Gita Govindam-Song4

Gita Govindam-Song4

चन्दन चर्चित नील कलेवर पीत वसन वनमाली

केलि चलत् मणि कुण्डल  मण्डित गण्ड युग स्मित शाली

हरिः इह मुग्ध वधू निकरे  विलासिनि विलसति केलि परे

His Sapphirine body bedaubed with sandal paste, clad in yellow silks, garlanded with a garland of basil leaves and flowers, cheeks are made more beautiful with flapping gem studded knobby ear hangings while he is romping... see that gleeful Krishna now amidst an exclusive circle of Gopis with a common purpose of ravishing and coyly damsels, in a  state of elated bliss (rapturous) [a pa 4-1]

All these stanzas are girlfriend’s dialogue with Rādha, but the addressing ‘oh, Rādha…’ is omitted. With this she has also said, ‘when you are here, an expert in romantic amusement, leaving you Krishna’s frolicking with coyly, simplistic and naïve girls is unbefitting for him… hence, you go at once…’  piitaambara and  vanamaala are not just rustling ochry silks and garland of wild leaves, but those basil leaves and silken garments are also the removers of sins.

पीन पयोधर भार भरेण हरिम् परि रभ्य सरागम्

गोप वधूःअनु गायति काचित् उदंचित पंचम रागम्

Someone, a milkmaid, eager to ease the weightiness of her bosomy bust is cleaving (hold together and resist separation) to Krishna in a overarching manner, and then in a heightened octave she is singing melodiously in tune with his fluting; hence, he that gleeful Krishna &co… [a pa 4-2]

The damsel is hugging even before the hero tries to embrace her; hence, she is in eagerness as her naayika lakShaNa is mugdha, a meekish heroine. Some scholars translate this word mugdha as a foolish girl. This translates as innocent, ignorant, artless rhetorical naayika, artless insofar as romantic advances are concerned. If this black boy and white girl combination is set aside for a while, it is the twosome of devotee god, trying to achieve oneness, in which the devotee has to make his/her first move to embrace the god, as in markaTa nyaaya mother monkey and child monkey syndrome, that contrasts with maarjaala nyaaya cat kitten syndrome. Swelling bosoms suggests swelling milky devotion, where both emerge from bosom alone, contrary to a lip service.

का अपि विलास विलोल विलोचन खेलन जनित मनोजम्
ध्यायति मुग्ध वधूः अधिकम् मधु सूदन वदन सरोजम्

Some meekish damsel helplessly remaining on the sidelines came into the sight of

sidelong glances with romantic gesticulations of fluttery wide eyes of Krishna, and

passion is enkindled in her; but that girl, inexpert in romance, at once started gazing at

the beautiful lotusy face of the eliminator of demon madhu, namely Krishna, and

fixatedly (Pay attention to exclusively and obsessively) contemplated.  (Think intently

 and at length,) on it... thus, that gleeful Krishna &Co

Or

Some meekish damsel is also impassioned for she is there with him; in her inexpert gesticulations of romance, like tactless sidelong glances with her flustered wide eyes, she caught a sight of the beautiful lotusy face of Krishna; from then on she fixatedly contemplated on that face, for she is an expert in contemplation; thus, that gleeful Krishna &c… [a pa 4-3]

All may not be expert danseuses or songsters, but lovingness is common in all. Some girl came there, but she became a third row ballerina, or fourth row chorus girl, even then that environ enkindles a kind of belongingness in her, and she longed for him in her way prekSya prekSaka riiti. Usually contemplations come in when the object to contemplate is not before the eyes. But he is very much there, even then, she is contemplating. Again, she is mugdha, somewhat artless, meekish heroine. Reaching him is the goal, whether it is a bodily reaching, or reaching through contemplation. Some derive the word madhu suudana vadana sarojam basing on the root Suuda kSharaNe as madhu = honey, nectar; suudana= spilling; that lotus like face is pouring forth potable nectar of grace.

का अपि कपोल तले मिलिता लपितुम् किम् अपि
श्रुति मूले चारु चुचुंब नितंबवती दयितम् पुलकैः अनुकूले

Some fat bummed girl neared him feigning to say something in his ear; reaching her lover Krishna whose tickly face is now conveniently turned sideways in all ears for her; but she amusingly kissed his cheek in a trice in preference to a whisper; thus that gleeful Krishna &c... [a pa 4-4]

pulakita tickly, when ladylove touched his ears, his body became tickly and thus he had to move his cheeks sideways, which she thought a gesture to listen to her whisper; nitambavati because her buttocks are heavy she could not run a race with Krishna, hence she paused him in his dance saying ‘listen this…’ and then carried off her wish;  naayika prauDha [somewhat artful one];  naayaka anukuula [acquiescent one.]

