1082 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 24
PURPORT

After the scorching heat of the summer season, it is very pleasing to see
dark clouds in the sky. As confirmed in Brahma-samhita: barhavatamsam
asitambuda-sundarangam. The Lord wears a peacock feather in His hair,
and His bodily complexion is just like a blackish cloud. The word sundara,
or snigdha, means very pleasing, even when compared with kandarpa-koti-
kamantya. Krsna’s beauty is so pleasing that not even millions upon
millions of Cupids can compare to it. The Lord’s form as Visnu is decorated
in all opulence; therefore Lord Siva is trying to see that most opulent
form of Narayana, or Visnu. Generally thre worship of the Lord begins with
the worship of Narayana or Visnu, whereas the worship of Lord Krsna
and Radha is most confidential. Lord Narayana is worshipable by the
Pancaratrika-vidhi, or regulative principles, whereas Lord Krsna is wor-
shipable by the Bhagavata-vidhi. No one can worship the Lord in the
Bhagavata-vidhi without going through the regulations of the Pancaratrika-
vidhi. Actually neophyte devotees worship the Lord according to the
Paficaratrika-vidhi, or the regulative principles enjoined in the Narada-
paficaratra. Radha-Krsna cannot be approached by the neophyte devotees;
therefore temple worship according to regulative principles is offered to
Laksmi-Narayana. Although there may be a Radha-Krsna vigraha, or form,
the worship of the neophyte devotees is acceptable as Laksmi-Narayana
worship. Worship according to the Paficaratrika-vidhi is called vidhi-marga,
and worship according to the Bhagavata-vidhi principles is called: raga-
marga. The principles of raga-marga are especially meant for devotees who
are elevated to the Vrndavana platform.

The inhabitants of Vrndavana, the gopis, mother Yasoda, Nanda
Maharaja, the cowherd boys, the cows and everyone else, are actually on
the raga-marga or Bhagavata-marga platform. However, they participate in
five basic rasas—dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, madhurya and santa. Although
these fivé rasas are found in the Bhagavata-marga, the Bhagavata-marga is
especially meant for vatsalya and madhurya, or paternal and conjugal
relationships. Yet there is the vipralambha-sakhya, the higher fraternal
worship of the Lord especially enjoyed by the cowherd boys. Although
there is friendship between Krsna and the cowherd boys, this friendship
is different from the aisvarya friendship between Krsna and Arjuna. When
Arjuna saw the visva-ripa, the gigantic universal form of the Lord, he was
afraid for having treated Krsna as an ordinary friend; therefore he begged
Krsna’s pardon. However, the cowherd boys who are friends of Krsna in
Vrndavana sometimes ride on the shoulders of Krsna. They treat Krsna
equally, just as they treat one another, and they are never afraid of Him,
