Vilāpa-kusumānjali, Prema-gopāla Goswāmī

 

Book review –

 Just 7 months after the followers of B.V. Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja published their edition of Vilāpa-kusumānjali, the followers of Nityānanda-vaṁśī Premgopāl Goswāmi did the same, be it of just the first 7 verses. Naturally we were curious how many times the 1950s Vilāpa-kusumānjali lectures by Advaita vaṁśāvataṁsa Prabhupāda Ānanda Gopāla Goswāmī were quoted in this edition. These are our findings, along with some technical questions and comments on this booklet –

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 9 –

 Our bhajana is known as rāgānugā bhajana, but in that bhajana there are two parts - vaidhī and rāgānugā. Vaidhī means we are following the rules and regulations, we are practising by chanting harināma, we are chanting the dīkṣā mantras, we are meditating on the līlās, we are doing pūjā, we are serving the deities, all these are parts of vaidhī bhakti. That stage is known as sādhana.

 

Question –

In Bhakti-Rasamrta-Sindhu 1.2.5 Śṛila Rūpa Goswāmīpāda says that there are 2 types of sādhana - vaidhi and rāgānugā. They are described as parallel practices from the beginning. Chanting harināma, chanting the dīkṣā mantras, meditating on the līlās, doing pūjā, serving the deities, are also done in rāgānugā bhakti. Bhakti-Rasamrta-Sindhu describes vaidhi bhakti in verses 1.2.6-269 and rāgānugā bhakti in 1.2.270-306. Then  Śṛila Rūpa Goswāmīpāda says -

sravanotkirtanadini vaidha-bhakty-uditani tu

yany angani ca tany atra vijneyani manīsibhih  1.2.296 ||

 “Discriminating practitioners should accept the angas which were mentioned in vaidhi-bhakti such as hearing and chanting as the angas of raganuga-bhakti.”

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī page 9 -

So service which is performed internally, by the mind, is bhajana. Before that, it is vaidhī bhakti. Then why do vaidhī bhakti? Because it establishes the foundation for entering rāgānugā bhakti.

 

Question –

smaranam is also an item of vaidhi bhakti. Śrī Prahlāda delineates vaidhi bhakti in Śrīmad-bhāgavat  7.5.23 – śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam.

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī  page 9 –

 If we follow the biographies of our siddha mahātmas, we can see that at the beginning of their life, all of them did vigraha sevā [deity worship] and so many other external kinds of service, but later they gave it up and offered their deity to their disciples. Why? Because by then the deity became internalised. They got the deity inside their heart, so external worship of the deity became superfluous for them.

 

Question –

Yet, I do not know any record of Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Goswāmīpāda, rāgānugā ācārya par excellence, offering his Giridhārī to his disciples - he did not even have disciples. But it is true that Mahāprabhu taught him a simple type of arcanā for rāgānugā bhakti in Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā chapter 6. Surely not with the great pomp and ritual like in many Vaiṣṇava temples.

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 10  -

 Sanātana Gosvāmīpāda, his deity was Rādhā Madana-Mohana Lāl. One day Madana-Mohana asked Sanātana for some salt in the capātī.

 

Question –

This also is true but I do not know any record that Sanātana Gosvāmīpāda gave up Madanmohan altogether.

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 11  -

When will the desire to have the mood of Rādhā's maidservants appear? Only after āsakti.

 

Question –

Is there any evidence in śāstra for this statement? Without being on the āsakti stage we have been desiring manjari bhāva for the past 40 years. rāgānugā is a sādhana, not a siddhi.

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī  -

I have asked Premgopāl Gosvāmī to clarify, “Are you saying we should follow guru's instructions irrespective of śāstra?” He replied, “No, not irrespective of śāstra. We must trust that sad guru would never advice or order anything contrary to the scriptures. So, everything will be under the guidance of śāstra. What I said is more about the disciples' dedication and faith in guru. We must have such faith and dedication for guru that his instructions will be the last word for us. We shouldn’t judge if those instructions are from śāstra or not.”

 

Advaitadās -

This is excellent.

