Campakalata (Campakamallika)
Campakalata is the third of the varistha-gopis. Her complexion is the color of a blossoming yellow campaka flower and her garments are the color of a blue-jay’s. She is one day younger than Srimati Radharani, and her age is 14 years, 2 months and 13 1/2 days. Her father is Arama, her mother is Vatika-devi and her husband is Candaksa. Her qualities are much like those of Visakha. In gaura-lila she appears as Sri Sivananda. Campakalata veils her activities in great secrecy. She is expert at the art of logical persuasion, and she is a skilled diplomat who knows how to thwart Srimati Radharani’s rivals.
Campakalata is expert at collecting fruits, flowers, and roots from the forest. Of all the gopis who are appointed as protectoresses of the trees, creepers, and bushes of Vrndavana, the leader is Campakalata-devi. She is an expert cook who knows all the literatures describing the six flavors of gourmet cooking. She is so expert at making various kinds of candy that she has become famous by the name Mistahasta (sweet hands). Using only the skill of her hands, she can artistically fashion things from clay.
On the southern petal of Madana-sukhada Kunja lies Kamalata Kunja, the home of Sri Krsna’s beloved Sri Campakalata. This extremely blissful kunja is the color of molten gold. Campakalata, who loves Krsna very much, personifies the stage of a nayika (heroine) known as vasaka-sajja (Väsaka-sajjä means to decorate the place of meeting one’s beloved and oneself in expectation of the lover; hence, the näyikä who is acting in such a manner is called a väsaka-sajjä-näyikä. She is determined to make amorous advances and ploys in the presence of her lover. While she is eagerly awaiting his arrival, she discusses His pastimes with her girlfriends and repeatedly sends her female messengers to discover the latest news of His expected arrival).
Her nature is vama-madhya {vämä (left-wing gopi, or contrary); madhyä (moderate)}, and her seva is to offer jeweled necklaces and to fan with a cāmara . The chief gopis in Campakalata’s yutha are
- Kurangaksi,
- Suracita,
- Mandali,
- Manimandana,
- Candika,
- Candralatika,
- Kandukaksi and
- Sumandira.
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