah - perceived; kirn whether.
My dearfriend Htjlpa Mahjari! When wiCI Be a6(e to see you with my mistress decorating
Met dearest One with flower-ornaments in the grove-cottage on the Banf^ofMer own Cafe ?
Notes: Sri Raghunatha's friendship wilh &rl Ruipa is complete. Why does he suddenly perceive Sri
Rupa Manjarl? These visions are also real, and are as blissful as if he would directly meet her. In his
AbM$|a Sucana 3ri Raghunatha writes: "May my desire for ri Radha's service be endowed with
spotless thoughts of Sri Rupa and thus stay engaged in Sri Radha's devotional service!" Together
with Sri Rupa he wants to relish (lie vision of his beloved deity, rl Rupa and Tulasl have brought
Svaminl to the kuhja which is decorated by I-Iari on the bank of Sri Radhakunda. How beautiful is
the bank of Sri Radhakunda) radhakunda syamahmda tirera ye sobha; varnann nd ydya rddhd-krsna
manolobhd "The beauty of the banks of Radhakunda and ^yfunakunda cannot be described - it
fascinates Radha and Kr$na!" The beloved's kunda is as dear to Krsna as His beloved is. As soon as
He sees it, He remembers Her! Because the kunda is endowed with Priyajfs qualities of dearness it
bestows a love equal to Radha's on one who bailies there even once.
267
who are greatly delighLed by the nectarcan fragrance of Their mutual dearness, attack my mind in all
respects with Their sweetness." The purpose of Sri JJva is here lhai: "May the indescribable
sweetness of Radha and Mudhava's combined form awaken in my heart in such a way that there will
not be the slightest oilier perception. The word akranta means: may tills sweet dual form not leave
my heart even slightly!" Syamu and Gaurfs blue and golden effulgence illuminates the whole of
Vrndavana, Sri Radlia's right eye and Sri Kispa's left eye are gladdened by wonderful movements
due to meeting the beloved and it is as if Tlieir indescribable bodily sweetness is dancing! Their
bodies arc adorned with limitless arts of ecstatic union such as embracing and kissing and so on. SriSri Radha-Madhava's bodies are anointed with mutual love just as the bodies of other heroes and
heroines may be anointed with ku/tkuma. in other words, the hearts in wliicli this sweetness, that is
gladdened by the nectar of mutual love, shines, remain scented by the fragrance of Sri-^il RadhaMadhava's love. In this eternal position the devotees reach tlieir goal of niktmja seva and its
complete relish. Again, within these pastimes o f meeting there are again so many pastimes of
separation, because without this duality o f union and separation there would be no variety of relish.
Therefore so many situations, like control of (lie superiors, going and coming in and out of the house
and pique within the groves, occur.
Svamini is not satisfied in the pastimes. Beautiful Syama's crown, pearl necklace, flowergarland and
loincloth have all broken and fallen off, so SvaminI says: "Sundara! Just look at Your condition!
Wait, let Me decorate You! Ive spoiled Your looks, and I'll make You look nice again! Just sit down
for a while!" Then She tells Rupa Mafijarl: "Rupa! Come here! We're going to pick some flowers!11
SvaminI takes ROpa along into the gardens and picks flowers of Her own choice there. Then She
comes back into the kurija and, along with Rupa Manjari, begins to decorate Her Priinanatha with
ornaments made of these flowers. Tulasl stands on one side of the kuiija and floats in oceans of bliss
as she sees her RvarTs expertise in service. She thinks: "O Svamini! Only through You such services
are possible!" Meanwhile, because of Svaminl's touch SySma's body becomes adorned with ecstatic
bodily symptoms such as sweatdrops, that obstruct Svaminl's service. Svamini gives a hint to Tulasl
to stand by Her Hero's side and to fan Him. Because of Tulasi's fanning Negara's sweatdrops dry up,
but now Tulasl begins to fan with such humorous expertise that the breeze she makes causes
Svaminls clothes to loosen. Syama becomes agitated from seeing Radhikas sublime limbs halfcovered and tins causes Him to engage in activities that obstruct Svaminls initial activities of
dressing Him. Tulasl softly giggles, but still she wont stop her expert fanning. Svamini then rebukes
her will) Her meaningful glances, as if saying: "Tulasi, how naughty you arel How can I decorate
My NUgara when you fan Him like that? Fan Him nicely, so (hat He will sit down peacefully!" After
receiving Svaminls sublime chastisement Tulasl blissfully Finds a new way to fan Krsna. Now she
starts fanning in such a way that Svaminl's bodily fragrance enters into Syama's nostrils and His
patience is destroyed once more. Blessed is this maidservant! Blessed is her service !181
In order to relish these pastimes a devotee must awaken his svarupa. "Even when a person like me is
in the right environment (living in Vraja) it does not work! Hie mind is so stubborn and crooked!1' In
material consciousness nobody can approach Radha and Krsna. One must enter into svarupdvesa.
bhRta-iuddhi (identification as a servant related to the deity) is also required during deity-worship.
svarupaveda is the bhuta-iuddhi of the Gaudiya Vai#avas. During mental service one must awaken
one's svarupa, and this is similarly required while practising oilier limbs of devotion. An aspirant
should always identify himself like this: "I am Rjidha's kinkaril" No one can delight Svamini and
Syama as much as die kifikarl, for she actually establishes Their meeting, which makes Them very
happy. They are so pleased with die kihkan diat They give even Themselves to her! Sri UiaSuku has
said: cipnsya vrndavana pfida lasyam upasyam anyam na vilokayama (Krsna Karnamrta) "We cannot
sec any odier object of worship than the dancing feet (of Kr$na) in Vrndavana." SrT Krsnadasa
Kuviraja has written in liis Saranga Rangada-commentary on this verse: vrnddvane pdda-ldsyam
yayos tain yuva-dvaudva ratnaih tyaktvd anyam updsyani'sevyam na vilokayama "We dont look at
any other object of worship than the jewel-like young pair of Vraja, dial is devoted to dancing in Sri
131 N arrated by S ri G o v in d a G o p ala G osvam l (the seco n d son o f 3 rila A n an d a G o p ala G osvaiul).
2(58
Vrndavaua." The loyalty of (he manjafis goes even deeper! Allegiance to the great words o f the
Gosvamls leads to a steady wakefulness o f ones svarupa. hitman Mahaprabhu gave them (the
Gosvamls) Hie duty: "Do bhajem and in this way teach the world!"
^yamas desire now also arises in SvaminT and Hari takes all obstacles to Radhikas union with Him,
such as shame, fear and opposition, away. The word Srhgdriiatn in the text also means limt SvaminT
makes SySma fit once more for pastimes in the Srhgara rasa, the erotic flavour. SvaminT has strung
a (lower garland, but there was no way to bind the ends together, so She binds them up behind His
neck. Then She comes up before Him and asks Him: "How do You like Your garland?" Syama
smiles slightly. Although He tries to find words to praise Svainim's craftsmanship, He cannot
express Himself. Their chests meet Eachother when SvaminT tries to fix the garland behind Kona's
neck and She bends over His shoulder. Because of this movement the garland gets smashed and
PriyajI says: "Just see! Ive ruined Your garland!", and starts stringing another one. SvSniinI is
decorating (frngaritam) the embodiment of spiritual erotic flavour (Srfigara rasa) and Ulus
immerses Him in gpigdra rasa. While She puts a crown on Syama's head, Syama smiles slightly.
"Oh what nectar! I cant allow that to fall and be wasted!, Svamim says and goes forward to taste
some o f Oils nectar (by kissing Kr$na). When She docs this, Kona's crown also falls off and She
must put it on again with the help of Sri Rupa Maiijari. TulasI is astonished when she sees how
expert SvaminT and Rfipa Manjari are in decorating.182 Just then the vision ends and 5ri Raghunatha
rolls on the bank of Radhakunda, crying pitifully. TulasI prays for darSana wliile SvaminT decorates
yama:
h'X rupa manjari sakhif more koro doyd;
lava krpa na Iwile,
kunja-sevd ndhi mile,
sada more deho pada-chdyd,
269
VERSE 70:
SRU TVA VICAKSANA M UKHAD VRAJARAJA SU N O H
s a s t a b h i s A r a SA M A Y A M SUBHAGE'TRA h r s t A
s u k s m A m b a r a i h . K U SU M A SAN SK RTA K A R N A R U R A
h A r A d i b h i s c a b h a v a t i m k i m 'al a n k a r i s y e
trutvd - having heard; vicaksana - Vicaksana, a parrot; mukhat - from his mouth; vraja - of Vraja;
raja - king; sfinoh - of the son; tiasia - excellent; abhisdra - rendez-vous; samayarii - the time;
subhage - O beautiful girl; atra - here; hrsfd - joyful; suksma - fine; ajn&anai/z - with garments;
kasurna - flowers; $ari$Ar/a - created; Atfr/mpwra - earrings; harddibhiJx - wilii necklaces and so on;
ca - and; bhavatlrh - You; Aim. - whether; alankarisye - will decorate.
O SuBhage (Beautiful or auspicious girQl Can IjogfuQy decorate ybu with fine garments,
floral earrings, necffaces and so after Rearingfrom the parrot Vicaksana that the prince o f
Vraja has gone outfo r 96s expedient noontime meeting with you?
Notes: This time the vision of Svamini appears: "O Subhagel When can 1 arrange for Your abhisdra
(love-joumey) after hearing from the mouth of the parrot named Vicak$ana that Syamasundara has
already left for His abhisaraV TulasI calls SvamimjTu 'Subhage' here because she experiences Her
fortune. He who is coveted by innumerable Vrajasundarls, is Himself yearning for Si! RadhikSl The
dasT is proud of Radharanfs pride. There's no limit to Syamas craving for Radhuranl!
vrsabhdnu nandini,
japaye rati dini
bharama na bolaye an.
lakho lakho dhani,
bolaye madhura vatu,
svapane na pdtaye kan.
"Day-and night He murmurs: Vrsabhanu Nandini!, witliout saying anything else. Although hundreds
of thousands of girls speak sweet words to Himt He docs not listen to them even in dreams!"
Vn' kohi dha'pahurit,
kohoi na pawl,
dhara dhari bohe lora
soi purakh manit
lotdya dharanT puna,
ko koho drati ora
(Govinda dS$a)
"He can only pronounce ihe First syllable of Your name, Ra, but out of ecstasy He can not pronounce
the other one, Dha. His eyes carry streams of tears. That jewel of men rolls on the ground, Who can
describe His distress?"
Syama is eager to the maximum to meet Radharanl, so He sends ihe parrot Vicaksana out with a
message for Her. Although Vrajendra-nandana is the very form of full bliss, and He is the supreme
shelter o f all sounds, touch, forms, flavours and scents and the ocean of all rasa, even He is
maddened by Radhas sweetness, rasa vai sah.. rasath hy evdyath labdhvanandl bhavati.. ko hy
evdnydt kah prdnydi yad esa dkasa anando na sydl; esa hy evdnandayati saisdnandasya mmdthsa
270
evdnydt fcah prdnyat yad esa dkasa dnando na sydt; esa hy evanandayati saisdnandasya mumrnci
hhavati; etasyaiva dnandasya anydni bhuimi mdiram upajlvanti: The Upani$ad$ state dial He is
rasa, and (lie living being cannot be happy without Him; were He not ecstasy personified they would
not desire to live. He is the limit of ecstasy and He makes all living beings in the world happy with,
even a drop of His transcendental bliss, yet even He is mad after meeting SriinsitT RadharanT! In the
pwrvfl-rfla-(falljng in love) stage it is seen that one sakln describes to Oilman how Syama is
suffering the pangs of separation from Her:
"O Fortunate girl! O Rainani Mani, jewel of women] Your birth is blessed! Let everyone
declare - it will satiate Kanu - Hes mad after You! Normally the CStaka bird craves die rainwater
from the cloud, but the Kp?iia-cloud thirsts for die RadhS-Cataka, normally die Cakora-bird survives
on the moonlight, but now the Krna-moon thrives on the Ratfha-Cakora, Normally the vine needs a
tree for support, but this Ki^na-Tamaia-tree needs the support of the Radha-vine - His mind is
absorbed in You!"
kesa paidri,
kabahum tuhn dchali,
ura para ambara adha,
so sab sumari,
kalmu bhelo dkula,
koho dhani ithe ki samddha
hasaite kaba tuhwh,
dasana dekhaiyali,
kore kora jorahi mora,
alakhite dithi kabar
hrdaye pasarali,
pum heri sakhl koili kora
etohu nidesa,
koholo tohe sundari,
jdni tohe koroho vidhdna
hrdaya pntali tithum,
so Sum kalevara,
kavi vidydpati bhdna
"He's panged remembering You combing Your hair with a garment*covering half of Your
breasts, and tells me: "O fortunate girl! What can 1 do? Kanu remembers everything, and it makes
Hinvvery upset - how You once smiled at Him and showed Him Your teedi - and declares: "When
will She take Me in Her arms!?" Then He looked again and saw You lidding die hand of Your sakhl.
Your unseen glance entered His heart! So please go and tell diis to Your Sundari - ask Her to do the
needful!" Vidyapati says: "You're the doll of His heart, but His body is empty!"
Syama docs not love anyone as much as Her. Hie different gopls only serve to create a
variety o f His loving pastimes widi Srimatl, but He is totally subdued by Sri Radha alone. Tills is a
very relishable situation for Her maidservants. Sri R3dhika is fortunate, because He for whom all the
gopis are eager, is eager to meet Her. Therefore She is named Subhage, or fortunate girl, here and
TulasI is also proud of Svaminfs pride. There's no limit to 5>yama$ desire for Svaminj, that's why He
personally sent His pet parrot Vicak$ana out with a message. Vicak$ana delivers the message to
Tulasi, who becomes most ecstatic!
suka mukhe sunaite aichana rita; sab aftga pttlakita camakita cita
kahaite gadgada kathahi bol; rdi mukha nirakhite antara dot
"When I hear diis from the parrot's beak all my limbs am studded widi goosepimples of
excitement. I speak die message with a faltering voice and my heart swings when I behold Rai's
face!"
Tulasi thinks: T won't tell Svfuninl about Harr's message beforehand, otherwise She would
run out of (lie door without having Her clothes and ornaments in the right place!" 3ri ukadeva
described a similar* scene of madness in his Snmad Bhagavata (10.29/Z), when Kr$na playetlHis flute
to inaugurate the Maha-Rasa dance:
271
rdi stlje bansi hnje m podilo ula; ki korite kind kore sab hoilobhula
mukure dneare rdi bandhe kesa-bheira; pdi/e bandhe phulera mala nd kore viedra
"When Kt$na plays His flute Rfii forgets everything - what To do and what not tb do! Rai
combs Her hair with Her mirror and tics Her flower garland to Her feet, without thinking.
foirete nupura pore janghe pore tdda; gntiile kii'tktnTpore kafiiate hdra
carafe kajala pore nayane dltd; hiydra upore kore bankardja paid
"On Her hands She wears Her anklebells, on Her shanks Her bangles, on Her neck She wears
Her waistbells and on Her waist She wears Her necklace. On Her feet She wears Her eyeliner, around
Her eyes She wears Her footlac and on Her breasts She wears the Baiikaraja Paia-omanient.n
272
I! \9? II
VERSE 71:
N A N A P U SP A IR K VAN ITA M AD H U PAIR DEVI s a m b h A v i t A b h i r
m A l A b h i s t a d g h u s r n a v i l a s a t k Am a -c it r A l i b h i s c a
r A ja d d v Ar e s a p a d i m a d a n A n a n d a d A b h ik h y a g e h e
m a l u - jA t a i h s a s i m u k h i k a d A t a l p a m A k a l p a y A m i
nanci - various; puspaih - with flowers; foanita - resounding; madhupaih - by bumblebees; devi - 0
Goddess!; sambhdvitabhih - filled; mdldbhUx - with garlands; tad - that; ghusrna - vennilion; vilasat
- shining; kdma - erotic; citrdlibhih - with pictures; ca - and; rajad - glistening; dvdre - on tire gate;
sapadi - at the time; madana - Cupid; dnaridada - giving joy; abhikhya - known as; gehe - in the
house; malll - jasmines; jdtaih - abundance; Sasimukhi - moonfaced girl; kadd - when; talpam - bed;
akalpayami - 1 will make.
273
O SoSimufiSi (moonfaced girtjl O (Devi (goddess)l When %udC I mafe a Bed o f JasminefCowers fo r ybu in the cottage in Modemanandada-f&nja (the grove which gives joy to
Cupid) which has Beatitiftdgates and erotic vermidon pictures hanging in it, hung with
garCands made o f various flowers surrounded By humming Bees?
Notes: When the vision (of the previous verse) disappears 5ri Raghunatha's heart cries out in deep
anguish. Hi$ heart is completely swallowed by loyalty to StT RadM. In external conciousness he also
prays for Radha's service. He's not satisfied with smarana or visions - Ire wants Her directly! Even in
external conciousness he feels a deep want of Svaminl, so he prays and laments as follows:
yo lhalakamala,
parade all komala,
jhdmara bhoi upacahka.
so ah y&hd (aha,
kafhina dharant maha,
ddrata bhoi niMahka.
9
274
4W upu 'Kpsimanjaiih
"Although these very tender lotusfeet turn pale in the excitement .She continues to traverse over the
earth's rough surface unmovedin Her determination and free from fear."
aichana bhdiiti,
milala vara nagan,
kunja mahd colU gelo
heri reidhei nwhana,
ulaslia locana,
ananda sdgare dubi gelo
"In this way Nagaii-mani Rai reaches the ivysilng-kunja. Radha Mohanas eyes rejoice when they see
Her like this and he plunges within an ocean of bliss !"185
Hie kunja is beautified with different flowers, each one attracting buzzing bumblebees. The kunja is
filled with the humming of these bees. The vermilion of the erotic pictures that the manjans have
drawn has the red colour o f passion and helps to incite lusty feelings. This kunja that gives joy to
Cupid is situated on the north-eastern side of Radhakunda and is managed by V i^ k M -ja ^ r. On all
four sides are Campaka-trees that permeate the kunja with die fragrance of their red, green, yellow
and blue flowers. Blue, yellow and green parrots, cuckoos and bumblebees are singing their sweet
songs there. It has four gates, one on each side, made of stakes with various wonderful flowers
strung on them. Tire central yard of this kunja is studded with jewels and shines like a sixteenpetaled lotusflower. There are Campaka-trees there with fragrant flowers and blue, white, yellow, red
and green parrots, Pika-birds and bees are sweetly resounding there. This kunja, which is covered
over by Madhavl-vincs that entwine the branches of the Campaka-trees, shines like a palace! The
door of this kunja that gives erotic joy to the Divine Couple is made of flowers that are surrounded
by thirsty humming bees that serve as doorkeepers, making sure that no intruders will come. Their
humming is like the ringing of bells during tire battle, Cupid's battle fought by the Yugala Kiora.
ViSakha has placed her disciple-friend MafijumukhT in charge of tliis kunja. Tliis Madana Sukliadii
kunja wliich is situated on the bank of SrT Radhakunda, the very form of prema-rasa, always
inundates Sn-Sfl Radh5 and Kr$ou in a flood of vihdra-rasat the nectar of 'their amorous
pastimes.186
Sy5ma is wailing for SvaminI in the kunja, eagerly looking down (lie road for Svaminl to come.
Sometimes He comes outside and looks if He can see Her coming over the pathways. His heart is
startled with joy when He hears die diy leaves falling from the trees, because it makes Him think
that His beloved is coming. Suddenly the bank of Radhakunda becomes illuminated by a golden
Splendour. Syama comes out of the kuftja. There is no limit to His eagerness! in the distance He sees
a golden effulgent form approaching wliich He has never seen before and He Uiinks to Himself:
Ed,
188 Purport by 5ri Ananda Gopaia Gosvfmu.
276
3T
+-FF)IRwRpc[ *MI?HlPl
IIV93I
VERSE 72:
S R I RU PA M AN JARIK ARARC TTA PAD APAD M A
G O STH EN D RA-N AN D AN A BUUJARPITA M A STA K A YA H
H A M O D A TA H K A N AK A-G A U R IP A D A R A V IN D A
SA M V A H A N A N I Sa N A K A IS TAVA K IM K ARISYE
n rupa manjarl - Sri Rupa Mahjari; kara - hands; arciia - worshiped; pdda - feet; petdma - lotus;
gosthendra - Uie king of Vraja; nandema - the son; thuja - arm; cirpita - offered; mastakaydh - on die
head; hd - 0 !; modatah - out of joy; kanaka gauri - golden girl; pada - feet; aravinda - lotus;
samvdhandni - massage; ianakaih - gently; tava - Your; him - whether; karisye - 1 will do.
O O&nafcL Qauri (golden girl)! Can I carefully and Happily massage yim r btusfeet while 3ft
fRfipa ^Mahjari massages the btusfeet o f the prince o fVraja {"Krfna), in whose arm you have
placed your head?
Notes: In lii$ sv n nlpdm a Sri Raghunaiha makes a bed of flowers for the Sri Yugala to play on in
the Madana Sukliada-kunja, and then he brings 'Hiem to the bed. Although die bed is made of
stemless flowers it will be able to tolerate the powerful motion of (he lovemaking.189 When the
aspirants greedily hear, chant about and meditate on the expertise in devotional sendee of die
eternally perfect kinkans (hey will become qualified to enter into manjarl bhdva sddhana. sei gopT
bhdvdmrta yarn lobha hoy; veda-dharma loka tyaji sei krs/je bhajay (C.C.) "Anyone who becomes
greedy for the nectar of gopl-bhdva will give up social and Vcdic dogmas to worship Kr$na."
Devotional practise must be mainly in allegiance to the anugamya (a person who worships in
189 See Utkalika Vallari, verse 48.
277
tnadana mohana,
koribe sayana,
mallikd sayydra'pore
iVI rupa manjarT,
parama sundarT,
carana cdpibe kore
"Madana Mohana lies down on a bed of Jasmine-flowers, while most beautiful $rl Rupa Maftjarl
presses (massages) His feel with her hands."
smo go vardhgi,
kanaka gaurdfigi,
pranandtha bhuja pdSe,
eldiyd anga,
tumi uttanwiga,
vitiratna koribe tiese
"Listen, O beautiful-formed golden girl, when You put Your head, which adorns Your body, to rest
in the rope-like arm of the Lord of Your life, You finally fall asleep,
se sukha vildse,
parama harise,
fydma sohdginl rddhe
(omara carana,
koro samvahana,
dekhi duhu mukha ednde
(Si! Ilaripada 3ila)
"O Radhc, Syamas beloved! When can l most blissfully massage Your feet and look at Your
moonlike faces while You enjoy such blissful pastimes?"
^.H^cS^T
?5wlPl &
tl *33 li
VERSE 73:
A d r i N IK A T E M U K U T E N A N A R M A
LILA V ID A G D H A S IR A S A M M A D H U S U D A N E N A
D A N A C C H A LE N A B H A V A T IM A V A R U D D IIY A M A N A M
D R A K S Y A M I K IM B H R U K U T ID A R P T T A N E T R A -Y U G M A M
govardhan
govardhana - Govardhana; adri - Hill; nikate - close by; mukutena - by the crown; narrna - joking;
Ilia - play; vidagdha - clever; tirasdth - by the head; madlmstldanena - by Madhusudana; ddnat from (ax; chatena - on the pretext; bhavatim - You; avaruddhyamanarii - being obstructed;
draksydmi -1 will see; kith - whether; bhrukuti - frowned eyebrows; darpita - proudly; netra - eyes;
yugmdm - couple.
Notes: This time Sn Raghunatha perceives the Dsna-/fl5TRadha and Krsna's quarrel over the tax on
giu by Govardhana Hill. 'Die pastimes follow eachotlier like a stream of sweet visions. Within the
relish of these sweet pastimes is also the relish o f sweet devotional services. "Madhusudana is the
crestjewel of clever pranksters! One day He obstructs Your path on (he pretext of collecting tax from
You as You are walking near Govardhana Hill! Will 1 then see Your proud eyes crowned with
frowned eyebrows? In the Dana-fi/d the loving quarrels of the Divine Pair are relishable. Srila RQpa
Gosvumi and Sola Raghunatha Dasa GosvamI have described lliis pastime in their books 'Dana Keli
Kaumudr and *D5na Keli Cintainani1. For the welfare of Ills son Balarama Vasudcva has engaged
Bhuguri Muni and other sages in perfonning a fire-sacrifice near Govinda Kuruja (a lake at the base
of Govardhana Hill). The sages have promised the gopis that all their desires would be fulfilled if
they will cany die required ghf (clarified butter) to the sacrificial ground, and this promise is
announced all over Vraja. Sri Radhika hears the news from Her pet parrot Suk$madhl and She sets
out from Radhakunda with Her sakhls like Lalita, ViSakM, Citra and Campakalata and Her
nmnjam like Rupa and TulasT, All these gopis carry golden lotas with fresh gin on rcd silken rolls
on (heir heads. The gopis are so sublimely dressed and ornamented that, the base of Govardhana Hill
shines with their golden effulgence, 'ddna chole bhetibo kandiY We will meet Kr$na on the pretext of
donating ghf\ Sri Radhika casts Her glances here and there, thinking: Where is that Lord of My Life?
