The eight principal Gopīs – aṣṭa-sakhīs
ललिता च विशाखा च चित्रा चम्पकवल्लिका
तुङ्गविद्येन्दुलेखा च रङ्गदेवी सुदेविका
lalitā ca viśākhā ca, citrā campakavallikā
tuṅgavidyendulekhā ca, raṅgadevī sudevikā
The eight most exalted sakhīs are:
Lalitā, Viśākhā, Citrā, Campakalatā,
Tuṅgavidyā, Indulekhā, Raṅgadevī and Sudevī.
(Śrī Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā Text 79)
“Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa means they are always associated by the gopīs, of whom Lalitā-Viśākhā are the chief out of the aṣṭa-sakhīs. Rādhārāṇī’s eight companions (aṣṭa-sakhī) are different varieties of pleasure connected with the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. Following those pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa are other activities, which are represented by the assistants of the gopīs.” (Lecture August 10, 1971)
Rādhārāṇī’s eight companions (aṣṭa-sakhī) are different varieties of pleasure connected with the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. Following those pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa are other activities, which are represented by the assistants of the gopīs. (Cc. Madhya 8.177)
It is said in the Skanda Purāṇa that out of many thousands of gopīs, 16,000 are predominant; out of those 16,000 gopīs, 108 gopīs are especially prominent; and out of 108 gopīs, eight gopīs are still more prominent; out of eight gopīs, Rādhārāṇī and Candrāvalī are prominent; and out of these two gopīs, Rādhārāṇī is the most prominent. (Krishna Book: Songs by the Gopis)
Śrī Rādhikā has so many friends; how can I describe them all? I shall thus only mention the principal ones. The eight sakhīs (aṣṭa-sakhyaḥ) are : 1) Lalitā, 2) Viśākhā, 3) Campakalatā, 4) Citrā, 5) Tuṅgavidyā, 6) Indulekhā, 7) Raṅgadevī, and 8) Sudevī, are known as the aṣṭa-sakhīs. (Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā)
The eight parama-preṣṭha-sakhīs Lalitā, Viśākhā, Sucitrā [Citrā], Campakalatā, Raṅgadevī, Sudevī, Tuṅgavidyā and Indulekhā are the eight dearest friends of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. These prominent gopīs are considered the group leaders of all the others. (Text 175 Laghu Section)
The eight principal gopīs, beginning with Lalitā, the mañjarīs and all the members of their groups (gaṇas) share almost identical forms (sārūpya) with Śrī Rādhā; they are endowed with a beauty that resembles Śrī Rādhā’s beauty, the queen of Vṛndāvana Vṛndāvaneśvarī. (Text 183 Laghu Section)
1) Lalitā devī is described in the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Gaṇoddeśa Dīpikā as follows:
tatrādyā lalitā-devī syād aṣṭāsu varīyasī
priya-sakhyā bhavej jyeṣṭhā saptaviṁśati-vāsaraiḥ (79)
anurādhātayā khyātā vāma-prakharatāṁ gatā
gorocanā-nibhāṅgī sā śikhi-piccha-nibhāmbarā (80)
jātā mātari sāradyāṁ pitur eṣā viśokataḥ
patir bhairavanāmāsyāḥ sakhā govarddhanasya yaḥ (81)
“Śrī Lalitā-devī is the first and foremost amongst the eight variṣṭha sakhīs. She is the chief of all of Rādhikā’s eight girlfriends and is senior to them all. She is twenty-seven days older than her dear friend Śrī Rādhā. Lalita is famous as Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s constant companion and follower and is renowned by the name Anurādhā (She who follows Rādhā). Lalitā is contrary and hot-tempered by nature. She is adorned with the vāmā-prakharā nature (very strong-willed, harsh and unsubmissive). Her bodily luster shines like bright yellow gorocanā-pigments, and her dress resembles the shades of peacock feathers. Her mother is named Śāradī, her father Viśoka, and her husband, who is a friend of the cowherd Govardhana Malla, is named Bhairava. Lalitā is nondifferent from Rādhā’s life-breath, and she is the leader (adhikā) of all the sakhīs. (Text 79-81)
Among the most exalted gopīs (parama-preṣṭha-sakhīs), who are most dear to Kṛṣṇa, the leader and controller is Lalitā-devī. She knows perfectly well all of Śrī Rādhā’s and Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental emotions. She arranges both Their meetings and loving quarrels. Because she is in Śrī Rādhā’s party, she sometimes even offends Lord Mādhava.
