Post by madanmohandas on Sept 4, 2022 2:17:09 GMT -6
Sri Radhastami
From Siddha Krishna das babaji’s Gaura Govinda Lilamrta Gutika
Saptami Lila
On Bhadra Shukla saptami, Sri Radha with her sakhis enact the usual dawn pastimes such as morning bath, dressing and ornamentation. After that they expectantly await the arrival of Sri Krishna, who along with all the family had been invited to celebrate the janmatithi of Vrishabhanu's daughter.
Meantime, having performed their morning duties and partaken of a light repast, Nanda with his brethren and extended family mount bullock drawn carriages and depart Nandishvara and proceed to Varshana. Hearing from a distance the sound of music and instruments, Vrishabhanu Maharaja along with his brethren, Kirtida Rani and with the women and other guests hasten forth to greet the party even as they were greeted on the occasion of Krishna's birthday festival. In the same manner greetings are exchanged and suitable quarters assigned. Thereafter Sri Krishna and his party take a light repast. Sri Radha with her companions and the group leaders, having also partaken a light meal, proceed to prepare varieties of comestibles, each displaying their culinary skills, and together engage to prepare sweet rice pudding, fried rice, plain rice and vegetables, etc. The pujari priest then consecrates all the offerings to the divine image of Narayana.
Thereupon, mother Kirtida commissions Sridama-chandra to summon all the guests, and even as on the occasion of Krishna's birthday celebrations, seating is arranged in ordered lines on the courtyard. But who will begin serving the guests? On this question a loving contention arises between Radha and the other group leaders. The amiable Shyamasakhi, with feigning irritation, said to Sri Radha, ' Your father has invited the guests, what do we know, you can begin the serving or not as it so pleases you.' Hearing this loving quarrel, Vrajeshvari-mata, intervenes and arranges that each group, by division, may begin to serve the ordered lines of seated guests respectively, and this they do. After the meal (details are given in the account of Janmastami, and to avoid repetition) the guests rinse their mouths, chew tambul, and retire to their assigned quarters to rest.
Thereafter, Sri Radha with her companions, on the pretence of picking flowers, passes through the west gate and proceeds to the bank of Vilasa kunda. Sri Krishna also secretly arrives there and thence follows some love sport, after which they conduct the 'Yogapeetha' meeting. Again they return to their assigned quarters to rest.
Thereafter, Sri Radha prepares varieties of rice and vegetables, and on the pretence of offering worship to the Sun, makes her way to the bank of Radha kunda; there the usual midday pastimes unfold, concluding with Sun worship; then returning in the afternoon the pastimes progress even as on any other day.
This concludes Saptami Lila.
(The celebration of Radhastami begins on the saptami and ends on the navami and hence Sri Krishna for these three days does not go herding the cows.)
Astami Lila
In Vrishabhanu-pura in the early morning of the astami day, Radha and Krishna and their associates perform their usual functions, and having completed their bath etc., everyone gathers to observe Sri Radha's ritual bathing ceremony. After her regular morning bath, Sri Radha is attired in fine white raiment; she has a pearl fastened to her nose; a necklace of elephant pearls; armlets on her arms; bangles on her wrists; an ornamental zone; her feet are adorned with sounding anklets, and thus attired and adorned, she proceeds to the ceremonial bathing platform. Thereupon musicians on various instruments begin to play and exhibit dancing postures. The maidservants had whilom prepared the articles for the ceremony and these are laid out and kept in due order.
Sri Paurnamasi devi begins the recitation of the incantations relating to the ritual bath, and the priests' daughter (Gargi) commences the sequence of the ritual bath. First Radha is aspersed with water surcharged with potent herbs; then the five products of the cow; the five nectars; then an hundred pots of water; a shower through a sieve with a thousand perforations; and finally the water poured from a conch. Thereafter the maidservants gently dry her limbs, anoint her with fragrant oils, apply a vertical tilak design with balsam made with four substances; she is rinsed off again and finally attired in blue garments. Sri Radha is then escorted to beauty parlour on a raised platform where her maidservants accomplish her sodasa sringara (16 items of toilette) and her dvadasa abharana (12 articles of adornment).
