Songs of the Love of Radha and Krishna

VIDYAPATI: BANGIYA PADABALI
SONGS OF THE LOVE OF RADHA AND KRISHNA TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH BY ANANDA COOMARASWAMY AND
ARUN SEN WITH INTRODUCTION AND NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS FROM INDIAN PAINTINGS
LONDON
:
THE OLD BOURNE
15
HOLBORN,
1915.
E.C.
PRESS,
The whole
now
creation will be
consumed and appear
This
appears finite and corrupt.
will
come
infinite
and holy, whereas
sensual enjoyment.
—William Blake.
Be drunken with
love, for love
is all
it
to pass by an improvement of
that exists.
— Shamsi
Tabriz.
INTRODUCTION.
VIDYAPATI THAKUR
one of the most renowned of the Vaishnava
him there had been the great Jayadeva,
with his Gita Govinda made in Sanskrit and it is to this tradition
Vidyapati belongs, rather than to that of Ramananda, Kablr, and Tul'sl Das,
who sang of Rama and Sita. Vidyapati's fame, though he also wrote in Sanskrit,
depends upon the wreath of songs {pada) in which he describes the courtship of
God and the Soul, under the names of Krishna and Radha. These were written
in Maithill, his mother-tongue, a dialect intermediate between Bengali and
Hindi, but nearer to the former. His position as a poet and maker of language
He did not disis analogous to that of Dante in Italy and Chaucer in England.
dain to use the folk-speech and folk-thought for the expression of the highest
matters. Just as Dante was blamed by the classical scholars of Italy, so Vidyapati
was blamed by the pandits he knew better, however, than they, and has well
earned the title of Father of Bengali literature.
Two other great Vaishnava poets, Chandi
Little is known of Vidyapati's life\
contempories.
His patron Raja Shivasimha RupanaUmapati,
were
his
Das and
rayana, when heir-apparent, gave the village of Bisapl as a rent-free gift to the
poet in the year 1400 A.D. (the original deed is extant). This shows that in
1400 the poet was already a man of distinction. His patron appears to have died
in 1449, before which date the songs here translated must have been written.
Further, there still exists a manuscript of the Bhagavata Purana in the poet's
handwriting, dated 1456. It is thus evident that he lived to a good age, for it is
hardly likely that he was under twenty in the year 1400. The following is the
legend of his death Feeling his end approaching, he set out to die on the banks
of Ganga. But remembering that she was the child of the faithful, he summoned
her to himself: and the great river divided herself in three streams, spreading her
waters as far as the very place where Vidyapati sat. There and then he laid
himself, it is said down and died. Where his funeral pyre was, sprang up a Shiva
poets of Hindustan.
is
Before
;
:
:
mainly derivedfrom : G. A. Grierson, ' The Vernacular Litera'
ture of Hindustan,' and Dinesh Chandra Sen, History of Bengali Literature.'
''What
is
here given
is
:
lingam, which exists to this day, as well as the marks of the flood. This place is
near the town of Bazitpur, in the district of Darbhanga.
Vidyapati's Vaishnava padas are at once folk and cultivated art -just like the
finest of the Paharl paintings, where every episode of which he sings finds exquisite illustration. The poems are not, like many ballads, of unknown authorship and perhaps the work of many hands, but they are due to the folk in the
sense that folk-life is glorified and popular thought is reflected. The songs as we
have them are entirely the work of one supreme genius but this genius did not
—
;
— on the contrary,
deep in
the common life of fields and villages, and above all, in common faiths and superstitions. These were days when peasants yet spoke as elegantly as courtiers, and
conditions
kings and cultivators shared one faith and a common view of life
stand alone, as that of modern poets
must
its
roots lay
—
where
all
It is little
things are possible to
wonder
art.
that Vidyapati's influence on the literature of Eastern
Hin-
dustan has been profound, and that his songs became the household poetry of
Bengal and Behar.
His poems were adopted and constantly sung by the great
Hindu lover, Caitanya, in the sixteenth century, and they have been adapted and
handed down in many dialects, above all in Bengali, in the Vaishnava tradition,
poem by the latter
of which the last representative is Rablndranath Tagore.
well resumes and explains the theory of the Vaishnava lovers
A
:
Not my
ivay of Salvation, to surrender the world I
Rat/ierjhr me the taste of Infinite Freedom,
While yet lam hound by a thousand bonds to the wheel
In each glory ofsound and sight and smell
I shallfind Thy
Infinite Joy abiding
:
My passion shall burn as theflame ofSalvation,
Theflower of my love shall become
the ripefruit
of Devotion.
of the true significance of poems such as Vidyapati's.
It is quite true, as Mr. Nicholson says, that students of oriental poetry have
sometimes to ask themselves, Is this a love-poem disguised as a mystical ode, or
a mystical ode expressed in the language of human love ? ^ Very often this question cannot be answered with a definite 'Yes' or 'No'
not because the poet's
meaning is vague, but because the two ideas are not at all mutually exclusive.
All the manifestations of Kama on earth are images of Pursuit or Return.
This leads us
to the subject
'
'
:
^
The Tarjuman al-Ashwaq,
vi
1
91
1
,^. 7.
:
As Vidyapati himself says (No. LXIII)
;
:
:
The same jlower that you cast away, the same you use
And 'with the same you string the bow.
in
prayer.
manypoems of Vidyapati have an almost wholly spiritually
If some others seem very obviously secular, let us remember that
we have no right to detach such poems from their context in books and still less
any right to divorce them from their context in life.
Itis quite certain that
significance/
We may illustrate this point by a comparison
with poetry of Western Europe.
example a poem such as the following, with a purely secular significance (if any true art can be said to be secular)
Take
for
Oh !
the
handsome ladfrae Skye
That's lifted a' the cattle, a oor kye.
He's t'aen the dun, the black, the white.
And I hae micklefear
Me' s t'aen my heartforbye.
been current in fifteenth century Bengal, every Vaishnava would have
understood the song to speak as much of God and the Soul as of man and maid,
and to many the former meaning would have been the more obvious.
On the other hand, there are many early medieval Western hymns in which the
language of human love is deliberately adapted to religious uses, for example
Had
this
When y
se blosmes springe,
Andherefoules
A
songe,
suete love-longynge
Myn herte thourh out stong
Alfor a
love newe,
and trewe.
That gladieth al mi song.
'That
Here the 'new
love'
is
is so
suete
Christ.
Finally, there are other Western lyrics, and very exquisite ones, that could equally
as religious or secular, for example
be claimed
:
Long ago
to thee
Igave
—
Body, soul and all I have
^
Nothing in the world I keep.
ofconcrete symbolism (for which see Purnendu Narayan
The Bhagavata Purana, a Study,' Benares, igoij, but to the common language
^1 do not here refer to the details
Sinha,
'
ofmysticism.
'
Translated by Henry Newboltfrom the French ofWenceslas.
vii
The Western
critic
who would enquire what such a poem meant to its maker and
must be qualified by spiritual kinship with him and with them. Let us
demand a similar qualification from those who propose to speakofOrientalpoetry:
Wer den Dichter will verstehen.
Muss in Dichter s Lande gehen,
his hearers
—
if not in physical presence, at leaBt in spirit.
In ecstasy, man is beside himself: that this momentary escape from 'himself is
the greatest gift life offers, is a promise, as it were a foretaste, of Release, warranting us that Nirvana is something more than annihilation. At the same time, be
it well understood that such ecstasies are not rewarded to those who are followers
of Pleasure, nor to those that cling to self-will. In Vaishnava literature this is
again and again emphasized.
It is not till the ear ceases to hear the outside
world, that it is open to the music in the heart, the flute of Krishna.
If the objection is still made that our poet sings rather of human than divine love,
and we do not deny that he worships physical beauty, albeit the critics have
—
—
we answer
told us that Rablndranath Tagore is the first Indian poet to do so,
with him that Love is One, and we would also quote the very splendid passage
of the Prema Sagara where the doubt is resolved, " How could the love of a certain milk-maid have brought her salvation, notwithstanding that her love for
Krishna was paramours, and she knew him not as God, but as man ?" The
answer is given as follows
Shri Krishna sat one moonlit night at the edge of a deep forest, playing his flute
with intent to lure the milk-maids from their homes. The Braj girls could not
rest nor resist the call, and abandoning the illusion of family and the ties of duty,
they hurried in confusion from their homes to the forest. But one was seen and
detained by her husband
yet she, in the intensity of her absorption in the
thought of Hari, abandoned her body and was the first to reach Him. Perceiving the love of her heart. He gave her final release.
The king to whom the story has been thus far related, remarks that the milk-maid
did not worship Krishna knowing him to be God, but regarded him as an object
of sensuous desire, and asks, 'How then was she saved by her love
The answer
is given that even they who worship Krishna unawares obtain emancipation just
as the water of life makes the drinker immortal, without question whether he
knows or does not know its virtue.' Should anyone with any purpose worship,
he will be emancipated. Shrl Krishna was reverenced in many ways, and in
:
;
.'''
;
Thus the Hindus hold that it is better to be thefoe of God, or to use His name
than to live without knowledge of Him and without speaking His name.
'
viii
in vain,
each was salvation obtained. Thus, " Nand, Yashoda and others knew him as a
child, the milk-maids as alover, Kans worshipped him by fear, the cowherds called
him their friend, the Pandavas knew him as an ally, Shishupal worshipped him
as a foe, the Yaduvamsis thought him one of themselves, the Yogis, Yatis and
Munis meditated upon Him as God but at last everyone of these obtained deliverance. What wonder then if one milk-maid by devotion to Him, was able
to cross the sea of life,
to reach the further shore ?"^
This pure humanism is the Vaishnava equivalent for: "Inasmuch as ye have
done it unto these, ye have done it unto Me," and "The worship of God is
loving the greatest men best."
may also give here the Indian answer to the objection sometimes raised respecting the morality of Krishna Himself,
much as the Pharisees questioned
the right of Christ to pluck the ears of corn.
The Bhagavata Purana in one
place answers as Blake or Nietzsche might, that dharma is not the same for the
great and the small. More than this, it is a fault in logic to subject to ethical criticism a Power Who is by hypothesis Infinite, beyond the Pairs of opposites. As
Purnendu Narayan Sinha expresses it " Nothing that we know, nothing that
we are composed of, nothing that shapes our experiences, that causes our likes
and dislikes, limits Krishna. He is the absolute, for the relatives we know of, or
which we may even think of, have no place in Him."^ And indeed, this ought
to be obvious to anyone that understands the language of mythology for the
multiplication of Krishna's form in the circular dance, and at Dvaraka, and the
fact already alluded to, of His accessibility in every form, are clear indications of
His Infinity. It is nowhere suggested that the illusion of family and the ties of
duty may be abandoned except in self-surrender to Him.
It must also be remembered that the Krishna Llla is not a historical record (as
Nllakantha remarks, 'The narration is not the real point') His Llla in Brindaban
We are thus concerned with ideas
is eternal, and Brindaban is the heart of man.
and symbols, and not with history. The most that an objector could then adduce,
would be to suggest that the symbolism may be unwisely chosen, and may be misunderstood. 1 should treat this objection with respect, and would agree that it
may be valid from the standpoint of the objector. But I do not think it is valid
from the standpoint of the lover. I would not even say. Let those who are able
to take this passionate literature only in a carnal sense (and we have admitted
that much of it has a carnal as well as a spiritual sense), therefore ignore it for if
the worship of loveliness is not Love, it is none the less a step on the way to Love.
;
—
.
We
—
:
;
;
;
^
Prema Sagara, Ch. xxx.
*
loc. cit.
p. 302.
ix
,
.
not meant to imply that the pastoral and romantic conditions indicated in Vaishnava literature do not exist, and have never existed, anywhere in India. On the contrary, if India is the classic country of lyrical poetry,
this is because she is also the classic country of love/ Love is certainly of more
significance to the Indian consciousness than to the European, and the Western
fear of voluptuousness is hardly known in the East. But just as beauty was never
in India glorified as an end in itself, so romantic love never obtained there such
hold and possession over life and art as it has in the West. To put the same conclusion in other words, the Indian culture is nowhere corrupted by sentimentality.
The reason of this is to be found, I think, in a wide-spread and deep-rooted
consciousness of the principle of Impermanence. It is just this consciousness of
Again, however,
it is
evanescence which gives to the voluptuous and passionate art of Ajanta the spiritual significance that is all the more impressive because of its sensuous setting.
Non-attachment is a greater quality than non-participation. Where life is transparent, the enjoyment of life is never a spiritual bondage. One might almost believe that to the Ajanta painters and the Vaishnava poets had been granted the
prayer of Socrates,
"O beloved Pan, and all ye other gods of this place, grant
me to become beautiful in the inner man, and that whatever outward things I
have may be at peace with those within."
—
A few words are needed to explain the method of translation. The rendering is
and often word for word, but whenever a choice lay between expressing the letter and the spirit of the original, the latter has been considered of
the first importance.
Vidyapati reflects a certain view of life it is this, rather
than the form of his utterance, however perfect, that touches us most nearly. A
single word in the original is often rendered by two or three in the translation, for
the terseness of the Bengali could rarely be repeated.
Notwithstanding that
our translation does not pretend to be metrical, much care has been taken with
the phrasing, to make it readable for it would appear that alike in music and
poetry, rasa is more closely bound up with phrasing than with a regular division
into bars or feet.^ At the same time, a few examples of the original text are quoted
line for line,
:
:
in the
'
Notes,' in order to give the reader
^We have already mentioned the
•
some idea of their form.
Glta Govinda.
'
It needs scarcely to be said that Indian
The reader ofKalidasa s Shakuntala^for example^ willfind there innumerable parallels both to Vidyapati' s combined tenderness and
wisdom, and his quaint conceits. Theseparallels are so many that we have made no attempt
to mention them in the Notes'
The same spirit, too, is already recognizable in the lyrical
passages of the 'Ramayana.' All this is no more than to say that Vidyapati is essentially
lyrical poetry
is
of still older ancestry.
'
and typically
Indian.
'
;
should be noticed that the songs here translated are but a part of Vidyapati's
Bangiya Padabali. Two hundred and two songs are given in the edition of
Kaliprasanna Kavyabhisharad which we have chiefly used and there are over nine
hundred in that of Shrl Nagendranath Gupta published in Nagarl character for
H. H. the Maharajah of Darbhanga, to whom I am indebted for a copy of the
edition. The order of ourversions follows that of Kaliprasanna Kavyabhisharad
the songs omitted are those which are almost repetitions of those translated, or of
which we could not make a satisfactory rendering.
It has been very difficult to find such words as can express Vidyapati's transparency. English since the Elizabethan age has grown poor in purely lyrical words
and idioms, for modern literature, like modern plastic art or music, rarely deals
with unmixed feelings. To present Vidyapati in English in a form at all comparable with the original, would require all the facility and elegance of the
Elizabethans joined to nearly all the seriousness of the earliest English lyrics. I
say nearly all, for Vidyapati is a very conscious artist, with a considerable sense
of humour and though he is certainly far more serious than the elegant Elizabethans, he is not in any sense a primitive.
The rendering of certain words in the original demands abrief explanation. Sakhl
(the cheti oiyix. Bain's beautiful Sanskrit imitations), meaning a girl-friend and
confidante of the heroine, usually used in the vocative, is translated as 'my dear.'
Dutika,\}!\t. messenger or go-between, is a sakhiov any woman who carries messages
between the lovers but often, too, the poet himself is the messenger, and in this
case there is perhaps a conscious reference to the artist as go-between God and
the soul. The gopts are the milk-maids of Gokula, of whom Radha is Krishna's
It
;
—
;
:
beloved.
Ancala, meaning the upper part of the
thrown across the breast and over the
shoulder, also forming a head-veil, we have translated, not quite accurately, as
* wimple,' for want of a better word.
Nibibanda, which means the knotting of
the sari round the waist, is rendered as 'zone' or 'girdle,' though it is not prosari,
perly a separate garment.
rasa can never be adequately translated into English, and perhaps it
should be adopted there as a loan-word, together with such others as karma, yoga,
The word
dharma, samsara, nirvana. Rasa, like the word 'essence,' has both a concrete
and an abstract significance; it has, amongst others, such meanings as juice,
nectar, essence, taste, flavour, savour, lust, and in an abstract sense, taste, appreciation, passion, ecstasy, love and so forth. Rasa is equally the essential element
^According to Hindu theory,
verse (padya-kavya).
Kavya
(poetry) includes both prose (gadya-kavya)
and
xi
—
and in art. It would be defined from the Indian standpoint as an emotion
provoked by the recognition of reality. From rasa are derived the two important
words rasika (a connoisseur, lover) and rasavanta or rasamanta ('possessing rasa^
said either of an individual or of a work of art).
It is a canon of Indian dramatic criticism, not only that rasa is unique, but that
those only can experience rasa who are temperamentally qualified to do so by
virtue acquired in a former life,
Poeta nascitur nonjit. All these associations
give great weight to Vidyapati's splendid aphorism
in love
,
:
Kasa
'
None knoweth
love but the lover, none ecstasy save the ecstatic'
If we apply this to
thusiasm
is
the
bujha^i rasamanta
when he
and art, it means what Blake meant
and last principle of criticism.
life
first
said that en-
should not be forgotten that Vidyapati's songs, like those of all the Vaishnava
poets
from Jayadeva to Rabindranath Tagore were meant to be sung and as
the latter says himself, " In a book of songs the main thing is left out to set forth
the music's vehicle, and leave out the music itself, is just like keeping the mouse
and leaving outGanapati himself" {'Jiban-smrti,' p. 148). Thepadas of Vidyapati
may still be heard on the lips of Bengali singers, albeit often in corrupt forms.
It may also be noted that song was constantly illustrated by the conventional language of descriptive gesture.
are able to partly compensate the lack of this in
reproducing the eleven illustrations from Indian sources for although not designed directly to illustrate Vidyapati's text, there is to be found in these an immediate expression of the same ideas. A further account of all the illustrations is
It
—
—
;
:
We
;
appended
to the
'
Notes.'
Finally, in the matter of transliteration
for the rasika than for the, pandit,
:
since these versions are intended rather
we have done no more
that
mark the long and
short vowels of Indian names and words occurring in this Introduction or in the
text. The reader will not go far wrong if he pronounces such words as if in Italian.
C
has the the sound of ch in church
:
for i
and
s
we have used sh throughout.
It is by an inexcusable oversight that the poet's name has been printed as
Vidhyapati throughout the text.
ANANDA COOMARASWAMY.
Britford, December,
1
9 1 4.
KRISHNA PURBBARAGA
—
——
!
I.
Krishna:
Some damsel
A
moon
Or
a
I
saw, supremely fair
unstained, that slowly rose,
golden vine.
