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sábado, 26 de noviembre de 2011

Nisanta lila Gaura radha krishna lila



03:36-04:00


During rest period, Radha and Krsna meet in dreams and enjoy limitless loving
pastimes together. Also in this time the flowers open, bumblebees and different birds start singing.

Bhavana Sara Sangraha. Chater 1. Text 5

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IAt the end of night, in a beautiful jewelled temple in the garden of Sriivaasa Thaakura, Srî Gaurasundara lay sleeping on a flower-petal mattress in a bed bedecked with precious gems. Due to the pleasant sounds made by the bees and cuckoos, His blissful sleep was broken. He arose, overwhelmed with the ecstasy of His own bhava, but then another mood soon overtook Him. Astonishing anubhavas such as joy, sorrow and fear began to appear in His beautiful body. Tears of ecstatic love fell from His lotus eyes and goose bumps covered His golden form. Remembering Radha-Krishnas pastimes in the nikunja-mandira, He sighed deeply and His lotus eyes reddened with passion. Seeing such sweetness, all the devotees began to float in an ocean of prema.
Still sleepy, Gaurasundara intertwined His fingers, held His arms up high and stretched. He yawned, His teeth glistened and His nostrils flared. At that time, Svaruupa Daamodara and the other bhaktas gathered there and eagerly offered arati to Mahaprabhu. Someone with a very sweet voice began to sing, while someone else played a sweet-sounding mridanga. The karatalas, mrdangas and other instruments all sounded very nice together. Seeing the Lord’s beautiful lotus face, someone began to dance madly. In this way, all the bhaktas became drowned in transcendental bliss. No one can describe such happiness!
After that, Mahåprabhu and the bhaktas proceeded to His home, and when they arrived at His door, He bade them good-bye. Then He went inside, lay down on His bed and fell asleep. I joyfully remember these pastimes of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu at the end of night.

Govinda Lilamrita. Chapter 1. Texts 2-8

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I take shelter of Sri Krsna Caitanya, the wonderfully compassionate Lord, who cured the world from its intoxicating madness of ignorance, maddening it instead with the nectar-treasure of Love for Himself (2)

I offer my obeisances to the eternal pastimes of Sri Radha's heart's friend in Vraja (Sri Krsna), the service of whose lotus feet is the highest goal of devotional service, and is only attainable through intense sacred greed. This is unattainable even by Lord Brahma, Lord Siva or Ananta Sesa. Now I will describe this mentally performed service which is practised by devotees that travel on the path of raga. (3)

SUMMARY OF THE EIGHTFOLD DAILY PASTIMES: May Sri Krsna, who daily returns from the kunja's to the meadows at the end of night, who milks the cows in the morning and evening, and who eats then also, who plays with Sri Radhika and Her girlfriends at noon and at night, who returns to His village in the afternoon and who pleases His well wishers in the evening, protect us! (4)

All glories to Sri Govinda Lilamrta, the immortal nectar pastimes of Sri Govinda, that defeats the nectar of the demigods, or the desire for liberation, bestows a wonderful sacred thirst whenever it is drunk through words or with the mind, curing the disease of material life and deluding one with loving intoxication, nourishing the heart and the body and giving a high taste to those who always relish this nectar. (5)

Won't I be the cause of great laughter for Vaisnava's who always play in the nectar-ocean of Sri Krsna's pastimes? But even though I am incompetent, mediocre, less intelligent and unqualified, I desire to taste that nectar! (6)

May the lowly words of a great clown like me cause laughter and joy to the Vaisnava's of Vraja, whose minds are absorbed in the dance-like pastimes of Sri Krsna, that were exposed by real playwrights like Sri Rupa Gosvami! (7)

Although I am dull minded, my lowly words about the Lord's pastimes will be liked by the saints, since it is said (in Srimad Bhagavata 1.5.11) that every word about the Lord's activities, though imperfectly composed, will destroy the sins accumulated by humanity. Encouraged by this statement, I will now describe the eternal nectarean pastimes of Govinda.... (8)

Krishna Bhavanamrita. Chapter 1. Text 1-4

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Sri Radha and Sri Krishna competed with each other in erotic cleverness, but Their fight ended when fatigue invited Nidra devi, the goddess of sleep, bringing her to Them. Their maidservants, who were also sleeping, were accustomed to get up in time to do their service. Have they now automatically awoken, knowing that the night is over? Getting up from bed, these maidservants looked around anxiously. Seeing that the best of lovers (Radha and Krishna) were still sleeping in solitude, they quietly sat up in their beds on the courtyard of the nikunja. They yawned and jokingly inquired from each other about what had happened. With their bee-like eyes rolling because of staying up late at night, they relished the vision of Hari's love signs on their breasts.

Some of these maidservants then began to perform their scheduled service at daybreak, stringing flowers and preparing betel leaves. They smelled the fragrance of Radha and Krishna's bodies, which were bound together by Cupid. With their lotus-like faces they looked through slits in the wall of the grove-cottage and saw how Radha and Krishna were embraced by the goddess of sleep, due to being tired from Their clever, erotic dance. They saw that the jeweled lamps that were standing here and there in the kunja made Krishna shine like a blue lotus flower and made Sri Radhika look like a golden campaka flower, even though Their effulgent forms were no longer covered by garlands or ornaments.


One sakhi (maidservant) told another, "Sakhi, Radha and Krishna's sakhis don't know how to dress and decorate Them! Therefore, Their sakhi Srngaradhu (over ornamentation personified) became angry, threw away Their clothes and ornaments and decorated Them with thousands of nail marks, making Them look even more beautiful. Their complexions complement each other through Their embrace. Golden Radhika is dressed by Krishna's blue complexion, and blue Krishna is dressed by Radhika's golden complexion. To avoid repetition of this pattern, the incorporal god Cupid removed Their blue and golden garments. When Cupid conquered the kingdom of Sri Radhika's body, shyness became the protectress of the land, taking her position in Radhika's head, eyes and breasts. Alas! Has she now been exiled? If bashfulness cannot stay in any secret place in Sri Radhika's body, she must have made some offense. Or maybe she has appeared as Radhika's auspicious glances to give joy to our eyes? Or maybe bashfulness disappeared, handing the ingdom over to Cupid? By doing this she may get incomparable opulence (i.e. after awakening, Radhika may become even more shy.) Is the steady Krishna-cloud showering the restless Radha-lightning with sweet rasa? How amazing! The Lord rewards the maidservants even before they've served Him!"


Elsewhere, some maidservants prepared betel leaves, strung flower garlands and made different kinds of ointments. They placed aguru frankincense in their trays and spent some time with other scheduled services. Then, a soft, cool breeze blew at the end of the night for the pleasure of the Lord and Lady of the nikunja. One maidservant said, "Sakhi, I understand that the sleep of this soft breeze is also broken, and because of its drowsiness it blows only softly. This soft Malayan breeze pleases all the ten directions, filling them with the fragrances of the blooming flowers of the vines and trees, which it kisses and carries around at the end of night, waking up the sleeping honeybees as it enters their nostrils."

