Of the varistha (“most exalted”) gopis, Lalita is the most important, being the leader and controller. She and the other eight principal gopis, the other gopis and the manjari have forms that are for the most part like the transcendental form of Srimati Radharani, the queen of Vrndavana.
Lalita is famous as Srimati Radharani’s constant companion, and renowned by the name Anuradha. Her complexion is like the yellow pigment gorocana and her garments are like peacock feathers. Her mother is Saradi-devi and her father is Visoka. Her husband is named Bhairava. He is a close friend of Govardhana-Malla, the husband of Candravali. Her age is 14 years, 8 months and 27 days. Her home is in Yavata and her nature is vama-prakhara (“extremely contrary and hot tempered”). In gaura-lila, she has assumed the form of Sri Svarupa Damodara Gosvami.
The beauty of all the other gopis appears to be conserved in the form of Lalita-devi. She is contrary and hot-tempered by nature. In an argument, her mouth becomes bent with ferocious anger, and she expertly speaks the most outrageous and arrogant replies. When the arrogant gopis pick a quarrel with Krsna, she is at the forefront of the conflict. When Radha and Krsna meet, she audaciously remains standing a little away from them.
Lalita-devi is full of ecstatic love for the Divine Couple. She is expert at arranging both Their meetings and Their conjugal struggles. Sometimes, for Radha’s sake, she offends Lord Madhava. With the help of Purnamasi-devi and the other gopis, Lalita arranges for the meetings of Radha and Krsna. She carries the parasol for the Divine Couple, she decorates Them with flowers, and she decorates the cottage where They rest at night and rise in the morning.
On the northern petal of Ananga-sukhada Kunja, there is a beautiful kunja covered with various kinds of flowers and trees. This place is known as Lalitanandada Kunja and it is the color of lightning. The lovely Lalita Sakhi always lives here. She has a beautiful bright yellow (gorocana) complexion and wears a dress the color of peacock feathers. She is adorned with celestial ornaments and personifies the type of bhava known as khandita (that girl who discovers her lover to have been unfaithful and becomes angry at heart, despondent or morose – marked by anger, long and deep breathing, refusing to speak, etc.). She and Sri Krsna are very, very dear to each other and her seva is to bring camphor and tambula to Him.
The chief Yutha in Lalita’s group are
- Ratna-prabhä,
- Ratikalä,
- Subhadrä,
- Bhadra-rekhikä,
- Sumukhé,
- Dhaniñöhä,
- Kala-haàsé, and
- Kaläpiné. Lalitä is the leader of the parama-preñöha-sakhés: she instructs and directs all the sakhés. She understands all the different moods of loving affairs; and she is expert in the tactics of union and separation in the matter of prema. If by chance Kåñëa ever commits any offense toward Çré Rädhä, Lalitä is quick to rebuke Him, raising her head in anger.
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