VERSE 18:

KVACIT PADMĀ ŚAIBYĀDIKA VALITA CANDRĀVALĪM URU
PRIYĀLĀPOLLĀSAIR ATULAM API DHINVANN AGHAHARAḤ
KADĀ VĀ MAT PREKṢĀ LAVA KALITA VAILAKṢYA BHARATAḤ
KVA RĀDHETY ĀJALPAN MALINAYATI SARVĀḤ PARAM IMĀḤ

When will Candrāvalī, with her friends like Padmā and Śaibyā, all become greatly morose when I come inside their kuñja where they are sweetly and blissfully prattling with Aghahara (Kṛṣṇa), and Kṛṣṇa, after I cast even a slight glance at Him, will ask me: “Where is Rādhā?”

Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā:

Śrī Raghunātha dāsa’s heart is stirred by prema rasa (the flavours of divine love). Just as a poet’s formless feelings take a form when he starts to use words, similarly the love in the heart of a lover can become externally manifest in a concrete form, creating a world of bliss illuminated by the light of his love. Thus the lover makes a seat in his heart for his beloved deity to come and sit on. The lover can then see different rasamayī pastimes being played even before his external eyes, that are then fully spiritualised. Full experience of the ever-sweet prema svarūpa takes place when such transcendental feelings awaken. Śrīpāda is in the kingdom of mahā bhāva, therefore his experience of līlā rasa is very deep.

Then the picture of a rasika līlā comes up before the eyes of Śrīpāda, who is in svarūpāveśa and who floats on a wave of prayer. Śrī Rādhārāṇī comes to a trysting-kuñja, hoping to meet Her beloved Śyāmasundara there. Tulasī follows Svāminī like Her shadow and helps Her to decorate the kuñja while She waits for Śyāma to come. Tulasī helps Svāminī preparing flowergar¬lands, sandalwoodpulp, vermilion, delicious betelleaves, jugs filled with scented water and other ingredients for Śyāmasundara’s service. But time goes by and Śyāma doesn’t show up. Again and again Śrīmatī eagerly looks down the road for Śyāma to come and finally breaks down in crying and, suffering the pangs of separation, laments:

kānuka sandeśa, beśa boni āyalu, saṅketa keli nikuñja
mādhavī parimale, bhari tanu jārai, phukarai madhukara puñja
abahu nā milalo dāruṇa kān
nilaja cita, pirīti anurodhai, ithe nāhi yāta parāṇa
kānuka vacana, amiyā rasa secane, becalu tanu mana jāti
nija kula dūṣaṇa, bhūṣaṇa kori mānalu, tei bhelo aichana śāti
himakara kiraṇe, gamana avarodhalo, ki phala calabahuṅ geho
govinda dāsa koho yāi sati jānaho kānu ki tejalo leho

“After receiving Kṛṣṇa’s message I came to the forest to meet Him in this playgrove, which is filled with fragrant Mādhavī-flowers surrounded by swarms of buzzing bees. Until now I did not meet cruel Kṛṣṇa! My heart is so shameless and devoid of love that my life still didn’t leave My body! When I heard Kṛṣṇa’s nectarean words I sold My mind, My body and My caste (to Him), thinking that the pollution of My family (that was caused by My infedility) was an orna¬ment. The moonrays block My path, now what result will I have achieved by going home?”

Tulasī keeps Śrīmatī in the kuñja and goes out to look for Śyāma. Although she looks here and there, she cannot find Him, so she thinks:

“Let me go once to Candrāvalī’s kuñja and see!”

Actually Kṛṣṇa was on His way to Rādhā’s kuñja, but on the way He had been intercep¬ted by Padmā and Śaibyā and taken to Candrāvalī’s kuñja. Tulasī goes to Candrā’s kuñja and looks through the slits in the vines to see that Śyāma is there, surrounded by Padmā, Śaibyā and Candrāvalī, prattling with them in a loving way, thus giving great delight to Candrāvalī.

