Vilapa Kusumanjali, verse  16

PĀDĀBJAYOS TAVA VINĀ VARA DĀSYAM EVA
NĀNYAT KADĀPI SAMAYE KILA DEVI YĀCE
SAKHYĀYA TE MAMA NAMO’STU NAMO’STU NITYAṀ
DĀSYĀYA TE MAMA RASO’STU RASO’STU SATYAM      

pādābjayoḥ – of the two lotus feet; tava – Your; vinā – without; vara – excellent; dāsyam – service; eva – only; na – not; anyat – else; kadāpi – ever; samaye – at any time; kila – certainly; devi – O Goddess!; yāce – I pray; sakhyāya – unto friendship; te – Your; mama – my; namaḥ – obeisances; astu – let there be; nama – obeisances; astu – let it be; nityaṁ – forever; dāsyāya – unto Your service; te – Your; mama – my; rasaḥ – spiritual flavour; astu – let there be; rasa – taste; astu – let it be; satyaṁ – truly.      

“O Goddess! I shall never pray to You for anything else but the excellent service of Your lotus feet! I offer my constant obeisances to the idea of becoming Your friend, but I really relish the idea of becoming Your maidservant!      

Commentary by Srila Ananta das Babaji:

The transcendental revelations do not fade away from Śrī Raghunātha dāsa. Svāminī stands before Tulasī and wants to offer her a friendly relationship, saying: “Tulasi! Please accept My friendship! You can become equal to Lalitā and the others and serve both Me and Śyāmasundara!” Tulasī then says: “O goddess! I don’t want anything else but the excellent service of Your lotus feet! I offer my obeisances to Your friendship! Let it stay on my head! I only want to serve You!”

 No one but Dāsa Gosvāmī is so fixed in that desire for Śrī Rādhā’s service! That should be our target! Such sincere eagerness cannot be found anywhere else! Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī is an eternally liberated maidservant of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, so he is the greatest authority, the ācārya of the (Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava) sampradāya (tradition) and by following in his footsteps one will surely attain this service. He gave the perfect example to the practising devotees with his sādhana-maya jīvana, his life, that was full of devotional practice. “I want to think of myself as a follower of the Gosvāmīs like Rūpa and Raghunātha dāsa. What can I do to accomplish that?” 

Hearing and chanting of the mahā vāṇī (great words) of Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī will awaken that identification as follower of Rūpa and Raghunātha. His very powerful words are even greater than the words of the Ṛṣis of yore, for these words are filled with the līlā-rasa of the most confidential Vraja nikuñjas to which even the great sages did not have access. The kiṅkarīs know even better how to attain Rādhārāṇī’s foot-service than Rādhārāṇī Herself! The six Gosvāmīs are all eternally perfect maidservants from the groves of Vraja, therefore it is required to follow in their footsteps. Śrī Raghunātha’s love can be understood through this Vilāpa. For this reason we are discussing Vilāpa Kusumāñjali.   

 Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī prays: “Hā devi! Please give me the excellent service of Your lotus feet!” This service is so excellent because it is completely free from shame and reverence, and it is very luscious. Such service cannot be found anywhere, but now it is given as a special token of mercy of Śrī Gaurasundara. Raghunātha dāsa is a nitya siddha kiṅkarī and the guru of the (Gauḍīya) sampradāya. 

The beautiful and sweet service of Śrī Rādhā is also most dear to us. Of all kinds of servanthood the servitude of Śrī Rādhā is the greatest. Although you are a sakhī, you are also a maidservant, adolescent in form and attributes, and qualified for the most intimate services. There is no other kind of servitude that can soothe the hearts of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas. The mañjarīs are actually taking part in the madhura rasa, but still it is servitude, for their service is within the scope of the madhura rasa— rūpa raghunātha pade hoibe ākuti;  kobe hām bujhabo sei yugala prīti? “When, will I, by following in the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa and Śrīla Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī, understand the love of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa?” (Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura) 

Rūpa and Raghunātha dāsa’s bodies are made from tip to toe of yugala ujjvala rasa, splendid consciousness of the Divine Couple. How eager their hearts were! How can one become absorbed in this splendid consciousness without being full of this yugala ujjvala rasa? Meditation on the Kāma gāyatrī-mantra is very helpful for entering into this mood. vṛndāvane aprākṛta navīna madana; kāma bīja kāma gāyatrī yāhāra upāsana (C.C. Madhya 8)

 “The transcendental youthful Cupid of Vṛndāvana (Kṛṣṇa) is meditated upon and attained by the Kāma gāyatrī-mantra which has the Kāma-bīja (seed of transcendental desire) joined to it.”