Then, and there:
280
S ri
"ri Rudha is swiftly coming Uiis way with Her girlfriends!" Hearing this message from a
parrot, Gopendraiiandana (Krsna) smiled slightly, climbed on lop of Govardhanu Hill with His
friends like Subala and Madhumahgula at the liigh spot. known as Syama Vedi, and erected a
matchless toll station there." When Sri Radhika eagerly arrives at die Manasi Gahga-Iake widi Her
girlfriends, She remembers Syama as She sees die blackbccs humming around the blossoming lotus
flowers in uie lake. SrimatJ becomes overwhelmed by ecstasy when She hears ^yftina's very sweet
flute playing and says:
282
First Krsna talks with the sakftTs while Svaminl remains silent and grave. Sometimes 3yama comes
up to Radhika to touch Her and says: "Pay Me with Your youthful beauty!" How beautifully
Svaminl then frowns Her eyebrows, that defeat the strength of millions o f Cupid's arrows! SyamaNagara is enchanted and TulasI also floats in an ocean of spiritual flavour when she secs die beauty
of these eyes. The saklus sarcastically say: "Of Is there also a levy on youth nowadays T "Yes,
3yama says, "these things are taxed at this toll-station! SvfiminI walks on, ignoring SySma, who then
says: "Do You dare Lo ignore Me? Don't, get too offensive now!"
You are the crownjewcl of rasika gills, the very form of mahdbhdva, adorned with twenty
ornaments of ecstatic love! You astonish Haris heart with the gestures of Your eyes and with Your
Downed eyebrows, as You are standing there."
II V98 ||
VERSE 74:
TAVA TAN U VARA G A N D H A SA N G IV A T E N A CAND RAV A LI K A R A K R TA M ALLl-K ELI-TALPAC CHALENA
M AD H U R A -M U K H IM U K U N D A M KU ND ATIRE M IL A N T A M
M A D H U P A M IV A K A D A H A lk VJKSYA D A R P A M K ARISYE
tava - Your; tanu - body; vara - excellent; gandha - fragrance; dsahgi - touching; vatena - by the
wind; candrdvali - CandravalT; kara - hand; kria - made; mailt - jasmine; keli - play; lalpdt - from
the bed; chalena - by trick; madhura - sweet; muklii - face; mukundam - Mukunda; kunda - the lake;
tire - on-the shore; milantam - meeting; madhupam - a bee; iva - just like; kadd - when; aham - 1 ;
viksya - see; darpam - proud; karisye - 1 will do.
O Vdadhura-mufeii (sweet-faced gicQl When the wind carries four eTCpeCCmt BodUy
fragrance to CaruCrdvaCis handmade pCwj&td, where Mufenda enjoys with her *fesnafinds
a cCever effuse to meet fou oti the shore o f four Cafe (^fedhafenda), Rfe a 6um6Ce6ee
[caving an inferiorfCower. When w iilI proudCy witness this?
Notes: In the previous verse SErl Raghunatha perceived the Dana-Zifrl, in which he relished the
sweetness and the beauty of ddhtfvart Radhik&'s eyes, crowned with frowned eyebrows. When this
vision vanishes he laments: "When will I see these eyes again?" The deity shows Herself once and
then disappears again. Thus Svamim plays hide-and-scck with Her surrendered maidservant. Just as
a human body may be carried to the shore by the flood and again drawn back into the ocean by the
ebb, similarly Sri Raghunatha Dasa's heart and mind are sometimes brought to Radlia and Kr$na by
the waves o f milana (meeting) and sometimes drawn away again by the waves of viraha
(separation). Tliis causes all the lamentations. Separation from Radharam is not like separation from
284
coloite caranera,
sange colu tnadhukara,
makaranda pdtta ki lobhe
saurabhe unamata,
dharam cumbaye koto,
ydhd ydhd pada-cihna sobhe
"Bumblebees are flying along with Her moving lotusfeet. How greedy they are to drink the honey
from these lotusfeet! Maddened by their fragrance they kiss the ground, wherever Her footprints are
beautifying it."
hamsa-rdja jini,
gamana suldvam,
avalarnlyana sakhl-kdndhe
ananta dd.se bhane,
coioli nikunja vane,
purdile Sydma mana sddhc
"Her gait defeats the loveliness of the king of swans as She leans on (he shoulder of a girlfriend.
Ananta da$a sings: "She has gone to (he mton/Vi-forest to fulfill SySmas desires."
In tliis way TuiasT takes Premamayl along to the safiketa-kiuija (trysling-grove) on the bank of Sri
Radhakunda. Still Nagara has not arrived in the kunja. SrimatT waits for Her Nagara in the condition
of a Vasaka SajjikS:
happiness and distress. Without being completely absorbed in svarupdvesa ihese feelings cannot be
experienced, "Although a person like me i$ actually living in VrilvIuVuiiu he docs not have any
experience. I am always absorbed in bodily conciousness. Not even in dreams I think of myself as
Radhas maidservant* There's no oilier way than surrender. GaudTya Vai$oavas should take
exclusive shelter of the lotusfeet of the gopfs. vrajapura vanitdm, carana airaya sdra, koro mana
ekdnta koriya (Thakura Maha&ya) "O mind! TIic essential thing is to take exclusive shelter of the
lotusfeet of the Vraja-^pw'!" Sripada Prabodhananda Sarasvatl has said: kada sydm in radhe cakita
xha vrnddvana bhuvi (Radha Rasa Sudlnmklbi 211) mO Sri Radhe! When can I live in Vrndavana in
total (devotional) anxiety?" Sri Krsna is late for His appointment and SvaminI becomes more and
more upset.
bandhura ldgiydt
seja vididyalutii,
gdnthilu phulera maid
tdmbula sdjdluth, dlpa ujdmlum,
mandira hollo did
soif pdche e sob hoibe an!
se heno ndgarat
gunera sdgara,
kdhe nd milalo kdna
'T made tlie bed for My lover and strung a flowergariand for Him. I prepared betelleaves and I lit the
lamps. 1 made the bowerhouse very beautiful; but, O My friend, all this will turn out differently! I
will not meet My hero, Who is an ocean of attributes!"
idiudi nanade,
vancand koriyd,
dilum gahana vane
bodo sddha mone,
e rupa yauvane,
milabo bandhura sane
patha pane cdhi,
koiond rahibo*
koto prabodhibo mone,
rasa siromani,
dsibo ekhoni,
dlna candl
% ddsa bhane
"I deceived My. mother-in-law and My sister-in-law to come into the deep forest, and with great
effort I decorated My beautiful youthful body to meet My lover. I'm looking down the road for Him
to come, telling My mind that this crownjewel of relisheis will certainly come now. Thus sings the
wretched Candl Dasa."
Kr$na, while on the way to meet Radhika, had met Saibya and Padma, the girlfriends of Radhikas
rival Candravall, who had taken Him to Candravalfs kutija, where a bed of jasmine-flowers made by
CaiuMvalfs own hands was waiting for Him. When 3rl Radhika, waiting in Her own kunja> became
286
S ri
desperate* die wind of Vrndavana thought to liimseU: 'Let me see what I can do!, and became
Radhika's servant by carrying Her sublime fragrance into Candravali's kunja and straighL into
Madhusudana's nostrils. $yamasundara became startled, suddenly got up from Candravali's hand
made bed of flowers and told her; "Dearest One! 1 completely forgot! My mother told Me to-do
.somctliing for her and I just went off without finishing that duly! I have to go fight now! Naive
CandravalT, seeing Krona's anxiety, said: "Go, and come back, as soon as You've finished Your
duties!" Our Hero then promptly followed Radhika's excellent fragrance, like a bee (madhupam ivci)
who leaves all the other flowers to search for a blooming golden honey-filled lotus flower. That is
the glory of Her exclusive love! Sri Vigvanatha Cakravartl says in Ratlharanl's name;
287
iuyd caranamvinde,
amjta madhura gandhe,
mdtibe ki morn nd$d randhra,
gauravete guiiagmia, koriyd juclabo pram,
he isvari bhdnukula candra !
(Sn Haripada Sila)
V
"When will Uie nectar-sweet fragrance of Your lotusfeet madden my nostrils? 0 levari! O
Moon of king Vr$abhanus family! Let me soothe my heart by singing Your glories!"
VERSE 75:
SA M A N TA D U NM ATTA BH RAM ARA-K U LA JH AN K ARA N IK A R A IR
L A S A T PAD M A STO M A IR A P I VIH AG A R A V A IR A P I P A R A M
SAKHTVRNDAIH SV tYAIH SA R A SIM A D H U R E P R A N A P A T IN A
K AD A D RAK SYAM AS TE SA SIM U K H IN A V A M K ELIN TV A H A M 2
lS2 Quoted by Sri Amuida Gopfila Gosvami.
288
samantad - all around; wumita - intoxicated; bhramara - bees; kula - host; jhahkdra
buzzing; nikaraih - with an abundance; lasat - beautiful; padma - lotus; siomaih - with many; apt
even; vihaga - birds; ravaih - with chirping; apt - even; param - greatly; saklu - girlfriends; sviyaih
with your own; vnidaih - with groups; sa'rasi - in the lake; tmdhure - in the sweet; prana-patina
with the Lord of Your hearL; kadd - when; draksyama - we will see; ie - Your; saMmukhi
moonfaced girl; navam - new; keli - play; nivaham - multitude.
Notes: In this verse 611 Raghunatha desires to see the waterspoits In Radhakunda, saying: "O
Moon-laced Radhe! When can I see Your sweet waiersports with the Lord of Your life in n
Radhakunda? There are lotus flowers blooming in fliis sweet lake that attract intoxicated buzzing
bees. On the surface of the kuntfa different birds are singing and chirping. I desire to see Your sweet
water sports in that kwida\u & i Raghunatha is an ever-liberated associate of the Lord named Rati or
TuIasT ManjarT, descending along with Sriman Mahaprabhu for the benefit of the world to take
everybody along into the kuhja as a kihkan. Gaurahari means 'golden thief. Srila Rupa GosvamI
said: "Just as a. thief disguises himself to steal things Kjsna stole the appearance of Rfidiia; covering
Himself witli Her luster, afraid of being caught, but when He plundered the storehouse o f rasa in His
descension as Gaum He was naturally caught!"
/
289
mood, some are fixed in the love of Radha and Madhava, others in (he Lord of Dvaraka and again
Olliers in My different descensions such as R3ma and Nrsimha. I wifi lock you all in the .chains of
My love and give You attachment, to Vrndavana!" With this 'attachment to Vpidavana tiie luscious
devotional service called nmnjarl-bhdva is being indicated. Hearing Mahftprabliu's blessing 3ri
SitSnatha replied:
290
Jrt- Jn
*J<jisumiwjaifi.
Now Hie sakhts pick freshly blooming unwhithered loLusflowers and place them in Sri Radha's
hands. SrT Radhika lifts Her arm and shows Kr$na Her beautiful armpit while She aims at Ilis chest
and throws the louisfiowers. Syama is enchanted by Her beauty, catches all the lotusflowers that
innocent RSdhika ecstatically throws at Him and throws them back at Her. These lotusflowers
increase tremendously in beauty by being thrown about by Sri-Sri Radha-Ki-snas lotuslike hands!
Blackbces fly around these fragrant lotusflowers in an intoxicated state, bumming like the arrows of
Cupid, that resemble Radhu and Kfsna's lusty mutual glances, and birds are sweetly singing while
Tulasl gazes at. Sri Radhikns waterspom with the Lord of Her Heart and Her girlfriends in Her
beautiful pond! When the vision disappears Sri Raghunatha weeps and prays;
29!
sifts^Ri ^ca ^ ^
6N *pt
u vse; n
VERSE 76:
S A R O V A R A L A S A T TA T E M A D H U P A G U N J IK U N jA N T A R E
S P H U T A T K U SU M A S A N K U L E V IV ID H A P U SP A S A N G H A IR M U D A
A R IS T A J A Y IN A K A D A T A V A V A R O R U B H U SA V ID H IR
v id h A s y a t a iila p r iy a m m a m a s u k h A b d h im
Atan vatA
sarovara - lake; lasat - beautiful; kite - on the bank; mcidhupa - bcc; gunji - humming; kunja - grove;
antare - inside; sphuiat - blooming; kusuma - flower; sankule - multitude; vividha - various kinds;
pu^pa.--flowers; sahghailx - with a multitude; muda - blissfully; arista-jayina - by the victor over
Ari$\K&ada - when; lava - Your; vara uru - excellent thighs; bhusd - ornaments; vidhih - by means
of; vidhasyata - will be done; iha - here; priyarh - beloved; mama - my; sukha - bliss; abdhim ocean; dtanvata - expanding.
O Varom (nicety thighed girt)! When m tt the ocean o f my BGss expand when I see *fon
being decorated with flowers 6y joyfu l %Tfna* the victor over Striffasura, in a grove with
many Bloomingflowers and humming Bees on the Beautiful Banfiqfybur lak&?
Notes: In the previous verse
Raghunatha perceived the watersports of the Divine Couple. After
playing in the water of Radhakuncjla, Radlul and Kr$na and Their girlfriends come back on the shore
and the manjarls anoint Them with oil, massage Them* bathe Them again, arrange Tlieir hair and
change Their dollies. In tins verse Syamasundara will singlehandedly decorate rl Radiia in a kunja
on the bank of Sri Rsdhakunda. How incomparibly beautiful is the bank of Sri RSdhakunda! Tliere is
a sweet kunja there Hanked by enchanting trees and vines, bearing so many different kinds of
blooming flowers that are surrounded by swarms of thirsty humming bees. In this kunja Ari$fajayl
Krsna will dress Svaminl. O Nicely thighed girl! AritajayJ will expand the ocean o f my bliss by
decorating You with flowers!" Radhas maidservants don't like all kinds of bliss. Sri Kr?na da$a
Kaviraja defined the nature of the happiness of the gopikas as follows:
292
See Srimad Bhagavala, Canto 10, Chapter 36 and its commentary by ViSvanatlia Cakravaril.
293
the service of Sri Radiia! What more can be attained for the marginal potency of the Lord, the
individual souls, in the spiritual world? H us is the great gilt of MahSprabhu.194 Raghunatha dasa
Gosvsiml is the object of SrTman Mahaprabhu's limitless mercy. The Lord's heart melted when He
saw how fixed Raghunatha was in bhajan, prema and renunciation. Indeed, the Lord got in
Raghunatha dasa the embodiment of renounced Vraja-devotion! He was so pleased with Raghun&ha
that He gave Himself away to Ivim in the form of the Govardhana-A7<? and the gunja-mala. After all,
the Lord's blessed desccnsion served the purpose of distributing bhakfi-yoga that is deep with
dlspassion and realization:
294
^ q iT F f;
f ^
KS*T6fl :
n w
*w
11
VERSE 77:
s p h Tt a s v a n t a m k a y A c i t s a r a b h a s a m a c i r e n A j r p y a m a n a i r d a r o d y a n
n An A p u s p o r u g u n j A - p h a l a n i k a r a l a s a t k e k i - p i n c h a p r a p a n c a i h
sphTta - expanded; svdntaAi - mind; kayacit - by some (fern.); sarabhasam - joyfully; acirena swiftly; arpyamdnaili - being offered; dara - slightly; udyat - blooming; mind - various; puspa flowers; uru - great; guhjd phala - gufijd-beads; nikara - amount; lasat - beautiful; keki - peacock;
piflcha - feather; prapadcaih - with multitudes; sa - with; utkamparh - shivering; racyamdnah created; krta - done; ruci - nicely; harind - by Hari; utphullam - with goosepirnples; ahgani - body;
vahantydh - carrying; svdnunydh - of my mistress; kesa - hair; pdteih - braid; him u - whether; mama
- my; nayana - eyes; anandam - bliss; uccaih - greatly; vidhdtd - created.
W itt thejo y o f my eyes increase when I see one maiden sw iftty and happtty Bringing various
BCoomingfibtoersj Big gunja-Beads and peaceckfeathers? White fHari muffes the Braid o f my
Svamint w ith this 9te shivers and liter whole Body Blooms up w ith goosepitnptesl
Notes: In a transcendental vision 5>ri Raghunatha perceives how sweetly Nagara is dressing SvaminT,
and when he loses this vision he prays. Now he sees how Svaminfs hair is being clone. "When will
Your braided hair give my eyes great ecstasy? This braid is being beautified by Hari with various
flowers, guiija-beads, peacockleathers and other items. Your body will be studded with
goosepirnples. How delighted my eyes will be when Your hair becomes so beautiful! It is unusual
to make a girls braid with peacockfeathers. R5dM and Krsua have made love before TulasI spoke
this verse. Now Rfidhika wears a yellow cloth and Krna a blue one. They have exchanged dresses*
unable to distinguish between Eachother anymore, as a result of reaching a climax of loving ecstasy.
Svamim now has the peacockfeather-crown on and Kysna has braided hair and a jewel in His part.
The cause of this confusion is Their absoiption in Their erotic pastimes. In (he Rasa-mrtra, the
scriptures that deal with spiritual flavours, this is called prema vildsa vivaria and has two
characteristics: contrariety and confusion. 5rila Jlva GosvamI writes In his Gopaia Campuh (Parva
33.13): radha'janad asatige danuja-vijayinah sahgam arad asafigadi sahgarh sahge caivarh
samantcid grha sarnaya sukha svapna SUadikani. etasyah vrttir esdjani sapadi yaddnyad vicitrarit
taddsTt kdmd kanta svabhavo'py ahaha yad anayor vaiparltyaya jajne "When 5ri Radha is with Sri
Kr$na, She is also separated from Him and when She is separated from Him, She is also together
with Him. In the same way Site experiences all conditions to be contrary: at home She feels like
being in the forest, in the forest She feels like being at home, She feels a moment lasts like a
millennium and a millennium lasts like a moment, She feels happy in sorrow and sad in happiness,
She feels awake when Shes sleeping and She feels like Shes sleeping when She is awake, She feels
cold when it is hot and She feels hot when it is cold. Not only that, but the most wonderful thing is
that She also feels like She is Kr$na and Krsna feels like He is Her! This means that They exchange
nature and thus They may be found wearing Eachothers dresses and ornaments, madana rasa is the
assemblage of the entire variety o f transcendental conjugal ecstasies, and they arc all eternally
present in Sri Radha.
295
prana mono buddhi deha paricchadddibhih kdnta priina mano buddhydder aikya bheivana janyanu
"ViSrambha means faith or freedom from awe and reverence, so that one, considers die life, mind,
intelligence and dress of the beloved to be one with one's own." It is die stage of intimacy in which
one feels n o hesitation when the hand of the beloved goes over one's body. It is tine same feeling of
trust and intimacy as if one would move one's own hand over one's body. In the same way PranayinT
Radha considers each of Syama's limbs that She touches to be Her own. This Hari is the cause of all
tills!
Svaminfs curly braid resembles a big dark cloud and Hari sits behind Her, slowly arranging diat
hair. Eacli hair is dearer to Him than millions of lives! He pours His whole life-airs into them! There
is no limit to His ecstasy when He obtains the service of His beloved and His shivering hands arc
studded widi goosepimples while He braids Her hair. Svaminfs body is also studded with
goosepimples when Hari touches Her. SySma looks at Priyajfs face from behind, over Her shoulders,
afraid that She may feel pain, but SvaminI consoles Him with a blossoming smile, saying: "Why arc
You so worried? It didn't hurt!" When Nagara-raja hears that He smiles. After Kr$na has made
Radliikffs braid, one sakhl comes with peacock feathers, slightly blooming flowers and gn/I/a-bcads
(shining red beads with black spots on them) which SyOma uses to make Svaminfs crown. Also in
Srimad Bhagavata (10.30.34) there is a description of this prema vildsa vivaria. Sri Suka Muni said:
tdni cudayata kdntcim ; "Kr$na made a crown (like for Himself) for His beloved (Sri Radhiku)".
196 See verse 10 of Sri Radha Rasa Sudhanidhi.
197 Until here the purport is by Sri Ananda GopaJa GosvamI.
29(3
Seeing Krsna's expertise in decorating Radliika, TulasI is beside herself of ecstasy. It is as if ecstasy
Himself appears before her eyes instead of in her mind. It is as if this ecsLasy is not enjoyed within
the mind, but within the eyes.198 The aspirant who is Fixed in smarana must dive into this rasa also.
The yeanling for Radharam's devotional service does not awaken within an ordinary heart. It will
awaken within the head, of someone who can give up everything in the world and who is not
dependent on anything. In (he Bhagavad-Glta Krsna tells Arjuna: bhaktimdn me priyo narafy. "A
person who is devoted is dear to Me." But to attain Radlia's service is even harder. Without total
absoiption it cannot be attained. The dcaryas have revealed how one can become dear (o Radharam.
Sri Raghunalha dasa Gosvaml exclaims: tavaivdsmi tavaivdsmi na jivarni tvaya vind "I am Yours! I
am Yours! I cannot live without You!" We must experience some of this absorption also. We must
expell the influence of mdyd from the mind. The great words (mahcl vlini) of die dcaryas will
strengthen Hie weak devotees and will gradually bring them back on the path. TulasI is absorbed in
bliss when she sees SvaminJ's hair being dene. Suddenly the vision vanishes and Sfila Raghunfilha
dasa prays:
t o
t o i
w m
VERSE 78:
M A D IiA V A M M AD A N A K ELIVIBH RAM E
M ATTAYA SAJRASIJENA BH AVATYA
TAD ITAM SU M U K H IVIK SYA K IM T V IY A M
GUDHA
H ASYA VAD AN A B B A V ISYA
TI
mddhavarh - Madhava; madana - erotic; keli - sports; vihhmme - made a mistake; mattaya - out of
excitement or pride; sarasijena - witli a lotusflower; bhavatyd - by You; tddiiam - beaten; sumukhi -
297
fairfaccd girl; vTksya - seeing; kirn - whether; tu - but; iyarft - tills; gifr/hu h&sya - giggling; vadana face; Wwv/syari - will become.
O SumuXfii (fairfaccd girQl When w ill I secretCy smile when I se t on proudly and in
excitement heating ttfadhava with pour ptaytotus during you r (ovesports?
Notes: One transcendental pastime alter the other appears before the eyes o f rila Raghunatha dSsa
GosvamI, who is immersed in an ocean of rasika pastimes, giving him great joy. Then again, when
these visions vanish he greatly laments and prays, iyam avasthd khalu bhakta-janasya puru$arthadatfi (Sripada Daladeva Vidyabhu$ana) "Such a condition surely brings the highest goal of life to tire
devotee," When the worship of the all-sweet, all-ecstatic, all-loving and all-beautiful Lord becomes
established within the heart the living entity obtains the relish o f a complete bliss and thus become
blessed. This is the great truth preached by the experienced loving devotees. When, by the Lord's
grace, the devotee gradually advances, Iris desires for personal liappiness gradually subside and he
will consider happiness, distress, good, bad, heaven, hell and liberation as useless as
phantasmagorias. The desire for liberation must be counted amongst tire different cheating
propensities. Gradually the goddess of devotion Bhakti-dm will be established within the devotees
heart, which will then be inundated by bhakti-rasa as he begins to yearn for ragamayt seva
(devotional service with firm attachment to the deity). Gradually the aspirants identification with his
male body will vanish and he will start drinking of himself as a manjaru qualified for serving ri-Sri
Radha-Madhava. Thus the right demeanour will take place in his heart and he will become fixed in
Vraja-WftfjVw. The whole scene of (he material world will vanish from his eyes and he will start to
perceive die eternally luscious, sweet and beautiful kingdom of God. There he will be blessed by
floating and sinking in the ocean of all-sweet and all-beautiful Srl-Sri Radha-Madhava's forms,
qualities and pastimes, who are dearer to him Uran millions o f lives in both meeting and separation.
This is the highest fulfillment of the aspirant. Lord Sri Gaurasundara, who is the embodiment of
blissful pastimes, love and deep taste, has preached this sweet kind of worship to tire world and His
dearmost associates 5 n Rupa and Sri Raghunatha dasa GosvamI have shown are way to the people
of the world by giving them the perfect example. It is most beneficial for an aspirant to hear and
chant, the stories of their worsltip and their love.
yamasundara has finivShed decorating Svaminl's hair. This is where Sri Raghunatha's vision (in the
previous verse) ended. Now he perceives a new pastime of Sy&masundara sitting behind Svaminl,
trying to make Her hair nicely. How wonderful is His expertise in decorating Uie hair! The
embodiment of erotic transcendental rasa engages Himself in die service o f mahd bhdva. Svaminl is
most satisfied with Syamasundara's expert arrangements and says: "How beautifully You have done
My hair!" She wonders: "How can I properly reward Him?" and then gives Him a sweet kiss. When
He is kissed our Hero makes a mistake. He is-out of His usual habit and forgets everything. Then the
pastimes develop in such a way (hat Svaminl has to beat Him with Her playlotus like a teacher
striking a pupil who has made some mistake,199 She's certainly a schoolmistress! Who can say in
how many ways She can teach? Srlmatl eagerly comes to Sri Riidhakuoda to meet Kr?na (at
noontime) and in die village of Kufijera (5 km north-west of Radhakunda) She meets Her dearmost
girlfriend Vrnda,
298
*0 Vrncie, where have you come from?" Vrnda replied: "From Hari's footsolcs". Radha: Where is
He?" Vrnda: "In the Forest, by Your lake!" Radha: "What is He doing there?" Vrnda: "He i$ learning
how to dance." Radha: "Who is His teacher?" Vrnda: "Your very form, which is like a dancing girl
whom He sees in each direction. He is simply wandering around, dancing behind You!" Kr$pa had
His own experience: rddhiknra prema -guru; ami iisya nata; sadd drnd ndnd nrtye ndedya udbhaia
(Caitanya Caritamtla Adi 4, 124) "Sri Radhika s love is the teacher and I am (he dancing pupil. Thus
She always makes Me dance in different ways."