04:00-04:24
Radha and Krsna became awaken as a result of attempts of the birds, but kept lying on the playbed. Then the male and female parrots, named as Vicaksana and Suksmadhi, who were able to speak in a human language, tried to arise Them from the moon-like bed. But Radha and Krsna only tightly embraced each other and didn’t care to get u

Govinda Lilamrita. Chapter 1. Texts 9-40


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May the saints give a place on the shore of the lake of their ears to nourish this cow (text) of mine, which is heading towards Gokula, but is afflicted by wandering over the desert of my mouth! (9)

SUMMARY OF THE DAWN-PASTIMES (3.24-6.A.M): I remember Radha and Krsna at night's end, being awakened by various sounds of the parrots that were sent by Vrnda devi and that were making Them rise from Their pleasure-bed by reciting different pleasant and unpleasant poems to Them. They are joyfully witnessed by Their friends as They are tired from Their loving pastimes, and They become afraid of the words of the old she-monkey Kakkhati, so They leave for Their individual homes, although They are still thirsty for more pastimes, and go to sleep. (10)

Seeing the end of the night, Vrnda ordered her birds to awaken Radhika and Madhusudana. Although they were eager to sing from the beginning, the parrots remained silent on Vrnda's order. Now they joyfully surrounded the bower and started warbling. The she-parrots sang in the grapevines, the male parrots in the pomegranate trees, the cuckoos with their mates in the mango trees, the pigeons in the Pilu-trees, the peacocks in the Kadamba-trees, the bees buzzed in the vines and the cocks started cooing on the ground. (11-13)

Then a swarm of bees, greedy after honey, began to hum like Cupid's auspicious conch in the charming grove which was full of blooming vines and had a bed of lotus flowers. A swarm of joyful she-bees, intoxicated hummed like the auspicious cymbals of Cupid to awaken Govinda. (14-15)

A flock of birds repeatedly sang ku-hu on the fifth note like the vina of Cupid. The cuckoos sat next to their mates in the mango-trees, intoxicated with divine love, relishing the soft mango-pits, sweetly singing with clear voices like Cupid's vina. (16-17) I suppose the king of hyena's called Cupid frightened the does of the gopis' patience, moral conduct and fame. He became angry at the tigers of their proud pique and roars at them with the sound of the cooing pigeons. (18)

Whilst awakening Radha and Krsna in the morning, the peacocks cried out ke ka , as if asking who (ke) other than Krsna can lift the mountain of Radha's patience and what other lady (ka) than the very fortunate daughter of king Vrsabhanu, though they may be very beautiful, can chain down and control the maddened elephant Krsna. (19) The cocks also said ku ku ku kuu with short, long and intermediate vowels, like a brahmana boy reciting the Vedas. Then, although the birds were calling Them with their warbling, Radha and Krsna, unaware of Each other's wakeful state and upset at the prospect of breaking Their intimate embrace, pretended to sleep with Their eyes closed. One very learned sarika (female parrot) named Manjubhasini, who witnessed Radha and Krsna's entire night pastime, and who was very dear to Vrsabhanu's daughter, addressed Krsna, sitting in a golden cage.

gokula bandho jaya rasa sindho jagrhi talpam tyaja sasikalpam
prityanukulam srita bhuja mulam bodhaya kantam ratibhara tantam

"0 Friend of Gokula! Glory to You, 0 ocean of spiritual flavours! Please arise from Your moonlike bed! Awaken Your lover, who is sheltered in Your arms and who is tired of loving pastimes!" (23)

O Lord of Vraja! The morning sun, which is so cruel to young girls by nature, is swiftly rising! Leave the bank of the Yamuna and quickly return to Your bedroom!" (24)

O Lotus-eyed friend (Radhike)! Now You enjoy Your sleep after so much endeavour in Your play (the previous night). There is no fault in that, 0 chaste girl, but look, the rising sun in the east colours the sky red, unable to tolerate Your happiness like Your rival gopi Candravali! 0 Lotus eyed friend! The night is over, the morning has come! The sun has risen! Arise now from Your nice bed of cool leaves!" (25-26)

Then Vicaksana, a male parrot who was very attached to Krsna, very calm by nature and expert in using words, recited a series of verses full of clear and sweet syllables that were suitable for awakening Madhava:

jaya jaya gokula mangala kanda vraja yuvali tati bhrngy aravinda
pratipada vardhita nandananda Sri govindacyu:a na(a sanda

"Glory glory to You, 0 source of auspiciousness of Gokula, lotus for the bee-like girls of Vraja! 0 Govinda, 0 infallible One! You increase Nanda's joy at every step and give joy to the surrendered souls!"

prabhatam ayatam asesa ghosa trsarta netra bhramararavinda
garistha bhuyistha visistha nistham
gostham pratisthasva davistam istham

"0 Lotus for the thirsty bee-like eyes of the people of Vraja! Look, morning has broken! Swiftly return to Your abode in the meadows, which is affectionately served by Your relatives and superiors! If not, You may be embarrassed by them!" (29)

"0 Lotus-eyed One! Look! The eastern horizon, seeing that the red morning sun wants to rise, looks like a ladylove with a bright red dress (as is worn by a wife whose body is smeared with kunkuma, as she expects her husband home). So give up Your sleep, 0 Krsna! Look! The moon has fled along with the night out of fear of the sun, so You also leave the bank of the Yamuna now and return home with Your innocent lady-love! 0 Krsna! The sun is rising, the Cakravaka-bird looks with one eye at the sunrays, that colour the eastern horizon red, and at her distant husband with the other eye. The owls, who are blind for the day, enter into their tree-hollows, becoming silent out of fear of the sounds of day. So give up Your sleep, 0 Krsna!" (30-32)

A sarika named Suksmadhi, who kept all the verses she learnt from Vrnda-devi around her neck (i.e. memorised them) as a necklace, whose sweet words were intoxicated by drinking the wine of love for Sri Radha and whose feathers stood on end out of that love, made her words dance on the stage of her tongue, just to awaken Her. She sang: "0 beloved of the prince of Vraja! Quickly return to Your abode, before people start travelling over the roads of Vraja! 0 Fairfaced girl! Look, the sun is swiftly rising! Leave Your bed and return to Your home in Vraja! 0 sakhi ! Give up Your drowsiness and wake up, wake up Your lover! Leave the kunja and return home! Don't give the people any chance to embarrass You! Working people are coming now for their scheduled work!" (33-37)

Although Radha and Krsna were both awake, They were still lying down in a tight embrace and although They were very restless, knowing that the night was over, they could not leave Their beautiful happy place. Sri Radhika placed Her back against Krsna's knees, Her breasts on His chest and Her face on His face, embracing Him around the neck and using His arms as Her pillow. Although She had awoken, She could not move Her body even slightly. Krsna became restless and got up from bed to return to Vraja, but He could not move His body even slightly because He was afraid to disturb Sri Radhika's tight embrace.(38-40)

Krishna Bhavanamrita. Chapter 1.


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Hearing the nice humming of the bees, Vrindadevi woke up, looked around everywhere and then engaged her pet birds in awakening her Lord and Lady. On Vrinda's order the roosters woke up, craned their necks and flapped their wings. They crowed about five or six times, awakening Sri Radhika, who became very disturbed. Seeing that the roosters stopped Her from embracing Krishna, Sri Radhika angrily cursed them saying, "Hey roosters, go crow in hell! Why are you crowing here?" Sri Radhika slightly slackened Her embrace of Sri Krishna's chest. Hearing that the roosters had become silent, She thought that they had gone to hell because of Her curse. Then, She tightened Her embrace, and fell asleep again. When the tittibhas and other birds began to sing, Sri Radhika, whose sleep was disturbed again, said, "Hey! Excuse Me! Let me sleep a little longer!" And She stretched out, slightly. Then, all the waterbirds like the kadambas, karandavas, swans and cranes and all the land birds like the pigeons, saris, sukas, peacock and cuckoos awoke and began to sing nectarean songs about Krishna.