The sixteen items of Sri Radha's toilette.
(Sodasa shringaara)
Sri Radha shines with dazzling radiance,
With the sixteen items of elegance;
The cleansing bath, a pearl hung from the nose,
A shiny raiment and a sash that glows;
Bound up and braided is her curly hair,
And adornments are hung over each ear;
Her limbs are smeared with unguents divine,
And flowers in her braided hair entwine;
She wears a fresh fragrant flower garland,
And twirls a lotus flower in her hand;
She chews a succulent leaf-wrap tambul;
A spot of musk on her chin beautiful;
With collyrium to her eyes applied,
Designs upon her cheeks on either side;
Red lac upon the soles of her feet spread,
And bright tilak applied to her forehead.
Twelve articles of beautification.
(Dvaadasa aabharana)
Sri Radha shines like Ravi, the sun bright,
With her twelve beautiful ornaments dight;
She wears a glistering gem studded crown,
And golden pendants from her ears hang down;
Around her waist an ornamental zone;
From her neck a Nishka medallion;
With disc ornaments fastened o'er her ears;
And gilded bracelets on her wrists she wears;
An ornament fastened around her neck,
And shiny rings her soft fingers bedeck;
She wears a swaying bright pendant necklace,
On her arms doth shimmering armbands place;
Gem studded anklets on her feet repose,
And glistering bright rings adorn her toes.
(Sri Rupa's Ujjvala Nilamani, Radha Prakaranam 9 and 10)
The priests' daughter, taking durva and dhanya in her hands, makes offering in seven circling motions; Then the maidservants perform the arati ceremony, after which Paurnamasi performs arati and bestows benedictions. Yashoda mata and other matrons place gem necklaces around her neck, present garments on golden trays, and bestow their heartfelt benedictions. In the same manner the group leaders present offerings on trays. Then Sri Radha makes a charitable donation of a well adorned milking cow along with its calf. Thousands of such cows and calves are donated by the magnanimous Vrishabhanu maharaja. Thereafter, Sri Radha bows to Paurnamasi and the other elders, her mother and father and other honourable guests, to each accordingly she pays prostrate obeisance.
From Siddha Krishna das babaji’s Gaura Govinda Lilamrta Gutika
Saptami Lila
On Bhadra Shukla saptami, Sri Radha with her sakhis enact the usual dawn pastimes such as morning bath, dressing and ornamentation. After that they expectantly await the arrival of Sri Krishna, who along with all the family had been invited to celebrate the janmatithi of Vrishabhanu's daughter.
Meantime, having performed their morning duties and partaken of a light repast, Nanda with his brethren and extended family mount bullock drawn carriages and depart Nandishvara and proceed to Varshana. Hearing from a distance the sound of music and instruments, Vrishabhanu Maharaja along with his brethren, Kirtida Rani and with the women and other guests hasten forth to greet the party even as they were greeted on the occasion of Krishna's birthday festival. In the same manner greetings are exchanged and suitable quarters assigned. Thereafter Sri Krishna and his party take a light repast. Sri Radha with her companions and the group leaders, having also partaken a light meal, proceed to prepare varieties of comestibles, each displaying their culinary skills, and together engage to prepare sweet rice pudding, fried rice, plain rice and vegetables, etc. The pujari priest then consecrates all the offerings to the divine image of Narayana.
Thereupon, mother Kirtida commissions Sridama-chandra to summon all the guests, and even as on the occasion of Krishna's birthday celebrations, seating is arranged in ordered lines on the courtyard. But who will begin serving the guests? On this question a loving contention arises between Radha and the other group leaders. The amiable Shyamasakhi, with feigning irritation, said to Sri Radha, ' Your father has invited the guests, what do we know, you can begin the serving or not as it so pleases you.' Hearing this loving quarrel, Vrajeshvari-mata, intervenes and arranges that each group, by division, may begin to serve the ordered lines of seated guests respectively, and this they do. After the meal (details are given in the account of Janmastami, and to avoid repetition) the guests rinse their mouths, chew tambul, and retire to their assigned quarters to rest.
