VERSES 22-23:

SUVṚTTA MAUKTIKĀ MUKTA NĀSIKĀ TILA PUṢPIKĀ
SUCĀRU NAVA KASTŪRĪ TILAKĀÑCITA BHĀLAKĀ
DIVYA VEṆĪ VINIRDHŪTA KEKI PIÑCHA VARA STUTIḤ
NETRĀNTA ŚARA VIDHVAṀSĪ KṚTA CĀNURAJID DHṚTIḤ

57) Suvṛtta mauktikā mukta nāsikā tila puṣpikā: Whose nose, that resembles a sesame flower, is adorned with a round pearl
58) Sucāru nava kastūrī tilakāñcita bhālakā: Whose forehead is adorned with tilaka made of beautiful fresh musk
59) Divya veṇī vinirdhūta keki-piñcha vara stutiḥ: Whose beautiful braid removes the praises offered to the peacockfeathers
60) netrānta śara vidhvaṁsī kṛta cānūrajid dhṛtiḥ: Whose arrow-like glances destroy the patience of Kṛṣṇa, the victor over Cānūra.

Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā:

In the 22nd and 23rd verse Śrīpāda Raghunātha mentions four names of Śrī Rādhā.

The 57th name of Śrīmatī that Śrī Raghunātha dāsa reveals is suvṛtta mauktikā mukta nāsikā tila puṣpikā – “She whose nose, that resembles a sesame-flower, is beautified by a round nose-pearl.”

Śrī Rādhā’s nose is naturally very charming, like a sesame flower. The Mahājanas sing: yeno madanera bāṇādhāra. Quivers also resemble the shapes of sesame flowers.

amuṣyāḥ śrī nāsa tila-kusuma tūṇo rati-pater
adho vaktraṁ pūrṇaṁ kusuma viśikhaiś citra mṛgayoḥ
mukha dvārā tasmāt smita caya miṣāt te nipatitāḥ
śaravyatvaṁ yeṣām alabhata hareś citta hariṇaḥ
(Govinda Līlāmṛta 11,98)

“Śrī Rādhā’s nose is like Cupid’s quiver, filled with arrows made of sesame flowers. When She smiles, keeping Her head low, the hunter Cupid shoots arrows from this quiver to pierce the deer of Hari’s mind”. Whenever Śrīmatī talks or breathes, the round pearl hanging under Her charming nose oscillates along. This pearl looks like a drop of honey dripping from the sesame-flower of Her nose, and that makes the Kṛṣṇa-bee very greedy.

Śrī Rādhikā’s 58th name is sucāru nava kastūrī tilakāñcita bhālakā – “She whose forehead is adorned with a beautiful tilaka made of fresh musk”.

The musk is black, Kṛṣṇa is also black. The musk also smells like Kṛṣṇa’s bodily fragrance, therefore Kṛṣṇamayī Śrīmatī always wears musk-tilaka on Her forehead. Her friends have applied this tilaka, that is named kāma-yantra, and that maddens Śrī Kṛṣṇa, to Her forehead. First they draw a lotus flower between Her eyebrows with a thin line of sandalwood paste, all around that lotus they make red spots, and in the middle they put a spot of fresh musk. This tilaka is very dear to Śrīmatī, because it helps Her to control Śyāmasundara, Vraja’s Cupid, at first sight. That is how beautiful and enchanting this tilaka is.

Śrī Rādhā’s 59th name is divya veṇī vinirdhūta kekipiñcha vara stuti – Her beautiful braid removes the praises offered to the peacock feathers.

Premamayī Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s hair is not like the material hair of ordinary women in this world, it is a culmination of Her extraordinary love. These are the experienced words of the mahājanas:

rādhā manovṛtti latāṅkurāgatāḥ Kṛṣṇasya ye bhāvanayā tadātmatām
sūkṣmāyatāḥ prema sudhābhiṣekatas te niḥsṛtāḥ keśa miṣād bahir dhruvam
(Govinda Līlāmṛta 11,112)

“The sprouts of Rādhā’s thought-vines have become bluish like Kṛṣṇa through constant meditation on Him. These thin, long sprouts are sprinkled by the nectar of love and come out in the form of Her hair.”

The peacock feathers are certainly praiseworthy, because the Supreme Lord Vrajendra-nandana uses them to decorate His crown with. Thus everyone loves them, but such praises are removed by the beauty of Śrī Rādhā’s braid:

vilāsa visrastam avekṣya rādhikā śrī keśapāśāṁ nija puccha piñchayoḥ
nyakkāram āśaṅkya hriyeva bhejire giriṁ camaryo vipinaṁ śikhaṇḍinaḥ
(Govinda Līlāmṛta 11,116)

“Seeing Rādhikā’s loosened braid when She takes rest after enjoying with Kṛṣṇa, the peacocks shyly and fearfully flee into the forest, and the deer flee into the mountains, seeing that the lustre of their feathers and tails is defeated!”

