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Final installment of the whopping update of my Kṛṣṇa Bhāvanāmṛta translation. Please read this with my published translation at hand:
Chapter Two:
2.2 In the footnote there is a very elaborate description of Lalitā sakhī from different scriptures.
2.4 Kṛṣṇadeva Sārvabhauma adds: sambhoga samaye cūḍā veṇyor grahaṇena vyākṣiptam – ‘Their crowns and braids have been dishevelled or loosened during Their amorous enjoyment.”
2.5 In the footnote there is a similar elaborate description of Viśākhā sakhī from different books.
Madhusūdana Vācaspati here explains that this verse shows it is a draw between Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.
2.7 In the ṭīkā Kṛṣṇadeva Sārvabhauma explains that the word anumodana means ‘relishing’, which changes the translation: “In the unblinking eyes of Lalitā and the other anurāgī sakhīs the luster (rūpa mañjarī) of the Divine Pair (‘s clothes and ornaments) became more and more relishable (aidhata).“ tathā ca tat bhūṣaṇādikaṁ vinaiva tatkālīnotpannāt saundaryād eva śobhātiśayo jāta “At that time They look even more beautiful without ornaments (naked).”
In an elaborate footnote all the information on Rūpa and Rati Manjarī is given, as well as a full definition of mañjarī bhāva.
2.9 Kṛṣṇadeva Sārvabhauma adds: nidrāveśe sati padārthāntara bhojanasya kaṣṭadāyakatve pīyūṣa baṭyā ati komalatvānnātra bhojanānukūla….. “This pīyūṣa bāṭī (a type of soft cake or pie, not a nectar-drink as I originally wrote) is more convenient for them to eat than other eatables, since They are still half asleep.”
2.11 Madhusūdana Vācaspati comments that the nectar eases the pain of the piercing by the arrows. Kṛṣṇadeva Sārvabhauma says it is anyonyaṁ puṣṭau – it nourishes both of Them.
A song by Jñānadāsa is added in the footnote.
2.13 Rūpa Gosvāmī is quoted here as saying Rādhikā’s jewelled earrings are called Rocana and Her nose-ring is called Prabhākarī.
2.16 Kṛṣṇadeva Sārvabhauma comments that paraspara mukha darśanārthaṁ kiṁ darpaṇaṁ mārjitaṁ cakāra – “Have they cleaned Their mirror-like faces so that They could see Each others faces better (in these mirrors)?”
2.17 The most famous maṅgalārati songs are added in a footnote here, like maṅgala ārati yugala kiśora- ratiraṇe śrama-yuta, nāgarī nāgara, plus this really charming song:
śeṣa rajanī kusuma śayane, baiṭhalo duhu jāgi;
alase avaśa, rahalo rāi śyāma uraja lāgi
sahaje caturā, saba sakhīgaṇa, milalo samaya jāni;
nirakhata doha, vadana kamala, divasa saphala māni
“At the end of the night, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa woke up and sat up. Exhausted, Rāi leaned against Śyāma’s chest. The naturally clever sakhīs then met, knowing the time had come (to serve). Beholding the lotus-faces of the Divine Pair, they considered their day to be a success.”
ratana pradīpa, ghṛta samayuta, āgara dhūpa jvāli
lalitā liyata, kāñcana jhāri, diyata nīra ḍāri
maṅgala ārati kusuma varikhe, gokula sukumārī
jaya jaya vṛṣabhānu kumara, jaya girivaradhārī
upajilo koto ānanda sarase virasa mukha vibhaṅga
nirakhata dohe caraṇāravinda, govinda dāsa bhṛṅga
“A jewelled ghee lamp and a standard with incense were burning and Lalitā sakhī poured water from a golden jar. The tender girls of Gokula showered flowers over Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja’s daughter and Girivaradhārī. So much bliss was there! Govinda Dās is like a bee that relishes the honey-like view of Their lotus-like feet.”
2.18 Kṛṣnadeva Sārvabhauma adds: ājahāra ānītavatī śrī kṛṣṇa dvārā yūtheśvaryā veśārtham - “The maidservant brings the ornaments, understanding that Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself will today dress Yūtheśvarī Rādhā.”
2.21 In a footnote it is said that Rādhikā’s mirror is named Maṇibāndhava, but in Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Gaṇoddeśa Dīpikā Rūpa Gosvāmī calls it ‘Sudhāṁśu darpa-haraṇa’, he who removes the pride of the moon’. Kṛṣṇa’s mirror is indeed named ‘Śarad Indu’ (autumn moon).
