Sri Vraja Vilasa Stava 3/11

kṛṣṇasyoccaiḥ praṇaya-vasatiḥ sampravīṇaḥ sakhīnāṁ

śyāmāṅgas tat-sama-guṇaṁ vayo-veśa-saundarya-darpaḥ |

snehād andhaḥ kṣaṇam akalanāj jāyate yo’vadhūtaḥ

śrīdāmānaṁ hari-sahacaraṁ sarvadā taṁ prapadye ||21||

In whom fond affection for Krishna dwells,

Whose wit mid all the cowherd friends excels,

Who takes great pride in similarity

In dark form, age and dress and quality,

And in his handsome features that appear

Like those of his beloved friend most dear.

E'en for a moment if he does not see

His friend, he is fraught with despondency,

Who bound by strong affection always wends

With Hari as the foremost of his friends.

To  Sridama  I  salutation  make,

With self surrender, and his refuge take. * 21

gāḍhānurāga-bhavato virahasya bhītyā

svapne’pi gokula-vidhor na jahāti hastam |

yo rādhikā-praṇaya-nirjhara-sikta-cetā-

staṁ prema-vihvala-tanuṁ subalaṁ namāmi ||22||

If even in his dreams he cannot see,

Due to affection’s fond profundity,

He becomes apprehensive, full of woe,

And of his hand would never thus let go.

On whom Radhika showers affection,

I  bow  unto  him  in  salutation,

Whose intense love sends shivers through his frame,

Known as the worthy Subala by name. ** 22

kṛtvaikatra gavāṁ kulāni paritaḥ kṛṣṇena sārdhaṁ mudā

hastāhasti vinoda-narma-kathanaiḥ khelanti mitrotkarāḥ |

premāmbhodhi-vidhauta-gaurava-mahā-paṅkās tad-aṅkārcitā-

stat-pādārpita-citta-jīvita-kalā ye tān prapadyāmahe ||23||

The cowherds foregather in merry bands,

Herding the kine and holding Krishna's hands,

Who play and joke in comic ecstasy,

Absorbed in the mood of fraternity;

Who in the ocean of love sport and play,

And wash the mud of reverence away;

Let us these cowherd boys for grace entreat,

Whose minds are consecrated to his feet. 23

mūrto hāsya-rasaḥ sadaiva sumanāḥ kāmaṁ bubhukṣāturaḥ

prāṇa-preṣṭha-vayasyayor anudinaṁ vāg-deha-bhaṅgy-utkaraiḥ |

hāsyaṁ yo madhumaṅgalaḥ prakaṭayan sambhrājate kautukī

taṁ vṛndāvana-candra-narma-sacivaṁ prītyāśu vandāmahe ||24||

Who is the very form of comedy,

Replete with humour and always hungry,

Who riddles makes and speeches every day,

Contorted pose and gesture doth display,

With grimaces and ready repartees,

His dear sov'reign divine couple to please;

Let us to Madhumangala bow down,

Vrindavan Chandra's friend of high renown. ***24

gūḍhaṁ tat-suvidagdhatārcita-sakhī-dvāronnayantī tayoḥ

premnā suṣṭhu vidagdhayor anudinaṁ mānābhisārotsavaḥ |

rādhā-mādhavayoḥ sukhāmṛta-rasaṁ yaivopabhuṅkte muhur

goṣṭhe bhavya-vidhāyinīṁ bhagavatīṁ tāṁ paurṇamāsīṁ bhaje ||25||

Who makes the arrangements in order due,

With a friend, for the secret rendezvous,

And  reconciles any  argument,

Each day, with a fond loving attachment;

Who  relishes  ambrosial  delight,

To see Radha and Madhava unite;

Abundant blessings on them doth bestow;

To  worthy  dame  Paurnamasi  I  bow.  ****25

kharva-śmaśrum udāram ujjvala-kulaṁ gauraṁ samānaṁ sphurat-

pañcāśattama-varṣa-vandita-vayaḥ-krāntiṁ pravīṇaṁ vraje |

goṣṭheśasya sakhāyam unnatatara-śrīdāmato’pi priya-

śrī-rādhaṁ vṛṣabhānum udbhaṭa-yaśo-vrātaṁ sadā taṁ bhaje ||26||

Of a most illustrious pedigree,

Noble and wise, of worthy dignity,

Who by the cowherd chief is well revered,

Of fair form and a neatly clipped fine beard;

Who bears him well at fifty years of age,

Who all his fond affections doth engage,

And in his daughter Radha takes delight,

More than his eldest son Sridama hight.