When loving quarrels as well as arrogant words, retorts and arguments take place, Śrī Lalitā sometimes becomes filled with great anger, and sometimes, when her sentiments become one with Śrī Rādhā’s, she lowers her face [accepting Rādhā’s mood]. At that time, she becomes covered by her friend Śrī Rādhā’s effulgent complexion, which is like molten gold, although her own complexion resembles gorocanā.
Sometimes at the time of loving quarrels, Śrī Lalitā is in the forefront of the conflict. Sometimes, together with Bhagavatī Paurṇamāsī and others, she herself arranges [Śrī Rādhā’s] meetings with Kṛṣṇa, but when the time of meeting comes, she becomes indifferent, standing a little away from them.
Śrī Lalitā is expert in making ornaments, parasols and beds out of flowers as well as constructing secluded places suitable for intimate conversations. She is also skilful in magic and making riddles.
Śrī Lalitā is the supervisor of the maidservants who perform tāmbula-sevā; of the kinnara-kiśorīs engaged in the Madanonmādinī Garden; she supervises the maidservants who protect flower vines, betel vines as well as betel nut trees; of the vana-devīs (forest goddesses); and even of those maidens who are the friends of Śrī Baladeva. (Text 127–134)
The previously described eight vara-sakhīs, like Ratnalekhā, are always completely submissive to Śrī Lalitā-devī, always and in all respects. Of the eight sakhīs that serve under the guidance of Śrī Lalitā, Ratnaprabhā and Ratikalā are well-known and are famous for their transcendental virtues, beauty, expertise and charming sweetness. (Text 135–136)
Her sevā is to provide camphor and tāmbūla; her kuñja is called Lalitānandada. Ratnaprabhā, Ratikalā, Subhadrā, Bhadrarekhā, Sumukhī, Dhaniṣṭhā, Kalahaṁsī, Kalāpinī and other sakhīs are members of her group.
2) Viśākhā is described in the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Gaṇoddeśa Dīpikā as follows:
viśākhātra dvitīyā syād ekācāra-guṇa-vratā
priya-sakhyā janir yatra tatraiṣābhyuditā kṣaṇe
tārāvali-dukūleyaṁ vidyun-nibha-tanu-dyutiḥ (82)
pituḥ pāvanato jātā mukharāyāḥ svasuḥ sutāt
jaṭilāyāḥ svasuḥ putryāṁ dakṣiṇāyāntu mātari
bhaved vivāha-karttāsyā vāhiko nāma ballavaḥ (83)
The second of the variṣṭha sakhīs is Viśākhā. Her qualities, attributes, activities and resolve are all much like those of her friend Lalitā. Viśākhā was born at exactly the same moment as Śrī Rādhikā. Viśākhā’s garments resembles the sky embedded by stars – it is blue with white embroideries of white flowers, dots and leaves. Her complexion resembles lightning. Her father, whose name is Pāvana, is Mukharā’s sister’s son. Viśākhā’s mother is Dakṣiṇā, a daughter of Jaṭilā’s sister. Viśākhā’s husband is Vāhika Gopa. (Text 82-83)
Śrī Viśākhā is freshly youthful and auspicious, and she is expert in the arts of ecstatic love and management. She is expert at joking with Lord Kṛṣṇa and unparalleled in teasing Him. She is the perfect counsellor and intermediary of the Divine Couple. She is especially competent in understanding the sentiments of Śrī Rādhā and Śrī Kṛṣṇa and skilfully and intelligently carrying out the duties of a messenger. Being expert at all aspects of amorous diplomacy, she knows all the arts of how to conciliate an angered lover, how to bribe him, and how to quarrel with him. She knows well all the schemes regarding the art of love, i.e., how to bring the hero to the heroine. She also knows all the means to nourish this meeting: sāma (negotiations to get to mutual agreement), dāna (alluring the hero), bheda (sowing discord) and also in consoling Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa when They feel separation from one another.