Kr$na has made a mistake in His play, for which He gets beaten by Radhika's playlotus. Rasamaya
Ki$na cannot even ascertain the value o f tills rasika beating! How much pleasure Her rebukes are
giving Him! priyd yadi mdna kori koroye bhdrtsana; veda stuti hoite hare sei morn maria (Caitanya
Caritamtla Adi 4, 26) "When My beloved is angry with Me and chastises Me, that takes My mind
away from the reverential hymns (to Me) of the Vedas!" In that field who can measure the ecstasy of
this rasika chastisement in this pastime? $ri Krsna da$a Kaviraja's honey-sweet statements are fully
justified: krsnake kordya fydma-rasa madhupana; nirantara puma kore krsnera sarva kdma (C.C)
"She makes Kr$na drink the honey-beverage named Syama-rasa (erotic flavours). Thus She always
fulfills all of Kr^pa's desires!" No one else than Sri Radha is so expert in making 6 ri Govinda, who
is Himself the enchanter o f millions of Cupids, relish the honey named SySma-msa or iiiigdra rasa
in so many ways, 3yama$undara can simply not imagine how akhanda rasa vallabhd vdrsabhdnavT
(Sri Radha, who is the complete rasika lady-love) serves Him by giving Him tiiis indescribable rasal
When TulasI sees SvaminI striking Syama with Her Hld-kamala (play-lotus) she giggles, covering
her mouth with her veil, and her accompanying manjarls laugh with her. Where our hero has failed
and why SvaminI is not satisfied, is indicated by this meaningful giggling and (Ins brings our Hero
back to His senses. TulasI means to say: "When Krsna sees me giggling He will understand His own
fickleness and where He has failed."200 (Sanskrit commentator Batigabiharl VidyalanMra adds: he
sumukhi krsna pardbhavajena hdsena Sobhanam manoharatii mukham yasydh "She is named
Sumukhi because Her face becomes beautified by an enchanting smile after defeating Krsna in the
erotic game,") How meaningful this giggling is indicated by the words gudha hdsya, secret laughing,
in the text. The kihkans are the embodiments o f devotional service. They don't display any other
activity than service. H ie aspirants will become qualified to serve Rasamaya Syania and Rasamayl
SvaminI by following in their footsteps, ye slhdne ye Hid kore yugala ktfora; sakfiira safigim hoiyd
td'he hao bhora (Prarthana) "Be absorbed in the pastimes of the Yugala KiSora, living in Their abode
as a companion of the sakhis," H ie stream of Sri Raghunatha's vision flows on without inieiTuption.
299
(lyif*
^R>dR<**U^lRc>y
W RFT
$*radil t
W$
3 3T
c ? F # I v F { || \s ^ ||
VERSE 79:
SULAL1TA NIJA BAH VAS l ISTA GOSTHENDRA SU N O H
SU B ALITA TAR A B A IIV A S l ESA D IV Y A N N A T A M S A '
M A D H U R A M A D A N A G A N A M T A N V A T l TENA SARD D H AM
$ UBHA G A -M U K H IM U D A M M E H A K A D A D A S Y A S IT V A M
sulaliia - very graceful; nija - own; bahu - arm; dSlista - embraced; gotfhendra - the king of Vraja;
stlnoli - of tiie son; subalitatara - very strong; bahu - arm; asle$a - embraced; divyan - splendid; naia
- lowered; ariisa - shoulder; madhura - sweet; madana - erotic; gdna - songs; tanvatT - extending;
tena sdrdhadx - with Him; subhaga - beautiful; mukhi - face (fem.): mudam - joy; me - to me; ha 0 !; kadd - when; dcisyasi - will give; tvam -You.
0 Subhaga Sduhfii (fairfaced girQl When ztritt you, gw e me great joy, singing sweet
lovtsongs witfi the prince o f Vraja, white yo u embrace Sfim w ith yo u r very graceful arms
and Me holds 5&s strong amt on your low shoulders?
Notes: In his transcendental visions 5ri Raghunatha dasa constantly experiences the sweetness of the
Divine Couple. There are no words to express this experience, but he tries as good as he can. The
sweetness of God cannot lie explained by writing books, therefore die writers of the scriptures call it
mukdsvddanavat: A dumb person can relish sweet mellows, and can feel great ecstasy because of it,
but he cannot express it with words. The same goes for Gods sweetness. Although the great saints
who personally experienced God's sweetness tried to express themselves somehow in their books,
one must ultimately practise bhajan in order to see it for oneself. It is not possible to get full savour
and experience of this simply by reading books, therefore Srila Rfipa Gosvanu has defined the means
to relish rasa in his Bhakli Rasamrta Sindhuh (2.1.6-7):
300
$ n -SrVVifapa HQisumanjaBfi
SiT Raghunatha dasa GosvamTs heart is suffering the pain of love-in-separation, Separation from
SiTman Mahaprabhu, separation from Rupa and Sanatana GosvamJ, and within himself he feels a
great want o f his Svaminljl. His body is burning in the foiestfire of separation, and he anxiously
prays: "When will You make me happy?" What is die happiness of Radhika's maidservants? Not
their own satisfaction, but (he happiness of the Yugala KiSora. While 5ri Raghunatha floats on the
waves of prayer, dint arc heightened by the pain of separation, the picture of another transcendental
pastime appears to him. SvaminI and Her Nagara are approaching him, singing sweet songs with
Eachother on (he bank of Sri RSdhakunda. Sv&minl places Her lovely ami on die shoulder of Go$|Im
Yuvaraja (Kr$na, the prince of the meadows), embracing Him. SvSmini's arm is elegant because of
Her pure love, not just because of Her physical beauty. Had cannot be subdued with mere physical
beauty without love. In Lalita Madhava (Act V) it is described how Garnda was enchanted by
RukininT's beauty prior to Her abduction by Sri Kr$i;a:
"Sygma! O Friend! You are My life! 1 cannot forget, that blessed day (hat I met You! When I saw
Your mooniike face 1 could not stay calm anymore. The heart, of this unfortunate girl aches, I'm
dying ten times in half an hour! 0 Kanu (Krsna)! Listen! You are My very life! Be kind (o Me, give
Me the shade of Your lotusfeet! 1 have made My reputation and My family tradition sink in the
water (of love)! I cannot live without You!"
Iiow beautiful is Svamim's face when She sings this sweet lovesong! How wonderful are Hot*
gestures! That's why Tulasi calls Her Subhaga-mukhi (fairfaced girl) here! $yania also sings an
appropriate lovesong:
302
vana vihdra (forest-sports). Svaminl picks flowed and decorates Syama with them, and SySma also
picks flowers to decorate Svaminl with. Singing and singing They thus proceed to the bank of
Radhakunda. Tulasl's bliss knows no bounds when she beholds that. When this vision disappears
from her she cries, and prays: Please come this way once more and look at me! I am all alone here!
I will be so happy when I can see Your blissful pastimes here again! You left me behind here on the
bank oftlie kundal I will be fulfilled iff can see You one more time again! O Svamini! Where sh'au I
go if You reject, me? My life is dedicated to Your service! May the effulgence of Your toenails shine
in my heart and soothe it, that is my long-cherished desire! The shore of Radhakunda is illuminated
by Your divine effulgence, as You come here dancing and singing. How can I like anything else still
after seeing You having come here?" The more separation 6 rl Raghunatha feels, the more he
relishes. The more hunger, the more savour. The Gosvamls showed this by their example. Crying
and crying, the aspirant will become overwhelmed and then he will experience all tliis. These
experiences will slacken the bondage of bodily conciousness. The sweetness of the Divine Pair can
be fully relished in the conciousness of a maidservant. We will be blessed if we experience these
feelings o f our great example, &rila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami!201 When this vision vanishes Sn
Raghunatha rolls on the bank of Radhakunda and laments:
flrai
11 11
VERSE 80:
jr r v A PASAK A K H ELAYAM
A c c h i d y a M U R A L IM HAKEH
K SIPTAM M A Y IT V A Y A DEVI
G O PAYISYAM I T A M KADA
jitva - having won; pasaka - dice; khddyam - in the game; acchidya - snatching away; murallth - the
flute; hareli - from Hati; kyipiarh - thrown; mayi - to me; tvayS - by You; devi - O Goddess!;
gopayiqyami - 1 will hide; tdih - that flute; kada - when.
303
O (Devi, when you defeat Mari in a dice game you snatch away Mis flute. When w illyou
throw it to me, so that I can hide it somewhere?
Notes: In a vision Sri Raghunatfm relished SrT-Sri Radha-MSdhava's Vana Vihara and the sweetness
of Their love-songs, and when this vision disappears he feels great, pain. He is completely absorbed
in Sri Radharanl; other than She no-one can sooLhe die pain of his separation. $ri Radha embodies
the quintessence of die hlddini-sakti. hladim koraya krsne dsvadana dana. hladini dvdrdya kore
bhaktera posana (C.C.) 'Hie /ifc7Jwr-potency makes the Lord Rasika Sekhara, the king of rclishers,
and gives Him die relish of Ilia, and when it enters the devotees* hearts it gives them die bliss of
Krsna's devotional service. Sri Radhika is the essential portion of that /i/dd/w-potency and She
delights bodi the Lord and the devotees in this way. Widiin the Lord She appears as hladim
svarupim and within the devotees She appears as bhakti-rupinl Just as Kr$na cannot find any other
gopt but Sri Radha to relieve Him of the suffering of separation from Sri Radha, similarly no one
else but She can soothe the devotees" suffering of separation from Her. "How merciful ri Gurudeva
was to introduce me to the maidscrvice o f such a Radharanl! How sad that I don't realize this!
Instead o f die lolusfeet of this Radha I prefer profit, adoration and distinction in this world! This is
surely the result o f committing offenses for innumerable births! Although I have received the mercy
of the saints and my guru I am still deprived of it! How unfortunate I am!" sadhu mukhe kathdmrta*
suniyd vimala cita7 ndhi bhelo aparddha kdrana (ThfSkura Maliafiaya) "I could not hear the nectarean
words of the saints because of committing offenses!"
Suffering great separation, 5rila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvaml weeps. Then SvaminI mercifully calls
him: "Tulasi, come!" 5ri Raghunatha dasa sits up and sees another transcendental picture: A dicegame has commenced in (he grove of SufovT-sakhL Sukumari (tender Radhika) could not stand up
against heroic Krsna during the watersports, the honey-drinking play or die swinging pastime, so
now die sakhrs are finding a means to defeat Nagara Krsna. Fairfaced Kr?na sits facing fairfaccd
Radhika in Sudevi's green grove, surrounded by all Their dear loving girlfriends. First They put
Krsiia's flute and Radliika's Vina at stake, placing these stakes in front of diem, Nandlmuklu and
Vrnda are the witnesses and Kundalata is the conductor of the moves of the pawns. Lalita sits on
Radhas side and Madhumangala on Krsna's side as advisors, no one else can interfere by undoing a
move already made or vice versa. First They must open the hands before They can dirow, and when
someone throws 17 or more the hand must also be opened. SvaminI says: "Sundara! You caii make
the first move!" Syamasundara dirows, but does not open His hand. SvaminI shakes die dice between
Her hands and at die same time She shakes Krsna's mind with Her soft smile. At the first throw She
immediately scores 17 and She opens Her hand. The sakhfs exchange meaningful glances wi.lh
eachother and say; "We could understand that You would win this game! O You cowherdboy! Just
run after Your cows with a stick in Your hand, saying 'hai -hat to move them up! What do You know
about dice? During the second dirovv Jjyama opens His hand. Tulasi sits by SvaminT's side in such a
way that she can see Her face. SvaminI is bewildered when She sees SySmasundaras sweet form and
Syamasundara becomes engrossed in gazing at Radha's sweetness. Will He ever see Her like diis
again? There are very few people who love Them. There are plenty of people who like to take from
God, but there is no one who knows how to give to Him. Everyone is busy taking from Him.
"Should I do bhajan just for my own pleasure? Or should I forget about my own happiness and
distress and 6 0 bhajan just to please Him with, my service? I'm chanting because it makes me happy.
While chanting, do I remember He whose bliss knows no bounds when he hears me chanting? I dont
mind to introduce myself as a pure devotee, but I'm not aiming at the happiness of my beloved deity.
Im mainly concerned with my own happiness and distress!" In Srimad BMgavata it is seen that Bali
Maharaja gave everytliing to the Lord and just remained His gatekeeper.202 The gopus are the greatest
devotees:
SPSOS
^
torf
^ 5 ^ I
ii
ii
VERSE 81:
A Y l SU M U K H IK A D A H A M M A L A T I KELI-TALPE
M A D H U R A M AD H U RA GO STH IM V IBH RATIM VALLABH EN A
M A N A SIJA SUKHADE'SM IN M AND1RE SM ERA G A N D A M
SA PU LAK A TAN U R ESA T V A M K A D A VTJAYAMI
ayi - O!; sumukhi - fairfaced girl; kadd - when; aham - 1 ; mdlatJ - jasmine flower; keli - play; lalpe on the bed; madhum madhura - ever-so-sweel; gosthim - conversation; vibhratTm - doing;
vallabhena - with Your lover; manasija - Cupid; sukhade - giving joy to; asmin - in; mandire - in a
306
J n -Sn PilUpa
temple; smera - smiling; gmdath - cheeks; sa - with; pulaka - gooscpimples; tanuh - body; esaii
tills; tvath - You; kadci - when; vyayww - 1 will fan.
Notes: Devotional service coincides with relishing the lflfi-rasat as it did in the descriptions of
UlaSuka. Sweet pastimes burst out of each and every verse of lii$ 'Kr$na Kanismrta', showing how
expert he was in relishing tills sweetness. Without being transcendentally cognizant this cannot be
understood. The example of this is 5rila Krsna dasa Kavirajas Sarahga-Rahguda-commeniary on
Kf?na Karnamrta1. One's svarupdvesa will come automatically by regularly reciting Sn Viliipa
Kusumanjali, One feels like being right there with SvSminl These are very powerful words, that are
revealing RSdh5i5iu. There is only descriptions here of sweetness (mQdhurya), there is not even a
whiff of aifimrya (lordliness) here, mddhuryam asamordhvataya sarva manoharadt svdblmvika rupa
gtuja Itlddi sautfhavam (Sr1 Jiva) "Unrivalled loveliness or beauty of forms, qualities and pastimes is
called madhurya, or sweetness." GautjTya Vai$nava-upfisatta is mddhurya, The tnith of mqdhurya is
inscrutable, and it cannot be experienced without associating with madhurya-devotees and without
attaining the favor of the Lord. As soon as a devotee experiences mcidhurya he loses Ills taste for
Krsnas svanlpa (Kr$oa is the Supreme, He is the CreaLor, He is transcendental, and the evidence of
all these facts) and His aiSmrya (lordliness). The compilations Stavamala of Rfipa GosvamI a n d .
StavSvalT of Raghunatha dasa Gosvanu are describing the sweetness of the Divine Pair. Something
can be understood of what is RadhiiranJ by reciting Sri Radhas 108 names and the Premambhoja
Marandakhya Stavaraja' from StavSLvalL
It is as if Sri Raghunatha floats on the waves of the sweetness of the Yugala KiSora. Both in
separation and in union lie relishes the stream of the amazing sweetness of Their forms, qualities and
pastimes. Now a transcendental vision conies to him, and he says: "Fve made a bed of MalatJflowers within the Madana Sukhada-kunja, where Youre having an ever-so-sweet conversation with
Your lover. 1 see dial Your cheeks are blossoming (with goosepimples). I will serve You by fanning
You, while my hairs are standing on end of ecstasy - sapulaka-tanur esd ivdih kadd vijaydmt "Won't
I fan Syamasundara then?" No. She fans Svaminl in such a way that Her sweet fragrance reaches
Sygma's nostrils as Her prasada- That will make 6 yama feel happy and satisfied, yasydh kadapi
vasandiicala khelanoltha dhanydti dhanya pavanena krtdrtha mam (Radha Rasa Sudhanidlii - 2)
"Madhusudana feels His life is successful when He catches even the slightest breeze that has touched
the tip o f Sri Radhas veil!" How wonderful is the expertise of this service! The mmjarTs of the
krnja are the teachers (guru) of the service of the Yugala Kiora. The aspirant-devotees must learn
tlic expeit service in the groves of Vraja from the eternally perfect kinkaris like TulasT, One of tlie 25
qualities of Sri Radha that Sriia RQpa GosvamI enunciated is Gandhonmadita Madhava, Her
fragrance intoxicates Madhava. TulasT thinks: "Can I neglect the lover of My SvaminJ? I will make
Them both float in oceans of bliss!" Svaminl is the leader in this intimate joking conversation and
enchanted Kr$na is the attendant. How submissively He inquires from Her! He cannot get enough of
Her nectarean words. He feels as if they don't even touch His earlobes, although He drinks their
nectar at every moment! kohilo kahim puchaye koto beri (Kavi Raiijana). Again and again He asks
Her what She said to Him: vacana amiyd rasa anukltam piyalum, sruti-pathe panda nd bheli (I
drank the nectar of Her words constantly, but still it did not touch the paths of My ears). How
submissively SySma keeps on inquiring! Svaminl accepts Him as Her Prana Baliabha (hearts lover)
and has an cvcr-so-sweet talk with-Him. Svaminl sweetly smiles while She says: "There is nothing
that I will not give You!" Because of this sweet smile She is called 'Sumukhi', or fairfaced girl in
this text. The beauty of Her face should be seen! S ^m it^aysf-^'den^ave-a-beautifuH feeel-S he
TuVfi
VI O %/. c II
K^'tr jy.*j O
307
Hit.
U.L-
rz\sgi\jj^
A i
/}
...J \f
^rTf/i.
sfasa (josvdml
sravane suniya,
tomfira carita,
an nd bhaviye mone
nimisera adha,
pasarite ndri,
ghumak dekhi svapane
jdgile cetnna, hardh/tl anti,
tomft ndma kori' kiindi
parabodha dei, e ray vasanta,
tileka thira nahi bdndhi
"When I hear about You I cannot think of anyone else anymore, I cannot forget You for even half a
moment and even when I sleep 1 dream about You! When I wake up I go out of My mind and I cry
out Your name. 'M s Raya Vasanta consoles Radha, but She cannot stay calm for even a moment"
Sometimes She hugs Herself against Svama, sometimes She pulls Him on Her lap and whispers
sweet words into His ears. When Tulasi sees how beautiful She is then, she calls Her 'Sumukhif
Some feelings are expressed by colliding with the beloved, and the rest is expressed through smiles
and laughter. Syama asks: "Shall I tell Lalita what You have done just now?" SvaminI stutters, so
Syama consoles Her by saying: "No, no! I won't say anything!'1, Radhika and SySma begin to
perspire, so Tulasi starts fanning them with a whisk made of vine-buds, thinking: "1 will give Syama
the touch of Your breasts by fanning the scent of Your breasts His way! Those breasts do not want
this breeze, they want pleasure! I will give $yatna touch of Your breasts by fanning in this way, and
1 will give You also the touch of Syamas chest!" vratati cnmatT edmara marud vhwdena (Ulkalika
Vallari: 52). 5yama becomes intoxicated by that fragrance and Tulasi, seeing her service is
successful, gets goosepimples of ecstasy on her skin,205 Hie aspirants should also become
invigorated like this. When his service is successful he is happy and when he is deprived of
devotional service he is unhappy. Devotional service helps one forget one's own interest. During the
Gamblra-pastimes Sfila Govinda dasa, &ri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's personal servant, committed a
grave offense (by stepping over the Lord as He slept), but he did it just to serve the Lord, and
therefore the Lord did not count this offense at all. Like a bumblebee Syama relishes the honey from
Svaminl's lotuslike .mouth. How many ages are passing during litis conversation! When this vision
disappears Sri Raghunatha prays:
204 Narrated by Sri Ananda Gopftla Gosv&ml.
205 Narrated by Sri Ananda Gopftla Gosvtiml.
308
d K IS 'ftf'T ft
^
II 153 II
VERSE 82:
A y A t o d y a t K AM ALA-VAD AN E H A N TA LILABH ISA r A D
G A TYA TO P A IH SR A M A VILULITAM D E VIP AD AB JA YU G M AM
s n e h A t s a m v A h a y i t u m a p i H R IP U N JA M U R TE 'P Y ALAJJAM
N A M A G R A H A M NIJA JA N A M IM A M H A K AD A N O T S Y A S IT V A M
dydta - wide; udyai - open; kamala - lotus; vadane - face (fern.); hanta - alas!; Hid - play; abhiscirut love-journey; gati - pace; dtopaUi - fast; srama - fatigue; vihdiiath - pained; devi - goddevs$; pdda feet; abja - lotus; yugmath - couple; snehat - out of love; samvdhayilum - to massage; api - even; hrT
- shyness; puhja - abundance; murteh - of the form; api - even; alajjath - shameless; ndma - name;
309
at
night fo u r sw iftly moving fe e t Become afflicted w ith fatigue. O *Devil When, w ill you,
although yo u are shyness personified, call me 6y name to massage those lotusfeet? tthen I
faww that y o u have accepted me as fo u r ownl
Notes: One rasika service after the other is perceived. How sweet, how confidential, how variegated
are all these services! How can they (die kiiikarls), who are the embodiments of devotional service,
remain alive if these services don't come to them? rddhd-kihkari-bhdva is such a greatly elevated
stage! It cannot be had without being totally absorbed, merged in die service. "Unfortunately, a
person like me has no desire for devotional service. I do bhajan for my own welfare, and 1 don't
understand die secrets of devotional service!" First the desire for devotional service should awaken.
narottdma dasa mage seva abhildsa, The Lord also first likes to see this desire awakening within the
hearts o f His devotees before He blesses diem by giving diem service. Tills is the Lords special
mercy. Srila Jlva Gosv5m! has written; pum e,p i svasmin nija sevddy abhildqam sampddya
sevakadisu sevddi saubhagya sampddika bhagavataS citidrdratamayi tad upakdrecchd (Priti
Sandarbhati 84 Anu). In the previous verse Sri RaghunaUia relished SvaminI's cver-so-swcct
conversation with 5y3masundara and was blessed with the sweet service of fanning Them. In lliis
verse rimatl calls TulasI, who is dedicated to fanning her mistress, by name to give her anodier
extraordinary service. Now Srila Raghunatha Dasa GosvSmI has completed his prayers for services
at noontime and he proceeds to pray for this service, wliich is required at nightfall. Eagerly and
swiftly Svamini goes out to meet Kr?na at the trysting place, maddened by feelings of love. Her face
i$ covered with sweatdrops, so Tulasl calls Her Ayatodyat Kamala Vadane, die girl whose face
resembles a fully blooming lotusflower, But because of walking so hurriedly Svamini gets pain in
Her tender lotusfeet. Nodiing can stop the very powerful course Of Sri RSdhika's lovejourney! She
considers all the ornaments She wears to be a heavy burden only. Srila Rupa Gosvainl quotes in
Padyavalf: "How wonderful is Rftdhika's eagerness to meet MSdhava! What can I say? When the
jewels on the hood of a snake lying on the road expose Her at night. She fearlessly covers them with
Her hand !1'206 The great poet Vidyapati sings:
206 citrotklrnild api viVadliardd bhiti bhujo rajanytMi kitn vfl brumas tad abhisdrane sdftasaiti
dhvante yantya yad ati nibhriam rddhdydtma prakdddtrdsdt pdnifi palhi phaniphatia ratna rodhi vyadhdyi
Pady avail 196 Quoted by Ediror.
310
"She (lings away Her jeweled anklebells and walks on. Although (he night's thick darkness
envelopes VrndSvana Her heart is illuminated by Cupid's ilame (helping Her to find the way). The
obstacles stretch themselves out on (lie road, but they are cut apart by the weapon o f love. Vidyapati
thinks: "1 have never seen such a scene anywhere before!"207
Tins abhisara is very passionate, very forceful and nothing can stop its course! Iir$ inconceivable
dial. She who is softer than a flower can move so swiftly. The cause of all this power is Her strong
attraction to Krsna's form. Sri Radliika thinks: sakhi! sydma rupa jdgaye marame, kiba ntti kiba disi
sayane srnpane "Sakhi! The form of Syfima appears in My heart day and night, in My dream and in
My sleep!" The saklus and mahjarts become afraid when they see the force of Prema Pagalinfs
(Radhikti, who is mad with love for Krsna) lovejourney and they say: sakhi mudea sambhramam
abhisare. caraya carandmburuham diuram sukumdre (Mahajana Sanatana)! "Sakhi! Give up Your
zeal in meeting Krsna! Move Your delicate lotusfeet slowly! Now Svaminl's lotusfcet and indeed
Her whole body begin to hurt because of the fast course of Her lovejourney (abhisdrd). O Devi!
