দশনেতে তৃণ ধরি, হা! হা! কিশোর! কিশোরি!
চরণাব্জে নিবেদন করি ।
ব্রজরাজকুমার শ্যাম, বৃষভানুনন্দিনী নাম,
শ্রীরাধিকা-রামা-মনোহারী ॥ ৪৪ ॥
daśanete tṛṇa dhari, hā! hā! kiśora! kiśori!
caraṇābje nibedana kari |
braja-rāja-kumāra śyāma, bṛṣabhānu-nandinī nāma,
śrī-rādhikā-rāmā-manohārī || 44 ||
O Kiśora! O Kiśorī! Holding straw in my teeth, I offer myself at your lotus feet. O prince of Vraja! O dark one! O enchanter of Śrī Rādhikā, the daughter of Vṛṣabhānu, and the other beautiful girls of Vraja!
A Humble Offering
Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In this verse, the most venerable Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya, the mahārāja of prema-bhakti, is proclaiming his humble submission at the feet of his cherished Śrī Yugala-Kiśora. daśanete tṛṇa dhari, hā! hā! kiśora! kiśori! caraṇābje nibedana kari. Humility (dainya) is the vital essence of a bhakta’s sādhana; without humility, bhajana is lifeless. Immeasurable prema arises from humility, and immeasurable humility arises from prema. The reciprocal cause and effect relationship of humility and love has been described in this way in Śrī Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛtam. The highest level of this humility reveals itself among the gopīs, who suffer the pain of separation (viraha) from Śrī Kṛṣṇa. dainyaṁ tu paramaṁ premṇaḥ paripākena janyate, tāsāṁ gokula-nārīṇām iva kṛṣṇa-viyogataḥ (Śrī Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛtam 2.5.224). dṛṣṭāntenānena śrī-kṛṣṇasyānugraha-viśeṣataḥ prāyas tan-mādhuryānubhavādinaiva prema-viśeṣodayāt tad-virahe dainya-viśeṣo jāyata iti dhvanitam (ṭīkā). True humility manifests in the mature state of love. It should be understood that the humility shown by the beautiful young girls of Gokula, who feel lovesick for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, has occurred in the mature state of prema. By the example of the gokula-ramaṇīs, we can understand that through a particular type of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, they experience his profound mādhurya, and a similar type of prema arises; then according to that prema, a similar type of humility also arises. Among those gopīs, Śrī Rādhārāṇī is the crest jewel of them all. A small quantity of Śrī Rādhā’s ocean of humility is infused in those kiṅkarīs who have taken shelter of her and who feel separation from her alone or from her together with Śrī Kṛṣṇa. An example would be the extraordinary humility exhibited by Śrī Rūpa, Śrī Raghunātha and the other Gosvāmīs. Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya is also Campaka Mañjarī, Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s very dear maidservant in Vraja. Therefore, because of separation from Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava, extraordinary humility has appeared in his heart and mind. Overcome with extreme humility, he says, “O Kiśora! O Kiśorī! Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava! Holding straw in my teeth, I am making a small offering at your lotus feet.” The sinless mahātmās, by the touch of whose foot-dust the entire world is purified, are filled with profound humility. They consider themselves very lowly, like grazing animals, so they pray with bunches of straw held in their teeth. Śrī Bhagavān’s heart is completely melted by the humble behavior of such great, virtuous, high-minded souls. When Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Sanātana saw Śrīman Mahāprabhu in the village of Rāmakeli, they approached him with straw in their teeth and offered their sorrowful prayers (Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 1.207-208). Moved by their humility, the Lord said,
śuni’ mahāprabhu kahe–śuna dabira-khāsa |
tumi dui bhāi mora purātana dāsa ||
āji haite doṅhāra nāma–rūpa-sanātana |
dainya chāḍa, tomāra dainye phāṭe mora mana ||
“Listen, Dabira Khāsa, you two brothers have been my servants for a long time. From now on, your names are Rūpa and Sanātana. Please give up this humility; it is breaking my heart.”
Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya cries, hā! hā! kiśora! kiśori! By using these words, he has expressed his heartfelt sorrow born of viraha. While bearing straw in his teeth and offering his lamentation at Śrī Yugala’s lotus feet, he had a mystical vision of them. His eyes and mind were drowned in the beauty of Śrī Yugala in this vision and he could no longer offer his prayer. He then began to describe Śrī Yugala’s beauty. First, he described Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s beauty: braja-rāja-kumāra! śyāma! bṛṣabhānu-nandinī nāma, śrī-rādhikā-rāmā-manohārī. “O son of the king of Vraja! O dark one! O Śrī Kṛṣṇa, enchanter of Śrī Rādhikā, the daughter of Vṛṣabhānu, and the other beautiful girls of Vraja!” When Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya saw Śrī Nandanandana in this vision, it was as though the embodiment of joy had appeared in the poet’s eyes and mind. He addressed Śrī Kṛṣṇa as Śrī Nandanandana, the son of the king of Vraja. The true significance of the name Nanda for the king of Vraja is that by the power of his extraordinary parental love, he caused the Supreme Lord himself to descend into the world and drown all its inhabitants in transcendental ānanda-rasa. nandayati jagad iti nandaḥ. “He who makes the world rejoice is called Nanda.” His joyful son is Śrī Vrajarājanandana.
As Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya was pleasantly gazing at the blissful person in his vision, the dark blue effulgence that illuminated the surroundings touched his eyes. Therefore, he addressed him as Śyāma. Then, as he continued to watch, Śrī Rādhārāṇī, enchanted by Śyāmasundara’s form, began to savor his dark beauty through the chalice of her eyes. Therefore, he said, bṛṣabhānu-nandinī nāma, śrī-rādhikā-rāmā-manohārī! One day, spellbound by her attraction to Śyāma’s incomparable beauty, Śrī Rādhārāṇī said to her sakhī,
hari mukhacandra, sudhā-rasa-laharī, kiraṇahiṅ bhubana ujora |
tirapita cāhi, cakoriṇī-kāminī, locana niśi-diśi bhora ||
sajani! aba hāma nā bujhi bidhāna |
atiśaya ānande, bighini ghaṭāola, heraite jharaye nayāna ||
dāruṇa daiba, kayala duṅha locana, tāhe palaka niramāi |
tāhe ati hariṣe, e duṅha diṭhi pūrala, kaiche heraba mukha cāi ||
tāhe guru durujana, locana kaṇṭaka, saṅkaṭa katahaