Sixteenth Sarga: Relishing the Afternoon Pastimes

Sixteenth Sarga: Relishing the Afternoon Pastimes

Though Her love possessed the greatest constancy, Her beloved's departure made the spotless twin lotuses of Her eyes lose all steadiness. When He journeyed far from the bank of His own dwelling place, the fires of separation forcibly invaded the city of Her heart and began to break it apart. (1)

The medicine of Her companions' assurances brought Her no strength as She suffered the fever born from separation from the beloved of Her life. She considered half a moment to be a hundred ages, Her elders' home a waterless well, modesty a thunderbolt, and its lattice veil a net. (2)

Her companions, anxious to render fitting service to the girl under their care, repeatedly anointed Her body with liquid sandalwood paste and continually spread lotus-stem leaves moistened with salty water beneath Her. Then Candrakalā, distraught with affection, approached Her. (3)

'Where have you come from?' 'From Vṛndāvana.' 'Why did you go there?' 'On the queen of Vraja's order, to bring food quickly for her son.' 'What is He doing now?' 'He is playing many games with His friends, tossing rows of balls, catching them, and throwing them back.' (4)

'Śrīdāma, what are you saying, fellow? All your limbs have been crushed by the collision with the ball that rolled along the barrier of My arms. Give up even the name of battle and withdraw from nearby at once if you earnestly desire your own welfare and if even a trace of proud display remains audible in your ears.' (5)

'The goddess of victory has suddenly shone upon Śrīdāma, the abode of celebrated glory and courage. Look, she shines there now and always. Your own shoulder is the witness. Why then, with your face swollen in anger, do you act restlessly and erase your own greatness?' (6)

'The brāhmaṇas killed Pūtanā with mantras, and You were merely inside Agha when he died. Alas, did we not all enter him as well? Who even counts Baka? And the mountain stood in the sky of its own accord. With Your power thus gone, how has such pride arisen in You?' (7)

Thus Kṛṣṇa, whose radiance is worshiped by tens of millions of His beloved's lives, expanded the enthusiasm of battle beside the river with two or three friends through nectar drops of proud speech. Embodied loving rasa itself, He passed a moment among those who loved Him. (8)

First Candrakalā protected the fish of Rādhā's life, which had been cast upon the shore and was writhing there, by placing it in the river of nectar formed by news of Her beloved. Then, in accordance with the wish of the queen of Vraja whose heart was moist with affection for her son, she joyfully engaged Rādhā in making sweetmeats. (9)

After bathing, Rādhā adorned Herself with cosmetic markings, fine garments, tilaka, a playful lotus and makara design, lac, garlands, a braid, wrist cords, flower earrings, and collyrium. A splendid pearl graced Her nose, a dot Her chin, and flowers Her hair. With betel, these sixteen adornments made Her sweetness complete. (10)

Śrī Rādhā shone with twelve jeweled ornaments: a crest jewel, necklace, locket, armlets, girdle, hairpin, earrings, brilliant bracelets, a splendid necklace, ringing anklets, and rings whose rays played upon the petals of Her hands and feet. (11)

'This watch is becoming the end of the day. How shall I pass it, when even thousands of ages could not bring it to rest? Did the deceitful Creator fashion it as an extremely hard and restless stone solely to crush the pulse of My heart?' (12)

Seeing Her eyes grow wet and Her face pale, Lalitā quickly lifted Her onto a raised seat and spoke in a voice choked with emotion: 'Rādhā, You have crossed the exceedingly bitter ocean of distress. Friend, look eastward. The dust raised by the cows now enters that quarter.' (13)

'Noble girl, that is not cow dust. Experience it: it is the moon's radiance entering My unsatisfied eyes from afar. Friend, why did you call it a direction? Whatever has entered My heart, soothed the burning in My throat, and restored the birds of My life, surely this is the herb that revives the dead.' (14)

'Lalitā, the compassionate eastern breeze is cool and fragrant, for it has removed drops of perspiration from the lotus face of your beloved for My sake. Ah, what good fortune! Having touched Him, it instantly restores Me to life. It is called the life of the world, and in its qualities too it fully deserves that name.' (15)

'Remembering Me in My misery, is the affectionate son who is the ornament of Vraja now hurrying toward us with the cows before Him? But how can He move swiftly when the proud bulls walk so slowly, and how can the long forest road abandon its vast extent?' (16)

'Rādhā, He will come to You quickly even now, bearing a lotus face adorned with spotless tilaka and dancing locks. The fragrance of His tulasī garland, praised by swarms of humming bees, surrounds Him, and the beauty of His turban, slightly lowered by its bobbing peacock feather, dispels every affliction.' (17)

'Piṅgā! Dhūmrā! Dhavalī! Śabalī! Śyenī! Hariṇī!' Absorbed in chanting this jeweled garland of names renowned for their many colors, your beloved rapidly counts and calls even the countless cows as He approaches to soothe the heavy fever of your eyes. (18)

'Rādhā, friend, hear the tumult caused here by the flute. It arises from the spreading host of Vraja's women who are eager to come outside. Go before them to your own garden. Under the pretext of gathering flowers, deceive the old woman and leave.' Her longing had swallowed her composure, and she hurried away. (19)

'The flower you placed upon My ear is more than enough, for from afar it has become an ornament filled with the rasa of the flute's sound. Friend Bakulamālā, I fall at your feet. Let Me go! After leaving here, I shall be cooled by the dense streams of rasa from the cloud named Kṛṣṇa.' (20)

