VERSES 8-10:

SAURABHĀNTAḤ PURE GARVA PARYAṄKOPARI LĪLAYĀ
NIVIṢṬĀṀ PREMA VAICITTYA VICALAT TARALĀÑCITĀM
PRAṆAYA KRODHA SAC COLĪ BANDHA GUPTĪ-KṚTA STANĀM
SAPATNĪ VAKTRA HṚC CHOṢI YAŚAḤ ŚRĪ KACCHAPĪ RAVĀM
MADHYATĀTMA SAKHĪ SKANDHA LĪLĀ NYASTA KARĀMBUJĀM
ŚYĀMĀṀ ŚYĀMA SMARĀMODA MADHŪLĪ PARIVEŚIKĀM

She sits in the inner chamber of Her bodily fragrance on a sofa of pride, and She wears an oscillating locket of prema vaicittya around Her neck.
She conceals Her breasts with an excellent bodice of loving anger, and She makes the hearts and faces of Her rivals’ wilt with the beautiful Vīṇā-sound of Her fame and glories.
She playfully places Her lotus-like hand on the shoulder of Her girlfriend named adolescent beauty and She serves Śyāma the sweet blissful wine of erotic mellows.
Thus She is named Śyāmā.

    Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā:

The bhāva mādhurya (sweetness of feelings), rasa gāmbhirya (depth of flavour), bhāṣā paripāṭya (expertise of word-choice) and ānanda prācurya (abundance of transcendental bliss) of this Premāmbhoja Marandākhya Stavarāja is Śrīpāda Raghunātha’s priceless gift to the bhāvuka bhaktas (sensitive devotees). Indeed, it cannot even be described what a wonderful treasure of ecstatic love he has given especially to the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, who have taken shelter of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s lotus feet and who are endowed with a greater love for Śrī Rādhā.

Śrī Raghunātha is the complete object of Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s mercy, and thus it was possible for him to reveal such a confidential treasure of ecstatic love.

The bedstead of Radhika´s pride

Here he describes Bhāvamayī’s inner chambers and Her bedstead of bhāva.
saurabhāntaḥ pure garva paryaṅkopari līlayā niviṣṭām – “She sits on the bedstead of pride in the inner chambers of Her bodily fragrance.”
Her own bodily fragrance forms Her inner chamber. You can know who lives in a certain inner chamber, when you enter it and similarly, when you enter Vṛndāvana, you smell the extraordinary fragrance of Śrī Rādhikā, the most excellent wish yielding vine (vṛndāraṇya vareṇya kalpa-latikā), there.

Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī has written in Utkaṇṭhā daśakam:

yasyāḥ kānta tanūllasat parimalenākṛṣṭa uccaiḥ sphurad
gopī-vṛnda mukhāravinda madhu tat prītyā dhayann apy adaḥ
muñcan vartmani vambhramīti madato govinda bhṛṅgaḥ satām
vṛndāraṇya vareṇya kalpa-latikāṁ rādhāṁ kadāhaṁ bhaje

    “When can I serve Rādhā, the most excellent wish yielding vine of Vṛndāraṇya, whose superb bodily fragrance promptly attracts the Govinda-bee, and makes Him leave all the other gopīs, although He likes to drink the honey from their lotus-like faces also, to madly run after Her alone?”

Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī sits in the extraordinary inner chamber of Her own fragrance, on a sofa of pride.

saubhāgya rūpa tāruṇya guṇa sarvottamāśrayaiḥ iṣṭa-lābhādinā cānya helanaṁ garva īrṣyate.
(Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu 2.4.41)

“When someone disregards others because of personal superiority in fortune, beauty, youthfulness, qualification, or attainment of one’s goal, he is called proud.”

This pride is Śrī Rādhā’s bedstead.
nijāṅga saurabhālaye garva paryaṅka;
tāte bosiyāche sadā cinte Kṛṣṇa saṅga
(C.C.)

