Radha And Krishna Poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar

(source: Sri Gita Govinda by Sri Jayadeva Gosvämé in Sanskrit in 12th Century AD)




I Krishna delighted

‘O Radha, it is Spring when the breeze blows
And clove vines tight their embrace on trees.
Cuckoos coo, bees hum, and lovers wander.
The Spring brings endless agony to them;
Lonely wives with their husbands long absent,
Excited by Cupid simply weep ho.
Madhava is romancing and dancing
With other maidens on the Yamuna bank.'1

‘Impelled by the breeze, vines brush mango trees,
Which, thrilled with joy, bursts with new buds.
Hari rejoices with lovely damsels
In the groves of Vandavana, see Radha! '
She, Radha's friend, found at last the cowherd
In the company of the girls' embraces.
‘Radha, look, they never satisfied Him;
He must be eager to have your embrace. 2

One girl (Gopi) , who is embracing Hari,
By which she crushes him with her heavy breasts,
Is merrily singing with Him in fifth note.
O Radha, your play with Him is unequal.
Another Gopi arouses passion
In Him and drinks with her eyes His cute face.
One full hipped beauty pretending to whisper
In His ear kissed the corner of His cheek.3

Eager for enjoying amatory art,
Another girl found herself alone with Him.
He praises another damsel's bangle-
Sound, while dancing, matching His flute's tune.
Driven by lust, Hari embraces one,
Kisses another, and caresses the third.
Yet another captures His willing gaze
With her suggestive smiles amorously. 4

He plays like erotic mood incarnate
And satisfies girls' unbridled passion;
The aroused beautiful cowherd maidens
Embraced His every limb without restraints.
Radha losing all sense of decorum,
Before other gopis drowning in love,
Embrace Krishna tightly and kiss Him deep,
Yelling, ‘ o possessor, sweet is your face.' 5

II Care free Kesava

Hari dallied with all the cowherd maidens
And had overlooked Radha's eminence.
She retreated to a secluded place
And poured out her agony to her friends.
‘How true it's that He abandoned me!
He is amusing with other maidens.
Over and over, I remember Him,
His flute, his hands and lips and the nectar.6

In the festival of Anaiga, He leans forward,
Desiring to kiss the cowherd girls' faces.
His mild smile spreads across His handsome face.
Memory of His red lips kindle my mind.'
‘The crescent like sandal paste on forehead
Defeats the loveliness of the Full Moon.
With His broad chest, the cruel hearted fellow
Inflicts pain upon the full breasted girls.' 7

‘He would wait for me near Kadamba tree
With glances emitting waves of longing.
He's ignored me over other damsels.
I cannot be angry even when He errs.
One night, when I was waiting under a tree,
Concealing Himself under the foliage,
He delighted me with His laughter behind
And relieved me of burning heat of Kama.' 8

‘It was my first amorous encounter.
With courteous words, He dispelled my shyness.
Cunning Hari suddenly then removed
The cloth from my hips; friend, arrange a meet.
He had me lie down on the flower bed
And reclined on my breasts, whom I embraced
And kissed and was in turn pressed and embraced.
He drank the nectar of my lips, O friend! '9

‘The passionate love I had with Him caused
My languid eyes to close. Seeing me sweating,
He became even more restless to taste me.
Friend, arrange for me to meet with Him.
At the time of making love I murmured;
My braid came undone and flowers fell out;
I did not know then what He was writing
On my full round breasts with His fingernails.'10

‘As we reached the height of passion in act,
My ankle bells rang out and my waist bells
Fell off noisily. He caught me by the hair
And repeatedly kissed my face, o friend.'
‘Due to the experience of conjugal bliss,
My limbs grew languid with the exertion
Of love making and I fell as if lifeless.
Arrange my union with Him soon friend.'11

Though He was thronged by the cowherd maidens,
As soon as He saw me, he dismissed them
And turned towards me with amorous looks
With lips moist, and the body perspiring.
Provocative smiles, braids coming undone,
And raising arms to expose their round breasts
On the pretext of doing their hair loosened,
All would fail to attract Him by the maidens.'12

IIIMadhusudana mesmerized

Consumed in thoughts of Radha, His love,
He abandoned all other beautiful girls.
He searched everywhere for Radhika,
His weary mind pierced by Cupid shafts.
Seeing Me surrounded by cowherd girls,
She left in a huff.' reasoned Madhava.
‘From the agony of her separation,
What will she say when I reach her? ' he mused. 13

‘O Radha, afflicted by jealousy
You went off in a huff. I seek pardon.
Forgive me; I never repeat it again.
Show me your face; I'm tormented with love.
God of Love, what valour is there to strike
Down one already scorched by the lust?
My heart has been cut to pieces by her,
Radha, from her glance. Kama, kill me not.'14

