Govinda lilamrta chapter 14

[Paramananda das]

 

Pranams to the readers of Govinda lilamrta 

Govinda lilamrta gives us a glimpse into reality .This material world seems so real , it is temporary and full of miseries ,the real world is with Krsna .The socalled association with neophyte devotees when not fully related to service of the Divine Couple is not much aspired for by the advanced devotees. Their real interest is to relish the pastimes of Radha Krsna ,they know this temporary body will be over soon and it will be time to join Radha and Krsna .Where do I as a spirit soul fit in to the pastimes of Lord Caitanya and Radha Krsna ,this is the essence of understanding all the Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavata Gita and Caitanay Caritamrta etc. At Radha Kunda during Radha Krsnas Madhyana lila so many pastimes take place Krsna enjoys all 6 seasons and daily do Holy festival at Radha Kunda, daily He has Jhulan Yatra and He enjoys honey wine with Sri Radha. (Madhupana) .The romances of the material world is nothing but a temporary perverted reflection of the pastimes of Radha and Krsna. Like it is stated in the 15th Chapter of Bhagavad Gita , and up side down world .Lust is replaced with Prema in the pastimes of Krsna and all emotiones are bhava bhakti far beyond the 3 modes of matter .

CHAPTER 14

 

 

This chapter describes Shri Radhika's Prema Vaicittya (feeling separation from Krishna even in His presence), Krishna and the gopis playing Holi (Colour festival in the spring), Jhulana (swing festival in the rainy season) and Madhupana (drinking of honeywine)

 

 

Then a bumblebee, attracted by the gopis' fragrance, fell on their lotuslike faces, but they stopped him, so he went on to Shri Radha's lotusface, where he flew around humming, intoxicated by Her fragrance. Radhika became scared and with restless eyes She beat the bee off with Her handlotus. Her waving hands made Her bangles jingle, but this did not stop the greedy bee, so She protected Her lotusface with Hari's scarf, standing by His side. (1-2)

 

 

Seeing that the bee went to the lotusforest, the sakhis said: "Don't be afraid, sakhi ! Madhusudana (the bee, or Krishna) eagerly went to the Padmali (the lotusforest, or Padma's fricnd Candravali). We stoppcd this cheater (the bee or Krishna) from touching You, and he left!" (3)

 

 

Hearing this, Radhika thought that Krsna had gone to Candravali. Blinded by an abundance of love for Him, She could not see that Krishna was standing right next to Her!" (4)

 

 

The sakhis, understanding Krishna's gestures, did not bring Radha back to Her senses, for they wanted to astonish Krishna by showing Radhika's love-ecstasy to Him. (5)

 

 

Bewildered by Her separation-i n-union (prema vaicittya) Radha thought that Krishna had gone to another lover; so She angrily left and told Dhanistha: "Dhanisthe, impudent girl! Where has Krishna, the dancer of the deceitful dancing girl Candravali gone?" Dhanistha said: "Sakhi Radhe! He has gone to pick lotusflowers for You in the forest! (padmali means lotusforest or Candravali)" Radhika said: "No, you cheat! If He has gone to Candravali, then what will happen?" Dhanisthika said: "The luster of her face will fade away before Yours!" Radhika said: "There's no fault in you! I'm a fool, for even though I heard that Krishna had entered the deep forest with Saibya, I believed your deceitful words and I imagined that Krishna had come to Me! Alas! Even Dhanistha, who is as dear to Me as life itself, is cheating Me and Krishna.has left Me to enjoy with Candravali in My favorite forest. That I have to see all this with My own eyes! If anyone in this world has a long lifespan, will he have to see Me or not (It's better for Me to die)? Ahaha! How sad it is that this cheater keeps Candravali hidden in a solitary kunja near My dear lake (Radhakunda), takes Me here to speak some false words to Me and then leaves Me again to go back to her! Who can tolerate this?" (6-10)

comment: Krsna is standing next to Radha and still She is absorbed in seperation from Krsna and manifesting mana Bhava ...angry love for Krsna .One time Sri Radha created a whole lake with Her transcendental tears it is called Mana Sarovara\ .

