VERSES 16-17:

ĪṢAC CANDANA SAṀGHṚṢṬA NAVA KĀŚMĪRA DEHABHĀḤ
JAVĀ PUṢPA PRABHĀ-HĀRI PAṬṬA CĪNĀRUṆĀMBARĀ
CARAṆĀBJA TALA JYOTIR ARUṆĪKṚTA BHŪTALĀ
HARI CITTA CAMATKĀRI CĀRU NŪPURA NIḤSVANĀ

45) īṣac candana saṁghṛṣṭa nava kāśmīra dehabhāḥ: She Whose bodily luster resembles fresh vermilion mixed with a little sandalwood pulp
46) javā-puṣpa prabhāhāri paṭṭa cīnāruṇāmbarā: She Whose red, thin, silken garment steals the luster of Javā-flowers.
47) caraṇābja tala jyotir aruṇīkṛta bhūtalā: She whose shining lotus-like footsoles redden the surface of the earth. 48) Hari citta camatkāri cāru nūpura niḥsvanā: She whose beautifully jingling ankle bells astonish Hari’s heart.

Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā:

In the next few verses Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī mentions some names of Śrī Rādhārāṇī that are connected with Her sweet form. This Śrī Rādhā śata-nāma stotra contains the deeply realized words of Śrīpāda Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī. It is as if Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī stands present in this stotra. Some realizations about who Rādhārāṇī is can be had from reading this stotra.

In the 16th and 17th verse Śrīpāda glorifies four of Her holy names, from 45 to 48.

One of Śrīmatī’s names is iṣac candana saṁghṛṣṭa nava kāśmīra dehabhāḥ – “She Whose bodily luster resembles fresh vermilion mixed with a little sandalwood pulp”.

Kāśmīra means kuṅkuma or vermilion. In the Amara Koṣa it is seen – kuṅkumam kāśmīra janman – this is very hard (um) to obtain (kunk). The vermilion is gotten from the pollen of a dried-up, fragrant flower growing in the state of Kashmir. The female species is especially fragrant and exquisite and is also called ‘saffron’.

Wealthy people anoint their bodies with a mixture of this saffron mixed with sandalwood pulp. Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s bodily luster is golden-red, like this mixture of red saffron and golden sandal, but this is merely a material comparison. premera svarūpa deha prema vibhāvita (C.C.) “Her body is entirely made of prema.”

No mundane object can compare to Her. It is only to facilitate the meditations of the neophytes that the great saintly poets compare Her divine luster with material objects like a lightning-strike, a golden ornament, molten golden or a golden lotus flower. But these objects are actually just transformations of the five material elements. Actually the luster of mahābhāva radiates from the body of mahābhāva svarūpiṇī Śrī Rādhārāṇī.

Śrīmatī’s next name is javā puṣpa prabhāhāri paṭṭa cīnāruṇāmbarā – She whose thin, red, silken dress steals the luster of Javā-flowers.

premamayī Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s limbs, dresses and ornaments are all made of divine love. Just as all things that fall into the saltwater ocean become salty also, similarly everything that is connected with Śrī Rādhikā, like Her dresses and ornaments, is made of Her ecstatic love mahā-bhāva. Kṛṣṇa anurāga dvitīya aruṇa vasana, (C.C.) “Rādhā’s red outer dress is made of passionate love for Kṛṣṇa.” Although Her transcendental garments cannot be compared to any object of this world, they are described here as being more brightly red than Javā-flowers, just to give some idea to the practising devotee.

Śrīmatī’s next name is caraṇābjatala jyotir aruṇīkṛta bhūtalā – the effulgence of Her lotus-like foot soles reddens the surface of the earth.

Śrī Rādhārāṇī is svayaṁ bhagavatī, the Original Goddess whose lotus feet are coveted by millions of goddesses of fortune. Just as Her bodily effulgence illuminates the whole of Vṛndāvana with a golden splendor, similarly Her lotus-like foot soles make the ground shine with a reddish splendor.

Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī’s words are anubhavamaya vāṇī, filled with deep transcendental realizations. In dreams, wakefulness, visions and smaraṇa he always experiences these most desirable lotus feet, and he expressed these realizations in the form of his poetry, saying caraṇābja-tala jyotir aruṇīkṛta bhūtalā. When you hear that name, you think of Śrīmatī running over the forest paths to meet Kṛṣṇa, reddening Vṛndāvana’s soil with Her effulgent foot prints.

