Srimati Radharani is fifteen years old and full of the luster of youth. Radha is expert in all the sixty-four fine arts and Her transcendental form is like an ocean of nectar. Radha’s splendid bodily luster is like molten gold or stationary lightning. Radha wears wonderfully beautiful blue garments, and She is decorated with various pearls and flowers. Gandharvika (Radha) is very beautiful, and has long, nicely braided hair. Radha’s splendid forehead is decorated with the red pigment, sindura, and with beautiful locks of curling hair. Decorated with blue bangles, Sri Radha’s arms have defeated Cupid’s staff with their beauty. Decorated with black mascara, Radhika’s expanded lotus eyes are the most beautiful in all the three planetary systems.Radhika’s nose if as beautiful as a sesame flower and the tip is nicely decorated with a pearl. Anointed with carious perfumes, Sri Radha is splendidly beautiful. Radha’s ears are decorated with wonderful earrings and Her nectarean lips defeat red lotus flowers. Srimati Radharani’s teeth are a row of pearls and Her tongue is very beautiful. Decorated with a smile of pure love for Krsna, Radha’s beautiful face is as splendid as millions of moons. The beauty of Radhika’s chin has defeated and bewildered Cupid. Decorated with a drop of musk, Radha’s chin appears like a golden lotus flower with a bumblebee.
Bearing all the marks of wonderful beauty, Radha’s neck, back and sides are enchantingly gorgeous. Radhika’s breast is like splendid golden waterpots covered by a bodice decorated with a pearl necklace. Srimati Radharani’s beautiful enchanting arms are two red lotus flowers illuminated by the series of moons that are Her fingernails.
Jeweled rings decorate Radha’s splendidly beautiful fingers. Charming, full of sweet nectar, and decorated with a deep navel, Sri Radha’s beautiful waist enchants the three worlds. Radhika’s sloping hips lead to Her charmingly beautiful slender waist which is bound by a creeper of three beautiful folds of skin and decorated with a sash of tinkling bells.
As beautiful as two exquisite plantain trees, Sri Radha’s thighs enchant the mind of Cupid. Sri Radha’s beautiful knees are two reservoirs filled with the nectar of various transcendental pastimes. Radha’s beautiful feet are decorated with jeweled ankle-bells, and Her toes with toe rings as beautiful as the treasure of Varuna. (RKG)
Sri Radha’s Gold and Flower Ornaments
Srimati Radharani wears twelve different ornaments on Her transcendental form. These ornaments which include Radha’s crown, earrings, belt, ankle-bells, finger and toe rings, armlets, and jewel necklaces that look like strings of stars are all fashioned from pure gold; they appear like myriad shining suns. Sri Radha wears a locket containing a picture of Sri Krsna and a signet ring that is engraved with "Radha". Radha’s Syamantaka jewel is also known as Sankhacuda-siromani” (Sankhacuda’s crest jewel). Srimati Radhika’s ankle-bells stun Sri Krsna with their tinkling sounds.
Besides jewels and gold, Radha wears a variety of flower crowns, necklaces, armlets, sashes, earrings, bracelets, anklets and blouses. Radha taught Lalita-sakhi how to make these flower decorations, which Radharani prefers over the jeweled variety. Srimati Radhika’s favorite crown is made from flowers and buds of five colours arranged in five points. The gopis also artistically arrange flowers to create five different kinds of earrings; resembling objects like a peacock, lotus, shark or half-moon. (RKG)
“The glaringly effulgent tiara’s shimmering halo; beautifully sports in all directs stretching to the horizon. Glistening, sleek armlets, bracelets and necklaces refract a collective, flickering of jewel-like coronas. Hip-spanning belt of softly tinkling bells. Anklets charming musical chimes embellishing the majesty of Her divine lotus feet. Oh, my dear mind! Just worship the effulgence known as ‘Radha’”. (RRS)
Srimati Radharani’s Clothing
Wearing light-colored clothes during the full moon and dark colours in the moon’s absence, Sri Radha
dresses to please Her beloved Krsna, and to facilitate Her nightly meetings with Her gallant lover, Sri Syamasundara. Radha’s favourite outfit is a “Krsna-blue” sari and shawl matched with a pink blouse that delights Sri Krsna.
