August Meditations - Yet another month of nectar

Madhava - Sun, 04 Aug 2002 11:41:55 +0530

anupama-kara-zAkhopatta-rAdhAGgulIuko
laghu laghu kusumAnAM paryaTan vATikAyAm
sa-rabhasam anugItaz citra-kaNThIbhir uccair
vraja-nava-yuvatIbhir bhAti kuJje-vihArI || 4 ||
Taking Radha's fingers in the peerless twigs of His own hand, and strolling with Her in a garden of flowers as the young girls of Vraja sing in wonderfully beautiful voices, the Lord shines with great splendor as He enjoys pastimes in the forest.

ahiripu-kRta-lAsye kIcakArabdha-vAdye
vraja-giri-taTa-raGge bhRGga-saGgIta-bhAji
viracita-pricaryaz citra-taurya-trikeNa
stimita-karaNa-vRttir bhAti kuJje-vihArI || 5 ||
His senses completely absorbed in the dancing, singing, and instrumental music as the peacocks dance, the bamboos sound in the wind, and the bumblebees sing in the arena of Vraja's hill, the Lord shines with great splendor as He enjoys pastimes in the forest.

(Dvitiya Kunjavihary-astakam of Rupa Gosvami)

Malatilata - Sun, 04 Aug 2002 20:26:23 +0530

Sometimes Svamini keeps Her head on Syama’s chest and sings:

zyAma bandhu! AmAra parANa tumi!
kona zubha dine, dekhA tomA sone,
pAsarite nAri Ami
yokhon dekhiye, o cAnda vadane,
dhairya dharite nAri
abhAgIra prANa, kore An cAn,
daNDe daza bAr mari
more koro doyA, deho pada chAyA,
zunaho parANa kAnu!
kula zIla sob, bhAsAinu jole,
nA jIyAbo tuwA vinu!
”Syama! O Friend! You are My life! I cannot forget that blessed day that I met You! When I saw Your moonlike face I could not stay calm anymore. The heart of this unfortunate girl aches, I’m dying ten times in half an hour! O Kanu! Listen! You are My very life! Be kind to Me, give Me the shade of Your lotus feet! I have made My reputation and My family tradition sink in the water (of love)! I cannot live without You!”

Syama also sings an appropriate love song:

sundari! AmAre kohicho ki?
tomAra pIriti, bhAvite bhAvite,
vibhora hoiyAchi
thira nahe mon, sadA ucATan,
soyAtha nAhiko pAy
gagane bhuvane, daza diga gaNe,
tomAre dekhi sadAi
tomAra lAgiyA, beDAi bhramiyA,
giri nodI bone bone
khAite zuite, An nAhi cite,
sadAi jAgaye mone
zuno vinodini, premera kAhini,
parANa roiyAche bAndhA
ekai parANa, deha bhina bhina,
jJAna kohe – gelo dhAndhA
”O Beautiful girl! What are You telling Me? I have become absorbed in remembering Your love again and again! My mind never finds peace, it is always agitated and I find no consolation! I always see You everywhere, in all ten directions, in the sky as well as on earth! I wander over the hills and the rivers and through the forests, just looking for You! I don’t think of anyone else but You! You appear in My mind even when I eat or sleep! Listen, O Vinodini (giver of joy), to this love story! We are two bodies with one soul!” Jnana dasa sings: ”Gone is the duality (between Them, as They have now united).”

(Song by Jnana dasa, taken from Ananta dasa Pandit’s notes to Vilapa Kusumanjali, verse 79)

anuraag - Wed, 07 Aug 2002 00:28:46 +0530

Jaya Sri Radhey!

"... Madhava is avid
and the girl enchanted.
He is a connoisseur
of the flavors of love
and She wholly artless.
She repels His hands
when He reaches out
and Her eyes well up only
as He gazes Her.

She trembles with fear
he forces His way.
as He kisses Her mouth
She covers Her face
and takes to the earth
like a puppet in shock...."

"The cloud is only a cloud of water
and lightnings singe the eyes.
Hard to touch are emerald and gold.
And yet this Pair, fair skinned and dark,
have relighted my sight.
Their bodies and minds forever fresh,
Radha and Madhava, matchless, shine.

