Sneaking Home

भ्रश्यद्दुकूल-चिकुर-स्रजमुन्नयन्तौ भीतौ पृथग् गहन-वर्त्मनि चापयान्तौ ।

तौ वीक्ष्य भीतितरलौ जटिलेति नाम्ना सख्यस्ततस्तत इतश्चकिता निरीयुः ||

     Hearing the name of Jaṭilā, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa stole away in fear upon separate forest paths, holding up their loosened clothing, hair and garlands. Alarmed by seeing this, the sakhīs also fled in every direction. (Govinda-Līlāmṛtam 1.110)

वामे चन्द्रावलि-परिजनान् घोषवृद्धान् पुरस्तात्

कृष्णः पश्चात् कुटिलजटिलामागतां मन्यमानः ।

यान्तीं कान्तां सभयचटुलां दक्षिणे द्रष्टुमुत्क-

श्चञ्चद्ग्रीवं दिशि दिशि दृशौ प्रेरयन् गोष्ठमायात् ॥

     To Kṛṣṇa’s left were Candrāvalī and her sakhīs, and in front of him, the elderly people of the cowherd village. He feared that the deceitful Jaṭilā may sneak up on him from behind. Craning his neck in eagerness, he looked here and there on his right side, trying to see his anxious lover as she ran for home. In this way, Kṛṣṇa carefully made his way toward the village. (Govinda-Līlāmṛtam 1.111)

म्लानामुत्क्षिप्य मालां त्रुटित-मणिसरः कज्जलं विभ्रदोष्ठे

संकीर्णाङ्गो नखाङ्कैर्दिशि दिशि विकिरन् घूर्णिते नेत्रपद्मे ।

पश्य म्लानाङ्गयष्टिः स्फुटमपरिचितो गोप-गोष्ठीभिरग्रे

गोष्ठे गोष्ठेन्द्रसूनुः प्रविशति रजनौ ध्वंसमासादयन्त्याम् ॥

     Seeing Kṛṣṇa’s movement, one sakhī said to another, “Look, Vrajendranandana is entering the village at the end of night, his dark, slender form unseen by the cowherds. His restless lotus eyes are looking all about, he has thrown away his withered garland and his pearl necklace is broken. His lips are smeared with collyrium and his body covered with marks from Śrīmatī’s nails.” (Stava-Mālā, Kuñja-Bhaṅga 2)

अनुगता जटिलेत्यभिशङ्किनी गुरुनितम्ब-कुचोद्वहनाकुला ।

द्रुतविलम्बित-वल्गु ययौ व्रजं करधृताम्बरकेशचयेश्वरी ॥

     Śrī Rādhā was also afraid that Jaṭilā may be approaching from behind. Burdened by her heavy breasts and hips, and holding up her loosened dress and locks of hair with her hands, she walked with graceful, alternately quick and slow movements on the path toward Vraja. (Govinda-Līlāmṛtam 1.112)

न व्यालादपि सम्बिभेति पुरतः स्थाणोर्यथा दूरतो

नोद्विग्ना करिगर्जितादपि यथा काकावली-निःस्वनात् ।

नैवेयं तिमिरेऽपि मुह्यतितरां कामं प्रकाशे यथा

तन्मन्ये विरहेऽपि नैव विधुरा कान्तस्य योगे यथा ॥

     Seeing a venomous snake before her didn’t cause as much fear as seeing a branchless tree trunk in the distance. Hearing the roaring of an elephant caused her less concern than hearing the cawing of crows, and the dense darkness didn’t confuse her as much as the bright daylight. Therefore it seemed that today Rādhā had been more troubled by being with Kṛṣṇa than being without him. (Jagannātha-Vallabha-Nāṭakam 5.34)