Śrī Viśākhā shows great expertise in using substances like red ochre to paint beautiful and enchanting pictures of creepers, flowers and so forth on various parts of the body. She is expert in stringing garlands and flower wreaths for head decorations. She is skilful in sarvato-bhadra-maṇḍala, which means painting auspicious diagrams (maṇḍalas) in multi-colours on doors and other places. Sarvato-bhadra-maṇḍala also refers to a style of writing poems mentioned in the acrostics (citra-kāvya) section of the kāvya-śāstra (scriptures delineating poetry). Employing this style, Viśākhā intelligently composes poetry containing double meanings by using variegated aphorisms (sūtras); thus, she continually displays her extraordinary deftness. She displays her wonderful skills by performing puppet shows, magical feats and other illusory activities, to bewilder people. She is expert in preparing the various ingredients for the worship of the Sun-god. She, and other gopīs, like Raṅgāvali, is very expert in the art of singing songs in different languages, in singing with styles like dhrupada. (Text 165–166)
Śrī Viśākhā-devī is the supervisor of the eight sakhīs (beginning with Raṅgāvali) who can expertly converse about any subject matter. She is the leader of Mādhavī, Mālatī, Candrarekhā and other sakhīs; and of the sakhīs and maidservants entrusted to take care of [Śrī Rādhā’s] clothes. She is also the supervisor of the forest goddesses (vana-devīs), who bestow joy and amuse everyone with their activities, and of the sakhīs, beginning with Mālikā, entrusted to take care of trees that have flowers. (Text 167–169)
3) Campakalatā (Campakamallikā) is described in the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Gaṇoddeśa Dīpikā as follows:
tṛtīyā campakalatā phulla-campaka-dīdhitiḥ
ekenāhnā kaniṣṭheyaṁ cāṣa-pakṣanibhāmbarā (84)
pitur ārāmato jātā vāṭikāyāntu mātari
voḍhā caṇḍākṣa-nāmāsyā viśākhā sadṛśī guṇaiḥ (85)
The third of the variṣṭha sakhīs is Campakalatā. Her bodily lustre resembles the color of a blossoming yellow campaka flower and her garments are like the colour of the blue jay bird (cāṣa). She is one day younger than Śrī Rādhikā. Campakalatā’s father is Ārāma and her mother is Vāṭikā. Her husband’s name is Caṇḍākṣa. She is almost like Viśākhā by her qualities. (Text 84-85)
Campakalatā is an expert messenger and intermediary, skilled in concealing the purport of her activities. She is expert at the art of logical persuasion. She is a killed diplomat who knows how to thwart Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s rivals. She is an eloquent speaker and knows various ways to discredit her enemies and establish her own party’s superiority over their opponents.
She is very expert at collecting fruits, flowers, and edible roots from the forest as well as in how to use them. She is incomparable at crafting pots and other vessels made of clay. Using only the skill of her hands she can artistically fashion things from clay. Her special service (sevā) is to provide jewelled necklaces for Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and to fan them with a cāmara, yaktail fan.
Campakalatā is an expert cook who knows the literature (sūda-śāstra) describing the six varieties of flavours for cooking – those that are sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, salty and astringent – She is so expert at making various kinds of candy that she has become famous by the name Miṣṭa-hastā (sweet hands), because she is skilled in using sugar candy to make sweets of different shapes.
