VERSE 13:

MADHUMAṄGALA NARMOKTI JANITA SMITA CANDRIKĀ
PAURṆAMĀSĪ BAHIḤ KHELAT PRĀṆA PAÑJARA SĀRIKĀ

38) Madhumaṅgala narmokti janita smita candrikā: She Who shows the moonshine of Her smile when She hears Madhumaṅgala’s joking words.
39) Paurṇamāsī bahiḥ khelat prāṇa pañjara sārikā: She is a playful She-parrot playing outside of the cage of Paurṇamāsī’s heart.

Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā:

As the 38th name of Śrīmatī, Śrīpāda Raghunātha says: madhumaṅgala narmokti janita smita candrikā – “She reveals the moonshine of Her slight smile when She hears Madhumaṅgala’s joking words. Śrī Madhumaṅgala is Kṛṣṇa’s dear-most friend, and he is humor personified:

īṣac chāmala varṇo’pi śrī madhumaṅgalo bhavet
vasanaṁ gaura varṇāḍhyāṁ vanamālā virājitaḥ
pītā sāndīpanir devo mātā ca sumukhī satī
nāndīmukhī ca bhaginī paurṇamāsī pitāmahī
vidūṣakaḥ Kṛṣṇa sakhaḥ śrī madhumaṅgalaḥ sadā

“Śrī Madhumangala,Kṛṣṇa’s clownish friend, looks slightly bluish, he wears a golden dhotī and has a garland of forestflowers around his neck. His father is named Sāndīpani Muni, his mother is the chaste Sumukhī, his sister is named Nāndīmukhī and Paurṇamāsī is his maternal grandmother”. (Gaṇoddeśa Dīpikā) vikrtāṅga vaco veṣair hāsyakārī vidūṣakaḥ: “A vidūṣaka (clown). always makes everyone laugh with his funny gestures, words and way of dressing.”

In the morning, when Kṛṣṇa takes His breakfast with His friends in His home Nandīśvara, Madhumangala causes waves of laughter (hāsya rasa): rohiṇī nandana, koroye bhojane, kānura ḍāhine bosi. vāmete subala, summukhe maṅgala, saghane uthaye hāsi “Rohiṇī’s son (Balarāma) is eating, sitting on Kṛṣṇa’s right side. Subala sits on His left, and Madhumaṅgala faces Him, making everyone laugh loudly.” Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī shyly places all the dishes in mother Rohiṇī’s hands, and takes the empty plates back from her. How beautiful are Her gestures as She walks in and out of the diningroom! She blushes of shyness and covers Her head, even Her forehead, with Her veil. While She hands Rohiṇī the dishes, She has takes a careful look at Kṛṣṇa and thinks: “Aha! How beautiful is My beloved!”

Śyāma also manages to cast some secret glances at Śrīmatī’s face. A slight moonshine smile appears on Svāṁinī’s moonlike face when She hears Madhumaṅgala’s joking words. The eyes of the Cakora-bird named Śyāma are completely absorbed in this vision. Śrīmatī makes similar moonshine-smiles when She hears Madhumangala’s jokes while She plays dice with Kṛṣṇa, when She is taxed by Him (the Dāna-līlā), when She picks flowers or when She plays with Kṛṣṇa in the water of Śrī Rādhākuṇḍa, thus quenching the thirst of the Kṛṣṇa-Cakora. Hence Her name is madhumaṅgala narmokti janita smita candrikā.

Śrīmatī’s 39th name is paurṇamāsī bahiḥ khelat prāṇa pañjara sārikā, the playful she-parrot that flies outside of the cage of Paurṇamāsī’s life-breath.

Paurṇamāsī is the mother of Sāndīpani Muni, and she is goddess Yogamāyā, who accomplishes the impossible, in very person. Before Kṛṣṇa advented Himself she had come to Vraja from Avantīpura to take part in Kṛṣṇa’s astonishing Vraja-pastimes. To increase the madhura or śṛṅgāra rasa of the gopīs, who are the pleasure potency of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, She creates a dream-like awareness in the eternally beloveds of Śrī Kṛṣṇa that they are married to different cowherdmen. In this way she nourishes the taste of Gopīnātha’s enjoyments with the gopīs. Basically the gopīs enjoy with Śrī Kṛṣṇa to nourish the variegated līlā rasa of Śrī Kṛṣṇa with mādanākhya bhāvavatī Śrī Rādhārāṇī.

rādhā saha krīḍā-rasa āsvāda kāraṇa; āra sab gopīgaṇa rasopakaraṇa (C.C.) – “The cause of Kṛṣṇa’s relish of līlā rasa is His play with Rādhā and the other gopīs all serve as sub-ingredients”

That Rādhārāṇī, whose viraha rasa Bhagavatī Paurṇamāsī can so expertly nourish, is the she-parrot in the cage of her heart. In other words, just as a parrot is reared and cherished in the protective cage, Bhagavatī Yogamāyā protects Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī from all trials and dangers in Her parakīya rasa. Of course, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the root potency of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and She needs no protection, but if just a drop of prowess (aiśvarya bhāva) would appear in Vraja-līlā the sweet, human-like atmosphere of Vraja would be spoiled, so Paurṇamāsī-devī is always standing by to protect Śrī Rādhā. Very carefully she keeps this tender and beautiful golden Sārikā-parrot in the cage of Her heart. When you see her thus always engaged in protecting Her, it seems as if Rādhārāṇī is a Sārikā parrot playing outside of the cage of her heart.

