A grief-filled supplication at the feet of Śrīmati Rādhikā

tavaivāsmi tavaivāsmi
na jīvāmi tvayā vinā
iti vijñāya devi (radhe) tvaṁ
naya māṁ caraṇāntikam
(Vilāpa-kusumāñjali 96, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī)

I am Yours! I am Yours! I cannot live without You! O Devi (Rādhikā), please understand this and bring me to Your lotus feet.

Śrīmatī Rādhikā is my life and soul; I have no other goal than serving Her

bhajāmi rādhāṁ aravinda-netrāṁ smarāmi rādhāṁ madhura-smitāsyāṁ vadāmi rādhāṁ karuṇā-bharārdrāṁ tato mamānyāsti gatir na kāpi
(Śrī Stavāvali, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī)

I worship Śrīmatī Rādhikā who has lotus eyes, I remember Śrīmatī Rādhikā whose face is sweetly smiling, and I speak of Her whose heart is melting with com-passion. Thus my life has no other goal than serving Her.

Kṛṣṇa begs the mercy of the mañjarīs in order to meet with Śrīmatī Rādhikā

yat-kiṅkarīṣu bahuśaḥ khalu kāku-vāṇī nityaṁ parasya puruṣasya śikhaṇḍa-mauleḥ tasyāḥ kadā rasa-nidher vṛṣabhānu-jāyās tat-keli-kuñja-bhavanāṅgana-marjanī syām
(Śrī Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhiḥ 8, Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī)

O daughter of Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja, O ocean of rasa! The Supreme Enjoyer, the source of all avatāras who wears a peacock feather in His hair, falls at the feet of Your maidservants and propitiates them with many humble and grief-stricken words to be allowed entrance into Your kuñja (where both of You would engage in playful, amorous pastimes). If only I could become one stick in the broom used by Your sakhīs to clean Your delightful kuñja, I would consider my life a success.

Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī prays to be solely attached to serving Śrī Rādhā (Rādhā-dāsyam)

pādābjayos tava vinā vara-dāsyam eva nānyat kadāpi samaye kila devi yāce sakhyāya te mama namo ‘stu namo ‘stu nityaṁ dāsyāya te mama raso ‘stu raso ‘stu satyam
(Śrī Vilāpa-kusumāñjaliḥ 16)

O Devī Rādhikā! I am not praying for anything except that most exalted direct service to Your lotus feet. Time and again I offer praṇāma from afar to Your sakhītva, a position as Your sakhī, but I vow that my unwavering devotion will always be only for Your dāsītva, a position as Your maidservant.

A prayer to attain the position of a maidservant of Śrī Rādhā, who attracts and bewilders the mind of Śrī Kṛṣṇa

veṇuṁ karān nipatitaṁ skhalitaṁ śikhaṇḍaṁ bhraṣṭaṁ ca pīta-vasanaṁ vraja-rāja-sūnoḥ yasyāḥ kaṭākṣa-śara-ghāta-vimūrcchitasya tāṁ rādhikāṁ paricarāmi kadā rasena
(Radha Rasa Sudhanidhi 39)

When will the time come that I can continuously render service with rasa, in accordance with the natural disposition of my svarūpa, to Śrīmatī Kiśorījī by whose shower of arrow-like sidelong glances Śrī Nanda-nandana faints, His flute tumbles from His hands, His crown of peacock feathers falls from His head, and His yellow cloth slips from His hips. I meditate upon Śrīmatī’s foot dust.

Her unlimited power instantly subdues Kṛṣṇa

yo brahma-rudra-śuka-nārada-bhīṣma-mukhyair ālakṣito na sahasā puruṣasya tasya sadyo vaśī-karaṇa-cūrṇam ananta-śaktiṁ taṁ rādhikā-caraṇa-reṇum anusmarāmi
(Śrī Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhi 4)

O Kṛṣṇa, please make me a Kiṅkarī (maidservant) at the feet of Your beloved Rādha

śyāmasundara śikhaṇḍa-śekhara smera-hāsa muralī-manohara rādhikā-rasika māṁ kṛpā-nidhe sva-priyā-caraṇa-kiṅkarīṁ kuru
(Śrī Rādhā-Prārthanā 2)

O Śyāmasundara! O You whose head is adorned with peacock feathers! Your face is always graced with a playful smile, Your flute-playing is enchanting, and You are expert in relishing rasa with Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Because You are an ocean of mercy, I am appealing to You to please make me a kiṅkarī (maidservant) at the feet of Your beloved.

