प्रीतिः सस्त्रीकुमारस्य व्रजस्य तव केशव कर्म चेदम् अशक्यं यत् समस्तैस् त्रिदशैर् अपि
The affection of the women and children of your cowherd community, O Keshava, is yours. This deed of yours is impossible even for all the gods together.
बालत्वं चातिवीर्यं च जन्म चास्मास्व् अशोभनम् चिन्त्यमानम् अमेयात्मञ् शङ्कां कृष्ण प्रयच्छति
Your childhood, your extraordinary might, and your birth among us seem unfitting; pondering this, O Krishna of immeasurable self, gives rise to doubt.
क्षणं भूत्वा त्व् असौ तूष्णीं किंचित् प्रणयकोपवान् इत्य् एवम् उक्तस् तैर् गोपैर् आह कृष्णो द्विजोत्तमाः
For a moment he became silent, showing a slight affectionate displeasure. Thus addressed by them, Krishna spoke to the cowherds, O best of twice-born.
मत्संबन्धेन वो गोपा यदि लज्जा न जायते श्लाघ्यो वाहं ततः किं वो विचारेण प्रयोजनम्
O cowherds, if you feel no shame in your connection with me, or if I am praiseworthy to you, then what need have you for further deliberation?
यदि वो ऽस्ति मयि प्रीतिः श्लाघ्यो ऽहं भवतां यदि तद् अर्घा बन्धुसदृशी बान्धवाः क्रियतां मयि
If you have affection for me, if I am worthy of your praise, then offer me the respect due to a kinsman, and treat me as one would a relative.
नाहं देवो न गन्धर्वो न यक्षो न च दानवः अहं वो बान्धवो जातो नातश् चिन्त्यम् अतो ऽन्यथा
I am not a god, nor a gandharva, nor a yaksha, nor a demon. I am born as your kinsman; therefore, there is no need to think otherwise.
इति श्रुत्वा हरेर् वाक्यं बद्धमौनास् ततो बलम् ययुर् गोपा महाभागास् तस्मिन् प्रणयकोपिनि
Hearing these words of Hari, the blessed cowherds, bound by silence, departed from that place where he showed affectionate displeasure.
कृष्णस् तु विमलं व्योम शरच्चन्द्रस्य चन्द्रिकाम् तथा कुमुदिनीं फुल्लाम् आमोदितदिगन्तराम्
Krishna beheld the spotless sky, the moonlight of the autumn moon, and the blooming water-lily, filling the directions with fragrance.
वनराजीं तथा कूजद्भृङ्गमालामनोरमाम् विलोक्य सह गोपीभिर् मनश् चक्रे रतिं प्रति
He saw the line of forest trees, delightful with swarms of humming bees, and, together with the cowherd women, turned his mind toward love.
सह रामेण मधुरम् अतीव वनिताप्रियम् जगौ कमलपादो ऽसौ नाम तत्र कृतव्रतः
With Rama, the lotus-footed one sang sweetly—a song most dear to women—there, having undertaken his vow.
रम्यं गीतध्वनिं श्रुत्वा संत्यज्यावसथांस् तदा आजग्मुस् त्वरिता गोप्यो यत्रास्ते मधुसूदनः
Hearing the charming sound of song, the cowherd women quickly left their dwellings and came to where Madhusudana was.
शनैः शनैर् जगौ गोपी काचित् तस्य पदानुगा दत्तावधाना काचिच् च तम् एव मनसास्मरत्
One cowherd woman slowly sang, following his steps; another, attentive, remembered only him in her mind.
काचित् कृष्णेति कृष्णेति चोक्त्वा लज्जाम् उपाययौ ययौ च काचित् प्रेमान्धा तत्पार्श्वम् अविलज्जिता
One, saying 'Krishna, Krishna,' became bashful; another, blinded by love, went to his side without shame.
काचिद् आवसथस्यान्तः स्थित्वा दृष्ट्वा बहिर् गुरुम् तन्मयत्वेन गोविन्दं दध्यौ मीलितलोचना
One, staying inside her house, saw her elder outside, and with closed eyes, meditated on Govinda with her whole being.
गोपीपरिवृतो रात्रिं शरच्चन्द्रमनोरमाम् मानयाम् आस गोविन्दो रासारम्भरसोत्सुकः
Surrounded by the cowherd women, Govinda honored the night, beautiful with the autumn moon, eager for the delight of beginning the rasa dance.