केलि कला कुतुकेन च काचित् अमुम् यमुना जल
कूले मंजुल वंजुल कुंज गतम् विचकर्ष करेण दुकूले

Another milkmaid enthusiastic in the artistry of plays of passion, and passionate to play in the waters of river Yamuna along with Krishna, found him frolicking in a beautiful bower at that ashoka tree, and seizing his garment she is gleefully drawing him towards water, thus that gleeful Krishna &c... [a pa 4-5]

Krishna is otherwise busy anyaasakta so she had to lug him along by catching his silk upper cloth. naayika adhiira. The expression yamunaa kuule would have been sufficient for Yamuna riverbank. But it is said a river called Yamuna that contains water and banks. A river naturally contains water and banks, then why that redundant usage of water plus banks? It has two purposes she is interested in sporting in water with Krishna, and the other is to indicate that water’s cooling effect and sanctification shaityatva, paavanatva and hence the word waters is used emphatically.

कर तल ताल तरल वलय आवलि कलित कल स्वन वंशे

रास रसे सह नृत्य परा हरिणा युवतिः प्रशशंसे

While a maiden is engrossed in ronde dancing along with zealously dancing Krishna, she is clapping her palms in rhythm to his fluting, while doing so sets of her heavy bracelets are clanking in undefinable dulcet clanks, intermingling with that fluting, thus that flautist of मोहन वंशि, the Divine Flute, namely Krishna, is fluting the praises unto her... thus, that gleeful Krishna &c...[a pa 4-6]

 By employing the word रास रसे it is said, though this girl is an inexpert in superfine singing and dancing, she is expert in her rustic, moorish, and boorish dances, hence she is aware of beat and rhythm लय ताल ज्ञान , thereby she is praiseworthy.

श्लिष्यति काम् अपि चुंबति काम् अपि काम् अपि रमयति
रामाम् पश्यति सः स्मित चारु तराम् अपराम् अनु गच्छति वामाम्

Such frolicsome Krishna is even cleaving to someone; kissing someone; delighting someone who is a delightful damsel; paying attention to another most beautiful damsel with beaming smiles; following a flighty girl with slanting glances, thus, that gleeful Krishna &c… [a pa 4-7]

Here the word रामाम् is generative from root रामु रामु क्रीडायाम् one who gives and takes delight in which she is delighted. This word is on the analogy of the name of Rama in Ramayana. When the syllable ‘a’ is prolonged to ‘aa’ ‘raa maa’ it becomes feminine delighter and the delighted. And स्मित चारु तराम्  or, स्मित चारु पराम् ‘beamingly smiling’ indicates her readiness for intimacy, expressed in a smile itself. Hence, this piece of poem is floridly smiley. The word वामाम् is displeased, irritated, peeved, vexed, querulous girl. Even if she were to be so, he can tame her shrewdness and bring her round by going after her. नायक चतुर [artful.]

All these acts are performed sequentially or at a time? At a time only is the answer. How can one Krishna become many at a time, is its sequel. That is what रास क्रीड or रास लील is, and unimaginable are his acts, deeds, or plays of passion. Thus this poetry, though expressed in mundane parlance, attains a supramundane eros [aspiration toward value] a divine lusting. The poet says in the next foot ‘that is why this is an amazing act of Krishna अद्भुतम्.

श्री जयदेव भणितम् इदम् अद्भुत केशव केलि रहस्यम्
वृन्दावन विपिने ललितम् वितनोतु शुभानि यशस्यम्

This song, which endows gloriousness to the devotees of Krishna, if sung or danced to its tunes, and which contains the arcaneness about the exquisite plays of passion of Krishna in equally arcanus Brindavana, is articulated by Jayadeva, thus let it radiate prosperities to one and all… [a pa 4-8]

With this the poet concludes this lyric. Here Krishna himself is an अद्भुतम्, because he is manifest separately to each of the milkmaid in a trice, though remaining himself as one entity. In this lyric the words केलि रहस्यम् are usually translated as secrets sports, or secret love games etc., taking them to be रहस्य केलि कलापम् , but the word रहस्यम् qualifies the word केलिi. Then they are the secrets about those plays, of which the poet wishes to tell, but not how secretly the plays are played, and Krishna is no covert player, either in these dance dramas of Bhaagavata or in the politics of Maha Bhaarata. chandas laya.

विश्वेषाम् अनुरंजनेन जनयन् आनानंदम् इन्दीवर श्रेणी
श्यामल कोमलैः उपनयन् अन्गैः अनंग उत्सवम् स्वच्छंदम् व्रज
सुन्दरीभिः अभितः प्रति अंगम् आलिंगितः शृंगारः

सखि मूर्तिमान् इव मधौ मुग्धो हरिः क्रीडति

Oh, friend Rādha, charming Krishna is titillating in Brindavan in this springtime, causing happiness and mutual intimacy among all the worldly beings, and by the presence of his sapphirine bluish and daintily limbed body, that simile with the sprayey rows of blue black lotuses, he appears to be fetching the annual vasantotsava, the carnivalesque excitation, hence such limbs are unreservedly embraced by the beautiful damsels of Vraja county, either with their bodily limbs or by their heartfelt feelings, thus he is appearing like an embodiment of romance... [1-11]

Or

Oh, friend Rādha, Krishna in Brindavan is with a delighting personage that is heart stealing for all people, and it is apt to cause rejoice in one and all, added are the romanticised factors of Brindavan, like darkish ambience with black Tamaala trees, nightfall, nightly Yamuna river, and softish flower beds, greensward, and riparian sand dunes, and his very bodily presence is as though the personified romance, bringing off the annual vasantotsava, carnivalesque excitation, and the beauties of Vraja, moving past him are deeming that personality as an unreservedly dependable and embraceable embodiment, hence Krishna is frolicking with them in this springtime, as he reckons them as dependents and embraced devotees...

