Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s

Sri Stavavali

Collected Prayers

Volume Three

Table of Contents

Sri Sri Prema-purabhidha-stotra

A Prayer of Names that are a flood of pure love

Sri Sri Grantha-kartuh Prarthana

The Author’s Appeal

Sri Svaniyama-dasaka

Ten Vows

Sri Sri Radhikastottara-sata-nama-stotra

108 Names of Sri Radhika

Sri Radhikastaka

Eight Prayers Glorifying Sri Radhika

Sri Sri Prema-marandakhya-stava-raja

Regal Prayers bearing the title The Nectar of Pure Love

Sri Sva-sankalpa-prakasa-stotra

The Revelation of Desires

Sri Sri Radha-Krsnojjvala-kusuma-keli

The Splendid Flower Pastimes of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna

Sri Prarthanamrta

The Nectar of a Prayer

Sri Navastaka

Eight Prayers Glorifying the Youthful Divine Couple

1 O Radha who, dressed in white flowers, decorated with camphor, and a hand resting on a gopi messenger, meets Subala’s friend Krsna on a sweet, moonlit spring night, please, for even a moment, delight my eyes.

2 O Radha who out of contrariness refuses to enter the cottage of amorous pastimes, begins walking on the path home, is stopped by Him with a mixture of brute force and plaintive appeals, and responds with a smile from deep within Your eyes, please, for even a moment, delight my eyes.

3 O Radha who shines like a stationary lightning flash on the handsome, broad chest of the dark monsoon cloud of Lord Madhava, like a flowering vine on the jasmine flower couch of His chest, and like a charming garland of golden yuthi flowers there, please, for even a moment, delight my eyes.

4 O Radha who, without going anywhere else, stays on the couch of amorous pastimes, talking for a pastimes long time with Lord Krsna, and embracing Him so strongly that Your two forms appear to become one, please, for even a moment, delight my eyes.

5 O Radha who, fatigued by the passionate amorous battle, sleeps on the great, blissful bed of Your beloved Krsna’s broad chest, O life and soul of Visakha, who is made happy by the nectar of Your pastimes, please, for even a moment, delight my eyes.

6 O Radha who, when Your amorous pastimes were completed, was carefully decorated by Lord Mukunda, who to do this was instructed by Your gopi friend maddened with pride and full of love because of Your great good fortune, please, for even a moment, delight my eyes.

7 O Radha who, glorified by Your friends in the assembly of laughing gopis, defeated the prince of Vraja with a host of crooked joking words in the forest courtyard dear to Kamadeva, please, for even a moment, delight my eyes.

8 O Radha, angry with Krsna over a small, accidental offense, refusing to speak with Him, and begged for mercy with many flattering words, please, for even a moment, delight my eyes.

9 O Radha who is waves of auspiciousness for Your father, King Vrsabhanu, O queen who is the constant companion of Lord Krsna and a bumblebee in the forest of pure love for Him, O moonlight shining on the lotus flowers of Your friends, O ocean of mercy, please for even a moment, delight my eyes.

10 O Radha, O limitless ocean of transcendental virtues, O first friend of Lord Krsna, O crown of Your dear friends filled with matchless virtues, O girl melting with mercy for the people drowning in the ocean of suffering, please, for even a moment, delight my eyes.

11 One who, reciting these beautiful verses as an expert dramatic narrator, makes the dancer of his tongue dance on the stage of these ten sweet verses named Prema-pura (A Flood of Pure Love), at once attains the mercy of two transcendental gems.

1 I offer my respectful obeisances to a certain wonderful cuckoo, whose splendour defeats the shining of gold, and who is very greedy to taste the charming sweetness of the honey trickling from the budding twigs of the lips of Subala’s friend Krsna.

2 I eternally praise the wonderful black bee that, wearing yellow garments and a peacock feather crown, yearns to taste the nectar of the bimba fruits of Sri Radha’s lips.

3 O foolish hero of Vraja, do not be proud, thinking "My glory has defeated the moon." After all, the flood of tears flowing from the eyes of the wives of Your enemies has defeated the ocean that is the moon’s father.

4 Let independent Krsna with His band of gopis explore the kingdom of the god of love in every forest grove! Friend, even if the highwayman Krsna robs and binds my heart and even if He kills me, my only request is that He not leave my heart.

1 I vow I shall love my spiritual master, the Gayatri Mantra, the holy name of Lord Krsna, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s feet, Srila Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, Srila Rupa Gosvami, his associates, his elder brother (Srila Sanatana Gosvami), Govardhana Hill, Radha-kunda, Mathura-city, Vrndavana forest, the land of Vraja, the devotees of Lord Krsna and the residents of Vraja.

2 I vow that I shall live in the land of Vraja birth after birth, chatting casually with the villagers. I shall not live even for a moment in any other place, even if the lord resides there in His Deity form, and even if the great devotees fill it with the sweet nectar of transcendental love.

3 Even though I suffer in long separation from the divine couple, I shall not, even for a moment, leave the land of Vraja, where Sri Sri Radha-Krsna eternally enjoy unparalleled transcendental, and I shall not, even if He Himself invites me, go to see the opulent king of the Yadus in Dvaraka!

4 If with my own ears I heard, "Radha has gone to Dvaraka, where Lord Hari passionately embraces Her to His chest," with an excited heart I would leave Vrajapura and fly there faster than Garuda.

5 Beginningless or with a beginning, cruel or very gentle, merciful at every moment or merciless, greater than the king of Maha-Vaikuntha, or an ordinary human being, the son of Vraja’s king is my Lord birth after birth.

6 Not for a moment shall I go near a hypocrite who worships only Lord Govinda and does not worship exalted Srimati Radharani, who is glorified by the Vedas and the great sages headed by Narada, and who is most dear to Lord Krsna. This is my vow.

