The Supreme Perfection 273

in his book Ujjal Nilmoni in the Second Canto, 2nd Sloka. It is stated there,
that although there were two competitors in love of Krishna, Radharani
and Chandravali; still, by comparison, it appears that Radharani is the best,
and She is possessed of the Mahabhava Svarupa. Therefore, this Mahabhava
Svarupa, or personification, is applicable to Radharani only, and no one else.

Mahabhava is full of the pleasure potency, and is an exhibition of the highest
attitude of love towards Krishna. She is therefore known throughout the world
as the Most Beloved of Krishna. And Her name is always associated with Krish-
na, as Radha Krishna.

Brahma Samhita also confirms this: Krishna expands Himself by His pleasure
potency in the Spiritual World, and the potencies are all non-different from
Krishna in the Absolute. Krishna, although He is always enjoying the company
of His expansions of the pleasure potency, is All-pervading. Therefore, Brahma
offers his respectful obeisances to Govinda, the Cause of all causes.

As Krishna is the highest emblem of spiritual perfection, so Radharani
is the highest emblem of the spiritual pleasure potency meant for satisfying Krish-
na. Krishna is unlimited, and so Radharani is also unlimited, for His satisfaction.
Krishna is satisfied by seeing Radharani, but Radharani also expands Herself
in such a way that Krishna still wants to enjoy more. And, because Krishna
was unable to estimate the pleasure potency of Radharani, He wanted to accept
the role of Radharani. That combination is called Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Ramananda Roy then began to explain that Radharani is therefore the
supreme emblem of the pleasure potency of Krishna. And Radharani expands
Herself into different forms, knownas Lalita Visakha and Her confidential associa-
tes. The Characteristics of Srimati Radharani are explained by Rupa Goswami
in his book Uljal Nilmoni, and they can be understood as follows: The
body of Radharani is an evolution of transcendental pleasure. That body is
decorated with flowers and fragrant aromas, complete with transcendental
love for Krishna. That is the personification. That transcendental body takes
birth three times: first in the water of mercy, second in the water of useful
beauty, and third in the water of youthful luster. After taking birth three times
in that way, covered with shining garments and decorated with His Personal
beauty, which is compared with cosmetics (Her beauty being the highest artis-
try) Her body is decorated with ornaments of the ecstasies of spiritual emotion—
trembling, tears, checking of the body in transcendental pleasure, stopping
of all functions of the body, perspiration, choking of the voice, blood pressure,
madness, and stumbling.

There are nine symptoms of decorative transcendental pleasure potency.
