Rūpa Gosvāmī

parama-preṣṭha-sakhyas tu lalitā sa-viśākhikā

parama-preṣṭha-sakhyas tu lalitā sa-viśākhikā |
sa-citrā campakalatā tuṅgavidyendulekhikā |
raṅgadevī sudevī cety aṣṭau sarva-gaṇāgrimāḥ ||
āsāṁ suṣṭhu dvayor eva premṇaḥ parama-kāṣṭhayā |
kvacij jātu kvacij jātu tad-ādhikyam ivekṣate ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 4.54–55)

“The eight parama-preṣṭha-sakhīs—Lalitā, Viśākhā, Citrā, Campakalatā, Tuṅgavidyā, Indulekhā, Raṅgadevī and Sudevī—are the foremost amongst all the groups [of sakhīs]. By virtue of the superlative level of their prema for the two of them [i.e., Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa], an aptly greater degree thereof [i.e., greater degree of prema] is as if seen sometimes for one and sometimes for another [i.e., either for Śrī Rādhā or for Kṛṣṇa].”

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atha sama-snehāḥ

atha sama-snehāḥ—
kṛṣṇe sva-priya-sakhyāṁ ca vahantyaḥ kam api sphuṭam |
sneham anyūnatādhikyaṁ sama-snehās tu bhūriśaḥ ||
tulya-pramāṇakaṁ prema vayantyo’pi dvayor imāḥ |
rādhāyā vayam ity uccair abhimānam upāśritāḥ |
parama-preṣṭha-sakhyaś ca priya-sakhyaś ca tā matāḥ ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 8.135, 137)

“Now, those of equal affection [are described]—
Those who possess indescribable, vivid affection neither lesser nor greater for both Kṛṣṇa and their own dear sakhī are [known as] those of equal affection and highly numerous. … Those who, although they possess prema of equal measure for the pair [i.e., for both their dear sakhī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa], strongly foster the identity, ‘We are Rādhā’s’ are considered to be the parama-preṣṭha-sakhīs and priya-sakhīs.”

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asamaṁ ca samaṁ ceti snehaṁ sakhyaḥ svapakṣagāḥ

asamaṁ ca samaṁ ceti snehaṁ sakhyaḥ svapakṣagāḥ |
kṛṣṇe yūthādhipāyāṁ ca vahantyo dvividhā matāḥ ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 8.124)

“Sakhīs situated in one’s own group are considered to be of two types: those who possess either unequal or equal affection for Kṛṣṇa and their yūtheśvarī [i.e., group leader].”

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prema-līlā-vihārāṇāṁ samyag vistārikā sakhī

prema-līlā-vihārāṇāṁ samyag vistārikā sakhī |
viśrambha-ratna-peṭī ca tataḥ suṣṭhu vivicyate ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 8.1)

“One who fully expands [i.e., makes known and enhances] the sport, play, and prema [of the nāyikā and nāyaka], and is a casket of the jewel of intimate confidence is [called] a sakhī. Thus, sakhīs will now be aptly described.”

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vibhāvair anubhāvaiś ca sāttvikair vyabhicāribhiḥ

vibhāvair anubhāvaiś ca sāttvikair vyabhicāribhiḥ |
svādyatvaṁ hṛdi bhaktānām ānītā śravaṇādibhiḥ |
eṣā kṛṣṇa-ratiḥ sthāyī bhāvo bhakti-raso bhavet ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.1.5)

“This rati for Kṛṣṇa, the sthāyi-bhāva, brought into the state of taste-ability in the heart of bhaktas by vibhāvas, anubhāvas, sāttvikas [i.e., sāttvika-bhāvas], and vyabhicāris [i.e., vyabhicāri-bhāvas] through hearing and so forth, shall become bhakti-rasa.”

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mitho harer mṛgākṣyāś ca sambhogasyādi-kāraṇam

mitho harer mṛgākṣyāś ca sambhogasyādi-kāraṇam |
madhurāpara-paryāyā priyatākhyoditā ratiḥ |
asyāṁ kaṭākṣa-bhrū-kṣepa-priya-vāṇī-smitādayaḥ ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.5.36–37)

“The rati [of doe-eyed women, i.e., beautiful young women] that is the primary cause of mutual enjoyment [i.e., of the eight types of enjoyment beginning with mutual remembrance and sight] between Hari and doe-eyed women, wherein side-long glances, arching of the eyebrows, endearing speech, mild smiling, and so forth occur, is called priyatā [i.e., the rati of dearness, on account of it being the rati of priyās, that is, ladyloves—those who regard Hari with amorous dearness] and [is] synonymous with madhurā [i.e., sweetness; it is also known as madhurā-rati].”

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ananya-mamatā viṣṇau mamatā prema-saṅgatā

ananya-mamatā viṣṇau mamatā prema-saṅgatā |
bhaktir ity ucyate bhīṣma-prahlādoddhava-nāradaiḥ ||
(Nārada Pañcarātra; cited Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.382; Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.4.2; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.23.8)

“Bhakti dedicated to Viṣṇu that is filled with mamatā [for him] and free from any other mamatā [i.e., loving attachment, lit., ‘my-ness,’ for anyone or anything else] is called prema by Bhīṣma, Prahlāda, Uddhava, and Nārada.”

