Sri Rupa Manjari ~ Rasa

A Vedic Bhakti art Slideshow featuring artwork depicting the transcendental pastimes of Srimati Radharani The Supreme Goddess and Her Cowherd damsel associates. The video is set to the Bengali bhajan "Sri Rupa Manjari" composed by Vaisnava saint Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura, and performed by accomplished bhajan artists Rasa.
Who is Sri Rûpa Mañjari:
In the northern part of Sri Lalita Sakhi's kunja lies Rupollasa Kunja, where the very beautiful and graceful Sri Rupa Manjari resides. She is the foremost among the gopis known as priya-narma-sakhis. Her complexion is the color of gorocana (a bright yellow pigment secreted from a cow's kidney), and she delights in wearing a dress the colour of peacock feathers. Her age is 13 years 6 months. The panditas call her Rangana-malika. In age, she is one day younger than Lavanga Manjari. In gaura-lila she appears as Srila Rupa Gosvami.
The Bengali lyrics and English translation follow............
SRI RUPA MANJARI
From: Prarthana
by Narottama Dasa Thakura
(1)
śrī-rūpa-mañjarī-pada, sei mora sampada,
sei mor bhajana-pūjana
sei mora prāṇa-dhana, sei mora ābharaṇa,
sei mor jīvanera jīvana
(2)
sei mora rasa-nidhi, sei mora vāñchā-siddhi,
sei mor vedera dharama
sei brata, sei tapa, sei mora mantra-japa,
sei mor dharama-karama
(3)
anukūla habe vidhi, se-pade hoibe siddhi,
nirakhibo e dui nayane
se rūpa-mādhurī-rāśi, prāṇa-kuvalaya-śaśi,
praphullita habe niśi-dine
(4)
tuwā adarśana-ahi, garale jāralo dehī,
ciro-dina tāpita jīvana
hā hā rūpa koro doyā, deho more pada-chāyā,
narottama loilo śaraṇa
TRANSLATION
1) The lotus feet of Sri Rupa Manjari are my treasure, my devotional service, and my object of worship. They give my life meaning, and they are the life of my life.
2) They are the perfection of rasa, and they are perfection worthy of attainment. They are the very law of the Vedlc scriptures for me. They are the meaning of all my fasts and penances and my silent uttering of my mantras. They are the basis of religion and activities.
3) By the purifying process of favorable devotional service one will attain perfection and with these two eyes be able to see. His transcendental form is shining like moonlight in my heart, and my heart therefore shines and reciprocates. In other words, the ordinary moon lights up the night, and its shine illuminates other objects; but the moon of the effulgence of the form of Sri Rupa Manjari shines into the heart and makes the heart also shine back to the spiritual sky. This moon shines not only in the night time, but day and night.