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 12  –

It may be fraternal mood, sakhya bhāva, then I must follow Śrīdāma or Sudāma. Or it may appear in my heart as, “Oh! My Gopāljī,” vātsalya bhāva, then one will follow Nanda Bābā and Mā Yaśodā. And when attachment appears for Yugala Kiśora, we must follow the Vraja gopīs headed by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

 

Question –

Caitanya Caritāmṛta (Adi 1.4) clearly says –

 

anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau

samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam

hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandīpitaḥ

sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandanaḥ

 

"May the Supreme Lord Hari, who is known as the son of Śrīmatī Śacī-devī, be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no avatāra has ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant mellow of devotion, the rasa of amorous love."

Since this is the opening verse of Caitanya Caritāmṛta it is clear that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s great gift is only gopī bhāva.

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 24  -

But why call these mañjarīs ‘nitya-sakhīs’? Because here ‘nitya’ means something else: It means they are always with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, just like Her shadow. They are with Her every single moment.

 

Advaitadās -

This is excellent.

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 26  -

They are very close to Her heart. That’s why they are known as prāṇa-sakhīs. They are like the prāṇa [life-air] of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. It is very nicely said, sakhīnāṁ saṅginī-rūpām ātmānaṁ vāsanā-mayīm. They are vāsanā, they always want to do some sevā for Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. They are always looking for service: What to do? What can I do? How can I serve?

 

Advaitadās -

This is excellent.

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 30 -

Or if we talk about Maṇi Mañjarī, “Oh, Maṇi Mañjarī knows how to make very beautiful garlands.” That is her special quality. Not that, “Maṇi Mañjarī's dress is very light, very beautiful.” No. That is not the special quality of a mañjarī. They are expert in decorating themselves very nicely, but that is not their distinctive quality. Their special quality is that they can dress and decorate Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī very expertly.”

 

Advaitadās -

This is an interesting and important point.

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 33 -

One tadīyāta bhakta is explaining, expressing his mood of sevā to one rasika bhakta, madīyāta bhakta – who is feeling, “Kṛṣṇa is mine! Therefore, I have to take care of Him. I have to accept full responsibility for Kṛṣṇa. No one is there to take care of Him, I have to do that. This is my duty and my responsibility. It is my responsibility to offer food to Kṛṣṇa, to dress Him, to put Him to sleep, etc. How then can I disturb Him with my problems? My material problems?”

 

Advaitadās – This is what our Guru Sādhu Bābā taught us too – “Don’t bother Madangopāl with your problems. Pray to guru for that. Let Rādhā-Madangopāl enjoy in peace.”

 

Question –

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī speaks a lot about manjaris getting that same pleasure a hundred times more than Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, but is this practically possible? Caitanya Caritāmṛta says that, but it's a glorification, an emotional statement. Rādhā has the highest bhāva – rādhikā sarvathādhikā (Ujjvala Nīlamaṇi). Can we multiply the Unlimited?

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 35 -

Sometimes my senior mañjarī would say, 'Okay, go to the garden and bring some flowers. Make very beautiful garland and offer it to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. She will then offer it to Kṛṣṇa.' I followed her instruction and the path to the garden was passing by that rahasya nikuñja. When I was passing by that rahasya nikuñja, my mind was overcome by curiosity. 'Let me just see what are They doing?' I started to watch Them through the lattice window and became absorbed in the beautiful, intimate pastime of Śyāmasundara and Kiśorījī. It was very beautiful, very sweet, and I became totally absorbed, so I forgot about my assigned sevā.”

 

Question –

This is an interesting topic. The manjari forgets her sevā due to āveśa. I cannot recall if there an instance of this in the ācāryas’ writings?

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 40 -

Perhaps to push me into starting my bhajana, rāgānugā-bhajana, he will give me siddha-praṇālī, reveal my siddha svarūpa. “Here, this is your mañjarī svarūpa.” However, it is still the case that if am not properly following the path of bhajana, perfection will remain far away from me. Our bhajana must be from our heart, not from our head, not by intelligence – it must be by love.

 

Advaitadās – This is so true.

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 43 -

One grantha samādhi was also there in Rādhā Dāmodara temple, but some 16 years ago, they broke it open for reconstruction, and they were surprised to find more than 15,000 manuscripts there. However, it turned out that most of the manuscripts were not essential for us.

 

Question -

It is the first time we hear this story, but the point is well taken. There is no need for reading so many books – Bhagavad-Gītā, Śrīmad Bhāgavat, Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Stavāvalī, Rādhā-rasa-sudhānidhi are sufficient.

