Sakhīs

śrī-rādhā-prāṇa-tulyā madhura-rasa-kathā-cāturī-citra-dakṣāḥ

śrī-rādhā-prāṇa-tulyā madhura-rasa-kathā-cāturī-citra-dakṣāḥ
sevā-santarpiteśāḥ svasurata-vimukhā rādhikānanda-ceṣṭāḥ |
sarvāḥ sarvārtha-siddhā nija-guṇa-karuṇā-pūrṇa-mādhvīka-sārā
narmālyo rādhikāyā mayi kurutaḥ kṛpāṁ prema-sevottarā yāḥ ||
(Sādhanāmṛta-candrikā: 1.27)

“Rādhikā’s narma-sakhīs, who are one at heart with Śrī Rādhā, who are wonderfully adept in the cleverness of discussion of madhura-rasa, who keep their Īśā [i.e., Rādhikā] fully satisfied with their service, who are averse to amour themselves [i.e., to personally engaging in amour with Kṛṣṇa], who endeavor for Rādhikā’s bliss, who are accomplished in all respects, who are filled with the essence of the nectar that is their own virtue of compassion, and who are devoted to prema-sevā—may they all bestow their grace upon me.”

Read on →

tāmbūlārpaṇa-pāda-mardana-payodānābhisārādibhir

tāmbūlārpaṇa-pāda-mardana-payodānābhisārādibhir
vṛndāraṇya-maheśvarīṁ priyatayā yās toṣayanti priyāḥ |
prāṇa-preṣṭha-sakhī-kulād api kilāsaṅkocitā bhūmikāḥ
keli-bhūmiṣu rūpa-mañjarī-mukhās tā dāsikāḥ saṁśraye ||
(Stavāvalī: Vraja-vilāsa-stava, 38; cited in Sādhanāmṛta-candrikā: 1.27)

“I take full shelter in those dāsīs headed by Rūpa Mañjarī, who out of affection satisfy the great Īśvarī of Vṛndāvana [i.e., Śrī Rādhikā] with offerings of pan, foot massages, servings of water, [arrangements for] trysts, and so forth [for her and her beloved Śrī Kṛṣna], who are more dear [to her] than even the prāṇa-preṣṭha-sakhīs, and who have uninhibited roles in the locales of [her] amorous play [with Śrī Kṛṣṇa, i.e., they render service without any inhibition and also cause no inhibition in Rādhā or Kṛṣṇa in the midst of their līlās].”

Read on →

he prema-sampad-atulā vraja-navya-yūnoḥ

he prema-sampad-atulā vraja-navya-yūnoḥ
prāṇādhikāḥ priya-sakhī-priya-narma-sakhyaḥ |
yuṣmākam eva caraṇābja-rajo’bhiṣekaṁ
sākṣād avāpya saphalo’stu mamaiva mūrdhā ||
(Sādhanāmṛta-candrikā: 1.26)

“O you all the wealth of whose prema for the Young Couple of Vraja is incomparable! O you all who are more dear than life! O priya-sakhīs and priya-narma-sakhīs! May my head become successful by directly receiving a shower of the dust from your very own lotus feet.”

Read on →

tās tu vṛndāvaneśvaryāḥ sakhyaḥ pañca-vidhā matāḥ

tās tu vṛndāvaneśvaryāḥ sakhyaḥ pañca-vidhā matāḥ |
sakhyaś ca nitya-sakhyaś ca prāṇa-sakhyaś ca kāścana |
priya-sakhyaś ca parama-preṣṭha-sakhyaś ca viśrutāḥ ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 4.50)

“The sakhīs of Vṛndāvaneśvarī [i.e., Śrī Rādhā] are considered to be of five types. They are known as sakhīs, nitya-sakhīs, prāṇa-sakhīs, priya-sakhīs, and parama-preṣṭha-sakhīs.”

