Third Sarga: Morning Pastimes

Third Sarga

When the delight of Gokula had gone to the cowshed, the queen of the cowherd settlement, anxious to prepare the foods He would eat, addressed everyone in the household. (1)

Although the members of the household were already absorbed in their respective duties and entangled in the net of love for Him, their mistress, whose mind was bathed in a flood of the nectar of affection rising for her son, instructed them as follows. (2)

Calling the maidservants, the queen said, 'Children, hurry with the cooking. My slender boy is hungry, and He will soon return from His cowshed with Rāma.' (3)

'Bring greens, roots, flowers, split pulses, fruits and leaves; ginger, ground black gram, souring juice, dried ginger, black pepper, turmeric, moon-white sugar, cumin, and cream; tamarind, asafoetida, the three aromatic spices, well-churned cakes, rock salt, Balarāma's favorite grain, oil, wheat flour, ghee, yogurt, tulasī, coriander seed, and fine rice. (4)

'Bring also for cooking the milk of a newly calved cow that Vrajendra sent this morning for the rice pudding.' (5)

Thus instructed, the maidservants hurried to their respective duties. Yaśodā then called Rohiṇī and spoke, her heart overwhelmed with affection. (6)

'Friend Rohiṇī, our two boys have tender bodies, yet powerful and exceedingly restless boys torment Them in arm wrestling. (7)

'Do I not have many servants and cowherds in my home? Yet although I forbid Them, those two still go to protect the cows. What can I do? (8)

'Yesterday evening, exhausted from roaming and dancing through the difficult forest, They took almost no supper and showed little interest in eating. The boys have consequently become very weak and thin. Alas, this morning I saw that Their bellies seemed to touch Their backs. (9)

'Go quickly to the kitchen and prepare the food so deliciously that, driven by abundant hunger, They will eat with great relish. Dear fair-faced friend, carefully make every especially pleasing kind of flour preparation you have seen, as well as the vegetable dishes.' (10)

Thus instructed, Rāma's mother lovingly went to the well-appointed kitchen, where the maidservants had assembled every ingredient. (11)

Distressed by her son's poor appetite and eager to prepare sweet foods, the queen of Gokula became anxious to bring Śrī Rādhā there. (12)

Just then Kundalatā, the wife of Upananda's son Subhadra, happened to arrive and bowed before her. Yaśodā addressed her. (13)

'Knowing that Durvāsā blessed Rādhā, "May the food you prepare be sweeter than nectar, and may whoever eats it enjoy long life," I summon Her from Her home each day to cook.' (14)

'Although my son ordinarily eats little, the exceptional flavor makes Him eat the food She cooks with abundant relish and appetite. Therefore, ask Her husband's mother in my name and quickly bring Rādhikā here with Her attendants.' (15)

There was no fault in Yaśodā asking Kundalatā to bring Rādhā yet again as though it were the first time. Those who dwell in Vraja, maddened by love for Kṛṣṇa, experience everything as ever new and do not recall such repetition. (16)

Refreshed and made to blossom by these words, Kundalatā became eager to make Rādhikā, like a female bee, the companion of Madhusūdana. (17)

The clever Kundalatā then approached Jaṭilā, who was suspicious even of her daughter-in-law, and delivered the queen of Vraja's message. (18)

Hearing the queen of Vraja's command, Jaṭilā remained suspicious about Kṛṣṇa and her daughter-in-law. Remembering Paurṇamāsī's instruction, however, she affectionately said to Kundalatā: (19)

'My daughter-in-law is chaste and sweet with the honey of weighty virtues. People are eager to find faults, however, and Nanda's son is notoriously restless. Nor may the command of Vraja's revered queen be disregarded; her word must be obeyed. Child, my heart wavers. What am I to do?' (20)

'Mother, what you say is true. Yet the son of the cowherd king should not be understood as wicked people have portrayed Him. Rather, He is like the rising sun: He opens the lotus of true dharma, blinds the owls of the wicked, dispels the darkness of sin, and delights the cakravāka birds who are the residents of the cowherd settlement. (21)

'Still, His sweetness drives the young women of the world mad. Your fear is therefore prudent, and your protection of the new bride is proper. Do not worry. I shall ensure that not even His shadow enters this chaste girl's sight, and I shall quickly return her to you.' (22)