 

 Prema-gopāla Goswāmī page 47 -

She loves them more than her sakhīs who have sama snehādhika.

 

Question –

This is wrong. sama (equality) and adhika (superiority) conflict. The author probably means just sama sneha, equal affection.

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 48 –

 Sometimes even the voice of Kṛṣṇa can touch Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. His sweet voice, the sound of His flute, and His tricky words of love can also touch Her. Lalitā Sakhī knows this so she gets in between Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and orders Him, “Talk to me, don't disturb Her. You cannot talk with Her now.” Lalitā Sakhī is trying to divert Kṛṣṇa from Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, otherwise She won't be able keep her māna.

 

Advaitadās – This is also interesting.

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 48 -

The mañjarīs experience whatever Rādhārāṇī experiences. Kṛṣṇa does not touch the mañjarīs, He touches Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Still the mañjarīs experience Kṛṣṇa’s touch in their hearts and on their bodies…

 

Advaitadās – This is a point that every publisher or lecturer of Vilāpa Kusumānjali copies from Ānanda Gopāla Goswāmī. Ānanda Gopāla Goswāmī said – 

শ্রীরাধার অধরের ক্ষত শ্রীরূপমঞ্জরীর অধরে প্রকাশ ।  শ্রীপ্রাণেশ্বরীর হৃদযের সহিত ইহাদের হৃদযের এতই তাদাত্ম্যা প্রাপ্ত ইহা দ্বারা অনুভব করা যায় । 

“The bites on Śrī Rādhā’s lips are also manifest on Rūpa Mañjarī’s lips - the mañjarīs’ hearts are so identical with Prāṇeśvarī’s heart that they also experience what She experiences!”

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 51 –

 Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī want only the mañjarīs to be present there. But She cannot say this to Her sakhīs because they are very close friends. She cannot say, “Viśākhā, Lalitā, please go away.” However, in Her heart She desires that no one else will be there during Her intimate meetings with Kṛṣṇa except for Her most intimate mañjarīs. Rūpa Mañjarī said, “I will not allow anyone else there.” This was very pleasing to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī because She has some fear regarding the sakhīs and what they might say to Her.

 

Question –

But how will she keep the sakhis away without insulting them and violating the etiquette? The sakhīs are senior to the manjaris, after all. They cannot just tell them to go away or so?

 

Prema-gopāla goswāmī  page 51-52 -

 In order to increase the intensity of Their amorous feelings, Rūpa Mañjarī started to sing a very sweet romantic song. She learned this song from Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. She was feeling all the pleasure that Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī was feeling and she could not control herself anymore, so she started to sing this romantic song…………….. She learned the melody and the words of this song from Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

 

Ānanda Gopāla Goswāmī’s comment on Vilāpa-kusumānjali 1 –

তখন তুলসী ঐ কুঞ্জের বাহিরে কুঞ্জে পীঠ দিযে একখানি অপূর্ব মদন গান গাইতে আরম্ভ করিলেন । গানখানি পূর্বে স্বামিনীজী তুলসীকে নিভৃত গোবর্দ্ধন গোফায় গাইয়া শিখাইয়াছেন । যাহা সখীগণের নিকটেও প্রাণেশ্বরী শিখাইতে পারেন নাই । গানখানি কুঞ্জের অভ্যন্তরেই খেলিয়া বেড়ায়, কুঞ্জের বাহিরে যায় না ।

Śrī Tulasī Mañjarī then starts singing an amorous song, which she had previously learned from Svāminī in a solitary cave of Mount Govardhana, sitting outside of the grove. Such songs Prāṇeśvarī cannot even teach Her intimate girlfriends!

 

The song is sung here by Rūpa Manjari, not by Tulasī, but otherwise the līlā is the same.

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 42 -

Rūpa Manjarī is now speechless with surprise because she was not aware of that love bite on her lips.

 

Vilāpa-kusumānjali 1 commentary by Kiśora Gopāl Goswami, Ānanda Gopāl Goswāmī’s eldest son -

আত্মহারা রূপের কোন অনুসন্ধান নাই, একেবারে বিভোর ।

Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī is beside herself of ecstasy, so she's not aware of these bite-wounds on her own lips.................