 He who makes the devotees forget the material world and who maddens them with His transcendental form, qualities and pastimes, is the transcendental youthful Cupid, and on Him we meditate (dhīmahi). gāyantaṁ trāyate yasmād iti gāyatrī: “That which liberates by being sung is a gāyatrī.” 

The worship with the Kāma-gāyatrī-mantra is meant to save us from material existence and to make our bodies, minds and life-airs fit for relishing the flavours of Rādhā-Govinda’s transcendental pastimes.   In his spiritual absorption Śrī Raghunātha dāsa submits to Svāminī’s feet: “Let me meditate how You overwhelm Śyāma with Your ecstatic plays in the kuñjas! When even You are unable to bring Him back to consciousness, You will need me”. 

During His loving pastimes in the kuñja Śyāma faints of ecstasy because of encountering the waves of Rādhikā’s vast mādana mahā bhāva, but Anurāgavatī (passionate Rādhikā) is not satisfied yet, so here some excellent service is required. Svāminī thinks: “Tulasi! I cannot break Priyatama’s swoon! Why don’t you please come?” Where else is such a confidential service to be found? Even Lalitā and Visākhā cannot attain this! This is the most excellent service! Rādhikā is called devi in this verse because She takes part in such playful sports.  

 Once the Divine Couple plays a game of dice for a wager. She who gives the most joy wins. Śyāma is defeated. On Rādhārāṇī’s indication the maidservant begins to deride Śyāma, saying: “Ohe! Don’t come here to play dice anymore! Better You go and herd the cows, understand? For cowherding You need a cow’s brain! You must have become like them because of too much association with them! Qualifications are indispensible! Go and play there where bodily strength is required! For this game You need some brain, You understand?! Don’t come here to play this game anymore!” 

Śyāma is embarrassed by these joking words. There’s no limit to Svāminī’s ecstasy! This is the most excellent service! What a sweet upāsanā (subject of meditation)! How can servitude ever be supreme? When it is anointed with the madhura rasa! Without being in madhura bhāva (a sweet spiritual mood) one can not enter into Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. Only those who know the feelings and the thoughts of Bhāvamaya and Bhāvamayī (all-emotional Rādhikā and Kṛṣṇa-candra) can enter into this. The maidservants don’t want Kṛṣṇa alone, not even in their dreams! They pray to Kṛṣṇa: “Please take me along wherever You plays Your loving pastimes – with Your Priyājī – so that I can engage in Your loving service!

Śrīmat Rūpa Gosvāmī says: The kāma rūpa rāga bhakti (rāgānugā-devotion in the erotic mood) is of two kinds: sambhogecchātmikā (devotion full of desire to enjoy with Kṛṣṇa personally) and tad bhāvecchātmikā (sakhībhāva): tad bhāvecchātmikā tāsāṁ bhāva mādhurya kāmitā (Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhuḥ 1.2.299). 

These devotees are finding more happiness in assisting Kṛṣṇa’s direct lady-lovers, like Rādhā and Candrāvalī, in meeting Kṛṣṇa than in meeting Him personally. Examples are sakhīs like Lalitā and Viśākhā. Their sthāyi bhāva  (intrinsic, permanent mood) is Kṛṣṇa-rati (love for Kṛṣṇa), and their suhṛt rati (love for the friend like Rādhārāṇī) is a sañcārībhāva, an infused mood. sañcārayanti bhāvasya gatiṁ sañcārino’pi te (B.R.S. 2.4.2). 

