Raghunātha Dāsa cries pitifully, falling on the bank of Rādhākuṇḍa.
Then he suddenly hears the jingling of ankle bells, which soothes his pain somewhat.

He sees Śrīmatī Rūpa Mañjarī before him. Seeing her he remembers Svāminī, since she is the mañjarī (bud) of Svāminī’s rūpa (form). A beautiful form, not yet blossoming.

A bumblebee will not sit on an unripe flower.
Rūpa sweetly asks him: “Tulasi, what’s happening?” These customs have nothing to do with worldly customs. How sweetly she says: “O see Tulasi, I have come!”

In his spiritual absorption Raghunātha gets up and says: “O sakhi Rūpa Mañjari! I cannot tolerate the burning separation from Svāminī anymore! Will I not attain Her service at all?” Rūpa Mañjarī says: “What service will you render?”
Tulasī: “I want to come along with you to bring Svāminī into that kuñja on the bank of Śrī Rādhākuṇḍa which is decorated by Hari!”

Śyāma, being eager to meet Svāminī, sends a girl-messenger in the form of His fluteplaying (muralī-dūtī) and when Premamayī Rādhikā hears that sound She becomes impatient and forgets all other considerations.

mātha hi tapana, tapata patha bāluka,
ātapa dahana vithāra
nonika putali tanu, caraṇa kamala janu,
dina-hi koyolo abhisāra

hari hari! premaka gati anivāra!
kānu paraśa rase, paravaśa rasavati,
vichurala sakala vicāra

gurujana nayana, pāśagaṇa vāraṇa,
māruta maṇḍala dhūli.
tā sañe meli, calali vara-raṅgiṇī,
pati geha nītahi bhuli
yoto yoto vighini, jitali anurāgini,
sādhali manasija mantra.
govinda dāsa kohoi – aba samujhau,
hari sañe rasamaya tantra

“The sun shines on Her head and scorches the sand on the road, spreading itself in the sky like a burning canopy, as She goes at to meet Kṛṣṇa at noontime. Her body is as soft as butter and Her feet are as tender as lotus flowers. Hari! Hari! The course of love cannot be stopped! This amorous girl gives up all considerations, desiring to be touched by Kṛṣṇa! The most excellent playful Rāi is shielded from the noose-like looks of her suspicious elders by a whirlwind that throws up a lot of dust. In this way She went, forgetting all about Her home and Her husband. O passionate Rāi! You have conquered over all obstacles after mastering all of Cupid’s mantras! Govinda Dāsa says: “May Hari now teach You the tantras of rasa!”

Raṅgamayī Svāminī floats on the waves of kāma, holding your (Rūpa Mañjarī’s) arm while I (Tulasī) walk anxiously behind Her, watching Her stumbling gait, afraid that She will trip or fall out of eagerness to meet Kṛṣṇa, and ready to hold Her then. When Svāminī sees a blackish Tamāla-tree on the way She mistakes it for Kṛṣṇa and when She sees a golden vine entwining this tree, She mistakes it for a rival gopī embracing Him. You will help Her (out of Her illusion), while I will help Svāminī meet with Śyāma in a kuñja-house which He adorns with His own bodily luster.

—

Svāminī goes on abhisāra, holding Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī’s hand. Her passionate love for Kṛṣṇa is like a wave, which is manifest through the gestures of Her eyes, Her gait and Her words. It’s a strong desire to meet Him, but it is all for Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure! Anxiously She asks Rūpa Mañjarī:
“How long will it take before I can see Him again? Tell Me Rūpa, how far is it still? Aha! How eagerly He must be sitting there, waiting for Me!?”

There is a delight in separation, although it brings suffering. Such delight cannot be found in this world. Unless feelings of separation awaken there can be no awakening of a strong desire to attain the beloved. Therefore the first target of the practising devotee must be love-in-separation. Unless there is eagerness, born from a feeling of want, one cannot become qualified to experience anything. The devotee should not forget this when becoming absorbed in the bliss of meditation.

“A person like me feels no spiritual want at all. I’m having fun, my belly is full, everything’s OK!”

The practising devotee will feel ashamed when he realizes the difference between his careless way of life and the activities of the Gosvāmīs.

Śrīman Mahāprabhu stood behind the Garuḍa Pillar and viewed Lord Jagannātha from there, bathing in His own tears.

garuḍa stambhera tale,
āche eka nimna khāle,
se khāla bharilo aśru jale
(C.C.)

Śrī Gaurasundara is Rādhā-bhāvāḍhya, enriched by Rādhā’s mood, seeing Himself meeting Kṛṣṇa at Kurukṣetra as a beggar-woman. Although Kṛṣṇa is Her all-in-all, Svāminī could not embrace Him and hold Him to Her heart. What pain, what an anguish! Boundless bliss agitates the ocean of anguish as She thinks to Herself: “Go to Vraja, I want to see You in Vraja!”

Raghunātha dāsa is the embodiment of Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s grace. His love-in-separation is natural.
The devotees will greatly benefit by hearing and chanting about the stream of his worship.

Together with Tulasī and Rūpa Svāminī arrives at the gate of the kuñja. hari vibhūṣita keli-kuñja.
Śrī Hari singlehandedly decorated the trysting place where Rūpa and Tulasī bring Svāminī and is waiting there for Her.