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kuñjād goṣṭhaṁ niśānte praviśati kurute dohanānnāśanādyāṁ

kuñjād goṣṭhaṁ niśānte praviśati kurute dohanānnāśanādyāṁ
prātaḥ sāyaṁ ca līlāṁ viharati sakhibhiḥ saṅgave cārayan gāḥ |
madhyāhne cātha naktaṁ vilasati vipine rādhayāddhāparāhne
goṣṭhaṁ yāti pradoṣe ramayati suhṛdo yaḥ sa kṛṣṇo’vatān naḥ ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 1.4)

“At the end of night, from the kuñja he enters his homestead. In the early morning and evening, he performs līlās of milking [cows], eating food, and so forth. In the forenoon, he sports with friends while herding the cows. At midday and [mid-] night, he plays in full directly with Rādhā in the forest. In the afternoon, he returns to his homestead. In the evening, he delights his well-wishers. May he, Kṛṣṇa, protect us.”

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śrī-rādhā-prāṇa-bandhoś caraṇa-kamalayoḥ keśa-śeṣādy-agamyā

śrī-rādhā-prāṇa-bandhoś caraṇa-kamalayoḥ keśa-śeṣādy-agamyā
yā sādhyā prema-sevā vraja-carita-parair gāḍha-laulyaika-labhyā |
sā syāt prāptā yayā tāṁ prathayitum adhunā mānasīm asya sevāṁ
bhāvyāṁ rāgādhva-pānthair vrajam anucaritaṁ naityikaṁ tasya naumi ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 1.3)

“The attainment of prema-sevā to the lotus feet of Śrī Rādhā’s Prāṇa-bandhu [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa], which is incomprehensible to Brahmā, Śiva, Śeṣa, and others, and attainable only through intense hankering by those who are devoted to the conduct of [the gopīs’ of] Vraja—to now expound mental sevā to him, [which is] to be meditated upon by the followers of the path of rāga, by which this [attainment of prema-sevā] can be attained, I offer obeisance to his daily activity in Vraja.”

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tatrāpi gokule tasya mādhurī sarvato’dhikā

tatrāpi gokule tasya mādhurī sarvato’dhikā ||
caturdhā mādhurī tasya vraja eva virājate |
aiśvarya-krīḍayor veṇos tathā śrī-vigrahasya ca ||
tatra aiśvaryasya—
kutrāpy aśruta-pūrveṇa madhuraiśvarya-rāśinā |
sevyamāno haris tatra vihāraṁ kurute vraje ||
krīḍāyāḥ yathā pādme—
caritaṁ kṛṣṇa-devasya sarvam evādbhutaṁ bhavet |
gopāla-līlās tatrāpi sarvato’timanoharā ||
śrī-bṛhad-vāmane—
santi yadyapi me prājyā līlās tās tā manoharāḥ |
na hi jāne smṛte rāse mano me kīdṛśaṁ bhavet ||
veṇoḥ, yathā—
yāvatī nikhile loke nādānām asti mādhurī |
tāvatī vaṁśikā-nāda-paramāṇau nimajjati ||
cara-sthāvarayoḥ sāndra-paramānanda-magnayoḥ ||
bhaved dharma-viparyāso yasmin dhvanati mohane ||
mohanaḥ ko’pi mantro vā padārtho vādbhutaḥ paraḥ |
śruti-peyo’yam ity uktvā yatrāmuhyaś chivādayaḥ ||
cara-sthāvarayoḥ sāndra-paramānanda-magnayoḥ ||
bhaved dharma-viparyāso yasmin dhvanati mohane ||
śrī-vigrahasya, yathā—
asamānordhva-mādhurya-taraṅgāmṛta-vāridhiḥ |
jaṅgama-sthāvarollāsi-rūpo gopendra-nandanaḥ ||
yathā tantre—
kandarpa-koṭy-arbuda-rūpa-śobhā-
nīrājya-pādābja-nakhāñcalasya |
kutrāpy adṛṣṭa-śruta-ramya-kānter
dhyānaṁ paraṁ nanda-sutasya vakṣye ||
(Laghu-Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.520, 526–526, 530–533, 538–539)

“Even therein [i.e., even in regard to the three abodes—Gokula, Mathurā, and Dvārakā], his [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s] sweetness in Gokula is superior to all [i.e., to his sweetness in Mathurā and Dvārakā]. … Only in Vraja [i.e., Gokula] shines the fourfold sweetness of his power, play, flute, and beautiful figure. Regarding [his] power therein: ‘Being served by multitude of sweet powers unheard of before anywhere else, Hari sports there in Vraja.’ Regarding [his] play, as in Padma Purāṇa: ‘All of Kṛṣṇadeva’s activities can certainly be astonishing. Even among them, [however,] his līlās with the gopas and gopīs are the most charming of all [i.e., are more charming than his līlās as a king in Mathurā and Dvārakā].’ In Śrī Bṛhad Vāmana Purāna: ‘[Bhagavān:] Although I have many well-known charming līlās [e.g., the līlā of being tied around the belly by Yaśodā], when I remember the rāsa-līlā, I do not know what becomes of my mind.’ Regarding [his] flute, as follows: ‘All the sweetness of the sounds that exist throughout the entire world become engulfed in an atom of the sound of the flute. A reversal of the nature (dharma) of [all] mobile and stationary beings, who become absorbed in intense, paramount bliss, can occur when the enchanting flute resounds [i.e., mobile beings can become stationary, and stationary beings can become mobile].’ … Regarding [his] beautiful figure, as follows: ‘An ocean of nectar filled with waves of incomparable sweetness, the figure of the Son of the gopa’s king delights [all] mobile and stationary beings.’ As in the Tantra, ‘I will describe the supreme meditation on the Son of Nanda, the tips of the toenails of whose lotus feet are worthy of lustration by the beauty of the figures of crores and crores of Kandarpas [i.e., Kāmadevas], and whose pleasing luster is unseen and unheard of anywhere [else, i.e., including even in Mathurā and Dvārakā].’”

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