


Sharanagati
Collected words from talks of Swami Tirtha
Jul
18
(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 05.01.2018 evening, Sofia)
(continues from the previous Friday)
„Sometimes a confidential friend would come before Krishna and embrace Him with great affection and love. Another friend would then come up from the rear and cover Krishna’s eyes with his hands. Krishna would always feel very happy by such dealings with His confidential friends.
Out of all these confidential friends, Shridama is considered to be the chief. Shridama used to put on a yellow-coloured dress. He would carry a buffalo horn, and his turban was of a reddish copper colour. His bodily complexion was blackish, and around his neck there was a nice garland. He would always challenge Krishna in joking friendship. Let us pray to Shridama to bestow his mercy upon us!
Shridama priya-sakha, ki! Jay!
There are other friends who are still more confidential. They are called priya-narma, or intimate friends. Counted among the priya-narma friends are Subala, Arjuna, Gandharva, Vasanta and Ujjvala. There was a talk among the friends of Radharani, the gopis, about these most intimate friends. One gopi addressed Radharani thus: “My dear Krishangi [delicate one], just see how Subala is whispering Your message into Krishna’s ear, how he is delivering the confidential letter of Shyama-dasi silently into Krishna’s hand, how he is delivering the betel nuts prepared by Palika into Krishna’s mouth, and how he is decorating Krishna with the garland prepared by Taraka. Did you know, my dear friend, that all these most intimate friends of Krishna are always engaged in His service in this way?” Out of the many intimate priya-narmas, Subala and Ujjvala are considered to be the most prominent.
The degree of intimacy shared by Krishna and Subala can be understood by the fact that the talks between them were so confidential that no one else could understand what they were saying.“[1]
Right, sometimes friends have a special language. No outsiders understand. Because they have some common experience, common memories. They understand each other from half words. Because ‘we’re so intimate, we know everything about each other’.
(to be continued)
[1] Nectar of devotion, Ch. 41
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