Campakalatā is the supervisor of the sakhīs and maid-servants who make different preparations from milk. She is the leader of the eight sakhīs beginning from Kuraṅgākṣī; and of the gopīs who take care and protect the trees, creepers, bushes and other vegetation of Vraja. (Text 170-174)
4) Citrā-sakhī (Sucitrā) is described in the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Gaṇoddeśa Dīpikā as follows:
citrā caturthī kāśmīra-gaurī kāca-nibhāmbarā
ṣaḍ-viṁśatyā kaniṣṭhāhnāṁ mādhavāmoda-medurā (86)
caturākhyā pitur jātā sūrya-mitra-pitṛvyajā
jananyāṁ carcikākhyāyāṁ patir asyās tu pīṭharaḥ (87)
Citrā (Sucitrā) is the fourth of the eight sakhīs. Her body shines like vermilion mixed with gold and her dress glitters like crystal. She is 26 days younger than Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, and she is happy when Kṛṣṇa is happy. The name of Citrā’s father is Catura, who is the paternal uncle of Sūryamitra (Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja). Citrā’s mother is named Carcikā and her husband is Pīṭhara. (Text 86-87)
Citrā’s cleverness is wonderful. Because of her expertise in various activities, she has unrestricted freedom to enter everywhere. She is especially expert in abhisāra (rendezvous), understanding the lover’s quarrel. She is skilled in the interpretation of internal sentiments by external gestures. She can read between the lines of books and letters written in many different languages, perceiving the hidden intentions of the author. She is talented in recognizing the qualities of dishes made of honey, milk and so forth by glancing just once upon them.
She is expert in crafting crystal vessels, making glass trays and glass bowls. She is skilled in playing music on pots filled with varying degrees of water. She can make waves appear in water and is skilled in playing a jala-taraṅga, a kind of musical instrument consisting of seven bowls that are filled with varying degrees of water and struck with one or more sticks to produce musical sounds.
She is very knowledgeable about the art of astrology and astronomy, the particulars of different kinds of animals and the work of planting and maintaining trees. One of her duties is to plant and guard trees and she is most expert in the preparation of nectarean beverages, making delicious drinks.
Citrā-devī is the supervisor of the eight famous sakhīs beginning with Rasālikā; of the sakhīs and maidservants who prepare drinkables; and of the sakhīs who always gather divine medicinal herbs and such, of those who protect trees without flowers, and of those who take care of the forest area and various creepers and vines. Her service is making clove- and flower garlands for Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. (Text 175-178)
5) Tuṅgavidyā-devī is described in the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Gaṇoddeśa Dīpikā as follows:
pañcamī tuṅgavidyā syāj jyāyasī pañcabhir dinaiḥ
candra-candana-bhūyiṣṭhā kuṅkuma-dyuti-śālinī (88)
pāṇḍu-maṇḍana-vastreyaṁ dakṣiṇa-prakharoditā
meghāyāṁ puṣkarāj jātā patir asyās tu bāliśaḥ (89)
“Tuṅgavidyā is the fifth of the variṣṭha gopīs. She’s five days (15?) older than Śrī Rādhā. Her complexion resembles the color of kuṅkuma and the fragrance of her body is like sandalwood mixed with camphor (candra-candana). Her clothes are light yellow (pāṇḍu-maṇḍana) and her nature is dakṣiṇā-prakharā (submissive, yet hot-tempered, harsh). Her mother’s name is Medhā, her father’s name Puṣkara, and her husband’s name is Bāliśa.” (Text 88-89)
Tuṅgavidyā is the foremost of the gopīs and has a very scholarly natute. She has mastered the eighteen branches of knowledge, which are listed in Viṣṇu-Purāṇa as ṛg-veda, sāma-veda, yajur-veda, atharva-veda, śikṣā (pronunciation of Vedic texts), kalpa (ritual), vyākaraṇa (grammar), nirukta (explanation of difficult Vedic words), jyotiṣa (astronomy, astrology), chanda-śāstra (prosody), mīmāṁsā-darśana (examination of Vedic texts), nyāya-darśana (logic), āyur-veda (medicine), dhanur-veda (archery), gāndharva-veda (music), artha-śāstra (economics, politics), dharma-śāstra (code of laws) and the purāṇas.