A sincere prayer for attaining Śrī-Rādhā-dāsya, is found in Stava-mālā

hā devi kāku-bhara-gadgadayādya vācā yāce nipatya bhuvi daṇḍavad udbhaṭārtiḥ asya prasādam abudhasya janasya kṛtvā gāndharvike nija-gaṇe gaṇanāṁ vidhehi
(Śrī Gāndharvā-samprārthanāṣṭakam 2, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī)

O Devi Gāndharvike! In utter desperation I throw myself on the ground like a stick and with a choked voice I humbly implore You to be merciful to this fool and count him as one of Your own.

Touched by the breeze coming from Rādhikā, Kṛṣṇa thinks, “My life has now returned”

yasyāḥ kadāpī vasanāñcala-khelanottha-dhanyāti-dhanya-pavanena kṛtārtha-mānī yogīndra-durgama-gatir madhusūdano ‘pi tasyā namo ‘stu vṛṣabhānu-bhuvo diśe ‘pi
(Śrī Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhi 2)

Let us bow down even to the direction of the land of Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja, for Madhusūdana Kṛṣṇa, who is the rarely attained goal of great yogīs, considers that His life is completely fulfilled by the mere touch of that glorious, playful breeze that has touched the tip of Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s garment. He thinks, “Oh, My life has now returned.”

nāma-sametaṁ kṛta-saṅketaṁ vādayate mṛdu-veṇum bahu manute nanu te tanu-saṅgata-pavana-calitam api reṇum (refrain) dhīra-samīre yamunā-tīre vasati vane vanamālī
(Śrī Gīta-govinda, Song 11, Act Five, Verse 9)

O Rādhā, he is softly playing his flute, as if calling Your name. He considers himself immensely fortunate to be touched by so many dust particles that have first touched Your body. As they come to him upon the breeze, He receives them with the utmost honour.

Kṛṣṇa cannot be attained without Śrīmatī Rādhikā. The necessity of taking shelter of the lotus feet of Śrī Rādhā is expressed by Śrīla Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī:

anārādhya rādhā-padāmbhoja-reṇum anāśritya vṛndāṭavīṁ tat-padāṅkām asambhāṣya-tad-bhāva-gambhīra-cittān kutaḥ śyāma-sindho rasasyāvagāhaḥ
(Sva-saṅkalpa-prakāśa stotra 1)

How can a person become immersed in the ocean of śyāma-rasa (mādhurya-rasa) if he has never worshipped the dust of Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet; if he has never taken shelter of Her pastime-place Śrī Vṛndāvana, which is marked with the impressions of Her lotus feet; and if he has never associated with and served the devotees whose hearts are submerged in Her profound sentiments? It will never be possible.

 

 

I forever pray to the dust of the lotus feet of the gopīs

vande nanda-vraja-strīṇāṁ pāda-reṇum abhīkṣṇaśaḥ yāsāṁ hari-kathodgītaṁ punāti bhuvana-trayam
(SB 10.47.63)

[Śrī Uddhava:] “I forever pray to the dust of the lotus feet of the gopīs in Nandagaon. The hari-kathā emanating from their lotus lips in their separation from Kṛṣṇa purifies the entire universe.”

Without being in the ānugatya of the gopīs one cannot attain Śrī Kṛṣṇa

gopī-ānugatya vinā aiśvarya-jñāne bhajileha nāhi pāya vrajendra-nandane
(CC Madhya 8.230)

Unless one follows in the footsteps of the gopīs, he cannot attain the service of the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahārāja. If one is overcome by knowledge of the Lord’s opulence, he cannot attain the Lord’s lotus feet, even though he is engaged in devotional service.

Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī’s Rādhā-niṣṭhā

ya ekaṁ govindaṁ bhajati kapaṭī dāmbhikatayā tad-abhyarṇe śīrṇe kṣaṇam api na yāmi vratam idam
(Stavāvali, Sva-niyama-daśakam 6)

I will never go near a despicable hypocrite who worships Govinda alone without Rādhā. This is my vow.

Kṛṣṇa cannot be attained without Rādhā-dāsyam

rādhā-dāsyam apāsya yaḥ prayatate govinda-saṅgāśayā so ‘yaṁ pūrṇa-sudhā-ruceḥ paricayaṁ rākāṁ vinā kaṅkṣati
(Śrī Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhi 80)

Those who endeavor to attain the association of Śrī Kṛṣṇa but reject Rādhā-dāsyam are like people who want the moon without its nectarine effulgence.