Rādhikā is known as vāsaka sajjikā, a girl who decorates the trysting-place awaiting Her hero, but now the situation is reversed.
Hari made a sitting place for Her with flowers moistened by His own loving tears. The kuñja is adorned by Hari’s form, qualities and craftsmanship. How expert He is in decorating!
It is as if He decorates all four sides of the kuñja with His pure love for His Priyājī, thinking: ‘Here I will sit with My beloved!’

This is the expertise of prema sevā, the mutual service of love. When Svāminī enters the kuñja with Rūpa and Tulasī She is amazed.
First of all it is the kuñja which delights Cupid, and then it is also decorated by the very hands of the transcendental youthful Cupid of Vṛndāvana! Svāminī asks:
“Śyāma! Who decorated this kuñja?”
Hari says: “Who knows? You understand!”
Śrīmatī: “You have done it, nobody else can decorate like this! You have done all this work, knowing that I would come! I should have been here with You to help You!”

Today She is very munificent. It is Svāminī’s Hari, who steals (haraṇa) Her heart with this loving expertise.
Two teardrops trickle from Rādhikā’s eyes. How affectionately Śyāma helps Her onto Her sittingplace!
How much love He has in His heart as He sits at Her soft feet (sitting Himself on the pedestal) and takes them to His chest!
Asking Her: “How have You come all the way here with these tender feet? The ground of Vraja is so hard!”, He repeatedly looks at Svāminī’s lotus feet that are greyed by dust.

Tulasī understands the mood and brings a golden pitcher with water and a golden bowl. While Tulasī pours out the water Śyāma washes Svāminī’s feet and dries them off with His yellow dhotī, while tears trickle from His eyes.

Without the mercy of the ācāryas this cannot be experienced. By their grace the divine remembrance of this pastime will awaken within the heart.
The mind must be absorbed in this subject.

How beautiful Śyāma is, sitting by Svāminī’s feet! Svāminī lifts Kṛṣṇa up and seats Him next to Her.
How beautiful Śyāma looks with these loving tears in His eyes! Holding Her cheek on His cheek, Svāminī asks Śyāma:
‘Why do You love Me so much? I could not do anything for You! I have so many shortcomings! How many qualified girls are there not always waiting for You? How You could leave them all for an unfortunate girl like Me?”
Śyāma stares at Svāminī’s face. What He has gotten –  He’s unaware of!

vipula pulakavara sveda sañcāra; cira thira nayane nīra anivāra
………
āna āna saṅge raṅge bharu aṅga; ko koru anubhava prema taraṅga
(Rādhā Mohana dāsa)

“Their bodies are studded with big goosebumps and many sweatdrops and They stare at Each other while tears flow from Their eyes without interruption.
Their limbs are filled with joy from Each other’s touch; who can experience the waves of love?”

They embrace Each other and stare at Each other while Svāminī holds Her head on Śyāma’s left shoulder and keeps Her right arm behind His back.
Their mouths are adorned with soft and tender smiles, that do not seem to end.
Rūpa and Tulasī stare without blinking at the sweetness of the Yugala Kiśora, that look like the moon (Rādhā) and a blue Kuvalaya-lotus (Kṛṣṇa) together.

kanakera latā yeno tamāle beḍilo;
nava ghana mājhe yeno bijurī paśilo
rāi kānu rūpera nāhiko upāma
kuvalaya cāṅda milalo eka ṭhāma
rasera āveśe duhu hoilā vibhora
dāsa ananta pahu nā pāolo ora

“They resemble a golden vine embracing a Tamāla tree or the lightning entering a fresh raincloud.
There is no comparison to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s forms! They resemble a blue lotus flower and the moon in one place.
They are both absorbed in rasika ecstasy and Ananta dāsa cannot find the limits to this!”

Suddenly the vision vanishes. It is as if the eyes have become void and Śrī Raghunātha dāsa weeps, prays and laments as follows:

śrī rūpa mañjari devi, sadā sevāmṛte ḍubi,
sukhi koro śrī rādhā-mādhave
tuyā kare kuñjeśvarī, nija bhuja vallari,
samarpilā pīriti svabhāve

“O Rūpa Mañjarī-devi! You are always immersed in a nectar-ocean of devotional service, always pleasing Śrī-Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava!
In a loving mood Kuñjeśvarī Rādhā places Her vine-like arm in Your hand.”

aparūpa nava gaurī, hari citta camatkārī,
anurāge aruṇa nayana
Kṛṣṇa daraśana āge, premābdhi taraṅge ḍube,
tanu mana sarvendriya gaṇa

“Your incomparable golden youthful form astonishes Hari’s heart. When You see Kṛṣṇa before You with Your passionate reddish eyes,
You are floating on waves of love with Your body, Your mind and all Your senses!”

he śrī rādhe mad īśvari, vilāsa bhūṣaṇa pari,
keli rasa samara taraṅge
abhisāre kobe dhani, loiyā yāibo tumi,
hari vibhūṣita keli kuñje
(Śrī Haripada Śila)

“O My Īśvari Śrī Rādhe! You are wearing all the (figurative) ornaments of Your pastimes,
floating on the waves of the rasa of playful skirmishes as I take You on abhisāra (love-journey) to the kuñja which is decorated by Hari.”

– From the tika of Srila Ananta das Babaji and Srila Ananda Gopal Goswami to Sri Sri Vilapa Kusumanjali