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 52 -

 Now by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's love making, Kṛṣṇa has lost control of Himself, vibhaṣa (should be ‘vivaśa’). He is not just in a swoon, He is completely intoxicated under the control of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

 

Vilāpa-kusumānjali verse 2, commentary by Kiśora Gopāl Goswami -

কুঞ্জে বিলাসের চরম পরিণতিতে আনন্দবৈবশ্য আসিয়া নাগরকে বিবশ করিয়া ফেলিয়াছে । 

During the climax of the kunja vilāsa Nāgara (Kṛṣṇa) is beside Himself of ecstasy. –

The same word is used here, vivaśa.

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 52 –

 Rūpa Mañjarī was relishing that sweetness when she suddenly thought, “Where is Tulasī? She must see this. 

 

Vilāpa-kusumānjali verse 1, commentary by Kiśora Gopāl Goswami –

আত্মহারা রূপের হঠাৎ মনে হইল, 'এমন মধুর যুগলবিলাস! হায়! তুলসী ত দেখল না! কোথায় সে? | তাহাকে আনিয়া দেখাইতে হইবে' । যেইমাত্র শ্রীরূপমঞ্জরীর তুলসীর কথা মনে জাগিল তিনি গবাক্ষ ছাড়িয়া তুলসীর অনুসন্ধানে আসিলেন । 

Then she suddenly thinks to herself: "Such a sweet love pastime of our beloved Pair! Aha! My sakhī Tulasī Mañjarī has not seen it! Alas, where is she? I should bring her here and show this to her!", so she promptly leaves the window and starts searching for Tulasī.

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 57 -

 After saying this, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī left the kuñja and went to another kuñja nearby where Her sakhīs were present.

 

Vilāpa-kusumānjali verse 2, commentary by Kiśora Gopāl Goswami –

দ্বিতীয় শ্লোকে বিলাসের বিরামে বিবশ নাগরকে ফেলিয়া মদীয়তার অপূর্ব উন্মাদনায় স্বামিনীর কুঞ্জান্তরে সখীসমাজে সখীগণের সহিত মিলন ও হাস্য পরিহাস ।

Svāminī abandons Her overwhelmed lover and proudly goes out of the kūñja into a neighboring kuñja where She shares the relish of parihāsa rasa (transcendental flavour of laughter and humour) with Her girlfriends…..”

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 60 -

 Meanwhile, when Kṛṣṇa was waiting, some other priya sakhī from a rival group came and intercepted Kṛṣṇa, perhaps Candrāvalī or Śaibhyā. Kṛṣṇa was absorbed in rādhā-prema and Candrāvalī appeared there and tried to divert Him, “Oh Kṛṣṇa, please come to my kuñja.

 

Vilāpa-kusumānjali verse 2, commentary by Kiśora Gopāl Goswami –

এইভাবে পবন বাহিত প্রিয়ার অঙ্গগন্ধের ঘ্রাণ পাইয়া তাহার সহিত মিলিত হইবার জন্য যখন নাগর ব্যাকুল, তখন পথে পদ্মা, শৈব্যা প্রভৃতি চন্দ্রাবলীজীউর সখীগণ আসিয়া অবরোধ করায়,

Just as the breeze, that carries Priyā’s bodily scent, makes Nāgara Kṛṣṇa eager to meet with Rādhā, Candrāvalī’s girlfriends like Padmā and Śaibyā intercept Him on the way.

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 62 -

 Sthala-kamalinī implies a hidden meaning. Symbolically, the lotus is Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and the water is Kṛṣṇa. Rūpa Mañjarī says, “Oh Sthala-kamalinī, You are thinking You are beautiful, but without water You are not really beautiful.

 

Vilāpa-kusumānjali verse 2, commentary by Kiśora Gopāl Goswami –

শ্রীস্বামিনীজীউর সম্প্রতি হৃতাত্মা রসসাগর স্বরূপ শ্যামসুন্দরের নিকটে নাই । সেই অবস্থাটিকেই 'স্থলকমলিনি' এই সম্বোধনের দ্বারা প্রকাশ করিতেছেন । কারণ সাগরের মধ্যে যখন কমল তাঁর তখন 'স্থলকমল' না হযে, 'কমলই' নাম হয় । স্বামিনীজীউর সেই অবস্থাটি বোঝাবার জন্য তুলসী 'স্থলকমলিনী' শব্দের দ্বারা স্বামিনীজীকে সম্বোধন করিয়াছেন ।

The fact that Svāminī is here addressed as 'land lotus', indicates that She is not close to the Śyāma-ocean of rasa (the word ka-mala means water flower, but She's named sthala-kamalinī, land lotus, here).