Without taking shelter of the lotus feet of Śrī Rādhā, one can never meet Kṛṣṇa, whom śāstra declares to be the property of Her mañjarī maidservants

rādhikā ujjvala-rasera ācārya rādhā-mādhava-śuddha-prema vicārya ye dharila rādhā-pada parama-yatane se pāila kṛṣṇa-pada amūlya ratane rādhā-pada vinā kabhu kṛṣṇa nāhi mile rādhikā dāsīra kṛṣṇa sarva-vede bole
(Rādhikā-caraṇa-padma, Bhaktivinod Thakur)

Śrīmatī Rādhikā is the ācārya of the mellows of amorous love (ujjvala-rasa). The pure love between Rādhā and Mādhava is meant to be discussed and contemplated. Those who place Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s lotus feet in their hearts and worship them with great care obtain the priceless jewel of Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. Without taking shelter of the lotus feet of Rādhā, one can never meet Kṛṣṇa. The Vedic scrip-tures declare that Kṛṣṇa is the property of the mañjarī maidservants of Śrī Rādhā.

Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī expresses his hankering for Rādha-dāsyam

śrī-rūpa-mañjari-karārcita-pāda-padma-goṣṭhendra-nandana-bhujārpita-mastakāyāḥ hā modataḥ kanaka-gauri-padāravinda samvāhanāni śanakais tava kiṁ kariṣye
(Vilāpa-Kusumāñjali 72)

O Devi as fair as gold, Your lotus feet are worshiped by Śrī Rūpa-mañjarī’s hands as You rest Your head against Kṛṣṇa’s arm. When will I receive the rem-nants of Rūpa-mañjarī’s service and happily and gently massage Your lotus feet?

O Rādhā-kuṇḍa! Be merciful, show me my Svāminī, who is my very life and soul

he śrī sarovara sadā tvayi sā mad-īṣā-praṣṭhena sārdham iha khelati kāma-raṅgaiḥ tvaṁ cet priyāt priyam atīva tayor itīmāṁ ha darśayādya kṛpayā mama jīvitaṁ tām
(Vilāpa Kusumāñjaliḥ 98, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī)

O Rādhā-kuṇḍa! My mistress is engaging in very secret and beautiful playful pastimes with Her darling Kṛṣṇa in the kuñjas on your banks. You are so near and dear to Them. Therefore I am taking shelter of you and pray for your mercy. When will you show me my Svāminī, who is my very life and soul?

O Kṛṣṇa! please lead me to the place where You two enjoy loving pastimes

hā nātha gokula-sudhākara su-prasanna-vaktrāravinda madhura-smita he kṛpārdra yatra tvayā viharate praṇayaiḥ priyārāt tatraiva mām api naya priya-sevanāya
(Vilāpa-Kusumāñjaliḥ 100)

O Lord, O nectar moon of Gokula, O Lord whose cheerful face is a lotus flower, O sweetly-smiling one, O Lord melting with compassion. Please lead me to the place where Y our beloved enjoys loving pastimes with You, so that I may serve You both with love.

O Rādhike! I am passing my time with the sole hope of being able to serve You

āśā-bharair amṛta-sindhu-mayaiḥ kathañcit kālo mayātigamitaḥ kila sāmprataṁ hi tvaṁ cet kṛpāṁ mayi vidhāsyasi naiva kiṁ me prāṇair vrajena ca varoru bakāriṇāpi
(Vilāpa-Kusumāñjaliḥ 102)

O Varoru Rādhā, I am passing my time with the sole hope of being able to serve You. If You withhold Your mercy, what value to me is this life, the land of Vraja, and Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the enemy of Baka?

The conception of being a Rādhā-dāsī is described by the Gosvāmīs:

abhimānaṁ parityajya prākṛta-vapur-ādiṣu śrī-kṛṣṇa-kṛpayā gopī-dehe vraje vasāmy aham rādhikānucarī bhūtvā pārakīya-rase sadā rādhā-kṛṣṇa-vilāseṣu paricaryāṁ karomy aham
(BR 5.11)

After giving up false identification with this material body, may I obtain the body of a gopī and reside in Vraja by the mercy of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Becoming a maidservant of Śrī Rādhā, may I always serve and attend Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, who enjoy pastimes of paramour love (pārakīya-rasa).

Śrī Rādhā-Bhajana-Mahimā
(Glorification of Worship to Śrī Rādhā, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura)

rādhā-bhajane yadi mati nāhi bhelā kṛṣṇa-bhajana taba akāraṇa gelā

(1) If the desire to serve Śrīmatī Rādhikā does not appear in my heart, my worship of Kṛṣṇa is simply useless.