गोप्यश् च वृन्दशः कृष्णचेष्टाभ्यायत्तमूर्तयः अन्यदेशगते कृष्णे चेरुर् वृन्दावनान्तरम्
The cowherd women, in groups, whose forms depended on Krishna's actions, danced throughout the forest of Vrindavan when Krishna went elsewhere.
बभ्रमुस् तास् ततो गोप्यः कृष्णदर्शनलालसाः कृष्णस्य चरणं रात्रौ दृष्ट्वा वृन्दावने द्विजाः
Then those cowherd women, longing to see Krishna, wandered about, O twice-born, having seen Krishna’s footprint at night in Vrindavan.
एवं नानाप्रकारासु कृष्णचेष्टासु तासु च गोप्यो व्यग्राः समं चेरू रम्यं वृन्दावनं वनम्
Thus, as Krishna performed various acts, the cowherd women, absorbed together, roamed the delightful forest of Vrindavan.
निवृत्तास् तास् ततो गोप्यो निराशाः कृष्णदर्शने यमुनातीरम् आगम्य जगुस् तच्चरितं द्विजाः
Afterwards, those cowherd women, disappointed in seeing Krishna, withdrew, came to the bank of the Yamuna, and sang his deeds, O twice-born.
ततो ददृशुर् आयान्तं विकाशिमुखपङ्कजम् गोप्यस् त्रैलोक्यगोप्तारं कृष्णम् अक्लिष्टकारिणम्
Then the cowherd women saw Krishna approaching, his lotus-like face radiant, the protector of the three worlds, the doer of effortless deeds.
काचिद् आलोक्य गोविन्दम् आयान्तम् अतिहर्षिता कृष्ण कृष्णेति कृष्णेति प्राहोत्फुल्लविलोचना
One, seeing Govinda coming, was exceedingly joyful; with eyes wide open, she called out, 'Krishna! Krishna!' again and again.
काचिद् भ्रूभङ्गुरं कृत्वा ललाटफलकं हरिम् विलोक्य नेत्रभृङ्गाभ्यां पपौ तन्मुखपङ्कजम्
One, arching her brow and marking her forehead, gazed at Hari, and with her bee-like eyes drank the nectar of his lotus face.
काचिद् आलोक्य गोविन्दं निमीलितविलोचना तस्यैव रूपं ध्यायन्ती योगारूढेव सा बभौ
One, seeing Govinda, closed her eyes and, meditating on his form alone, shone forth as if absorbed in yoga.
ततः कांचित् प्रियालापैः कांचिद् भ्रूभङ्गवीक्षितैः निन्ये ऽनुनयम् अन्याश् च करस्पर्शेन माधवः
Then Madhava soothed some with loving words, others with glances from arched brows, and yet others by the touch of his hand.
ताभिः प्रसन्नचित्ताभिर् गोपीभिः सह सादरम् रराम रासगोष्ठीभिर् उदारचरितो हरिः
With those cowherd women, their minds delighted, Hari, of noble deeds, joyfully played the rasa dance with respect.
रासमण्डलबद्धो ऽपि कृष्णपार्श्वम् अनूद्गता गोपीजनो न चैवाभूद् एकस्थानस्थिरात्मना
Though bound in the circle of the rasa dance, the cowherd women did not leave Krishna’s side, nor did any remain fixed in one place.
हस्ते प्रगृह्य चैकैकां गोपिकां रासमण्डलम् चकार च करस्पर्शनिमीलितदृशं हरिः
Hari, taking each cowherd woman by the hand, performed the rasa dance, closing his eyes at the touch of their hands.
ततः प्रववृते रम्या चलद्वलयनिस्वनैः अनुयातशरत्काव्यगेयगीतिर् अनुक्रमाम्
Then the delightful dance began, accompanied by the sound of moving bangles, and followed in turn by autumnal poetry, song, and music.
कृष्णः शरच्चन्द्रमसं कौमुदीकुमुदाकरम् जगौ गोपीजनस् त्व् एकं कृष्णनाम पुनः पुनः
Krishna sang of the autumn moon, the moonlight, and the lotus pond, while the cowherd women repeatedly sang only Krishna’s name.
परिवृत्ता श्रमेणैका चलद्वलयतापिनी ददौ बाहुलतां स्कन्धे गोपी मधुविघातिनः
One, weary from dancing, her bangles moving and warm, placed her vine-like arm on the shoulder of the honey-slayer, Krishna.