04:24-04:48

Krsna sit dawn on the bed and sees Radharahi’s Beauty is aroused... but She arises and Loving exchanges were keeping on.
Govinda Lilamrita. Chapter 1. Text 41-59

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Then a peahen named Sundari, who is very proud of her absorption in love for Radhika, left her husband in the Kadamba-tree and came down in the yard of the nikunja cottage. Han's pet peacock named Tandavik quickly descended from the Kadamba-tree, spread out his feathers and happily began to dance all around The doe named Rangini, leaving her husband at the foot of a mango-tree, joyfully and swiftly approached the kunja-gate to cast restless loving glances at Radha and Krsna's lotuslike faces. Han's pet deer Suranga, who gives great joy to Krsna, arrived in the kunja, leaving his mangotree, fixing the waves of his gaze on Krsna's face, his body freed from the grip of fatigue. (41-50)
ri Krsna, having arisen, sat up in the bed and took slender Radha, who still pretended to sleep with closed eyes, on His lap with His arms to attentively behold Her sweetness. With a slight smile Acyuta drank the nectar of Her lover's face which was like a morning lotus. Her eyes restlessly rolled like wagtail birds and Her curly locks surrounded Her forehead like a swarm of black bees. With great love Krsna saw how Radhika stretched out Her arms, entwining the fingers of both Her hands. While yawning She slightly showed Her teeth, that shine like Kunda-flowers, and rubbed Her whole body. Seeing His exhausted lover in the morning, resting face up on His lap, in false anger, Her face slightly smiling and crying at the same time, with Her half-opened braid, Her crushed flower garland, Her broken necklace, Her eyes showing weariness externally, but joy inwardly, eagerly looking at Him, again and again rolling with them while She opened them, the moon of Vraja (Krsna) felt paramount joy (51-54)

Sri Radha, who was languid with loving fatigue, placed Her exhausted body on the body of Krsna, that was bluish like a glistening Tamala-tree. She could be compared with a steady streak of lightning resting in a fresh blue raincloud, or with a golden lotusflower. (55)

Seeing Han's face with its glistening Makara-earrings, His gentle sweet smiles, His eyes weary from Their pastimes, His curly hair locks smelling of lotus flowers and His lips cut by Her teeth and blackened by Her eyeliner, lotus-eyed Radhika became eager to enjoy with Him once more. (56)

Krsna also thought of resuming His love sports when He saw His lover's slightly smiling face, with Her eyes slightly contracted out of shyness from Their exchange of glances. He lifted His beloved's head which was lowered out of shyness with His left hand and Her chin with Hi right hand. He bent His neck and repeatedly kissed Her face which was beautified by Her smiling cheeks. Immersed in an ocean of bliss from the touch of Her lover's lips, Radha slightly closed Her eyes, moved Her hands and softly said: "No, no!", giving great joy to Her girlfriends. (57-59)

Krishna Bhavanamrita Chapter 1

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Radha and Krishna awoke simultaneously and stretched out Their bodies, feeling afflicted by separation from each other’s embrace. While stretching, Sri Radhika's body looked like a bow of campaka flowers and Krishna's body resembled a bow of blue lotus flowers. Then, They blissfully embraced each other again, tightly. Their maidservants understood that Radha and Krishna had woken up, and they fearlessly yet silently opened the door of the kunja cottage, their anklebells jingling with each charming footstep, as they entered the cottage. Hearing Her maidservants' softly jingling anklebells, Sri Radhika wanted to get up from bed, but She was unable to do so, being tightly held by Krishna's vine-like arms. So, She remained lying in His chest, unable to move.
Just as Sukadeva Goswami expertly awakens the world from maya by glorifying the Lord in an attractive way (i.e. explaining the Bhagavata Purana), similarly the (male) suka-parrots, Daksa and Vicaksana, woke the Lord up at Vrinda's request.
First Daksa sang, "You who are expert in unlimited erotic games! You who are showering nectar on the gopis' eyes! O mad elephant, who swims in the love-river of His beloved One! O You who inundates all the worlds in His own sweetness! O, ocean of rasa! Are you sleeping, immersed in the bliss of tasting your lover's lips? That's not improper; but the night, who is called Ksanada (giver of only a moment of pleasure), and who facilitates Your love festival, has now ended."
Then, Vicaksana sang, "O, Lord! give up Your sleep; morning has broken. Be clever now and conceal Your desires. If not, then it will be seen by others. Slacken Your embrace of Your beloved and return to Vraja. Glory to You, joy of Vraja! O, moon of the milk ocean of King Nanda's heart! O, flower on the vine of mother Yasoda's piety! Go home, and make Your friends happy."
Then, the (female) sarika-parrots, Subha and Suksmadi called Sri Radhika. "Glory to You, my queen! Laxmi, the goddess of fortune, and the most beautiful women in the world desire the beauty of Your face and Your pastimes. You became intoxicated by drinking the honey of Your lover's lotus face, and now You are sleeping? That is not proper at
this time of the morning. Therefore, I'm awakening You. Don't delay any more. Wake up! Follow the etiquette. Don't embarrass Yourself! Go Home! Who will teach You some good manners? You are the siksa guru in good manners (in surrender to Krishna) for all the gopis!"
Hearing this, the loving Couple sat up in bed, looking as beautiful as all that is beautiful in the three worlds. Their anklebells and waistbells jingled sweetly, and the splendor of their bodies shone brightly. Their faces were surrounded by disheveled locks of hair, illuminated by the splendor of Their earrings and necklaces. Their lotus-like hands moved here and there, groping for Their clothes, which had fallen off. For some time the two lovers hung against each other, Their eyes rolling from fatigue and Their hair disheveled. They sat facing each other, supporting Their bodily weight on each other’s shoulders. They raised Their mouths as They yawned and stretched out Their bodies. It looked as if Their lotus-like faces were circumambulating each other. With the rays of the lamps of Their pearl-like teeth They performed the arati (ceremony) of each other’s faces, and with the tongue-like corners of Their beautiful, slightly opened eyes They relished each other’s sweetness. Then again They experienced the oy of sleep for a while. With Their beautiful, dizzy faces gazing at each other, They were lying in a tight embrace, and Their bodies rolled off the uneven bed of flowers. Neither the bed nor Nidradevi could leave Radha and Krishna, because both were overcome by feelings of separation. Alas, still the very hard hearted birds began to sing in the morning, separating Radha and Krishna from each other.