You will call me by name to engage me in massaging those painful lotusfeet, although You are hrl
putlja murUh: the very form of abundant bashfulness, One of 3 iT RSdliikas 108 names is hripatfa
vastra guptdhgT: She whose body is concealed by a silken garment of bashfulness. nija lajja sydma
patta sadTparidhdna (C.C.) "She wears a blue silken sari of bashfulness." "You will not call anyone
by name to help You with anything, but now You are calling me, because You are overwhelmed by
feelings of great love for me! I am Yours only and in this way You have accepted me!" In lids way
the maidservant also (reciprocates and) surrenders herself to Svaminfs lotusfeet.208 Sripada
Prabodhananda Sarasvatl writes in Vfndavana MaliimSmria (Eighth Satakam):
311
"I worship Radhs, who has lotus-eyes. 1 remember REidha, whose lace sweetly smiles. I speak of
Radh&, who melts of compassion. Tims I have no other shelter than Her."
Svamini personally lifts Her feet, that are the all-in-all for Tulasts heart, on Tulasl's chest, because
She wants to mitigate their fatigue. These feet have become unlit for playing and dancing with
Kr$na. Who can measure Tulasl's bliss? She finally gets these long-desired lolusfeet. on her chest.
TulasT sits on a pedestal, takes Svamini's two feel on her chest and starts to serve them. No one else
but a kiiikan can understand how dear these feet are to Tulasi! Tulasi showers these lotusiike feet
with oblations of her tears of love and kisses them in ail unseen way, thinking: "When I have
Svamini I have everything!"
As a result of Tulasl's massage Svamini's feet have now been cured of their fatigue. An amazing
beauty blossoms on Svamini's face. The desire to play with Ki$na was in Svamini's heart, but the
fitness to do it was not in Her feet. Now Her feet have become fit again. In the kunja She holds Her
feet on Syama's chest as She leans against Him on the bed, and thus They become eager to make
love. Tulasi understands that it. is more discrete to go out of the kunja now. She sits outside, but
keeps her ears and her mind fixed on what happens inside. Suddenly she hears an anklebell sweetly
jingling: 'tu\ I think I am being called with this sound! The maidservant mingles with the
absorption of the Yugala and enters the kunja where she sees that SvaminTs hair got entangled with
Krona's earrings. She cleverly unravels the knots mid quietly leaves the kunja again, leaving the
Yugala Kiora, who saw her as the personification o f Their ecstatic pastimes, to Their loveplays
again .209 Suddenly the vision disappears and with anxious heart Sn Raghunatha prays:
209 Narrated by
312
5>T
3 Hc?:
^ ts # l I
hi
fufowi^te ii *?9 n
VERSE 83:
H A N A P T R IR A D H E TAVA SURYA BHAKTEH
K A LA H SAM U TPAN N A TTAH K U TO S l
ITIVA R O S A N M U K H ARA LAP AN TI
SUDHEVA K IM M A M SUKHAYISYATULA
ha - O!; naptri - granddaughter!; radhe - Radhe!; lava - Your; surya - $un; hhakteh - o f devotion;
kcdah - time; sarnutpanna - has come; Hah - here; kutah - where; asi - You are; iti - thus; iva - like;
rosdt - out of anger; mukhara - Mukhara; lapanit - talks; sudhd - nectar; iva - just like; kith - what;
mam - me; sukhayisyati - make happy; iha - here.
*0 Xfuific! O Qranddanghterl IJte time has comefo r your worship o f the sungodt Where are
you?9W ilt these angry words oftMukjjara sound Rhp nectar to me andm afem e happy?
Notes: Some peace will be found, even if tire beloved deity does not directly reveal Herself, in
visions, dreams or smarana. It is to be desired that one becomes very anxious out of want for direct
attainment of the beloved deity. In order to keep tills eagerness alive the beloved deity does not show
Herself so easily and so quickly to the loving devotee. When sadhana bhakti becomes filled with
eagerness for the deity it culminates into prerna. Just as it is hue that we get whatever we are really
eager for, similarly it is true that we cannot relish something before we become eager for it, even if
we have already obtained it. The heart of the aspirant must be filled with eagerness, for eagerness is
the very heart of devotion. Without a feeling of eagerness there will be no taste for bhajan and
without taste bhajan is dead or just like dead. A man has no great thirst after a glass of cold water in
the winter, only in the hot summer. Similarly we may have collected so many nectarean books and
we may have been initiated into such nectarean and ecstatic mantras, but if there is no taste for these
tilings within us, they will not appear very nice to us. The example of devotional eagerness and
anxiety that Sriman Mahaprabhu, the descension of God who sanctifies the age of Kali, has given in
His Gambhlra-/rtd at Puri stands before the aspirants like a mountain, even today. His example will
always remain the life-force of the aspirant-devotees, helping them to also become so greatly eager.
By &Tman Mah5prabhu's grace some of this great anxiety was also infused into Srila Raghunatha
dasa GosvamT, The beloved deity stays at a distance and relishes the view of His devotees1 eagerness
behind the screen. Sometimes He gives the devotee a view of Himself. How vivid was the vision of
anurdgl LMSuka! Later the Lord revealed Himself to him and said: "I am with you and I've heard all
of your anxious crying for Me!" All these visions will bring the aspirant forwards and will gradually
bring him to the level of specific experiences. The aspirants' target should be the activities of the
dedryas.
In the previous verse Sri Raghunatha experienced his carana-sevd (foot-service) of RadharanI, and in
this verse he perceives Mukhara. Mukhara is the mother of Kirtida-dcvl, Sri Radhikifs mother. In the
morning, just after Rfidhika has secretly relumed home from Seva Kufija, where She had spent the
night with Ki'^na, Mukhara comes into Her bedroom and exclaims: "O Radhe, O Granddaughter!
Why are You still sleeping? Don't You know that it is Sunday today? Everybody is awake already!
Quickly get up, bathe and prepare Yourself for Your ritual worship of the sungod (the family deity
of Her father)!" 'fhesc angry words sound like nectar to Radhikas maidservants, because by going
313
out for tliis worship, SiT Radhika has plenty of opportunity to meet Kr$na at RSdhakunda and to play
all kinds Of blissful pastimes with Him. One of the 108 names of Sil Radhika is: mukhara drk sudhci
naptn: She is the nectarlike granddaughter for Mukliara's eyes. Mukhara is externally unfavorable to
Kr?ga, but within herself she actually hopes that RadhS can meet Him .210
When Vi^akha hears Mukliara's angry words and sees her standing on the Iresliold of Sri Radhika's
bedroom, she gets up from bed at once and says: "sakhi Radhc! Quickly get up!" Srimatl, lying
asleep on Her bed, exhausted of Her loving pastimes with Krsga the previous night, looks like a
lordly swan stirred by the waves of a lake when ViSaklia and Mukhara disturb Her like that. She
wakes up with a shock, but then She dozes off again. Then Tulasi, who knows that her time to serve
has come, starts awakening Radhika by gently massaging Her lotusfeet. Now ri Radhika slowly
wakes up and sits up in Her bed. Suddenly Mukhara becomes doubtful when she sees Krsria's yellow
cloth, that Radhika had accidently put on before She separated from Krsna at dawn, on H er
Doubtfully Mukhara calls out: "Ayi ViSakhe! What is this? I saw Krsna wearing this yellow cloth
last evening, and now I see it on Your sakJxTs body! Alio! What kind o f behaviour is this for
uncontaminated housewives?" ViSakha is shocked when she sees the situation, but she quickly
regains h er presence of mind and says: " 0 Old Mukhare! O naturally blind woman! The red rays of
the moniingsun are shining in through the window and are making Sri Radhika's blue cloth seem
like golden! We also make tills mistake many limes, what to speak of you? Don't vainly pollute the
reputation of our sakhi, who is the crownjewel o f all chaste gills!" While Mukliara pays attention to
ViSakM's words Tulasi immediately takes Kfsna's yellow cloth away from 3ri Radhika and replaces
it with a blue one. Seeing the blue cloth, Mukhatft shyly goes away 211 She goes out carefully. What
would happen if Jatfla saw tills? In the Purva Raga-Act of the Vidagdha Madhava-Natakam Mukhara
describes how SiT R3dha is overwhelmed by feelings of love-in-separation from Kr$na. How much
everyone in Vraja loves SvaminT, who is the embodiment of deep love! How much mother YaSoda,
mother Roliinl and Dhani$|ha love Her in NandTSvara! The maidservant is very proud of Svaminfs
glories, gune kore mana pdgala ("Your attributes madden my mind!1*). Stavamala and Stavavali are
lilled with Radhaianis sweet attributes. In liis Ujjvala Nflamani $rila Rupa Gosvami describes 25
attributes of Sri RSdha anti helps Ihe aspirants to get acquainted with them by elucidating them. This
is especially to be discussed and relished by the practitioners of mafijarl-bhava. For Tulasi
Mukliara's angry words sound like nectar, because she knows that Mukhara means to say: "Quickly
go to the shore o f Radhakunda! Krsna sits in the kunja, waiting for You! Do You think that that is
good? Meanwhile the vision vanishes and
Raghunatha prays:
he naptri in radhika,
niiya surya Qradhikd,
surya pujyara sanmya ekhon,
pujdra mandapa chddif
kothdy giydcho pydri,
kara sahge rasa dldpana?
"O Granddaughter Radhika! O eternal worshipper o f tiie sun! Now is Your time lor worshiping the
sungod! O Dearest One! Where have You gone, leaving the altar of worship? With whom are You
having rasik conversations?"
mukhardra ei rupa,
rosa vakya aparupa,
Sruti mule amrta varsana.
niiya nava nautuna, koribo ki dsvadana,
dasa gosvami kore nivedana
(Sri Ilaripada Site)
"Raghunatha DSsa Gosvami prays: "When will these wonderful angry words of Mukhara shower my
cars with nectar? When can I relish these everfresh words?
2,0 Last sentence is a note from the editor.
211 This pastime is described in Govinda Lllainpa, Chapter 2.
314
J rl -Sn VitapQ. X
iisur.ianjoiifi
II * 8 II
VERSE 84:
DEVI BH ASITA P lYU SA M
SM ITA K A RP U R A VASITAM
SRO TRABI1YAM N A YA N A B H Y A M TE
K IM N U SEVISYATE M A Y A
devi - O
bha$ita - w o r d s; piyusam - n e c ta r ; smita - smile; karpura - camphor; vdsitam scen L ed ; Srotrabhyam - w i t h b o th ears; nayanabhyath - w i t h b o t h e y e s ; ie - Your; t o i l - w h e th e r ; nu in d e e d ; sevisyate - w i l l s e r v e ; m a y # - b y me.
g o d d ess!;
O (Devi (goddess)! Can I serve (four nectarean words with fhfy ears and pour camphorscented smite w ith 9dy eyes?
Notes: Whether in separation or in meeting, Sri Raghunatha always relishes the stream of RadhaMadhava's sweetness. This full transcendental bliss is sometimes relishable in die form of joy and
sometimes in the form of anguish. The stream of loving pastimes that constantly flows in the abode
dial transcends the three modes of material nature can always be experienced in the heart o f hearts of
the most fortunate devotees. Sometimes diese visions even appear in the hearts o f ordinary devotees,
like a lightningflash appealing in die sky. Devodonal practise is meant to make this blissful
experience stay steadily within the heart. When diis pracdse of remembering God 'ripens1 die birdlike heart of die devotee will fly up to die planet of bliss. An inexhaustible fountain of sweetness and
beauty will then burnt out before die devotee's eyes. The boundless waves of love that arise in the
ocean-like heart of a loving devotee can be somewhat gauged by hearing die words of a great lover
of God. When a living entity experiences this everlasting bliss he attains Iii$ svarupa - his
constitutional position. Tliis is die attainment of victory for the caitanya-sakti (the potency of
transcendental conciousness), this is the attainment of sva-rajya9 one's own state. Invigorated by
maha-bhava, Srila Dasa GosvSml relishes such a boundless bliss in both separation and meeting,
dial Ills verbal expressions are merely like thin lines on die swelling flood of the ocean of meeting
and separation. The aspirant will experience that amount of bliss by adhering to tliis sutra (thread, or
aphorism).
Sanskrit commentator Bahgabih5ri VidyalaAkara writes: deviti. he devi vdg-bhangt kndavati "Hie
word devi conies from 'div\ which means playful. SrT Radhika is called 'devi' here because of being
playful and speaking playful words that sound like nectar to the ears". After TulasI relished
Mukhara's nectarean words, she now wants to taste die nectar of Radhika's words: "O RSdlie! I want
to see You smile and hear Your nectarean reply to Mukhara! The nectar of Your words is mixed with
the camphor of Your soothing smile! When will I see and hear You smile and talk at the same time?
Someone who drinks water mixed with camphor pleases both his nose and his tongue, similarly both
my eyes and my ears will understand Your words! The face is the index of the mind, Uiose words
that are not revealed Uirough the heart, are revealed through a smile." Sri Radha is the embodiment
of love, premera svarupa deha prema vibhdviia; krsnera preyasi sreslhd jagafe vidita (C.C.) "Her
315
body consists of prema and She's worklfamous as Krsna's dearmost. beloved," Without being an
expert knovver of such emotions one cannot understand this, prema is visible on the inside and on (he
outside. Every act and every word of the premika bhakta (loving devotee) is sprinkled with die rasa
of prema and is manifest as such, 1 l is only by great fortune dial the blessed day comes when one
becomes greedy after tasting the nectar of mail]an bhtiva, dial, is manifest in the prayers of Sola
RaghunsUha Das a GosvamL 13y hearing and chanting die great words of the dc.dryas a relish for this
subject awakens. Hence it is said:
316
Krsna is the worshipable truth, SridhSma Vrndavana is His eternal playground, the worship in
allegiance to the gopis is the most lovely and 3rlmad Bhagavata provides the spotless evidence that
love of God is the highest goal of human life.
dradhya bhngavdn vrajea-tanayas tad dhama vrndavanam
^
^
JlFFTTefa
I
f 11 ==* 11
VERSE 85:
KUSUM A CAYANA KHELAM K U R V A T l TVA M PARTTA
R A SA KUTILA SAKHIBHIH PRAN AN ATH EN A SA RD H AM
K APATA K ALAH A KELYA K V A P IR O SE N A BH INNA
M A M A M UD A M ATIV ELAM DHASYASE SUVRATE K IM
317
kusttma - flo w e r ; caycma - p ic k in g ; khelath - g a m e ; kurvati - d o e s ; tvam - Y o u ; pcirXta a c c o m p a n ie d ; rasa - sp ir itu a l fla v o u r ; kufila - c r o o k e d ; sakhibhih - w it h Y o u r fr ie n d s ; prdna-ndthena
sdrdham - w i t h th e L o r d o f Y o u r h ea rt; kapata - d e c e it f u l; kalaha - q u arrel; kelyd - w it h th e g a m e ;
kvdpi - a n y w h e r e ; rosena - w it h a n g e r ; bhinnd - se p a r a te d ; mama - m in e ; mudarn - j o y ; ativelath v e r y m u c h ; dhdsyase - in c r e a s e ; suvrate - d e d ic a t e d g ir l; kirn - w h e th e r .
0 Suvrate (dedicated girQl W itt you increase my BGss By faCseCy and angrily
yuarreCing with the Lord of your heart, being supported By your girlfriends, who are eicpert
in heCping you in your Coving triefe white you play theffowerpichpig game?
Notes:
Raghunatha has submitted a prayer to Sv&minfs feet that he may relish the sweet
nectarcan rasa of Her words through both Ms ears and Ms eyes. One cannot count in how many ways
R&dh&'s -self-manifest sweetness is relishable within Sri Ragliunatha's heart, and actually nobody is
able to-describe tiiis sweetness. Although the four Vedas are constantly glorifying &T RSdM they
cannot reach the end. Here Sarasvatfs voice becomes silent. When the heait of &riman Maliadeva
(Lord Siva), that is jnanamaya (filled with transcendental wisdom) comes here, it merges (in 3rl
Radhas glories), and the thousand-headed Ananta-deva goes beside Himself here. When the best of
all devotees, Uddhava MahaSaya, understood the greatness of their sweetness he prayed for birth in
Vraja even as a blade of grass or a shrub to attain the footdust of the Vrajasundaris on his head - tills
is described in Srimad BMigavata! Even the Supreme Lord Vrajendra-nandana cannot reciprocate
with tiiis sweet love! dnera kd kathd dpdne vrajendra-nandana; avatari koren ei prema dsvddana.
(C.C.) "What to speak of others, even Vrajendra-nandana is descending to relish Uiis premal" This
verse conceals the root-cause of Sri Gauranga's descension: in rddhdydh pranaya mahimd kTdriah
"Sri GaurShga-deva descended to experience the sweetness of Sri RadhS's love". He relished tills
Himself and concomitantly made the people of this age also qualified to relish it. anusahge
premamaya koilo tribhuvana (C.C.)
In this verse Sri Raghunatha perceives SvfiminI's flower-picking-pastime. "You're picking flowers
with Your crooked and rasika girlfriends!" This means that. (in Vraja) no-onc deals with Kr$na in a
simple or subjnissive way. Tiiis is called vdmya-bhdya, and in tiiis mood the erotic sweetness of the
Yugala KiSoia becomes ciystallized. Therefore the words rasa kutila are used here. They will quarrel
with 6 yama over picking flowers. "I know You are Suvatra! You're dedicated to (lie vow of
delighting yama. When will You delight me by engaging in such false and crooked quarrels?" Sri
Bangabihuri Vidyulankaca writes: he suvrate sva prd^andtlmsydnunaydbhildsena kapata kalaha eva
Sobhangtit vratani yasydh "Suvrata means a girl who is dedicated to the cause of making the Lord of
her life happy". That is the best vow. There is no greater vow than that in the whole world, prema
means (Milking: "How can I make Kr$oa happy?", and the Vraja-sundaris.are in the highest class of
lovers, that are endowed with mahd-bhdva, which is the quintessence of prema. premera parama
sara maluibhava jam (C.C.). The minds and senses Of those who are endowed with mahd-bhdva are
saturated with mahd-bhdva. vardmrta svarupa mix svam svariipam mano nayet (Ujjvala Nflamani)
"mahd-bhdva consists of the greatest nectar and helps the mind to return to its constitutional
position." 6 rila Vi^vanStha CakravartI writes in Ms 'Ananda CandrikS1-commentary on tMs verse:
manah svafn svarupam nayet mahdbhdvdimakani eva manah sydt. mahdbhdvdt panhakyena manaso
na sthitir ity arthah. tena indriydndm manovriti rdpatvdd vrajasundarinath mam ddi
satvendriyanam mahcibhdva rupatvdt tat tad vydpdraih sarvair eva in krsnasydtivaiyatvatii yukti
siddhim eva bhaved iti. "maha-bhava helps the mind to regain its constitutional position. TMs means
that the minds of the girls who have mahd-bhdva are entirely consisting of maha-bhava. The mind
has no more separate existence from mahd-bhdva. The senses act according to the mind's direction,
and in tMs way the senses of the Vraja-sundarTs also consist of mahd-bhdva. Therefore iL is logically
proven that all the activities of their senses are dedicated to and dominated by Krsna." All the VrajasundarTs have mahd-bhdva, but Sri Radhii is mahd-bhdva svarupinl Herself. She consists of nothing
318
.sVr
but mafta-bftava, from die tips of Her toenails upto (lie top of Her head. It is certain that Kr$na is
greatly delighted and controlled by each of Her physical and sensual acts, hence no one in the world
is more worthy of the name 'Suvraia* than Her.
In his 'StavamfihT (xvnyam utpreksita ITla), Srlla Rupa GosvatnJ has nicely described how Sri
Radhika picks flowers in the forest. Indeed, his descriptions of tills pastime are unrivalled in die
kingdom o f sweet /usa! In the morningtinie SrT Radhika feds morose. She doesnt feel like
performing Her houscholdduties and Her mind is restless, so She goes out into the forest on die
pretext of getting water for Her ritual worship, eager to sec Jotus-eyed Kr$na. Rupa Mahjarl secretly
follows Her to the bank of the Yamunfi. Srimatl walks very far, until She catches ^yamasundaras
bodily fragrance and, thinking that Syamasundani is in the forest She proceeds towards Him like a
thirsty she-bee. When She sees Kr$na standing there, dressed like a forester, She starts picking
flowers, just to catch His attention. Syama notices Her and says: "Who is that girl, destroying the
beauty of die forest by picking all die flowers there? How beautiful You are!"
321
f t W IT cR *TTO^ I
c<4-HHH$?$ra3 ^
5 ^ : q f ^ r i ^ r qrea c ^ n
w 3
u ==$ n
V E R SE 86:
N A N A V ID H A IH P R T H U L A K A K U -B H A R A IR A S A H Y A IH
S A M P R A R T H IT A H P R 1Y A T A Y A T A V A M A D H A V E N A
T V A N M A N A -B IIA N G A V ID H A YE SA D A Y E J A N O 'Y A M
V Y A G R A II
P A T IS Y A T IK A D A LAL1TA P A D A N T E
nana - different; vidhaih - kinds; prthula - great; kakubharaih - with many anxious words; asahyaih
- intolerable; samprarthitah - prayed lor; priyatayd tava - on account of being Your beloved;
mddhavena - by Madhava; tvad - Your; mana - pique; bhahga - soothing; vidhaye - for the sake of;
scidaye - O merciful girl!;/wm/i - person; ayam - this; vyagrah - eager; patisyati - will fall; kada when; lalita - Lalita; pada - of the feet; ante - at the edge.
O S a d a p t (M e rc ifu lg irl) l M ien w ill th is m aiden, a fte r M a d h a va p ite o u sly p e titio n e d her
in so m any un&earabf-e ways* {snow ing h er to Be v e ry dear to y o u , an xiou sly f a l l a t L o lita s
f e e t to p le a d f o r ttfxntj tryin g to so o th e y o u r pupae a t 9& m ?
Notes: The succession o f Sri Raghunathas relish of Sri Radhas amazing form, qualities and
pastimes continues without interruption. Mana is also a kind o f rasa. In tliis verse Sri RaghunaUia
relishes Sri Radhas mana-rasa. Mana is a kind ofloving anger towards the beloved, and tlie relish of
tliis mana is profuse and enormous. Sometimes Radha may have a reason to be angry with Krsna,
because He cheated Her with another girl, tor instance, and sometimes there may be no reason, Sri
Radhika may be angry with Krsna just to increase His eagerness lor Her, Mana then serves as an
obstacle, a kind of dam in a strong riverstream of love, which is naturally crooked, first increasing
the volume of water before the dam and then dividing this stream into a hundred different branches
(hat move in a crooked way and ultimately renovate, sweeten and reinvigorate the old stream o f love.
In the kingdom of love mana is a wonderful reviving elixir - an amazing miracle! For this renovation
the Yugala KiSora may sometimes have to go through intolerable tensions that cause new emotions
to sprout on the old vines of Their hearts, and that make an emaciated, dirty face worthy to come
before the mirror again. The hero will fall at the feet of the heroine, being greedy to taste more of
Her sweet love and begging Manihl to give up Her pique towards Him.
Lalita is the general of all o f RadhikS's girlfriends and Her mood is vama prakhard* harsh and
unsubmissive. She directs Sv^miill's pique at Syaraa, just to increase His loving eagerness. Svaminl
is controlled by Lalitaji's love. She Herself may not always be angry with Kr$na, but still She cannot
meet -Him if Lalita does not allow i t Therefore the word asahyaih (intolerable) in the text does not
refer only to Kr$na, but also to Svaminl as well as Her maidservants. She can also not tolerate the
separation from. Her Priyalama..
In case our Hero is guilty: One night Svaminl anxiously waits for Krsna in (lie iiy&ling-kuftja, but
Krsna fails to show up until daybreak. Lalita instructs Svaminl then to be angry with Kr$na, so
Svaminl tells 5yama:
322
C:r* -r-sifSra
ban ban ydhi madhava ydhi kesava aid vada kaitavu vtulam
turn anusara saraslrnha locana yd lava hamti visddam
(Gita Govindaj
"O Madhava! Your eyes are red from staying up the whole night! This red colour dearly shows Your
attachment to another woman! Had had! Go Madhava! Go KeSava! Dont speak any false words to
Me! O Loluseyed One! Go to that woman who can soothe Your sorrow!" Or sometimes She
sarcastically tells Kr$na:
323
5rl Radhika relishes this rasa of mdtta very much. Her Lover sits at Her feet and prays to Her as
follows:
tope mayddya ndparddham tat katham mayi rutfasau tat svdmint hd kirn kari$ydmi mayi snehavatyd
kayd tayd prami-preyasyd sangamayisye...hd kirii bhavisyati yamund-bhrdtrdpi vismrloham ity
asahyaihw "O Rati Manjari! Please let your mistreSvS l>e pleased with Me once morel I swear you,
today 1 did not do anything wrong! Why is She then angry with Me? 0 ! What shall I do? Which
affectionate girl will help Me to meet My heart's beloved again? O! What will become of Me! It's so
intolerable, I have even forgotten the brother of Yamuna (Yamaraja)!" How fortunate Radhika's
maidservants are! Even die Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is sought for by the Vedas, prays
to them with folded hands! Tulasi camiot tolerate seeing Krona's pitiful condition and she consoles
Him by saying: "Just wait here for a moment, I'm going to sec what I can do!" When Tulasi comes
back into the kunja she sees that Svamim has become kalahdniaritd (a girl who regrets her quarrel
with her lover) and eager to meet Her PrSnanatha once more. Tulasi says: "Hey Syamaju! Your lover*214
324
Jn-JrT ViCftpa
is so pitifully praying to me for the treasure of Your affection! Why are You angry with Him?"
