12-19 The Sakhīs are one with Rādhā

12-13 Rādhā Kṛṣṇa's embracing causes the Sakhīs to tremble-as many other ecstatic emotions overtake them! And seeing them overjoyed in ecstasy, Vṛnda addresses Nandimukhi while hiding behind the forest-foliage: "Hey Nandi! Rādhā's happiness makes the Sakhīs happy. Just see! Although Kṛṣṇa is embracing Rādhā -the Sakhīs feel the same ecstasy!"

Ṭīkā: The transcendental symptoms awakening in Rādhā's body are equally felt by the Sakhīs, even without directly touching Kṛṣṇa.

14-15 Vrinda continues: "And look! In Kṛṣṇa's separation the Vraja sundaris were anxious, and upon seeing him they wish to touch him...but when Kṛṣṇa touches them they become jealously angered! Indeed, their behavior is difficult to fathom."Nandi replies, "The Vraja Devī's behavior isn't astonishing-rather, it's divine because their bodies and mind always attuned for giving Kṛṣṇa pleasure."

Rasa-taraṅginī Ṭīkā: Because Kṛṣṇa's happiness is their happiness, the gopīs experience its fullness. Thus, they experience Kṛṣṇa's emotions too.

16 Nāndīmukhī goes on: "And look! As Rādhā and the Sakhīs pleasure is synonymous-the Sakhīs are one with Rādhā. Kṛṣṇa is like the moon for the 'lilies of Vraja' (the Gopīs). Yet Śrīmati Rādhika is the essence of Kṛṣṇa's pleasure-potency, likened to a prema kalpa-lata (desire-creeper of prema). The Sakhīs are the leaves, flowers and new buds on the Rādhā creeper, and therefore non-different. Hence, when the Rādhā creepers is nourished by the shower of Kṛṣṇa's līlāmrita rasa-the leaves, flowers and buds naturally experience bliss a hundred times more than the creeper itself! So this isn't surprising."

Rasa-taraṅginī Ṭīkā: Rādhā is Prema-mayi (prema personified), and hence, as the counter-whole of the Supreme Divinity, she has her own limitless madhurya. But the Sakhīs are the topmost relishers of all because their focus is not only on Śrī Kṛṣṇa, or on Śrī Rādhā, but on Śrī-Śrī Rādhā Kṛṣṇa combined. Hence the Supreme source of Prema and Anada is at their very fingertips; and this forms the highest relish of all.

17 Nāndīmukhī continues: "Hey Vrinde! Just as the All-pervading Supreme Lord cannot relish pleasure without his Hladini Shakti, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa's combined form of prema-ananda fails to be nourished without the Sakhīs' help. Therefore, how could a rasika bhakta resist the temptation to take their shelter?"

Rasa-taraṅginī Ṭīkā:
Nothing is equal to the sakis supreme pleasure and fortune which is incomparable and limitless. But without accepting the shelter of their lotus-feet and following in their footsteps, this can never be realized.

Our Yugala Rādhe-Śyāma's prema is 
- vibhu (huge),
 - sva prakāśa (self-manifesting)
 - and the most wonderful divine pleasure.

18 Nāndīmukhī goes on, "Rādhā is a blooming kanchana lata and Kṛṣṇa is a flowering tamal - is there a conscious living entity who wouldn't be happy to see their beautiful milan?"

Rasa-taraṅginī Ṭīkā: "Hey Vrinde! Just see, our Prema-kalpa lata Śrī Rādhā is embracing Śrī Kṛṣṇa's tamal Shyamasundar madhura body! Amongst the young or the aged, the men or the women, the pious or the impious-or anyone else for that matter-who wouldn't be attracted?" 

This shloka brings to mind Śrī Paurnamasi's statement in Vidagdha-madhava: "Hey beautiful-eyed Vrinde! If Kṛṣṇa hadn't advented in Mathura, and if Rādhika hadn't come either - then this whole creation-what to speak of Cupid's flower arrows, would have all been rendered useless!"1

9 Because their hearts have melted from their shuddha prema, the Vraja sundaris act for Kṛṣṇa's pleasure alone. So even their vāma resisting tendencies are meant to please him.

Rasa-taraṅginī Ṭīkā: Because Rasika Śekhara is charmed by the gopīs' resisting challenges - this is their nature; it isn't born from any other cause.