Manjari Meditations 07: “Radha Rasa Sudha Nidhi”

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 Radha Rasa Sudha Nidhi 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 Vrajalilas. 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.

Verse 191 Manjari Protects Radhika
O Radhe! When will I follow You down the road and fully enchant You and Your rasika lover by pushing Krishna away from You while saying, “O most shameless boy! Don’t come anywhere near my dear friend, who becomes enchanted like a little girl whenever You simply touch the borders of Her breasts!”

Verse 208 Manjari Protects Radhika
O Radhike! When will I hide the signs of Your amorous union with Krishna from Your cruel superiors by saying, “My sakhi was picking flowers far away from here, and on the way back Radha’s breasts were scratched by the thorns, Her tilaka was washed off Her forehead from sweating, and Her lips were bruised by the cold wind!”

Verse 213 Sleeping Manjari
When will I somehow fall asleep at the end of Your flowerbed while I am softly massaging Your lotus-feet, padambhoja -samvahanani -shayyante -patita -prapta -tandra -bhaveyam?

Verse 219Manjari Helps Krishna
O Pranayini Radhe! When You are angry with Krishna, He falls at my feet, holding a straw between His teeth, and prays to me with many pitiful words. Krishna constantly follows me to ask me to arrange a meeting with You. O Radhe! I am tired of this, so now I submit Krishna’s plea to You.

Verse 224 Manjari’s Humor
O Vrshabhanu-nandini! When will I tell Your Priyatama, “O Gopendra-kumara! Don’t vainly make such proud jokes over here! With great difficulty You held one Govardhana Hill on Your hand. But as soon as You even see Sri Radha’s two golden mountains You become afraid, sri -radha -hema -shaila -yugale -drshte -bhayam!”

Verse 243 Radha Teaches Manjaris
When will my Ishvari Radha engage me in serving Her Praneshvara Sri Krishna in the solitary places of Vrindavan by teaching me how to string flower garlands, grind sandal paste, make wonderful sweet-balls, and sweep the kunja?

Verse 246 Krishna’s Bewilderment
May Sri Radha’s smile protect us when Radha smiles upon seeing Hari marveling at His own form reflected in Radha’s shining golden breasts. At that time, Krishna says, “O Radha! I see two beautiful boys in Your breasts! Their luster steals the glories of hosts of blue lotus-flowers! I am completely enchanted by their forms. Please make Me Your girlfriend, so that we two girls can tightly embrace these two boys!”

Verse 247 Radha’s Bewilderment
O Radhike! When at the very beginning of Your love festival will I hear You sarcastically tell Shyam, “O Nitigya! (knower of morality) Stay away from Me!”
Then I will watch You push away Krishna’s hand before You storm out of the kunja to go angrily lament with tear-filled eyes to Your sakhi’s that You just saw Krishna with another sakhi. Although it was actually Your own sweet form seen in Krishna’s Kaustubha gem.

Verse 259 Radha: Aim of Sadhana
I always meditate on Krishna wearing a crown of peacock-feathers. I always sing Krishna’s name in sankirtana. I always serve Krishna’s murti, and repeat His best of mantras, Gopala-mantra. During all these activities, however I am holding in my heart the desire to attain the supremely cherished service of Sri Radha’s lotus-feet.

Verse 267 Manjari Darshan
When will I, in a body maddened by ecstatic love, live in Vrindavan, that purifying, effulgent, and most amazing rasika abode that witnesses Sri Radha’s artful loving pastimes? And when will I clearly see my divine spiritual form, eyes, ears and so on that is just suitable for serving Radha Krishna in the effulgent kunjas?
Manjari meditations ki jai! Jai Jai Sri Radhe!