Vraja-Niśānta Līlā

3:36 a.m. ti 6:00 a.m

Śr Rūpa Gosvāmī’s sūtra:

1.10)    As the night ends, Śrī Vṛnda-devī becomes apprehensive on observing Śrī Yugala Kishora’s precarious situation. She signals for a variety of forest birds to begin chirping; and with the selected poetry of the parrots (both pleasing and piercing=, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa arise.The sakhīs and mañjarīs then enter the śayana-mandira with laughter and merriment. But when Vṛnda sees everyone forgetting the necessity to return quickly home, She motions to ‘Kak-khatī’ (an old female monkey) who shrieks: ‘Jaṭilā is coming!’  Thus in fear and haste, Rādhā and Govinda separate to scurry homewards to slip into Their own beds before sunrise.

Rasa Taraṅginī tīkā —
This sūtra summarizes the events described in Govinda-līlāmṛta’s first chapter, containing (117 verses).

The Vṛndāvana Setting

The Niśānta līlā takes place in Vṛndāvan’s most excellent location, Śrī Govinda Sthalī, which is a large island caressed by the main stream of the Yamuna and its tributary. It is shaped like a tortoise’s shell, a low, round hill crested by Rādhā and Govinda’s breathtaking Yoga-pīṭha mandir.

This enchanting temple is surrounded by four types of desire trees, namely haricandan, santanak, mandar and pārijāta. As the fragrant pollen from their flowers falls to decorate the ground, swarms of bumble bees buzz hither and thither, sounding like the humming vibration of Cupid’s bowstring.

Encircling the desire trees are four beautiful mandaps or raised platforms for sitting, with mādhavi, mālatī, mallikā and golden svarṇa-jutī flower vines growing from their bases. Beyond these mandaps are four kuñjas:

1. Svetambuja Kunja, the white lotus bower to the north, the site of Rādhā Govinda’s mead-drinking lilas.
2. Nilambuja Kunja, the blue lotus bower in the east. After dancing in the Rasa lila and enacting their water sports in the Yamuna, Rādhā and Krishna come here for dressing.
3. Arunambuja Kunja, the red lotus bower in the south. This is where Rādhā Govinda enjoy their late evening meals.
4. Hemambuja Kunja, the golden lotus bower in the west. This immense bower is the resting place for all the sakhis and manjaris in Rādhā’s yutha.
In the center of this kunja is Rādhā Govinda’s jeweled shayan mandir encircled by a grove of golden banana trees.
Beyond in the eight directions, are the shayan mandirs of the Ashta-sakhis.

Next there are consecutive spheres of kunjas that progressively double in number, starting with sixteen, then thirty-two, sixty-four, and so on, wherein the infinite numbers of gopis take rest. On the outer perimeter of Hemambuja Kunja, in each of the four directions, Sri Vrinda Devi, Sri Vrindarika, Sri Menaka and Sri Murala Devi act as doorkeepers. (from Gutika of Krishna das Baba of Govardhan)ā