From Govinda Lilamrta.

[madanmohandas]

From Chapter One,

"Behold, Radhe! the Dawn comes round again,
E'en though he hath no legs and is quite lame;
Because the sinner fain would interrupt
A damsels' love play, and the sport disrupt;
'Tis true what ancient sages have decreed,
Ones' nature to give up is hard indeed." 1.93

Vrishabhanu's daughter, with eyes dawn-red,
Responsive to Lalita's humour said,
While glancing at the Dawn with wrathful eyes,
And in sweet tones she frames her just replies; 1.94

"The glowing Dawn no legs may have indeed,
But still traverses the sky with great speed;
If Providence had given legs withal,
I think there would have been no night at all! 1.95

[madanmohandas]

Now when the light of the morning outspread,
Her rituals and matin duties sped,
Paurnamasi, loves' moon, did her way press,
To Nanda's house, affection to express. 2.2

...............

2.32-34
Madhumangala escorts Krishna from his chambers outside to the yard and points out the signs of dawn, as, O friend,

See how the Sun-fisherman doth outspread
His net of beams, whereat the stars have fled;
Like startled fish that in the sky appear,
And, apprehensive, sudden disappear! 32

When the Deer-marked, the Sun like tiger sees,
To save the deer to Sunset Mountain flees. 33

The Sky removes her gem starlets and soon
Delivers timely from her womb the moon;
And languishing in labour pains she groans,
And pigeons cooing re-echo her moans. 34

............
14.1-8

Drawn by the odours of their faces bright,
A greedy bee hovers and would alight,
But in alarm, the bee away they chase,
The bee flies then to Radha's lotus-face,
Intoxicated by the fragrance rare,
And, persistent, hovers around her there. 1

Her brow contracted as in fear she frowned,
With sounding armlets waved her hands around;
But the bee was intent; disquieted,
In desperation to Hari she fled,
And seeking refuge remained by his side,
And with his scarf she sought her face to hide. 2

Observing that the bee had gone away,
Her friends in playful humour gan to say,
'Fear not dear friend, there is no more to dread,
The bee has been driven away and sped;
The Madhusudan-bee away doth rove,
And now enters the Padma-lotus grove. 3

When she that Madhusudan had gone heard,
She weened they meant Krishna and was disturbed,
And that to the Padma grove he did wend,
Took it for Padma, Chandravali's friend,
And though he stood contiguous to her,
Blinded by love, she could not see him there. 4

Now Krishna gestured to her friends around,
To see her love-perturbation profound,
Not to revive her, lest thereby they miss,
This wondrous display of love to witness. 5

In the delirium of ecstasy,
She thought he had gone to Chandravali,
And with jealous anger discomfited,
To Dhanistha, furiously, she said, 6

"O Dhanisthe! you dance with deception;
Where has that dissembling dancer now gone?"
"He went to pick flowers for you my friend,
Wherefore he to the Padma grove did wend."
"You lie! I know he has abandoned me,
And gone to Padma's friend Chandravali;
Now what if he should bring her to this place?"
"Her pride will wilt before your lovely face." 7

"'Tis not your fault and I do not blame you,
More fool me for taking your words as true,
Since even though I heard and understood,
That he with Saibya went to the dense wood,
I by your flattery was overcome,
And came here to meet that deceitful one." 8

[madanmohandas]

The colophon verse at the end of each chapter

By the favour and magnanimity
Of Rupa, at Chaitanya's feet a bee;
With Sri Raghunatha dasa as my guide,
And Jiva, with their companions beside;
With Raghunatha Bhatta's benison,
I undertake this sweet composition,
Of Govinda's sublime play of delight;
(Thus ends part one treating the end of night.)

[madanmohandas]

How Sri Radha's five senses are forcefully attracted to the five relative attributes of Krishna. From Govinda Lilamrta, Ch.8

The cowherd prince's beloved remained,
And to her friend Vishakha she complained;
At home her five senses were attracted,
And to her understanding friend she said, 2

The ocean of whose beauty generates
A deluge of nectar that inundates
And submerges even the high mountains
Of the minds of proud and beautiful dames;
His witty speech, fraught with delight, to hear
Occasions pleasure to the listening ear;
Whose tender limbs and body beautiful
More than a million moons to touch are cool;
Whose lips are with ambrosia replete,
Whose odour floods the world with fragrance sweet;
Thus the cowherd chiefs' son, without remorse,
O friend, attracts my five senses by force. 3

Now, how each particular sense perceives and is attracted.
First the optic sense

Who has of fresh blue monsoon clouds the sheen,
Whose garment has of lightning the bright gleam;
Who holds his flute, affording much delight,
And as the autumn moon his face is bright;
Who on his head a peacock plumage bears,
And who a pearly pendant necklace wears;
Thus, friend, the one who great Cupid torments,
The eager longing of my eyes augments. 4

Then the aural sense.

