The Glories of Srimati Radharani



From the Rk-parisistha:

"Srimati Radharani is always to be found with Sri Krishna, and Madhava is always to be seen with Radhika. One is never without the other's company."

From the Gopalottara-tapani:

"She is the embodiment of maha-bhava, or the highest transcendental ecstasy, and none of the other gopis, or cowherd damsels of Vrindavana, possesses Her excellent qualities. Radharani is therefore known as the most famous Gandharva."

In the Padma Purana Narada Muni describes Srimati Radharani:

"As much as Srimati Radhika is dear to Lord Krishna, Her pond Radha-kunda is as beloved to Him. Among all the gopis Srimati Radharani is most dear to Krishna.

From the Ujjvala-nilamani of Srila Rupa Goswami

"The principal characteristics of Srimati Radharani, the Queen of Vrindavan, are that She is charming, ever-youthful, has roving eyes, and ever-sparkling smile, a body marked with all auspicious lines, Her fragrance drives Krishna mad with desire. She is an exponent of fine music, has sharp intelligence, is dextrous, shy, respectable, patient, grave, playful, eager to display the highest ecstasy of maha-bhava, that She is the primary source of supreme spiritual love, the most famous, the object of attraction for Her elders, that She is controlled by the love of Her girlfriends, the principal of Krishna's many loves, and She has Him always under Her control."

Rupa Goswami prays to Srimati Radharani in his Catu-puspanjalih [Stavamala] as follows:

"O Queen of Vrindavana, Sri Radha, I worship You. Your fair complexion is more resplendent than molten gold, the color of Your sari the hue of a blue lotus flower. Your beautiful braided hair is long and raven-black, its coiffure studded with many brilliant gems, like the shining black hood of a cobra.

"Even the beautiful lotus in full bloom or the rising full moon offers no comparison to Your breathtaking face, for it is much more exquisite. Your shining forehead is marked by a tidy saffron tilaka.

"The arches of Your elegant eyebrows put to shame Cupid's bow. Your cascading black tresses sway, and the dark mascara on Your roving eyes makes them look like restless black partridges.

"Your fine nose is decorated by a ring studded with the noblest pearl, and Your lips are more charming than bright red tulips. Your sparkling, even teeth are like rows of spotlessly white jasmine buds.

"The golden earrings that dangle gracefully from Your ears like a pair of Laburinum flowers are inlaid with many precious gems. The gentle cleft of Your delicate chin is decorated with a dot of musk, and an intricately bejewelled necklace sparkles on You with regal splendor.

"Your nicely formed arms are like lotus stems, adorined with fine and precious gems, and the two armlets inlaid with blue sapphires softly jingle with Your slightest movements, pleasing all ears with their sweet music.

"Your hands are beautiful and soft, like the lotus, and Your fingers are decorated with rings mounted with precious jewels. Your breasts are adorined with a large necklace finely set with stones and gems.

""The central jewel of Your regal necklace sits atop a line of dark gems that grow gradually larger in size. One could mistake it for a black snake carrying a gem on its hood. You are slender around the waist, and Your belly is concave because it must carry the burdon of Your full breasts. It is marked by three lines like entwining creepers.

"A tinkling girdle of gold inset with precious stones adorins Your broad flaring hips, and Your shapely thighs put to shame the pride of the golden trunks of banana trees.

"Your kneecaps are so delicate and well-formed that they are far more attractive than round golden caskets studded with gems. The ankle-bells on Your finely formed feet sing an eterinal melody, and the pink lotuses that blossom in autumn bow their heads in ardent worship to the beauty of Your lotus feet.

"The brilliance of millions upon millions of full moons pales before the opalescent nails of Your lotus feet. Innumerable ecstatic symptoms are Your natural embellishments, and You become stunned and perspire freely when Your yearining sidelong looks from afar intimately traverse Krishna's body. Uncontrollable erotic waves overcome You, and when You meet with Your beloved Krishna You are swept away in a surge of sublime ecstacy. O Queen of Vrindavan, You are the reservoir of all divine qualities, and I therefore worship Your lotus feet.

"O Srimati Radharani, all the symptoms of the very highest ecstasy, maha-bhava, become simultaneously manifest in You, and Your heart is benumbed. You are the ocean of unlimited transcendental emotions found only in perfect heroines, and everyone is amazed when You exhibit these ecstatic emotions.

"All the charming and captivating traits which make a heroine perfect are offering their obeisances to Your lotus feet in silent praise. The great beauty Laksmi-devi, the goddess of fortune, is humbly praying to attain residence on the toenails of Your lotus feet.

"You are the crest jewel of the damsels of Vraja, an eterinal resident of Gokula, the most beloved object of the gopis. Your gentle smile acts as the life sustaining salve for Lalita and other sakhis.

"When Your roving eyes glance on Krishna with a sidelong look, it acts on Him like a drop of ambrosia, maddening and inciting Him with love. You are the apple of Your father king Vrisabhanu's eyes, and the sooting rays of Your moonlike activities exhilarate him.

"Your heart is like an ocean which is overflooding with waves of compassion. Therefore, O Radhika! shower Your mercy, and be pleased with this person who is begging to become Your maidservant.

"O Radha my mistress! When will I be fortunate to see that after a lover's quarrel, when Krishna tries to pacify You, His indignant lady-love, with sweet cajoling words, in which He is truly expert, and begs You for a lovers' tryst, You are really pleased within but nonetheless turin Your face away and look at Krishna from the coriner of Your eyes.

"O Divine Lady! Will that day ever come? When Lord Krishna, who is adept at everything, strings a charming garland of myrtle blossoms and slips it over Your head and His electric touch sends waves of ecstasy pulsating through You, and You begin to perspire profusely, when will I be fortunate enough to gently fan You with a palm leaf fan?

"O divine Lady! O beautiful Queen! When after Your hours of pleasure with Krishna Your intricately made-up hair becomes dishevelled and You need someone to set it properly again, when will You instruct this maidservant to do this service?

"O Divine beauty with cherry lips! Will I be able to see the wonderful dalliances between You and Krishna? When I place betel-nut pan into Your lotus mouth, Krishna tries to take it out of Your mouth and chew the same pan.

"O Srimati Radha! Among all the beloved gopis of Krishna You are His most cherished jewel. Therefore kindly be pleased with me and quickly shower Your mercy by including me amongst Your family members.

"O Queen of Vraja! I beg repeatedly at Your lotus feet for Your compassionate grace. Please allow me to become Your maid-in-attendance (sakhi) and confidante, so that when You become indignant after a lover's quarrel Krishna will approach me, knowing that I am Your sakhi, and flatter me to take Him to You; then I will take His hand and guide Him to You.

"Anyone who reads this prayer, named Catuspuspanjali, dedicated to Radharani, the Queen of Vrindavana, with faith and devotion, will very soon receive Her mercy directly."

In his Sri Prarthana-paddhati [Stavamala],, Srila Rupa goswami prays:

"O Queen of Vrindavana, O Radharani, Your complexion is like molton gold, Your doe-like eyes are captivatingly restless, a million full and brilliant moons wane before Your lustrous countenance, and a blue sari, having stolen the hue of a fresh rain-laden cloud, has enwrapped Your exquisite form. O Radha, You are the crest-jewel of all the dallying damsels of Vrindavana, fragrant and pristine like a budding jasmine flower. Your sublime form is adorined with priceless jewelry , and you are the best of all the charming and intelligent gopis. You are decorated with all wonderful excellences and surrounded by eight dedicated and beloved cowherd girls known as the asta-sakhis.

"The ambrosia of Your beautiful lips, red as the bimba fruit, is life-giving syrup to Krishna. O Radha, I am rolling on the banks of the Yamuna, my poor heart filled with anticipation, praying to You with all humility. I am guilty of being an offender, a rascal, a useless wretch-yet I beg You to kindly engage me in even the smallest service to Your lotus feet. O most merciful Lady, it will not become You to ignore this most distressed soul, for Your heart is always overflowing with compassion and love."

