Reading "Shree Ujjvala-Nilamani" in Hindi Edition by OM VishnuPad BhaktiVedanta Narayana Maharaj this lovely winter. While reading, the idea about making some interesting explanations for my English-reading audience have
flickered through my mind, so I have decided to make a series of posts about "Shree Ujjvala-Nilamani" especially.
flickered through my mind, so I have decided to make a series of posts about "Shree Ujjvala-Nilamani" especially.
I have started from Chapter 04 (not surprising choice for a bhakta from Shakti-Sampradaya, HAHAHAHA). This Chapter is devoted to Shreemati Radharani-Devi exclusively.
Don't be afraid of too much Sanskrit - I have written simple English explanations for each Verse, so this set of articles is very simple!
Verse 04.01-02: Billions of Gopikas.
तत्रापि सर्वथा श्रेष्ठे राधाचन्द्रावलीत्युभे ।
यूथयोस्तु ययोः सन्ति कोटिसंख्या मृगीदृशः। । १ । ।
अभुदाकुलितो रासः प्रमदाशतकोटिभिः ।
पुलिने यामुने तस्मिन्नित्येषागमिकी प्रथा । । २ । ।
These Verses are very much interesting. Verse 01 mentions, that Shreemati Radhika-Devi and Shreemati Chandravali-Devi are always surrounded by billions of Shree Vraja-Gopis.
OM VishnuPad Rupa Goswami writes that more than billion Gopikas enjoyed Shree Rasa-Leela on the coasts of Shree Yamuna-Ji and refers to "Shree Krama-Dipika" and Shree Vaishnava-Agamas (number "billion" sounds shocking, but Krishna has the infinite number of jiva-girls, devoted to Him, this Siddhanta is up to "Shree Vedanta-Sutra").
Besides, of all the Gopikas Bhagavan Shree Krishna Adores and Cherishes Radhika and Chandrawali most of all, but...see the Verse 3.
Verse 04.03: MahaBhava/Hladini.
तयोरप्युभयोर्मध्ये राधिका सर्वथाधिका ।
महाभावस्वरुपेयं गुणैरतिवरीयसी । । ३ । ।
But Shreemati Radhika-Devi is The Most Precious Gopika for Krishna. The reason? Only Shreemati Radhika-Devi bears MahaBhava, because Radhika is "MAHABHAVA SWARUPINI".
Om Vishnupad BhaktiVedanta Narayana Maharaj writes in His Tika, that Shreemati Radharani-Devi is ह्लादिनीशाक्तिकी सारांश हैं एवं गुणोंमें भी अत्यन्त श्रेष्ठा हैं, that is translating from Hindi - "The Essence of Hladini-Shakti and Ishwari with The Most Exalted (Most Precious) Gunas (Features) among all the Gopikas".
So, to resume - MahaBhava + Hladini-Shakti ("Hladini" in this case means "The Gopika Who Grants the Most Ultimate Joy to Lord Shree Krishna", so no any Gopika/Shakti can be compared with Shreemati Radharani-Devi).
Some notes on 04.03 Tika by Om VishnuPad Jiva Goswami
Om VishnuPad Jiva Goswami resorts to the following logical chain in His Tika to this Verse:
1. First of all, He remarks, that all the Gopikas are overwhelmed with Shree Bhakti-Rasa towards Their Lord and Pati Bhagavan Shree Krishna. All the Gopikas are endowed with the Utmost Bhakti Qualities as well, so Krishna Loves All of Them very much.
2. Nevertheless (second remark by Om VishnuPad Jiva Goswami), Only One Gopika is the Most Prominent - Shreemati Radhika-Devi, because Our Precious ParaIshwari bears in Herself all The Exalted Qualities and Has The Unique Treasure of MahaBhava towards Bhagavan Shree Krishna (that is all other Gopikas are endowed with just various degrees of Gopi-Bhava, not MahaBhava or let's say MahaRadha-Bhava!).
3. To resume, Om VishnuPad Jiva Goswami cites "Shree Gautamiya-Tantra", here is His Sanskrit Words: एवमेवोक्तं बृहद्गौतमीये तन्मन्त्रस्य ऋष्यादिकथने - “देवी कृष्ण्मयी प्रोक्ता राधिका परदेवता । सर्वलक्ष्मीमयी सर्वकान्तिसम्मोहिनी परा” इति च - evamevoktaM bRRihadgautamIye tanmantrasya RRiShyAdikathane - “devI kRRiShNmayI proktA rAdhikA paradevatA | sarvalakShmImayI sarvakAntisammohinI parA” iti cha
Sounds more than beautiful and if to translate Sanskrit into English: "Shreemati Radharani-Devi is overwhelmed with Bhakti/Love towards Krishna. Shreemati Radhika-Devi is The Ashraya of all Lakshmis. Radhika is The Highest Beauty!"
As you see, there is a word "ParaDevata" in this cite, even this word alone tells that Shreemati Radhika-Devi is The Most Exalted Ishwari for Krishna.
In this cite "Lakshmis"="Gopikas" (that is All Shree Lakshmis are Gopikas, see "Shree Brahma-Samhita" and Shree Chaitanya MahaPrabhu dialogue with OM VishnuPad Venkata Bhatta from "Shree Chaitanya-Charitamrita" to understand this Siddhanta better).Verse 04.04-7: Shreemati Radharani-Devi as MahaShakti for Bhagavan Shree Vishnu (Shree Krishna).
