Songs of Govinda Das

[Nitaidas]

Song Forty-one

[aa"saabarii]

ja.ya ja.ya raama raama raghunandana\\
\hspace{1cm} janakasutaa nija kaanta|\\
sura nara baanara khacara ni"saacara\\
\hspace{1cm} yadu gu.na gaa.ye ananta||\\
ja.ya ja.ya durbaadala, nava jaladhara\\
\hspace{1cm} ka~nja-na.yana bana-biira|\\
.daahine nihita "sara, baame dhanurdhara\\
\hspace{1cm} jalanidhi ko.ti gabhiira||\\
"sriipadapaaduka dharu bharataanuja\\
\hspace{1cm} caamara chatra nichori|\\
"siba caturaanana sanaka sanaatana\\
\hspace{1cm} "satamukha rahu karayoRi||\\
h.rda.ye aanandita maaruta nandana\\
\hspace{1cm} abha.ya cara.na karu sebaa|\\
gobindadaasa h.rda.ye abadhaarala\\
\hspace{1cm} hari naaraa.ya.na adhidebaa||

Victory, victory to R\=ama!\\
R\=ama, Son of Raghu!\\
The lover of Janaka's daughter!\\
Gods, men, monkeys, travellers in the sky,\\
And those who wander in dead of night,\\
All sing his merits without end.\\
Victory, victory to the one grass-green\\
who is also like a new cloud!\\
With eyes shaped like {\it ka\~nja} birds,\\
A great hero in the forest.\\
On his right are placed his arrows,\\
On his left the mighty bow.\\
More solemn (deep) is he than a billions lakes.\\
Younger brother Bharata carries his shoes\\
Wave the yak-tail, holds umbrella.\\
\'Siva, Four-faced, Sanaka, San\=atana,\\
And Hundred-faced stand with hands folded.\\
In his heart is thrilled the Son of M\=aruta,\\
Who serves those feet free of fear.\\
Govinda D\=asa fixes in his heart\\
the good king Hari N\=ar\=aya\d{n}a.

[madanmohandas]

I'm still wondering about the 'durvAdala' grass. Is it green? I know grass is green, but then 'nava jaladhara' is blue. Vrndavana das, describing Rama, says, 'durvAdala-zyAma', and in the Ramayana itself the words 'zyAma' is often used as well 'kuvalayadala'-blue lotus and 'meghazyama'.

Graced with each high imperial mark,
His skin is soft and lustrous dark....

Anyway, Nitai, looking forward to more and eventually the book.

[Nitaidas]

Jun 9, 2009 13:46:42 GMT -6 madanmohandas said:

I'm still wondering about the 'durvAdala' grass. Is it green? I know grass is green, but then 'nava jaladhara' is blue. Vrndavana das, describing Rama, says, 'durvAdala-zyAma', and in the Ramayana itself the words 'zyAma' is often used as well 'kuvalayadala'-blue lotus and 'meghazyama'.

Graced with each high imperial mark,
His skin is soft and lustrous dark....

Anyway, Nitai, looking forward to more and eventually the book.

Durva grass is apparently also called Bermuda grass and a number of other things. Here are some images from the internet. Yes, I would say it is definitely green.

[Nitaidas]

Here is that song I did yesterday with the Bengali. In a few days and few more translations I will post another pdf so you can see the text in a more readable form.

ni"si-ava"se.se\hspace{1cm} jaagi saba sakhiga.na\\
\hspace{1cm} v.rndaadevi-mukha caa{}i|\\
rati-rasa aalase suuti rahala duhu~m\\
\hspace{1cm} turitahi dehi jaagaa{}i||\\
\hspace{1cm} turitahi karaha pa.yaana|\\
raa{}i jaagaa{}i leha nija mandire\\
\hspace{1cm} nika.tahi hota bihaana||\\
saarii "suka pika sakala pak.siga.na\\
\hspace{1cm} susvare deha jaagaa{}i|\\
ja.tilaa-gamana sabahu~m meli bhaakhaha\\
\hspace{1cm} "suna{}ite jaagahu raa{}i||\\
b.rndaabacane sakala pak.saga.na\\
\hspace{1cm} madhura madhura karu bhaa.sa|\\
mandira nika.te jhaari la{}i .thaaRahi~m\\
\hspace{1cm} heratahi gobinda daasa||