SvaminT says; "Lalita told Me to!" One of &T Radhika's names is lalita hhiti martini, She who is
angry with Krsna out of fear of Lalila, although xShe Herself wants to make up with Kr$na again.
&T RaglumiUha calls SvaminT Sadaya in this verse. Sri BangabihM Vidyalahkara writes: he
sadai/e kfihin/a sravima darsmianiaram eva manasya smfhilyad dayaxiati "She is so merciful that
She slackens Her mclna after seeing and hearing about Madhava's aggrieved state. Hence She is
named Sadaya here". Seeing-the situation, TulasT understands that without Lalitas permission
the Yugala KiSora will not be able to meet, although They arc so eagerly desiring Eachother.
(fttya ca tat krpayaiva srl rddhd prasfula ity anudhvanih) Tulasi runs off to the kufija where
Lalilaji dwells. Lalita asks TulasT: "Tulasi! Why have you come here?" TulasI suddenly falls at
Lalita's feel and says: "Are you just silling here after ordering SvaminT to be angry with Krsna?
Lalita: "Why, what happened?" Tulasi: "They arc so eager to meet Eachother, I can't tolerate the
sight anymore! Order the mdna bhatlga (breach o f pique)! SvaminT is maintaining Her pique
only because She respects your order!" So LalitajT orders the breach of pique. Tulasi returns to
SvaminTs kunja and says: "Lalita sanctioned the breach of Your pique!" SvaminT blooms up with
bliss. This is how Tulasi accomplishes the meeting o f Priya-Priyalama (Radha-Kr$na)! Blessed is
this maidservant! Blessed is her service! Suddenly the vision stops and
Raghunatha prays to
SvaminTs lotusfeet for the fortune of Her devotional service -
"I will hill at Lalitffs feet and humbly (ell her of Krsna's heartache. When Lalila becomes merciful
and looks me in the face, my mind will be very happy".
325
jfr if a
'Miigfwnotfia dSsa.ijtrsvdn\l
^ T R ct R ^ T R t ^ r R 5rc?r ^r:
% ps
* rf^ s, ^
-n r*
srat
? Wb-^W
VERSE 87:
PRTrYA M ANGALA GtTA NRTYA VILASAD VINADI VADYOTSAVAIH
SUDDHA n A M PAYASAM GHATAIR BAHU VIDHAIH SAM VASITANAM BH RSAM
VRND ARANYA MAHADHIPATYA VIDHAYE YAH PAU RNAM ASYA SVAYAM
DHJRE SAMVIHFTAH SA K IM TAVA MAHASEKO M AYA DRAKSYATE
prtfyd - wilh love; mahgala - auspicious; gita - songs; nrtya - dance; vilasat - beautiful; vine
- lute; adi - and more; vddya - musical instruments; utsavaih - with festivals; suddhdtuuh - o f pure;
payasdm - water; ghaiaih - with jugs; bahu - many; vidhaih - with sorts; samvdsitdndtk - scented;
bhrsam - greatly; vrndaranya - of VrndSvana; mahd - great; adhipaiya - queen; vidhaye - for the
sake; yah - who; paurnamdsyd - by Paurnamasi; svayam - personally; dhire - 0 grave, calm girl;
samvihitah - performed; sa - it; kirk - whether; tava - Your; mahd - greaL; sekah - shower; nmyd - by
me; draksyafe - being seen.
O tDfure (gram, calm, girt)! When utill I see your great ceremonial Bathing as yon are
Being crowned as the queen of Vnutdvana By (Paurnainasts personal arrangement? *Ihen
there is a great festival of love with dancing, singing of auspicious songs and playing o f
vinos and other instruments while you're Being Bathed with so many jugs o f pure fragrant
water!
Notes: In the previous verse &ii Raghunatha relished the flavours of devotional service
by helping Syfimasundara to appease SvaminTs mdna and to meet Her again. In this verse he
wants to see SvaminT as the empress of Vmdavana. 'With a highly auspicious ceremony,
involving singing, dancing and instrumental music She was crowned as the empress, therefore
(his coronation-ceremony is not a secret. All (he goddesses are there as well as king Nanda, king
Vr$abhanu, the Queens YaSoda and Klrtida as well as all the gopas and gopls. Why is Kr$na not
crowned here, but Radha? he dhire\ You are very grave and Kr$na is very whimsical, that is well
known. Therefore You are bathed instead of Krsna !'215
In the Padma Parana, Patala Khaiida, it is stated that Krsna, being pleased wilh the
matchless sweetness of Sri Radhas attributes, made Her (he queen of Vrndavana:
215
"Although elsewhere the goddess of fortune reigns, Kr?na, being pleased with Her, made Radha the
Queen of Vrndavana." Also in the Malsya Purana die coronatioii of Sri Radha is indicated with the
words radha vpiddvane vane. Following Srlla Rupa GosvtimI, who was greatly absorbed in this
pastime and described it in liis one-act play 'Dana Keli Kaumudf, liis 1Radha$(akam' in the verse
alula mahasi vpidciranya rajyerbhisiktam, and in his 108 names o f RSdiiika named Prema Sudha
Satriikhya.. the nectar-sacrifice of love
{radha kr^navanddhim and vniddvanesvarT), Srila
Raghunatha Dasa GosvamI briefly described it in his Mukta Caritrii'-play and in his Vraja Vilasa
Slava (verse 61) and later Srila Rupa GosvamI, not being fully satisfied yetT ordered Sri Jlva
GosvamI to write a big poetry-book about it, named 'Madhava MalioLsava'. In this book it is
described that Sri Kr$na hud ordered VrndadevI, the goddess of Vrndavana forest, to arrange for the
coronation to be performed in front of all the inhabitants o f Vraja. Vrnda became a voice in the sky
that ordered PaurnarnasI-devT, the goddess of Krsua's mystic illusion Yogamaya, to make all the
arrangements and to announce tills happy news to all the people of Vraja, headed by Nanda
Maharaja:
327
328
$ n -$ n ViUlpa ifyisutmijaCifi
"Glory to You whose ibouiails me more beautiful than those of hundreds of goddesses of fortune!
Glory to the lotusfect of the great ocean of glory! Glory to the crownjewel of clever girls, die world
enchanting girl who is served by hosts of rulers!"
tai ei rdjakara>
kotoyalapada deiy
karabahi make cira ddsa
ehi vinati mom,
mdnobi nd iambi,
karajode mdgo tuyd pd$a
"I am standing before You with folded hands! Please accept Me at Your side as Your eternal servant!
Give Me the job of royal constable! Heed My humble words and don't kick Me away!"
329
MaharapFs feel.: "One of the royal executives has stolen the flute, what can a low-rank constable do
against that?" Hearing this, Prime minister Lalita angrily orders: "Everyone open their veils and
show to the constable that you don't have the flute! Tills falsely suspicious high official deserves a
severe punishment for uttering false accusations if the flute is not. found on anyone!" Everyone
follows the prime minister's order, and when finally Lalita opens her own veil - lo and behold! The
flute falls out! Everyone is stunned. Then the constable says: "O Queen! Such a thief-minister should
resign, otherwise the kingdom will suffer tremendously!" Who can describe Lalita's rage at that
lime? She says: "You Yourself have liidden tile flute in my clothes, and then You went to the Queen
to complain! I swear on the Queen's feet: Tills is Your doing!! Do You dare to deny it by taking an
oath, toucliing Llie Queen's lotusfcet?" The constable's hands shiver o f ecstasy when they touch
RSdharatfPs feet, His eyes are Ailed with tears and His body is studded with goosepimpies. hiyara
mdjhdre itfhe rasera hilolL yabe parasite cdhi iomdra pdyera angulL Although Kr$na is the very
form of transcendental bliss He is enchanted by rasa, and His voice chokes out o f ecstatic inertia.
Then Lalita says: T o o k Maharani! Hie personification of religion is touching Your feet! Why
would any lies come from His mouth?"
330
J n -S n Vifcpa ?Qisunulnjtififi
"They are most luscious, Each wearing one flowergarland around the neck. Tlieir matchless bodies
are loaning against eachother. Fairfaced Radhika desires y5ma as the bumblebee the lotusflower,
the Cakorabird the moon and the female CatakinJ-bird the monsoon cloud".
331
$nfn
c^cn^i
^R FT l
a iM
o rf^ T ^ R o ^ l^ T ^ P t I
%fFTT: ^ # b 3 o F R t? 3 SRW*tI: *K
5lR5PfflT<j3R^|
f g : f cST^ri 3s3Rf: II * II
VERSE 88:
Notes: One irla-picture after the oilier arises before the spiritualised eyes of Sri Raghunatha, and
when his rclishable visions vanish he laments and manifests another prayer. His mind is immersed in
(lie ocean of the sweetness and beauty of the Divine Pair, and there die treasure of eloquence has
very little value (i.e. it is very difficult to put it under words). Words are totally helpless here. Still
the stream of bhdva naturally wants to come out over the path of words, but alas! Words are not able
to hold.such a powerful stream! Words become stunned here, strangled and suffocating in the grip of
bhdvalln this situation bhdva blooms up in the heart of anyone who depends on it and comes to a
sensitive devotee in only a slight way in the form of words. But still it is as if this dind bhdsd
(inferior medium of words) thrusts a huge stream of water on the heart's ears of a bhdvagrdhl
(sensitive) audience, helping the bhdva of a sensitive devotee (like Raghunatha dasa Gosvaml) to
reveal itself. The power of the speaker's bhdva is infused in his words, therefore their result,
prowess, influence and authority are endless and inexhaustible. That is why there is no greater means
to attain bhdva than to hear and chant the hhdvamaya vatu (ecstatic words) of the great saints. In the
previous verse Sri RaghunSlha relished the sweetness of RadharanT's coronation, and in tills verse he
relishes the parental love of mother KTrtida and father Vr$abh5nu, the personifications of parental
love, as SvaminI goes to Her parental home. The pdda-sevikds (maidservants) like TulasI stay with
SvaminI as if they are Her shadow, and they experience all of Sv&minfs joy and sorrows just like
Her, as if Her feelings are reflected in the mirrors of their hearts. The great poet Karnapura, who
sucked the nectar out of Sri Caitanya Mahfiprabhu's toe, describes tills as follows in his book
'Alankara Kaustubha' (3.59):
332
J n - $ n W fapa 9Qtsumanfa(sfi
333
he radhe he.suvadane,
rdkhXpurnimdra dine,
lava bhrdici SrXddma dsiyd,
krpand se jatildre,
go ayuta dona kore,
samddare tdhdre tusiyd.
"O Fairfaced Radhe! On the RakhJ Purnima-day Your brother Sridama comes to see You, and he
respectfully satisfies the miserly Ja|ila by giving her ten thousand cows."
334
fipqaiH M fi ^
H isiP f e #
^ 1 1
II
VERSE 89:
la jja yA l i
P U R A TA H P A R A T O M A M
GAHVARAAI G IRIPATER BATA NTTVA
DIVYA G A N A M A P I T A T SVARA-BH ED AM
SlK SA
YISYA
* SI K AD A SAD AYE TVA M
lajjayd - shyly; ali - Your girlfriends; puratah - in front; parata{\ - far away; mark - me; gahvararh cave; giri - mountain; patelt - of the Lord; bata - alas!; nltva - having taken; divya - divine; ganam songs; apt - even; tat - that; svara - voice; bhedam - different; Mksayisyasi - You will teach; kadd when; sadaye - O merciful girl!; tvam - You.
O Sadaye (mercifulgirQl When w ill yo u shyly tafy me fa r away from your girlfriends to a
cave o f govardhana 9&U to teach me Beautiful songs in different tunes there?
Notes: Si! Raghunatiia's heart is absorbed in (he forms, qualities and pastimes of his beloved deity.
In the mood of a maidservant he relishes Si!-ri-Radha-Madhava's sweetness. How much Svaminl
loves Her intimate maidservant is known through the prayer in this verse. "Without me even wanting
it Svaminl is accepting me as one o f Her own. From this I understand that She loves me. Without me
even wanting it Svaminl is so merciful to take me along to a cave of Govardhana Hill to teach me
divine songs with different tunes and meters." lajjaydli puratah parato giripateh gahvararh nltva
"Shyly She takes me far away from Her girlfriends to a cave of Govardhana Hill to teach me
singing." Why should She be shy? Her sama-prdria sakhls are not strangers to Her! In front of Her
sakhls She cannot teach all kinds o f songs. These songs are not ordinary songs - divya gdnarh: they
arc divine songs. Svamini is shy, because She knows that Her girlfriends understand that She will
teach TulasT intimate songs about Her lovc-aflairs with Syama. These songs are not meant for the
sakhls* ears, because they will make them mock Svaminl. These confidential and wonderful songs
335
can not be beard by anyone else but SvaminT's most intimate maidservants. They are meant to be
sung by TulasT while SvaminI is alone with Syama and Syama has fainted out of amorous ecstasy.
With their extraordinary beauty and sweetness the Vraja-sundaris are able to astonish & l Kr$;ija hence their love is called samarthd rati The love of a pure devotee has such extraordinary power
and glory that it astonishes 3ri Kr$iia: bhaktera prenia cesta dekhi krsnera camatkara (C.C.), The
love of the Vraja-sundaris is of the highest class, hence their samarthd rail is most, astonishing. The
sweetness o f the love of SrlrnatT RadhSUTinl, who is endowed with Madanakhya Mahabhava, is
astonishing Kj'sna so much that it makes Him faint. Even SvaminI is then baffled and unable to And
a means to reawaken Him. Only Her maidservants, that are well trained in the art of singing divine
songs, arc able to break this swoon - no one else. Tills is what distinguishes the kinkans from the
sakhTs. This is the very confidential service rendered by the maidservants!
One day Radhika and Syama are playing together in a kunja when Syama faints out of ecstasy. No
matter what SvaminI tries, She can not bring Kr$na back to His senses. The boat-like mind of
enchanting Mohana has sunk in the bottomless ocean of
Radliiks's beauty and sweetness.
SvaminI is desperate. She cannot find anyone who can pull Syama out of this deep ocean-like
swoon. Then Thlasi, who sits outside with her back against the wall of the kunja, begins to sing a
beautiful song. When Syama hears this song about SvaminTs sweetness He slowly comes back to
His senses and becomes fit again to continue die loveplay. These songs cannot be taught in the
presence of the sakhls, therefore they are taught within the caves of Govardhana Hill, The subject of
these songs are the various pastimes o f Rasaraja Sri Krsoa and Madanakhya Maliabhavavatl rl
Radha. Sri Radhika Herself is the subject of these songs, so She can not sing it Herself to bring
Krsna back to life. A third person is necessary and a maidservant of &T Radha is the most fitting
person to do it. Of all maidservants, TulasT Is again most intimate with $rT Radhika, so SvaminI calls
her into a cave o f Govardhana Hill to teach her these intimate songs in different tunes. This is the
limit of human perfection, the great gift of 5rl Caitanya Mahaprabhu.219 Without bhdva (feeling)
one cannot taste rasa (spiritual flavour), without rasa (here can be no development of bhdva, and
without bhdva and rasa there can be no dnanda. This is a wcllknown truth. If we try to realize the
purport of these words, then we can understand that even a slightest drop from the stream of topmost
transcendental bliss that constantly floats from the fountainhead o f all universal causes, Mahabhava
(Radha) embraced by Mahsrasa (Krsna), is keeping the whole world alive. The main item that is to
be ascertained from (lie Vedic scriptures was described in Srlmad Bhagavata, which is the essence of
the Vedanta. According to the Bhagavata tire limit o f attainment is the rnahd bhdva of the gopTs in
the Rasa-ff/5. A human being is unable to advance or to know anything beyond this. If anyone can
reveal anything beyond this, then he can not be anyone else but the Supreme Absolute Troth, God
Himself, that should be known for sure. That confidential rnanjan bhdva - which is not even found
by searclung through the Rasa-if/a chapters of Sftmad Bhagavata - is the merciful gift of SrI-SrI
Krna Caitanyadeva, who is the combined form of Rasaraja (K^pa, the king of refishers) and
MahabMva (Radhika, the Supreme Love) and its manifestation and preadiing has come through die
dedryas who took shelter of His lotusfeet.
Now rlmati will examine if TulasT has properly learned the songs. This examination is also so
wonderful! The cave of Govardhana Hill is like a wonderful temple of play. SvaminI takes a Vina in
Her hand and teaches a sweet song. The song itself is endlessly sweet and on (op of that there is
Svsmiifl's own nectarean voice. This sound attracts Syamasuiidara, who comes close and stares
through a slit in the cave at the beauty of Snmatl's form. She is there alone with Tulasl. Her head is
not covered by Her veil and Her fingers, that defeat the beauty of golden Campaka-buds, twang the
strings of the Vina. Along with the strings of the Vina She twangs the strings of Sygma's heart! How
wonderfully Her jewelled rings arc blazing on Her golden fingers! It is as if Her beauty and
sweetness comes gushing out o f Her limbs! $yama is enchanted by Her lovely nectarean voice and
can not hide Himself anymore. He approaches slowly and enters into the cave as if He is enchanted
by some mantra. Seeing Syama, SvaminI at once stops singing, puts the Vina away and quickly
219 N a r r a t e d b y S n A n a n d a G o p a l a Gosvanvl,
33<S
^n^n'Vtfapa KiisumwijaGh
*pulls Her veil
over Her head. Gravely She says: "Syama! Are You here?" Syama says: "What song have You
taught to Tulasl?" SvSmiui: "What*s that to You? Tulasi! Let u$ hear what song You have learned!"
TulasI takes the Vina in her hand and begins to sing. How wonderful is the prowess of Tulasl, the
object of Svaminfs affection! She has iearned the song after one single heating. It is as if the song
takes shape before Their eyes. Syama does not hear a song - He relishes Svaminfs sweetness. Syama
is enchanted and sits down next to SvaminI to listen. Tulasl asks: "Did I pass the examination?"
Both praise Tulasl, saying: "Bravo, Tulasl! Well learnt!220 When tills vision vanishes 2ri
Raghunalha laments and prays:
t o
to r
VERSE 90:
O (Devi, when wiCCI shyCy Cower my Head in the assemBCy as yiou are requested By LaCitadevt to CovingCy read some 6eautifuCromantic -poetry to me?
Notes: Tn the previous verse TulasI learned singing from SvaminJ and in this verse she wants to learn
rasika poetry from Her. SvaminJ moulds TulasI as She wants i t She will serve Her Priyatama
through this maidservant and thus make Him happy, and at the same time She blesses Her
maidservant with devotional service. foi&van MksitdSesa kaici kausaia sdlinim (Vjndavana
Mahimamrta) "The maidservants know innumerable arts through the training of their Srlgvarf. They
also relish the love of the sakhTs. The leader of all the sakhTs, Lalita-devI, asks Radhika: "Sakhil
Read some divine rasika poetry to TulasI! Train her just as You like!" So SvaminJ teaches TulasI
some poetry that she can later, at a proper moment, expertly recite to the Yugala Kigora, who are
found of good poetry. There are so many services for which poetry must be learnt! Sri Yugala goes
rambling in the forest (yana vihara Ilia). Not only does the maidservant soften Their pathway by
strewing flowers, but she also immerses Syaina in a boundless ocean of bliss by singing self-made
songs to Him about Svaminls glories:
aimed at in mundane poetry to be the products of materialistic minds and therefore consisting of the
llirec modes of material nature, or mayti. 5rimat Jiva Gosvami clearly writes in his Prlti Sandarbha
( 1 1 0 ): kim ca laukikasya raty dde{\ sukha-mpatvam yatha kathancid eva - vasiu v'tcdre duhka
paryavasdyitvat..tosrnal laukikasyaiva vihhavadeh rasa janakatvath na Sraddheyam. "The
happiness gotten from worldly rati (erotic love) is only slight and after due consideration ends in
misery. The rasa that comes from worldly vibhdvas (excitements) is not to be cherished".
Svaminl uses the names of another hero and heroine in Her romantic poems and reads them to her
maidservant TulasI, knowing her to be Her closest confidante. She will not keep anything hidden in
them and She feels very happy while revealing these secrets to Her maidservants!222 While SiTman
MaMprabhu danced before (he cart Of Lord Jagannatha, during the Ratha Yatra at Puri, He sang the
verse ya(i kaumdra harah sa eva hi varah (He is my man, who took my maidenhood....) from (he
Kavya PrakaSa about a mundane hero and heroine. (See C.C. Madhya 13 and Antya 1) No one else
but Svarupa Damodara could understand the transcendental meaning of bhagavat-rasa the Lord
found in tills verse. When &nmat Rupa Gosvami heard this verse from the Lord's divine mouth, he
understood the Lord's inner bhdva and revealed it by writing the verse priya so'yath krsnah (He is
My beloved Kr$iia). When the Lord found this verse on a palmleaf on the roof of Haridasa Thakura's
thatched cottage, He asked Sri Rupa:
339
describes Svamini's sorrow to Him to urge Him to quickly come and meet Her: "Madhava! Are You
here? But there is Your Priyajl, separated from You!"
(Gita Govindam)
0 Madhava! Afflicted Radhika is as if merged in thoughts about You, being afraid of Cupid's
arrows! The southern winds, that are cooler than sandal woodpulp and moonbeams, appear to be as
1)01 as snake-poison to Her! How much She's suffering, being separated from You!
Then TulasI returns to SvaminI and encourages Her to go and meet Sy3ma by reciting the following
poem:
340
3 n -& x 7/tfapa
JCusuijiwijafifi
VERSE 91:
NIJA K U N D A T A T l KUNJE
G UNJAD B H R A M A R A SA N K U LE
O *Devii *Wken tvittyb u teach me how to pCay the fJQicchapi (a hptd o f vmo) in a grove that
is fitte d w ith humming Bees, on the shore o f your Cafe?
Notes: In tills verse a vision is described of SvaminI teaching the Vina. "O devi! When will You
teach me how to play the Vina in a grove on the bank of Your kundaV Just like rasika poetry Vinaplaying is also required while serving (lie Divine Couple. TulasI thinks: "I want to become expert in
anything connected with devotional service!" It is also Svaminls desire: "Let My kidkari become
expert in her service!" "To the loLusfeet of such a merciful mistress my gurudeva has submitted me!
He has shown me that the greatest thing in life is Svaminl's service and vSvaminl's maidservanthood.
How I am wasting my life if I am callous and indifferent towards the lotusfeet of such a mistress,
who personally teaches Her maidservants how to serve Her! Even now I could not recognize myself
as Radius's ddsl, but I remain immersed in false, temporary bodily conciousness and its expansions. I
could still not take 3rl RSdha's lotusfeet in my heart (or to my chest, to massage them)!" Aft aspirant
becomes ashamed when he realises his own unfortunate condition after hearing and chanting about
the activities and the teachings o f the dedryas (GosvamTs). Srila Dasa GosvamI, who became
intoxicated by drinking the honey that trickles from Sri Caitanyas lotusfeet and thus gave up his
wife, that was as beautiful as an angel, and his wealth, that equaled that of Indra, the king of heaven,
as if they were stool, to become poorer than a beggar, wrote in his book 'Muktu Caritra (3)': nijam
ujjvalUdm bhakti-sudhdni arpayitum ksitau. uditam saagarbha-vyomni purnam vidlutrH bhaje "I
worship the full moon that rose in Hie sky of mother Sacfs womb to brighten up the world with the
nectar of His own devotion." What kind of people of tills age are we? Srimati Mahaprabhu showed
us die path of bhajan, of taste, of constant attraction, the path of natural mine-ness, experience of
rasa, love and the pinnacle of bliss. Tliis is not the path of fear, reverence or obstacles. Without
experiencing transcendental bhagavai-rasa one naturally starts to engage in worldly activities and
attachment and constant attraction to Kr$na will not arise. This natural experience of rasa is infused
in the worship revealed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Although the Vv&yd-gopikds naturally bathed in
the powerful flood of attachment to Kr$na? all the obstacles on their way to meeting Him made their
attaciiment to Him even more powerful and infused that natural love for Krsna in them. And Sriman
Mahaprabhu has brought (he worship in the mood of the manjarls, the maidservants who have taken
shelter of the lotusfeet of Sri Radha, who is Herself the crownjewel of all these gopikdsl All rasa
and bfidva is assembled to the fullest, extent and in all respects in the style of bhajan that
Mahaprabhu has brought us. If I dont understand this now, then when will I?
