When the transcendental vision disappears and the lack of devotional service is felt it becomes hard to tolerate the resultant misery. Sometimes the premika devotee even faints, but when the beloved deity responds the swoon may subside. When there is no vision there is again lamentation and prayers for devotional service. In this way it gradually continues. From this verse we can understand that Tulasī has fainted, but now Svāminī personally calls Her back to consciousness in a transcendental vision: ‘Tulasi! Won’t you put on My nosering?”

Śrī Raghunātha is awakened by Svāminī’s merciful call. He is sitting there, waiting for devotional service and thinking: “I see I’m getting it, I’m getting it! How can I survive if I cannot serve Her even a little?” Tulasī’s vine-like body is burning in the forest-fire of separation, and nothing but the shower of Svāminī’s mercy can save his life! How merciful Svāminī is to call Tulasī for service like that!

“External consciousness is an obstacle for a conditioned soul like me. My mind is going in the other direction. I have no relationship with my svarūpa at all! How intense are my wordly relationships, I cannot forget them even if I try! All the things that drive me mad are temporary. All these things will go, with whom shall I stay?” Again others decide to keep one share for their bodies and those things related to the body, and another share for the Lord. But by tugging at the heart like this, trying to divide it into different parts, Śrīmatī’s mercy cannot be attained! The whole heart must be given to Rādhārāṇī, all other engrossments are simply stumbling blocks – this is the teaching of the ācāryas! We should live in Vraja to follow the example of these ācāryas.

Śrīpāda Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī has written in Rādhā Rasa Sudhānidhi (60):

kālindī salile ca tat kucataṭī kastūrikā paṅkile
snāyaṁ snāyam aho ku-dehaja malaṁ jahyāṁ kadā nirmalaḥ

“When will I wash the dirt off my wretched body by bathing again and again in the water of the Yamunā, which is muddled by the musk that is washed of Śrī Rādhikā’s nipples?”

The awareness of being Rādhikā’s dāsī cannot arise in the heart of someone who is intoxicated by material, bodily consciousness!

Raghunātha dāsa has fainted of love-in-separation. Svāminī calls out: “Tulasi!” How nectar-sweet is Her voice when She calls Her kiṅkarī by name! At least a slight desire should arise in the heart of the rāga-sādhaka like this: “O Svāmini! When will You also call me by name like that? I’m sitting here with this endless expectation!” Blessed is Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, for he has forgotten everything and has fallen on the bank of Rādhākuṇḍa and is crying in a heartrending way for the personal service and darśana of Śrī Rādhā.

A sādhaka should also desire to be called for service like that, weeping and crying: “Aho! In which birth can I also obtain a drop from this ocean of spiritual emotions?”

As much as even the faintest moonrays of rāga, that arise in Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī’s moon-like heart, become reflected in the crystal-like hearts of the rāga bhakti-practitioners, that much their spotless hearts will be colored by his divine emotions. For the sake of those who desire to serve Śrī-Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava in the eternal supernatural play-groves of Vraja in a bhāva-deha (body made of transcendental love) Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī mercifully kept this treasure of incomparable emotions in the form of this guidebook for spiritual recollection (smaraṇa paddhati), that is full of ever-expanding feelings of ecstatic love, in this world.

Śrī Ānanda Gopāla Gosvāmī
Śrī Ananta dāsa Bābājī