On the western side of Sri Radha-kunda is Jhulana-tala.
Once, Sri Sanatana Gosvami and Sri Rupa Gosvami were sitting near Sri Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s bhajana-kuti on the north-eastern side of Radha-kunda, immersed in narrations about Sri Krishna.
Sri Sanatana Gosvami asked Sri Rupa Gosvami, “Rupa, what are you writing these days?”
Sri Rupa showed Sanatana Catu-pushpanjali, a stotra7 that he had composed. The first verse reads:
nava-gorocana-gaurim
praverendivaram baram
mani-stavaka-vidyoti
veni-vyalangana-phanam
“O Vrindavanesvari, I offer prayers to You again and again. You are golden-complexioned, like ever-fresh gorocana. Your cloth is the colour of a beautiful blue lotus flower and the upper part of Your long braid, which is decorated with jewels, appears like the hood of a black female serpent.”
When Sri Sanatana Gosvami read this, he said,
“Rupa, with the phrase veni-vyalangana-phanam you compare the wavy, black braided hair of Srimati Radhika to a poisonous black female serpent. She who possesses all qualities, Srimati Radhika, is extremely charming, tender and sweet and is the beloved of Sri Krishna. I do not like this comparison.”
Sri Rupa Gosvami smiled and humbly requested Sri Sanatana Gosvami to suggest a better description, but Sanatana Gosvami could not think of one at that moment.
“I will correct it later,” he said and went on his way, contemplating the matter.
When he reached this place to the west of the kunda, he saw a young cowherd girl swinging on a beautiful swing that was hanging from the branches of a kadamba tree. Her friends were pushing Her to and fro, singing a mallara-raga.
Suddenly, Sri Sanatana Gosvami saw a black female serpent with an expanded hood slithering on the swaying black tresses of that young girl.
Thinking to save Her from the serpent, he ran towards Her, shouting,
“Lali, lali, beware! There is a black serpent in Your hair!”
When he came nearer, however, everything disappeared. There was no kisori, no sakhis and no swing. He wept with happiness and returned to Rupa Gosvami saying,
“Rupa, your simile is perfect. Srimati Kisori kindly granted me darsana of Her waving braid. There is no need for you to make any correction.”
It is at this Jhulana-tala that Sri Sanatana Gosvami had darsana of Sri Radha.
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