Raghunatha dasa Goswami writes in the Vilap-kusum-anjali

"O Supreme Ladyship, Queen of my heart, Radha! Laksmi-devi the goddess of fortune does not possess even a drop of the beauty that exudes from Your exquisite toenails, therefore if You do not grant me the proper vision to perceive Your transcendental pastimes, then what use do I have for this life, which is burining in the fire of excruciating sorrow?
"O merciful Lady! Indeed, lately I am floating in a nectarean ocean of hope, and passing time in hardship and pain, but if You do not shower mercy upon me then this life, living in Vrindavana, and even Lord Krishna are all meaningless to me." 101-102

"The Queen of Vraja is my mistress. O Lady mistress, O Radha, I am Your maidservant, but the flames of intense separation are incinerating my heart and I grow feeble from profuse crying. Finding no other means, I am therefore sitting somewhere in Govardhana and composing these verses in deep lamentation.

"O dallying damsel of Vraja, Sri Radhika, I am sucked into an ocean of grief and my condition is so miserable! Kindly send me Your mercy in the form of an infallible boat and save me from this whirlpool. Please give me sanctuary at Your lotus feet."

"O Radha-kunda, pond of sublime joy, my mistress Srimati Radhika is always absorbed in divine amorous pastimes with her beloved paramour Sri Krishna on your banks, and you have endeared yourself to this Divine Couple more than anything else They cherish. Please, therefore, be merciful upon me and allow me but a moments vision of the object of my greatest adoration, Srimati Radharani.

Sri Vrindavana-mahimamrita

I pray that the queen of Vrindavana, whose every limb shines with an ocean of wonderful golden moonlight, and whose beautiful form displays a wonder of ever-fresh youthfulness, may appear before me. (Sri Vrindavana-Mahimamrita 2.68)

The motions of the beautiful gopi's eyes hinted to Lord Krishna that Radha had gone to take rest in the forest cottage. Meeting Her there, Lord Krishna kissed and embraced Her. Please meditate on Srimati Radharani enjoying pastimes in this way. (SVM 2.75)

Within the boundary of Vrindavana forest a certain youthful form fills the ten directions with the splendor of its limbs, which shine like molten gold. This form rests on the chest of the splendid dark moon that is Lord Krishna. This form is overcome with the nectar of transcendental mellows and maddened with the bliss of transcendental love. The orinaments that decorate this form tinkle with the movements of transcendental pastimes. The garments that cover this form have fallen and the flower garlands decorating this form have become broken. Maddened with amorous passion, this form no longer feels any embarrassment. (SVM 2.78)

In Vrindavana forest, in a grove of very fragrant blossoming jasmine flowers, Sri Sri Radha-Krishna sit down together. Overwhelmed with the nectar of transcendental mellows, They touch each other, repeatedly decorating each other's body with many wonderful flower orinaments although in the course of Their armorous pastimes these decorations become broken. Let me worship Sri Sri Radha-Krishna, Who enjoy pastimes in this way. Vrindavana's queen Radha is now drowning in the blissful nectar ocean that is dark complexioned Lord Krishna, and Krishna is also plunged in the shoreless blissful nectar ocean of Sri Radha. The gopis' hearts and bodies swim in the blissful nectar ocean of gazing at the transcendental pastimes of the divine couple, who are billions of times more dear to each other than Their own life's breath. I meditate on Radha, Krishna, and the gopis in this way. (SVM 2.80-81)

The forms of Radha's maidservants are wonderful bubbles from the particles of foam from the effulgent spiritual ocean of sweet transcendental love that flows from the beauty of Radha's lotus feet. These young girls are filled with all artistic skill, and their wonderfully beautiful limbs are decorated with splendid garments and orinaments. O friend, please become the follower and servant of these maidservants of Sri Radha. (SVM 2-86)

Please meditate on Her being anointed by a friend with scented oil, bathed, and offered tirtha-kriya, a sumptuous feast, a splendid garland of fragrant forest flowers, betel-leaves, music, and a foot-massage as She, the flower-crown of Vraja's girls, lies down with dark Krishna. (SVM 3.77)

When will I see the fulfillment of my desires, the ocean of the splendor of Sri Radha's feet, the bodily hairs risen with ecstatic devotional love, the sweet music that was learined, and the wonderful flower garlands, jewel necklaces, orinaments, and garments left by Her and Her beloved in Vrindabana? When in Sri Vrindavana's groves and paths will I see a splendor as fair as molton gold and like an ocean of beauaty moving at every step with hundreds of currents of the gracefulness of ever-fresh youth and violently tossed by great waves of ever-fresh love for the dark moon of Krishna?

Glimpsing Her braids, beautiful face, breasts, eyes, teeth, lips, and flower-blossom luster, any other girl becomes embarrassed. May She, the fair splendor that in a forest grove is now a wonderful orinament on Lord Syama's chest, appear before me. May Vrindavana's splendid treasure, which has a youthful body, a golden complexion, is tossed by waves of ever-new amorous pastimes, flooded with currents of eterinal, wonderful beauty, overwhelmed by great, transcendental love, decorated with splendid flower garlands, garments, and orinaments, and, Oh! with its auspicious glory fills the gopis with wonder, appear before me.(SVM 3.79-82)

In Vrindavana, which is very beautifully decorated by Sri Radha, who is served by splendid servant-girls that are great treasures of all -intelligence and all-expertise and the shade of whose lotus feet is difficult for even the most beautiful of all young gopis to attain, who (Radha) is eterinally overcome with the bliss of transcendental amorous passion, who is loved day and night by beautiful friends whose bodily hairs stand erect in ecstatic love for the divine couple, Who is a wonderfully splendid and auspicious crescent moon shining in the midst of the many glistening stars that are the host of Her friends and dear maidservants, who floods the world with festive nectar waves from the ocean of wonderful golden splendor rising from each of Her transcendental limbs, who fills all directions with waves of pure love, of Her wonderful, beautiful , golden complexion and of the gracrful sweetness of Her delicate limbs sprouting from youth, who relishes perfect, intoxicating bliss, Who continually enchants the birds, beasts, trees, vines, and others, Whose wonderful beauty is millions and millions of oceans of beauty, where the beauty of Laksmi, Gauri, and the splendid demigodesses is not even a single drop, who stands at the topmost limit of splendid, wonderful skill in the arts of love, whose bodily hairs stand erect as She again and again tastes teh nectar of pure love for Lord Syama, Who is decorated with a belt, ankle-bells, necklaces, bracelets, jewel earrings, hair-orinaments, armlets, rings, and a beautiful glistening pearl set at the tip of Her nose, Who wears Her hair in a large braid decorated with a bunch of beautiful flowers at its tip, which swings about Her beautiful broad hips, Who wears splendid jewel orinaments in the part of Her hair, Who wears a beautiful chaplet of flowers at the place where Her braid begins, the golden moon of whose beautiful forehead is decorated with glistening sindura dots, the waves of whose moving eyebrows again and again create limitless missions of passionate desires in Her lover, the gracefully playing khanjana birds of whose eyes stun Her lover, the sharpened arrows of whose playful, restless, amorous sidelong glances again and again overwhelm Her lover, Who enchants the heart with both the wonderful moonlight of Her shy smile and Her conversation as sweet as a cool stream of nectar, whose limitlessly sweet lips are splendid as a glistening pomegranate flower, Whose chin is a nectar ocean of beauty orinamented with a single beautiful black musk- dot, Whose splendid, delicate cheeks are glistening golden mirrors fashioned from the great ocean of transcendental beauty, Whose incomparably beautiful teeth stained from chewing betelnuts are like beautiful pearls and beautiful, glistening, perfectly ripe pomegranate seeds, Whose beautiful nose, as lovely as a sesame flower, is decorated with a beautiful pearl studded with splendid jewels and gold, Whose beautiful nostrils are like Kamadeva's two wonderful golden quivers, Whose charming lips, more red than roses, are marked with both the stain of betelnuts, and a wound left by the teeth of the charming master of Her life, Whose very splendid conchshell neck is decorated with a wonderful graiveyaka necklace, beautiful kanthika necklaces, and padaka lockets glistening with various jewels, Who is decorated with many glistening hara necklaces resting on the splendid bodice that covers Her breasts, which are like two mountain peaks of nectgarean beauty, or two fully blossomed flowers grown from the jewel mine of transcendental beauty., Whose charmingly beautiful slender abdomen is marked with three folds of skin that are three waves in the ocean of transcendental beauty, Whose very beautiful hips are dressed in glistening red silk, Whose splendid golden-plantain-tree thighs are filled with the great wonder of a great flood of glistening waves of the nectar of pure transcendental sweetness, Whose splendid knees and ankles are like beautiful lotus stems, Whose lotus feet display limitless beauty and sweetness, on each limb of Whose transcendental form is a very wonderful monsoon shower of wonderful beauty, auspiciousness, great sweetness, splendor, and the transcendental symptoms of pure ecstatic love for dark complexioned Lord Krishna, Who the hairs on all Her limbs standing erect in ecstacy, Her beautiful limbs now moving languidly because of having tasted the bliss of unrestrained, uninterrupted, passionate transcendental amorous pastimes with dark complexioned Lord Krishna, Her words overwhelmed with emotion, and Her every feature showering a great monsoon of transcendental sweetness, by presenting in this way a very unusual appearance, has deeply worried and upset Her gopi friends, and Who, placing the blossoming vine of Her languid transcendental form on the dark complexioned transcendental form of Lord Krishna, and served by Her maidservants, Who affectionately massage Her lotus feet, fan Her, give Her betelnuts, and render other services, and playfully taking the chewed betelnuts from the moon that is the mouth of the Lord of Her life, placing them in the moon of Her own mouth, laughs, gives them back to Her lover, and playfully repeats this game again and again, with Her, Sri Radha, (in that Vrindavana forest) a certain dark young moon, wealthy with many skills in the arts of amorous pastimes, limitlessly wonderful with a great wealth of love for Sri Radha and a great flood of handsomeness and charmm and overcome with eterinal amorous passion, enjoys transcendental pastimes. (SVM 4.3-17)

