Lalitā-Devī’s Appearance Day

Lalitā-Devī’s Appearance Day

Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja
September 10, 2005

[The following is a transcription of a class given in glorification of Śrīmatī Lalitā-devī.]

Lalitā-devī was born in the village of Karehlā, and later on her father brought her to Uccagāon, the place of her pastimes (līlā-sthalī). There are still many evidences of her pastimes here, like a rock containing the imprints of her lotus feet and some small utensils she used when she and the other sakhīs fed Kṛṣṇa there. When the sun-rays fall on the imprints of those pots and plates, they glitter and shine. All of Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s sakhīs used to play with Kṛṣṇa and Lalitā in Uccagāon, and there are many places there where you can see their footprints to this day.

On the hill there is a slippery rock showing a specific pastime that was enacted in a marriage arena. There, the gopīs arranged a special kind of marriage between Lalitā and Kṛṣṇa. This should not be misunderstood as a real marriage, but rather a play marriage, like the marriage that was once enacted between Śrīmatī Rādhikā and Kṛṣṇa.

This is technically known as Gāndharva marriage. In that pastime, Kṛṣṇa had been sitting beside Lalitā, and the sakhīs began to play mischievously. Viśākhā and some of the other sakhīs tied Śrī Lalitā’s veil to Kṛṣṇa’s pītāmbara (yellow shawl). Then suddenly, on the indication of Śrīmatī Rādhikā, Raṅgadevī and other sakhīs began to sing wedding songs while Tuṅgavidyā and others uttered wedding mantras, and the remaining sakhīs showered flowers on Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Lalitā.

When Lalitā noticed that something tricky was being done to her, she tried to run away, but because her garments were tied to Kṛṣṇa’s pītāmbara, she could not do so. All the sakhīs then surrounded the couple and married them. Even today, one can see the indication of the slide on the hill, as well as the markings of ālatī (red lac) from the gopīs’ feet. Although this pastime took place 5000 years ago, you can still visualize it with your own eyes.

Lalitā is 27 days elder than Rādhārāṇī. [According to the tithi calculation, Lalitā-devī’s appearance day falls on the day before Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s appearance day.] She generally has the same loving mood towards both Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, yet she is more inclined towards Śrīmatī Rādhikā.

The following is the Sanskrit song called Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam, along with its translation, and I will further explain each verse. This Lalitāṣṭakam was composed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī:

rādhā-mukunda-pada-sambhava-gharma-bindu-
nirmañchanopakaraṇī-kṛta-deha-lakṣām
uttuṅga-sauhṛda-viśeṣa-vaśāt pragalbhāṁ
devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi

[I offer my obeisance unto the outspoken Śrī Lalitā-devī, who is charmingly endowed with many beautiful, sweet qualities (sulalitā). She has natural expertise in all arts (lalitā), and thus her service self-manifests. She wipes away the glittering drops of perspiration which appear upon the lotus feet of Śrī Rādhā and Mādhava when They meet. She is perpetually immersed in the most elevated mellow of sauhṛda-rasa, or undivided absorption in fulfilling the heart’s desire of her intimate friend Śrīmatī Rādhikā. (Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam, verse 1)]

There are four types of sakhīs: svapakṣa, vipakṣa, taṭasthā and suhṛt. Svapakṣa means those sakhīs who are totally favorably disposed towards Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Vipakṣa means those gopīs who are totally favorably disposed towards Candrāvalī and opposed to Rādhikā. Taṭasthā means those who are neutral towards Śrīmatī Rādhikā and more favorably disposed towards Candrāvalī. 

Suhṛt means those who are more favorably disposed towards Śrīmatī Rādhikā and neutral towards Candrāvalī. Suhṛt gopīs never do anything unfavorable towards Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Lalitā-devī and Viśākhā-devī are examples of gopīs who are svapakṣa to Śrīmatī Rādhikā, Candrāvalī is vipakṣa, Bhadrā is taṭasthā, and Śyāmalā is suhṛt.

The mood of Lalitā is that she is always trying to favorably serve the pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa; she always tries to please Them. She engages in millions upon millions of endeavors to please Them. When Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa meet and engage in amorous pastimes, Lalitā wipes away the droplets of perspiration on Their lotus feet. This means that she is engaged day and night in the service of Their sweet pastimes. There are two types of services in mādhurya-rasa (conjugal rasa). One is in the mood of the mañjarīs and the other in the mood of the sakhīs.

