1 (Paurnamasi appearing as described in the previous text, enters)
Paurnamasi: (repeats Text 23 of the introduction, and then says) Child Gargi, listen: As we drink the nectar of the overflowing celestial Ganges of Radha's moonlight smile touching the wave-filled Yamuna of Krsna's sidelong glance at the Triveni of Their rendezvous, a flood of pleasant coolness licks away our sufferings and pleases our hearts. Crossing over the seven worlds, now we stand above them all.
2 Gargi: O noble lady, you yourself arranged Radha's marriage with Abhimanyu. Why would She desire to meet with Krsna?
3 Paurnamasi: Daughter, this (marriage) is an illusion of Maya. How could the vaijayanti garland of Sri Radha, which was strung with Brahma's sweet nectar and Mount Vindhya's austerity flowers, be placed in the hands of an ordinary man?
Note: The word "prthag-janah" (an ordinary man) may also be interpreted to mean "anyone other than Krsna".
4 Gargi: What is this "sweet nectar?"
5 Paurnamasi: It is Brahma's words "O Mount Vindhya, to fulfill your desire you will have two daughters that will give you a son-in-law who will defeat Lord Siva and whose virtues will fill the world with wonder."
6 Gargi: Why did Mount Vindhya desire a daughter and not a son?
7 Paurnamasi: He had become the rival of king Himalaya, who is the father of Gauri and very proud of the opulence of his son-in-law, (Siva).
8 Gargi: He could not tolerate the glory of his own family. In ancient times He tried to defeat Mount Meru. He could not rise again after he bowed down to offer respects to Agastya Muni.
Note: Mount Vindhya grew taller and taller until he challenged even his relative, Mount Meru. Agastya Muni visited Mount Vindhya. The mountain bowed down to offer respects. Agastya asked Mount Vindhya to remain in that position until he returned. Agastya never returned and Vindhya could not raise his head again. In this way Mount Vindhya's pride was humbled.
9 Paurnamasi: Yes. The intelligent are like that.
10 Gargi: How did Radha go from Mount Vindhya to Gokula?
11 Paurnamasi: She was taken by Putana, the kidnapper of children.
12 Gargi: (with fear) Witches that steal children generally eat their victims. This girl is very fortunate to be saved.
13 Paurnamasi: O daughter, Kamsa ordered her to kill any extraordinary small boys and kidnap any small girls.
14 Gargi: Why did the king ask her to do those two things?
15 Paurnamasi: (He was pushed) by the words of Devaki's goddess daughter.
16 Gargi: What were those words?
17 Paurnamasi: She said to Kamsa: "This same person who in your previous birth severed your head with a cakra raised in battle, the same person who the sages know as He whose two lotus feet are worshiped by the demigods, the same person who pleases His loving devotees (by showering them) with oceans of the nectar of bliss, the same person who is the root from which the universe (has sprouted) has now appeared (in this world) at the time of the moon's rising."
18 She said: "Today or the day after, eight sublimely sweet saktis will appear on this earth. Two sisters, who are like great palaces of beautiful transcendental qualities, will also appear. When He defeats Siva, Lord Krsna, the king of kings, will accept the hand of both the girls (in marriage)."
19 Gargi: What happened to the second sister?
20 Paurnamasi: When Vindhya's chief priest chanted a demon-killing mantra, Putana's heart became struck with fear. As she was hastily flying over Vidarbha province the first of her victims dropped from her and fell into a river's current.
21 Gargi: My father (Sandipani Muni) is omniscient. Why then, has he said that, (as a result of) a benediction granted by Durvasa Muni, Srimati Radharani appeared from (King) Vrsabhanu's chest?
22 Paurnamasi: Requested by Brahma, Lord Hari's yogamaya potency removed these two infant girls from the wombs of the wives of Candrabhanu and Vrsabhanu and placed them in the womb of Vindhya's wife.
23 Gargi: (With astonishment) did the two fathers know what happened?
24 Paurnamasi: Certainly they understood. Why would Durvasa Muni not help them?
25 Gargi: How do you know all this?
26 Paurnamasi: (I learned this) by the mercy of my spiritual master's (Narada's) instructions, which have also made me attached to Radha.
