The book ‘Rādhā Rasa Sudhānidhi’ consists of Śrīpāda’s prayers in both sādhaka āveśa – the more external consciousness of a practising devotee – and siddha āveśa – the internal consciousness, in which he is aware of his eternal spiritual body as a maidservant and/or girlfriend of Śrī Rādhā.

Sometimes we will see him in the fortunate condition of having direct transcendental communion with Śrī Rādhikā, and sometimes we see him eagerly praying for such a communion in his sādhakāveśa.

But even in that sādhakāveśa there is a strong vibration of his identity as Śrī Rādhā’s maidservant! By saying: “I offer my obeisances to any direction where I may find Śrī Rādhā”, Śrīpāda prays for a blessing upon all the sādhakas of the world who meditate on Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s Vṛndāvana-pastimes. May their sacred desires be fulfilled!

One may ask now: “Why does Śrīpāda call Kṛṣṇa ‘Madhusūdana’ in this verse? Isn’t that indicating Kṛṣṇa’s divine prowess (aiśvarya) and isn’t that contrary to the sweet mood (mādhurya) of the Vṛndavana-devotees? The answer to this is: “The name Madhusūdana also means madhu puṣpa-rasaṁ sūdayati khaṇḍayatīti madhusūdanaḥ: Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Who drinks the honey (madhu) from Rādhā’s lotus-like lips, just like a bee”. The pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are hardly perceived even by the kings of yogīs like Mahādeva (Lord Śiva) and Lord Brahmā. Caitanya Caritāmṛta states; rādhā-kṛṣṇera lila ei ati gūḍhatara; dāsya vatsalyādi bhāvera na hoy gocara / sabe eka sakhīgaṇera iha adhikāra; sakhī hoite hoy ei līlāra vistāra “The pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are very confidential. They are not even perceived by Kṛṣṇa’s own servants and friends in Vraja. Only His girlfriends can enter into it, and it is they who expand these pastimes.”

Just as Śrīpada thinks, “Will I be so fortunate to witness those sweet pastimes of Madhusūdana that cannot even be perceived by the kings of yogīs?”, a spiritual revelation comes to him by Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s grace:

He sees Śrī-Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava playing Their pastimes in a lonely bower of Vṛndāvana. After these pastimes Śrīmatī Rādhikā sits up on the bed, looking like a flower-garland ravished by a bumblebee. Rasika Śiromaṇi (Kṛṣṇa, the crown-jewel of relishers) becomes compassionate when He sees how tired She is, but this is not the kind of compassion a lover usually has for his girlfriend; that can be understood from Śrīla Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Kavirāja’s commentary on the 18th verse of Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura’s ‘Kṛṣṇa Karṇāmṛta’ (taruṇāruṇa karuṇāmaya vipulāyata nayanam).

There it is said: taruṇe madana madodgāriṇī svato madhupānena cāruṇe ca vījanādinā tac chramāpanodanārthaṁ hṛdyudgatvā yā karuṇā tad udgāriṇī ca svato vipule āyate ca nayane yasya.
– “Śrī Kṛṣṇa personally fans Śrī Rādhikā to soothe Her fatigue and His lotus-eyes, that are naturally reddish because of drinking honeywine, become wide out of compassion upon Her.”

When Śrīmatī is in a controlling mood, known as svādhīna bhartṛkā, She orders Kṛṣṇa: “Quickly dress Me! My girlfriends will ridicule Me when they see Me in this condition!”

Understanding the situation, the kiṅkarīs come and bring sandalwood-pulp, aguru (aloe), musk, collyrium, footlac and other items. Rasika Śiromaṇi now becomes absorbed in dressing and ornamenting Śrīmatī. Svāminī (Rādhikā) slightly smiles when She sees Rasika Nāgara’s absorption and the kiṅkarīs giggle, covering their mouths with their veils.
While dressing Śrīmatī, Śyāma repeatedly looks at Her face with tear-filled eyes. He cannot get enough of relishing that sweet face of Hers!

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda says: tṛṣyan muhuḥ smita sudhāṁ paripāyito’pi “- Although Kṛṣṇa constantly drinks the nectar from Rādhikā’s moon-like face, He can never get enough of it. He always remains thirsty for more.”

While He paints collyrium around Radhika’s frisky eyes, Śyāma starts to sweat. svidyan dṛg anta capalāñcala vījito’pi – “Although He is fanned by Rādhikā’s restless eyelashes, He still sweats.”

