Chapter Eight: Literature of the Rasika Tradition in Hindi

The beloved calls out an excellent melodic phrase;
The lovely women answer in singular voices.
Turning and turning, they whirl in circles.
When Sita remembers her wedding,
The beloved is flooded with bliss
And takes hold of Rama.
Sita and Rama meet in an embrace;
Narayan sacrifices himself to Rama.

Sri Rama and Sita dance together as a Pair.
The Lord and his beloved wear pure white ornaments and shine as a lovely Couple among the companions.
The spotless autumn moon shines, and its white radiance flashes in every direction.
Their anklets ring chum, chum, chum, while the companions call tātā, theī, theī.
The mṛdaṅga joins beat to beat, and the bee-like young companions sing in exceedingly sweet voices.
Captivated by laughter and play, the women forget every trace of bodily awareness.
The Beloved’s arm shines upon Sita’s lap, and Sita’s arm rests beautifully upon her beloved.
The connoisseur Lord of Ramnarayan stands amid lovely companions steeped in rasa.

Raghava plays Holi with Sita.
On this side stands Raghunath with his friends and younger brothers; on that stands Mithilesh’s young daughter.
Saffron mud covers the terrace, and colour showers from every direction.
Come, friend—let us go and behold this lovely sight!
Drench the face of Sita, Janaka’s daughter, after mixing sandalwood and saffron.
Delighted again and again, she applies red colour to her beloved’s eyes and snatches away his yellow garment.
She has bewildered everyone’s sense and understanding.
The Pair stand with joined hands after giving every heart-delighting Holi gift.
Those whom the whole world worships bow to all and apply sandal paste upon their brows.
Every companion laughs and turns away her face.
May meditation upon Rama and Janaki, the splendid fair-and-dark Pair, dwell within the heart.
Beholding the Couple’s faces, Ramdas wards away the evil eye and offers himself to their beauty.
May they not depart from his eyes for even an instant.

We are servants of Prince Raghunath.
Yama’s messengers do not come near; seeing the twelve sacred marks, even Yama is afraid.
Hold firmly to the wisdom contained in the guru’s words, and remember and worship Sita-Raghubar.