Śrī Rādhikāṣṭakam
श्री राधिकाष्टकम्
Śrī Rādhikāṣṭakam
by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Goswāmī
Śrī Govinda-līlāmṛta by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Goswāmī, describes that upon Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa arising from rest in the early afternoon at Śrī Rādhā Kuṇḍa and sitting in the midst of Śrī Rādhā’s sakhīs and Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s sakhās Subala and Madhumaṅgala, Vṛndā Devī summons her trained parrot (śuka) Mañjuvāk and mynah (śārikā) Kalokti to speak in praise of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. After receiving a hint from Śrī Rādhā, Vṛndā Devī has Mañjuvāk speak in praise of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s form and qualities. The final verses of this description of Śrī Kṛṣṇa [found in GL 17.50–58] are known as the Kṛṣṇacandrāṣṭakam. Immediately following this, another set of eight verses [found in GL 17.59–67] are spoken in praise of Śrī Rādhā and known as the Rādhikāṣṭakam.
Eight Verses in Glorification of Śrī Rādhikā
By Śrīmad Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī
[Midday Pastimes, chapter 17.59-67,
as chanted by the female parrot śārī]
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कुङ्कुमाक्तकाष्चनाब्जगर्वहारिगौरभा
पीतनाष्चिताब्जगन्धकीर्तिनिन्दिसौरभा ।
बल्लवेशसूनुसर्ववाष्चितार्थसाधिका
मह्यम् आत्मपादपद्मदास्यदास्तु राधिका ॥ १॥
kuṅkumākta-kāṣcanābja-garva-hāri-gaurabhā
pītanāṣcitābja-gandha-kīrti-nindi-saurabhā |
ballaveśa-sūnu-sarva-vāṣcitārtha-sādhikā
mahyam ātma-pāda-padma-dāsya-dāstu rādhikā || 1||
Her splendrous golden complexion steals the pride of a golden lotus flower anointed with a tinge of red kuṅkum powder. Her sweet fragrance mocks the fame of the aroma of a lotus flower sprinkled with saffron powder. She is fully qualified to fulfill all the desires of the son of the king of cowherd men. May Śrī Rādhikā always bestow upon me the service of Her own lotus feet. (1)
कौरविन्दकान्तिनिन्दिचित्रपट्टशाटिका
कृष्णमत्तभृङ्गकेलिफुल्लपुष्पवाटिका ।
कृष्णनित्यसङ्गमार्थपद्मबन्धुराधिका
मह्यम् आत्मपादपद्मदास्यदास्तु राधिका ॥ २॥
kauravinda-kānti-nindi-citra-paṭṭa-śāṭikā
kṛṣṇa-matta-bhṛṅga-keli-phulla-puṣpa-vāṭikā |
kṛṣṇa-nitya-saṅgamārtha-padma-bandhu-rādhikā
mahyam ātma-pāda-padma-dāsya-dāstu rādhikā || 2||
Her amazing and colorful silken garments make the splendor of coral feel ashamed. She is a garden of blossoming flowers where the maddened bumblebee named Kṛṣṇa performs amorous pastimes. She worships the Sun-god daily in order to attain the continual association of Her beloved Kṛṣṇa. May Śrī Rādhikā always bestow upon me the service of Her own lotus feet. (2)
सौकुमार्यसृष्टपल्लवालिकीर्तिनिग्रहा
चन्द्रचन्दनोत्पलेन्दुसेव्यशीतविग्रहा ।
स्वाभिमर्शबल्लवीशकामतापबाधिका
मह्यम् आत्मपादपद्मदास्यदास्तु राधिका ॥ ३॥
saukumārya-sṛṣṭa-pallavāli-kīrti-nigrahā
candra-candanotpalendu-sevya-śīta-vigrahā |
svābhimarśa-ballavīśa-kāma-tāpa-bādhikā
mahyam ātma-pāda-padma-dāsya-dāstu rādhikā || 3||
