Anaṅga Mañjarī Sampuṭikā is a classic 16th Century composition by Rāmacandra Goswāmī, better known as Rāmāi Ṭhākura. He was the adopted son of Jāhnavā Mā and her most intimate disciple. After the disappearance of Gaurāṅga and Nityānanda, Jāhnavā Ṭhākurāṇī became the leader ācārya of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava movement and even Advaita Ācārya acknowledged her spiritually superior position. In kṛṣṇa-līlā, Jāhnavā is Anaṅga Mañjarī, Śrīmatī Rādhikā's younger sister. Therefore, Rāmāi Ṭhākura is the most qualified person to explain the intricacies of Anaṅga Mañjarī tattva. Her tattva is complicated and shrouded in mystery. Her position as the female counterpart of Balarāma, yet also a nāyikā gopī (romantic heroine lover) of Kṛṣṇa is hard to grasp. It is said that Nityānanda-Balarāma, desiring to serve Kṛṣṇa in all rasas, wanted to serve Kṛṣṇa in mādhurya-rasa where no other male except Kṛṣṇa can take part and therefore he assumed the form of Anaṅga Mañjarī. She re-appeared in gaura-līlā as Jāhnavā, the consort of Nityānanda. Thus, Nityānanda has two parallel forms in kṛṣṇa-līlā. In his male form he appears as Balarāma and in his female form as Anaṅga Mañjarī.
Anaṅga Mañjarī Sampuṭikā is full of such confidential tattvas. Our rasika readers will surely cherish and relish this present publication and it will enrich both their understanding of Nityānanda/Anaṅga Mañjarī tattva, as well as their inner bhajan life.