Lalitā always serves in the mood of a sakhī. One of her qualities is that she has some controlling mentality. She can command both Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, but at the same time she has a friendly disposition towards both of Them. She is very beautiful and very sweet, but at the same time very sober and composed. Her heart is so sweet that she attracts the heart of all others, but at the same time she is pragalbhā, which means she can speak harsh words, and can thus control both Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.

rākā-sudhā-kiraṇa-maṇḍala-kānti-daṇḍi-
vaktra-śriyaṁ cakita-cāru-camūru-netrām
rādhā-prasādhana-vidhāna-kalā-prasiddhāṁ
devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi

[I offer praṇāma unto Śrī Lalitā-devī whose beautiful face mocks the brilliance of the full moon, whose eyes are ever-restless like those of a startled doe, who is famous for her extraordinary expertise in the art of dressing Śrīmatī Rādhikā, and who is the treasure-house of unlimited feminine qualities. (Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam, verse 2)]

This verse begins by describing Śrīmatī Lalitā-devī’s beauty. She is so beautiful that her beauty surpasses the combined beauty of millions of moons, and her eyes are said to be so restless that they can defeat the restlessness of the eyes of a female deer. Her specific quality is that she is very expert in applying make-up, and especially in arranging the hair decoration of Śrīmatī Rādhikā.

Although all the eight principle sakhīs are very famous in putting on the bodily decorations and applying the make-up of Śrīmatī Rādhikā, Lalitā and Viśākhā are the most expert. Moreover, of these two, Lalitā is considered the most proficient.

The pastime of decorating Śrīmatī Rādhikā by Lalitā and the other sakhīs is described in Govinda-līlāmṛta, written by Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, and in Kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛta, written by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. Those who want to serve Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in the mood of a mañjarī should seriously take help from these scriptures. 

Sādhakas (devotional practitioners) can find pastimes such as the above-mentioned in those books, and they can try to be absorbed in them at the time of their devotional practices. With reference to the verse above, Lalitā and the other sakhīs tell Śrīmatī Rādhikā, “When you go to meet with Kṛṣṇa, this is how You should behave with Him.” They want Śrī Kṛṣṇa to be totally under the spell of Śrīmatī Rādhikā.

While they are applying kajjala (black eyeliner), they remind Śrīmatī Rādhikā of Her previous pastimes with Kṛṣṇa. For example, once, when She was going out to meet Kṛṣṇa, She forgot to put kajjala on one of Her eyes, and Kṛṣṇa Himself put it on upon Her arrival. Similar pastimes are brought to the attention of Śrīmatī Rādhikā at the time of putting on Her make-up, and in that way Her mood of bringing pleasure to Kṛṣṇa is enhanced.

When the gopīs put the tilaka mark on Her forehead, they recite the kāma-yantra, which still further inspires Śrīmatī Rādhikā in the mood of Her service to Kṛṣṇa. All these pastimes are arranged by Lalitā-devī, and therefore she is described as the fountainhead of various wonderful qualities.

lāsyollasad-bhujaga-śatru-patatra-citra-
paṭṭāṁśukābharaṇa-kañculikāñcitāṅgīm
gorocanā-ruci-vigarhaṇa-gaurimāṇaṁ
devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi

[I offer praṇāma unto Śrī Lalitā-devī whose body is adorned with a splendid sārī as brilliant as the multi-colored tail-feathers of an ecstatically dancing peacock, whose breast is covered with an exceedingly attractive blouse (kañculī), whose hair part is decorated with shimmering red vermilion, and who wears various necklaces and other jeweled ornaments. Her golden complexion defeats that of even gorocanā, the bright golden pigment that comes when rain-water during the svāti-nakṣatra constellation hits the head of a qualified cow, and she possesses innumerable good qualities. (Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam, verse 3)]

This verse gives a similarity with a peacock. When the rainy season comes, the peacock becomes very happy. He has been especially gifted by God to have beautiful colors on his feathers, and he expresses his happiness on seeing the clouds by spreading his wings. In the same way, Śrīmatī Lalitā-devī’s dresses are so beautifully ornamented and colored that they express the mood of a peacock showing his happiness by spreading his wings.

The color of her sārī, various kinds of necklaces and all her ornaments brilliantly glitter, and all this glittering combined with the luster of her own body give a profound impression. The word gorocanā is also mentioned in this verse. In that connection there is a particular constellation called svāti-nakṣatra. When rain water hits the hoof of a cow at that time, it becomes yellow, like the color of turmeric.

