Sri Lalita-Madhava: Playful Krsna
BY: SUN STAFF
Aug 4, CANADA (SUN) — A ten act play by Srila Rupa Goswami.
Act One - Sayam Utsavah
An Evening Festival
Prastavana (Introduction)
The beautiful moonlike glories of Mukunda give distress to the lotus-like faces of the wives of the demons and to their raised breasts, which are like gleaming cakravaka birds. Those glories, however, are pleasing to all His devotees, who are like cakora birds. May those glories forever give pleasure to you all.*
Let us offer our respectful obeisances to the dark cloud of Lord Krishna, which showers the goddesses of the eight directions with a rain of sweetness, which eternally decorates the gopis with beautiful vine-grown leaves and flowers, and which embraces to its chest the peerlessly splendid moon of Sri Radha.
Sutradhara: (After the nandi-slokas are finished) Enough with these pompous words! (Glancing over the audience) Ah! Ah! Lord Siva, who is crowned with the half-moon, who is expert in tasting the sweetness of always living in the groves of Vrindavana, who is the lord of Brahma-kunda's shores decorated with hosts of great lotus flowers, and who is famous as the master of the gopis, appeared to me in a dream and ordered me to write this play, named Lalita-Madhava, which I am now eager to present to the many Vaishnavas assembled on this holy day of Diwali to worship Govardhana Hill at the entrance of the Madhavi-Madhava temple on the shores of Radha-kunda,
The moonlike Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is know as the son of mother Saci, has now appeared on earth to spread devotional service of Himself. He is emperor of the brahmana community. He can drive away all the darkness of ignorance and control the mind of everyone in the world. May that rising moon bestow upon us all good fortune.*
A Voice from the sky: What are you saying? How have you become so bold to try this?
Sutradhara: I must follow this order. I have the order from my superior. Listen:
Who is this audience? The people in this audience are filled with all good qualities. Who am I? I am foolish Rupa Gosvami. I am awed by this exalted audience. Today I take shelter of they who have taken shelter (of Lord Krishna). Today (I pray for) the mercy of He who is an ocean of mercy and a festival of transcendental bliss..
(Glancing at the audience before him) O devotees like bumble-bees in the lotus flower of Lord Krishna's feet, please give your mercy to me. By resting on the mercy of great souls such as yourselves, I shall become free of all fear.
Great devotees are peaceful and filled with spiritual opulences. They double others' virtues and are cool to others' faults. They are softly shining, cooling stars that decorate the evening sky of Lord Vishnu's feet.
(Placing folded palms to his head) Of the four Sanakadi-kumaras, the perfect souls that in ancient times appeared in this world to describe the path of the swanlike pure devotees, the third one has now descended to teach the devotees the secret nectar of pure devotional service, I offer my respectful obeisances to him, the spiritual master of the world.
Note: Here Srila Rupa Gosvami describes his elder brother, Srila Sanatana Gosvami, who was an incarnation of Sanatana Kumara.
Now I want the very honorable, elderly queen of actresses, who sings like a demigoddess, to come here on the stage.
Nat i: (enters) Dear friend, my heart is not eager to accept this role (as a villainess) in this auspicious play.
Sutradhar: Noble lady! What are you saying? Look! Look! It is now the festive autumn season, the Vaishnavas are all assembled here, Govardhana Hill is (like a volcano) erupting the splendid, pure, transcendental glories of eternal Lord Hari, and furthermore, the charming deity form of Lord Madhava is also present. Now you should be on your best behavior.
Dear friend, I am chained by shackles of fear that these great souls will become unhappy (because of my part in the play). I am not worried about the opinions of ordinary people.
Sutradhara: Noble lady, great souls are always saved from sufferings. Even if, somehow or other, a devotee takes birth (as an animal) in the jungle, (as human being) in one of the directions (of this world), (as a demigod) in the three celestial planets, or (even as a resident) of hell, the Supreme Personality of Godhead always brings him to His (lotus) feet. The Lord never wishes to abandon him.