VERSE 14:

SVA GAṆĀDVAITA JĪVĀTUḤ SVĪYĀHAṄKĀRA VARDHINĪ
SVA GAṆOPENDRA PĀDĀBJA SPARŚA LAMBHANA HARṢIṆĪ

40) Sva gaṇādvaita jīvātu: She is the only life-support of Her friends and maidservants.
41) Svīyāhaṅkāra vardhinī: She increases the pride of Her friends and maidservants.
42) Sva gaṇopendra pādābja sparśa lambhana harṣiṇī: She is very happy when She can touch Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet with Her friends.

Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā:

Śrīmatī’s 40th name is sva gaṇādvaita jīvātuḥ – She is the only life-support for Her sakhīs and mañjarīs.

The sakhīs and mañjarīs have exclusive love for Śrī Rādhārāṇī. They only serve Kṛṣṇa because He is connected with Rādhā, not independently. They have exclusively given their hearts to Śrī Rādhārāṇī. They love Her more than millions of their own lives. She is the only medicine for their lives.

Śrī Rādhā has five kinds of girlfriends: sakhīs, priya-sakhīs, prāṇa-sakhīs, nitya-sakhīs, and parama preṣṭha sakhīs. These five are again subdivided in three kinds:

1) sama snehā, or those who love Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa equally, among the priya sakhīs this is Kuraṅgākṣī and among the parama preṣṭha sakhīs these are Lalitā, Viśākhā and others

2) asama snehā, those who love Kṛṣṇa a little more than Rādhā, like Dhaniṣṭhā, and

3) adhika snehā, these are the prāṇa sakhīs and nitya sakhīs, who love Rādhā more and are also known as mañjarīs.

Previously it was described how Śrī Rādhārāṇī is the very life of sakhī Dhaniṣṭhā, and it was also noted previously that Śrī Rādhārāṇī is the very life of Lalitā, Viśākhā and others. The rādhā snehādhikā mañjarīs, who are also known as prāṇa sakhīs and nitya sakhīs, love Rādhā the most, and for them, She is nondifferent from their very life-airs.

In Śrī Vṛndāvana Mahimāmṛta it is written:

kṣaṇaṁ caraṇa vicchedyāc chrīśvaryāḥ prāṇa hāriṇīm
padāravinda saṁlagna tayaivāharniśaṁ sthitām
bahunā kiṁ sva kāntena krīḍanty api latāgṛhe
paryāṅkā’dhi sthāpitāṁ vā vastrair vācchāditāṁ kvacit

“The mañjarīs lose their lives when they are separated from their Śrīśvarī’s lotus feet for even a moment, so they stay close to these lotus feet day and night. What more can I say, even when Śrīmatī plays with Her lover in the vine-cottage, She keeps Her maidservants with Her in the bed, and sometimes She covers them with Her sheet!”

The mañjarīs are totally surrendered to Śrī Rādhārāṇī, and they cannot live without Her.

Śrī Raghunātha has said himself in Vilāpa Kusumāñjali: tavaivāsmi tavaivāsmi na jīvāmi tvayā vinā; “O Rādhe! I am Yours, I am Yours! I cannot live without You!”

Such strong feelings of mine-ness towards Rādhārāṇī and such self-surrender cannot be found in anyone but the mañjarīs. Therefore Śrīmatī is named svagaṇādvaita jīvātuḥ.

Śrīmatī’s 41st name is svīyāhaṅkāra vardhinī – She who increases the pride of Her maidservants.

Śrī Narottama dāsa sings: abhimānī bhakti hīna, jaga mājhe sei dīna, vṛthā tāra aśeṣa bhāvanā (P.B.C.) – “Proud people have no devotion; they are the lowest people of the world. All their endless thoughts are wasted.”

Wherever there is pride, there can be no devotion, and therefore also no God, and where there is devotion there can be no pride. How is it then possible that Rādhārāṇī, who is the presiding goddess of love of God Herself, increases the pride of Her devotees instead of diminishing it? This is a logical question.The answer is: The pride of these devotees is not a product of the material modes of passion and ignorance, this is a svarūpa-bhūta (innate or transcendental) pride, created by deep love for Rādhārāṇī! They love Her more than millions of their own life-airs, and when they see Her great glories they become very proud. This is called ahaṅkāra here.

