Radha

From the first day of the bright lunar quarter of the month of Bhadra, a band is sitting down at the Lion Gate of Vrsabhanu Maharaja’s town, making it as beautiful as Nandisvara (at the time of Krishna’s birthday).

On the third day of the light lunar quarter of Bhadra is the birthday of Tungavidya Sakhi. That night there will be Rasa-lila and Sayan lila (taking rest) in her Kunja. The same thing happens on Astami (the eight lunar day) in the Kunja of Sri Radha and Visakha, on Navami (the ninth day) in the Kunja of Campakalata, on Ekadasi in the Kunja of Indurekha, on Purnima (fullmoon night) in the Kunja of Rangadevi and Sudevi and on the third bright lunar day in Asvina in the Kunja of Citra Sakhi.

Two days before Radhastami, on the sixth day of the light quarter of the month of Bhadra, father Vrsabhanu sends an invitation to Nanda baba (Krishna’s father) at Nandisvara to come and celebrate Sri Radhika’s birthday. Sridama, Sri Radhika’s elder brother, and  sikanya deliver the inivitation.

The next day, after performing their daily morning-duties, Nanda baba and his entire entourage, including Gostha Candra Sri Krishna, come to Vrsabhanupura (Varsana) on foot, with bullock-carts or in palanquins. Hearing the musical instruments of their approaching guests resounding, Vrsabhanu baba and his brothers and Mother Kirtida and her sisters-in-law are awaiting them. They show the guests their quarters and take a meal with them. Sri Radhika and Her Yuthesvaris (group-leaders) cook rice, vegetables, puris, ksira (sweet rice) and many other delicious dishes, and the pujari offers everything to Maharaja Vrsabhanu’s Narayana-deity. After the pujari puts the deity to rest Sridama arranges for prasada to be served on the courtyard of the palace and Sri Radhika starts quarreling with Her Yuthesvaris about who can serve first. Externally angry Syama-sakhi says to Sri Radhika: “It’s Your father’s invitation! What’s it to us? You can serve first or not, whatever You like!”

Hearing this loving quarrel Mother Kirtida decides to make lines for serving, and every sakhi can serve her own line of guests. After eating, chewing betelleaves and washing the mouth, everyone lies down in his own guestroom. On the pretext of picking flowers Sri Radhika then goes to Vilasa Kunda, which is situated west of Varsana, where She secretly meets Sri Syamasundara. After a brief meeting everyone returns to their own rooms. Then Sri Radhika cooks something and takes that along for Her usual noontime meeting with Krishna at Sri Radhakunda.

On the morning of Radhastami-day, after performing their morning-duties, everyone assembles to witness Sri Radhika’s abhiseka (bathing ceremony). Sri Radhika wears a thin, white dress along with all Her usual ornaments for the abhiseka. Musicians start playing their instruments (like Vina, Upanga, Pakhowaj, Mrdanga, Dundubhis, Bheris and Dolaks) and the maidservants come in to bring all the paraphernalia for the bathing-ceremony. Paurnamasi-devi chants the mantras and Gargi (the daughter of the priest Gargamuni) starts the abhiseka. First she pours Mahausadhi-water, water that contains many auspicious herbs, over Sri Radhika’s delectable limbs, then Panca-Gavya, five kinds of dairy-products, like milk, yoghurt, buttermilk, clarified butter and cow’s urine, then a hundred jugs of clear water and finally She bathes Her with a conchshell that makes a thousand streams. The maidservants dry Sri Radhika off with soft white towels and anoint Her with fragrant oils and Catuh-Sama (a blend of sandalpaste, vermilion, camphor and musk). Then they take Her to Her Srngara Vedi (dais for ornamentation), dress Her in Her usual splendid blue sari and decorate Her with Her shimmering ornaments, the sixteen srngaras and twelve abharanas. Gargi worships Sri Radhika with Durva-grass (bright green grass which is highly auspicious) and wheat in her hand, and Paurnamasi offers Her brahminical blessings. After a maidservant has offered arati to Sri Radhika, mother Yasoda blesses Her and presents Her with a jeweled necklace, clothes and ornaments. She also gives such presents to the Yuthesvaris. Then Sri Radha gives ornamented cows in charity. Father Vrsabhanu also gives thousands of cows and calves. Sri Radhika offers Her obeisances unto all these superiors.