Nat i: My son, you speak the truth. Still, my better discrimination has been robbed by love for a certain person, and I am now bewildered.
Sutradhar: Noble lady, please tell: to whom are you bound with love?
Nat i: My son, He is a descendent of the Caranas. His name is Kalanidhi.
Sutradhara: Who is he? I don't know. (I only know that the name) Kalanidhi means: He who is an expert dancer, endowed with all noble qualities, charmingly youthful, famous in this world, and intent on breaking his enemies in the battlefield.
Nat i: By the kindness of fate I, an old lady, have obtained an extraordinary daughter-in-law named Tara. Now I will give Her to Kalanidhi.
Note: Tara is another name of Srimati Radharani.
With fear of criticism in this world, and with a desire for praise, with both these motives the creator Brahma created this exquisite girl.
Nat i: The Kirata-king (Kamsa) desires this girl. On the pretext of seeing a dancing festival, he has called Kalanidhi to the capital and is now trying to defeat him.
Sutradhara: Please know that I am a learned astrologer. I shall now explain to you the effect of the heavens on this present moment. (He thinks for a moment, and then happily says:) Don't worry.
While dancing on the stage after having killed the ruler of uncivilized men [Kamsa], Kalanidhi [Lord Krishna], master of all arts, will at the proper time accept the hand of Tara [Srimati Radharani], who is qualified with all transcendental attributes.*
Paurnamasi: (from behind the scenes) Afraid of King Kamsa, and thus unable to directly announce the marriage of Radha and Krishna, a certain person instead tells this story of the dancer and the king of the Kiratas. By this trick this fortunate person tells me the truth and comforts me, who had been filled with anguish.
Sutradhara: (Looking behind the scenes) Look! Look! Famous in this world as Sandipani Muni's mother and Devarshi Narada's saintly student, fortunate Paurnamasi, whose white hair is decorated with kasa flowers, now hastily enters the stage as she eagerly talks with Gargi. Come quickly. Let us go and see what happens now that this first scene is over. (They both exit. Thus ends the introduction).
Scene 1
(Paurnamasi, appearing as described in the previous text, enters.)
Paurnamasi: Afraid of King Kamsa, and thus unable to directly announce the marriage of Radha and Krishna, a certain person instead tells this story of the dancer and the king of the Kiratas. By this trick this fortunate person tells me the truth and comforts me, who had been filled with anguish. Child Gargi, listen: As we drink the nectar of the overflowing celestial Ganges of Radha's moonlight smile touching the wave-filled Yamuna of Krishna's sidelong glance at the Triveni of Their rendezvous, a flood of pleasant coolness licks away our sufferings and pleases our hearts. Crossing over the seven worlds, now we stand above them all.
Gargi: O noble lady, you yourself arranged Radha's marriage with Abhimanyu. Why would She desire to meet with Krishna?
Paurnamasi: Daughter, this (marriage) is an illusion of maya. How could the vaijayanti garland of Sri Radha, which was strung with Brahma's sweet nectar and Mount Vindhya's austerity flowers, be placed in the hands of an ordinary man?
Gargi: What is this sweet nectar"?
Paurnamasi: It is Brahma's words O Mount Vindhya, to fulfill your desire you will have two daughters that will give you a son-in law who will defeat Lord Siva and whose virtues will fill the world with wonder."
Gargi: Why did Mount Vindhya desire a daughter and not a son?
Paurnamasi: He had become the rival of king Himalaya, who is the father of Gauri and very proud of the opulence of his son-in-law, (Siva).
Gargi: He could not tolerate the glory of his own family. In ancient times He tried to defeat Mount Meru. He could not rise again after he bowed down to offer respects to Agastya Muni.
Note: Mount Vindhya grew taller and taller until he challenged even his relative, Mount Meru. Agastya Muni visited Mount Vindhya. The mountain bowed down to offer respects. Agastya asked Mount Vindhya to remain in that position until he returned. Agastya never returned and Vindhya could not raise his head again. In this way Mount Vindhya's pride was humbled.