Eyes twin lotus-blooms, dyed with surm,
The playground
Twin
of waves of love
timid partridges, snared by Nature
With nought but
A
a rope of
coUyrium
garland of ivory-pearls caressed the burden
Of her mountain
Kama
On
The
pouring
celestial
Were
blest
Vidhyapati says
streams from a brimming conch
Shambhu
a golden
sacrificer
breasts
!
of a hundred offerings on a sacred shore
by such reward
:
It
is
Gokula
The herd-girls' darling.
!
s lord.
:
II.
Krishna
:
Your
hair dismays the yak, the
Fearing your face, the
The
antelope
Your
Why
is
fearful of
moon
is
vale>
fading in the sky,
your eyes, your voice dismays the
gait alarms the olifant,
came you not
mountain sinks into the
he hides him
for speech with
me,
fair
in the
koil.
wood
may?
All these have fled afar in fear of you,
How
then should you
Dismayed by your
The globed jar
breasts, the
leaps into
The honey-apple and
And Shambhu
me
in turn fear
?
unblown
lily
lingers
under lake.
fire.
the pomegranate abide aloft.
drinks his poison.
Dismayed by your arms, the golden
lily-root leaves not the
mud.
Affrighted by your fingers, the flower-stems are shivering
Vidhyapati asks
Of spells
:
How
of Love
many
shall
like these?
I
cite
!
—
:
:
III.
Krishna:
Which
of the gods this
fair face
fashioned?
Beauty-surpassing, heart's-bliss-granting,
Garland-victress of the Triple Worlds.
The
sun-bright eyes of her
fair face
Are tricked with surm
Restless wagtails on a golden lotus,
At play with pitch-black
The
vine of
Is a
navel's well
serpent thirsting for air
Thinking
It
down from her
snakes.
in terror her nose
is
Garuda's beak
hides in the valley of her bosoms'
hills.
Love with three arrows conquered Three World's,
Still
Very
two of the arrows remained
cruel
is
Nature
:
to slay the love-lorn,
Surrendering those to her two eyes
Vidhyapati says
Who
:
Hearken, fair maids
haunt the well of Love
Raja Shivasimha Rupandrdyana
And hakshml Devi
be witness.
!
:
:
:
IV.
Krishna :
Why
did that moon-face cross
Just for one
Whose
An
Her
I
sidelong glance
me
thoughts were
set
Love
lay
waking
in
is all
too keen
upon her
my
my
is
a
tide,
breasts,
heart.
my
ears
feet refused to
The bonds of hope constrain me yet
Love
?
!
voice was ringing in
would have gone,
path
her eyes met mine,
day that for
ill
My
moment
my
says Vidhyapati.
move.
—
;
V.
Krishna
:
Fair-face, red brow-spot, there-behind the heavy jet-black hair
As
if the
Ah
sun and
damsel
fair
!
together rising
to
the night behind.
you the utmost beauty of the moon.
grass green bodice binds your breasts, a glimpse
So jealously you cover them,
if
is
only seen
— but never snow may hide the
Dark surm decks your curving
As
left
with what and what devoted care,
Has Nature given
A
moon
hills
!
restless eyes.
the bees would rest their weight upon some wind-bent lotus.
Hearken, young
thing, says Vidhydpati ; these charms, you
know them
Witness be Raja Shivasimha Rupandrayana and Lakshmt Devi.
all,
—
—
VI.
Krishna:
She
left
Like a
the shrine at cowdust-time, passing gliding
flash
of lightning mated with a fresh cloud.
Tender of age she was,
a garland deftly
woven
:
A glimpse could not content my hope, but Love's fire fiercer fanned.
Bright was her body, shining under wimple with the shene of gold
Long
And
locks, small middle, sidelong-glancing eyes.
softly smiling, pierced
Lord of the Five Gaurs,
me
with the arrows of her eyes,
live for ever, says
Vidhyapati!
:
:
VII.
Kris/ma
:
Laughing, talking, milk-white
Nectar-showering
as
girl.
autumn moon
at full
Jewel of beauty surpassing, passing before me,
Gainly of gait
as olifant-king.
Small was her middle
With
Her
as
any
lion's,
her
frail
frame breaking
the burden of the honey-apples of her breasts.
lovely eyes shone white beside the
Bees, as
it
surm
that
dyed them.
were, mistaking them for spotless water-lilies.
Says Vtdhyapati: The
Sorely tholes the sight
Lord of lovers
ofRadha^s
loveliness.
:
—
:
—
:
VIII.
Krishna
I
Like
could not see her clearly
a vine of lightning
flashing
She plunged an arrow
Half the wimple had
Half
a
Half of her bosom
in
saw,
Bright was her body withal,
My
bodice,
wits were routed,
Was
Pearl-teeth
arow
set
a
wreath of cloud,
heart.
in her eyes
half of the
Love consumes me ever
Her
my
from
half was her face in smiles.
slipped,
wave
I
:
wimple
filling,
since.
and golden cups her
Love transformed
meseems
:
this snare
by Kamadev.
her lips did meet.
That murmured gentle words.
Vidhyapati says
I saw
10
Grief haunts my heart :
her indeed^ but hope
was
not sated.
breasts.
——
!
—
1
IX.
Krishna
:
Beholding that
She pierced
my
my
love was at her bath,
heart with arrows five,
The
stream of water pouring from her
Was
her moon-face weeping, frighted by their gloom.
The wet
So might
Twin
cloth clung
Kama
breasts
upon her
tresses.
corse,
shake a hermit's heart
were cakravakas sweet.
United by the gods upon the self-same shore,
Caged
in the prison
Lest they should
fly
of her arms.
away
Vidhyapati, the poet, sings
in fear.
:
The precious maid her lover meets
!
1
——
X,
Krishna
:
A joyous
I
A
saw
my
day this day for
love
when
me
!
she was bathing,
stream of water pouring from her hair,
The
clouds were showering strings of pearls
Wiping her
As though
face intentifly,
she cleansed a golden mirror,
Discovering both her breasts.
Where had
She
let
her zone
That was
12
been
the
set
inverted golden cups,
fall free
bound of my
:
desire^ says Vidhyapati.
!
'
—
::
XL
Krishna:
Rai of the
When
lily face
had not yet climbed the bank,
she beheld brave
Kan
'A maid demure, with hanging
How
was
I to see
her face
before her
head, in
?
But matchless was the bright may's
Stepping before them
With
And
all,
she called aloud,
broke withal her string of pearls.
:
'My
Every person, one and
Then
she gazed on
garland's broken
all,
!'
was gathering up the beads,
Shyama
!
partridge-eyes beholding Krishna's moon-fair face.
Were
Rack
art
half-averted face,
Crying aloud
Her
company of elders.
drinking draughts of
dew
:
on the other gazing, spread abroad the taste of bliss,
That Vidhyapati knoweth well.
—
:
:
——
XII.
Krishna:
She smiled
As
if
a little
the rising
And when
The
moon
saw
she
lit
lurking there
up the night
me
she rained on
me
her sidelong glances,
heavens became a swarm of bees.
Who
knoweth whose the maid may
Setting
my
was amazed
is
prisoned in the lotus-flower of love,-
to see the timid fair
Then was made
(Whose
be,
heart a-shake, and vanishing?
The humble-bee
I
when
one passing by.
manifest the beauty of her breasts,
heart does not the golden lily snare?)
Half was she hidden, half revealed.
Her globed
breasts told
Vidhyapati says
Whom
H
does
:
me
That was
Madans
secret
of her desire.
love's
dawn
arrow spare ?
—
:
XIII.
Datika
:
The
flower
The
frenzied bee can find no place of
is
open
all
amidst the thorns;
rest,
But haunts continually the nectar-laden jasmine,
Reckless of
He
life in
honey-life,
eager thirst.
you honey-heap.
Already hiding hoarded sweets,
The maddened
Nor
rest
bee has neither
home
without your jasmine-self.
Deep
in
Why
should you be the murderer of a bee
your heart consider
For Vidhyapati avows :
If He may
He
this
will return
drink the nectar of your
?
to life.
lips.
15
!:
:
:
XIV.
Krishna:
Wheresoever her twin
A
lotus-flower uplifts
them
Wheresoever her body
There
is
feet fall,
passes swaying,
the lightning's undulation
Surpassing radiance that
Has made her
seat amidst
Wheresoever her eyes
There
I
fall
my
heart
!
light laugh rings.
There very nectar
Wheresoever
beheld,
are opened,
are water-lilies seen
Wheresoever her
sours in
envy
:
her sidelong glances.
Fly the myriads of Madan's arrows
Even an
My
I see
Worlds
her once again.
mourning may depart
Says Vidhyapati : In sooth.
For your dear
i6
!
instant to behold such loveliness
Suffices to eclipse the Triple
But and
!
sake, I'll bring her.
RADHA bayahsandi
!
!
—
:
XV.
Datika:
Childhood and youth
Her
are
mingled both,
eyes have taken the road to her ears
Wily
are her words, and her
As
the
if
moon appeared on
She takes
And
How
asks:
low laugh
earth.
a mirror to array herself.
'What
many
is
the
game of love, my dear?
times she secretly regards her bosom.
Smiling to see her breasts
First like a jujube, then like an orange,
Love day by day
O
Madhava,
I
enfolds her limbs:
saw
a girl surpassing fair.
Childhood and youth were one
Saith Vidhyapati :
in her
Ohfoolish man,
'
The wise would say. The twain have met.
19
:
!
—
;
XVI.
Datika:
Day by day
Her
her breasts
grew
great.
hips increased, her middle
Madan now
waned
:
enlarged her eyes.
All of her childhood fled in
fear.
Breasts that are jujubes
and then like oranges,
first,
Daily the sting of Love increasing them
:
Thereafter waxing greater than the pummalo.
Now
they are twin ripe honey-apple
Ah Madhava
I
I
!
saw the
suddenly beheld her
The
as
fair
one
fruits.
freely,
she bathed
filmy muslin clung upon her breast,
Happy he who
Her jet-black
As though
a
sees her thus
hair poured
down her
shaggy yak concealed
a
breast
gold
Hearken Murdri, Vtdhyapati saith
So fair a
20
may may
dally with a
man of worth.
Mahesh
:
—
:
;
:
XVII.
Krishna:
Now
Now
Now
Now
and again her eyes to their corners
fly,
and again her filmy robe receives them
and again her serried teeth laugh out,
and again the smile delays upon her
lips.
Sometimes she hurries nervously, sometimes she walks but slowly,
Now
She
for the first
steals a
time learning Madan's lessons
glance at her breasts' buds,
Sometimes she draws the wimple
Childhood and youth
None knoweth which
Hearken,
O
are
met
is first
close,
sometimes she stands astonished.
in her.
or last
Kdna, says Vidhyapati,
The marks ofyouth and childhood are
indivisible.
21
—
:
:
XVIII.
Krishna:
Childhood and youth
She stands uncertain,
are face to face,
in the
Sometimes she binds her
hold of rival factions
hair,
sometimes she
Sometimes she hides her body, sometimes she
Her
tranquil eyes are
There where the
Her
somewhat
troubled,
her heart's unrest
awakes, whose eyes were shut.
Hearken, Murari, saith Vidhyapati:
Sustain with patience
22
leaves
breasts arise are purple stains,
restless feet reflect
Madan
lets it fall.
till
I bring
her.
it
bare.
:
:
XIX.
Dutikd:
The
little
Her
eyes have stolen the dancing of her feet,
buds are peeping shyly,
Her hand remains
She
is
ashamed
continually upon her robe,
to question her
Oh Madhav How
!
companions.
shall I recite
her growing-up
?
E'en Madan's heart, beholding her, must be ensnared
Love
is
!
forsooth the ruler of her heart
Setting the jars upon her breast, he straightens out her form.
She bends her mind
to learn the lore of love,
Just as the deer to hear the song
Strife springs
up twixt youth and childhood.
Neither admits defeat or victory.
Lo, VidhyapatV s enquiry,
—
Shall she not leave her childhoodfinally ?
23
—
::
XX.
Datika
:
Now
Her
youth advanced, childhood withdrew,
eyes have caught the dancing of her feet.
Twin
Her
eyes performed the task of messengers,
laughter hid, and shame was born.
Continually she
sets
her hand upon her robe.
Speaks every word with hanging head
Her
She
hips have gained their full-grown glory
leans
Hearken,
on her companions when she walks.
O Kana I have
:
drawn my own
Hearken now, and make your own
The savour
of this matter
is
conclusions.
decision
well-known
to
Vidhydpati,—
Record I take ofRdja Shivasimha and Lakshmf Devi.
24
RADHA PURBBARAGA
XXI.
Radha:
How
Who
shall I tell
of Kanu's beauty?
shall describe that
His lovely form
is
dream-shape
a fresh cloud,
His yellow garment the lightning's
So black,
?
so black his
The peacock-plume
waving
hair
so near the
flash.
!
moon's orb
!
For fragrance of the screw-pine and the jasmine,
Madan
casts
away
Vidhyapati asks
:
his flower-arrows in dismay.
What more
shall
I say f
Nature has emptied Madan s treasury
!
27
:
—
:
XXII.
Radhd :
I
had desired
But when
Ever
I
I
since then I
I
am
was
with fear
both fond and foolish,
what
at all
my
heart
went
cannot think what made
Just for that
cannot
When
And
filled
I
say or do.
twin eyes wept like dripping rain,
Unceasingly
I
saw him
have no knowledge
My
I
on Kanu,
to look
as
I
tell
whim,
what
I
lent
pit-a-pat
me
my
my
dear.
into another's
hand
look on him,
life
that dear thief has done to
beheld him, he did
steal
my
heart,
me,
and went away.
he went he showed so many signs of love,
The more
I
would
forget, the less I
may
!
Hearken,fair maid, says Vidhyapati:
Have patience
28
in
!
your heart, for you shall meet Murdri.
;
— —
:
XXIII.
Radhd :
A
peerless beauty I beheld,
If
you but
Twin
listen,
wore
Upon
The
his leaf-like
a string of
moons,
a vine of lightning,
Above them
on new-blown flowers.
were
ripe.
parrot
sat a tranquil
Over him twin
:
hands another string of moons
flawless bimba-fruits
Over them
was the vision of a dream
passed along Kalindi's bank)
lustre of the sun
Twin
it
tender tamal-shafts arising,
Around them twined
(He slowly
dear,
you may know
lotus-feet that
From them two
my
restless wagtails.
a serpent coiled about his head.
My playful maid, explain
Why did he steal my wits
:
Vidhydpati says
:
It
is
a
sign
when
I
beheld
him
thus
?
of love
Well have you weighed the worthy wight.
29
——
:
XXIV.
Radha :
How
can
I tell
The blowing
the limits of
then
my
it
dare not
30
dear
?
my frame
:
heart and body melt in shame.
my
my
body
fills
to overflowing,
eyes lest anyone should
know
of
it
company of elders, waves of emotion sweeping through me,
In the
I
lift
my
sounding,
In that supreme instant,
I
grief,
of that flute diffuses poison through
Insistently I hear
And
my
draw
my
dress across each
With
softest steps I
Kind
fate has so far
my
limb
to hide
carefully.
walk about the house
hidden
my
secret
But rapture
fills
Vidhyapati
dazed ! What can he say f
is
it
heart and body,
shame
my
girdle slips
!
SAKHI-SHIKSHA-BACANADI
:
!
— — —
XXV.
Sakhi:
Happy
For
your birth, and
is
are crying
all
blest
your beauty
upon Kanu, Kanu,
And
he
The
longing cloud desires the catak,
is
laden deep with love of you.
The moon
The
desires the partridge,
vine upholds the full-grown
my
tree,
There
is
When
there you stood with hanging hair,
amazement
in
Across your breast but half
Then Kanu,
seeing
all,
And your
Such
its veil.
is
your intent?
you laughed and showed your
With hand on hand
Then
heart
was sorely troubled,
Tell me, dear damsel, what
When
!
teeth.
held over head.
unconscious glances pierced his heart,
seeing him, you took a maiden on your lap
is
my
tale
of you,
O
!
beauty.
Advise you thereupon
Tou are
the idol
of his heart, and he a frameforlorn.
Says Vidhy&pati the
poet.
33
—
;
:
:
XXVI.
SakfiJ:
Hearken, hearken,
O
virtuous
Murdering Madhava, what
By day
the
moon
is
is
Radha
the good you will gain
pale and lonely,
Likewise he waxes thinner and thinner
His rings and
I
think he must remake them
/
cannot understand your ways
The poet
34
bracelets slip,
rests his
head upon
his
many
hands
I
times.
?
:
:
XXVII.
Sakhi:
Make
K^na
your decision, Beauty
is
waxen wood
for
Sometimes he laughs
What would he
Very sorry
He
cries,
:
want of you,
for little cause
say with passionate words
?
are his sighs.
Wel-a-way
His helpless body trembles,
None
can hold
him
Saith Vidhyapati:
still.
Dear
maiden.
Witness RGpandrayana.
35
XXVIII.
Sakhi:
Hearken
For
fair
I shall
First
you
damsel, to good advice,
teach you special
wisdom
:
shall sit beside the bed.
With bended
And when
Remaining
neck, but half regarding him.
your lover touches you, push out your hand,
silent,
And when he
uttering never a
takes
you
word
:
forcibly and clasps
Passionately you shall exclaim. Nay, nay
you
to his side,
!
In his embrace, your body you shall wrench aside.
Breaking away
in the
Saith Vidhyapati
:
Yourself the
36
Guru
moment
What
can
of delight.
I say ?
shall teach e'en
Love
himself.
—
:
:
XXIX.
Sakhl:
Now
hear me, daughter of a king,
For
have come to speak with you
I
You have
destroyed the
What work
When
is
this that
day declined,
You walked
I
life
you have wrought?
think,
beside the water's edge.
And when you saw him,
Some maiden's
did embrace
neck, demurely smiling
And showing him
You
of precious Kana,
your moon-face,
put him in a sorry plight.
Then suddenly you came away,
Now
he
is
before he saw you well
weeping, Wel-a-way.
Giving him
You
:
just a glimpse ot
your
breast.
stole his heart
Vidhyapati enquires
:
Beauty,
How shall Kanu live ?
37
:
XXX.
Sakhi :
Attend
my
teaching, artless maid.
And
I shall
First
you
And
paint your curving eyes with surm.
Then you
give you good advice
shall
shall
And seeming
My
dear, at
deck your hair with jewels.
go
to
Your
to
him with
first
you
your body folded
shall not
close,
go anigh him,
glances, fair one, shall
breasts,
awaken Love.
your shoulders showing,
girdle knotted fast,
You
shall
You
shall refrain desire, that ever springs afresh.
appear offended, yet be loving.
Says Vidhyapati : This
is
the first degree
They that be worthy shall
38
all
be dumb, shall stay apart
But with wanton
Hiding your
:
:
taste the fruit.
:
;
XXXI.
