तेन सार्धं मधुपुरीं भगवान् गच्छ संप्रतम् । कुरु शंभोर्धनुर्भङ्गं भग्नं वैरिगणं हरे
Together with him, go now to Mathura, O Bhagavan; break Shiva's bow, defeat the host of enemies, O Hari.
हन कंसं दुरात्मानं तातं बोधय मातरम् । निर्माणं द्वारकायाश्च भारावतरणं भुवः
Slay the wicked Kamsa, awaken your father, comfort your mother, and establish Dvaraka, relieving the earth's burden.
दह वाराणसीं शंभोः शक्रस्य सदनं विभो । शिवस्य जृम्भणं युद्धे बाणस्य भुजकृन्तनम्
Burn the city of Varanasi, the abode of Shiva; the palace of Indra, O Lord; the yawning of Shiva in battle, and the cutting off of Bana's arms.
रुक्मिणीहरणं नाथ घातनं नरकस्य च । षोडशानां सहस्रं च स्त्रीणां पाणिग्रहं कुरु
Abduction of Rukmini, O Lord, and the slaying of Naraka; and the marriage with sixteen thousand women—do these, O Kuru.
त्यज प्रियां प्राणसमां व्रजेश्वर व्रजं व्रज । उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ भद्रं ते यावद्राधा न जाग्रति
Abandon your beloved, dear as life, O Lord of Vraja, return to Vraja; arise, arise, may good fortune be yours, before Radha awakens.
त्येवमुक्त्वा ब्रह्मा च सेन्द्रैर्देवगणैः सह । जगाम ब्रह्मलोकं च शेषश्च शंकरस्तथा
Having spoken thus, Brahma, along with Indra and the hosts of gods, departed to Brahmaloka, as did Shesha and Shankara.
पुष्पचन्दनवृष्टिं च कुष्णस्योपरि देवताः । चक्रुः प्रीत्या च भक्त्या च वाग्बभूवाशरीरिणी
The gods, out of love and devotion, showered flowers and sandalwood upon Krishna; and a bodiless voice spoke forth.
बध कंसं वथार्ह च स्वपित्रोर्मोक्षणं कुरु । क्षयं कुरुभुवो भारं नारदेत्येवमेव च
Slay Kamsa, and also the wicked; grant liberation to your parents; remove the burden of the Kuru land—thus spoke Narada.
इत्येवं तद्वचः श्रुत्वा भगवान् भूतभावनः । राधा भगवतीं त्यक्त्वा समुत्तस्थौ शनैः शनैः
Hearing these words, the Lord, the creator of beings, slowly rose, leaving behind the divine Radha.
ययौ हरिः कियद्दूरं निरीक्ष्य च पुनः पुनः । क्षणं तस्थौ चन्दनानां वने वाससमीपतः
Hari went a short distance, turning back again and again to look; for a moment he stood near the grove of sandalwood trees.
विहाय राधा निन्द्रां सा समुत्तस्थौ स्वतल्पतः । न निरीक्ष्य हरीं शान्तं कान्तं च प्राणवल्लभम्
Radha, leaving her sleep, rose from her own bed; but she did not see Hari, her peaceful, beloved, dear as life.
हा नाथ रमण प्रेष्ठ प्राणेश प्राणवल्लभ । प्राणचोर प्रियतम क्व गतोऽसीत्युवाच ह
"Alas, Lord, beloved, dearest, lord of my life, beloved of my soul, thief of my life, most dear—where have you gone?" she cried.
क्षणमन्वेषणं कृत्वा बभ्राम मालतीवनम् । उवास क्षणमुत्तस्थौ क्षणं सुष्वाप भूतले
After searching for a moment, she wandered in the jasmine grove; she stayed for a moment, then rose, and for a moment slept upon the ground.
रुरोद क्षणमत्युच्चैर्विललाप मुहुर्मुहुः । आगच्छाऽऽगच्छ हे नाथेत्येवसुक्त्वा पुनः पुनः
She wept loudly for a moment, lamented again and again, and repeatedly called out, "Come, come, O Lord!"
मूर्च्छां संप्राप संतापात्संप्तता विरहानलैः । भूतले च तृणाच्छन्ने पपात च यथा मृता
Overcome by the fire of separation, she fainted from grief, and collapsed upon the grass-covered earth as if dead.