The sakhis, who purchase with millions of hearts only a mere drop of the luster of Radha and Krishna's blissful erotic beauty, allowed their fish- like eyes to enter the latticed windows of the nikunja to play in the flood of Their natural beauty.
Visakha told Lalita, "Sakhi! Look how beautiful the erotic signs on Radha and Krishna's bodies are! Although They are niramsuka (without clothes) They are beautified with much amsuka (spiritual luster). And although They are vihari (enjoyers or without necklaces) They are also atihari (very beautiful). Although They are anangada (without armlets) They are anangada (giving erotic joy to each other). Although They are niranjana (without eyeliner) They are niranjana (very pleasing to each other). Their lipstick was washed away during Their playful absorption and Their playbed was all messed up. Such are the signs of Their enjoyment."
Lalita replied, "Sakhi, last night these Two began their love fight by pulling each other's hair, biting each other's lips and scratching each other with Their nails. The red kunkuma powder on Sri Radhika's breasts colored Acyuta's feet with Her hearts passion, and Krishna carried the passion of Her lotus feet on His head in the form of Her glistening footlac."
In this way, with soft voices, the sakhi's secretly described Radha and Krishna's love affairs to each other. They were immersed in an ocean of bliss, praising their own good fortune. Radha and Krishna's luster (rupa manjari) increased because of the blissful enjoyment of Lalita and the other attracted sakhis. Then, the expert maidservant, Rupa Manjari, appeared and beheld the exquisite beauty of Their love-game. She saw that They looked most charming on Their playbed with Their ornaments scattered here and there, and Their footlac, spots from chewing pan, eyeliner and vermilion washed away by the drops of Their
perspiration. One maidservant placed a pillow on Radha and Krishna's bed. One covered Their bodies with fine clothes. Another removed Their drowsiness and the rolling of Their eyes by serving Them a glass of awakening nectar drink.
When the lotus-like eyes in Radha and Krishna's moon-like faces, which were surrounded by honeybee-like locks of hair, began to worship each other, Cupid woke up and quickly fetched his bow. Cupid became angry at being overruled. He pierced Their moon-like faces, which were covered with dark ropes of Their curly locks, with his arrows, making nectar ooze out. Hridevi, the goddess of bashfulness, was sleeping outside of the cottage, but she was startled by the jingling bangles and anklebells of the approaching sakhis. So, she entered Sri Radhika's heart, which caused Her to loosen Her embrace of Sri Krishna.
When Sri Radhika became eager to untangle Her hair from Her nosering and earrings, one maidservant saw this, and giggling said, "O, Loving Couple! The incorporeal Cupid bound You up with the strings of Your mutual passion through Your hair, earrings, and the like. Now he wants to obstruct all these attachments, although You are one soul." Hearing this, fair-faced Radhika became annoyed and said, "O, you maidservants! I know you! Keep quiet!" Despite hearing this, the maidservants kept on giggling, expertly serving Her by untangling the knots themselves.
Another maidservant dampened a very soft and valuable cloth in rosewater and wiped the eyeliner, lipstick, footlac and so on from Radha and Krishna's faces, making them shine like mirrors. One maidservant placed betel leaves in Their mouths. Another one quickly and expertly performed Their mangala arati with a jeweled lamp, as if she were waving around thousands of her hearts. Other maidservants held mirrors before Them, some brought in body ornaments, while another removed Their drops of perspiration by softly fanning Them.
Seeing Krishna's bite marks on Her face as She looked in the mirror, Sri Radhika thought, "Today Madhusudana (the Krishna-honeybee) has drunk all the nectar from My lotus face by biting Me." This made Her very happy, and She could not put the mirror away. Sri Radhika thought, "Today, My nectarean form, which is unrivaled in all the three worlds, and My boundless youthful sweetness have become successful by being most blissfully enjoyed by My dear One!"
While Radhika thought like that, Her lover drank all the nectar of Her sweetness with His eyes. This made Her feel unlimited bliss within, and Sri Krishna's lotus face became the playground of Her beautiful sidelong glances. In an independent mood (svadhina bhartrika) Sri Radhika said, "Womanizer! Have You messed up my dress and ornaments? Why are You so complacent? Straighten everything out before My girlfriends return here and ridicule Me! Pacify Cupid, the god of love, by applying Your cleverness in decorating Me. Put him back into the temples of Our minds by removing the spots of musk and vermilion from my body, now that You've taken him out by covering Me with nail and bite marks."
Krishna replied, "You speak the truth! The worshipable incorporeal Cupid became manifest on the surface of Your body. Let Me worship him with ornaments, fragrances, garments, flowers, garlands and sandalwood pulp." Krishna then softly combed Radhika's hair with a comb handed to Him by the maidservant, Bhanumati. After tidying Her hair, He expertly braided it with a garland of malati flowers. With a new pencil He painted pictures on Radhika's body using musk, sandal and vermilion. It was as if these charming pictures were made by the lines of His passion. He placed beautiful earrings on Radhika's ears, which were handed to Him by Lavanga manjari, and He smeared fresh eyeliner on Her lotus-like eyes. When He hung a beautiful, long necklace around Her, handed to Him by Ruci manjari, Radhika proudly said, "Why do You put My necklace on before smearing My breasts with sandalwood pulp? You don't know how to dress Me!" Krishna proudly replied, "Radhe! I made wonderful pictures on Your breasts, which astonished Visaka and Your other friends, who are very proud of their own skill in drawing pictures."
Then Hari gave a wink to Sri Rupa manjari, Lila manjari and Rati
manjari, indicating that they should bring their brushes. When He began to paint Sri Radhika's breasts, the flower-archer, Cupid, aimed his arrows at Him. Hari's hand began to shiver and the lines of the pictures He painted became crooked and were practically washed out. The maidservants thought that clever Krishna was lighting the firewood of Radhika's patience with the fire of lust. Cupid did not think much of Krishna's efforts in ornamenting His beloved and made the pictures fall from their positions, joyfully ornamenting both the Lovers with the scattered fragments of decoration.
The maidservants had the desires of their bloom-like eyes fulfilled with the audience of the Divine Couple in the nikunja, and they prayed that their fulfillment would last for a long time. But, when they saw that Radha and Krishna wanted to enjoy again, they somehow found excuses to leave the kunja. From outside, fixing their eyes on the latticed windows they experienced bliss at every second, but they became morose when they looked to the east where the sun was rising. The restless glances of these sakhi's are always manifested in the hearts of the practicing devotees (sadhaka bhaktas).

04:48-05:12

Sakhis entered the grove with the joyful smiles on their faces. They were relishing the jokes of Krsna, witnessing restless eyes of Radharani and cosmetics that stuck on the lovebed of flowers, having fallen off at the beginning of Their amorous loveplay in the nikunja.


Govinda Lilamrita Chapter 1 Text 60-105

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Those girlfriends, afraid of the unavoidable dawn, entered the grove which was filled with the sounds of many bees, joking and prodding eachother, joyfully smiling. (60)

Sri Radhika doubled Her lover's pleasure by showing Him Her restless eyes at seeing Her friends approaching unnoticed with their smiling faces. Then she got up from His thighs, covering Her body with Krsna's yellow cloth and looking shyly at Her friends. Then She sat down next to Her lover. (61-62)

The sakhis felt great joy over and over again from watching Their two dear Ones (Radha-Krsna) whose lips bore the cuts from Each other's bites, whose bodies were covered with nail marks, whose makeup had been washed away, clothes loosened, hair disheveled and garlands and necklaces broken. Their bed indicated all these different sports. The middle was colored with the deep vermilion from Acyuta's body, the sides were smeared with Radha's wonderful footlac and throughout were drops of eyeliner, sandal paste and vermilion. Radha's girlfriends saw the bed, which was made of wilted flowers, covered with various signs of pan, eyeliner and body-ointments, looking just like Sri Radha's body, which was marked with similar signs of Her lover's enjoyment. With their eyes they relished the restless lips of Han about to say some joking words and beautiful Radhika's lotuslike face, which was lowered out of shyness. (63-66)