Paurnamasi: Yes. The intelligent are like that.
Gargi: How did Radha go from Mount Vindhya to Gokula?
Paurnamasi: She was taken by Putana, the kidnapper of children.
Gargi: (with fear) Witches that steal children generally eat their victims. This girl is very fortunate to be saved.
Paurnamasi: O daughter, Kamsa ordered her to kill any extraordinary small boys and kidnap any small girls.
Gargi: Why did the king ask her to do those two things?
Paurnamasi: (He was pushed) by the words of the Devaki's demigoddess daughter.
Gargi: What were those words?
Paurnamasi: She said to Kamsa: The same person who in your previous birth severed your head with a cakra raised in battle, the same person who the sages know as He whose two lotus feet are worshiped by the demigods, the same person who pleases His loving devotees (by showering them) with oceans of the nectar of bliss, the same person who is the root from which the universe (has sprouted) has now appeared (in this world) at the time of the moon's rising."
She said: Today or the day after, eight sublimely sweet saktis will appear on this earth. Two sisters, who are like great palaces of beautiful transcendental qualities, will also appear. When He defeats Siva, Lord Krishna, the king of kings, will accept the hand of both the girls (in marriage)."
Gargi: What happened to the second sister?
Paurnamasi: When Vindhya's chief priest chanted a demon-killing mantra, Putana's heart became struck with fear. As she was hastily flying over Vidarbha province the first of her victims dropped from her and fell into a river's current.
Gargi: My father (Sandipani Muni) is omnicient. Why then, has he said that, (as a result of) a benediction granted by Durvasa Muni, Srimati Radharani appeared from (King) Vrishabhanu's chest?
Paurnamasi: Requested by Brahma, Lord Hari's yogamaya potency removed these two infant girls from the wombs of the wives of Candrabhanu and Vrishabhanu and placed them in the womb of Vindhya's wife.
Gargi: (With astonishment) did the two fathers know what happened?
Paurnamasi: Certainly they understood. Why would Durvasa Muni not help them?
Gargi: How do you know all this?
Paurnamasi: (I learned this) by the mercy of my spiritual master's (Narada's) instructions, which have also made me attached to Radha.
Gargi: Is it true that when the witch was killed you took Radha from her lap?
Paurnamasi: (I took) not only Radha, but five other girls also.
Gargi: Who were they?
Paurnamasi: They were: 1. Radha's moon-faced friend Lalita, 2. Candravali's beautiful friend Padma, 3. Bhadra, who acts auspiciously, 4. auspicious Saibya, and 5. splendid and cheerful Syama.
Gargi: How were these girls placed among the gopis?
Paurnamasi: Swiftly and secretly I gave these five infant girls to five gopis in different parts (of Vrindavana). In a secret place I happily gave virtuous Radha to Yasoda's nurse, Mukhara, and said: O elderly one, here is your son-in-law Vrishabhanu's daughter."
Gargi: This must be the way Radha's second close friend, Visakha, appeared in Gokula (Vrindavana).
Paurnamasi: No. No. Jatila found her floating in the Yamuna.
Gargi: I did not know that. Who found the Vindhya's first daughter as she was floating in the river's current?
Paurnamasi: Bhishmaka.
Gargi: Alas, the cruelty of fate, who has separated these two sisters.
Paurnamasi: My daughter, fate then re-united them. In this way fate's mercy may be seen.
Gargi: How did that happen?
Paurnamasi: Candravali was the granddaughter of Karala. Jambavan, who lived in the caves of Govardhana Hill and the Vindhya Hills, kidnapped the five-year old Candravali and forcibly took her from Kundina City. He did this on the orders of (the goddess Durga, who was) staying then in the Vindhya Hills.
Note: This goddess Durga is the daughter of Yasoda. After Maharaja Vasudeva brought her back to Mathura, and after King Kamsa unsuccessfully tried to kill her, she escaped to the Vindhya Hills.