27 Gargi: Is it true that when the witch Putana was killed you took Radha from her lap?
28 Paurnamasi: (I took) not only Radha, but five other girls also.
29 Gargi: Who were they?
30 Paurnamasi: They were 1. Radha's moon-faced friend Lalita, 2. Candravali's beautiful friend Padma, 3. Bhadra, who acts auspiciously, 4. auspicious Saibya, and 5. splendid and cheerful Syama.
31 Gargi: How were these girls placed among the gopis?
32 Paurnamasi: Swiftly and secretly I gave these five infant girls to five gopis in different parts (of Vrndavana). In a secret place I happily gave virtuous Radha to Yasoda's nurse, Mukhara, and said: "O elderly one, here is your son-in-law Vrsabhanu's daughter."
33 Gargi: This must be the way Radha's second close friend Visakha, appeared in Gokula (Vrndavana).
34 Paurnamasi: No. No. Jatila found her floating in the Yamuna.
35 Gargi: I did not know that. Who found the Vindhya's first daughter as she was floating in the river's current?
36 Paurnamasi: Bhismaka.
37 Gargi: Alas, the cruelty of fate, who has separated these two sisters.
38 Paurnamasi: My daughter, fate then re-united them. In this way fate's mercy may be seen.
39 Gargi: How did that happen.
40 Paurnamasi: Candravali was the granddaughter of Karala. Jambavan, who lived in the caves of Govardhana Hill and the Vindhya Hills, kidnapped the five-year old Candravali and forcibly took her from Kundina City. He did this on the orders of (the goddess Durga, who was) staying then in the Vindhya Hills.
Note: This goddess Durga is the daughter of Yasoda. After Maharaja Vasudeva brought her back to Mathura and after King Kamsa unsuccessfully tried to kill her, she escaped to the Vindhya Hills.
41 Gargi: (aside) I have heard from my father's mouth that although the (gopis) headed by Candrabhanu's daughter Candravali, and the (Dvaraka queens), headed by Bhismaka's daughter, Rukmini, are expansions of the same spiritual potency, nevertheless, their forms are separate and distinct. Now it is said that with the aid of the yogamaya potency, each gopi is identical with a specific queen, and each pair of gopi and queen is a single person in a single form. It must be so. Later I shall perhaps understand it. What can I understand now of these confidential matters? (Openly) It is not that the yogamaya potency forcibly prevented the marriage of Govardhana and the other gopas with Candravali and the other gopis?
42 Paurnamasi: Yes. The gopas simply thought these girls were their wives. In fact, they never even saw each other.
43 Gargi: Then it is not at all surprising that these eight girls have such deep love for Lord Krsna.
44 Paurnamasi: What to speak of these eight girls, what doe-eyed girl in Gokula did not love Lord Krsna?
45 Gargi: You say the truth. More than 16 100 girls in Gokula are now (deeply in love with Lord Krsna). Five gopis, headed by Candravali, regularly meet together and worship the goddess Durga, chanting the mantra: "O Katyayani (Durga), O Maha-maya (Illusory potency), O mystic yogini, O queen (of this world), O goddess, please make Nanda-gopa's son, (Krsna) my husband. I offer my respectful obeisances to you."
46 Paurnamasi: Garga Muni told the gopis: "Goddess Durga is named 'Kama' because she is the personification of the fulfillment of desires. When young girls worship her, she naturally grants their requests." O pious one, because of this advice from Garga Muni, the doe-eyed girls of Vraja now worship goddess Durga.
47 Gargi: Who engaged Radha in worshiping the sun-god?
Paurnamasi: Your father (Sandipani Muni).
48 Gargi: O noble lady, I have heard from my father's mouth that the association of these girls with their affectionate lover (Krsna) eventually leads to their separation from Him.
49 Paurnamasi: Child, he tells the truth. Both he and I have arranged that Abhimanyu's mother, Jatila, and Govardhana's mother, Bharunda, again and again place obstacles in the way of (Radharani and Candravali) these two crest-jewels of adolescent girls.
50 Gargi: Why do you not bring the two sisters together?
Paurnamasi: I am afraid of wicked Kamsa's followers, who are always roaming about.
