Vraja Vilasa 106: Rupa Manjari and Radharani's unlimited pure qualities

May my loving attachment live at the lotus feet of Sri Radha, who is worshipped by all divine attributes and to whom Rupa Manjari has passionately made Krishna very attached.

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rāgeṇa rūpa-mañjaryā raktīkṛta-muradviṣaḥ
guṇārādhita-rādhāyāḥ pāda-yugma-ratir mama
Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā : After praising the Holy Dham and Sri Sri Radha Madhava and their associates, Raghunath Das Goswami now prays for his most precious aspiration - śrī rādhāyāḥ pāda-yugme mama ratir astu: "May I have love for the lotus feet of Sri Radha."

This is the practice and this is the goal. This is the highest treasure that is aspired for by the Gaudiya Vaishnavas who are endowed with rādhā-snehādhika rati (a greater love for Radha than for Krishna). As a result of being exclusively fixed on the lotus feet of Sri Radha, all the desires of Vrindavan's rasa-sādhakas are fulfilled.

 One may ask: "The Gaudiya Vaishnavas are yugalopāsakas, they worship and serve both Sri Radha Mādhava and meditate on them. How can love for only Sri Radha's feet be their goal? Shouldn't they aspire for love for the lotus feet of the Divine Pair?"

As an answer to such questions it is said, "There is absolutely no difference between love for the Divine Couple's lotus feet and love for Radha's lotus feet; rather, love for Radha's lotus feet automatically brings love for the Divine Pair and their service to even greater perfection. Although the practising devotee who is fixed on Radha's lotus feet does not want Sri Krishna, Sri Krishna himself comes out searching for him to make him his. Sri Radha is known as Krishnamayī, kṛṣṇamayī kṛṣṇa yāra antara bāhire (Caitanya-caritāmṛta) "Krishnamayī means she who is Krishna inside and out."

Sri Radha is worshipped through Sri Krishna, so how can she be worshipped or love for her lotus feet attained without Krishna? Therefore although they are yugalopāsakas, the Gaudiya Vaishnavas always think of themselves as Radha's maidservants: "I am Radha's, I have exclusively given my heart to her!" This is why Raghunath Das Goswami here prays for love for Sri Radha's lotus feet.

Radha's characteristics are menitoned in this verse: She is "worshipped by all the attributes" (guṇārādhita) such as cleverness. She who is always worshipped by all the divine qualities is Sri Radha.

yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā   sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ
"The demigods and all great attributes always reside in he who has unalloyed devotion for the Lord." (SB 5.18.12)


sarva mahā-guṇa-gaṇa vaiṣṇava-śarīre;   kṛṣṇa bhakte kṛṣṇera guṇa sakala sañcāre
All the great qualities reside in the Vaishnava's body. All of Krishna's attributes are infused into the devotee of Krishna. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta 2.22.72)

 If all of Krishna's attributes are infused within the insignificant living entities when they are devoted to the Lord, then is it any wonder that all the divine attributes worship Sri Radha, who is the quintessence of the Lord's pleasure potency, the embodiment of the mahābhāva known as mādana; who is the Prema Lakshmi, the supreme goddess of love? Actually, any attempt of an ordinary person to count Sri Radha's endless qualities are nothing else but ridiculous.

yāra sad-guṇa gaṇera svayaṁ kṛṣṇa nā pāna pāra;   tāra guṇa gaṇibe kemone jīva chāra?

"Even Krishna himself cannot find the end to her great qualities; how could any insignificant living being count them?" (Caitanya-caritāmṛta 2.8.184) 

 Srila Rupa Goswami has mentioned 25 of Sri Radha's sweeter-than-sweet qualities, that are particularly suitable for the madhura rasa–