Read on →

vinā rādhāṁ kṛṣṇo na khalu sukhadaḥ sā na sukhadā

vinā rādhāṁ kṛṣṇo na khalu sukhadaḥ sā na sukhadā
vinā kṛṣṇaṁ dvābhyām api vinānyā na sarasāḥ |
vinā rātriṁ nendus tam api na vinā sā’pi ruci-bhāk
vinā tābhyāṁ jṛmbhāṁ dadhati kumudinyo’pi na tarām ||
(Alaṅkāra-kaustubha: 8.193)

“Certainly, without Rādhā, Kṛṣṇa is not delightful, and she is not delightful without Kṛṣṇa. And alas, without both of them, others [i.e., the sakhīs] are not beautiful [alt., impassioned, lit., imbued with rasa]. Neither the moon without the night, nor it without that [i.e., nor the night without the moon] are resplendent. And without them both, white water lillies do not fully blossom.”

Read on →

pādābjayos tava vinā vara-dāsyam eva

pādābjayos tava vinā vara-dāsyam eva
nānyat kadāpi samaye kila devi yāce |
sakhyāya te mama namo’stu namo’stu nityaṁ
dāsyāya te mama raso’stu raso’stu satyam ||
(Vilāpa-kusumāñjali: 16)

“O Devī! Certainly I never pray at any time for anything other than the finest servitude unto your lotus feet. May my obeisance be offered, may my obeisance be offered forever, unto to friendship with you, and may my loving attachment be, may my loving attachment forever be to servitude unto you. This is my vow.”

Read on →

ālībhiḥ paripālitaḥ prabalitaḥ sānandam ālokitaḥ

ālībhiḥ paripālitaḥ prabalitaḥ sānandam ālokitaḥ
pratyāśaṁ sumanaḥ-phalodaya-vidhau sāmodam āsvāditaḥ
vṛndāraṇya-bhuvi prakāśa-madhuraḥ sarvātiśāyi-śriyā
rādhā-mādhavayoḥ pramodayatu mām ullāsa-kalpa-drumaḥ
(Prīti Sandarbha: 429)

“May the desire-tree of Rādhā and Mādhava’s joy
[Alt., may the effulgent desire-tree of Rādhā and Mādhāva]
In the land of Vṛndāvana,
Splendorous with sweetness;
Nurtured in full,
Fortified,
Blissfully beheld with expectation,
And, upon the emergence of its fruits and flowers,
Delightedly relished by the sakhīs;
Completely delight me
With [its] all-surpassing beauty.”

Read on →

premā yo’sau rādhikā-kṛṣṇa-yugmaṁ

premā yo’sau rādhikā-kṛṣṇa-yugmaṁ
svānandena plāvayitvā sakhīś ca |
śaśvad viśvaṁ plāvayan suprasiddhaḥ
so’yaṁ buddhiṁ naḥ samiddhāṁ karotu ||
(Gopāla-campū: 15.10)

“That prema which has inundated the couple Rādhikā and Kṛṣṇa and the sakhīs with its own bliss and which continuously inundates the universe has become very well known. May this [prema] here inflame our mind.”

Read on →

ramaṇa-kavala-śiṣṭaṁ san-mṛṇālaṁ marālyaḥ

ramaṇa-kavala-śiṣṭaṁ san-mṛṇālaṁ marālyaḥ
kiśalaya-kulam eṇyaḥ śrī-marandaṁ bhramaryaḥ |
amṛtam iva cakroyaś caindavaṁ rādhikādyā
mumudur adhikam annaṁ prāsya kṛṣṇāvaśiṣṭam ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 20.71)

“Rādhikā and her companions felt abundant delight eating the remnants of Kṛṣṇa’s food just as female swans do by eating morsels of the remnants of fine lotus stems left by their husbands, deer do by eating young shoots, bees do by eating bright flower nectar, and cakorīs do by drinking the moon’s nectar.”

Read on →

rādhā-mukunda-pada-sambhava-gharma-bindu

rādhā-mukunda-pada-sambhava-gharma-bindu-
nirmañchhanopakaraṇī-kṛta-deha-lakṣām |
uttuṅga-sauhṛda-viśeṣa-vaśāt pragalbhāṁ
devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi ||
(Stava-mālā: Lalitāṣṭākam, 1)

“I offer obeisance unto Lalitā Devī,
She who is most charming by virtue of her qualities,
She who is bold by force of her special, highly exalted affection,
She by whom as though a lakh of bodies are made instruments
For wiping away drops of sweat
That have arisen on the feet on Rādhā and Mukunda.”

Read on →

Scroll to Top