Tulasī desperately thinks: “How will I take Śyāma to Svāminī now? How will Svāminī stay alive if She remains separated from Śyāma like this? Let me first show myself to Śyāma a little and see what happens. If Śyāma doesn’t react, I will have to find some trick to get Him out of here.” So suddenly Tulasī enters Candrā’s kuñja and stands in the gate, making Kṛṣṇa promptly get up from Candrāvalī’s bed and ask her: “Tulasi! Where is My Rādhā?”, and go out with her to Rādhā’s kuñja. Tulasī sees that the faces of Padmā, Candrāvalī and Śaibyā wilt of misery when they see Śyāmasundara’s inconceivable behaviour.

To increase Kṛṣṇa’s relish of His meetings with Rādhārāṇī, Kṛṣṇa sometimes meets with Her so-called rivals like Candrāvalī, but as soon as Kṛṣṇa remembers Rādhā’s supreme mādana-love for Him, He promptly forgets Candrāvalī and all other gopīs. Some light may be seen in the sky before the sun rises, provided by the moon and the stars, but as soon as the sun rises, there is no trace of any other luminary in the sky anymore. (Rādhā can be compared to the sun, being the daughter of Mahārāja Vṛṣa-bhānu, which means the sun in June, and Candrāvalī, meaning ‘series of moons’ can be compared to the moon, a smaller luminary). Tulasī takes Śyāmasundara along to Śrīmatī’s kuñja and rebukes Him severely along the way, threatening Him that if she tells Svāminī that He had gone astray to Candrāvalī’s kuñja, Svāminī would certainly let Him suffer for it! Śyāmasundara then offers hundreds of apologies to this little maidservant and begs her not to tell anything to Śrīmatī. Although Kṛṣṇa was able to destroy the powerful Agha-demon, He now humbly begs forgiveness from this little maidservant! This is the glory of Śrī Rādhā’s maidservice! Tulasī consoles Śyāma and takes Him to Śrīmatī’s kuñja, and when Svāminī sees Him, the fire of Her separati¬on from Him is promptly extinguished. Tulasī holds Śyāma’s hand and offers Him to Svāminī, telling Her: “Here, take Your beloved!” Then his hands are suddenly empty. The vision disappears from Śrī Raghunātha dāsa, who immediately prays for the vision of this pastime and for devotional service to the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī.

padmā śaibyā sakhī madhye śrī candrāvalī;
aghahantā śrī govinda ho’ye kutūhalī
prema sūcaka ālāpete candrāvalīra mana;
ānande pūraṇa kore kamala locana
heno avasara kāle āmāke dekhiyā;
śrī govinda atiśaya lajjita hoiyā
‘śrī rādhā kothāya’ boli candrāvalī yūthe;
vimalina koribe ki āmāra sammukhe? (18)

“Lotus-eyed Aghahantā Śrī Govinda is fulfilling His Candrāvalī’s bliss by lovingly prattling with her and her sakhīs Padmā and Śaibyā. When Govinda sees me at that moment He becomes very shy. When will He make Candrāvalī’s group wilt by asking me: “Where is Rādhā?”

VERSE 19:

SA GARVĀḤ SAṀRUDDHYA PRAKHARA LALITĀDYĀḤ SAHACARĪS
TATO DĀNAṀ DARPĀT SAKHI MṚGAYATĀ SVAṀ GIRIBHṚTĀ
VIŚĀKHĀ MAN NĀTHĀ NAYANA NAṬANA PRERAṆA BALĀD
VIDHṚTYĀRĀN NĪTĀ RUṢAM IHA DADHĀNĀKṢIPATU NAḤ

O sakhi Rūpa Mañjari! When Giridhārī stops the very proud and harsh Lalitā and her sakhīs and proudly starts searching for His tax-levy, then may my mistress hint at Him with Her eyes to pull Viśākhā towards Him and may Viśākhā then angrily rebuke us!

Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā:

The Gosvāmīs say that although the Supreme Lord is Self-delighted, Self-satisfied and totally indifferent, He always remains greedy to drink the nectar of His devotees’ love. But this desire to relish the love of His devotees does not contradict His Self-delight, for prema is a part of the Lord’s innnate potency. Just as a greedy bee can never leave a honey-filled lotuswhorl, where he is immersed in relishing its honey, the Lord can never leave the hearts of His pure devotees, since He is inebriated by drinking the nectar of their pure love for Him. If even a drop of the hlādinī śakti (pleasure potency) appears in the heart of the devotee, that is enough to constantly subdue the Lord, and if the Lord enters into the boundless ocean of the love of the embodiment and presiding goddess of this hlādinī śakti, sākṣāt mādanākhya mahābhāvavatī Śrī Rādhārāṇī, then there’s no limit to the ways in which He swims in it. The transcendental līlā-rasa of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava that the realized rasika devotees have relished and preached in this world, is the soul of their poetry, and this poetry has attained immortality in this mortal world, there’s no doubt about that at all. Although they use concrete words, what they are expressing reveals rasa and is eternal, true, immortal and complete. One of these great transcendentally realised poets is Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. His immortal poetry gives shape to the taste of Śrī Rādhā and Mādhava’s pastimes.

In this verse Śrī Raghunātha dāsa describes the Dāna-līlā, a very sweet quarrelsome pastime of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava. Śrī Rādhikā and Her friends are on their way to Govinda- kuṇḍa (a lake between Anyor and Puccharī at the base of Govardhana Hill) where they will deliver ghī (clarified butter) to sacrificing sages, headed by Bhāgurī Muni. As they walk along, holding small golden jugs with ghī on their heads, a parrot sends message of their mission to Kṛṣṇa, Madhumaṅgala and Subala, who quickly dress themselves in a wonderful way as taxcollectors and erect a tollstation on top of Govardhana Hill at the place now known as the Dāna Ghāṭī. The mohanīya Dānī (Kṛṣṇa, the charming collector) is wholly enchanted when He beholds Śrī Rādhikā’s sweet beauty. What a wonderful song the Dānī sings to Śrīmatī!

nā yāiho nā yāiho rāi boiso taru mūle;
āsite pāiyācho vyathā caraṇa yugale
maṇi mukuṭāra dāma aṅga jhalamali;
vrajera viṣama cora loibe sakali
cāncara keśera veṇī ḍuliche komare;
phaṇīra bharame veṇī gilibe mayūre
nīla oḍhanī mājhe mukha śobhā kore;
sonāra kamala boli daṁśibe bhramare
kari kumbha dambha jini kumbha kuca giri;
gajera bharame pāche paraśe keśarī
khañjana gañjana ānkhi añjana bhālo śobhe;
vindhibek vyādha hema harinī lobhe
sindūrera bindu bhāle bhānura udoy;
ravi śaśī boli mukha rāhu garāsoy
nalinī dalana rāi tava mukha kore;
cakora nā chāḍibeka rasa nāhi pile
taḍita jaḍita vasana ghana uḍe;
pāile indrera bāṇa pāche jāni paḍe
vaṁśīvadane kohe kohile se bhālo;
vidagadha vaṭa tumi tāhā jānā gelo

“Don’t walk further, Rāi! Sit down at the foot of this tree! Your feet are aching because of walking so far! A string of pearls and jewels cause Your limbs to glitter; the terrible thief of Vraja will steal them all! Your braid of curly hair oscillates on Your waist, and when a peacock sees that, he will try to eat it, taking it to be a snake. How beautiful is Your face coming out from Your blue veil! The bumble bees (or Your curly locks) will bite it, thinking it to be a golden lotus flower! Your mountain-like breasts defeat the pride of the elephants’ temples. A lion (or My nails) may attack them, mistaking them to be elephants! Your eyes are more restless than the wagtail-birds and they are beautified by collyrium. A hunter may hit You with his arrows, thinking You to be a golden deer! The spot of sindūra on Your forehead resembles the rising sun. Seeing Your moonlike face with this solar spot on it, the eclipse may swallow it! O Rādhe! Your face tears up (defeats) the lotus flowers (like the moon), hence the Cakora bird will not leave it without drinking all its nectarean rasa! Your dress is like a monsoon-cloud floating in the sky, entwined by a lightning strike (Your complexion). We will find out later when it falls down, being pierced by Indra’s arrow.” Vaṁśīvadana says: “Well spoken! Now we know how clever You are!” Śrīmatī gives the following rasika reply:

