Onlyor All Her Wonderful Devotees
By His Grace Rajasekhara Dasa Brahmachari Acbsp (1973)
A Description of Radharani’s Exquisite Beauty.
These descriptions of Radha’s transcendental beauty have been adapted from verses found in the Radha-Krishna-gonaddesha-dipika by Shrila Rupa Goswami -
"She wears a radiant blue garment and Her splendid bodily luster appears like molten gold, stationary lightning, or the yellow pigment called gorocana.
Her face is as splendid and clear as millions of full-moons.
Her large lotus-like eyes are lined with black mascara and reach back almost to Her ears, their beauty is incomparable to anything within the three worlds.
Her amorous side-long glances can cause even the Lord of creation to tremble and swoon.
Her luxuriant black hair reaches down past Her waist and is beautifully braided and decorated with forest flowers, while wisps of curling locks adorn Her enchanting forehead, which bears the sign of great majesty and is anointed with red kunkum.
Her long bow-shaped brows are capable of firing deadly arrows of amorous desire towards Her beloved.
Her exquisitely shaped nose is as beautiful as a sesame flower and decorated with a radiant moon-like pearl.
Her nectar-like lips defeat the red lotus flowers in full bloom, while decorated with an enchanting smile of unfathomable love for Her beloved Lord.
Her teeth appear like perfect rows of shining white pearls. The beauty of Her delicately sculptured chin defeats even the god of love, leaving him in bewilderment - being decorated with a droplet of musk.
Her chin appears as if a baby bee is drinking nectar from a golden lotus flower.
Her delicately shaped ears which are perfectly attuned to hear the enchanting song of the transcendental flute are adorned with glittering earrings.
Marked with lines of divine beauty, Her slender neck smeared with exotic scent is decorated with a necklace of the finest pearls.
Covered with a shimmering bodice, Her perfectly raised breasts resemble water-pots filled with nectar.
Her slender waist enchants the heavens and Her naval is as deep as the ocean.
Her waist is beautified with three exquisite folds and adorned with a fine jeweled girdle of tinkling bells.
Her long slender arms, decorated with gem-encrusted armlets and jeweled bracelets, appear like golden creepers longing to embrace Her beloved Lord.
Her exquisitely shaped hands resemble two pink lotus flowers illuminated by a series of shining moons that are Her fingernails.
Her elegantly formed fingers bear many fabulous jeweled rings.
Beneath Her radiant blue dress, Her curvaceous hips and plantain-like thighs have completely defeated the god of love, who now lies unconscious on the ground.
Her knees are like golden balls perfectly balanced upon finely tapered legs.
Her ankles are adorned with golden ankle-bells that caress Her delicately formed lotus-feet and jingle melodiously as She moves.
Her exquisitely shaped toes are adorned with golden rings and Her divine lotus-feet, that are decorated with red javaka, are the only shelter of pure devotees.
Radharani’s lotus-like hands are marked with many auspicious signs including; a crescent-moon, lotus, parasol, stambha, conch-shell, earring, sacred-tree, flower, bumblebee, chamara, and a swastika.
Her lotus feet are marked with many auspicious signs including; a conch-shell, a moon, an elephant, elephant-goad, barley-corn, a flag, drum, fish, and swastika’.
(An excerpt from the book ‘Vraja Mandala Parikrama’ by Rajasekhara Dasa Brahmachari)
Radharani’s Eternal Tilak & Ornaments
“Shrimati Radharani’s tilak marking is named Smarayanta.
Her jeweled necklace is named Harimohana.
Her jewed earings are named Rocana.
The pearl decorating Her nose is named Prabhakari.
Her locket which contains the picture of Lord Krishna is named Madana.
Her Syamantaka jewel is also known as Sankhachuda-siromani (Sankhacuda’s crest-jewel).
NOTE: Radha’s Syamantaka jewel was taken from the demon Sakkhacuda after he was slain by Krishna, who presented it to Balarama. Later, Balarama opresented it to Radharani as a gift.
The tilak marking of Radharani is one of Her eternal ornaments. The name of the Tilak, Smarayantra, means ‘the ornament of remembrance.
Just as every Vaishnavas tilak reminds the wearer & others of Lord Krishna, so does the transcendental tilak of Radharani.
(An extract from Sri Sri Radha-Krishna Ganadesha-Dipika by Shrila Rupa Goswami 2.200-201)
Descriptions of Radharani & Her Love for Krishna
(From Chaitanya-charitamrta. Madhya 8.1.66 onwards)
“Srimati Radharani’s transcendental body is brilliant in luster and full of all transcendental fragrances. Lord Krishna’s affection for Her is like a perfumed massage.