51 Gargi: Does anyone else know of this unusual incident?
Paurnamasi: No one. I have told only Krsna's mother (Yasoda) and Balarama's mother (Rohini). Only they know.
52 A voice from behind the scenes: Padma, get up from bed! Bhadra, stop making this crown of peacock feathers! Syama, stop stringing this flower-garland! Lalita, don't crush this kunkuma into powder! Visakha, stop teaching the parrot to recite poetry. Saibya, stop braiding your hair! The dust raised by the hooves of the surabhi cows has now entered the horizon!
53 Paurnamasi: Look! Look! The dust from cows and calves on the road creates a kind of darkness indicating that Krsna is returning home from the pasture. Also, the darkness of evening provokes the gopis to meet Krsna. Thus the pastimes of Krsna and the gopis are covered by a kind of transcendental darkness and are therefore impossible for ordinary scholars of the Vedas to see.*
54 May the sweet sound of Lord Krsna's flute, His authorised messenger, be glorified, for it expertly releases Srimati Radharani from Her shyness and attracts Her from Her home to the forest.*
55 A voice from behind the scenes: Dhanya, you haven't decorated your left eye with mascara! Padma, you've placed your armlets on your anklets! Sarangi, you've placed tinkling bells on only one ankle! Pali, your belt is already beginning to slip! Lavangi, you put tilaka markings (meant for your forehead) on your cheek! Kamala, you put red lac (meant for the soles of your feet) on your eyes! Don't run (outside) so quickly! (Krsna's) sweetly sounding flute is still far away.
56 Gargi: Lord Krsna is as splendid as the darkened (evening) sky. He is like a moon shining in Vrndavana, surrounded by the stars of the gopas and the splendid white moonlight of the cows.
57 Paurnamasi: (With intense happiness) The dark luster of Krsna's body is charming. He holds a stick in His hand, and His splendid hips are wrapped in a yellow silk dhoti. The great flood of His transcendental beauty rebukes the blue lotus flower. Enjoying pastimes with the gopis, He appears like a transformation of the opulence of transcendental love. Let us go to Yasoda-devi.
1 (Paurnamasi appearing as described in the previous text, enters)
Paurnamasi: (repeats Text 23 of the introduction, and then says) Child Gargi, listen: As we drink the nectar of the overflowing celestial Ganges of Radha's moonlight smile touching the wave-filled Yamuna of Krsna's sidelong glance at the Triveni of Their rendezvous, a flood of pleasant coolness licks away our sufferings and pleases our hearts. Crossing over the seven worlds, now we stand above them all.
2 Gargi: O noble lady, you yourself arranged Radha's marriage with Abhimanyu. Why would She desire to meet with Krsna?
3 Paurnamasi: Daughter, this (marriage) is an illusion of Maya. How could the vaijayanti garland of Sri Radha, which was strung with Brahma's sweet nectar and Mount Vindhya's austerity flowers, be placed in the hands of an ordinary man?
Note: The word "prthag-janah" (an ordinary man) may also be interpreted to mean "anyone other than Krsna".
4 Gargi: What is this "sweet nectar?"
5 Paurnamasi: It is Brahma's words "O Mount Vindhya, to fulfill your desire you will have two daughters that will give you a son-in-law who will defeat Lord Siva and whose virtues will fill the world with wonder."
6 Gargi: Why did Mount Vindhya desire a daughter and not a son?
7 Paurnamasi: He had become the rival of king Himalaya, who is the father of Gauri and very proud of the opulence of his son-in-law, (Siva).
8 Gargi: He could not tolerate the glory of his own family. In ancient times He tried to defeat Mount Meru. He could not rise again after he bowed down to offer respects to Agastya Muni.
Note: Mount Vindhya grew taller and taller until he challenged even his relative, Mount Meru. Agastya Muni visited Mount Vindhya. The mountain bowed down to offer respects. Agastya asked Mount Vindhya to remain in that position until he returned. Agastya never returned and Vindhya could not raise his head again. In this way Mount Vindhya's pride was humbled.
