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.
राजमार्गे व्रजद्वारि यत्र सर्वे व्रजौकसः । कृष्णोऽपि तान्समागम्य यथावदनुपूर्वशः
At the royal road, at the entrance to Vraja, where all the inhabitants of Vraja are gathered, Krishna too meets them there, according to proper order.
दर्शनस्पर्शनैर्वाचा स्मितपूर्वावलोकनैः । गोपवृद्धान्नमस्कारैः कायिकैर्वाचिकैरपि
With glances, touches, words, and smiles, with respectful looks, and with bodily and verbal greetings to the elder cowherds,
अष्टांगपातैः पितरौ रोहिणीमपि नारद । नेत्रांतसूचितेनैव विनयेन प्रियां तथा
with eight-limbed prostrations to his parents and to Rohini, O Narada, and with gestures of humility from the corners of his eyes to his beloved,
एवं तैस्तद्यथायोग्यं व्रजौकोभिः प्रपूजितः । गवालये तथा गाश्च संप्रवेश्य समंततः
thus, being honored as appropriate by the people of Vraja, he then leads the cows into the cowshed from all sides.
पितृभ्यामर्थितो याति भ्रात्रा सह निजालयम् । स्नात्वा पीत्वा तत्र किंचिद्भुक्त्वा मात्रानुमोदितः
Requested by his parents, he goes with his brother to his own house, where, after bathing, drinking, and eating a little, he is approved by his mother.
गवालयं पुनर्याति दोग्धुकामो गवां पयः । ताश्च दुग्ध्वा दोहयित्वा पाययित्वा च काश्चन
He again goes to the cowshed, wishing to milk the cows; having milked them and caused some to be milked and some to be fed,
पित्रा सार्द्धं गृहं याति तत्र भावशतानुगः । तत्र पित्रा पितृव्यैश्च तत्पुत्रैश्च बलेन च
he goes home with his father, accompanied by many feelings; there, with his father, uncles, their sons, and Balarama,
भुनक्ति विविधान्नानि चर्व्यचोष्यादिकानि च । तन्मतिः प्रार्थनात्पूर्वं राधिका च तदैव ह
he eats various foods, including those to be chewed and sucked; at their request, Radhika too at that time
प्रस्थापयेत्सखीद्वारा पक्वान्नानि तदालयम् । श्लाघयंश्च हरिस्तानि भुक्त्वा पित्रादिभिः सह
sends, through her friends, cooked foods to his house; and Hari, praising those, eats them together with his father and others.
सभागृहं व्रजेत्तैश्च जुष्टं बंदिजनादिभिः । पक्वान्नानि गृहीत्वा याः सख्यस्तत्र पुरागताः
He goes to the assembly hall, filled with relatives and others; the friends who had come there earlier take the cooked foods,