In his transcendental visions Śrī Raghunātha dāsa relishes the flavours of ornamenting Svāminī and when this vision disappears he prays for devotional service. For the benefit of the neophytes in rāgānugā-bhakti he has revealed the expertise of these ornamenting-services through his prayers.

The neophyte should not serve as he likes it; he should serve according to Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s wish, following in the footsteps of those who understand what is on Her mind.

Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has described it like this in his Prema Bhakti Candrikā: mahājanera yei patha, tā’te hobo anurata, pūrvāpara koriyā vicāra – „Be dedicated to the path outlined by the mahā-janas (the Gosvāmīs), and consider their teachings in past and present”.

The Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas that take shelter of the Yugala-bhajana (worship of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa) follow in the footsteps of Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. They are Vraja’s mañjarīs, that have descended to earth with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to teach expertise in serving the Divine Couple. They are very eager to teach the world how the maidservants, that are called sākṣāt sevādhikāriṇī (girls that are qualified for direct devotional service), must serve the Divine Pair.

The compilations ‘Stavamālā’ of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and ‘Stavāvalī’ of Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī are filled with their experiences and their expertise in bhajana, and are thus most relishable. From this confidential treasure of bhajana can be learned how to be eager for devotional service. How intense was the love-in-separation of Rūpa and Raghunātha! This distress is not a wordly kind of distress, it is distress soaked in transcendental bliss! Is it so easy to feel the want of Śrī Rādhikā? It cannot be felt without being absorbed in the identification of a maidservant! The ācāryas have taught – do bhajana by awakening your want! When feelings of separation have awoken everything can be given up, nothing can or should be given up by force.

Śrī Narottama prays: kobe Kṛṣṇa-dhana pābo, hiyāra mājhāre thobo, juḍāibe e pāpa parāṇa (Prārthanā): “When will I get the Kṛṣṇa-treasure and keep it in my heart, thus soothing my sinful life-airs?“

There’s no other way to soothe the life-airs! Taste for wordly things will automatically be lost. Can a flowergarland around the neck and sandalwoodpulp on the forehead satisfy you when you are hungry? Can you peacefully eat and sleep when your heart is pierced by a lance? In the same way the Gosvāmīs naturally lost their appetite for material pleasure out of separation from Kṛṣṇa. This stage should be reached through the sane process of balanced detachment and sincere selfless devotion. One must practise great patience in that process and not try to jump artificially to such soaring heights. pābo rādhā-Kṛṣṇa pā, ghucibe monera ghā, dūre yābe e sab vikala – „When I attain Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet all contamination will go from my mind and all anxiety will go far away.” Until now I could not recognize myself as Śrī Rādhikā’s maidservant! This is the worship of love, and all love accepts defeat by the love of Rādhārāṇī’s maidservants! How wonderful the mood of the mañjarīs who worship Śrī Rādhikā (śrī rādhikārādhikā) is! Śrīpāda Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī glorifies them as follows:

rādhā-Kṛṣṇa padāravinda makarandāsvāda madyan mano-bhṛṅgāḥ santatam udgatāśru pulakas tat prema tīvraughataḥ aty ānanda bharāt kadāpy ati laye śocyantya ātmeśayoḥ sevāyāḥ vihateḥ sphurantu mama tā śrī rādhikārādhikā
(Vṛndāvana Mahimāmṛta 6.81)

“May the worshipers (maidservants) of Śrī Rādhikā, whose minds are like bumblebees that are intoxicated by constantly drinking the honey from Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, who always cry great streams of tears, whose bodies are studded with goosepimples out of great ecstatic love for Them, and who greatly lament when they are unable to serve their master and mistress for even a moment, because they have momentarily fainted of great ecstasy, or because the Divine Pair have hidden Themselves from them in great ecstasy, be revealed to me!”

Srila Ananta das Babaji

Srila Ananda Gopal Goswami