Gitamala — Chapter 5 — Siddhi-lalasa

Intense, Eager Longing for the Highest Spiritual Perfection

Introduction to Chapter 5

In this final chapter of Gita-mala, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura hankers for birth in Vraja
in the spiritual body of a gopi, being trained up by the sakhis headed by Sri Lalita and
Sri Rupa Manjari for rendering eternal service to the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani.
This is a very high goal for Gaudiya Vaisnavas who feel attracted to the madhura-rasa,
and it is a very precious gift which was brought by the most merciful incarnation, Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu. All the acaryas in our disciplic succession acknowledge this –
for example, Svarupa Damodara Gosvami (in his notebooks), Srila Ramananda Raya
(in Caitanya-caritamrta), the six Gosvamis of Vrndavana, Narottama Dasa Thakura (in
his song Sri Rupa Manjari Pada), and Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura (in Sri Krsna
Bhavanamrta). And now in this final chapter of Gita-mala, Thakura Bhaktivinoda gives
his own conclusive description. This divine perfectional stage can only be attained by
the mercy of the bona fide spiritual master who is already a resident of Vraja. Such a
level of perfection is awarded by the guru to the disciple only when he sees that the
disciple is totally finished with the material world and has absolutely given up all forms
of mundane (gross and subtle) sense gratification and has a natural growing attraction
for Sri Krsna and His world.

Therefore, to factually follow in Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s footsteps instead of imitating

cheaply, one should offer body, mind and words for the perpetual service of the bona
fide representatives of Lord Caitanya, continue following His authorized method of
preaching, and give proper respect (from an honest distance) to such exalted, rarely-
attainable things as presented by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his final, delightfully
ecstatic chapter of Gita-mala entitled “Siddhi-lalasa”—The intense, eager longing for
the highest spiritual perfection.

* NOTE: Songs 1, 2, and 9 of this chapter are also found within Thakura Bhaktivinoda’s
book Saranagati, which was published the same year as Gita-mala (1893. The other 7
songs are unique to Gita-mala).

Song 1: Hankering and wandering in Navadvipa

kabe gaura-bane, suradhani-tate,

“ha radhe ha krsna” bo’le
kandiya bedabo, deho-sukha chadi,
nana-lata taru-tale

When, oh when will I wander here and there weeping in the shade of the trees and
creepers along the banks of the celestial Ganges River in Navadvipa? I will cry out “Oh
Radhe! Oh Krsna!”, and will completely forget about all the so-called pleasures of the
material body.
 (kabe) swapaca-grhete, magiya khaibo,
pibo saraswati-jal
puline puline, gadagadi dibo,
kori’ krsna-kolahal

When will I be able to live simply by begging some food from the homes of the
untouchables? I will drink the water of the Sarasvati river, and in ecstasy I will roll
about on the banks of the river, raising a loud uproar of “Krsna! Krsna!”

(kabe) dhama-basi jane, pranati koriya,

magibo krpar lesa
vaisnava-carana- renu gay makhi’,
dhori’ avadhuta-besa

When will I bow down to all the inhabitants of the holy land of Navadvipa and humbly
beg for a drop of their mercy? I will smear the dust of the Vaisnavas’ lotus feet all over
my body, and will wander around wearing the dress of an avadhuta.

(kabe) gaura-braja-bane, bheda na koriya,

hoibo baraja-basi
(takhan) dhamer swarupa, sphuribe nayane,
hoibo radhar dasi

When will I make no distinction between the holy land of Gaura-mandala and Vraja-
mandala? At that time, I shall be transformed into a Vraja-basi. Then I will see the
true form of the transcendental realm opening up before my very eyes, and I will thus
become one of the maidservants of Srimati Radharani.

Song 2: Taking birth in Vraja in my own eternal spiritual body

dekhite dekhite, bhulibo ba kabe,

nija sthula paricoy
nayane heribo, braja-pura sobha,
nitya cid-ananda-moy

When will I be able to leave my gross bodily identity far behind? Within a split second,
I will completely forget about all these false external affairs and behold the exquisite
beauty of the divine realm of Vraja, which is completely pervaded with eternal,
conscious bliss.

vrsabhanu-pure, janama loibo,

yavate vivaha habe
braja-gopi-bhava, hoibe swabhava,
ana bhava na rohibe
I shall then take birth in the town of King Vrsabhanu, and I will be married nearby in
the town of Yavat. My disposition shall be that of a simple cowherd girl of Vraja, and I
shall not know any other mood.