Radha :
I
know
not the taste of love, nor the colour of desire
How may
That
A
have ado,
should love
I
ybung thing
What
I
I
may
He
is
With
No
can
I tell
I,
my
him
as
afraid of
dear,
with yonder swain,
you ask
?
shame.
you, dearest maiden
?
not dare to have ado with him.
a
herdsman
all five
lover, new-enflamed.
arrows Love awakens his desire.
sooner seeing me, but he will clip
Who
then will save me,
Vidhydpati says
:
when my
me
life is
tight
dying
?
Tourfears are vain.
Believe me, that his love
is
not of such a sort.
39
— —
:
!
XXXII.
Radha:
Leave me, dear maid,
I
pray you,
will not go whereas he
Nought do
Or
I
know
art of signs,
All of
my
nor
the
is
skill
how
of words,
to pretend offense.
friends arraying
me
my own
at once,
I
cannot even bind
I
never have heard what dalliance means,
How may
He
is
And
I
'
hair
mix with Madhava
?
learned in love, a passionate swain,
I a
weak
girl
Says Vidhyapati:
40
I
of scanty wisdom.
What counsel do I give ^
Tis that there should be union.
PRATHAMA MILNA
—
—
:
:
XXXIII.
Datika
:
Hearken, hearken, beautiful Kanai
I
A
give the maiden
Radha
your care,
to
lotus-damsel, softly-wrought.
And
thirstier
The
feast
Only
bee than you.
of honey
is
prepared,
forget the Archer's cruelty.
Touching her bosom gently
As an
olifant a lily.
Making excuse
to
Your hands may
count her necklace pearls,
lift
the burden of her breasts
She does not understand the ways of
But now
The
consents, and
shirish-flower
is
now
love,
refuses.
not more delicate than she, therefore
Inure her to the Archer's
way by
little steps,
The poet Vidhydpati lays down
This prayer of a messenger upon your feet.
43
:
:
XXXIV.
Sakhi:
When
Her
first
the damsel to her leman came,
heart beat fast with
Like to
a golden image,
Nor moving
Radha
sets
still.
her by his side.
he unfolds her face and kisses her upon her mouth.
She hides the shamefast face
is
the
Delighting
44
stood quite
she in shame and anger veils her face
When
This
fear
forward, nor returning.
Taking her hands, he
And
shame and
in
Madhav's
merry song of Vidhyapati the
Raja Shivasimha
s heart.
poet,
breast.
:
——
:
XXXV.
Sakhi:
The
sakhl soothed her
Her
leman's heart was gladdened, he took her by the hand
But Radha paled
A
at
fears,
and led her lovingly,
Kanu's touch,
lotus fading in the moon's embrace.
She
cries
She
lies
His
close
Oh
:
no, no, no
!
lifts
tears are
pouring from her eyes.
outstretched upon the margin of the bed.
embrace has not unloosed her zone,
Even of handling of her
She
and
the
She cannot
wimple up
rest,
breasts has been but
to hide her face.
but trembles through and through.
Says Vidhydpati: The heart of it
Step by step
little.
may Madan
is
patience
claim his own.
45
::
:
'
XXXVI.
Sakhf:
Ah
damsel
fair
!
in dalliance
is
no delight,
For Madan wounds the heart with double
The maidens
The damsel
When Kanu
all
together setting her by Kanu's side,
breathes in frightened gasps
her to his lap, she bends her body
lifts
Like the young snake, untamed by
'But shut your eyes
As
a sick
man
this once,
my
spells.
fair one,
pain, and then the birth of bliss,—
your face away from
this,
Hearken, Murari, saith Vidhydpati
46
baclc,
drinks his draught
A little moment's
Why do you turn
You are
pains.
the ocean
of desire, and she
is
artless.
my
girl
.?
:
:
!
:
XXXVII.
Radha:
How
can
of what was done that night?
I tell
Unhappily the hours were spent with Madhava
He
clasped
Laying
my
his face
(First youth,
So rash
breasts and drank the nectar df
is
on mine, he killed
and hence
Kan,
this
—he has no
my
my
lips,
life.
pouring out of passion
skill in love).
Madan-maddened, nothing recking.
He
would not heed how many prayers
Hearken, Lady fair, says Vidhyapati
You are but
artless,
and Murari
is
athirst.
47
;
:
!
—
XXXVIII.
Radha :
What
can
All that
I say,
my
sakhl
?
A
young thing
It
was the messenger that led
body shivered
He
was
my
wits in his embrace
How
can
I tell
my
Happy
is
it,
she
Fear
not, says
Such
ts
of him.
what amorous play he played
Lord behaved ungently.
speak of
ask of
to his side.
he sprang on me,
I lost
I
me
at the sight
so eager that
can
to tell
unlearned in lore of love,
I,
My
How
Why
shame
It is
Lover did imperiously
In everything
48
my
it
amongst
who know
whom
my
it all
too well
he may not
Vidhyapati:
the fashion
friends
offirst dalliance.
distress
?
?
?
—
——
XXXIX.
Kudha:
Do
not urge me, dearest maiden, do not urge.
What
Few
I
can
do, if he should soothe
my
are
am
I
years, for
I
can
I tell
He
me
I lost
my
knows when he broke
me
held
close,
And
then
my
I let
him
see
Kanu,
the night bestowed
wits,
my
girdle
heart was beating wildly
my
?
;
streaming eyes,
wicked lover parched
pity.
my
lips
Abetted by the night, Rahu devoured the moon
He
tore
my
?
with pinioned arms,
But even then Kanu had no
My
as
?
impatiently.
how many woes
Passion flamed up,
Who
not so old
fears
too shamefast and too tender.
Cruel Hari played with
How
am
my
twin breasts with his
;
nails,
Just as a lion tears an elephant.
Ah
amorous woman, says Vidhydpati,
—
Tou knew full well Murari was aflame
I
49
:
XL.
Sakhi:
Shyama
sitting in his pride
Speaks of the night's delights
'She
is
With
the beauteous sweet-faced Rai,
rapture
'How many
Laughing
I
received her in
my
ways she kissed me,
light and
low
in gladness,
Diversely disporting.
My
'
dream of
How
delight.
nectar-sweet her words,
Eyebrows arching, wanton
Damsel waking
This
50
is
inmost heart.
in
my
glances,
heart's core.'
first love, says Vidhyapati.
—
:
XLI.
Radha:
O maiden, dearest
maiden, do not lead
Too young am
and he
My
heart
is
is
my
harmless body
Like wimpling waters of a
mine,
What Power
cannot
how
lily-lake
:
creatures suffer pain
shaped the wicked Night
Says Vidhyapati :
Who
burning lover
bee will spring upon the lotus.
hides
Oh Mother
a
him,
to
shaken, going to his side,
The amorous
The muslin
I,
me
tell
What
when
is
it is
befitting
!
?
now'?
dawn ?
51
:
—
!
:
!
XLII.
Sakhl:
Her
gentle words she can but stammer,
Her
shamefast speech will not well out
To-day
I
found her most contrary.
Sometimes consenting, sometimes
At any word of
dalliance, she tightly shuts her eyes,
For she has caught
At
a
glimpse of the great sea of Love
kissing-time she turns her face away,
The moon
has taken the lotus on his lap
Stricken with terror
Knows
Her
that
if
her zone be touched, the shining maiden
Madan's treasury
is
being
rifled.
clothes are disarrayed, she hides her
The jewels
JVhat
is
For at
52
fearful.
are exposed, and yet she knots her
Vidhyapati
the
bosom with her arms,-
to think, forsooth?
moment of embrace,
she fie s the bed
I
garment
:
:
:
!
XLIII.
Raaha:
Oh
You
I
shall not
cannot
But now
If
Why
Hari,
you
I shall
do you seek
win your
know your
will listen to
my
girdle?
will
guile,
plea,
O
in seeing
me.
Banamali
Murari,
abuse you only very gently
Sufficed with dalliance,
My
my
what pleasure there can be
tell
I
to loose
soul
may
Never has
The people
Deal with
not endure
like
While lamps
what need
for sight
?
it.
been heard,
are
lit,
to play
with
me
of the house will hear our very breath
me
!
gently, for the people of the house are very near.
This savour Vidhyapati knoweth well,
Raja Shivasimha and Lakshmt Devi
—
be witness
!
53
:
XLIV.
Radha :
You
that are skilled in passion's lore have pity on
I will forsake it
My
The
little
little
when my youth
increases
draught will not
but take
it
suffice to slake
little
breasts of
Hari, do not
To
54
set
mine
moon
will hardly
wound them with your
Vidhyapati exclaims
:
your
thirst.
drop by drop,
Daily increasing like the digit of the
O
shame,-
savour cannot satisfy you now,
Would you
These
my
What
fill
!
your hands
nails,
are these gestes.
such store upon a green pomegranate f
as yet,-
be wise in love.
! :
:
XLV.
Radhd:
You
are that
This tender
O
No
is
the shirish-flower.
war,
this
not offer up
spare
my
eyes.
with sweat are musk and sandal
Hari, Hari,
To
made
longer does the surm paint
wounded Madhav,
Do
Chanur
slay
gave a jasmine-garland to an olifant
And wet
O
woman
cruel messenger that
And
O
Banamali that did
my
Give Love
my
let
beseech you,
I
life
upon the
altar
of Desire
!
your purpose be
life until
another day.
his due, impatient lover I
Says Vidhyapati : Tour wish shall be accomplished.
55
—
!
——
!
XLVI.
Sakhl:
Amorous
the swain, and
If hands be laid on her,
With what
To
little is his
how many
darling
:
are her wiles
entreaties and persuasions
have the maidens led her
her lover's house, and laid her on his bed
With
(For
face averted, lying closely curled,
who may
turn the tide
when
passion flows
?)
She hides her face beneath the wimple,
The
moon
frightened
No word
comes
escaping from the storm.
out, she hears
nought that
Repeatedly she folds her hands imploringly
is
said,
:
With covering arms
she guards the treasures of her
She needs no bodice
to enfold her breasts.
Insistently
from sight and touch
She keeps her jewels hidden
alike
in the
A matter for her maidens' mocking
Now learning her the lore of Love.
Vidhyapatifinds great delight herein
For at a sudden
56
life,
granary of Love,
many
days,
:
touchy she pushes out her
hand !
:
XLVII.
Sakhi:
Enough
Be not
and cast the trouble from your heart.
!
afraid,
go
Have done with
to
your lover's side
obstinacy, for
Never can be joy without
But half
Why
a grain of grief,
are
you
moment
As
man
tell
you
pain.
and then
so averse to this,
Just for a
a sick
its
I
my
a life of gladness
girl
?
shut your eyes.
drinks his draught.
Go, Beauty, go, and play loves game,
Vidhyapati prays for your consent.
S7
—
:
XLVIII.
Radha :
O
Hari,
if
you will
insist
on touching me,
The
sin
You
are a guileful lover full of passion
I
know
When
of murdering a wife will
not whether
passion
it
be sweet or
outpoured,
is
fall
I
on you
bitter.
shiver
Like an arrow-smitten bounding antelope
O
do not
Savour
is
your hopes before the time,
realise
never lacking to the wise man's end.
Vidhyapati says
:
I see
That honeyedfruit
58
:
is
it
clear.
never green.
—
:
XLIX.
Sakhi
:
How
arrows of her
to direct the flying
restless
eyes
The Archer-guru
teaches her the unfamiliar lesson
(And who would
practise
'
Oh
Toy
I
am
my
do not take
not with me,
O
life
uninformed
by force
Kanu,
—
?)
!
release
my
skirt;
so faint, I fear love's war.
How can my early youth content your
A little riches cannot satisfy a beggar.
The unblown
all
?
jasmine of the early spring
Cannot appease the hunger of the
There cannot be
Be not
will at
so rash,
Says Vidhyapati:
a
lusty bees
happy ending of
when you ought
deed
rather hesitate.'
Oh amorous Kanu
The maddened elephant heeds not
a sinful
!
the goad.
59
Sakhi:
With
persuasion
soft
Led her
A
all
her lover's
to
—
—
^
the maidens
side,
fawn ensnared from the
forest
Panting hard.
The
sweet-face
With
beside the bed
sits
busily averted looks,
Her mind wide-wandering,
Love breathing
Cruel
is
hard.
Love, and loveliness
She will not follow reason
Fast
is
And
:
barriers before her lips.
closely swathed on neither side
glimpse revealed.
She yields her
How may
life at a
Hari win
Unhappy Kanta
Upon
the
Such
is
lays
hand's touch,
his will
?
how many prayers
maiden s feet
Hurting her soul
6o
stubborn,
her girdle knotted, bodice bound.
Her body
A
is
(so
Radhd
thinks)
the song oj Vidhyapati.
:
ABHISARA
:
:
:
:
LI.
Sakhi:
Gainlier than a royal olifant,
more
graceful than the swan,
She goes to keep her tryst
Her glorious body far surpasses any golden bud,
Or
flawless flash of lightning.
Her
tresses far surpass the clouds, the night, the yak,
Her
eyebrow-tendril
Or
bees, or
Bow
Her
:
on a crescent brow, surpasses
and bees and snakes.
set
face excels the golden mirror, the
Her
Her
moss
lips the
moon, the
lily,
bimba-fruit and coral
teeth surpass the pearl, the jasmine and the granate seed.
Her neck
the figure of the conch.
Her beauteous breasts surpass the honey apple,
Or golden jars, mountains, or goblets:
Her arms excel the lotus-root and jungle-rope.
Her waist the drum's and lion's.
or cymbals twain.
moss her vine of down and darker than the surm,
The triple folds are lovelier than rolling waves
Her navel far surpasses any lake, or lotus-leaves.
Her buttocks, head of olifant.
Softer than
Her
thighs excel the plaintain-stem, or trunk of royal olifant.
Her hands and
Her
nails surpass
Peerless
the lotus of the land
pomegranate-seeds, the moon, or gems.
Her speech
Says Vidhyapati:
feet,
is
more than nectar-sweet.
Her shape is unsurpassed.
Radhas beauty:
is
Raja Shivasimha Rupanarayana
Is the eleventh Avatar!
63
:
:
:
LII.
SakhJ:
Radha's love
No
young,
is
obstacle can stay her
She has started
all
alone,
Reckless of any path.
She
casts
away the jewelled necklace
That weighed upon her
She
And
casts the rings
them
leaves
The jewelled
She
The night
But Love
The way
Which
is
all
along the road.
from her
and hurries on
:
up the gloom.
fraught with dangers
love's
weapon overcomes
Vidhydpati knows your mind
Never was such another
64
feet
very thick and black,
lights
is
and bracelets from her hands.
anklets
flings afar
jutting breasts
—
seen.
— —
!
!
:
LIII.
Krishna
:
The
night
When
The
will she of the olifant gait be here
path
is filled
How many
To
the fair one timorous and fearful
is late,
?
with dreadful snakes,
dangers do her path beset, and she with feet so tender
the feet of Providence
trust her,
I
Success attend the Beauty's tryst
The
sky
My
heart
Heavy
is
black, the earth
is
is
sodden,
anxious for her danger.
the darkness in every
may
airt,
Her
feet
Her
glance beguiles each living thing
slip,
Lakshml comes
in
she cannot find the path
human form
:
!
Says Vidhyapati the poet :
The maid enamoured yields
to
none but Love.
65
—
:
LIV.
Sakhi:
She
They
O
her face, that lady shene,
veils
the king
tell
lovely lover,
The moon
:
how may you
By watchmen keeping watch
Let not your smile
Murmur
but
soft
For near your
Ha !
house
lips are lustrous teeth.
to
my
is set
a pearl.
words of counsel,
is
differs
from you but
stained,
and you are
in her spots.
stainless.
Raja Shivasimha and Lakshml Dev,
Says Vidhyapati:
66
in every
dreams may nothing hinder
The moon
For she
not be seen
?
and low the music of your words,-
Hearken, hearken,
in
stolen.
flash out, sweet-face,
As near the vermeil mark
Even
is
My
heart
is
fearless.
—
—
!
LV.
Sakhi:
The
citizens are
waking on the king's highway,
Rays of the moon
No
I
peace
in
am amazed
How
light
new-born
many ways
love,
the damsel seeks to hide herself:
in a boy's disguise.
binds her flowing tresses in a knot.
Changing
And
She
diversely the fashion of her dress.
since her breasts
may
not be hidden by their veil,
clasps an instrument of
Thus
music
to her
bosom
:
she attains the darkness of the forest,
The Lord
of lovers cannot
Perplexed
is
But
:
to see vou. Loveliness
She goes a-trysting
And
up the dome of earth
at a
know
her
when he
Madhava, when he perceives
touch the riddle
Says Vidhyapati:
is
sees her
!
her,
resolved.
What happened
then,
—
IVhat sports of Love ensued?
67
VASANTA LlLA
:
:
:
LVI.
Kavi:
—
Came the lord of seasons, Royal Spring:
The hosts of bees besieged the madhavl flowers,
The sun's rays reached their youthful powers,
The keshara flowers upheld the sceptre of the king.
Fresh
pital flowers
composed the
royal throne,
Golden blossoms
raised the state umbrella.
And mango-buds
the crest above
Before the king the koils sang the pancam-note.
The peacocks danced, the bees buzzed,
The twice-born sang the blessing spells
Enamoured of the southern breeze.
The pollen of the flowers upraised a canopy.
Jasmine and honey-apple bore the banner
Fatal the quiver, rows of ashoka trees the arrows.
Seeing the allied kimshuk and labanga-vine
The Winter
season broke before the Spring.
The army was
a
swarm of honey-bees
That rooted out the Winter
The
rescued lotus
Offering
There
is
Befitting
its
came
utterly
:
to life.
fresh leaves for a throne.
delight in Brindaban, says Vidhyapati,
what
shall there befall.
71
:
:
LVII.
In Brindaban renewed the groves are green,
Kavi:
The
The
flowers new-spread
Spring
is
new, and the new southern breeze
Excites the swarms of lusty bees.
The bloom
The bowers
New
The
of youth disports.
beside Kalindi's banks display
new sappy
Are hurrying
new Lord
maidens, maddened with
new
to the groves.
reigns
:
the lusty lovers
Are bright with new-found
For ever andfor ever new
young
lustre.
diversions such as these
Delight the heart of Vidhyapati.
72
buds,
callow koils are a-calling.
The new young
A
loveliness,
snares of love are laid
bees are frenzied by
The
unwonted
longings.
:
LVIII.
Kavi:
Drunken
With
In
are the honey-bees in honey-season
the honey of the honey-flowers
Honey-Brindaban
The Honey-Lord
Amid
Is
:
resides
of honey-love.
the companies of honey-maids
honey-honey-dalliance
Honeyed
are the blissful instruments of music,
Honeyed hands
are beating honey-measures.
Honeyed
is
Honeyed
are the
Honeyed
are their
And
the dance's sway,
movements of the
dancers.
happy songs,
honeyed are the words oj Vidhyapati.
