Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das
#Manjaris #RaganugaBhakti #Gopis #Radharani
#RadhasSeva #VrajaPrema
This series of posts will present facts (tattva)
regarding the identity, moods (gopi-bhava), intimacy and sevas of Srimati
Radharani’s beautiful and talented handmaidens known as manjaris, kinkaris, or
dasis.
Also we will present many astonishing and wonderful
lilas to highlight the manjaris most personal and confidential sevas to Srimati
Radhika and Her dearest Priyatama Shyamasundara.
The information here is based on the commentaries of
Advaitavamsa Acharya 108 Sri Ananda Gopala Goswami and 108 Sri Ananta Dasa
Babaji Maharaja taken from “Vilapa Kusumanjali” and “Radha Rasa Sudhanidhi”
translated by Sri Advaita Dasji.
In
Ujjvala-nilamani (8.98-99), Sri Rupa Goswamipada describes sixteen wonderful
sevas that sakhis and manjaris offer to Sri Sri Radha Govinda Yugala:
1. advising;
(shiksha)
2. attachment-
create attachment between Radha and Krishna; (asakti-karita)
3. cheating
husbands and others; (pati-adi-parivancana)
4. consoling;
(ashvasana)
5. dressing
Radha-Madhava; (nepathyam)
6. feelings-
revealing the heart of one lover to the other; (hrday-udghata-patavam)
7. faults-
hiding faults of Radha; (chidram=samvrtir)
8. glorifying
the love and qualities of Krishna to Radha and Radha to Krishna. (mitha-prema-guna-kirti
9. joking;
(narma)
10. meetings-
arranging meetings of Lila Yugala; (abhisara dvayor)
11. messages-
delivering between Radha-Krishna; (sandesh-presanam)
12. offering
Radha to Krishna; (sakhi-Krishna-samarpanam)
13. protecting
Radha; (nayika-prana-samraksha)
14. scolding
Radha and Krishna; (upalambha)
15. serving
Radha Govinda Yugala by fanning etc.; (seva-vyajana-adi)
16. uniting
Radha and Krishna at the right time (kale-sangamanam)
Manjari
Tattva: Don’t Want Krishna Alone
The kinkaris don’t want Krishna alone. Their
love for Srimati is so pure that even in their dreams they don’t desire Krishna’s
intimate company. When Krishna pulls at Sri Rupa Manjari’s bodice, she hisses
like a trampled-down snake, saying: “Shame on You! Don’t You know who I am? I can
give my life to You, but not my body! This body I have offered to Sri Radha!”
Then Lalaji Shyam will beg forgiveness with folded hands.
No
one but the kinkaris can be so loyal to Sri Radha! Sri Radha is the only
life-support of Her maidservants, and this increases their pride. The
maidservants have such a deep love for Sri Radha; they do not even have that
for Krishna! No one but the kinkaris are so worthy of being Radhika’s priya-patras.
Where is the bliss of worshipping only Krishna? The real ecstasy lies in Yugala
bhajan.
Manjari
Tattva: Disconnecting from Maya
Those
who have surrendered to Sri Radhika’s lotus feet cannot find consolation in
anything of this world anymore. Their minds and their lives are floating like
wooden instruments on the stream of Sri Radha’s sweetness. It is the nature of
bodily consciousness that the mind and the intelligence remain attached to
dull, perishable matter.
But
one who is absorbed in meditating on one’s siddha deha and the blissful service
if Kishori Ju will no longer have any connection or relation with anything of
this material world. Why would such a person like anything in the material
world?
The
manjari bhava upasaka must certainly experience that, “O Sri Radha! I don’t
have anyone else but You in this world!" Unless one thinks like that one
cannot proceed towards the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani.
Manjari
Tattva: Eagerness for Vraja Bhajan
Out
of eagerness for Radhika the practicing devotee cannot sit quietly.
One
will eagerly come to Vrndavana, hoping to catch a glimpse Radha-Shyamsundara.
Siddha
Krishna Das of Govardhana prays, “O Praneshvari Radha! My heart is constantly
burning in the fire of separation from You! Please save me from this ocean of
sorrow by keeping me at Your lotus feet and making me Your maidservant!
“O
Radha! When will I hear the delectable words from Your beautiful mouth and the
jingling of Your ankle bells? O Priyaji! When in the topmost ecstasy will I
drink the nectar of Your indescribable beauty through the cups of my eyes? And
when will I smell Your bodily fragrance, making all the hairs of my body stand
on end? “Please bless this new maidservant by giving her the nectarean food remnants
that emanate from Your lotus mouth! O Radha, You are my japa! You are my penance
and You are my meditation. Wherever You sport with Your lover and Your girlfriends,
please take me there also as Your maidservant.”
Manjari
Tattva: Living on Hope in Vraja
Ha
Radhe! When can I live in Vrndavana in great astonishment, remembering the wave
of Your nectarean pastimes? When will I look all around for You, thinking: “Now
Radha is here just behind this tamal tree!”
The
anguished sadhaka prays, “Although I am living in Vrndavana I don’t experience
anything. I have so many things to say about it, but actually my heart is
empty. I want to get some result from my life of devotional practice. Even if I
can just spend my time with the hope that, ‘Radharani, You are my Ishvari, then
I will attain You!’”
Then
it is as if Swamini Radha asks the sadhaka: “O, isn’t your heart eager for Me?
Then how can you attain Me?” Radha is the limitless ocean of compassion and She
knows very well how to take Her maidservants to Her lotus feet by making them
eager for Her! How much Srimati relishes the eager lamentations of Her loving
devotees! The maidservant is very eager, and Swamini takes Shyam along to
listen to her manjari’s lamentations.
Radharani’s
Manjaris ki jai! Jai Jai Sri Radhe!
