Text 13

In this way, the sādhaka worships the dust of Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s lotus feet.

In Śrī Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhi (198) Śrī Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī prays:

आशास्य दास्यं वृषभानु-जायास् तीरे समध्यास्य च भानु-जायाः
कदा नु वृन्दावन-कुञ्ज-वीथिष्व् अहं नु राधे ह्य् अतिथिर् भवेयम्

āśāsya dāsyaṃ vṛṣabhānu-jāyās tīre samadhyāsya ca bhānu-jāyāḥ
kadā nu vṛndāvana-kuñja-vīthiṣv ahaṃ nu rādhe hy atithir bhaveyam

O Rādhā! O Vṛṣabhānu-nandinī! When will I, who am residing on the bank of the Yamunā with the hope of becoming Your maidservant, become a guest on the pathways of Vṛndāvana’s kuñjas?

vṛṣabhānu-kumārīra haiba kiṅkarī
kalinda-nandinī tīre ra’ba vāsa kari’

करुणा करिया राधे ए दासीर प्रति
वृन्दाटवी कुञ्ज-पथे हैब अतिथि

karuṇā kariyā rādhe e dāsīra prati
vṛndāṭavī kuñja-pathe haiba atithi

Commentary: Bhajana-rahasya-vṛtti:

Similarly, in one place Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura prays, “O Vṛṣabhānu-nandinī, there is a hope growing in my heart, that You will become a guest on the path of my vision as You go to Your rendezvous on the paths of Vṛndāvana’s kuñjas on the bank of the Yamunā.”

In an extremely restless condition, Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī has composed this Text while remembering service to Śrī Svāminī. In the absence of this service, vast pain and longing has arisen in his heart as he remembers the sweetness of these pastimes. Realising his disqualification to taste such sweetness, his life air is agitated by an intolerable unhappiness and pain. However, a firm hope of one day attaining the eternal service of Svāminī is stirring his heart. One symptom of the jāta-rati-bhakta is a firm hope of attaining the Supreme Lord (āśā-bandha), and the ultimate development of this āśā-bandha is seen in mahābhāva. The resolute hope of the vrajadevīs is indescribable. Even in the condition of long-term separation from Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the expectation of attaining His service keeps them alive. They have faith in Kṛṣṇa’s words spoken when He left for Mathurā (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.39.35): “āyāsya iti–I will return.” With this hope, Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī prays at Śrī Svāminī’s lotus feet, “O Rādhā! O Vṛṣabhānu-nandinī! When will I, with the hope of becoming Your maidservant, be a guest on the pathways of the kuñjas situated on the bank of the Yamunā?”

“O Rādhā, You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, the empress of Vṛndāvana and a treasury of overf lowing compassion. Therefore, do not neglect me, a destitute and lowly person. Please engage me as a maidservant in the service of You and Your prāṇa-priyatama in Your pastimes within the secluded groves. Filled with intensely passionate pure love (premānurāga ), You move along the bank of the Yamunā towards the nikuñjas of Vṛndāvana to meet with the lord of Your life. When will this destitute guest sit on the path You travel? My determination will be fixed; I will not move from that place without first receiving Your mercy. Upon seeing this destitute guest sitting there, Your heart will certainly be moved by compassion. O Svāminī, You are Kṛṣṇa’s most treasured beloved and His worshipper. Please make me successful by giving me an opportunity to perform some tiny service in the worship of the love of Your life. Now, at the end of my life, I am a beggar for Your mercy. Please accept me as Your unpaid maidservant. If You deprive me of this, Your name will be defamed, and that I cannot tolerate.”