73
—
—
;
:
LIX.
Kavi:
The
Glad
And
blissful
night of Spring holds sway
dalliance
among, and passionate rasa-dance
lovely Radha, jewel of maids,
Skilled in the dance.
He
is filled
with longing,-
bathes with her in
bliss.
Merrily the company of maidens dancing,
Golden bangles tinkling
Now
will they sing an
The mode
tunefully,
amorous
air
of Spring, more passionate than any other.
Rabab, pinash, and mahatik are sounding
Murali
sports, delighting
Radha's heart.
The merry poet Vidhydpati sings
What Rupanarayan
74
his lord,
well knows.
MANA
—
:
!
!
LX.
Krishna:
Refrain your wrath, disdainful lady
:
Breasts that are globes of gold, and serpent-necklace.
By
these
I
swear,
If ever I touch another girl, forsaking you,
May
I
Or
you
if
be bitten by that necklace-serpent
will not trust
me
my
Inflict
on
Bound
in the rope of your
Rest on
Prison
my
me
protestation.
at will a fitting
penance
two arms, bruise me with your
body the weary burden of your
hips.
breasts.
night and day within your bosom's gaol
Vidhyapati says
:
This penance
is
befitting !
77
—
—
:
LXI.
DatikJ:
He who
He who
was wont
to
wanton with a
was wont
to
wear
There was
Now
a
a yellow
flute,
away
has cast
weed, now grovels
at
so
much
as
look upon his face
!
Beauty, abandon your bitter mood.
is
praying
at
your
feet
By happy hap
this
By happy hap
the tide of spring,
By happy hap
this love's attainment.
By happy hap
this blissful night,
Damsel
And
amorous Shyam
disdainful, will
spend your
life
78
s
is
yours.
you forsake your Krishna's body.
henceforth in lonely weeping
These be love's ways, says Vidhydpati,
Yet prayer
your
feet,
time your eyes would overflow, might you not see him.
you will not
Lusty Kanu
his jewels.
dental deserves no praise.
—
?
:
—
—
!
——
LXII.
Datika
:
One
little
The
moment
of a day you keep your youth,
days are floating by
:
Evil and good, these two will travel at your side,
The
only final gain
is
what you give
to others.
Beauty, you have had part in killing Hari,
All day and night he thinks of only you,
This
his
is
hour of separation
!
In sorrow's sea he swims or sinks,
Show him your globed
O
worthy
fair
And win
Of a
myriad
Deems
Frenzied
one, Gokula's
Lord preserve,
the praise of the Triple
Worlds
lovers, whosoever looks on
that day
is
breasts
is
Hari by
Kdna,
blest:
reason of your fury
The poet Vidhyapati avows.
79
:
:
LXIII.
Radha:
You
Little
shall not tell
by
He made
came
little I
That Kanu
a
me
otherwise,
my
know him
to
dear
:
better,
so cunning.
is
sweetmeat of some knotty wood.
By smearing
treacle on
it
Filling with poison a golden jar,
He
added
a layer of
Yet surely Kan
is
milk
good, and
Because his words beguile
In heart and speech
He
is
!
I
am
me
bad.
:
the same.
Matchless amidst a myriad.
The same flower that you cast away,
And with
Such
is
the
same you
the quality
string the
of Kanu
s speech.
The poet Vidhyapati avows.
80
the
bow
same you use
in
prayer.
!
;
LXIV.
Datika:
O
lovely wrathful lady, stony-heart,
In such a plight he
True
love's
way
It is befitting
When
and yet you say no word
says
you should mix with him.
will
is forfeit,
you continue anger then?
your heart
Never was heart
If now you
!
not of such a sort
for his loneliness his life
With whom
Who
is
is,
so
is soft
hard
do not mix with
as
?
yours
Madhava,
The poet Vidhyapati will never speak with you again.
LXV.
Kavi:
With hanging
Whoever
head, she writes upon the ground,
utters
Shyama's name, she utterly ignores
Over her glowing robe her
She
casts
Her
face
The
earth
away her jewels and
is
all
falls free,
her fine array.
like a lord of rosy lilies, void of sap
is
Just then the
And
hair
flooded with her streaming tears.
Lady of the
said: 'Fair maid, go
Forest
we
came
to serve the Sun.'
But she of the hanging head made no reply.
Says Vidhyapati: She went away.
82
:
—
:
:
LXVI.
Krishna :
'
Why
veil
You've
your
face, dear beautiful
stolen
You have no
'O wrathful
I
to
is
unbounded
my
lady,
may
But come
you
on each breast
Framed
'I fain
!
is
frenzied,
pangs of Madan,
hills,
or cups of gold,
tell
Shambhu
is
in his crescent
reverenced,
moon.
would touch them with these
If fate be not forbidding
I
:
for refuge.
gaze and cannot
And
heart
sustain the
'Whether two towering
I
away
wits
dread of slaying men,
Your courage
No more
my
?
lotus
hands
:
seek a sanctuary at your feet
(O
that the damsel
may
Seeing her restlessness,
My
heart beat
I
be kind
!)'
was distraught.
fast.
Hearken, young damsel, says Vidhyapati
Bestow some boon on Kana.
83
!
LXVII.
Krishna:
Hearken, hearken, worthy Radha,
For what offence do you
How
many
stars
But the moon
What more
is
refuse
have risen
And his
another Avatar
in special can I say
this the
desires
Vidhydpati says
All were
84
were
:
?
in the sky.
In a host of a myriad Lakshmis
And hearing
my company
maiden
s
?
I
have eyes for none.
heart dissolved in tears.
realised.
There was reunion
astonished at the tale
!
;
:
!
—
:
LXVIII.
Krishna:
Your high round
And
1
like golden
fair,
my
cups
wits
away
forbear your bitter fury,
give the frenzied bee his draught of honey
clasp your hands,
Be not
my
fair
sweet
so cruel, have pity on
How many
I
—
sidelong glances, have stolen
lady
And
breasts
times must
may no more
I
my
!
girl,
lot
advise you
sustain the sting of love
Vidhyapati says : You know full well.
That hope deferred
is
worse than death.
85
——
;
! :
LXIX.
Dutika
:
O Madhava
Hearken,
How
carefully
Radha
:
and
is
waxen
how many ways
in
And
yet the beauty gave no answer
The
lovely creature
when
wilful,
I
warned
she hears your name.
Covers her ears with her hands
She who thought that your love was
Now
I laid
will not even hear
you speak
new.
!
before her a lock of your hair.
Flowers and grass and pan
But the wrathful face of
She
sat
How
unmoved, with
shall
Vidhyapati says
:
I
soothe
:
a lily she
This heart of yours forsooth^
is
would not
lightning
s
very essence,
your fury ?
still,
turn,
face averted.
A kind word would be fitting
But you yourself he
86
for ever
Kana.
—
her.
!
—
!
!
LXX.
At
Radha:
An
last,
my
dear,
I
how Kana
see
is
uncouth
:
axe of brass, useless for any work,
A
Albeit
layer of tinsel over
showed him angry
I
it
eyes,
how came
it
that the mountains
Slipped in two thick roads?
Taking the shalmal
But there was
He who
is
can he
life
know
amongst the
Vidhyapati says
is
:
boorish
Herdsman
it
close,
beasts.
vainly
!
Hearken, young woman
not ever a boor
:
!
You are uncouth yourself, your trade
Tou cannot
it
of Rati's ways?
a night of nectar, but I spent
With yonder
He
he clasped
a thorny dart
has spent his
What
This
for the sandal,
lay such blame on
is
herding
too,
Hari
87
!
!
;
—
;
LXXI.
Radha :
There bloomed
My
hope was high the
I
fed
I
saw no
I
am
And
a flower of golden shene,
fruit,
and
a
gem,
all
was vanity
the simple daughter of a cowherd,
this
unworthy love
is
is
woe, Alas, has Fate
For hope of gain,
I lost
worse than death
afflicted
my
Vidhyapati' s conclusion
Tou cannot make a dogs
88
would be
roots with streams of milk
its
What
This
fruit
all
:
tail straight.
me,
—
:
!
LXXII.
Krishna
:
The
sun
in the East, the tide
is
The moon
The
merging
water-Hly closed,
Your
A
is
lily-face
is
in the sky.
— and even
my
so,
lady
fair,
shut.
lily-face,
two
And
of honey.
lips
of night has ebbed,
lotus-eyes.
All your body flower-wrought,
Why
is
your heart of stone
Your hands
Even
And
are wasted,
a garland
is
a
and you wear no bracelets,
weary burden
yet you will not cast
What wicked ways
?
:
away your mountain load of pride-
are yours
Now leave these wrongs, give Hari bliss, my fair.
Now with the dawn, give over wrath
Raja Shivasimha Rupanarayana,
Says Vidhyapati
!
89
— — ——
!
:
LXXIII.
Beauty, of lineage and courtesy, without your eyes
Sakhi:
—
The best of lovers what may you do ?
How may you make jap-tap, or alms bestow
Who
'
I
have no pity on the
would advise you very
One such
A
many
a virtue
pitiful
may
dear
many
virtues.
to the poison, thief of a guru's wife.
And vomited from
Rahu's jaws.
Scorching divided lovers, slayer of
Yet
my
cancel,
single sin destroys the fruit of
'Though brother
vows accomplish.
?
seriously,
a sin
or
for his merits the
moon
water-lilies,
shines bright
'Loving another's children, careless of his own,
The crow drinks dregs of love
Yet an only word of His, wipes all those faults away,
:
He
Radhd:
speaks such honey-words.'
'What
The
can
I
say,
my
dear, of Kana's love
roothless root of every virtue
Touching His
flute
But even then
I
He
makes
cannot
'Renewed embraces:
a
trust
kissing
?
hundred vows
Him.
me upon His
He makes protest of loyalty
But He has spent the night beside
lap,
!
And emptied me
'In something more than
I see
Life
fire
my
body burns
the seal of Rati on every limb.'
may
expire^ says Vidhyapati,
And yet you
90
some other
of hope.
will not mix with
Hari !
girl.
:
:
!
LXXIV.
Radha:
Hearken, prithee, heartless Hari,
Fie on your such love
Why
And
did you speak of keeping tryst,
with another maiden spent the night
You make
And
Who
No
!
?
pretence of love for Rai,
dally with another girl
says brave
Kanu
such another fool
is
is
best of lovers
?
in the world.
Refusing ruby, you seek for
glass,
Leaving an lake of nectar, you long
for brine,
Forsaking a sea of curds, to wanton
in a well,-
Fie on your amorous blandishment
Vidhyapati the lord of poets avows
Radha
will never look upon your face again.
91
:
—
:
LXXV.
Rddha:
Thirsting for fragrance
1
flew to the flower
But never
I
came the
saw not
a
drop of the ocean of honey.
I
And now
the people
near,
mock me.
And lo, my dear, the bee bewitched by someone
And no one passes any judgment thereupon
:
By
little
How
steps I
came
to understand
better,
his heart as fickle as the lightning.
is
Forsaking the
Inhaling
its
lily,
he followed the screw-pine,
fragrance
But the thorns have pierced
His
him
face
is
Somewhat
smeared with
hurt,
I
body
his
dust.
think, he
comes again
to
me,
As though he had been disappointed
There
is
one flavour men have never understood
Distinction of the good and bad.
Hearken, my good girl, says Vidhyapati;
hove
is
only understood by lovers,
Raja Shivastmha
And Kant
92
is
—
the storehouse
Lakshml Devf
his
wife
of all
I
virtues.
else
MANANTE MILNA
;
;
:
LXXVI.
Sakhi:
The wrath
of the wrathful
Kanu sank
in a sea
But when he asked
fled afar
of nectar
:
for her embrace,
Albeit heavy with love, her lovely body might not bend.
Honeyed was the
swain's speech,
Tremulous the beauty's sighs
Her Lord
enfolded her upon his lap.
But yet the flow of nectar was but
Gently he kissed her face
And though
—her
her heart was
full
little.
eyes were full of tears,
of love, yet love was lacking
Bravely he touched her bosom with his hands.
But even then
And when
Then
And
Is
it
desire
at last
would not awake.
he loosed her girdle.
even, in Hari's
even then she
bliss,
felt
desire
was
cold.
no gladness
pleasure or pain, says Vidhyapati?
95
—
:
LXXVII.
Sakhi:
Peerless
Radha
beside Murari,
Her wrath broke down, whose wrath was stubborn
Madhava
kisses
Radha's
face,
Looks on her moon-face with brimming
All of her maidens were
Madan
with joy,
entered the hearts of both.
Twain were
enraptured, each in the other's lap
A sight that Jills
96
filled
eyes.
Vidhyapati with
bliss.
!
:
!
LXXVIII.
Sakhl:
O
'Tell me,
How
did your Lord
(How
man and maid
are the fairest
And have
Radha :
'I
am
The
your hopes
fulfil
?
curiously, methinks, has Providence
Created
You
Beauty, what were the night's delights.
!)
woman
attained Murari, worthiest of men.'
not able to recite
fates
of the world
my
lover's love.
have not bestowed on
me
a
myriad mouths
Doffing his necklace of ivory pearls,
With
care he set
Taking
my
it
on
my
hands, he set
neck
me
on his
lap,
And
cooled
my
'He
loosed
my
And
wreathed them with a campak garland
limbs with fragrant sandal.
locks (so neatly bound),
With honey-honey-glances
;
Kaija gazed on me.
His eyes brimmed over with
tears of joy.'
Billows of love, says Vidhyapati:
Hearken,
my
dear,
I
sing their Union.
97
—
!
!
!
—
LXXIX.
Sakht:
Measureless virtue
!
whereso yearning bodies meet
Now there has been indissoluble union
How many a one essayed this way and
Yet none availed
to
in the
wicked world
seen such love as this, a very fount of milk
If one should fetch
it
to the fire
And
stir
The
milk, exulting in the heat, boils over
the milk to separate the water.
Goaded by
separation pangs,
If any one should pour
Then
it
leaps into the fire
more water
in
the separation-pangs withdraw
Avows
Vidhyapati : Love
And such
98
that,
put the twain asunder
Never any household
Has
of the twain
the love
is
such.
of Radha-Madhava.
it.
afar.
:
—
—
LXXX.
Riidha
:
Very cunning
Without any
He
is
my
he broke
spell
appeared to-day
Who
will of
When
he saw
And he
(Then
I
said:
my
my
in a yogi's
wrath
could
shame
face,
tell
he began
Vidhyapati says :
he
to give
him
murmur words
to
what guile was
?
went
I
gift I ask is the
to recite all that
!
weed
mother-in-law
'The
Nobody knows
How
my
can explain such singular gestes
At the
'Tis
Kana,
alms.
of love.
jewel of your pride,'
his
!)
said.
the Lord of lovers
!
lovely Rai,
can you plumb the depth of his cunning ?
99
:
LXXXI.
Radhd:
What
can
I tell
my
of to-day's affair
A jewel fell to the hands of a fool
Who knows not the price of gold
And
Who
And
How
dear?
or glass,
reckons alike the jewels and ganja seeds,
is
lacking in lore of crafts of love,
reckons milk and water the same
can
I feel
affection for
him
:
?
Shall a necklace of pearls adorn the neck of a
Wise
in this savour^
Has pan
I
GO
Vidhydpati asks
ever graced the
mouth of a monkey ?
monkey ?
:
:
!
!
LXXXII.
Radhd:
What
gay friend?
shall I tell you, dear
I
cannot speak of to-day's disports
I
was lying alone on
Love was
my
fellow,
Kana came with
In jest
I
turned
my
lifted
And
gave
And
armed with
his flowery darts.
lay with eyes closed
Hari
With
flowery bed,
his tinkling anklets.
Kana came nigh and
I
my
:
sat beside
my
face to hide
from
me
my
me,
laughter.
locks their flowery chaplet.
his crest of
peacock feathers:
elaborate care he took the pearl
lifted the necklet
Loosing the bodice,
from
my
Then Madan woke, and
Says Vidhyapati:
You may
my
is
my
nose
neck
dear one lost his wits
I
bound the thief my arms
A learned 'wanton he—
be lovesome, but your lover
In you there
from
love, but he
is
is
a master of the art
a lover all-wise
oj love !
in loving !
lOI
—
;
!
!
LXXXIII.
Radha:
I
was
But
still
my
What
very wrathful.
my pride
my dear
lover disguised as a girl dissolved
can
I tell
of the pranks of to-day,
:
?
For there came Kan with the maiden-messenger
He
bound
The Lord
He
He
his curling hair in a knot,
of lovers dressed like a
put on a necklace and made a breast in his bosom,
put on his feet a jewelled anklet.
First
he put
his left foot foremost,
Ratipati danced with his flowery
I
looked with amazement,
With downbent
When
The
I
girl
I
— and fondled him
I set
touched his body so
pride of
stood
glances,
all
my
wrath
bow
fled
him
full
in
my
of love.
Under-earth,
astonished, with finger to nose.
Vidhyapati says : The quarrel was ended I
I02
lap
freely,
!
:
LXXXIV.
Radha:
My
frolicsome friend, what shall
I
say?
There was another prank, unspeakable
Naked
of any weed,
When
he of the lotus-eyes appeared unseen
To
hide
my
body on
(O open wide and
Seeking to cover
Just as the
O
!
either side revealed the other,
let
my
alone at home,
me
sink into the earth
breasts with
my
!)
hands,
I
snow may not conceal the southern
Out on you,
The Lord
I sat
fie
!
my
could not,hills.
my youth, my honour.
on my limbs to-day
life,
of Braj gazed
!
amorous Rat, Vidhyapati says.
Could you outwit such wit as his?
103
—
!
:
:
LXXXV.
Radhd:
O
mother mine, what can
The
stain sticks fast, for all
After
The
My
I
my
all
say to-day
!
washing with water
bath, and climbing Kalindi's bank.
filmy muslin clung to
That
And
I
my
my
limbs,
shape was clearly seen,
there was Yaduvira just before
me
buttocks broad were plain to see,
turned
me
round and over them shook
my
hair
my breasts,
I turned my back on Hari and sat me down.
But cunning Madhava scanned my body with smiling face,
And when
The body
You are a
Why
104
he fixed his gaze upon
I
sought to hide would not be hidden
witless maid, says Vidhyapati:
did you not return
to the
water?
!
—
:'
:
LXXXVI.
Radha :
My
mother-in-law was asleep, and
And
love-learned
Somehow
I
made
Kanu was
it
I
lurking behind.
clear to
him by
'Will you give over fooling, or shall
'Refrain this affection,
As
at this
O
lay in her lap,
signs
I
begone?
foolish lover,
time your prayers are not to be granted
(Can there be any pleasure
in
embraces from behind,
Shall thirst for water be slaked with milk
Bending
How
Nor
My
My
how
betray
)
?
did he drink the nectar of
often silently he laid his hand
let
What
his face to mine,
!
him any panting
upon
my
lips
breasts.
breath,
laughing battles were fought with flashing teeth
mother-in-law awoke, and
my
!
