ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram
patitam mam visame bhavambudhau
krpaya tava pada-pankaja-
sthita-dhuli-sadrsam vicintaya (1)
Oh, my Lord, O Krsna, son of Maharaja Nanda,
I am Your eternal servant, but because of my own
fruitive acts, I have fallen in this horrible
ocean of nescience. Now please be causelessly merciful to
me. Consider me a particle of dust at Your
lotus feet.
I am Your eternal servant, but I forgot Your
Lordship. Now I have fallen in the ocean of nescience and
have been conditioned by the external energy.
Be causelessly merciful to me by giving me a place with
the particles of dust at Your lotus feet so
that I may engage in the service of Your Lordship as Your
eternal servant.
The stage of bhava is gradually attained by
the mercy of Krsna and regular chanting of the holy names
without offenses. In the Srimad Bhagavatam
(1.2.17-19) it is said:
srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrt satam
nasta-prayesv abhadresu
nityam bhagavata-sevaya
bhagavaty uttama-sloke
bhaktir bhavati naisthiki
tada rajas-tamo-bhavah
kama-lobhadayas ca ye
ceta etair anaviddham
sthitam sattve prasidati (2)
Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, who
is the Paramatma (Supersoul) in everyone's heart and the
benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses
desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee
who has developed the urge to hear His messages,
which are in themselves virtuous when properly
heard and chanted.
By regular attendance in classes on the Bhagavatam
and by rendering service to the pure devotee, all
that is troublesome to the heart is almost
completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality
of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental
songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.
As soon as irrevocable loving service is established
in the heart, the effects of nature's modes of
passion and ignorance, such as lust, desire,
and hankering, disappear from the heart. Then the
devotee is established in goodness, and he
becomes completely happy.
Such a devotee prays for Krsna's mercy as
stated in the Srimad Bhagavatam (10.14.8):
tat te 'nukampam su-samiksamano
bhu?jana evatma-krtam vipakam
hrd-vag vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jiveta yo mukti-pade sa daya-bhak (3)
My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You
to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while
patiently suffering the reactions of his past
misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his
heart, words, and body, is surely eligible
for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim.
One who is situated in this condition attains
supreme spiritual peace, as confirmed in the Srimad
Bhagavatam (11.2.43):
ity acyutanghrim bhajato 'nuvrttya
bhaktir viraktir bhagavat-prabodhah
bhavanti vai bhagavatasya rajams
tatah param santim upaiti saksat (4)
My dear King, the devotee who worships the
lotus feet of the infallible Personality of Godhead with
constant endeavor thus achieves unflinching
devotion, detachment, and experienced knowledge of the
Personality of Godhead. In this way the successful
devotee of the Lord achieves supreme spiritual
peace in the form of prema.
The nine types of bhakti are listed in the
Srimad Bhagavatam (7.5.23/24):
sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
iti pumsarpita visnau
bhaktis cen nava-laksana
kriyeta bhagavaty addha
tan manye 'dhitam uttamam (5)
Prahlada Maharaja said: Hearing and chanting
about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities,
paraphernalia, and pastimes of Lord Visnu,
remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord,
offering the Lord respectful worship with
sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord,
becoming His servant, considering the Lord
one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in
other words, serving Him with the body, mind
and words) these nine processes are accepted as pure
devotional service. One who has dedicated
his life to the service of Krsna through these nine methods
should be understood to be the most learned
person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.
As the stage of bhava arises, attachment for
service is spontaneous. The following prayer of Vrtrasura
is given in Srimad Bhagavatam (6.11.24):
aham hare tava padaika-mula-
dasanudaso bhavitasmi bhuyah
manah smaretasu-pater gunams te
grnita vak karma karotu kayah (6)
O my Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead,
will I again be able to serve Your eternal servants,
who find shelter only at Your lotus feet?
O Lord of my life, may I again become their servant so that my
mind may always think of Your transcendental
attributes, my words always glorify those attributes, and
my body always engage in the loving service
of Your Lordship.
The living entity is the enjoyed and Krsna
is the enjoyer. Therefore by regularly discharging devotional
service, the hope for achieving the service
of the ever-blissful Sri Radha gradually increases. At that
time one's feelings for serving in the mood
of the gopis manifests. The mood of the gopis is described
in the Srimad Bhagavatam (10.29.38):
tan nah prasida vrjinardana te 'nghri-mulam
prapta visrjya vasatis tvad-upasanasah
tvat-sundara-smita-niriksana-tivra-kama-
taptatmanam purusa-bhusana dehi dasyam (7)
Therefore, O vanquisher of all distress, please
show us mercy. To approach Your lotus feet we
abandoned our families and homes, and we have
no desire other than to serve You. Our hearts are
burning with intense desires generated by
Your beautiful smiling glances. O jewel among men, please
make us Your maidservants.