7 I shall wash the lotus feet of anyone in this world who, bowed down with love, worships Lord Krsna and the nectar person who bears the name Radha. I drink that water and every day I carry that water on my head.

8 Abandoned by my dear friends, unintelligent, blind, and drowning in an ocean of pain, I bite a blade of straw with my teeth and beg, "O Srimati Radharani, please lead me to Your lotus feet!"

9 My food a little of Vraja’s milk, my home a leaf-hut, and my actions honest austerity and scripture study, I shall live at Radha-kunda by the best of mountains and I shall die at that dear lake in the company of Srila Jiva Gosvami and the other devotees.

10 In a secluded place in Vrndavana forest, following my dear friend Srila Rupa Gosvami, in many ways I shall earnestly worship Sri Krsna, who is more splendid than many Cupids and Srimati Radharani whose glorious beauty defeats many goddesses of fortune.

11 A faithful devotee who reads these ten vows of a certain author and who fixes his mind on the transcendental forms of the dear divine couple, at the proper time happily attains the realm of Vraja and directly worships Sri Sri Radha-Krsna.

1-2 A certain gopi maidservant, not seeing her mistress, the queen of Vrndavana, and considering Her lotus feet the only goal of her life, became distressed, fell down at the shore of Her lake (Radha-kunda), cried with loud sounds of pain and, in order to see Her beautiful face, sang the following names.

3 Radha is known as 1. Gandharvika, 2. The sole beloved of Vraja’s prince, 3. Gandharva, 4. Radhika, 5. She who appeared as the Gandharva Candrakanti, 6. The intimate friend of Lord Madhava,

4 7. The unalloyed friend of Lord Krsna, 8. The queen who glorifies the fame of the month of Karttika, 9. The jeweled crown placed in the braided hair of Lord Mukunda’s beloved’s,

5 10. A worshipper of the sun-god, 11. The daughter of King Vrsabhanu, 12. Born from King Vrsabhanu, 13. The elder sister of Ananga-manjari, 14. The younger sister of Sridama, 15. The supreme goddess of fortune,

6 16. Kirtida’s daughter, 17. Flooded with the nectar of love for her mother, 18. The contemporary friend of Visakha, 19. The person Visakha considers more dear than life.

7. 20. The person for whom Lalita is not different from Her own life’s breath, 21. Who enjoys pastimes in Vrndavana, 22. The person for whose protection Lalita will give her life hundreds of thousands of times, 23. The queen of Vrndavana,

8 24. Who is an abode of love for Yasoda-devi as much as She is for Krsna, 25. Who is the life of the cows, gopas, and gopis of Vraja,

9 26. Who is loved by the king of the gopas, 27. Who is loved by Lord Krsna’s elder brother, 28, who is eager to serve the surabhi cows loved by Lord Govinda.

10 29. Whose heart longs to visit Nandisvara, 30 who considers that Her body and the body of Her friend Dhanistha are one,

11 31. Who goes to the kitchen of the gopas’ queen, 32. Whose cooking increases life, 33. Whose head Rohini-devi smells (with maternal affection).

12 34. Who looks like Subala, 35, who is happy when Subala is happy, 36. Who is the granddaughter that is nectar to Mukhara’s eyes, 37. Who is afraid of being seen by Jatila.

13 38. The moonlight of whose smile shines because of Madhumangala’s joking words, 39. Who is a playful parrot let out of its cage by Paurnamasi,

14 40. Who is the life and soul of Her friends, 41. Who makes Her friends proud, 42 who is very happy, with Her friends, to attain the touch of the Prince of Vraja’s lotus feet,

15 43 who has appointed Vrnda-devi protectress of Her Vrndavana garden, 44. Who personally knows each vine, tree, animal, and bird in Vrndavana forest,

16 45. Whose complexion is the colour of kunkuma mixed with a little sandal paste, 46. Whose red silk garments eclipse the splendour of roses,

17 47. The splendour of the soles of whose lotus feet redden the ground, 48. The charming tinkling of whose anklets fill Lord Hari’s heart with wonder,

18 49. The bells tinkling on the altar of whose hips remove Lord Krsna’s fatigue, 50. Whose jewel-necklace-decorated, large, raised breasts are the treasure cherished by Lord Krsna.

19 51. Whose arms are beautiful with conchshell armlets made of many glistening jewels, 52. Who is very graceful with the Syamantaka jewel set in a glistening jewel necklace,

20 53. Whose face eclipses the glory of a golden mirror, 54. Whose teeth, as splendid as pomegranate seeds, attract the parrot of Sri Krsna,

21 55. Who wears earrings of lotus-whorls made of rubies and other jewels, 56. Whose eyes, marked with the mascara of Her good fortune, rebuke the khanjana birds,

22 57. Whose sesame flower nose is decorated with a beautiful pearl, 58. Whose forehead is marked with graceful tilaka drawn in new musk,

23 59. Whose splendid braids have stopped the praises of the peacock feathers, 60. The arrows of whose sidelong glance have destroyed Lord Krsna, the conqueror of Canura,

24 61. Whose youthful form is very beautiful, 62 who delights Lord Madhava, 63. Whose voice is as sweet as a passionate cuckoo,

25 64. Who is greedily attached to chanting the glories of Her beloved Madhava, who to Her is hundreds and thousands of times more dear than life, 65. Whose smiles are the foam riding at the crest of the waves of Lord Krsna’s sidelong glances,

26 66. Whose transcendental form is anointed with all intelligence, talent, and charming shyness, 67. Whose transcendental form melts with compassion, 68. Who is the personification of all charming sweetness,

27 69. Whose many virtues are glorified by all virtuous women in the world, 70. Whose good fortune is worshipped by Saci and the other fortunate demigoddesses,

28 71. Who is expert at playing the vina, singing, and performing the rasa dance, 72.. whose transcendental glories, which are sung by Narada and the other sages, delight the world,

29 73. Who is the housewife whose home is a cave in Govardhana Hill, 74. Who is the ornament of the forest groves, 75. Who mistakenly thinks the Yamuna river is Her sister,

30 76. Who is decorated with the splendid sash of Her playful friendship with Kundalata, 77. Whose skill in amorous pastimes delights Lord Krsna.

