Tungavidya is the fifth of the varistha gopis. Her
complexion is the color of kunkuma and the fragrance of her body is like
sandalwood mixed with camphor. She is fifteen days younger than Srimati
Radharani.
Tungavidya is hot-tempered and expert at dissimulation.
She wears white garments. Her parents are Puskara and Medha-devi and her
husband is Balisa.
Tungavidya is one of the leaders of the gopis. She is
learned in the eighteen branches of knowledge.
She has full faith in Krsna. She is very expert
at arranging the meeting of the divine couple. She is learned in
rasa-sastra (transcendental mellows), niti-sastra (morality), dancing,
drama, literature and all other arts and sciences.
She is a celebrated music teacher expert at playing the
vina and singing in the style known as marga.
Eight gopi messengers headed by Manjumedha-devi are
especially expect at arranging political alliances (sandhi) the first of
diplomatic maneuvers in the art of politics between Radha and Krsna.
These gopis are the best of dancers. They are musicians
expert at playing the mrdanga and singing in recital halls.
These gopis are especially engaged in fetching water
from the streams in Vrndavana. Tungavidya is the leader of these gopis. (SSRKGD)
On the western petal of Madana-sukhada
Kunja
lies the extremely beautiful crimson-colored Tungavidyanandada Kunja,
where Sri Tungavidya Sakhi always resides. She loves
Sri Krsna very much and, filled with
eagerness for that prema, she
exhibits the bhava known
as vipralabdhatva. Her
complexion is radiant like saffron mixed with camphor and sandalwood
paste, and her dress is pandu-mandana
(pale yellow). Her mood is daksina-prakhara.
Her mother’s name
is Medha, her father’s Puskara, and her husband’s Balisa.
She is very devoted to her seva
of dancing and singing, etc. Her home is
in Yavata, and her age is 14 years, 2 months
and 22 days. In gaura-lila she
appears as Sri Vakresvara Pandita.
Some of the
sakhis in
Tungavidya’s yutha are
Manjumedha, Sumadhura, Sumadhya,
Madhureksana, Tanu
madhya, Madhusyanda, Gunacuda
and Varangada. (SGGSP)