Her charming youthful delicacy negates the fame of freshly-sprouted leaves. Her refreshing form is worthy of being served by the cooling moon, sandal-wood paste, lotus flowers, and camphor. When She touches the master of the gopīs, She dispels the burning heat of His lusty desires. May Śrī Rādhikā always bestow upon me the service of Her own lotus feet. (3)
विश्ववन्द्ययौवताभिवन्दितापि या रमा
रूपनव्ययौवनादिसंपदा न यत्समा ।
शीलहार्दलीलया च सा यतो ‘स्ति नाधिका
मह्यम् आत्मपादपद्मदास्यदास्तु राधिका ॥ ४॥
viśva-vandya-yauvatābhivanditāpi yā ramā
rūpa-navya-yauvanādi-saṁpadā na yat-samā |
śīla-hārda-līlayā ca sā yato ‘sti nādhikā
mahyam ātma-pāda-padma-dāsya-dāstu rādhikā || 4||
Although the goddess of fortune Lakṣmī Devī is adored by other youthful goddesses, who are themselves glorified throughout all the universe, still she is nowhere near Śrī Rādhikā in the matter of beauty, praiseworthy youthfulness, or other divine feminine opulences. There is no one in the material or spiritual worlds superior to Rādhikā in the expression of naturally loving pastimes. May Śrī Rādhikā always bestow upon me the service of Her own lotus feet. (4)
रासलास्यगीतनर्मसत्कलालिपण्डिता
प्रेमरम्यरूपवेशसद्गुणालिमण्डिता ।
विश्वनव्यगोपयोषिदालितो पि याधिका
मह्यम् आत्मपादपद्मदास्यदास्तु राधिका ॥ ५॥
rāsa-lāsya-gīta-narma-sat-kalāli-paṇḍitā
prema-ramya-rūpa-veśa-sad-guṇāli-maṇḍitā |
viśva-navya-gopa-yoṣid-ālito pi yādhikā
mahyam ātma-pāda-padma-dāsya-dāstu rādhikā || 5||
She is very learned in many transcendental arts, such as performing in the rāsa dance, singing, and joking. She is decorated with many divine qualities, such as loving nature, exquisite beauty, and wonderful garments and ornaments. Even among the cowherd damsels of Vraja, who are praised by the entire universe, She is the best in every way. May Śrī Rādhikā always bestow upon me the service of Her own lotus feet. (5)
नित्यनव्यरूपकेलिकृष्णभावसम्पदा
कृष्णरागबन्धगोपयौवतेषु कम्पदा ।
कृष्णरूपवेशकेलिलग्नसत्समाधिका
मह्यम् आत्मपादपद्मदास्यदास्तु राधिका ॥ ६॥
nitya-navya-rūpa-keli-kṛṣṇa-bhāva-sampadā
kṛṣṇa-rāga-bandha-gopa-yauvateṣu kampadā |
kṛṣṇa-rūpa-veśa-keli-lagna-sat-samādhikā
mahyam ātma-pāda-padma-dāsya-dāstu rādhikā || 6||
She possesses the opulences of eternal youthful beauty, eternal pastimes, and eternal love for Kṛṣṇa. Her ecstatic feelings of love for Kṛṣṇa cause the gopīs, who are also in love with Kṛṣṇa, to tremble. She is always attached to meditating on Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s beautiful form, ornaments, garments, and pastimes. May Śrī Rādhikā always bestow upon me the service of Her own lotus feet. (6)
स्वेदकम्पकण्टकाश्रुगद्गदादिसष्चिता
मर्षहर्षवामतादिभावभुषणाष्चिता ।
कृष्णनेत्रतोषिरत्नमण्डनालिदाधिका
मह्यम् आत्मपादपद्मदास्यदास्तु राधिका ॥ ७॥
sveda-kampa-kaṇṭakāśru-gadgadādi-saṣcitā
marṣa-harṣa-vāmatādi-bhāva-bhuṣaṇāṣcitā |
kṛṣṇa-netra-toṣi-ratna-maṇḍanāli-dādhikā
mahyam ātma-pāda-padma-dāsya-dāstu rādhikā || 7||
