Radha’s Daily Bath
Mahanidhi Swami
To bathe, dress and decorate their Swamini Sri Radha in preparation for Her daily meeting with Her Pranakantha Syama, the sakhis and manjaris perform following services mentioned in Govinda-lilamrta:
- Sit Radha on bathing asana with inlaid gems.
- Remove ornaments, jewelry and dress.
- Offer thin white bathing dress.
- Brush teeth
- Clean tongue
- Mouthwash
- Body massage (oil & pastes)
- Hair oiling
- Towel dry body
- Towel dry hair
- Offer dressing asana
- Offer covering garments
- Dry hair with aguru smoke
- Comb hair
- Braiding hair
- Fixing hair decorations
- Petticoat tie on
- Blue dress (lehenga)
- Waistbells (kinkini)
- Anoint body with powders
- Tilaka on forehead (kama-yantra)
- Paint creeper designs (forehead to cheeks)
- Hair part sindur
- Paint breasts (with Cupid’s insignias)
- Bodice
- Earrings
- Chin dot
- Nosepearl
- Eye mascara (kajala)
- Neck choker
- Necklaces and locket
- Armlet (nava ratna)
- Bangles
- Hand ornament (engraved with “Radha”.
- Ankle bells
- Toe rings
- Toy lotus (lila-kamala)
- Mirror (full length)
Japa Walk Through While chanting japa, close your eyes and think you are in Varshana in your spiritual body as Srimati Radharani’s personal maidservant. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare…
It’s 6:30 a.m. and you have already collected all the items above. Now you are eagerly waiting for Srimati to rise from bed and enter Her bathing room. Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare…
Sri Radha nitya seva ki jai! Manjari svarupa bhajana ki jai!
Jaya Jaya Sri Radhe!
Radhe Radhe,
Thank you for such a wonderful post! Very helpful for meditating on the Radha’s bathing pastime.
I was just wondering that in this list is missing bathing itself, for me it seems that after oiling should be bathing (number 9 in the list). Or have I misunderstood something?
Radhe Shyam