When in my heart will I properly worship Sri Radha, who is fair as mosten gold, Whose limbs are flowering vines, Who is a shoreless flood of beauty, playfulness, and fresh youthfulness, Whose swinging braids play about Her broad hips, Whose beautiful breasts are two wonderful golden mountains, Whose pleasantly smiling face is sweet with ever-new nectar, Whose eyes are two khanjana birds playing in the ever-new nectar of transcendental mellows, Whose smooth vinelike arms are filled with beauty and luster and are splendid with glistening armlets and beautiful bracelets, Whose ears are decorated with glistening transcendental jewel earrings, the tip of Whose nose is decorated with a splendid pearl set in jewels and gold, Whose conchshell neck glistens with various kinds of golden necklaces, whose hair is decorated with many jewel orinaments, Whose fingers are decorated with beautiful, glistening jewel rings, Who wears a bodice that holds the flood of splendor from Her breasts, Whose exquisitely beautiful waist is so slender it can be encircled by a single hand, Who wears a splendid jewel belt on Her hips, Who wears beautiful anklets, Who, furtively glancing at Her lover, trembles with very sweet feelings of love, shyly smiles, and playfully covers Her breast with the edge of Her sari, the rising moon of Whose face creates waves of gentle smiles of ever-new bliss, the haris of Whose body stand erect with transcendental love, Who smiles as She speaks some words with a gopi friend, Whose restless eyes move here and there, and Whose vinelike arms tremble with ecstatic love? (

SVM 4.40-45)

Radha hid in the forest of golden lotus flowers attebded bt swarms of very sweetly humming bumblebees. Krishna entered that forest, and mistaking one of the golden lotuses for Radha's face, began to kiss it. Radha then emerged from hiding, reassured Her beloved, kissed Him, and laughed. (SVM 4.113)

Sri Radha, who with floods of splendor from Her beautiful, youthful limbs the color of molten gold, with eterinally wonderful graceful waves of very sweet amorous pastimes, and with the faltering of Her voice, Her tears, Her trembling, and other symptoms of ecstatic love for dark complexioned Krishna, fills with wonder Her friends come to Her favorite forest grove and makes the hairs on their bodies stand erect, is my queen. May Sri Radha and Her beloved, Who are flooded with waves of very, very wonderful sweetness, playful transcendental pastimes, splendid beauty, and expert knowledge of the arts of love, who have come to Vrindavana from Vraja, and the wonder of whose beauty increases hundreds and hundreds of times at Radha-kunda, appear in my heart. (SVM 5.7-8)

The hairs of His body erect in ecstasy, His crown and earrings moving, and His flute placed against the full moon of His lips, Madhava praises the delightful transcendental qualities of Radha-kunda, which is the greatest jewel decorating Sri Govardhana's crown, and which is very dear to the queen who rules the lfie of the charming lotus-eyed Lord. (SVM 5.13)

Now, with great devotion, let us meditate on our queen Sri Radha, Whose transcendental form is filled with the nectar of supremely pure love. She is the crest jewel of all beautiful young gopis. All Her beautiful limbs are filled with all transcendental virtues. With Her wonderful beauty She enchants all the universes and makes Mohini, Parvati, Laksmi, Rati, and all other beautiful girls hand down their heads in shame. Her complexion is the color of molton gold. Her glistening beauty is limitless. The rising luster of Her fair complexion fills the ten directions. The rising sweetness of Her transcendental beauty drowns the spiritual and material worlds. She is a splendid, wonderful nectar ocean of pure transcendental love. She performs the arati ritual, offering millions of Her own lives to Lord Krishna. She is filled with the great splendor of unalloyed, pure, transcendental love. Her splendid transcendental form displays the most wonderful ever-fresh youthfulness. She manifests millions of oceans of the nectar of ever-fresh transcendental beauty.

At every step Her very wonderful transcendental beauty completely enchants the entire world. Her charming transcendental form is a great flood of transcendental sweetness. She wears a garland of amlli and campaka flowers that greatly agitate swarms of bumblebees. She is decorated with a vine of Her beautiful braided hair which enchants the entire universe. It begins with exquisite beauty at the top of Her head, is seen encircling the area of Her eyes, and finally hangs down to Her broad hips. In its beginning it is decorated with many colorful flowers, in its middle flowers are entwined within it, and at its end it is decorated with clusters of flowers and jewels.

Her very dark, long, glistening, very broad, splendidly beautiful braids are like a great snake lurking behind a vine of campaka flowers. Her face is as splendid as an unlimited golden full moon, or the whorl of a golden lotus glistening in the unlimited moonlight (SVM 7.89-101)

Her face is like the whorl of a charming, blossoming golden lotus flower. Her splendid teeth are like a row of ripe pomegranate seeds. Her splendidly beautiful bimba fruit lips are an ocean of transcendental sweetness. Her very beautiful chin is very enchantingly decorated with a black dot of musk. Her shyly smiling eyes are two restless khanjana birds. The playful movements of Her eyebrows have completely defeated the powerful bow of the demigod Cupid. Her beautiful nose is decorated with a splendid pearl set in gold and jewels. Her ears are charmingly decorated with flowers and beautiful jewel earrings.

The splendor of a jewel locket beautifies Her new golden conchshell neck. Her beautiful new breasts are two golden flower buds. Her breasts are wonderfully beautiful. They are very charming and they are very full, firm, large, and high.

Her bodice is always covered by the edge of Her sari. She is decorated with splendid jewel bracelets and armlets. Her arms are two splendid, graceful vines. Her abdomen marked with three graceful folds of skin is like a glistening, smooth golden flower petal. Her slender waist is very charming and beautiful. Her large, young hips expand the nectar of great beauty. The beautiful and wonderfully colorful flower of Her silken sari reaches down to Her graceful ankles.

Her lovely thighs are two glistening and smooth plantain tree trunks. Her knees are very beautiful. Her splendid legs are lotus stems. All moving and non-moving living entities are enchanted by the beauty of Her lotus feet. Her graceful, playful steps enchant most charming Lord Krishna. She wears a splendid sash and tinkling golden ankle-bells. Her toes are adorined with splendid rings and Her feet with golden anklets studded with rubies. Her legs and thighs are very beautiful. Her fingers are splendidly decorated with jewel rings. At every step she is more beautiful.