9 Paurnamasi: Yes. The intelligent are like that.
10 Gargi: How did Radha go from Mount Vindhya to Gokula?
11 Paurnamasi: She was taken by Putana, the kidnapper of children.
12 Gargi: (with fear) Witches that steal children generally eat their victims. This girl is very fortunate to be saved.
13 Paurnamasi: O daughter, Kamsa ordered her to kill any extraordinary small boys and kidnap any small girls.
14 Gargi: Why did the king ask her to do those two things?
15 Paurnamasi: (He was pushed) by the words of Devaki's goddess daughter.
16 Gargi: What were those words?
17 Paurnamasi: She said to Kamsa: "This same person who in your previous birth severed your head with a cakra raised in battle, the same person who the sages know as He whose two lotus feet are worshiped by the demigods, the same person who pleases His loving devotees (by showering them) with oceans of the nectar of bliss, the same person who is the root from which the universe (has sprouted) has now appeared (in this world) at the time of the moon's rising."
18 She said: "Today or the day after, eight sublimely sweet saktis will appear on this earth. Two sisters, who are like great palaces of beautiful transcendental qualities, will also appear. When He defeats Siva, Lord Krsna, the king of kings, will accept the hand of both the girls (in marriage)."
19 Gargi: What happened to the second sister?
20 Paurnamasi: When Vindhya's chief priest chanted a demon-killing mantra, Putana's heart became struck with fear. As she was hastily flying over Vidarbha province the first of her victims dropped from her and fell into a river's current.
21 Gargi: My father (Sandipani Muni) is omniscient. Why then, has he said that, (as a result of) a benediction granted by Durvasa Muni, Srimati Radharani appeared from (King) Vrsabhanu's chest?
22 Paurnamasi: Requested by Brahma, Lord Hari's yogamaya potency removed these two infant girls from the wombs of the wives of Candrabhanu and Vrsabhanu and placed them in the womb of Vindhya's wife.
23 Gargi: (With astonishment) did the two fathers know what happened?
24 Paurnamasi: Certainly they understood. Why would Durvasa Muni not help them?
25 Gargi: How do you know all this?
26 Paurnamasi: (I learned this) by the mercy of my spiritual master's (Narada's) instructions, which have also made me attached to Radha.
27 Gargi: Is it true that when the witch Putana was killed you took Radha from her lap?
28 Paurnamasi: (I took) not only Radha, but five other girls also.
29 Gargi: Who were they?
30 Paurnamasi: They were 1. Radha's moon-faced friend Lalita, 2. Candravali's beautiful friend Padma, 3. Bhadra, who acts auspiciously, 4. auspicious Saibya, and 5. splendid and cheerful Syama.
31 Gargi: How were these girls placed among the gopis?
32 Paurnamasi: Swiftly and secretly I gave these five infant girls to five gopis in different parts (of Vrndavana). In a secret place I happily gave virtuous Radha to Yasoda's nurse, Mukhara, and said: "O elderly one, here is your son-in-law Vrsabhanu's daughter."
33 Gargi: This must be the way Radha's second close friend Visakha, appeared in Gokula (Vrndavana).
34 Paurnamasi: No. No. Jatila found her floating in the Yamuna.
35 Gargi: I did not know that. Who found the Vindhya's first daughter as she was floating in the river's current?
36 Paurnamasi: Bhismaka.
37 Gargi: Alas, the cruelty of fate, who has separated these two sisters.
38 Paurnamasi: My daughter, fate then re-united them. In this way fate's mercy may be seen.
39 Gargi: How did that happen.
40 Paurnamasi: Candravali was the granddaughter of Karala. Jambavan, who lived in the caves of Govardhana Hill and the Vindhya Hills, kidnapped the five-year old Candravali and forcibly took her from Kundina City. He did this on the orders of (the goddess Durga, who was) staying then in the Vindhya Hills.
Note: This goddess Durga is the daughter of Yasoda. After Maharaja Vasudeva brought her back to Mathura and after King Kamsa unsuccessfully tried to kill her, she escaped to the Vindhya Hills.
41 Gargi: (aside) I have heard from my father's mouth that although the (gopis) headed by Candrabhanu's daughter Candravali, and the (Dvaraka queens), headed by Bhismaka's daughter, Rukmini, are expansions of the same spiritual potency, nevertheless, their forms are separate and distinct. Now it is said that with the aid of the yogamaya potency, each gopi is identical with a specific queen, and each pair of gopi and queen is a single person in a single form. It must be so. Later I shall perhaps understand it. What can I understand now of these confidential matters? (Openly) It is not that the yogamaya potency forcibly prevented the marriage of Govardhana and the other gopas with Candravali and the other gopis?