They love Kṛṣṇa first, and that love is infused in Rādhārāṇī. During pūrva rāga (beginnings of love), Śrī Rādhā met Lalitā and the sakhīs on the bank of the Kāliya-hrada. Because they had the same mood they became acquainted with each other that day, but when the gopīs saw the superiority of Śrī Rādhā’s love for Kṛṣṇa they wanted to become happy by arranging for Her meeting with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa then told His friend Subala: 

kāliya damana dina māha; kālindī kūla kadambaka chāho koto śata vraja nava bālā; pekhaluṁ janu thira vijurīka mālā tohe kahoṅ subala sāṅgāti; taba dhari hāma nā jāno dina rāti tahi dhanī-maṇi dui cāri; tahi mana mohinī eka nārī so rahu majhu mone paiṭhī; manasija dhūme ghume nāhi diṭhi anukhana tahika samādhi; ko jāne kaichana viraha veyādhi dine dine kṣīna bhelo dehā; govinda dāsa koho aiche nava lehā   

“How many hundreds of Vraja-gopīs didn’t I see under the shade of the Kadamba-tree on the bank of the Yamunā on the day I subdued the Kāliya-snake? I tell you, O friend Subala! Then (I was so startled that) I didn’t know whether it was day or night! Amongst them there were about two or four jewel-like girls, and among them there was again one particularly mind-enchanting girl. She entered My mind and the resultant smoke of Cupid did not allow me to sleep anymore. I am now constantly meditating on Her; who knows how the pain of separation feels? My body becomes skinnier and weaker every day.” Govinda dāsa says: “Such are the ways of new, young love!” 

 Śrīmatī showed similar loving attachment when She first saw Śyāmasundara:  

dekhiyā nāgara śiromani; nā jāniye divasa rajanī  ki hoilo marame vyathā; kāhāre kohibo kothā sakhi! ki āra puchasi more; marama kohiluṁ tore yadi se milaye moya; tabe se saphala hoy nahile nā jīva āra; tohāre kohiluṁ sāra   

“When I saw this crown-jewel of lovers I did not know anymore whether it was night or day (out of ecstasy). Who can I tell about My heartache? O sakhi! What more do you want to know? I told you what’s on My heart! When He will meet Me, then I will feel fulfilled, and if not then I cannot live anymore! This is definite!”   

 

The sakhīs like Lalitā and Viśākhā are getting more ecstasy from establishing the meeting of the anurāgī eager Couple Rādhā and Mādhava than from meeting with Kṛṣṇa themselves, and in this way their love has become known as tad-bhāvecchātmikā-love. Still, Śrī Rādhā sometimes desires to give them the position of nāyikā (lady-love of Kṛṣṇa), but, although the mañjarīs are also a kind of sakhī, they never accept such a role! The mañjarīs (buds) enhance the beauty of a flower (gopī), but are never separately enjoyable to the blackbee (Kṛṣṇa). Lalitā and the sakhīs have sama sneha (equal love for Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa), but the mañjarīs are rādhā snehādhikā (they have more love for Rādhikā). This kind of love is called bhāvollasa. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī states in his ‘Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhuḥ’ (2.5.128) :   

sañcāri syāt samonā vā kṛṣṇa-ratyāḥ suhṛd ratiḥ  adhikā puṣyamānā ced bhāvollāsa itīryate     

“When the sakhīs love Rādhā (suhṛd ratiḥ) as much as or less than Kṛṣṇa, then their sañcārībhāva is called Kṛṣṇa rati. But if they love Rādhikā more, then it is called bhāvollāsa rati.” The mañjarīs are endowed with this bhāvollāsa rati. Śrīla Rāmāi Ṭhākura inquired from Śrīmatī Jāhnavā Ṭhākurāṇī about this bhāvollāsa rati:  

ṭhākura kohe – āge kṛpā kori koho; bhāvollāsā rati kothā āmāre śunāho jāhnavā kohena – bāpu! śona sāvadhāne!;  bhāvollāsā rati mātra hoy vṛndāvane vṛndāvana sthāna se devera agocara; yāhā vilasaye nitya kiśorī kiśora śrī rūpa mañjarī āra śrī rati mañjarī; sevānande magna rahe divā vibhāvarī bhāvollāsā rati mātra ihā sabhākāra; duhu sukhe sukhī kichu nāhi jāne āra rādhā-Kṛṣṇa sevānande sadā kāla hare; ānanda sāgare tārā sadāi vihare śrīmatīra samā sabe deha bheda mātra; eka prāṇa eka ātmā sabhe rādhā-tantra   

