Tulasi arrives. (Continued)(Updated 6-24)

Agatya kuJje parihAsa-lInAM sambhAvayaMs tAM dayitAM mukundaH |
tad-Asya-vIkSotkalikAkulAtmA tayA hasantyA saha saMlalApa ||

“Mukunda thought that his beloved Radha must have already arrived at the kunja and was hiding as a joke. Longing to see her face, he began to talk with the smiling Tulasi.” (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 6.55)

sakhyAs te kuzalaM sakhIza! kuzalaM kutreyam AtmAlaye
kiM nAyAti vanaM kRtau sva-guruNA diSTAtha kiM ceSTate |
mathnAty ambu-ghaTaM tataH kim abhavan nirbhartsya ruddhA gRhe
yuktyA cAnaya vRndayA na jaTilA vaJcyAha hA dhig vidhim ||

Krishna: “Hey sakhi! How is your friend Radha?’”
Tulasi: “Hey chief! She’s fine.”
Krishna: “Where is she right now?”
Tulasi: “She’s at her home.”
Krishna: “Isn’t she coming to the forest?”
Tulasi: “One of her elders made her do some housework.”
Krishna: “What is she doing?”
Tulasi: “She mistakenly churned a pot of water!”
Krishna: “What happened then?”
Tulasi: “Jatila chastised her and locked her in the house.”
Krishna: “You and Vrinda must trick Jatila somehow and bring Radha here!”
Tulasi: “Jatila’s no fool.”
Krishna: “Aw, damn the luck!” (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 6.56)

sadA rAdhAtidaurlabhya-sphUrtyA matvA babhUva saH |
hAsoktim api satyAM tAM viSaNNAtmA smarAkulaH ||

“Considering Tulasi’s joking words to be true, Krishna thought to himself, ‘Sri Radha is always so hard to get.’ Overcome by Cupid, he became depressed.” (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 6.57)

kanakAdri-niketa-ketakI-kalikA-kalpa-kalevara-dyutiH |
hRdi sA mudirAli-medure capalA mAM kim alaGkariSyati ||

“Will she whose luster resembles a ketaki bud on a golden mountain adorn my chest like lightning in a mass of clouds?” (Vidagdha-MAdhava 2.35)

kRSNaM viSaNNam Alokya vyAkulA tulasI svayam |
dRSTyA vRndA-dhaniSThAbhyAM bhartsitAha sasaMbhramam ||
mA gAH khedaM vrajAnanda! yAmi nirmaJcanaM tava |
AgatAM viddhi dayitAM parihAsaH kRto mayA ||

“When Tulasi saw how despondent Krishna had become, she herself felt troubled. Reproached by glances from Vrinda and Dhanistha and feeling bewildered, she said, ‘Don’t be sad, O joy of Vraja. I adore you! I was just joking; your beloved has already come.’” (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 6.58-59)

tAm AgatAm atha nizamya didRkSur enAm autsukya-caJcala-manA vraja-rAja-sUnuH |
uttArya campaka-yugaM nija-karNayos tat tasyAH samarpya karayor mudito’vadat tAm ||
kveyaM kveyaM nihnutA vA kim-arthaM ruSTA sA cen nAparAdho mamAsti |
cen narmaitad dUna-citte na yuktaM hA hA zIghraM darzayAmUM priyAM me ||

“Learning that Sri Radha had arrived, and eager to see her, Krishna removed a pair of campaka flowers from his own ears and placed them in Tulasi’s hands. Then, with great joy he said, ‘Where is she? Where is she? Is she hiding? Why? There’s no reason for her to be angry because I’ve done nothing wrong. If this is a joke, it’s not the right way to treat someone with a distressed mind. Oh please Tulasi! Show me my beloved! Quickly!’” (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 6.60-61)

priyAvalokanotkaNThaM kAla-dezArtha-tattvavit |
AninISur drutaM rAdhAM babhASe tulasI harim ||
sA te kAntA kamala-nayana! tvan-mukhAlokanotkA
sUryArcAyai sapadi jaTilA-preSitA kundavallyA |
tvAm AyAntI prathamam iha mAM prAhiNot tvat-pravRttyai
krIDA-kuJjaM tam upadiza tvaM yatra tAm AnayAmi ||

“Tulasi, eager to lead the anxious Krishna to Radha without delay, and knowing well what is appropriate for time and place, said to him, ‘O lotus-eyed one! Your beloved longs to see your face. Jatila sent her and Kundavalli to do surya-puja, so she’s coming to you soon. Srimati told me to come here first to get news about you. Tell me where the pastime bower is and I’ll bring her there.’” (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 6.62-63)

tac-chrutvocchvasita-svAntaH prIto guJjAvalIM hariH |
tulasyai dattavAn kaNThAd uttArya pAritoSikam ||

“Hearing this, Hari was filled with delight. He then happily took the string of gunja berries from his neck and gave it to Tulasi as a reward.” (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 6.64)

lIlA-nikuJja-kalanAya tadAtha vRndA kRSNAvalokita-mukhI tulasIM babhASe |
tat-kuNDa-tIra-gatam Anaya rAdhikAM tAM kandarpa-keli-sukhadAkhya-nikuJjam Azu ||
ahaM ca keli-sAmagrIM samagrayitum utsukA |
rAdhA-kuNDaM tvayA sArdham prayAtAsmi drutam sakhi ||

“After receiving Krishna’s glance telling her to choose the lila-kunja, Vrinda said to Tulasi, ‘Bring Radhika quickly to the bower known as Kandarpa-Keli-Sukhada on the banks of Radha-Kunda. Sakhi! I’m eager to collect all the ingredients for their pastimes, so I’ll go to Radha-Kunda with you now.’” (Govinda-LIlAmRtam 6.65-66)