'My daughter, you are renowned throughout the settlement as a virtuous woman, so I entrust this innocent bride to you. Nanda's son is said to have a roving eye. You must arrange matters so that He does not see her.' (23)

Calling her daughter-in-law, Jaṭilā said, 'Child, go to Nanda's wife in the royal house of Vraja. Please her and return quickly with Kundalatā, for today you must worship the sun.' (24)

Though delighted at heart by the instruction, Rādhā pretended to be unwilling to go and told Her friend, 'I have work here and no desire to leave. A respectable young woman does not wander from house to house.' (25)

When the venerable Jaṭilā firmly insisted once more, Kundalatā grasped Rādhā's hand and said, 'Virtuous girl, why are You afraid? I am Your protector.' Thus prompted to depart, Rādhā set out, Her whole body blossoming with delight. (26)

Lalitā and the other principal friends took the laḍḍus and other foods prepared for Kṛṣṇa's breakfast and followed their friend. (27)

On the road, Kundalatā saw her friend Rādhā's bodice and veil trembling from supreme bliss, and affectionately teased Her. (28)

'Your husband, who serves as a hired cowherd, returned in the evening after three or four days away and stayed the entire night arranging the cows in his own shed. The rows of fresh nail marks upon Your breast and the clear bite wound upon Your lip now splendidly reveal the fitting chastity of such a virtuous wife!' (29)

Lalitā looked at her friend. Her eyes curved slightly as they blossomed with a concealed smile, and she replied to Kundalatā: (30)

'In the forest, a bold parrot mistook Her breast for a karaka fruit and landed upon it. Mistaking Her lip for a ripe bimba fruit, he bit it forcefully, while his claws scratched Her breast. Why do you needlessly suspect the heart of this innocent girl?' (31)

Her friend's words reminded Rādhā of Her pastimes with Kṛṣṇa, and waves of trembling surged across Her body. Seeing Her gaze toward a lotus pond, Kundalatā laughingly spoke again. (32)

'Innocent girl, You are quivering with bliss. Why stare needlessly at the lotuses in Kundalatā's pond? Madhusūdana, Your husband's younger brother, will not wander back and taste what has already been enjoyed.' (33)

Kundalatā was expert at fashioning earrings of excellent jokes, treasures that delighted the ears. Clever Viśākhā addressed her: (34)

'Friend Kundavallī, this excellent lotus maiden bears profound love for Her own Lord. Though blossoming and tender, She trembles in fear of the bee's restless younger brother.' (35)

As this splendid art of composing bold and exquisite jokes reached its height, Rādhikā walked slowly with Her friends in the play of love's jubilation. The arising of Her emotions revealed the awakening of intense, profoundly deep attachment, and She trembled with longing to see Kṛṣṇa. Thus She reached Vrajendra's residence. (36)

When Rādhā arrived and bowed at her feet, Mukunda's mother raised Her with both arms and held Her to her heart. Overflowing with maternal affection beyond measure, the delighted Yaśodā smelled the crown of Rādhā's head and then, her face wet with tears, kissed Her face. (37)

She embraced each of Rādhā's companions and asked without reserve about Rādhā's welfare. Anxious to prepare her son's meal, she then affectionately addressed them again. (38)

'Daughters, throughout Vraja you are renowned for your sweet hands and have earned distinction in preparing many kinds of sweet foods. Carefully make fine dishes here so that my boy, though He has little appetite, will eat them eagerly.' (39)

'Some of you prepare savory dishes seasoned with salt, some yogurt-based dishes, others dishes rich in ghee, and still others sweet preparations made with sugar.' (40)

'Rādhā, You are full of rasa and expert in the finest culinary methods. Go carefully into my kitchen, dear child. Together with Balarāma's mother, who presides there, prepare sweet rice and excellent vegetable dishes.' (41)

'Child, very carefully prepare the soft, succulent cakes called Amṛta-keli and Karpūra-keli. Kṛṣṇa longs for their sweetness, which surpasses millions of nectars, and no one in the three worlds but You knows how to make them.' (42)

'My son intensely longs for Pīyūṣa-granthi. Make a whole row of those sweets, child, and carefully place them in the drink called Pañcāmṛta, flavored with camphor, cardamom, and other aromatics.' (43)