nija siddha deha, nija siddha nama,

nija-rupa, swa-basana
radha-krpa-bale, labhibo ba kabe,
krsna-prema-prakarana

I shall obtain my own eternal spiritual body, transcendental name, and specific type of
beauty and dress for the pleasure of Krsna. And when, by the power of Sri Radha’s
causeless mercy, will I be allowed entrance into the methods of expressing divine
selfless love for Krsna?

jamuna salila, aharane giya,

bujhibo jugala-rasa
prema-mugdha ho’ye, pagalini praya,
gaibo radhar jasa

As I go with a waterpot on my head to draw water from the Yamuna river, I shall
cherish remembrance of the ecstatic mellows that are shared by the Divine Couple.
Thus being enchanted by Their sublime conjugal love, I will sing the glories of Sri
Radha like a madwoman.

Song 3: Entrance into the group of Lalita Sakhi

heno kale kabe, vilasa manjari,

ananga manjari ar
amare heriya, ati krpa kori’,
bolibe bacana sar

While I am thus absorbed in singing and singing, will Vilasa Manjari and Ananga
Manjari come along on the same foot-path and, seeing me in this crazed state of mind,
begin speaking to me with the sweetest essence of words?

eso, eso, sakhi! sri-lalita-gane,

janibo tomare aj
grha-katha chadi’, radha-krsna bhajo,
tyajiya dharama-laj

They will say, “Come, come, Sakhi! Our very dear friend! From now on you will be
counted amongst the attendants of Sri Lalita Sakhi! Giving up all your household
concerns and fears of transgressing religious principles, just come along with us now
and worship Sri Sri Radha-Krsna!”
 se madhura vani, suniya e jana,
se dunhar sri-carane
asraya loibe, dunhe krpa kori’,
loibe lalita-sthane

Hearing such sweet words, I will unhesitatingly take shelter of the lotus feet of both
these sakhis. Then they will show their merciful favor by taking me by the hand into the
forest, finally bringing me into the presence of Sri Lalita Sakhi.

lalita sundari, sa-doya hoiya,

koribe amare dasi
swa-kunja-kutire, dibena basati,
jani’ seva-abhilasi

Then the most beautiful Lalita Sundari will behave very graciously towards me and will
accept me as one of her own maidservants. She will give me residence in a small cottage
in her own garden, knowing me to be intensely desirous of rendering service.

Song 4: Trained up by Lalita Devi and the sakhis

palya-dasi kori’, lalita sundari,

amare loiya kabe
sri-radhika-pade, kale milaibe,
ajna-seva samarpibe

When will Lalita Sundari foster me as her own aspirant maidservant? Hopefully she
will train me up and eventually offer me unto the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani,
placing me entirely at Her disposal for rendering various services according to Her own
merciful orders.

sri rupa manjari, sange jabo kabe,

rasa-seva-siksa-tare
tad-anuga ho’ye, radha-kunda tate,
rohibo harsitantare

When will Sri Rupa Manjari take me along with her to the banks of Sri Radha-kunda
to give me lessons in the performance of service to the transcendental mellows? She
will take me there and make me practice by following her instructions and movements.
Thus I will pass my time feeling the greatest delight within my heart.

sri visakha-pade, sangita sikhibo,

krsna-lila rasa-moy
sri rati manjari, sri rasa manjari,
hoibe sabe sa-doy
At the lotus feet of Sri Visakha I will learn to play music and sing songs which are full
of the transcendental mellows of Krsna’s pastimes. All of the other sakhis in our group,
including Sri Rati Manjari and Sri Rasa Manjari, will also welcome me into their fold
with most kind and affectionate dealings.

parama anande, sakale miliya,

radhika carane rabo
ei parakasta, siddhi kabe habe,
pabo radha-padasaba

All of us will thus stay together, feeling the greatest supreme bliss, and we will
perpetually remain at the lotus feet of Sri Radhika. When, oh when will I achieve this
highest excellence of spiritual perfection, whereby I will attain the intoxicating amrta
flowing from the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani?