Although Rādhikā’s footsoles are naturally ruddy, Her sakhīs still anoint them with red footlac. This footlac also becomes more bright, experiencing the touch of these mahā-bhāva lotus feet. When hearing this name it is as if this redness floats before the eyes!
The devotee-poet is deeply absorbed in the forms, attributes, beauty and pastimes of his beloved deity while he composes his transcendental poetry, and he is immersed in ānanda rasa, ecstatic flavours. Those who study these rasika poems also attain such a state of consciousness. This is the special feature of reading, chanting and remembering this transcendental poetry.

Śrīmatī’s next name is hari citta camatkāri cāru nūpura niḥsvanā – She who startles Hari’s heart with the sweet jingling of Her anklebells. rasika anklebells jingle on rasika lotus feet. aprākṛta rasa-ghana mūrti Śyāmasundara endlessly waits in the kuñja for this sound and nothing but this jingling can end His eager waiting: tomāra nūpura dhvani, āpana śravaṇe śuni, tabe mora kṣamā hoy cite, (Pada Kalpataru) – “When I hear the jingling of Your anklebells with My own ears, My heart is pacified”

Śrī Kṛṣṇa is Himself Hari – stealing the hearts of everyone with His sweetness and beauty, His names, forms, attributes and pastimes – but the jingling of Rādhikā’s anklebells carry the sound-vibration of mahā bhāva, and that astonishes even Hari’s heart!

Śrīmat Rūpa Gosvāmīpāda has written that the sound of Śrī Rādhā’s anklebells is the regal goddess of fortune of the metropolis of all sounds:

dhvasta brahma marāla kūjita bharair ūrjeśvari nūpura
kvāṇair ūrjita vaibhavas tava vibho vaṁśī prasūta kalaḥ
labdhaḥ śasta samasta nāda nagarī sāmrājyā lakṣmīṁ parām
ārādhya pramadāt kadā śravaṇayor dvandvena mandena me

“O Allpervading Lord! When will my ears attain the regal opulence of the best of sound vibrations when I hear Your flutesong which is mixed with the jingling of Ūrjeśvarī’s (Rādhā’s) anklebells, that defeats the sweetness of the warbling of Lord Brahmā’s swan, and that delights my dull ears?” (Utkalikā Vallari 27)
VERSES 18-19:

KṚṢṆA ŚRĀNTI HARA ŚROṆĪ PĪṬHA VALGITA GHAṆṬHIKĀ
KṚṢṆA SARVASVA PĪNODYAT KUCĀÑCAN MAṆI MĀLIKĀ
NĀNĀ RATNOLLASAC CHAṄKHA CŪḌĀ CĀRU BHUJA DVAYĀ
SYAMANTAKA MAṆI BHRĀJAN MAṆIBANDHĀTI BANDHURĀ

49) Kṛṣṇa śrānti hara śroṇī pīṭha valgita ghaṇṭikā: The lovely jingling of whose sash of bells, that hangs on Her buttocks, removes Kṛṣṇa’s fatigue.
50) Kṛṣṇa sarvasva pīnodyat kucāñcan maṇi-mālikā: A jewelled necklace swings on Her big, elevated breasts, that are Kṛṣṇa’s all-in-all.
51) Nana ratnollasac chaṅkha cūḍā cāru bhuja-dvayā: Her round arms are beautified by ivory bangles inset with various jewels.
52) Syamantaka maṇi bhrājan maṇi-bandhāti bandhurā: The Syamantaka-jewel shines very beautifully on Her fore-arm.

Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā:

In verses 18 and 19 Śrīpāda reveals four names of Śrī Rādhārāṇī, 49 to 52. Each name reveals a līlā of līlāmayī Rādhārāṇī.

One of Her names is Kṛṣṇa śrānti hara śroṇi pīṭha valgita ghaṇṭikā – “The lovely jingling of whose sash of bells, that hangs on Her buttocks, removes Kṛṣṇa’s fatigue.”

Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s large buttocks are always beautified by a sash of waistbells. Śrī Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī has written in his ‘Saṅgīta Mādhava’: kiṅkiṇī jāla khacita pṛthu sundara nava rasa rāśi nitambam – “Her beautiful big buttocks are made of an abundance of fresh rasa, and they are again beautified by a sash of bells.”

The beauty of these fresh, rasika buttocks agitate the mind of the rasika nāgara Śrī Kṛṣṇa. How beautiful Her buttocks are when She walks more elegantly than an intoxicated elephant! Nāgara is wholly absorbed in their beauty! On top of that, such rasika waist-bells are jingling on these buttocks! Attaining the shelter of these nava-rasa-rāśi- buttocks the anklebells also jingle in a rasika way. That’s why their jingling enchants Nāgara-maṇi Kṛṣṇa! How wonderfully Śrīmatī’s buttocks sway as She turns and twists around on different rhythms during the Rāsa-dance, and how sweetly Her waistbells jingle with it! Nāgara is swimming in an ocean of relish!

