श्रीशुक उवाच
अन्तर्हिते भगवति सहसैव व्रजाङ्गनाः । अतप्यंस्तमचक्षाणाः करिण्य इव यूथपम् ॥
गत्यानुरागस्मितविभ्रमेक्षितैर्मनोरमालापविहारविभ्रमैः ।
आक्षिप्तचित्ताः प्रमदा रमापतेस्तास्ता विचेष्टा जगृहुस्तदात्मिकाः ॥
Shuka's narration:
T: Like she-elephants when abandoned by their male tusker, the Gopis were distraught when their beloved Sri Krishna disappeared suddenly. Lost in his mesmerising love, they had become identified with the Lord of Sri Lakshmi and began behaving as if possessed by him.
गतिस्मितप्रेक्षणभाषणादिषु प्रियाः प्रियस्य प्रतिरूढमूर्तयः ।
असावहं त्वित्यबलास्तदात्मिकान्यवेदिषुः कृष्णविहारविभ्रमाः ॥
गायन्त्य उच्चैरमुमेव संहता विचिक्युरुन्मत्तकवद्वनाद्वनम् ।
पप्रच्छुराकाशवदन्तरं बहिर्भूतेषु सन्तं पुरुषं वनस्पतीन् ॥
T: In gait, glance, smile, speech, the Gopis became personifications of their beloved, and wandered from one section of the forest to another, desperately looking for him. Singing of Sri Krishna, looking intoxicated, they cried out for him, questioning every tree and creeper. The wonder of wonders! Bhagavan dwells inviolably in everyone's innermost being, but they search for him outside!
दृष्टो वः कच्चिदश्वत्थ प्लक्ष न्यग्रोध नो मनः । नन्दसूनुर्गतो हृत्वा प्रेमहासावलोकनैः ॥
कच्चित्कुरबकाशोकनागपुन्नागचम्पकाः । रामानुजो मानिनीनामितो दर्पहरस्मितः ॥
कच्चित्तुलसि कल्याणि गोविन्दचरणप्रिये । सह त्वालिकुलैर्बिभ्रद्दृष्टस्तेऽतिप्रियोऽच्युतः ॥
मालत्यदर्शि वः कच्चिन्मल्लिके जाति यूथिके । प्रीतिं वो जनयन् यातः करस्पर्शेन माधवः ॥
चूतप्रियालपनसासनकोविदारजम्ब्वर्कबिल्वबकुलाम्रकदम्बनीपाः ।
येऽन्ये परार्थभवका यमुनोपकूलाः शंसन्तु कृष्णपदवीं रहितात्मनां नः ॥
किं ते कृतं क्षिति तपो बत केशवाङ्घ्रिस्पर्शोत्सवोत्पुलकिताङ्गरुहैर्विभासि ।
अप्यङ्घ्रिसम्भव उरुक्रमविक्रमाद्वा आहो वराहवपुषः परिरम्भणेन ॥
T: One by one, they pleaded with each tree, naming her or him (eg Tulasi was female, Champak was male and so on), crying out, "Have you seen our beloved Skri Krishna, who has stolen our hearts, please!? Tulasi, people cherish you as you have been lovingly caressed by him! Oh Mother Earth, blessed by the touch of his feet, we can see your horripilation through these creepers and plants in joy. You must have done great Tapas for this blessing. He lifted you as Varaha, he measured you as Vamana! Pray, tell us, where did Krishna go?"
अप्येणपत्न्युपगतः प्रिययेह गात्रैस्तन्वन् दृशां सखि सुनिर्वृतिमच्युतो वः ।
कान्ताङ्गसङ्गकुचकुङ्कुमरञ्जितायाः कुन्दस्रजः कुलपतेरिह वाति गन्धः ॥
बाहुं प्रियांस उपधाय गृहीतपद्मो रामानुजस्तुलसिकालिकुलैर्मदान्धैः ।
अन्वीयमान इह वस्तरवः प्रणामं किं वाभिनन्दति चरन् प्रणयावलोकैः ॥
पृच्छतेमा लता बाहूनप्याश्लिष्टा वनस्पतेः । नूनं तत्करजस्पृष्टा बिभ्रत्युत्पुलकान्यहो ॥
T: 'Oh, dear tender grass, have you seen Krishna pass here? We can smell the fragrance of mallika flowers on Krishna's breast which was coloured with our vermilion marks from our embraces! Did you see him just now? Oh, bees, you are following him with his nectarine fragrance. Where is he gone?"