31 78. Who is the goddess resting on Lord Krsna’s chest, 79. Who is Lord Krsna’s life and soul, 80. Who for Lord Krsna is the royal capitol of the god of love,

32 81. Whose private lake was created because of Her joking words about Aristasura’s death, 82. Who defeated Lord Krsna in Their water-pastimes in Her lake.

33 83. In whose nectar lake the maddened elephant of Lord Krsna plays, 84. Who is a powerful lioness locked in amorous battle with the Krsna-lion.

34 85. The fragrance of whose transcendental form maddens Lord Madhava, 86, the restless pastimes of whose shoulders arouse the desires of Lord Kesava,

35 87. Who enjoys pastimes in the forest by the shore of Her lake, 88. Who places Her transcendental form on a couch of splendid jasmine flowers,

36 89. Whose charming right cheek rests on Lord Krsna’s left arm, 90. The vine of whose left arm is wound about Lord Krsna’s transcendental right arm,

37 91. The banana tree of whose beautiful left thigh embraces the handsome right thigh of Lord Krsna, 92. The mountains of whose charming breasts crush the chest of Lord Krsna.

38 93. Whose flower-lips are scented with the nectar of Lord Govinda’s lips, 94. Whose charming nectar words cool Lord Madhava,

39 95. Whose cheek is reddened with betelnuts from Lord Krsna, 96. Whose enjoyment with Lord Krsna has made Kama’s birth in this world a great success,

40 97. From whose beautiful face Lord Govinda wipes the perspiration born from intense amorous pastimes, 98. Who, exhausted and sleepy from Her pastimes, is fanned by Visakha,

41 99. Who places Her body, mind and life at Lord Govinda’s feet, 100. Who with many millions of life-breaths worship a single particle of dust from Lord Hari’s feet,

42 101 who curses Her eyes because their blinking makes Lord Krsna invisible for a moment, 102. Who gazes at the moon of eternally youthful Lord Govinda’s face,

43 103. Who is the only enjoyer of the limitless handsomeness, sweetness, and other opulences of Lord Hari, 104. Who from the corner of Her eyes observes the good fortune of Her rival: the flute,

44 105. Who, with the power of Her deep intelligence, won His flute in the game and pulled it away by force, 106. The moonlight of whose joking words brought tidal waves to the ocean of Lord Krsna’s passionate desires,

45 107. Who is a rooftop apartment where the senses of the moon of Vraja enjoy pastimes, 108. Who maddens all of Lord Krsna’s senses with the two syllables Ra-dha.

46-7 A person who, his heart overwhelmed with transcendental love, reads these beautiful, nectarean prayers splendid with 108 names of Sri Radhika and the means to attain Sri Radhika, will quickly see his queen in the company of Her Lord.

1 When will Sri Radhika, who is a splendid ruby in the crown of all nectarean doe-eyed girls, a swan swimming in the lake of love for jubilant Lord Krsna, and a celestial vine sprouted from Vraja’s exalted King Vrsabhanu, bathe me in Her service?

2 When will Sri Radhika, who makes the sash of bells dance on Her hips splendid with red silk, and whose necklace of large pearls plays on the waterpots of Her breasts, bathe me in Her service?

3 When will Sri Radhika, who is as splendid as a great lotus whorl, who is new nectar mixed with the camphor of youth, and whose bimba fruit lips blossom with a gentle smile, bathe me in Her service?

4 When will Sri Radhika, who, accidentally meeting restless Krsna in the outskirts of the forest, stared at Him with suspicious eyes as He cast amorous glances at Her and flatter Her with many sweet and gentle words, bathe me in Her service?

5 When will Sri Radhika, who the girls of Vraja love as much as their own lives, who the gopa queen Yasoda loves as much as Lord Krsna, and who makes the heart of charming Lalita blossom with love, bathe me in Her service?

6 When will Sri Radhika, who in the company of Visakha at the forest’s edge strings a Vaijayanti garland from the flowers of many trees, and who is the beautiful beloved resting on Lord Krsna’s handsome chest, bathe me in Her service?

7 When will Sri Radhika, who smelling the fragrance of Lord Krsna and hearing the sweet sounds of His flute, ran to Him in the forest grove and, scratching Her ears, approached Him with smiling eyes and lowered face, bathe me in Her service?

8 When will Sri Radhika, who on a summer evening happily plays with Lord Krsna by Her own lake cooled by breezes touching the many splendid lotuses, bathe me in Her service?

9 Pleased with any person who, abandoning all hope (of material happiness) and overwhelmed (with love), reads this sweet Sri Radhastaka with a pure heart, the prince of Vraja of His own accord places him among Sri Radha’s personal associates.

1 The love of the gopis for Krsna is full of transcendental ecstasy. It appears to be a brilliant jewel, and enlightened by such a transcendental jewel, Radha’s body is further perfumed and decorated with kunkuma.

2 In the morning Her body is bathed in the nectar of compassion, in the afternoon in the nectar of youth, and in the evening in the nectar of luster itself. In this way the bathing is performed, and Her body becomes as brilliant as the cintamani jewel. She eclipses the goddess of fortune Laksmidevi.

