“Ananya śrī rādhā-padakamala dāsyaika Rasadhīr hareḥ sange raṅgaṁ svapana-samayenā’pi dadhati

balāt kṛṣṇe kūrpāsakabhidi kim apyācarati kāpyadaśrur me veti pralapati mamātmā ca hasati”
– (Vṛndāvan mahimāmṛta – 16.94)

Meaning – “Those who serve the lotus – feet of Rādhā – Kṛṣṇa single – mindedly, do not accept dalliance with Kṛṣṇa even in dreams, they tearfully lament and refuse if Kṛṣṇa tears their bodice etc. while my life and soul Śrī Rādhā laughingly looks on”.

From this laughter, it is understood that Rādhā approves of such behavior of Kṛṣṇa. Actually Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa show such attitude to test the feelings and loyalty of the mañjarīs. Kṛṣṇa never desires physical relation with mañjarīs. Śrī Viśvanātha has stated the reason for this in his Ānanda-candrikā purport to the 9^th verse of nāyaka sahāya bheda of Ujval Nīlamaṇi –

“atra sakhībhāvam samaśrīta iti yadyapi sakhyo hi sva sva yūtheśvarīṇāṁ śrī rādhādīnām eva śrīkṛṣṇāṅga saṅga sukhena sukhinyaḥ na tu sveṣāṁ tadapi tāḥ sāmānyato dvidhā bhavanti prema-saundarya vaidagdhyādīnат ādhikyena śrī kṛṣṇasyātilobhanīya gātryaḥ teṣāṁ nyūnatvena tasyānatilobhanīya gātryaś ca. tatra pūrva śrīkṛṣṇa sukhānurodhāt tata eva sva yūtheśvarīṇām apyāgrahādhikācca kadācit śrīkṛṣṇa aṅgasaṅgo spṛhāvatyo’pi bhavanti, tāś ca lalitādyāḥ рarата preṣṭha-sakhyādayaḥ. Uttarās tu taddvayātāvāt kadāpi kṛṣṇāṅga-saṅga spṛhāvatyo na bhavanti. Tāś ca kastūryadayā nitya-sakhyaḥ”.

Meaning – “Although the Sakhīs are joyful when their group leader Rādhā enjoys bodily pleasure with Kṛṣṇa, they are classified into two types – firstly, the physical companions who are very much tempting to Kṛṣṇa due to excess love, beauty and wit. When their group-leader Rādhā eagerly approaches them to give pleasure to Kṛṣṇa, sometime they do tend to partake of such pleasure, e.g. sakhīs such as Lalitā. Secondly, those Sakhīs who are not physical companions or very much tempting to Kṛṣṇa due to slight lack in love, beauty etc. Although Kṛṣṇa and their own group-leader Rādhārānī approach them with great eagerness, they do not relent to the joy of having physical relationship with Kṛṣṇa. They are the mañjarīs such as Kasturi etc.”

Here a fine point worthy of attention is that, the Gosvāmīs such as Śrī Rūpamañjarī have thus described the physical beauty of the servants of Rādhā – “The splendor of their lotus – feet defeat even the dazzling brilliance of lightning”. Yet Śrī Viśvanātha has mentioned that the mañjarīs lack in physical beauty as compared to the Sakhis. The inner meaning, we feel is that Kṛṣṇa is tempted to accept the service of love from the devotees according to the type and extent of their love. This is the self-evident characteristic of love, the propensity of Kṛṣṇa’s original potency. On eagerly being approached by Rādhā, the Sakhīs such as Lalitā feel a longing to associate physically with Kṛṣṇa. Hence Kṛṣṇa too is tempted to accept their bodily service. But, due to some inexpressible purity of the heart, the mañjarīs never desire the physical proximity of Kṛṣṇa even in their dreams. This is the secret behind the expression “not-so- tempting”. This is the deficiency of their physical beauty. In reality, they do not lack physical beauty.