Gargi: (aside) I have heard from my father's mouth that although the (gopis,) headed by Candrabhanu's daughter Candravali, and the (Dvaraka-queens), headed by Bhishmaka's daughter, Rukmini, are expansions of the same spiritual potency, nevertheless, their forms are separate and distinct. Now it is said that with the aid of the yogamaya potency, each gopi is identical with a specific queen, and each pair of gopi and queen is a single person in a single form. It must be so. Later I shall perhaps understand it. What can I understand now of these confidential matters? (Openly) It is not that the yogamaya potency forcibly prevented the marriage of Govardhana and the other gopas with Candravali and the other gopis?
Paurnamasi: Yes. The gopas simply thought these girls were their wives. In fact, they never even saw each other.
Gargi: Then it is not at all surprising that these eight girls have such deep love for Lord Krishna.
Paurnamasi: What to speak of these eight girls, what doe-eyed girl in Gokula did not love Lord Krishna?
Gargi: You say the truth. More than 16,100 girls in Gokula are now (deeply in love with Lord Krishna.) Five gopis, headed by Candravali, regularly meet together and worship the goddess Durga, chanting the mantra: O Katyayani (Durga), O Maha-maya (illusory potency), O mystic yogini, O queen (of this world), O goddess, please make Nanda-gopa's son, (Krishna) my husband. I offer my respectful obeisances to you."
Paurnamasi: Garga Muni told the gopis: Goddess Durga is named `Kama' because she is the personification of the fulfillment of desires. When young girls worship her, she naturally grants their requests." O pious one, because of this advice from Garga Muni, the doe-eyed girls of Vraja now worship goddess Durga.
Gargi: Who engaged Radha in worshiping the sun-god?
Paurnamasi: Your father (Sandipani Muni).
Gargi: O noble lady, I have heard from my father's mouth that the association of these girls with their affectionate lover (Krishna) eventually leads to their separation from Him.
Paurnamasi: Child, he tells the truth. Both he and I have arranged that Abhimanyu's mother, Jatila, and Govardhana's mother, Bharunda, again and again place obstacles in the way of (Radharani and Candravali) these two crest-jewels of adolescent girls.
Gargi: Why do you not bring the two sisters together?
Paurnamasi: I am afraid of wicked Kamsa's followers, who are always roaming about.
Gargi: Does anyone else know of this unusual incident?
Paurnamasi: No one. No one. I have told only Krishna's mother (Yasoda) and Balarama's mother (Rohini). Only they know.
A voice from behind the scenes: Padma, get up from bed! Bhadra, stop making this crown of peacock-feathers! Syama, stop stringing this flower-garland! Lalita, don't crush this kunkuma into podwer! Visakha, stop teaching the parrot to recite poetry. Saibya, stop braiding your hair! The dust by the hooves of the surabhi cows has now entered the horizon!
Paurnamasi: Look! Look! The dust from cows and calves on the road creates a kind of darkness indicating that Krishna is returning home from the pasture. Also, the darkness of evening provokes the gopi s to meet Krishna. Thus the pastimes of Krishna and the gopi s are covered by a kind of transcendental darkness and are therefore impossible for ordinary scholars of the Vedas to see.*
May the sweet sound of Lord Krishna's flute, His authorized messenger, be glorified, for it expertly releases Srimati Radharani from Her shyness and attracts Her from Her home to the forest.*
A voice from behind the scenes: Dhanya, you haven't decorated your left eye with mascara! Padma, you've placed armlets on your anklets! Sarangi, you've placed tinkling bells on only one ankle! Pali, your belt is already beginning to slip! Lavangi, you put tilaka markings (meant for your forehead) on your cheek! Kamala, you put red lac (meant for the soles of your feet), on your eyes! Don't run (outside) so quickly! (Krishna's) sweetly sounding flute is still far away.
Gargi: Lord Krishna is as splendid as the darkened (evening) sky. He is like a moon shining in Vrindavana, surrounded by the stars of the gopas and the splendid white moonlight of the cows.
