Text 25

The midnight pastimes (rātri-līlā) are described in Govinda-līlāmṛta (22.1):

ताव् उत्कौ लब्ध-सङ्गौ बहु-परिचरणैर् वृन्दयाराध्यमानौ
   प्रेष्ठालीभिर् लसन्तौ विपिन-विहरणैर् गान-रासादि-लास्यैः
नाना-लीला-नितान्तौ प्रणय-सहचरी-वृन्द-संसेव्यमानौ
   राधा-कृष्णौ निशायां सुकुसुम-शयने प्राप्त-निद्रौ स्मरामि

tāv utkau labdha-saṅgau bahu-paricaraṇair vṛndayārādhyamānau
   preṣṭhālībhir lasantau vipina-viharaṇair gāna-rāsādi-lāsyaiḥ
nānā-līlā-nitāntau praṇaya-sahacarī-vṛnda-saṃsevyamānau
   rādhā-kṛṣṇau niśāyāṃ sukusuma-śayane prāpta-nidrau smarāmi

At night Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, who are very anxious to see one another, finally meet. Their dear gopīs worship Them by performing many services. Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa become weary from roaming in the forest, singing, dancing in the rāsa-līlā and performing other pastimes with these most beloved sakhīs. Their group of loving maidservants then serve Them by fanning Them, offering Them camphor and tāmbūla, massaging Their feet and so forth. Then the Divine Couple lie down on a bed of flowers. I remember that Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.

वृन्दा-परिचर्या पाञा, प्रेष्ठालि-गणेरे लञा,
राधा-कृष्ण रासादिक-लीला
गीत-लास्य कैल कत, सेवा कैल सखी यत,
कुसुम-शय्याय दुङ्हे शुइला

vṛndā-paricaryā pāñā, preṣṭhāli-gaṇere lañā,
rādhā-kṛṣṇa rāsādika-līlā
gīta-lāsya kaila kata, sevā kaila sakhī yata,
kusuma-śayyāya duṅhe śuilā

निशा-भागे निद्रा गेल, सबे आनन्दित हैल,
सखी-गण परानन्दे भासे
ए सुख शयन स्मरि, भज मन राधा हरि,
सेइ लीला प्रवेशेर आशे

niśā-bhāge nidrā gela, sabe ānandita haila,
sakhī-gaṇa parānande bhāse
e sukha śayana smari, bhaja mana rādhā hari,
sei līlā praveśera āśe

Commentary: Bhajana-rahasya-vṛtti:

The sakhīs return to Jāvaṭa-grāma from Nanda-bhavana with many different food preparations, given by Dhaniṣṭhā or Kundalatā, which are mixed with Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s adharāmṛta, the nectar of His lips. By the beauty and fragrance of these preparations, the eyes and nose of Svāminī and the other sakhīs are satisfied. The sakhīs also bring some indication of the place of rendezvous (abhisāra). At night, when everyone is sleeping, the sakhīs dress and decorate Śrī Svāminī with clothes and ornaments suitable to the phase of the moon, and take Her for abhisāra. Svāminī meets Her beloved at the designated place and They relish joking, playing dice, rāsa-līlā and other pastimes. The young couple then rest on a bed of flowers, which has been prepared by the sakhīs. At the end of the night, They awaken, much to the delight of the sakhīs.