chandana charchitha

चन्दनचर्चितनीलकलेवरपीतवसनवनमाली ।
केलिचलन्मणिकुण्डलमण्डितगण्डयुगस्मितशाली ।
हरिरिहमुग्धवधूनिकरे विलासिनि विलसति केलिपरे ।धृवम्। अ प ४-१

पदच्छेद : चन्दन चर्चित नील कलेवर पीत वसन वनमाली केलि चलत् मणि कुण्डल
मण्डित गण्ड युग स्मित शाली हरिः इह मुग्ध वधू निकरे विलासिनि विलसति केलि परे

a pa 4-1. Showing him whose get up is: chandana= with sandal paste; charchita= bedaubed; niila kalevara= on bluish, body; piita= [pale brownish yellow] ochry; vasana= silk cloths [clad in]; vanamaalii= one who wears a garland of basil leaves and flowers; keli chalat= while playing [while romping,] moving [swaying]; maNi kuNDala= gems [gem studded,] knobby ear hangings; maNDita= by [ear knobs] embellished; gaNDa yuga= cheeks, pair; smita shaalii= a smiler with such disposition a gleeful one; hariH iha= Krishna, now; vilaasini= ravishing [damsels]; mugdha= coyly; vadhuu nikare= damsels, in group [amidst coterie]; vilasati= frolicking; keli pare= in game [here in ronde; Fr. ronde = n. a dance in which the dancers move in a circle, raasa liila, raasa kriiDa] rapturous [game.]

His Sapphirine body bedaubed with sandal paste, clad in ochry silks, garlanded with a garland of basil leaves and flowers, cheeks embellished with flapping gem studded knobby ear hangings while he is romping... see that gleeful Krishna now amidst a coterie of ravishing and coyly damsels, in a rapturous ronde… [a pa 4-1]

 All these stanzas are girlfriend’s dialogue with Rādha, but the addressing ‘oh, Rādha…’ is omitted. With this she has also said, ‘when you are here, an expert in romantic amusement, leaving you Krishna’s frolicking with coyly, simplistic and naïve girls is unbefitting for him… hence, you go at once…’ naayika utkaNThita.

Many take the word niila kalevara as an absolute black colour of body, while it is sky blue black, on par with ‘sky blue pink’ n. & adj. n. an imaginary colour, or somewhat semi sapphirine blue and similes with the sky itself, as sky is the Absolute kham brahma. Hence, some hex value is to be derived for this hue of sky blue black at least now, or said as somewhat sapphirine bluish colour. And piita ambara and vanmaala are not just rustling ochry silks and garland of wild leaves, but those basil leaves and silken garments are also the removers of sins.

पीनपयोधरभारभरेण हरिम् परिरम्य सरागम् ।
गोपवधूरनुगायति काचिदुदञ्चितपञ्चमरागम्।
हरिरिह केलिपरे ॥ अ प ४-२

पदच्छेद : पीन पयोधर भार भरेण हरिम् परि रभ्य रम्य
सरागम् गोप वधूःअनु गायति काचित् उदंचित पंचम रागम्

a pa 4-2. kaachit= someone; gopa vadhuuH= milker’s, damsel [milkmaid, vadhuu need not be a bride / wife always]; piina payo dhara= with bosomy, bust; bhaara bhareNa=weight, carrying [by their weightiness]; sa raagam= with, longing; harim= at Krishna; pari rabhya [ramya]= in over [arching manner,] hugging [cleaving to]; udanchita = in a heightened; panchama= fifth [note, octave]; raagam= melodiously; anu= in tune with his fluting]; gaayati= singing; annex: haririha…kelipare = as above.

Someone, a milkmaid, eager to ease the weightiness of her bosomy bust is cleaving to Krishna in a overarching manner, and then in a heightened octave she is singing melodiously in tune with his fluting; hence, he that gleeful Krishna &c… [a pa 4-2]

 The damsel is hugging even before the hero tries to embrace her; hence, she is in eagerness as her naayika lakShaNa is mugdha, a meekish heroine. Some scholars translate this word mugdha as a foolish girl. This translates as innocent, ignorant, artless rhetorical naayika, artless insofar as romantic advances are concerned. If this black boy and white girl combination is set aside for a while, it is the twosome of devotee god, trying to achieve oneness, in which the devotee has to make his/her first move to embrace the god, as inmarkaTa nyaaya mother monkey and child monkey syndrome, that contrasts with maarjaala nyaaya cat kitten syndrome. Swelling bosoms suggests swelling milky devotion, where both emerge from bosom alone, contrary to a lip service.