Paurnamasi: (With intense happiness) The dark luster of Krishna's body is charming. He holds a stick in His hand, and His splendid hips are wrapped in a yellow silk dhoti. The great flood of His transcendental beauty rebukes the blue lotus flower. Enjoying pastimes with the gopis, He appears like a transformation of opulence of transcendental love. Let us go to Yasoda-devi.
(They both exit.)
Scene 2
(Accompanied by His friends, Lord Krishna enters)
Krishna: Friend Madhumangala, look! Look! The Surabhi cows have lost interest in eating the abundant thick grasses and their voices are now choked up with constant mooing. They move their necks here and there and their beautiful eyes restlessly wander on the path. They long to return to Gokula.
Madhumangala: This is a great kindness for a brahmana exhausted from wandering in this great forest with these surabhi cows so affectionate to their calves.
Rama: Look! Look! After taking three or four quick steps, the cows turn from the calves before them and crane their necks to see Krishna behind them. They love Krishna more than their own calves.
Krishna (looking westward) The sun is no longer able to move in this sky that now declines to support it. It's strength diminished by the transformation of time, with weakened rays the sun's disc rests first on the top of a banyan tree, and now on the western horizon.
Rama: Look! Look! Here the tall lotus flowers mock the mountain peaks. Here is a cloud of cow-dung dust. We are near Vraja Village. Let us rid ourselves of this fatigue by diving in the Yamuna.
(He exits with His friends.)
Krishna: Friend Madhumangala, look! Look! Creating padya-water by making the new candrakanta jewels melt and arghya-water by making jewel-filled waves in the ocean, throwing handfuls of flowers, in the form of glittering stars, to it's friends, the different directions, and making great waves in the nectar-ocean of transcendental love, the splendid moon now rises.
Madhumangala: Dear friend, what is the use of this tiny spotted moon? Look! In the sky of the network of these vines there are sixteen thousand spotless moons.
Krishna: (looks) Friend, you say the truth. Although in many ways they are alike, with a single stroke these many moons have clearly eclipsed this one moon (in the sky). Even though it is filled with ever-fresh nectar, even though it is always very pleasing to the eyes, even though it's effulgence wilts the forest of lotus flowers, and even though it is very pure and splendid in it's complete fulness, this moon that bears the mark of a deer is now completely defeated by the beautiful golden faces of the doe-eyed girls of Vraja.
Madhumangala: Friend, You listen with rapt attention as in a kadamba-grove to the south, a girl chants a magic spell to attract You.
Krishna: Saibya's little flute, which enchants the entire world, is now playing. This flute's pastimes have made My own flute become stunned.
(Eagerly going forward) Both Bhadra and her vina are very beautiful. Both speak sweetly and both have tumbi-gourd breasts. Both are graceful as new flowering vines. Both enchant Me and rob Me of My peacefulness.
Madhumangala: Wonderful! Wonderful! Friend, some girl is playing a vina in the middle of the Yamuna!`
Krishna: (smiling) Repeatedly reciting the beautiful and spiritual invocation to the drama of transcendental amorous pastimes, Syama's glorious vina brings Me great happiness.
(Happily walking about) With their sweet musical tinkling, the bracelets on Padma's wrists are now drowing Me in the waves of (transcendental) love.
(Glancing in all directions) Why is not even the fragance of Candravali present here? Let us go to the garden near Karala's house (to see if we can find her). (He begins to walk there.)
Madhumangala: (looking ahead) Here comes Kundalata, the wife of Upananda's son Subhadra.
Kundalata: Krishna, why do You not say something to glorify this asoka tree blossoming out-of-season?
Krishna: (Glancing at the asoka tree, He says to Himself) Is this (unseasonal blossoming of the asoka tree) not the wonderful expert work of Candravali's foot? (With longing) The tinkling of Candravali's golden ankle-bells are like the cooing of a flock of swans. They are a series of mystic mantras that delight My ears. They must have passed through this forest of asoka trees.
Note: It is said that an asoka tree will suddenly burst into bloom when kicked by a beautiful girl.
Kundalata: O handsome one, even though Bharunda confined her at home, I have expertly brought Candravali here.