“Radharani’s upper garment is red like a ruby, and it is the favourite of Lord Hari. Radha’s lower garment is the color of a blue cloud, and it is Her favourite.” (RKG), “Sri Krsna said to Sri Radha, ‘All glories to Your wonderful ruby-red silk sari. O Radha, this sari has doubled the passionate love I bear for You in My heart’”. (UN)
Glorification of Srimati Radharani’s Indescribable Beauty
Sri Krsna praised Srimati Radharani, ‘My dear Radha, Your curling locks of hair, long restless eyes, firm breasts, slender waist, shyly lowered head, creeper-like arms and jewel-like fingernails are all exquisitely beautiful. The jubilant festival of Your beauty makes the three worlds tremble in transcendental bliss’”. (UN)
- “The beauty of Srimati Radharani’s eyes forcible devours the beauty of the newly grown blue lotus flower, and the beauty of Radha’s face surpasses that of an entire forest of fully blossomed lotuses. Radha’s bodily luster seems to place even gold in a painful situation. Thus the wonderful unprecedented beauty of Srimati Radharani is awakening in Vrndavana”. (Vidagdha-madhava)
- “Entwining this way and that with decorations of fresh forest flowers, and bound and tied up with jewel-threads; Adorned with jasmine garlands of exotic fragrance and hanging down very best of noble gemstones; Your hair style arranged by the hand of Hari, will I ever see it, Oh Radhe?
- “Teeth like rows of pearls and lovely lips like bimba berries; Thin waist, wide hips and a deep navel like a whirlpool of newer youth; This indescribable lover – the very heart of the cleverest maidens – May Radha protect us!
- “Oh moon-faced one! O doe-eyed one! O Goddess! Oh lovely-nosed one! O one with reddish lips! O sweet smiler! O Supreme Laksmi! O creeper-armed one! O lustrous one of conch shell-smooth neck! O one with plantain tree shaped thighs! Oh whose collection of lotus toenails brightly illuminates all directions! When, Oh Radhe, will You be worshipped by me?” (RRS)
Sri Radha’s Twenty-Five Principal Qualities
Among Radha’s innumerable transcendental attributes, She has twenty-five principal qualities.
1) Radharani is very sweet and most charming to look at; 2) Radha is adolescent and always freshly youthful; 3) Radhika’s eyes are doe-like and restless; 4) Sri Radha’s face is smiling and every blissful’ 5) Auspicious, beautiful lines adorn Sri Radha’s lotus hands and feet; 6) Radharani maddens Krsna with Her fragrant bodily aroma; 7) Srimati Radharani is the most exceptional singer and vina player; 8) Radha’s words are charming and pleasing; 9) Radha is expert at telling jokes that delight Krnsa; 10) Srimati Radhika is exceptionally humble; 11) Radha is the embodiment of mercy and compassion; 12) Sri Radha’s intelligence and wit surpasses all; 13) Radharani is expert at performing all activities of love: 14) Shyness is the shining gem in Radha’s character’ 15) Srimati Radharani is the beacon light of modesty and never swerves from the path of honesty; 16) radha is never perturbed by worldly sorrow or misery; 17) Sri radha has unbounded gravity and sublimity; 18) Radhika is ever fascinated to unite Herself with Krsna; 19) Radha possesses Mahabhava, the highest sentiments of love; 20) Radharani is the reservoir of loving affairs in Gokula; 21) Radha’s transcendental glories are shining in all the worlds; 22) Sri Radha is most affectionate to her superiors; 23) Radhika is submissive to the love of Her senior girlfriends; 24) Radharani is the chief among Krsna’s gopi lovers; 25) Radha always keeps Sri Krsna under Her control. Krsna submissively obeys Radha’s command. (CS)
“Srimati Radharani always keeps Her hand on the shoulders of Her friends and Radha always talks and thinks of the pastimes of Krsna. Radharani forever offers Krsna a kind of intoxication by Her sweet talks. Sri radha supplies all the demands of Sri Krsna, and Radharani possesses unique and uncommon qualities meant for Krsna’s satisfaction. Srimati Radhika is able to fulfill all the desires of Krsna. No one else can do so. Radha is so expert in all affairs that the damsels of Vraja come to learn the arts from her”. (TLC Chap.31)
( HH Mahanidhi Swami. 1991. Appreciating Sri Vrindavan Dham. pages 79-84.)
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