CHAPTER TWENTY
The Sweetness of Rasa (rasa-madhurima)
vatsalo vraja-gavam yad aga-dhro
vandyamana-caranah pathi vriddhaih
kritsna-go-dhanam upohya dinante
gita-venur anugedita-kirtih
utsavam shrama-rucapi drishinam
unnayan khura-rajash-churita-srak
ditsayaiti suhrid-asisha esha
devaki-jathara-bhur udu-rajah
vatsalah—affectionate; vraja-gavam—to the cows of Vraja; yat—because; aga—of the mountain; dhrah—the lifter; vandyamana—being worshiped; caranah—His feet; pathi—along the path; vriddhaih—by the exalted demigods; kritsna—entire; go-dhanam—the herd of cows; upohya—collecting; dina—of the day; ante—at the end; gita-venuh—playing His flute; anuga—by His companions; idita—praised; kirtih—His glories; utsavam—a festival; shrama—of fatigue; ruca—by His coloring; api—even; drishinam—for the eyes; unnayan—raising; khura—from the hooves (of the cows); rajah—with the dust; churita—powdered; srak—His garland; ditsaya—with the desire; eti—He is coming; suhrit—to His friends; ashishah—their desires; eshah—this; devaki—of mother Yashoda; jathara—from the womb; bhuh—born; udu-rajah—moon.
Out of great affection for the cows of Vraja, Krishna became the lifter of Govardhana Hill. At the end of the day, having rounded up all His own cows, He plays a song on His flute, while exalted demigods standing along the path worship His lotus feet and the cowherd boys accompanying Him chant His glories.
His garland is powdered by the dust raised by the cows' hooves, and His beauty, enhanced by His fatigue, creates an ecstatic festival for everyone's eyes. Eager to fulfill His friends desires, Krishna is the moon arisen from the womb of mother Yasoda. (22-23)
mada-vighurnita-locana ishat
mana-dah sva-suhridam vana-mali
badara-pandu-vadano mridu-gandam
mandayan kanaka-kundala-lakshmya
yadu-patir dvirada-raja-viharo
yamini-patir ivaisha dinante
mudita-vaktra upayati durantam
mocayan vraja-gavam dina-tapam
mada—by intoxication; vighurnita—rolling; locanah—His eyes; ishat—slightly; mana-dah—showing honor; sva-suhridam—to His well-wishing friends; vana-mali—wearing a garland of forest flowers; badara—like a badara fruit; pandu—whitish; vadanah—His face; mridu—soft; gandam—His cheeks; mandayan—ornamenting; kanaka—golden; kundala—of His earrings; lakshmya—with the beauty; yadu-patih—the Lord of the Yadu dynasty; dvirada-raja—like a kingly elephant; viharah—His sporting; yamini-patih—the lord of the night (the moon); iva—like; eshah—He; dina-ante—at the end of the day; mudita—joyful; vaktrah—His face; upayati—is coming; durantam—insurmountable; mocayan—driving away; vraja—of Vraja; gavam—of the cows, or of those who are to be shown mercy; dina—of the daytime; tapam—the painful heat.
As Krishna respectfully greets His well-wishing friends, His eyes roll slightly as if from intoxication. He wears a flower garland, and the beauty of His soft cheeks is accentuated by the brilliance of His golden earrings and the whiteness of His face, which has the color of a badara berry. With His cheerful face resembling the moon, lord of the night, the Lord of the Yadus moves with the grace of a regal elephant. Thus He returns in the evening, delivering the cows of Vraja from the heat of the day. (24-25)
10.35.26 Sukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Pariksit
shri-shuka uvaca
evam vraja-striyo rajan
krishna-lilanugayatih
remire 'hahsu tac-cittas
tan-manaska mahodayah
shri-shukah uvaca—shukadeva Gosvami said; evam—thus; vraja-striyah—the women of Vraja; rajan—O King; krishna-lila—about the pastimes of Krishna; anugayatih—continuously chanting; remire—they enjoyed; ahahsu—during the days; tat-cittah—their hearts absorbed in Him; tat-manaskah—their minds absorbed in Him; maha—great; udayah—experiencing a festivity.