 It is on the other side of Yamuna and I aspire to visit this holy place again and again 

 

Lalita said: "0 Sakhi! I saw Krishna's deceit so many times, but You are so naive and did not notice it. Now let us go home!" Saying this, Lalita pulled Radha by the hand towards Her home and Radha, out of fear; humility, eagerness and distress of separation from Krishna, told her: "Sakhi Lalite! Why does My unwilling mind ignore Krishna's faults despite seeing them, and imagines so many qualities? What can I do? Just as the Sasthikawheat never comes out of its husk, even if it is ripe, the lusty desires of a lady are never outwardly manifest, even if the vine of these desires is grown up." (11-14)

 

 

Radhika told Lalita: "Sakhi ! Give up these talks on morality, that arc needlessly hurting the ears of the women! It makes My heart break, My life leave Me and My body whirl! Let My honour; My patience and My shame leave Me! Alas! I praise you, 0 sakhi! Quickly show Me My Prana Vallabha!" (15)

 

 

Lalita replied: "Krishna is the king of cheaters and the lover of different women and there is no girl as naive and restless as You! Seeing these qualities of Yours, He will cheat You once more. Alas! We are unfortunate to have someone like You, don’t make it worse than it is now!" (16)

 

 

Lalita replied: "Sakhi ! What more cheating can be done now, through which He can hurt Me even more?" Then She saw Her lover before Her; embracing some other girl from behind. But this was actually Her own reflection in His body. Thinking this to be Candravali, She began to shake from shyness and envy. When Radhika became angry at Her own reflection, Kundalata said, on Krishna's indication: "You are so eager to embrace Your lover and He also eagerly came to see You, so quickly meet Him! Why are You angry with Him?" (17-20)

 

 

Radhika said: "You cheat! Can't you see Padma's friend Candravali in Han's chest? You brought Me from My home to see this boy?" (21)

 

 

Krishna said: "Radhe! That person of whom You are thinking, is not Candravali, but she forcibly embraced Me, saying: "I am a forest goddess, a friend of Radha's!" This fairy kissed Me and embraced Me, catching Me from behind with Her own skill. I could not escape from her even with the greatest effort and She can also not let go of Me even with effort! Even if I beg her to, this lusty girl does not let Me go! You must keep Your friend, who is hurting Me, at bay by force!" (22-24)

 

 

Then Lalita whispered in Radhika's ears: "It is Your own reflection in Krishna's chest, not Candravali!" Hearing this, Shri Radhika lowered Her head in shame. Seeing this, Krishna and the sakhis laughed and Kundalata told Radhika: "Radhe! You cannot evenn see Your Priyatama (dearmost) if He stands right in front of You! You take Your own reflection to be some rival girl and everywhere You are afraid of Candravali! How wonderful is the dance of Your love!" (25-26)

 

 

HOLI

(Springfestival of colours played in the month of Phalguna (February-March)

 

 

Then Vrnda said: "0 Radha-Krishna! Forms of Krishna's welfare! Behold the stage for playing the beautiful spring festival, that is smeared with aguru and so and that is decorated with many different pictures! On this stage there are many golden jugs filled with aguru, vermilion, musk and sandal, there are jewel-studded syringes with extended openings for sprinkling these substances, balls of vermilion, camphor and flowers, quivers with flower-arrows, betelnuts, garlands, flower-scented water; sandal and other enjoyable things, and golden plates with soft lac flasks that are broken even by the outgoing breath and that are filled with a fluid of camphor; vermilion, musk, aguru and sandal!" (27-30)

 

 

Then the beautiful girls mounted the stage with their beautiful lover; taking the syringes in their hands, and lovingly began to play with eachother. (31)

 

 

