These days I was meditating quite a lot on how fortunate we are to be able to practice manjari bhava sadhana.
Manjari bhava sadhana means everything is about our beloved Svamini Radhika [and to assist Her in pleasing Krishna].
Manjari bhava sadhana means to always identify our own selves as kinkaris (maidservants) of Srimati Radhika.
How extraordinary and how most wonderful it is to know that at one point in time, we will be eternally together with Radhika in our manjari svarupa.
I was thinking quite a lot about what it means to BE one day a manjari eternally after having realized our manjari svarupa.
I realized that this is only possible because of Srimati Radhika.
It is only possible because She ALLOWS us to one day be Her shadow and to never be apart from Her for even a moment…by giving us our manjari svarupa which Sri Gurudeva reveals to us.
How utterly merciful and how most compassionate Svamini is towards us little jivatmas.
How utterly wonderful it is that She gave us the unique opportunity to become Her manjari.
It is just time that separates us from eternally being with Her.
Manjari bhava sadhana means everything is about bhava, spiritual emotions.
Our manjari svarupa, our siddha deha, is a spiritual body consisting solely of bhava.
It is now our goal of life to develop this bhava to one day BE a manjari of Radhika by practicing this love in all our actions.
All manjaris are expansions of Svamini Radhika. They are all personifications of a certain bhava of Radhika.
akara svabhava-bhede vraja-devi-gana
kaya-vyuha-rupa tanra rasera karana
( Caitanya Caritamrita 1.1.79)
“The multitude of Vraja-gopis have various natures (svabhava). They are the forms of Her bodily expansions (kaya-vyuha-rupa) and Her instruments for creating rasa.”
Srimati Radhika is like the flower and the manjaris are like the buds of that most wonderful flower.
My Gurudeva writes:
“They are mañjarīs in name, mañjarīs in form and mañjarīs in nature! Śrī Rūpa is the bud of Śrī Rādhā’s form (rūpa mañjarī), Śrī Rati Mañjarī is the bud of Śrīmatī love (rati), Śrī Vilāsa Mañjarī is the bud of Śrī Rādhā’s love-play (vilāsa).”
Srimati Radhika is an ocean of all bhavas and each manjari is like a unique bhava of Her personified.
It is out of endless love and compassion that Radhika gives us our manjari svarupa which is also one of Her kaya-vyuha-rupas. It is Radhika´s desire that we, the jivas, assist Her and serve Her to please Sri Krishna.
Since the manjari svarupa is actually an expansion of Svamini Radhika, the devotee who practices manjari bhava and who identifies him/herself with the manjari svarupa feels like being completely connected to Radhika.
In fact, the manjaris are so close to Svamini and Svamini loves them so much that they feel exactly the same emotions Radhika feels.
My Gurudeva writes:
“Their one-ness in feeling (bhāva-tādātmya) with Śrī Rādhā is so remarkable that they experience all of Her bodily relish in a special way.
spṛśati yadi mukundo rādhikāṁ tat sakhīnāṁ
bhavati vapuṣi kampa sveda romañca vāṣpam
adhara madhu mudāsyās cet pibaty esa yatnād
bhavati bata tad āsāṁ mattatā citram etat
“How amazing! When Mukunda touches Rādhikā, Her girlfriends cry of ecstasy and their bodies tremble, perspire, and are studded with goose pimples, and when Kṛṣṇa blissfully drinks the honey of Rādhikā’s lips (by kissing Her), then they all become mad!” (Govinda Līlāmrta 11.137)
The object of the manjaris’ affection is the Holy Couple of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna together. Therefore, the perfection of the manjaris’ power of sight and the thirst of their eyes is to see that couple locked in embrace.The craving of their ears is to hear the Holy Couple’s sweet murmuring conversations and that is the fulfillment of their sense of hearing. The desire of their tongues is to relish the flavour of the condiments touched by the Holy Couple’s lips, and in that way their sense of taste attains perfection. Similarly, the sweet fragrance that arises at the Holy Couple’s union is the object craved for by their nostrils and its experience is the fulfillment of their sense of smell. The tactile sense finds plenitude in massaging the Holy Couple’s feet and bodies, and this is the only object of their sense of touch.
[Sripad Kunja Bihari das Babaji]
Only by Svamini´s mercy can we become Her manjari and attain svarupa siddhi.
How can we receive this incredible mercy?
Srimati Radhika decided to distribute this mercy through Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Sriman Mahaprabhu gave the people of Kali Yuga something which was never given before:
Radha dasyam, culminating in manjari bhava.
We are very fortunate to be in the shelter of Sri Gurudeva who himself is a manjari of Radhika and who can therefore nicely bless us with his kripa.
With the kripa of Sri Gurudeva and under his guidance, we practice manjari bhava sadhana and one day, he himself as our Guru Manjari will take us by our hands and bring us to the nikunjas of Vraja where we will forever remain as the shadow of Radhika and serve Her day and night.
Such is the compassion of our Svamini. How wonderful and astonishing.
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