Showing them His chest, Han, hoping to see a sweet medley of emotions on His beloved's face, said: "0 Friends, look! The star named Radha, seeing that Her lover the moon is leaving, fearfully marks hundreds of moonbeams on the canvas of the sky, desiring to see him!" (Double meaning: "Look! In the morning time Radhika, being afraid of Her lover's departure, marks His chest with hundreds of moonray-like nail marks, being eager to see Him!") Saying this, Krsna showed all the gopis His chest. (67-68)

When Krsna said this, Radhika, seeing Her girlfriends laughing, moved Her restless eyebrows, expanded Her spotless cheeks and shyly looked at Her lover with crooked glances as if striking Him. Being full of conjugal bliss, slightly closed, filled with tears, their borders colored red, restless out of shame and fear, crooked with envy and with blooming pupils from the great joy of beholding Her lover's face, Sri Radhika's eyes increased the bliss of Krsna's eyes unlimitedly (69-70)

Thus the sakhis drank the sweetness of Radha and Krsna's dawn sports. Both were immersed in an ocean of love-bliss. This made the sakhis forget their proper scheduled activities. (71) Seeing everyone thus immersed in the ocean of Radha and Krsna's nectarean pastimes, intoxicated by love, Vrnda became apprehensive and engaged her she-parrots, who knew her purpose, once more with a wink. (72) One such a parrot named Subha, who was expert in awakening Srimati (Radhika), preventing Her shame before Her superiors, Her fear of Her husband and ridicule from the people, said: "0 Lotus-eyed friend! Your mother-in-law has arisen, saying: "Radhel Your husband will com here from the barn with lots of milk, being carried by his servants, so quickly get up and perform Your auspicious domestic rites!" Before she says that, You must leave this grove and slip back into Your bedroom unseen!" 0 dear friend! The moon, the Lord of the stars, having finished his sports with his stars at night, has now disappeared from the veil of e sky So you also leave the kunja now and go home, 0 innocent One! The sunrays color the lunar path golden, the people are coming on the main roads, so, 0 innocent One, quickly leave the kunja and go on the auspicious path home!" (73-76).

"0 Krsna! The morning has come and still You could not leave this innocent girl? Her mother-in-law, whose heart is covered with the mud of anxiety, mistrusts Her, Her bitter husband lives up to his name Abhimanyu (always angry) and Her dull sister-in-law is always rude and abuses Her!" (77)

Thus the Milk ocean of Radha's heart was stirred by the Mandara mountain of the sarika's words. With Her eyes wandering like baby-fish and saddened by the prospect of separation from Krsna, She got up from bed. (78)

Krsna too, seeing that the restless eyes of Vrsabhanu's daughter were agitated with fear, put on Her fine blue cloth and quickly got up from bed. Wearing Each other's clothes, Radha and Krsna held Each other's hands and fearfully came out of the kunja (79-80)

Krsna, holding Radhika's hand in His left hand and His flute in His right hand, left the kunja, looking like a cloud embraced by a wreath of lightning. (81)

One maidservant carried a golden pot, one carried a fan, another a golden wand, one a clear mirror, another one brought fine sandal paste and kunkuma, some girl brought a betel box inset with jewels and another one a sarika-parrot in a cage. Thus all these girls joyfully came out of the kunja-cottage. (82)

Slightly smiling, one sakhi came out of the kunja, taking an ivory box with vermilion which was studded with sapphires and gold and which looked like the breasts of a pregnant girl with her. One clever girl, collecting all the pearls from a necklace which was broken during an amorous embrace, bound them tightly in her arms ,and came out of the kunja-cottage. Srimati Rati manjari quickly grabbed the earrings which had fallen from the bed, came out of the kunja and placed them back on the ears of Her Queen. Srimati Rupa Manjari, a very dear friend of Sri Radha's, picked up Her blouse from the side of the bed, came out of the kunja and returned it to Her in private. The maidservant Guna manjari picked up Radha and Krsna's chewed pan and distributed it outside of the kunja. Manjulali took the garlands and the sandalwood pulp which had fallen from Radha and Krsna's bodies from the bed and distributed it to all the gopis outside. (83-88)

The sakhis began to giggle, covering their mouths with their hands, seeing that Krsna wore Radhika's cloud blue sari and that happy Radhika wore Krsna's yellow cloth. They restlessly looked all around, casting squinted glances at each other in great bliss. (89)

Radha and Krsna, seeing the signs of Their girlfriends' laughter, looked at Each other's faces with blooming eyes and became struck with wonder, merging in a swelling ocean of bliss. (90)

Because Radhika's fine dark blue sari was so much like Krsna's own complexion He was as if merged in it, unrecognisable. Similarly Radhika almost vanished in dear Han's bright yellow cloth, like milk inside a golden conchshell. (91)

Then Lalita, upset at seeing the rising sun spoiling the two lovers' playful nectarean enjoyment, angrily spoke the following abusive words: "0 Radhe! Look at this rising sun! Because of breaking the enjoyment of the best of women with their lovers, he lost both his legs through leprosy. Still he will not give up. The saying 'it is difficult to give up one's nature' is certainly true!" (92-93)

Casting Her glance, reddened by anger at the breaking of Her love-happiness, at the sky reddening by the sunrise, King Vrsabhanu's daughter smiled because of Lalita's words and spoke the following sweet soft words: "The sun sets and, crossing, even without legs, the sky in half a moment, rises again. If the Creator had given him legs, there would have been no night at all, despite the sun's course!" (94-95)

Seeing the charming beauty of the morning-time and being intoxicated with joy over drinking Radhika's ambrosial words, Krsna forgot to return to the village and told the Queen of His heart: "Dearest One! Look, the eastern direction (the wife of the sun) seeing the sun rising in the morning, his body reddened by touching the other directions (directions are female) turned red out of envy, like a mistress who sees her lover approaching at dawn with the sign of love-enjoyment of another lady on his body!" (96-97) Look, 0 intoxicated girl! This lotus flower says to the water lily: "0 Lily! Look, even though he is the destroyer of the darkness of all sins and is most peaceful, your lover the moon has fallen from the sky after touching the morningred (Alternate reading: This brahmana, who is twice-born like the moon, fell from his caste after drinking Varuni-wine). Hearing these words from the lotus flower, who is exclusively dependent on the now rising sun, and very happy through its association (its warm rays), t water lily becomes shy and covers her face with her petals in the morning. (98) Seeing darkness destroyed by the moon at nighttime, the cuckoos who are also black, called ku huu , disturbed by fear that they would similarly perish. They called out for a dark moon night when the sun is devoured by the eclipse along with the moon. (99)

The forest is full of joy because of uniting with her lover the spring. It is as if the she-pigeon shrieks slightly because of love-excitement. (100)

"0 Moon faced girl! Look! Just when the female bee is trying to crawl out of the slowly opening lotus petals in which she was captured at night, she is followed by a bee who was colored yellow from his playing with the pollen of the water lilies." (101)

"Afraid that her lover may come, a Cakravaki-bird quickly kisses a red Kokanada-lotus made twice as red by the rays of morning glory" (102)

"0 Sweet-voiced girl! Seeing Us, this swan named Kalasvana leaves his beloved, who is eager for love play and joyfully comes upon the Yamuna-bank, spreading out his wings!" (103)

0 Lotus faced girl! Look! The goose named Tundakeri leaves her husband the swan holding a lotus stem which was left over by her husband in her beak, making sweet sounds while staring at Your lotus face. Thus she follows her lover." (104) Note: According to Srila Rupa Gosvami, Kalasvana is Krsna's pet swan and Tundakeri is Sri Radhika's pet goose.

