CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

The Gopīs’ Songs of Separation

Text 1
गोप्य ऊचु:
जयति तेऽधिकं जन्मना व्रज:
श्रयत इन्दिरा शश्वदत्र हि ।
द‍ृश्यतां दिक्षु तावका-
स्त्वयि धृतासवस्त्वां विचिन्वते ॥ १ ॥
gopya ūcuḥ
jayati te ’dhikaṁ janmanā vrajaḥ
śrayata indirā śaśvad atra hi
dayita dṛśyatāṁ dikṣu tāvakās
tvayi dhṛtāsavas tvāṁ vicinvate
Translation
The gopīs said: O beloved, Your birth in the land of Vraja has
made it exceedingly glorious, and thus Indirā, the goddess of
fortune, always resides here. It is only for Your sake that we,
Your devoted servants, maintain our lives. We have been
searching everywhere for You, so please show Yourself to us.

Text 2
शरदुदाशये साधुजातसत्-
द‍ृशा ।
सुरतनाथ तेऽशुल्कदासिका
वरद निघ्नतो नेह किं वध: ॥ २ ॥
 śarad-udāśaye sādhu-jāta-sat-
sarasijodara-śrī-muṣā dṛśā
surata-nātha te ’śulka-dāsikā
vara-da nighnato neha kiṁ vadhaḥ
Translation
O Lord of love, in beauty Your glance excels the whorl of the
finest, most perfectly formed lotus within the autumn pond. O
bestower of benedictions, You are killing the maidservants who
have given themselves to You freely, without any price. Isn’t
this murder?

Text 3
विषजलाप्ययाद् व्यालराक्षसाद्
वर्षमारुताद् वैद्युतानलात् ।
वृषमयात्मजाद् विश्वतो भया-
दृषभ ते वयं रक्षिता मुहु: ॥ ३ ॥
viṣa-jalāpyayād vyāla-rākṣasād
varṣa-mārutād vaidyutānalāt
vṛṣa-mayātmajād viśvato bhayād
ṛṣabha te vayaṁ rakṣitā muhuḥ
Translation
O greatest of personalities, You have repeatedly saved us from
all kinds of danger — from poisoned water, from the terrible
man-eater Agha, from the great rains, from the wind demon,
from the fiery thunderbolt of Indra, from the bull demon and
from the son of Maya Dānava.
 Text 4
न खलु गोपीकानन्दनो भवान्
।
विखनसार्थितो विश्वगुप्तये
सख उदेयिवान् सात्वतां कुले ॥ ४ ॥
na khalu gopīkā-nandano bhavān
akhila-dehinām antarātma-dṛk
vikhanasārthito viśva-guptaye
sakha udeyivān sātvatāṁ kule
Translation
You are not actually the son of the gopī Yaśodā, O friend, but
rather the indwelling witness in the hearts of all embodied
souls. Because Lord Brahmā prayed for You to come and
protect the universe, You have now appeared in the Sātvata
dynasty.

Text 5
विरचिताभयं वृष्णिधूर्य ते
चरणमीयुषां संसृतेर्भयात् ।
करसरोरुहं कान्त कामदं
शिरसि धेहि न: श्रीकरग्रहम् ॥ ५ ॥
viracitābhayaṁ vṛṣṇi-dhūrya te
caraṇam īyuṣāṁ saṁsṛter bhayāt
kara-saroruhaṁ kānta kāma-daṁ
śirasi dhehi naḥ śrī-kara-graham
Translation
O best of the Vṛṣṇis, Your lotuslike hand, which holds the hand
of the goddess of fortune, grants fearlessness to those who
approach Your feet out of fear of material existence. O lover,
please place that wish-fulfilling lotus hand on our heads.

Text 6
व्रजजनार्तिहन् वीर योषितां
निजजनस्मयध्वंसनस्मित ।
भज सखे भवत्किङ्करी: स्म नो
जलरुहाननं चारु दर्शय ॥ ६ ॥
vraja-janārti-han vīra yoṣitāṁ
nija-jana-smaya-dhvaṁsana-smita
bhaja sakhe bhavat-kiṅkarīḥ sma no
jalaruhānanaṁ cāru darśaya
Translation
O You who destroy the suffering of Vraja’s people, O hero of all
women, Your smile shatters the false pride of Your devotees.
Please, dear friend, accept us as Your maidservants and show
us Your beautiful lotus face.

Text 7
प्रणतदेहिनां पापकर्षणं
तृणचरानुगं श्रीनिकेतनम् ।
फणिफणार्पितं ते पदाम्बुजं
कृणु कुचेषु न: कृन्धि हृच्छयम् ॥ ७ ॥
praṇata-dehināṁ pāpa-karṣaṇaṁ
tṛṇa-carānugaṁ śrī-niketanam
phaṇi-phaṇārpitaṁ te padāmbujaṁ
kṛṇu kuceṣu naḥ kṛndhi hṛc-chayam
 Translation
Your lotus feet destroy the past sins of all embodied souls who
surrender to them. Those feet follow after the cows in the
pastures and are the eternal abode of the goddess of fortune.
Since You once put those feet on the hoods of the great serpent
Kāliya, please place them upon our breasts and tear away the
lust in our hearts.

