Manjarī Bhava: The Confidential Moods of Śrī Rādhā's Maidservants

 
The ultimate goal of the Gauḍiya Vaiṣṇavas is to attain mañjarī bhāva, the loving service mood of the mañjarī maidservants of our Svāminī Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Generally, we say that our goal is to attain kṛṣṇa-premā, but mañjarī bhāva is sweeter and more specific because it includes both kṛṣṇa-premā and rādhā-premā. Mañjarī-bhāva is the unprecedented gift bestowed on us by Mahāprabhu. This is clearly indicated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in the anarpita-carim cirat śloka and by Śrīla Kavi-karṇapūra in the vṛndāraṇyān tara-staḥ śloka.
This begs the question of how do we get mañjarī bhāva? How do we realize our mañjarī svarūpa? This coveted goal can only be attained by associating with (i.e., hearing the harikathā of) someone who has this mood, by serving such an exalted Vaiṣṇava, and by getting his blessings. Mañjarī-bhāva (or more generally kṛṣṇa-premā) will not manifest simply by chanting the holy name; it will not manifest by the power of one’s sādhana. To think so, is simply false ego, as was stated by Prabhupād Śrīla Premgopāl Goswāmī in The Sweet Taste of Bhakti. Our process is a descending one, or put simply, we get mañjarī-bhāva by grace, not by our own efforts. This is clearly stated in the Rāya Rāmānanda Saṁvāda’s śloka, kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ – Wherever this rare mood is available, one should purchase it immediately because one can only get it by lobha.
We hope this little book will serve to give its readers the lobha for mañjarī-bhāva through the rasika ślokas therein, and the rasika commentaries of our rasika ācāryas.
Jay Śrī Rādhe!