Śrī Vilāpa kusumāñjali of Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī - Volume One

śrī-rādhikā-prasādārthaṁ
vilāpa-kusumāñjaliḥ
nirmito yena tasmai śrī-
dāsa-gosvāmine namaḥ

"I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Śrī Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī, who, in his unwavering desire to please Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, disclosed the contents of his heart by composing this plaintive flower-offering of prayers, Śrī Vilāpa-kusumāñjali."

This jewel of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava literature, Śrī Vilāpa-kusumāñjali, represents Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī’s ultimate fulfilment of Lord Caitanya’s instruction to him to write books for future generations of devotees to teach them the process of attaining the goal of Vraja-bhakti, and ultimately service to the lotus feet of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Indeed one of the opening verses of Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 1.4) expounds:

anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau
samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam
hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandīpitaḥ
sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandanaḥ

"May the Supreme Lord who is known as the son of Śrīmatī Śacī-devī be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation has ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love."

In commenting on this verse, Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasised that the gift of conjugal love was never bestowed by any ācārya or incarnation previous to Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And the Lord not only made this form of prema accessible, but he also taught by his example how it should be practised.

Śrīla Śivarāma Swami is undertaking a commentary of the 104 verses of this great work. This first Volume takes the reader through the opening 17 verses, with extensive insights into the subject matter based on detailed research, as well as realisation. There is also a fascinating Introduction which provides illumination on the qualification for entering into such subject matter, as well as a unique biography of Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī.

Exquisitely presented with 4-colour, high-quality paper, gilt-edged and with original artwork, this book is truly literary and visual art, a unique and beautiful production that takes the reader on a magnificent journey with Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī and Rati-mañjarī into the intimate and longed-for world of service to the lotus feet of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

640 pages
Hardbound
Gilt-edged
150x230mm / 5.9x9in

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Sample chapter from the book: