The Nectar of the Lotus of Love - Premambhoja-maranda-stava-raja

The nectar of the lotus of love.

(Premambhoja-maranda-stava-raja by Raghunath Das Goswami)

Translated by Jagadananda Das
(1)
Radha’s body is the embodiment of true love
conceived in the most resplendent chintamani gem,
anointed with the sweet-smelling love of her girlfriends,
and shining with an inconceivable lustrous splendour.

(2)
She bathes in waves of the nectar of compassion,
a shower of the nectar of youthfulness,
and a flood of the nectar of charming loveliness,
so that the Goddess of Fortune
languours in lassitude at her side.

(3)
Her graceful form is hidden
by the silken garment of shyness,
decorated with the kunkuma of graceful beauty,
and dappled with the black musk
of erotic sentiments for Shyamasundar.

(4)
She puts on her natural ornaments,
fashioned from the best nine jewels:
shivering, tears in the eyes, horripilation,
becoming stunned, perspiration, faltering of the voice,
blushing, madness and inertness.

(5)
She is garlanded with the flowers of wonderful virtues,
such as her sweet-tongued speech.
She is adorned with perfumed powders
smelling of her sometimes sober
and sometimes restless moods.

(6)
Her imperceptible amour-propre is concealed
within the coils of her hair.
Her forehead is brightened with the tilak
of her immense good fortune.

(7)
Hearing Krishna’s name and qualities are the ornaments
swinging in splendour and jubilation from her ears.
The reddish colour of her lips is produced
from the betelnut of her obsession for Krishna.

(8)
The black collyrium on her eyes
is the crookedness of her loving affairs.
Her body is perfumed by the camphor of her sweet smile,
the joking words spilling from her.

(9)
Within the inner apartments of her bodily fragrance
is a bed of pride upon which she sits, bemused,
while wearing the restless necklace of prema-vaicittya,
the love in separation felt even in union.

(10)
Her breasts are concealed,
bound with a bodice of wounded vanity.
The sounds of her lute, her fame and beauty,
dry up the faces and hearts of her competitors in love.

(11)
She leans with her lotus hands on the shoulder
of her friend, adolescent youth personified,
just before beginning to distribute the mead
of intoxicating love for Krishna,
herself the personification of the erotic sentiment.

(12)
Please bring back to life this very sombre nobody,
who is bowing down before you with straw between his teeth,
by sprinkling him with the nectar of your servitorship.

(13)
Oh Gandharvika! A truly compassionate person
will not reject even a rascal if he is surrendered to him.
Therefore please, never abandon this person
who is similarly surrendered to you.

(14)
Whoever recites this hymn
entitled “the nectar of the lotus of love,"
produced of her mercy,
will surely attain service at her lotus feet.

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premAmbhoja-marandAkhyaM stava-rAjam
mahA-bhAvojjvalac-cintA-ratnodbhAvita-vigrahAm |
sakhI-praNaya-sad-gandha-varodvartana-suprabhAm ||1||

kAruNyAmRta-vIcibhis tAruNyAmRta-dhArayA |
lAvaNyAmRta-vanyAbhiH snapitAM glaptendirAm ||2||

hrI-paTTa-vastra-guptAGgIM saundarya-ghusRNAJcitAm |
zyAmalojjvala-kastUrI-vicitrita-kalevarAm ||3||

kampAzru-pulaka-stambha-sveda-gadgada-raktatAH |
unmAdo jADyam ity etai rathanir navabhir uttamaiH ||4||

kLptAlaGkRti-saMsliSTAM guNAlI-puSpa-mAlinIm |
dhIrAdhIrAtva-sad-vAsa-paTa-vAsaiH pariSkRtAm ||5||

pracchanna-mAna-dhammillAM saubhAgya-tilakojjvalAm |
kRSNa-nAma-yazaH-zrAva-vataMsollAsi-karNikAm ||6||

rAga-tAmbUla-raktauSThIM prema-kauTilya-kajjalAm |
narma-bhASita-nisyanda-smita-karpUra-vAsitAm ||7||

saurabhAntaH-pure garva-paryaGkopari lIlayA |
niviSTAM prema-vaicittya-vicalat-taralAJcitAm ||8||

praNaya-krodha-sac-colI-bandh-guptI-kRta-stanAm |
sapatnI-vaktra-hRc-choSi-yazaH-zrI-kacchapI-varAm ||9||

madhyatAtma-sakhI-skandha-lIlAnyasta-karAmbujAm |
zyAmAM zyAma-smarAmoda-madhulI-parivezikAm ||10||

tvAM natvA yAcate dhRtvA tRNaM dantair ayaM janaH |
sva-dAsyAmRta-sekena jIvayAmuM suduHkhitam ||11||

na muJcec charaNAyAtam api duSTaM dayAmayaH |
ato gAndharvike hA hA muJcainaM naiva tAdRzam ||12||

premAmbhoja-marandAkhyaM stavarAjam imaM janaH |
zrI-rAdhikA-kRpA-hetuM paThaMs tad-dAsyam ApnuyAt ||13||