Krishna: Why has Bharunda suddenly become so harsh?
Kundalata: Not only Bharunda. Jatila and all the other old gopis also (have become very harsh).
Candravali: (enters with Padma) My wicked old (mother-in-law) may rebuke me, and the rahu planet of infamous gossip may devour the moon of my family, still, my friend, the two bumble-bees of my eyes cannot stop yearning to taste the madhvika nectar of Krishna's lotus face.
Krishna: (approaching Candravali, He happily says) O slender girl, your face and the playful movements of your eyebrows have defeated the moon and forced him to flee to the sky where he restlessly moves about, unable to find shelter anywhere. To serve the face that defeated him, the effulgent moon has now assumed the form of your teeth. Because your teeth are thus many (avali) moons (candra), you are Candravali.
Kundalata: On the pretext of being reflected in Your pearl necklace, the expert Candravali I have brought here now embraces Your chest.
Krishna: (smiles) Kundalata, why have you brought Candravali?
Kundalata: O prince of Gokula, Govardhana-gopa is an illusion. You are her real husband. So, now I am Your sister-in-law.
Candravali: (resisting with knitted eyebrows) Arrogant woman! Kundalata is (deliberately) attracting a bee (to bite me).
Kundalata: O Brother-in-law, this girl who lives in the forest is simply talking (idly). This bee of Vrindavana is not very expert, for He has not even (begun to) drink (the honey of) these lotus flowers.
Note: The word pa-u-malim" may also be interpreted to mean the friend of Padma". In this way the last sentence of this verse may be interpreted: This bee of Vrindavana is not very expert, for He has not even (begun to) drink (the honey) of Padma's a friend (Candravali)."
Padma: Lier! Stop! Stop! This bumble-bee wandering in the forest may easily get Visakha's friend (Radha), but He shall not easily get Padma's friend (Candravali).
Kundalata: Candravali, we know what you want! Why be ashamed? Decorate Lord Hari's chest with the necklace that is the friend of Your large raised breasts.
Candravali: (with jelaous anger) Kundalata, you should decorate it with the strand of pearls on your own neck.
Kundalata: Madhava (Krishna), put flowers on the vine of Candravali's ear.
Candravali: Don't block the path of Vraja's prince when He yearns to see His beloved!
Kundalata: Friend, aside from you who is His beloved?
Padma: Friend of Radha, stop!
Krishna: Lotus-eyed one, when you are not present, suffering never touches My heart, for Radha at once attacks and forcibly enters it. (frightened) Oh! That's not what I mean. I mean to say that when you are not present Radha never touches My heart, for suffering at once attacks and forcibly enters it.
Padma: Great personalities (as Yourself) never speak lies. (What You first said was not a lie.)
A voice from behind the scenes: Kundalata! Yes! Yes! You don't know how Govardhana has become cruel and hard as a mountain of stones!
Kundalata: To hell with her! To hell with her! Angry Bharunda has made Govardhana angry!
Candravali: (with fear) Friend Padma, the old lady growls like a tigress. Let us slip away. (Exits with Padma)
Kundalata: I will go to (Yasoda-devi,) the queen of Gokula. (exits)
Krishna: (Begins to walk. With longing He says) The sweet tinkling of her sash of bells as Visakha's practices the archery of uninhibited amorous pastimes has become in My heart the stinging sound of Kamadeva's bow of flowers.
(Looking to His left) Friend (Madhumangala), Kundalata spoke the truth. She was not sweet as Radha is. I see My mother. (He exits)
(Yasoda enters, accompanied by Paurnamasi, Gargi, Rohini, and others)
Yasoda: Friend Rohini, I don't know why my son is so late!
Kundalata: (enters, and says with a smile:) Dear mother, don't be unhappy. (Your son) is late because many beautiful demigoddesses flying in airplanes in the sky worshiped Him with a shower of smiles and flowers.
Rohini: Today I have seen the beauty of two girls (so splendid) even the most lovely demigoddesses become envious seeing them.
