Verse 60

Seva one should meditate upon

Verse 60
Hearing Rādhā’s repressing words, the sakhis bodies erupt with goosebumps as they grin and stagger forward to tease Srimati. While pushing one another forward, they exclaim: “Oh sakhi, you go first! Oh sakhi, you go first!’ Struck with alarm seeing the approaching daylight, they enter the nikunja mandir that is reverberating with the steady drone of intoxicated bumble bees.

Rasa-tarangini Tika:
Now Krishna-bhavanamrita presents a lucid account of Rādhā’s svadhina-bhartrika mood along with a description of the manjaris’ seva as follows: As the sakhis peek through the windows and enjoy the Yugala-darshan-suddenly the manjari (stamen) of Rādhā Krishna’s rupa (divine beauty) appears from that festival! This is Sri Rupa Manjari, who comes forward to perform the needful seva.

Taking permission from Bhanumati sakhi and others, she enters the vilasa mandir and observes that Rādhā Nikunja-nagara’s dress, ornaments, makeup and flower garlands have all become either disheveled, smeared or removed! The flower bed is indeed most amusing to behold! Taking charge,
Sri Rupa first instructs one seva dasi to set up the pillows and backrest for the Rasika yugala. Another seva dasi is requested to cover their forms with a thin, silken cloth.
Another manjari prepares the drink called piyush-bati to help relieve Rādhā and Krishna’s drowsiness.

Lajja Devi (the Goddess of Shyness) had been sleeping outside of the keli mandir. Upon hearing the jingling ankle bells of the manjaris, however, Lajja Devi awakens, enters the mandir of Rādhā heart, and (with great difficulty) severs her from Govinda’s embrace! In other words, due to hearing the manjaris bracelets and ankle bells, Rādhā” amorous mood subsides.

Seeing Radhika Devi anxiously trying to untangle her earrings and beshora (nose ring) from Krishna’s hair, another manjari smilingly jests: “Ohey, Rasika yugal! When Kamadev saw your mutual anurag drawing your bodies together, he decided to shackle them in bondage! Seeing the outcome, both of your necklaces, earrings and flower malas, decided to hold each other at leash!”

Irritated by the assertion, Rai Kishori exclaims, “Hey dasis, just be quiet! I know all of you very well!”

Unaffected by Rādhā’s temper, the dasi continues smiling and quickly loosens Srimati’s ornaments from Krishna’s body. During rati-vilasa, Rādhā keli-canda’s eye mascara blotted their lips, and the moisture of their lips smeared their mascara. Sri Krishna has also rubbed the red alta from Rādhā’s feet on his head. Seeing the situation, a seva dasi takes a soft precious cloth (slightly moistened with rose water) and devoutly cleans Rādhā and Krishna’s faces to shine like a polished mirror.

Someone prepares tambul (pan) and slips it into their lotus mouths. Another dasi holds a multi-wick ghee lamp and performs mangala-arati to Rādhā Govinda as though she were offering her life a million times!
Someone brings a jewel box containing Rādhā and Krishna’s ornaments, and
another manjari gently fans to remove their beads of perspiration.

Meanwhile, Rādhā takes up a mirror to gaze upon her lotus face. Seeing the bruise marks caused by Krishna’s teeth, she observes, “Today Madhusudan has plundered the nectar from my mukharavinda (lotus face)! Charmed by such thought, Srimati is unable to remove her eyes from the mirror as she merges in blissful samadhi! The more Rādhā looks upon her face, the more she considers that Krishna’s tooth marks are sweet to behold! Smiling to herself she concludes, “The supreme beauty and sweetness of my youth is today proven successful because my Priyatama (dearest beloved) has fully enjoyed this rupa-amrita-madhurya!”