श्रीश्रीराधिकाष्टकम्
Śrī Śrī Rādhikāṣṭakam
Eight verses in prayer for the service of Śrī Rādhikā
By Śrīmad Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmīpāda
रसवलितमृगाक्षीमौलिमाणिक्यलक्ष्मीः
प्रमुदितमुरवैरिप्रेमवापीमराली ।
व्रजवरवृषभानोः पुण्यगीर्वाणवल्ली
स्नपयति निजदास्ये राधिका मां कदा नु ॥१॥
rasa-valita-mṛgākṣī-mauli-māṇikya-lakṣmīḥ
pramudita-mura-vairi-prema-vāpī-marālī |
vraja-vara-vṛṣabhānoḥ puṇya-gīrvāṇa-vallī
snapayati nija-dāsye rādhikā māṁ kadā nu ||1||
The Treasure Jewel atop the crest
Of they of doe-eyes steeped in rasa,
The Swan in the pool of delighted Murāri’s prema,
The Desire-creeper of the merits of Vṛṣabhānu,
Who is exalted throughout Vraja—
When will Rādhikā bath me in her personal service?
Commentary
Śrī Baṅgeśvara Vidyābhūṣaṇapāda begins his Sanskrit commentary on this Śrī Rādhikāṣṭakam by stating that with this poem of eight verses, the author, Śrī Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī, again prays for Śrī Rādhikā’s service (punar aṣṭakena tad-dāsyaṁ prārthayate). A paraphrased summary of his interpretation of the prayer unfolding as a conversation is as follows:
Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī: When will Rādhikā bath me in her personal service (snapayati nija-dāsye Rādhikā māṁ kadā nu), that is, when will she anoint me into the royal realm of her service?
An inquirer: Well, there are many engaged her service. Why should she bath you?
Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī: Śrī Rādhikā is the Desire-creeper of the merits of Vṛṣabhānu, who is exalted throughout Vraja (Vraja-vara-Vṛṣabhānoḥ puṇya-gīrvāṇa-vallī), that is, Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja is well known throughout Vraja to be possessed of vast merits, and Śrī Rādhikā is comparable to a desire-creeper that is a manifest form of those merits. As a desire-creeper fulfills the desires of seekers who pray to it for something, so Śrī Rādhikā, as a tremendously capable desire-creeper, will surely grant me her service (kalpa-latā tu yācakābhīṣtaṁ pūrayaty eveti bhāvaḥ) despite my being so undeserving.
An inquirer: There are also many other lovers of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Why do you avoid them and pray only for the service of Śrī Rādhikā?
Śrī Dāsa Gosvāmī: Śrī Rādhikā is the Treasure Jewel atop the crest of they of doe-eyes steeped in rasa (Rasa-valita-mṛgākṣī-mauli-māṇikya-lakṣmīḥ), that is, Śrī Rādhikā is the very best of all of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s beautiful lovers in Śrī Vraja Dhāma who are steeped in rasa and possessed of doe-like eyes. Thus, service to her is most worthy of being aspired for. Moreover, Śrī Rādhikā is the Swan in the pool of delighted Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s prema (Pramudita-Mura-vairi-prema-vāpī-marālī), that is, she is the greatest recipient of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s prema, even more so that all the other ladies of Vraja (sarva-Vraja-strībhyo’pi Śrī-Kṛṣṇasya parama-prema-pātratve’pi). As a lake is the principal dwelling place of a swan, so Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s prema is the principal dwelling place of Śrī Rādhikā, and thus service to her is the ultimate means to accomplish everything (marālyāḥ sarovaram iva Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-premaiva asyāḥ paramāśrayatvena sarva-sādhanam iti bhāvaḥ), meaning, attainment of and engagement in her service is the supreme means of pleasing Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
स्फुरदरुणदुकूलद्योतितोद्यन्नितम्ब
स्थलमभि वरकाञ्चीलास्यमुल्लासयन्ती ।
कुचकलसविलासस्फीतमुक्तासरश्रीः
स्नपयति निजदास्ये राधिका मां कदा नु ॥२॥
sphurad-aruṇa-dukūla-dyotitodyan-nitamba-
sthalam abhi vara-kāñcī-lāsyam ullāsayantī |
kuca-kalasa-vilāsa-sphīta-muktāsara-śrīḥ
snapayati nija-dāsye rādhikā māṁ kadā nu ||2||
Radiant with the dancing of an excellent belled sash
Above her curvaceous hinder parts
[Which are] Illuminated by a shining, crimson linen garment;
Splendid with a necklace of large pearls
[Shimmering] Amid the alluring movements of her pitcher-like breasts—
When will Rādhikā bath me in her personal service?