Text 8
मधुरया गिरा वल्गुवाक्यया
बुधमनोज्ञया पुष्करेक्षण ।
विधिकरीरिमा वीर मुह्यतीर्
अधरसीधुनाप्याययस्व न: ॥ ८ ॥
madhurayā girā valgu-vākyayā
budha-manojñayā puṣkarekṣaṇa
vidhi-karīr imā vīra muhyatīr
adhara-sīdhunāpyāyayasva naḥ
Translation
O lotus-eyed one, Your sweet voice and charming words, which
attract the minds of the intelligent, are bewildering us more
and more. Our dear hero, please revive Your maidservants
with the nectar of Your lips.

Text 9
तव कथामृतं तप्तजीवनं
कविभिरीडितं कल्मषापहम् ।
श्रवणमङ्गलं श्रीमदाततं
भुवि गृणन्ति ये भूरिदा जना: ॥ ९ ॥
 tava kathāmṛtaṁ tapta-jīvanaṁ
kavibhir īḍitaṁ kalmaṣāpaham
śravaṇa-maṅgalaṁ śrīmad ātataṁ
bhuvi gṛṇanti ye bhūri-dā janāḥ
Translation
The nectar of Your words and the descriptions of Your
activities are the life and soul of those suffering in this material
world. These narrations, transmitted by learned sages,
eradicate one’s sinful reactions and bestow good fortune upon
whoever hears them. These narrations are broadcast all over
the world and are filled with spiritual power. Certainly those
who spread the message of Godhead are most munificent.

Text 10
प्रहसितं प्रिय प्रेमवीक्षणं
विहरणं च ते ध्यानमङ्गलम् ।
रहसि संविदो या हृदिस्पृश:
कुहक नो मन: क्षोभयन्ति हि ॥ १० ॥
prahasitaṁ priya-prema-vīkṣaṇaṁ
viharaṇaṁ ca te dhyāna-maṅgalam
rahasi saṁvido yā hṛdi spṛśaḥ
kuhaka no manaḥ kṣobhayanti hi
Translation
Your smiles, Your sweet, loving glances, the intimate pastimes
and confidential talks we enjoyed with You — all these are
auspicious to meditate upon, and they touch our hearts. But at
the same time, O deceiver, they very much agitate our minds.
 Text 11
चलसि यद् व्रजाच्चारयन् पशून्
नलिनसुन्दरं नाथ ते पदम् ।
शिलतृणाङ्कुरै: सीदतीति न:
कलिलतां मन: कान्त गच्छति ॥ ११ ॥
calasi yad vrajāc cārayan paśūn
nalina-sundaraṁ nātha te padam
śila-tṛṇāṅkuraiḥ sīdatīti naḥ
kalilatāṁ manaḥ kānta gacchati
Translation
Dear master, dear lover, when You leave the cowherd village to
herd the cows, our minds are disturbed with the thought that
Your feet, more beautiful than a lotus, will be pricked by the
spiked husks of grain and the rough grass and plants.

Text 12
दिनपरिक्षये नीलकुन्तलै-
र्वनरुहाननं बिभ्रदावृतम् ।
घनरजस्वलं दर्शयन् मुहु-
र्मनसि न: स्मरं वीर यच्छसि ॥ १२ ॥
dina-parikṣaye nīla-kuntalair
vanaruhānanaṁ bibhrad āvṛtam
ghana-rajasvalaṁ darśayan muhur
manasi naḥ smaraṁ vīra yacchasi
Translation
At the end of the day You repeatedly show us Your lotus face,
covered with dark blue locks of hair and thickly powdered with
dust. Thus, O hero, You arouse lusty desires in our minds.
 Text 13
प्रणतकामदं पद्मजार्चितं
धरणिमण्डनं ध्येयमापदि ।
चरणपङ्कजं शन्तमं च ते
रमण न: स्तनेष्वर्पयाधिहन् ॥ १३ ॥
praṇata-kāma-daṁ padmajārcitaṁ
dharaṇi-maṇḍanaṁ dhyeyam āpadi
caraṇa-paṅkajaṁ śantamaṁ ca te
ramaṇa naḥ staneṣv arpayādhi-han
Translation
Your lotus feet, which are worshiped by Lord Brahmā, fulfill
the desires of all who bow down to them. They are the
ornament of the earth, they give the highest satisfaction, and in
times of danger they are the appropriate object of meditation.
O lover, O destroyer of anxiety, please put those lotus feet upon
our breasts.