कापि विलासविलोलविलोचनखेलनजनितमनोजम् ।
ध्यायति मुग्धवधूरधिकम् मधुसूदनवदनसरोजम् ।
हरिरिह केलिपरे ॥ अ प ४-३

पदच्छेद : का अपि विलास विलोल विलोचन खेलन जनित मनोजम्
ध्यायति मुग्ध वधूः अधिकम् मधु सूदन वदन सरोजम्

a pa 4-3. kaa api= someone, even; mugdha vadhuuH= meekish, damsel [one who is an inexpert in romancing, sringaara ceSTaaH abhaava ]; vilaasa= by romantic gesticulations [of eyes] [haava bhaava ceSTaaH shuunyata of Krishna, or of that milkmaid]; vi lola= verily, flustered; vi lochana= wide, eyes; khelana= by their play [of eyes, slanting, siding glances]; janita= caused; manaH jam= mind, causer of [one who can give rise to Love god, Krishna, personified passion]; madhu suudana= demon Madhu’s, eliminator [Krishna’s]; vadana= face; saraH jam = lake, born [lotus, beautiful lotus like beautiful face]; adhikam dhyaayati= highly [fixatedly,] contemplating.

Some meekish damsel helplessly remaining on the sidelines came into the sight of sidelong glances with romantic gesticulations of fluttery wide eyes of Krishna, and passion is enkindled in her; but that girl, inexpert in romance, at once started gazing at the beautiful lotusy face of the eliminator of demon madhu, namely Krishna, and fixatedly contemplated on it... thus, that gleeful Krishna &c… [a pa 4-3]

Or

Some meekish damsel is also impassioned for she is there with him; in her inexpert gesticulations of romance, like tactless sidelong glances with her flustered wide eyes, she caught a sight of the beautiful lotusy face of Krishna; from then on she fixatedly contemplated on that face, for she is an expert in contemplation; thus, that gleeful Krishna &c… [a pa 4-3]

 All may not be expert danseuses or songsters, but lovingness is common in all. Some girl came there, but she became a third row ballerina, or fourth row chorus girl, even then that environ enkindles a kind of belongingness in her, and she longed for him in her way prekSya prekSaka riiti. Usually contemplations come in when the object to contemplate is not before the eyes. But he is very much there, even then, she is contemplating. Again, she is mugdha, somewhat artless, meekish heroine. Reaching him is the goal, whether it is a bodily reaching, or reaching through contemplation. Some derive the word madhu suudana vadana sarojam basing on the root Suuda kSharaNe as madhu = honey, nectar; suudana= spilling; that lotus like face is pouring forth potable nectar of grace.

कापि कपोलतले मिलिता लपितुम् किमपि श्रुतिमूले ।
चारु चुचुंब नितंबवती दयितम् पुलकैरनुकूले ।
हरिरिह केलिपरे ॥ अ प ४-४

पदच्छेद : का अपि कपोल तले मिलिता लपितुम् किम् अपि
श्रुति मूले चारु चुचुंब नितंबवती दयितम् पुलकैः अनुकूले

a pa 4-4. kaa api= someone, even; nitambavatii= one with big buttocks; shruti muule= ear, base of [at hole on earlobe]; kim api= something, even; lapitum= to say; militaa =on reaching his bent ear that is now; pulakaiH anukuule= by tickles, made convenient [when Krishna’s face is tickly, his cheek is bent for her convenience to kiss it]; kapola tale=on cheek’s, surface; dayitam= him that lover [Krishna]; chaaru chuchumba= goodly [amusingly,] kissed.

Some fat bummed girl neared him feigning to say something in his ear; reaching her lover Krishna whose tickly face is now conveniently turned sideways in all ears for her; but she amusingly kissed his cheek in a trice in preference to a whisper; thus that gleeful Krishna &c... [a pa 4-4]

pulakita tickly, when ladylove touched his ears, his body became tickly and thus he had to move his cheeks sideways, which she thought a gesture to listen to her whisper;nitambavati because her buttocks are heavy she could not run a race with Krishna, hence she paused him in his dance saying ‘listen this…’ and then carried off her wish; naayika prauDha [somewhat artful one]; naayaka anukuula [acquiescent one.]