I will cite the gist of these Verses here before we jump into very beautiful Verse 08.
These Verses accentuate Shreemati Radhika-Devi as MahaShakti (MahaRadhika).
Om VishnuPad BhaktiVedanta Narayana Maharaj uses Hindi word पराकाष्ठा (parAkAShThA - apogee, climax, height) in order to show The Most Exalted Position of Shreemati Radhika-Devi.
Om VishnuPad Jiva Goswami says "उदित" (udita - Highest) and cites "Shree Padma-Purana".
OM VishnuPad Vishwanatha Charkavarti Thakur writes एक अद्वितिय (eka advitiya), it means that "Shreemati Radharani-Devi is Unique (that's why has nobody to be compared with) and The Highest among All The Gopika-Girls!".
In the Verse 06 OM VishnuPad Rupa Goswami returns to the above-mentioned Verse from "Shree Gautamiya-Tantra" and OM VishnuPad Jiva Goswami adds more Pramans from "Shree Vishnu-Purana" (1.12.68) and "Shree Sarvajna-Sukta" to this cite.
OM VishnuPad Jiva Goswami writes -
ह्लादिनीति, येयं खलु विष्णुपुराणे
“ह्लादिनी सन्धिनी संवित्त्वय्येका सर्वसंश्तितै । ह्लादतापकरी मिश्रा त्वयि नो गुणवर्जिते” इति ।
सर्वज्ञसुक्ते च -
“ह्लादिन्य संविदशिलष्टः सच्चिदानन्द ईश्वरः । अविद्यासंवृतो जीवः संक्लेशनिकराकरः। । “
The Verse 1.12.68 from "Shree Vishnu-Purana" is very famous, that's why I omit my translation and gloss, but the cite from "Shree Sarvajna-Sukta" is rather rare and very interesting one, if to translate into English:
"Bhagavan Shree Krishna is Sat-Chit-Ananda Iswara and He is Always Embraced by Shree Hladini and Shree Samwit Shaktis (that is Shree Krishna Never Parts with Shreemati Radharani-Devi), while jiva in impure sansara state is surrounded by its own kleshas and Avidya".
OM VishnuPad Jiva Goswami uses the Verse from "Shree Sarvajna-Sukta" in order to emphasize that Shreemati Radharani-Devi is Shree MahaShakti and stresses out afterwards, that Shree Hladini-Shakti is always MahaShakti from the point of view of Bhagavan Shree Krishna (that is Lord Shree Krishna Loves Shree Hladini-Shakti most of All).
Now to the Verse 08, it is supra-beautiful and more sweetness - spoken by Bhagavan Shree Krishna Personally.
Verse 04.08. Svabhavika Beauty of Shreemati MahaRadhika-Devi
तत्र सुष्ठुकान्तस्वरुपा यथा श्री कृष्ण वाक्यं
कचास्तव सुकुञ्चिता मुखमधीरदीर्घेक्षणं
कठोरकुचभागुरः क्रशिमशालि मध्यस्थलम् ।
न ते शिरसि दोर्लते करजरत्नरम्यौ करौ,
विधूनयति राधिके त्रिजगदेष रुपोत्सवः । । ८ । ।
Yes, according to Shree Krishna Words (as you see this Verse starts from यथा श्री कृष्ण वाक्यं - yathA shrI kRRiShNa vAkyaM).
So, Bhagavan Shree Krishna says: सुष्ठुकान्तस्वरुपा (suShThukAntasvarupA), that is "for Me Shree Radha is Exceedingly Beautiful".
Then in Ecstacy Bhagavan Shree Krishna enumerates The Features He Especially Loves in Shreemati MahaRadhika-Devi (I have enumerated partly Sanskrit and partly Hindi by OM VishnuPad BhaktiVedanta Narayana Maharaj):
- केशकलाप (keshakalApa) - The Mass of Beautiful Black Hair of Incomparable Beauty
- वदनकमल (vadanakamala) - The Face Resembling a Lotus Flower
- चञ्चल सुदीर्घ नेत्रोंसे युक्त (cha~nchala sudIrgha netroMse yukta) - Lightful (Love-and-Passion Inciting) and Very Large (Long) Eyes
- वक्षःस्थल भि कठिन कुचों द्वारा सुशोभित (vakShaHsthala bhi kaThina kuchoM dvArA sushobhita) - Firm and Rigid Female Breast
- मध्यदेश अत्यन्त क्षीण (madhyadesha atyanta kShINa) - Extremely Beautiful Waist
- हस्त नखरत्नोंसे अत्यन्त सुरुचिर (hasta nakharatnoMse atyanta suruchira) - Hands with Nails Resembling Precious Jewels Shining Brightly.
This is my favourite personal Feature. Being a Gopi (a younger wife of Bhagavan Shree Krishna) I am absolutely mad about His Hands, Bracelets and Nails. And Shree Krishna is Mad about The Hands and Nails of Shreemati Radharani-Devi.
OM VishnuPad Vishwanatha Chakravarti Thakur also emphasizes the Beauty of The Hands of Shreemati Radhika-Devi and Acharya tells that ऐष स्वाभाविक (aiSha svAbhAvika): The Exceedingly Beautiful Hands and Jewel Nails is a part of Natural (Svabhavika) Beauty of Shreemati Radhika-Devi.
Article by Vishnudut1926,
January 2016,
Moscow
