I worship Radha and Krishna’s dearmost girlfriend Dhanishtha, who, under different pretexts, joyfully arranges for Sri Radha and Krishna’s meeting in a grove on Nandishwar Hill after Sri Radha was brought to Nanda’s house by Yashoda, the Queen of Vraja, to cook his morning meal.
VERSE 33:
mudā kāmaṁ nandīśvara-giri-nikunje praṇayinī
chalaiḥ kṛṣṇaṁ rādhāṁ dayitam abhi tāṁ sārayati yā
dhaniṣṭhāṁ tat-prāṇa-priyatara-sakhīṁ tāṁ kila bhaje
śṛṅgāraḥ sakhi mūrtimān iva madhau mugdho hariḥ krīḍati
“O sakhi Rādhe! In this sweet spring Hari plays as if he is erotic enjoyments personified!” (Gīta-govindam 1.47)
This embodiment of transcendental eros is fulfilled when he relishes the flavours of the Vrajasundarīs’ mahābhāva. The transcendental youthful Cupid of Vrindavan is especially fulfilled when he relishes the mādana-rasa of Vrishabhanu-nandini. In this regard Sri Radha’s heart’s friend Dhanishtha is his greatest support. In this verse Das Goswami praises her.
According to Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi (4.50) Sri Radha has five kinds of girlfriends: sakhīs, nitya-sakhīs, prāṇa-sakhīs, priya-sakhīs and parama-preṣṭha-sakhīs. Dhanishtha is a sakhī, and she is known to have a greater affection for Sri Krishna than for Radha.
yāḥ pūrvaṁ sakhya ity uktās tās tu snehādhikā harau
Kusumikā, Vindhyā and Dhanishtha are sakhīs. They are known for their greater love for Sri Krishna. (Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi 4.51, 8.130)
Dhanishtha and Kundalata nourish the flavours of the Yugala’s pastimes by residing in Nanda’s abode. They are known as the ones who expand Sri Krishna’s ecstatic love:
śrī kundalatikāṁ kṛṣṇa-premānanda-vivardhinīm
I bow down to Dhanishtha, a garland of virtue and of auspicious form, and to Kundalata, who increased the joy of love for Krishna. (Paddhati-pradīpa)
When Kundalata brings Sri Radharani to Nanda’s abode to cook, Dhaniṣṭha comes out of her inner quarters, where she was waiting for Radha, and takes her to Sri Yashoda.
Elsewhere Das Goswami has written:
nandīśvaraṁ vraja-mahendra-mahālayaṁ tam
dūre nirīkṣya muditā tvaritaṁ dhaniṣṭhā
tvām ānayiṣyati kadā praṇayair mamāgre
When will I watch Dhanishtha who will see you from afar as you arrive at Nandishwar, the great abode of the king of Vraja, surrounded by your loving friends, and quickly and lovingly take you inside? (Vilāpa-kusumāñjali 61)
In Nanda’s abode, all of Sri Radha’s activities, such as cooking, eating Krishna’s nectarean remnants and resting afterwards are taken care of by Dhanishtha’s assistance. After Krishna and his friends have eaten and rested and Sri Radha and her girlfriends have eaten and taken rest, she arranges for Sri Radha and Krishna’s to meet in a secretive forest grove on Nandishwar hill:
Sri Vrajeshwari cuddled Sri Radhika, giving her different garments, ornaments and unguents. Tuṅgavidyā whispered something in Vishakha’s ear, making her giggle and shake her head. Sri Radhika, who saw this, understood what was on their minds and said: “O sakhi Vishakha! O Tungavidya! It is best for a chaste housewife like myself not to stay here when you are whispering in each other’s ears and exchanging naughty glances with each other like that! You are obviously up to no good!”
With that, Radha got up to go home, but Vishakha stopped her and said: “O sakhi! Are you indicating your desires with this show of fear? Why are you so disturbed by our whispering? Sakhi! Vrajeshwari told you to freely play, joke and lie down with your friends, but she did not specify whether she meant girlfriends or your boyfriend! Now why do you make her sad by disobeying her order, going straight home without even taking a little rest after eating? Just make us happy by following her order and playing with your friend.”
Bandhujiva or bandhuka, scientific name: Pentapetes Phoenicea.
Then clever Dhanishtha came in and told Sri Radhika: “Sakhi! Don’t stay with them, they are very crooked! Come with me through this secret side-door, quickly! Your desire to pick bandhujīva flowers [or: the desires of Krishna’s heart (bandhu = your friend Krishna and jīva = his heart), eyes and mind to unite with you) will be fulfilled without hindrance! O Sakhi! The Queen of Vraja will not find out, don’t be afraid for nothing! Just come along with me down this path!”
With these words, Dhanishtha led Sri Radhika to meet her beautiful Krishna in the blissful solitary confines of a cave in Nandishwar hill, behind the king’s garden, thus fulfilling Krishna’s longstanding desire to be alone with his heart’s beloved in a secluded place. (Kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛta 6.111-116)
Das Goswami says: “I worship this Dhanishtha, who is Sri Radha’s heart’s friend!”
nityai ānena śrī nandīśvara parvate
kon chale śrī rādhāya nikuñja kānane;
nitya abhisāre milāya śrī kṛṣṇera sane
rādhikāra prāṇa sakhī sei to dhaniṣṭhā;
tāhāre bhajibo āmi hoye eka niṣṭhā
I steadily worship Radhika’s heart’s friend Dhanishtha, who always brings Radha to the Sri Nandishwar Mount to cook for mother Yashoda and who always uses some pretext to unite Sri Radha with Sri Krishna there in the mountain-woods.
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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