She is a shoreless ocean of expert skill in the performance of very wonderful, endless transcendental pastimes. With Her delicate fair limbs and the nectar waves of very wonderful amorous pastimes, She completely enchants both Lord Krishna and Her gopi friends. (SVM 8.1-15)

Please meditate on the transcendental potency who bears the name Radha, who with a very sweet flood of limitless beauty has washed away all material dualities, who with the graceful motions of Her transcendental limbs enchants all moving and nonmoving living entities, and who with arrows of shyly smiling sweet sidelong glances wounds dark-complexioned Lord Krishna and overwhelms Him with the transformations of ecstatic love. (SVM 8.48)

Day and night may my tongue be filled with the sweet nectar of Sri Radha's glories. May I pray for the position of the maidservant of Her lotus feet in Vrindavana forest. May my peaceful composure be stolen away by the youthful beauty of the golden-complexioned goddess, Sri Radha. By the power of my tears, haris standing erect, and the other symptoms of my love for Sri Radha, may I cross beyond this world of repeated birth and death. (SVM 8.53)

May Sri Radhika, the enchanting splendor of whose limbs makes the faces of the beautiful vraja-gopis turin pale, and the beauty of whose toenails makes kamadeva, Rati, Narayana, Laksmi, and their followers faint, appear in my heart. (SVM 8.56)

Let us meditate on the very wonderful, sweet melodious tinkling of the anklebells on Sri Radha's lotus feet in Vrindavana. May my queen, Sri Radha, who is decorated by a circle of smiling and laughing friends playing vinas, mridangas, talas, and other musical instruments, who is served by beautiful maidservants bearing jewelled golden cups, betelnut boxes, fans, and other parapherinalia, whose splendor pervades all spiritual and material worlds, who is filled with limitless sweetness, whose form is like a golden vine, who with splendidly beautiful limbs soft and delicate as sirisa flowers, with wonderful youthful sweetness, beauty, gracefulness, and other virtues, and with flowing waves of a flooding nectar ocean of amorous pastimes, enchants all moving and non-moving living entities in Vrindavana forest, who is decorated with many splendid garlands and orinaments, who is anointed with splendid cosmetics, whose splendid silken bodice is decorated with flowers, whose bodily hairs stand erect in ecstasy as She places the vine of Her beautiful left arm around Lord Krishna's shoulders, whose beautiful left lotus hand plays with a lotus flower, whose maidservants repeatedly and affectionately fan Her with their saris' edges, who chews betelnuts, who gives betelnuts to Her beloved, whose maidservants offer Her golden jewelled goblet filled with delicious, cool nectar scented with camphor and spices, who, gazing again and again at Vrindavana's wonderful beauty, and intently listening again and again to Vrindavana's wonderful sounds, becomes struck with wonder and asks Her lover, "What is this?" whowith very sweet, wonderful, graceful, playful steps, with tinkling ankle-bells, with the flooding moonlight of Her toes, and with a heart overwhelmed with beautiful happiness, walks in the very opulent and sweet forest of Vrindavana, who walking here and there in the very wonderful and beautiful forest, sings and makes Her beloved sing, and who eterinally enjoys transcendental pastimes, be served day and night by me, whose only home is Vrindavana. (SVM 8.65-79)

When will my heart plunge in the blissful ocean of the beauty, sweetness, and playfulness at Radha's two lotus feet? When, renouncing impersonal liberation and all great material opulences as if they were a clump of grass, will I reside in Vrindavana? My heart is enchanted by Sri Radha, who walks in Her transcendental forest, Her feet beautiful as lotus flowers, Her ankle-bells sweetly tinkling, Her feet flooding the surface of the ground with a golden and reddish sweetness, and Her jeweled anklets and splendid toe-rings brightly glistening. Will I, unmoved by the touch of the Vedic or public opinion, my heart rapt in meditation on the greatest sweetness, and the bumblebee of my heart intoxicated by tasting the great sweetness of the nectar of the lotus flower of Sri Radha's feet, stay here in Vrindavana? Who would not become enchanted by meditating on Sri Radha's youthfulness, beauty, cooling nectar eloquent words, the graceful motions of Her golden limbs, or Her tears, erect bodily hairs, and other symptoms of ecstatic love? Please meditate on Sri Radha's face, which is like the whorl of blossoming golden lotus illumined by a limitless shower of moonlight and filled with very sweet nectar that Lord Hari, whose complexion is like a blue lotus, yearins to taste. Please meditate on the moon of Radha's face, which showers a great monsoon of splendid golden moonlight on the material and spiritual worlds, and which is the life and soul of the cakora bird that is Lord Krishna. I offer respectful obeisances to the eterinally youthful queen of Vrindavana, whose beautiful transcendental form is filled with the sweetest nectar of pure transcendental love. Please meditate on the flooding golden oceans of the sweet nectar of Sri Radha's love, which have now covered the spiritual and material worlds. Many charming girls who make even the most beautiful transcendental young girls seem as insignificant as so many blades of grass, place their heads on the forest ground before the feet of my queen, Radha. Please meditate on Sri Radha, who is the most splendidly beautiful of all beautiful girls, and who is worshiped by the most intelligent and beautiful girls in the three worlds. Let me glorify the gopi maidservants who attend Sri Radha's lotus feet, from which flows a nectar ocean of the bliss of unrestrained, sweet pure love. Even though I hav not performed a single pious deed, and even though I have committed every sin, shall I not attain spiritual perfection simply by chanting the two-syllable mantra "Radha"?(

SVM 9.2-13)

May I live in hell millions of times. May I never attain my desires. May the Supreme Personality of Godhead decline to grant me His mercy, but may my yearining to attain the sweetness of Sri Radha's lotus feet never become slackened. Even the eyes and heart of Lord Hari are filled with boundless yearinings to see the beauty of charming Radha's feet, which are decorated with melodiously tinkling ankle-bells as She wanders with graceful steps in the forest of Vrindavana. I pray that beauty may appear in my loving heart. May Sri Radhika, who is plunged in the waves of the ocean of the sweetness of youthful beauty, who is the great Deity of krsna-prema, whose dancing knitted eyebrows contain millions of playful amorous desires, and who is as sweet as nectar, appear in my heart. May my heart, overcome with the sweetness of ecstatic love, become plunged in the eterinally increasing ocean of sweetness that moves over Srimati Radharani's beautiful, youthful, transcendental form, the very sweet moonlight of Her face with its shy smiles and crooked sidelong glances, Her wonderful words, graceful motions, and all Her very sweet transcendental pastimes. I pray that Srimati Radharani's youthful, charming, sweet, and wonderful transcendental limbs, wonderful crooked sidelong glances, sweet shyness, enchanting gentle smile, beauty, luster, graceful motions, and the first symptoms of Her blossoming love for dark-complexioned Lord Krishna, may all appear before me. May my queen, Radha, Her unlimitedly beautiful fair limbs anointed with kunkuma, decorated with jewels and gold, and showering unlimited oceans of very sweet transcendental splendor, and Her transcendental form bearing the wonderful symptoms of the sweet nectar of Her passionate transcendental love for dark-complexioned Lord Krishna, appear in my heart, which is now astonished by the wonderful sweetness of Her every act. Above the highest transcendental abode is the blissful kingdom of Vrindavana, where the wonderful youthful divine couple are splendidly manifest. I offer my respectful obeisances to that person who, situated in his own desired spiritual form, sweetly carries out the orders of Lalita and the other gopis, who love the divine couple more than their own life's breath. May I pass the moments of my life in the land of Vrindavana, always meditating on the beauty of Sri Radha's lotus feet, which are decorated with sweetly tinkling jeweled ankle bells. I pray that Sri Radha's lotus feet, which are decorated with sweetly tinkling ankle-bells, and are filled with limitless beauty, delicate softness, sweet fragrance, a flood of transcendental splendor, and a host of other transcendental virtuas, may appear before me. May my heart chant the glories of Sri Radha's very beautiful lotus feet, which are golden above their reddish soles, and which steal away the heart of Lord Hari with their sweet transcendental splendor. On Sri Radha's lotus feet I gaze at the waves of jewel splendor flowing from Her anklets and toe-rings and shining in the splendid jewel moonlight of Her toenails. I meditate on the very fragrant lotus flower of Sri Radha's feet, which is filled with the thick, sweet honey of transcendental bliss, which the black bee of Lord Krishna yearins to attain, and which even the goddess of fortune cannot attain. I pray that Sri Radha's charming feet, which are beautifully decorated with jewel ankle-bells, and which shine with a series of toenail moons set on a line of newly sprouted very delicate flower toes, may appear before me. Everyone please meditate on Lord Krishna's flute, which is now completely silenced by the tinkling jewel ankle-bells on Radha's feet. All its hissing is now useless. Now it is simply an object of laughter for all of Radha's friends. Because Lord Krishna again and again smells them and presses them to His face, eyes, and heart, Sri Radha's fragrant and pleasantly cooling lotus feet now shine with a dark splendor. When, in this forest of Vrindavana, will the flooding ocean of the great sweetness of Sri Radha's lotus feet devestate my heart and fill it with unrestrained devotional love. I meditate on Radha's lotus feet, their jewel toenails shining with great splendor, and their charming ankle-bells tinkling during the very sweet and wonderful pastimes in Vrindavana forest. (SVM 9.17-33)

