Contents
Gita Govinda -Shri Jayadeva Gosvami
Act Three : mugdha madhusüdanaù
Madhu’s Slayer Bewildered
Scene Seven
Song 7
Verse 1
Commentary
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Acts One and Two describe the excellence of Rädhä and Mädhava, concluding with a vivid portrayal of Rädhä’s loving thirst and eagerness for Kṛṣṇa. Now, in the beginning of Act Three, the author demonstrates Shri Kṛṣṇa’s thirst and eagerness for Rädhä. Memories of the autumnal dance (säradéya-räsa-lélä) suddenly awakened in Kṛṣṇa’s heart. He remembered how he had left the other gopés in the arena of the räsa dance and had met alone with Shri Rädhä. He remembered how he had nourished her affection by arranging and decorating her hair. Now in the absence of Rädhä, the anguish of separation awakened in his heart. Therefore he abandoned the company of the other attractive gopés of Vraja. Kaàsäri – Shri Kṛṣṇa is the enemy of the evil king, Kaàsa. Alternatively, kaà sukhaà särayati vistärayati kaàsäriù – “He who expands one’s happiness, namely Bhagavän Shri Kṛṣṇa, is called Kaàsäri.” Saàsära-väsanä-bandha-çåìkhaläm – When the word saàsära is interpreted as a compound of samyak (complete) and sära (essence), then it refers to the delightful and endearing madhura-rasa. Therefore, the tendency to remain always preoccupied with madhura-rasa is called saàsära-väsanä. Rädhä is the binding fetter (çåìkhalä) in the räsa dance because she keeps Kṛṣṇa under her control. When a man of fine discrimination ascertains the identity of the most essential substance by comparison with the alternatives, he naturally abandons everything else to zealously pursue his desired object. Then that superlative object becomes his exclusive shelter. Similarly, Shri Kṛṣṇa has directly abandoned all the other gopés and accepted Rädhä as his exclusive shelter. Vraja-sundaréù – The plural declension indicates that Kṛṣṇa has forsaken many elegant young ladies in the anguish of separation from Rädhä. This reveals his excessive anuräga for her. The metre of this verse is anuñöubh. |
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