The sakhī and the golden swan locket

Rādhā is stunned! Her mind flashes like a fish cast from Kṛṣṇa's sambhoga sukha sāgara (the pleasure ocean of Kṛṣṇa's association) and she exclaims: Sakhī, Śyāma's separation is torturing me.

As the dāsī sees her plight, her mind begins churning. And with the approaching darkness, she realises that Śrīmatī must be returned home immediately, lest a scandal will arise. But she's deeply merged in Kṛṣṇa Bhāvanāmṛta, and tus unable to understand the pending danger.

(The a solution comes to mind.) The dāsī says: Oh Śyāma--Vinodini, hurry up, I've come to take you on abhsāra (secret journey to meet the beloved)! Just imagine, soon you'll be enjoying Rāsa with your Prāṇa-Vallabha!

Rādhā replies in half-external state: Oh yes, Prāṇa-Sakhī, let's leave quickly; please inform Lalitā and the others to hurry up.

Thus the sādhakā mañjarī quickly escorts Śrīmatī back to the house where She enters her bedroom. But as Rādhā lies down, she comes into her senses. "Where am I?" she asks. "Oh sakhī, this isn't my Prāṇa-Vallabha's flower-kuñja. Why have you brought me back to this desert like home instead?"

When the sādhakā dasī sees Rādhā fully cognisant again, her mind quickly searches for an answer: "Don't you remember Kṛṣṇa's promise?

Rādhā: What promise?
Sādhakā dasī: Svāminī try to remember. Today is your birthday, and for the past two days Nanda Mahārāja and his familiy have been staying here at Your father's palace. This afternoon Viśākhā and I were practicing our singing for tonight's Rāsa Mahotsava.
Rādhā: And?
Sādhakā dasī: And then you came.
Rādhā: Oh, that's right, now I remember, and my Priyatama also came.
Sādhakā dasī: So, now you remember his promise?
Rādhā: What promise
Sādhakā dasī: Kṛṣṇa said that He yould take you out on abhsāra from here, from your own home.
Rādhā: Oh, right your are sakhī. What's the time now? We must get ready!
Sādhakā dasī: Oh Śrīmatī relax, it's only sandhyā (the passage time - in this case the dusk). Look here, I want to return somthing to You.

(The dāsī takes out Śrīmatī's lockest and places it in Her hand. Svāminī touches Her chest to feel for the locket but it's not there.) Then She looks at the sādhakā dāsī with surprise and questions:

"Where did you find my locket?"
Sādhakā dasī: Do you remember that cave? I was singing a song about Rāsa and You were dancing. Then Rasika Murāri came and Viśākhā sang one superb song about Your Rāsa-Milana. And then ....

(Śrīmatī blushes and changes the subject):
"Kṛṣṇa once presented Me this locket when He saw me dance. It was a gold penant with a swan inscribed in it. But when Kṛṣṇa removed it from His chest and gave it to me, he said:

"Śrīmatī, don't you know? There is a kanaka haṁsinī (golden swan) always swimming within my hṛdaya sarovara (the lake of the heart). So I don't need this locket anymore, you take it."

But Lalitā overheard Śyāma's remark and the next day, during my dressing, she began chiding:
"Oh sakhīs. look at the golden swan on Rāi's chest! She stole it from Kṛṣṇa's hṛdaya sarovara"

As the sakhīs examined my new locket, they could immediately understand what had happened. Thus Campakalatā commented:
"Hey Lalite, I'll bet that kanaka haṁsinī ist still swimming within Kṛṣṇa's heart, this must be an imitation!"

Thenn Citrā said: "This locket is unbefitting our Rāja Nandinī, because a nīla kamala (blue lotus) always basks within Her heart - there is no kanaka haṁsinī there"