Śrīmat Rupa Gosvāmīpāda has written in ‘Utkalikā Vallari (42)’:

rāsārambha vilasati parityajya goṣṭhāmbujākṣī
vṛndaṁ vṛndāvana bhuvi rahaḥ keśavenopanīya
tvāṁ svādhīna priyatama pada prāpanenārcitāṅgīṁ
dūre dṛṣṭvā kim acirād arpayiṣyāmi darpam

“O Śrīmatī Rādhike! When, at the beginning of the Rāsa-dance, Keśava leaves all the lotus-eyed gopīs behind to take You to a lonely place in Vṛndāvana, You proudly order Him to dress and ornament You in different ways. When will I my heart become filled with pride when I see this from a distance?”

Śrīmatī is the crownjewel Kṛṣṇa’s lovers, therefore Her different glories constantly increase their ahaṅkāra. Thus She is known as svīyāhaṅkāra vardhiṇī.

Śrīmatī’s 42nd name is svagaṇopendra pādābja sparśa lambhana harṣiṇī – She who is very happy to touch Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet with Her girlfriends. Without the sakhīs the transcendental pastimes of Rādhā and Mādhava cannot be nourished.

vibhur ati sukha-rūpaḥ svaprakāśo’pi bhāvaḥ
kṣaṇam api na hi rādhā-Kṛṣṇayor yā ṛte svāḥ
pravahati rasa-puṣṭiṁ cid vibhūtīr iveśaḥ
śrayati na padamāsāṁ kaḥ sakhīnāṁ rasajñaḥ
(Govinda Līlāmṛta 10.17)

“Just as the allpervading Lord cannot be satisfied without His blissful cit-potency, so Radha and Kṛṣṇa’s great, self-manifest and blissful love cannot be nourished without Their girlfriends. Which man of taste will not take shelter of these girlfriends?”

sakhī vinu ei līlā puṣṭi nāhi hoy; sakhī līlā vistāriyā sakhī āsvādoy (C.C.) – “Without the sakhīs these pastimes cannot be nourished. The sakhīs expand these pastimes and the sakhīs make them relishable.”

Therefore Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is happy to touch Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet together with Her friends.
Another meaning of the name svagaṇopendra pādābja sparśa lambhana harṣiṇī is svagaṇasya yad upendra pādābja sparśa lambhana tena harṣiṇī – “She who is very happy when Her girlfriends are able to meet with Kṛṣṇa.”

It is said in Caitanya Caritāmṛta (Madhya Ch.8):

yadyapi sakhīra Kṛṣṇa saṅgame nāhi mon; tathāpi rādhikā yatne korāya sangam
nānā chale kṛṣṇe preri saṅgama korāy; ātma Kṛṣṇa saṅga hoite koṭi sukha pāy
anyonye viśuddha prema kore rasa puṣṭa; tā sabhāra prema dekhi Kṛṣṇa hoy tuṣṭa

“Although the sakhīs do not think about uniting personally with Kṛṣṇa, Rādhikā still endeavours for their meetings with Him. She uses different tricks to send Kṛṣṇa to Her girlfriends to unite with them, and that gives Her millions of times more happiness than if She would personally unite with Him. Their pure mutual love nourishes the rasa, and when Kṛṣṇa sees the love of them all, He becomes satisfied.”

VERSE 15:

SVĪYA VṚNDĀVANODYĀNA PĀLIKĪ KṚTA VṚNDAKĀ
JÑĀTA VṚNDĀṬAVĪ SARVA LATĀ TARU MṚGA DVIJĀ

43) Svīya vṛndāvanodyāna pālikī kṛta vṛndakā: She made Vṛndā the maintainer of the gardens of Her Vṛndāvana
44) Jñāta vṛndāṭavī sarva latā taru mṛga dvijā: She is acquainted with all the vines, trees, deer and birds of Vṛndāvana.

Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā:

The 43rd name of Śrī Rādhā is svīya vṛndāvanodyāna pālikī kṛta vṛndakā – She made who Vṛndā the maintainer of the gardens of Her Vṛndāvana.

In Rādhā Kṛṣṇa Gaṇoddeśa Dīpikā it is written:

vṛndā vṛndārikā menā muralyādyāstu dūtikāḥ
kuñjādi saṁskriyābhijña vṛkṣāyur veda kovidāḥ
vaśīkṛta sthānavarā dvayoḥ snehena nirbharāḥ
gaurāṅgyaś citra vasanā vṛndā tāsu varīyasī

“Vṛndā, Vṛndārikā, Menā and Muralī are the messengers, who know how to maintain Rādhā and Mādhava’s kuñjas. They are expert in the science of curing and maintaining trees, and they control the best pastime-places. They wear different wonderful dresses, they have golden complexions, and they are filled with affection for Rādhikā and Mādhava.”