After this Sri Krishna and His friends take a snack and Sri Radha and Her girlfriends and groupleaders also take a snack. Sri Radhika then takes off Her ornaments and cooks Her own birthday-feast together with mother Rohini - sweet rice, savouries, rice and vegetables. Hundreds of brahmanas are cooking another feast for all the villagers outside. Compassionate Yasoda says to her friend Kirtida: “Sakhi! Your heart is so hard! You make Sri Radhika, who is as tender as a Sirisa-flower, cook so much! You don’t have any love and affection! Just see how warm She feels of this hard labour on Her very birthday!” Mother Kirtida replies: “Because Sri Radhika got the blessing that whatever She cooks would be more delicious than nectar, Vrsabhanu-baba wanted Nanda Maharaja and his family to savour this once. That’s why Sri Radhika is cooking on this special occasion! O Queen of Vraja! Just see how nice Her preparations are!” Mother Rohini then shows mother Yasoda all the preparations Sri Radhika had cooked. Sri Radhika offers Her obeisances unto Queen Yasoda’s feet and Yasoda blesses Her, saying: “O Radhe! Your preparations please my eyes with their form and my nose with their fragrance!” Then Lalita and Syamala come and offer their obeisances to mother Yasoda’s lotus feet and she then also affectionately praises and blesses them.

Mother Rohini then says: “O Krishna-Janani, mother of Krishna! This Sri Radhika is a golden gem and Sri Krishna is a sapphire gem-stone! They are just like a couple of necklaces for the Vraja-Laksmi (the goddess of Vraja’s pastoral beauty)!” Sri Radhika’s nostrils bloom of shyness when She hears this. When Lalita and the other sakhis see this they rejoice. Sri Yasoda then orders some maidservants to prepare the offering for the deities and to fan Sri Radha to remove Her fatigue. After this the pujari offers the bhoga and puts the deities to rest. (Meanwhile outside hundreds of brahmins have also completed their enormous cooking work) After this everyone dresses properly and, like on Krishna-Janmastami in Pavan Sarovara, proceed to Bhanukhora, the pond that lies east of Varsana, to play Dadhikada, a game of throwing butter, yoghurt and other dairy-products at each other, and splashing each other with water from different corners of the Khora - one ghata (bathing place) is reserved for men, one for women, one for girls and one for boys. After this Maharaja Vrsabhanu and Kirtida Maharani present all ladies and gentlemen present with proper gifts of clothes and ornaments. Vrsabhanu baba first sumptuously feeds all the brahmanas and then all other people, on a large courtyard. Everyone eats in supreme ecstasy, and after flushing their mouths they take betelleaves and take rest in their individual abodes.

In the inner chambers of the palace mother Kirtida and mother Sri Yasoda also feed all the ladies, after which they too take rest in their individual quarters. After this he generously gives clothes, ornaments and daksina (monetary donations). Then everyone takes rest in their own rooms.

After taking some rest Sri Radhika goes picking flowers with Her girlfriends on the bank of Vilasa Kunda in the west of Barsana. While they depart the sakhis give a hint to Sri Krishna through the window. Sri Krishna then joins them at Vilasa Kunda, performs His amorous pastimes with Sri Radha there, performs Yogapitha pastimes and then everyone returns to their own bedroom for taking some rest. After this Sri Radha’s pastimes of cooking offerings for the Sun-god and going on abhisara are the same as on the Saptami. At night They dance the Rasa and recline in the kunja of Visakha-sakhi, because it is also her birthday on this day.