Verses 37-47 Cooking for Krishna I

Verses 37-47 Cooking for Krishna I

Verse 37
Arriving before Mother Yashoda, Rādhārani offers pranams by placing her head at Yashoda’s feet like a tender Bhakti-lata. Mukunda’s mother is unable to control her affection. She joyfully picks up Rādhā in her arms and warmly embraces her to her chest. Yashomati smells Rādhā’s head and then she kisses Rādhā’s face as her tears completely moisten Srimati’s apparel!

Rasa-tarangini Tika:
Ma Yashoda loves Radhika like her own Bauma (daughter in law). As her downpour of warm tears bathes Srimati’s head like an auspicious abhishekha of vatsalya-prema, Rādhārani melts like butter smothered within Yashoda’s breast! Choked up with tears, Rādhā exclaims in a faltering voice “Oh Ma-I’m yours!”
Then Mother Yashoda blesses Radhika: “Hey Shashimukhi Rai! Let your life’s duration increase a hundredfold so that your madhura darshan may satiate my mind and eyes indefinitely!”

Observing Mother Yashoda’s admiration for Swaminiji, the Manjaris beam with pride as they too carefully offer their obeisances unto Nandarani’s feet. Indeed, Sri Radhika Devi is most regal amongst her Sakhis and Manjaris-like a lovely Raja-kumari.

Verse 38-39
Ma Yashoda embraces Lalita, Vishakha and the other sakhis also, and inquires about Rādhā’s welfare. Then in her anxiousness to start Krishna’s cooking, Yashoda says,
“Oh children! You’re expert in preparing all sorts of delicious dishes. And every Vrajavasi knows that you are amrita-hasta (blessed with the nectar touch). Surely my son’s poor appetite will increase upon seeing your wonderful preparations; so let’s not delay a moment more!”

Rasa-tarangini Tika: Krishna-bhavanamrita tells that before the cooking starts, Mother Yashoda respectfully requests Rādhā to take a light refreshment of various sweets. Being shy, Srimati feigns disinterest. Seeing Rādhā’s hesitation, Yashoda understands her mind and leaves, placing the responsibility of serving with Dhanishtha. During Rādhā’s bhojan, Rupa Manjari and others fan with chamaras; and when Rādhā’s bhojan is finished, they provide water for washing.

Verse 40
Yashoda Rani continues: “Oh daughters! Some of you can make salty preparations or tasty dishes adding yogurt. And some of you can make dishes cooked in ghee, or prepare sweets.
Verse 41
Oh putri (daughter) Radhe! You are an experienced rasavati (cook) in flavorful cooking. Mother Rohini has already gone to the kitchen. So you can join her to make all sorts of sabjis and sweet-rice. Oh Putri Rai!
Verse 42
Carefully prepare the soft, nectar-defeating tarts called karpura keli and amrita keli. When Krishna samples them, he becomes invigorated. But within the three worlds, only you know how to make such delicious pastries.”

Rasa-tarangini Tika:
Chapter 19, shlokas 50-51 give the recipes for preparing these sweets.• Karpura keli -First yogurt is added to boiling milk to make curd. Then rice powder, yogurt, black pepper, sugar, ground coconut, jatiphala (a fragrant spice), cardamom, cloves and bananas are mixed into a paste. Next mung dahl is ground into powder, rolled in the above mentioned ingredients, and fried in ghee, adding honey and camphor.
Amrita keli-Ripe bananas, kalai-dahl powder, ground coconut and pepper are added to thik milk. Then cardamom, cloves, jatiphala, cinnamon and camphor are added. These ingredients are fried in ghee and later fried in sugar water. Although these are the directions, no one can prepare such recipes like Rādhā-for with her unique touch, they become divine.

Verse 43
“Oh Putri, Radhe! My Krishna is very fond of piyush-granti. So after making it, dump it within pancamrita, adding camphor, cardamom and other spices.”

Rasa-tarangini Tika:
Piyushgranti is a type of jilepi; pancamrita is a mixture of yogurt, milk, ghee, honey and sugar.

Verse 44
“Oh child Lalite! You can prepare rasala, and Vishakha can make sarab. You prepare shikharini, and daughter Champakalata will make matha.”

Rasa-tarangini Tika:
These are all various kinds of sharbat (refreshing beverages): Rasala is made from thick milk, yogurt, sugar, cardamom, ghee, honey and black pepper. Shikharini is eight parts yogurt, two parts sugar, one pal of ghee, one pal of honey, one half pal of ground black pepper, one tola of cinnamon, one tola of teja leaves, one tola of cardamom, and one tola of nageshwar.
Sarab is made with two parts milk and one part thin yogurt with sugar, cardamom, ghee, honey and black pepper mixed with buttermilk. Matha is buttermilk.

Verse 45
“Hey putri Tungavidhye! You make the curd that will be used with many other preparations. And daughter Citre! You can prepare matsyandira (a sugar candy drink).

Verse 46
Hey Sudevi, prepare khira-sara (thick condensed milk). Hey Rangadevi! You can make pishthaka (using cream and sugar cane molasses). Oh Basanti! You can prepare mridupheni (soft white sugar candy). Oh Mangala! You can make jilepis.”

Rasa-tarangini Tika: This Mangala isn’t the renowned Yutheshwari of this name, rather she is Rādhā’s priya sakhi who serves under Indulekha.

Verse 47
“Hey kadambari! Prepare chandrakanti. Hey Lasike! You make tandula-curna-pindi. O kaumudi! You can make a variety of shaskuli. Oh Madalase! You prepare pishtaka that looks like the moon!”

Rasa-tarangini Tika: Chandrakanti is a sesame seed cake. Tandula-curna-pindi are laddhus prepared with sugar, raisins and rice flower. Shaskuli are wafer-like rice cakes, and pishtaka are round rice cakes. Kaumudi is Rādhā’s priya sakhi belonging to Champakalata’s group, and Madalasa is a priya sakhi serving under Indulekha.