Wearing thin white garments, Their mouths filled with tasty betelleaves, carrying Their syringes, from which They blissfully sprinkled Eachother; Radha and Krishna pierced Eachother with Cupid's arrows through Their glances. Thei syringes were like the instruments in Cupid's battle. Their fine clothes and Their limbs were moistened by a stream of sweet nectar. Krishna's dancing mind and lotuslike eyes were sprinkled and this greatly satisfied the gopis eyes. (32-33)

 

 

The gopis' cheeks were slightly puffed by chewing betelleaves and beautified by wet, curly locks and sweatdrops. Their flowers had dropped from their braids and their loosened hairs hung over their shoulders, swinging on their beautiful breasts and bodies. The gopis kept different kinds of fragrant powder tucked in their veils that were tightly tucked in their sashes. Carefully protecting themselves from Krishna's sprinkling they sang beautiful funny songs that aroused lusty feelings. They threw different kinds of fragrant powder and flowerballs from their bags, while Shri Radhika and other gopis lovingly sprinkled their lover with scented water from their syringes. (34-36)

 

 

Shri Han played, holding His flowerbow with its flower arrows on His shoulder; His flute in His sash, His jeweled syringe in His hand an a lump of fragrant powder in His waterpot, while He sprayed His beloved with fragrant water from His syringe. (37)

comment : Lord Caitanya in His Navadvipa pastimes performed Holi lilas many days in a row 

 

 

First one stream came from His syringe, when this stream traversed the path of the sky it became a hundred and then a thousand. When the stream fell down it had become a hundred thousand and when it finally hit the ground it had become ten million streams. (38)

 

 

Krishna and the gopis threw fragrant powder on Each other from their lac flasks. This powder spread out when it fell to the ground and stuck to the spots of sindura on their bodies. When the spots of vermilion stuck on the musk-spots on the gopis' bodies they looked like flowers (the vermilion) on golden vines (the gopis) with bumblebees sleeping on them. (39-40)

 

 

First Shri Radhika sprayed vermilion-water through the small holes of Her syringe and the pure drops of this fluid spread over Krishna's limbs, making Him look like the blue sky covered with hundreds of moonglobes.

(41)

 

 

Then the camphor; vermilion and flowerpollen in the uncovered flasks became all muddy because of the fragrant fluids falling on it. This colored the gopis' bodies and clothes in different ways. (42)

 

 

The earthy, the sky and all the directions became filled with different colours of fragrant powder from these ~syringes, which made the sky look like a canopy of fragrant dust. (43)

 

 

When Krishna touched Radhika, She became happy within, but showed anger externally, smearing Krishna's limbs with fragrant paste. When They had this loving quarrel, one restless-eyed gopi showered Krishna with fragrant water from a small Iota. (44)

 

 

~No matter from what side the sakhis were coming to throw fragrant powder over Hari, He held them all at His chest and smeared their faces with powder; drinking the nectar of their lips (kissing them). (45)

 

 

Again and again Radha threw fragrant powder over Krishna's body, and Krishna held Her at His chest in the bondage of His arms. The sakhis fullfilled all His desires by surrounding them on all sides like a dress. (46)

 

 

Krishna's heart was captured and pierced by Cupid's arrows in the form of the gopis' sharp glances and good    jokes. Smiling slightly, He obstructed the gopis' arrow-like glances with His own glance-arrows. In this way both Krishna and the gopis were always agitated. (47)

 

 

Where is a cloud on earth in a human form (Krishna), that is showered by unlimited amounts of fragrant water by the restless lightning (gopis). These lightning-strikes all shine separately from this cloud. The Catakabirdike eyes of Vrnda and other gopis blissfully drank this nectar. (48)

 

 

 

JHULANA

(swing pastime in the rainy season July-August)

 

 

 

After Krishna and the gopis played like that, they came to a stage with a lotusshaped swing (see chapter Seven, verses 55 to 64). Han smiled and gave an indication to Vrnda and Kundalata to take the syringe out of Radhika's lotuslike hand. Radhika in Her turn snatched Krishna's flute from His sash. (49)