'From the forest before Me I shall obtain the soothing dark collyrium of My beloved and place it upon My eyes to dispel their fever. Alas, why have you brought this ash? I will not anoint My sight with it!' With these words Śyāmā hurried toward the forest as though offended. (21)

'Noble girl, do not delay. Abandon Candrāvalī's distress. Blessed one, do not move slowly. Kamalā, leave the house at once. Pālī, why do you languish? Approach the beauty of Hari's limbs, for without it you cannot live!' Thus the companions became the intoxicating urgency of Vraja's doe-eyed girls. (22)

Seeing all the cows run toward the settlement, calling 'Hambā! Hambā!' to their calves, Balarāma entered the village with Śrīdāma and the other quickly moving companions and first drew the mothers out of their ocean of sorrow. (23)

Kṛṣṇa cast restless glances upon the slender girls, whose eyes drooped beneath a swinging burden of joyful intoxication and reeled in the great agitation of bodiless Love. His moving garland became an incomparable flower ball, and as He caught, tossed, and threw it, an ever-fresh ocean of beauty accumulated around Him. (24)

With His radiance He transformed the road into a forest of blue lotuses, and with the bees of His eyes He arranged a sacrifice of sweet rasa for the assembly of His beloveds in Vraja. Surrounded by dear friends, Śrī Kṛṣṇa walked very slowly, while the bells upon His eloquent waist and anklets rang, and sanctified the land of Gokula. (25)

'Enough of this pretense of modesty. Openly reveal the lotus of your eye, blooming with moving bees. The Lord stands before you: this is Paśupati, bestower of boons. Worship Him to pacify the multitude of bodily afflictions. Rādhā, know this moment to be exceedingly auspicious.' (26)

'Śyāmā, quickly approach this radiant Lord yourself and offer the bouquet of your heart's lotuses in worship. Beautiful-faced girl, if at this moment this Maheśa fulfills your desire, I myself shall plunge into an ocean of nectar.' (27)

'Lalitā, do not speak falsely. Look at the masses of vines! Why has the young bee abandoned those fully blossomed flowers and begun to reel?' 'Friend Śyāmā, it is true. Overwhelmed by the incomparable river of fragrance that fell from the mālatī, he cannot move from this spot.' (28)

This conversation, like a stream of the wine of loving rasa, entered Kṛṣṇa's ears nearby and cooled Him with drops of joy. At that moment Śrī Rādhā's face, where intoxication held its dance, reached the edge of His slightly opened eyes and then swiftly hid behind a vine. (29)

Within His heart the lifter of the mountain said, 'Alas, the flawless cakora birds of My eyes, tormented by thirst, raised their open beaks when they saw that nectar approaching. O Creator, shame on you! Why did you grant it to them and then, through crookedness, suddenly take it away?' (30)

'Modesty, release Me for just a moment, or at least release the corner of My eye, so that I may lick the enemy of Agha's face even once. Cloud of bliss, be gracious! Do not obstruct My body. I bow to you. Do not make Me tremble. I have fallen at your feet.' (31)

Having lovingly spoken this within Herself, the beautiful girl wondered, 'How can I again behave with such boldness?' While She was still reflecting, Her companions drew Her by force from the hollow of the vines, brought Her before Her beloved, and made Her gaze at His face in astonishment. (32)

In the sky between the young Couple's sidelong glances, the Yamunā and the daughter of Brahmā arose in wonder, united as one through rasa. The elephants of Their hearts plunged into that long, double current, whose blossoming lotus rows were the expanses of Their eyes. (33)

The connoisseur Couple stood motionless. Their dear friends, anxious that other people might appear along the roadside, pulled Them apart, swiftly led each along the proper path, awakened Them, reassured the crocodiles of Their hearts, and drew Them onward with skill. (34)

'Parental affection is like a living body, and a child is surely the parents' very life. The queen of Vraja knows that Śrī Kṛṣṇa has now returned home.' Saying this, Viśākhā at once sent Tulasī-mañjarī to give the queen the nectar sweets she desired. (35)

'Viśākhā, this fellow is trying to thrust His hand forcibly into the knot of My lower garment! Curious girl, why do you watch such a thing in the public road? Alas, even though I cry loudly, He will not release Me. Hurry from here and tell the noble lady who is the crown of chaste women!' (36)

Murmuring in this way, Rādhā half opened Her eyes. Exhaustion had arisen, perspiration covered Her limbs, and intense heat and trembling spread through Her. Seeing Her own lovely body laid upon a flower bed, She spoke to Her embarrassed friends in a voice choked by Love's conquest. (37)

'Where is My beloved? What did He do to Me on the road? How did I come into this garden? What is this house? Friend, is it the dwelling before My elders? Is this evening or morning? Or has midnight arrived? Am I sleeping? Alas, am I awake? Tell Me!' (38)

'Lotus-faced girl, You came from the garden to the house. Your beloved delighted You in a secluded grove and then went to His own residence. After a long while that moon will return to relieve His parents' deep distress and to make the twin blue lotuses of Your eyes blossom once more.' (39)

The lake of the women of Vraja had first lost the life-giving water of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and was swiftly torn within by the fierce heat of the sun of separation. When the cloud of Kṛṣṇa returned, it quickly filled with streams of blissful rain, and all its lotuses blossomed. (40)

Thus ends the Sixteenth Sarga, entitled 'Relishing the Afternoon Pastimes,' in the great poem Śrī Kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛta.