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.
स्निग्धपङ्के पङ्कजानां सजलानि दलानि च । निपत्य तत्कृते तल्पे सुष्वाप विरहातुरा
On the moist mud, among the lotuses and their wet leaves, she, tormented by separation, lay down upon that bed and slept.
सेविता सा प्रियालीभिः संततं श्वेतचामरैः । चन्दनद्रवसंसिक्ता स्निग्धवस्त्रसमन्विता
She was attended by her dear friends, continually fanned with white chowries, sprinkled with sandalwood paste, and adorned with soft garments.
राधाङ्गस्पर्शमात्रेण पङ्कः संप्राप शुष्कताम् । स्निग्धानि पद्मपत्राणि बभूवुर्भस्मसात्क्षणम्
At the mere touch of Rādhā's body, the mud instantly became dry, and the moist lotus petals turned to ashes in a moment.
चन्दनं शुष्कतां प्राप वर्णश्चम्पकसंनिभः । बभुव कज्जलाकारः केशस्य वर्णतो हरे
The sandalwood paste became dry, its color like that of a campaka flower; and the color of her hair turned black like lamp soot.
सिन्दूरबिन्दू रुचिरः श्यामतां प्राप तत्क्षणम् । वेषो विलासो लीला च क्रीडा त्यक्ता बभूव ह
The beautiful dot of vermilion at once turned dark; her dress, her ornaments, her playfulness, and her amusements were all abandoned.
रत्नमाला तु तां दृष्ट्वा गत्वा कृष्णान्तिकं तदा । उवाच मधुरं वाक्यं राधाहितकरं परम्
Then Ratnamālā, seeing her thus, went to Kṛṣṇa and spoke sweet words that were supremely beneficial for Rādhā.
रत्नमालोवाच हे कृष्ण कमलाकान्त त्वद्वियोगेन मत्सखी । प्राणांस्त्यक्ष्यति शीघ्रं सा यदि नाऽऽयास्यसि ध्रुवम्
Ratnamālā said: O Kṛṣṇa, beloved of Lakṣmī, because of separation from you, my friend will soon give up her life if you do not surely come.
विचार्य मनसा कृष्ण यत्तत्समृचितं कुरु । न भवेत्कामिनीहत्या येन नीतिविशारद
Consider in your mind, Kṛṣṇa, and do what is fitting, so that the destruction of a loving woman does not occur, O wise one in righteousness.
रत्नमालावाचः श्रुत्वा प्रहस्योवाच माधवः । हितं सत्यं नीतिसारं परिणमसुखावहम्
Hearing Ratnamālā's words, Mādhava smiled and spoke: 'What you have said is good, true, the essence of right conduct, and brings lasting happiness.'
श्रीभगवानुवाच ईशो यद्यपि शक्तोऽहं निषेकं खण्डितुं प्रिये । तथाऽपि न क्षमो रत्ने नियतेर्नं करोम्यहम्
The Blessed Lord said: Although I am the Lord and able, dearest, to break this separation, yet, O Ratna, I am not able to act against destiny.