Therefore Śrī Rādhikā orders Śrīpāda Prabodhānanda, who stands by in his kiṅkarī-form, to fan Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa’s sweat-drops dry up because of her expert fanning, and then Śrīpāda thinks of a funny prank:
He begins to fan in such a way that Rādhikā’s fragrance enters Śyāmasundara’s nostrils. Even Śyāma considers Himself to be blessed by catching a whiff of the edge of Rādhikā’s garment and He thinks to Himself: “O Wind! You are blessed! You are rightfully called gandhavaha (carrier of scents)! Now You carry the scent of the precious musk on Śrīmatī’s breasts! I wish I was that lucky!”

When the kiṅkarī sees Śyāma’s condition, she is immersed in an ocean of transcendental bliss.

One of Svāminī’s names is gandhonmādita mādhavā: She who maddens Mādhava with Her fragrance.”

Now Śrīpāda has directly experienced in the kingdom of līlās how suitable that name is.

Suddenly his transcendental vision stops and he laments: “Hā Rādhe! Where is now that honeysweet play of Yours?” Humbly he prays: “I offer my obeisances to that direction from where Śrī Rādhā’s fragrance, that maddens even Mādhava, comes! O direction! Show me my Prāṇeśvarī, the queen of my life!”

At certain times Śrī Rādhikā lives at Her in-laws’ abode named Yāvaṭa (which is halfway between Nandagrāma and the present town of Kośī) and sometimes She stays with Her parents at Barsāṇā, forty kilometers west of Vṛndāvana. The Vraja-devotees who are fixed in smaraṇa know exactly in which direction they can find Her, on what day and what month. To that direction I offer my obeisances!
jaya jaya aparūpā, gandhonmādita mādhavā
jaya jaya maṅgala śrī nāma!
mādhavīra parihita, vasane ki adabhūta,
alaukika gandha vartamāna

“All glories to the wonderful Girl whose fragrance maddens Mādhava! All glories to Her auspicious, beautiful holy name!
How wonderful is Her dress that carries the extraordinary fragrance of Mādhavī-flowers!”

rādhāra vasanāñcala, sañcālane parimala,
ye pavana koriyā vahana
kṛṣṇa nāsa randhra dhāma, sei gandha kore dāna
dhanya dhanya sei to pavana

“Glorious, glorious is the breeze that carries the fragrance of the edge of Rādhā’s garment!
Glorious is the breeze that gives this fragrance to the abode of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s nostrils!”
ore dik bolo kothā, mora prāṇeśvarī rādhā,
kuñje bhrame śrī madhusūdana
yogīndra durgama gati, rāi tanu gandhe mati,
vimohita madana mohana

“O Direction! Tell me in which kuñja the queen of my heart, Śrī Rādhā, rambles with Śrī Madhusūdana?
Even Kṛṣṇa, who enchants even Cupid and who is hard to attain even by the kings of yogīs, is maddened by the fragrance of Rāi’s (Rādhā’s) divine body!”

ye kuñjete śrī rādhikā, kṛṣṇa keli ārādhikā,
kṛṣṇa dhyāne kṛṣṇa priyatamā
yei dike kuñjeśvarī, vṛṣabhānu sukumārī,
kṛṣṇa saṅga koriyā kāmanā

sei dik ke bāra bāra, koṭi koṭi namaskāra,
tabe mora sukhera ullāsa
śrīpāda prabodhānanda, rasāla bhajanānanda,
‘sudhānidhi’ korilā prakāśa

“I offer millions of obeisances again and again to that kuñja where Kṛṣṇa’s Dearmost Śrī Rādhikā,
the tender daughter of king Vṛṣabhānu, the Queen of the kuñjas Who worships Kṛṣṇa with Her loveplay, meditates on Kṛṣṇa and desires His company.
Then I will be very happy. Śrīpāda Prabodhānanda, who relishes the nectarean bliss of bhajana, reveals this ‘Rādhā Rasa Sudhānidhi’.”

from “Śrī-Śrī Rādhā Rasa Sudhānidhi”
(English commentary based on the Bengali commentary made by Śrī Madhusūdana Dāsa Adhikārī, Prabhupāda Śrīla Ananda Gopāla Gosvāmī and Rādhākuṇḍa Mahānta Paṇḍita Śrīmat Ananta Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

Translated by Sri Advaita das