Manjari Meditations 04: “Vrindavan Mahimamrta”

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

These amazingly sweet and charming nectar-filled verses will carry you into the realm of Srimati Radharani’s eternal seva. The original Sanskrit verses of Vrindavan Mahimamrita by Sri Prabodhananda Sarasvati are all incomparably beautiful and worthy of remembrance.

However, since most people cannot memorize Sanskrit verses, we have presented mostly just the English translations. These verses paint wonderful lila pictures for meditation on Radha Krishna’s Vraja lilas. And most importantly, they will help a sadhaka to adopt the feelings and sentiments, gopi-bhava, of a dasi of Sri Radha. The verses have titles to facilitate their remembrance.

Sataka 14.57 Manjaris’ Guru

Radhika personally teaches her dasi manjaris, radhika -dasih -shikshayate.

Sataka 14.70 Manjari Begs Radha Krishna 

A manjari holds the lotus feet of Radha Madhava and begs, “O Swami and Swamini Radha! Please come to my dear sakhi’s supremely charming kunja.” Radha Madhava then happily go there and lavishly praise that dasi. Just meditate on this.

Sataka 15.2 Manjari Makes a Garden

With her own hands the manjari prepares an astonishing flower garden in the forest of Vrindavan. Within it she builds a charming mandap and decorates it with varieties of fragrant flowers. She sprinkles lots of soft lotus petals on the path leading to that mandap. Radha Govinda Yugal then come there and enjoy many loving pastimes.

Sataka 15.44 Sakhis Teach Manjaris

The main gopis like Lalita and Vishakha personally teach their own extraordinary arts and skills to the newly arrived young gopis, sadhana siddhas, nava -prakata-ballavih -samupashikshya -mukhyalibhir, nijam -nijam -ananyagadbhutatamam -kala-kaushalam.

Radha Govinda merge in happiness whenever They call out the names of these wonderful new manjaris and accept their seva.

Sataka 15.73-75 The Topmost Secret Mantra

I will tell you a mantra hidden from the Vedas, and not found anywhere even in the most confidential scriptures. This infinitely glorious mantra is the sweetest nectar, the zenith of all auspiciousness, and the ultimate goal of all attainments.

It is the supreme madness of all forms of maddening bliss. It is the secret of all secrets. Without thinking of anything else, day and night chant this mantra: RADHA!

Sataka 15.83 Extreme Intimacy of Manjaris

All glories to Radha, who on the pathway just outside the nikunja confides to her manjari saying, “O auspicious well behaved dasi, anuchari -shubha -shile! I have a problem, so please tell me what should I do?

“During our never-ending love battles my lover always becomes totally exhausted, nitya -klanta -sa -kanta, even though Lalita, Vishakha and other sakhis try to encourage Shyam.”

Sataka 16.15 Fanning Radha Krishna 

I blissfully worship Radha Krishna as They sit facing each other on a beautiful cushion at the door of a vine cottage. Within Their hearts They are relishing a recent lover’s quarrel as They happily throw dice, and I gently fan Them with a camara fan.

Sataka 16.62 Reading Radha’s Hints

Remember Radha’s manjaris as they expertly serve Ishvari Radha according to Radha’s every splendid hint, motion or tasteful gesture.

Sataka 17.2 All Senses Connected with Vrindavan

May my feet walk in the forest of Vrindavan; may eyes see the beauty of Vrindavan; may my tongue sing the glories of Vrindavan and may my ears hear them. May my nose smell the sweet fragrance of Vrindavan. May my body, its hair erect in ecstasy, roll on the ground of Krishna’s lila sthalis.

Sataka 17.83 Proper Vision of Vrajavasis

If one lives in Vrindavan committing the offense of thinking that the Vrajvasis do not have eternal spiritual forms of condensed bliss and knowledge, one will not attain Goloka Vrindavan.

Sataka 17.84 Becoming Genuine Servant of Radha

When one understands that the moving and non-moving residents of Vrindavan have forms of eternal spiritual nectar, one will attain the form of a beloved servant of Radha, radha-priya-sevi-rupah.

Manjari meditations ki jai! Sridham Vrindavan ki jai! Jai Jai Sri Radhe!