Kṛṣṇa Bhāvanāmṛta, Chapter One

I had not yet reviewed the first two chapters of the book, which are also packed with new items, and gave me a better view of the text . In order not to increase the bulk of each blog I will do chapter for chapter. This book has been such a great asset that it’s probably to 2007 what Bhānu Swāmī’s Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu was to 2006 - the book of the year!

1.1 Kṛṣṇadeva Sārvabhauma comments that surrender to the Lord has two results for a devotee - a complete cessation of misery and the relish of the Lord's form, attributes and pastimes. duḥka-nivṛttis tathānusaṁhita bhagavad rūpa guṇādi mādhuryāsvādaś ceti.

1.2 The purport originally translated by me from Rādhikānātha Gosvāmī comes from Kṛṣṇadeva Sārvabhauma's Sanskrit ṭīkā.

1.10 It should be śṛṅgāra-dhura, not śṛṅgāra-dhu.

1.12 Kṛṣṇadeva Sārvabhauma explains that yadā madano bālyaṁ dūrīkṛtya rādhāṅga-rājyam āgrahīt tadaiva lajjā-svarūpaṁ nija deśasya pālikam…… “When Rādhā grew up Cupid seized the kingdom of Her body and removed childhood from Her. Then bashfulness became the protectress of Her land….”

1.13 Kṛṣṇadeva Sārvabhauma explains that the offence was committed to Cupid himself, as a result of which Cupid removed her: kim u asmai kandarpāya aparādhyatisma yena aparādhena hetunā kandarpena dūrīkṛta. Or perhaps he removed her just to delight our eyes? kimvā asmad akṣṇaṁ sukhabhoga hetuḥ ….kandarpa svarūpena lajjā dūrīkaraṇārtham abhyudeti

1.14 Kṛṣṇadeva Sārvabhauma explains that this verse is spoken by another sakhī - antaram āha.

1.15 Kṛṣṇadeva Sārvabhauma explains: megha pakṣe sthira acapalā cañcalālyo vidyut śreṇyas tābhiḥ kṛṣṇa pakṣe autsukya vāmyabhyaṁ sthira ca cañcala ca ya ali rādhā …..”Rādhā embraced Kṛṣṇa as a lightning strike that was both steady and restless out of simultaneous eagerness and opposition (vāmya)….”

1.18 A famous kuñja bhaṅga-song is added in a footnote:

ālikula jāgalo alikula gaṇe.
camakita cāha-i cakita nayane.

cañcala cita ati calali nikuñje.
sukhada śeja taṅhi kusuma puñje.

vigalita kuntala vigalita vāse;
heri heri sahacari kuru parihāse

“The alis (sakhīs) woke up from the songs of the alis (bees) and looked all around with startled eyes. With restless minds they entered the kunja where there was a delightful bed made of lots of flowers. The sakhīs cracked jokes when they saw (Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s) loosened hair and garments.”

1.20 A song is quoted in the footnote:

rāginī bhairavī— tāla eka tālā

KĀNANA DEVATI HERI NIŚI AVASĀNA
ĀDEŚILĀ DVIJA KULE KOROITE GĀNA

"When the sylvan goddess (Vṛndā) saw that the night was over she ordered her birds to sing."

SĀRI ŚUKE KOHE DOHE JĀGĀHO TURITE
ARUṆA UDOY HERI NĀHI MĀNA BHĪTE

"The Śārī (Mynah) told the Śuka (the male parrot) "Quickly awaken Them both! The sun is rising, and They are (too oblivious and hence) not afraid."

BĀNARĪGANE PUNAḤ KOROLO ĀDEŚA
TURITE ŚABADA KORO NIŚI AVAŚEṢA

"Then again she ordered the female monkeys: "Quickly resound! The night is over!"

ŚUNAITE IHA VANA DEVATI BOL
KĀNANA BHARIYĀ UTHILO MAHĀ ROL

"When the forest creatures heard these words of the sylvan goddess, the forest became filled with a great noise."

HERAITE AICHANA NIŚI PARABHĀTA
MĀDHAVA DĀSA ŚIRE DEI HĀT

"Seeing that the night has thus ended and the morning has come, Mādhava dāsa strikes his head with his hand."

