“All glories to Sri Govinda Lilamrita, the immortal nectar pastimes of Sri Govinda, that defeats the nectar of the demigods, or the desire for liberation, bestows a wonderful sacred thirst whenever it is drunk through words or with the mind, curing the disease of material life and deluding one with loving intoxication, nourishing the heart and the body and giving a high taste to those who always relish this nectar.”[1]

 

Niśānta-līḷā (3:36 a.m. — 4:24 a.m.)

The sakhīs’ morning services.

Nidrā-devī, seeing that the night was over, awakened Rādhā’s sakhīs, who got up just in time to do their personal services.

The sakhīs opened their sleepy eyes and glanced anxiously in all directions. They feared that maybe they had overslept and missed the time for their duties. When they saw that the two joyful lovers were still resting, however, the sakhīs sat quietly on their beds collecting their thoughts.

One sakhī yawned and teased Her friends,

“O sakhīs! How have you awakened, being so exhausted from your intense pastimes with Krishna?”

The sakhīs then relished the sight of Krishna’s nail marks on their lotus-bud breasts with their bee-like eyes, rolling about from staying up all night.

At dawn, the mañjarīs engaged in their daily duties of making garlands and tāmbūla. They enjoyed smelling the sweet bodily fragrances of Rādhā-Mādhava lying firmly bound by Cupid’s arrows.

One mañjarī approached the sakhīs and spoke excitedly,

“O sakhīs! Put your lotus faces to the lattice windows and glance within the pleasure grove. Just see how deep sleep pleasantly caresses the two lovers, so skillful in the dance of Eros.”

Inside the grove they beheld Rādhā-Mādhava entwined in a deep embrace as They slept. The blue and yellow radiance of Their unadorned bodies caused the jeweled lamps in the cottage to appear like buds of blue lotus and campaka[2].

One mañjarī said,

“O sakhīs, look! A stationary lightning bolt surrounds a black cloud to shower us with mādhurya-rasa. Servants become happy after satisfying their masters. Today however, the servants have been rewarded even without doing service!”

Elsewhere some mañjarīs prepared garlands, cosmetics and betel nuts. Others put pieces of aguru wood in the incense burners. A gentle spring breeze suddenly appeared to delight the Lord and Lady of the kuñja.

The wind blew softly because it was drowsy having just arisen from sleep. The Malayan breeze, kissing the freshly blooming creepers, spread their sweet scents throughout the forest.

The bumblebees sleeping in the flowers awoke upon smelling the attractive aromas.

Vṛndā-devī, aroused by the buzzing of the bees, realized it was daybreak and glanced anxiously in all directions. She sent her birds to awaken Rādhā-Mādhava[3].

[1] From the Govinda-līlāmṛta 1.5

[2] Krishna-bhāvanāmṛtam 1.1-9

[3] Krishna-bhāvanāmṛtam 1.15-19

 

This is a section of the book “Vrindavana Lila”.

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