A certain teen-age girl, whose transcendental form is situated in the topmost limit of beauty, and the splendor of whose golden limbs fills the forest of Vrindavana, has stolen the heart of dark-complexioned Lord Krishna. In a grove of Vrindavana forest a golden vine, filled with buds like golden lotus flowers, its face like a golden full moon, its waist very slender, and its limitless transcendental beauty filling all directions is now embracing a passionate, dark, transcendental tamala tree.(SVM 9.38-39)

All glories to the beautiful young girl whose complexion is splendid as gold, who is the great sweetness of the nectar ocean of love, who is served by many beautiful girls expert in many arts and skills, and who is the thief that has stolen the heart of dark-complexioned Lord Krishna.(SVM 9.41)

May She who splashes all directions with great waves from the flooding ocean of golden luster, who is enchanting with beauty, new youth, and skill in the arts of passionate love, who is the personification of the blissful nectar of pure love, who is the life of Lord Shyama, who is the Deity of transcendental knowledge, and who is the orinhament of Vrindavana, eterinally shine in my heart. Glory, glory to Radha, a fathomless ocean of pure love! Glory, glory to Krishna, who eterinally thirsts to drink nectar with Her! Glory, glory to the friends that bring Them together! Glory, glory to Vrindavana, Their splendid abode! (SVM 9.44-45)

Eterinally meditating on Sri Radha, taking shelter of the shade of Her lotus feet, always filling his tongue with the nectar of Her holy name, staying far away from women and men attached to women, considering their company poison, and performing austerities, a saintly devotee resides here in Vrindavana. His great devotion and renunciation increasing day by day, a fortunate person will take shelter of Sri Radha's feet and reside in Vrindavana. Thinking all scriptures that ignore Sri Sri Radha-Krishna a useless waste of time, glowing with love for Sri Radha's lotus feet, performing severe austerities, unconcerined about his material body, and friendly to everyone, a saintly devotee resides in the transcendental abode of Sri Vrindavana. (SVM 9.65-67)

Chanting the glories of the very sweet transcendental form and pastimes of Sri Radha, I happily live in Vrindavana without the slightest care or anxiety.(SVM 9.87)

Here in this forest of Vrindavana my heart has become enchanted by the youthfulness, expert skill in the art of transcendental amorous pastimes, ever new and splendid beauty, shyness, playful smiles, playful crooked sidelong glances, playful graceful motions, very beautiful and splendid fair complexion that makes the beholder become overwhelmed with transcendental bliss, and charming transcendental sweetness of Sri Radha. When, because of seeing the forest of Vrindavana with perfect cleariness, will my heart, jubilant with the sweet nectar of transcendental bliss and overwhelmed with ecstatic pure love, become plunged in the golden, shoreless ocean of the sweetness and beauty of Sri Radhika's transcendental form and pastimes, which is filled with gracefulness, youthfulness, and charm, and which is the thief that has stolen the heart of Sri Krishna. (SVM 10.8-9)

When will I become completely charmed by Sri Radha's transcendental form and qualities? When will the graceful dancer of devotional service to Sri Radha's lotus feet enter my heart? Sometimes his hairs standing erect, sometimes chanting the holy name of Radha in a broken voice, sometimes rolling about on the ground, and sometimes fainting a devotee overwhelmed with ecstatic love wanders in the forest of Vrindavana. (SVM 10.36-37)

All glories to a certain young goddess, who is filled with the ultimate sweetness of krsna-prema, and the waves of the glistening ocean of the splendor of whose transcendental limbs has broken the differences of the directions in Vrindavana. (SVM 10.44)

Filling all spiritual and material worlds with the splendor of Her transcendental limbs, and flooding every place with the sweetness of Her transcendental pastimes, a very beautiful teen-age girl, whose form is like a golden vine agitated with pure love for Lord Shyama, is splendidly manifest in Vrindavana's forest. Saintly theologians teach the graceful dance known as pure devotional service to the lotus feet of Sri Radha. By this dancing, whether a materialist like me, sinful or pious, blamed or praised, one may take shelter of Vrindavana, where Sri Radha is splendidly manifest. May I perform millions of wicked deeds. May I be filled with millions of wicked thoughts and millions of horrible, senseless material desires in the forest of Vrindavana, but may I never forget the holy name of Sri Radha. His heart fatally pierced by volleys of terrible poisoned cupid's arrows shot by the sweetness of Sri Radha's shy smiles and the pastimes of Her dancing sidelong glances and the sweetly graceful movements of Her transcendental body, a certain dark complexioned youth now staggers about in the forest of Vrindavana. May Sri Radhika's youthfulness, charm, virtues, talents, gracefully moving limbs, and beauty that floods all directions, appear in our hearts. (SVM 10.46-50)

Not associating with women or men attached to women, taking shelter of this holy place, remaining indifferent to all the dualities of material existence, and maintaining the body by eating only a few roots or whatever simple food is easily available, please place Sri Radha's lotus feet in your heart sweetened with splendid ecstatic love, and please pass your days and nights always chanting Her holy names in the forest of Vrindavana. (SVM 10.55)

All glories to the youthful splendor named Radha, which rests on th lap of a dark youth in Vrindavana forest, which has a glistening golden form plunged in the flooding ocean of transcendental beauty, and which with the nectar of ever-new transcendental love eclipses the glory of spiritual and material worlds. (

SVM 10.72)

Sri Radha is the supreme goddess of love. She is supreme in all spiritual and material worlds. Her lotus eyes fill Laksmi and all the goddesses with wonder. They pray for Her merciful glance. Lord Krishna is the supreme god of love. His amorous passion has no limit. He is supreme over all. A single ray of His splendor floods Lord Narayana in an ocean of happiness. (SVM 11.46)

One who is very fortunate worships Sri Radha's lotus feet, which are plunged in the great ocean of transcendental beauty, plunged in the great ocean of intense transcendental sweetness, plunged in the great ocean of golden splendor, and filled with the wonderful tinkling of colorful anklets and the great auspiciousness of the chest of the dark moon of Lord Krishna Go ahead and attain material or spiritual happiness! Attain all the kinds of liberation! Attain devotion to Lord Visnu! What is the value of these things? What are they in comparison to a tiny fragment of the happiness of serving Sri Radha's feet? (SVM 11.84-85)

A vine of pearls splendidly decorates the waterpot-breasts of Sri Radha. It is Her touch that gives these pearls their beauty. O beautiful-faced girl, your crooked dark eyes are now plunged into the crooked dark form of Lord Hari. The friendship of similar things is natural in this world. (SVM 11.92-93)

