Śrī-Śrī Prema Pūrābhidha stotram – “Praises like a stream of love”
(Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī)

VERSE 2:

SMARA GṚHAM AVIŚANTI VĀMYATO DHĀMA GANTUṀ
SARAṆIM ANUSARANTĪ TENA SAṀRUDDHYA TŪRṆAM
BALA SABALITA KAKKVĀ LAMBHITĀNTAḤ SMITĀKṢĪ
KṢAṆAM API MAMA RĀDHE NETRAM ĀNANDAYA TVAM

O Rādhe! Being unsubmissive, You once refuse to enter into Cupid’s abode and You turn around to go home, but then Kṛṣṇa quickly and forcibly stops You and brings You back, while pitifully praying to You. Please delight my eyes for just a moment, while Your eyes respond by smiling at Him!

Commentary by Srila Ananta das Babaji:

When the vision disappears Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa is very upset. His heart is still absorbed in the sweetness of abhisārikā Śrī Rādhā’s sweet form, which he humbly thinks is very difficult to attain. Therefore he lets Her know with an anxious heart that he wants to see Her sweet form again, be it even for just a moment.
It is said of Kṛṣṇa’s form that puruṣa yoṣita kibā sthāvara jaṅgama; sarva cittākarṣaka sākṣān manmatha madana (C.C.) “Men and women, mobile and immobile, He attracts everyone’s hearts, being the enchanter of even Cupid!”

Enchanted by His form the Vraja-gopikās are saying: akṣanvataṁ phalam idam na paraṁ vidāmaḥ (Bhāg. 10.21.7) “We do not know of any greater fruit for those who have eyes than the sight of Kṛṣṇa!”
They also say: trailokya saubhagam idam ca nirīkṣya rūpaṁ yad go-dvija druma mṛgāḥ pulakāny avibhran (Bhāg. 10.29.40) “O dearly beloved one! Seeing Your form, which is most beautiful within the three worlds, even the deer, birds and trees are studded with goosepimples of ecstasy!”

Even Kṛṣṇa Himself is astonished when He sees His own beauty: vismāpanaṁ svasya ca (Bhāgavata 3.2.12). rūpa dekhi āpanāra kṛṣṇera hoilo camatkāra (C.C.).
But even this endlessly beautiful and sweet Kṛṣṇa is highly astonished and enchanted by Śrī Rādhikā’s sweet form, so it is not so astonishing that the maidservants, who have given their lives to Her, are so upset when they are deprived of the relish of Her sweet form.

Such an anxious desire to see the sweet form of Rādhārāṇī should also awaken to some extent within the hearts of the mañjarī-bhāva sādhakas.
This eagerness will gradually reveal higher and higher ecstasies of love within the hearts of the sādhakas. All sādhakas that anxiously do bhajan with the passionate desire within their hearts to experience the sweet form of their beloved deity will swiftly be blessed with Her compassion.
While Śrī Raghunātha dāsa thus cries out of lack of experience, the previous verse’s pastime appears before his spiritualised eyes.

Vṛndā and Subala have taken abhisārikā Śrīmatī to the gate of the kuñja where Kṛṣṇa is anxiously waiting for Her, but when Śrīmatī sees Kṛṣṇa inside, She becomes unsubmissive and turns around to return home, asking Vṛndā and Subala: “Why have you brought Me here?” How sweet is Her mood, with which She makes Her beloved relish the most wonderful flavours!

gopīgaṇa madhye śreṣṭhā rādhā ṭhākurāṇī; nirmala ujjvala rasa – prema-ratna khani
vayase ‘madhyamā’ teṅho – svabhāvete ‘samā’; gāḍha prema-bhāve teṅho nirantara ‘vāmā’
vāmya svabhāve uṭhe ‘māna’ nirantara; uhāra vāmye uṭhe kṛṣṇera ānanda sāgara

(Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya 14)

“Of all the gopīs, goddess Rādhā is the greatest. She is a mine of jewels of love and splendid spotless mellows. She is of ‘madhyamā’-age (early puberty) and Her nature is ‘samā’ (equipoised). Because of Her deep love She is constantly opposed to Kṛṣṇa, and that unsubmissive attitude creates an ocean of bliss for Him.” Just as many kinds of valuable gems are dug from a mine, there are also many kinds of jewels of ecstatic love dug from the jewelmine of transcendental flavours, Śrī Rādhārāṇī. Because each bhāva is born from Her mādanākhya mahā-bhāva, Śrī Rādhā’s vāmya-bhāva is also able to make waves on the ocean of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s bliss. Although Kṛṣṇa is the Original Personality of Godhead and the Supreme Lord of all the worlds, He is still controlled by love – that is the great sweetness amidst His vast display of prowess. All of Rādhārāṇī’s limbs are composed of mādana mahā bhāva, the essence of love of God, and therefore Her loving movements control Kṛṣṇa the most.”

Kṛṣṇa becomes enchanted by the sweet feelings Rādhikā shows as soon as She turns back and wants to return home, and in a bewildered and greedy state He stops Her and begs Her to enter the kuñja with Him anyway. Many deep emotions appear on Rādhikā’s beautiful face because of Kṛṣṇa’s endeavours and She tells Him: “Go out of the way! I’m a married girl!” Kṛṣṇa sees that Śrīmatī is externally unsubmissive, but that in Her heart She desires Him, so He forcibly grabs Her hand and brings Her back to the playgrove. Although Śrīmatī’s mouth says: “No! No!”, the twinkle in Her eyes and Her slight smile show the actual desires of Her heart. This external sign of anger and pain and internal desire is called kuṭṭamita bhāva.

stanādharādi grahaṇe hṛt prītāv api sambhramāt
bahiḥ krodhā vyathitavat proktaṁ kuṭṭamitam budhaiḥ

(Ujjvala Nīlamaṇi)

“Although the heroine enjoys it when the hero kisses Her lips or grabs Her breasts She externally shows signs of pain and anger. The learned call this kuṭṭamita bhāva.”

Śrī Raghunātha dāsa, in his kinkarī-form, is in ecstasy as he sees this wonderful display of sweet ecstatic love by ecstatic love personified. Vṛndā, Subala and Rasarāja (Kṛṣṇa, the king of relishers) are also floating in an ocean of transcendental flavours. Suddenly Raghunātha dāsa’s vision disappears and, in external consciousness, He prays that He may see these sweet feelings of bhavamayī Rādhikā, even if it is just for a moment.

he śrī rādhe vinodini, vāmya vaśataḥ tumi,
vilāsa kuñje praveśa nā kori.
nija gṛhe gamanete, yokhon yābe se pathe,
śrī govinda bol prakāśa kori.

“O delightful Śrī Rādhe! Once, when You are overcome by feelings of opposition You refuse to enter into the playgrove and You want to go back home. At that time Śrī Govinda shows His strength.”

patha avarodha kore, praṇati minati kore,
nibe tomāy madana kuñjete
mṛdu madhura hāsya chole, punaḥ kuñje yābe cole,
amṛta chaḍāye pade pade

“He blocks Your path and humbly prays to You before taking You back to Cupid’s grove. Then, on the pretext of smiling sweetly and softly You shower nectar around at every step as You go back to the grove.”

he sundari! nivedana, daraśana kori dāna,
kṣaṇa kāla netra cakorere.
ānanda vidhāna koro, mahimā khyāpana koro,
e minati tuyā pada dhare.

“O beautiful girl! I pray to You: Reveal Yourself to my Cakora-bird-like eyes for just a moment! Make me happy by revealing Your glories to me; this is my humble prayer unto Your lotus feet!”