"Look! The wind, moving through the sandal trees, carrying the fragrance of lotus flowers, teaches the vines, who are like his young maiden pupils, how to dance, blows around the water, taking away the fatigue and perspiration of the best of women and her lover!" (105)

Krishna Bhavanamrita Chapter 2

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Those sakhis, whose affection knew no bounds, entered the kunja cottage, knowing that Radha and Krishna had finished Their loveplay. Seeing this, Sri Radhika at once loosened Herself from Krishna's embrace and got up from bed. She obtained Her maidservants' loyalty by frowning in an exaggerated way, while they all sat around Her. Sri Hari pretended to still be asleep, being thirsty after the nectar of their conversation. Sri Radhika said, "Bho friends. You are most fortunate today to act as My friends. It's very fortunate that you have blessed Me with your audience. Have you come here to purchase Me? O arrogant ones, I am a housewife! You have brought Me here from My house into the forest, forcibly handed Me over to this boy, an expert at destroying the housewives' chastity, and then disappeared. Today you protected the old merit of My piety, on the strength of which I could lie down next to Him all night without having My chastity ravaged. O, friends, now Nidradevi (the goddess of sleep) lives in the eyes ofHim with whom I spent the night. He is tired from staying up for many nights, making love with thousands of gopis. In this way, Nidradevi helped Me tremendously!"
Lalita said, "Sakhi, who does not know Your famous chastity, and who does not know about Krishna's celibacy? Even the sruti (the Gopala Tapani Upanishad) praises Krishna as a brahmacari. The eyes of the sakhis are very pleased to see Your spotless association with Him. Krishna is not even touched by the goddess of sleep because He keeps His vow of celibacy! We can truly understand that He associates with You through Cupid."
After Lalita said this, Visakha said, "Sakhi Lalita, I know it all! For the sake of getting happiness, Radha and Krishna gave up Their bodies at the Kamya Kupa at Prayaga (or 'They merged in the sacrifice of Cupid')."

Bhavana Sara Sangraha 41,45

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“O ocean of good qualities! Beloved of Raadhaa! Sun who makes the Vrndaavana lotuses bloom! Mountain of the jewels of artistic skills! Glory unto You. O master, what could You be thinking as You lie there, even though the night has ended? Why does that bower bed seem so good to You when You know it’s time for Your family to awaken?”
“O Moon-face! Having obtained the embrace of Vrajendra-nandana, all fear is gone from Your heart. But why, even at the end of night, do You lie there sound a-sleep? Why don’t You at least move to another place in this kunja, which is ornamented by swarms of drunken bees? Don’t You even consider what Your elders might say if they caught You here?”

05:12-05:36

ovinda Lilamrita. Chapter 1. 107-108

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Seeing that Radha and Krsna, because of Their very sweet conversation, forgot
to return home, Vrndadevi became upset, more so since all the gopis were also intoxicated with love and were just smiling affectionately (not doing anything). Then an old she-monkey named Kakkhati, who was sitting in a tree, began to recite verses on Vrnda's indication, knowing her time had come. She said: "Daybreak comes, dressed in red cloth like a female ascetic with matted locks (jatila), praised by virtuous men, her rays of sunshine rising (in the sky)." (Alternate reading: Jatila, Radha's mother-in-law, who wears red cloth and who is praised by the quarrelsome, performs her austere morning-ablutions nearby, spreading her cloth to dry in the sun). (107-108)
Krishna Bhavanamrita Chapter 2

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Citra said, "Sakhi, What is this benefit?"
Visakha said, "After bathing in Prayaga, Their virtue was strengthened again, so now They are united again (or 'They engaged Their purified minds in Yoga again'.) Sri Radhika had attained the acyuta yoga siddhi ('infallible mystic perfection' or 'union with Acyuta, Krishna') through vairagya dhuradhara ('carrying the weight of renunciation' or 'having the color from chewing pan removed from her lips by Krishna's kisses'), nairgunya mukta harini ('liberation by transcending the three modes of material nature' or 'having Her pearl necklace broken by Krishna') and niranjanodara drik ('objective transcendental vision' or 'having Her eyeliner wiped away by Krishna'). Krishna took shelter of His subservient Yoganidra ('mystic slumber' or 'feigned sleep') to experience His full atmabhutva ('self-born nature' or 'ecstatic experience'). He is worshipped by transcendentalists for liberation as He sits on His yoga asana (or 'on His bed of flower petals in the kunja') having attained siddhi ('mystic perfection' or 'ecstaic satisfaction'). But, O Sakhis, Radhika's siddhi is greater! There are wonderful moonbeams shining on Her sky-like chest (or 'Her chest is full of nail marks') and mental affliction ('mental distress' or 'erotic agitation")."

As Hari heard this, His body became studded with goose bumps of ecstasy. Vainly trying to control His laughter, He was moistened by perspiration; and smilingly gave up His feigned sleep. Suddenly He got up and showed the sakhis His chest, saying, "Ham Ho! Look at the wonderful (Citra means wonderful or one sakhi) moonbeams (Indulekha means moonbeam or one other sakhi) on My chest, which are the only source of My life and happiness!"

Sri Radhika lowered Her head and giggled, covering Her mouth with Her veil and looking at Krishna with knitted eyebrows. Then She slightly touched Hari's chest with Her lotus-like hand and pointed at the marks there, saying, "O Lover, if these wonderful (Citra) moonbeams (Indulekha) are on your chest, then why did not Lalita and Visakha (unlike Citra and Indulekha) also get a place there, although they are so qualified? They would accept Your nail marks and repay You threefold!"

The sakhis then said to Krishna, "We heard that You spent the whole night fast asleep. Which lady then has made these nail marks on your chest? Sri Radhika is the Queen of all chaste girls, so She could not have given up Her virtue by doing this."

Krishna said, "Yes, friends, the vine of Sri Radhika's piety is very strong. Therefor, She defeated Me in last night's erotic battle, although She's just a weak girl. Look, She dug into My chest with Her nail-weapons!"

The sakhis asked Krishna, "O Gallant One, How did Sri Radhika carve Your chest with Her nails?" Krishna then showed them by biting their lips with His teeth and scratching their breasts with His nails.

