BHĀVA NĀMA GUṆĀDĪNĀM AIKYĀT ŚRĪ RĀDHIKAIVA YĀ
KṚṢṆENDOḤ PREYASĪ SĀ ME ŚRĪ VIŚĀKHĀ PRASĪDATU

May Śrī Viśākhā, who is the beloved of the moon-like Kṛṣṇa, and who is just like Śrī Rādhikā because she is one with Her in name, feelings, attributes and many other things, be pleased with me!

Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā:

Now Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī commences his Viśākhānandada stotram.

He himself (as Rati or Tulasī mañjarī) is included in the party of Viśākhā-sakhī, and hoping that this lengthy praise of Śrī Rādhikā’s names, qualities and pastimes will please Viśākhā, he calls it Viśākhānandadābhidha stotram.

This extensive praise is filled with the flavors of Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s name, forms, qualities and pastimes. This praise is like a celestial Gaṅgā-stream filled with the nectar of mahā bhāva, and by reading this stotram  a slight idea can be gotten what the actual form of mahā bhāva, Śrī Rādhārānī, is all about!

It is not just a stava, it is the very form of Vṛṣabhānunandinī, given shape through the words of Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, who is the great object of Her mercy.
In what way Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī is the object of Śrīmatī’s grace can be slightly experienced by reading this stotram.
He is actually Her eternal loving maidservant, having descended along with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His most magnanimous avatāra to reveal the secrets about Śrī Rādhā, that are most difficult to comprehend, to the world.

Viśākhānandada stotram is an analysis of this topmost secret. The efforts of a wretched worm like me, who is covered over by the darkness of ignorance and who is bound up by māyā, to give an explanation of this sublime stotram, is nothing more but the ridiculous attempt of a lame man to climb over a mountain.  No doubt the words of Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, that are as deep as millions of oceans, will become greatly diluted by my efforts and that will result into an offense of this wretch to his lotus feet. Understanding my own unworthiness I have therefore named my commentary stavāmṛta kaṇā (a drop of nectar from Stavāvalī). I was just able to touch one drop of this nectar-stream of Śrī Raghunātha dāsa’s vast prayers by writing this commentary, and I pray that I will be blessed by touching these great words at all. May Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī erase my offences with his own glorious attributes and give one drop of mercy, so that one drop of the purport of this great ‘Viśākhānandada stotram’ will be revealed within the heart of this ignorant person.

In this first verse, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa praises Śrī Visākhā, saying:

“May Śrī Visākhā, who is the beloved of the moon-like Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and who is just like Śrī Rādhikā because she is one with Her in name, feelings, attributes and many other things, be pleased with me!”

Śrī Viśākhā was born on the same day and at the same moment as Śrī Rādhā, she has the same vāma madhyā-(half-opposed) nature, and also has the same name as Her, since ‘Viśākhā’ is just another name of the ‘Rādhā’-constellation. Śrī Viśākhā is just like Śrī Rādhikā in qualities, like pleasant disposition, and bodily luster also, therefore she is exactly like Śrī Rādhā Herself! Śrī Raghunātha prays that this Viśākhā, who is called kṛṣṇendoh preyasī, the beloved of the moon-like Śrī Kṛṣṇa, will be pleased with him! Although Lalitā, Viśākhā and others are counted among the dear girlfriends of Śrī Rādhikā, they are also sometimes meeting with Śrī Kṛṣṇa, by Her wish, therefore Śrī Viśākhā is called kṛṣṇendoh preyasī here.

Radhakunda Mahanta Sri Srimat Ananta das Babaji