. 341
In a kttnja filled with humming bees on the bank of Radhakunda TuiasI learns playing Vina from
Svaminl. This lake Radhakunda delights Tuias! so much because it belongs to her Svaminl. There
me so many divine playgrounds in Vraja, but Raghunatha has chosen the bank of Svaminfs kunda as
his greatest (and only) shelter. In ukufija filled with humming bees on this bank he will learn to play
Vina so that he will be able to render devotional service to the Divine Couple, drabdha rasa
rabhasdm harind saha ivaihtai pctfhitaiva vidust kalaydni vfndm (Sankalpa Kalpadruma 16) "When
You commence the Rasa-dance with Hari I will play the Vina according to Your teachings, so that i
can arouse Your Rasa-desires!" In Madana Sukhada-fcwnjte Svaminl sits down and takes a Vlpa in
Her hand, showing TulasT how to hold it and how to play the strings with the lingers of her left hand.
TulasT attentively watches Svaminl while sitting at Her feet. Meanwhile a parrot tells Syamasundara:
"SnSvari is teaching TulasT how to play the KacchapI-VTna at Madana Sukhada kufija\", so Syama
goes there and sees how Svaminl is absorbed in twanging the strings of the Vina, while bees are
sweetly buzzing around. &yuma is enchanted by this sight as He stands by the gate of (lie kunja.
Svaminl suddenly sees Him standing there and stops playing the VTna. Syama says: "Can't I see even
a little o f how You are teaching TulasT how to play the Vina?'1, so Svaminl orders TuiasI to play.
SfTmat! is very happy to see Sy&na and to please Him through Her maidservants. One o f the 108
names SritpSda Dasa Gosvaml gives to &rfmati is: svaganopendra padabja sparfa lantbhana harsint:
"She who is very happy, with Her friends, to touch Upendra's lolusfeet". But when She attains
Krsna's lotusfcet -with Her kinkans Her joy is even more spontaneous! How happy Svaminl is to
serve yama through Her maidservants! On SvSmiifl's order TulasT plays the Vina and sings a
wonderful lovesong with it. It is as if the spiritual flavour of the subject is crystallized by the song!
Hearing this song, both Syama and Svaminl become inspired to make love, so TulasT discretely
leaves the kunja. Blessed is Uiis maidservant! She can make tire Loving Couple float in an ocean of
rasa and (hen glimpse through the vines to relish these sweet erotic pastimes in Madana Sukhadakunja !223
Jn-Jn'Vtfapa 9(usumsVijafUi
m m
11
VERSE 92:
v ih A r a i s t r u t it a m h A r a m
G U M P H IT A M D A Y IT A M K A D A
S A K H lN A M LA JJAYA D E V I
s a m j n a y A m Am n i d e k s y a s i
vihdraih - by pastimes; trutitam - broken; Imrani - necklace; gumphitaiU - strung; dayitath - dear;
kadii - when; sakhindth - o f lire friends; lajjayd - out of shyness; devi - goddess; samjnayd - by a
hint; mam - me; nideksyasi - You will engage.
O tDexnt When. w ilt y o n , Being sfty Before y o u r girlfriends, order me through a Bint to
restrmg y o u r dear necklace which 6rofe (hiring y o u r Cooing pastimes w ith 2Q?naP
Notes: Sri Raghunathu is deeply absorbed in his svanipa; theres no end to the stream o f his visions.
One by one the transcendental pastimes uickle through his conciousness. In the previous verse
TulasT rendered a wonderful service by playing the Vina. After arousing amorous feelings in the
Divine Couple she went but o f the kunja and became blessed by relishing the sweetness of Their
pastimes by looking in through the window. After the Divine Couple has completed Their amorous
pastimes Tulasl understands that her time to render service has come, so she enters into the kunja.
Both Radlva and Syama are leaning against Eachother in the kunja after completing Their amorous
pastimes, irhgdra rasa (erotic love) personified has become an expert craftsman and has dressed
Them singlehandcdly. Their clothes are dishevelled, Radhika's blouse has fallen off, sindura is
smeared over Their foreheads, Svaminfs braid is half opened and Her pearl necklace is broken.
Syamasundara is die very form of srngdra rasa (erotic flavour), and even He is enchanted by the
vision of Sri Radliika's body after Their love pastimes: Ilia ante sukhe ihdra ye ahga mddhuri; tdhd
343
dekhi sukhe and dpand pasarl (Caitanya Caritamrla Adi 4) "1 gel beside Myself of ecstasy when 1
behold the sweetness of Her body after Our Pastimes." Even now (his relish has not corne to an cad,
Svnmim gives a hint to Tulasi: "Tulasi! My pearl necklace is broken! Quickly resuing it!" vihdrais
trutitam hdrar'n: "Tiie necklace was not broken by Me, but by Our pastimes", SvSinim shyly says.
,?1 .alila and ViSakba will come here soon! Quickly restring the necklace before they have another
reason to mock Me !"224 The saklus make waves on the ocean of prema by making jokes, prema ITla
vihdrdndm samyag vistdrikd sakhl {Ujjvala Nilamani) "The saklus completely expand and nourish
the Iovet die pastimes and the enjoyment of Sri-Sif-RadM-MSdhava." sakhl vind ei Uldra pusti ndhi
hoy; sakhT Ilia visiariya sakhl clsvadoy (C.C.) "Without (lie sakhls these pastimes, cannot be
nourished. The saklus extend them and make them rclishable," But only the manjaris are eligible to
render service freely and without hesitation! It is the nature of Mahabhava to make Syamasundara
happy and it is the nature of (he manjaris to make both Radha and Syamasundara happy with their
services. Along with their services they can also relish the sweetness of the Yugala-pa$times.
According to all the scriptures Kfsna is the most beautiful, but according to 6 rlmad Bhagavata His
beauty is even more enchanting when He is with the gopls>Sri Suka Muni said (.B. 10.33.7):
344
Sn'Jn'Pifapa 4JQt$ttmanjotVi
"In the spring She is Uie sweet form of the vernal goddess of fortune that gladdens the Kr,?na-trce,
and in (lie rainy season She is the lovely MallSra-melody that delights Syilnia,"
W& ^
I W l f e II %3 II
VERSE 93:
SVA MUKHAN M AN MUKHE DEVI
KADA TAMBULA CARVTTAM
SNEI1AT SARVA DISO VIKSYA
SAMAYE TV AM PRADASYASI
sva - own; mukhat - From the mouth; mad - my; tnukhe - in the mouth; devi - goddess; kadd - when;
tanibula - betelnuts; carvitam - chewed; snehdt ~ out o f affection; sarva - all; disa - directions; vtksya
- looking; samaye - in time; tvam - You; pradasyasi - will give.
O (Devi! When toiU you affectionately give me the remnants o f your chewed betelfrom
your mouth into mine, looking all around (to checkjf anybody sees it}?
Notes: Both during visions and after their disappearance Sri RaghunStha's heart remains tilled with
an unbroken desire to attain the nectarean service of Sri Radha, Gautflya Vaisnava-aspirants should
do bhajan while keeping this aspiration alive. The desires on a persons mind will ultimate come out
in the form of acts in the field of action in the same form and nature as it was cherished by the mind.
Similarly, the picture of the transcendental desires that an aspirant-devotee has on Ms mind will be
drawn on the slate of his heart by Yogam&ySL So also with those aspiring for Sri Radha's service.
Sripada Sanatana GosvamI writes in Brhad BMgavatftmrta (2.1.21):
346
SvaminI thinks to Herself: "l\ilasl is doing nice service! I must reward her! But what if Lalita ami
My other girlfriends would see it? I would die o f shame!'1 So She looks in all four directions before
She pushes Her chewed betelnuts from Her mouth into Tulasi's mouth in an unseen way, while
Tulasl hangs the necklace back on Her neck. In this way She gives Her dear Tulasl a just reward for
her loving service. It is the same beielleaf that ^yamasimdara pushed into Her mouth while Tic
enjoyed with Her and SvaminI knows how much Tulasl cherishes that:
/
kdryaika samadhigamyd yathd-kdryam kalpyate. atah yasya ydvdd indriya saktih sa tdvad eva vastu
grhndii na tu sarve satndnam indriya sakter dsamatvdd iti yathd tathaiva pratyakstbhuiasya man
mddhuryasya sad bhdvo na tad dsvddane kdranarh kintu premaiva, tat tu man mddhuryddy
anubhava kdryaika gamyani yathd kdryam kalpyate. atah yasya ydvdn premd sa tdvdn man
mddhuryam dsvadayati na tu sarve samdnam, tatha sati man mddhurya samagrdsvddana kdrya
samadhigamya samagrena premnd ekd Sri radhikd man mddhuryath samagram dsvadayati anye tu
na tadvad dsvddayiium saknuvanti tadvai premdbhdvdt. "It is not the presence of some object, that
makes it relishable, but the power that the senses may have for taking i t Wc can also judge whether
them is power in the senses to take the object when we see them taking them. In the same way we
cannot say that everyone will be able to take (appreciate or relish) the sweetness of the Lord,
although it may be right before their eyes (in the form of the deity or a picture). Only love is the
cause for relishing the Lord's sweetness, without love nothing of the Lord's sweetness can be
relished. And again, this sweetness can be relished according to the amount of love we feel for the
Lord. We can know whether a person loves God or not, and how much he-loves God, according to
the amount (hat that person relishes the Lord's sweetness. Sri Radhika's love is unlimited, and
therefore only She can relish Kfsna's sweetness to the utmost. No one else but She has unlimited
love, and therefore no one else but She can relish Krona's endless sweetness to the utmost". Sri
Radhika's love is unlimited, so She is able to fully taste His unlimited sweetness, and the sweetness
o f His chewed betelleaves. ei prema dvdre nitya radhikd ekdli; dmara mddhurydmrta dsvdde sakali
(C.C): "Through tills love only Radhika is able to relish all of My nectarcan sweetness".
SvaminI thinks: "If I must reward Tulasl, then 1 should give her this most tasty delicacy!" But
Tulasl, being partial to SvaminI, will not even relish it when it is chewed only by Kr$na. It must, be
chewed by Sri Radhika especially! She is ever begging for SvaminTs lip-nectar. Just as Sri Radhika
does not accept any eatable which is not. first enjoyed by Krsna, so the maitjans do not accept
anything which is not first tasted by Sri Radhika; hence the lipnectar o f the Yugala is ever-coveted
by the maidservants. SvaminI, who is affectionate to Her millions of maidservants, revives Tulasl
with the nectar of Her lotusfeet and Uie nectar from Her lips. Not only that, but She grants it to
Tulasl by embracing her, kissing her and transferring Kp^a's chewed betelleaves from Her mouth
347
{V't* *
"O Radhe! Vinodini! O empress of the kimja\ O beloved o f Krsna! O My ISvari! After Your erotic
battle You both chew betelleaves and after chewing it, You look in all four directions before You
push it from Your own mouth into mine, O Fortunate girl! Please be merciful to me in so many
ways! Affectionately consider me to be Yours, Your mind melting of affection!
VERSE94:
NIVIDA MADANA YUDDHE PRANANATHENA SARDHAM
DAYITA MADHURA KANCIYA MADAD VISMRTASrr
SASIMUKffl SAMAYE TVAM HANTA SAMBHALYA BHANGYA
TVARJTAMIHA TAD ARTHAM KIM TVAYAHAM PRAHEYA
nivida - intense; madana - erotic; yuddhe - fight; prdna-ndlhena sardham - with the lord of Your
heart; dayita - dear-; rmdhura - sweet; Mncl - sash of bells; yd - who; madad - out of intoxication;
vismrta - forgotten; asTt - was; sasimukhi - O moonfaced girl!; samaye - in time; tvam - You; hanta alas!; sambhdlya - describing; bhahgya - with a hint; tvaritam - quickly; iha - here; tad - that;
arihaiii - for tire sake; kirn - wiiat; tvayd - by You; aham - 1; praheya - engaged.
O Jafimuk&i (MoonfacedgirQl During intense Cove-pastimes zoith the Lord o f your heart
yo u Become Bewildered, so you forget your dear sweet sash o f BeCCs there. When wUC you
give me a w m fito go quickly Backhandfetch it?
22S Narrated by Sri Auanda Gop&la Gosvanii.
348
n(a K
agfiundifta dasti osv8ml
350
Vifapa 9Qisumafija{ifi
% PTR:
o R j s ^ || ^
||
VERSE 95:
KENAPIDOSA LAVA-MATRA LAVENA DEVI
s a n t A d y a m a n a IHA DHIRAMATE TVAYOCCAIH
ROSENA T A l LALITAYA KILA NIYAMANAM
SAMDRAKSYATE KIM U MANAK SADAYAM JANO
TAM
kena - by who; apt - even; dosa - fault; lava - slightly; matra - only; lavena - by a small fraction;
devi - goddess!; santadyamdna - being rebuked; iha - here; dhiramate - O calm girl; tvayd - by You;
uccaih - severely; rosena - with anger; tad - that; lalitayd - by Lalita; kila - surely; nlyamanah being taken; samdraksyaie - being seen; kim u - whether; mandk - slightly; sa - with; dayath - mercy;
janah - person; ayam * this.
O iDevil Although you are generally very grave, you once severely reBufe me anti send me
away fo r committingju st the tiniest mistaffc. When will you cast a slight glance on this
pitiful person after Lolita Brought her 6ackjo you?
Notes: In the previous verse 5ri Raghunatha dasa had gotten Sri Radha's mercy by bringing Her sash
of bells back from the
kunja where She left it, and in this verse He desires to get another
indescribable kind of mercy. Hie aspirant should endeavour to experience at least a little o f Sri
Radha's mercy in his smarana. It is a sign of expertise in bhajan, called sdksdt bhajana pravrtti
(direct engagement in worship) if one manages to experience the form and attributes o f one's
memorable deity. Devotional practises like smarana are definitely depending on God's mercy, but
still the aspirant must firmly endeavour to fix Iris mind. Hie Lord distributes His mercy to the
aspirants according to their endeavour and perseverance in bhajan. The Lord is naturally merciful to
Ilis devotees, but without being eager to do bhajan one will not be qualified to catch, keep or
experience His grace. On the other hand, if one does not get the Lord's grace, despite making a lot of
endeavour, then He will also not be attained. Srimat Vallabhucarya has said (Subodliini-commcntaty
of Srlinad Bhagavata):
351
Without having a feeling of complete mincncss towards somebody you won't, chastise that person.227
Si! Advaita Prabhu, desperate to get Smnan Muhaprablui's merciful punishment, finally began to
preach that jfiana (knowledge) is greater than bhakti (devotion):
352
J n -J n V tfa p a SQisuutfinjafifi
(.hat is reddened by tears, with a veil and goes on crying. Lalita asks: "What happened?" TulasT is
speechless and cries only more when being questioned like this. The kitikans are as much the objects
of tile sakhls' affection as they are of RadharagTs affection. Lalita understands everything; Tulasi was
punished because of the belt-affair. Affectionately she then takes TulasT by the hand and brings her
to Svamini, telling Her: "Why arc You angry with Tulasi? 1 saw this belt-affair myself, it's not
TulasT's fault! It's my fault, You should (.ell me to get out! Don't tell Tulasi anything!" Hearing
Lalita's words Svamini casts a mercy-anointed sidelong glance at TulasT, In this way Tulasi enjoys
the intense mercy of Svamini even through chastisement! Blessed is this maidservice! This is the
great gift of Sriman Mahaprabhu. Merciful Svamini casts a mercy-anointed side-long glance at Her
maidservant. How many streams of compassion arc flowing from the comers of Her eyes !229 Ail
these indescribable flavours come to perfection as soon as one considers oneself to be RSdMs
maidservant. Sri RaghunSlha dusa is a seer of the transcendental Vraja-rosa. As long as there is still
a whiff of material conciousness in the heart this rasa cannot be perceived. When a devotee obtains
tiie mercy of similar rasika (aesthetic) devotees his heart, purified by sddhana bhakti, will
spontaneously reflect the spotless moonlight that emanates from the raga-moon that rises in (lie
cicaryas' hearts - this is the conclusion of (he scriptures on bhakti rasa, Svamini is pleased with
TulasT, and Tulasi thinks: "This maidservant is Yours! You may be angry with her or pleased, but in
all circumstances this Tulasi is Yours! This is complete surrender. When the vision vanishes Sri
Raghunatha prays:
he dhairya-Salim radhe,
e vraja-mandala majhe,
all alpa dosera kdrana.
atisaya rosabhare,
ddkiya dniya more,
koribe go tddana bhartsana*
" 0 Grave Radhe! In this Vraja-mandala You become angry with me for committing even the
slightest mistake! Very angrily You call me to You and severely chastise me!"
^
^
ii
VERSE 96:
foRT I
ii
Jn -S n 'Uiiapa 'Xitsumaitjafifi
T A V A IV A S M IT A V A IV A S M I
N A JT V A M IT V A Y A V IN A
IT IV IJ N A Y A D E V I T V A M
N A Y A M A M C A R A N A N T IK A M
9
lava - yours; eva - surely; asm - 1 am; lava - yours; eva - surely; asmi - 1 am; na - not; JTvdrni - 1
live; tvaya vind - without you; iti - thus; vijhdya - knowing; devi - goddess; tvarh - You; naya - take;
math - me; carana - lotusfeet; antikam - close by.
I am yours, I am yours! I cannot (we w ith o u t y o u ! 0 (Devi! (Knowing this, pCease taffe me
to y o u r (otusfect!
Notes: In the verses of 'Vilapa Kusumafijalf Srila Raghunatha dasa GosvSmI perceives ills own
siddha svarupa o f TulasI ManjarT and is simultaneously blessed with transcendental devotional
service in Radha and Madhava's pastimes. When these visions vanish he greatly laments and prays to
Svaminfs lotusfeet for the attainment o f these services. In the final nine verses that follow he offers
prayers to SvSminfs lotusfeet (in svarupavesa)* to Sri Radhakunda, to the lotusfeet of Sri Govinda
and to &T V\$3kh-sakht for the fulfillment of his desires. In this verse viraJu Raghunatha takes
complete shelter of Svamim's lotusfeet, in order to attain them directly. Saranagati means 'taking
shelter1 or 'suiTendering oneself. This is the starting-point of sddharta bhakti\ without tills one camiot
perform any bhajan. The more one surrenders* the more one advances, and the more one advances,
the more one's heart is filled with feelings of surrender. Surrender is (lie practise and the goal of the
devotees and it is their very lile-force. It is their perpetual duty. Only through surrender one can
attain prema bhakti and the lotusfeet o f the Lord. Sfila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami revealed the
highest stage of surrender, which means tadaika jtvana, "my whole life is His".
"This TulasI is Yours, Yours! Without You I won't survive!" Tills is the limit o f surrender. This
anxious self-surrender of Radhas maidservants, filled with feelings of mine-ness, cannot be found in
the servanthood for the Supreme Lord. "This TulasI is Yours!" This ever-so-sweet mahd-vanl is
filled with the experience of bhajana-rasa. The lives of the mddhurya raja-devotees are blessed
when they hear and chant these great words. How sweetly TulasI surrenders here, filled with feelings
of mine-ness: "This TulasI is Yours! She cannot live without You!" Just as the bees become attracted
to the opening lotusflowers at dawn, similarly the mind of the practising devotee will be attracted to
Sri Radliika's lotusfeet after hearing these fragrant honey-like words. TulasI offers lotusflowers that
are sprinkled with the spiritual flavour of love at SrimatT's lotusfeet.
354
Jn -J n Vtfapti ^isumanjaGA
Sri Raghunatha can no longer tolerate Qie pangs o f separation from Svamini. The poison of lovc-inseparation reaches Ills Ihroat. His body, mind and life-airs are burning in the fire of separation. Hie
Gosvamis are the embodiments of love-in-separation and Snla Raghunatha dasa Gosvami is the best
example, dasa gosvdmtra katha kohone nd ydya; nirantara dagdha hiyd viraha vyathdya
"Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami is indescribable. His heart always bums in the lire of separation!1' Day
and night tills great priest of (lie rdgdnuga-swnfice weeps wKu icariiiied eyes on the bank of
Rudhakuntia, without eating* without sleeping, torn apart by the pangs of great love-in-separalion,
his heart, so anxious to attain Sri Radha's intimate sendee. Forgetting everything else, he simply
desires the eligibility to serve Sri Radha's lotusfcct - nothing else! How much hope he carries in his
heart while taking full shelter of PriySji's dearmost place, the bank of Radhakunda. How many days,
how many months, how many years have passed - still he did not attain the audience and the service
of his PraneSvaiT, What's the use of still keeping these life-airs, that are burning in the forestfire of
separation, within the physical frame? na jjvdmi tvayd vino ,rI cannot live without You!
Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was completely showered by the loving compassion of Sri
Gaurasundara, the embodiment o f the flavour love of God in separation (vipralambha ghana rasa
murti), and for a long time he was one of the Lord's most intimate associates in His GambhJrSpastimes, as well as a personal witness o f these unique pastimes of ecstatic love of God. Advanced
loving devotees can understand from tills Gambhlra-if/a how sweet the Lord is, how dear He is to the
heart and how powerful is the attractiveness o f His love. How many anxious endeavours the
devotees make to see Him, and how full of sweet nectar is that silent and motionless swoon of
ecstatic love in the end! Even now the loving devotees become unsteady when they are rocked by the
high waves o f the naturally severe rasa o f love-in-separation as they remember this silence in the
Gambhlra-cell. The following pitiful sound is always entering their ears, breaking the deep silence in
(he Gambhlra like the dimmed chirping of a cricket:
iMiipn JQtstwsttfija&fi
s its
11 ^
VERSE 97:
SVA K U N D A M T A V A L O L A K S I
s a p r i y A yA h s a d a s p a d a m
A T R A IV A M A M A S A M V A S A
IH A IV A M A M A S A M ST H IT IH
sva - own; kundam - lake; tava - Your; lola - restless; aksi - eyes {fcm.); sa - with; priyayah - with
Your beloved; soda - always: aspadam - abode; atra - here; eva - surely; mama - my; sariivasa abode; iha - here; eva - surely; mama - my; samsihitih - abode.
p,*
Notes: Tlie practising devotee should remember that this desire can only be expressed after one has
surrendered in the way that rfla Raghuniitha Dasa Gosvami has surrendered himself in the previous
verse. If not, then such a statement may be made out o f selfishness and stubbornness and then it is a
separate desire which will not bear the fruit of loving attainment of Sri Radhikas lotusfeet. Sif
Bahgabihatf Vidyalafikara comments: he lolaksi svakmda vasinam ayogyam apt janarh kalayltum:
"O restless eyed girl! Although I am unqualified to live at R&MkuQda, Your restless eyes still
mercifully glance upon me!" The verbal root stha stands for gati nivrui, or cessation of motion. "I
don1! want to move from RadMkuntfa for even a moment and i will not go anywhere else!" Without
being of very grave conciousness {nisthd) one will not be able to keep such a vow. The restless mind
will then lure the devotee out of Rfidhakuiida. Therefore the statement of this verse cannot be
imitated by (hose who are not on the stage of nisthd, fixation in Kr$na-conciou$ness. At any rale,
Snla YiSvanfUha CakravartI states in his Raga Vartma Candrika* that if a devotee is unable to live in
Vraja physically, he can live there mentally also,230
356
In the previous verse Sri Raghunatha desired to be taken close to Sri Radharanls feet, and along with
this desire for direct carana-sevd (foot-scrvicc) a natural flood of humility arises in the heart of the
lover. When this humility arises the lover cries about his own unworthincss. 5ri Radha's lotusfeet arc
very rarely attained. Even Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, Uddhava and others can hardly get a speck of
dust from these most wonderful feet. brahmeivarddi suduruha padaravmda inmat pardga
paramadbhuta vaibhavdydh (Radha Rasa Sudhanidhi - 3). Sri Raghunaliia Uiinks: "Alas! Am I
worthy to attain these precious feet of Sri Radha? 0 restless-eyed Svamini! I'm totally unqualified to
serve Your lotusfeet, hence 1 say - this kunda is most dear to You and Your Priyatama, You don't
have any more beautiful place in Vraja for Your loving pastimes than this! O Ivari! May I reside
here! Please be kind to me and dont let me go anywhere, away from Y ourfaW a!" Sri Raghunathas
heart is filled with the relish of ri Radhakunda. Whenever Jri Raghunaliia considers the precious in
carana-seva o f Radha and Krsija to be hard to attain the firm determination to live at $ri
Radhakuncja awakens in his mind. At the end of his Stavavall, in his PrarthanSSraya CaturdaSakam
(3) Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami plays:
atraiva mama sarhvdsa "Here I will firmly reside, and even if there is a very important duty to
perform elsewhere, may 1 not go anywhere else". Therefore he says iiiaiva mama samsthiiih. Such an
unshakable determination is the root cause of perfection for the aspirants, and it is seen in all (lie
sell-realized souls. T ie assembly of aspirants is well acquainted with the vow Lord Buddha took
before he reached perfection. Sitting under the Bodhi-trce he vowed:
357
SrT-jfn'Vifilpa
" 0 master (Rupa GosvamJ)! May I spend all my days in a ktmja at the foot of Giririija Govardhana,
singing 'Sri Radhike! Krsna !1 and drinking yoghurt and buttermilk from Vraja!" In great ecstatic love
$rila Raghunatha dasa GosvamI prays like this again and again. Day and night, in dreams and in
wakefulness, he cherishes only one desire - Sri Radhika's intimate service, and he expresses (hat in
different moods and in different words. The powerful riverstream of his love constantly flows with
high waves towards tlK uoeau of ori Radhika's devotional service. This stream docs not stop, and it
does not rest....