Once Rādhā and Mādhava are dancing the Rāsa. Śyāmasundara knows no fatigue. Rasika waistbells are jingling on Śrīmatī’s rasika buttocks. Kṛṣṇa, the jewellike hero, is enchanted by Śrīmatī’s beautifully swaying buttocks, and the enchanting jingling of Her waistbells remove all of His fatigue.

Although Śyāmasundara removes the weariness of all the people of the world with His sparkling names, qualities and pastimes, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī removes even His fatigue with these waistbells, that jingle on Her buttocks! Blessed are Śrīmatī’s waistbells! Śrī Raghunātha experiences this pastime and then reveals this sweet name of Śrīmatī.

Śrī Rādhā’s next name is Kṛṣṇa sarvasva pīnodyat kucāncan maṇi mālikā – She on whose big, raised breasts, that are Kṛṣṇa’s all-in-all, swings a jewelled necklace.

Śrīmatī’s body is made of pure love – premera svarūpa deha prema vibhāvita (C.C.) – and this pure love is Kṛṣṇa’s all-in-all.

There is nothing else in the world but love that can create desires in the Self-satisfied, Self-delighted Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Who is the abode of all prowess and sweetness. He is hungry for love, and He even begs for the love of His devotees, for only love can sustain His life.

It is only to relish the love of His devotees that He descends to earth in every yuga (era) to enjoy different pastimes. For this love He becomes playful, tasteful, full of love and full of compassion – endlessly beautiful and endlessly sweet. The culmination of that love is mahā-bhāva, and it is that mahā-bhāva that forms each limb of Śrī Rādhā’s body. His desires for the limbs of Śrī Rādhā is not the thirst of a lusty man for a woman’s body, but it is the great desire of the saccid ānanda ghana tattva Supreme Lord for the essence of love, mahā-bhāva. Because of this great thirst of rasa, premamayī Śrī Rādhā’s big, raised breasts are everything to Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
There is a jewelled necklace swinging on these big raised breasts of Śrīmatī. This necklace is very dear to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, therefore She always wears it. Lajjāvatī (shy Rādhā) can see Kṛṣṇa’s reflection in each of its gems and stare at it, even when She is among Her superiors. Although She cannot look at Kṛṣṇa in front of Her superiors, Śrīmatī gazes at Her Priyatama while looking from within Her veil.

Every afternoon Rādhārāṇī comes to the sun-temple at Sūryakuṇḍa to worship the sun-god, and rasamaya Śrī Kṛṣṇa appears there dressed as a young priest, deceiving old Jaṭilā, and performs the worship for Her. Śrīmatī’s bliss knows no bounds then! When She returns home after the pūjā, with Her mother-in-law, She becomes very eager to see Her beloved once more, so She secretly breaks the string of Her necklace. Thus She has another opportunity to gaze at Her beloved, while picking the fallen jewels up from the ground. Therefore Her name Kṛṣṇa sarvasva pīnodyat kucāñcan maṇimālikā is a proper one.

Śrīmatī’s 51st name is nānā ratnollasac chaṅkha cūḍā cāru bhuja-dvayā – “She whose beautiful round arms are decorated with ivory bangles, inset with various jewels.”

Śrīmatī’s arms are more lovely than golden lotus-stems, and they destroy the patience of Kṛṣṇa’s swan-like intelligence. Śrīmatī’s naturally beautiful and round arms are always beautified by these ivory bangles, studded with many gems.

Bangles are the signs of a married woman; married women (sadhavā) wear them because they desire their husbands’ welfare. Kṛṣṇapremamayī Śrī Rādhārāṇī, though, wears Her bangles only because She desires Kṛṣṇa’s welfare, health and long life. Her ivory bangles are studded with different jewels, with which Śrīmatī can see Her beloved Kṛṣṇa reflected, even in front of Her superiors.

When Śrīmatī dances, plays dice or makes love with Kṛṣṇa, Her bangles jingle sweetly. Śyāmasundara is enchanted when He hears these gem-studded ivory bangles and He sees Her beautiful form with Her wonderfully sweet hands.

The next name is syamantaka-maṇi bhrājan maṇibandhāti bandhurā – it is as if the shining Syamantaka-jewel is undulating on Her very beautiful fore-arm.