Kana ran away
hopes were not fulfilled, says Vidhyapati.
loS
:
!
—
LXXXVIL
Rddha:
I
was alone, and weaving garlands.
My
And
then came
(How
My
and bodice were unloosed,
skirt
Kanu with
shall I hide
quiet smiles
my bosom
darling clasped
me
And
yet
This
is
my
brazen
the very
Wherefore
\'ob
dout the lamp,
I
this
my
girdlestead ?)
with a merry laugh.
Modesty and shame departed
(How may
and
shame of him
underworld
that's out
of reach of hands
not of shame
life dies
work of love,
to the
!
says Vidhydpati
to
whom your
life is dedicate'^
?)
—
:
LXXXVIII.
Radha:
To-day
He
my awkward shame
was
realised his heart's desires
What
shall I say,
my
dear?
far
away,
:
(I
smile to speak of
it,)
So very marvellous was the dalliance of to-day.
The
toppling clouds
The
pleasant mountain-kings rose
I
fell
down on
earth.
up on high
likewise, gazing in the emerald mirror.
Fell there
Newly
where neither up nor down
advised was Kan,
His sayings overpowered
He
known.
lord,
:
gave a refuge to the homeless
Shamefast
The
my
me
are
I
was and hid
my
prince of wantons folded
And with
Fanning
heart's
fire.
me upon
his lap.
the wimple wiped the dews of weariness.
me
gently,
Vidhydpati exclaims
:
I fell
asleep.
Delight beyond compare
!
107
—
!
LXXXIX.
Radha :
What
Whether
can
was
this
Or very
my
I say,
a
dear
?
'Tis measureless
dream, or
real, I
cannot
!
tell.
near, or far away.
Beneath the winding lightning, darkness came to birth.
Within, a river of heavenly nectar
The wavering
On
The
The
darkness swallowed the sun and moon.
every hand the
heavens
:
fell,
the
stars
hills
were
falling
!
were overthrown.
earth quaked hard,
Stormily rose the sighing winds.
The swarms
of bees buzzed
:
Like an ocean of chaos the waters overflowed,
Yet
How
this
can
was not an son's ending
I trow
this
contrary tale ?
Vidhydpati makes enquiry.
io8
—
:
xc.
Sakhf:
Her wandering
A
hair was mingled with the circle of her face-
wreath of clouds across the moon
Jewelled earrings swung from her
Her
tilka ran
ears,
with sweat.
(Beauty, of fortune-yielding face
If
you should
How may
:
still
wage
:
Rati's war,
Hari-Hara save?)
Bracelets musical, and bangles noisy.
Anklets clinking
Drunk with
Victory, Victory
For when from the
The
Love
the wine of love,
yielded,
by beat of drum
!
!
loins arose a muffled sound.
warrior was crushed
:
VidhydpatV s Mastet wins such
Yamuna and Gangd
bliss,
—
mingling.
109
:
XCI.
Kavt:
Shyama
With
is
drunk with Madan's drowsy wine,
smiles he takes the moon-face on his lap-
Wanton
glances, gentle laughter,
Leaning of limbs, amorous murmuring.
Amorous
she,
Heart upon
Both
and passionate Kan,
heart, face on face.
are drunken, both are archers
Such song of love shapes Vidhyapati.
I
lo
1
:
XCII.
Radhd:
If
you would have
Make Madan
'You
You
will
will
Even
And
in
love,
O
Madhava
witness to this document
abandon dalliance 'neath the kadamb,
have no more regard
dreams you will
to parents.
see only
me.
my eyes,
sing my praise,
never drink but to
Night and day
And
my
will
take no other maiden on your lap.'
When
Then
I shall
I
have such covenant
will speak of love with
Hearken, brave Kan,
to
in
you
hand,
!
Vidhyapatis advice,
Preserve your dignity even at cost of life
—
!
1
1
—
! :
:!
XCIII.
Radha:
Like
to the tool that trims the jewels of her toes,
Gokula's darling grovelled on the ground
Unceasing
tears
How many
evil
day
!
ways
my
for I
was proud,
And now my
Who
Or
1
were flowing down
love besought
his face.
me
brazen heart declines to die
would have thought black wrath could be
that a jewel could be changed to clay
have been luckless
My
refuge
is
in
my
in death, I
woman's
lot
was too proud
Hearken, lady Rdi, says Vidhyapati:
I shall
I
12
explain the reason of your weeping.
!
?
so dangerous.
AKSHEPA ANUYOGA O VIRAHA
:
—
XCIV.
Sakhl:
The mournful
beauty, gazing on Kanu's face,
Was
sobbing loud with brimming eyes
The
peerless moon-face,
Fell fey
when he
upon the ground, with
said
cries
How distractedly
Now I shall not
go
When
sound reached her
'
this sweet
nymph
to
Mathura
'
lovesick
And
taking Kanu's hands in hers.
'
lifted
them
Farewell,'
of 'Hari, Hari
to
:
ears,
revived.
touch her head
Say unmistakeably, good Kan,
:
my
lord,
Mathura."
'I will not
go
And when
the damsel had this comfort.
She
to
raised herself again,
Murdri went
his
!'
did Hari comfort her,
The
She
'
and sighed no more.
way, when Rat was soothed
Vidhyapati refrains from words
—
!
IIS
!
!
:
xcv.
Datika
:
Madhava,
O
moon-face,
Never can you have known the
Hearing you
O
sting of separation
are departed to another land, she wastes
wretched Rai, bereft of wit by force of love
Refusing even buds of flowers, she
The
calling of the koil
Her
tears
fills
her with
exhausted on the ground.
fear.
arnns let slip their ornaments.
With hanging head Radha
Now
lies
have washed the beauty-spots away.
Her wasted
are her fingers
regards her throat.
raw with writing on the ground
Says Vidhyapati : Recollecting all his ways.
And
ii6
away
taking count of them, she fainted.
:
—
!
:
:
:
XCVI.
A
Rjdha:
To
sorry end to
my
let
life
Nowhere
I
At
depend upon
to look for help
my
dear,
wanton,
a
as I ran, I fell therein
first I
Now
!
At
would
might return
I
I
my
all
now
I
But now
with
my
can
I
hands.
heart.
way of life,
know what drowning
my own
Whom
better
led another
I
!
skill into another's
Pride had fled afar
Till
light,-
understood for love,
knew no
first I
yielded
:
nowise knew the heavy from the
His honey-speech
I
love,
could not see the hidden well,
But
I
my
all
is
hands sharped the stake.
blame now
?
Hearken, fair young thing says Vidhydpati
No
Oft
other thought be in
is life
Who
lost for
does not
your heart
sake of love.
know
this in the
world?
I
r
:
!
:
XCVII.
Radha:
Why
I
am
This
would you burn
No
is
my
A
ii8
is
my
necklace on
This
is
girl,
my
my
head.
moon.
forehead, but a scarlet beauty-spot
poison, but a trace of
silk
thou Bodiless?
a jasmine garland on
a pearl tiara, not the
Blue
O
flowing hair, not matted locks,
eye upon
Not
body,
not Shankara, but a gentle
Not Ganga, but
This
my
my
breast,
musk upon my
and not the lord of serpents.
robe, and not a tiger's skin.
a lotus of delight,
throat,
and not a skull
All
this is loveliness, says
Not
ashes on her limbs, but dust of Malaya.
Vidhyapati
:!
:
XCVIII.
Datika
:
name of Madhava,
Often, in meditation on the
She changes into Madhava himself:
Forgetful of her
She
own
1
Her
fire
The
love
is
peerless
of sundering from herself devours her body in
may
live.
friends are filled
with
doubt
The
and of her own identity,
enamoured of her own charms.
is
Madhava, your
The
desires
if
she
tears are
grief, so sadly
its
flames,
she regards them.
pouring from their eyes
cry of ' Radha, Radha,' echoing repeatedly.
She murmurs broken words.
When
she
is
And when
And
even
with Radha, she thinks that she
Madhava,
with Madhav, Radh^
so, this bitter
The pang
is
may
love
not be broken asunder.
of separation hurts her more and more.
Just as a tree both sides aflame quite utterly consumes
Some wretched
In such a
plight,
insect's life
Vallabha,
:
I saw
the nectar-face.
Says Vidhyapati.
119
:
:
!
XCIX.
Radha:
Where wanton Murari
There write
my name
is
his side the jewels
This
is
my
And
all
the
Kind was
I
from
prayer
number of my
my
to
sit,
or twice or thrice
Lay by
life's last
wont
my
body,
!
friends, write ye
darling, only fate
was
my
name,-
cruel.
die indeed, for Kanu's sake
Seek some occasion to ask news of him.
Once on
a
And pour
day
let
my
beloved write
my
name,
the lustring water with his rosy hands
Hearken fair damsel, says Vidhyapati:
Be
1
20
patient of heart,
you shall meet your Murari !
—
Kadha :
Hari has gone
And Gokula
My
to
is
ribs are all
The cows
are
!
Mathura town.
void to-day,
shrunken with weeping.
roaming on the road
to
Mathura.
Herdsmen and maidens no more wandering
Beside the Jamuna's banks,
I shall cast
my
And
be born again
I will
Then
To
shall
away
in the waves.
as
Kanu
Kanu be Radha,
suffer the pangs of love.
Vidhyapati gives
No
life
this
advice:
needfor weeping now
!
121
!
!
!
CI.
Radha:
Now Madhav
(Who
has gone to
Mathura town,
can have stolen the jewel of Gokula?)
Gokul resounds with the noise of weeping.
See
how
the waves are swollen with tears
Empty
the temple,
Empty
each
airt,
empty the
empty
all
How
How
can
I
go
can
I
look on the booths and the groves
How
can
I
look on the place and live,
to
Jamuna's banks
Where he smothered my
Vidhyapati says
Maybe
122
lover,
he
is
:
Be
?
friends with flowers
ivell advised.
hiding there in jest
?
?
—
'
!
—
!
CII.
Sakhi:
Watching with streaming
Half
'
Fate
is
a
'
What
What
far
sundering thus
bitter,
me
from
karma's fruit
O
that a
Were
I
And
'Bring
is
describe to
me my
me
my
dear one gone abroad
may
fall
I
would
him
all
my
dear
?)
fly to his side,
my
distress
darling, and save
:
?
Madan.
beside
beloved sitting
Will no one take pity
Vidhyapati says
?
the pangs of
sighs,
my
but a bird,
dear
is this,
woman's
whom
(By
!
my
shall I do,
Perpetually pierce
'
her darHng went,
second seems an aeon,
most
Murari
way
eyes the
my
life,
?
Soon ye shall meet.
Possess your heart in patience.
123
:
:
cm.
Radha
:
\
am
a girl
No
The
on
friend
rain
fire, in
is
cruel
This
is
Love
my
me
here with
comes on,
And
the temple bird-alone,
my
is
love
gone abroad.
is
hostile.
day of dissolution.
Fresh clouds are driving in every quarter,
My
flying
life is
Again the thunder
My
The
heart
is
from the
roars,
cruel peewit, calling
since
it
As though
life is
'
as I listen,
Piu, piu,'
lap.
rains incessantly,
in flames of
I
know my
fire.
Vidhyapati says : Hearken, fair lady.
The worthy lover shall he yours.
124
shaken
pounding
Reminds me of his
And
my
sight.
life
will end.
!
:
:
!
—
:
!
CIV.
Radha:
Even the moon's cool
The Spring
Even from
is
I
know,
At what
my
And now
^vil
I
last faint
is
this cruel
my
a time has Fate
So many days,
How
in
long
:
mouth not
dear,
Denying me
My
comen
a crow's
What makes
rays are scorching-hot,
to see
a
word of Kanta
Madan ?
evil
day
is
come
opposed me.
him more
my body carefully
know my end is near
I
kept
hope
my
is
but a legend now,
wicked heart endures
Madan' s mood,
says Vidhydpati
To 'whom may you confide your care ?
Fiercer than flames of a sea offire
This bitter severance from your darling
!
125
!
:
!
cv.
Kadha
:
Fresh flowers are springing by every cabin, brake and copse.
The
The
my
yet
darling has not
lunar sandal burns
The
The
Spring
With
My
Fk
is
here and
body
again
!
hotly,
Kanu
far
away.
I see.
hardships
in
my
Master's face.
know
upon
may
a
woman's
such a joyful season
body wasting
daily, like the
shrivelled heart
!
winter lotus,
not what the end will be
life,
Pitiless
126
come
hills,
eyes have no content
Endure
I
my
steadfast gaze to scan
many
My
:
bees are buzzing in the woods.
Unfriendly Fate
So
pancam note
southern breeze has reached the snowy
And
The
koil sings the
for shame, says Vidhydpati,
Mddhavd's heart
:
!
:
CVI.
Radha:
Unhappy
I, all
birdalone.
my life slipped by
With promise of return, my lover went away.
He has forgotten all my former charms
Calling for Kanu, Kan,
The
flowers are blowing in every glade,
Now
my
Spring has come,
dear.
The
host of koils spread their noise
My
darling
To whom
No
is
abroad,
I
:
may no more
shall I confide
my
sustain
heart's distress
living creature of the Triple
World such
!
?
pain
may know
!
Hearken, fair Rdi, says Vidhyapati
I shall expound
it
all to
Kanu.
127
evil.
Kadha:
O
my
There
is
heavy
rains of autumn-tide.
My
no limit
house
to
empty
is
woe,
my
dear!
!
Impenetrable clouds are thundering unceasingly,
And
Kanta
A
A
all
is
the world
a stone,
and Love
rain of arrows pierces
hundred
flashes blind
The peacock
The happy
My
of rain
is full
is
cruel,
me.
my
eyes,
dances in an ecstasy
bursting.
is
Utter darkness, night impenetrable.
line
Vidhyapati says
:
of lightning:
How may you pass
The day and night alone
128
:
frogs but croak and croak.
heart
Unbroken
:
?
:
!
:
CVIII.
Radha :
Who says that Madhava will come, my
How can I ever cross the sea of longing
friend
?
?
I
my
have no faith within
Expectant every moment,
I
heart
pass the livelong day.
Expectant day by day, a month goes by
Expectant every month,
I
have forsaken
all
Expectant every year,
Wasting
my
flesh
I
hope
I
pass the year,
in life.
my
pass
with hopes
If the lotus die of the winter
What
If
I
:
moon,
shall avail in the spring
If the flower be scorched by the
What
life
shall avail the
autumn
?
summer
rains
?
waste in longing this fresh young
What
shall avail
Vidhyapati says
Do
:
my
Lover's love
Hearken, young thing
not be hopeless
sun.
life,
?
:
now
That Bliss of Braja, and Heart's Delight
Shall quickly be at your side
!
129
———
!
CIX.
Datika:
O
Kan,
Love
is
And
He
saw the tender she beside herself!
distraught by koil's
The
She
and
fairest
of the world endures
who might have no bed
if
except his bosom,
grovels on the ground,
the full round
In a withered
From
?
poison and the pain of parting
Now
then
Nought
moon
campak
now
till
I
She swooned
:
O pitiless
away
to
lay fallen asunder
garland.
have consoled her,
else has saved
Vidhyapati says
130
he sends no news,
shall the Braj girls live
best
The
calls,
day by day she wastes away.
stays abroad,
How
As
I
her
life
!
Madhava,
hear your name
!
—
:
!
ex.
Sakhf:
Making
a
promise to return 'To-morrow,' her lover went away,-
Writing the word 'To-morrow,' the wall
The
is
full
day had dawned, she asked of everyone
Tell me,
O
tell
me, when will to-morrow come?
'Awaiting to-morrow, abandoning hope,
Never again
shall I lie
by Kanu's
side.'
Vidhydpati says : Hearken, fair damsel:
The beauties of the
toivn are holding
him back.
ni
:
!
!
CXI.
Radha :
Everyone
praises the gifts of love,
That love whereby the virtuous woman
Had
I
but
known how
Should
I
Now
has
it
cruel
was
to be poison to
made
a
wanton
love,
have passed the limits of
come
is
sin
?
me
Let no one set their love on Hari, on Hari
132
Hearken^ fair damsel:
Vidhyapati says
:
Would you first
drink water
and
then consider the giver s births
CXII.
RiScihd:
How many
I
reproaches and scornful words of
counted for nought in
For whose sake
He now
Now
I
my
my
dearest maiden, tell
Murari
for
me
and remind him,
forsake not any without regard to their innocence.'
Even though sentence be
can
It is
you that
Tell
Kanu
1
heart, deep-laden in love.
companionship.
dear companion, he that
What more
elders
forsook without shame the path of duty.
has forsaken
'The worthy
my
I say,
is
wise.
harsh, does justice at least.
that
am
but a helpless
woman
?
are skilled in speech and full of resource.
this
pray you do
For your wiles
with honeyed words,
it,
appease his wrath.
are
many, and what do
Vidhyapati says : This song
is
I
know
?
of love.
»33
CXIII.
Radha :
\
never thought that love would break,
Or
that the love of any
Therefore
I
it is
a stone.
this great misfortune has befallen
cannot fathom what Fate has wrought.
And
'It is
tell
my
friend,
my
dear,
with folded hands,
but fruitless to destroy the flower of love.'
If he should answer,
Say that
I
gave
my
Vidhyapati declares :
He whom you
134
worthy one might be
'You
are senseless,'
heart with a free good will.
I am amazed;
love, it seems,
is
blind
!
me,
:
:
:
CXIV.
Radha:
Explain
'
If
this all to
Kanu, dearest friend
you who sowed the
In
what way
seeds of love, destroy the flower,
shall I live
?
'Just as a drop of oil floats on the surface of the water,
Such
is
the likeness of your love
Just as the water on the sand immediately vanishes.
Such
I
is
the
way of your
affection.'
was a woman of honour, and am become
me
Since his words beguiled
I
with
my own
hands shaved
a
wanton
:
my
head
Because of Kanu's love.
Deep
in
And
my
hide
heart
my
I
am
grieved, like the wife of a thief.
face within
Like the eager moth's that
Was
the fruit
Vidhyapati says
:
I
my
veil
flings itself
on the flame
sought to enjoy.
This
is
the
way of the Kali
age.
Let no one wonder thereat:
Everyone reaps
Who
the fruit
of his folly
puts himself in another s power.
135
:
cxv.
Radha :
I
am
To whom
As many
may
as
I
am
my
But hang
me
let
my
If ever again
I shall
If I
come
may
life,
name along my
whisper such
spells in
die to the sound of Krishna's
body ever
my
rest
darling comes to Brindaban,
to life at the sight of
off
my
:
I
of Krishna's hue.
is
life
?
my
dear.
in the fire of love
!