‘Her eyebrows are his bow, her glances, arrows,
Eyes bowstring - such are weapons of Kama,
Who has given back to their Empress, ho,
The living Goddess, the beautiful Radha.'
O fragile girl, your glances strike me hard;
Let your serpentine braid thrash me to death.
Let your succulent lips make me delirious.
How's that your enchanting breasts torment me? ' 15

‘The thrill of her touch, her restless darting eyes,
The flood of fragrance from her sensuous mouth,
Honey dripping lips and ambrosial words -
Thus, I behold her in a gripping trance.
Transfixed on her enchanting visage, He tilts
His head and plays a bewitching flute song
that enraptures the myriads of gopis (cowherd girls)
As His crown and earrings sway with the music.'16

Iv Affectionate Madhusudana

Radha's dear friend came and spoke to Hari.
‘She suffers in your absence.' she told Him.
Vowing to obtain the bliss of Your embrace,
She does austerity, from bed of arrows.
Tears flow down from her eyes like ambrosia
Steaming from the moon bitten by Rahu.
She depicts You as Kama; other than you,
Who can madden her heart with strong desire? '17

‘She feels the sandal paste on Her body
As dreadful poison; she suffers without You.
Tears from her eyes scatter like water-drops
From the lotus flowers broken off their stalks.
She heaves with remorse, trembles with grief,
Falls down, manages to stand up and faints.
The love-sick girl is running temperature.
Feel pity for her and rejuvenate her.' 18

VRadha pining away

On hearing Radha's ill look from her friend,
He wanted her back; she went to bring her.
Her friend tells Radha, ‘Moonshine scorches Him.
His heart becomes crippled in separation.
He now yearns to again taste the nectar
That flows in the tight embrace of your breasts.
Hari waits for you in the appointed place
On the bank of the Yamuna; reach there.' 19

‘Radha, remove your ankle-bells; don this dark cloak
And hasten to that dense dark place this night.
In the play of love, your pearl necklace falls
Like a flock of cranes across His dark chest.
Shed your cloth, untie your waist-bells and place
Your thighs on the leaves bed to His delight.
Over and over He refreshes the bed
And waits for your arrival. Please hasten.' 20

‘Radha, you went on a night as dark as this.
You met your man by chance in the pitch dark.
You embraced, kissed and scratched each other.
Desire soaring, you both lost composure
And excitedly engaged in love game.
What delight is awaiting you tonight!
Don't neglect such an opportunity, girl!
When He sees you He will be greatly tempted.21

ViCapricious Krishna

Radha's friend saw her in the bower of vines
And found her too weak to go to Krishna,
With her heart well set on Govinda though.
Radha's friend describes her status to Him.
‘O Hari, You are Her only refuge.
Radha pines for You in her sylvan retreat.
Hope of your union keeps her alive.
She kisses the darkness, thinking it You.'. 22

‘Rippling in rapture, murmuring indistinct,
Protracted in pleasure and stunned from within,
The doe-eyed girl is fully caught by Cupid.
She keeps busy - ornamenting Herself,
Wondering about Your prolonged delay;
She is plunged in the ocean of passion,
And will not survive the night without You.'
Isn't it enough to prepare Him for her? 23

Vii The Supreme Transcendental Hero

Meanwhile, the moon lit the Våndävana.
Radha is aggrieved in Her loneliness.
Hari is late for our forest rendezvous.
‘My youthful beauty is going to waste.
Deep into the forest at this dark night
Who else will give me shelter other than He?
My breast, as if an arrow of Kama,
Vehemently rips the tender heart of mine.'24

When Radha saw her companion return
Without Madhava, her heart sank and sobbed.
Someone must be revelling with Him now;
‘She is well attired for the battle of love.
Her braid opens with the flowers falling;
Enchanted by Hari's deep embraces,
She exhibits the symptoms of Eros,
Causing the necklace to swing to and fro. 25

Straying curls set off the beauty of her face,
And her eyes closed after drinking His lips.
The swinging of her earrings adorns her cheeks.
The tiny bells on the sash on her waist
Tinkle sweetly with the swaying of her hips.'
She closes her eyes and sighs deep, revealing
Her absorption in amorous rapture.26

‘She is expert in amorous combat.
How beautiful she's when she finally
Collapses upon her lover's chest, exhausted!
Even now, He is romancing with another girl
In the woods along the Yamuna's bank.
Her plump breasts are dark with Kasturi paste
On which he lays a necklace and His fingernails,
And on her arms He slips bangles with gems. 27

The hips of that beauty are voluptuous,
The shine of Eros, which He decorates.
The feet and her toenails shimmer like jewels.
He places these feet upon His chest to colour.
So, friend, tell me how long I shall continue
Pining in this bower without any pleasure.
O Yamuna, sister of Yama, the lord of death!
Drown Me with your waves and extinguish me.' 28