इत्युन्मत्तवचो गोप्यः कृष्णान्वेषणकातराः । लीला भगवतस्तास्ता ह्यनुचक्रुस्तदात्मिकाः ॥
T: Thus went on the Gopis, maddened in his love, and desperately searching for him, and began to play-act Krishna the beloved for one another.
कस्याश्चित्पूतनायन्त्याः कृष्णायन्त्यपिबत्स्तनम् । तोकायित्वा रुदत्यन्या पदाहन् शकटायतीम् ॥
दैत्यायित्वा जहारान्यामेका कृष्णार्भभावनाम् । रिङ्गयामास काप्यङ्घ्री कर्षन्ती घोषनिःस्वनैः ॥
कृष्णरामायिते द्वे तु गोपायन्त्यश्च काश्चन । वत्सायतीं हन्ति चान्या तत्रैका तु बकायतीम् ॥
आहूय दूरगा यद्वत्कृष्णस्तमनुकुर्वतीम् । वेणुं क्वणन्तीं क्रीडन्तीमन्याः शंसन्ति साध्विति ॥
कस्याञ्चित्स्वभुजं न्यस्य चलन्त्याहापरा ननु । कृष्णोऽहं पश्यत गतिं ललितामिति तन्मनाः ॥
मा भैष्ट वातवर्षाभ्यां तत्त्राणं विहितं मया । इत्युक्त्वैकेन हस्तेन यतन्त्युन्निदधेऽम्बरम् ॥
T: One became Putana as another suckled at her breast as baby Krishna, and one became the baby who kicked Shakata's cart. One broke down Trinavarta the whirlwind, and one played Yashoda chasing baby Krishna running away with tinkling anklets. One became Krishna playing the flute and tending the cows, and one vanquished Baka. Another dealt with Agha, a third became Krishna playfully carrying away a Gopi and running. One became Krishna who lifted the Govardhana, calming down all the Vraja citizens and asking them not to panic.
आरुह्यैका पदाऽऽक्रम्य शिरस्याहापरां नृप । दुष्टाहे गच्छ जातोऽहं खलानां ननु दण्डधृक् ॥
तत्रैकोवाच हे गोपा दावाग्निं पश्यतोल्बणम् । चक्षूंष्याश्वपिदध्वं वो विधास्ये क्षेममञ्जसा ॥
(बद्धान्यया स्रजा काचित्तन्वी तत्र उलूखले ।) बध्नामि भाण्डभेत्तारं हैयङ्गवमुषं त्विति ।
भीता सुदृक् पिधायास्यं भेजे भीतिविडम्बनम् ॥
T: One became the deadly Kaliya as another trod on her and danced like Krishna, assuring all around the Yamuna of safety. One put out the forest fire, saving all the cowherds and cattle. One acted as the scared baby Krishna tied to the pestle stone by an angry mother.
एवं कृष्णं पृच्छमाना वृन्दावनलतास्तरून् । व्यचक्षत वनोद्देशे पदानि परमात्मनः ॥
पदानि व्यक्तमेतानि नन्दसूनोर्महात्मनः । लक्ष्यन्ते हि ध्वजाम्भोजवज्राङ्कुशयवादिभिः ॥
तैस्तैः पदैस्तत्पदवीमन्विच्छन्त्योऽग्रतोऽबलाः । वध्वाः पदैः सुपृक्तानि विलोक्यार्ताः समब्रुवन् ॥
कस्याः पदानि चैतानि याताया नन्दसूनुना । अंसन्यस्तप्रकोष्ठायाः करेणोः करिणा यथा ॥
अनयाऽऽराधितो नूनं भगवान् हरिरीश्वरः । यन्नो विहाय गोविन्दः प्रीतो यामनयद्रहः ॥
धन्या अहो अमी आल्यो गोविन्दाङ्घ्र्यब्जरेणवः । यान् ब्रह्मेशौ रमादेवी दधुर्मूर्ध्न्यघनुत्तये ॥
तस्या अमूनि नः क्षोभं कुर्वन्त्युच्चैः पदानि यत् । यैकापहृत्य गोपीनां रहो भुङ्क्तेऽच्युताधरम् ॥
T: The Gopis were constantly asking each tree and bush if they had seen Sri Krishna pass. Suddenly someone spotted Sri Krishna's footprint! "Oh, look, this is Sri Krishna's footprint, it has the insignia of Chakra, Shankha, Lotus and so on! But then what is this? We see another set of footprints - that of a Gopi, eloping with Sri Krishna! Oh, how lucky she must be, making her escapade as a happy she-elephant with the make-tusker! She must have been special in her love to win him over! Brahma and Shiva worship the dust of Sri Krishna's feet. And Sri Krishna is giving her the pleasure of his private company! Wow! We are now unbearably jealous of this Gopi!!! "
