Sri Chaitanya-Charitâmrita explains further –

“Sri Krishna’s ecstasy increases when He sees the Gopis – which means that His sweetness that is already infinite increases all the more. On the other hand the gopi thinks, ‘Oh! Krishna is feeling so happy to see me’ – this makes her body and face become exultant. When Sri Krishna beholds her, she looks beautiful, He too looks more handsome. In this manner they compete with one another, both keep on increasing and none accepts defeat.

Krishna is blissful to see the beauty and qualities of the gopi, while she feels happier when she sees Him joyous. She continues to feel happy because her happiness pleases Krishna – as a result the prem of the gopis is not tainted by lust.”

Prem attains its zenith in Srimati Râdhârâni. She possesses the supreme most prem. She is mâdanâkhya-mahâbhâv personified. Consequently, Sri Krishna comes under Her control. He wants to relish the sweetness of Her prem-ras – hence He wishes for other Gopis.

When vibhâv, anubhâv, sâtvik and sanchâri (also called vyabhichâri) bhâvs mix with the sthâyi-bhâv rati, we get the relish of prem-ras. Vibhâv can be further classified into two –

• Âlamban vibhav
• Uddipan vibhâv

Âlamban vibhâv is divided into âshray-âlamban and vishay-âlamban. In the Vrindâban leelâ the young gopis are âshray-âlamban and Sri Krishna is vishay-âlamban. To speak the truth, they are both âshray-âlamban and vishay-âlamban of each other. Yet the ras-shâstras of bhakti call the devotees as ‘âshray-âlamban’ and Sri Bhagavân as ‘vishay-âlamban’. This is why we too have followed suit. The sharad season, full moon, fragrant breeze, the song of the cuckoo, gardens in blossom are the uddipan vibhâv. Today, the objects that excite rati are strewn everywhere. Wherever you look, all you can see are the sweet excitants of love. They have inebriated Sri Krishna as well as the Gopis. The more sharad season became beautiful, the Gopis and Gopi-jana-vallabh pined more for one another. Especially today, the environment is so sweet that Gopinâth has lost his patience. He is sitting beneath the Tamâl and meditating on the sweet beauty of Srimati Râdhârâni. His lotus like face has turned pale and His eyes were sad.

Meanwhile His dear friend Subal arrived there. When he saw Govinda’s miserable face, He was deeply saddened. He sat near Him and asked lovingly – “Dear sakhâ! How come You are so sad today? What ails You so? Why have You left the cows and the company of the other boys? Why have You come this far into the forest and sitting alone? What are You thinking?” Sri Krishna gazed at Subal, tarried a while and said, “Why, nothing is the matter.” Subal pressed further, “Sakhâ, don’t try to hide anything from me. I have never seen You so much in pain before. Do tell me what has happened.” Govinda pressed Subal’s right hand to His chest and said, “Alright sakhâ, I’ll tell you. There is nothing I can hide from you. Everyday when I come cattle grazing, a lovely woman appears before my eyes. I pretend not to see Her. In a way, I neglect Her and come away. When I come to the forest, I play the flute, graze the cattle and try my level best to forget Her. However since a few days, I can understand that my efforts are in vain. Now I know – that woman knows some sort of witchcraft. Unknown to me, She has entered my heart and is now driving me crazy. I have come the conclusion—O sakhâ – that I cannot live without Her!” And as Govinda spoke, two drops of tears rolled down His cheeks and fell on Subal’s hands.

Subal demanded eagerly—”Who is that woman? How does She look? Where did you se Her? Tell me at once.” Govinda replied, “Dear sakhâ! I have no words to describe that woman. Nothing in the universe is comparable to Her loveliness. She is like radiant moonlight, static lightning in a cloud less sky, or may be She is a delicate wish-creeper fallen from Nandan-van^[1]………..sometimes I feel……..as if She is a bewitching golden wand held by the great sorcerer Madan-dev, the Love-God who enthralls the three worlds. She is the presiding Deity of Gokul all set to befuddle my intellect. Or may be She is a portrait drawn in the sky by some celestial artist; I feel She is a golden swan flying in the sky………..I have so many thoughts about Her……as if She is the second phase of the moon, yet She is second to none. She is the greatest expert of witchcraft, a mirror of lâvanya, condensed sweetness, the effulgent blossom of all excellences, a golden cage imprisoning all beauty……She appeared only for a fleeting moment to disappear from my sight! Is it a dream? Am I hallucinating, or is it some divine illusion? I cannot understand anything, sakhâ.”

Subal replied with confidence, “Don’t You worry, my dear friend! She is none but the famous Vrishbhânavi for this very same Braja—She is Brahmâji’s latest creation, the sârâdhikâ^[2] of all good fortune – Sri Râdhikâ. Sri Krishna looked up with a start and exclaimed, “Brother, what name did you take? Sri Râdhikâ?” Subal said, “Yes, She is a gem of a woman, there is none so beautiful and sweet as She in all of Gokul. I feel certain that She is the One Who has maddened You.” Govinda said, “Sakhâ, even I think so. Two of Her intimate friends had approached me with Her love-letter. After reading it, I was irritated. I had returned the letter and said—I am a cowherd boy—I understand none of these mushy nonsense. I simply graze the cattle and play the flute. Go tell Your sakhi – a chaste woman should not fall in love with other men – I outright refuse Her proposition.”

The mahâjan poet has put Kanhâi’s refusal nicely –

“I angrily refused Râi, saying, how on earth did You dare to make such a proposal? To accept a married woman is like the scorching fire! I am a wise person learned in dharma, how can I sin? Moreover if my friends come to know they will chastise me. Forget in waking hours, I cannot do it even in my dreams!