Tulast says: "Ha Svainini) You are Mahabh&vamayi! I'm unqualified for attaining the service of
Your lotusfeet, like a dwarf reaching for the moon. Still I cannot give up the desire for them, This
transcendental greed does not allow the devotee to consider whether he is qualified or not. "I am
completely overwhelmed by this greed! Who else can be so merciful to give a desperate soul like me
that service o f Your lotusleet? Thinking like this I remembered Your dear lake Radhakunda! O
Restiess-cyed girl! Please be so merciful to allow me always to live on the bank of Your lake!
Because this lake is Your dearmost place I will surely receive Your mercy by taking shelter of it!
Surely one day Your loving pastimes in this lake will appear belbre the spiritualised eyes of an
unfortunate soul like me!"
&ri Rasika-Candra Dasa sings:
\m
*5# m
: i
si
f w
v* u
VERSE 98:
H E S R I S A R O V A R A SA D A T V A Y IS A M A D IS A
P R E T H E N A S A R D H A M IH A K H E L A T I K A M A R A N G A IH
T V A M CET P R IY A T P R IY A M A T lV A T A Y O R IT lM A M '
H A B A R S A YA D YA KJRPAYA M A M A J IV IT A M T A M
358
$n-3n'Pifapa tKftsumafijaGJi
he - 03; in sarovara - beautiful lake; sadd - always; tvayi - in you; sa - She; mad - my; Tsd mistress; presihena sdrdham - with Her beloved; iha - here; khelaii - plays; kdrna - lusty; rahgaih with games; nw h - you; cet - if; priydl - than the dear; priyam - dear; ativa - very much; tayoh - of
both; /// - thus; imam - Radha; ha - Ot; dariaya - show; adya - now; krpayd - by your grace; mama my; jTvitam - my life; tdm - her.
O B eautiful Cafe (%pdhafenda)i 9 ly mistress always plays erotic games in you with Jfer
Beloved %jsna. I f you are dearer to rIHem than, the dearest, then please show me my
mistress, who is my very dfet
Notes: Sri Raghunatha's mind is absorbed in the glories of Sri RadhSkunda, In the previous verse he
humbly realized his own unworthiness and how rarely 3ri RadM's personal service or audience is
attained, and therefore he prayed to Her lotusfeet that he may be Fixed in living at Sri Radhlikuncja,
In tills verse he becomes unsteady while realizing the kunda's glories, so he prays to 3ri RadhSkunda
that he may see Sri RSdharanl, who is his very life (prana svarupinx) this very day, Sri RSdhakuruJa
makes no distinction between who is qualified and who is not and blesses everyone who performs
some devotional service there with the treasure of love of God, even if they do not perform any
sddhana bhajan. Srila Raghunatha Dasa GosvamI, who had personally experienced this, states in liis
Radh3kundatakam (5):
359
Sn-Sn'tffapa V^ismtanjiidfi
When reversing (he syllables of (he word rasa, which means 'the sweel erotic flavour of Radha and
Kona's play1, you get the word sara, which means lake (Radhakunda). This secret makes the
devotees very happy."
$%
Rk s w m i ! a n r a i
360
ii
ss
ii
VERSE 99:
K S A N A M A P I T A V A S A N G A M N A TYAJED E V A D E V I
T V A M A S IS A M A V A Y A S T V A N N A R M A -B H U M IR Y A D A S Y A H
IT IS U M U K H IV IS A K E E D A P J A Y IT V A M A D IS A M
M A M A V IR A H A H A T A Y A H P R A N A -R A K S A M K U R U SV A
b
k$anam - a moment; apt - even; tarn - Your; sangam - company; mi - noL; tyajet - gives up; m i surely; den - goddess; ivam - You; asi - arc; sama-vayastvat - from being of the same age; lad - that;
narma - joking pastimes; bhiimi - abode; yad - which; asydh - of lier; iti - thus; sumukhi - fairfaced
girl; vtiakhe - O ViSakhal; darsayitvd - having shown; mad - my; Tsam - mistress; mama - my;
viraha - separation; hatayah - to an afflicted soul; prana - life; raksam - save; kuru$va - please do!
O faisfaced VUdkfel M y Qyeen wHt not leave your company fo r even a moment! (Because
*fou are o f the same age you are the realm cfM erjolqng pastimes. Please save my Ife from
the affliction o f separation and shot# me my mistressl
Notes: S n Raghunatha's life-airs reach his throat (he is about to die) out of separation from Sri
Radha. Remembering Sn Radhakun<jas glories, he falls on the bank of the kunda and laments - 1
want to see Svamini now - at this very moment! My life cannot remain in this body anymore!" His
hearl is floating on liis tears. At this moment he hears anklebells jingling. Who is seemingly calling:
"Tulasi! Why are you crying?" He opens his eyes and sees Sri ViSakha-saWif standing before him*
Being her follower he falls at her feet and says: "O Failfaced ViSakhe! You arc equal to my mistress
in form, qualities, nature and age, and you are the object of Her confidence! My Svamini does not
leave your company for even a second!" In the beginning of his 'Vigakhanandada stotram', Sri
Raghunatha diisa has written:
361
Vihlpa SQisumartjali^
Madhava speaks about His intimate pastimes before Vi$akha} Sti R&dhii frowns Her eyebrows and
playfully beats Him with her playlotus." From lliis we can understand that ViSakM is Sri Radha's
naniw-bhumL Svamhtf does not leave ViSSkha's company for even a moment, because ViSakha is
Her abhinna-prcmci (inseparable bosom-friend, lit: non-different life-airs). Wherever Radhika cannot
go personally She sends Vi5kha. For instance, in the Holi-pastimes, SvSinini takes Lalitii in Her
own ranks and keeps ViSaklia in Krsna's party, knowing that she will lake care of Her affairs there.
5illa Riipa GosvamI has written in Ujjvala NTiamani (Diilibheda 87);
tvam asi mad asavo bahts carantas tvayi mahati patula ca vagmita ca
laghur api laghimd na me yathd $ytm mayi sakhi raiijaya madhavam tatMdya
Sri R5dha told ViSakha; "Sakhi! You are My life-airs on tire outside (Lc. My second form)!
You are both very clever and very eloquent! Therefore today you must make Madhava attached to
Me in such a way that My prestige is not even slightly diminished! Srila Vigvanatha CakravaiUpada
has made a truly incomparibly relishable commentary on this verse in his Ananda CandrikS-tlka:
Sri Radhika said: "Sakhi Vi$akhe! You are the external manifestation of My life-airs, and
therefore I have great faith in you! You are very clever and eloquent, so please go and see Madhava
on the pretext o f picking flowers, but pretend not to see Him. Just speak about Me casually with
your girlfriends, describing the supremacy of My form, qualities and love in front of Him. Hearing
tills, Krna will then ask you: "Sakhi! Whose wonderful sweetness are you glorifying? Then you
will anxiously and carefully bite your tongue and say: "No, no-one's!" Then Kr$na will say: "Sakhi,
why are you afraid? There's no harm in telling Me! Allright, then dont tell Me, but I'm already
acquainted with Her anyway!1' Then you will have to say: "Madhava! What's the use o f being
acquainted to Her for You?" He will say: "Sakhi, 1 have a very confidential relationship with Her!"
Then you must say: "Get out of here, Madhava! There's too much difference between the
Two o f You! There can't be any intimacy between You!" He will say; "Sakhi! What difference is
there between Our natures?" Then you must say: "You are a debauchee and She's devoted to Her
husband. You are whimsical and She is steady. You are impious and She is devoted to the
demigods. You arc dirty and She takes three baths a day, alter which She. puts on clean
clothes!" Kr$na will then say: "ViSakhe! (As far as chastity is concerned:) I'm also a brahmacari\ In
the Gopala Tapani Upanisad I am described as a brahrnaedri] And how can you call Me whimsical?
I held up Govardhana Hill for seven days with steady hand! You were all able to see that! And how
am I impious? On the order of My parents I took initiation into Vi$nu-wan/ra from BMguiT Muni!
(Brahmanas like) PaurnamasT, Gargl and NSndlmukhl all know this! And I'm also not dirty, I'm
foci (purity, or eros) itself! I can prove it through your own experience!"
Then you m u s t say: "But Madhava! Still You are a man a n d She's a m a iT ied girl. She will
never look at You!" He will then say; "Even if She does not look at Me I will be blessed by
looking at Uus virtuous girl even from afar!" Then you must say: "Madhava, how will You
accomplish that?" He will say: "There is one way. Today I will personally install a deity of the
Sungod in a cave of Govardhana Hill, smear that temple with My own hands (with clay or unguents)
and wail for Her from a distance. Then you must take Her there to see and worship that deity.
When She sits there for doing ptljd I will be satisfied just by looking at Her from the back, and if
you are kind upon Me then I will be allowed just to touch Her foolsoles once!
Then you must say: "Madhava! What reward will You give me? He will say: "Sakhi! What
more is there to give to you? I will sell My very soul to you!" Then you must say: "Just wait
Madhava! I will fulfill all Your desires!", and come back to Me to bring Me there!" Thus Srimall
reveals Her desires to Vigakha, who is Her bosom-friend and who is the abode of Her humour.
Sri Raghunatha eagerly desires that Vi$5kha's mercy. After he described Si! Radharani's matchless
sweetness, he called his prayer: 'ViSakhanandada', the hymn that will delight Vi.<!akha. After hearing
Sri Raghunatha dSsa's wonderful glorification of Sri Radha, 5ri ViSakha will cast a merciful glance
on him and engage him in Srimatfs service. This is the desire Sri Raghunatha dasa carries in Ills
heart. Sri BahgabiharT Vidyalahkara adds: narma praedra satmye tasydh sumanastvena mad
362
J>rT-J>riVifapa tfQtsutmlnjaM
dainyam nivedayitvd mam dnayya darsayeti bhdvah "Please ViSakhel You are the abode or
SvaminJ's humour i When you are making jokes with SvaminI you must tell Her about my miserable
condition, because then She's in a good mood! Please bring me to Her then and show me to Her!" In
svarupdvesa $if Raghunatha says: "O ViSakhe! You are dear to my mistress! My heart is suffering
from separation! Please revive me by showing me my SvaminI just once! I cannot stay alive without
seeing SvaminI tor a moment anymore!" mama viraha halavah prdmi-raksdtU kurusva
rm
T O f o
j f a &
I T O
II
? o
II
VERSE 100:
HA n A t h a g o k u l a s u d h A kajra SUPRASANNA
v a k t r Ar a v i n d a m a d h u r a s m i t a h e k k p A r d r a
YATRA TVAYA VIKARATE PRANAYAIR PRIYA r AT
TATRATVA MAMAPINAYA PRIYA SEVANAYA
hd - 0 !; ndtha - Lord; gokula - Gokula, or: of the senses; sudhdkara - moon, or giver o f nectar;
suprasatma - very satisfied; vaktra face; aravinda - lotus; madhura - sweet; smita - smile; he - CM;
kipd - with mercy; ardra - softened; yatra - wherever; ivayd - with You; viharate - enjoys;
pranayaih - with love; priyd Your beloved girl; drat - close by; iatra - there; eva - only; mam - me;
api - also; naya - take; priya - dear; sevandya - for the service.
363
O Lord, O $fectar-moon o f Qokylal O you who are melting with compassion! 0 you whose
lotusBfoface smiles sweetly and satisfied! tWherever you go to enjoy lotting pastimes with
you r Beloved, please tofe me there, so that I can affectionately serve you therel
Notes: With learfillcd eyes and a heart suffering of separation Sri Rnghunfitha prayed lo ViSakha's
Iotusfeet for Sri Riidlifaani's darsana. W ien he wipes the tears from Ills eyes lie sees that Vigakltfijr
has disappeared and 5yamasundara has come before him. Seeing liim, Sri RaghimStha dasa prays to
His Iotusfeet: 0 Lord! O Moon of Gokula! O You whose Iolusface is satisfied and smiling sweetly!
O You who melts with compassion! Take me wherever You go, so that I can serve You!" Every
address is connected with the kinkarts beloved service. "Ha Nfttha! You are the lover of my mistress,
therefore You are also my Lord! You find great difficulty in meeting Eachother, although You arc
very attracted to Eachotiierrs forms, qualities and love. Therefore You will greatly need me to bring
about Your blissful meeting!" 5rHa Rfipa Gosvami has described this mutual love of Radha and
Kf?na in ten verses that glorify KfSha's names called Lilaimta (in Stavamala):
"He is upset when Radha, who is totally controlled by Her friend Lalila, is even slightly piqued at
Him, He is very eager to drink the sweet nectar of Sri Radha's crooked words, the rays o f His moon
like face cause the ocean of Sri Radhika's passionate love lo swell and He is like an emerald in the
necklace o f Vf$abhanurs daughter."
Sri BailgabihfuT Vidyalankiira explains the word ndtha as follows: he ndtha ayogya nija-janabhista
purana daksa " 0 Lord! You are expert in fulfilling the desires of even Your unqualified devotees!
There js a secret hidden in the name 'Gokula Sudhakara': go means senses; hula means the group and
sudhdkara means the giver of nectar. Here Kr$na is called 'the giver of nectar (pleasure) to Sri
Radhikas senses'. "You can madden all (kula) of Radhika's senses (go). You will need me to console
this prema pdgalim (Radha, who is madly in love with You) and help Her to come and meet You in
the trysling-grove! How Sri Radha's live senses are attracted to Govinda is described in Govintla
Liliimrta (8.3):
364
Sn-Sn'Vifdpa Kusiwultijitfifi
he ndtha gokuldnanda,
suprasanna mukhdravinda,
gopljana nayana dnanda
he dina daydrdra cita,
amrta madhura smita
Srt radha vallabha Sri govinda
"O Lord Gokuiananda witli Your satisfied lotusface! 0 Joy to the eyes of the goptsl O You whose
heart is melting with compassion for the fallen! 0 You with the ncctar-swect smile! 0 Lover of
Radhi! O Sri Govinda!"
priyd saftge pranayete,
Hid koro ye kuhjete,
365
J ti-J n Uifdpti
"Plcasc allow me to serve You when You play loving pastimes that: arc lull of rasika. joking nnU
laughter with Pfiy.a Rft<lhika in the forest howei'is, 0 King of gallants! Please give mfe (he treasure of
(he service of the eternally young Couple!"
i-
m ^
11
VERSE 101:
Jl'
'*
laksnuh - (he goddess of fortune; yntf- whose; atighri- feet; kamalasya- qf the lotus; nakhii- nail;
ancalasya - of the tip; sannddrya - beauty; bindum - drop; api - even; ria - riot; arhdii - should;
labdharn - attain; tte - 0 goddess!; set - She; tvarti - You; vidhasyasi - will give; n a - not; cet - if;
mama - my; neira - eye; ddnafii - gift; kirn - what; /Fytoi - with life; maim - my; duhka - sorrow;
davd - forest; dgnidend - by giving fife,
0 tie (goddess)! ^iegod^sdffortn m e carawt attain evert a drop o f tke Beauty o f tke dips
o f your Xp\m GS^foo^c^iIffo% jo not Bestow tkegift o f fo u r audience to my eyes, tken
w katistke use oftkis &fe, .tkatjustBurnsin afarestfire o f sorrow?
Notes: fn the previous verse ri Raghunatha offered Itfs heart's prayers to ^yamasundara's lotusfeet,
and from Unis verse on he prays again to Svamiiu's lotusfeet ri Raghunatha dasa says: "0
PraneSvari (queeii of my life)! Do You -think I don't know You? Why are You playing lude-and-seek
with me? Luk$ml is not.even as beautiful as the tip of one of tile nailsooii; Your lotuslike toes!"
Caitanya Caritamrta says: :yara saundaryddi guna vmche laksmi parvatl "The goddess o f fortune
and Parvatl desire RMnka-s qualities like beauty11, Sri Prabodli5nanda SarasvalJ writes in Ills R&M
Rasa Sudhauidhi (68): laksmlkofi vilaksa laksanalasalJII& kisorl totair dmdhyarii vrajq mandate'fi
madhuratii rtidhabhidhanam param & 1 Radha, .the sweet Supreme, is worshiped by hundreds of
adolescent young girls in Vraja,. who have themselves characteristics that excel even millions of
goddesses of fortune!" No one in the world can compare to Her in transcendental beauty, virtues and
form! The Gopala Tapani Upani$ad states: tasyddyd prakrti rddhikd nitya nirguna yasyatiiSe laksmi
durgddikd iaktayah ''God?s primary potency is Radhika,who is eternally elevated beyond the modes
of material nature and whose mere fractions are other potencies such as Lak$ini, Durga and others."
Just as ri Kr$na is (lie ti:in$cendenial Cause of all causes, so i$ n Radii! In this connection the
Gopala Tapani Upani$ad describes Her as the Lord's primeval potency and tantras like the Narada
Paftcm Slra and the Gautamlya TanU!a desaibe Her as die-supreme potency (para sakti). rl Radha
and Sri LakmT are both embodiments of the Lord's pleasure-potency, but Sri Radha is the sweet
ionn Qmdhurya muriili)i and Laksmi is the majestic form (ativarya muriUt)of that same potency . Sri
366
SrT'SnWfapa tKpsummjaiifi
Radhas beauty and sweetness is unrivalled because She is the quintessence of prema, mahd bhava.
In prema She is Kisnamayi (filled with Krsna), in rasa (spiritual flavour) She is Gaururigl, in
majesty Sarva Laksmimayl (the sumtbtai'of all goddesses of fortune) and in sweetness: She is the
crcsijcwel of all die gopikds, SiT Radhika! th e erownjewel of all devotee-saints., SiT Suka Muni,
experienced Her supreme glory and described Her as die cluef of the
in $rTm.ad Bhagavata.
What's more, even K ^ ia , whoHim self cneiiants #Ilioiis o f Cupidi>, .is:enchanted by Her sweet form
- jdgan mohana krsna tdhdra mohinT {CSZ.)
Sri RaghunSlha says; "Why does'someone-who belongs to the most.qualified, sweet and beautiful
mistress* suffer so much? If You don't give me the gift of the eyes^ in other words, i f You don't show
me Your form-arid pastimes, then what is the.use of this life, that is just burning in a forestfi.jre of
separation?" caksu andha andhdra, dprndra deha-bhara, virahe hoilo jara-jara: "His eyes became,
blind from fasting, his body felt like a heavy burden to him and he was burning in a lire of
separation.'1 He will not see anything else in die world but SvaniinI's lotusfeet, that is liis firm vow.
That's why he writes about thevie/ra ddnat die gift to the eyes; here. 5rf Raghunatha dasa's mind aiid
heart are very anxious and unsteady when they perceive the sweetness of Srlmatl's form, qualities,
pastimes and compassion. When Snpada Prabodhananda SafasvatJ relished Sri RadMs sweetness in
a transcendental vision he said:
ft-
II *<* II
VERSE 102:
A SA B H A R A IR A M R TA -SIN D H U M A YA III KATHANCTT
K ALO M AYA TIG A M ITA H K ILA SAAIPRATAM H I
TV A M CET KKPAM M A Y ! VTD H ASYAS1NAIVA K IM ME
P R A N A IR VRAJENA CA V A R O R U B A K A R IN A P I
didbharaih -w ith many hopes; ainrta - nectar;,'s i n d l w ocean; mayaih - filled with; kathancii
spmphpw; kdlah - time; mayd - by me; aiigamitah - passed;M a - surely; ^ampmrarft - now; h icertainly; tvam - You; cet - if; krpafti - mercy;: njayi - to me; vidhasyasl - will do; na - not; eva surely; kim - whether; me - to me; pidnaih- with my life; vrajena - with Vraja>.ca - arid;varoru nicely-lhighed girl; bakarina - with Krsna;api r even.
0 bottom (nicety thighed girt)! tOius I somehow spent this time here aspiring after
of
nectar* $fgw i f yo n are not m erdjut to me, then w hat is the use o f nty fffp ,ih y faring in
Vraja and even 3&sna to me?
Notes: Sri Raghunatha dasa dpe^ riot want to. maintain his miserable life anymore without seeing
Svamini. Svamirn fev ers Her$df to him and says; "Tulasi! You have inudduced yourself as My
maidservant! Can I now reject you? Surely you will get to sec Me!" Ttiese words illuminate Sri
Raghunatha dasaV heart with the light o f hope. Then, when Svamim disappears again, he suffers
intolerable Unnscendental agony. "If You don't grant me the right to serve You then what-s the use of
this scorching life?" It is as if Svamini then asks: "How have-you been staying alive all this time?"
Sri Raghunatha dasa says: "Listen, 0 nicely-Uiighed Svamini! Do You think that I blissfully spent
this time? With great difficulty I was able to pass .ihis time! Hope was my only support, like cooling
drops of nectar Uiat soothe my burning heart!" {dsd bihduksiiam idam upaity antare ixania saUyatn,
Sri Rupa GosvamJ) One of the nine special characteristics oVhhdva bhakii is aSabandha, being
bound with firm hope for attaining the Lord. dSdbandhq bhagqvatah praptbsambhavana drdhd
There is an ocean of nectar in that hofie. "That nectar will not lei me die ( a - not and mrtci -
368
anuksanddbhuta rasaih prdptum dhriasemayi Sri r&dhe nova kunjd m gari krpd-^rstph "fad# d#$yasi
(Radha Rasa Sudhanidhi 86) "O Sri Radhc, young ladylove of the arbours! I desire the most
astonishing rasa o f Your inaidservice, which is a festival o f constant love at every moment and
which is attained by each of the adolescent girls o f Vraja by Your merciful glance alone! When will
You cast a.merciful glance on me?" Sri Raghunatha says: "Your mercy is causeless,so sometimes !
forget how unqualified I am and 1 think that. I will surely get Your service soon!" dpand ayogya
dehhi mom pdo ksobha; tothapitomara gune Upajdya lobha (C.C.) "When I look at My own
unworthitiess My mind becomes upset. But still Your attributes make Me eager for You!" When 1
see You in dreams, visions and smarapa then 1 think I will also attain You personally! My life, is
also almost over; who can survive tins thrashing? O M cfciM mistress o f mine! Hear my anguish! I
cant tolerate anymore! Hear my final prayer: "I have nothing more to say, I cannot find anymore
words. If, despite all my misery, You will still not give me Your mercy, then what is the use of my
life, of my living in Vraja and even o f Kf$na to me? Why should I continue to live without Your
mercy? So much time has passed, but I did not receive Your mercy. If my life passes in this way,
then whats the use? I dont want Vraja, 1 dont even want Kr?na, i don't need anything if You are not
merciful to me, I don't have anyone else but You. O Merciful Svatnini! If You are not land upon this
suffering maidservant, then what will be my destination? You are LTIaniayf, a playlul girl always
intoxicated by pastimes that are sweefer-than-sweet Therefore it's not right to tell You about my
misery. Today, though, I have no other resort than to submit this to Your lotusfeet - if You are not
merciful to me, then 1 don't desire anyone clse's merCy." This is the astonishing conclusion of
Gaudlya Vai?nava worship: I dont want Ki\$na! I want Sri Rudhika, and without Her I don't care
even about
The devotees of the Lord give up religion, economic development, sense
enjoyment and even the rarely attained liberation from the material world for His sake. They, dpn't
even want to remember these tilings. SiTmad Bhagavata (11.2.53) states:
232 The ocean of separation is filled with poison, which is normally lethal, but die nectar of hope does not
what is the use of my staying in Vraja? Curses on me for staying alive! My body burns in the poison
of the black snake of separation from You, so then what is the use of even Sri Govinda to me?"
fqiT R #
I#
3dldHU(cld<i f r f a ? S l ^ 5 1
lio q jp #
3 *
II
II
VERSE 103:
T V A lif CET K R P A M A YI K R P A M M A Y I D U H taT A Y A M
(vcim- You; cet - if; krpamayi - O merciful ^r\; Jcrpdfii - mercy; mayi - unto me; duftkiid - miserable
girl; ayam - tiiis; na - not; eva - surely; dtanoh - give; atitararii - great; fo'w - whether; iha - here;
praldpaih - with words; ivat - Your; kwuia - lake; madhyam - the midsi; api - even;, (at - that; balm much; kdlam - time; eva - surely; safaseyyamantim - being sci'ved;
even; kitii mi - whether;
karisyati - will <16; iha - here;
O %fpamayi (MtrcifutgirQl I f you. ate not find upon this suffering girt then what Haas the
use o f att these Cementations and all myservke t o y out [ofefc r sucft a long time?