Hearken, fair damsel.
patient of heart, you shall meet your
Murari.
am
limbs.
my
name
Radha's body,
high on a tamal bough, when
Vidhyapati says
136
my
of treasure
remain by me,
not see his moon-fair face again,
I shall cast
Be
Kanu,
cast in the waters
tamal tree
There
my
:
dead, write Krishna's
body may
Nor burn nor
my dear
my storehouse
die indeed,
I
be, dear friends,
Lalita, friend of
That
The
dying,
shall I leave
And when
And
am
dying,
dead.
:
ears
CXVI.
Radha
:
After
how
When
long shall this sadness depart
heavy load of
shall the
How
long shall
After
how many
When
When
When
When
shall
will
my
it
be
moon and
?
the lotus are joined?
me
lover converse with
he put
my
the
this grief be lifted
days shall the bee disport with the
will he take
shall
till
?
hands on
his
my
hand
my
longing be realised
?
?
breasts
me
to set
lily
?
on his
lap.
?
Hearken, fair woman, says Vidhyapati:
Every sorrow
shall fly
when Murari
is
yours.
137
—
:
CXVII.
RadM:
Speak
me, speak
to
Where
is
to
What
is
she
That he
is
so
And
my
And
my
Lord has met,
my
found,
my
break
my
is
all in
my
fine array,
is
the use of jewels
hair the scarlet line and put
my
darling.
Vidhyapati says : Hearken young damsel
is
glad.
?
the waves of the Jamuna.
hopeless without
Your sorrow
is
necklace of ivory-pearls,
dear will forsake me, what
Wipe from my
Lord
heart an arrow.
bangles of shell, take off
Cast them
138
me,
enamoured ?
plunges in
Shatter
All
tell
hear some news of him.
like
my
O
me,
my darling dwells?
arrows, my body is ablaze
Some maid he must have
If
tell
the land where
For Madan's burning
To
me, dear, and
come
to
an end.
it
far
away.
:
:
CXVIII.
Radha:
The day
that
Madhava went
his
All those words poured forth
My
When
tears
were dropping from
held his hand upon
Now
all is
The madhavi
koil
Which
my
eyes.
is
oath,
my
my
vine
a-calling,
every bee
is
close,
head
otherwise.
Scanning the road,
And
to hear.
still
morning dawned, then coming
Did Kanu swear an
The
:
heart was heavy and heavier
The
I
way
is
is
heart
is
heavy
flowering,
Kuhu, kuhu, resounding.
buzzing.
the city where
my
Pleased by what maid he
dear was stolen.
won
?
Vidhyapati says : Hearken, young damsel:
The thief is your lover himself.
139
—
:
CXIX.
Dutika
:
A
river of tears
And
O
on
its
is
banks she
Madhava, your
You have no
Then
flowing from her eyes,
pity
is
but too perverse,
murdering
fear of
did her breath
And some were
and swoons
falls
grow
a wife.
faint.
fanning her with lotus-leaves.
And
other clever maids were listening for her breath,
And
I
Some
And
have run to
tell
say that Hari
is
at that
The dusky
A
a-coming.
name her wit
returns.
braid begins to dance
serpent black
Recounting
Come
you.
in
upon
your heart your former love.
back once more to your own home.
The wily wight
breast
a lily's lap.
Vidhyapati the mighty bard declares
140
upon her
is
:
well aware of all her woe
!
—
:
cxx.
Datikd:
Ah Madhava,
I
come just now from
seeing Rai
For grief of loneliness she answers nought,
But
lies
with her face on the earth.
She lay outstretched on the grassy ground,
Her body was wasted with
As
if
with a touchstone the Lord of Five Arrows
Had proved
The
love.
a streak of gold.
orb of her face lay low in the dust
(More
lovely
The moon
it
seemed therefor)
in fear of
Rahu had
(Such was the fashion of
What
can
I
my
fallen
down on
Vidhyapati says
:
She
is
is
in
?
:
of goodfame,
that her Hfe
the floor-
delusion).
say of the pangs of disunion
Hearken, most cruel Kanu
Tou know
:
—
danger.
141
——
CXXI.
Datikci
:
Madhava,
Her gaze
lo, I
is
have seen your lovely Rai,
fixed like a painted puppet's,
Friends surround her on every side.
Exceeding
faint
Exceeding thin
(None
is
is
the breath of her nostrils.
her corse, like a streak of gold,
that beholds
it
Bracelets and bangles
Her
I
believes
fall
it
hers).
from either
wrist.
hair untressed, her head unhidden.
cannot solve these sentiments and swoons,
Fiercely the fever of longing scorches her relentlessly.
Vidhyapati says
:
Her
Has abandoned now
142
loveless body
all love on earth.
:
;
!
'
CXXII.
Datika:
Madhava,
prithee, visit yonder babe:
To-day or to-morrow she
is
like to die,
Such burning love she bears
Refreshing water, lotus-leaves upon her bed,
Or ointment
Each and
all
of sandal-paste.
are flames of fire
The moon with
tenfold heat annoys.
Devoid of might, she
leans
upon the earth
to rise.
All night she wends and wakes.
And
starting suddenly, she
Her
/ know
fire
murmurs
'
Shiva, Shiva
!
has filled the earth.
not if there be a remedy.
Says Vidhyapati the poet
Nought but
the fated tenth-day plight remains,
—
Be well-advisedforthwith.
143
—
:
;
CXXIII.
Datika
:
She turns her face away from looking on the moon.
She stands and gazes piteously down the road
With
eye-collyrium she makes a painted
And
speaks with
him
in wrath.
Madhava, unyielding
Her
1
you
that
I
have beheld
all
birdalone,
can the tender child support the southern zephyr?
For Love
is
doing her hurt
breath has ceased, which hope sustained,
With
every finger she draws a snake.
Vidhyapati says
This
is
Loudly
:
O
Lord Shivasimha,
the cure for sundering s sorrow
Avoiding the
144
with
heart, delaying abroad.
pray you turn again to home.
How
Her
dallied
Rahu
to
koil,
and
summon
—
taking sweets in hand.
the crows.
:
CXXIV.
Radhd:
There was
Not
a
for an instant
He bound my
Who now
Why
He
without
I
flesh in a
I live
whom
my
friend
love,
company.
O
sweet friend
fair
?
could not rest for a moment,
would
away
fare to a far-away land,
my
wander wide
and
I shall
heart in the sea, and none shall
taking the necklace lay on
I will
face in bliss,
body
bond of measureless
any more,
I
my
my
with the love of another.
will cast
Or
lover leaned above
would he leave
forsakes
should
Is filled
My
my
time
in the
my
world
die of grief,
know
:
lover's neck,
as a yoginl.
—
Vidhyapati Kavi sings of this sundering
Record I take of Raja Shivasimha and Lakshmi Devf.
^\5
:
—
:
cxxv.
Datika
Madhava and the babe new-led in love,
You have forgotten her, forsaken to her
become
She
is
She
who
She
stares
fate,
a garland offering.
frame
so loves, I see her
is
fretted.
upon your path
With fixed regard, she hears no word,
Her tears are falling fast.
Her country is forsaken of your flute.
Her body is wasted all away
Most like the narrow streak of gold
The goldsmith draws upon the touchstone.
Her
So
hair
little
is
disarrayed, she no
might the
fair
thing has
Wasted and worn and woeful
Midst her gay companions.
Like chaff she
She needs her
and
flies
friend's
Cure of her sickness
How may
On
she live
I
tresses it-
:
have seen her
falls.
embraces
lies in
other hands,
?
solemn oath Vidhyapati reveals
A yet more ferly thing
Pondering ever on your ways
Is the root of her undoing.
146
more
:
:
CXXVI.
Krishna
Can
How
when
She
I
My
and fainted
fell
fair
body
to
Mathura,
?
and gentle creature spake
stiffened, I
left
?
came away indeed,
my
heart with her.
lacking her, the day and night are dimmed.
She
is
my
established in
heart
Beside another love in regal
I
my way
trembling speech and gentle murmuring
But there was
Now
dear and gentle lady,
took her hands, and went
Nor with what
The
my
I forget,
live like
Surely
I
Make
any anchorite
come
in a
:
!
day or twain,
her assured of
Vidhyapati says
state,
There
They shall be joined
this.
lies his
heart,
—
in love.
147
PUNARMILNA O RASODGARA
! !
:
CXXVII.
Radha:
When
Hari comes
to
Gokula town,
In every house shall the trumpets flourish 'Victory'
I shall
give
my
And my heavy
I shall offer
necklace of pearls for festal knots,
breasts as festal urns.
my
nipples as sprouts of the scented
In Madhava's service
I will set
And do
My
before
my
I
shall achieve
my
heart's desires
beloved incense and light and
the anointing with tears of joy from
outstretched hands shall embrace
Vidhyapati says
:
This
mango.
is
my
my
gifts.
eyes
dear.
loves ecstasy.
151
:
—
!
—
CXXVIII.
When my
Kadha
turn
I shall
my
Wildly
And
dear and blissful lover comes to
I shall
my
When
shall
he
:
my
draw back,
he may do
for all
beloved asks
my
smiling
me
mouth
roughly clasp
shall
garth,
wimple,
!
to play.
refuse
my
:
breasts.
My
hands shall restrain his hands, half-glances belying.
For
my
lover, the proper
Holding
Then
my
shall
man
is
a bee,
cheeks will drink the honey of
he ravish
Vidhydpati says
152
a little smile
darling will grasp
And when my
Then
back with
my
:
Tour
my
every sense
life is blest I
my
lips,
!
:
!
:
CXXIX.
Radha :
When Kana
shall
come
to
my
house,
I shall
gaze on his moon-face with
When
as a
Then
He
He
shall
woman
me more
wildly
my hands and set me down on
soothe my heart for endless time
will take
will
will
fill
him
me
eyes
say 'Nay, nay,'
Murari woo
I shall clasp
He
I
swimming
his lap,
close, casting out coldness.
with balm,
I
shall close
my
eyes
Vidhyapati says : Lo, lovely lady.
Fie on this brazen love of yours
!
153
!
! :
cxxx.
Radha :
I
spent
I
saw
last
my
night in
darling's
Meseemed my
The
I
life
ten directions
bliss,
moon-face
and youth bore
were
thought to-day that
To-day
my
filled
body became
all
my
a
fruit,
with joy.
my home
Fate has been friendly to
And
:
was made a home,
body indeed
me
to-day,
doubts are dissolved.
Now let the koil call a hundred thousand times,
A hundred thousand moons may rise
Now let the arrows-five become a hundred thousand,
And
Now
southern breezes sigh their softest
for so long as
So long
I
he leaves
deem my body
Vidhyapati says
:
Your
is
me
verily mine.
bliss is not little.
Blessing upon your love renewed!
154
not
—
:
CXXXI.
Radha :
How
shall I tell
Madhav
Just so
much
Even
if I
might
would not
shawl
My
dear
as
boundless joy,
the wicked
much was
so
A
my
abiding day after day in
Even
I
of
let
in the
is
the joy
go
my
winter
a shelter
Vidhydpati says
:
my
fold in
my
my
dear,
house
?
moon annoyed me
when
I
saw
my
wimple the
before.
darling's face.
best of treasures,
beloved into a far-away land
is
my
beloved, a gentle breeze in the
from the storm, and
a boat
summer.
on the river.
ho, lovely lady.
The grief of the goodly endures not for
ever.
^S^
:
!
—
CXXXII.
Rddhd
:
The
hurt that the Lord of the Seasons erstwhile did me,
All has departed at sight of Hari's face
All hopes and desires that were in
All are achieved
in
When
I
In the
dew of His
Fate has
fulfilled
No
156
eyes upon
There
sickness remains
is
when
my
body was
grieving melted away
the hope of
From bending my
:
my
lips
heart,
Lover's kindness.
His arms every hair of
lay in
Vidhyapati says
my
my
all
the days of
Him
I
my
know no
grief at an end.
the cure has been found.
life,
rest.
glad,
!
:
—
—
CXXXIII.
Sakh'i
:
Fate
is
now
Each on the
Each
friendly for ever
countenance gazing, twain are rapt
other's
in the other's
more
arms the other enfolds
Twain
are the
Twain
are the bodies a-tremble at
mouths contented each with the nectar of other's
The jingle
of jewels
What more
should
So as their love
is,
I
so
is
lips.
Madan's behest,
heard again in the house
!
say, Vidhy&pati asks
is
their loving.
^S7
:
:
!
!
CXXXIV.
Rare was that meeting of one with the other.
Sakhf:
The
grief of disunion vanished afar
He
has taken her hand and put her
The jewel-Shyama
In
many wise
The
bee, as
it
playing with diverse delights,
were, with the lotus delaying
face,
chorus of twain entranced by each other's perfections
Vidhydpati says : The Lover
The Love-thief has conquered
158
the painted seat.
disports with the jewel-damsel
Eyes upon eyes and face upon
A
down on
is
rapt.
the Triple
Worlds!
—
cxxxv.
Radha:
A
mirror
in
Surm of my
Musk
on
tambul
eyes,
my
my
Wings
to the bird,
Life of
my
tell
life
me,
my throat.
of my house.
breast, a necklace about
All the gear on
But
my hair,
of my mouth,
hand, a flower in
O
—
I
body, the
life
and water to
know Thou
Madhav, what
Avers Vidhyapati: 'Each
is
fish,
art these
art
Thou
in sooth
?
both.
159
—
:
CXXXVL
Radha :
What would you
Can
As
moment by moment
are
feelings,
yet are
ears
But
I
my
dear,
affection
transformed
my birth I have seen
my eyes unsatisfied
the day of
And
My
my
expound such love and
I
From
ask of
?
His beauty,
have continually heard His honeyed speech.
have not attained the path of audition.
Many a night have I passed in play.
And never have learnt what is dalliance
Myriad aeons I held Him close to my heart,
:
And
yet no rest has reached that heart.
How many
I
a
have seen
one tormented and passion-tost
— without seeing
Vidhyapati says
:
For your
heart' s ease
Tou have met with One who
i6o
!
is
nonpareil.
:
CXXXVII.
Kavi:
Hearken,
O
Nought can
Though
Madhava, what more can
I
find to
I
say?
compare with love
the sun of the East should rise in the West,
Yet would not love be
far
from the worthy,
Or
if I
should write the
stars
Or
if I
could pour from
my
Vidhyapati says
To abandon
:
O
of heaven on earth,
hands the water of
all
the sea.
Shivasimha Rdf,
the loving
is
ever unmeet.
i6i
:
:
—— —
CXXXIII.
Kavi: Frenzied
It is
tresses encircling
Rahu
her radiant face
moon
desiring the orb of the
Flowers of her hair with her necklace entwined,
As
the
Jamuna joins with
the waters of Ganga.
The
twain beyond speech are out of
The
loveling disports with most ardent passion
all
reason.
Eagerly fair-face kisses love-face.
The bending moon
Her
face
Madan
Long
is
is
drinks up the lotus.
adorned with a bead of sweat
has offered a pearl to the
the necklace that hangs on her breasts
milk into golden
It is
pouring
The
chains on her hips are loudly jingling
Madan
is
its
Tour
jars.
sounding psans of conquest.
Vtdhyapati says
:
O
amorous lady.
skill in love's lore surpasses
my
END.
162
moon
speech
!
:
NOTES
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
ELUCIDATIONS
BIRDS, BEASTS
AND FLOWERS
ILLUSTRATIONS
TEXTS
:
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
The poems
voice the thoughts or represent the spoken words of Radha and
Krishna, of sakhis (Radha's friends) anddutikas (messengers ofRadha or Krishna),
and of the poet himself The greater part of the whole is properly dialogue, but
inasmuch as the 'audience' is generally silent, we have only thought it necessary
to make use of quotation marks where the words of more than one speaker are
reported in one and the same song.
The following synonyms of Krishna are used by Vidyapati
Hari, Madhava, Kana,Kanu, Kanta, Kanai, Murari, Murali, Banamali,Shyama,
Vallabha, Giridhara, Gokula-natha, Nanda-kumara,
and the following of
—
Radha Radhika, Rai.
As regards the use of capitals Love is so printed when the poet refers to love as
a Power (Kamadeva, Ananga, Panca-ban, Madan, Manmatha), and 'Desire' is
similarly printed with a capital when the reference is to desire as a Power (Rati,
:
:
'
'
the wife of Kamadeva).
In the use of pronouns refering to Krishna, we have only occasionally printed a
have
capital ' He,'
for though He was God, he appeared to Radha as man.
generally used the colloquial second person plural, in place of the thee and thou of
the original, since to reproduce the original would not convey the needed intimacy of the French 'tutoyer' but in few cases it seemed better to adhere to the
—
We
:
singular.
;
:
ELUCIDATIONS
KRISHNA PURBBARAGA
The
First Passion of Krishna
I
Radha
first
seen
'
She was a phantom of delight
When first she gleamed upon my
sight.'
Wordsworth.
2.
'Unstained,' literally 'without antelope.' Indian fancy sees in the moon's
markings, not a 'man in the moon,' but an antelope (or a hare). Radha is
and so lovelier than the moon itself.
Surm,' viz. ««/fl»tf, otherwise rendered as kohl or collyrium,with which the
lower eyelid is blackened.
A woman's throat is commonly compared to a conch. The Shambhu
10, 1 1.
(Shiva-lingam) is the nipple (cf. Nos. XVI, LXVI) The poet suggests
that Radha's pearl necklace seems to be an ambrosial offering to Shiva,
made by Kamadeva, using the sacrificial vessel of Radha's conch-like
throat (cf No. LI, 12).
Hevene y tolde a I his
12,13.
That nyght were hire gest.'
flawless,
4.
'
.
'
II
Radha
shame.
charms in every
Cf. Prema Sagara, Ch. LXIII, and
excels the sources of her
'
quality, so that each
in trip than foot of running roe
Fresher than poplar, smaller than my span.
'
Olifant,'
put to
Straighter than cedar, brighter than glass
More fine
4.
is
— the elephant
.
is
.
.
Shep. Tony (in 'England's Helicon').
commonly regarded by those least familiar with
clumsy animal, probably on account of his size and weight. For
the eastern poet he symbolises strength, grace and symmetry. The old form
'olifant' is therefore used here as if to restore him to his true position by a
him,
as a
slight suggestion of mystery.
graceful gait of an Indian woman is likened to that of an elephant and in the East, where a woman's garments permit freedom of movement and sympathetic co-operation of the muscular system this is an apt
166
"The soft and
;
.
1 1
comparison. In the West the natural swing of the hips, only possible in conjunction with the free, lithe play of the muscles of the foot and torso, is restricted and becomes jerky... The elephant has an exquisite sense of balance
and most supplejoints,andcan even make obeisance with profound dignity."
F. H. Andrews, Journal of Indian Art, X, 52. See also Max Muller,5.jB.£.,
Vol. XI, p. 46, note 2.