न लक्ष्यन्ते पदान्यत्र तस्या नूनं तृणाङ्कुरैः । खिद्यत्सुजाताङ्घ्रितलामुन्निन्ये प्रेयसीं प्रियः ॥
इमान्यधिकमग्नानि पदानि वहतो वधूम् । गोप्यः पश्यत कृष्णस्य भाराक्रान्तस्य कामिनः ॥
अत्रावरोपिता कान्ता पुष्पहेतोर्महात्मना । अत्र प्रसूनावचयः प्रियार्थे प्रेयसा कृतः ।
प्रपदाक्रमणे एते पश्यतासकले पदे ॥
केशप्रसाधनं त्वत्र कामिन्याः कामिना कृतम् । तानि चूडयता कान्तामुपविष्टमिह ध्रुवम् ॥
रेमे तया चात्मरत आत्मारामोऽप्यखण्डितः । कामिनां दर्शयन् दैन्यं स्त्रीणां चैव दुरात्मताम् ॥
T: 'Ha Ha! See here... the Gopi's footprints are missing. She must have tired and Sri Krishna would have lifted her up on to his shoulders! See how deep are his footprints, bearing that extra weight! And here, see his tip toes has he has stopped to pluck lovely flowers to decorate his beloved's hair. We can see it all!"
इत्येवं दर्शयन्त्यस्ताश्चेरुर्गोप्यो विचेतसः । यां गोपीमनयत्कृष्णो विहायान्याः स्त्रियो वने ॥
सा च मेने तदाऽऽत्मानं वरिष्ठं सर्वयोषिताम् । हित्वा गोपीः कामयाना मामसौ भजते प्रियः ॥
ततो गत्वा वनोद्देशं दृप्ता केशवमब्रवीत् । न पारयेऽहं चलितुं नय मां यत्र ते मनः ॥
एवमुक्तः प्रियामाह स्कन्ध आरुह्यतामिति । ततश्चान्तर्दधे कृष्णः सा वधूरन्वतप्यत ॥
हा नाथ रमण प्रेष्ठ क्वासि क्वासि महाभुज । दास्यास्ते कृपणाया मे सखे दर्शय सन्निधिम् ॥
T: Shuka says: Yes. Indeed, there was this one, the luckiest of Gopis to have won Sri Krishna's private company,. She became so proud of her position! She even began to dictate to Sri Krishna what he should do to serve her -something even Brahma and Shiva had never attempted! She told Sri Krishna, "My Lord, sorry, I am so tired. Please lift me up! Carry me please!" As She was carried thus, suddenly Sri Krishna disappeared, and the Gopi fell down with a thud! Ayyo! She cried out, "Oh my dear! oh, my beloved! Where are you, the one with such mighty shoulders, my lord? Please be kind to me, I am your slave, dearest! Show yourself to me!"
अन्विच्छन्त्यो भगवतो मार्गं गोप्योऽविदूरितः । ददृशुः प्रियविश्लेषमोहितां दुःखितां सखीम् ॥
तया कथितमाकर्ण्य मानप्राप्तिं च माधवात् । अवमानं च दौरात्म्याद्विस्मयं परमं ययुः ॥
ततोऽविशन् वनं चन्द्रज्योत्स्ना यावद्विभाव्यते । तमः प्रविष्टमालक्ष्य ततो निववृतुः स्त्रियः ॥
तन्मनस्कास्तदालापास्तद्विचेष्टास्तदात्मिकाः । तद्गुणानेव गायन्त्यो नात्मागाराणि सस्मरुः ॥
पुनः पुलिनमागत्य कालिन्द्याः कृष्णभावनाः । समवेता जगुः कृष्णं तदागमनकाङ्क्षिताः ॥
T: The Gopis spotted this sobbing lover of Sri Krishna, left behind by him. They heard her story of his special love for her, how she became proud, and how she had now lost him. Oh, how sad she was! This whole phenomenon was most astonishing to the Gopis.
The Gopis had wandered everywhere in the forest, looking in vain for their heartthrob. They had nothing else in their beings - mind and body, except the love and grief of losing Sri Krishna. They now came back to the sandy bank of the Yamuna and began to speak to one another. What followed was the Gopika Geeta, the songs of love sung by the Gopis.
***
॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