Śrī Rādhikā’s 60th name is netrānta śara vidhvaṁsī kṛta cānurajid dhṛtiḥ – “She whose arrow-like glances destroy the patience of Kṛṣṇa, the victor over Cānūra”.

Śrī Rādhā’s eyes are an ingredient of mādana rasa, thus even the slightest glance from these eyes baffles the transcendental youthful Cupid. In front of everyone Kṛṣṇa managed to kill the most powerful wrestler Cānūra in king Kaṁsa’s arena, but even such a great hero as Kṛṣṇa faints when He is hit by the arrows coming from the corners of Śrī Rādhikā’s eyes!

venuḥ karān nipatitaḥ skhalitaṁ śikhaṇḍaṁ bhraṣṭaṁ ca pīta-vasanaṁ vraja-rāja sūnoḥ
yasyāḥ kaṭākṣa śara ghāta vimūrcchitasya tāṁ rādhikāṁ paricarāmi kadā rasena
(Rādhā Rasa Sudhānidhi – 39)

“When can I blissfully worship that Rādhikā Whose arrow-like glances cause the prince of Vraja to faint, His yellow cloth to fall off, His crown to loosen and His flute to fall from His hand?”

Just as a great hero faints when he is hit by the enemy’s arrow, drops his bow and arrows and loses his clothes and ornaments, so Kṛṣṇa, although He is a powerful hero who effortlessly killed even the notorious wrestler Cānura, also loses His patience and faints as soon as He is hit by the arrows of Śrī Rādhā’s sidelong glances. Hence Śrīmatī is called netrānta śara vidhvaṁsī kṛta cānūrajid dhṛtiḥ.

 

VERSE 24:

SPHURAT KAIŚORA TĀRUṆYA SANDHI BANDHURA VIGRAHĀ
MĀDHAVOLLĀSAKONMATTA PIKORU MADHURA SVARĀ

61) Sphurat kaiśora tāruṇya sandhi bandhura vigrahā: Whose beautiful form is a meeting between adolescence and youthfulness.
62) Mādhavollāsaka: Who delights Mādhava
63) unmatta pikoru madhura svarā: Whose voice is as sweet as a cuckoo.

Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā:

Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s holy names are automatically manifest within the heart of Śrīpāda Raghunātha, that is saturated with viśuddha sattva. It is as if Śrī Rādhārāṇī is personally present within this Śata-nāma Stotra. All these holy names become manifest, taking mahābhāvamayī Rādhā’s beauty, sweetness, attributes and pastimes along.

From this stava it can be somewhat experienced who Rādhārāṇī actually is.

In this verse Śrīpāda reveals three names of Śrīmatī.

sphurat kaiśora tāruṇya sandhi bandhura vigrahā – “Her beautiful form is a meeting between adolescence and youthfulness”

The word sphurat means ‘manifest’, which implies that Rādhikā’s combined youthfulness and adolescence is eternally manifest, without beginning or end. Adolescence in the material bodies of men and women in this world are all temporary and mortal, because everything in this whole world consists of desire. Is there anything great and glorious in lust? Perhaps there is some in the heavenly planets. There are ever-youthful girls like Urvaśī and Rambhā, but even their bodies are material and temporary, lasting only for one day of Brahmā. Day by day our bodies perish, but in the spiritual world there is no creation and no destruction.

There it is koto caturānana mari mari yāoto na tuyā ādi avasānā: “How many four-faced Brahmās are dying? There is no beginning and no end to You!”

Only a heart enlightened by viśuddha sattva can somehow experience these things. Then it will be understood that this form is selfmanifest and cannot be seen with the material eyes. Only by Her grace this form can become manifest before the eyes. Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī has written in Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu (2.1.309):

kaumāraṁ pañcamābdāntaṁ paugaṇḍaṁ daśamāvadhi
āṣoḍaśāc ca kaiśoraṁ yauvanaṁ syāt tataḥ param

“Hari’s kumāra-age lasts up to His fifth year, His paugaṇḍa-age up to His tenth, His kiśora-age lasts until His sixteenth year, and after that He is yauvana.”

The Kaiśora-age is the best for ujjvala-rasa (erotic moods): śraiṣṭhyam ujjvala evāsya kaiśorasya tathāpy adaḥ (ibid. 2.1.311).