What God has formed Them
and brought them together
in a union of darkness and light?

Both upheld in the flowing cups
of Each Other's eyes,
long for the Lover's drink.
Their lips open for the nectar of desire
in a frenzy of loving -
and Their bodies intermingle
in a tangle of arms,
searching-seeking the end."

"...Arrows were discharged
from eyes to the eyes
and the arms were enraged
in reconnaissance.
Then the bodies enraged at close quarters.
The conquest was complete."

"When Radha retired
on the breast of Shyam,
suffering the Lover's fatigue,
Her face resembled the graceful autumn night's moon.
As the Image of Love,
reclining, carved in emerald,
received Her votive gift,
Radha sank like a garland of golden champaka bloom...."

"Radha cries for Shyam
with Shyam in Her arms:
"Where are You gone,
O Lord of My Life?"

Love knows NO wisdom, O friend.
The Lover embraces His Love
and yet Both, unaware, faint away
in anguish, estranged.

Shores of Separation
are hidden from the eyes."

(Songs by Saint Govinda Dasa - translated by Deben Bhattacarya)

Malatilata - Sat, 10 Aug 2002 21:18:34 +0530

subala sakhAdhara pallava
samudita mugdha mAdhurI lubdhAm
ruci jita kAJcana citrAM
kAJcana citrAM pikIM vande

I praise that amazing golden cuckoo (Sri Radhika),
whose luster defeats that of a golden picture
and who has become greedy after the enchanting sweetness
of the sprout-like lips of Subala's friend (Krishna)!

vRSa-ravijAdhara bimbIphala rasa
pAnotkam adbhutaM bhramaram
dhRta zikhipiJcha cUlaM
pIta dukUlaM ciraM naumi

I offer my obeisances to some amazing bumblebee,
who wears a yellow garment and a crown of peacockfeathers,
and who is very eager to drink the juice
from the Bimbi- fruit-like lips of king Vrisabhanu's daughter!

jitaH sudhAMzur yazasA mameti
garvaM mudhA mA vaha goSThavIra
tavAri nAri nayanAmbupAlI
jigAya tAtaM prasabhaM yato'sya

"O Hero of the pastures (Krishna)! Don't vainly carry Your pride around,
claiming: 'My glories defeat even those of a moon!',
because the eyes of Your enemies' wives create unbroken streams of tears
that defeat even the ocean, who is the father of the moon!"

kuJje kuJje pazupa vanitA vAhanIbhiH samantAt
svairaM kRSNaH kusuma-dhanuSo rAjya carcAM karotu
etat prArthya sakhi mama yathA cittahArI sa dhUrto
baddhaM cetas tyajati kim u vA prANa moSaM karoti

O dear friend! Let Krishna freely wander from kunja to kunja
with His soldier-like cowherd-girlfriends,studying the kingdom of Cupid.
I have only one request: If this heart's thief, the rascal Krishna, abandons me, whose heart is bound (to Him),
then let Him take my life also (for separation from Him and the gopis is intolerable for me).

(Granthakartuh prarthanah by Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami.
Translated by Advaita dasa)

anuraag - Sun, 11 Aug 2002 03:50:24 +0530

Their eyes spoke
the language of Love.
Only the Lovers
shared the sense
of Their hearts -
the others sensed nothing.
Friend, such Artful Lovers
are Radha and Krishna.

Krishna crossed His arms
and hugged His chest -
Radha knew Her Lover
craved embraces.
She touched Her hair -
the signal of the darkening night.

Krishna closed His face
in His open hands -
a Lotus asleep within a Lotus bloom.
The night was now.
She was eager
says Jnanadas:
the Tryst was agreed.

( 'Songs of Krishna', Deben Bhattacarya)

Malatilata - Mon, 19 Aug 2002 01:32:41 +0530

aji rase bAdara nIzi
preme bhAsala saba vRndavAna-vAsI

zyAma-ghana barikhaye prema-sudhA-dhAra
kore raGgiNI rAdhA bijurI-saGcAra

preme pichala patha gamana bhela baGka
mRgamada-candana-kuGkume bhela paNka

dig vidig nAhi premera pAthAra
dubila narottama nA jAne saNtara

All the residents of Vrindavana floated tonight in the heavy rain of divine loving mellows.