केलिकलाकुतुकेन च काचिदमुम् यमुनाजलकूले ।
मञ्जुलवञ्जुलकुञ्जगतम् विचकर्ष करेण दुकूले ।
हरिरिह केलिपरे ॥ अ प ४-५

पदच्छेद : केलि कला कुतुकेन च काचित् अमुम् यमुना जल
कूले मंजुल वंजुल कुंज गतम् विचकर्ष करेण दुकूले

a pa 4-5. kaachit= someone; keli = [manmatha keli] plays of passions; kalaa= artistry; kutukena ca= with enthusiasm, also; [parihaasena ca= with glee, also]; yamunaa jala kuule = River Yamuna, waters, on its bank; manjula= beautiful; vanjula kunja= ashoka tree, bower; gatam = one who has gone there, frolicking in there; amum= him; dukuule=by his dress; kareNa= with her hand; vichakarSa= lugging along.

Another milkmaid enthusiastic in the artistry of plays of passion, and passionate to play in the waters of river Yamuna along with Krishna, found him frolicking in a beautiful bower at that ashoka tree, and seizing his garment she is gleefully drawing him towards water, thus that gleeful Krishna &c... [a pa 4-5]

 Krishna is otherwise busy anyaasakta so she had to lug him along by catching his silk upper cloth. naayika adhiira. The expression yamunaa kuule would have been sufficient for Yamuna riverbank. But it is said a river called Yamuna that contains water and banks. A river naturally contains water and banks, then why that redundant usage of water plus banks? It has two purposes she is interested in sporting in water with Krishna, and the other is to indicate that water’s cooling effect and sanctification shaityatva, paavanatva and hence the word waters is used emphatically.

करतलतालतरलवलयावलिकलितकलस्वंअवंशे ।
रासरसे सहनृत्यपरा हरिणा युवतिः प्रशशंसे ।
हरिरिह केलिपरे ॥ अ प ४-६

पदच्छेद : कर तल ताल तरल वलय आवलि कलित कल स्वन
वंशे रास रसे सह नृत्य परा हरिणा युवतिः प्रशशंसे

a pa 4-6. yuvatiH= a maiden; kara tala= hand, surface with palms; taala= by clapping rhythmically; tarala= moving; valaya= [valaya angada]= heavy wrist metal roundlets;avali= a group of, a set of such bracelets; kalita= intermingling [touching one to one, clanking, clanks mingling with fluting]; kala svana= avyakta madura svana = undefinable dulcet clanks; vamshe= one who has a flute va.msha = bamboo mohana vamshii = name of Krishna’s bamboo flute; raasa= raasa kriiDa = in plays of passion, in ronde; rase=zealous [Krishna]; saha= along with; nR^itya paraa= in dancing, engrossed; hariNaa= by Hari, Krishna; prashashanse= [that maiden is] commended.

While a maiden is engrossed in ronde dancing along with zealously dancing Krishna, she is clapping her palms in rhythm to his fluting, while doing so sets of her heavy bracelets are clanking in undefinable dulcet clanks, intermingling with that fluting, thus that flautist of mohana vamshi, the Divine Flute, namely Krishna, is fluting the praises unto her... thus, that gleeful Krishna &c...[a pa 4-6]

 By employing the word rasa raase it is said, though this girl is an inexpert in superfine singing and dancing, she is expert in her rustic, moorish, and boorish dances, hence she is aware of beat and rhythm laya taala j~naana , thereby she is praiseworthy.

श्लिष्यति कामपि चुम्बति कामपि कामपि रमयति रामाम् ।
पश्यति सस्मितचारुपरामपरामनुगच्छति वामाम् ।
हरिरिह केलिपरे ॥ अ प ४-७

पदच्छेद : श्लिष्यति काम् अपि चुंबति काम् अपि काम् अपि रमयति
रामाम् पश्यति सः स्मित चारु तराम् अपराम् अनु गच्छति वामाम्

a pa 4-7. saH= such as he is, he that Krishna; kaam api= someone, even; shliSyati= cleaves to; kaam api chumbati= someone, even, kisses; kaam api= someone, even;raamaam = delightful damsel; ramayati= he delights [her]; smita= beaming; caaru taraam= beauty, in high degree [most beautiful lass]; aparaam= another one; pashyati= sees to her, pay attention to; vaamaam= leftist, a flighty girl; anu= in tow; gacChati= goes after.

