मिथः पाणी समालंब्य कामबाणवशं गतौ । रिरंसूविशतःकुञ्जंस्खलद्वाङ्मनसौपथि
Hand in hand, overcome by the power of love's arrows, they enter a bower, desiring union, their speech and minds faltering along the way.
क्रीडतश्च ततस्तत्र करिणीयूथपौ यथा । सख्योऽपि मधुभिर्मत्ता निद्रयापीडितेक्षणाः
There, they play together like the chief of elephant cows and her mate; their friends, too, drunk with honey and heavy-eyed with sleep.
अभितो मंजुकुंजेषु सर्वा एवापि शिश्यिरे । पृथगेकेन वपुषा कृष्णोऽपि युगपद्विभुः
All of them rest nearby in charming bowers; Krishna, though one, simultaneously assumes a separate form for each.
सर्वासां संनिधिं गच्छेत्प्रियया प्रेरितो मुहुः । रमयित्वा च ताः सर्वाः करिणीर्गजराडिव
Prompted repeatedly by his beloved, he goes to each of them; delighting them all, like an elephant king with his herd of cows.
प्रियया च तथा ताभिः क्रीडार्थं च सरो व्रजेत् । जलसेकैर्मिथस्तत्र क्रीडतः सगणौ ततः
With his beloved and the others, he goes to the lake for play; there, together with their groups, they sport with splashing water.
वासः स्रक्चंदनैर्दिव्यैर्भूषणैरपि भूषितौ । तत्रैव सरसस्तीरे दिव्यरत्नमये गृहे
Adorned with garments, garlands, sandalwood, and divine ornaments, they remain there on the shore of the lake, in a house made of celestial jewels.
प्रागेव फलमूलानि कल्पितानि मया मुने । हरिस्तु प्रथमं भुक्त्वा कांतया परिवेष्टितः
O sage, I had already prepared fruits and roots; Hari eats first, surrounded by his beloved.
द्वित्राभिः सेवितो गच्छेच्छय्यां पुष्पविनिर्मिताम् । तांबूलैर्व्यजनैस्तत्र पादसंवाहनादिभिः
Attended by two or three, he goes to a flower-made bower for shade, where he is served with betel, fans, foot massages, and the like.
सेव्यमानो हसंस्ताभिर्मोदते प्रेयसीं स्मरन् । राधिकापि हरौ सुप्ते सगणा मुदितांतरा
Being served by them, he laughs and delights, remembering his beloved; and Radhika, too, when Hari is asleep, rejoices with her companions.
अपि तत्र गतप्राणा तदुच्छिष्टं भुनक्ति च । किंचिदेव ततो भुक्त्वा व्रजेच्छय्यानिकेतनम्
Even there, though her life seems to have departed, she eats his leftovers; after tasting just a little, she goes to her shaded dwelling.
द्रष्टुं कांतमुखांभोजं चकोरीव निशाकरम् । तांबूलचर्वितं तस्य तत्रत्याभिर्निवेदितम्
Desiring to see her beloved's lotus face, like a chakorī bird longing for the moon, she was offered betel leaves chewed by him by the women present there.
तांबूलान्यपि चाश्नाति विभजंती प्रियालिषु । कृष्णोऽपि तासां शुश्रूषुः स्वच्छंदं भाषितं मिथः
She also eats the betel leaves, sharing them among her dear friends; and Krishna, eager to serve them, freely converses with them all.
प्राप्तनिद्र इवाभाति विनिद्रोऽपि पटावृतः । ताश्च क्ष्वेली क्षणं कृत्वा कुतश्चिदनुमानतः
Though awake and covered with a cloth, he appears as if he has fallen asleep; and they, after a moment's playful snorting, surmise something from somewhere.
विदश्य रसनां दद्भिः पश्यंत्योऽन्योन्यमाननम् । विलीना इव लज्जाब्धौ क्षणमूचुर्न किंचन
Biting their tongues with their teeth, they gaze at each other's faces; as if dissolved in an ocean of modesty, for a moment they say nothing at all.
क्षणादेव ततो वस्त्रं दूरीकृत्य तदंगतः । साधुनिद्रां गतोऽसीति हासयंत्यो हसंति च
Then, in an instant, removing the cloth from his body, they laugh and make him laugh, saying, 'He has entered a deep sleep!'