“She sits on a bedstead of pride in the abode of Her own bodily fragrance, constantly thinking of Kṛṣṇa’s company.”

Radhika´s necklace made out of prema

    Then Śrī Raghunātha dāsa says: prema vaicittya vicalat taralāñcitām – “Her prema vaicittya is like a restless locket that hangs around Her neck.”

priyasya sannikarṣe’pi premotkarṣa svabhāvataḥ
yā viśleṣadhiyārtis tat prema vaicittyam ucyate
(Ujjvala Nīlamaṇi)

    “It is the nature of the topmost love that it makes one feel heartache out of separation from the beloved, even though he is quite near. This is called prema vaicittya.”

When prema vaicittya arises, the consciousness becomes so subtle, that it becomes like the hole in a cloth through which you cannot push a needle with a thread a second or a third time, only once.
In that state the lover cannot even see Śyāma next to her anymore and burns up in the fire of separation from Him, even in His very presence!

śyāmaka kore yatane dhanī śutala madana alase duhuṅ bhora
bhuje bhuje bandhana niviḍa āliṅgana yeno kāñcana maṇi joḍa
korahi śyāma camaki dhanī boloto kobo mohe milabo kān
hṛdayaka tāpa tabahu majhu miṭabo amiyā korobo sināna
so mukha mādhurī baṅka nehārai sowari sowari mana jhura
so tanu sarasa paraśa yaba pāobo tabahi manoratha pūra
eto kohi sundarī dīgha niśāsai mūrachita harala geyāna
ākula rāi śyāma parabodhai govinda dāsa paramāṇa
(Pada Kalpataru)

    “This fortunate girl lies down on Śyāma’s chest when she’s tired of loving pastimes. They embrace Each other tightly, so that they resemble a jewel inset with gold. This fortunate girl is so astonished, that while she lies on Śyāma’s chest she says: ‘When will I meet Kāna? My heartache will only be soothed when I can be showered with the nectar of meeting Him! When I remember His sweet face and His crooked glances, my mind is pleased, and when I get the luscious touch of His body my desires are fulfilled.’ While saying this, the beautiful girl sighed deeply and then fainted, losing all consciousness. Govinda dāsa experiences how Rāi thus anxiously calls Śyāma.”

    This prema vaicittya-ecstasy oscillates like a locket in a necklace around Śrī Rādhā’s neck –
prema vaicittya ratna hṛdaye tarala (C.C.)

Radhika´s bodice is made out of loving anger

    Then Śrī Raghunātha dāsa describes Rādhikā’s bodice by saying:
praṇaya krodha sac colī bandha guptī kṛta stanām – “She hides Her breasts in a nice bodice made of loving anger.”

Just as a bodice can cover the breasts, but cannot conceal their existence, rather increases the beauty of the breasts, in the same way, Rādhikā tries to cover Her love for Kṛṣṇa, but cannot altogether hide it by becoming angry with Him.
Her anger is only external, and actually makes Her love for Him only more beautiful and sweet.
This mood is called kuṭṭamita by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī:

stanādharādi grahaṇe hṛt prītāv api sambhramāt
bahiḥ krodha vyathitavat proktaṁ kuṭṭamitaṁ budhaiḥ
(U.N.)

    “The wise men call the mood in which a woman shows external anger or pain when a man catches Her lips or breasts, while she actually loves it, kuṭṭamita.”

na bhrū-latāṁ kuṭilaya kṣipa naiva hastaṁ vaktraṁ ca kaṇṭakita gaṇḍam idaṁ na rundhi
prīṇātu sundari tavādhara bandhujīve pītvā madhūni madhure madhusūdano’sau

    Śrī Kṛṣṇa told Śrī Rādhā: “Priye! Why are You frowning Your eyebrows, and why are You pushing My hands away? Don’t conceal the goose pimples on Your cheeks anymore!
O beautiful girl! Let Madhusūdana (the rasika bumblebee Kṛṣṇa) blissfully drink the sweet honey of Your lips, that resemble Bandhujīva-flowers!”