Whose voice is like the cloud thunder profound,
Whose shining ornaments, tinkling resound,
Whose conversation is with love replete,
Fraught with the joy of double meanings sweet;
The Goddess Rama and such worthy dames,
Are charmed by his flute's melodious strains;
Thus, friend, the one who great Cupid torments,
The eager longing of my ears augments. 5

The olfactory sense.

The musk scent from his limbs which emanates
All pious and chaste damsels subjugates;
The eight lotus flower features that shine
On his person, with fragrances combine
Of cooling camphor and musk from the deer,
And sandal and aloe his limbs besmear.
Thus, friend, the one who great Cupid torments,
The longing of my sense of smell augments. 6

The tactile sense.

Whose broad imposing chest presents the view
Of massy double doors of sapphire hue;
Whose sturdy arms as Cupid's door post bring
Relief to lovesome damsels suffering;
Whose limbs are cool and pleasing like the moon,
Sandal paste, camphor, and the lotus bloom;
Thus, friend, the one who great Cupid torments,
The longing deep in my bosom augments. 7

Finally, the sense of taste

The nectar relish of whose lips doth make
Pious damsels all other tastes forsake;
Without a heap of merit having gained,
Not one drop of that nectar is attained;
And that relish is blended and endued
With spices and betel leaves he has chewed;
Thus, friend, the one who great Cupid torments,
The eager longing of my tongue augments. 8


.............

Sri Radha to Dhanistha, G.L. 8.28

"Sweet friend, and now which way do you pursue?"
"I have come here in order to see you."
"Wherefore?" "To you some tidings to relate."
"Of whom?" "Of the Moon in his current state."
"And what of that, kindly to me explain?"
"The Moon eclipsed by Cupid is in pain."

[madanmohandas]

From Govinda Lilamrta, Ch. 1.19

Who, who is there but Lord Krishna beside,
That can curb the mountain of Radha's pride?
Who, who other than Radha can enchant,
And bind Lord Krishna the mad elephant?
The peacocks thus in the early morning,
Warble 'hoo hoo' for their awakening.

[madanmohandas]

Preceding the earlier verse from Govinda Lilamrta C.1. 13-14

Vrinda's feathered choristers, full of love,
Arriving silently, perched in the grove;
When Vrinda gives the order then to sing,
They gin their chirping and sweet warbling. 13

The Saris perch on the grape vines at ease,
Male parrots on the pomegranate trees;
The Pika birds from mango trees recite,
The doves upon the Pilu trees alight,
The peacocks from Priyaka trees resound,
And copper crested roosters from the ground;
And all around the vine-entwining trees,
Is heard the loud buzzing of honey bees. 14

[madanmohandas]

In Govinda Lilamrta is narrated how Yashoda commissions Kundalata every morning to bring Radha to prepare comestibles for Krishna's breakfast. The author Kaviraja Goswami, makes the following observation,

Thus each and everyday she doth implore,
As if she had not said it all before,
And calls for Radha, unaware of this,
Since Vrajas' people are beguiled by bliss;
And do not deliberate in what way
They relish fresh novelty everyday.

(Govinda Lilamrta 3.16)

[madanmohandas]

Govinda Lilamrta, Chapter 15.

Thereupon they a pleasant platform viewed,
Provided with varieties of food;
Brought by Vrinda; there were succulent fruits,
Sweet meats and dainties and esculent roots. 109

And thus were arranged all the dainty cates,
On big Palasa leaves and pots and plates. 110

To take his meal Krishna sat delighted
On a seat with a white sheet overspread;
Subal sat on his left side with delight,
And Madhumangal sat upon his right. 111

Radha and her companions, full of grace,
Before him came, approaching face to face;
And gan to serve the items, with love fraught,
That Vrindadevi previously brought. 112

[madanmohandas]

From Govinda Lilamrta, 2. 8.

Then Gobhata, Bhadrasen and Subal,
Little Krishna and Arjuna withal,
Sridaama, Ujjvala and Daama too,
Kinkini, Sudaama and retinue,
To come from their homes hastily contrive,
And full of joy, with Rama soon arrive;
Then meeting in the courtyard raise their cries,
''O Krishna! Wake up from slumber, arise!
Let us proceed upon our merry way,
To your fond milking parlour sans delay!"

[madanmohandas]

Govinda Lilamrta 2.35-37

Entering the milk parlour, Gopala,
With Rama and with Madhumangala,
It seems Kavi and Geespati beside,
Accompany the moon at eventide. 35

And when Rama the gods in heaven viewed,
Along with the white cows in multitude,
He seemed Indra's elephant to surpass,
Roaming the snowy heights of Mount Kailas. 36

When Acyuta among white cows appears,
With their upraised faces and flapping ears,
He seemeth like a honey bee to rove,
Among the blooms of a white lotus grove. 39