Amongst them, Vṛndā is the greatest. She is also known as vanadevī, the sylvan goddess. She is specifically described in the ‘Rādhā Kṛṣṇa Gaṇoddeśa Dīpikā’ as follows:

tapta kāncana varṇābhā vṛndā kāntir manoharā
nīla vastra paridhānā muktā puṣpa virājitā
candrabhānuḥ pitā tasyāḥ phullarā jananī tathā
patir asyā mahīpālo mañjarī bhaginī ca sā
vṛndāvana sadā vāsā nānā kelī rasotsukā
ubhayor milanākāṅkṣī tayoḥ prema pariplutā

“Vṛndā’s bodily luster is as enchanting as molten gold, She wears a blue sārī, and she is decorated with pearls and flowers. Her father’s name is Candrabhānu, her mother’s name is Phullarā, her husband’s name is Mahīpāla, and her sister is named Mañjarī. She always lives in Vṛndāvana, enthusiastically taking part in different pastimes, she always desires the meeting of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and she is immersed in ecstatic love for Them.”

Under Vṛndā’s auspices, hundreds of kuñja-dāsīs (maidservants in the groves) are engaged in maintaining the arbours with their flowers, vines and trees. Knowing how expert Vṛndā is in this, Śrī Rādhikā has engaged her as keeper of Vṛndāvana’s gardens.

When Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s great-grandson Vajranābha had the deities of Śrī Govinda, Śrī Gopīnātha, Śrī Madana Mohana, Śrī Keśava-deva, Śrī Harideva, Śrī Gopāladeva (Śrī Nāthajī) and Śrī Sākṣī Gopāla made and installed, he also had a deity of Śrī Vṛndā-devī made. When the Hindu-hating Muslim emperor Aurangzeb ruled in Delhi, bands of Islamic iconoclasts went around in Vraja to destroy the different deities, so the deities were moved from Vṛndāvana to Jayapura. But when the carriers had come to Kāmyavana, Śrī Vṛndādevī told them in a dream that she did not want to move outside of Vṛndāvana. Then she was kept in Kāmyavana, from where she still maintains and protects the whole of Vraja-vana.

Śrīmatī’s 44th name is jñāta vṛndāṭavī sarva latā taru mṛga dvijā – She knows all the vines, trees, deer and birds of Vṛndāvana.

Being very pleased with Her, Śrī Kṛṣṇa had Rādhikā crowned the Queen of Vṛndāvana, as the Padma Purāṇa relates: vṛndāvanādhipatyaṁ ca dattaṁ tasyai pratuṣyatā.

Therefore all the vines, trees, birds and deer are Rādhikā’s subjects, and as is natural for a good Queen, Rādhikā is thus acquainted with all of the mobile and immobile beings of Vṛndāvana.

In the scriptures it is seen that all the trees in Vraja are wishyielding trees and vines – kalpa-taravo drumā (Brahma Saṁhitā). All the animals, like the deer, are deeply in love with Kṛṣṇa:

dhanyāḥ sma mūdha-matayo’pi hariṇya etā yā nanda-nandanam upātta vicitra veśam
ākarṇya veṇu-ranitaṁ saha Kṛṣṇa-sārāḥ pūjāṁ dadhur viracitāṁ praṇayāvalokaiḥ
(Śrīmad Bhāgavata 10.21.11)

The beautiful girls of Vraja praised the deer, saying: “Blessed are these foolish deer, for as soon as they hear the flutesong of wonderfully dressed Nanda-nandana, they come up to Him with their husbands, the black bucks, and worship Him with loving glances!”

Furthermore, the goddesses of Vraja say: “The birds in Vṛndāvana are all sages and saints!” prāyo batāmba vihagā munayo vane’smin “O mother! All the birds that are living in Vṛndāvana are Munis and Ṛṣis!”

It is therefore natural that the Queen of Vṛndāvana, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, loves them all. Although the birds and bees are all great sages and the trees and vines are all wishyielding trees and vines, nobody in this kingdom of sweetness (Vrajabhūmi) recognises Rādhārāṇī as their all-powerful Īśvarī (goddess). They all assist Her in Her sweet pastimes, and thus She knows all of them.

The trees and vines form sweet kuñjas, where She can freely play with the Lord of Her life, and their flowers and sprouts remind Her Prāṇanātha of Her, and serve Him in so many ways. The does and the bucks and all the other animals make the forest look beautiful, so that Mādhava will feel inspired to ramble there with His Priyājī, and the birds and bees make sweet sounds that nourish the līlā-rasa. Vraja-vaneśvarī Rādhikā is intimately acquainted with all of them.