Song 5: Ecstasy at Radha-kunda

cintamani-moy, radha-kunda-tata,
tahe kunja sata sata
prabala vidruma- moy taru-lata,
mukta-phale avanata

The banks of Sri Radha-kunda are made of billions of conscious, ecstatic desire-
fulfilling touchstones, and surrounding the lake are hundreds and hundreds of beautiful
transcendental gardens and groves. All the trees and creepers in those gardens are
made of coral and rubies, and the fruits they produce are diamonds and pearls. Indeed,
their branches are bending down to the ground due to the weight of so many lovely
gemstone fruits.

svananda-sukhada, kunja manohara,

tahate kutir sobhe
basiya tathay, gabo krsna nama,
kabe krsna-dasya lobhe

My small cottage is shining beautifully within the most enchanting garden called
Svananda-sukhada-kunja (The grove that gives the happiness of my own bliss). Living
there, I will sing Krsna’s holy name, and will greedily hanker for that time when I will
attain the personal service of Him and His associates.

emon samoy, muralir gan,

pasibe e dasi-kane
anande matibo, sakala bhulibo,
sri-krsna-vamsir gane
Suddenly, while chanting and meditating like this, the songs of a divine flute will enter
this maidservant’s ear. Becoming enchanted by such a sound, I will forget everything
and will only listen spellbound to those wonderful songs of Sri Krsna’s flute.

radhe radhe boli’, murali dakibe,

madiya iswari nama
suniya camaki’, uthibe e dasi,
kemon koribe prana

The low, deep sound of His long murali flute will call out, “Radhe. . . Radhe. . .”—the
very name of my own worshipable Queen! Startled with wonder by hearing such a
sound, this maidservant will jump up in great haste with an extremely anxious heart,
not knowing what to do next.

Song 6: The first chance for seva

nirjana kutire, sri radha-carana,

smarane thakibo rata
sri rupa manjari, dhire dhire asi,
kohibe amaya kota

Thus waiting in my solitary cottage, I will constantly remain absorbed in the

remembrance of Sri Radha’s lotus feet. After some time, I will eventually see Sri Rupa
Manjari approaching me. Coming up to me, she will speak some very sweet words to
me. . .

bolibe o sakhi! ki koro basiya,

dekhaha bahire asi’
jugala milana- sobha nirupama,
hoibe carana dasi

She will say, “Oh Sakhi! My dear friend, what are you doing sitting here? Come outside
and look — just see Who is coming! The Divine Couple will now perform Their
splendrous, unparalleled transcendental meeting, and today you will be one of the
maidservants at Their lotus feet!”

sva-rasiki siddhi, braja-gopi dhana,

parama-cancala sati
jogir dheyana, nirvisesa jnana,
na paya ekhane sthiti

The real treasure of the gopis of Vraja is their sva-rasiki siddhi — the eternal perfection
of the personal mellow they each express; and these individual moods are
transcendentally fickle and supremely chaste. In contrast, neither the meditations of
the yogis, nor the impersonal speculations of the mayavadis can bring such practitioners
anywhere near the realm of such transcendental mellows as are naturally exhibited by
each of the Vraja-gopis.

saksat darsana, madhyahna lilaya,

radha-pada-sevarthini
jakhana je seva, koroho jatane,
sri radha-carane dhani

If I could see Them personally performing Their midday pastimes at Radha-kunda, I

would be very much desirous of serving the lotus feet of Sri Radha. And whenever I do
get an opportunity to render some small service, I will perform that act with the greatest
care and attention, and will thus become rich with the divine treasure of Her lotus feet.

Song 7: The glories of Radha-kunda

sri rupa manjari kabe madhura bacane

radha-kunda mahima barnibe samgopane

When will Sri Rupa Manjari speak to me with such sweet words in a private place,
vividly explaining to me the transcendental glories of Sri Radha-kunda?

e caudda bhuvanopari vaikuntha niloy

tad-apeksa mathura parama sresta hoy

“Beyond these fourteen worlds is the spiritual realm of the Vaikuntha planets. And
beyond that, the area known as Mathura is the topmost supreme abode.”

mathura-mandale rasa-lila sthana jatha

vrndavana sresta ati suno mama katha

“Within that Mathura-mandala, the place known as Vrndavana is best of all, for that is
where the rasa-lila takes place. Please hear me now as I narrate these glories.”

krsna-lila-sthala govardhana srestatara

radha-kunda srestatam sarva-sakti-dhara

“Out of all the places in Vrndavana where Krsna performs His pastimes, the place
known as Govardhana is even better. And the best place in all of Govardhana is Radha-
kunda, which possesses all transcendental potencies.”

radha-kunda-mahima to’ koriya sravan

lalayita ho’ye ami padibo takhan

As soon as I hear Sri Rupa Manjari thus describe the glories of this sacred Radha-
kunda, I will become seized with such an eager yearning that I will swoon and fall down
unconscious.
 sakhir carane kabe koribo akuti
sakhi krpa kori’ dibe sva-rasiki sthiti

When will I ever become intensely eager to serve the lotus feet of a sakhi? When will
my service-attitude make her so obliged that she will mercifully bestow upon me
situation in my own natural eternal mellow?