To save the Worlds, Shiva drank up the poison that appeared at the churning of the Ocean, whence his throat is stained blue. The poet suggests that
despair at the sight of Radha's beauty was the real cause that Shiva drank.
Ill
6.
"The Khanjana
(wagtail) eyes are characterised by their playful gaiety."
N. Tagore, Some notes on Indian Artistic Anatomy, Calcutta, 1 9 1 4) The
snakes' are the lines of collyrium drawn on each lower-lid.
Loma-lata-bali, lit. 'down-vine-wreath,' here compared to a half suffocated
(A.
.
'
8.
Garuda
snake, to suggest the depth of Radha's navel.
is
the
enemy of all
The loma-lata-bali h often indicated in Orissan sculpture (e.g.
vakarma LV) by a slight furrow extending upwards from the navel.
snakes.
Vil-
See
also LI, 17.
1
The Indian Eros is armed with five arrows, from which he sometimes takes
the name Five Arrows (cf. No. CXX). Here it is suggested that Love
2.
with Three Arrows slew the Three Worlds, and gave the two others to
Radha's eyes, that the slain might be slain again.
The Three Worlds, constantly alluded to are Svarga, Mata and Fatal,
Heaven, Earth and Underworld.
The well of love by maidens about the village well,' we can hardly doubt
that the poet intends to signify the souls of men, attracted to the source of
—
I
y.
'
:
Eternal Life.
18, 19.
The names of the poet's patron and his queen
are constantly introduced
in the refrains.
IV
'
Oh woe
is
me, that ever
The beauty that did me
I did
see
bewitch.''
—
John Forbes, 1661.
I
.
'
VI
evening, when the cows
Cowdust-time,' viz.
subject of Pahari painters.
are driven
home
:
a favourite
167
'
5-
T"zj not the linen
Her
8.
shows
skin shines through
so fair
and makes
it
bright.'
—
Anon. (1671).
'Lord of the Five Gaurs' the Panjab, Kanoja, Bengal, Darbhanga, Orissa.
The sway of the Princes of Gaur was of course far less extended than this in
Vidyapati's day. The term is complimentary see Dinesh Chandra Sen,
Bengali Language and Literature., p. 290.
—
:
VII
I.
'Milk-white,' a free rendering oi nanunga-badanf : nanunga, modern nanf,
is a preparation of milk, not exactly curd.
'
Whiterfar than Moorish milk.'
Richard Braithwait.
7.
Cakravakas,' birds (Anas casarcaj, of which the pairs are said to separate at
night, for example, to sleep on opposite sides of a river.
"
IX
'
X
This is one of Vidyapati's most renowned poems, and a favourite subject of Rajput
painters.
XI
1.
12.
The bank
of the Jamuna, or the steps of a bathing ghat. Jamuna bank in
Vaishnava literature stands for this world regarded as the constant meeting
place of Radha and Krishna where amidst the affairs of daily life the soul is
arrested and beguiled to her (worldly) undoing.
It is a popular tradition that the partridge fcakora) is in love with the
moon and lives on the moon's rays. (Cf. XXV, 5).
XII
7.
A
favourite motif of Indian poets.
thoughtless bee intent on honey
is
When
made
the day lotus closes at dusk, the
a prisoner.
XIV
2.
Radha's
do not touch the ground, but are upborne by lotus flowers
that spring up beneath them. Thus Radha is very tenderly represented as
divine. Every footfall finds a lotus-footstool,
which is a constant convention of Buddhist and Hindu art. The lightness of her step is also suggested.
Called 'water-lily' eyes "for the calm repose of their drooping lids."
feet
—
8.
(Tagore,
168
loc. cit.).
RADHA BAYAHSANDl
The Growing-up
of
Radha
XVI
3.
Her
eyes are elongated just when she grows up or possibly the poet means
that she then first artificially extends their length with a line of coUyrium.
:
'Mahesha,'
14.
i.e.
Cf
a Shiva-lingam,
11,
I,
and
LXVI,
10.
XVII
Sometimes she
I, 2.
flashes sidelong glances,
sometimes she
veils
her face.
XIX
8.
"^
And vitalfeelings
of delight
Shall rear her form
Her
to stately height.
virgin bosom swell.'
Wordsworth.
9, 10.
The
attraction of music for deer
is
a favourite
motif of Rajput paintings,
particularly in the representation of certain raginis (Tori, etc),
Coomaraswamy, Arts and
"^
Crafts of India and Ceylon,'
Vidyapati has
poem
For when she
In another
fig.
—
see
78.
:
hears love's language spoken,
eyes,
and lends her ears.
—
She turns away her
RADHA PURBBARAGA
The
First Passion of
Radha
XXI
'That he wears
4,
Lit.
6.
The peacock plume,
a yellow
garment
is
the lightning's streak.'
Krishna's constant headdress, beside his moon-face.
XXIII
'Strings of moons,'
3, 7.
5.
i.e.
The yellow dhoti round
8-12.
Krishna's
lips,
toe-nails
and
finger-nails.
his legs, the 'tamal-shafts.'
nose, eyes and hair.
169
—
—
XXIV
The
flute of Krishna is the call of the Infinite, 'the sound of the camel-bell,'
the 'sword' of 'I come to bring not peace, but a sword.'
3.
Lit.
II.
Suddenly (or forcibly) it takes its seat in my ears,' of.
'Every moment the voice of Love is coming from right and left.'
Shamsi Tabriz (Nicholson, IX).
'
'
When
of thy robe are loosed by the
the strings
intoxication
of love.'
Shamsi Tabriz (Nicholson,
I).
SAKHI-SHIKSHA-BACANADI
The Counsel
of Girl-friends (Sakhis)
XXX
'Artless,'
mugadhini. Svakfyd heroines are classified according to their ex-
perience, z?,mugdha, inexperienced, »z«<3%y«, more experienced, zndpragalbha,
XII, 17 Sahityadarpana,()j ,()^,DaIarupa 11,25). Mugadhini has also the signification of 'fond,'
fully mistress of love's art (e.g. Rudrata, Kavyalankara,
'lovesick,' as in
XXII,
2
(mugadha
:
nari).
PRATHAMA MILNA
First
Meetings
XXXIII
'
A honey-comb and a
And
honey-fower
the bee shall have his hour.'
Rossetti.
XXXV
4.
The day-lotus
lotus,
closes and fades at night and in the moon's rays
Krishna the moon, as also in XLII, 8.
;
Radha is the
XXXVI
7-10.
'
Sweet rewardfor sharpest pain.
'
Sir Philip
12.
'Artless 'or 'innocent,'
170
mugadhini,2,% in
XXX,
i
Sydney.
and again inXXXVII,
10.
'
XXXVIII
1
Happy
she that can look on
him unmoved.
2.
Lit.
2.
Radha knows and fears that she will yield to Krishna's wooing.
Rahu, demon that swallows the moon at each eclipse. Cf. CXX, 10 and
CXXIII, 3.
is
XXXIX
14.
XL
Mark
the contrast between Krishna's memories of the night, and Radha's.
XLII
12.
The
Indian woman's purse is a knot tied in her sari. The suggestion is
that of the uselessness of tying up the treasure which the thief has already
seen.
XLV
3.
Canura,a wrestler in the service of Kans, slain by Krishna {CL Prema Sagara,
Chs.
XLIV, XLV).
XLVI
5.
Cf.
The folio wing di9/^^,
the text of a Paharl drawing
tyon tyon rakhata go,e
:
'Jyon jyon parasai Lala tana
Navala bala dara Lala-kai
indabadhu-si hd,e
'The more
that Lala touches her body, the
The
girl, afraid
tender
of Lala, becomes,
more she
as it
curls up her body,
were, a woodlouse
!
XLVII
4.
2.
The
Pairs of Opposites, as also in
No. LXII.
XLVIII
—
the original signifies ' woman or ' wife.' In any case, the reader
will observe (Nos. LXXX, LXXXVI and CXVII) that Vidyapati writes of
Radha as a svakiya heroine, whereas a majority of Vaishnava writers further
'A wife,'
'
between Love and Duty by making htr parakly a, the
wife of another. But as Radha's was at best a Gandharva marriage (according to Vidyapati's indications), ratified at first only by mutual consent (as in
the case of Shakuntala), and willingly accepted by the family, we should
emphasize the
conflict
171
perhaps call her anudiha (unmarried) rather than svakiya (Vagbhatalankara,
¥,12,13). ^^ ^^ ^^ yielding before or without marriage which Radha often
speaks of as her shame and sin, and for which she is blamed by her family.
None the less, much of what is here related is quite true to everyday Indian
life, where courtship normally follows marriage, and public flirtation is al-
ways considered
disgraceful.
ABHISARA
(Radha's) Going-forth (to visit Krishna)
Abhisarika heroine is one who goes from her home to visit her beloved,
danger or shame. The Abhisarika is a favourite subject of Paharl
painters (see Coomaraswamy, 'Journal of Indian Art, October, 1 9 1 4) An English
example in John Davidson's A Ballad of a Nun.'
The
careless of
.
'
LIV
of pearl, the double guard
To speech, whence music still is heard.'
5-8.
''Teeth
Carew.
II, 12.
See note to
I, 2.
VASANTA LiLA
Dalliance in Spring
LVI
from Kali Krishna Dasa's Kamini Kumdra, translated in Dinesh
Chandra Sen's Bengali Language and Literature, p. 688.
Pancam the dominant. AlsoinCV,2. The pitch of each of the seven notes
8.
" was originally determined by the rishis of the forest from the sounds of various Birds and Animals uttered at particular seasons and times.
Pa is the
note sounded by the Kokila, the Indian nightingale, at springtime, when
after a silence of six months it hails the brightest period of the year and tastes
the first sprouts of the new season with an ebullition of joy"
Chinnaswami
Cf. the extract
—
.
—
Mudaliyar, Oriental Music.
172
.
:
.
'Twice-born,' epithet equally of Brahmans and birds.
lo.
in this Nature-festival the birds
of the officiating
sense
performed the 'the most solempne
is
that
servise'
priests.
'For ever and for ever'
14.
The
—
LVII
since the Krishna Llla
is
eternal.
LIX
Rasa, the circular dance of Krishna with the gopis (herd-girls), wherein his
form was multiplied and became many thus described in the Prema Sagara,
and often represented in Rajput drawings, and constantly acted in the Ras-
2.
;
lila
—
Two and two the gopts held hands and between each pair was Hari theirfriend.
Gopi and Nanda-kumara alternate, a round ring of lightnings and heavy clouds.
Thefair Braj girls and the dusky Krishnas, like to a gold and sapphire necklace.
'
.
The Ras Mandala thus described is the exact
equivalent of the General Dance'
well-known mediaeval carol, 'To-morrow will be my Dancing
Day') Christ invites the souls of men, for the words of the carol see G. R. S.
to
which
(in a
Mead, in The
'
8.
9.
'
—
Quest,' October,
Vasanta Rag.
Cf. Indian Drawings,
1
9 1 o.
II, PI. 2.
mana
Wilfulness
is something compound of pride, disdain, offense and
coldness: a hardening of heart (cf. hrdaya-granthih). The soul's contraction
though the voice of God is heard, she will not open her doors.
This affection of a heroine
—
3.
The
Pairs of Opposites,
cf.
LXII
No. XLVII,
4.
LXIII
This is most typical Vaishnava poetry, in one breath blaming Krishna's wiles
and proclaiming Him One without second. The note of blame is specially
In the Prema Sagara
Heforsakes goodness ; He accepts badness
characteristic.
'
:
deceit
is
pleasing
to
Him
'
!
173
:
In Tagore's King of the Dark Chamber
!'
'
mean, brutal, shameful
Well, I tell you, your King's behaviour is
In the Krishna of 'A.E.'
I saw the King pass lightlyfrom the beauty that he had betrayed.
I saw him passfrom love to love ; and yet the pure, allowed His claim
To be the purest of the pure, thrice holy, stainless, without blamed
—
'^
The
golden jar is Krishna's body.
sacred or profane
All love is one, though you may reject it,
'
Cowl of the monk and bowl of wine, how shall the twain by man be wed'?
Yetfor the love I bear to thee, these to unite I darefor thee.'
Hafiz (translated by Walter Leaf).
Vidyapati might have written (since Vaishnavas never used the Sufi symbol of
wine), 'Lust of the flesh and love of Thee
these to unite I dare for Thee.'
6.
—
12, 13.
.
.
:
.
LXV
7-9.
Radha ignores a message from Krishna, sent through the priestess of a
Sun-shrine, to meet him at the temple.
LXVI
The
nipple with its areola, compared to a Shiva-lingam with the digit
of the moon that Shiva wears in his hair. Cf. XVI, 10, 11.
10, II.
LXVII
6.
Lakshml, consort of Vishnu and goddess of beauty and fortune.
LXIX
8, 9.
This message implies, by the lock of hair that he would leave the world
Flowers and pan (betel) are
as a shaven monk if Radha would not yield.
an 'olive-branch.' A blade of grass is sometimes held in the mouth to
swear by, and here means sincerity.
LXX
6.
10.
The
sandal
is
the best of trees, the shalmal the worst.
Evidently a popular proverb
—
LXXI
cf.
'The leopard cannot change
LXXII
3.
Here the
night-lily closing at
dawn.
its spots.'
—
—
.
:
LXXIII
3.
'Jap-tap: prayers, personal office, daily ritual,
tapas or ' rule ')
8.
The moon
(japa or offerings of water,
is brother to the poison, since both were produced at the Churning of the Ocean a thief because he stole Tara, the wife of Brihaspati
vomited (unclean) because he escapes from Rahu's jaws at each eclipse;
cruel because his rays are scorching fires to divided lovers; slayer of lilies,
because the day-lotus wilts at night; yet in spite of these enormities, some
:
1
3.
merit makes him bright.
Saba guna mula amula : A thought akin to that of LXIII.
LXXIV
here the typical Khandita Nayika who reproaches her lover
returns in the morning and has spent the night with some other flame.
Radha
is
when he
He takes another girl on his knee
And tells her what he dosen't tell me.^
6.
'
LXXV
LXXIII,
13. Lit. 'His heart is the essence
of lightning.'
Here the thought approaches the prevailing motif of the Glta Govinda,
9-12.
where Radha is the higher self of man, and Krishna the self entangled
in the world of sensation.
Rasa hujhd i rasamanta a pregnant epigram, valid equally in love and art.
1 8.
8.
Fickle, like the 'rootless' of
:
MANANTE MILNA
Reunion
after
Wilfulness
LXXVI
4.
'Might not
bend,'
lit.
'was like a stambha,' a monumental
pillar.
LXXIX
The
lovers are
mixed
like
milk and water.
LXXX
Spell,'
sadhana.
2.
'
8.
Inasmuch
as
being a religious mendicant, he could not be refused.
LXXXI
Ganja-seeds (Abrus precatorius), used by jewellers
4.
as
weights.
Radha complains that she has cast her pearls before a monkey but the
poet retorts by the insinuation that Radha has given Krishna betel from
her own mouth (as lovers do) and says that for betel to issue from a
monkey's mouth is at least as strange as to see a necklace of pearls on a
8, 10.
;
monkey's
neck.
LXXXII
'
6.
PhilHs' closed eyes attracts you her
to
kiss^
Francis Pilkington, 1605.
'She lay
still
and ivould
not wake,'
Campion and Rosseter's Book of Airs, 1601.
Such exchange of gear, when it amounts to a complete disguise of lover
as beloved, beloved as lover, is known as Lila-hava. A familiar English
parallel is the London coster lovers' habit of exchanging hats, when out
for dalliance on Hampstead Heath
here also the original or sub-con-
9, 10.
;
scious motif is a sense of indentity.
—
Radha Hart Hart Radha-ke bani-ae sanketa
The station of Radha becoming Hari and Hari Radha
is
:
a not infrequent subject of Paharl paintings.
LXXXIII
10,
Ratipati, the
15.
For
Lord of Rati, Madan, Love.
this gesture, see 'Journal
of Indian Art,' No. 128,
fig. 3.
LXXXIV
6.
i.e.
8.
The
have sunk into the earth with shame.'
poet overlooks that no snow settles on the southern
2.
The
stain
'I could
hills.
LXXXV
:
sec note to
XLVIII,
2.
Yaduvira, Hero of the Yadus, Krishna.
6.
The poet insinuates that Radha could have escaped from Krishna's gaze
14.
had she wished just as the Kashmiri panditanis bathing naked, slip from
the river-bank into the water while the traveller's boat is passing.
;
176
LXXXVI
1.
Mother-in-law: see note to XLVIII.
Even as a wife, such dalliance before a mother-in-law would be contrary to
all decorum
thus the mother-in-law represents, as it were, the cares of this
world, whereby the soul is prevented from yielding herself,
and hence
;
—
Vidyapati's disappointment.
LXXXVII
2.
now a separate garment, but that part of the sari which.
forms a skirt. But in Vidyapati's day the costume of Bengali women seems
to have been that of Western Hindustan (skirt, bodice and veil) , familiar in
Rajput paintings. In this case the mblbandha (see Introduction p. 1 1), is
actually the skirt-string, and the translation as 'zone' or 'girdle' is not inappropriate, nor that oiancala as wimple or 'veil.'
Skirt, ghagari, not
'
'
LXXXVIII
8.
Like the 'neither within or without' of Brhadara^yaka Upanishad, IV,
Wilfrid Wilson Gibson.
3, 33 'beyond the striving winds of love and hate'
—
:
LXXXIX
With such a
10.
Fell
down
on
tempest, as
Dande
in
when "Jove of old
a storm of gold
—
Carew.
XC
vermilion brow-spot.
Hari-Hara, God as equally Vishnu and Shiva see Prema Sdgara, Ch.
7.
LXXXIX, also Havell, Indian Sculpture and Painting, PI. XXVI.
Vidyapati's Master: Krishna.
14.
4.
Tilka, the
:
XCII
Radha presumptuously claims for herself alone thelove that isgiventoall that seek
This song would be more appropriately included under the heading Mana.'
it.
'
3.
Kadamba, {Anthocepalus cadamba, Mig.) the tree most associated with
Krishna, beneath which he stands and plays his flute and dallies with the
milk-maids.
177
"
XCIII
Radha is here the typical Abhisandhita Nayika "who repulses her lover just
when he seeks to soften her pride, and suffers double grief when he is no longer
beside her" (Ke^ava Dasa).
AKSHEPA ANUYOGA O VIRAHA
Reproaches, Lack and Longing
The
departure of Krishna to Mathura
the complaint of Radha is "
do so
is
God
forsaking the soul, or seeming to
Why hast thou forsaken me
;
?
XCV
Moving
her heart to love, though love be hopeless.
Beauty-spots, kuca-kunkuma, patterns drawn on her breasts with sandalpaste cf. Gita Govinda XII, 18, 'Draw leafy patterns on my breasts.'