Shri Sukadeva Gosvami said: O King, thus during the daytime the women of Vrndavana took pleasure in continuously singing about the pastimes of Krishna, and those ladies' minds and hearts, absorbed in Him, were filled with great festivity.
10.47.12-19 Shrimati Radharani: The Song of the Bee
gopy uvaca
madhupa kitava-bandho ma sprishanghrim sapatnyah
kuca-vilulita-mala-kunkuma-shmashrubhir nah
vahatu madhu-patis tan-manininam prasadam
yadu-sadasi vidambyam yasya dutas tvam idrik
gopi uvaca—the gopi said; madhupa—O bumblebee; kitava—of a cheater; bandho—O friend; ma sprisha—please do not touch; anghrim—the feet; sapatnyah—of the lover who is our rival; kuca—the breast; vilulita—fallen from; mala—from the garland; kunkuma—with the red cosmetic; shmashrubhih—with the whiskers; nah—our; vahatu—let Him bring; madhu-patih—the Lord of the Madhu dynasty; tat—His; manininam—to the women; prasadam—mercy or kindness; yadu-sadasi—in the royal assembly of the Yadus; vidambyam—an object of ridicule or contempt; yasya—whose; dutah—messenger; tvam—you; idrik—such.
The gopi said: O honeybee, O friend of a cheater, don't touch my feet with your whiskers, which are smeared with the kunkuma that rubbed onto Krishna's garland when it was crushed by the breasts of a rival lover! Let Krishna satisfy the women of Mathura. One who sends a messenger like you will certainly be ridiculed in the Yadu's assembly. (12)
sakrid adhara-sudham svam mohinim payayitva
sumanasa iva sadyas tatyaje 'sman bhavadrik
paricarati katham tat-pada-padmam nu padma
hy api bata hrita-ceta hy uttamah-shloka-jalpaih
sakrit—once; adhara—of the lips; sudham—the nectar; svam—His own; mohinim—bewildering; payayitva—making drink; sumanasah—flowers; iva—like; sadyah—suddenly; tatyaje—He abandoned; asman—us; bhavadrik—like you; paricarati—serves; katham—why; tat—His; pada-padmam—lotus feet; nu—I wonder; padma—Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune; hi api—indeed, because; bata—alas; hrita—taken away; cetah—her mind; hi—certainly; uttamah-shloka—of Krishna; jalpaih—by the false speech.
After making us drink the enchanting nectar of His lips only once, Krishna suddenly abandoned us, just as you might quickly abandon some flowers. How is it, then, that Goddess Padma willingly serves His lotus feet? Alas! The answer must certainly be that her mind has been stolen away by His deceitful words. (13)
kim iha bahu shad-anghre gayasi tvam yadunam
adhipatim agrihanam agrato nah puranam
vijaya-sakha-sakhinam giyatam tat-prasangah
kshapita-kuca-rujas te kalpayantishtam ishtah
kim—why; iha—here; bahu—much; shat-anghre—O bee (six-footed one); gayasi—are singing; tvam—you; yadunam—of the Yadus; adhipatim—about the master; agrihanam—who have no home; agratah—in front of; nah—us; puranam—old; vijaya—of Arjuna; sakha—of the friend; sakhinam—for the friends; giyatam—should be sung; tat—of Him; prasangah—the topics; kshapita—relieved; kuca—of whose breasts; rujah—the pain; te—they; kalpayanti—will provide; ishtam—the charity you desire; ishtah—His beloveds.
O bee, why do you sing here so much about the Lord of the Yadus, in front of us homeless people? These topics are old news to us. Better you sing about that friend of Arjuna in front of His new girlfriends, the burning desire in whose breasts He has now relieved. Those ladies will surely give you the charity you are begging. (14)
divi bhuvi ca rasayam kah striyas tad-durapah
kapata-rucira-hasa-bhru-vijrimbhasya yah syuh
carana-raja upaste yasya bhutir vayam ka
api ca kripana-pakshe hy uttamah-shloka-shabdah
divi—in the heavenly region; bhuvi—on the earth; ca—and; rasayam—in the subterranean sphere; kah—what; striyah—women; tat—by Him; durapah—unobtainable; kapata—deceptive; rucira—charming; hasa—with smiles; bhru—of whose eyebrows; vijrimbhasya—the arching; yah—who; syuh—become; carana—of the feet; rajah—the dust; upaste—worships; yasya—whose; bhutih—the goddess of fortune, wife of Lord Narayana; vayam—we; ka—who; api ca—nevertheless; kripana-pakshe—for those who are wretched; hi—indeed; uttamah-shloka—the Supreme Lord, who is glorified by the most sublime prayers; shabdah—the name.