This very special yellow color of gorocanā defeats even the shimmer of gold, and the substance gorocanā is also considered very costly. This is the impression Lalitā-devī gives when she is serving Śrīmatī Rādhikā with all her paraphernalia, ornaments and beauty.

dhūrte vrajendra-tanaye tanu suṣṭhu-vāmyam
mā dakṣiṇā bhava kalaṅkini lāghavāya
rādhe giraṁ śṛṇu hitām iti śikṣayantīṁ
devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi

[I offer praṇāma unto Śrī Lalitā-devī, the charming treasure-house of all good qualities, who instructs Śrīmatī Rādhikā in this way: “O Kalaṅkini (unchaste one)! Rādhe! Listen to my good instructions which are favorable for you! Vrajendra-nandana is very crafty (dhūrta). Don’t display Your mood of gentle submission (dākṣiṇya-bhāva) to Him; instead, in all circumstances be contrary.” (Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam, verse 4)]

rādhām abhi vraja-pateḥ kṛtam ātmajena
kūṭaṁ manāg api vilokya vilohitākṣīm
vāg-bhaṅgibhis tam acireṇa vilajjayantīṁ
devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi

[I offer praṇāma unto the abode of all good qualities, the supremely charming Śrī Lalitā-devī, who, upon hearing Śrī Kṛṣṇa speak even a few sly words to Śrīmatī Rādhikā, immediately becomes furious and shames Kṛṣṇa with her biting, sarcastic remarks, “You are so truthful and simple-hearted, and such a chaste lover!” (Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam, verse 5)]

Śrīmatī Rādhikā is controlled by the extreme love of Lalitā-sakhī. When She is with Lalitā-sakhī, Lalitā can even chastise Her: “When Kṛṣṇa comes, You should remain very unsubmissive and enter a sulky mood.” Rādhikā may reply, “What can I do? As soon as I see Kṛṣṇa in the distance, My sulky mood goes away. I cannot maintain it.”

Then with a raised finger, Lalitā says, “Don’t give up your unsubmissive mood. You should chastise Kṛṣṇa, for He has so many bad qualities. He is crooked and unchaste. He is a cheater. He will come to You early in the morning – and what will He do? He will hold onto Your feet and beg forgiveness. But don’t believe anything He says. Don’t become submissive. Instead, You should chastise Him!”

Sakhīs are of two types and two moods: (1) dākṣiṇya – right wing or submissive. This is called ghṛta-sneha (like ghee), and it is a quality of Candrāvalī’s group. (2) vāmya – contrary or unsubmissive. This is called madhu-sneha (like honey), and it is a quality of Rādhikā’s group. [Ghee is wholesome, but without much taste, whereas honey is wholesome and also sweet] Rādhikā’s mood is called vāmya (left-wing, contrary, or unsubmissive) and Candrāvalī’s mood is called dākṣiṇya (right-wing, or submissive). 

Only those gopīs in the mood of vāmya can completely control Kṛṣṇa. The two groups, that is, Rādhikā’s group and Candrāvalī’s group, do not appreciate each other. Candrāvalī criticizes Śrīmatī Rādhikā and Her group, saying, “How can they dare to do māna (be in a sulky mood) towards Kṛṣṇa? He is so sweet and lovely!”

Śrīmatī Rādhikā and Her group think, “Why does Candrāvalī become so submissive towards Kṛṣṇa!?” Śrīmatī Rādhikā says, “One must apply a weapon to control Kṛṣṇa. Why doesn’t Candrāvalī control Him like us? How can she serve Him if she is not like us?” Thus, both groups cannot appreciate each other’s moods.

Lalitā is the śikṣā-guru of all the gopīs in Rādhikā’s group, and also of Rādhikā Herself. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī writes: Lalitā-devī sometimes chastises Rādhikā, saying, “Oh Kalaṅkini, Oh unchaste one, [She will be called unchaste by Her in-laws, and for that reason She may try to be contrary, but Lalitā-devī is telling Her here that no matter what others say, She should still be contrary to Kṛṣṇa.] Don’t become submissive to Kṛṣṇa.” In this song, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī repeatedly offers his prostrated obeisances to Śrīmatī Lalitā-devī.

