Krishna sends the Vrajavasis home. (Updated 12-9)

prerayann agrato dhenUr AkarSan pRSThato vrajam |
sa mitrair AvRto’raNyaM praveSTum upacakrame ||

Sending the cows in front, Krishna set out for the forest, surrounded by his friends and followed by the Vrajavasis. (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 5.44)

tiryag-grIvaM punaH prekSya savrajau sneha-karSitau |
anvAyAntau puras-tiSThann abravIt pitarau hariH ||
mAtar nAtaH param iha puro gantum arhyATavIM vo
vyAvartadhvaM tvaritam iha me prApaNIyA rasAlA |
tAtaiSAdya truTita-zikharA kanduka-kSepaNI me
gatvA ghoSaM jhaTiti sudRDhAH paJcaSAH kAraNIyAH ||

Turning his head again, Hari saw his parents and others following him, drawn by affection. Standing before them, he said, “O Mother! You don’t need to come any further into the forest, so please go back now and quickly send some rasala for me. Father! The end of my ball-bat is now broken. Please go back to Vraja and have five or six very strong ones made quickly for me.” (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 5.45-46 )

valita-grIvam UrdhvAsyaM kSudhitAs tRSitA api |
tastambhire puro gAvaH pazyAmba mad-apekSayA ||

“Look, Mother. The cows, hungry and thirsty, are standing there with necks turned and faces lifted as they wait for me.” (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 5.47)

preSayiSyAmi sadbhojyaM bhuktvA madhyAhna eva tat |
Agaccher aparAhNe tvaM tUrNam ity Aha taM prasUH ||

His mother replied, “I’ll send some nice food for you at midday. After eating it, you quickly come home in the afternoon.” (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 5.48)

so’py abravIt tAM kRta-bhojanau cet
zroSyAmi gehe muditau bhavantau |
bhokSyAmi bhojyaM prahitaM tadA te
gRhaM sameSyAmi na cAnyathAmba ||

Krishna said, “Mother, when I hear that you’re happily situated at home and have finished your own meal, then I’ll eat the foods you’ve sent and come home. Otherwise, I won’t.” (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 5.49)

kRtAvanaH kAya-mano-vacobhiH saMsikta-dehaH stana-dRk-payobhiH |
sa cumbitAliGgita AkulAbhyAM muhur muhur dRSTa-mukhaH pitRbhyAm ||

After invoking protection for him with their bodies, minds and words, Krishna’s anxious parents bathed him with breast milk and tears, repeatedly kissed him, embraced him and gazed at his lotus face. (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 5.50)

udyad-viyogoSNa-ravi-pratApitaiH
siktair nija-prekSaNa-vIci-zIkaraiH |
kaTAkSa-dhArA-nala-nAlikA-cayair
nipIta-lAvaNya-rasaH priyA-gaNaiH ||

Burned by the rising heat of the sun of separation but sprinkled with the ocean spray of seeing him, Krishna’s girlfriends began to drink in his beauty through the straws of their sidelong glances. (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 5.51)

vraja-tyAgAraNya-yAnotpannAbhyAM nandanandanaH |
vaimanasyonmanasyAbhyAM vyagro’sau prAvizad vanam ||

Sad to leave Vraja but excited to get on with his journey, Nandanandana eagerly entered the forest. (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 5.52)

vrajasya kRSNe nihitekSaNasyAkhilendriyANAM nayanatvam AsIt |
tasmin vanenAntarite kSaNena teSAM samantAt suvilInatAbhUt ||

All of the Vrajavasis’ senses had become like eyes fixed upon Sri Krishna, but when he disappeared within the forest, those senses immediately became completely inactive. (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 5.53)

caratvataH sthAvarataiva dhanyA vanaM prayAty eSa vihAya yan naH |
itIva khinnAH sphuTam Adadhus tAM stambhasya dambhAd vrajavAsinas te ||

“Immobility is certainly a better state than mobility because Krishna has left us, the moving, to enter the unmoving forest.” Saying this, the clearly depressed Vrajavasis became as motionless as pillars. (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 5.54)

harez cillI-cillI-gilita-mati-mIlac-chapharikA
mukhAmbhojAn mlAnAc calita-cala-dRSTi-bhramarikAH |
viyogodyat-paGkAvali-patita-haMsA na vibabhUs
tad-AbhIrI-nadyo vana-zuci-hRte jIvana-dhane ||