ātapa-rahita sūraya nāhi jāni rādhā-virahita mādhava nāhi māni

(2) Just as the sun cannot be perceived without sunlight, in the same way I do not recognize Mādhava without Rādhā.

kevala mādhava pūjaye, so ajñānī rādhā-anādara koroi abhimānī

(3) Those who worship Mādhava alone are ignorant; they simply neglect Śrīmatī Rādhikā out of unmitigated pride.

kabahī nāhi karobi tākara saṅga citte icchasi yadi vraja-rasa-raṅga

(4) Don’t ever associate with such persons if you desire the loving playfulness of vraja-rasa to appear in your heart.

rādhikā-dāsī jadi hoya abhimāna śīgrai milai taba gokula-kāna

(5) If you develop pride in being Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s exclusive maidservant, then very quickly you will meet Gokula Kāna (Kṛṣṇa).

brahmā, śiva, nārada, śruti, nārāyaṇī rādhikā-pada-raja pūjaye māni

(6) Brahmā, Śiva, Nārada, the Śruti-cari ṛṣīs and Nārāyāṇī honor and worship the dust of Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s lotus feet.

umā, ramā, satyā, śacī, candrā, rukmiṇī rādhā avatāra sabe – āmnāya-vāṇī

(7) Our āmnāya, revealed scriptures, declare that Umā, Ramā, Satyā, Śacī, Candrāvalī and Rukmiṇī are all Rādhā’s expansions.

hena rādhā-paricaryā jāṅkara dhana bhakativinoda tāṅ’ra māgaye caraṇa

(8) Bhaktivinoda is begging at the lotus feet of those whose wealth is the service of Śrīmatī Rādhikā.

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura expresses his internal mood in Gītā-mālā (Dekhite Dekhite)

dekhite dekhite, bhulibo vā kabe,
nija-sthūla-paricaya nayane heribo,
vraja-pura-śobhā,
nitya cid-ānanda-maya (1)

When O when, while beholding the exquisite beauty of Vraja which is full of eternal spiritual bliss and cognizance, will I forget my connection with this gross body and let go of my bodily identity?

vṛṣabhānu-pure,
janama laibo,
yāvaṭe vivāha ha’be vraja-gopī-bhāva,
hoibe svabhāva,
āna bhāva nā rohibe (2)

I shall take birth in Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja’s town and will marry in the nearby village of Yāvaṭ. My sole disposition and nature will be that of a cowherd maiden.

nija-siddha-deha,
nija-siddha-nāma,
nija-rūpa-sva-vasana rādhā-kṛpā-bale,
labhibo vā kabe,
kṛṣṇa-prema-prakaraṇa

(3) When will I obtain, by the power of Rādhā’s mercy, my own eternal spiritual body, my own realised name and dress embellishing by form? When will I receive initiation into the techniques of expressing divine love for Kṛṣṇa?

yāmuna-salila-āharaṇe giyā,
bujhibo yugala-rasa prema-mugdha ha’ye,
pāgalinī-prāya,
gāiba rādhāra yaśa

(4) As I go to draw water from the Yamunā, I will understand the confidential mel-lows of Yugala-Kiśora’s loving affairs. Being captivated by prema, I will sing Śrī Rādhikā’s glories just like a madwoman.

Taking shelter of the mañjarīs is described by Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī

tāmbūlārpaṇa-pāda-mardana-payodānābhisārādibhir vṛndāraṇya-maheśvarīṁ priyatayā yās toṣayanti priyāḥ prāṇa-preṣṭha-sakhī-kulād api kilāsaṅkocitā bhūmikāḥ kelī-bhūmiṣu rūpa-mañjarī-mukhās tā dāsikāḥ saṁśraye

(Stavāvalī ,Vraja-vilāsa-stava 38)

I take shelter of the maidservants of Śrīmatī Rādhikā headed by Rūpa Mañjarī. They act as Her chaperones and affectionately satisfy Śrīmatī Rādhikā by their various services, such as offering tāmbūla, massaging Her feet, bringing Her water and taking Her to Her rendezvouses with Kṛṣṇa. Unlike the prāṇa-preṣṭha-sakhīs, they can without hesitation perform any service within the pleasure groves.

Pride in one’s service to Śrīmatī Rādhikā

navaṁ divyaṁ kāvyaṁ sva-kṛtam atulaṁ nāṭaka-kulaṁ prahelī-gūḍhārthāḥ sakhi-rucira-vīṇā-dhvani-gatiḥ kadā snehollāsair lalita-lalitā-preraṇa-balāt sa-lajjaṁ gāndharvā sa-rasam asakṛc chikṣayati mām
(Sva-saṅkalpa-prakāśa-stotra 2)

Aho! When, in a secluded place, will I receive such fortune that Śrīmatī Rādhikā will, upon the request of Śrīmatī Lalitā-devī, affectionately and happily – yet shyly – teach me dramas composed by Herself, new poems, riddles with deep meanings, and melodies on the vīṇā?

Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī-pada describes the mood of rejecting all types of dharma, out of the desire to serve Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet

dūrād apāsya svajanān sukham artha-koṭiṁ sarveṣu sādhana-vareṣu ciraṁ nirāśaḥ varṣantam eva sahajādbhuta-saukhya-dhārāṁ śrī-rādhikā-caraṇa-reṇum ahaṁ smarāmi
(Śrī Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhiḥ 33)

The desires for the pleasure derived from relationships with family and friends; for the four goals of life, namely dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa; for limitless wealth and so forth, are the causes of anarthas. For a long time now I have lost all hope in the excellent sādhanas mentioned in śāstra. I have abandoned them all far behind. My only sādhana and sādhya is to worship the foot-dust of Śrī Rādhikā which show-ers natural, wonderful happiness. I always hold this foot-dust upon my head.

The mood of a sādhaka who has attained attachment for Rādhā-dāsyam

tvayopabhukta-srag-gandha vāso-‘laṅkāra-carcitāḥ ucchiṣṭa-bhojino dāsās tava māyāṁ jayema hi
(SB 11.6.46)

O Prabhu, we decorate ourselves with the garlands, sandalwood paste, cloth and ornaments worn by You. Since we are Your servants who eat Your remnants, we will certainly conquer Your illusory energy (māyā). (Therefore, Prabhu, we are not afraid of Your māyā – we are only afraid of being separated from You).

In this way, the sādhaka worships the dust of Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s lotus feet

āśāsya dāsyaṁ vṛṣabhānu-jāyās tīre samadhyāsya ca bhānu-jāyāḥ kadā nu vṛndāvana-kuñja-vīthiṣv ahaṁ nu rādhe hy atithir bhaveyam
(Śrī Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhi 198)

O Rādhe! O Vṛṣabhānu-nandinī! When will I, with the hope of becoming Your maidservant, reside as a guest (a mendicant sādhu) on the bank of the Yamunā within the pathways of Vṛndāvana’s kuñjas, absorbed in deep contemplation on Your service?

Constantly seeking Kṛṣṇa through saṅkīrtana in the mood of śrī-rādhā-dāsya

dhyāyantaṁ śikhi-piccha-maulim aniśaṁ tan-nāma saṅkīrtayan nityaṁ tac-caraṇāmbujaṁ paricaran tan-mantra-varyaṁ japan śrī-rādhā-pada-dāsyam eva paramābhīṣṭaṁ hṛdā dhārayan karhi syāṁ tad-anugraheṇa paramādbhutānurāgotsavaḥ
(Śrī Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhi 259)

Keeping at my heart my highest aspiration of one day becoming a maidservant of Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet, I will constantly meditate on Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose head is decorated with a peacock feather. I will constantly chant His name, eternally serve His lotus feet and always utter His most excellent mantras. May He bestow mercy upon me at any moment so I will attain anurāgotsava, the great festival of attachment to Śrī Rādhā.

Praying to attain the service of Śrī Rādhā birth after birth

tasyā apāra-rasa-sāra-vilāsa-mūrter ānanda-kanda-paramādbhuta-saukhya-lakṣmyāḥ brahmādi-durlabha-gater vṛṣabhānu-jāyāḥ kaiṅkaryam eva mama janmani janmani syāt
(Śrī Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhi 40)

Birth after birth, may I attain the position of being a maidservant of the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu. She is the vilāsa-mūrti (personification of playful pas-times) of Śyāmasundara, who is Himself the essence of limitless rasa. She is Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s supremely wonderful pleasure-Lakṣmī, and She is most difficult to attain even for Brahmā and other exalted personalities.

hā nātha gokula-sudhākara su-prasanna-vaktrāravinda madhura-smita he kṛpārdra yatra tvayā viharate praṇayaiḥ priyārāt tatraiva mām api naya priya-sevanāya
(Śrī Vilāpa-kusumañjaliḥ 100)

O Nātha! O nectar moon of Gokula, whose lotus face is very cheerful and smiles so sweetly! O You whose heart is soft and melting, wanting to bestow mercy upon all! Wherever You go to enjoy loving pastimes with Your beloved, please take me there, and allow me to render confidential loving service to You both. (or) O Kṛṣṇa, if You are pleased with me, then give me this benediction only: I am about to die because I don’t know where my svāminī is. Please take me with You when You go to meet Her, so that I may engage in Her service.

Without being in the ānugatya of the gopīs one cannot enter mādhurya- līlā

sakhī vinā ei līlāya anyera nāhi gati sakhī-bhāve ye tāṅre kare anugati rādhā-kṛṣṇa-kuñja-sevā-sādhya sei pāya sei sādhya pāite āra nāhika upāya

(CC Mad 8.204-5)

Without the guidance of the sakhīs, one cannot enter these mādhurya pastimes. One who worships Kṛṣṇa in the mood of the mañjarī-sakhīs, following in their footsteps, can attain the service of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in the kuñjas of Vṛndāvana. There is no other means to achieve this goal.