“The love of the gopis for Krishna is full of transcendental ecstasy. It appears to be a brilliant jewel, and enlightened by such a transcendental jewel, Radharani’s body is further perfumed and decorated with kunkuma.
In the morning Her body is bathed in the nectar of compassion, in the afternoon in the nectar of youth, and in the evening in the nectar of luster itself.
In this way the bathing is performed, and Her body becomes as brilliant as the cintämaëi jewel.
She is dressed in various kinds of silken garments, one of which is Her natural shyness.
Her beauty is more and more enhanced, being decorated with the red kunkuma of beauty itself and the blackish musk of conjugal love. Thus Her body is decorated with different colors.
Her ornaments embody the natural symptoms of ecstasy—trembling, tears, jubilation, stunning, perspiration, faltering of the voice, bodily redness, madness and dullness.
In this way Her entire body is bedecked with these nine different jewels. Over and above this, the beauty of Her body is enhanced by Her transcendental qualities, which constitute the flower garland hanging on Her body.
The ecstasy of love for Krishna is known as dhirä and adhirä, sober and restless. Such ecstasy constitutes the covering of Srimati Radharani’s body, and it is adorned by camphor.
Her transcendental anger toward Krishna is embodied as the arrangement of the hair on Her head, and the tilaka of Her great fortune shines on Her beautiful forehead.
Srimati Radharani’s earrings are the holy names of Krishna, as well as the hearing of His name and fame.
Her lips are always reddish due to the betel nut of ecstatic affection for Krishna.
The black ointment around Her eyes is Her tricky behavior with Krishna brought about by love.
Her joking with Krishna and gentle smiling constitute the camphor with which She is perfumed.
She sleeps in Her room with the aroma of pride, and when She lies down in Her bed, the transcendental variety of Her loving ecstasies is like a jeweled locket in the midst of Her necklace of separation.
Her transcendental breasts are covered by Her sari in the form of affection and anger toward Krishna.
She has a stringed instrument known as a kacchapi-vinä, which is the fame and fortune that actually dries up the faces and breasts of the other gopis.
She always keeps Her hands on the shoulder of Her gopi friend, who represents Her youthful beauty, and although She is highly qualified with so many spiritual assets, She is nonetheless affected by the Cupid known as Krishna.
Thus She is defeated.
Shrila Raghunätha däsa Goswami offers his respectful obeisances to Srimati Radharani, taking a straw in his mouth. Indeed, he prays, ‘O Gändharvikä, Srimati Radharani, just as Lord Krishna never rejects a surrendered soul, please don’t reject me.’
This is a summary translation of the Premämbhoja-maranda, which Kaviräja Goswami quotes.
Srimati Radharani takes Her first bath in the shower of the nectar of compassion, and She takes Her second bath in the nectar of youth.
After Her midday bath, Radharani takes another bath in the nectar of bodily luster, and She puts on the garment of shyness, which is Her black silk sari.
Srimati Radharani’s affection for Krishna is Her upper garment, which is pinkish in color. She then covers Her breasts with another garment, composed of affection and anger toward Krishna.
Personal beauty is the reddish powder known as kunkuma, Her affection for Her associates is sandalwood pulp, and the sweetness of Her smile is camphor. All these, combined together, are smeared over Her body.
Conjugal love for Krishna is an abundance of musk, and with that musk Her whole body is decorated.
Craftiness and covered anger constitute the arrangement of Her hair. The quality of anger due to jealousy is the silk garment covering Her body.
Her attachment for Krishna is the reddish color of betel nuts on Her brilliant lips. Her double-dealings in loving affairs constitute the black ointment around Her eyes.
The ornaments decorating Her body are the blazing ecstasies of goodness and the constantly existing ecstasies, headed by jubilation. All these ecstasies are the ornaments all over Her body.
Also ornamenting Her body are the twenty kinds of ecstatic symptoms beginning with kila-kiïcita. Her transcendental qualities constitute the flower garland hanging in fullness over Her body.
The tilaka of good fortune is on Her beautiful broad forehead. Her various loving affairs are a gem, and Her heart is the locket.
Srimati Radharani’s gopé friends are Her mental activities, which are concentrated on the pastimes of Sri Krishna. She keeps Her hand on the shoulder of a friend, who represents youth.