3 Her dress is composed of various kinds of silken garments, which may be compared to Her natural shyness. Her beauty is more and more enhanced, being decorated with kunkuma. which is compared to beauty itself, and with blackish musk, which is compared to conjugal love. Thus Her body is decorated with different colours. The kunkuma is red and the musk is black.*

4 Her ornaments embody the natural symptoms of ecstasy; trembling, tears, jubilation, stunning, perspiration, faltering of the voice, bodily redness, madness and dullness. In this way the entire body is bedecked with these nine different jewels. Over and above this, the beauty of Her body is enhanced by Her transcendental qualities, which hang as a flower garland on Her body. The ecstasy of love for Krsna is known as dhira and adhira. sober and restless. Such ecstasy constitutes the covering of Sri Radha’s body, and it is adorned by camphor.*

6 Her transcendental anger toward Krsna is embodied as the arrangement of the hair on Her head, and the tilaka of Her great fortune shines on Her beautiful forehead. The earrings of Sri Radha are the holy names of Krsna, as well as the hearing of His name and fame.*

7 Her lips are always reddish due to the betelnut of ecstatic affection for Krsna. the black ointment around her eyes is Her tricky behaviour with Krsna brought about by love. Her joking with Krsna and gentle smiling is the camphor with which She is perfumed.*

8 She sleeps in Her room with the aroma of pride, and when She lies down in Her bed, the transcendental variety of Her loving ecstasies is like a jeweled locket in the midst of Her necklace of separation.*

9 Her transcendental breasts are covered by Her sari in the form of affection and anger toward Krsna. She has a stringed instrument known as a kacchapi-vina, which is the fame and fortune that actually dries up the faces and breasts of the other gopis.*

10 She always keeps Her hands on the shoulder of Her gopi friend, who is compared to Her youthful beauty, and although She is highly qualified with so many spiritual assets, She is nonetheless affected by the Cupid known as Krsna. Thus She is defeated.*

11 O Sri Radha, this person offers respectful obeisances unto You, taking a straw in his mouth. This person is very unhappy. Please bring him to life by sprinkling him with the nectar of service to You.

12 O Gandharvika, Sri Radha, just as Lord Krsna never rejects a surrendered soul, please don’t reject me.

13 The person who reads this regal prayer, which bears the title Sri Premambhoja-maranda, will attain the direct service that brings with it the mercy of Sri Radha.

1 Without worshipping the pollen of Sri Radha’s lotus feet, without taking shelter of Vrndavana, which bears Her footprints, and without respectfully greeting the great souls whose hearts are filled with deep love for Her, how will one be able to plunge into the nectar ocean of love for Lord Krsna?

2 O friend, when, requested by playful and charming Lalita, will Sri Radha happily, sweetly, affectionately, and shyly teach me again and again your splendid and peerless new plays filled with many concealed riddles and puns and with the beautiful sound of the lute?

Note: the friend is Srila Rupa Gosvami.

3 When in a secluded place will Lord Mukunda beg me in sweet words to untie the knot of Radha’s jealous anger? When, seeing crooked me fallen at Sri Radha’s feet to fulfill this goal, will harsh Lalita rebuke me in the cruel anger of love?

4 May the teacher Visakha, the dear friend overcome with love for the divine couple, proudly teach me the art of preparing for the pleasure of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna the sweet madhvika nectar of many joking words mixed with the fresh camphor of charming playfulness.

5 I pray that Visakha-devi, whose voice is sweeter than the cuckoos, may teach me the art of beautiful singing. I pray that by singing during the rasa dance I will please the youthful divine couple and I will obtain from Them and Their associates many necklaces of gold and jewels as my reward.

7 When, having learned the art of cooking from Campakalata, will I make my queen, all Her dear friends, and Lord Krsna, who by a trick has come at midday to that forest place, enjoy a feast that defeats the taste of nectar?

7 O friend, when will this person taught by Citra-gopi become filled with joy and wonder by picking up the colourful flower petals fallen from the youthful divine couple’s very passionate amorous struggle in the forest grove?

8 O friend, with her wonderful transcendental virtues Tungavidya has clearly defeated Padma and her friends in the assembly of young girls. Will this person, instructed by the clever sidelong glance of the queen of goddesses, also become the abode of all kinds of transcendental knowledge?

9 May Indulekha happily teach me to string necklaces of glittering pearls, guna, jewels and sumanah flowers. In a cottage by Radha’s favourite lake may this person decorate Sri Sri Radha-Krsna with these necklaces.

10 O friend, if she whose name bears the nectar syllables Ranga-devi, on my request teaches me the art of dancing, then in the rasa dance I shall place in the mouths of the gracefully dancing divine couple betelnuts to make them even more expert in dancing.

11 May Sudevi teach me the art of dice-playing so when the divine couple play at dice in the assembly of Gokula’s beautiful-eyebrowed girls with the words of my eyes I shall declare that She who is the queen of goddesses is the winner.

12 When, clearly understanding the inscrutable verse-riddle written on a lotus petal by sweet-talking Krsna and brought by a parrot to this secluded place, will I quickly lead my queen to Him at a cave’s entrance on the king of mountains?

13 Will I enter the dark cave at the right moment to see the divine couple caught in a ferocious amorous struggle, wounded by the sharp arrows of Their sidelong glances and, eager to defeat each other, tormented by the weapons of each other’s teeth and nails?

14 O friend, when, the divine couple completing Their pastimes in the amorous assembly, and Their transcendental bodies together in sleep, will I, on Their order, approach and eagerly serve Them by moving a fan of flowers?

15 O moon-faced one, will I make a bed of flowers in the grove of buzzing bees? Will I make flower garlands, kunkuma, madhu nectar, and betelnuts to please the divine couple eager at heart again to enjoy transcendental amorous pastimes?

16 When, seeing Sri Radha sleeping, more splendid than gold, on Lord Hari’s handsome chest, which defeats the splendour of the blossoming blue lotuses, will I spit with distaste at the stationary lightning flash resting on a new cloud in the sky?