Looking in this way at Madhusudana (the Krishna-honeybee), who was intoxicated from drinking the honey of the blooming lotus-faces of the gopis in the forest in the morning, Vrindadevi was immersed in an ocean of bliss; but she trembled out of fear, also. The rays of the fullmoon-like faces of Sri Radhika and the gopis had arisen and the moonlit night was over. So, Vrinda looked to see if Radha and Krishna's love games were over or not, being doubtful at heart. It is said in the Vedas that as much as darkness is dispelled, that much knowlege is revealed, and accordingly the disease of the heart, lust, is destroyed. But, Vrinda thinks the opposite. She thinks that Radha and Krishna's passion increases as the daylight comes. The customs of Vraja are not perceived by the Vedas

Bhavana Sara Sangraha

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(46)

“O Sudati!17 A group of honeybees, drunk from sporting in the laps of the white water lil- ies, becomes restless now and engages in a love tryst with a cluster of blooming lotuses! The cause of the bees growing tired of the lilies and their excitement for the lotuses can only be the time of day.”(Krishnanika-kaumudi 1.7)

(47)

“The stars have faded from the sky, Your necklace has fallen from Your body, and the white flowers from the Ωephålikå trees have dropped to the ground. Even though all three have lost their ornaments, only You have kept Your exquisite beauty.” (Krishnanika-kaumudi1.10)

(48)

“Just as the pearls from Your broken necklace have fallen to the ground, the stars have disappeared from the sky and now only a few remain. Just look! Arundhatî,18 astonished at seeing You sleeping for so long on the chest of Your lover, hides her face within the constel- lation of Seven Rishis.” (Krishnanika-kaumudi1.11)

(49)

In this way, after hearing the sweet, pleasant words of the Ωukas and Ωårikås, Sri Radha awoke, able to sleep no longer. Then Sri Krishna also awoke, having been satisfied by His rest- ful slumber,. (Krishnanika-kaumudi 1.28)

(50)

As They both gave up Their drowsiness, Their eyes opened simultaneously and They began to cast wonderful side-long glances at each other. Then Their minds began to whirl and They became very disturbed, so much so that it interfered with Their vision of each other. This made them very unhappy. (Krishnanika-kaumudi1.29)
05:36-06:00


Seeing that Radha and Krsna, because of Their sweet conversation forgot to return home, Kakkhati monkey makes Them hear Jatila’s name, so that They have to emerge from the kunja to run down separate paths to Their individual homes in great fear.
Radha and Krsna, who are the very forms of Vraja's welfare, became upset with fear at the hearing of Jatila's name and They came out of the kunja, despite being full of unfulfilled desires. Seeing Them running down separate paths to Their individual homes in great fear, pulling up Their loosened clothes, hairs and garlands, trembling out of fear from hearing Jatila's name, the sakhis also became scared and started running here and there. (109-110)

Krsna turned His neck here and there, looking around, thinking that Candravali's friends were on His left (not wanting to be seen with Radhika by Her rivals), His superiors in Vraja before Him, Jatila and Kutila coming up behind Him and His beloved going home towards the south, being very eager to see Her still. Then lsvari (Radhika), fearing that Jatila followed Her and being afflicted by the weight of Her breasts and thighs, holding Her loosened garments and hair with both Her hands, ran back to Vraja, sometimes fast and sometimes more slowly. (112)


Sri Rupa Manjari, wanting to bring Radhika safely home, seated Her in the chariot of her own mind and then followed Her, covering the path with the curtain of her eyes, that were ash grey and flickering because of her fear and her attachment (to Radhika). (113)


Warding off outsiders with the arrows of her restless glances shot in all directions, Rati Manjari also followed Radhika, her heart beating with fear, leading the way like a phalanx of soldiers. (114)


Fearfully Radha and Krsna stepped across Their own courtyards, their restless eyes cast on the doors of Their elders. Then They fearlessly entered into Their individual rooms and lay down in Their own beds, Their minds afflicted with fatigue. (115)

The very expert sakhis who nourish the Lord's pastimes and whose movements cannot be traced, returned to their individual homes just like the Vedas who, at the time of the universal dissolution, enter back into the Lord when Acyuta, having finished His enjoyment, goes to sleep in His own abode. (116)

Krishna Bhavanamrita Chapter 2

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Vrinda saw no other way to break Radha and Krishna's loving fatigue but to engage the old she-monkey Kakkhati in speaking some harsh words to force Them to separate. She thought, "Alas! There's no otther way than this!"
Kakkhati said, "O Krishna! You contaminated these chaste girls with the mud of adultery, and You will not even leave them alone in the morning time! As a reaction to all this, Jatila is now quickly coming here from Vraja. Simply upon hearing the three syllables Ja-ti-la all the gopis turned pale, and their anxiety made the oceam of their love play diminish to a spoonful. The gopis fearfully said, "O alas, friends! What to do now? How can we secretly return home?" as they stumbled out of the kunja- cottage into the courtyard. "The night, that gave us just a little pleasure, is now over, and the miserable Jatila has come to devour the fruitful vines of our desires and to shower us with the flowers of misery!"

Some sakhis and maidservants then entered the kunja-cottage again to fetch Radha and Krishna's broken flower garlands, Their nectarean food remnants and Their different ornaments, which they ecstaticly divided among themselves. Radha and Krishna's desires to separate and unite got into a fight and if the first one (the desire to separate) was just slightly defeated, Krishna's arm would beautify Radhika's shoulder. Seeing this, the peacocks perceived Radha and Krishna to be a lightning vine embraced by a raincloud on earth. They happily spread out their feathers, danced and sang 'ke ka.' Tha maidservants had the same illusory vision. While Radha and Krishna thus proceeded to Vraja in Their embrace, They eagerly looked into each other's faces. They also fearfully looked in all directions, thinking, "Somebody's watching us!" At that time, Cupid failed to shoot his darts, because although the lotus flowers in his kingdom bloom up when the sun rises, he became worried and forgot to fix his darts during this sunrise, which afflicted the lotus-like gopis.


The soldier of eagerness was defeated by the soldier of fear when Radha and Krishna reached the outskirts of Vraja, forcibly taking taking away the jewel-like embrace of Krishna's arm around fair-eyed Radhika's shoulder. Fear personified then admonished Radha and Krishna, forbidding Them to even walk on the same path together. Their maidservants had to cry when they saw how pitifully They looked at each other then. Radha and Krishna's moonlike-faces instantly lost their luster from sorrow because of being forced to walk on separate paths, like stars that lose their luster when they come before the moon. Radha and Krishna became sad because of having to separate after having first attained the jewels of each other's hearts. Their pure love guaranteed Their next meeting.Losing Sri Radhika's company, Krishna went alone to Vraja. At that time, a young girl personifying unlimited pain obstructed Him by embracing Him (Krishna, feeling great pain of separation, could not walk on anymore), and He shed warm tears of sorrow. Sri Radhika's entire body, except Her hair and nails, was studded with blisters of severe separation, and since She was delaying Her return home with a stumbling gate, Her friends took Her along.


Sri Radhika said, "Friends, alas! I'm dying from the pain of separation! How will you take me to Vraja? Why engage in this calamity? Fate became my enemy, taking away My blissfull union with Krishna! How can you lock Me up in My mother-in-law's house? Lalita, you took Me out of My home today and made Me reenter it again on the same day. Why did you vainly make me greedy after stepping into the nectar- ocean of Krishna's company? Sakhi, the sun that I saw setting just now is yet again rising in the east! Now the night has become as illusory as a flower in the sky. Was there no night today? Curses on My ears! Curses on My tongue! Curses on My eyes! They are always burning with the fever of erotic eagerness, unable to drink even a drop of the nectar of Krishna's nice voice, nice taste and nice form!"