Yasoda: O noble lady, Candravali, Navamalika, Radha, and Madhavi fulfill all my desires with the great flood of their good qualities. One boy and one slender young girl especially delight the bumble-bee of my eyes with the honey of Their beauty.
Paurnamasi: O queen of Gokula, all the people in Gokula feel in this way.
Gargi: O Kundalata, why do you again and again bring Radha to the place of Gokula's queen (Yasoda)?
Yasoda: Durvasa Muni gave Radha the benediction that whoever ate Her expert cooking would live a long life. When I heard this, I myself arranged (that Radha always cook for my son).
Paurnamasi: O queen of Gokula, Jatila is suspicious of Krishna.
Yasoda: Why does she suspect my little boy?
Kundalata: (in a low voice) It is true the queen's (Yasoda) son is a little boy. Still, He lifted Govardhana Hill as if it were a toy ball.
Paurnamasi: (Seeing Krishna arrive, she happily says) Here is the person that crowns the kings of the many universes. Here is the sapphire born from the jewel-mine of Vraja's queen.
Krishna: (enters) Mother, please wipe the tears from your eyes. Here I am.
Rohini: (offers arati with a lamp and other articles of worship, and then says in Sanskrit) Fixing her eyes on the cowpath, Your mother has passed the last six hours of this very long day with great difficulty. My child, she loves You dearly. Please her with an embrace.
Krishna: (placing His head on His mother's lap) Mother, give Me My jewel ornament. (Krishna plays as a child.)
Paurnamasi: Yasoda bathes You, washing away, with the milk mixed with the madhvika nectar of her love pouring from the pitchers of her breasts, the covering of dust raised by the surabhi cows' hooves and the tilaka markings drawn in mineral pigments from the (Govardhana) Hill
Kundalata: (with a playful, joking smile) Krishna, You should drink the nectar-milk from the queen's breasts. After all, You must be exhausted from enjoying pastimes with the gopis in the forest.
Yasoda: My girl, why do you smile (like this?) Look! (Krishna) has not yet passed His early childhood. What is the fault in His drinking (my) breast-milk?
Kundalata: Noble lady, the queen (Yasoda) speaks the truth. After all, just today Krishna has played the maha-rasa pastime with the little-boys.
Note: The word balanam" may also be interpreted to mean of the gopis". In the second interpretation, the text reads: After all, just today Krishna has played the maha-rasa pastime with the gopis."
Yasoda: Noble lady, what is this (pastime) named maha-rasa? (Krishna enters embarrassed and glances at Kundalata with knitted eyebrows)
Paurnamasi: (smiling) O queen of the gopas, it is a kind of dance.
Kundalata: (concealing her actual intention with the following enigma) A certain caged cakori bird burns with thirst. O Lord of Radha, You should meet it among the asoka trees. (Krishna moves His eyebrows in assent.)
A voice from behind the scenes: My heart is tortured with because I cannot see the moon of Your face. O child, quickly come here. Give Me now the cooling sandalwood paste of Your embrace.
Krishna: Here is My father, who wishes what is best for Me . Let Me please him. (Accompanied by Yasoda and others, He exits)
Kundalata: (walking about) By good fortune Lalita has now brought Radharani to this forest of vanira trees.
(Then, as described, Radha enters)
Radha: Lalita, you should glorify this evening that makes all directions sprout with happiness.
Note: If the word asa" is interpreted to mean desire", then the verse may be translated: Lalita, you should glorify this evening, which makes our desires for transcendental happiness sprout."
Lalita: I say it is a beautiful night.
Kundalata: (approaches) Lalita, this lotus flower is the smiling side-long glance on this evening's face. You do not worship Krishna with this flower.
Radha: (Her bodily hairs standing up in ecstasy) Lalita, what is this word Krishna I have heard? Now a guest of My ears, this word makes mad with bliss.
Kundalata: Friend, that is the nature of this extraordinary thing. Even though again and again it is tasted, it is always as if it was never tasted before.