2.22 Premamayī Rādhikā’s loving pride increased at this, and then naturally She assumes the mood of svādhīna bhartṛkā, the heroine who rules over Her lover. The footnote quotes the definition of this svādhīna bhartṛkā from Ujjvala Nīlamaṇi.
2.25 Bhānumati is not just the name of a sakhī-mañjarī but it also means ‘the lustrous one’, as an adjective for the hair, according to Kṛṣṇadeva Sārvabhauma (kacāvalī kīdṛśī bhānumatī kāntimatī). Kṛṣṇadeva Sārvabhauma promises that all the mañjarīs’ names in this book will have double meanings – atra granthe sarvatra kiṅkarīṇāṁ śleṣeṇaivollekha…
2.26 Same for Rāgalekhā Mañjarī – it is the name of a maidservant but also means that the substances like musk, sandal and vermilion are all made of the essence of divine passion (anurāga-śreṇyā samyāg vibhāvitair vāsitaiḥ). Rādhikānāth Gosvāmī’s translation of this verse was totally insufficient and incomplete, and thus my translation of the same, too.
The correct translation should be: “After this, Rāgalekhā Mañjarī prepared musk, sandal and vermilion that is filled with anurāga, placed them on different golden trays along with a brush to make pictures, and placed all this before Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Kṛṣṇa smiled and reappeared before Rādhikā to make Her tilaka on Her forehead with the brush. Although this was His first attempt, He at once defeated hundreds of expert decorators with His expert drawings. First He made a black circle of musk, then He made an eight-petalled lotus with the pollen of vermilion and within that He placed some sandal-spots.” All this is from Kṛṣṇadeva Sārvabhauma’s ṭīkā. A sample is: prathamataḥ kasturikāyāḥ śyāmaṁ maṇḍalaṁ tasya caturdikṣu keśareṇāṣṭadala kamala racanā madhye madhye candana binduḥ…. “First he makes a śyāma circle of musk, then he makes an eight-petalled lotus with keśara (vermilion), and in between sandal spots….”
2.27 Labaṅga mañjarī is here also identified with clove-buds (labaṅga puṣpasya mañjaryā), of which she crafts Rādhikā’s earrings. She hands these to Kṛṣṇa, who praises her expertise in crafting a hundred times. At that time Labaṅga Mañjarī brings a cup with eyeliner and a golden pencil to apply it to Rādhikā’s eyes with, and Kṛṣṇa is doing just that then. There are three footnotes to this verse, one giving a full description of Labaṅga Mañjarī, one describing the Tāṭaṅka earrings (shaped like peacocks, lotus flowers or crescent moons), and one naming Rādhikā’s eyeliner pencil as ‘Narmadā’.
2.30 In the footnote it is said that Līlā Mañjarī is none other than Mañjulāli Mañjarī. Kṛṣṇadeva Sārvabhauma has an interesting ṭīkā here: prasādhanasya arthaḥ prayojanaṁ sambhogas tasya pratipādane jñāpane unmukhyo yā śrī rūpa līlā ratīnāṁ mañjaryaḥ mukhe yasya saḥ “The luster of form, pastimes and amorous attraction (rati) shone in Kṛṣṇa’s face, indicating His desire for amorous enjoyment.” The names of Rūpa Rati and Līla Mañjarī are all hidden in here.
2.31 The signs were deliberately wiped out by Hari’s chest.
2.32 In a footnote it is explained that of the four types of sambhoga, samṛddhimān is the most intense and it takes place after meeting in a dream, distant journey of the lover, viparīta vilāsa, bhojana kautuka (dinner!), sleeping together and svādhīna bhartṛkā. Sambhoga here takes place after svādhīna bhartṛkā. Songs are quoted from Ghanaśyāma Dās and Govinda Dās.
2.34 There is a song by Yadunandana in the footnote.
2.35 There is a song by Govinda Dās in the footnote.
2.36 Kṛṣṇadeva Sārvabhauma comments: kiṅkarīgaṇasya sāhāyyaṁ vinā sakhi prativyaktavyasya vikāśāsambhavāt “Without the help of the maidservants it is impossible to make the sakhīs forget what has happened. (that is why She made them loyal to Her with Her arched eyebrows)”
2.43 It is not Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, but Their dharma that gave up its body at Prayāga.
2.46 The conventional meaning was wrongly translated by me. It should have been: “”Behold this young brahmacārī! To experience the bliss of the full Brahman he has subdued māyā and took shelter of Yoganidrā. Fully liberated souls are worshipping Mukti-Śrī to become eligible for liberation and then sit on a great seat of yoga. It seems this king of yogīs has attained siddhi!”