Vrindavana is the home of boundlessly wonderful and powerful transcendental pastimes. Vrindavana is filled with limitless mercy. Ho happiness is superior to happiness in Vrindavana. Without the merciful sidelong glance of Sri Radha no one has the power to do anything. I am the perfect example. I know that I suffer grievously because I have not attained Her mercy. Although Vrindavana is the source of transcendental bliss, my heart cannot find any hahppiness within it. O beautiful firl, I cannot for a moment look at Your beautiful smiling face. How can a kumuda flower find happiness without the moon? Are there not many very beautiful intelligent gopis here in Vrindavana? O Radha, I see only You. Where can a cakkora bird go if he turins from the moon? O Sri Radhika, if you are not merciful, then my mind and body will become racked with pain and I will quickly die of grief. For this reason please always cast Your glance of mercy on this person in Vrindavana. The girl named Sri Radha is the most exalted form of the goddess of fortune. Her lover is the most exalted form of the Supreme Personality of godhead. May the charming youthful divine couple, which enjoys the nectar of transcendental amorous pastimes in Vrindavana without beginning or end, be the object of my worship. With charming devotional service please eterinally worship charming Sri Sri Radha-Krishna, Who eterinally enjoy charming transcendental pastimes in the charming groves of charming Vrindavana forest. In a splendid transcendental body suitable for Radha's service, acting as a servant of Radha's feet, and pleasing the heart of Radha's lover, eterinally reside in Radha's forest. O beautiful-faced Radha, gazing into Your face makes my eyes blossom with happiness. The moon, which is the friend of the kumeda flowers, brings only happiness to th kumudas. (SVM 11.109-117)

I have firm faith in the worship of Sri Radha. My heart burins with pain and can find no peace. Except for the land of Vrindavana, what medicine is there to cure me? (SVM 12.1)

A certain young, golden, and sweet lotus-flower girl is splendid with charming and wonderful playfulness in the forest of Vrindavana. Wandering above that lotus the black-bee Krishna has now become intoxicated by drinking its nectar. I have now also become a bee and I have now landed on that flower's red lotus feet. O lotus-eyed Radha, why do You anxiously gaze to the east? Go to Your lover and remove His anxiety. O charming girl, is Your face not as splendid as millions of moons? O Radha, now that You have rejected Him with harsh words, Your charming lover, dressed in a disguise, has come outside Your place and with the voice of a cuckoo, sings Your glories. In your heart please see the splendor of Vrindavana's god of love, which Sri Sri Radhika-Madhava drink with the cupped hands of Their restless eyes. (SVM 12.21-24)

"Radha, why do You not show Me Your beautiful golden lotus face so charming with its knitted eyebrows? Why do You not show Me Your breasts which are the abode of the most wonderful beauty?" May Lord Hari who, in the forest of Vrindavana placed Radha on His lap, held Her chin, and gazed at Her face smiling with these jokes of love, appear before me. Sri Krishna said: "O Radha, I think of Your breasts and Your angry face with its knitted eyebrows as two golden lotus flowers above which hovers a swarm of black bees." Please meditate on the black stag Sri Radha has caught in the trap of love, and with whom She plays day and night in the forest of Vrindavana. Sri Radha is intoxicated by the sweetness of Vrindavana. She is intoxicated with extraordinary love. The sound of the name 'Krishna' makes Her wild with thirst to enjoy transcendental amorous pastimes. She is expert in the battlefield of love. I offer my respectful obeisances to the splendid dark parrot that stays on the unreachable top branches of the tall mango tree of the Upanisads, that pleases the gopis, and that with the wonderful ropes of intense love Sri Radha binds, forces to bow down, and pushes into the cage of Her feet. Please meditate on the wonderful, handsome, restless, dark parrot who, thinking them to be bimba fruits, bit the very sweet lips of Sri Radha. Let me take shelter of the walking tamala tree embraced by an amorous golden vine in the land of Vrindavana. O Radha, deep in Vrindavana forest You have stolen the jewel of my heart. Please give to me the sweetness of Your smile. I am your servant. She with face, eyes, breasts, hips, navel, feet, hands, and other limbs very wonderful, it filled with with new blossoms, splendid lotuses, playing deer, mountains, and riverbank beaches all very beautiful, She with a transcendental form restless with passion, it filled with flowering golden vines, She decorated with tinkling orinaments, it charming with the sweet warbling of many birds, She with a splendid face framed by beautifully glistening black braids, it the place where the beautiful Yamuna flows, She with lips very beautiful and words filled with currents of transcendental bliss, and it filled with swift and cooling streams, may Sri Radha and the forest of Vrindavana simultaneously and affectionately appear in my heart. (SVM 12.28-38)

This bumble bee will not fly to the beautiful blossoming malli flowers. He will not fly to the charming kalivalli flowers. He will not fly to the blossoming lotus flowers. He is not eager to taste the sweet fragrance of the malati flowers. He will not look at thsmiling vasanti flowers. O Radha, in this forest of Vrindavana He only flies to the lotus flower of Your feet. (SVM 12.53)

On Sri Radha, whose lips are beautiful even when not decorated with cosmetics, whose hands are like lotus flowers even when not anointed with kunkuma, whose glistening dark lotus eyes are very beautiful even when not anointed with mascara, whose long, smooth, glossy hair is very beautiful even when not combed or tied, and who, even without wearing any orinaments, is orinamented in the most beautiful way, please always meditate in this land of Vrindavana. When the fortunate devotees consider that Vrindavana is more dear to them than life itself, then Vrindavana is not difficult for them to attain. If, by the mercy of the great devotees in Vrindavana, they attain pure love, then the queen of Vrindavana will at once be easily attained by them. (SVM 13.5-6)

Exhausted by enjoying many pastimes in Vrindavana Forest, covered with drops of perspiration, and like a full moon if the moon could be decorated with beautiful strands of pearls, may Sri Radhika's lotus face protect you all. If a blossoming golded lotus flower illumined by the light of numberless hosts of splendid moons were to kill a black bumble bee, then I would compare that sight to the face fo Sri Radha in Vrindavana. Lord Hari takes in His fingers the red cosmetics touching Sri Radha's colorful jewel anklets and with awe and reverence places it over His heart. Please worship Vrindavana, where Sri Radha gracefully walks with Her soft and delicate feet. (SVM 13.23-25)

A great wonder shines in Vrindavana. It is two blossoming lotus flowers. It is two moons. It is two persons thirsting to taste sweet nectar in the other. One is the splendor of gold, and the other the glory of sapphire. Is this the crest-jewel of honey-drinking black bees staring at a golden lotus bud? At that moment Sri Radha smiled and shyly covered Her breasts. Please meditate on Her in Vrindavana in this way. (SVM 13.26-27)

Meditate on Sri Radha's beautiful face, which would be like the whorl of a golden lotus if the lotus had a row of pomegranate seeds, were splendid as millions of full moons (SVM 13.29)

Her hand waving away the bees greedy after the very wonderful sweet fragrance of Her beautiful transcendental form, and Her eyes blossoming with eageriness and bliss, Sri Radha walks along the paths in Vrindavana forest and enjoys transcendental pastimes with Her beloved. When my queen Radha becomes filled with jealous anger, and Her friends tell Her to refuse to talk with Him, stunned Lord Hari pleases Her by offering Her many flowers, fruits, and other gifts from Vrindavana forest. Let me glorify Vrindavana forest. When Sri Radha, the hairs on Her transcendental body erect in transcendental bliss, describes the many glories of Vrindavana forest, then the bumblebees stop singing, the female cuckoos no longer sound the fifth note, the parrot stops tracing his melody, the peacock dancer no longer calls out "keka", the embarrassed lute makes no sound, and the flute does not sing. Every day the parrots and then the gopi-maidservants happily recite Sri Radha's virut-poem splendidly glorifying Sri Vrindavana. When my queen made Her lover hear it, He became overwhelmed with bliss and love. I pray that my mind be always rapt in meditation on Sri Vrindavana. (

SVM 13.38-41)

