Today is the divine appearance of Srimati Lalita Devi, Lalita Devi was born in the village of Karhala, and later on her father brought her to Uchagaon, which is known as the place of her pastimes. There are still many remains of her having lived there, like a rock containing the imprints of her lotus feet. There are also imprints of some small utensils she used when she and the other sakhis fed Lord Krsna, when He would come to visit them. When the sun-rays fall on the imprints of those pots and plates, they glitter and shine. All the sakhis used to play with Krsna and Lalita in Uccagaon, and there are many places there where you can see their footprints to this day.
On the hill there is a slippery rock showing where a specific pastime was enacted in a marriage arena. There, the gopis arranged a special kind of marriage between Lalita and Krsna. This should not be misunderstood as a real marriage, but rather a play marriage, like the marriage that was once enacted between Srimati Radhika and Krsna.
In that pastime, Krsna was sitting beside Lalita, and the sakhis began to play mischievously. Visakha and some of the other sakhis tied Sri Lalita’s veil to Krsna’s pitambara (yellow shawl). Then suddenly, on the indication of Srimati Radhika, Rangadevi and other sakhis started to sing wedding songs, while Tungavidya and others uttered wedding mantras. The remaining sakhis showered flowers on Sri Krsna and Lalita. When Lalita noticed that something tricky was being done to her, she tried to run away; but because she was tied to Krsna’s pitambara she could not do so. All the sakhis then surrounded the couple and married them.
Lalita Devi is the prime ashtasakhi of the eight primary sakhis of Srimati Radharani. She generally has the same loving attitude towards both Radha and Krishna, yet she is more protective of and loyal to Srimati Radharani. Lalita sakhi is always favorably disposed towards the pastimes of Radha and Krishna, and she always tries to please Them. When Radha and Krishna meet and engage in amorous pastimes, Lalita gently wipes away the perspiration on Their lotus feet.
Sometimes she authoritatively commands both Radha and Krishna, wagging her index finger at them, but she is able to do this only because she is also fiercely loving towards them. Also this sort of affectionate ‘bullying’ heightens the Divine Couple’s enjoyment in union.
Lalita has many charming qualities. For the sadhakas she is their best hope, if she sees in Vrndavana any gopi, or anyone who has even the slightest desire to serve Srimati Radhika, she immediately fulfills that person’s wish and gives her the unlimited wealth of the service of Srimati’s lotus feet. If anyone has a one-pointed desire to perform service to Srimati Radharani under the direct guidance of Srimati Lalita-devi and furthermore under the shelter of Sri Rupa Manjari, that devotee should know that Lalita-devi’s shelter is the only path by which one can achieve this.
Like Radharani, Lalita also has all the qualities of being a yuthesvari – group leader of a band of gopis. However, despite being older than Radhika and having the qualification of a yuthesvari, still, the only goal of her life is to serve Srimati Radhika and to facilitate the meeting of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna. Her only happiness is the meeting of Radha and Krishna and to achieve that goal, she never considers any amount of discomfort or suffering.
She is so beautiful that her beauty surpasses the autumnal full moon. Her specific quality is that she is very expert in applying make-up, and especially in arranging the hair decoration of Srimati Radhika. Although all the eight principal sakhis are very famous for adorning and applying the make-up of Srimati Radharani, Lalita and Visakha are the most expert. And of these two, Lalita is considered the most proficient.
Lalita is the siksa-guru of all the gopis in Radhika’s group, and also of Radha Herself. Srila Rupa Gosvami writes: Lalita-devi sometimes chastises Radhika, saying, “Oh Kalankini, Oh unchaste one, don’t give in to Krishna so easily.” And she does not spare Krishna when he shows up at Sri Radha’s kunja “You blackguard, why have you come now? Go back to that one with whom you have been dallying…”
In his Lalita Ashtakam, Srila Rupa Gosvami prays, “I offer pranama again and again unto Srimati Lalita-devi.”
yam kam api vraja-kule vrsabhanu-jayah
preksya sva-paksa-padavim anurudhyamanam
sadyas tad-ista-ghatanena krtarthayantim
devim gunaih sulalitam lalitam namami
“I offer pranama unto the supremely charming Sri Lalita-devi, the treasure house of all good qualities. Upon seeing any young maiden anywhere in Vraja and discerning that she is inclined towards her priya-sakhi Srimati Radhika, Lalita immediately tells Radha that She must accept this person in Her own party (svapaksa). Radha obeys Lalita, who thus fulfills that maiden’s desires.” (Sri Lalitastakam, verse 7)
Rupa manjari (Rupa Goswami) is the chief assistant and follower of Lalita-sakhi. All those who consider themselves as Rupanuga bhaktas (followers of Rupa Goswami) are ultimately the followers of Lalita-devi and thus through the system of parampara should always be longing to assist her in her service to the Divine Couple. When finally Lalita devi is pleased with our service, she will engage us directly in the intimate loving service of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna according to our heart’s desire.
Our very own Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s transcendental identity had been revealed to the members of his spiritual family, as being the best of the followers of Rupa Manjari who is the leader of Lalita Sakhi’s entourage. In various places in his own writings, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur has indicated this divine identity:
yugala-sevaya, shri-rasa-mandale, niyukta kara amay
lalita-sakhira, ayogya-kinkari, vinoda dhariche pay
Bhaktivinoda holds your feet and asks you to engage this unworthy servant of Lalita Sakhi in the service of the Divine Couple while they are performing the rasa-lila.
(Kalyana-kalpataru)
Source: http://www.iskconvrindavan.com/appearance-day-of-lalita-sakhi/
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