atha vṛndāvaneśvaryāḥ kīrtyante pravarā-guṇāḥ  madhureyaṁ nava-vayāś calāpāṅgojjvala-smitā cāru- saubhāgya-rekhāḍhyā gandhonmādita-mādhavā  saṅgīta-prasarābhijñā ramya-vāṅ narma-paṇḍitā  vinītā karuṇā-pūrṇā vidagdhā pāṭavānvitā  lajjā-śīlā sumaryādā dhairya-gāmbhīrya-śālinī  suvilāsā mahābhāva-paramotkarṣa-tarṣiṇī  gokula-prema-vasatir jagac-chreṇī-lasad-yaśāḥ  gurv-arpita-guru-snehā sakhī-praṇayitā-vaśā  kṛṣṇa-priyāvalī-mukhyā santatāśrava-keśavā  bahunā kiṁ guṇās tasyāḥ saṅkhyātītā harer iva Now we recite the principal virtues of the Queen of Vrindavan: A. Physical (1) The beautiful sweetness of her physical appearance; (2) The fresh bloom of adolescence; (3) Restless eyes (4) Bright smile; (5) Auspicious fortune lines on her hands, (6) Her fragrance intoxicates Mādhava B. Speech (7) She is expert in singing, (8) She speaks charming words (9) She is expert in joking C. Character of mind (10) She is humble (11) She is full of compassion (12) clever (13) modest (14) respectful (15) patient (16) grave (17) playful D. Relational (18) She thirsts after (giving Krishna) the pinnacle of mahā-bhāva, (19) She has her residence of love in Gokula (Vraja), (20) Her glories pervade the whole universe, (21) She is the object of her superiors' affection (22) She is subdued by the love of her girlfriends (23) She is chief of all of Krishna's beloveds. (24) Indeed, she fully controls Keśava! What more can I say about her attributes? they are innumerable, just like Hari's! (Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi 4.11-15) 

In the Rādhā-prakaraṇa chapter of his scripture Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi, Sri Sri Rupa Goswamipada has made an analysis of each of these qualities by citing examples. Anyone who wants to know these details should consult that book. Srila Raghunath Das says: "Sri Rupa Manjari passionately makes Sri Krishna attached to her" (rāgeṇa rūpa-mañjaryā raktīkṛta-muradviṣaḥ). The sakhīs and mañjarīs are engaged in making Sri Sri Radha Madhava attached to each other by describing the beauty and qualities of the One to the Other. The transcendental rasa would not be nourished if they had to extend this passion themselves, without the aid of the sakhīs and mañjarīs. Hence it is said that although the love of Radha and Mādhava is all-pervading, it is dependent on the assistance of the sakhīs and mañjarīs for its elaboration. Raghunath Das Goswami covets love for the lotus feet of Sri Radharani, who is Krishna's most beloved and a mine of innumerable qualities.
rāgeṇa rūpa-mañjaryā raktīkṛta-muradviṣaḥ guṇārādhita-rādhāyāḥ pāda-yugma-ratir mama There is also another meaning to this verse, taking the whole thing together [by taking mañjaryā as an genitive instead of an instrumental], namely: "May I love the lotus feet of Rūpa Manjari, who colours Sri Krishna with the incomparable flavours of her heart's passionate love and who worships Sri Radharani through her own incomparable qualities." In other words, "Sri Rūpa Manjari always keeps Sri Sri Radha Madhava subdued by her incomparable passionate love and her divine love-born qualities. If I can love the lotus feet of this Rupa Manjari all my desires will swiftly be fulfilled." Thus Raghunath Das Goswami has simultaneously given two meanings to this concluding verse of Vraja-vilāsa-stava, showing that he covets love for the lotus feet of his most beloved Sri Radharani and Sri Rupa Manjari. This is the highest aspiration for the Gaudiya Vaishnavas. All glories to Raghunath Das Goswami's wonderful expertise in the art of poetry!

 
śrī rūpa mañjarī kṛṣṇe anurāga rase;  rañjita koriyā yāra koriyāche vaśe  vaidagdhyādi guṇa dvārā yini ārādhitā;  sei rādhā pada dvandve rati hauka sadā May I love the lotus feet of Radha, who is worshipped by all the divine attributes like cleverness and who subdues Krishna because he has been coloured by the flavours of Sri Rūpa Manjari's passionate love! Or:

  
hṛdayera atulana anurāga rase, rādhānāthe yini sukhe kori surañjita  apūrva madhura guṇāvalīra paraśe; śrī rādhāre atiśaya koilā ānandita sei  śrī rūpa mañjarīra caraṇa kamala; eka mātra gati mora ekānta sambala The lotus feet of Sri Rupa Manjari, who pleases Radha's Lord by colouring him with the matchless flavours of her passionate heart and who greatly delights Sri Radha with the touch of her wonderfully sweet qualities, are my only shelter and my only resort!