Text 14
सुरतवर्धनं शोकनाशनं
स्वरितवेणुना सुष्ठु चुम्बितम् ।
इतररागविस्मारणं नृणां
वितर वीर नस्तेऽधरामृतम् ॥ १४ ॥
surata-vardhanaṁ śoka-nāśanaṁ
svarita-veṇunā suṣṭhu cumbitam
itara-rāga-vismāraṇaṁ nṛṇāṁ
vitara vīra nas te ’dharāmṛtam
 Translation
O hero, kindly distribute to us the nectar of Your lips, which
enhances conjugal pleasure and vanquishes grief. That nectar
is thoroughly relished by Your vibrating flute and makes
people forget any other attachment.

Text 15
अटति यद् भवानह्नि काननं
त्रुटि युगायते त्वामपश्यताम् ।
कुटिलकुन्तलं श्रीमुखं च ते
जड उदीक्षतां पक्ष्मकृद् दृशाम् ॥ १५ ॥
aṭati yad bhavān ahni kānanaṁ
truṭi yugāyate tvām apaśyatām
kuṭila-kuntalaṁ śrī-mukhaṁ ca te
jaḍa udīkṣatāṁ pakṣma-kṛd dṛśām
Translation
When You go off to the forest during the day, a tiny fraction of
a second becomes like a millennium for us because we cannot
see You. And even when we can eagerly look upon Your
beautiful face, so lovely with its adornment of curly locks, our
pleasure is hindered by our eyelids, which were fashioned by
the foolish creator.

Text 16
पतिसुतान्वयभ्रातृबान्धवा-
‌तेऽन्त्यच्युतागता: ।
गतिविदस्तवोद्गीतमोहिता:
कितव योषित: कस्त्यजेन्निशि ॥ १६ ॥
 pati-sutānvaya-bhrātṛ-bāndhavān
ativilaṅghya te ’nty acyutāgatāḥ
gati-vidas tavodgīta-mohitāḥ
kitava yoṣitaḥ kas tyajen niśi
Translation

Dear Acyuta, You know very well why we have come here. Who
but a cheater like You would abandon young women who come
to see Him in the middle of the night, enchanted by the loud
song of His flute? Just to see You, we have completely rejected
our husbands, children, ancestors, brothers and other
relatives.

Text 17
रहसि संविदं हृच्छयोदयं
प्रहसिताननं प्रेमवीक्षणम् ।
बृहदुर: श्रियो वीक्ष्य धाम ते
मुहुरतिस्पृहा मुह्यते मन: ॥ १७ ॥
rahasi saṁvidaṁ hṛc-chayodayaṁ
prahasitānanaṁ prema-vīkṣaṇam
bṛhad-uraḥ śriyo vīkṣya dhāma te
muhur ati-spṛhā muhyate manaḥ
Translation

Our minds are repeatedly bewildered as we think of the

intimate conversations we had with You in secret, feel the rise
of lust in our hearts and remember Your smiling face, Your
loving glances and Your broad chest, the resting place of the
goddess of fortune. Thus we experience the most severe
hankering for You.

Text 18
व्रजवनौकसां व्यक्तिरङ्ग ते
विश्वमङ्गलम् ।
त्यज मनाक् च नस्त्वत्स्पृहात्मनां
स्वजनहृद्रुजां यन्निषूदनम् ॥ १८ ॥
vraja-vanaukasāṁ vyaktir aṅga te
vṛjina-hantry alaṁ viśva-maṅgalam
tyaja manāk ca nas tvat-spṛhātmanāṁ
sva-jana-hṛd-rujāṁ yan niṣūdanam
Translation

O beloved, Your all-auspicious appearance vanquishes the

distress of those living in Vraja’s forests. Our minds long for
Your association. Please give to us just a bit of that medicine,
which counteracts the disease in Your devotees’ hearts.

Text 19
यत्ते सुजातचरणाम्बुरुहं स्तनेषु
भीता: शनै: प्रिय दधीमहि कर्कशेषु ।
तेनाटवीमटसि तद् व्यथते न किंस्वित्
कूर्पादिभिर्भ्रमति धीर्भवदायुषां न: ॥ १९ ॥
yat te sujāta-caraṇāmburuhaṁ staneṣu
bhītāḥ śanaiḥ priya dadhīmahi karkaśeṣu
tenāṭavīm aṭasi tad vyathate na kiṁ svit
kūrpādibhir bhramati dhīr bhavad-āyuṣāṁ naḥ
 Translation

O dearly beloved! Your lotus feet are so soft that we place them
gently on our breasts, fearing that Your feet will be hurt. Our
life rests only in You. Our minds, therefore, are filled with
anxiety that Your tender feet might be wounded by pebbles as
You roam about on the forest path.

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