Appendix A: Mahāvāṇī

“The Darling Swings, and Her Beloved Swings Her”

The darling swings, and her beloved swings her.
With his lovely lotus hands he sweetly grasps the smooth silken cord.
He gazes toward the sky, then upon the new maiden’s moon-face, and smiles gently with royal elegance.
Limb against limb, they remain coloured in rasa, entangled in a mystery impossible to behold.
Sri Yugal Ananya says: companion, I surrender everything to these two lovers.

“Beloved, Sawan Has Come—This Is My Desire”

Beloved, Sawan has come—this is my desire:
Let me mount Vimalā’s swing with my arms encircling your neck.
The excellent ground has turned green and become delightful;
Flowers and fruit fill the joyous groves of Pramoda forest.
Bees hum in a clamour, and my peacock-mind is enamoured.
Seeing this auspicious and pleasing hour, abandon your hardness.
Parrot, cātaka, cuckoo, swan, and kokila call.
Hear the excellent words of the darling dearer than life; behold her with your eyes.
Take me into your lap and find immense joy in the colour of love.
Come, life of my life, bestower of every happiness.
Sri Candrakalā and the other companions have arranged every adornment.
Dense clouds have encircled the excellent bank of the Sarayu.
An incomparable golden swing has been fashioned with coral, jewels, and gems.
Sita and her perfectly agreeable beloved sit upon it.
The companions bend and sway as they swing the dear bridegroom and darling;
Gods, celestial brides, and many joyful beings rain flowers upon them.
The source of happiness smiles gently and gazes upon Sita’s body.
Their yellow and blue garments flutter, wrap together, and become entangled.
Sita laughs and tries to untangle them, but they will not come free.
Blue and yellow meet and manifest the colour green;
The companions sing songs of “green, green,” and rejoice at the sight.
The beloved is the tamāla tree and his darling the creeper of love wound around him.
Beloved, Sawan has come—this is my desire.

I shall abandon everything and become a worshipper within the palace.
I shall forget heaven, liberation, and Vaikuntha and become a maidservant at the guru’s feet—