“Rāmāi Ṭhākura said: Please tell me more about bhāvollāsa rati!” Mother Jāhnavā said: “Listen carefully, O son! Bhāvollāsa rati can only be found in Vṛndāvana!” Vṛndāvana, where Kiśora (adolescent Kṛṣṇa) eternally sports with Kiśorī (adolescent Rādhikā) cannot be perceived even by the demigods. Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī and Śrī Rati Mañjarī are absorbed in the ecstasy of devotional service day and night. They are all endowed with bhāvollāsā rati, and they are happy only when the Divine Couple is happy; they don’t know anything else but that. They are completely equal to Śrīmatī; only their bodies are different. They are one soul and one life-air and they are all controlled by Rādhā.”

 

One who wants to relish Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness to the utmost must take complete shelter of Śrī Rādhā. Śrīpāda Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī writes in Rādhā Rasa Sudhānidhiḥ (261): kvāsau rādhā nigama padavī dūragā kutra cāsau Kṛṣṇas tasyāḥ kuca mukulayor antaraikānta vāsaḥ “Where is Rādhā, who is hard to perceive by following the Vedas, and where is Kṛṣṇa, who always lives inbetween Her bud-like breasts?” Śrī Rādhārāṇī says: “If you want to see My Sundara (beautiful Kṛṣṇa) you must take full shelter of My lotus feet!” And why do the mañjarīs love Kṛṣṇa? Because He is Rādhārāṇī’s gallant! 

“Remember Kṛṣṇa in this Vraja forest as the Prāṇa-vallabha of my Svāminī! First Rādhā – then Śyāma! When Kṛṣṇa makes any trouble we’ll take Him by the hand and throw Him out of the kuñja! We are the maidservants of Rādhā!” 

Why do the kiṅkarīs love Kṛṣṇa? Because He is the lover of Rādhārāṇī!    Once, when Kṛṣṇa takes His supper in Nandīśvara, a kiṅkarī fans Him. Without being seen by others Śyāma keeps His hand on that kiṅkarī’s foot, as a means of asking her: “Will I meet My Dearest One or not?” That maidservant then places one toe on Śyāma’s hand, indicating that a meeting will be possible – that is the most excellent service! This is vara dāsya, the most excellent service! Nothing is done for personal happiness, everything is done for the pleasure of the Yugala! Although the mañjarīs are in the category of sakhīs they are servants because of their complete dedication to devotional service. The sakhīs may have a superior position in the pastimes, but the fortune of service is greater for the mañjarīs! They know Śrī Rādhikā’s innermost purpose and therefore they can perform their service without hesitation like no one else in the world.     

One day Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are intimately enjoying Themselves in a kuñja, and a mañjarī relishes the sweetness of these pastimes through a passage between the vines. It appears to the maidservant that there is some obstacle in Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, but They don’t notice anything out of ecstasy. The maidservant then notices that Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa got stuck to Each other with Their hair, so very carefully she enters the kuñja, so as not to disturb Them, and unravels the hairs, so that the amorous pastimes can continue again. Who else can perform such a clever, intimate service? Even Lalitā and the sakhīs don’t know! This is vara dāsya, the most excellent service, which is attained by chanting the name of Śrī Rādhā:  jaya jaya rādhā nāma, vṛndāvana yāra dhāma, kṛṣṇa sukha vilāsera nidhi (Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura, Prema Bhakti Candrikā) “Glory, glory to Śrī Rādhā’s name, that dwells in Vrndāvana and that is the jewel of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s blissful pastimes!”    