17 When, having forgotten the jewel necklace She dropped during Her pastimes, and suddenly arriving with fear and embarrassment in the company of Her dearmost friends, will my queen smile on me, Her maidservant, and with dancing sidelong glances, dispatch me to recover the forgotten necklace?

18 When, with many splendidly affectionate words delighting Candravali in the company of Padma, Saibya and her other friends, will Lord Krsna, suddenly noticing my presence, become very embarrassed, and asking "Where is Radha?" make everyone wilt in despair?

19 O friend, holding back harsh Lalita and her proud companions and ordered both by Lord Krsna frantically searching for His lost treasure and by the dancing eyes of my queen, will Visakha angrily drag me away into exile?

20 Hearing Lord Krsna say "Your breasts are like two great heavy mountains, and Your hips are like a great chariot. This boat is very old and fragile, and now there is a ferocious hurricane. How will I be able to cross to the other shore? You must stay here for the night", may Radha, pretending to be very angry, make me smile.

21 One day, the banana tree in the forest grove of my heart bursting into fruit because of the breeze from the celestial vine that bears the name Ranganalata-gopi, will I happily worship the youthful divine couple as They enjoy splendid transcendental amorous pastimes in the company of Their dear friends?

1 One day, hearing Sri Radha and her friends enter Vrnda’s forest name Vrndavana and happily pick Their favourite flowers, leaves, shoots and fruits, Lord Krsna approached Them and arrogantly quarreled with Them in the following words.

2 "My dear thieves, what are You doing in this solitary place? Intoxicated by youthful passion You are destroying My priceless forest. I have no other course but to arrest You for this crime. For the crime of breaking many creepers I shall now arrest all Your bodies, for the crime of picking fruits I shall confiscate Your breasts, and for the crime of picking many budding twigs I shall imprison Your lips".

3 Hearing these words, Lalita knitted her eyebrows and angrily stared at Krsna. Some of the other gopis smiled and spoke the following words.

"Dear liar, please listen, for the truth we speak is for Your benefit. Give up this false p[ride and go at once to Nandisvara-pura. Do You not know of the great prowess of harsh Lalita who can forever destroy Your good reputation in this forest?"

4 Hearing Visakha’s speech, dramatically arrogant Krsna said, "O students, do not be so bold with Me. Hearing your disrespectful words all the beautiful vines and cottages have now become very angry. How many times, as Your pious guru, have I not mercifully initiated you in the path of non-violence?"

Note: Lord Krsna accuses the gopis of doing violence to the flowers by picking them.

5 When the gopis heard these words they became simultaneously angry and ashamed. From among their number Visakha spoke the following words to defeat with logic the arrogant Krsna.

"If a man spends money and employs many workmen to build a garden then that garden becomes his property for as long as he lives. However, You did not build this Vrndavana. Why do You claim Vrndavana as Your property? Furthermore, many other people pick fruits and flowers every day in this Vrndavana. Why do You trouble us and not them? When will You become impartial and equal to all? You are not impartial because You trouble us and not them."

6 After hearing Visakha’s words of logic, Krsna spoke the following words with dramatic pride.

"You have not heard that in Vaikuntha, Bhurloka and Rasatalaloka the Vedas declare that this forest bears My name and is Mine. It is not your fault for intense madness, pride and youthful ignorance have made you quite deaf."

7 Hearing this Sri Radha glanced at Krsna with crooked eyes, smiled and spoke the following words.

"My dear liar, if this forest is Your property, and if it is named after You, then why in all the three worlds is this forest known as Vrndavana: named after our dear friend Vrnda-devi? My dear handsome and eloquent friend this forest is not named after You."

Note: The word sri-svamin may also be interpreted to mean "O husband of the goddess of fortune." Sri Radha did not intend this meaning when She spoke this verse, but Krsna took it to mean that when He framed His reply.

8 Intoxicated by Radha’s nectar logic, Krsna smiled and spoke the following words.

"Vrnda-devi, who is more charming than many goddesses of fortune, is My chaste wife. I swear that it is so. If You do not believe Me, ask her. The Vedas say that there is not the slightest difference between husband and wife, and therefore when the people of the three worlds proclaim that this forest bears the name Vrnda, that word Vrnda refers to US both."

9 After drinking the nectar of Krsna’s words, Radha turned to Vrnda and whispered: "Vrnda, is this true or not? Please tell us. It is not true. Had it been true you would have feigned anger and left the assembly of your friends in a moment. With these words We have now defeated this king of liars."

10 When Radha’s words fell on her ear and she saw the crooked glances of the doe-eyed gopis, Vrnda-devi became red with pretended anger. Moving her crooked eyebrows, in the gopi assembly she gave the following reply to arrogant Krsna.

11 "O eunuch of Padma, O laughing stock of the town of Vraja, if You wish to become king of a nice forest, then leave this forest of Vraja without delay. Worship the goddess Sakhisthali (Candravali) and when she becomes satisfied with You she will give You a grove of jujube trees as Your kingdom."

12 Eloquently glorifying Radha’s beauty and virtues by comparing them to many other things, establishing Radha’s sovereignty over Vrndavana, and at last rebuking Krsna, Vrnda-devi again spoke.

"The reflection of Radha’s face is more beautiful than a host of lotus flowers. Her eyes are more beautiful than moving lotuses or restless deer. The beauty of Her raised nose is greater than the beak of a young parrot. Her glistening lips are more beautiful than the splendid bandhuka flowers.

13 "Her teeth are praised above the white jasmines and red pomegranate seeds. Her gentle smile is praised above the lotus forest. Her ears are praised above the charming munja ropes. The beauty of Her forehead surpasses the splendid baka flowers.