'Dear Lalitā, make rasālā. Viśākhā, quickly prepare ṣāḍava. Śaśilekhā, make śikhariṇī, and Campakalatā, child, prepare churned yogurt.' (44)

'Tuṅgavidyā, child, prepare āmikṣā, making its many varieties through different combinations of ingredients and methods of cooking. Citrā, dear, make drinks with unrefined sugar.' (45)

'Raṅgadevī, make khaṇḍa-maṇḍa cakes. Sudevī, make many kinds of cream sweets. Vāsantī, prepare white, tender pheṇikā pastries, and Maṅgalā, make kuṇḍalikā spirals.' (46)

'Kādambarī, make candra-kāntī sweets. Lāsikā, make balls of rice flour. Kaumudī, prepare many varieties of śaṣkulī cakes, and Madālasā, dear, make moon-shaped balls.' (47)

'Śaśimukhī, carefully prepare richly sweet cakes, beginning with yogurt cakes. Sumukhī, make beautiful slabs of sugar candy, and Maṇimatī, prepare many kinds of cakes and breads made from flour.' (48)

'Kāñcanavallī, child, make laḍḍus from wheat flour. Manoramā, prepare the sweets called Manohara, and Ratnamālā, make those called Mauktika.' (49)

'Mādhavī, use well-roasted, husked sesame seeds to make modakas, the sweets called Tila-kadamba, and sugar slabs mixed with sesame.' (50)

'Vindhyā, prepare puffed rice, roasted grain, and flattened rice fried in ghee, then combine them with boiled sugar syrup to make round, lidded modakas.' (51)

'Rambhā, make karambha in a golden pot with fine bananas, sugar, and other ingredients. Manojñā, press the juice from ripe mangoes and combine it with thickened milk and sugar.' (52)

'Kilimbā, this morning I churned fragrant yogurt made from milk and lifted out its butter. Shape that newly churned butter, with its delightful fragrance, into balls of fresh haiyaṅgavīna butter.' (53)

'Ambikā, slowly stir the milk of Dhavalā that Vrajendra milked himself and sent for the two boys to drink.' (54)

'Girls, quickly go to my freshly washed and plastered dairy kitchen. It is furnished with many stoves and surrounded by churning staffs, ladles, and vessels of clay, wood, and other materials.' (55)

'Dhaniṣṭhikā, take the many ingredients from their respective storage vessels, place them in suitable bowls, and have them distributed.' (56)

'Raṅgaṇamālikā, quickly bring the required ingredients from my storehouse with Tulasī, then have the maidservants distribute each one where it is needed.' (57)

'Bring abundant pickles made from āmrātaka fruit, mango, citron, karīra, āmalakī, limpāka, jujube, rucaka, and other fruits, as well as appetizing roots headed by ginger, all long preserved in oil and salt. (58)

'Moon-faced girl, take from the many storage jars pieces of crystallized sugar, ripe tamarind long steeped in syrup, āmalakī, mango, and jujube preserved in the same way, and place them in golden vessels.' (59)

'Śandā, Śubhā, Bharaṇī, Pīvarī, and Miṣṭahastā, children, quickly place upon the rows of stoves the large churning pots filled with milk that the porters brought from the cowshed, and boil it gently.' (60)

Rādhā appropriately removed Her rings, bangles, other ornaments, and upper garment and placed them in Tulasī's hands. (61)

She washed Her hands and feet with water supplied by Dhaniṣṭhā and bowed Her head to Balarāma's mother. Cherished by Rohiṇī with the affection shown to a new daughter-in-law, Gāndharvikā then entered the kitchen. (62)

When those joyful girls had blossomed with enthusiasm and engaged in their respective tasks, the queen of Vraja addressed the servants, who were already busy with their own duties. (63)

'Last evening the water carriers brought Yamunā water and stored it in rows of new pots, their mouths bound with cloth, set upon stands in the middle of a terrace cooled by the gentle breeze and moonbeams. (64)

'Child, perfume that excellent water with saffron, aguru, camphor, and sandalwood, then carry it all around the high bathing platform of moonstone, which has been washed and polished.' (65)

'Vārida, thoroughly fumigate a set of pots with aguru smoke. Then fill them with drinking water for my two sons, fragrant with jasmine, camphor, cloves, and rose petals.' (66)