Thereafter, Sri Radha with her companions, on the pretence of picking flowers, passes through the west gate and proceeds to the bank of Vilasa kunda. Sri Krishna also secretly arrives there and thence follows some love sport, after which they conduct the 'Yogapeetha' meeting. Again they return to their assigned quarters to rest.
Thereafter, Sri Radha prepares varieties of rice and vegetables, and on the pretence of offering worship to the Sun, makes her way to the bank of Radha kunda; there the usual midday pastimes unfold, concluding with Sun worship; then returning in the afternoon the pastimes progress even as on any other day.
This concludes Saptami Lila.
(The celebration of Radhastami begins on the saptami and ends on the navami and hence Sri Krishna for these three days does not go herding the cows.)
Astami Lila
In Vrishabhanu-pura in the early morning of the astami day, Radha and Krishna and their associates perform their usual functions, and having completed their bath etc., everyone gathers to observe Sri Radha's ritual bathing ceremony. After her regular morning bath, Sri Radha is attired in fine white raiment; she has a pearl fastened to her nose; a necklace of elephant pearls; armlets on her arms; bangles on her wrists; an ornamental zone; her feet are adorned with sounding anklets, and thus attired and adorned, she proceeds to the ceremonial bathing platform. Thereupon musicians on various instruments begin to play and exhibit dancing postures. The maidservants had whilom prepared the articles for the ceremony and these are laid out and kept in due order.
Sri Paurnamasi devi begins the recitation of the incantations relating to the ritual bath, and the priests' daughter (Gargi) commences the sequence of the ritual bath. First Radha is aspersed with water surcharged with potent herbs; then the five products of the cow; the five nectars; then an hundred pots of water; a shower through a sieve with a thousand perforations; and finally the water poured from a conch. Thereafter the maidservants gently dry her limbs, anoint her with fragrant oils, apply a vertical tilak design with balsam made with four substances; she is rinsed off again and finally attired in blue garments. Sri Radha is then escorted to beauty parlour on a raised platform where her maidservants accomplish her sodasa sringara (16 items of toilette) and her dvadasa abharana (12 articles of adornment).
The sixteen items of Sri Radha's toilette.
(Sodasa shringaara)
Sri Radha shines with dazzling radiance,
With the sixteen items of elegance;
The cleansing bath, a pearl hung from the nose,
A shiny raiment and a sash that glows;
Bound up and braided is her curly hair,
And adornments are hung over each ear;
Her limbs are smeared with unguents divine,
And flowers in her braided hair entwine;
She wears a fresh fragrant flower garland,
And twirls a lotus flower in her hand;
She chews a succulent leaf-wrap tambul;
A spot of musk on her chin beautiful;
With collyrium to her eyes applied,
Designs upon her cheeks on either side;
Red lac upon the soles of her feet spread,
And bright tilak applied to her forehead.
Twelve articles of beautification.
(Dvaadasa aabharana)
Sri Radha shines like Ravi, the sun bright,
With her twelve beautiful ornaments dight;
She wears a glistering gem studded crown,
And golden pendants from her ears hang down;
Around her waist an ornamental zone;
From her neck a Nishka medallion;
With disc ornaments fastened o'er her ears;
And gilded bracelets on her wrists she wears;
An ornament fastened around her neck,
And shiny rings her soft fingers bedeck;
She wears a swaying bright pendant necklace,
On her arms doth shimmering armbands place;
Gem studded anklets on her feet repose,
And glistering bright rings adorn her toes.
(Sri Rupa's Ujjvala Nilamani, Radha Prakaranam 9 and 10)
The priests' daughter, taking durva and dhanya in her hands, makes offering in seven circling motions; Then the maidservants perform the arati ceremony, after which Paurnamasi performs arati and bestows benedictions. Yashoda mata and other matrons place gem necklaces around her neck, present garments on golden trays, and bestow their heartfelt benedictions. In the same manner the group leaders present offerings on trays. Then Sri Radha makes a charitable donation of a well adorned milking cow along with its calf. Thousands of such cows and calves are donated by the magnanimous Vrishabhanu maharaja. Thereafter, Sri Radha bows to Paurnamasi and the other elders, her mother and father and other honourable guests, to each accordingly she pays prostrate obeisance.