Srimati Radharani’s bedstead is pride itself, and it is situated in the abode of Her bodily aroma. She is always seated there thinking of Krishna’s association.
Srimati Radharani’s earrings are the name, fame and qualities of Lord Krishna. The glories of Lord Krishna’s name, fame and qualities are always inundating Her speech.
Srimati Radharani induces Krishna to drink the honey of the conjugal relationship. She is therefore engaged in satisfying all the lusty desires of Krishna.
Srimati Radharani is a mine filled with valuable jewels of love for Krishna. Her transcendental body is complete with unparalleled spiritual qualities.
If one asks about the origin of love of Krishna, the answer is that the origin is in Srimati Radharani alone. Who is the most dear friend of Krishna?
The answer again is Srimati Radharani alone. No one else.
Srimati Radharani’s hair is very curly, Her two eyes are always moving to and fro, and Her breasts are firm.
Since all transcendental qualities are manifested in Srimati Radharani, She alone is able to fulfill all the desires of Krishna. No one else.
Even Satyabhämä, one of the queens of Sri Krishna, desires the fortunate position and excellent qualities of Srimati Radharani.
All the gopis learn the art of dressing from Srimati Radharani, and even the goddess of fortune, Lakshmi, and the wife of Lord Shiva, Pärvati, desire Her beauty and qualities.
Indeed, Arundhati, the celebrated chaste wife of Vasistha, also wants to imitate the chastity and religious principles of Srimati Radharani.
Even Lord Krishna Himself cannot reach the limit of the transcendental qualities of Srimati Radharani. How, then, can an insignificant living entity count them?
Lord Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu replied, “Now I have come to understand the truth of the loving affairs between Rädhä and Krishna. Nonetheless, I still want to hear how both of Them gloriously enjoy such love.”
Räya Rämänanda replied, “Lord Krishna is dhira-lalita, for He can always keep His girlfriends in a subjugated state. Thus His only business is enjoying sense gratification.
A person who is very cunning and always youthful, expert in joking and without anxiety, and who can keep his girlfriends always subjugated, is called dhira-lalita.
Day and night Lord Sri Krishna enjoys the company of Srimati Radharani in the bushes of Vrindävana. Thus His pre-youthful age is fulfilled through His affairs with Srimati Radharani.
Thus Lord Sri Krishna spoke of the sexual activities of the previous night. In this way He made Srimati Radharani close Her eyes out of shyness. Taking this opportunity, Sri Krishna painted various types of dolphins on Her breasts.
Thus He became a very expert artist for all the gopis. During such pastimes, the Lord enjoyed the fulfillment of His youth.
Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu said, “This is all right, but please continue.”
At that time Räya Rämänanda replied, “I don’t think my intelligence goes beyond this.”
Räya Rämänanda then informed Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu that there was another topic, known as prema-viläsa-vivarta.
“You may hear of this from me,” Rämänanda Räya said, “but I do not know whether You will be happy with it or not.”
Saying this, Rämänanda Räya began to sing a song he had composed, but Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu, out of the ecstasy of love of Godhead, immediately covered Rämänanda’s mouth with His own hand.
“‘Alas, before We met there was an initial attachment between Us brought about by an exchange of glances. In this way attachment evolved.
That attachment has gradually grown, and there is no limit to it. Now that attachment has become a natural sequence between Ourselves.
It is not that it is due to Krishna, the enjoyer, nor is it due to Me, for I am the enjoyed. It is not like that. This attachment was made possible by mutual meeting.
This mutual exchange of attraction is known as manobhava, or Cupid. Krishna’s mind and My mind have merged together.
Now, during this time of separation, it is very difficult to explain these loving affairs. My dear friend, though Krishna might have forgotten all these things, you can understand and bring this message to Him.
But during Our first meeting there was no messenger between Us, nor did I request anyone to see Him. Indeed, Cupid’s five arrows were Our via media. Now, during this separation, that attraction has increased to another ecstatic state.
My dear friend, please act as a messenger on My behalf, because if one is in love with a beautiful person, this is the consequence.’
“‘O my Lord, You live in the forest of Govardhana Hill, and, like the king of elephants, You are expert in the art of conjugal love.
O master of the universe, Your heart and Srimati Radharani’s heart are just like shellac and are now melted in Your spiritual perspiration. Therefore one can no longer distinguish between You and Srimati Radharani.
Now You have mixed Your newly invoked affection, which is like vermilion, with Your melted hearts, and for the benefit of the whole world You have painted both Your hearts red within this great palace of the universe."
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