Searching for Śrī Rādhānātha while engaged in the service of Śrī Rādhā

rādhā-nāma-sudhā-rasaṁ rasayituṁ jihvāstu me vihvalā pādau tat-padakāṅkitāsu caratāṁ vṛndāṭavī-vīthisu tat-karmaiva karaḥ karotu hṛdayaṁ tasyāḥ pādaṁ dhyāyatāt tad-bhāvotsavataḥ paraṁ bhavatu me tat-prāṇa-nāthe ratiḥ
(Śrī Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhi 142)

May my tongue become constantly overwhelmed by relishing the nectarean rasa of the name Rādhā, may my feet wander on the pathways of that Vṛndāvana where Vṛṣabhānu-nandinī walks, may both my hands be engaged in Svāminī’s service, and may my heart contemplate Her lotus feet. By engaging in Śrīmatī’s festival of ecstatic moods (bhāvotsava), may one-pointed attachment manifest within me for Her prāṇanātha, Śrī Śyāmasundara. This is my earnest prayer.

Tāṁ vraja-vane-īśvarīṁ nāthatve smara – Remember Śrīmatī Rādhikā as one’s svāminī

aty-utkaṭena nitarāṁ virahānalena dandahyamāna-hṛdayā kila kāpi dāsī hā svāmini kṣaṇam iha praṇayena gāḍham ākrandanena vidhurā vilapāmi padyaiḥ
(Śrī Vilāpa-kusumāñjaliḥ 7)

O svāminī Śrī Rādhikā! I am Your mañjarī maidservant. But my heart is burn-ing due to the virulent fire of separation from You. I cry repeatedly and thus I have become thoroughly aggrieved. Seeing no other means of reprieve, I reside at Śrī Govardhana by the bank of Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa and lovingly supplicate Your lotus feet with these few ślokas of lamentation.

A prayer to attain Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet, which are the only goal

devi duḥkha-kula-sāgarodare dūyamānam ati-durgataṁ janam tvaṁ kṛpā-prabala-naukayādbhutaṁ prāpaya svapada-paṅkajālayam
(Śrī Vilāpa-kusumāñjaliḥ 8)

May You be pleased, O Vraja-vilāsini, Śrīmatī Rādhikā! Due to my extreme bad fortune I have fallen into the belly of an unfathomable ocean of intense grief, and I am severely tormented and seized by calamity. O Parama-karuṇāmayi! Kindly place me upon the indestructible boat of Your mercy and grant me the direct service of Your lotus feet.

One who aspires for Rādha-dāsyam will never desire enjoyment with Śrī Hari, even in dreams

ananya-śrī-rādhā-pada-kamala-dāsyaika-rasa-dhīr hareḥ saṅge raṅga-svapana-samaye nāpi dadhatī
(Śrī Vṛndāvana-mahimāmṛta 16.94)

Single-pointed service to the lotus feet of Śrī Rādhā is an ocean of transcendental rasa. One who wishes to enter that ocean will never desire enjoyment with Śrī Hari, even in dreams.

A happiness millions of times greater

rādhāra svarūpa – kṛṣṇa-prema-kalpa-latā sakhī-gaṇa haya tāra pallava-puṣpa pātā kṛṣṇa-līlāmṛta yadi latāke siñcaya nija-sukha haite pallavādyera koṭi-sukha haya
(CC Mad 8.209–10)

By nature, Śrī Rādhā is like a creeper of kṛṣṇa-prema and the sakhīs are the leaves, flowers and twigs of that creeper. When the nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes is sprinkled on that creeper, the leaves, flowers and twigs experience a happiness mil-lions of times greater than if they were to be directly sprinkled with this nectar.

In his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura states, “Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the creeper of love of Godhead, and the gopīs are exactly like twigs, flowers and leaves. When water is sprinkled on the creeper, the twigs, flowers and leaves indirectly receive all the benefits of the creeper itself. But water sprinkled directly on the twigs, leaves and flowers is not as effective as water sprinkled on the creeper’s root. The gopīs [mañjarīs] are not as pleased when they directly mix with Kṛṣṇa as when they serve to unite Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī with Kṛṣṇa. Their transcendental pleasure lies in uniting Them.

Rādhā’s bhāva is reflected in the mañjarīs. This is described in the first śloka of Śrī Vilāpa-kusumāñjali

tvaṁ rūpa-mañjari sakhī! prathitā pure ‘smin puṁsaḥ parasya vadanaṁ na hi paśyasīti bimbādhare kṣatam anāgata-bhartṛkāyā yat te vyadhāyi kim u tac chuka-puṅgavena
(Śrī Vilāpa-kusumāñjali 1)

“My dear sakhī Rūpa Mañjari, you are well known in Vraja for not even looking at the face of any man other than your husband. Therefore, it is surprising that your lips, red-like bimba fruits, have been bitten, even though your husband is not at home. Has this been done by the best of parrots?”