एवं तैर्विविधैर्हास्यै रममाणौ गणैः सह । अनुभूय क्षणं निद्रा सुखं च मुनिसत्तम
Thus, enjoying various kinds of laughter with the groups, O best of sages, they experience for a moment both sleep and happiness.
उपविश्यासने दिव्ये सगणौ विस्तृते मुदा । पणीकृत्य मिथोहार चुंबाश्लेषपरिच्छदान्
Seated joyfully with his companions on a splendid seat, they wager with each other acts such as stealing, kissing, embracing, and adornments.
अक्षै र्विक्रीडतः प्रेम्णा नर्मालापपुरस्सरम् । पराजितोऽपि प्रियया जितोहमिति वै ब्रुवन्
Playing dice out of love, with playful words and jokes, even when defeated by his beloved, he says, 'I am the one who has won.'
हारादिग्रहणे तस्याः प्रवृत्तस्ताड्यते तया । तयैवं ताडितः कृष्णः करेणास्य सरोरुहे
When he tries to take her necklace and the like, she strikes him; thus struck by her, Krishna is hit by her lotus hand.
विषण्णमानसो भूत्वा गंतुं प्रकुरुते मतिम् । जितोऽस्मि चेत्त्वया देवि गृह्यतां यत्पणीकृतम्
Becoming downcast in mind, he decides to leave; 'If you have defeated me, O goddess, then claim what was wagered.'
चुंबनादि मया दत्तमित्युक्त्वा सा तथाचरेत् । कौटिल्यं तद्भ्रुवोर्द्रष्टुं श्रोतुं तद्भर्त्सनं वचः
Saying, 'I have given you a kiss and the like,' she acts accordingly; to see the arching of her brows, to hear her scolding words.
ततः सारीशुकानां च श्रुत्वा वागाहवं मिथः । निर्गच्छतस्ततः स्थानाद्गंतुकामौ गृहं प्रति
Then, hearing the parrots and mynah birds debating with each other, as they prepare to leave that place, both wish to go home.
कृष्णः कांतामनुज्ञाप्य गवामभिमुखं व्रजेत् । सा तु सूर्यगृहं गच्छेत्सखीमंडलसंयुता
Krishna, after taking leave of his beloved, goes toward the cows; but she, accompanied by her circle of friends, goes to the house of the Sun.
कियद्दूरं ततो गत्वा परावृत्य हरिं पुनः । विप्रवेषं समास्थाय याति सूर्यगृहं प्रति
After going a little distance, turning back to Hari again, she assumes the guise of a Brahmin and proceeds toward the house of the Sun.
सूर्यं प्रपूजयेत्तत्र प्रार्थितस्तत्सखीजनैः । तदैव कल्पितैर्वेदैः परिहासविगर्भितैः
There she worships the Sun, as requested by her friends, using invented Vedic verses filled with playful mockery.
ततस्ता ज्ञापितं कांतं परिज्ञाय विचक्षणाः । आनंदसागरे मग्ना न विदुः स्वं न चापरम्
Then, recognizing that their beloved had been revealed, those wise women, immersed in an ocean of joy, forgot themselves and everything else.
विहारैर्विविधैरेवं सार्द्धयामद्वयं मुने । नीत्वा गृहं व्रजेयुस्ताः स च कृष्णो गवां व्रजेत्
Thus, O sage, after spending half the night in various pastimes together, they return home, and Krishna goes to the cows.
संगम्य स्वसखीन्कृष्णो गृहीत्वा गाः समंततः । आगच्छति व्रजं हर्षान्नादयन्मुरलद्यं मुने
Krishna, meeting his friends, gathers the cows all around and returns to Vraja, joyfully sounding his flute, O sage.
ततो नंदादयः सर्वे श्रुत्वा वेणुरवं हरेः । गोधूलिपटलव्याप्तं दृष्ट्वा चापि नभस्तलम्
Then, all the Nandas and others, hearing the sound of Hari's flute and seeing the sky covered with a layer of dusk-dust,
विसृज्य सर्वकर्माणि स्त्रियो बालादयोऽपि च । कृष्णस्याभिमुखं यांति तद्दर्शनसमुत्सुकाः
abandoning all their tasks, even the women and children, go toward Krishna, eager to see him.