VERSE 10:

AYE PŪRVAṀ RAṄGETY AMṚTAMAYA VARṆA-DVAYA RASA
SPHURAD DEVĪ PRĀRTHYAṀ NAṬANA PAṬALAṀ ŚIKṢAYATI CET
TADĀ RĀSE DṚŚYAṀ RASA VALITA LĀSYAṀ VIDADHATOS
TAYOR VAKTRE YUÑJE NAṬANA PAṬU VĪṬIṀ SAKHI MUHUḤ

O sakhi Rūpa Mañjari! If she whose name bears the two nectarean syllables ‘ra-ṅga’, that reveal her ‘raṅga’, or playfulness, and who is ‘devī’ or splendid, makes me become expert in the art of dancing on my own request, then I will be able always to put betel leaves in Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s mouths while They dance the rasika Rāsa-dance. These betel leaves will make Them dance even more expertly!

Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā:

Śrīpāda Raghunātha’s heart and mind are filled with the yearning for devotional service, so he prays to the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī – “Let me learn devotional service from Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s parama preṣṭha sakhīs!”

The savour of devotional service makes everything else in this world completely tasteless. “I just want to fall at Your feet and serve You!”
Śrī Raghunātha has submitted himself completely to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s lotus feet. The service of Śrī Rādhā cannot be had as long as there’s still a whiff of material desire.

Whenever Śrīmatī inundates the transcendental youthful Cupid of Vṛndāvana in Her mādana rasa, the kiṅkarīs render their rasamaya service.

In this verse, Śrī Raghunātha prays to Raṅgadevī to teach him the art of dancing.

saptamī raṅgadevīyaṁ padma kiñjalka kānti bhāk;
javā rāgi dukūleyaṁ kaniṣṭhā saptabhir dinaiḥ
prāyena campakalatā sadṛśī guṇato matā;
karuṇā raṅga sārābhyāṁ pitṛbhyāṁ janimīyuṣī

“Raṅgadevī is the seventh of the eight sakhīs. Her body shines like a lotus whorl, Her dress is red like a Javā-flower, and she is seven days younger than Śrī Rādhā.
In qualities she is just like Campakalatā. Her father’s name is Raṅgasāra, and her mother’s name is Karuṇā”.

raṅgadevī sadottuṅgā hāveṅgita taraṅgiṇī;
kṛṣṇāgre’pi priyasakhī narma kautūhalotsukā
ṣāḍ guṇyasya guṇe turye yukti vaiśiṣṭyam āśrītā;
Kṛṣṇasyākarṣaṇaṁ mandraṁ tapasā pūrvam īyuṣī

“Raṅgadevī always makes high waves of joking and laughter; she even makes fun of Śrī Rādhā in front of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
She’s expert in the fourth of the six types of warfare (āsana, or sittingplace), and as the result of previously performed austerities she has gotten a mantra that attracts Kṛṣṇa.”
(Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Gaṇoddeśa Dīpikā)

From this Raṅgadevī Śrī Raghunātha dāsa, in mañjarī svarūpa, will learn the art of dancing. Raṅgadevī even reveals her qualities simply with the two nectar-filled syllables of her name ‘ra-ṅga’.
She experiences endless raṅga, or fun, in the service of the Yugala. She is expert in different raṅga-kalā (humorous arts). With these syllables ‘ra-ṅga’, she reveals the glories of herself and of her name.
She is also called ‘devī’, or the shining, beautiful girl. The verbal root ‘div’ also means ‘playful’, so she is matchless in expanding the fun of the divine Couple.
In svarūpāveśa Śrīpāda can relish the flavours of service in a vision of a divine pastime and when the vision ends he prays for education in this service – thus the succession of aspirations continues.

Śrī Raghunātha now gets a vision of the beautiful Rāsa-dance.

maṇḍalī-bandhe gopīgaṇa korena nartana;
madhye nāce rādhā saha vrajendra nandana
(C.C.)

“The gopīs dance in a circle and Vrajendra Nandana dances in the middle with Rādhā.”

Rāsa is a festival of transcendental flavours that makes Kṛṣṇa relish Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s ṁādana prema, and the joining in of other Vraja-devīs serves to enhance the charm of this festival.
How wonderfully sweet are these dancing-pastimes of world-enchanting Śrī-Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava!

kore kara maṇḍita maṇḍalī mājh; nācata nāgarī nāgara rāj
bājata koto koto yantra sutāna; koto koto rāga māna koru gāna
koto koto aṅga bhaṅga koto kampa; kaṅkaṇa kiṅkiṇī boloyā niśāna
aparūpa nācata rādhā kān janu nava jaladhare bijurika bhāti; koho mādhava duhu aichana kānti

“Nāgarī (heroine) Rādhā and Nāgara rāja (the king of heroes) Kṛṣṇa dance in a circle, holding hands. How many instruments are sweetly playing! How many tunes, rhythms and songs are made!
How many gestures Their limbs make, causing Their bangles and ankle bells to jingle! How wonderful is the dancing of Rādhā and Kāna (Kṛṣṇa)!
Mādhava dāsa says: They shine like a fresh monsoon-cloud and a lightning flash!”

