Śrī Lalitā-sakhī is Instrumental in Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s Descent

[The following is the bhāva anuvāda translation of a question and answer darśana with Śrīla Bhakti Vijñāna Bhāratī Gosvāmī Mahārāja in Kolkata.]

Śrīla Bhāratī Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Who is Lalitā-sakhī?

Devotee: She is the kāya-vyūha of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, Her bodily expansion.

Śrīla Bhāratī Gosvāmī Mahārāja: What is the meaning?

Devotee: Transcendental expansion...

Śrīla Bhāratī Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī expands Herself into many, only to serve Kṛṣṇa. They [these expansions] are non-different from Rādhārāṇī. They have no desire independent of Rādhārāṇī. This is their speciality of the aṣṭa-sakhīs. They are always serving Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. And Rādhārāṇī tries to satisfy them. This is the speciality of Rādhārāṇī. Lalitā is the dearest sakhī of Rādhārāṇī. She performs ārati of the divine couple, ‘lalitā-sundarī kare yugala-ārati’.

Once, when Rādhārāṇī was in viraha (separation) of Kṛṣṇa, She was very silent (mauna). Then Lalitā told Her, “Don’t think about Kṛṣṇa! By thinking about Kṛṣṇa, You have lost Your health and Your complexion. From golden, You have become blackish. So You should give up thinking about Kṛṣṇa.” Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī responded, “It is not possible for Me to give up thinking about Kṛṣṇa.” Lalitā said, “Why is it not possible? Simply don’t utter the name of Kṛṣṇa.” Rādhārāṇī replied, “That is not possible because when I utter the name of Kṛṣṇa, My tongue begins to dance. Then I think it is not wise on behalf of the creator to have given Me only one tongue. I wish I had unlimited tongues when I utter the name of Kṛṣṇa. When I hear Kṛṣṇa’s name, I think only two ears are not sufficient, I wish I had millions of ears. So how is it possible for Me to give up uttering and hearing the name of Kṛṣṇa?”

tuṇḍe tāṇḍavinī ratiṁ vitanute tuṇḍāvalī-labdhaye

karṇa-kroḍa-kaḍambinī ghaṭayate karṇārbudebhyaḥ spṛhām

cetaḥ-prāṅgaṇa-saṅginī vijayate sarvendriyāṇāṁ kṛtiṁ

no jāne janitā kiyadbhir amṛtaiḥ kṛṣṇeti varṇa-dvayī

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Antya-līlā 1.99)

[I do not know how much nectar the two syllables ‘Kṛṣ-ṇa’ have produced. When the holy name of Kṛṣṇa is chanted, it appears to dance within the mouth. We then desire many, many mouths. When that name enters the holes of the ears, we desire many millions of ears. And when the holy name dances in the courtyard of the heart, it conquers the activities of the mind, and therefore all the senses become inert.]

So Rādhārāṇī uttered the name of Kṛṣṇa, very softly, only in Her mind. And Kṛṣṇa became attracted by that utterance of His name. Why did He get attracted? Rādhārāṇī says, “cetaḥ-prāṅgaṇa-saṅginī vijayate sarvendriyāṇāṁ kṛtiṁ” When I simply remember the name ‘Kṛṣṇa’ in My mind, then all My senses become inert. I lose My sense of sight, hearing, taste, touch; everything stops, only by the action of the mind - sarvendriyāṇāṁ kṛtiṁ. ‘no jāne janitā kiyadbhir amṛtaiḥ kṛṣṇeti varṇa-dvayī’ - It is difficult for me to ascertain the mystery behind how much nectar (amṛta) the creator has invested in the name of Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛṣṇa was attracted by the utterance of His name and He touched the body of Rādhārāṇī, “Rādhe! I have come!” However there was no response. Then Kṛṣṇa began to wonder, “Rādhārāṇī’s senses know everything - they know My fragrance. Is Rādhārāṇī’s skin not feeling the sense of My touch? Although I am uttering ‘Rādhe’, Her ears don’t seem to hear it, how is it possible? And Her eyes are not seeing Me, though I am present before Her? Her nose, eyes, ears, skin, everything has become inert.” Thinking thus, Kṛṣṇa said, “I would like to taste My own name. How astonishing and wonderful is My name?” He thought to Himself, “If I become a premī-bhakta like Rādhārāṇī, then I can taste My own name ‘Kṛṣṇa’.

Then Kṛṣṇa appeared as Lord Caitanya assuming the emotions (bhāva) and the fair complexion (kānti) of Rādhārāṇī. So the cause of this is Śrī Lalitā-sakhī.

When Kṛṣṇa came as Caitanyadeva, He always uttered the name of Kṛṣṇa.

kāhāṅ mora prāṇa-nātha muralī-vadana kāhāṅ karoṅ kāhāṅ pāṅ vrajendra-nandana

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā, 2.15)

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to express His mind in this way: “Where is the Lord of My life, who is playing His flute? What shall I do now? Where should I go to find the son of Mahārāja Nanda?

One of the reasons for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s appearance in this world was to taste the name of Kṛṣṇa. Thus Lalitā-sakhī was instrumental in making Kṛṣṇa develop the greed to taste His own name in the mood of Rādhārāṇī.