May playful Sri Radha, whose kind and gentle smile reveals beautiful jasmine-bud teeth, who wears an exquisite blue silk garment decorated with splendidly colorful spots, and who is glorious in the charming forest groves filled with gunja and bumblebees, eterinally reside in my heart. May Sri Radha, who wears a string of splendid black gunja that once rested on Lord Krishna's neck, who has stolen the great treasure that is the heart of Lord Krishna who continually thirsts to enjoy transcendental pastimes with Her, who enjoys many loving transcendental pastimes in the charming forest groves, and who removes the host of sufferings sprung from the lack of devotion to Her, become manifest in my heart. May Sri Radha, whose face is moonlight drunk by the cakora birds of Lord Krishnacandra's eyes, who is the personified Deity of transcendental love, who is maddened with amorous passion, who wears a garland of splendid golden campaka flowers that attract swarms of restless bees, and who shines with transcendental splendor, bring peace to my suffering heart. (SVM 13.72-74)

In my heart I meditate on Sri Radhika, who, as the autumn moon shines brilliantly, Her form camouflaged with sandal paste, a necklace of pearls, and newly washed white garments, is very eager to meet Her lover in Her own forest garden of jasmine flowers. May Srimati Radhika who, passionately yearining to meet Lord Madanamohana in the newly blossoming forest of Vrindavana, saw the wonderfully colorful forest, became at once stunned, Her feet unable to walk on the path, and had to be carried along by Her dear companion, appear in my heart. (SVM 13.96-97)

I pray that my mind may become a singing bumblebee in the dust of Sri Radhika's feet in the land of Vrindavana, where Lord Krishna eterinally enjoys transcendental amorous pastimes. (SVM 14.14)

If Radha lifts Her head and gently smiles, then of what use are the rising of the full moon or the forests of blossoming lotus flowers? If, pretending to wish to see the forest, She goes there, taking the hand of a gopi friend, then the night in beautiful Vrindavana forest becomes filled with nectar. This bumblebee is now drinking the honey of that blossoming golden lotus moving to and fro in the waves of the Yamuna. Radha, why do You smile? Should a great bumblebee not boldly take this honey in Vrindavana forest? O Radha, seeing this khanjana bird on the broad banks of the Yamuna, the khanjana baird of My eyes now wishes to go to the shore of Your thighs. Now that the handsome black bees are drinking the honey of the lotus flowers in Vrindavana, I have become filled with the desire to drink the honey of Your beautiful lotus face. Wonderfully decorated with colorful flowers, Sri Radha enjoys passionate amorous pastimes with a great bumblebee in the beautiful newly-blossoming groves of Vrindavana, which are filled with swarms of buzzing bees. (SVM 14.23-26)

"When you simply wish for Sri Radhika's protection, illusion at once flees in fear." O wretched heart, from where have you gotten these hundred feigned symptoms of ecstatic love, as real as a host of flowers imagined to float in the sky? (SVM 14.41)

I worship Radha who, hastily dressed, garments and orinaments in the wrong places, earrings swinging on Her cheeks, eyes moving restlessly, and flower orinaments falling from Her braided hair, not boubting Her friends, runs to drink the nectar of seeing Her beloved in glorious Vrindavana. When a gopi praises Vrindavana forest, Radha becomes overwhelmed. Dropping Her vina, not tying Her hair and belt, and not telling Her friends, She eagerly begins to run there, happily followed by the other gopis. (SVM 14.72-73)

I meditate on Sri Radha's splendid reddish lotus feet, which with melodiously tinkling anklebells walk on the golden pavements of Vrindavana. (SVM 14.97)

Because of ceaseless offenses to Sri Radha one falls into the ocean of suffering without hope of rescue. Only Vrindavana's merciful glance can rescue him. (SVM 14.100)

Please worship Sri Radha who, at first filled with jealous anger by the cruel words of Her friends, and then worshiped with sweet words Her lover sent through a messenger, now runs to Her lover's place in Vrindavana forest. The girl names Radha, who is the goddess of amorous weapons able to wound the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the goddess of beautiful, sweet, ecstatic transcendental love, who is the goddess of sweet transcendental pastimes, and who is the goddess that rules the life-breath of the prince of Vraja, awakens in Vrindavana forest. With the movements of Her eyebrows She creates millions of millions of Kamadevas. With Her playful words She creates millions of nectars. With the splendor of Her smiling face She creates millions of moons. With the splendor of Her transcendental limbs She creates millions of great oceans of the nectar of love. This is Sri Radhika, who enjoys transcendental pastimes with Her lover. She is the controller of my life. (SVM 15.5-7)

Making a crown of jewels and wonderful flowers, placing it and garlands, earrings, other orinaments, and a new peacock feather on the newly-arriving glistening monsoon cloud Krishna, some of Her friends told to stay far away and some initiated into a vow of silence, She runs, embraces Vrindavana's moon Krishna, and cries. May Sri Radha shine in my heart. May the most beautiful gopi, Sri Radha, who when the Lord of Her life arrived decorated with flowers from Candravali's forest garden, would not walk to embrace Him or move a finger or eye to recognize Him, protect us. I meditate on Sri Radha who, when Krishna said: "All of Vrindavana has attained the kindness of Your feet. Only with Your permission will I ever go to Candravali's house," wept, and when Her forcibly embraced Her, called out "No! No!" in a flood of distressed words. Even as the moon faded, the sun shone brightly, the tumultuous sounds of the birds filled all directions, and Her friends gathered in the doorway, trembling, shy Sri Radhika did not retreat from Lord Krishna's passionate embrace in the cottage of vines in Vrindavana forest. (SVM 15.10-12)

Dressed in wonderful garments and orinaments, dancing with wonderful grace, Her small golden bells jingling, Her bracelets and anklets tinkling, and Her graceful gestures full of charm, Srimati Radhika fills her friends, Lord Hari, and the entire forest of Vrindavana with wonder. I meditate on Sri Radhika who, wonderfully dressed, wonderfully decorated with wonderful jewels and wonderful rings and necklaces, and Her braided hair set with wonderful and splendid lotus garlands, with wonderful grace and charm dances with Her partner, who is wonderfully decorated with a peacock-feather crown, in the circle of the rasa dance. (SVM 15.14-15)

In Vrindavana forest a sweet and inconceivably glorious goddess is hidden. Please humbly bow before Her with folded hands. Worship Her with splendid and fragrant blue flowers. Circumambulate Her and bow down before Her. In with love in your heart you carefully keep the blissful treasure of pure devotional service, then I will tell you the truth: sometimes when Krishna sweetly places the vine of His arm around Radha's neck, She responds with "No! No!" I shall tell you a mantra that is hidden from all the Vedas and not manifested anywhere in the most confidential scriptures. When a person chants this mantra the great spiritual perfections come before his feet and the opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead stand in his hand. For a person who chants this mantra there are no orders or prohibitions. A person who understands the dust of this mantra's lotus feet purifies they who know the rules of the Vedas. This mantra is the sweetest nectar. It is the auspiciousness of all auspiciousness. It is filled with all limitless wonderful glory. It is the attainment of all attainments. It is the ultimate goal of all goals. It is the wild bliss of all wild blisses. They say it is the secret of all secrets. Without thinking of anything else, day and night chant this mantra: Radha. This mantra is a flood of sweetness churined from the sweetest nectars. It is a precious flood of the wild sweetness of the bliss of pure love. O fortunate one, who understands us? Who understands the meaning of this mantra that is a flood of bliss flowing into the heart? (SVM 15.71-76)

Carefully instructing Her friends, as a practical joke She hid. Then, in the dear middle of the night, passionate Lord Hari ran here and there looking for Her as She laughed. All glories to Radha's outrageous, playful, wonderful, amorous joke! In a dream You see Yourself in Vrindavana forest enjoyed by the crown of heroes. Now Your body is troubled with desire for that rare Deity. Although You do not notice Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead of whom You ask now stands before You. "My arrogant friends are now staring through the window in this forest-cottage. O beloved, O master of all heroes, act quickly! Put out all the jeweled lamps! Draw the curtains! If You have not lost all Your powers, do it!" May these words of Srimati Radha protect your ears. "O Radha, O generous one, please sprinkle on Me the gift of Our amorous pastimes. Let Your friends say: Now let us leave this forest." I meditate on these requests Lord Murari spoke to Srimati Radha as She leaned against His chest in the groves of limitless Vrindavana. My lover is always tormented with amorous desires. Lalita, her friends, and many other girls have given their instructions. O My virtuous maidservant, you tell Me: What should I do? All glories to the advice she gave Srimati Radha on the forest-path! (SVM 15.79-80)

"A proud and jealous girl is glorious in this world. O friend, girls that are not proud before their lover are wretched." When these proud words from Her dear friends entered Her ears, they pierced Her heart and made it tremble. (SVM 15.89)

Brahma-Samhita

"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who resides in His own realm, Goloka, with Radha, who resembles His own spiritual figure and who embodies the ecstatic potency [hladini]. Their companions are Her confidantes, who embody extensions of Her bodily form and who are imbued and permeated with ever-blissful spiritual rasa." B.S. 5.37


Sri Caitanya Caritamrita of Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami
C.C. Adi 1.6
Desiring to understand the glory of Radharani's love, the wonderful qualities in Him that She alone relishes through Her love, and the happiness She feels when She relishes the sweetness of His love, the Supreme Lord Hari, richly endowed with Her emotions, appears from the wonb of Srimati Sacideve, as the moon appears from the ocean.