In Caitanya Caritāmṛta it is written: praṇaya māna kañculikāya vakṣaḥ ācchādana.
So the word krodha can also be seen as māna.

In Śrī Ujjvala Nīlamaṇi, causeless māna is called praṇaya māna.
On the order of svādhīna bhārtṛkā Rādhikā, Kṛṣṇa has gone out to pick flowers, but when Kṛṣṇa returns to Her, He sees that She has become angry. Śrī Kṛṣṇa then tells Her:
“O akāraṇa kopane (You who are angry for no reason)! On Your order I have gone out to pick flowers, and now You are silent to Me for no reason? Hey Rādhe! O Priyasakhi! I understand why You’re angry, don’t deceive Me anymore! Order Me! With which flowers shall I decorate You?”

Radhika´s vina playing

    Śrī Raghunātha dāsa describes Śrīmatī’s Vīṇā-playing as follows:
sapatnī vaktra hṛcchosi yaśaḥ śrī kacchapī ravām – “The excellent Vīṇā-sound of Her beautiful glories dry up the hearts and faces of Her rivals.”

These rivals (sapatnī means co-wife) are hostile gopīs like Candrāvalī, Padmā, Śaibyā and so. Actually, all the innumerable gopīs are Rādhikā’s expansions, but just to nourish the sweetness of Kṛṣṇa’s meeting with Śrī Rādhā,
Śrī Kṛṣṇa sometimes meets and enjoys with them also. Therefore, there is no comparison to the glories of Śrī Kṛṣṇakānta Śiromaṇi Śrī Rādhā’s love. Still, for increasing the sweetness of Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s love, the erotic rasa of Vraja gives Candrāvalī and others the self-esteem that they are equal to Śrī Rādhā. Because of this self-esteem of equality, the hearts and faces of the other gopīs shrivel when they hear the excellent Vīṇā-sound of Śrī Rādhikā’s matchless beautiful glories. This wealth of fame is the sound of Śrīmatī’s Kacchapī Vīṇā.

Radhika´s beautiful girlfriend, named youthful adolescence

    Now Śrī Raghunātha dāsa says: madhyatātma sakhī skandha līlā nyasta karāmbujam – “She places Her lotus hand on the shoulder of Her girlfriend named madhyatā, which means the age between childhood and youth.”

Śrī Rādhārānī is eternally in the divine age of puberty.
Just as young heroines always place their hands on the shoulders of their girlfriends, so Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī places Her lotus hand on the shoulder of Her girlfriend named puberty.
The purport of this is, that Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His pleasure potency are eternally kiśora-kiśorī, adolescent boys and girls. It is only in the manifest pastimes (prakaṭa līlā) that they all grow up from birth to adolescence.
The kaiśora, or adolescent age, is the original, eternal foundation-age, and the babyhood and childhood-phases are expansions of the kiśora-age.
Just as the expansion cannot exist without the origin, similarly the babyhood and childhood have no independent existence from the adolescence. The expansions babyhood and childhood are infiltrated in the origin, adolescence.
This eternal adolescence is named madhyatā, because it is manifest in between babyhood or childhood, and youthfulness.
madhya-vaya-sthiti sakhī skandha kara nyāsa (C.C.)

Radhika´s serves Krishna honey-sweet love-wine

    Then Śrī Raghunātha dāsa says: śyāmāṁ śyāma-smarāmoda madhūlī pariveśikām – “She is the Śyāmā-heroine who serves the blissful erotic śyāma-rasa honey to Śyāma (Kṛṣṇa).”

