रसिका स्त्री विजानाति सती गुणवती पतिम् । गुणज्ञं रसिकं शूरं सुशीलं सुरतौ सदा
A discerning woman knows a virtuous, noble, and heroic husband who is always skillful in love, and who appreciates her virtues.
दूराद्धावति पद्मार्थ मधुलोभान्मध्रुव्रतः । भेकस्तन्न हि जानाति तन्मूर्ध्नि पादमुत्सृजेत्
The honeybee, devoted to honey, flies from afar for the sake of the lotus; the frog does not know this and may trample it underfoot.
यन्त्री जानाति संगीतरसं यन्त्रं च नैव च । दुग्धास्वादं विदग्धश्च न दर्वी नैव भाजनम्
The musician knows the taste of music, not the instrument itself; the clever one knows the taste of milk, not the ladle or the vessel.
परिपक्वफलास्वादं जानन्ति भोगिनः सुखम् । एकत्रावस्थिताः शश्वन्नकिंचित्फलिनो यथा
Those who enjoy know the taste of fully ripened fruit and happiness, just as those who remain together always, though not bearing fruit themselves.
सुशीलजलास्वादं विजानन्ति तृषाल्वः । न च वापी न घटश्चैकत्रावस्थितो यथा
Those who are thirsty know the taste of good water, not the well or the pot, even if they are nearby.
भोकिनो हि विजानन्ति शालिस्वादुरसं परम् । एकत्रावस्थितं चेतु न क्षेत्रं भाजनं यथा
Those who partake truly know the supreme taste of rice, not the field or the vessel, even if it is present.
बुबुधे चन्दनाघ्रणं चन्दनार्थी च भोगवित् । न गर्दभो भारवाही न तस्य पात्रिका यथा
The one who enjoys knows the scent of sandalwood, not the donkey who bears the load, nor its container.
यं न यानन्ति वेदाश्च ब्रह्मेशानादयस्तथा । योगिनो मुनयः सिद्धास्तं किं जानन्ति योषितः
He whom the Vedas, Brahmā, Śiva, and others, as well as yogis, sages, and perfected beings, do not reach—how can women know him?
सौभाग्यं गौरवं प्रेम दुर्लभं नित्यनूतम् । यौषितां च परं नैव चूर्णीभूतं क्षणेन च
Fortune, dignity, and love among women are rare and ever-new; yet, in a moment, they are utterly shattered.
अत्युच्छ्रितो निपतनं प्राप्नोत्येव ध्रुवं प्रभो । आराद्विपत्तिबीजं च वैष्णवानां विहिंसनम्
O Lord, one who rises too high inevitably falls; it becomes the seed of misfortune and brings harm to the Vaishnavas.
श्रीदामा च मया शप्तस्त्वद्भक्तो भक्तवत्सलः । एतादृशी विपत्तिर्मे पुत्रश्रीदामशापतः
Śrīdāmā, your devotee and beloved of devotees, was cursed by me; such calamity befell me because of my son Śrīdāmā's curse.
ईश्वरः कस्य वा बन्धुः प्रियो वा विप्रियस्तथा । सततं भक्तिसाध्यश्च यो भक्तश्च तदीश्वरः
Who is a lord, a friend, or an enemy to whom? Only he who is devoted attains the Lord, and the Lord is attained by devotion.
वेदाश्च वैदिकाः सन्तः पुराणानि वदन्ति च । राधाया माधवः साध्यो भगवानिति निष्फलम्
The Vedas, the Vedic sages, and the Purāṇas declare: Mādhava is to be attained by Rādhā, yet this is fruitless.
जित्वा च सगणं शंभुं बाणस्य भुजकृन्तनम् । कृत्वा च रुक्मिणीपौत्रः समानीतः सभार्यकः
Having defeated Śaṃbhu and his retinue, and cut off Bāṇa's arms, the grandson of Rukmiṇī was brought back with his wife.
अहो त्वयि समायाते रुक्मिणी किमुवाच ह । प्रेम स्थितं समानं ते किं विवृद्धं च गौरवम्
When you arrived, what did Rukmiṇī say? Is your love constant and equal, or has your dignity increased?