1.22 A song is added in the footnote:

vṛnda vacana hi, uṭho hi phukāra-i,
śuka pika śārikā pāṅti
śunata hi jāgi, punahuṅ pahuṅ ghūmalo
nāyarī kora hi jānti

“On Vṛndā’s order the male and female parrots woke up and began to sing. Hearing this, Kṛṣṇa woke up but then again fell asleep in the arms of His beloved.”

hari hari! jāgaho nāgara kāna!
boḍo pāmara bihi kiye duḥka deolo,
korolo rajanī avasāna (Dhru)

Refrain: “Hari Hari! Wake up, Kṛṣṇa! This big rascal Fate is giving You distress by ending the night!”

āoli bāuri, varaja maheśvari,
boloto puna dadhilol
śunaite kātara, vidagadha nāyara,
thora nayāna duhu khol

“Dadhilol, the monkey, said: Mother Yaśodā is coming!” Hearing this, our clever hero became upset and slightly opened His eyes.”

nāyari heri, punahi diṭhi mudalo,
pulaka mukula bhoru aṅge
balarāma herato, kaba sukha śāyara,
nimajabo raṅga taraṅge

“Seeing His beloved, He closed His eyes again while goosepimples studded His limbs. Balarām Dās says: ‘When will I be immersed in the waves of that ocean of bliss?”

1.24 I forgot to translate keli-vani, which means ‘The birds of this small play-forest.”

1.28 I forgot to translate premāspadatvānupamaḥ, which means ‘the parrots are the matchless objects of Kṛṣṇa’s love…”

1.30 netyucitam does not mean ‘That’s not improper’, but ‘That’s not proper’.

1.32 Kṛṣṇadeva Sārvabhauma adds: prasūneti nandad api goṣṭheśvaryā āsaktir adhika ataeva sāpyadhuna tvanmukhālokanārtham ayasyatīti bhāvaḥ “Mother Yaśodā loves You even more than Nanda, what if she would come here to look at Your face?” A song is added here:

khojati phirati, jananī yaśomatī,
āoli kuñja kuṭīra
śunaite dakṣa vicakṣaṇa bhāṣana,
camakita gokula vīra

“When Kṛṣṇa, the hero of Gokula, hears from the parrots Dakṣa and Vicakṣaṇa that ‘Your mother Yaśomati is coming to the kuñja kuṭīra, searching for You!’, he becomes startled.”

hari hari! āba duhu ghumaka lāgi

kore agori, carama bhare śutala, rati raṇe yāminī jāgi

(Chorus: ) ‘Hari Hari (oh oh)! Now both lovers are sleeping at Each others chests after staying up all night in an amorous battle!”

rati rase avaśa kalevara nāgara,
uṭhahi ṭhorahi ṭhora
prāṇa piyārī, nehari punahu panhu,
bhori rahoi tachu kora

“Kṛṣṇa made a slight effort to get up, exhausted as He was from His amorous exploits. He was absorbed in staring at His heart’s beloved, keeping Her at His chest.”

rāi mukha ghana ghana, cumbai sādara,
kātara hṛdaya murāri
nayanaka nirahi, śayana bhigaya-i,
heri balarāma bolihāri

“Murāri was anxious at heart and affectionately kissed Rādhā’s face, His tears moistening the bed.” Balarāma Das praises this when he sees it.

1.33 I made one error in the translation here. It should be ‘Glory to You, my Queen! You increase the desire in the hearts of all the leading ladies, headed by Lakshmi-devi, who are themselves blessed with great fortune of vilāsa (form or pastimes). (not that ‘they desire the beauty of Your face’. śrī-mukha means ‘headed by Lakṣmī’) Kṛṣṇadeva Sārvabhauma adds the following comment: pakṣe śubha kathambhūta sūkṣmadhiḥ evaṁ sāpi kathambhūta śubha tatra dṛṣṭāntaḥ yathā care pāśaka krīḍopayukta kaṣṭādi nirmita bala iti prasiddha śārī yathā devanaiḥ pāśakaiḥ saha sammata sthitir yasyaḥ sa. “Just as a game of dice requires both dice (devana) and wooden pieces (śārīs), in Vṛndāvana also there are also two śārīs (Mynahs) called Śubhā and Sūkṣmadhī, who know the limit of Śrī Rādhā-Śyāma’s pastimes (devana also means pastimes).”