Tulasī fixes her eyes on Rādhā and Mādhava. Although They have become tired of dancing for so long, they are so absorbed in dancing that They cannot stop. Tulasī then serves Them betel leaves that mitigate Their fatigue and that give Them more pleasure in dancing again. Tulasī will have to dance along while serving the betel leaves to Śrī-Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava, for without dancing no one can enter the Rāsa-circle.

There is a marketplace of dance there:

nācata ghana nandalāla rasavatī kori raṅge
ravāb khamaka pināka vīṇā bājata koto raṅge
koi gāyata koi nācata koi dharata tāl
sakhīgaṇa meli nāciche gāyiche mohita nanda lāl
śuka nāciche śārī nāciche bosiyā tarura ḍāle;
kapota kapotī nāciche gāhiche nava nava ghana tale
brahmā nāciche sāvitrī sahite pulake pūrita aṅga
vṛṣabha upore maheśa nāciche pārvatī kori saṅga
kūrma sahite pṛthivī nāciche boliche bhālire bhāli
govardhana giri ānande nāciche tāra tate rāsa keli
yamunā nāciche taraṅgera chale nāciche makara mine
e yadunandana heriye mohana yugala ujjvala gāne

“Nandalāl (Kṛṣṇa) dances with Rasavatī (Rādhā), while the Ravāb (a kind of Vīṇā), Khamaka, Pināka (bow-shaped instrument) and Vīṇā are blissfully playing. Some dance, some sing, and some give the rhythm. The sakhīs join together to enchant Nandalāl with their dancing and singing. The male and female parrots (Śuka-Śārī) are dancing, sitting on the branches of the trees, the pigeons and their wives are dancing and singing, giving deep rhythms, Brahmā dances with Sāvitrī while goose pimples are standing on their limbs, and Śiva is dancing on His bull, together with His spouse Pārvatī! The earth dances with Kūrma (her pivot) under her, saying: “Bravo! Bravo!” Govardhana Hill, at whose base the Rāsa-dance takes place, dances in ecstasy, the Yamunā makes her waves dance along and the huge Makara-fishes also dance. Thus Yadunandana witnesses the charming and brilliant song of the Yugala.”

The sakhīs are dancing in a circle, with in Their middle the dancing Rādhā-Śyāma. Their ornaments and flower garlands are dancing along, the flute dances in Kṛṣṇa’s hand, the Vīṇā dances in Rādhā’s hand, Kṛṣṇa’s fingers dance on the holes of His flute, Rādhikā’s fingers dance on the strings of Her Vīṇā, and the birds, animals, trees, vines, gods, goddesses, yes the whole world dances along. Tulasī has previously learned the wonderful art of dancing from Raṅgadevī, and now she dances into the Rāsa-circle to serve Rādhā-Śyāma betel leaves. Again and again she dances along with the rhythm and places delicious betel leaves in Their mouths, so that They will not feel tired, and They will have more pleasure from Their dancing. Blessed is this maidservant, blessed is her service! Then suddenly the transcendental vision vanishes and Śrī Raghunātha weeps and prays to Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī’s feet for the fortune of attaining this devotional service.

abhinava amṛta-maya duṭi varṇa ‘raṅga’; devī kohi dyotamānā ujjvala śrī aṅga
sei raṅgadevī yadi rāsa nṛtyera āge; śikhāya more prārthanīya nṛtya bhaṅgi rage
śrī rādhā govinda yabe śrī rāsa maṇḍale; suyantre suchande nāce sulalita tāle;
śrī rādhā govinda doṅhāra vadana kamale; tāmbūla vīṭikā dibo nṛtyera kauśale (10)

“If Raṅgadevī, whose name consists of the two nectarean novel syllables ‘raṅ-ga’ and whose body shimmers, for which she is called ‘devī’, the splendid one, teaches me the dancing-postures and rāgas I prayed for before the Rāsa-dance commences, then, when Śrī Rādhā-Govinda dance on lovely rhythms, played with nice instruments in beautiful tunes in the Rāsa-circle, I will be able to offer betel leaves to Their lotus-mouths to enhance Their dancing!”