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 72-73 -

 This was the prayer and the offering of śraddhā to her guru Mañjarī, and now her guru Mañjarī will bestow her blessing. And her blessing is also very special. Just listen,

 

vrajendra vasati stahle vividha ballabī saṅkule

tvam eva rati mañjarī pracura puṇya punjodayā

vilāsa-bhara vismṛta praṇayi mekhalā mārgaṇe

yad adya nija nāthayā vrajasi nāthitā kandaram

 

[Oh Rati Mañjarī! You are the most fortunate cowherd damsel in the abode of the king of Vraja! When Your mistress, Śrī Rādhikā, forgets Her beloved sash of bells due to absorption in Her love play, She asks You to fetch it from the cave where She left it! (Vilāpa-kusumānjali 3)]

 

Advaitadas -

In various devotional books and manuals it is suggested that Śrīla Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī is Rati Mañjarī in Vraja līlā, but here Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī himself states otherwise. There is a similar statement from him about this in his Stavāvalī-

 

śrī rūpa rati mañjaryor aṅghri sevaika gṛdhnunā

asaṅkhyenāpi januṣā vraje vāso'stu me'niśam

 

“Let me stay in Vraja for innumerable births, simply having the desire to serve the lotus-feet of Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Rati Mañjarī!” (Prārthanāmṛta – 1)

 

If Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī is himself Rati Mañjarī, why would he pray to himself in these two verses? There is no precedent for this – nowhere it can be found that Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī prays to Rūpa Mañjarī, and so on. One prays only to superiors. In this case Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī prays to Śrī Advaita Ācārya, who is Rati Mañjarī in Kṛṣṇa līlā and his parama guru, the Guru of his Guru Śrī Yadunandana Ācārya, in Gaura-līlā. That is made even more clear by the fact that next in his sequence of prayers is Śrī Yadunandana Ācārya, in verse four.

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 75-76 -

Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī looked at the sakhīs and said, “Oh sakhīs, try to make Kṛṣṇa happy.” So the sakhīs started to dance and sing to celebrate the reunion of Śrī Rādhā-Govinda. Both of Them were seated in a very nice place, and now the sakhīs wanted to dance with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. They invited Her, “Oh Rādhe, please come join us. All of us will perform our dancing for Kṛṣṇa's pleasure.”

Kṛṣṇa said, “My dear sakhīs, now you should all take some rest. Now, Śrīmatī should dance alone. Oh Rādhe, please dance.”…………….It was going on sweetly but then something happened, something was missing, and Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī started to feel very shy.

During Her dancing, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī realized she forgot her mekhalā [waist belt] in the kuñja, in that kandaram, that cave where She was with Kṛṣṇa. Because of Her pride She forgot Her mekhalā.

 

Ānanda Gopāla Goswāmī Vilāpa-kusumānjali 3 – 

প্রাণেশ্বরীর ইঙ্গিত পাইয়া সখীগণ সম্মুখস্থ প্রাঙ্গণে নৃত্য করিলেন, পরে সখীগণের ইচ্ছায় স্বামিনীজী নৃত্য করিতে আরম্ভ করিলেন । কটিতে মেখলা নাই, তাই নৃত্য জমিতেছে না । মেখলাটি কুঞ্জে ফেলিয়া আসিয়াছেন, সখীগণের সামনে বলিতে পারিতেছেন না, তাহারা পরিহাস ক|রিবে, তাই সখীগণের অলক্ষিতে রতিমঞ্জরীকে ইঙ্গিত করিলেন শ্রীরতিমঞ্জরীও দ্রুতগতিতে মেখলাটি আনিয়া অন্যের অলক্ষেতে নাচিতে নাচিতে যাইয়া মেখলাটি পরাইয়া দিলেন ।

On Prāṇeśvarī’s indication the sakhīs dance on the courtyard in front of Them, then later on the sakhīs’ request Svāminī also gets up to dance. But She had no bells strapped around Her waist, so Her dancing did not resound. She had lost these bells during Her love-meeting in the kunja, but She cannot reveal that to Her girlfriends because they will make fun of Her, so She gives an unseen hint to Śrī Rati Mañjari to fetch the bells from the kunja. Śrī Rati Mañjari quickly runs to the kunja and, hangs the bells back on Svāminī’s waist without being noticed by Her girlfriends, since she seems to be just joining in the dance.

