Gita Govinda -Jayadeva 339

Gita Govinda -Shri Jayadeva Gosvami

Act Eight : vilakñya lakñmépatiù

The Hapless Lord of Fortune

Scene Seventeen : Song 17 : Verse 9

Commentary Here ShriJayadeva addresses the savants and the celestial beings, “O learned ones, listen to the lamentation of this jilted young woman who has been deprived of the coveted pleasure of amorous union. This lamentation is sweeter than nectar. It is never possible to taste the nectar of her lamentation in the celestial world. The sweetest substance available there is the ambrosia of the demigods. This ambrosia is bitter in comparison with the lamentation of Rädhä, although the nectar of her lamentation is available to humans here on earth. Therefore those eager to constantly remember Rädhä-Kṛṣṇa should definitely drink this incomparable nectar.” In this song Rädhä is khaëòitä näyikä. The characteristics of the khaëòitä heroine are:   nidrä-kañäya-mukulékåta-tämra-netro näré-nakha-vraëa-viçeña-vicitratäìgaù yasyäù kuto ’pi patireti gåhaà prabhäte sä khaëòeti kathitä kavibhiù puräëaiù “A beloved hero enters his heroine’s abode from elsewhere in the morning time. He has been awake throughout the entire night. His eyes are red and his limbs are beautifully marked with scratches made by another young woman. Learned poets have called the heroine at that time khaëòitä näyikä.” This seventeenth song of ShriGéta-govinda, entitled Lakñmépati-ratnävalé, features megha räga and the vipralambha aspect of çåìgära-rasa and karuëarasa.