Sri Krishna is showering the condensed nectarean flow of love,
and the sporting of Sri Radhika is causing the lightning.

The paths became slippery due to the ecstatic flow of love as They walked in a crooked way.
The land of Vrindavana was mixed with red paste, sandalwood paste and musk, and thus the ground became muddy.

The ocean of love expanded in all directions and Narottama dasa has drowned in that ocean,
not knowing how to swim.

Srila Narottama dasa Thakura's Prarthana, song 52

Madhava - Mon, 19 Aug 2002 16:00:36 +0530

vRndAvanIyAM rasa-keli-vArtAM
kAlena luptAM nija-zaktim utkaH
saJcArya rUpe vyatanot punaH sa
prabhur vidhau prAg iva loka-sRSTim
“Within the course of time, topics about the amorous sports of sacred rapture in Vrindavana were lost. Sriman Mahaprabhu, being eager to reveal these pastimes, infused His unique potency into the heart of Rupa Gosvami, and manifested them again, just as He had manifested wisdom in the heart of Brahma at the dawn of creation.”

(Caitanya Caritamrita, Madhya-lila, 19.1)

Sri Hari - Thu, 22 Aug 2002 01:12:18 +0530

QUOTE(anuraag @ Aug. 06 2002,13:58)

[b]Jaya Sri Radhey!

"When Radha retired
on the breast of Shyam,
suffering the Lover's fatigue,
Her face resembled the graceful autumn night's moon.
As the Image of Love,
reclining, carved in emerald,
received Her votive gift,
Radha sank like a garland of golden champaka bloom...."

(Songs by Saint Govinda Dasa - translated by Deben Bhattacarya)

Rdhe Radhe !

The entire poem is extremely beautiful !

But is it correct? " on The breast of Shyam "

I'm not a picky person, I just want to undesrtand.

Your smallest
servant
harisaran das :satisfied:

jagannathdas - Fri, 23 Aug 2002 00:32:18 +0530

Thanks Harisaran das for bringing this song to my attention.
I very much like the part that you quoted.
The use of " The breast of Shyam", can be percieved as either old-english, or poetic license, there is no fault in using this term, as it is synonimous with chest, which could have been used instead, but personally I prefer it as it is.
I am not so sure about other parts of the song.
"...Arrows were discharged from eyes to the eyes
and the arms were enraged in reconnaissance.
Then the bodies enraged at close quarters.
The conquest was complete."
It seems to me that enraged should be engaged.
In this metaphor of the battle of love, armies engage in reconnaissance and engage at close quarters. It's possible to be enraged at close quarters but rather doubtful that anyone would be enraged in reconnaissance?
I was also unable to understand, "She wholly artless".
I find it easier to understand, " She wholly heartless", in the sense that She is repelling His advances.
Again apologies for being 'picky'. If the song is abridged, can we have the complete version.

Malatilata - Sat, 24 Aug 2002 01:27:45 +0530

Krishna reveals His heart to a sakhi, being overwhelmed by the sidelong glances of Radha in purva raga:

sajani! aparUpa pekhaluM bAlA
himakara madana, milita mukha-maNDala,
tA pora jaladhara mAlA

caJcala nayane, heri mujhe sundarI,
mucakAyai phiri gelo.
toikhone marame, madana jvara upajala,
jIvaite saMzaya bhelo.

ahar nizi zayane, svapane Ana nA herie,
anukhana soi dheyAna.
tAkara piriti, ki rIti nAhi samujhiye,
Akula athira parANa.

maramaka vedana, tohe parakAzala,
tuhuG ati catura sujAna.
so puna madhura, mUrati darazAyabi,
e rAdhA vallabha gAna.

"O sakhi! I saw an extraordinary young girl!
The moon and cupid are meeting in Her face and above that is a garland of clouds!"