आययुस्तत्र गोप्यश्च ब्रह्मञ्छतसहस्रशः । काश्चिच्चामरहस्ताश्च गृहीत्वा चन्दनद्रवम्
There, hundreds of thousands of gopis came, some holding fans, and brought sandalwood paste.
तासां मध्ये प्रिया लीला कृत्वा राधां स्ववक्षसि । मृतामिव प्रियां दृष्ट्वा रुरोद प्रेमविह्वला
Among them, her dear friend, performing playful acts, took Radha to her own breast; seeing her beloved as if dead, she wept, overwhelmed with love.
सजलं पङ्कजदलं पङ्कोपरि निधाय च । स्थापयामास तां राधां निश्चेष्टां च मृतामिव
Placing a moist lotus petal upon the mud, they laid Radha there, motionless, as if she were dead.
गोपीभिः सेवितां तत्र रुचिरैः श्वेतचामरैः । चन्दनद्रवयुक्तां च स्निग्धवस्त्रान्वितां सतीम्
There, attended by the gopis with beautiful white fans, anointed with sandalwood paste, and clothed in soft garments, she lay chaste.
ददर्श कृष्णस्तत्रैत्य तामेव प्राणवल्लभाम् । निवारितश्च गोपीभिर्बलिष्ठाभिश्च नारद
Krishna, coming there, saw his beloved, dear as life; but was restrained by the powerful gopis and by Narada.
यथा नीतः सापराधो दण्डथो राजभटादिभिः । चकार राधां क्रोडे च समागत्य कृपानिधिः
Just as one who is guilty is led away by royal guards for punishment, so the ocean of compassion, having come together, placed Rādhā on his lap.
चेतनां कारयामास बोधयामास बोधनैः । संप्राप्य चेतनां देवी ददर्श प्राणवल्लाभाम्
He caused her to regain consciousness, awakening her with various means; when the goddess regained awareness, she beheld her beloved of life.
बभूव सुस्थिरा देवी तत्याज विरहज्वरम् । चकार कान्तं सा कान्ता गात्रालिङ्गनमीप्सितम्
The goddess became steady and well; she abandoned the fever of separation, and the beloved embraced her beloved, fulfilling her desire to cling to his body.
नानाप्रकारशृङ्गारं चकार मधुसूदनः । उवास रत्नतल्पे च राधां कृत्वा स्ववक्षसि
Madhusūdana performed various kinds of amorous play, and, placing Rādhā upon his own chest, he remained with her on a jeweled couch.
राधासखी रत्नमाला विदग्धा सर्वपूजिता । उवाच कृष्णं मधुरं नीतिसारमनुत्तमम्
Rādhā’s companion Ratnamālā, clever and honored by all, spoke sweetly to Kṛṣṇa, conveying the highest essence of conduct.
रत्नमारोवाच शृणु कृष्ण प्रवक्ष्यामि परिणामसुखावहम् । हितं तथ्यं नीतिसारं दंपत्योः प्रीतिकारणम्
Ratnamālā said: Hear, O Kṛṣṇa, I will tell you that which brings happiness in the end—beneficial, true, the essence of conduct, and the cause of love between husband and wife.
संमतं कामशास्त्रेषु नीतौ वेदपुराणयोः । लौकिकव्यवरारेषु प्रशस्यं सुयशस्करम्
It is approved in the treatises on love, in the codes of conduct, in the Vedas and Purāṇas, and is praised in worldly affairs, bringing great fame.
नारीणां च प्रिया माता प्रियो भ्राता च वन्धुषु । ततः प्रियश्च पुत्रश्च पुत्रादेव प्रियः पतिः
For women, the mother is dear among relatives, the brother is dear, then the son is dear, but above all, the husband is dearest.
शतपुत्रात्प्रियः स्वामी साध्वीनां साधुसंमतः । रसिकानां विदग्धानां न हि भर्तुः परः प्रियः
For virtuous women, the husband is dearer than a hundred sons, esteemed by the virtuous; for the clever and discerning, there is no one dearer than the husband.
यदि भर्ता विदग्धश्च विदग्धानां सुखावहः । अन्यथा विषतुल्यश्च विषमश्चेत्खलः खलु
If the husband is clever, he brings happiness to the clever; otherwise, if he is wicked, he is like poison, truly harsh.