Chapter Eight: Literature of the Rasika Tradition in Hindi

Swinging

Beloved Rama, free and playful, swings.
He has taken lovely Sita with him, and fresh affection sparkles between them.
The fair companions gather and sing proud, playful songs; laughing and making others laugh, they attain a festival of joy.
Delighting the eyes of the whole retinue, Rasrangmani creates this play of rasa.

Sita, our Lady and great Queen, swings.
The royal prince swings her, adorned with affection and honour.
The beloved companion smiles, her feet filled with delight beneath the force of her lover’s love.
Seeing them, Rasrangmani’s two eyes sink into an ocean of beautiful happiness.

Rama and Sita, connoisseurs of rasa, swing.
Filled with rasa, they sing and prompt songs; mingling closely and laughing, they make the lake of the heart overflow.
They eat and feed one another betel, drinking and becoming caught in the nectar-rasa of each other’s lips.
Beholding this swing of rasa, Rasrangmani’s heart leaps with delight.

Malār

Bending toward one another, Sita and Rama swing beautifully.
In the monsoon, within Pramodavana on the Sarayu’s bank, the clouds rain down agreeably.
Graceful ladies tighten their tucked garments and, laughing on both sides, joyfully drive the swing.
Gathering to sing Malār for Sita and her beloved, the companions make even heavenly women forget their bodies.

Her lover lovingly straightens the edge of her veil and her garland; seeing him, her restless eyes blossom.
His beloved likewise reaches to arrange his curls, says Rasrangmani, the very root of delight.

Raghunandan, sovereign of rasikas, swings.
Sending the swing forward, he smiles and gazes upon his beloved’s moon-like face.
When it jolts and flashes she warns her lover, the free-spirited lady laughing softly.
Eagerly the beloved draws her to his heart, says Rasrangmani, and attains bliss.

“Companion, who would dare swing with him?
He pays no attention to another’s delicacy, but pushes with ever greater enthusiasm.
He has himself called ‘King of rasikas,’ yet he does not know the movement and manner of rasa!”
She joined her hands before her beloved, pleading until he laughed, while lofty love spread over them.
Rasrangmani offers countless Love-gods before the limbs of Rama and Sita.