VERSE 92 of Sri Sri Radha Rasa Sudhanidhi (Sripad Prabhodhananda Sarasvati)

May some indescribable adolescent girl, Who is the astonishing jewel of lady-loves,
Who meets with Her lover (Sri Krishna), a drop of the splendour of Whose single moon-like toe nail is desired for by millions of goddesses of fortune, Whose limbs are gladdened by the deep swelling ocean of sweet passionate love full of ever-increasing dignity, Whose prowess is inaccessible even to Lord Brahma, accept me by giving me Her mercy!
RASESVARI, THE QUEEN OF THE RASA DANCE:

Commentary by Srila Ananta das Babaji:

The rasa nayikas (the heroines of the Rasa-dance) meet with Rasa Rasika (Krishna, the taster of the Rasa-dance), speaking, laughing and joking with Him with great love, after which they commence the Rasa-dance: natair grihita kanthinam anyonyatta kara sriyam; nartakinam bhaved raso mandalibhuya nartanam “The Rasa dance is a sweet dance in which the male and female dancers stand in a circle, holding hands.”

The poet Jnana Dasa sings:

vraja ramanigana, heri harashita mana, nagara natavara raja
natana vilasa, ulasa hi nimagana, caudike ramani samaja
yuthe yuthe mili, kare kara dharadhari, mandali raciya suthana
bajata vina, upanga pakhowaja, majha hi madhava kana
sarada sudhakara, gaganahi niramala, kanane kusuma vikasa
kokila bhramara, gaowe ati sundara, amala kamala parakasa
heri heri, phiri phiri, bahu dharadhari, nacata rangini mili
jnana dasa kohe, nagara rasamoya, kore koto kautuka keli

“The girls of Vraja see the king of dancers, their lover, with blissful minds. They are absorbed in the blissful pastimes of dancing, surrounding Him on all sides. They meet in groups, holding each other’s hands and forming a nice circle around Madhava, playing Vinas, upangas and pakhawajas (different stringed instruments). The clear sky is filled with the autumnal full moon and the flowers in the forest are blossoming. The cuckoos and the bees sing very beautifully and the spotless lotus flowers are opening. Looking and looking, turning and turning, holding each other’s arms, these playful girls dance together. Jnana Dasa sings: “How many blissful pastimes Rasamaya Nagara (Krishna, the lover who is full of flavour) performs!”

Sripada, in his kinkari-form, sees that the Rasa-circle is pervaded by limitless beauty: gopi-krishna-gopi-krishna. How astonishing is the meeting of the naturally sweet gopis with enchanting Syamasundara! They are bhava, prema, rasa and beauty personified. Sripada fixes his (her) mind on Radharani:
mandali-bandhe gopigana korena nartana; madhye radha saha nace vrajendra-nandana. (C.C.)
“The gopis dance in a circle, and in the middle of that circle the prince of Vraja dances with Radha.”

Sripada cannot find any comparison to Radharani’s beauty, that covers over the beauty and sweetness of all the other assembled gopis. Then he looks at Radharani’s moonlike toenails and thinks: “even a drop of the beauty of these toenails cannot be attained by the other gopis, what to speak of millions of goddesses of fortune from Vaikuntha?”

Sripada sees that: unmaryada pravriddha pranaya rasa mahambhodhi gambhira lila madhuryojjrimbhitangi: Her body is gladdened by the sweet pastimes coming from a deep ocean of great love called pranaya rasa, that is constantly flooding its own shores.” The word pranaya rasa means anuraga. In the stage of pranaya the lover and beloved cannot see anymore difference between each other’s bodies, minds, intelligence and hearts, and thus Radha dances the Rasa with Krishna without hesitation. This pranaya rasa is not possible with Candravali and her group. Srila Rupa Gosvami teaches in ‘Ujjvala Nilamani’ (Sthayi 66):

nijam agharipunamse nyastam akrishya savyam bhujam iha nidadhanad aksham asrokshitakshi
pada-yugam api bankam sankaya vikshipanti prati yuvati vayasyam smerayamasa gauri

“Candravali carefully takes Her left arm from Krishna’s shoulder while they are dancing in the Rasa-festival, and embraces Him with her right arm instead. Carefully and crookedly she moves both her feet, being afraid she will hit Krishna’s feet while they dance. Seeing this, Radha’s friend Gauri smiles.” Nobody can really please Krishna with such careful and respectful behaviour. anuraga, or deep thirst for prema-rasa, is amply present in the very sweet and tasty Rasa-festival.

sadanubhutim api yah kuryan nava navam priyam
rago bhavan nava navah so’nuraga itiryate

(Ujjvala Nilamani, Sthayi 102)

“When the thirst for the beloved becomes so deep, that he becomes ever more dear at every moment, although that is already constantly experienced, it is called anuraga.” unmaryada can also mean that Radhika is endowed with the greatest honour, which is constantly increasing.
Srila Rupa Gosvami describes that in his invocation of ‘Dana Keli Kaumudi’ (2):

vibhur api kalayan sadabhivriddhim gurur api gaurava caryaya vihinah
muhur upacita vakrimapi suddho jayati muradvishi radhikanuragah

“Although Radhika’s love for Murari is already allpervading, it is still always increasing; although it is vast, it is free from all reverence and dignity, and although it is crooked, it is always pure. All glories to that love!” Because of the inconceivable potency of that love, all kinds of contradictory qualities can take shelter of it. Sri Radhika’s limbs are always gladdened by the waves of this sweet and deep ocean of anuraga, and She always keeps Rasaraja (Krishna, the king of relishers) swimming on the waves of that ocean of ecstasy.

sakhigane parivrita, vrishabhanu raja suta,
rasesvari radha thakurani
yugala madhura rupa, kama ratigana bhupa,
kanta saha kanta kulamani

“When She’s surrounded by Her girlfriends, Vrishabhanu’s princess Radha is the Queen of the Rasa dance. She is the jewel of all ladyloves as She forms a sweet couple with Her gallant Krishna. Together They look just like Kama (Cupid) and his wife Rati.”

pramodara padapadma, padma koti sampad,
padanakhe kotindu vilasa
yahara kaumudi kana, narayanera priyatama
lakshmi koti kore abhilasha

“Pramoda’s (Radha’s) lotus feet are a treasure of millions of lotus flowers, and millions of moons play in Her toenails. One drop of moonlight from these toenails are desired for by millions of goddesses of fortune, the wives of Lord Narayana.”

madhavira manohara, hema kanti kalevara,
pravriddha pranaya rasambudhi
nigudha gambhira lila, madhurya tarange ala,
sarva keli kalara avadhi

“Madhavi’s enchanting golden shining body is an expanding ocean of praAaya rasa (loving flavours). She’s the limit of all loving playfulness, swimming in the waves of sweet intimate and deep pastimes.”

he varaja kisori mani, maha subha kshana tumi,
lila ranga hoite eka bara
prabodhanandete bhane, mora prati nija gune,
kripa ranga koro angikara

Sri Prabodhananda says: “O Jewel of Vraja’s adolescent girls! at one auspicious moment You should once accept me in Your merciful pastimes, with Your own qualities.”