 When it is said viSveSaam anuranjanena Krishna being capable to delight whole world in his own nature, here he became a mugdha personality charmingly graceful youngster, not a foolish boy, and delighted them and got delight from them, though they are nowhere near his Omniscience.

vasantotsava includes many festivals like snaana yaatra ablution festival, hindola yaatra swing festival, raasa yaatra festival of circular dance, ratha yaatra chariot festival, dolaa yatra or holi festival, in which people come out as in carnivals and colour sprays water and powder sprinkled for amusement. It is annual and takes it root in Krishna liila s of Brindavan.

alankara shleSa, diipaka; riiti vaidarbhi; rasa sringaaara; sharduula vikriiditam its metre; and this one verse is replete with incommunicable reflections from bhaaratiiya sringaara shaastra treatises on aesthetics of romanticism, but they are left out for the present.

नित्य उत्संग वसत् भुजंग कवल क्लेशात् इव ईश अचलम् प्रालेय
प्लवन इच्छया अनुसरति श्री खण्ड शैल अनिलः किम् च स्निग्ध रसाल मौलि मुकुलानि
आलोक्य हर्ष उदयात् उन्मीलन्ति कुहूः कुहूः इति कल उत्तलाः पिकानाम् गिरः

Both breezes and serpents inhabit in the sandalwood groves of Mt malaya where serpents repeatedly bite breezes as they feeding upon them, whereby breezes undergo fervidity and course northward to take a plunge in Himalayan snow waters to cool off that feverishness, dealing out love fervidity en route; why breezes, even high rejoice is burgeoning in kokila birds on seeing just sprouted tender buds on mango trees, suddenly sallying forth coo coo voicing in an inexplicably melodious and heightened tones, only to heighten unrequited rejoice and lovesickness... thus this springtime is blithesome... [1-12]

The word kuhu, kuhuuH also means no moon night, without a streak of moon. The cooing of Kokila s is a bother to estranged couple, yet they are singing in fifth octavepancama svara only to intensify the troubles of such couples. The moon is an enemy to the estranged couple, for his very appearance enhances their uneasy passion. And somehow, the no moon day amaavaashya can be tolerated. The sounds of black koels are almost like no moon day that intimidates the moon. But the singing of koels is more painful, and all this culminates into spring fever, a restless or lethargic feeling sometimes associated with spring.

riiti vaidarbhi; varNaanu praasa shabda alankaara; upama hetu ardhaa alankaara; shaarduula vikriiDitam is its metre. Next, the poet while closing the first canto is telling a blessing benediction aashiirvaada ruupaka mangala aacaraNa.

रास उल्लास भरेण विभ्रम भृताम् आभीर वाम भ्रुवाम् अभ्यर्णम् परिरभ्य
निर्भरम् उरः प्रेम अन्धया राधया साधु त्वत् वदनम् सुधामयम् इति व्याहृत्य
गीत स्तुती व्याजात् उत्कट चुम्बित स्मित मनोहरी हरिः पातु वः

Blinded by her love for Krishna, Rādha drew nigh of him, who is among vivacious milkmaids with curvy eyebrows, and who are replete with rejoice while in ronde dancing, but Rādha ardently hugged his chest among all of them, and enthusiastically said thus, "Your face is nectareous...thus your singing must be nectarean...come sing now... “And then, on the pretext of eulogising his singing, she started to kiss him, and he who is thus kissed by Rādha is all smiles for her, and he who steals hearts with his beaming smiles, that Krishna may save our souls... [1-13

 In this lyric sringaara vipralambha; naayika pragalbha; naayaka mugdha; the manner of hugging is called vR^ikSha adhiruuDha tree climbing embrace tarum iva kamitaaram cumbana aartaa adhi roDhum yadabhilaSati naarii tat ca vR^ikShaadhiruuDham; the kissing style is called namitaka where milkmaids are happy enough with kissing and kisses abhiirajaaH cumbana haarya cittaaH; alankaara aashiis, aprastuta prasanga, vyaajoktiu, aakShepa, hetu; since Rādha advanced, some heroine's bravery is there naayika utsaaha ruupa viira rasa; anuvritti aarabhaTi; riiti paancaali; giiti artha maagadhi; gaana sthiti laya; Its metre is shaarduula vikriiDitam.