When the treasure of their lives left for the forest, the gopis dried up like rivers in the summer. The bird of Krishna’s eyebrows swallowed the fish of their intelligence, the bee-like restless glances flew from their withered lotus faces, and they lost all luster like swans fallen into the mud of separation. (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 5.55)

abhyAsato’tha vrajavAsinas te vimohitau tau vrajapau gRhItvA |
kRSNAnugAmi-svamano-vihInair dehaiH paraM geham ayur nirIhAH ||

Then, even though the Vrajavasis were practically unable to move, their minds having gone with Krishna, with their bodies they as usual took his bewildered parents and went home. (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 5.56)

svAM svAM sakhyo’pi yUthezAM yatnAd AdAya mUrcchitAm |
ninyur gRhaM yantra-caJcat-pratimAH pratimAm iva ||

Like wooden puppets leading other wooden puppets, the sakhis laboriously brought each of their swooning group leaders home. (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 5.57)

Messages (Updated 11-19)

yathA pitRbhyAM sa tathA balAmbayA-
py ambA-kilimbAdy-upamAtR-yuktayA |
gopaiz ca gopI-nivahaiz ca lAlito
yathA haris taiH sa balo’py abhUt tathA ||

Just as Hari was caressed by Nanda, Yasoda, Rohini, his relatives Amba, Kilimba and others, as well as by the gopas and gopis, Baladeva was also caressed by them all. (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 5.37)

vrajAGganAnAM tRSitAkSi-cAtakAn siJcan kaTAkSAmRta-vRSTi-dhArayA |
nyavedayat kAnana-yAnam Atmanas tAbhiH svadRSTyaiva sa cAnumoditaH ||

Then, with a glance he showered the thirsty cataka bird eyes of the Vraja girls with a stream of nectar, informing them of his journey to the forest. When they replied with eye gestures of their own, Krishna was delighted. (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 5.38)

tAsAM mano-dIna-kuraGga-saMghAn
vilokya lolAn ruci-pallavAn svAn |
ninye sphuTaM cArayituM svasaGge
sandAnya dRk-zRGkhalayA svayAsau ||

Seeing the shy deer of their minds to be restless, he bound them with the fetters of his eyes and led them to graze upon the fresh leaves of his beauty. (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 5.39)

dvitrAH kSepyAH sumukhi ghaTikAz cakSuSI mudrayitvA
mA gAH khedaM sapadi bhavitA saGgamo nau vanAnte |
AgantavyaM mayi karuNayA chadmanAzu svakuNDaM
kRSNaz cakre sphuTam anunayaM rAdhikAyAM dRzettham ||

With a glance, Sri Krishna sent this clear request to Sri Radhika: “O Lovely One! Rest your eyes for two or three hours. Don’t grieve; we shall meet in the forest very soon. By some ruse, please come quickly to your lake.” (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 5.40)

yayAce rAdhikAm AjJAM sa dRzA dainya-pUrNayA |
kAtaryaM vamatAbhUt tat kaTAkSeNAnumoditaH ||

When Sri Krishna, with eyes full of humility, asked for Sri Radhika’s consent, she was pleased and sent a timid glance in return. (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 5.41)

madhye nabhaH sammilane’py alUnair javAt praviSTair hRdaye mithas tau |
kaTAkSa-bANair api modam Aptau premNo vicitrA hi gatir durUhA ||

Though their arrow-like glances met in midair, they remained unbroken and quickly pierced each other’s heart, bringing them both great joy. The ways of love are wonderful and difficult to understand! (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 5.42)

rAdhA-mano-mInam ayaM svasaGge svakAnti-jAlena nibadhya ninye |
rurodha tac-citta-marAlam utkaM sApi svadRk-kUNana-paJjarAntaH ||

With the net of his own beauty, Sri Krishna caught the fish of Radha’s mind and took it away. Sri Radha captured the eager swan of Krishna’s mind in the cage of her contracted eyes. (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 5.43)