The śārikā, a talking bird of the mynah or starling kind, celebrated in Sanskrit literature for imitating human speech and carefully distinguished by Rūpa Gosvāmī from the śuka or parrot. In Vraja the śārikās are learned individuals: Sūkṣmadhī and Śubhā recite Lalitā-devī’s compositions and serve Vṛndā-devī as messengers, while Mañjubhāṣiṇī witnesses the night pastimes from her golden cage and addresses the Divine Couple at dawn.