The essence of the hladini potency is love of God, the essence of love of God is emotion [bhava], and the ultimate development of emotion is mahabhava.
Sri Radha Thakurani is the embodiment of mahabhava. She is the repository of all good qualities and the crest jewel among all the lovely consorts of Lord Krishna.
Of these two gopis [Radharani and Candravali], Srimati Radharani is superior in all respects. She is the embodiment of mahabhava, and She surpasses all in good qualities. (Ujjvala-nilamani 2)
Her mind, senses and body are steeped in love for Krishna. She is Krishna's own energy, and She helps Him in His pastimes.[Adi 4.68-71]

Lord Krishna made Srimati Radharani close Her eyes in shame before Her friends by His words relating Their amorous activities on the previous night. Then He showed the highest limit of cleveriness in drawing pictures of dolphins in various playful sports on Her breasts. In this way Lord Hari made His youth successful by performing pastimes in the bushes with Sri Radha and Her friends. [B.r.s. 2.1.231] (CC Adi 4.117)

Adi 4.214-221
Among the gopis, Srimati Radhika is the foremost. She surpasses all in beauty, in good qualities, in good fortune, and above all, in love.
Just as Radha is dear to Lord Krishna, so Her bathing placed [Radha-kunda] is dear to Him. She alone is His most beloved of all gopis. (Padma Purana)
O Partha, in all the three planetary systems, this earth is especially fortunate, for on earth is the town of Vrindavana. And there the gopis are especially glorious because among them is My Srimati Radharani. (Adi Purana-Krishna to Arjuna)
All the other gopis help increase the joy of Krishna's pastimes with Radharani. The gopis act as instruments of Their mutual enjoyment.
Radha is the beloved consort of Krishna, and She is the wealth of His life. Without Her, the gopis cannot give Him pleasure.
Lord Krishna, the enemy of Kamsa, left aside the other gopis during the rasa dance and took Srimati Radharani to His heart, for She is the helper of the Lord in realizing the essence of His desires. (Gita-Govinda 3.1 - Krishna leaves rasa lila to search for Radha)
Lord Caitanya appeared with the sentiment of Radha. He preached the dharma of this age-the chanting of the holy name and pure love of God.
In the mood of Srimati Radharani, He also fulfilled His own desires. This is the principal reason for His appearance.

C.C. Adi 4.238-272
Once Lord Krishna considered with His heart: "Everyone says that I am complete bliss, full of all rasas. All the world derives pleasure from Me. Is there anyone who can give Me pleasure? One who has a hundred times more qualities than Me could give pleasure to My mind. One more qualified than Me is impossible to find in the world. But in Radha alone I feel the presence of one who can give Me pleasure. Although My beauty defeats the beauty of ten million cupids, although it is unequalled and unsurpassed and although it gives pleasure to the three worlds, seeing Radharani gives pleasure to My eyes. The vibration of My transcendental flute attracts the three worlds, but My ears are enchanted by the worlds of Srimati Radharani. Although My body lends fragrance to the entire creation, the scent of Radharani's limbs captivates My mind and heart. Although the entire creation is full of different tastes because of Me, I am charmed by the nectarean taste of the lips of Srimati Radharani. And although My touch is cooler than ten million moons, I am refreshed by the touch of Srimati Radhika. Thus although, I am the source of happiness for the entire world, the beauty and attributes of Sri Radhika are My life and soul. In this way My affectionate feelings for Srimati Radharani may be understood, but on analysis I find them contradictory. My eyes are fully satisfied when I look upon Srimati Radharani but by looking upon Me, She becomes even more advanced in satisfaction. The flutelike murmur of the bamboos rubbing against one another steals Radharani's consciousness, for She thinks it to be the sound of My flute. And She embraces a tamala tree, mistaking it for Me. 'I have gotten the embrace of Sri Krishna,' She thinks, 'so now My life is fulfilled.; Thus She remains immersed in pleasing Krishna, taking the tree in Her arms. When a favorable breeze carries to Her the fragrance of My body, She is blinded by love and tries to fly into that breeze. When She tastes the betel chewed by Me, She merges in an ocean of joy and forgets everything else. Even with hundreds of mouths I could not express the transcendental pleasure She derives from My association. Seeing the luster of Her complexion after Our pastimes together, I forget My own identity in happiness. The sage Bharata has said that the mellows of lover and beloved are equal. But he does not know the mellows of My Vrindavana. The happiness I feel when meeting Radharani is a hundred times greater than the happiness I get from meeting others

My dear auspicious Radharani, Your body is the source of all beauty. Your red lips are softer than the sense of immortal sweetness, Your face bears the aroma of a lotus flower, Your sweet words defeat the vibrations of the cuckoo, and Your limbs are cooler than the pulp of sandalwood. All My transcendental senses are overwhelmed in ecstatic pleasure by tasting You, who are completely decorated by beautiful qualities. (spoken by Lord Krishna to Radha, Lalita-Madhava 9.9 by Rupa Goswami)

Her eyes are enchanted by the beauty of Lord Krishna, the enemy of Kamsa. Her body thrills in pleasure at His touch. Her ears are always attracted to His sweet voice, Her nostrils are enchanted by His fragrance, and Her tongue hankers for the nectar of His soft lips. She hangs down her lotuslike face, exercising self-control only by pretense, but She cannot help showing the exterinal signs of Her spontaneous love for Lord Krishna. (Rupa Goswami thus describes the countenance of Srimati Radharani)

Considering this, I can understand that some unknown mellow in Me controls the entire existence of My captivator, Srimati Radharani. I am always eager to taste the joy that Radharani derives from Me. In spite of various efforts, I have not been able to taste it. But My desire to relish that pleasure increases as I smell its sweetness. I have appeared in the world to taste mellows. I shall taste the mellows of pure love in various ways. I shall teach devotional service, which springs from the spontaneous love of the devotees, by demonstrating it Myself with My pastimes. But these three desires have not been satisfied, for one cannot enjoy them in a contrary position. Unless I accept the luster of the ecstatic love of Sri Radhika, these three desires cannot be fulfilled. Therefore, assuming Radharani's sentiments and bodily complexion, I shall descend to fulfill these three desires. In this way Lord Krishna came to a decision. Simultaneously, the time came for the incarination of the age. At that time Sri Advaita was earinestly worshiping Him. Advaita attracted Him with His loud calls. First Lord Krishna made His parents and elders appear. Then Krishna Himself, with the sentiments and complexion of Radhika, appeared in Navadvipa, like the full moon, from the womb of mother Saci, which is like an ocean of pure milk.

Lord Krishna desired to taste the limitless nectarean mellows of the love of one of His multitude of loving damsels [Sri Radha], and so He assumed the form of Lord Caitanya. He has tasted that love while hiding His own dark complexion with Her effulgent yellow color. May that Lord Caitanya confer upon us His grace. (Caitanyastaka 2.3 of Rupa Goswami) C.C. Adi 4.275



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