A sincere prayer for attaining śrī-rādhā-dāsya

rādhe vṛndāvanādhīśe karuṇāmṛta-vāhini kṛpayā nija-pādābja-dāsyaṁ mahyaṁ pradīyatām (Arcana Paddhati / HBV)

O Śrīmatī Rādhikā, O queen of Vṛndāvana, You are a flowing river of incomparable compassion. Please bestow upon me the service of Your lotus feet.

The identity of a perfected soul (siddha-paricaya)

dukūlaṁ vibhrāṇām atha kuca-taṭe kañcu-kapaṭaṁ prasādaṁ svāminyāḥ sva-kara-tala-dattaṁ praṇayataḥ sthitāṁ nityaṁ pārśve vividha-paricaryaika-caturāṁ kiśorīm ātmānaṁ caṭula-parakīyāṁ nu kalaye
(Śrī Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhi 53)

When will I wear the prasādī silken cloth and bodice of my svāminī that She affectionately gave me with Her own hands, and remain near Her, intent on serving in various ways? Thus will I be able to count myself as a clever and very beautiful kiśorī eligible to perform parakīyā-sevā.

The cherished desire of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas is to possess the self-identity (abhimāna) of being a maidservant of Śrī Rādhā. The appropriate sādhana to attain one’s ‘svarūpa’ and one’s service to Śrī Rādhā is revealed by Śrī Guru

ātmānaṁ cintayet tatra tāsāṁ madhye manoramam rūpa-yauvana-sampannāṁ kiśorīṁ pramadākṛtim
(Sanat-kumāra-saṁhitā)

A sādhaka of rāga-mārga should internally perceive himself in the form of a charming and extremely captivating kiśorī mañjarī equipped with youth and beau-ty and situated amongst the gopī beloveds of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

sakhīnāṁ saṅginī-rūpām ātmānaṁ vāsanā-mayīm ājñā-sevā-parāṁ tat-tat-kṛpālaṅkāra-bhūṣitām
(Prema-bhakti-candrikā)

A sādhaka of rāga-mārga should internally perceive his svarūpa as one of the young, beautiful gopī beloveds of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He should meditate on his desired svarūpa as a female companion of Śrī Rādhā’s maidservants, such as Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī and Śrī Rati Mañjarī, and, adorned in the ornaments mercifully given by them, he should completely absorb himself in service to Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava according to Rūpa’s and Rati’s instructions.

ātmānaṁ cintayet tatra tāsāṁ madhye manoramām rūpa-yauvana-sampannāṁ kiśorīṁ premodākṛtim rādhikānucarīṁ nityaṁ tat-sevana-parāyaṇāṁ kṛṣṇād apy adhikaṁ prema rādhikāyāṁ prakurvatīm
(Sanat-kumāra-saṁhitā)

[Sadāśiva is giving instruction to Nāradajī on the subject of siddha-deha suitable for rendering service to the Divine Couple:] “O Nārada! Meditate in this way upon your own svarūpa among Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s beloved associates who take pride in being His paramours in the aprākṛta Vṛndāvana Dhāma. ‘I am an extremely lovely and supremely blissful kiśorī (adolescent girl), endowed with youthful beauty. I am an eternal maidservant of Śrīmatī Rādhikā, fully absorbed in Her service. Remaining always and forever engaged in the service of the Divine Couple, I maintain more love for Śrīmatī than for Kṛṣṇa.”

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: The word cintayet in the above verse from the Sanat-kumāra-saṁhitā means that the sādhaka should nourish the following firm conception: “I am a kiśorī with the same moods and qualities as the nitya-siddha-mañjarīs of Śrī Rādhā.” A Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava sādhaka in deep meditation will maintain the conception that, “I am not this body, these senses and so forth; I am a maidservant of Śrī Rādhā and I am endowed with qualities such as the beauty and rasa of a gopa-kiśorī.” This deep meditation on the soul (ātma-cintana) will quickly result in his giving up identification with the material body, and he will attain svarūpa-siddhi. The main goal of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas is to become a rādhā-dāsī, a maidservant of Śrī Rādhā. The sādhaka remains ever fixed on this goal, just as the position of the pole star is fixed in the sky. By the mercy of Śrī Guru, the sādhaka is introduced to his eternal identity as a maidservant of Śrī Rādhā. Upon attaining that, he abandons his bodily identity as a servant of māyā, and he completely maintains the self-identity of being a rādhā-dāsī.