Lalita said, "O naive girl! Today the yoga of nocturnal union with Krishna recited the nirveda almanac (nirveda refers to impious acts , like adultery, that are forbidden by the Vedas) to You. Now, Your separation is also reciting the nirveda almanac (here, nirveda means lamentation) to You. The union made You taste the nectar of Acyuta, and the separation made You taste bitter poison. Alas!" Sri Radhika, the Supreme Goddess of love of Krishna, could not understand the words of Her girlfriends. Being surrounded by them, She entered Her house without being seen by the people of Vraja and lay down on Her bed.

lunes, 21 de noviembre de 2011

Stealing the Clothes of the Gopis Sri Srimad Purnachandra Das Goswami


When the gopés were very young, they developed
an intense love for Krishna. Hankering to directly meet
Lord Krishna before actually meeting him is a kind of
love in separation called pürva-raga. The vraja-gopés
desired to have a relationship with Krishna as their
husband. Such was the desire of Dhanya Sakhi and
the other virgin girls of Vrindavan. Individually, they
secretly supplicated various deities with the object
of having Krishna as their husband, but they were
confused by the apparent failure of these efforts.
Each of them prayed to reside in Nanda Bhavan with
Nanda Baba and Yasodamayi as their parents-in-law
and Krishna as their husband birth after birth.
In
due course of time, these girls met each other near
the Yamuna. Though from different places, if many
people simultaneously seek out the same goal, they
come in contact with each other, just as students meet
at the residence of their guru. When these girls met,
they immediately felt a deep empathy for each other.
When this friendship was established, they revealed
their heartfelt desires to each other. Although the
hearts of those in love may be concealed, they are
clear to those who are experiencing the same feelings.
One day, as they were divulging their heart’s desire
to each other and weeping, their well-wisher Vrinda
arrived there in the dress of a female ascetic. Vrinda
had been thinking, “The mutual love between
these girls and the prince of Vraja possesses an
indescribable power to bring them together. This
love is far beyond the common affection of people
in this world. Therefore they should worship some
other god, other than Krishna personally.”
Upon arriving amongst the gopés, Vrinda accepted
their respectful greetings and gave them her blessings.
She said, “I am a resident of this forest and I couldn’t
help but see how you are suffering due to your
love. My heart has been torn with compassion, so I
have come here. I ask you to carefully listen to my
knowledge of magical ritual by which you will be able
to fulfill your desires. It will not require extreme effort
as you shall only have to exert yourselves for a month.
I learned of these things from the compassionate
Yogamaya, the reservoir of all spells and incantations,
after I entreated her through austerities.”

Thus thinking of the girls’ welfare, Vrinda initiated
the gopés by whispering a mantra into their ears and
by instructing them in the rules and regulations for
austerities meant to accompany the chanting of the
mantra. She then disappeared. As soon as she left,
the gopés joyfully began applying her instructions.
The mothers of these young girls wanted them
to get married and so encouraged them to perform
worship. But the mothers were worried that any
austerities would be too much for the girls due to their
tender and fragile young bodies. Thus their mothers
affectionately warned them, “How can your young
bodies endure austerities? And how will you get the
needed determination? We have never seen you do
such things before.” Their mothers’ doubts, however,
simply increased their determination to perform the
vrata. Their mothers also asked them, “O girls, who
will you worship? Will you worship Uma or Umapati
or maybe Lord Brahma? What type of püjä will you
do? Will you need any wealth to perform the püjä?
And who will be the äcärya to guide you in the
chanting of the Vedic mantras? Please consider all
these details and then tell us your decision.”
A vrata, vow, is specified by käla, deça, saìkalpa,
mantra and iñöa-deva. The vraja-gopés were
planning to perform a specific vrata, and, by the
mercy of Vrinda-devi, they knew all of the particulars
for that vrata. The time (käla) was set for the first day
of the waning moon at the beginning of the month
of Märgaçérña (November-December). The place
(deça) to perform it was also planned: the pristine
and beautiful banks of the Yamuna River. Their
saìkalpa, desired goal, was deeply established in
the core of their hearts: to attain the son of Nanda as
their husband. The iñöa-deva to whom they would
offer worship was to be goddess Katyayani, and the
mantra they were going to chant during the offerings
began with the words kätyäyani mahä-mäye.
It was the first month of the Hemanta season,
winter. The girls briefly told their mothers, “We are
going to worship Katyayani.” They did not tell their
mothers much more because they were afraid that
if their mothers would keep asking questions then
the secret in their hearts would be revealed.
That is
one of the meanings of the word gopé. The Sanskrit
root gup means “to hide”. Therefore, a girl who hides
her love for Sri Krishna is known as a gopé.
The gopés
knew that if one reveals the flavor of ones love to
others, it dissipates, just as spices lose their flavor if
the lids of their containers are not kept tightly closed.
The vrata required that they eat only boiled
rice and dal without any spices and to rise early
every morning and bathe in the cold waters of the
Yamuna River. There on the banks of the Yamuna
they would worship goddess Katyayani and offer
her prayers. They walked together every morning
at dawn to take their morning baths, and then they
worshipped goddess Katyayani. Every morning
they made a mürti of Katyayani from sand.
The bodies of the gopés revealed a special kind of
beauty during this time of austerity. They did not use
oil while bathing, and thus their skin and hair appeared
dry, clean and fresh like açoka leaves washed by rain.
They also did not chew any tämbüla, so the natural
hue of their lips was manifest. From eating only once
a day their bodies became thin and lost their natural
effulgence. Seeing their emaciated condition, the
vrajaväsés felt pity for them.

Their burning desire to obtain Krishna caused
them to often lay awake at night. And before they
took rest they would secretly discuss how and
where they would meet the following morning.
Then when they would meet in the morning they
would respectfully greet one another and lovingly
embrace. They would sometimes call out to each
other by name, “O fortunate girl, where are you?
Why are you wasting time? Come!” As they walked
together in the early morning toward the Yamuna,
they would hold hands and sing songs about
Krishna, teasing each other by exposing their own
goals in song. Because they were effulgent, they
appeared like a garland of lightening bolts moving
on the earth.
Yamuna Devi could directly perceive the desire in
their hearts. She knew that they all wanted Krishna
as their husband. She welcomed them with her
waves, desiring to embrace them, and respectfully
called, “Come, come sakhis! Welcome!” When the
eager gopés arrived at the bank of the Yamuna,
they immediately threw off their woolen cadars,
revealing their thin white underclothes for bathing.
Thus they appeared more beautiful than fallen snow.
Shivering and sighing due to the chill morning air,
the young girls smiled and giggled at one another
upon noticing that their friends felt the same way.
Their lips quivered, revealing their jasmine bud-like
teeth. They further reacted to the cold, making a
comic scene by slapping their arms together and
crossing their legs in a contorted, humorous fashion.
They offered obeisances to Yamuna Devi before
entering the river, and after bathing they gleefully
ran back up the river bank, feeling elated at having
bravely tolerated her icy waters.
After coming out, the water dripping from their
garments fell onto the earth. It appeared that their
garments were shedding tears after being tortured by
the cold water. As they gracefully dried themselves
with soft cloths, the gopés looked very beautiful. Their
beauty was enhanced by their chanting of the sweet
names of Krishna.
The sweetness from their breath
attracted bees that flew in front of their faces. But the
gopés became annoyed, blinking and twitching their
eyebrows, because the bees were creating a breeze
by flapping their wings. Feeling compassionate,
Suryadev gradually dispersed their chill by caressing
them with his gentle, warm rays. Thus Suryadev
offered more affection for the gopés than to his own
daughter Yamuna Devi. (To be continued.)