“O Rādhe! For attaining Your most excellent service I’m taking shelter of Your lotus feet, that even Śyāma holds to His chest for soothing His lust-afflicted heart!   

vṛndāvaneśvari tavaiva padāravindaṁ
premāmṛtaika makaranda rasaugha pūrṇam
hṛdy arpitam madhupateḥ smara tāpam ugraṁ
nirvāpayat parama śītalam āśrayāmi   

“O Queen of Vṛndāvana! I take shelter of Your cooling lotus feet, that are filled with all the nectar- honey of pure love, and that even Madhupati, the Lord of sweetness Śrī Kṛṣṇa, keeps to His heart to soothe His terrible lusty affliction!” (Rādhā Rasa Sudhānidhiḥ – 13)  

 

Śrī Rādhikā protects Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s senses, that’s why She is a GOPĪ (the verbal root ‘gup’ means ‘protecting’). Giridhārī does not feel the slightest distress while lifting Govardhana Hill. His pleasure potency stands before Him and solves everything. She’s made of the quintessence of the Cintāmaṇi jewel of mahā-bhāva, the pinnacle of love. In sandalwoodpulp or a Cintāmaṇī-stone there is no asāra, or useless refuse, but still Her mahā-bhāva is the sāra, or quintessence, of the Cintāmani-jewel of prema. The maidservants say: “Śyāma! Do You know why You’re so beautiful? Because Your Priyā is here!” 

rādhā saṅge yadā bhāti tadā madana mohanaḥ  anyathā viśvamoho’pi svayaṁ madana mohitaḥ   (Govinda Līlāmṛta 8.32)   

“When He shines with Rādhā, He is Madana Mohana, the enchanter of Cupid, but otherwise He is Himself enchanted by Cupid, although He enchants the whole world!”    

coḍi gopīra manoratha, manmathera mana mathe,  nāma dhare madana mohana    

“Mounting the chariots of the gopīs’ desires, He stirs even Cupid’s mind, hence He is called Madana Mohana.” 

(Caitanya Caritāmṛta) ballabī bhuja-latā baddhe manobhāvati brahmani mano me ramate “The supreme brahman delights my mind when it is bound by the vine-like arms of the cowherd girls.” Kṛṣṇa is very happy when someone calls Him Rādhā-sevaka (the servant of Rādhā), but almost nobody says this. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is so much under Rādhā’s control that He is willing to give everything to those who serve Her. Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī writes (Rādhā Rasa Sudhānidhih 155):   

anulikhyānantān api sad aparādhan madhupatir
mahā premāviṣṭas tava parama deyaṁ vimṛśyati
tavaikaṁ śrī rādhe gṛṇata iha nāmāmṛta rasaṁ
mahimnaḥ kaḥ sīmaṁ spṛśatu dāsyaika manasām     

“O Śrī Rādhe! Madhupati (Kṛṣṇa) cancels innumerable offenses of anyone who even once relishes the nectarean spiritual flavour of Your name, and in great ecstasy He considers what is the greatest gift He can give to such a person. Who can then imagine the glories of someone whose mind is fixed on becoming Your maidservant?”

Śrīla Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī says: “I don’t want anything else but Your excellent service! If I am not qualifed for Your service, then please at least make me attached to this aspiration, so that one day I may get it.” 

dāsyāya te mama raso’stu raso’stu satyaṁ: “Let me truly have eager spiritual thirst for Your service!”

Śrī Rasika-Candra Dāsa sings:     

tomāra caraṇa padma,
prema bhakti rasa sadma
dāsī bhāve sevā vinā tāra
jīvane maraṇe hāya,
mone mora nāhi cāya,
sakhītvādi anya kichu āra    

“Your lotus feet are the abode of loving devotion. In life or in death, I don’t want anything else but a service-mood towards them!
I don’t want friendship with You or anything else!”    

nā jāni sakhyera guṇa,
tāi devi punaḥ punaḥ
tava sakhye mora namaskāra
yadi bolo lajjā pāi,
sakhītvere nāhi cāi,
kintu mone vāsanā tāhāra.

śuno devi nivedana,
se lālasā kadācana,
nāhi uṭhe āmāra hṛdaya
tava dāsya rase mora,
sadā mone rahu bhora
ei satya jānibe niścoy

“I don’t know the qualities of friendship, therefore, O Devi, I offer my obeisances to it again and again! And if You say: “You don’t want My friendship just because You’re shy, but you actually desire it within your mind!”, then listen, O Devi, to my petition: “This desire has never arisen in my heart! My mind is always filled with dāsya rasa, that You should know for sure!”