Nectarine meditations – Talking with Their eyes

yat pītaṁ śrutivāṅ manobhir aniśaṁ tṛṣṇāpradaṁ tvadbhutaṁ saṁsārāmaya hāryapi praṇayajonmādāndhya mohādikṛt śaśvac carvitam eva bhūri rasadaṁ dehādi hṛt puṣṭidaṁ taj jīyād amṛta spṛhā haram idaṁ govinda līlāmṛtam (5)

All glories to Śrī Govinda Līlāmṛta, the immortal nectar pastimes of Śrī Govinda, which defeats the nectar of the gods, or the desire for liberation, which constantly bestows a wonderful thirst to the ears, words and mind whenever it is drunk, which cures the disease of material life, yet produces delusions and blindness of loving intoxication, and gives inexhaustible relish, even if it is consumed again and again, nourishing even the body. (Govinda Līlāmṛta 1.5)

Here, Srila Krishna das Kaviraja Goswami writes that reading (hearing) about the pastimes of Sri Sri Radha Krishna is the best medicine to cure the disease of material life.

He is not saying anything about these pastimes being exclusively reserved for those who already cured the disease of material life.

IT IS THE CURE, THE BEST MEDICINE.

By writing this, he is perfectly in sync with the Srimad Bhagavatam, as always.
In this wonderful Srimad-Bhagavata (10.33.39) while narrating the rasa-lila, the crest jewel of all pastimes, Sukadeva Muni describes the most powerful glories of devotion:
vikriditam vrajavadhubhir idam ca vishnoh sraddhanvito’nusrinuyad atha varnayed yah bhaktim param bhagavati pratilabhya kamam hrid rogam asvapahinotyacirena dhirah

“Whoever faithfully hears and narrates the loving pastimes of Sri Krishna with the ladies of Vraja will attain the topmost devotion for the Lord, will swiftly become grave and give up the heart’s disease of lust.”

Now, read the what comes next attentively several times.
Then sit down, close your eyes and imagine to be there in your spiritual form as a manjari and chant the maha-mantra, remembering what you have just read with a sense of total identification and immersion. Try to imbibe the emotions and be aware of your desired spiritual form as a witness.

Bidding farewell to the Vrajavāsīs

Śyāma requested and consoled the distressed Rādhā by conveying with His eyes,

“O Sumukhī (beautiful-faced girl)! Be patient and do not grieve, for in one hour we shall unite. On some pretext, just slip away and meet Me on the banks of Your kuṇḍa.”

Kṛṣṇa made His request with an afflicted heart and humble glances.

Rādhikā, pretending to be both shy and arrogantly contrary, responded with a sidelong glance of assent to delight the heart of Kṛṣṇa.

When the arrows of Rādhā-Mādhava’s glances fell from the sky and entered Their hearts, They experienced the utmost bliss and not the least bit of pain.

This is the astonishingly inconceivable course of Rādhā-Mādhava’s love.

Kṛṣṇa, in going to the forest, caught the fish of Rādhā’s mind in the net of His alluring beauty. And Rādhā trapped the swan of Kṛṣṇa’s yearning heart in the sturdy cage of Her amorous sidelong glances.

Kṛṣṇa and His friends entered the forest while driving the cows before them and attracting the minds of the Vrajavāsīs behind them. Kṛṣṇa turned around and glanced toward His parents who were still following Him due to attachment. Kṛṣṇa stopped walking, faced His seniors and said, “O mother! Please return home at once and do not follow Me into the forest! Make some rasālā [yogurt mixed with sugar candy, black pepper, camphor and ghee] and quickly send it to Me. O father! Since My bat is broken, please go home and make five or six new ones so that We can play ball. O Mother! Look ahead! Although the cows are very hungry and thirsty, they are waiting for Me, turning their faces towards Me to see what is the delay.”

Yaśodā said, “O Child! At midday, I will send Your favorite edibles. Please eat them and quickly return home in the afternoon.”

Kṛṣṇa said, “O mātā! If I hear that you both have taken your meals and are engaged happily at home, then I will eat everything you send Me. Otherwise, I will not come home!”

Nanda and Yaśodā repeatedly kissed and embraced Kṛṣṇa while looking at Him with forlorn eyes. They desired nothing but Kṛṣṇa’s welfare with their bodies, minds and words. Kṛṣṇa bathed in the parental tears and breast milk of Nanda and Yaśodā.

Meanwhile, the rising sun of imminent separation was scorching Kṛṣṇa’s beloved gopīs. Kṛṣṇa compassionately relieved them with the cooling waves of His sidelong glances. The gopīs drank the nectar of His bodily sweetness through the tubes of their lotus eyes. Although Kṛṣṇa felt sorry over the plight of the Vrajavāsīs, He left them behind and eagerly entered the forest to play with His friends.

All the senses of the Vrajavāsīs turned into eyes as they beheld the all-attractive form of Kṛṣṇa. Their senses stopped functioning and they became stunned in dismay, however, when Kṛṣṇa disappeared from their vision.

The villagers thought, “We are moving beings but the non-moving entities like trees are more fortunate because now they will enjoy Kṛṣṇa’s darśana!”

When “the life of Vraja” left with His cows, the flowing rivers of the gopīs’ faces withered and dried up like rivers in the hot summer. The bees of the gopīs’ restless eyes immediately soared out of the wilted lotus flowers of their faces, but the swan of their lives got stuck in the mud of Kṛṣṇa’s separation. The voracious kingfisher birds of Kṛṣṇa’s eyebrows devoured the minnows of the gopīs’ discrimination floundering in the shallow waters of separation.

The Vrajavāsīs, though completely devastated themselves, picked up Nanda and Yaśodā who were lying on the ground unconscious in separation from Kṛṣṇa.

Together they unwillingly returned to their homes. Their bodies moved towards their homes merely out of habit, but their minds followed Kṛṣṇa into the forest.

The assistant sakhīs revived their group leaders, who had fainted out of separation from Kṛṣṇa, and escorted them home in a mechanical way like one wooden puppet moving another.

[Govinda-līlāmṛta 5.40-57)