 

Kundavalli laughed and told Radhika: "0 Fairfaced girl! Leave this bamboo-flute! Don't touch it!", and to Madhava she said: "Give Radhika Her syringe back! It's a lady's property, don't touch it!" Radha and Krishna followed Kundalata's orders. (5O)

 

 

With His right hand Krishna gave Radhika Her syringe back and with His left hand He took His Murali-flute back from Her. During this exchange Hari had a chance to touch Her lotushands. (51)

 

 

Unwilling Radhika was lifted upon the swing by Vrnda and Kundavalli who stood under it and Han forcibly pulled Her upon the swing. The sakhis all happily and loudly sang songs when Acyuta sat on the swing with His beloved. Some sakhis stood behind the swing and others before it, making it rock. (52-53)

 

 

When the swing's speed increased because of the sakhis' pushes, restless eyed Radhika trembled with fear and held on to Her lover; embracing Him. When the sakhis firmly pushed the swing, Radha and Krishna's hair loosened, Their earrings swung, Their sashes with their lockers, Their flowergarlands and Their bangles loosened. (54-55)

 

 

While swinging so quickly, restless-eyed Radhika asked for help from Her girlfriends, but the sakhis thought to themselves: "The swing became very restless because of our friend's swinging! She must be very satisfied with us, having Her desires fullfilled! Now our mistress wants to serve Her friends in some way!" Understanding this, they also climbed upon the swing. (56-57)

 

 

Thus Lalita and Visakha served the Divine Couple with betelleaves, Campakalata and Citra by fanning Them, and Tungavidya and Indulekha by serving Them a drink in two golden jars. (58)

 

 

Rangadevi and Sudevi took fragrant paste and powder and quickly climbed on the swing with love and eagerness. Starting from the eastern petal of the eight-petaled lotusswing, all the sakhis like Lalita served the Loving Couple one by one on the indication of their eyes. (59-60)

 

 

Then a most amazing thing happened: Radha and Krishna both appeared before each sakhi's eyes at the same time. Again the swing was pushed by Vrnda, Kundalata and others. This made it move in a wonderful way. Another amazing thing was that Han's reflection appeared at the side of each sakhi sitting on each of the swing's petals. Shri Radha and others could see how all the sakhis suddenly embraced Han. (61-63)

 

 

If the sun was not covered by clouds and the steady lightningstrikes with fresh rainclouds were rocked by a

strong wind, then the poets could compare that with the beauty of Krishna surrounded by His girlfriends on

the wing! (64)

 

 

Understanding Radhika's hint, Krishna took Lalita on the swing on His right side, placing His arm on her shoulder around her neck. Between Radha and Lalita He looked just like a cloud surrounded by lightningstrikes. (65)

 

 

Ku ndalata said: "0 friends! Look! Han rose inbetween Radha and Anuradha (two stars of those names, or Radha and Lalita) like the full moon in the firmament!" (66)

 

 

In this way Madhava took Visakha and all the sakhis on His right side one by one, blissfully embracing them on the swing. Then Shri Radha stepped off the swing, keeping Lalita and Visakha on Krishna's either side and began to wing it Herself. (67-68)

 

On Radha's indication Lalita and the other sakhis got off the swing and lifted Kancanavalli and others on it with force, seating them next to Krishna, one pair after the other. While these sakhis pleased Govinda with their joyful singing, one pair after the other; Radhika and the others pushed them. (69-70)

 

 

Lalita whispered something in Radha's ear. Radhika smiled and ascended the swing, forming many circles of gopis on it Radha sat on Krishna's left side and all the sakhis began to swing Them. Then Han appeared between every two sakhis in a wonderful way. (71-72)

 

 

If in this world a Tamala-tree would fly in the sky on a golden mountain, fully entwined by golden vines, with golden banana's around Him in a circle, it would resemble Sauri (Krishna) and the gopis on their swing.(73)

 

 

