Srimati Radharani and Her friends
Among the gopis of Vraja, Vrindavanesvari Radha is the foremost. Lalita, Visakha and others are renowned as Sri Radha’s principal sakhis.
Candravali, Padma, Syama, Saibya, Bhadrika, Tara, Vicitra, Gopali, Palika, Candrasalika, Mangala, Vimala, Lila, Taralakshi, Manorama, Kandarpa Manjari, Manjubhashini, Khanjanekshana, Kumuda, Kairavi, Sari, Saradakshi, Visarada, Sankari, Kunkuma, Krishna, Sarangi, Indravali, Siva, Taravali, Gunavati, Sumukhi, Keli Manjari, Haravali, Cakorakshi, Bharati, Kamala and other gopis are Krishna’s beloveds.
These beautiful gopis have hundreds of groups (yuthas).
The number of the prominent gopis divided into these groups is also vast.
Out of all the gopis in these groups, Radha, Candravali, Bhadra, Syamala, Palika and others are Sri Krishna’s pre-eminent beloveds due to their incomparably good qualities.
Again among these gopis, Radharani and Candravali are the two most prominent. Both of them have vast numbers of deer-eyed Vraja-damsels in their respective yuthas.
Of these two, Srimati Radharani is well known as the most prominent beloved of Sri Krishna. She is the pinnacle of all sweet transcendental qualities. The Srutis call Her Gandharva.
Sri Krishna, whom no one can equal nor excel in sweetness (madhurya), is Radharani’s beloved. Krishna is so much dearer to Her than Her own life, that it can be compared to the amount one gets when multiplying the number pararddha with itself.
Now Radharani’s exquisite beauty will be glorified in detail.
She is most skilful in arts of various kinds, and She is the personification of an ocean of nectar.
Radha’s supremely radiant fair complexion resembles fresh gorocana, molten gold or stationary lightning.
Radharani is attired in beautiful blue clothes. She is decorated by various kinds of pearls and flowers.
Srimati Radharani’s body is full of fairness (lavanya ) and decorated with pearl necklaces. Her hair is long and Her wonderful braid is decorated by beautifully strung flower garlands.
Radha’s enchanting forehead is radiantly decorated by a dot of vermillion. The beautiful locks of hair swaying on Her cheeks together with Her astonishing mark of tilaka cross the pinnacle of all beauty.
Even Cupid, who has two very charming arms, is bewildered by Sri Radha’s lovely arms, which are beautified by bracelets made of blue jewels.
Radharani’s wide lotus eyes, which extend to Her ears, are beautified with the radiant glow of collyrium. It appears as if the unique beauty of Her lotus eyes has conquered all the beauty in the three worlds.
Srimati Radharani’s nose is attractive like a sesame flower and is decorated with a pearl. She, who is scented with various fragrances, is supremely beautiful.
Her jewelled earrings (tadanka) are made with various artistic styles.
Her lips are even more pleasing than nectar and their reddish colour defeats the beauty of the red lotus.
Srimati Radharani’s rows of teeth, which are beautified by Her graceful tongue, are radiant like lines of pearls. Her charming lotus face is like a mine of the beauty of millions of moons, and it is endowed with a loving smile as sweet as nectar.
Radha’s charming chin bewilders even Cupid. The dot of kajala on Her chin looks just like a black bee resting upon a golden lotus.
Her neck is decorated with pearl necklaces and marked with three lines which enhance the beauty of Her neck. Her back and the nape of Her neck are beautiful and charming, and the sides of Her body captivate the mind.
Srimati Radharani’s most attractive chest is beautified by Her golden breasts. It is covered by a blouse and decorated with a pearl necklace.
The jewelled armlets upon Radha’s beautiful, lovely and enchanting arms are beautified with small, swaying rings.
Her wrists are beautified by jewelled bracelets and bangles, as well as bracelets made of thirty-two pearl strings.
Her hands, which look like reddish lotuses, shimmer in the unprecedented radiance of Her moon-like nails.
The marks on Radharani’s palms
Radharani’s lotus hands are beautified by various kinds of auspicious marks such as bumblebee, lotus flower, crescent moon, earring, umbrella, victory column, conch shell, tree, flower, camara and svastika .
Her splendid fingers are decorated with jewelled rings.
Radharani’s abdomen is sweeter than sweetness itself and is beautified by a deep navel. Because it is full of nectar, it enchants everyone in the three worlds.
Radharani’s hips get slender from the middle towards Her attractive waist. Her waist has three auspicious, creeper-like folds above Her navel, and a laced belt, studded with small bells, beautifies Her waist.
Her attractive thighs, which resemble the trunks of banana trees, attract even the mind of Cupid. Her charming knees are a mine of various amorous sports.