Song 8: Siddha-deha

barane tadit, basa taravali,

kamala manjari nama
sade bara barsa, bayasa satata,
svananda-sukhada-dhama

This maidservant has a complexion just like lightning, and she is wearing a sari which
has star-like patterns all over it. My name is Kamala Manjari. Eternally appearing to
be only twelve-and-a-half years of age, I always live within the abode of Svananda-
sukhada-kunja.

karpura seva, lalitar gana,

radha juthesvari hana
mamesvari-natha, sri nanda-nandana,
amar parana dhana

I render the service of preparing camphor within the group of Lalita Sakhi. Sri Radha
is the leader of our group, and the center of all our activities. And the Lord of my Queen
Radha is the delightful Son of Nanda Maharaja, Who is the treasure of my life.

sri rupa manjari, prabhrtir sama,

jugala sevaya asa
avasya se-rupa, seva pabo ami,
parakasta su-visvasa

I always desire to execute confidential service to the Divine Couple similar to that
which is rendered by Sri Rupa Manjari and her associates. Thus I will certainly get this
kind of service, for I so intensely desire it with the absolute totality of my faith.

kabe ba e dasi, samsiddhi labhibe,

radha-kunde basa kori’
radha-krsna-seva, satata koribe,
purva smrti parihari’

When will this maidservant thus attain such completely fulfilled spiritual perfection,
living by the banks of Sri Radha-kunda? I will eternally serve Radha and Krsna, and all
of my previous memories will be long since forgotten.
Song 9: The mood of a manjari

vrsabhanu-suta- carana sevane,

hoibo je palya-dasi
sri radhar sukha, satata sadhane,
rohibo ami prayasi

For serving the lotus feet of the charming daughter of King Vrsabhanu, I will become
a sheltered maidservant of Her maidservant. Indeed, I will live only for the happiness
of Sri Radha, and I will always endeavor to increase Her joy.

sri radhar sukhe, krsner je sukha,

janibo manete ami
radha-pada chadi’, sri krsna-sangame,
kabhu na hoibo kami

I will understand within my heart that Krsna feels happiness only when Radha is happy.
Therefore I will never, ever covet being with Krsna myself, thereby abandoning
Radhika’s lotus feet.

sakhi-gana mama, parama suhrt,

jugala-premer guru
tad-anuga ho’ye, sevibo radhar,
carana kalpa-taru

All my associate sakhis are my supreme well-wishers, they are my best friends, and they
are the teachers of my lessons in conjugal love. By following them loyally, I will serve
the lotus feet of Radha, which are just like desire-fulfilling trees.

radha-paksa chadi’, je jana se jana,

je bhave se bhave thake
ami to’ radhika- paksapati sada,
kabhu nahi heri ta’ke

I am forever given to remaining in the group devoted to Sri Radhika. I will never even
look upon those persons who have abandoned Her entourage, whoever they may be
and whatever mood they entertain.

Song 10: Hankering for the ultimate perfection

sri krsna-virahe, radhikar dasa,

ami to’ sahite nari
jugala-milana- sukher karana,
jivana chadite pari
I am absolutely unable to tolerate Sri Radhika’s pitiable condition when She is suffering
in separation from Sri Krsna — but I am fully prepared to immediately give up my life
for the sake of Their happy reunion.

radhika-carana, tyajiya amar,

ksaneke pralaya hoy
radhikar tare, sata-bara mari,
se duhkha amar soy

If I were ever to renounce the lotus feet of Sri Radhika for even an instant, I would
become totally devastated. For Her sake, I will gladly tolerate the pain and agony of
death hundreds of times.

e heno radhar, carana-jugale,

paricarya pa’bo kabe
haha braja-jana, more doya kori’,
kabe braja-bane lo’be

When will I be able to serve such a divine pair of lotus feet as Radha’s? Alas, I beg you
all, oh residents of Vraja, please be merciful to me now! When will you take me into
the transcendental forests of Vraja?

vilasa manjari, ananga manjari,

sri rupa manjari ar
amake tuliya, loho nija pade,
deho’ more siddhi sar

Oh Vilasa Manjari! Oh Ananga Manjari! Oh Rupa Manjari! Please lift me up and bring
me close to your own lotus feet, thereby bestowing upon me the quintessence of eternal
spiritual perfection!