Such frolicsome Krishna is even cleaving to someone; kissing someone; delighting someone who is a delightful damsel; paying attention to another most beautiful damsel with beaming smiles; following a flighty girl with slanting glances, thus, that gleeful Krishna &c… [a pa 4-7]

 Here the word raamaam is generative from root ramu ramu kriiDaayaam one who gives and takes delight in which she is delighted. This word is on the analogy of the name of Rama in Ramayana. When the syllable ‘a’ is prolonged to ‘aa’ ‘raa maa’ it becomes feminine delighter and the delighted. And smita caaru taraam or, smita caaru paraam ‘beamingly smiling’ indicates her readiness for intimacy, expressed in a smile itself. Hence, this piece of poem is floridly smiley. The word vaamaam is displeased, irritated, peeved, vexed, querulous girl. Even if she were to be so, he can tame her shrewdness and bring her round by going after her. nayaka catura [artful.]

All these acts are performed sequentially or at a time? At a time only is the answer. How can one Krishna become many at a time, is its sequel. That is what raasa kriida or raasa liila is, and unimaginable are his acts, deeds, or plays of passion. Thus this poetry, though expressed in mundane parlance, attains a supramundane eros [aspiration toward value] a divine lusting. The poet says in the next foot ‘that is why this is an amazing act of Krishna adbhutam.

श्रीजयदेवभणितमिदमद्भुतकेशवकेलिरहस्यम् ।
वृन्दावनविपिने ललितम् वितनोतु शुभानि यशस्यम् ।
हरिरिह केलिपरे ॥ अ प ४-८

पदच्छेद : श्री जयदेव भणितम् इदम् अद्भुत केशव केलि रहस्यम्
वृन्दावन विपिने ललितम् वितनोतु शुभानि यशस्यम्

a pa 4-8. vR^indaavana vipine= in Brindavana, woodlands; charita=  what that happens; yashasyam= endowing gloriousness [if sung or danced to its tunes]; keshava keli rahasyam = Krishna’s, plays of passion, arcaneness of; jayadeva bhaNitam idam= by Jayadeva, articulated, this; adbhutam = an admirable poem; lalitam= exquisite [pleasure giver]; libretto, [with double entendre = n. a word or phrase open to two interpretations, one usu. risqué or indecent, here the whole poem]; shrii shrii suukti = felicitous, saying, poem; shubhaani vitanotu= prosperities, let it radiate [ tr. transmit or demonstrate life, love, joy, etc. ‘radiates happiness’].

Parsing In another way:

yashasyam= endowing gloriousness [if sung or danced to its tunes]; vR^indaavana vipine= in Brindavana, woodlands [what that happens]; lalitam= exquisite [pleasure giver]; adbhuta = admirable; keshava= Krishna’s; keli rahasyam= plays of passion, arcaneness of; idam= this; jayadeva bhaNitam= by Jayadeva, articulated; shrii shrii suukti =felicitous, saying, lyric, libretto, [with double entendre = n. a word or phrase open to two interpretations, one usu. risqué or indecent, here the whole poem]; shubhaani vitanotu=prosperities, let it radiate [ tr. transmit or demonstrate life, love, joy, etc. ‘radiates happiness’.]

This song, which endows gloriousness to the devotees of Krishna, if sung or danced to its tunes, and which contains the arcaneness about the exquisite plays of passion of Krishna in equally arcanus Brindavana, is articulated by Jayadeva, thus let it radiate prosperities to one and all… [a pa 4-8]

 With this the poet concludes this lyric. Here Krishna himself is an adbhutam, because he is manifest separately to each of the milkmaid in a trice, though remaining himself as one entity. In this lyric the words keli rahasyam are usually translated as secrets sports, or secret love games etc., taking them to be rahasya keli kalaapam , but the word rahasyamqualifies the word keli. Then they are the secrets about those plays, of which the poet wishes to tell, but not how secretly the plays are played, and Krishna is no covert player, either in these dance dramas of Bhaagavata or in the politics of Maha Bhaarata. chandas laya.