Lalita sasti; here: Lalita-devi's age

[Guest guest]

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tatra lalita

atradya lalita-devi

syad astasu variyasi

priya-sakhya bhavej jyestha

sapta-vimsati-vasaraih

 

tatra-there;

adya-first;

lalita-devi-Lalita-devi;

syat-is;

astasu-among these eight;

variyasi-the best;

priya- dear;

sakhya-friend;

bhavet-is;

 

jyestha-the eldest;

 

sapta-vimsati-27;

 

vasaraih-with years.

 

 

Lalita

 

Of these eight gopis, the first one, Lalita-devi, is the best. She is a dear

friend of the divine couple, and she is 27 years old, the eldest of Krsna's

gopi friends.

 

This text is from Sri Sri Radha-Krsna-ganoddesa-dipika by Srila Rupa

Gosvami, text 79, page 49. Translated by Sriman Kusakraatha dasa.

 

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[Guest guest]

On 18 Sep 1999, Sravana dd wrote:

> vasaraih-with years.

 

This doesn't sound right; vAsaraH means "day" (e.g. days of the week

bhAnuvAsaraH, somavAsaraH, ...) -- this is now "vAra" in most Indian

languages. varSaH means "year" -- this is still preserved in many

Indian languages. Was that just a typo, or is it actually translated

in the text that way?

 

-- Vijay

[Guest guest]

I tried responding to this over the weekend, but it seems to have not

made it through.

 

On 18 Sep 1999, Sravana dd wrote:

> vasaraih-with years.

 

That doesn't sound right; "vAsaraH" in Sanskrit means "day" (e.g. days

of the week like bhAnuvAsaraH, somavAsaraH, etc...) -- this is preserved

in most Indian languages today as "vAra." Year in Sanskrit is "varSaH",

which is preserved as is in many Indian languages. Was the above just

a typo, or does Kuzakratha prabhu actually translate it that way?

 

Yours,

 

Vijay

[Guest guest]

> If Lalita sakhi is 27 days older than Srimati Radharani how can Radhastami

> be the day after tomorrow?

 

> A similar mistake? I've understood that she is 27 days older than Srimate

> Radharani. But still I don't understand how Lalita Sasthi is only two days

> before Radhastami. Any suggestions?

 

> That doesn't sound right; "vAsaraH" in Sanskrit means "day"

 

 

There is no doubt that Lalitadevi is 27 days elder to Srimati Radharani and

not 27 years old. Here's the result of some research work which leads to

many other questions:

 

Krsna's eternal age in Goloka : 15 years / 9 months / 7 1/2 days

Radharani's eternal age in Goloka : 14 years / 2 months / 15 days

Lalitadevi's eternal age in Goloka : 14 years / 8 months / 27 days

 

Krsna's Birthday : Bhadra Krsna Ashthami

(The eighth day of the dark

fortnight in the month of Bhadra)

Radharani's Birthday : Bhadra Shukla Ashthami

(The eighth day of the bright

fortnight in the month of Bhadra)

 

Lalitadevi's Birthday : Sravana Shukla Ekadashi

(11th day of the waxing moon in the

month of Sravana)

 

[Obviously Lalitadevi is the eldest sakhi but she can't be 27 years old

which is an incompatible age for participating in Radha Madhava's conjugal

pastimes because They Themselves are around 15 years old.]

 

Now the problems we face are:

 

(1) Lalitadevi's birthday is on Sravana Shukla Ekadashi whereas according to

Vaisnava calendar it fell on Bhadra Shukala Sashthi. Either something wrong

with the Vaisnava calendar or something wrong with the Radha Krsna Ganoddesa

Dipika by Srila Rupa Goswami which is not possible or some other reason.

 

(2) Their eternal ages does not quite match with the birthdays.

 

Any learned Vaisnavas can comment?

 

Your servant,

Nayana-ranjana das