2.49 It should be: (Kṛṣṇa said:) “It is clear that your dear sakhī has attained greater yoga siddhis! Look! Even on My chest there are beautiful moonbeams, that destroy the illusion of darkness and indicate Her experience of the bliss of Brahman!”
2.59 Ref. Rāy Śekhara song Array5. There is also a nice pada by Yadunandana here.
2.60 Kakkhati is admonished here in Madhusūdana’s translation, which is not backed up by either the mūla or the ṭīkā – ‘Alas! Kakkhati! What have you done? Are you a stone or so? With your false thunderbolt-words you destroyed such a festival which delights the eyes! You have no affection or sensitivity at all!”
2.64 There is a debate here between Śaṅkā (anxiety, about the obstacles) and Autsukya (eagerness for further union). Śāṅkā says: “It is better to give up the desire for bodily union altogether now.” Autsukya, however, says: “Why? If there is no apparent reason for breaking the union, then let there be mutual bodily satisfaction!” As long as Jaṭilā is not in sight Śaṅkā is somewhat in check and seems to be defeated by Autsukya. The Vijaya-māla (victor’s garland) in the form of Kṛṣṇa’s arm on Rādhikā’s shoulder, is a sign of Autsukya’s victory.
2.66 Here, as in many other verses, Madhusūdana Vācaspati adds a lengthy emotional commentary, which, in my opinion, is a bit distracting and unnecessary, especially since it is not found either in the śloka nor in the ṭīkā. “Their embrace” in the original translation should, of course, be “Each other’s embrace”. A song by Mādhava Ghoṣa is quoted here to illustrate the intense scene.
2.67 Madhusūdana explains that just as innocent citizens get scared of thugs when there is no longer a king around to protect them, the gopīs also get scared when the thug-like sunrise removes their protector, the dark night.
2.68 Normally the lotus flowers rejoice when their friend the sun rises, but not so for the lotus-like gopīs, who now lose their lover. “Cupid failed to shoot his darts” means that fear of Jaṭilā contracts their lusty desires.
2.69 Now Śaṅkā finally defeated Autsukya (see verse 64). Kṛṣṇadeva Sārvabhauma explains that ‘Vraja’ means ‘the nikuñja’ (because all of this takes place in Vraja anyway).
2.70 In all these verses ‘fear’ is the combatant called Śaṅkā. Madhusūdana admonishes Śaṅkā as follows: “Alas! Alas! Even the stones would melt if they saw this scene of separation! O heartless Śaṅke! What have you done? Why have you separated this golden vine from the neck of the Tamāla tree? Why have you ruined the sweet meeting of these two moons? Tell me Śaṅke! Why have you broken the festival of the eyes of the loving devotees? Oh what a heartbreaking scene!” (Follows regular translation)
2.71 What is added to the regular translation between brackets comes from the Sanskrit comment of Kṛṣṇadeva Sārvabhauma, and is strangely not included by Madhusūdana, who otherwise adds so many of his own elaborations.
2.72 The first sentence, between brackets, can be ignored.
2.73 apāra ruk means, according to Kṛṣṇadeva Sārvabhauma, ‘endless luster’ and (giving) endless pain. The warm tears blurred Kṛṣṇa’s vision and made it hard for Him to find His way. He also lost His intelligence, so it was hard for Him to find the way and made Him likely to fall on the way.
2.74 Ref. Rāya Śekhara song Array7.
2.76 A song is quoted by Govinda Dās.
2.79 yoga means union with Kṛṣṇa, that caused Rādhikā to be absorbed in the nectar of His form, taste and voice. Now, however, She is separated and She tastes poison (kālakūṭaṁ viṣaṁ adarśayat). In the aṣṭāṅga-yoga-context nirveda paddhati means ‘self-condemnation’, which is a part of the teaching of renunciation. Acyutānanda means the joy of liberation or the joy of union with Kṛṣṇa. viyoga or falling down from yoga-principles leads to custums that are opposed to the Vedas and result in the poison (kālakūṭa) of death.
2.80 Kṛṣṇadeva Sārvabhauma explains that anurāga parabhāgavatī does not mean ‘Supreme Goddess’, as I wrongly translated, but para-bhāga means excellence, so it is “She who excels in anurāga (constant passion).”
Madhusūdana says Rādhikā couldn’t understand because She was too upset.
In the footnote a song is quoted from Kānu Dās.
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