I worship Kundalata, who, on the order of Queen Yashoda, daily comes to take Sri Radha to Nanda’s abode to cook for Krishna, who always greatly delights Radha by lovingly having joking discussions about Hari with her on the way and who is herself also most satisfied with this.
VERSE 32:
sakhyenālaṁ parama-rucirā narma bhavyena rādhāṁ
pākārthaṁ yā vrajapati mahiñyājñayā sannayantī
premnā śaśvat pathi pathi harer vārtayā tarpayantī
tuñyatvetāṁ param iha bhaje kunda pūrvāṁ latāṁ tām
Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā: In this verse Das Goswami worships Sri Kundalata, the special nourisher of Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s pastimes. We have already said that Vraja is like a beautiful garden full of flowers of love. The minds and hearts of the worshipers are scented by the loving expertise of the various companions of Krishna in Vraja. Although the fragrance of the flowers causes everyone’s heart to blossom, the rasika bee is as if intoxicated by the relish of this honey. In the same way, although everyone’s heart is delighted to hear about the great love of the Vraja companions, the heart of the jāta-rati-mādhuryopāsaka, the worshiper who is in the madhura-rasa and whose love of God has manifested, becomes even more intoxicated by rasa.
Das Goswami is in the kingdom of mahābhāva, so in his heart a wonderful current of relish of the wonderful and great love of the Vraja companions is constantly flowing. And after relishing it, he has recorded it for the rasika bhāgavatas (great experts in experiencing the devotional moods) to relish afterwards.
In this verse Das Goswami praises the wife of Krishna’s cousin, Kundalata. Because of a boon from the sage Durvāsā, Sri Radharani has become <i>amṛta-hastā</i>, i.e., whatever her hands touch while cooking turns into nectar. The vegetables and grains she cooks are not only delicious, they also bestow appetite and extend the life span of the eater. For this reason Sri Yashoda, out of love for her son, daily sends Kundalata to Jatila to ask her permission to bring Sri Radha to her home to cook for Sri Krishna.
Kundalata relays the request of the Queen of Vraja to mother Jatila and then goes to Sri Radha and her sakhīs, who are already floating in oceans of bliss. This is described in Kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛta:
The sakhīs, who are all equal to Sri Radhika in affection, kindness and luster, became ecstatic when they experienced the nectar-shower of Radhika’s and Kundalata’s meeting, their exchange of smiles and their inquiry about each others’ welfare.
Sri Radhika got up to welcome Kundalata and told her:
“Sakhi! By Vrajeshwari’s grace you have come here quickly! Your arrival here is as indescribably beautiful as the moonrise in the east at nightfall! I understand that Queen Yashoda showers me with the nectar of mercy by giving this order to cook for Krishna! If I had not gotten it, my mind would be so sad that it would have been better for me to leave my body! O Rasavati (humorous girl, or good cook)! I see you have come to take me there to cook, but first ask my superiors for permission and then we can go!”
Drinking the nectar of fair-eyed Radhika’s words, Kundalata blissfully smiled and said: “Sakhi! You know it is all arranged, so don’t delay and come along with me and bring your friends along!” (Kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛta 4,110 and 5,1-4)
Jatila also follows the order of the Queen of Vraja and sends her daughter-in-law to Nanda’s house, giving her various beneficial instructions:
jaratī yatano kori, kohe śuno sundari,
sakhī saṅge koroho payāna.
uḍanī yoḍanī māthe, dekhiyā colibe pathe,
lakhite nā pāre yeno āna.
Jatila carefully said: Listen, O beautiful girl, go now with your sakhīs. Keep your veil on your head, so that no one else will see you while you walk down the road.
boḍura jhiyārī baṭa, kule śīle naha choṭa
saba guṇe hao paravīṇa.
thākiho sabāra mājhe, bujhibā āpana kāje,
āmi āra jība koto dina
You are a high-born daughter; indeed, your dynasty and your customs are far from common! You are full of great qualities. Stay in the midst of all the other girls and understand your duties. After all, how much longer will I live?
sadaye vidāya kore, jaṭilā colilā ghare,
ulasita rasavati rādhe
raṅgiṇī saṅgiṇī tāra, lei saba upahāra,
cololi pūraite sādhe.
Kindly sending Radha on her way, Jatila went back in the house, and blissful rasika Radha and her playful girlfriends took all their paraphernalia and went off to fulfill their desires.
gajendra gamana jini, cole rāi vinodinī,
sughaḍa sakhīra heli aṅga.
kohoye śekhara rāy, puchite puchite yāya
rajanī vilāsa rasa raṅga
Rāi Vinodinī thus left, walking like the king of elephants, leaning on her sakhīs. Raya Shekhar says: “While walking along with her, the sakhīs asked her about her amorous pastimes of the previous night.”
While they were on the way to Nanda’s house Kundalata jokingly told Sri Radha:
O Radhe! Even though your husband was out for three or four days to have the newly purchased fertile cows inseminated by the bulls, he came home last night and slept alone in his own room! Still we can see that your breasts are full of nailmarks and your lips are full of bitemarks! We are all very happy that you show such clear signs of fidelity to your husband now!”
Seeing Radha’s hidden smile and her wide, slightly squinted eyes, Lalita told Kundalata: “Why are you causing needless anxiety to Radha’s heart? Yesterday some bold parrot in the forest sat on her breasts, thinking them to be pomegranates and scratched them; then he bit her lips, thinking them to be bimba fruits. That’s why she is bruised like this!”
Kundalata saw that Radhika’s body shivered after hearing Lalita’s words, billowing on waves of playfulness while remembering her pastimes with Krishna the previous night. Slightly smiling Kundalata looked at a nearby pond and said, as if addressing a female lotus:
“O bewildered Padmini! Why are you vainly shivering in ecstasy? Kundalata’s (a vine of kunda flowers, or she herself) devara (brother-in-law Krishna, or bestower of joy) Madhusudan (Krishna, or a bee) is restless; he has already enjoyed you (leaving you after drinking your honey). Now will he drink your nectar again? (rest assured that he won’t!)”
By being absorbed in such joking discussions with her, Kundalata immerses Sri Radha in the pinnacle of bliss and is herself similarly caught up in the relish of bliss. (Govinda-līlāmṛta 3:29-33)
Das Goswami says: “I worship this Kundalata.”
vrajapati mahiṣī yaśodāra ājñāte;
rādhāre ānena yiho pākera nimitte
sakhya bhāve rādhikāya pathe kautukete;
paritṛpta korena śrī kṛṣṇa prasaṅgete
kṛṣṇa kothā rasotsave ḍagamagi yini;
sei kundalatāya nirantara bhaji āmi
I constantly worship Kundalata, who, on mother Yashoda’s order, brings Radha to the abode of the Queen of Vraja, who satisfies Radhika on the way there by making fun with her about Krishna in a friendly mood, and who is always immersed in an ocean of nectarean Krishna-kathā.
Commentary of Sri Radha Kund Mahant, Pandit Sri Ananta Das Babaji Maharaj is named Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā (a drop of the nectar of Stavāvalī), and was published in Gaurābda 503 (1989 A.D.) from Sri Krishna Chaitanya Shastra Mandir, Vrajananda Ghera, PO Radhakunda (district Mathura), U.P., India.
Devotional songs in Bengali that follow each commentary were composed by Dr. Haripada Sheel.
© Translated by Advaita dāsa in 1994
Source: Tarun Govinda Das, Flowing Nectar Stream blog.
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