14 "The vine of Her restless eyebrows is more beautiful than a line of black bees. Her kunkuma ointment is more beautiful than a host of ripe jambu fruits. The splendour of Her hair is greater than the feathers of a maddened peacock. Her voice is sweeter than the high notes of the cuckoo.

15 "Her hips are heavier than many mountains. Her raised breasts are more firm than the bilva and other fruits. Her arms are more graceful than flowering vines. Her beautiful hair is more splendid than a glistening black snake.

16 "Her thighs are more beautiful than a forest of banana trees. Her movements are more graceful than the movements of a flock of royal swans. Her lotus feet are more beautiful than a forest of blossoming land-growing lotuses. In the town of Vraja She is eternally more generous than a forest of kalpa-vrksa trees.

17 "The nectar streams of love flowing continually from Her eyes, and the perspiration that drops from Her transcendental body defeating the splendour of gold, are both greater than the Manasa-ganga, Yamuna and all other rivers and lakes. Her bodily hairs erect in ecstasy are greater than bunches of newly-blossomed kadamba flowers.

18 "Her splendid complexion is worshipped by the golden mountains. Her bodily fragrance is greater than a host of blossoming golden yuthi flowers. Her breasts are more splendid than a host of incomparable lion-thrones. Her restless eyes are more charming than a swarm of khanjana birds.

19 "My Lord, this forest of Vrndavana is only the pale reflection of the glory of Radha’s face and limbs. How then can You claim that it is Your property?

20 "The lotuses and other flowers here are as splendid as the face and limbs of Sri Radha. In this world this forest is famous for being as sweet and charming as Radha. This forest is manifested from Sri Radha. This forest is the dear friend of Radha.

21 "Because this charming forest has a form like Hers it is manifested as Radha’s splendid reflection and because it is the place of Her transcendental pastimes it is Radha’s friend. In this way this forest in the land of Vraja is eternally Radha’s reflection and friend. This is not at all a contradiction.

22 Aroused by the nectar of Vrnda’s prayers, Radha trembled with a great thirst to dance the dance of amorous love. The dancer of amorous desire arose within Her. Yearning to dance, She glanced at the dancing-master Krsna.

23 Visakha, plunged into feelings of love and the hairs of her body erect with joy, embraced Radha, who was filled with charming shy smiles from Vrnda’s prayers. With laughter and crooked eyes Visakha violently rebuked Krsna. With happiness she showered sumanah flowers on Vrnda’s head.

24 Hearing this charming description of Sri Radha, Lord Krsna became very pleased within His mind. Externally, however, He laughed and spoke the following mocking words.

"The limbs of your friend Radha have stolen the treasure that is the splendour of My charming Vrndavana and made it fade and wilt. O liar, how do you expect to protect your friend with this ruse of claiming that She is identical with Vrndavana?

25 "If Her virtues far exceed the glory of Vrndavana, then why does your friend Radha stoop to take a tiny flower here? She is a confirmed thief, and She will never cease hankering after others’ property.

26 "By glorifying Sri Radha and claiming that Her beauty is reflected in Vrndavana I think you are trying to give Her to Me. How is this possible? Sri Radha is very chaste and faithful to Her husband. Unless he approaches Me and gives Her to Me, how can She become Mine?"

27 The playful waves of the nectar Svarga-ganga river of these wonderful and charming crooked words rocked the firm boat of Radha’s heart. Seeing this, all the gopis began to smile and Lalita, also smiling spoke the following words.

"If a person traveling in the desert who is unable to get even a drop of bitter salt-water to allay his thirst, aspires to drink the heavenly nectar praised by Lord Brahma and available only in Indra’s capitol Amaravati, then that person becomes a laughing stock in this world."

28 To Her friends, who were then gazing from the corners of their eyes at Vraja’s prince, who is the crown of all who know how to taste nectar, Sri Radha then spoke the following words.

"This Krsna already has many mistresses. Kali and Saibya are the least important of His mistresses, Padma, who is like a great lotus flower, is in the middle and the most important is Goddess Candravali, whose beautiful breasts inflame Him with lusty desires. What need has this Krsna for any new mistresses?

29 Angry to hear these words, Lord Krsna, the prince of Vraja, boldly approached the gopis and was about to take their necklaces and garments when Campakalata spoke the following sarcastic words.

"Tell this saintly girl to inform the king that in this forest of blossoming flowers a certain policeman again and again worships us pious girls with bhoga and other flowers. When the king hears this he will certainly send a nice garland to this Krsna."

30 When Krsna heard Campakalata’s words He smiled, shook His head, and spoke the following words.

"The emperor lives nearby and he has ordered Me to always protect this priceless forest. He said to Me: If anyone, either a citizen of our country, or even a foreigner, picks even a single fallen leaf or flower here, then You must at once confiscate his necklaces and clothing."

31 "For this reason I shall now take your jewels, garments, necklaces and other valuables, and then I will happily return home. If you think you have not stolen any flowers or leaves, still you must give Me your bodices and belts."

32 After speaking these joking words, Lord Krsna lifted His neck and, peering at the gopis, spoke the following words.

"Although your belt is full of all auspicious virtues it will not spared. Today I will see your firm, raised breasts, for I am eager to know if you have hidden My flowers there. If you think there is some offense in My touching you with My hand, then without cheating voluntarily show your breasts to Me."

33 Krsna hesitated for a moment, glanced at Sri Radha’s belt, exclaimed "Very good!" and then spoke to Radha the following words.

"O Radha, the saintly gopis jokingly glorify Your new belt, proclaiming it to be very virtuous and saintly. Out of kindness to Me let this belt become free from its firm, tight bonds before My eyes. I promise that I shall tie it back again very firmly."

34 "Just see! Just see! This ungrateful and wicked belt has cheated Me! I know the flowers stolen from this forest must be hidden under this belt. Under this belt I can already see what at first appears to be a line of hairs, but what I know in fact to be a swarm of black bees. These bees must have congregated here because they were attracted by the sweet fragrance of the stolen flowers hidden here."