In heaven, on earth or in the subterranean sphere, what women are unavailable to Him? He simply arches His eyebrows and smiles with deceptive charm, and they all become His. The supreme goddess herself worships the dust of His feet, so what is our position in comparison? But at least those who are wretched can chant His name, Uttamahsloka. (15)
vishrija shirasi padam vedmy aham catu-karair
anunaya-vidushas te 'bhyetya dautyair mukundat
sva-krita iha vishrishtapatya-paty-anya-loka
vyashrijad akrita-cetah kim nu sandheyam asmin
vishrija—let go of; shirasi—held on your head; padam—My foot; vedmi—know; aham—I; catu-karaih—with flattering words; anunaya—in the art of conciliation; vidushah—who are expert; te—of you; abhyetya—having learned; dautyaih—by acting as a messenger; mukundat—from Krishna; sva—for His own; krite—sake; iha—in this life; vishrishta—who have abandoned; apatya—children; pati—husbands; anya-lokah—and everyone else; vyashrijat—He abandoned; akrita-cetah—ungrateful; kim nu—why indeed; sandheyam—should I make reconciliation; asmin—with Him.
Keep your head off my feet! I know what you're doing. You expertly learned diplomacy from Mukunda, and now you come as His messenger, with flattering words. But He abandoned those who for His sake alone gave up their children, husbands and all other relations. He's simply ungrateful. Why should I make up with Him now? (16)
mrigayur iva kapindram vivyadhe lubdha-dharma
striyam akrita virupam stri-jitah kama-yanam
balim api balim attvaveshtayad dhvanksha-vad yas
tad alam asita-sakhyair dustyajas tat-katharthah
mrigayuh—a hunter; iva—like; kapi—of the monkeys; indram—the king; vivyadhe—shot; lubdha-dharma—behaving like a cruel hunter; striyam—a woman (namely, shurpanakha); akrita—made; virupam—disfigured; stri—by a woman (Sita-devi); jitah—conquered; kamayanam—who was impelled by lusty desire; balim—King Bali; api—also; balim—his tribute; attva—consuming; aveshtayat—bound up; dhvankshavat—just like a crow; yah—who; tat—therefore; alam—enough; asita—with black Krishna; sakhyaih—of all kinds of friendship; dustyajah—impossible to give up; tat—about Him; katha—of the topics; arthah—the elaboration.
Like a hunter, He cruelly shot the king of the monkeys with arrows. Because He was conquered by a woman, He disfigured another woman who came to Him with lusty desires. And even after consuming the gifts of Bali Maharaja, He bound him up with ropes as if he were a crow. So let us give up all friendship with this dark-complexioned boy, even if we can't give up talking about Him. (17)
yad-anucarita-lila-karna-piyusha-viprut-
sakrid-adana-vidhuta-dvandva-dharma vinashtah
sapadi griha-kutumbam dinam utshrijya dina
bahava iha vihanga bhikshu-caryam caranti
yat—whose; anucarita—constantly performed activities; lila—of such pastimes; karna—for the ears; piyusha—of the nectar; viprut—of a drop; sakrit—just once; adana—by the partaking; vidhuta—removed entirely; dvandva—of duality; dharmah—their propensities; vinashtah—ruined; sapadi—immediately; griha—their homes; kutumbam—and families; dinam—wretched; utshrijya—rejecting; dinah—becoming themselves wretched; bahavah—many persons; iha—here (in Vrindavana); vihangah—(like) birds; bhikshu—of begging; caryam—the livelihood; caranti—they pursue.
To hear about the pastimes that Krishna regularly performs is nectar for the ears. For those who relish just a single drop of that nectar, even once, their dedication to material duality is ruined. Many such persons have suddenly given up their wretched homes and families and, themselves becoming wretched, traveled here to Vrndavana to wander about like birds, begging for their living.(18)