ohe nāgara! ghanāiyā ghanāiyā āiso kāche!
sonāra varaṇa mora, dekhiyā hoile bhora,
bharame paraśa koro pāche
āmarā to kulavatī, tumi se rākhāla jāti,
ki kohite kibā koho vāṇī
vāmanete cāṅda yeno, dharite koroye mon,
sei dekhi tomāra kāhinī
saghane ḍhulāo māthā, śuniyā nā śuno kothā,
pasāri āsicho duṭi bāhu
nā bujhiyā koro chala, pāibā tāra pratiphala,
tokhon kathā nā śunibe kehu
śuniyā kohoye dānī, śuno śuno vinodinī,
nā pāribe āmāre vañcita.
biki nā chāḍibā tumi, āmi to pathera dānī,
nitai ṭhekibe mora hāte

“O hero! Come closer, come closer! You are absorbed in looking at My golden complexion, and out of illusion You will touch Me later also! We are married girls, and You are just a rude cowherder! When we hear Your babbling, it seems that You think You can catch the moon, although You’re just like a dwarf! You wildly nod with Your head, without hearing what we say, and You come to us with stretched-out arms. You don’t understand that You will suffer the reactions to Your actions, but then it will be too late. Nobody will listen to You then! When the Dānī (Kṛṣṇa) heard all this, He said: “Listen, O Vinodini (Rādhā), You can’t cheat Me! You always try to keep Your merchandise out of My hands, although I am the tax-collec¬tor on this road!”

In this way the quarrel gradually escalates. Lalitā is very proud and harsh, and when Hari proudly stops her and the other sakhīs and demands tax from Rādhā, Śrīmatī tells Him with a hint of Her eyes to grab Viśākhā, but when Mādhava does that, Viśākhā becomes very angry at Him and begins to rebuke laughing Śrī Rādhārāṇī, Tulasī and Her maidservants with red eyes, saying: “O deceitful girls! You have dishonoured an innocent girl like me by placing me in the hands of this shameless cheater! Allright, very well! I know how to retaliate against such cheating! In due course of time I will make you suffer the consequences of your deeds!” There is no limit to Tulasī’s bliss when she then beholds Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s happiness, Viśākhā’s sweet feelings and the activities of Nāgara! Suddenly the vision disappears and Śrī Raghunātha is left pitifully praying to Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī’s lotus feet for the darśana of this līlā:

sakhi go! śrī hari āpane
prakharā lalitā, ādi garavitā,
nivāriyā sakhīgaṇe
ati darpa-vaśe, śrī rādhā sakāśe,
udyata dāna grahaṇe
rādhāra iṅgite, dhāiyā tvarite,
viśākhāre ākarṣaṇe
nijera samīpe, ānile dhariyā,
mahā cāturya mane
dhṛṣṭa mādhavera, roṣa prakāśiyā,
apūrva bhaṅgī vacane
mo sabāra prati, viśākhikā satī,
bolun bhartsanā vacane

“O Sakhi! Śrī Hari Himself stops the sakhīs, headed by proud, harsh Lalita! Overcome with pride, Hari begins to demand tax from Śrī Rādhā, but on Rādhā’s indication He starts running after Viśākhā to grab her. Very cleverly bold Mādhava pulls Viśākhā towards Him, but Viśākhā begins to show great anger and starts speaking wonderful words. May this chaste Viśākhikā speak chastising words to us all!”

VERSE 20:

STANAU ŚAILA PRĀYĀV API TAVA NITAMBO RATHA SAMAḤ
SPHUṬAṀ JĪRṆĀ NAUR ME KALAYA TAṬINĪṀ VĀTA VIṢAMAM
KATHAṀ PĀRAṀ GACCHER IHA NIVASA RĀTRĀV ITI HARER
VACAḤ ŚRUTVĀ RĀDHĀ KAPAṬA KUPITĀ SMERAYATU MĀM

May Śrī Rādhā make me smile when She feigns anger as She hears Hari say: “Your breasts are like mountains and Your buttocks are as heavy as a chariot. My boat is old, and just look at the fierce wind blowing over the river! How can we cross the river now? Just stay here (with Me) tonight!”

Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā:

This Stavāvalī-grantha of Śrīpāda Raghunātha is filled with extraordinary ecstatic līlās. One wonderful rasa-madhura-līlā of Śrī-Śrī Rādhā-Maāhava after the other is manifest before Śrīpāda’s eyes and takes his heart and mind to some unknown kingdom of rasa. Then, when such a vision vanishes he weeps and prays with heart-rending feelings of separation. Then again a stream of visions come to him – in this way it continues. As a very expert artist he draws wonderful sweet pictures with the brush of love of what he relishes in this Stavāvalī. All these līlā-pictures provide great incitement of the Vraja-bhāva in the heart of the sādhaka, but this sweet rasa must be relished in identification with one’s siddha svarūpa. Bodily consciousness will obstruct the relish of the Yugala-līlā-rasa. Just as the beginningless habituation to fruitive activities causes an obstruction for the sādhaka to worship the Supreme Lord, similarly bodily consciousness forms a powerful obstacle to his relishing the rasa of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s pastimes for the sādhaka who wishes to develop mañjarī bhāva. Hence Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya warns us: dehe nā koriho āsthā (P.B.C.) “Don’t identify with the body”. A mind that is absorbed in bodily consciousness and that engages the senses in male transformations is not qualified to meditate on Śrī Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s divine body.

Now the mind of Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa, who is absorbed in his svarūpa, sees a charming picture of the Nauka līlā, the boat pastimes. As Tulasī Mañjarī Śrīpāda sees Śrī Rādhārāṇī departing from the bank of Rādhākuṇḍa to Govardhana with Lalitā, Visākhā and other friends, eager to meet Śyāmasundara, and Tulasī follows Her like Her shadow.

Meanwhile, a parrot has told Kṛṣṇa that Śrīmatī is on Her way to Mānasa Gaṅgā, so Śyāma dresses Himself like a boatman and rows His boat to the middle of the Mānasa Gaṅgā-lake. When Śrīmatī and Her friends arrive at the shore of the Mānasa Gangā, they see that the water (the chest of the river) is illuminated by the blue aura of Śyāma Nāvika, the boatman. How many hundreds of bhāva-transformations appear on Bhāvamayī (Rādhā)’s body when She sees the rasika boatman! The sakhīs loudly call out “Nāvika! Nāvika!” The rasika nāvika pretends not to hear them and continues singing His own whimsical songs, turning His head the other way. They have to shout a couple of times before rasika nāvika turns His head their way and slowly rows towards their shore. It is an old boat, and the boatman is quite naughty! rase ḍhara ḍhara vadana sundara varaṇa cikana kālā “Rasa drips from His beautiful, smoothly blackish face”. Everyone is floating in an ocean of bliss when seeing the boatman, but Rādhā feels pain in Her heart because She cannot fully relish the sweetness of this young boatman’s form. Two enemies obstruct Her: ānanda āra madana, hari nilo mora mana, dekhite nā pāinu netra bhari (C.C.): “Ecstasy and Cupid stole My mind, so I cannot fill My eyes with His sight!”

He who is called raso vai saḥ (He is taste), rasānāṁ rasatamaḥ (Of all tastes, He is most tasty), in the Śrutis, tam ekaṁ govindaṁ sac cid ānanda vigraham “That One Govinda has a transcendental form” in the Gopāla Tāpanī Upaniṣad, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ Kṛṣṇaḥ sac cid ānanda vigrahaḥ in Brahma Saṁhitā, niṣkalaṁ niṣkriyaṁ śāntaṁ sac cid ānanda vigraham “His form is transcendental, complete, uncontaminated and free from transformations” in Padma Purāṇa, nityāvatāro bhagavān nitya mūrtir jagat-patiḥ nitya rūpo nitya gandho nityaiśvarya sukhānubhūḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa) “The eternally descending God, the Lord of the universe, whose form is eternal, whose fragrance is eternal and who eternally enjoys the bliss of His own majesty”, is controlled by Śrī Rādhā’s love and has become a boatman for Her pleasure, as He Himself admits: tomāra pirīti pāiyā, e bhāṅgā taraṇī loiyā, tuyā lāgi hoilu kāṅdārī. (Pada Kalpataru)
The rasika nāvika speaks with the sakhīs. The boatman says: “My boat is old, and I cannot carry more than one person at a time!” The sakhīs tell Śrīmatī: “Sakhi Rādhe! You go first!”, but when Śrīmatī gently approaches the boat, the rasika kāndārī (Kṛṣṇa, the naughty boatman) says: “O Vinodini! Wait! It’s evening, it’s too late to help You cross the lake now. Your breasts are as raised as mountains, and Your buttocks are as broad as a chariot. There are high waves on the Mānasa Gaṅgā, made by the strong wind, and My boat is old! Don’t cross the lake today; just spend the night here! Tomorrow morning the wind will be less and then You can cross!” When Śrīmatī hears these rude words, She pretends to be angry with Śyāma, although She feels great joy within Herself because of His joking words. The rasika hero is absorbed in looking at the sweetness of Śrīmatī’s face at that time, and Tulasī smiles softly. Suddenly the vision disappears and Śrī Raghunātha dāsa pitifully prays at the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī that he may relish this pastime once more:

he rādhe tomāya boli gopanīya hoy;
unnata giri śekhara tava stana-dvaya
hema ratha tomāra dekhi ye nitamba;
āmāra ati jīrṇa naukā nadīte taraṅga
ki rūpe hoibe pāra ei rātri kāle;
avasthāna koro hethā bhāgye yebā mile
dhṛṣṭatama kṛṣṇera vākya śravaṇa kore;
bāhye mithyā krodhera bhāṇa ānanda antare
premamayī śrī rādhikāra se rūpa darśana;
hāsya yukta koru āmāya ei nivedana

“O Rādhe! I will tell You a secret! Your breasts are like high mountains and Your buttocks resemble golden chariots. My boat is old and the river makes high waves. How can I help You cross at night? Stay here, I will feel blessed!” Hearing Kṛṣṇa’s rude words Śrī Rādhikā becomes externally angry, but ecstatic within. I pray that I may see this form of Premamayī Śrī Rādhikā with a smile on my face!”
VERSE 21:

IDAṀ SVĀNTE BHUÑJE KADALAM API YAD RAṄGAṆA LATĀ-
BHIDHAIKA SVAR-VALLĪ PAVANA LABHANENAIVA PHALITAM
TVAD ABHYĀSE SPHURJAN MADANA SUBHAGAṀ TAD YUVA YUGAṀ
BHAJIṢYE SOLLĀSAṀ PRIYAJANA GAṆAIR ITTHAM IHA KIM

Will I joyfully worship the youthful, beautiful and amorous pair with Their beloved friends along with one wish-yielding vine named Raṅgaṇalatā, after mentally eating the bananas that have ripened after having been touched by the wind that blew over this divine creeper?

Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā:

In this Sva Saṅkalpa Prakāśa Stotram Śrī Raghunātha dāsa prays to be trained in expertise in the service of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava, and now in this final verse he prays for the perfection of these aspirations. Each of these prayers for the perfection of his aspirations in this stotra were addressed to Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī, who is also named Raṅgaṇamālā (garland of Raṅgaṇa-flowers). In this verse the name Raṅgaṇalatā is used perhaps to illustrate the example with the wish-yielding vine that fulfills Śrī Raghunatha dāsa’s desires. “The banana tree of my mental aspirations has burst into fruit due to being touched by the wind that blew over from the wish-yielding vine named Raṅgaṇalatā. May these aspirations come true by her grace – this is my wish.”

The saying ‘eating the mental bananas’ does not imply that the service performed with one’s mentally conceived spiritual body is a mere fancy or mental speculation. With the help of powerful devotion the sādhaka will relish whatever service he renders within his mind while he ponders on this, and when he reaches siddhi he will be blessed with the direct attainment of the service he mentally rendered.

yugala caraṇa sevi, nirantara ei bhāvi,
anurāge thākibo sadāya
sādhane bhāvibo yāhā, siddha dehe pābo tāhā,
rāga pathera ei se upāya

“I always meditate on my service to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, and I will always passionately continue that. Whatever I conceive in my mind during my practice, that I will attain when I reach perfection. This is the way of rāgānugā bhakti, passionate devotion.”