According to ‘Ujjvala Nīlamaṇi’ there are four age-groups in the amorous rasa:

vayaś caturvidhaṁ tv atra kathitaṁ madhure rase
vaya-sandhis tathā navyaṁ vyaktaṁ pūrṇam iti kramāt

They are called puberty, navya (new), vyakta (obvious) and pūrṇa (full). In Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu the ages of navya, vyakta and pūrṇa are called ādya, madhya and śeṣa kaiśora – ‘ādyaṁ madhyaṁ tathā śeṣaṁ kaiśoraṁ trividhaṁ bhavet’ ,
(B.R.S. 2.1.312)

When Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s youthfulness meets with Her adolescence, an amazing, unlimited charm takes possession of Her body. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is heard to have said:

sajani! aparūpa pekhaluṁ bālā!
himakara madana, milita mukha maṇḍala, tā’para jaladhara mālā
cañcala nayane, heri mujhe sundarī, mucakāyai phiri gelo
toikhone marame, madana jvara upajala, jīvaite saṁśaya bhelo
ahar-niśi śayane, svapane āna nā heriye, anukhana soi dheyāna
tākara piriti, ki rīti nāhi samujhiye, ākula athira parāṇa
maramaka vedana, tohe parakāśala, tuhu ati catura sujāna,
so puna madhura, mūrati daraśāyabi, e rādhā-vallabha gāna
(Pada Kalpataru)

“O sakhi! I’ve seen an amazing young girl! The moon and Cupid met in Her face, above which was a string of monsoonclouds (Her hair)! This beautiful girl looked at Me with restless eyes, smirked at Me and turned away again. Then the fire of Cupid awoke in My heart and I wondered if I was still alive! Day and night, and even in My dreams, I don’t see anyone else but Her! I always meditate on Her! I cannot understand the ways of Her love, and this upsets My heart! O sakhi! Show Her My heartache! You are very clever and bright! Show Me Her sweet form again!”

Thus sings Rādhā Vallabha (Kṛṣṇa, or the poet).

Another name of Śrīmatī is mādhavollāsaka – She who is always delighted by Mādhava. Kṛṣṇa’s only task is to make His devotees happy and to fulfill their desires: Kṛṣṇa sei satya kore, yei māge bhṛtya; bhṛtya vāñcha pūrti vinu nāhi anya kṛtya. (C.C.)

If just one drop of the hlādinī śakti enters into the devotee’s heart and culminates into prema, Śrī Kṛṣṇa will always try to delight such a devotee.

Śrī Rādhārāṇī is the presiding goddess of that pleasure-potency in very person, therefore to delight Rādhā is Mādhava’s only engagement. Śrī Kṛṣṇa makes His Rādhikā happy by sporting with Her day and night in the groves of Vṛndāvana as the Dhīra Lalita-hero. rātri dina kuñja krīḍā kore rādhā saṅge; kaiśora vayasa saphala koilo krīḍā raṅge (C.C.)

Although Kṛṣṇa is ānanda svarūpa, the personification of bliss, and rasa svarūpa, He is always attached to relishing the flavours of Śrīmatī’s love for Him and He always tries to delight Her in so many ways. This is proven by Śrīmatī’s own experience –

ki puchasi re sakhi! kānuka neho; eka jiu vihi se gaḍhalo bhina deho
kohilo kāhinī puchaye koto beri; nā jāni ki pāyai majhu mukha heri
vini majhu daraśa paraśe nāhi jīva; mo vinu piyāse pāni nāhi pība
ūra vinu śeja paraśa nāhi pāi; cībahi vinu tāmbūla nāhi khāi
ghumera ālase yadi pālaṭiye pāśa; māna bhaye mādhava uṭhaye tarāsa
āna saṅe kāhinī nā sahe parāṇa; āna sambhāṣaṇe haraye geyāna
kohe kavi rañjana śuno vara nāri; tohāri parasa rase lubadha murāri

“Sakhi, what are you asking Me? The Creator has made Us as one soul with two bodies! Whenever I speak He inquires again what I said (wanting to hear My voice over and over again). I don’t know what He gets from looking at My face! He cannot live without seeing Me and touching Me, and without Me He cannot drink water, even if He is thirsty. If He lays down tired He dares not turn to His other side. Afraid that I may be angry Mādhava gets up again. He cannot tolerate (Me) speaking with others – if this happens He loses Himself. Kavi Rañjana says: “Listen, O excellent girl! Murāri is very greedy for the taste of Your touch!”

Śrī Rādhikā’s next name is unmatta pikoru madhura svarā, Her voice is as sweet as that of a drunken cuckoo. As soon as spring arrives, the cuckoos naturally become intoxicated with ecstasy, and when they eat the mangobuds their voices become very sweet. But Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s voice is made of mahā bhāva, and its sweetness agitates even the cuckoos and makes nectar seem worthless. Śrī Rādhā’s quality of ramyavāk (lovely voice) is explained in Ujjvala Nīlamaṇi:

suvadane vadane tava rādhike sphurati keyam ihākṣara mādhurī
vikalatāṁ labhate kila kokilaḥ sakhi yayādya sudhāpi mudhārthatām

Śrī Kṛṣṇa told Rādhā: “What sweet words emanate from Your beautiful mouth! They agitate the cuckoos; what’s more, they make even nectar seem worthless!”

Therefore, kohilo kāhinī puchaye koto beri, whenever Śrī Rādhikā speaks, Kṛṣṇa thinks He has still not heard it properly and He asks Her again and again to repeat Her words.