'Subandha, son of the barber, bring from my house for Their massage the excellent oil called Nārāyaṇa. The physician Kalyāṇada prepared it over a long period; it removes every bodily disorder and gives abundant strength.' (67)

'Subandha and Karpūraka, you two barbers, quickly bring cooling, pleasantly fragrant body powder for Their cleansing massage, and a paste of ground āmalakī for Their hair.' (68)

'Sāraṅga, quickly fold two Chinese silk cloths for bathing, pale as the moon, and two silken drying cloths that shine like gold and are scented with powdered perfume.' (69)

'Also fold the four new garments suitable for the dress of Vraja: the turban, jacket, lower cloth, and sash. Their variegated colors resemble the young sun, gold, and crimson.' (70)

'Bakulā, likewise fold and bring the many other garments suitable for a dancer's costume, some in solid colors and others multicolored, expertly sewn by the tailor Raucika.' (71)

'Suvāsa and Vilāsagandhin, carefully prepare ointments headed by the four-equal blend of musk, camphor, aguru, saffron, and sandalwood, and fill pearl caskets inlaid with rows of jewels.' (72)

'Tālikā and Ālikā, form gorocanā into cakes for making tilaka. Sucitrā, prepare mineral pigments from Govardhana for decorative designs.' (73)

'Puṣpahāsa, Sumana, and Makaranda, quickly make various garlands from campaka, puṇḍraka, golden yūthikā jasmine, and other flowers, and scent them with liquid black aguru and camphor.' (74)

'Out of affection and at my earnest request, the leading goldsmiths Raṅgaṇa, Ṭaṅkaṇa, and others worked carefully for a long time and delivered last evening the gold ornaments inlaid with rows of jewels. (75)

'Sairindhra, Mālin, Makaranda, and Bhṛṅgin, take those ornaments from the treasury. Today the sun is in Puṣya and the weekday is auspicious, so my two boys should be adorned with those very ornaments.' (76)

'Child Śālika, make ear ornaments from clusters of fresh peacock feathers. Mālika, fashion beautiful bunches for various necklaces from clusters of white and red guñjā berries.' (77)

'Jambula, quickly take a heap of fine betel leaves whose luster resembles molten gold, trim away the unusable portions with sharp scissors, and wipe the leaves with Chinese silk.' (78)

'Suvilāsa, child, use a sharp āmalakī-leaf-shaped cutter to make abundant fine slices from fresh, milk-moist betel nuts. Quickly perfume and soften them with camphor.' (79)

'Rasāla and Viśāla, use cloth-strained lime powder, cardamom, clove, catechu, and other ingredients to prepare betel packets.' (80)

While the servants absorbed themselves in those tasks, the mother fixed both eyes upon the path of her son's return. She asked the porters arriving from the cowshed, 'Is Kṛṣṇa coming? Why is He delayed?' (81)

Some told her, 'He is grazing the young calves upon tender shoots of grass.' Others said, 'Surrounded by the boys, He is playing by making young bulls fight with the mature bulls.' (82)

Extremely eager to bring her son home, she addressed Raktaka, who was expert in serving Him: 'Child, go and quickly bring Madhumaṅgala, Balarāma, and that restless son of mine.' (83)

After sending him, she entered the great kitchen and said to Balarāma's mother, 'Show me every vegetable dish and other preparation that you have made together with Rādhā.' (84)

Rohiṇī showed her the vegetable dishes and other foods arranged in rows of new clay vessels upon the clean platform. Praising Rādhā, she then said: (85)

'Fair-faced friend, look before you at the rice pudding carefully stored in these excellent churning pots. Expert Rādhā has cooked it until tender and made it sweeter than the moon.' (86)

'Virtuous friend, see the sweet, tender, delightful saṃyāva porridge that I made. It gives strength and nourishment and is stored in the churning pot.' (87)

'Friend, behold the many well-prepared varieties of flour confections: banana cakes, Balarāma's favorites, cream cakes, śaṣkulī pastries, and many others.' (88)

'See the Pīyūṣa-granthi, Karpūra-keli, and Amṛta-keli sweets Rādhā has prepared by methods beyond my understanding.' (89)