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī, page 76 -

Once, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī was dancing while Kṛṣṇa was playing the flute very nicely. Kṛṣṇa’s flute and Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s caraṇa nūpura, ankle-bells, were playing perfectly in rhythm together. The beat was perfect. But suddenly, one ankle bell fell off from Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s lotus feet, so the rhythm was broken.

 

Ānanda Gopāla Goswāmī Vilāpa-kusumānjali verse 7

রাসনৃত্যে শ্রীকৃষ্ণ বাঁশী বাজাইতেছেন, স্বামিনীজীউ নৃত্য করিতেছেন । এক চরণের নূপুর খসিয়া গিয়াছে । বাঁশীর গান নূপুরের ধ্বনি সহিত খুব ঝমাট হইয়াছিল, এখন তাহার অভাব । শ্যামসুন্দর নিজ নৃত্য মাধুরী প্রকাশ করিয়া ঘুরাইয়া নিজ হাতে নূপুর পরাইয়া দিলেন । কেহ টের পাইল না ।

Once, during the Rāsa-dance, Kṛṣṇa plays His flute and Svāminījī dances, when one of Her anklebells falls off. The tinkling of those anklebells enhances the beauty of Kṛṣṇa's flute song, but now it’s gone. Śyāma exposes the sweetness of His own dancing and twirls around while at the same time placing the anklebells back on Svāminī's feet - no one noticed!

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī  p.95

 “Hey Rādhe, maybe I’m not really qualified to serve You. Maybe I do not have the right qualities to serve You. But she who offered me to Your lotus feet is very near and dear to You.

 

Ānanda Gopāla Goswāmī Vilāpa-kusumānjali verse 7

আমার অযোগ্যতা থাকিতে পারে, কিন্তু যিনি আমাকে তোমার চরণে সমর্পণ করিয়া দিয়াছেন, তিনি ত তোমার যোগ্যা দাসী! | তাহার সমর্পিত জনকে কেন অঙ্গীকার করিবেন না?

I may be unqualified, but he who has offered me to Your lotus-feet for Your maid service is Your qualified maidservant. Why will You not accept someone who is offered to him?

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī  p.97

After Rūpa Mañjarī arranged the meeting of Yugala in the cave, she stayed outside singing a very romantic song to increase Their love. She is just outside the kuñja. Tulasī Mañjarī also does this. By watching Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī from outside the kuñja, she can understand exactly what She needs.

 

Ānanda Gopāla Goswāmī Vilāpa-kusumānjali 35

কুঞ্জের বাহিরের দ্বারে পীঠ দিয়া কিঙ্করী গান করিতেছেন আনন্দমূর্চ্ছ নাগর শুনিয়া উদ্বুদ্ধ! । তুলসীর গানে নাগরের মূর্চ্ছা ভেঙ্গে গেল । বিলাস আরম্ভ হল । 

The maidservant sits with her back to the gate outside of the kunja and sings a song, thus causing Nāgara to awaken from His ecstatic swoon and the love-play to resume.

 

Prema-gopāla Goswāmī  p.98

Tulasī Mañjarī can be boldly talkative with Kṛṣṇa, “Just see, You only know how to control the cows and play the flute. But Kṛṣṇa, decorating Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, painting Her lotus feet, is not the same as controlling the cows and playing the flute.

 

Ānanda Gopāla Goswāmī Vilāpa-kusumānjali 16

শ্যামের পরাজয় হইয়াছে দেখিয়া বলিতেছেন - "ওহে! পাশা খেলিতে এস না! গরু চরাণোই ভাল, গরু চরাইলে গরুর মতোই বুদ্ধি হয়!" | 

Seeing that Śyāma is defeated the maidservant says: “O hey! Don’t come here to play dice! Better You go out to herd the cows, cowherding gives you the brain of a cow!”

 

End note - The publisher has unfortunately little knowledge of Sanskrit or Bengali. The spelling of some words is terrible - rasika jāna, tadīyāta bhakta, prema bikari, akila