Radharani’s beautifully arched lotus feet are decorated with jewel-studded ankle bells. The toes of Her divine feet are beautified by rings.
The marks on Sri Radha’s feet
Sri Radha’s lotus feet are marked by a conch shell, a moon, an elephant, a barley corn, a goad, a chariot, a flag, a damaru drum, a svastika, a fish and other auspicious marks.
She is in Her illustrious prime youth of fifteen years.
Srimati Yasoda-devi, the wife of the King of the cowherds, has more parental affection for Radharani than unlimited mothers could have.
Radharani’s father, Vrisabhanu Maharaja, is the bhanu (sun) situated in the sign of vrisha (Taurus); which means that he is as radiant as the sun in one of the summer months.
Her mother is Sri Kirtida-sundari. She is famous throughout the world as Ratnagarbha.
Radharani’s paternal grandfather is named Mahibhanu and her maternal grandfather is Indu. Her paternal grand- mother’s name is Sukhada and Her maternal grandmother is Mukhara.
Ratnabhanu, Subhanu and Bhanu are Sri Vrisabhanu Maharaja’s brothers and thus Her paternal uncles.
Bhadrakirtti, Mahakirtti and Kirtticandra are Radharani’s maternal uncles (matulah), and Menaka, Shashthi, Gauri, Dhatri and Dhataki are Her maternal aunts (matula).
Radha’s mother’s sister is Kirttimati and her husband is Kusa. Her father’s sister is Bhanumudra and her husband is Kasa.
Radharani’s elder brother is Sridama and Her younger sister is Ananga Manjari.
Radharani’s father-in-law is Vrika Gopa and Her husband’s younger brother is Durmada. Her mother-in-law is Jatila, and Abhimanyu has the false conception of being Her husband. Her sister-in-law Kutila is always looking for faults.
The eight parama-preshtha-sakhis Lalita, Visakha, Citra, Campakalata, Rangadevi, Sudevi, Tungavidya and Indulekha are the most prominent among Sri Radha’s sakhis.
Kurangakshi, Mandali, Manikundala, Malati, Candralatika, Madhavi, Madanalasa, Manjumedha, Sasikala, Sumadhya, Madhurekshana, Kamala, Kamalatika, Gunacuda, Varangada, Madhuri, Candrika, Prema Manjari, Tanumadhyama, Kandarpa-sundari, Manjukesi and others are Radharani’s innumerable priya-sakhis.
Prana-sakhis, or jivita-sakhis
Lasika, Kelikandali, Kadambari, Sasimukhi, Candrarekha, Priyamvada, Madonmada, Madhumati, Vasanti, Kalabhashini, Ratnavali, Manimati, Karpuralatika and others are Sri Radha’s jivita-sakhis.
Nitya-sakhis
Kasturi, Manojna, Mani Manjari, Sindura, Candanavati, Kaumudi, Madira and others are Radharani’s nitya-sakhis.
Srimati Radhika’s manjaris
Rupa Manjari, Raga Manjari, Rati Manjari, Lavanga Manjari, Guna Manjari, Rasa Manjari, Vilasa Manjari, Prema Manjari, Mani Manjari, Suvarna Manjari, Kama Manjari, Ratna Manjari, Kasturi Manjari, Gandha Manjari, Netra Manjari, Sri Padma Manjari, Lila Manjari, Hema Manjari and others are Radharani’s manjaris.
Prema Manjari and Rati Manjari are both also known by the name Bhanumati.
Srimati Radharani’s objects of worship
The Sun-god, who gives light to the eyes of the inhabitants of the world and who is the friend of the lotus, is Radharani’s worshipful deity.
The great mantra chanted by Her is the name of Sri Krishna, which fulfils Her cherished desire.
Paurnamasi increases Her good fortune.
Special description of different services of some sakhis
The eight sakhis beginning with Lalita, the manjaris and all the members of their groups (ganas) share almost identical forms (sarupya) with Sri Radha; they are endowed with a beauty that resembles Vrindavanesvari’s beauty.
Vrinda, Kundalata and other sakhis traverse the forests and gardens and assist in the pastimes taking place there. Dhanishtha, Gunamala and other sakhis live in the very palace of Goparaja Nanda Maharaja.
Kamada, the daughter of a wet nurse, has a special friendship with Sri Radha. Ragalekha, Kalakeli, Manjula and others are Radha’s maidservants.
Nandimukhi, Bindumati and other sakhis remove the jealous anger (mana) between Radha and Krishna and arrange Their meeting. Syamala, Mangala and other sakhis belong to the suhrit-paksha .
Candravali is the famous leader of Radharani’s rival group.
Rasollasa, Gunatunga, Smaroddhura, Kalakanthi, Sukanthi and Pikakanthi are experts in singing, playing musical instruments and other similar arts. They are therefore Radharani’s gandharva-sakhis . They especially please Krishna by singing songs composed by Visakha.