Then all the sakhis like Lalita happily got off the swing on Visakha's indication and let Radha on it with Acyuta, so that they could carefully swing Them high and fast. Radhika became afraid that She would fall off during the swinging. Han saw this and tightly embraced Her. Seeing the sakhis laugh at this, He took Radhika with Him off the swing. (74-75)

 

 

The Krishna-cloud, embraced by the lightning-like gopis, showered the whole world with His ambrosial play, extinguishing the thirst of the Cataka-bird-like gopis like Kundalata and Vrnda. All glories to the swing pastime in Shri Vrndaranya! (76)

 

 

 

MA DHUPA NA LILA

(Winedrinking game)

 

 

Then Krishna happily entered the cool shady place for wine-drinking and happily took rest there, surrounded by the fair-eyed gopis. Krishna wore a yellow dhoti and various ornaments, and between the gopis He looked like a sapphire in a necklace of gold studded with jewels. (77-78)

 

 

Then five sakhis happily and swiftly began to fan Priya Krishna, whose beauty defeated that of Cupid and who had entered this pavilion with His beloved Radhika who was tired of playing, waving whisks in their hands that were more beautiful than lotusflowers. While these sakhis relieved Radha and Krishna's fatigue by massaging Their lotusfeet and fanning Them, Vrnda brought a glass full of wine before Them. When Radha and Krishna looked in these glasses They saw Their own reflections in them like blooming golden and blue lotusfiowers with two wagtailbirds (Their eyes) dancing in each of them. Seeing tghis, Radhika's bee-like eyes fell on the blue Krishna-lotus in the glass and Acyuta' bee-like eyes fell on the effulgent golden honey-filled lotus Radhika, unable to get up from it anymore. (79-82)

 

 

Radha and Krishna became intoxicated by lusty feelings when They began to drink the honeywine. Their sweet beauty became like wine, Their mouths the glasses, the wine the mirrors, Their eyes honeybees, all Their senses became eyes (to look at Each other), Their bodies became stunned and studded with goosepimples of ecstasy. Seeing this, Kundalata said: "Now that your eyes drank the honey of Each other's lotusfaces, please engage Your tongues in drinking this wine, sweetly scented with the reflections of Your lotusfaces and lotuseyes!" (83-84)

 

 

Balanuja (BaIarama's younger brother Krishna) brought the wineglass to His beloved's lotuslike face and said: "Drink this!" With lowered head of shyness, Priya Radhika took the glass from His hand with His   hand. Nectarfaced Radhika once drank the wine, covering Her face with Her veil, after scenting the honeywine with the touch of Her lips, She returned the glass to the hand of Her beloved. (85-86)

 

 

Krishna was eager to drink the wine from the trees of His beloved forest (Vrndavana), scented by the touch of His lover's lips and the joking words of Her dear girlfriends and which was handed to Him by Priyaji Herself.

(87)

 

 

Krishna returned the wineglass to His beloved, being very pleased with Her qualities and Radhika, covering Her face with Her veil, drank this wine scented by Her lover's lips. Vrnda added fresh wine to the glasses that were filled with the nectarean remnants of Radha and Krishna's lips and happily placed it before the sakhis with Kundalata. When Vrnda and her helpers placed these glasses in front of their sakhis, Krishna, by His own wonderful ability, simultaneously appeared on each gopi's right side, but none of them noticed that. Only each individual gopi could see that Krishna was at her own side. They made Him drink the wine and they drank it themselves also. (88-91)

 

 

The sakhis, the borders of whose rolling, intoxicated, blooming eyes were reddish from drinking the wine made of Kadamba-flowers, who invited the honeybees and gladdened them with their fragrance, whose sprout-like lips emitted moonbeam-smiles, whose beauty was relishable by Krishna's eyes and tobgue and who were full of wine-like beauty, had become the goblets to quench Krishna's thirst (for love). (92-93)

 

 

The doe-eyed gopis who were overcome by lust also took the lips of drunken Han's lotusface as the drinking cups for their lips. (94)