Commentary
Śrī Baṅgeśvara Vidyābhūṣaṇapāda explains that the author describes for the remainder of the poem the means of Śrī Rādhīkā’s prema for Śrī Kṛṣṇa (Kṛṣṇa-prema-sādhanāni viśeṣāny āha saptabhiḥ ślokaiḥ), that is, the various features, qualities, and activities found in her that constitute and characterize her prema for Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
सरसिजवरगर्भाखर्वकान्तिः समुद्यत्
तरुणिमघनसाराश्लिष्टकैशोरसीधुः ।
दरविकसितहासस्यन्दिबिम्बाधराग्रा
स्नपयति निजदास्ये राधिका मां कदा नु ॥३॥
sarasija-vara-garbhākharva-kāntiḥ samudyat-
taruṇima-ghana-sārāśliṣṭa-kaiśora-sīdhuḥ |
dara-vikasita-hāsa-syandi-bimbādharāgrā
snapayati nija-dāsye rādhikā māṁ kadā nu ||3||
She of abundant luster like the whorl of an excellent lotus,
She the nectar of whose adolescence
Is mixed with the camphor of full-blown youth,
She from the tips of whose bimba lips
[The nectar of] A slightly blossoming smile exudes—
When will Rādhikā bath me in her personal service?
अतिचटुलतरं तं काननान्तर्मिलन्तं
व्रजनृपतिकुमारं वीक्ष्य शङ्काकुलाक्षी ।
मधुरमृदुवचोभिः संस्तुता नेत्रभङ्ग्या
स्नपयति निजदास्ये राधिका मां कदा नु ॥४॥
ati-caṭulataraṁ taṁ kānanāntar-milantaṁ
vraja-nṛpati-kumāraṁ vīkṣya śaṅkākulākṣī |
madhura-mṛdu-vacobhiḥ saṁstutā netra-bhaṅgyā
snapayati nija-dāsye rādhikā māṁ kadā nu ||4||
She of eyes filled with apprehension
While beholding the very highly fickle Prince of Vraja
After a meeting inside the forest
And being praised with sweet, gentle words
And gestures of the eyes—
When will Rādhikā bath me in her personal service?
व्रजकुलमहिलानां प्राणभूताखिलानां
पशुपपतिगृहिण्याः कृष्णवत् प्रेमपात्रम् ।
सुललितललितान्तःस्नेहफुल्लान्तरात्मा
स्नपयति निजदास्ये राधिका मां कदा नु ॥५॥
vraja-kula-mahilānāṁ prāṇa-bhūtākhilānāṁ
paśupa-pati-gṛhiṇyāḥ kṛṣṇavat prema-pātram |
sulalita-lalitāntaḥ-sneha-phullāntarātmā
snapayati nija-dāsye rādhikā māṁ kadā nu ||5||
The very Life of all the ladies of the families of Vraja,
A Recipient of prema from the wife of the cowherds’ king
Just as Kṛṣṇa is,
She whose inner heart blossoms
With the inner affection of most charming Lalitā—
When will Rādhikā bath me in her personal service?