Maniki, Narmada, Premavati and Kusumapesala please Sri Krishna by playing on vamsi and other flutes, on vina and other string instruments, on dhola and other drum instruments, and on karatalas and other cymbal instruments.
Groups of Radharani’s sakhis
Sri Radha’s sakhis are divided into the famous groups of
sakhi,
nitya-sakhi,
prana-sakhi,
priya-sakhi
parama-preshtha-sakhi.
Srimati Radharani’s maidservants
Her maidservants Sugandha and Nalini are daughters of a barber, and Manjishtha and Rangaraga are a washerman’s daughters.
The maidservant who dresses and decorates Radharani is called Palindri and the one who decorates Her is Citrini. The two maidservants who keep Her informed about destined future events are Mantriki and Tantriki.
Katyayani and other female messengers are older than Radharani. The two maidservants Bhagyavati and Punjapunya are daughters of a sweeper.
Bhringi, Malli and Matalli are young Pulinda girls. Some of them are considered to be in Krishna’s party (krishna-paksha) and some in Radha’s (radha-paksha).
Gargi and other prominent brahmanis; Bhringarika and other maidservants; Subala, Ujjvala, Gandharva, Madhumangala, Raktaka and other servants; Vijaya and others; Rasala and others; Payoda and others; and the group of vitas and others are Radharani’s servants and maidservants.
The maidservants Tungi, Pisangi, Kalakandala, Manjula, Bindula, Sandha and Mridula always remain by Radha’s side and carry Her possessions.
Radharani’s cows are Sunada, Yamuna, Bahula and others. They have offspring every year and give birth only to male calves. Her dear female calf Tungi is quite strong and well nourished, and Her old female monkey’s name is Kakkhati. Her doe’s name is Rangini and Her female cakori bird is called Caru-candrika.
Her female swan is called Tundikeri. She sports in Radharani’s own pond called Radha-kunda.
Her peahen is called Tundika and Her two female parrots are named Sukshmadhi and Subha .
These two female parrots recite the charming songs that Lalita-devi composes about the pastimes of her Mistress and Master, Radha and Krishna. The parrots utter the wonderful poetry of the songs with exceedingly sweet voices and thus awaken an astonishing rasa in the minds of the sakhis.
Radharani’s ornaments
Her tilaka is named Smara-yantra, Her necklace is Hari-manohara and Her jewelled earrings (tadanka) are called Rocana. The pearl in Her nose is called Prabhakari.
The pendant on Her chest, Madana, conceals a picture of Krishna within it.
Another name of Her Syamantaka jewel is Sankhacuda-siromani.
A jewel called Saubhagyamani dangles on Radha’s chest. By its radiance, it puts to shame even the combined lustre of the sun and the moon as they rise together . The golden anklets on Her feet are called Catakarava because their jingling makes the sound ca-ta-ka.
Her armlets are beautified by various colourful jewels that are called Manikarbura.
Radharani’s signet ring is called Vipaksha-mada-mardini. Her waist belt is called Kancana-citrangi and Her ankle bells are named Ratna-gopura. Their jingling stuns even Sri Madhusudana.
Sri Radha wears two types of garments, whose names are Meghambara and Kuruvinda-nibha. The former kind is of Her favourite colour, blue like a cloud. The latter is red, Krishna’s favourite colour.
Her mirror, which has studded jewels on all sides, is called Sudhamsu-darpa-harana because it totally defeats (harana) even the pride (darpa) of the moon (sudhamsu) by its beauty.
Sri Radha’s golden hairpin is called Narmada, Her jewel-studded comb is named Svastida and Her garden, which is always beautified by flowers, is called Kandarpa-kuhali.
The vine of golden jasmines (svarna-yuthi) growing in Her garden is called Tadid-valli because it is as beautiful as lightning.
Her pond is known by Her own name, Radha-kunda. On the banks of Sri Radha-kunda, situated underneath a kadamba tree, is a throne where Radha and Krishna sit together and engage in many varieties of secret conversations.
The two ragas mallara and dhanasri attract Her mind.
Her favourite dance is chalikya, and Her favourite musical instrument is the vina called Rudra-vallaki.
The occasion of Sri Radha’s birth is the eight day (astami) of the waxing moon in the month of Bhadra. This astami is known throughout the world as Radhastami, and during this occasion Candra-deva sports together with his sixteen wives . Although on astami eigth aspects of the moon naturally shine, the Moon-god, by the Lord’s yogamaya potency, manifested sixteen aspects on the night of Sri Radhastami.
Although the Mistress and Master of Vrindavana, Radha and Krishna, have innumerable dear associates, they are here described only to give the reader an idea of their vast number.
Thus ends the second chapter of Sri Radha-Krishna-Ganoddesa-dipika
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