Notes: Sri Raghunatha is; the embodiment of separation from Sri Radiva. Falling on the bank of
Radhakunda lie weeps out of great separation from Ms mistress. He knows not how to save his life
anymore. Day and night the river of his burning devotion swells, being filled up by the rains of grief
and flowing ever more forcefully towards the nectar-ocean of Sri RwM s lotusfeek We may have a
feeling of want when sometliing small is missing in out* lives and when we get something small we
may feel fulfilled, but when we miss something tremendous no peace and satisfaction can be felt
unless and until we have gotten the whole thing. Sri Raghunatha dSsa Gosvamfs eagerness and
hankering for his beloved deity stands before us-as the peak of the Himalayas, as the greatest
example. An insigiiificaht living cniity cannot find any means to reach that high summit. A person
who does not practise any bhajan cannot possibly fathom Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvamrs miguish
of love-in-separatiOn. At every moment new waves of cver-increasiiig eagerness roll in the river of
his heart. He's hot able to tolerate the pangs of separation from Sri Radha anymore for even a
moment. Certainly Radharanl may sometimes respond to the anguish of separation the loyal
.371
maidservant goes through, but (hat response will be momentarily. Seeing Svamini for just a moment
makes the darkness of separation, that comes down later, seem even more deep. It is then as if Sri
RaghunSIhas love-sccnlcd cars then hear the following words: "Tulasi! I am very close by! Where
arc you lamenting like this?" How much Raghunatha desires to hear that nectar-mocking voice, but
die wind of Ills stuttering life-airs make it vanish again. In tills way liis desire to see Her increases
more and more.
"O Krp&mayi Svamini! O Merciful mistress! I am such a sad girl! If You don't bestow Your mercy
upon me, then what is the use of all my lamentations? I have lived by Your lake Radhakunda for so
long, serving it. If You don't reveal Yourself, then what is the use of all that service?"
372
J rv^ n 1/ifapa K
c \i$umtinjaCtli
"Humility becomes manifest when prema reaches its ripened stage. Since the gopis love Krsna the
most (which was shown in the Dhaguvata while they were separated from Him) they are also the
most humble. In the same way prema becomes manifest when humility culminates. In this way love
and humility are eacholher's cause and effect." In his Gopala Campuh (Purva 33.110), SrUa Jiva
GosvtlmJ describes that love and humility of the gopis as follows:
373
J>a-J>nlSi{apa Xusiimmja&ft
W *R PR#dWW
r i
A Y I P R A N A Y A -S A L IN IP R A N A Y A PU STA D ASYA P TA YE
p r a k Am a m a t i r o d a n a ih p r a c u r a d u h k a d a g d h A t m a n A
v il A p a k u s u m a n j a l ir h r d i n id h A y a p A d a m b u j e
M A Y A B A TA SA M A R PITAS TAVA TA N O TU TU STIM M A N A K
ayi - O !; pranaya - o f pure love; M ini - abode; pranaya - love; pusta - mature; dasya - service;
dpiaye - for attaining; prakdmam - greatly; ati - very much; rodanaih - with crying; pracura profuse; duhka - misery; dagdha - burned; atmand - heart; vildpa - oflamentations; kusunm - flower;
ahjalih - handful; hrdi - on the heart; nidhaya - holding; pdda - feet; ambuje - on the lotus; mayd by me; bata - alas!; samarpitah - offered; tava - Your; tanotu - may it give; tustim -satisfaction;
mandk - slightest.
0 'Pranaya-JaCini (abode, o f pure Cove}! (thus I am CotuCCy crying, desiring to attain, (four
mature Coving service! MoCding fo u r Cdtusfeet to my heart, which is Burning out o f intense
agony, I'm offering these fomentations to them as a Bouquet o f fCowers. M ay they Be the
cause o f even the sGghtest satisfaction to fo u -----
Notes: Humbly Srlla Raghunatha Dasa GosvamT takes shelter of Svaminfs lotusfect for the
fulfillment of his desires: "O SvSmini! What more can I say? I have no more words left over, nor do
I have the power to utter any! You can give me Your mercy or not, l believe that You are the abode
of pure love! Love for Syamasundara, love for Your girlfriends, love for Your maidservants! Being
Premamayl You instantly take those who love You to You. So it's not that I need You so much, but
You will also need me many times!" This loving maidservants keeps the firm hope in her heart that
Piat.iaya-Slini Svamini will once give her Her mature loving service,
"Ha Svamini! Taking this bouquet of lamentations to my anxious heart I offer them now to Your
lotusfect! Although this maidservant is unworthy, she cannot give up hoping! I offer this prayer at
Your lotusfeet: Let me be Your maidservant, mature in my love! Desiring Your mercy I have offered
this bouquet of lamentations, which contains a forestfire of this maidservant's endless anguish, to
Your lotusfect. I have one great aspiration: I want to be Your maidservant, mature in my love. I want
lo know Your heart and lovingly serve You accordingly! Not any ordinary maidservant, but one who
can enter into the solitary kuhja unhindered to perform the most intimate services! At that time You
and Syama will consider me to be the embodiment of Your loving ecstasy! O Pranaya-Salini! Your
heart melts of endless compassion. Please fulfill my desires!
U is as if Svainin! then reveals herself and tells TulasI: "Tulasi! What you desire is very difficult to
attain!" Tulasi replies: "HS Svamini! If I am not qualified for Your service, then leave it! Don't give
it! You may keep me in Otis ocean of sorrow or in any other condition, but I will just offer this
374
Srt-Sn'tffupti yfasumafijafift
bouquet of lamentations to Your lotusfect. weeping and weeping! Please let me know if this has
given You even the slightest happiness or satisfaction !1,236
In tills way TulasI served SvaminT by lovingly stringing these flower-like lamentations into a
garland. With their minds eyes the practising ra^5n^n-devotee$ should sec (he pictures of deep
devotional love that were drawn in it by this maidservant, Lhat is suffering the pangs of separation
from Sviiminl day and night. These emotions will arise also in the heart of a fortunaLe devotee who
remembers these pangs Of separation. This ocean of suffering in separation is so vast and so deep
that ordinary persons cannot possibly enter into it. Anyone who surrenders to Tulasi Manjari's
lotusfeet and has seen even one tiny wave of this turbulent ocean of love-in-separation with Ins
mind's eyes can understand that tills cannot occur in ordinary people. His minds eyes will slowly but
surely perceive the picture of Sri Gaurasundara absorbed in Sri Radhas ecstasy of love-in-separation
in the GamblUra-cell at Nllacala (Purl), The following heartrending, pitiful tune of lamentation of
separation will resound from the twanging Vina of His heart:
"Where shall I go, what shall I do to get Vrajendra-nandana? Where is the fluteplaying Lord of My
life? Whom shall I tell, who will know of My distress? Without Vrajendra-nandana My heart
breaks!"
Usually a benediction (phalasruii) is granted at the end of a prayer, but here there is no need for such
a benediction. The prayer is its own benediction. Sri Raghunatha's voice chokes as he speaks, and he
faints. Is this fire of separation extinguished by weeping? Raghunatha did attain the sendee of
Srimatr Rudhika as a result of serving Sn Radhakunda. The reddish sunrise of aspiration begins to
glow on the eastern horizon of the sky of his fortune, removing the dense darkness o f die newmoon
night of his love-in-separation. Suddenly all die ten directions are gladdened by Sri-Sri RadhaMadhava's sweet bodily fragrance. SvSiniiu has come, taking Her Prana Vallabha with Her! Srila
Dasa Gosvaim smells Their sweet bodily fragrance and beholds Their sweet golden and bluish
forms, that illuminate the bank o f Sri Radhakunda. Hie divine jewels of Sri Raghunatha's fortune,
Srl-SrT Radha-Syama ate standing before him! How many streams of merciful tears trickle from
Their beaudful eyes! How sweet are Their voices! By smelling Their honey-sweet fragrance, Sri
Raghunatha comes back to life. SvaminT says: "Tulasi! Look, I have come!" Tulasfs heart's desires
have been fulfilled! SvaminT stands before her with Her Prananafha, Mercifully She take Tulasi by
the hand and embraces her, thus accepting her as Her maidservant. This is the end of her
lamentation. Raghunatha had Ills desires fulfilled. His vine-like body, that was burning in die great
fire of separadon, is now showered by the stream o f the Divine Couple's eternal blissful meeting in
the *u/I/Vi-abode 236
237 Gaura-llla is also eternal, and Sri Raghunatha dasa is Mahaprabhus eternal
associate. Fortunate souls can hear Srila Raghunatha Dasa weeping even now in the form o f a
practising devotee. Here he eternally relishes the sweetness of separation from SvaminT, lamenting
and lamenting. At night, when all is silent, Srila Raghunatha Dasa GosvamTs pitiful lamentations of
separation, that defeat the anxious lamentations o f the osprey in sweetness, can still be heard on the
bank of Sri Radhakunda....
"I make a bouquet of my heart's utterings and oiler them at Your lotusfcet. If You are even once
slightly satisfied with them, then my life will be a $ucce$$r
* <* >.\*v
o sm m s
___ .
\ * \ W y W j r *
**s.>!*!
*/J
Sources o f the notes: Lectures g u m By Jfifa A trnda QopaUi Qosvan%(1897-1S61) and Side fbum ta Ddsa
iPaydita* Sanskrit commentary B yjn $ a fya 6 ih a n Vidytiaitkgru. a d y 8 n u v 3 d a $ (^^^ sjong^umisUithms
that fottoat the eptnmenidrk^) By dnS&Hpdda dU aandSnX osikyCandra dosa. fPeise tamsCatums fromverse S i By JagadSnanda dSsa.
Translated in 1983, 1987,1990* 1991 and 1993 by AdvaUa D%.
Conuncmniy of Anariia O0$a ,Pao<jiis named 'Parimala kagS1(a drop of the divine ff^gmp^rojf. this- bouquet of
lamentations), and was published iji Gaurabda 49.9 1985 A.D.j from Sri Krishna Ghaitanya 'sjiastra Mandir,
VrajanSnd.abitera, PGR&titeMindii (disnictMhihura)i
376
Sum
VERSE ZO; rEAILO!DVSiR!X^&- SE V A ; How Tulasi massages Svanunt with Fragrant Oil
VERSE 21: S<N$QISEVA: How Tulasi bathes Svaminl
Index
VER$iE 22: VAS&RASEVA: How Tulasi dries Svamini and Dresses Her.
VER5E 23: V9fJ-RJV><&3l(A9{?l: How TulasT Makes Svamini's braid with a garland.
VERSE 24: TlLSffi&fDISEVA: How Tulasi makes Tilaka, applies powder and draws pictures.
VERSE 25: SM &IVRASEVA: How Tulasi makes a stripe of Sindura.
VERSE 26: BIVfSHl-SEVA : How TnlasT makes red fragrant Spots.
VERSE 27: SQU&fjpAJ^A SE V A : How Tulasi bungs Earrings on Svamini's ears.
V e r s e 28: JQVflpiILlSEVA: How Tulasi conceals Svamim's jewel-like Breasts.
VERSE 29: flA R jl SE V A : How Tulasi places pearl- and jewel-necklaces.
m\
VERSE 50: CStDASEVA: How Tulasi hangs bangles around Svaminii's Wrists.
VERSE 31: SMERjHALA 9&REURA SE V A : How Tulasi Applies waistbells andAnklebells.
VERSE 32: AjffQASDA-SEVA.: How Tulasi Places The Armlets.
VERSE 33: tfEJUVECfA-SE-VA: How TulasT hangs the Graiveya-necklace.
VERSE 34: SyAMAASARA-SBfATAiNA: How Tulasi Places the Syamantaka-jewel.
VERSE 35: IRSUJft-tBtHASfA: Won't Svdmini's Waist break?
V e r s e 36: tNASA-ROVlEKXI'JCASEV A: Hanging SvaminVs Nose-pearl.
V e r s e 37: RA'ENA-MAEIRA VIV&KA The wedding of a Jewel-string.
ss.
'ME3C9E 40:
41:
ItE'g&E 42: 9Cf4JJJlCJl-SEV: How Tulasi Applies Eye-liner around SvaminVs eyes.
tyj&RSE 43: L&K$MrST/tJ&: How Tulasi applies Footlac on SvaminVs feet - and Krsnas head!
44: MsTlffyi ~SfEV: How Tulasi hangs A Flower-garland surrounded by Buzzing Bees on
Svcwrinfs lowered Shoulders.
*lAE3($E 45:
AFTERNOON SERVICES:
T*E2t$* 46: yfjWfpISVSVR&tP.2CE2^!*A0[: How TulasT is Being sent to Nmdilvara,
Vilapa KusumafijaUh
VERSE 47; yfiSODSVyA L&CJ&&: How TulasT is Being fondled by Mother Yasodd,
VERSE 48: TRjTSAtDAsffVf&Nfl.: How TulasTdelivers Krsna's prasada.
VERSE 49: ERCOjyVNfi SE V A : How TulasT serves Krsna's Pms&da,
VERSE SO: ACft&&VNASEVA: Now TulasT Serves mouthwater after Supper.
VERSE SI: J OffifcPJi VIjftN A SEVA :.H ow TulasT Offers Incense and Fans SvdminT
VERSE SZ: lA M B <UL5i<DA$f: How TulasT offers Betelleaves With Camphor.
VERSE S3: Ar AEHJKA ; How TulasT Offers Arati - with the hair!
VERSE 54: SVSMFHFi VTjLASJI : How TulasT Makes a Dream-bedfo r SvdminT.
VERSE SS: EAIDA SStiMVAfHftNA: Rupa MahjarVs merciful gift o f service To TulasT.
VERSE 56: tBtHASGH
VERSE 57: STED3(A &A&&.: How SvdminT offers TulasT Her Prasada - straight from the mouth/
MORNING SERVICES:
VERSE S8: 9ffl3fplVs4Rg> QSt&OvNft: How TulasT Follows SvdminT to Nandagrdma.
VERSE S3: R^EI-tDlHARSUNA: How TulasT holds SvdminVs waist - while She walks!
VERSE 60: &QW(p6V%Rjl OdAolAnMyA: NandUvara is greater than Govardhana!
VERSE 61: V tH ^ S fX A y A d f RRfTI: DhanisthtVs Blissful Love For SvdminT
VERSE 62: RflSAVJYlITRflVE^A : How SvdminT honours Her Superiors and enters the Kitchen.
VERSE 63: MA&tfAVSISySL*.TRSm-SAtDMmfa How shyly SvdminT hands RolwfT Her cooked
dishes.
VERSE 64 : 9dASD3(S4Vfl$fS4
VERSE 6S:
VERSE 66: qQ $p& AyA 3{$SW sm {St z Queen Yasodd'$ oaths - "Rddhet eat I
VERSE 67: <fO$E}F$AtfA3iLALSYNA ; Queen Yafodd fondles SvdminT like her own Daughter-inlaw.
MIDDAY-SERVICES
VERSE 68: tDlVA35ttSARfl: How Wide-eyed Radhikd rushes to Hards adorned kunja.
VERSE 6B: Sr ^ARJ4SEVA : How SvdminT personally adorns Her Beloved with Flowers.
Index
VERSE 70:
MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES:
VERSE 83: MWK?&tRofaSVtD9lMSiy%. VAsKOVL- Mukharas nectarean Call.
VERSE 84: &Ty,U $JlSEV: Serving nectar Audibly and Visibly.
V e r s e 85: R1l$RA-CPiy3W&l LIE#. : A crooked Quarrel Over picked Flowers.
VERSE 86: RfXR&l RRT&fffJl: How TulasTfalls at Lolita's feet to break SvaminTs Fique.
VERSE 87: JVBMXSER&lSllVA: SvaminTs coronation as the Queen ofVrndavana.
VERSE 88: VE$SVB3CH3\&IRU R fL yjR : HowSvdminTvisitsBarsdna.
VERSE 89: (ji& ffl'SlR Sii: How Svdmitu gives Singing-lessons to TulasT.
VERSE 90: R&V/Sl RffcpHil: How SvdminT reads Poems to TulasT.
VERSE 91: VI<f{SlR$A: How SvdminT teaches TulasT to play Vina.
VERSE 92: MARfL g'URf&KSUffLSEV: How TulasT Quickly strings Shy SvaminTs necklace.
SiT-Sri V i l a p a Kusumfiiljalih
VERSE 93: T&MtB'ULJi CUR&tRR&l: How Sv&mim gives TulasX a Betel-kiss.
VERSE 94: MPEDMW&.
VERSE 93: 1&PA9&. RRRA.
VERSE 100: SR I ^09GlSCR9&XRfl RRfiR$9(!Vitf.: Prayer to Sri Krsna, the moon ofGokula.
VERSE 101: $V5EZ3tfl tDRtf&L: The Greatest Gift to the Eyes.
VERSE 10Z: m RKKmjVfSVSl: l don Vwan t Krsna!
VERSE 103: R*U9gpA.-VASJl VyASfpHXtft.: Did I serve Kadhakunda in vain?
VERSE 104: TRJVffiyyi3ALI9 &
Index
12
102
.7
................................................................................65
34
84
S n-Sn V i l a p a K u s u m S f i j a l i h
44
36
48
78
63
71
Index
18
33
75
SiT-Sif V i l a p a K u s u m a f i j a l i h
sphTia svdntam kaydcit sarabtiasam .........;.................. ,.........................,..................................... 77
Sri rupa mailjari kardrcita pdda-padma ........................................................................................ 72
srutva vicaksana mukhdd vrajardja-sunoh .................................................................................. 70
sthala kamalini yuktam garvitd kanane 'smin ..............................................................................2
subhaga mrgamadendkhantfa $ubhrdthu ....................................................................................24
sulafitanija bdhvdSlhfa gtythendra-sunoh ................................................................................ 79
suryaya surya-mani nirmita vedt madhye .................................................................................. 45
sva kuii((am tava loldk$i..................................................................................................................97
sva mukhdn man mukhe d e v i ........................................................................................................ 93
svapne*pi kifh sum ukhi te carandmbujdtd ............. ..... .................. ........................................... 1 1
tava tanuvara gqndhdsahgT batata cattdrd- ...........................................................................74
tavaivasmi tavaivdsmi
.................................................................................................................. 96
..................................................
Index
(W
ide-eyedGirl)......................................
A yatodyat Rfltttada vadane (G
irlwhosefaceislikeawideopenloutsllowcr)..
'Bfidvint (b
eautiful,emotionalGirl).................................
*,B fiavya (b
eautiful,auspiciousGirl)................................
Canccdafyi (re
stlesseyedGirl)...................................
m(goddess)..............................................
A ya ta fei
68
82
19
47
38
8,
9,10,13,16,18,24,25,26,40,44,48,52,53,54,57,{53,68,71,80,82, 84,90,91,92,93,95,90,99
(graveGirl).............................
tDfttramaH (g
raveGirl).........................
Q atigeyagain (g
oldenlimbedGirl)................
QostfUndra. sunu dayita (th
ebelovedofthecowhecdprince)
9de.tnagau-n (g
oldenbeauty)......................
J Hrmati (sh
yGirl)............................
!Hn yunja m urd (g
reatbashfulnesspersonified)
Oftvrd
10
87
95
41
23
.29
,66
,82
72
88
45
li
Index
83
( b lo o m i n g l o t u s c y e d G i r l ) ................................................................................................... 15
5tfiaU^(^i}taini(\^n6\o{m)......................................................................................................
79
50
27,46,76,102
12
Index
(japa mala).
Ja ti - Nutmeg.
K adam ba - (lit: abundance) Tree with fragrant orange blossoms which blooms during the first, rains
(in July). The flowers exude liquors. From such trees Kr$na jumped to defeat the Kfiliya-snake and to
steal the clothes of the unmarried gopts.
K am a - Lust feigned by the gopts, who actually only care about Krsna's happiness.
K asm lra - Saffron from Kashmir.
K esara - Saffron flower or crocus,
KelakI - The screw-pine, a highly fragrant evergreen with large, spinous leaves. The flowers are
worn in a womans hair to attract the lover.
Key lira - Bracelet on upper arm.
Abhisara - Lovcjouniey.
Abhi$eka - Ritual bathing lor a coronation or the birthday of a deity.
Acarya - Spiritual master who leaches by example.
Aguru - Aloe perfume
A m iraga - Continuous feelings of passionate love.
A nanda - Spiritual bliss.
A6oka - A bright red ilowcr that blooms only when touched by (he foot of a beautiful girl.
A tim ukta - Madhavl-flower (literally: whiter than pearls), or: completely liberated.
BahuvrUti - One of the four principal kinds o f compounds in Sanskrit in which two or more nouns
in apposition to eachother are compounded.
Bakula - A fragrant tree that blooms only when sprinkled with nectar from a young girl's inouth.
B andhujlva, B andhuka - (literally: living in group) Deep-red flowers that open at midday in the
autumn only to wither by the next morning.
Bhajan - Devotional worship of God consisting of chanting, healing, remembering and living at a
holy place.
Bhajan k u p ra - Cottage where a saint lives who worsliips God.
Bliava - Lit.: sentiment. Advanced stage of transcendental loving feelings For God.
BhuvolLasa - (lit. the joy o f sentiment). Condition of a devotee in female spiritual form who has more
love for R5dhu than lor Kr?na.
B rahm acari - Young, celibate student..
B rahm an - Abstract aspect, o f the Supreme Absolute truth.
B rahm ana - Highest, priestly class, that is engaged in ritual worship of God.
Brahms) M u h u rta - (lit. the moment of spirit) The hour before sunrise, Tliis is considered to be the
best time in the day for spiritual practises.
C akora - A kind of nocturnal partridge Ural subsists solely by drinking the nectarcan rays of the
moon,
Cakravtiku - Ruddy goose. A kind of flamingo that mourns loud at night when it must be separated
from its mate.
K hanjana - Wagtailbird. A small bird'wjth white breast and black wings winch mates in rivers and
ponds in autumn. Famous for its brisk, frisky dance-stcps (bat. make a festive atmosphere by the bank
of the Yamuna.
KinkarT- Transcendental maidservant of Srimatf Rildhiklt.
K unja - Love bower in the forests of Vraja.
K unda - WMte flower.
K unda - Sacred lake or pond.
K unkum a - Red vermilion powder the gopis and all other married women smear on (heir breasts.
Kusa asana - Seat made o f sacred grass meant for Vcdic rituals.
Lila - Transcendental play.
Lota - Waterpot.
Index
Mural? - Long, female flute of Krsna with nine holes.
N agara - (lit: Man about town). The Supreme Amorous Hem Sri Krsna.
N ikunja - Romantic groves in the forests of Vruja where Raclha and Krsna perform Their loving
pastimes.
Nitya siddlia - Eternally perfect, liberated associate of God
Pan - (In Sanskrit called Tambula or Vip) Bctulnuts that are wrapped in special betelleaves, along
with other delicious spices such as cardamom, cloves, camphor and catechu.
P arik ram a - Circumambulalion of a holy place, a temple or an entire area.
P ika - Indian cuckoo,
P rasada (lit, mercy) - the remnants of Sri Radiiikfi's and Sri Krsna's meals, garlands, unguents and
garments.
Prema - Divine love of God,
PriyajI - Name of Sri Radhika, meaning: "Krsna's Beloved".
Priyatam a - Name Of Sri Krsna, meaning: "Hie most beloved".
Purva riiga - Preliminary stage of love, the first attachment (falling in love),
Puja - Ritual worship.
R aganuga bhakti - Devotion which is noi urged by threats, fear or respect, but by spontaneous,
anxious love.
Rasa - (literally: taste) transcendental flavour. The 'savouring1of the transcendental bliss o f love for
Ritdhfi and Krsna.
Rasa - Circular, pastoral dance of men and women. Most famous o f Sn Krsna's pastimes.
R a s a ^ a s tr a - ScripLures on play, especially romantic and erotic play, like Kama Sutra of
Vatsyayana Muni or the Natya Sastra o f Bharata Muni, in the spiritual sense all the books that
describe KrsiuVs romantic pastimes and that teach devotees how to enter into such pastimes.
Rasika - (Literally: connoisseur, relisher or aesthete) Those sensitive devotees who are so fortunate
to be able to savour the transcendental flavours of Sri-ftrl Radhfi-Kr$na's ncctarcan transcendental
pastimes.
R asodgara - Recollection of previously experienced amorous pastimes and their concomitant
emotions wiih one's best friends.
Sadhuna. or S adhana Bhakti - Devotional worship in the stage of. practise, a stage before the
perfection o f devotion is attained.
Salirilaya sam aja - Society oflikcminded devotees.
ri-Sri V i l a p a Kuswnuuijalili
SakhT - Spiritual girlfriends o f Srimail Radhfuiim, of about the same age as Her, fourteen years old.
n ic y always accompany Her. protect Her and support Her during Her love affairs with Sri Kr$na.
Lalita and Vi&tkha are the most prominent.
Samadhi - Topmost stage of trance in mystic yoga.
t
Index
Zlpaiati (Su6-meter)
Ohis meter is one o f several consisting o f 11 syllables per line, Being a mixture o f the IndraJVajra
and {llpendra-tPajra-$u6mclers. Hie <Upajatis used in 92ildpa SQssutndnjad are o f the following
kinds:
6 {'Buddfii), 83 (mama), 78 {Ifatfwddfiat&Svagatayofi, combined'), 2 6 ,3 8 ,5 1 ,6 4 ,8 9 , SO (Svdgatd)
T r t f w i & a r tfi)
(Tfiis meter consists o f 17 syffalles per (ine and is used in Vifapas nr:
3,15, 44, 76 and 104
'
8, 1 0 ,3 7 a n d 63
18,56 and 75