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.
संसारे चानृते वत्स दंपत्योः प्रीतिरेव च । परस्परं च समता प्रियसौभाग्यमीप्सितम्
In this world, O dear one, the love between husband and wife and their mutual equality is the most desired good fortune.
दंपत्योः समता नास्ति यत्र-यत्र हि मन्तिरे । अलक्ष्मीस्तत्र तत्रैव विफलं जीवनं तयोः
Wherever there is no equality between husband and wife, there, indeed, misfortune prevails, and their life is fruitless.
सुस्वामिनां विभेदश्च परं दुःखं च योषिताम् । शोकसंतापबीजं च जीवितं मरणाधिकम्
For women with good husbands, separation is the greatest sorrow, the seed of grief and pain, and life becomes worse than death.
स्वप्ने जागरणे चापि पतिः प्राणाश्च योषितः । पतिरेव गुरुः स्त्रीणामिह लोके परत्र च
In sleep and in waking, the husband is the very life of women; the husband alone is the guru of women, both in this world and the next.
अस्मात्तवयि गते नाथे मूर्च्छां संप्राप राधिका । पपात सहसा भूमौ तृणाच्छन्ने च भूतले
When you, the lord, departed, Rādhikā fell into a swoon and suddenly collapsed to the ground, covered with grass.
मया दत्तं मुखेऽस्याश्च शीतलं जलमुत्तमम् । तदा श्वासो बभूवास्याश्चेतनं बाल्यमेव च
I gave cool, excellent water into her mouth; then her breath returned, and she regained a childlike consciousness.
क्षणं वदति हे नाथ हे कृष्णेति क्षणं सखी । क्षणं रोदिति संतप्ता मूर्च्छां प्राप्नोति तत्क्षणम्
For a moment, she says, 'O Lord, O Kṛṣṇa,' for a moment, her friend speaks, for a moment, she weeps in distress, and in that instant, she falls again into a swoon.
राधिकायाः शरीरं च संतप्तं विरहानलैः । दग्धलोहयष्टिसममस्पृश्यमनलोपमम्
Rādhikā’s body, scorched by the fire of separation, became like a bar of heated iron, untouchable, resembling fire itself.
स्वप्ने जागनणे रात्रौ दिवसे च गृहे वने । जले स्थले चान्तरिक्षेऽभ्युदये चन्द्रसूर्ययोः
In dream and in waking, at night and by day, at home and in the forest, in water, on land, and in the sky, at the rising of the moon and sun—
नास्ति भेदश्च राधाया मृततुल्या जडाकृतिः । शश्वत्पश्यति स्थानस्था सर्वं विष्णुमयं जगत्
There is no separation for Rādhā, whose form is inert like one dead; she constantly beholds, wherever she is, the entire world as pervaded by Viṣṇu.