Tuṅgavidyā is expert in the sience of transcendental mellows and exceptionally skilled in arranging the meeting of the youthful Divine Couple. She enjoys the full faith of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. She is skilled in the art of music (gāndharva-vidyā), is most learned in the scriptures delineating rasa (rasa-śāstra), moral conduct (nīti-śāstra) and the art of dancing (nāṭya-śāstra), theater-play (Nāṭaka), narration (Ākhyāyika), and all the Saṅgīta śāstras (scriptures on the art of song). She is especially skilled in singing according to rāgas and rāginīs and in playing on the vīṇā and other musical instruments.
Tuṅgavidyā-devī is in charge of the eight famous sakhīs in her group headed by Mañju-medhā and the others (Sumadhurā, Sumadhyā, Madhurekṣaṇā, Tanumadhyā, Madhusyandā, Guṇacūḍā, Varaṅgadā); who are expert messengers accomplished in sandhi (arranging political alliances), creating an alliance between two opposing groups, which is the first among the six expedients of diplomacy.
She is one of the gopīs who know how to sing, play musical instruments, dance and perform plays. She is also the leader of the skilful gopīs who know how to play mṛdaṅga, who know the sixty-four arts, and who knows how to dance, as well as of the sakhīs who collect water from the various rivers and springs of Vṛndāvana. (Text 181-186)
6) Indulekhā is described in the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Gaṇoddeśa Dīpikā as follows:
indulekhā bhavet ṣaṣṭhī haritālojjvala-dyutiḥ
dāḍimba-puṣpa-vasanā kaniṣṭhā vāsarais tribhiḥ (90)
belā-sāgara-saṁjñābhyāṁ pitṛbhyāṁ janimīyuṣī
vāma-prakharatāṁ yātā patir asyās tu durvalaḥ (91)
“Indulekhā is the sixth of the eight sakhīs, and her complexion is bright like Haritāla (yellow), like yellow orpiment. Her dress is colored like a pomegranate-flower [bright red] and she is three days younger than Śrī Rādhikā. Her mother’s name is Belā, her father’s name is Sāgara, her husband’s name is Durbala. She is contrary and hot-tempered and her nature is vāmā-prakharā (very strong-willed, harsh and unsubmissive).” (Text 90-91)
Indulekhā is particularly competent in chanting mantras from the nāga-tantra for controlling snakes. She has a thorough understanding of the mantras for obtaining knowledge (vijñāna-mantras) as well as of the jyotiṣa-śāstra (astrology). She is especially conversant with sāmudrika-śāstra, which describes the science of palmistry [the science of reading the auspicious and inauspicious features on a person’s body].
She has mastered the skills of stringing beautiful necklaces, painting and coloring teeth, gemmology or examining jewels, making silken ribbon cords and composing mantras that bring prosperity and good fortune. In her hand she carries the auspicious messages of the divine couple. Thus she extends her excellent fortune in assisting Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa to enjoy trancendental bliss. (Text 187-189)
The group of gopīs headed by Tuṅgabhadrā-devī are the friends and neighours of Indulekhā. Among these gopis is a group, headed by Pālindhikā-devī, which acts as messengers for the Divine Couple. Indulekhā sends secred messages through them and is fully aware of the confidential secrets of the divine couple. Indulekhā is in charge of all those gopīs who are engaged as maidservants, who prepare ornaments and dresses, who protect the treasury and who guard the land of Vṛndāvana. (Text 190-192)
7) Raṅgadevī is described in the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Gaṇoddeśa Dīpikā as follows: (92-93)
saptamī raṅgadevīyaṁ padma-kiñjalka-kānti-bhāk
javārāgi-dukūleyaṁ kaniṣṭhā saptabhir dinaiḥ (92)
prāyeṇa campakalatā-sadṛśī guṇato matā
karuṇā-raṅgasārābhyāṁ pitṛbhyāṁ janimīyuṣī (93)
“Raṅgadevī is the seventh of the eight variṣṭha sakhīs. Her body shines like the colour of lotus-pollen, Her dress is reddish like a Javā-flower, and she is seven days younger than Śrī Rādhā. In qualities she is just like Campakalatā. Her father’s name is Raṅgasāra, her mother’s name is Karuṇā. [Her husband’s name is Vakrekṣaṇa. Vakrekṣaṇa is the younger brother of Lalitā’s husband, Bhairava.] (Text 92-93)
Raṅgadevī is always like a great ocean of coquettish words, making various bodily gestures, signals and pretexts. She cleverly speaks in an indirect way. She is very fond of joking and acting playfully with her friend Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī even in the presence of Lord Krishna, thereby making everyone joyful.