'These cakes of mung pulse, soaked in churned yogurt, have been made in two ways, plain and seasoned. The cakes of black gram have likewise been made in two varieties, one with sugar and the other with salt.' (90)

'Through different combinations of tamarind, āmrātaka fruit, souring juice, mango, and other ingredients, twelve kinds of sour preparations have been made, ranging from slightly sweet to deeply tart.' (91)

'There are pieces of green plantain, its tender inner core and fresh bud; pieces of māna tuber, water-kacvī, and the foremost part of āluka root. (92)

'Pumpkin, ḍiṇḍiśa gourd, and all those other vegetables have been cut into round slices, separately coated in chickpea-flour batter, and fried in ghee.' (93)

'Look at the chickpea-flour cakes. Some have simply been fried in ghee, while others have been soaked in a fine sour buttermilk sauce.' (94)

'Balls of chickpea flour have been boiled in water and cut into pieces, then made into many varieties by differences in ingredients, cooking methods, and seasonings.' (95)

'Cakes of fruits and roots have been made separately in many varieties through different combinations of the three aromatic spices, black pepper, and other seasonings.' (96)

'Auspicious friend, Rādhā has separately prepared cucumber, white pumpkin, bottle gourd, and other fruits with mustard seed and yogurt.' (97)

'The flowers our boy favors have simply been fried in ghee. Tender buds of the kovidāra tree have also been fried in ghee and then soaked in yogurt.' (98)

'Flower cakes have been made in two ways, fried in ghee and soaked in yogurt. Pointed gourds have been fried in ghee and are exceedingly appetizing.' (99)

'Cakes of mature pumpkin have been combined with kacvī, māna, and āluka tubers. Some are rich with powdered bitter nālīta greens, while others are seasoned abundantly with long pepper.' (100)

'Rādhā has cooked bottle gourd in milk with sugar, cardamom, and black pepper. With the same combination She has made another sweet dish called milk-pumpkin.' (101)

'There is fine elephant-foot yam with yogurt and an excellent āmalakī-yam preparation. Kāra-bilva fruit has been prepared in two ways, one with yogurt and the other fried.' (102)

'Tender pieces of plantain pith and pieces of mature pumpkin have been cooked with sugar and yogurt, producing a cooling preparation that is both sweet and tart.' (103)

'Rādhā has expertly prepared nālīta greens, fenugreek, dill, fennel, pointed-gourd leaves, vāstūka, vitunna, and māriṣa in many different combinations. These vegetable dishes humble the pride of nectar.' (104)

'Kalambī greens cooked in the juice of ripe tamarind awaken the appetite. These auspicious dark nālīta greens have been prepared with unripe mango.' (105)

'I am now cooking three kinds of soup, from mukuṣṭaka pulse, mung, and black gram. Each resembles a well filled with nectar.' (106)

'The maidservants have thoroughly kneaded a soft paste of fine flour, and I am shaping it into round roṭikā breads like full moons.' (107)

'This rice has been washed and tied in Chinese silk. When Kṛṣṇa returns from the cowshed, I shall cook it in boiling water.' (108)

'Some foods have been completed, others are being prepared, and a few remain to be made. Please understand that this is the present state of our rice, vegetable dishes, and other foods.' (109)

Seeing all the preparations, enchanting in fragrance and beautiful color, Yaśodā became delighted. When she asked how they had been made, Rohiṇī replied in amazement. (110)

'The ingredients are the same ordinary ones, and the cooking methods are also familiar. The cause of these unprecedented qualities is Gāndharvā's exquisite skill of hand.' (111)

The queen saw Rādhā absorbed in preparing the food, perspiring, and lowering Her face in shyness. Her heart softened with affection, Yaśodā ordered a maidservant to fan Her. (112)

The queen of Vraja then went to the dairy kitchen. Delighted to see all the foods the girls had carefully prepared there as well, and eager for her son's arrival, she quickly went to the gateway. (113)

Thus ends the Third Sarga, consisting of the description of the morning pastimes, in Govinda-līlāmṛta: a poem that is the fruit of service to Śrī Rūpa, the honeybee at Śrī Caitanya's lotus feet; undertaken at the direction of the accomplished Śrī Raghunātha Dāsa; arisen from the association of Śrī Jīva; and born from the blessing of Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa. (Colophon to the Third Sarga)