At Brindában He appeared as the supernatural youthful Cupid, at whose adoration the formula recited is Love, the offering presented is the seed of Love. There He drew all hearts of men and women, of the animate and the inanimate. He was Cupid's self, the conqueror of hearts. Witness the Bhágabat, X. xxxii. 2.
"He ravished the hearts of Incarnations like Lakshmi's husband, [Vide the Bhágabat, X. lxxxix. 32]; He drew to Himself women like Lakshmi [Vide the Bhágabat, X. xvi. 32.]
"His own beauty charmed His own heart, and He wished to embrace Himself [Vide the Lalita-Mádhav, Act viii. verse 28.]
"Such in brief is Krishna's form. Now let me tell you a little of Radha's self. Krishna's powers are infinite, but three of them are the chief, viz., the chit power, the illusion power (máyá), and the preservation power (jiba). These three I call the internal, the external, and the marginal (or adjacent). The highest is the internal swarup power. Witness the Vishnu Puran, VI. vii. 60.
"Krishna's self is composed of sat, chit and ananda. Therefore His swarup power must be of three kinds: in the ánanda portion it is hládini, in the sat portion it is sandhini, in the chit portion it is sambita. Witness the Vishnu Puran, I. xii. 48:
"What delights Krishna is named the Ahladini power, by which He enjoys delight. Krishna is Himself delight, and yet He tastes delight. Hladini has been created to give enjoyment to the faithful. The essence of hladini is named prem (love). The story of prem is filled with the emotions of ánanda and chit. The supreme emotion (mahábhába), is the quintessence of prem. The lady Radha is the personation of that supreme emotion. [Vide the Brahma Samhita, V. 33]"
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The Master spoke, "This is the limit of the thing adored. Through your grace I have learnt it of a verity. None can gain the Adorable without adoration. Tell me kindly the way to gain Him."
The Ray answered, "I speak as you make me, without my knowing what I say. Where in all the three worlds can we find the constant man who cannot be shaken by your illusive play? You are speaking through my mouth; yet you are my listener! Hear, then, the deep mystery of adoration. The play of Radha with Krishna is extremely deep, and cannot be learnt from the dásya, bátsalya and other moods. The sakhis (female associates) alone are qualified for it; from them has this play (lilá) spread. This play cannot be kept up without sakhis; they alone relish this lilá in full. Sakhis alone have a right to this lilá, i.e., those who adore Krishna in the spirit of His sakhis. Such votaries can practise devotion in the form of attending on Krishna and Radha in their secret bower. There is no other means of mastering this form of devotion. Witness the Git-Govinda, x. 17:
'What man versed in the deepest mystery (ras) will not take refuge at the feet of the sakhis, the personations of the chief power, without whose help Radha and Krishna's pleasure-force and pleasure-manifestation, though self-expressive, cannot for a moment attain to fulness of development?'"