6,
7.
:
XCVII
This conceit is the subject of beautiful songs by many poets, including Jayadeva
and Rambasu.
The Bodiless (Ananga) is Kamadeva, Love on behalf of Uma he endeavoured
to rouse Shiva from his rapt meditation, and Shiva in wrath destroyed his body
with a glance from his third eye.
Radha feigns to think that Love has mistaken her for Shiva, and explains in detail
that she is but a human maiden. Amongst the attributes of Shiva are the Ganges
in his matted locks, and crescent moon, a third eye, the stain of poison in his throat
(see No. II, n), and a serpent coiling about it, a tiger-skin, a skull, and ashes
smeared on his body in place of these Radha has flowing tresses, a pearl ornament, a brow-spot, a touch of musk, a pearl necklace, a dark silk sari, a lotus, and
her body is dusted with sandal paste. The lotus of dalliance (kelika kamala) is a
real or artificial lotus flower held in the hand as a plaything for an illustration
see Indian Drawings II, PL IX, i.
:
;
:
XCVIII
This
is
one of the most obviously mystical of Vidyapati's songs
/ am he whom I love, and he whom I love is I.'
:
'
Mansur
178
Hallaj.
Cf. the exclamation Sivoham, 'Shiva is myself (sohambhava. He being I)
the injunction Devo bhatva,devam yajet, ' By becoming God, worship Him!
the half-^o^^ quoted in the note to LXXXII, 9, i o.
3.
O nija bhava svabhava hi bichurala.
Forgetting her
own bhava and
;
and
'
also
svabhdva,
feelings and character, will and self-consciousness.
'^
At
last
I have found
myself.'
Jalalu'd
'
Whoso has
Din Rumi.
not escaped from will, no will has he.'
Shamsi Tabriz,
cm
Piu,piu: that
10.
3.
Even from
to say, 'Beloved, Beloved.'
a crow's
lover's return.
p.
is
Cf.
—
CIV
mouth the crow is the chief omen and messenger, of a
No. CXXIII, and also Journal of Indian Art, No. 128,
103 and figure 12.
CV-CVI
These
are clearly related to reverdies of the folk, such as the Kashmiri songs recorded in Ratan Devi's Thirty Indian Songs It is probable that the more one could
learn of contemporary folk-song, the more apparent would be Vidyapati's dependence on the folk-tradition. These popular motifs are interwoven throughout
with the familiar similes of the classic literature. Perhaps we ought to think of
Vidyapati as a sort of mystic Burns.
.
CVII
3
.
the house, in Vidyapati's songs refers sometimes to the actual home
of Radha's parents, or her own home, and sometimes as here, to the ' house of
the 'palace' of Shamsi Tabriz (Nicholson XXXVIII).
love,'
'
House
' :
—
CVIII
2.
'Cross the sea'
:
see note to
CXXXI.
CX
the typical Proshita-preyasi 'whose husband has gone abroad, appointing a time of return' (Ke^ava Dasa).
Radha is here
179
:
—
:
CXI
The
poet says that Radha should have thought before she drank. To take water
from a man of low caste is to 'lose caste' but it is too late to think of this after
the water is already drunk.
—
CXII
The
idea of reproach
is
essential to the
drama of the
the greater part of Radha-Krishna literature
'
Folk,family, house
soul,
and a leading motif of
:
and husband are abandoned,
the reproach
of the world rejected.^
Prema Sdgara.
Compare
'
Blessed are ye when men shall revile and persecute you for
and likewise
' Let every reproach
that honour
disdains
and avoids
My sake,'
be mine.'
Nau'i.
'
Let honour gild
cast
shame and pride away.
the world's eventless day.
Shrink not from change and shudder not at crime.
Leave
the sieve of Time !
Then whatsoe'er your workday gear shall stain.
Of me a wedding garment shall ye gain !'
lies to rattle in
Love
This point
to
is
be emphasized
:
Enough.
is
for to understand the necessity
and signifiance
comprehend how it was not merely possible but inevitable that
in a society where the strictest possible conception of woman's honour prevails,
the self-surrender of Radha should be regarded as the natural symbol of the soul's
self-gift to God.
oi reproach,
to
is
CXIV
1
6.
Kali age
motive
:
is
the fourth or evil age in which
self-interest
;
it is
what Blake
we now live, when
calls
the prevailing
Tax or Empire.
cxv
4.
This song is still to be heard in Bengal, to the Ragini Bhairavi.
It is a custom of many bhaktas to print the name or symbol of Vishnu on
forehead, breast and arms. The custom of tattooing the name of the Beloved
upon the body is world-wide.
180
—
Lalita: Radha's dearest sakhl. It
is customary amongst Vaishnavas to recite
of the dying.
The two customary means of disposing of the dead.
Tam^/a, a tree with dark glaucous leaves, constantly compared to Krishna for
5-
the
7.
8.
its
name of Krishna
in the ears
colour.
CXVII
13.
The
drawn along the parting of the hair by married women
whose husbands are still living if Krishna will not return, Radha will
adopt the rule of a widow.
scarlet line,
;
CXVIII
Referring to the circumstances of XCIV.
CXIX
Contains verses from two songs printed separately in the original.
CXXI
Marks of complete
8.
1
2.
And
is
indifference to propriety and elegance.
thus in truth ' broken and contrite,' acceptable to God.
CXXII
All objects normally cool, are scorching hot to Radha, racked as she
fire of love. For the lotus-leaves, see the picture facing p. 115.
4-7.
is
by the
CXXIII
I
.
3.
For the sight of the moon, so pleasant to united lovers, increases her pain.
A sort of black magic Radha invokes Rahu to eclipse the moon.
more black magic, the snakes are to swallow up the
Lit. 'with ten nails'
;
I I.
:
vexing southern breeze.
14, 15.
The
koil,
whose
calling accentuates the suffering of divided lovers:
crows, their messengers, and omens of reunion.
Cf.
No. CIV,
3.
CXXIV
1 1
.
Using the necklace as a rosary.
Contains verses from two songs printed separately
in the original.
CXXV
Babe
Sd/a, a girl
under
16.
181
—
cxxv
Garland-ofFering
the next day.
3.
—hung on the
idol's
neck when
it is
new, and cast away
CXXVI
We
10, II.
ought perhaps
to understand
by
this the loneUness
of
God
in
heaven, lacking the love of men.
PUNARMILNA O RASODGARA.
Reunion and the Flow of Nectar.
CXXVII
6.
Radha
has learnt at
last that service is self-realisation
and self-expression.
CXXXI
The
'boat on the river' goes back to the old Buddhist idea ofa raft or boat wherein
to cross the samsara, the sea of this world, to reach the further shore
the carol ' Come over the burn, Besse,'
'
The burne
is
this
world
;
just as in
blind.'
CXXX\^
that Krishna, whom she had thought her equal, is indeed beyond her
but the poet answers, 'That art thou,' proclaiming their Unity.
'I know the beings of the past, the present and the future, O Arjuna
but
no one knoweth Me.' Bhagavad Gita VII, 26.
Radha feels
ken
7.
;
:
CXXXVI
throws a hght upon the whole wreath of songs for the soul
perceives that she has had ears to hear and eyes to see ever since she came to
and now she cannot have enough of
birth, yet she has neither heard nor seen
hearing and seeing.
and seen not one.'
Lit.
I have known
13.
Like the
last, this
;
;
—
'
CXXXVIII
The
182
poet leaves the lovers in each other's arms.
:
BIRDS,
The
;
.
FLOWERS AND TREES.
following birds, flowers and trees are mentioned in the text in the connec-
tion indicated
BIRDS.
—
Cataka : a kind of cuckoo, perhaps Lucu/us me/ano/eucus, said to drink only
drops of water as they fall from the clouds.
Cakravaka : Anas casarca, pairs are said to sleep apart at night.
Crow kaka, bayasa, Corvus splendens^ messenger of separated lovers also
—
—
:
:
(LXXIII) an eater of leavings.
Garuia: a mythical bird, usually represented with a parrot's head and partly
human body the vehicle of Vishnu and the enemy of all serpents.
Koil^ or kohla : parabrtaka, Indian cuckoo, Eudynamys honorata,
its cry is kuhu^
:
—
kuhu, delightful to united, and distressing to divided, lovers.
'pancam-note' is the 'dominant' of Nature's chorus.
Parrot
kira,
:
—" Parrot
noses are invariably associated with heroes and great
figures they are to be seen only in images
men, while, among female
of Sakti." (A. N. Tagore,
Partridge
'
Peewit
'
:
:
loc. cit.)
—
said to feed on the rays of the moon.
cakora, Perdrix rufa,
its cry is /»/'«, piu,
papiha, the hawk-cuckoo, Hieroccyx varius,
loved, Beloved.'
Peacock
Wagtail
Its
—
—
:
mayura, Pavo
:
khanjana, Montacilla alba,
cristatus,
'
Be-
delights in rain.
—
restless
movement.
FLOWERS AND TREES.
—
Ashoka : yonesia asoka, herald of Spring.
Bandhuka : Pentapetes phcenicia (or Leucas linifolia T)
leaves used for chewing.
Betel pan, tambula. Piper betle,
Bimba: Momordica monadelpha (or coccinia?), bright red fruit.
Ganja: Abrus precatorius, seeds used as jeweller's weights.
Honey-apple bel, shrtphala, ' Bengal quince,' Aegle marmelos, large round fruit.
Jasmine several varieties are mentioned, as cameli, Arabian jasmine J. sambac
campak, Michelia champaka ; malatt, clove-scented jasmine, Aganosma
—
:
—
—
:
:
grandiflorum) ; kunda, Indian jasmine, J.
mentioned for their scent,
caryophyllata (or perhaps
pubescens,
—
all
J
.
183
.
—
—
—
small round fruits.
Jujube: badart, Zizyphus jujuba,
Kadamba: Anthocephalus cadamba, the haunt of Krishna.
Keshara : safflower, Crocus sativa, a herald of Spring.
Kimshuk : Butea frondosa, tree with beautiful flowers, a herald of Spring.
Labanga-\ine. labanga-latd, Limonia scandens,
a herald of Spring.
Lotus and water-lily many varieties are mentioned, as aravinda, and kamala
which are day-flowering, and kubalaya and kumudini, which flower at
night.
have used the names lotus and 'water-lily' indifferently for
—
—
:
:
We
all
'
'
varieties.
—herald of Spring.
— tender shoots and herald of Spring.
Orange naranga.
aurantum, — round
Fatal trumpet-flower, Bignonia
— herald of Spring.
Pttal
yellow flower not
Plantain
Musa
stem.
— smooth
Pomegranate, granate ddrima. Punka granatum, —white smooth
Shdlmali:
Salmaria
— the thorns used the
of
Sandal candana, Santalum album, — which
powder
the
body, much
the
of anything.
and hence
Screw-pine
Pandanus
—
Acacia
—
Tamdl Garcinia zanthochymus, —
dark
colour of Krishn
Tdla:
Borassus
— round
Madhavt: Gaertnera racemosa,
Mango : Mangifera
indica,
Citrus
:
fruits.
suaveolens,
:
a
:
identified.
:
paradisaica,
kerd,
straight
seeds.
:
silk-cotton tree,
tures
malabarica,
affords a fragrant
appreciated,
:
ketaki,
Shirlsh:
:
^z\mYr2i,
in
tor-
hell.
:
184
are
sirissa,
stands for
odoratissimus,
for
best
fragrance.
tenderness.
straight stem,
Jlabelliformis,
leaves (the
fruits.
a)
:
ILLUSTRATIONS.
One and
the same lyrical tradition
common
inheritance of all Hindustan
music, and now in painting. Hence it
is that the schools of painting, though they are local, illustrate all the ideas of the
Vaishnava poets as directly as the songs themselves. Amongst Rajput paintings
it would perhaps be possible to find an appropriate illustration to every line of
Vidyapati, or of any other Vaishnava singer not that Vidyapati was known to
the western painters, but their and his experience was the same. Just as the
Vaishnava songs are word-painted miniatures, rather than narative, so with the
RajasthanI and still more with the Paharl Rajput paintings these are likewise
musical delineations of brief moments of the soul's history. It is hoped that the
reproductions given here will help to actualise the meaning of Vidyapati's
it
now
finds expression
in poetry,
is
the
;
now in
;
;
words, for those who are unfamiliar with the Vaishnava tradition.
The key to each picture is given in the quoted text, to which the following notes
are supplementary
Facing page 3: Jaipur painting of the i8th century, very brilliant
colourings, representing a girl returning from a Shaiva shrine.
The original in the collection of Mr. N. Blount, Calcutta.
Facing page 19
A
:
Paharl (Kangra) painting of the early
XlXth
in sunset
century, re-
presenting a girl bathing.
The
original in the collection of Dr.
Ananda Coomaraswamy.
A
Pahari (Kangra ?) painting, of the earlier part of the
XVIIIth century, representing Krishna with his flute, beneath a kadamba
tree, and beside him are two milk-maids with offerings of curd and betel.
The original in the collection of Dr. Ananda Coomaraswamy.
Facing page 27
:
This is the only one of our eleven illustrations which is not
of Ke^ava Dasa's
to the text. It is taken from an
appropriate
absolutely
{Pracchanna
samyoga).
Rasikapriya, and represents the Clandestine Meeting'
and
It is, however, Mughal in style, notwithstanding its Hindu subject
sentiment
is
more
text,
its
quoted
the
it
illustrates
way
while in a general
secular and realistic, and a further objection appears in the fact that the text
Facing page 33
:
MS
'
;
implies a night and indoof environment.
The original in the collection of Dr.
Ananda Coomaraswamy.
18s
A
Paharl (Kangra) painting of the late XVIIIth century, representing a dutika leading Radha (or any heroine) across a starlit courtyard
to her lover's house.
Facing page 43
:
Original in the collection of
Babu Gogonendronath Tagore.
A
Paharl (Jammu district) painting oftheXVIIth or XVIIIth
century, representing an Abhisarika. Part of a picture, the whole of which
is given in 'The Journal of Indian Art,' No. 128, figure 16.
Facing page 63
:
Original in the collection of Dr.
Ananda Coomaraswamy.
A
Pahari (Kangra) painting of the late XVIIIth century representing Krishna and Radha seated on a bed of plaintain leaves in a
flowery grove.
Facing page 71
:
Original in the collection of Dr.
Ananda Coomaraswamy.
A
Paharl (Kangra) painting of the early XlXth century reManini
the
denying Krishna's prayers.
presenting
Original in the collection of Dr. Ananda Coomaraswamy.
Facing page
'jj
:
Facing page 95
:
presenting a
A
Paharl (Kangra) painting of the early
cooking.
XlXth century
re-
woman
Original in the collection of Dr.
Ananda Coomaraswamy.
Facing page 115: Part of a Pahari (Jammu district) painting representing
Radha (or any heroine) suffering from the pangs of viraha. Lotus leaves
are spread on the bed, one sakhi is fanning the patient, and another brings
her water in a jade cup yet her body is scorched as though by fire.
;
Original in the collection of Dr.
Ananda Coomaraswamy.
Facing page 151: Part of a Pahari (Kangra) painting of late XVIIIth century,
representing the Vasaka^ayya Nayika, she who welcomes her beloved on his
return from abroad. For the whole picture see 'Journal of Indian Art,'
No. 128,
figure 13.
Original in the collection of Dr.
The
Ananda Coomaraswamy.
dates suggested are only approximate.
little
smaller than the originals.
186
Most of
the reproductions are a
—
TEXTS.
X
Aju majhu §ubha dina bhela
Kamini pekhalu sinanaka
Cikura galaye
Meha
!
bela,
jala dhara,
barikhe janu motima hara
!
Badana mochala paracura,
Maji dhayala janu kanaka mukura,-
Tengi udasala kucajora,
Palati baifhayala
kanaka kathaura,
Nibibandha karala udesa,
Vidyapati kaha
:
manoratha
^esha.
187
— —
:
XXIV
Ki kahaba
re sakhi iha
duhkha ora?
Ban^I nisasa garale tanu bhora
:
Hatha sange paithaye srabanaka majha,
Taikhane
bigalita tanu
mana
laja.
Bipula pulake paripuraye deha,
Nayane na
heri heraye jani
keha
Gurujana samukha-i bhavatarafiga,
Jatanahin basane jhampi saba anga.
Lahu lahu carane
Dhaire
caliye grha
majha
se bihi aju rakhala laja
Tanu mana
bibasa, hasaye nibibandha
Ki kahaba Vidyapati? rahu dhanda.
i88
!
:
:
: :
XCVII
Katihun Madana tanu dahasi hamari
Hama
Nahi
naha ^ankara, ha-u baranari
jata iha, be^il
MalatI mala
^ire,
Motima baddha
bibhanga
naha Ganga
:
moli, naha indu
Bhale nayana naha, sindura bindu
Kanthe garala naha, mrgamada
Naha
?
phaniraja ure mani hara
:
sara
:
Nila patambara, naha bagha chala
Kelika kamala iha, na ha-I kapala.
Vidyapati kaha
Ange bhasama
:
e
hena suchanda
:
naha, malayaja panka.
189
—
-
^
i ,'1
,'•,'
^
•
'
* -'f
cxxxv
^f
ly.
Hataka darapana, mathaka phula,
Nayanaka
aiijana,
mukhaka tambula,
Hrdayaka mrgamada, gimaka
Dehaka
sarabasa,
gehaka
hara,
sara,
Pakhika pakha, minaka pani,
Jivaka jivana,
hama tuhu
Tuhu
Madhava ? kahabi
kaiche
Vidyapati kaha
190
:
jani,
duho doha
mo-i.
ho-i.
:
:
CXXXVI
Sakhi ki puchasi anubhava mo-I
So-i piriti anuraga bakhanite
Tile
tile
nutana ho-I
?
Janama abadhi hama rupa neharanu,
Nayana na
So-i
madhura
tirapita bhela
bola ^rabanahi ^unanu,
Sruti-pathe para^a na gela.
Kata madhu-jamini rabase gonvayanu,
Na
bujhanu kaichana keli
Lakha lakha juga hiye hiye rakhanu,
Tabu hiya jurana na
Kata bidagadha jana
Anubhava
geli.
rase
anumagana
—kahu na pekha.
Vidyapati kaha
:
prana jura-ite
Lakhe na milala
eka.
191
CORRIGENDA.
XV, 3, for 'man' read 'maid.'
XXI, for 'beauty?' read 'beauty, my dear.?'
XXXVIII, 6, read 'So fierce he was to fall on
1
me.'
LI, 13, for 'cymbals twain' read 'twin palmyra
LXVIII,
2, for
Throughout
fruits.'
'sidelong glances' read 'curving eyes.'
text for Vidhyapati read Vidyapati.
NOTE
Of
this edition of
VIDYAPATI
printed, and three on
handmade
three hundred
paper.
fifty
and copies have been