Srila Rupa Goswami´s “Utkalika Vallari”

VERSE 5:

DADHATAM VAPUR AMSU KANDALIM
DALAD INDIVARA VRiNDA BANDHURAM
KRITA KANCANA KANTI VANCANAIH
SPHURITAM CARU MARICI SANCAYAIH

(O Krishna!) Your body radiates a lustre that defeats the beauty of blue Indivara-lotuses!
(O Radhe!) Your lustre defeats the shining of garlands of golden light-rays!

MANOJNA KANTIH (Enchanting Lustre):

Makaranda Kana Vyakhya by Srila Ananta das Babaji:

Prayer opens the shackles of grace. By the mercy of the presiding goddess of Vraja-vana, Vrinda-devi, a vision comes to Sri Rupa Gosvami – the great sweetness of the Yugala. In the following ten verses he will describe this. The best way of relishing the special sweetness of the Yugala is to accept the mood of a maidservant of Sri Radha. How great is the life of sadhana! Although Sripada is himself a direct associate of the Lord he relishes the sweetness of the Yugala by descending to the level of a sadhaka.
By performing sadhana himself he shows the perfect example of how Sriman Mahaprabhu’s surrendered devotees perform bhajana.
There was of course also Yugala-worship before Mahaprabhu descended, but not like this! After Mahaprabhu came hundreds of streams of Yugala-sweetness inundated all the directions.

Krishna lilamrita sara, tara sata sata dhara,
dasa dige bohe yaha hoite
se caitanya lila hoy, sarovara akhoy,
mana hamsa coraho tahate

(Caitanya Caritamrita)

“The essence of Krishna’s nectarean pastimes float in hundreds of streams in all ten directions. The pastimes of Sri Caitanya are a boundless lake. Make the swan of your mind swim there!”
This inexhaustible fountain of Yugala madhurya rasa springs from Sri Caitanya deva and His associates. Srimat Raghunatha dasa Gosvami has written:

anavedyam purvair api muni-ganair bhakti nipunaih
srute gudham premojjvala rasa phalam bhakti latikam
kripalus tam gaude prabhur ati kripabhih prakatayan
saci-sunuh kim me nayana saranim yasyati punah

“Will the son of mother Saci, who very mercifully revealed in Bengal the vine of devotion, which bears the fruits of ujjvala prema rasa (the flavours of amorous love) which is hidden in the Vedas and which was not previously known even to the wise men who were experts in devotion to God, cross the path of my eyes again?”

Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvatipada said:
“The sweetness of Vraja, and Sri Radha, the greatest shelter of the erotic mellow – they are the revelations of Sriman Mahaprabhu!

prema namadbhutarthah sravana patha gatah kasya namnam mahimnah
ko vetta kasya vrindavipina maha madhurishu pravesah
ko va janati radham parama rasa camatkara madhurya simam
ekas caitanya candrah parama karunaya sarvam aviscakara

(Caitanya Candramrita – 130)

“Who would have heard that prema is the highest goal of human life? Who would have known that the holy name is so glorious? Who would have been able to enter into the most confidential great sweetness of Sri Vrindavana? Who would have known about Sri Radha, who is the limit of the most astonishing sweetness and flavour? It is only by the topmost mercy of Sri Caitanya-candra that this was revealed!”

The Lord relished all these sweetnesses Himself and established His example in the world as the peak of the Sumera-mountain. Infusing His transcendental power into the acaryas He made them write different books that described this sweetness and that would make it easier for the living beings that are afflicted by the malices of Kali to enter onto the path leading to the relish of this most confidential Vraja-sweetness. This was His personal mission. When Srila Sanatana Gosvami wanted to commit suicide by throwing himself before the wheels of Lord Jagannatha’s chariot He told him:

tomara sarira amara pradhana sadhana;
e sarire sadhibo ami bahu prayojana
bhakta bhakti Krishna prema tattvera nirdhara;
vaishnavera kritya ara vaishnava acara
Krishna bhakti Krishna prema seva pravartana;
lupta tirtha uddhara ara vairagya sikshana
nija priya sthana mora mathura vrindavana
taha eto dharma cahi korite pracarana

(Caitanya Caritamrita)

“Your body is My main tool, through which I want to accomplish many things – ascertainment of the truth about the devotee, devotion and love for Krishna, the duties and codes of conduct of the Vaishnavas, the preaching of devotion to Krishna and the loving service of Krishna, the unearthing of the lost holy places and the teaching of dispassion. Mathura and Vrindavana are My own dearmost abodes. It is there that I want to preach this religion.”

The acaryas have personally relished the Vraja-sweetness and left their remnants in their books. These remnants can be relished by hearing and chanting the topics of their books – hence this discussion. They also encouraged us to become blessed by relishing this nectar by saying:
tomara e amrita pile saphala hoy srama (C.C.)
“My work will be successful when you drink this nectar.”

How merciful they are! How much they cared for the fallen souls! If we don’t understand it even now then when will we understand it?
By the grace of Sri Vrinda-devi Sri Rupa perceives the sweetness of the Divine Pair. A sweet brilliant dual light of blue and gold illuminates the world internally and externally like two lotusflowers in a lake of love – an Indivara (blue lotus) and a Hemaravinda (golden lotus). One shines like a fresh monsoon cloud, enchanting millions of Cupids and having a face more enchanting than the autumn moon. All the directions are turned into Indivara-lotusflowers by His bluish lustre and like full moons by His beautiful face. The other resembles the family-goddess of lustre, the female embodiment of sweet wealth and the golden lustre of Her body turns bluish Vrindavana into a golden Vrindavana.

Sri Rupa says: “He is even more enchanting than an Indivara-lotus and She is defeating the brilliant lustre of a golden lotus! How insignificant are blue lotuses and gold compared to Their lustre This is not a ray of light from a material luminary! Is it possible to compare this transcendental lustre with any mundane lustre? This light soothes the eyes, it does not hurt them! The eyes cannot see this light – this light sees the eyes and makes them see! When you see a material object you lose interest after some time, but this lustre is ever-more desirable. It is an ever-delightful lustre!” In Srimad Bhagavata Suka Muni says: “This is not mere lustre – it is lavanya saram!”
Srila Sanatana Gosvami comments on this: tat lavanyasya kanti kandali cakcikyasya sarah sreshthamso yatra tadrisam tat pracuryat tad rupam eva va (Vaishnava Toshani)
“It is like the essence of an abundance of lustre or lavanya, an ocean of lavanya (elegance).”
Therefore the comparisons with blue lotus flowers, fresh monsoon-clouds, molten gold and lightning-strikes are futile here. Then again, when They approach Each other Their lustre even increases unlimitedly:

yadyapi nirmala radhara sat prema darpana;
tathapi svacchata tara bade kshane kshana
amara madhuryera nahi badite avakase;
e darpanera age nava nava rupe bhase
man madhurya radha prema donhe hoda kori;
kshane kshane bade donhe keho nahi hari

“Although the mirror of Radha’s true love is spotless, still its clarity increases at every moment. There is no pause in the increase of My sweetness. Before this mirror it shines in ever-new forms. My sweetness and Radha’s love increase each other, and neither of them can accept defeat.”
The corona of this ever-new lustre is increasing at every moment and its waves inundate the eyes and mind of Sri Rupa Gosvami.

he vrindavanesvara, anga kanti indivara,
parama sundara giridhari.
he radhe hemangini, galita kancana jini,
dyotamana parama sundari.

“O Lord of Vrindavana, most beautiful Giridhari, Whose limbs shine like blue Indivara-lotuses!
O Golden-limbed Radhe! O most beautiful girl! You defeat even molten gold!”