VERSE 12:

UJJṚMBHAMĀNA RASA VĀRINIDHES TARAṄGAIR
AṄGAIR IVA PRAṆAYA LOLA VILOCANĀYĀḤ
TASYĀḤ KADĀ NU BHAVITĀ MAYI PUṆYA DṚṢṬIR
VṚNDĀṬAVĪ NAVA NIKUÑJA GṚHĀDHIDEVYĀḤ

When will the auspicious glance of the young goddess of the bower-cottage of Vṛndāvana, Whose restless eyes are swaying on the waves of the swelling ocean of rasa, Kṛṣṇa’s limbs, fall on me?

ŚRĪ RĀDHĀ, AN OCEAN OF EMOTIONS

Commentary: By Śrīmatī’s grace Śrīpāda now sees another transcendental picture: He sees Śrī Rādhā passionate¬ly going out to meet Kṛṣṇa in some bowerhouse at noontime. This love-journey is really astonis¬hing: On one hand She is eager to meet Kṛṣṇa, on the other hand She’s afraid, and the course of Her journey is also very difficult. People say that love has a tender taste and has an amazing power!

mātha hi tapana, tapata patha bāluka,
ātapa dahana vithāra
nonika putali tanu, caraṇa kamala janu,
hari hari! premaka gati anivāra!
kānu paraśa rase, paravaśa rasavati,
vichurala sakala vicāra

“The sun shines on the head and burns the sand on the road, spreading itself in the sky like a burning canopy. Her body is as soft as butter and Her feet are as tender as lotus-flowers. Hari! Hari! The course of love cannot be stopped! This amorous girl gives up all considerations, desiring to be touched by Kṛṣṇa!”

Śrīmatī conquers all obstacles because Her desire to serve Kṛṣṇa is so strong, and so She easily reaches the trysting bower. When eager Śyāma sees Rādhā’s moon-like face in the bower He becomes most happy. That moon causes waves of beauty to swell on the matchless ocean of sweetness that is Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the very form of all nectarean spiritual flavours. The Upaniṣads say: raso vai sah “God is taste” and ānandaṁ brahma “God is bliss”. A devotee can relish Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness according to the amount of love he has for Him, and Rādhā has the greatest love for Him, so She can also relish His sweetness to the utmost. Seeing Kṛṣṇa’s sweet, beautiful smile and His playful eyebrows, Śrīmatī is agitated with feelings of love for Him. How many sweet plays the glances of Vilāsinī maṇi’s eyes manifest! Her eyes are like fishes that swim in the waves of the ocean of Nāgara rāja’s beauty. How many beautiful pictures can She draw in Kṛṣṇa’s heart with Her eyes!

Instead of prema lola vilocanāya, Śrīpāda writes praṇaya lola vilocanāya, because when the love becomes very great the lover considers the beloved’s body, mind and heart to be non-different from his own body, mind and heart. (Such is the definition of the word praṇaya) Today Nāgarī-maṇi (Rādhā, the jewel of lady-loves) is very generous, She has given up Her usual unsubmissive mood and allowed Her gallant to control Her. Her eyes are restless out of love. How many amorous moods She shows with that fickleness! With Her eyes She offers an oblation of love to Her lover. How beautifully She walks, sits and uses Her face and eyes, arousing amorous desires in Her lover! The maidservant understands that Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s love play is imminent, so she goes out of the kuñja. How beautiful is the yugala vilāsa! The fortunate maidservant can watch it through the latticed windows of the bowerhouse. When the love play is over, the maidservant comes inside the kuñja and sees Śrīmati sitting on the love bed. It is as if streams of sweetness are gushing from Her limbs. Nāgara is enchanted. Through Śyāmasundara, the maidservant experiences that Śrīmatī looks like the young presiding goddess of the kuñja. The sweetness of Her limbs illuminates the kuñja. The enchanted Nāgara insatiably relishes the sweetness of Śrīmatī’s form.

In his sādhaka consciousness, Śrīpāda humbly prays: “When will the favorable glance (puṇya dṛṣṭi) of Śrī Rādhā fall on me?” The word puṇya can mean ‘beautiful’, ‘favorable’ or ‘auspicious’. “When will She redeem me from my wretched condition and take me to Her auspicious kingdom of transcendental pastimes?”

sukhamoy vṛndāvane, naola nikuñjavane,
kunjeśvarī kṛṣṇa priyatamā
rasābdhi taraṅga sama, dṛṣṭibhaṅgi manorama,
praṇaya cancala vilocanā.

sei līlāmayī devī, puṇyadṛṣṭi mora prati,
koribe ki karuṇā svabhāve
deha mana indriyādi, prema sevā upayogi,
hoibe ki dāsīpada lābhe

“When will this playful goddess, the bowergoddess of blissful Vṛndāvana’s fresh bowerhouses, Kṛṣṇa’s Beloved, Who is naturally full of compassion, cast a favorable glance at me that is like a wave on the ocean of rasa, with Her loving restless beautiful eyes? When will I become qualified for Her loving service as a maidservant, with body, mind and senses? ”

eteko lālasā mone, mad īśvarī śrī caraṇe,
kṛpāmayi koro avadhāna
bhaṇe śrī prabodhānanda, ohe bhānu kulacanda,
kṛpā vinu gati nāhi āna

“This is the desire on my mind: O my merciful goddess! Please hear my prayer at Your beautiful lotus-feet! Śrī Prabodhānanda says: O moon of king Vṛṣabhānu’s dynasty! I have no other shelter but You!”