}
\bigskip

At the end of the night,\\
all the sakhis wake and rise\\
and study V\d{r}nd\=adev{\=\i}'s face.\\
Exhausted from their joys of love,\\
the divine couple remains asleep.\\
``Quickly wake them;\\
Quickly send them on their way.\\
Wake up R\=ai and lead her home.\\
The break of day is almost here.\\
O s\=ar{\=\i}s, parrots, cuckoos,\\
And all you other fine birds, too,\\
Wake them with your voices sweet.\\
All together tell them how\\
Ja\d{t}il\=a is on the move.\\
As soon as she hears,\\
R\=ai will wake up."\\
At the words of V\d{r}nd\=adevi\\
All of the birds start singing\\
their morning calls most sweet.\\
And near the bower-house stands,\\
with a water-pot in his hands,\\
Govinda D\=asa a-watching.

[Sakhicharan Das]

Jai Nitai!

Yeah, the durva grass or kusa grass is green and soft. It grows here in our backyard at Radhakund. The cows love it. I would like to have it spread and grow so I could walk barefoot on it as there is absolutely no grassy areas to walk on at Radhakund. But the cobras would enjoy hiding in it, so it's not such a good idea.

[Nitaidas]

Song Fifty

himakara malina nalinaga.na haasa{}u
aru.na kira.na heri thora|
kokila bola bhramara kula aakula
tejala kumudini-kora||
kaiche ghumaa.yata yugalaki"sora|
co"naki kahata "suka "saarika jora||
ki"sala.ya-"sa.ya.ne nicala tanu "syaamara
marakata kaa~ncana gori|
ki.ye kusuma-"sara-tuu.na "suuna bhela
ki.ye duhu~m ratirase bhori||
sahacari choRi mandire jani yaaota
jaagaha sundari raadhe|
gobindadaasa pahu "suna{}ite kaatara
kona ka.yala rasa baade|


The cooling moon is fading
and lotuses are smiling,
seeing a few rays of dawn.
The cuckoo is calling
and the bees are stirring.
The moon leaves the laps of his lilies.
How does the young couple continue to sleep,
while parrots and saris so loudly converse?
Their bodies, motionless on a bed of soft leaves,
Are black marble and milky gold.
Is the quiver of flower-arrows empty?
Or, are they too drunk from the liqueur of love?
Their companions, so that they might
leave the bower-house and return, [say:]
``Wake up, beautiful Radha!"
The Lord of Govinda Dasa,
hearing those words, in pain says:
``Who interrupted our pleasure?"

[madanmohandas]

Words like delightful, charming, exquisit come to mind reading the above.
Well I guess green is green, but I reserve and excersise my subjective right to take it for blue.

[Nitaidas]

[This belongs here] Another Govinda Das song (# 51) on the end of night:

gaganahi magana saga.na rajaniikara
calu caramaacala-ora|
padumninibadana madhupa ghana cuumba{}i
teja{}i kumudinikora||
jaagahu~m re b.r.sabhaanukumaari|
"syaamarakore gori kiye bhorali
puna bolata "suka "saari||
yaaminitimira thiira naahi heri.ye
para"si aru.narucira"nga|
naagari niila pa.taa~ncale a"nka
caurirabhasarasa etahu~m sudhaarasa
durajana rahu path johi
gobindadaasa kaha jaani cala e sakhi
pika bolata ohi ohi||

Immersed in the heavens
The moon with companions
Sinks to the last mountain.
And bees kiss intensely
The faces of lotuses,
Leaving the laps of the lilies.
O wake up young daughter
Of proud Vrsabhanu!
``O lady light and fair,
Are you drunk again there
On the lap of your ebony?"
Ask again the parrot and sari.
I see the night's darkness
Is not very steadfast.
The rays of dawn touch it,
a stain on the border
Of a lady's blue sari.
So sweet is the flavor
Of stolen love's pleasure
That bad folk lie in wait
Their eyes glued to the path.
Govinda Das says:
``Knowing this, let's go, friend.
The cuckoo calls `Ohi Ohi!'"