Mahavani – Introduction

Jai jai Sri Hitu sahacharī, bharī prem ras rang,
Pyarī Prītam ke sadā, rahat ju anudin sang. (1)

Ast kāl varnan karu, tinkī kripā manāy,
Mahāvāni seva ju sukh, anukram te darshāy. (2)

Sakhī nām ratnāvalī, stotra pāth tah kīj,
Puni Guru sakhin kripalu lahi, Yugal sev chit dīj. (3)

Prāt kāl hi uthi ke, dhāri sakhī kau bhāv,
Jay mile nij rūp so, yakau yahai upāv. (4)

Mohan mandir chauk mein, mili sab sakhī samāj
Bīn bajāvahin gāvahin, madhur madhur sur sāj. (5)

Translation

All glories to Sri Hitu Sakhi who is always filled with love and joy (prem ras rang). She always lives the whole day with Pyari and Prītam. (1)

I am explaining Their Asta kāl līla by getting Their mercy. I would explain Mahavani's Seva sukh sequence wise. (2)

I chant the names of all sakhis and praise them by reciting verses or slokas. After it, I chant the name of Guru sakhi to receive Her mercy and then meditate on Yugal service. (3)

First of all, wake up in the morning and feel yourself as sakhi. Then mix yourself in the group of sakhis, this is the only way to get this service of Radhey ju and Krishna. (4)

All the sakhis gather in Mohan nikunj and there they play different musical instruments and sing sweet melodies in a soothing voice. (5)

Commentary

Sri Hitu Sahachari stands for all the sakhis who always do service of Priya Prītam in a very lovely manner. Here, Their Astakālīn līla will be explained in sequence. At present, this is early morning time called Bhram muhurt. (Hitu means: The one who loves Radhey ju. Who loves Radhey ju, is called sakhi.)

This time, Sri Hari Priya sakhi who is Hari Vyās Devachharya ji, the writer of Mahavani book, is chanting all sakhis names. In this way, She is directing us to Nikunj Līla Upasanā.

In this way, we get the mercy of eight prominent sakhis Lalita, Vishakha, Rangdevi, Tungvidhya, Sudevi, Citra, Champaklatā and Indulekha along with our Guru sakhi name.

We always follow our Guru sakhi and with Her mercy we are eligible to get into the group of sakhis to do Priya Prītam service. (Actually, this is the only way to get Nikunj Upasanā).

As They are sleeping so all the sakhis are gathered in the courtyard and singing a sweet and soothing melody on different musical instruments like Harmonium, Sitār, Violin etc. so that They can wake up and the sakhis can do their other services. We cannot go directly to awake them. So we play music.

Sakhis are singing, but Priya Prītam are not awakening. A few sakhis start explaining the most beautiful glimpse of Priya Prītam to all the sakhis in the next Verse.

This is actually the first instruction for all the devotees, how to enter into the meditation. This art is called ›roop dhyan‹.

roop (rupa) = form
dhyan = meditation

You imagine yourself in your female form as a sakhi and visualize this sakhi form in the leela. With this sakhi roop we should start playing in the leela: One sakhi has gone in the nikunj and helps Thakur ji. Another sakhi is in the favor of Radhey ju. She is wearing a beautiful sari, laughing with Radhey ju, making conspiracy against Thakur ji. We should keep our mind and body in the nikunj. This is the only solution to arise sakhi bhaav in our heart. We should get up early in the morning and feel that we are a sakhi and playing with Radhey ju and Thakur ji in the leela.

Meaning

Jai Jai-praising; sahachari-sakhis; bhari-filled; prem ras rang-with prem ras and joy.
Pyari-Radhey ju; prītam-Krishna, ke sada-always; rahti ju-lives; anudin-whole day; sang-with.(1)

Asta-eight; kāl-times; varnan-explain; karu-do; tinki-of Them; kripa-mercy; manāy-fīling or getting,
Mahavani seva ju-Mahavani service; sukh-pleasure, anukram-sequence; te-by or to; darshāy- explain or show (2)

Sakhi nām-sakhis names; ratnāvali-known as gems, stotra pāth-recite the praising shlokas; tah-that place; kīj-do,
Puni-after that; Guru sakhin-Guru sakhi; kripa ju-mercy; lahi-taking, Yugal sev-Yugal seva; chit-heart and mind; dīj-engross. (3)

Prāt-morning; kāl-time; hi uthi ke-get up, dhāri-fīl one self; sakhi kau bhāv-the bhāv of sakhi,
Jay mile-go and mix; niz-own; roop-form; sau-with; yako-of it; yahi-this; upāy-way. (4)

Mohan madir- Mohan nikunj or temple; chauk-courtyard; mein-inside, mili-gather; sab-all; sakhi samāj-group of sakhis
Bīn-musical instrument; bajāvahi-play; gāvahi-sing, madhur madhur=sweetly; sur sāj-melodies. (5)