When Tungavidya-gopi heard these words she knitted her eyebrows and spoke the following words as Krsna forced Sri Radha to go with Him into a nearby cottage.

"O prince of cheaters, because You said You would take only our necklaces, and because You are the son of the king, we at first tolerated what You have done to us. Now it is different, Listen. Because of what we have now seen we have lost all shame. Now we have no recourse but to steal Your dearmost flute and break it into pieces. I swear we will do this to avenge our honour."

35 Sri Krsna then spoke the following high-handed order.

"My friends, although you have obediently given your necklaces to Me, and although I have kindly allowed you to follow Me for some distance, I am now asking you to leave. I am the intelligent prince of Vrajapura, and I carefully guard my blossoming forest of Vrndavana. I know all about the psychology of friendship, and I know that this thief, the treacherous Radha, is not actually your friend. You should at once leave Her company, for She is not fit to associate with you."

36 When Lalita heard these words she became very happy at heart, although she pretended to rebuke Krsna with the following words, which carry a hidden meaning.

"Rake! Liar! In our presence You proudly advertise Yourself saying ‘I am the intelligent prince of Vraja’. Don’t be so proud. The great queen Radha is Your superior in every respect. You worship Kamadeva, who in turn worships the nectar mellow of amorous pastimes, which in turn worship our friend Radha. Because Radha is worshipped by the object of the object of Your worship She is Your superior. She is now displeased with You and She will now burn You to ashes with Her anger."

Note: The last part of this verse is deliberately ambiguous and may also be understood to mean "Radha has become inflamed (pratapati) with amorous desire. She is more agitated that You (tvad-upari)."

37 As Sri Radha gazed at Him with a shy smile and crooked eyes, Lord Krsna said the following words.

"My dear Radha do not speak nonsense, misled by the words of Your mad friends. With all humbleness I declare that You are the most chaste and saintly girl in Vraja. Give up the company of these ferocious girls and come with Me. To pay the tax You owe the owner of this forest at once enter this cottage and give me the flower garlands of Your mercy."

38 Hearing this, Sri Radha knitted Her eyebrows and spoke the following crooked words.

"Don’t uselessly make the comedian of Your crooked jokes dance before these intelligent and sophisticated girls. Leave this forest. Go to Your own place, and there play the buffoon with Your comedian friends."

39 Lord Krsna then smiled and spoke the following arrogant words.

"O gopis who devotedly eat the remnants of My meals in Vraja, who has given you the power to destroy My forest? To pacify the ruler of this place you must now enter the very dark room of this cave on the king of mountains."

40 "You should worship the members of Radha’s splendid noble family. Her father personally gave virtuous, lotuslike Radha to Abhimanyu, the best of farmers, and now You, O rake, are forcing Abhimanyu to taste the remnants of what You have already enjoyed."

41 "By continually drinking the madhvika nectar flowing from Padma-gopi’s fat lips You have become black-hearted. O rake, please consider what has happened. Worship Your maternal aunt Jatila, the moon of all saintly women, and Your life will become auspicious.

42 Hearing this, Lord Krsna described His distant relationship with His aunt with mock reverence in the following crooked words.

"At every moment I meditate on and bow down before My mother’s sister, Aunt Jatila. To attain her saintly blessings I humbly follow her footsteps in Vrajapura."

43 As Sri Radha walked, Her anklets tinkling, Sri Krsna, the lifter of Govardhana Hill ferociously attacked Her breasts with His hands just as a powerful lion from the king of mountains might attack with its claws the bulging frontal lobes of a regal elephant.

44 By worshipping Srila Rupa Gosvami, the limping bumblebee of the words of me, a blind man, is now able to smell a little of the fragrance of the honey of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna’s playful and splendid flower-quarrel pastimes, which are filled with the sweet fragrance of the joking words of Radha’s friends. The dust of the feet of the incomparable Srila Rupa Gosvami is the goal of my life.

1 May I eternally stay in Vraja birth after birth with the service of Sri Rupa-manjari’s and Sri Rati-manjari’s feet my only desire.

2 When, out of love streams of tears falling from my eyes to the ground, my body pale and trembling, and the erect hairs of my body bathed in perspiration, will I meditate on Sri Sri Radha-Krsna, the smiling divine couple expert at enjoying pastimes of amorous battle?

3 O friend, when will I see Lord Krsna, His handsome transcendental form crushing the pride of a new tamala tree on a sapphire mountain, His sleepy eyes and face praised by the full moon, and Radha asleep on His chest?

4 O friend, by the mercy of His feet, with love will I make for Lord Krsna a necklace of many different splendid jewels, and, the hairs of my body erect with excitement, place it in Sri Radha’s hand?

5 "Why must Your intelligence be devoured by this jealous anger?" Learning from a parrot that the Syama-gopi who spoke these words was actually Krsna in disguise, Radha became stunned with happiness and at once embraced Him.

6 Friend, who is this person as splendid as a monsoon cloud, wearing a peacock-feather crown, forest-flower ornaments, and garments that rebuke gold, and playing a flute, holding it to lips more glorious than the full moon, who has stolen my heart?

7 "O Lalita, listen to the wonderful dream I had!"

"O friend, please tell me."

"In this dream you and I were picking flowers in the forest when Kamadeva, who had assumed a transcendental body handsome as a monsoon cloud, glanced at You, smiled and passionately embraced you."

8 Seeing Krsna’s anguish, the flute has become silent and all moving and non moving creatures born in Vraja forest have become thin and wasted. Surrounded by alarmed friends, emaciated Krsna rolls on the ground. O Radha, now again and again You may joyfully feed the snake of Your jealous anger with the most excellent milk.