"This beautiful girl looked at Me with restless eyes,
smirked at Me and then turned back.
Then the fire of cupid started burning My heart
and I doubted whether I was still alive or not."

"Day and night, in dreams or wakefulness, I constantly meditate on Her.
I do not understand the ways of Her love,
and this makes My heart unsteady and agitated."

Radha Vallabha sings: "Thus I told you about My heartache.
You are a clever girl, so please show Me this sweet form again!"

anuraag - Fri, 30 Aug 2002 22:43:04 +0530

Jaya Sri Radhey! Namaste.
Greetings for joyous celebrations of Sri Krishna Janmashtami to all devotees.

The Gopi-bhava Rasik-Saint Sri Govinda dasa sings about his Divine Beloved:

Râg Sindhûra madhur-tâla.
Râdhâ loquitur;

Surpassing collyrium (in blackness) delighter of human mind,
Conquering in hue the cloud-masses:

Tender as the dawn, redder than the nelumbium,
His feet adorned with manjîra:

See, dear friend, shines the king of youths:

(His face) expanded with nectared smiles is fair
(so that) the moon has become dim from shame:

Annihilating the pride of the lotus with his eyes,
Love's snare:

Binding with his eyebrow's snake-like noose,
The race of women, distress of goddesses:

Made musical by bees hangs the beautiful
Garland of keli and kadamba flowers:

In the heart of Gobind Das is ever firmly fixed that gracious form.

From : http://www.sacred-texts.com/

anuraag - Sat, 31 Aug 2002 23:46:38 +0530

Jaya Sri Radhey! Namaste.
Happy Sri Krishna Jayanti celebrations to all.
Here is a sublime 'pada' for enjoying Sri Krishna Madhuri on this auspicious occasion.

This song is from the book- 'Prema-Rasa-Madira' of Sri Kripaluji Maharaj.

A Love-stricken Gopi, who had the Blessed Darshan (Divine Visual
encounter) of her Beloved Shyama Sundar, Lord Sri Krishna,
tells her experience to her intimate friend -

"sakhi, shyaama ki manda, manda musukaan,"

O my dear, what can I say about the sweet, gentle, enchanting 'smile' of my Shyama Sundar!

"bisarata naahi sakhi! yekahu china, peetaambara paharaan,"

Even for one second, my mind cannot give up the delightful reminiscence of the wavy movements of His dazzling robe, 'Pitaambara', the yellow silken garment elegantly covering His divine form!

All my earned virtues of good conduct are of no use for me and my ardent efforts for self-control have become utterly powerless.

"maTakani mukuTa laTan ki laTakani, aTakyom tana, mana, praan,"

His charming, jewelled crown with pea-cock feather, His captivating Lotus-face surrounded by the curly locks of dark hair, have become the noose and entangled my body, mind and soul.

"ati rasa bhare nayan so herata, Therata muralee taan,"

Moreover, His intoxicating looks are ever drowning me in the Nectar of Amorous Love!

How can I still keep my life-breath, when He calls me playing His Flute (Murali), inviting my soul to join His Blissful sports?

"nitya vihaara karata vrindaavana, manjula kunja lataan,"

O sakhi, He is tempting me with delight, and showering divine joy by His amorous daliances in the blessed bowers of 'kunja', and the secret enchanting gardens of 'nikunja' day and night!"

The Poet-Saint Kripaluji sympathizes with the Gopi's plight in the concluding verse saying -

"lakhi 'kripaalu' chuTi jaata samaadhina, Shiva Sanakaadika dhyaan."

"Do not feel so disturbed and helpless!
Even the greatest Yogi, Lord Shiva, Who has vanquished the 'cupid' and the great Paramahamsas, the eternal celibates like Sanaka kumaras of heaven, who are ever absorbed in the Nirvikalpa Samadhi of the 'Absolute Brahman, have also become very perturbed by the Blessed sight of the All Attractive Blissful Lord, Sri Krishna and have fallen from their
contemplation and given up their Trance!

So what to speak of the fate and state of any other ordinary soul at the transcendental meeting of her Divine Beloved! "

*****