Hearing such harsh words from Kânu, the sakhis returned crestfallen. Poet Râdhâmohan says that Shyâmsundar’s behavior is puzzling him.”

The sakhis said, “O Prince of Braj, She is crazy about You. She chants Your name and weeps. She is always lost in Your meditation, please have pity on Her.” Saint poet Gyân dâs has stated –

“(the sakhis said) – Râdhâ is a delicate doll of butter who is melting in the fire of Your viraha. Her golden complexion is suffering the excruciating process of ‘dash-bân^[3]’, and I tell You Mâdhav, please do listen to me – that all She does is, to meditate on Your name. She cries entire day and night, Her lips that are as rosy as bândhuli flowers & have turned pale like a bunch of Datura. Her chignons that flower garlands decorate are now dangling on Her bosom. The necklace of ivory beads is heaving on Her bosom as if a fan is swinging on Mount Sumeru.^[4] She is finding Her dress too heavy to carry around (it’s falling off). She has lost so much weight that the ring on Her finger has turned into a bangle. Poet Gyâna dâs says that Madan (Love-God) is inflicting too much pain on Her.”

Govinda told Subal, “When the sakhis brought the love-letter I was irritated and threatened them—you girls better get out of here, otherwise I will go to your house and complain to our parents. Then they left in tears.”

“The sakhis bowed their heads when they heard Kânu’s harsh words. They did not utter a single word after that. They started crying so much that they could not see the way. They turned pale and slowly walked away. They returned to Râi—what more can poet Gyân dâs say?”

“O sakhâ! Now I realize what a big mistake I have committed! Alas! Why did I turn them away?” wailed Govinda. His lotus eyes became wet with tears. Subal lovingly took His hand in his own and consoled Him, “Dear sakhâ, please don’t cry. I promise to get rid of Your suffering. I will communicate with the sakhis. Until then, You sit here and play Your bewitching flute.” Saying thus, Subal went away. Sri Govinda put His bewitching flute to His handsome lips and blew into it!

Sri Krishna expresses four extraordinary sweetness in Braj, and the venu-mâdhuri is one of these. The flute is so sweet that it captivates the heart and drives it mad. It is so maddening that the universe is crazy about it.

“tri-jagan-mânasa-karshi-murali-kala-kujitah” – (Srimad-Bhâgavatam )

Meaning – “The sweet song of the flute enthralls the heart of every being in the three worlds.”

That strain is a grand majesty of the divine world. Its sweetness makes everything sweet. The moving and non-moving behave like each other – such is the impact of the flute.

Srimad-Bhâgavatam says –

“aspandanam gatimatâm pulakastarunâm”

Meaning – “The song of the flute stupefies the moving and the non-moving gains movement; the trees express goose bumps.”

The strain of the flute melts the hills. It is the Shabd Brahman, therefore it pervades the creation. As a result it hypnotizes every entity in the fourteen worlds.

“When the reverberation of the flute travels, it obstructs the clouds in the sky, astonishes the Gandharva–king Tumburu and breaks the Four Kumârs’ meditation. It travels still further and surprises Brahmâ, agitates king Bali by arousing suspense in him, it drives Vâsuki, the king of serpents dizzy, and pierces the envelope of the universe.” -(V.M.1.27)

“That sound travels in all directions. It pierces the Universe and reaches Vaikuntha. It forcibly enters everyone’s ears.

It intoxicates all and forces them to come near it, especially the young maidens.

The flute-song is very impudent. It shatters the virtue of a chaste woman and snatches her from her husband’s lap. It attracts even the Laxmis of Vaikuntha, what to speak of the Gopis. It slackens their skirt-strings in front of their husbands, makes them forsake all household chores and forcibly drags them to Krishna.

A woman loses all sense of shame, decency and social norms. In this manner, the flute makes all women dance to its tune.

It firmly lodges itself inside the ears, and keeps on resounding, not allowing any other sound to enter. The ears refuse to hear anything else, and the flute perplexes the intellect so much that she wishes to say one thing yet lands up saying something else.” – (Sri Chaitanya-Charitâmrita Madhya.21.118-122)

Sri Krishna is erotic ras personified and His venu-geet blows the kâm-beej. Therefore it is the source of Eros. It has immense impact on every member of the female gender. Yet, we relish Sri Krishna’s sweetness according to the prem we possess. The Braja-sundaris are the embodiments of mahâbhâv, and this is why the flute affects them to the maximum degree. Srimati Râdhârâni is the crest-jewel of all Gopis, and therefore the venu-mâdhuri awakens unparalleled madness in Her. When Srimati heard the flute in purva-râg. She said –

“O Grandma! Who plays the flute on the banks of the Kâlindi? O Grandma, who plays the flute in the pastures of Gokul?

My body is anxious, my mind is very anxious. The song of the flute makes me forget the most ordinary things, such as how to cook!

Who plays the flute, O Grandma? I want to surrender at His feet and become his maid servant.

Who plays the flute, O Grandma, with so joyous a heart? How have I troubled Him, O Grandma, that He punishes me so?

My tears flow like torrents. The song of the flute O Grandma, is stealing my life.

Is the son of Nanda playing the sweet melodious flute to fill my heart with anxiety?

Do you know Grandma? Had I been a bird, I would have spread my wings and flown to Him. I wish Mother Earth would divide so that I could enter in her lap and thus protect myself. When there is forest-fire, O Grandma, the whole world comes to know. But my heart burns like a brick kiln which looks calm from outside but has a raging fire inside it. My heart is burning with desire for Kânhâ (Krishna). Thus sings poet Chandi-dâs, with obeisance to Goddess Bânshuli^[5].” 1-2.