The Srimad Bhagavatam (10.29.39) tells how
to take shelter of the perfect mood of the gopis:
viksyalakavrta-mukham tava kundala-sri-
ganda-sthaladhara-sudham hasitavalokam
dattabhayam ca bhuja-danda-yugam vilokya
vaksah sriyaika-ramanam ca bhavama dasyah
(8)
Seeing Your face encircled by curling locks
of hair, Your cheeks beautified by earrings, Your lips full of
nectar, Your smiling glance, Your two imposing
arms, which take away our fear, and Your chest, which
is the only source of pleasure for the goddess
of fortune, we must become Your maidservants.
The superiority of parakiya-bhava in this
stage is described in the Srimad Bhagavatam (10.29.33):
kurvanti hi tvayi ratim kusalah sva atman
nitya-priye pati-sutadibhir arti-daih kim
tan nah prasida paramesvara ma sma chindya
asam dhrtam tvayi cirad aravinda-netra (9)
Expert transcendentalists always direct their
affection toward You because they recognize You as their
true Self and eternal beloved. What use do
we have for these husbands, children, and relatives of ours,
who simply give us trouble? Therefore, O supreme
controller, grant us Your mercy. O lotus-eyed one,
please do not cut down our long-cherished
hope to have Your association.
The necessity for taking shelter of the lotus
feet of Srimati Radharani is described in the Sri
Sva-sankalpa-prakasa-stotra of the Stavavali
in these words:
anaradhya radha-padambhoja renum
anasritya vrndatavim tat padankam
asambhasya-tad bhava-gambhira cittan
kutah syama-sindho rasasyavagahah (10)
How is it possible to immerse oneself in the
ocean of Syama rasa (love for Krsna or the madhurya
rasa) without worshiping the dust of the lotus
feet of Srimati Radharani, or without taking shelter of
Vrndavana, which is decorated with Her footprints,
or without serving Her devotees, whose grave
hearts are always absorbed in love for Her?
The pride of Radha's maidservant is described
in the following words:
abhimanam parityajya prakrtavapur-adisu
sri krsna-krpaya gopi-dehe vraje vasamy aham
radhikanucari bhutva parakiya-rase sada
radha krsna vilasesu paricaryam karomy aham
(11)
After giving up the pride of falsely identifying
the material body with the self, by the mercy of Krsna, I
reside in Vraja as a gopi. As Radharani's
maidservant, I always take pleasure serving Radha and
Krsna in Their parakiya-rasa pastimes.
Giving up all other engagements for the service
of the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani is described in
the Radha-rasa-sudha-nidhi (33):
durad apasya svajanan sukham-artha-kotim
sarvesu sadhana-varesu ciram nirasah
varsantam eva sahajadbhuta-saukhya-dharam
sri radhika carana renum aham bhajami (12)
Abandoning attachment for family and friends,
material pleasures, wealth, and all other spiritual paths,
finding them distasteful, I take on my head
and worship the dust of the lotus feet of Sri Radhika, which
is a shower of wonderful, transcendental bliss.
A prayer to achieve the service of Radharani
within the ku?jas of Vrndavana is given in the
Radha-rasa-sudha-nidhi (198):
asasya dasyam vrsabhanu-jayas
tire samadhyasya ca bhanujayah
kada nu vrndavana ku?ja vithisv
aham nu radhe hy atithirbhaveyam (13)
O Radha, O Vrsabhanunandini, when, by Your
mercy, will I stay on the banks of the Yamuna and
wander on the paths within the groves of Vrndavana
as I engage in Your service as a maidservant?
In the Radha-rasa-sudha-nidhi (259) there
is the following prayer to be always engaged in seeking
Krsna by the performance of sankirtana in
the mood of Radha-dasya (as a maidservant):
dhyayantam sikhi-piccha-mauli-manisam tan nama-samkirtayan
nityam tac caranambujam paricaran tan-mantra-varyam
japan
sri radha padasyam eva paramabhistam hrda
dharayan
karhi syam tad anugrahena paramadbhutanuragotsavah
(14)
By always remembering Krsna, who wears a peacock
feather in His mukut, by performing sankirtana
and engaging in the service of His lotus feet,
by chanting the best of mantras, and by remembering the
most cherished service of the lotus feet of
Radha within my heart, when will I relish the most amazing
festival of attachment to Radha?
A prayer for attaining the service of Srimati
Radharani birth after birth is given in the
Radha-rasa-sudha-nidhi (40):
tasya apara-rasa-sara-vilasa-murter
ananda-kanda-paramadbhuta-saukhya-laksmyah
brahmadi-durlabha-gater-vrsabhanu-jayah
kainkaryam eva mama janmani janmani syat (15)
May I attain the service of Vrsabhanunandini
birth after birth. She is the personification of the essence
of the transcendental mellows of divine sports.
With a form of the most wonderful transcendental bliss,
She is the supreme goddess of fortune. Her
lotus feet are difficult to attain even for the demigods
headed by Lord Brahma.
Searching Radhanatha (Krsna) while engaged
in the service of Srimati Radharani is described in the
Radha-rasa-sudha-nidhi (142):
radha nama sudha rasam rasayitum jihvas tu
me vihvala
padau tat padakanksita sucaratam vrnda-tavivithisu
tat karmaiva karah karotu hrdayam tasyah padam
dhyayatam
tad bhavotsavatah param bhavatu me tat prana
nathe ratih (16)
May my tongue be overwhelmed by relishing the
nectar of Radha's name, may my feet be engaged in
wandering the paths of Vrndavana which are
marked by Radha's footprints, may my hands be
engaged in the loving service of Radharani,
and may my mind be engaged in meditation on the lotus
feet of Radha. By attaining the festival of
ecstatic love for Radha, may I attain firm attachment for the
lotus feet of Her beloved, Sri Krsna.
In Vilapa-kusuma?jali (8) the lotus feet of
Sri Radha are described as the ultimate goal of life. :
devi duhkha kula-sagarodare
duyamana mati durgatam janam
tvat krpa pravala naukayadbhutam
prapaya svapada-panka-jalayam (17)
O Goddess, please rescue this unfortunate person
drowning in the ocean of unhappiness. Place me in
the strong boat of Your mercy and carry me
to the shore of Your lotus feet.
Exclusive affinity for achieving attachment
for the service of Sri Radha is described in
Vilapa-kusuma?jali (16):
padabjayos tava vina vara-dasyam eva
nanyat kadapi samaye kila devi yace
sakhyaya te mama namo 'stu namo 'stu nityam
dasyaya te mama raso 'stu raso 'stu satyam
(18)
O most beautifully resplendent Goddess! I shall
never ask You for anything other than the service of
Your lotus feet as a maidservant. Again and
again I offer my obeisances from a distance to the desire
of becoming Your sakhi (companion on an equal
level). Again and again I desire to relish the sweet
nectar of Your service as a maidservant.
A sincere solicitation in Radha-dasya is given
in the Gandharva-samprarthanastakam of the
Stava-mala:
ha devi kaku-bhara-gadgadayadya vaca
yace nipatya bhuvi danda-vadudbhatartih
asya prasadamabudhasya janasya krtva
gandharvike tava gane gananam vidhehi (19)
O Devi! In great distress I fall to the ground
offering You obeisances and prayers with a voice choked
with emotion. O Gandharvike! Please bestow
Your mercy on this pauper and count me amongst Your
own associates.
A prayer to achieve attachment for the service
of Srimati Radharani, who attracts the mind of Sri
Krsna, is given in the Radha-rasa-sudha-nidhi
(39):
venum karan nipatitam skhalitam sikhandam
bhrasta?ca pita-vasanam vraja-raja-sunoh
yasyah kataksa-sara-ghata-vimurcchitasya
tam radhikam paricarami kada rasena (20)
When will I delight in the service of Srimati
Radharani? Struck by the arrow of Her side-long glance
Krsna faints, His flute falls from His hands,
the peacock feathers on His head become loosened and
His yellow scarf slips from His neck.
An introduction to the characteristics of
one who has attained rati for Radha-dasya is given in the
Srimad Bhagavatam (11.6.46):
tvayopayuktah-srag-gandha
vaso 'lankara-carcitah
ucchista-bhojino dasas
tava mayam jayema hi (21)
Simply by decorating ourselves with the garlands,
fragrant oils, clothes and ornaments that You have
already enjoyed, and simply by eating the
remnants of Your meals, we, Your (maid) servants, will
indeed conquer Your illusory energy.
An introduction to aparahna-lila (afternoon
pastime) is given in the Govinda-lilamrta:
sri radham prapta-geham nija-ramana-krte klrpta
nanopaharam
susnatam ramya-vesam priya-mukha-kamalaloka-purna-pramodam
sri krsnam caivaparahne vrajam anucalitam
dhenu-vrindair vayasyai
sri radhaloka-trptam pitr-mukha-militam matr-mrstam
smarami (22)
I remember Srimati Radharani, who in the afternoon
returns to Her home and prepares many sweets
like amrtakeli and karpurakeli for Her beloved
Sri Krsna. After taking Her ablution and dressing in
beautiful clothes and ornaments, She is filled
with ecstasy seeing the lotus face of Her beloved Sri
Krsna when He returns from the forest to the
cowshed.
I also remember Sri Krsna, who is returning
home in the afternoon to Nanda-grama along with His
cows and cowherd boy friends. As they arrive
on the path, He feels satisfied glancing at Srimati
Radharani. After meeting with Nanda and other
elderly people, He is then bathed and dressed by
Mother Yasoda.
O mind! Remember this pastime in ecstasy.
Thus ends the Panchama-yama Sadhana of the Sri Bhajana-rahasya.