If Śrī Kṛṣṇa approaches Śrīmatī Rādhikā and uses some clever cheating words, Lalitā-devī cannot tolerate it. In niśānta-līlā, Śrīmatī Rādhikā has been waiting all night for Kṛṣṇa to come, and yet He doesn’t come. He finally comes very early in the morning, with signs on His divine body that He has been with other gopīs.

Lalitā-devī tells Him, “Don’t come here. We don’t want Your service. Where is Your beloved? You should go to her.” His eyes are very red and other symptoms are there. Lalitā then chastises Him, saying, “Yes, I know You, Kṛṣṇa. You are very chaste, simple and honest.” By her sharp and harsh words, she makes Kṛṣṇa ashamed and causes Him to be shy. This is described in Śrī Kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛta.

Kṛṣṇa sometimes challenges the gopīs in the forest: “Why have you come here? Don’t you know I am Vrajendra, the King of Vṛndāvana? By picking flowers here, you are destroying My Vṛndāvana!” At that time Lalitā-devī says, “We know what kind of ‘protector’ You are. Actually you have never planted one seed or watered one tree. Instead, with Your hundreds of thousands of cows, it is You who destroys Vṛndāvana. We are the real owners of Vṛndāvana. We have planted every seed and watered every tree.”

Kṛṣṇa then says, “Don’t you know who I am? I am a very religious person and I have never told a lie.” Then Śrīmatī Lalitā-devī says, “Yes, we know what type of religious person You are. We heard that when You were only seven days old, You killed a woman named Pūtanā, who came as a mother to You. And which house in Vṛndāvana have You not stolen from? Are You the same religious person who stole all the clothing of the gopīs? Are You the same religious person who performed rāsa-līlā with all the married gopīs of Vṛndāvana?” Kṛṣṇa then becomes ashamed.

vātsalya-vṛnda-vasatiṁ paśupāla-rājñyāḥ
sakhyānuśikṣaṇa-kalāsu guruṁ sakhīnām
rādhā-balāvaraja-jīvita-nirviśeṣāṁ
devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi

[I offer praṇāma unto the supremely charming Śrī Lalitā-devī, who possesses all divine qualities; who is also the recipient of Yaśodā-devī’s parental affection; the guru of all the sakhīs, instructing them in the art of friendship; and the very life of both Śrīmatī Rādhikā and the younger brother of Baladeva. (Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam, verse 6)]

Without the presence of vātsalya-rasa (parental love), the glories of mādhurya-rasa (conjugal love) do not manifest. One example occurs when Śrīmatī Rādhikā goes with all Her sakhīs to Nandagāon to cook. Mother Yaśodā is there, but there is no disturbance. When Śrīmatī Rādhikā goes to Nanda-bhavana with Lalitā and the aṣṭa-sakhīs (Rādhikā’s eight most intimate friends), Yaśodā-devī exhibits intense parental love towards Her – not less than the parental love she has towards her son Kṛṣṇa.

She also shows great affection to all the other sakhīs and mañjarīs, because of their relation with Her. All the aṣṭa-sakhīs have so many excellent qualities, and therefore Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī writes, “Of all the gopīs, the aṣṭa-sakhīs are the topmost.” For example, Śrīmatī Tuṅgavidyā-devī can speak with all types of birds and animals. She understands their language and can communicate with them.

What can be greater than performing services to Śrīmatī Rādhikā under the guidance of Lalitā and Viśākhā and the other aṣṭa-sakhīs? Lalitā and Viśākhā are the śikṣā-gurus of all the gopīs in the group of Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Lalitā-devī’s life and soul is Śrīmatī Rādhikā and Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī prays, “I offer praṇāma again and again unto Śrīmatī Lalitā-devī.”

yāṁ kām api vraja-kule vṛṣabhānu-jāyāḥ
prekṣya sva-pakṣa-padavīm anurudhyamānām
sadyas tad-īṣṭa-ghaṭanena kṛtārthayantīṁ
devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi

[“I offer praṇāma unto the supremely charming Śrī Lalitā-devī, the treasure house of all good qualities. Upon seeing any young maiden anywhere in Vraja and discerning that she is inclined towards her priya-sakhī Śrīmatī Rādhikā, Lalitā immediately tells Rādhā that She must accept this person in Her own party (svapakṣa). Rādhā obeys Lalitā, who thus fulfills that maiden’s desires.” (Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam, verse 7)]

Lalitā has many charming qualities. What is Her greatest quality – Her quality that is most favorable for the sādhakas of this world? If she sees in Vṛndāvana any gopī, or anyone who has even a slight touch of a scent of desire to serve Śrīmatī Rādhikā, she immediately fulfills that gopī’s desire and gives her the unlimited wealth of the service of Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s lotus feet.