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has described his siddha-svarūpa as follows:

varaṅe taḍit vāsa tārāvalī kamala maṇjarī nāma sāḍe bāra varṣa vayasa satata svānanda-sukhada dhāma

“My complexion is like a flash of lightning and my dress is bedecked with twinkling stars. My name is Kamalā Maṇjarī and I am eternally twelve-and-a-half years old. My abode is Svānanda Sukhada Kuñja.”

karpūra-sevā lalitāra gaṅa rādhā yūtheśvarī hana mameśvarī-nātha śrī-nanda-nandana āmāra parāṅa-dhana

“My service is to supply camphor to Śrī Yugala. I serve in the gaṅa of Lalitā and Śrī Rādhā is my yūtheśvarī. The Beloved of my Svāminī, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, is the treasure of my life.”

śrī-rūpa-mañjarī prabhṛtira sama yugala sevāya āśa avaśya se-rūpa sevā pāba āmi parākāṣṭhā suviśvāsa

“I aspire to serve Śrī Yugala like Rūpa Maṇjarī and others, and I am confident that I must surely attain this service. This is my highest aspiration.”

kabe vā e dāsī saṁsiddhi labhibe rādhā-kuṇḍe vāsa kari’ rādhā-kṛṣṅa sevā satata karibe pūrva-smṛti parihari’

“Oh, when will this maidservant attain complete perfection and, residing at Śrī Rādhā-kuṅḍa, serve Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṅa in complete forgetfulness of my past?”

O Vṛṣabhānu-nandinī! please make me the perpetual object of Your merciful glance

itīmam adbhutaṁ-stavaṁ niśamya bhānu-nandinī karotu santataṁ janaṁ kṛpā-kaṭākṣa-bhājanam bhavet tadaiva-sañcita-tri-rūpa-karma-nāśanaṁ bhavet tadā vrajendra-sūnu-maṇḍala-praveśanam
(Śrī Rādhā-kṛpā-kaṭākṣa-stava-rājaḥ 13)

O Vṛṣabhānu-nandinī! Upon hearing this wonderful prayer, Y ou will be compelled make me the perpetual object of Your merciful glance. Then, by the influence of Your mercy, all the reactions to my karma will be destroyed and, realizing my internal identity as a mañjarī, I will enter the circle of Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s sakhīs to participate in Śrī Vrajendra-sūnu’s eternal pastimes.

Kṛṣṇa will become pleased with one-pointed Rādhā-dāsyam and grant one entrance into
Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s entourage

paṭhati vimala-cetā mṛṣṭa-rādhāṣṭakaṁ yaḥ parihṛta-nikhilāśā-santatiḥ kātaraḥ san paśupa-pati-kumāraḥ kāmam āmoditas taṁ nija-jana-gaṇa-madhye rādhikāyās tanoti
(Śrī Rādhikāṣṭakam 9, Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī)

Śrī Kṛṣṇa will become so pleased with that person of pure heart and mind who, abandoning all hopes and aspirations other than rādhā-dāsyam, humbly recites this pure Rādhikāṣṭakam, that He will grant them entrance into Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s eternal entourage.

Mañjarī-bhāva Pālya-Dāsī kari’, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura (Gīta-mālā, song 4):

palya-dāsī kari’, lalitā sundari, āmāre loiyā kabe śrī-rādhikā-pade, kāle milāibe, ajña-sevā samarpibe

When will beautiful Lalitā foster me as her own aspirant novice maidservant? Then later, in due course of time, she will offer me up unto the lotus feet of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, and will place me entirely at Her disposal for rendering various services according to Her own merciful orders.

śrī rūpa mañjarī, saṅge jābo kabe, rasa-sevā-śikṣā tare tad-anugā ho’ye, rādhā-kuṇḍa-tate, rahibo harṣitāntare

When will Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī take me along with herself to the banks of Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa to give me lessons in the performance of services to the Divine Couple. She will take me there and make me practice by following her instruc-tions and activities. Thus I will feel great delight in my heart.

śrī-viśākhā-pade, saṅgīta śikhibo, kṛṣṇa-līlā rasamoy śrī-rati-mañjarī, śrī-rasa-mañjarī, hoibe sabe sadoy

At the lotus feet of Śrī Viśākhā I will learn music and songs which are all abounding in the transcendental mellows of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. All the other sakhīs in our group, including Śrī Rati Mañjarī and Śrī Rasa Mañjarī will also share their kindest and affectionate dealings with me.

parama ānanda, sakale miliyā, rādhikā caraṇe rabo ei parākāṣṭha, siddha kabe habe, pābo rādhā-padāsava

All of us will meet together, feeling supreme bliss and remaining by the lotus feet of Śrī Rādhikā. When, O when will there be this highest excellence of the culmination of spiritual perfection, whereby I will receive the intoxicating honey flowing from the lotus feet of Śrī Rādhikā?

Mostly taken from the book:

Śrī Ślokāmṛtam – The Sublime Nectar of Ślokas
(Compiled by Dau Dayāl dāsa and others)