She is graced with the eight ecstatic symptoms (sāttvika-bhāva), such as trembling, perspiring, standing up of bodily hairs, tears, faltering of the voice, and so forth. She is adorned with different ecstatic emotional ornaments, such as impatience, joy, contrariness, and so forth. She is decorated with beautiful jewels that give total delight to the eyes of Kṛṣṇa. May Śrī Rādhikā always bestow upon me the service of Her own lotus feet. (7)
या क्षणार्धकृष्णविप्रयोगसन्ततोदिता
नेकदैन्यचापलादिभाववृन्दमोदिता ।
यत्नलब्धकृष्णसङ्गनिर्गताखिलाधिका
मह्यम् आत्मपादपद्मदास्यदास्तु राधिका ॥ ८॥
yā kṣaṇārdha-kṛṣṇa-viprayoga-santatoditā-
neka-dainya-cāpalādi-bhāva-vṛnda-moditā |
yatna-labdha-kṛṣṇa-saṅga-nirgatākhilādhikā
mahyam ātma-pāda-padma-dāsya-dāstu rādhikā || 8||
If She is apart from Kṛṣṇa for even half a moment, She becomes stricken with wretched suffering, restlessness, and a multitude of other ecstatic symptoms of separation. When She regains the association of Kṛṣṇa after some effort, then all Her anguish immediately vanishes. May Śrī Rādhikā always bestow upon me the service of Her own lotus feet. (8)
अष्टकेन यस् त्व् अनेन नौति कृष्णवल्लभां
दर्शने ‘पि शैलजादियोषिदालिदुर्लभाम् ।
कृष्णसङ्गनन्दितात्मदास्यसीधुभाजनं
तं करोति नन्दितालिसष्चयाशु सा जनम् ॥ ९॥
aṣṭakena yas tv anena nauti kṛṣṇa-vallabhāṁ
darśane ‘pi śailajādi-yoṣidāli-durlabhām |
kṛṣṇa-saṅga-nanditātma-dāsya-sīdhu-bhājanaṁ
taṁ karoti nanditāli-saṣcayāśu sā janam || 9||
It is very difficult for Pārvatī and other exalted goddesses to attain even a glimpse of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, who is dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa. But if someone glorifies Her by reciting these eight verses, then She who is delighted by Kṛṣṇa’s continuous association will grant the sweet nectar of Her personal service to that person, who thereby enters the assembly of Her similarly delighted girlfriends. (9)
इति श्रीलकृष्णदासकविराजगोस्वामि-
विरचितं श्रीराधिकाष्टकं सम्पूर्णम् ।
| iti śrīla-kṛṣṇadāsa-kavirāja-gosvāmi-
viracitaṁ śrī-rādhikāṣṭakaṁ sampūrṇam |
Thus Ends Śrī Rādhikāṣṭakam composed
by Śrīla Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī.
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Download PDF
Radhikastaka-kk.pdf
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Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, describes the result of reciting this stotra in the final verse: any person who repeatedly recites this stotra praising Śrī Rādhā’s qualities certainly attains her beautiful feet. Service to the feet of Śrī Rādhā as she is delighted in Kṛṣṇa’s association is very difficult to attain even for goddesses such as Pārvatī, yet Rādhā, the Daughter of Vṛṣabhānu, becomes pleased by recitation of this stava and personally offers one [who does so] the wealth of the nectar of that servitude, and seeing this grace of hers, all the sakhīs become happy. Devout (anurāgī) bhaktas should [thus] never neglect such a great opportunity: reciting this supremely auspicious stotra with full devotion.
YouTube Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBk4MLiWIc8
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