 

 

Then Vrnda and her helpers brought different snacks and drinks before Radha and Krishna and Their girlfriends. The sweet sight of Krishna and the opis feeding eachother these snacks was the long-desired intoxication for the eyes of Vrnda and her fairies. (95-96)

 

 

Shri Radhika's lips had become very relishable from constantly drinking this honey and they themselves became Krishna’s cocktailsnacks. Both became the object of Eachother's thirst for conjugal honey. From drinking these two kinds of honey They became intoxicated by both Cupid and the wine, and they could not see who was the lover and who was the beloved and what was the drink and what was the snack. (97)

 

 

All the fairlimbed gopis became very agitated from the coming of Madhava (the spring), that brought conjugal intoxication through these beverages (madhu) and the touch of Krishna (madhava). (98)

 

 

Because of drinking the Varuni-wine, the gopis dropped their clothes and ornaments, but they were unaware of it and did not see it. They laughed without reason, answered questions that were never put and spoke without any sense. The gait, garments and voices of these gopis that started the conjugal play loosened from the intoxication of the honey and in this way they pleased Murari. The fair-eyed gopis pleased Krishna with their faltering voices, tripping gaits, loosened clothes and hairs, with the reddish corners of their rolling eyes, their fragrant faces, their joking words, the casting of their glances and all kinds of shameless behaviour arising from drinking this wine made from the trees, the brown sugar and the flowers of Vraja. (99-101)

 

 

The deep love of the lotuseyed girls of Vraja for Krishna is hidden within their hearts, this is a natural sign of a girl's shyness. But now this shyness could not tolerate the onslaughts of the honeydrink anymore and became manifest in their lotuslike eyes. One young girl became intoxicated from the fresh wine and ·spoke this nonsense, with bewildered rolling eyes: "La Ia Ia Lalite! Loo-loo-look at Radha and Acyuta! They are ro-rorotating along with you in the skya-ska-sky with the fo-fo-forest and the c-cearth! Ho-ho-how is that?" (102-104)

 

 

Then Krishna enjoyed with the gopis like a honeybee enjoying between the lotusflowers. His face was so sweet that it defeated the beauty of a blooming lotus surrounded by bumblebees that are attracted to its fragrance. Lusty desires, incited by the drinking of the wine and the nectar of the gopis' lips, made Krishna restless and when He greedily looked at the gopis, the pupils of His eyes defeated the beauty of restless bumblebees moved by the wind on red lotusflowers (His eyes). (105-106)

 

 

Then Radha and Krishna were served by two sakhis (personified moods of) Riramsa (desire to  make love) and Susupsa (desire to go to sleep). The other sakhis were simply inspired by  Susupsa (they went to sleep). (107)

 

 

Kundalata, who was aware of Radha and Krishna's desires for intimate pastimes, sent lotus-eyed  Krishna out to pick Asokaflowers for ornamenting Radhika's ears. Meanwhile Shri Radhika, who  had blooming, rolling eyes, lay down to sleep on a flowerbed in the king of kunja's (Lalita's kunja)  where She was served by Her dedicated maidservants. Then the most fragrant sakhis became  even more fragrant as their lotusmouths yawned. Their eyes rolled of sleep and they stumbled  into the kunja to take rest there. The restles-eyed, lotusfaced sakhis all lay down in separate  kunja's on beds made of flowers scented with flowerpollen, soft fresh lotuspetals covered with  lotusbudpollen and surrounded by humming bees. Gunja-beads, wonderful flowerbuds,  betelleaves, scents and waterpots were brought in one after the other. (108-112)

 

 

In the great poem Govinda Lilamrta, which is the result of service to Shri Rupa Gosvami, who  is a honeybee at Shri Chaitanya's lotusfeet, the encouragement of Shri Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami,  the association of Shri Jiva Gosvami and the blessing of Shri Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami, this  was the fourteenth chapter; dealing with the midday pastimes.