42 Paurnamasi: Yes. The gopas simply thought these girls were their wives. In fact, they never even saw each other.
43 Gargi: Then it is not at all surprising that these eight girls have such deep love for Lord Krsna.
44 Paurnamasi: What to speak of these eight girls, what doe-eyed girl in Gokula did not love Lord Krsna?
45 Gargi: You say the truth. More than 16 100 girls in Gokula are now (deeply in love with Lord Krsna). Five gopis, headed by Candravali, regularly meet together and worship the goddess Durga, chanting the mantra: "O Katyayani (Durga), O Maha-maya (Illusory potency), O mystic yogini, O queen (of this world), O goddess, please make Nanda-gopa's son, (Krsna) my husband. I offer my respectful obeisances to you."
46 Paurnamasi: Garga Muni told the gopis: "Goddess Durga is named 'Kama' because she is the personification of the fulfillment of desires. When young girls worship her, she naturally grants their requests." O pious one, because of this advice from Garga Muni, the doe-eyed girls of Vraja now worship goddess Durga.
47 Gargi: Who engaged Radha in worshiping the sun-god?
Paurnamasi: Your father (Sandipani Muni).
48 Gargi: O noble lady, I have heard from my father's mouth that the association of these girls with their affectionate lover (Krsna) eventually leads to their separation from Him.
49 Paurnamasi: Child, he tells the truth. Both he and I have arranged that Abhimanyu's mother, Jatila, and Govardhana's mother, Bharunda, again and again place obstacles in the way of (Radharani and Candravali) these two crest-jewels of adolescent girls.
50 Gargi: Why do you not bring the two sisters together?
Paurnamasi: I am afraid of wicked Kamsa's followers, who are always roaming about.
51 Gargi: Does anyone else know of this unusual incident?
Paurnamasi: No one. I have told only Krsna's mother (Yasoda) and Balarama's mother (Rohini). Only they know.
52 A voice from behind the scenes: Padma, get up from bed! Bhadra, stop making this crown of peacock feathers! Syama, stop stringing this flower-garland! Lalita, don't crush this kunkuma into powder! Visakha, stop teaching the parrot to recite poetry. Saibya, stop braiding your hair! The dust raised by the hooves of the surabhi cows has now entered the horizon!
53 Paurnamasi: Look! Look! The dust from cows and calves on the road creates a kind of darkness indicating that Krsna is returning home from the pasture. Also, the darkness of evening provokes the gopis to meet Krsna. Thus the pastimes of Krsna and the gopis are covered by a kind of transcendental darkness and are therefore impossible for ordinary scholars of the Vedas to see.*
54 May the sweet sound of Lord Krsna's flute, His authorised messenger, be glorified, for it expertly releases Srimati Radharani from Her shyness and attracts Her from Her home to the forest.*
55 A voice from behind the scenes: Dhanya, you haven't decorated your left eye with mascara! Padma, you've placed your armlets on your anklets! Sarangi, you've placed tinkling bells on only one ankle! Pali, your belt is already beginning to slip! Lavangi, you put tilaka markings (meant for your forehead) on your cheek! Kamala, you put red lac (meant for the soles of your feet) on your eyes! Don't run (outside) so quickly! (Krsna's) sweetly sounding flute is still far away.
56 Gargi: Lord Krsna is as splendid as the darkened (evening) sky. He is like a moon shining in Vrndavana, surrounded by the stars of the gopas and the splendid white moonlight of the cows.
57 Paurnamasi: (With intense happiness) The dark luster of Krsna's body is charming. He holds a stick in His hand, and His splendid hips are wrapped in a yellow silk dhoti. The great flood of His transcendental beauty rebukes the blue lotus flower. Enjoying pastimes with the gopis, He appears like a transformation of the opulence of transcendental love. Let us go to Yasoda-devi.
(They both exit)
from Sri Lalita Madhava by Srila Rupa Goswami.
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