I always with deep reverence bow down

To Vrishabhanu of mighty renown. 26

anudinam iha mātrā rādhikā-bhavya-vārtāḥ

kalayitum atiyatnāt preṣyate dhātrikāyāḥ |

duhitṛ-yugalam uccaiḥ prema-pūra-prapañcair

vikala-mati yayāsau kīrtidā sāvatān naḥ ||27||

Who doth for news of Radhika inquire,

Everyday with a fond mother's desire,

She eagerly two nursing maids commends,

To learn all of the latest news she sends;

Whose heart is ever full with anxious care,

O’erflooded with love for her daughter dear.

May  Kirtida  forever  be  adored,

And protection to us always afford. 27

prathama-rasa-vilāse hanta roṣeṇa tāvat

prakaṭam iva virodhaṁ sandadhānāpi bhaṅgyā |

pravalayati sukhaṁ yā navya-yūnoḥ sva-naptroḥ

param iha mukharāṁ tāṁ mūrdhni vṛddhāṁ vahāmi ||28||

Who deviously makes impediments,

And the sweet love of the couple prevents,

But all invariably goes amiss,

Which only heightens their amorous bliss;

Who is by her grandchildren affected,

I bear Mukhara's feet upon my head. 28

sāndra-prema-rasaiḥ plutā priyatayā prāgalbhyam āptā tayoḥ

prāṇa-preṣṭha-vayasyayor anudinaṁ līlābhisāraṁ kramaiḥ |

vaidagdhyena tathā sakhīṁ prati sadā mānasya śikṣāṁ rasair

yeyaṁ kārayatīha hanta lalitā gṛhṇātu sā māṁ gaṇaiḥ ||29||

Endued with intense bliss and haughty pride,

In whom her friends intimately confide;

More dear than life to the amorous pair,

Who prepares for their rendezvous with care,

Who teaches her friend how pride to maintain,

And does always in their presence remain.

I bow down to Lalita and prostrate,

May she make me her own associate. ***** 29

praṇaya-lalita-narma-sphāra-bhūmis tayor yā

vraja-pura-nava-yūnor yā ca kaṇṭhān pikānām |

nayati param adhastād divya-gānena tuṣṭyā

prathayatu mama dīkṣāṁ hanta seyaṁ viśākhā ******||30||

With charming affection always disposed,

Where the couple's confidence is reposed,

Who always acts for Vraja's sovereign pair,

With discourses and fond attentive care;

The dulcet singing of her voice when heard,

Rebukes the warbling of the Pika bird;

May Vishakha, kind and compassionate,

Make me her pupil and initiate.  30

* Sridama has a body of dark blue,

       And all his limbs are delightsome to view,

       His garments with a yellow lustre shine,

       Adorned with necklaces of gems divine. RKGD. 2.37

** Subala has a fair and lustrous hue,

       And looks enchanting in fine robes of blue,

       He wears many a jewelled ornament,

       And many flowers as his adornment. RKGD. 2.42

*** Sri Madhumangala is of the hue

       And fine complexion somewhat of dark blue;

       His garments fair a yellow lustre shed,

       With forest flower wreaths engarlanded.

       His father is the wise Sandipani,

       His mother dear is the chaste Sumukhi;

       Good Nandimukhi is his dear sister,

       And Paurnamasi is his grandmother. RKGD. 2. 63/64

**** The most reverend Paurnamasi bless’d,

       Of all mystic perfections is possessed;

       Red is her raiment and her skin is fair,

       And white as kasha flowers is her hair.

       She is respected by the cowherd king,

       And all the cowherds, with much honouring;

       And she is the worthy disciple dear,

       Of Narada, the celestial seer.

       On his advice she left Sandipani,

       Her son, and departed from Avanti;

       And full of aspiration and love’s flame,

       In eager haste to Gokula she came. RKGD. 1.67-69

***** Goddess Lalita is first of the host,

          Of the eight friends she is best and foremost,

          To her dear friend Radha her love displays,

          And is older by twenty seven days. RKGD. 1.79

****** The second here is Vishakha the fair,

          Who doth the deeds and vows and virtues share

          Of her dear friend Radhika, radiant,

          And was born at the very same moment. RKGD. 1.82