sādhane ye dhana cāi, siddha dehe tāhā pāi,
pakkāpakka mātra se vicāra,
pākile se prema bhakti, apakke sādhana rīti,
bhakati lakṣaṇa tattva sāra

“The (spiritual) wealth I desire during my practice I obtain in my spiritual body. It’s only a matter of being ripe or unripe. Ripe devotion is devotion with love, and unripe devotion is devotion in practice. That is the essential truth about devotion.” (Prema Bhakti Candrikā)

Unripe fruits ripen in time, and when perfection is achieved in mentally rendered devotional service during rāga bhakti sādhana these fruits will be attained directly in a ripe and juicy form.

Śrī Raghunātha dāsa says: “By Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī’s grace the bananas of my mind have ripened.” In other words: “The determination to serve the lotus feet of the Divine Couple has awakened within my heart. When will this come true when I am with Them? When can I blissfully serve Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava and Their sakhīs, who enchant millions of Cupids?” Under the guidance of Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī the mañjarīs attain the fortune of serving the Divine Couple.

At the end of this Stavāvalī, in the “Abhīṣṭa Sūcanam”, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa himself said:

man mānasonmilan aneka saṅgama prayāsa kuñjodara labdha saṅgayoḥ
nivedya sakhy arpaya māṁ sva sevane vīṭī pradānāvasare vrajeśayoḥ

“O Sakhi Rūpa Mañjarī! Please engage me in the service of the king and Queen of Vraja, who always arise in my mind and Who have met in the kuñja after great endeavour, and offer me to Them while You serve Them betelleaves!” In Śrīla Narottama Ṭhākura Mahāśaya’s Prārthanā Pada it is seen:

śrī rūpa paścāte āmi rohibo bhīta hoiyā;
doṅhe puna kohiben āmā pāne cāiyā
sadaya hṛdaye doṅhe kohiben hāsi;
kothāy pāile rūpa ei nava dāsī?
śrī rūpa mañjarī tabe doṅha vākya śuni;
manjulālī dilo more ei dāsī āni!
ati namra citta āmi ihāra jānilo;
sevā kārya diyā tabe hethāya rākhilo
heno tattva doṅhākāra sākṣāte kohiyā;
narottame sevāya dibe niyukta koriyā

“I will shyly stand behind Śrī Rūpa as Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa look at me again, smile and ask Rūpa with kind hearts: “O Rūpa! Where did you get this new maidservant?’ Hearing Their inquiry, Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī then tells Them: ‘Mañjulālī Mañjarī (the spiritual name of Śrīla Lokanātha Gosvāmī) has given me this maidservant to bring her before You! They know that I’m very humble, so They keep me there to serve Them. While They discuss that truth with Each other They engage Narottama dāsa in Their direct service.”

sura kalpalatā, raṅgaṇa latikā,
śrī vṛndā-vipina mājhe
sarva agragaṇyā, atiśaya dhanyā,
mañjarī samāja mājhe

“In Śrī Vṛndāvana Raṅgaṇa-latikā is a wish-yielding vine. She is foremost in the whole mañjarī-assembly and she is very fortunate.”

se kalpavallīra, samīra paraśe,
phalita kadalī phala
āmi nija mane, tāhāri bhakṣaṇe,
kori koto kutūhale

“The touch of the breeze of that wish-yielding vine causes the bananas to ripen. I eat them as I like, so very curious and enthusiastic.”

uhāra sakāśe, priya jana pāśe,
atiśaya śobhamāna
madana sundara, navīna yugala,
śrī rādhā o ghana-śyāma
tāhādera hethā, hoiyā ulasitā,
heno rūpe bhajibāre
citte boḍo āśā, kobe se lālasā,
phalibe go sakhi more

“O sakhi! When will the great aspiration in my heart to blissfully serve the most beautiful youthful Couple, Śrī Rādhā and Ghana-śyāma, Who are as beautiful as Cupid, together with Their beloveds, bear fruit?”
Thus ends Śrīla Raghunatha dāsa Gosvāmī’s ‘Sva Saṅkalpa Prakāśa Stotram”.

Translated in 1989 – 1996 by Advaita dāsa.