Lalita: Kundalata, it is not only its extraordinary nature, but also the deep love (of the hearer) that makes (this word Krishna) newer and newer at every moment.
Radha: Lalita, without my answering you, what further would you say about this?
Lalita: All glories to the prince of Vraja, whose bodily luster mocks the pride of the fresh rainclouds, and the sound of whose flute eagerly breaks the lock of the sashes of the most chaste girls faithfully devoted to their husbands.
Radha: (shedding tears) Kundalata, how is it that even though He has become a guest in My fortunate ear, this person has never entered the path to My unfortunate eyes?
Kundalata: O thirsty one, early tomorrow evening Visakha will bring You to meet this person.
Radha: My dear friend has reminded Me well. For once your prince of Gokula will appear like a splendid lightning flash that fills the eyes of this unfortunate person with wonder.
(Krishna enters.)
Krishna: The sweet tinkling of Lalita's bracelets, which eclipses the sparrow's singing, now lures My heart into this bamboo grove.
(Again He listens with rapt attention. His bodily hairs standg up in ecstasy. He says:)
Moving through the air in waves of sweetness, the tinkling sound of Radha's ankle-bells silences the cooing of the sarasa birds maddened with amorous passion and fills my heart with a host of ecstasies.
Radha: (filled with wonder, She says in Sanskrit:) O beautiful-faced one, who is this creative person standing before us? With the sharp chisels of His loving glances, He is splitting the hard stones of many women's devotion to their husbands. And with the luster of His body, surpassing the brilliance of countless emeralds, He is simultaneously constructing private meeting places for His pastimes.*
Lalita: Ah, here is the Lord of Your life.
Radha: (maddened with love, She again says in Sanskrit) Is this a nectar moon to make the lotus flowers of the gopis blossom with happiness? Is this a regal festival of youthfulness appearing in Gokula? Is this a garden of flowers to delight the cuckoo bird of My heart? O slender-waisted one, this person I see splashes My eyes with waves of nectar.
Krishna: (filled with wonder) What wonderful mystic power is this? Again and again it strikes Me with waves of nectar, but yet it also creates a burning thirst within My heart. Aha! I know. This is a lake of bliss that overflows it's banks in the streams of sweetness that are these playful sidelong glances.
(again gazing at Radha) Is this really a lake? (These bodily hairs standing up in ecstasy) are the moss (in this lake). (These breasts) are two cakravaka birds (now swimming) apart. (This face, hands, and feet) are five lotus flowers (and these arms) are two lotus stems. (These eyes) are two restlessly moving saphari fishes, and (this very pure love) is the clear water that fills this lake that now stands (before Me).
Radha: Ah! I don't know why I have become so dizzy. Please hold Me up with your hand.
Lalita: Friend, be steady. (She places Radha's arm on her shoulder.)
Krishna: (coming nearer) Radha, embarrassed by seeing Your splendid face, the moon has entered the forest of Lord Siva's matted hair, where he repeatedly bathes in the waves of celestial Ganges, and has become thin with austere fasting to become as beautiful as Your face. (He approaches nearer.)
Krishna: (coming nearer) Radha, the moon is embarrassed by seeing You splendid face, has now entered the forest of Lord Siva's matted hair, where he repeatedly bathes in the waves of celestial Ganges, and has become thin with austere fasting in order to become as beautiful as Your face. (He approaches nearer.)
Radha: (signaling with a sidelong glance) Lalita, protect Me!
Krishna: When it closes shut He closes shut. When it blossoms He blossoms. Krishna is under the dominion of Your dark sidelong glance.
Radha: (with a choked up voice) Kundalata, stop this crest jewel of handsome men! I am only an unfortunate girl under the dominion of My elders and superiors.
Jatila: (enters) Great trickster, You have made all the young girls of Gokula fall from the path of religion. Only the young bride of my saintly son has escaped (Your clutches). Spare us from having even once to say Your name.
(Taking Radha and the other two girls with her, she exits.)
Krishna: My beloved has gone! Let us go find the cows. (They all exit.)