This Syamantaka is also called śaṅkhacūḍa śiromaṇi, the crown-jewel of the Śaṅkhacūḍa-demon.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa killed the yakṣa Śaṅkhacūḍa, took his diadem from his head and gave it to His elder brother Baladeva. Understanding Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s desire, Baladeva had the jewel presented to Śrī Kṛṣṇa-priyāvalī mukhyā Śrī Rādhārāṇī through Madhumaṅgala.

In verse 34 of ‘Vilāpa Kusumāñjali’ Śrīpāda Raghunātha has written – kiṁ te syamantaka-maṇiṁ taralaṁ kariṣye “When will I hang this jewel in a locket around Your neck?”

From this we learn that the Syamantaka-gem is hanging around Śrīmatī’s neck and that is normal. It’s unheard of that such lockets are shining on a girl’s fore-arm, yet here it is written that the Syamantaka gem undulates on Śrīmatī’s wrist.

We must understand therefore, that girls may be afraid that they will lose their lockets while they pull their veils straight on their heads again. They may sometimes safeguard their lockets by holding them in their left hands, right next to their breasts. At that time the splendour of the locket may be reflected, oscillating on their raised fore-arms. The aura of this Syamantaka-jewel is extraordinary, therefore it is natural to think that its splendor is undulating on Śrīmatī’s wrists; within the līlā Śrī Raghunātha dāsa personally experienced that and thus revealed this holy name.

VERSES 20-21:

SUVARṆA DARPAṆA JYOTIR ULLAṄGHI MUKHA MAṆḌALĀ
PAKKA DĀḌIMA BĪJĀBHA DANTĀKṚṢṬĀGHABHIC CHUKĀ
ABJARĀGĀDI SṚṢṬĀBJA KALIKĀ KARṆA BHŪṢAṆĀ
SAUBHĀGYA KAJJALĀṄKĀKTA NETRA NINDITA KHAÑJANĀ

53) Suvarṇa darpaṇa jyotir ullaṅghi mukha-maṇḍalā: “Whose face defeats the spendour of a golden mirror”
54) pakka dāḍima bījābha dantākṛṣṭāghabhic chukā: “The splendour of whose teeth, that shine like ripe pomegranateseeds, attracts the Kṛṣṇa-parrot”
55) abjarāgādi sṛṣṭābja kalikā karṇa bhūṣaṇā: “Whose ears are decorated with lotusbud-earrings made of rubies and so”
56) saubhāgya kajjalaṅkākta netra nindita khañjanā: “Whose eyes, that are more fickle than wagtail-birds, are marked with the eyeliner of good fortune.”
Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā:

In the 20th and 21st verse Śrī Raghunātha reveals four holy names of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, the 53rd to 56th.

One name of Rādhārānī is suvarṇa darpaṇa jyotir ullaṅghi mukha maṇḍalā – “Her face defeats the shining of golden mirrors.”

The effulgence of mahā-bhāva shines from Śrīmatī’s body, and that cannot be compared with any material luminary, that consists of five material elements. No material object can help one conceive of such a transcendental form, and there is no other way to experience this than the way of loving devotion. Still the pure devotees who have slightly seen this form desire to describe that premamaya svarūpa to the people of the world. But people of the world cannot conceive of anything beyond this world, therefore they must use material examples.
People in the world have seen gold and they have seen mirrors. Gold has a yellowish luster and mirrors are bright and reflective. If there would be any such a shimmering and reflecting mirror made of gold, then its luster would still be defeated by Śrī Rādhā’s face.

The endlessly sweet and beautiful Supreme Lord Śyāmasundara is highly astonished and sometimes faints when He sees this mirror-like face; what can the face of Śrī Rādhā be compared with then?

mṛdu mṛdu hāsa lalita mukha-maṇḍala kṛta śaśī bimba viḍambām (Saṅgīta Mādhava) – “Her lovely, softly smiling face defeats the shining of the moon.”

Another name of Śrīmatī is pakka dāḍimba bījābha dantākṛṣṭāghabhic chukā – “She whose teeth, that shine like ripe pomegranateseeds, attract the Kṛṣṇa-parrot.”

premamayī Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s beauty comes out when Śrī Kṛṣṇa enjoys Her. Each of Her limbs is entirely composed of mahā bhāva, the quintessence of prema. Hence each limb attracts Kṛṣṇa equally.

Kṛṣṇa is named Aghabhit, or the destroyer of the Agha-demon, in this verse. Although Kṛṣṇa can easily destroy such powerful demons as Aghāsura, He becomes helplessly attracted when He sees Śrī Rādhā’s teeth, that are more beautiful than ripe pomegranateseeds.