Viii The Unlucky Lord of Fortune

Radha somehow managed to pass the night.
When Her beloved came at dawn, and pacified,
She condemned Him in Her jealous anger.
‘Your reddish eyes tell of your wakeful night.
Go away, don't ply me with your deceptive words.
You red lips turned black; so are your white teeth;
It is from kissing her kajal (dye) coated eyes.
Nail scratches on your body tells me volume.'29

‘Seeing all the bite-marks left on Your lips,
My heart sinks in sorrow, and still You insist
That Your body is not separate from mine."
Killing women is Your habit, Krishna.'
Lament of Radha, betrayed by passion,
Is even sweeter than the amrth of heaven.
It is shame more than sorrow I horbour
In Your betrayal of my staunch love for you.' 30

IxThe Innocent Lord of Liberation

Her friend encourages Radha to accept
Krishna and receive Him with due honour.
‘The Spring will bring Hari to you, Radha,
Your jug-like breasts are heavier and richer
Than ripe palm fruits. Why let them go to waste?
Let Hari come. Allow Him to speak to You.
You, whose behaviour is totally perverse,
Must reconcile and receive Him with warmth.'31

X Clever Krishna, the Four-Armed Flatterer

Later Radha's anger had abated
And she glanced bashfully at her friend's face.
Just then Hari approached; she had softened.
‘Radha, cast your wrath; I am caught by Love.
Allow me to drink the honey of your lips.
Bind Me by your arms. Bite My lips with your teeth.
Do whatever arouses your happiness.
Pleasing you is the sole aim of My life.' 32

‘Utter one word of command and I will paint
Your feet with gleaming red lac.' said He.
‘Be done with your unfounded suspicions.
Your voluptuous breasts and hips fill My heart,
Leaving no room for another, believe!
Bite me, kiss me and hurt me as you please.
Crush me with your hard breasts to your delight.
Do not cast me aside.' He sought her hand. 33

Xi Govinda gladdened

Kesava lay on the bed awaiting Radha;
Radha captivatingly adorned herself;
Her friend spoke to her, ' Go and join Him.
Under the weight of your broad hips and full breasts,
You move slowly. Your full breasts indicate
The imminence of Hari's embrace. Go,
Celebrate your arrival to Hari,
Resting Your lotus hand on your companion.'34

Beholding Hari, Radha became shy
While Her friend urged her on, saying,
‘Approach Mädhava and enjoy with Him.
His restless mind was for amorous play.'
He took Radha in His arms; His embrace
Tightening, He felt her protruding breasts.
She was to Him more lustrous than Rati.
He was engrossed in play with Radha's breasts. 35

XiiPétämbara Perfectly Pleased

Her friend quit; Radha was possessed by Kama
Her passion for love-play growing, He spoke.
"O Radhika, I am Your subservient
Narayana. Come to Me now the grace.
I desire to remove separation
personified in the form of the garment
that covers your breasts and obstructs Our sights.
Press them on My chest and vanquish My heat.36

Your furious eyes cast Me into distress.
Glance into Me and set our passion free.'
They both began their amorous contest,
Their skin impeded the thrill of embrace,
The blinking eyes, each other observation
And talks impeding their tasting their lips.
Even rapture itself was an obstacle
In their artful conjugal sparring, ho. 37

Bound by Her arms, crushed under the weight
Of Her breasts, scratched by Her fingernails,
Bitten on the lips by her teeth, pummelled
By Her hips, held down by the hair with Her hand,
And enraptured by the juice of Her lips,
Her beloved attained an inexpressible thrill.
She assumed a dominant role in sex.38

Her breasts bore His fingernail marks profusely.
Her sleepy red eyes, sore lips, dishevelled hair,
The loosened waist-belt all astonishing.
Krishna drank her captivating loveliness
In the aftermath of lovemaking - eyes
Slightly open, her mouth with sweet murmurs
Combined with sighs, her body lost in lassitude,
Her breasts trembling in His compelling embrace. 39

‘Brush aside the curls of hair falling like bees;
Braid my hair lest ridicule be aroused.
Reset the musk mark blurred on my forehead.
My hair fell loose in our play. Weave it.
Cover my breasts and wrap my waist with cloth.
Both had many such love games on the bank.
Radha surrendered to Krishna in love
And had all the bliss in His tight embrace. 40
24.11.2020

A combat of soul and body;
A combat of soul and Supreme;


[Hari, Madhusudanan, Kesava, Govinda, and Narayana are names of Krishna, incarnation of God Vishnu]
(Most of the lines are borrowed and modified from the translation of the text of the Gita Govinda by Sri Jayadeva Gosvami: Translator of the First Edition: Prema-prayojana däsa; poetic rendition: Barbara Stoler Miller, (Ph.D.) . Çré Jayadeva Gosvämé was born in the village of Kendubilva, commonly known as Kendulé, on the northern side of the Ajaya River, almost twenty miles south of the Vérabhüma district in West Bengal during 12th century AD.)