3.6 The competence of manjari-bhava

Love when greater for Radharani than for even Krishna is more competent in conquering the Lord's own affections. For example, in the Ujjvala-nilamani, it is said that one day Mani Manjari advised a new girlfriend:

Listen: if you're clever, I'll tell you a secret
that all of us have discovered: Make friends with Radharani.
[If you think, "Why should I waste my time abandoning efforts to conquer Krishna
to win her over?" then listen]:
If you just make friendship with Radha,
then the joyous wealth of love for Krishna
will come automatically and offer itself to you. 164

Srila Jiva Gosvamin comments that the wealth of happiness that exists in loving Krishna is existentially an integral part of friendship with Radha. 165

Srila Visvanatha Cakravartipada also paraphrases Mani Manjari's instruction to the new arrival:

When you become Radharani's confidential friend then he will know you as his beloved's sakhi and will show spontaneous affection for you, even more so than if you became his mistress independently. So by becoming friends with Radha, intimacy with Krishna will follow automatically. If you become Radha's friend, then in certain situations when she is angry with him or when it is hard for him to meet her because her mother-in-law or others keep her entangled in household affairs or locked in her room, then he will have to come to you for help. Without your having to do anything, he will come to you to make friends. There will be no need for you to make any independent effort to gain his affectionate attention." 166

For this reason, the manjaris pray to Radharani as follows:
O Queen of Vrindavana! I pray always for your mercy, again and again.
By your mercy, even the killer of Kesi will come and appeal to me in flattering words
to get help from me to meet you. 167