Among the six activities of diplomacy, called sandhi (treaty), she is especially expert in the fourth: patiently waiting for the opposing party to make the next move. She is an expert logician and because of previous austerities she has attained a mantra for attracting Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Raṅgadevī is the supervisor of the eight sakhīs, headed by Kalakaṇṭhī, who render various services such as painting flower decorations with fragrant substances [such as candana] on the body. She is also the leader of the sakhīs and maidservants who offer incense and ghee lamps, of those who burn the fire in the cold season and fan with a cāmara during the warm season, and of those sakhīs and maidservants who watch over the animals in the jungle, such as lions and deer. (Text 193-197)
8) Sudevī is described in the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Gaṇoddeśa Dīpikā as follows:
asyā vakrekṣaṇo bharttā kanīyān bhairavasya yaḥ
sudevī raṅgadevyās tu yamajā mṛdur aṣṭamī (94)
rūpādibhiḥ svasuḥ sāmyāt tad-bhrānti-bhara-kāriṇī
bhrātrā vakrekṣaṇasyeyaṁ pariṇītā kanīyasā (95)
“Sudevī is the eight of the variṣṭha sakhīs. She is the twin sister of Raṅgadevī and is of a gentle (mṛdu) nature, sweet and charming. She resembles her sister by beauty, good qualities, nature and so forth, and is therefore sometimes mistaken to be Raṅgadevī. Her husband is the younger brother of Raṅgadevī’s husband Vakrekṣaṇa (the cross-eyed). (Text 94-95)
Sudevī always remains at the side of her dear friend Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. She helps in decorating Rādhā’s hair, she applies black ointment ‘mascara’ to Her eyes, and she massages Her feet.
Sudevī Sakhī is very expert in teaching the śuka-sārī (male and female parrot) to sing the Divine Couple’s glories and also in arranging competitions between wild roosters. She is extremely skilful in boat pastimes being an expert sailor and she is fully aware of the auspicious and inauspicious omens described in the śakuna-śāstra. She is expert in identifying the flowers that blossom with the rising of the moon and can understand the languages of birds and animals. She knows well how to keep fire ablaze under all circumstances (agni-vidyā). She is also skilled in making fireworks, lights and other such things, as well as in massaging the body with scented oils.
Sudevī teaches Kāverīmukhā and the other sakhīs under her guidance how to use leaves to prepare spittoons used for spitting water after cleansing the mouth. She also instructs them in making pillows and cushions out of flowers. She is the supervisor of the sakhīs, maidservants and forest goddesses who are entrusted with the decoration of the Divine Couple’s sitting place, preparing thrones for Śrī Rādhā and Śrī Kṛṣṇa to sit on.
Sudevī’s friends act as clever spies, disguising themselves in various ways and moving among Rādhārāṇī’s rivals (Candrāvalī and her friends) to discover their secrets. The gopīs protecting the forest birds such as parrots and cuckoo birds, and those who know the style of poetry called chekānuprāsa also act under Sudevī’s supervision. (Text 198-203)
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