If one has a one-pointed desire to perform service to Śrīmatī Rādhikā under the direct guidance of Śrīmatī Lalitā-devī, and furthermore under the shelter of Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī, that devotee may know that Lalitā-devī’s shelter is the only path by which one can achieve this.

rādhā-vrajendra-suta-saṅgama-raṅga-caryāṁ
varyāṁ viniścitavatīm akhilotsavebhyaḥ
tāṁ gokula-priya-sakhī-nikuramba-mukhyāṁ
devīṁ guṇaiḥ sulalitāṁ lalitāṁ namāmi

[I offer praṇāma unto Śrī Lalitā-devī, the embodiment of all divine virtues and the foremost of all the favorite sakhīs of Gokula. Her primary task is providing pleasure for Śrī Rādhā-Govinda by arranging Their meetings – this delightful sevā surpasses the enjoyment of all the best festivals combined together. (Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam, verse 8)]

Without the mercy of Lalitā-devī, Girirāja or Yamunā, it is not possible to enter rāsa-līlā. The first and greatest is Śrīmatī Lalitā-devī herself, the second is Girirāja Govardhana and the third is Yamunā or Viśākhā-devī. Lalitā is the same age as Śrīmatī Rādhikā, or she is twenty-seven days older. [It may happen one way in one yuga (millennium) and one way in another.] Like Rādhikā, Lalitā also has all the qualities of being a yūtheśvarī – able to control her own group of subservient gopīs. Why is she qualified to be a yūtheśvarī?

If Bhadrā, Śyāmalā or Candrāvalī can become yūtheśvarīs, then what to speak of Lalitā-devī? However, despite being the same age as Rādhikā and having the qualification of a yūtheśvarī, still, the only goal of her life is to serve Srimati Radhika and to facilitate the meeting of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna. Her only happiness is the meeting of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and to achieve that goal, she never considers any amount of discomfort or suffering.

Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī prays:

pādābjayos tava vinā vara-dāsyam eva
nānyat kadāpi samaye kila devi yāce
sakhyāya te mama namo ‘stu namo ‘stu nityaṁ
dāsyāya te mama raso ‘stu raso ‘stu satyam

[O Goddess! I shall never pray to You for anything but the excellent service of Your lotus feet. I offer my constant obeisances unto the idea of becoming Your friend, but I truly relish the idea of becoming Your maidservant. (Vilāpa-kusumāñjali, text 16)]

“Oh, I offer my obeisances millions of times to the position of a sakhī of Śrīmatī Rādhikā. But my only real desire, birth after birth, is to attain the service of Śrīmatī Rādhikā in the mood of a mañjarī. I have no desire to become equal to Rādhikā, like the sakhīs.” Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī also prays, “I will never leave the feet of Rādhikā to go to Kṛṣṇa. Even if Kṛṣṇa goes to Dvārakā and calls me there, I will not go. However, if out of some madness Rādhikā has somehow gone to Dvārakā, I will fly even faster than Garuḍa to serve Her there.” (Sva-niyama-daśakam, verses 3 and 4)

nandann amūni lalitā-guṇa-lālitāni
padyāni yaḥ paṭhati nirmala-dṛṣṭir aṣṭau
prītyā vikarṣati janaṁ nija-vṛnda-madhye
taṁ kīrtidā-pati-kulojjvala-kalpa-vallī

[If a person with a cheerful and pure heart recites this aṣṭakam in praise of Lalitā-devī, he will be affectionately brought into Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s own group of sakhīs. Lalitā-devī is superbly ornamented with beauty, grace and charm, and, along with Śrīmatī Rādhikā, is the effulgent wish-fulfilling creeper (kalpa-vallī) of Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja’s family that winds around the kalpa-vṛkṣa of Kṛṣṇa. (Śrī Lalitāṣṭakam, verse 9)]

In conclusion, Śrīmatī Lalitā-devī is the wish-fulfilling tree of the prema-sevā (service in love) of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Whoever chants this Lalitāṣṭakam will make Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa happy. Moreover, Lalitā-devī herself will be happy, and all our desires will be fulfilled.