Maybe this is why Viśvanāth Cakravartīpāda has added the word ‘love’ before beauty and wit. Factually, they are not deficient in love. That is why they are able to obtain some such things that are beyond the reach of even Sakhīs such as Lalitā, viz. –

tāmbūlārpaṅa pāda-mardana payo dānābhisārādibhir
vṛndāraṇya maheśvarīṁ priyatayā yās toṣayanti priyāḥ
prāṇa preṣṭha sakhī kulād api kilāsaṅkocitā bhūmikāḥ
kelī bhūmiṣu rūpa mañjarī mukhās tā dāsikāḥ saṁśraye
(Vrajavilāsa stava – 38)

Meaning – “I seek refuge of those maid-servants of Śrī Rādhā, headed by Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī, who constantly satisfy Śrī Vṛndāvaneśvarī (Rādhā) by offering betel-leaf, massaging the feet, offering water and arranging meetings of the two lovers, those who have obtained unrestrained rights to frequent the place of love – sports of Rādhā – Kṛṣṇa”.

Practising devotional service in their allegiance is the teaching of Mahāprabhu and His followers such as Rūpa and Sanātana Gosvāmī. Raghunātha Dās Gosvāmī has prayed –

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
(Vilāpa-kusumāñjali -16)

Meaning – “О Goddess! I seek nothing other than the mercy of Your lotus – feet. I pay obeisance to Your friendship. But I yearn for the position of Your servant”.

This servitude to Rādhā is the special mercy of Śrī Goursundar. Sanātan Gosvāmī has called it the most extraordinary and supremely great task to be accomplished. In the realm of love, there is no higher obtainable thing than this for the conditioned soul Śrī Narottama Dās Ṭhākura has prayed –

rādhā kṛṣṇa prāṇa mora! yugala kiśora!
jīvane maraṇe gati āra nāhi mora
kālindīra kule keli kadambera vana;
ratana vedīra upore bosābo du’jana
śyāma gaurī aṅge dibo (cuyā) candanera gandha;
cāmara ḍhulābo kobe heribo mukha candra
gāṅthiyā mālatīra mālā dibo doṅhāra gale;
adhare tuliyā dibo karpūra tāmbūle

“Rādhā – Kṛṣṇa is my life and soul. I have no refuge other than them in life or death. Amidst the Kadamba trees, on the banks of Kalindi, I will seat the two of them on a gem – studded altar. I shall apply fragrant sandalwood on the dark and fair forms. When shall I fan them, my gaze being transfixed on their moon-faces? I shall garland them with Malati flowers and offer their lips betel – leaves containing camphor”.

Then again—

caudike sakhīra mājhe,                    rādhikāra iṅgite,
ciruṇī loiyā kore kori
kuṭila kuntala sab,                vithāriyā āṅca-rab,
bonāibo vicitra kabarī

mṛgamada malayaja,            sab aṅge lepabo,
porāibo manohara hār
candana kuṅkume,               tilaka bonāibo,
herabo mukha sudhākara

nīla paṭṭāmbara,                   jatane porāibo,
pāye dibo ratana mañjīre
bhṛṅgārera jale rāṅgā,                     caraṇa dhowāibo
muchabo āpan cikure

kusuma kamala dale,                       śeja bichāibo,
śayana korābo doṅhākāre
dhavala cāmara āni,              mṛdu mṛdu bījabo,
charamita duhuka śarīre
(Prārthanā – Śrīla Ṭhākur Mahāśaya)

“Surrounded by Sakhīs, signaled by Rādhikā, holding a comb, I shall spread Her hair and comb Her curly locks, styling them in beautiful chignon. I shall apply musk and candan all over Her body, and adorn Her with attractive necklace; I shall draw tilaka with candan and kumkum, and behold Her nectarine face. I shall carefully drape Her with blue silk, and bedeck Her feet with bejeweled anklets; I shall wash Her rosy feet with water and wipe them with my tresses. Arranging a bed of lotus-petals I shall put them to sleep; fanning softly with a fly –  brush on their love – worn bodies”.

Srila Ananta das Babaji (taken from Rasa – Darshan)