Morning light filled Radha's courtyard. Flowering vines leaned over the path. Radha was with Her dear friends. Among them were Lalita and Vishakha. Suddenly an unfamiliar maiden entered the courtyard. She sat silently and covered her gaze with a veil. Her clothing and ornaments were beautiful. The radiance of her appearance drew the friends' attention. But none of them knew who the guest was. Radha was the first to notice her presence.
She spoke to Lalita in wonder. She asked her to look at the maiden in the courtyard. The guest seemed to have come from a heavenly world. Her gentle appearance awakened curiosity. Radha wished to meet her. She wanted the guest to feel welcome. Lalita and Vishakha approached her. Attentively they asked her name. They also asked where she had come from. But the maiden remained silent.
The friends looked at one another. They did not want to trouble the stranger. Perhaps she was shy before unfamiliar company. Perhaps she carried a thought difficult to speak. Vishakha tried once more to encourage her. Lalita waited with alert attention. Their questions brought no reply. The guest still held her veil. The silence became more and more unusual. And Radha decided to speak to her Herself.
Radha approached the maiden gently. She asked whether she truly was a heavenly goddess. She wanted to know what had brought her to Vraja. Her words were not a rebuke. They were an invitation to friendship. Radha admired the guest's beauty. But even more She wanted to understand her heart. The guest still did not answer. Then Radha thought that perhaps she needed help. The sakhis stayed close to them both.
Radha asked whether she had some concern. Perhaps her silence was a sign of sadness. Perhaps she was tired from the journey. Radha did not want to draw a wrong conclusion. So She continued asking patiently. She encouraged the guest to confide in them. Neither Lalita nor Vishakha left her. Their presence showed their care. The courtyard was a place where she could open her heart. But the answer was still delayed.
The maiden was no ordinary visitor. Krishna Himself was hidden beneath her clothing. He had come in the beautiful form of a woman. He concealed His identity from Radha. Not His usual flute, but silence introduced Him. The friends saw a celestial guest. The reader already knows the secret of His arrival. But Radha continued to seek an answer. Krishna listened as She offered friendship. His silence prolonged the play.
Radha did not want the maiden to leave alone. She wished to hear her story. The sakhis watched their glances with curiosity. Had the guest come to seek advice? Was she looking for someone in Vrindavan? Or did she simply not know how to begin? Each question left room for an answer. Radha did not measure the guest by her origin. She first showed her warmth. That warmth opens their meeting.
At last the silence began to yield. The guest raised her gaze toward Radha. Her voice brought fresh wonder. She could answer their questions. Radha and Her friends listened carefully. Now they no longer had to guess in silence. The stranger could tell them where she was from. She could also reveal her concern. Krishna nevertheless kept His disguise. The conversation was only beginning.
Radha welcomed the guest as a friend. Lalita and Vishakha remained witnesses to the meeting. Each reaction was part of their gathering. Krishna heard Radha's sincere invitation. His secret was still hidden. But His curiosity had already found its way to Her. The next words would turn their talk toward the flute. Then the question of love would open before them. The silent guest carried more than she seemed to. A long and playful lila had begun in the courtyard.
This is the first of four connected retellings. They are inspired by Śrī Prema-sampuṭa. The work is a poem by Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakur. At its beginning Krishna comes as a heavenly maiden. Radha, Lalita, and Vishakha welcome her. Radha wonders why the guest is silent. She offers her closeness and a chance to speak. This retelling is not a literal translation of the verses. The next part continues the same conversation. At its heart is attention to an unfamiliar guest.