9 "O Radha, where have You gone? Please be kind and sprinkle some happiness on this dependent servant approaching You." When anxious Krsna again and again sounded this song in the opening of His flute, She smiled crookedly.

10 O beautiful one, who is this smiling, dark-complexioned dancer placing with two fingers a straight arrow on the bow of flowers in His left hand, and His restless glances arousing amorous desire, as, surrounded by friends, He moves before us in the dancing arena?

11 O friend, when, coming from the splendid forest grove scented with camphor, kunkuma, flower garlands, and ornaments fallen from Their transcendental amorous pastimes, will the divine couple happily cast a smiling glance at me, whose eyes yearn to see Them?

12 I offer my respectful obeisances to a wonderful cuckoo more splendid than gold and greedy to taste the sweetness of the flower of Lord Krsna’s lips.

13 Let me eternally glorify the wonderful bumblebee, decorated with yellow garments and crowned with a peacock feather, who yearns to drink the nectar of Radha’s bimba fruit lips.

14 O foolish hero of Vraja, do not be proud, thinking "My glory has defeated the moon." After all, the flood of tears flowing from the eyes of the wives of Your enemies has defeated the ocean that is the moon’s father.

15 "Friend, who is this girl We have never seen before?"

"She is a Vraja-gopi?"

"From where has she come? Why has she come?"

"She has come from Mathura-pura to worship You."

When She heard the playful words "Now You may enjoy with the incomparable Lord Hari" Radha understood that the girl was Krsna in disguise and at once burst into a smile.

16 "Because of Your own good fortune the moonlight decorating this jeweled forest-cottage now dispels the darkness in the middle of this pleasant night. O thirsty cakora bird, please come down from Your sky at once and enjoy this moonlight before the angry sun rises and chases it far away.

Note: If the word indukanti is interpreted to mean Sri Radha, and if the word abhimanyu to mean Abhimanyu, then the verse may be understood to mean:

"Because of Your own good fortune the girl Radha decorating this jeweled forest-cottage now dispels the darkness in the middle of this pleasant night. O thirsty cakora bird, please come down from Your sky at once and enjoy with Radha before Abhimanyu takes Her far away."

17 When, as the cakori bird worships nectar moonlight, as the crying cataki bird worships a splendid cloud filled with unmoving lightning, and as the black bee worships a tamala tree where a golden vine rests, will my eyes worship Lord Hari embraced by Sri Radha?

18 Let us glorify Lord Krsna’s perfect flute. When Her friends overcome with grief, the sweet words of a host of gopi messengers, and even Lord Krsna sprinkling the dust of Her feet on His head cannot extinguish it, Lord Krsna’s flute at once stops the fire of Radha’s jealous anger.

19 "O friend, without the pastime-place of Vraja, which is more dear to Me than life, and without My father, mother, friends, the gopis and one special gopi, the city of Dvaraka has become poison to Me." Hearing sleeping Krsna speak these words. Satyabhama, with many sweet words, begged Him to let her see the land of Vraja.

20 Friend, look at this golden jasmine vine resting on the chest of this tamala tree. Look at this black bee flying for a long time among these blossoming flowers. These sights reminds me of smiling Radha, more splendid than lightning as She sits on the lap of Lord Krsna who eclipses the splendour of monsoon clouds.

1 O heart, please worship fair-complexioned, profoundly sweet Sri Radha, who worships Lord Krsna’s path with the millions of flowers of her every breath, who is more dear to Lord Krsna than His own life, who is affectionately embraced by Her dear friend Lalita, and who is showered with a host of playful jokes by Visakha.

2 O heart, please worship profoundly sweet Sri Radha, who, by Her favourite lake, in a forest splendid with the sounds of many bees greedy to taste the honey of fragrant, blossoming flowers, discusses the charming politics of Kama’s kingdom with Kama’s prime minister, Lord Hari.

3 O heart, please worship profoundly sweet Sri Radha, whose senses, tossed by the high waves of Lord Krsna’s sidelong glance, dance in the arena of Kama, who crookedly defeats her lover in the battle of amorous passion, and who is intoxicated by drinking the sweet nectar of the benedictions presented by Her smiling friends.

4 O heart, please worship profoundly sweet Sri Radha, who when Lord Krsna defeated Her in the dice-game and, smiling, blissful and proud, the corners of His eyes red and the hairs of His trembling body erect, began to sip the two bimba fruit lips He won as the prize, She suddenly struck Him with a lotus flower.

5 O heart, please worship profoundly sweet Sri Radha, who, gazing with Visakha at the springtime beauty of the forest, resting Her left hand on Krsna’s shoulder, and maddened with deep friendship, with love and bliss suddenly placed a flowering twig on her beloved’s ear.

6 O heart, please worship profoundly sweet Sri Radha, who, in the midst of a cave in Govardhana Hill, on a great bed made of flowers, as She pretended to sleep, tried to steal Krsna’s flute and garland, was stopped by Him as He smiled and grasped Her neck, and when She became frightened and eager to run away, was stopped again as He pressed Her breasts with both His hands.

7 O heart, please worship profoundly sweet Sri Radha, who, when Krsna, placing the cows in front, entered Vraja with His friends, and with dancing, passionate eyes gazed at Her face, She, with many playful glances from the corners of Her eyes, made Him tremble and Her rival Padma wilt with despair.

8 O heart, please worship profoundly sweet Sri Radha, who is the star Anuradha shining with the Govinda moon in the opulent sky of Vraja forest, and who with Her great splendour dims the many millions of gopi stars eternally shining in the glorious rasa dance.

9 An intelligent and saintly person who, falling down on the ground, with choked words again and again recites this Navastaka, with the nectar of direct service lovingly waters the splendid nectar vine of Sri Radha, the playground of the intoxicated black bee of Lord Mukunda.