कुरुपाण्डवयुद्धेन कुरवो निहतास्त्वया । पाण्डवार्थे तथा भूपाः क्व साम्यं परमात्मनः
In the battle between the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas, the Kurus were slain by you; for the sake of the Pāṇḍavas, so were the kings. Where is the impartiality of the Supreme Soul?
साक्षान्महेन्द्रजातस्य कौन्तेयस्यार्जुनस्य च । राजमण्डलम्ध्यस्थो भवानेव हि सारथिः
You alone, born directly from Mahendra, stood in the midst of the royal assembly as the charioteer of Kaunteya and Arjuna.
तेन भक्तेन शुद्धेन भीष्मेण च महात्मना । लज्जितेन किमुक्तं ते महतीषु मभासु च
By that pure devotee, the great-souled Bhīṣma, who was ashamed, what did he say to you among the great assemblies?
देवैरपि कथं दृष्टो ब्रह्मेशशेसंषज्ञकैः । भक्तसिहैर्भृत्तैः सर्वैर्न चोक्तं किंचिदेव सः
How could even the gods, Brahmā, Īśa, and Śeṣa, who know you, see you? Though surrounded by devoted servants, none spoke anything to him.
यश्चानिर्वचनीयश्च वेदेषु च चतुर्षु च । पुराणेष्वितिहासेषु प्रकृतेः पर ईश्वरः
He who is indescribable in the four Vedas, in the Purāṇas and Itihāsas, the Lord beyond nature.
निर्गुणच नीरीहश्च निर्लिप्तः सर्वकर्मणाम् । कर्मणां साक्षिरूपश्च भक्तानुग्रहविग्रहः
He is without qualities, without desire, untouched by all actions; the witness of deeds, and the embodiment of grace to devotees.
परं ब्रह्म परं ज्योतिः परमेशः परात्परः । परमात्मा च सर्वेषां सूतो नररथस्थितः
The Supreme Brahman, the supreme light, the highest Lord, beyond the highest, the supreme soul of all, stood as the charioteer in a human chariot.
त्वया कुब्जा च संभुक्ता वृद्धा क्षत्रियकामिनी । अपुत्रिणी चाधिकाङ्गी यूनाऽस्पृश्या च
By you, Kubjā was enjoyed, an aged Kṣatriya woman, childless and with extra limbs, and a young woman who was untouchable.
त्वया च निहतः कंसो मातुलः केन हेतुना । आयास्यतीति कृत्वा च गत्तं न पुनरागतम्
By you, Kaṃsa, your maternal uncle, was slain; for what reason? Saying he would come, he departed and never returned.
निहत्य यादवान्सर्वान्विभज्य द्वारकां पुरीम् । त्वां निबध्य समानेतुमीश्वरी वारिता जनैः
Having slain all the Yādavas and divided the city of Dvārakā, you were bound and brought; the goddess was restrained by the people.
इत्युक्त्वा राधिका देवी भृशमुच्चै रुरोद सा । मूर्च्छां संप्राप सहसा निनिःश्वासा बभूव ह
Having spoken thus, the goddess Rādhikā wept loudly; she suddenly fell unconscious and sighed deeply.
गोप्यो गवाक्षजालस्थाः शुश्रुवुर्ददृशुस्तथा । दृष्ट्वा तमाययुः सर्वा ऊचू राधा मृतेति च
The gopīs, standing at the lattice windows, heard and saw; seeing that, they all came and said, 'Rādhā is dead.'
उच्चैस्ता रुरुदुः सर्वाः क्रोडे कृत्वा च राधिकाम् । ऊचुस्ता रक्षरक्षेति हरे नरहरे प्रभो
All of them cried out loudly, holding Rādhikā in their arms; they said, 'Protect, protect her, O Hari, O Narahari, O Lord!'
गोप्य ऊचुः किं कृतं किं कृतं कृष्ण त्वया राधा मृता च नः । राधां जीवय भद्रं ते यास्यामः काननं वयम्
The gopīs said: 'What have you done, what have you done, Kṛṣṇa? Rādhā is dead for us! Revive Rādhā, may it be well for you; otherwise, we will go to the forest.'
अन्यथा स्त्रीवधं तुभ्यं दास्यामः सर्वयोषितः । गोपीनां वचनं श्रुत्वा राधिकायाश्च माधवः
'Otherwise, we will give you the killing of all women as a crime.' Hearing the words of the gopīs and of Rādhikā, Mādhava—