Text 17

A prayer to attain Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet, the ultimate attainment, is given in Śrī Vilāpa-kusumāñjali (8):

देवि दुःख-कुल-सागरोदरे दूयमानम् अति-दुर्गतं जनम्
त्वं कृपा-प्रबल-नौकयाद्भुतं प्रापय स्वपद-पङ्कजालयम्

devi duḥkha-kula-sāgarodare dūyamānam ati-durgataṃ janam
tvaṃ kṛpā-prabala-naukayādbhutaṃ prāpaya svapada-paṅkajālayam

O Devī Śrī Rādhikā, I am in a helpless condition, drowning in an ocean of unhappiness. Please lift me into the strong boat of Your mercy and give me the shelter of Your lotus feet.

दुःख-सिन्धु माझे देवि, दुर्गत ए जन
कृपा-पोते पाद-पद्मे उठाओ एखन

duḥkha-sindhu mājhe devi, durgata e jana
kṛpā-pote pāda-padme uṭhāo ekhana

Commentary: Bhajana-rahasya-vṛtti:

Feeling himself to be bereft of service, Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī is extremely agitated by separation from Śrī Rādhā. He feels himself to be without shelter and is drowning in the deep ocean of unhappiness. As he remembers this verse, he glorifies Śrī Svāminī in every way by using the word devī. The root of devī is div, which means ‘playful’ or ‘sportive’. In other words, She enjoys pastimes of divine love sports with Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Remembering this, Dāsa Gosvāmī uses the word devī. In Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā 4.84) it is said: “‘devī’ kahi dyotamānā, paramā sundarī–devī means ‘resplendent and most beautiful’.”

“O Śrīmatī Rādhikā, deprived of service to Your lotus feet, I am drowning in this ocean of material existence, which is difficult to cross. Please shelter me within the boat of Your mercy and bestow upon me the qualification to serve Your lotus feet, for apart from this service, there is no other remedy to remove the exhaustion caused by pangs of separation from You. Everything in the material world causes misery; only service to You is fully blissful.”

The mañjarīs are firmly and resolutely fixed in the mood of being Śrī Rādhā’s maidservants. The only thing on their minds is service to Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet. A desire to enjoy bodily association with Śrī Hari does not arise even in their dreams. If Śrī Kṛṣṇa forcefully catches hold of them and begins to speak to them, they say archly, “O Nanda-nandana! Do not dare touch this body!”

The sentiments that Śrī Rādhā’s maidservants have towards Her is pure and completely free from the desire for self-enjoyment. They do not even have a tinge of any desire other than to serve Her.