Just as these seeds are the favorite food of the parrots, so Śrī Rādhā’s teeth are the most relishable and desirable for Kṛṣṇa, who is called śṛṅgāra rasa-rāja ‘the king of all transcendental erotic mellows’.

Although Śrī Rādhā’s teeth are brightly white like Kunda-flowers, they become reddish like pomegranate seeds because of chewing all the betel leaves that Her sakhīs and mañjarīs serve Her. In ‘Govinda Līlāmṛta (11.81)’, Śrī Kṛṣṇa dāsa Kavirāja has shown another cause for the red lustre that emanates from Śrī Rādhā’s white teeth:

kundākṛtir hīra rucir vicitrā śrī rādhikāyā rada kīra rājiḥ
yā nitya kṛṣṇādhara bimba mātra svādena lebhe śikhara cchabitvam

“Śrī Rādhā’s parrot-like teeth are shaped like Kunda-flowers and colored like diamonds. These parrots always relish the Bimbafruit-like lips of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, from which they attain the colour of ripe pomegranate-seeds!”

Bimba-fruits are red, and from contact with Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s Bimba-fruit-like lips, Śrī Rādhā’s teeth, that are otherwise white like diamonds or Kunda-flowers, have become red like pomegranate seeds. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa-parrot is always attracted to them.

Another name of Śrī Rādhā is: abjarāgādi sṛṣṭābja kalikā karṇa-bhūṣaṇā – She whose ears are decorated with lotusbuds made of rubies and other gems.

Rubies are called Padma-rāga-stones because they are colored (rāga) like lotus flowers (padma). Colloquially they are called palā.

She wears earrings made of rubies, shaped like lotus flowers.

Śrī Rādhārāṇī is the embodiment of mahābhāva, and She is always adorned with various ornaments made of ecstatic love (bhāva bhūṣaṇa), and thus She gives Kṛṣṇa boundless bliss even without physical ornaments. Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī has written:

Kṛṣṇa nāma yaśaḥ srāva vataṁsollāsi karṇikām: (Premāmbhoja Maranda)

– “Her ears are decorated and delighted by hearing about Kṛṣṇa’s name and fame.”

Kṛṣṇa nāma guṇa yaśa avataṁsa kāne (C.C.)

Nevertheless, the maidservants still regularly decorate saundarya-mādhuryavatī Śrīmatī’s ears with ornaments, according to worldly customs.

Śrīmatī’s next name is saubhāgya kajjalāṅkākta netra nindita khañjanā – She whose eyes, that are more fickle than wagtailbirds, are marked with the eyeliner of good fortune.

Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s good fortune shines beautifully, like eyeliner on Her eyes.

yāhāra saubhāgya guṇa vāñche satyabhāmā (C.C.) – “Even Kṛṣṇa’s great Queens like Satyabhāmā desire Rādhā’s fortunate qualities.”

What to speak of the Queens like Satyabhāmā, who are endowed with samañjasā-love, even the gopīs, who have mahā bhāva and the samārtha rati, a love far superior to that of the Queens, are not so fortunate as She is! During the Mahā Rāsa, Kṛṣṇa abandoned them all to take Her to a solitary place and thus played the Dundubhī-drum of Her fortune by playing different intimate pastimes with Her. For this reason it is written:

rāsalīlā jayaty eṣā yayā samyujyate’niśam
harer vidagdhatā bheryā rādhā saubhagya dundubhiḥ

“All glories to the Rāsa-līlā, in which the Bherī-drum of Kṛṣṇa’s cleverness and the Dundubhī-drum of Rādhā’s fortune are always united!”

Śrīmatī’s matchless fortune has found a place around Her eyes in the form of Her eyeliner. The beauty of these eyes have even defeated the beauty of restlessly dancing wagtailbirds:

mada cala khañjana khelana gañjana locana kamala viśālām (Saṅgīta Mādhava)

Nothing in this world can compare to these mahā-bhāva-eyes. Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmipāda has written:

nayana yuga vidhāne rādhikāyā vidhātrā jagati madhura sāraḥ sañcitāḥ sad guṇā ye
bhuvi patita tad aṁśais tena sṛṣṭānya sārair bhramara mṛga cakorāmbhoja mīnotpalāni
(Govinda Līlāmṛta 11,100)

“The Creator collected the essence of all the sweet and good things of the world to make Rādhikā’s eyes and the leftover parts fell down to earth to become the blackbees, deer, Cakora-birds, plain lotuses and blue lotus flowers!” These matchless eyes have now been beautified by being anointed with the eyeliner of good fortune!