The definition of a Śyāmā-heroine is:

padmagandhi vapur yasyāḥ stanau yasyāḥ sadonnatau;
grīṣma kāle śiśiratā śīta kāle bhaved uṣṇā
akāle vañjulo yasyāḥ pādāghātena puṣpati
mukhāsavais ca bakulaḥ sā śyāmā parikīrtitā

    “Her body smells of lotus flowers, Her breasts are always raised, she is cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The Aśoka-flowers bloom untimely when they are hit by her feet and the Bakula-flowers bloom when her saliva (the honey from her mouth) drips on them.”

    This Śyāmā-nāyikā-maṇi Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī makes Śyāmasundara drunk by making Him drink the Śyāma- or erotic -rasa.
Erotic rasa is called śyāma rasa, because the color black represents eros. śyāma varṇo’yam viṣṇu daivataḥ (Sāhitya darpaṇa).

Śyāmasundara is also śṛṅgāra rasa personified: śṛṅgāra sakhi mūrtimān iva madhau mugdho hariḥ krīḍati (Gīta Govinda) – “O sakhi! Hari is erotic rasa personified and He is enchanted by playing in the spring!”

It is the Mādana-love of Śrī Rādhikā Herself Who intoxicates the transcendental youthful Cupid with the Śyāma-wine of eros. madayatīti mādanaḥ. Such is the extraordinary power of Śrī Rādhā’s mādanākhya prema.

Kṛṣṇa kohe – āmi hoi rasera nidāna;
pūrṇānandamay āmi cinmoy pūrṇa tattva;
rādhikāra preme āmā korāy unmatta
nā jāni rādhāra preme āche koto bol;
ye bole āmāre kore sarvadā vihvol
(C.C.)

    “Śrī Kṛṣṇa says: I am the root cause of rasa. I am the completely blissful transcendental truth, but still, the love of Rādhikā makes Me drunk.
I don’t know how much power Rādhā’s love has, that it can always overwhelm Me in this way!”

Even Śrī Kṛṣṇa cannot know what inconceivable power Śrī Rādhā’s prema has through which even rasa svarūpa ānanda svarūpa, the ocean of transcendence Śrī Govinda, goes mad and is overwhelmed.
Since mādana prema is Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s private treasure, even Śrī Govinda is unable to understand its ability. Hence, when Śrī Rādhārāṇī makes Him drink the honey drink of śṛṅgāra rasa, Śrī Kṛṣṇa becomes intoxicated and overwhelmed. Kṛṣṇake korāya śyāma rasa madhupāna; nirantara pūrṇa kore kṛṣṇera sarva kāma
(C.C.)

kīrti rūpa antaḥ pure satata viśrāma; garva rūpa paryaṅkete ānande śayāna
prema vaicittya ratna hāra madhya maṇi; milane viraha bhāve bhorā vinodinī (8)
sapraṇaya krodha māna rakta kañculikā; tāhe kuca ācchādana kore gāndharvikā
sapatnī -gaṇera mukha hṛdaya śoṣiṇī; yāhāra nirmala yaśaḥ kacchapīra dhvani (9)
yauvana sakhīra skandhe ānandita mone; līlā rūpa kara padma korilā arpaṇe
varaja maṇḍale ‘śyāmā’ ei nāma dhare; śyāma smara madhu sadā pariveśana kore (10)

    “She is constantly resting in Her inner chamber of fame, blissfully reclining on a bedstead of pride. Her prema vaicittya-ecstasy is the central gem within Her jewel necklace.
Thus Vinodinī is absorbed in the mood of separation during meeting. Loving proud anger is the red blouse with which Gāndharvikā covers Her breasts. The Vīṇā-sound of Her spotless fame dries up the hearts of Her rivals.
Blissfully She places Her lotus-like hand, replete with play lotus, on the shoulder of Her girlfriend named youthfulness. She is named Śyāmā in Vraja Maṇḍala and She always serves the honey of Śyāma-smara (erotic flavours) to Kṛṣṇa.”

from “Sri Sri Stavavali 3″”
(English commentary by Rādhākuṇḍa Mahānta Paṇḍita Śrīmat Ananta Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

Translated by Sri Advaita das