निरवधि सव्विशाखा शाखियूथप्रसूनैः
स्रजमिह रचयन्ती वैजयन्तीं वनान्ते ।
अघविजयवरोरःप्रेयसी श्रेयसी सा
स्नपयति निजदास्ये राधिका मां कदा नु ॥६॥
niravadhi saviśākhā śākhi-yūtha-prasūnaiḥ
srajam iha racayantī vaijayantīṁ vanānte |
agha-vijaya-varoraḥ-preyasī śreyasī sā
snapayati nija-dāsye rādhikā māṁ kadā nu ||6|||
Always along with Viśākhā,
Preparing a vaijayantī garland
With flowers from the trees
Here inside the forest,
The Lover at the excellent chest of Agha’s Conqueror,
She who is auspiciousness [personified]—
When will Rādhikā bath me in her personal service?
Commentary
Śrī Baṅgeśvara Vidyābhūṣaṇapāda comments that Śrī Rādhikā is the Lover at the chest of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Agha’s Conqueror, because she is auspiciousness personified (śreyasī maṅgala-rūpā ata eva agha-vijayasya śrī-kṛṣṇasya yad varaṁ śreṣṭham uro vakṣas tasya preyasī).
प्रकटितनिजवासं स्निग्धवेणुप्रणादै-
र्द्रुतगति हरिमारात् प्राप्य कुञ्जे स्मिताक्षी ।
श्रवणकुहरकण्डूं तन्वती नम्रवक्त्रा
स्नपयति निजदास्ये राधिका मां कदा नु ॥७॥
prakaṭita-nija-vāsaṁ snigdha-veṇu-praṇādair
druta-gati harim ārāt prāpya kuñje smitākṣī |
śravaṇa-kuhara-kaṇḍūṁ tanvatī namra-vaktrā
snapayati nija-dāsye rādhikā māṁ kadā nu ||7||
Dashing at the tender murmuring of the flute,
And reaching the vicinity of Hari,
Who has [thus] revealed his location in a kuñja,
She is [then] of mildly smiling eyes,
Scratching the hollow of her ear,
Her face bowed—
When will Rādhikā bath me in her personal service?
अमलकमलराजिस्पर्शिवातप्रशीते
निजसरसि निदाघे सायमुल्लासिनीयम्।
परिजनगणयुक्ता क्रीडयन्ती बकारिं
स्नपयति निजदास्ये राधिका मां कदा नु ॥८॥
amala-kamala-rāji-sparśi-vāta-praśīte
nija-sarasi nidāghe sāyam ullāsinīyam |
parijana-gaṇa-yuktā krīḍayantī bakāriṁ
snapayati nija-dāsye rādhikā māṁ kadā nu ||8||
Delighting in the summer evening
In her own pond in the midst of the breezes
Touching the rows of spotless lotus flowers [therein];
Playing with Baka’s Foe
Accompanied by her attendants—
When will Rādhikā bath me in her personal service?
पठति विमलचेता मृष्टराधाष्टकं यः
परिहृतनिखिलाशासन्ततिः कातरः सन् ।
पशुपपतिकुमारः काममामोदितस्तं
निजजनगणमध्ये राधिकायास् तनोति ॥९॥
paṭhati vimala-cetā mṛṣṭa-rādhāṣṭakaṁ yaḥ
parihṛta-nikhilāśā-santatiḥ kātaraḥ san |
paśupa-pati-kumāraḥ kāmam āmoditas taṁ
nija-jana-gaṇa-madhye rādhikāyās tanoti ||9||
The Prince of the cowherd’s king,
Delighted,
Readily engages in the group of Rādhikā’s personal companions
One of taintless heart
Who wistfully recites this pure Rādhāṣṭakam,
Having completely relinquished
The entire continuity of [worldly] desires.
इति श्रीरघुनाथदासगोस्वामिविरचितस्तवावल्यां श्रीराधिकाष्टकं सम्पूर्णम् ।
iti śrī-raghunātha-dāsa-gosvāmi-viracita-stavāvalyāṁ śrī-rādhikāṣṭakaṁ sampūrṇam |
Thus, Śrī Rādhikāṣṭakam in Stavāvalī composed by Śrī Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī is complete.
Meter
Mālinī
Sources
Stavāvalī editions by Śrī Rāma Nārāyaṇa Vidyāratna and Śrī Ananta Dāsa Bābājī.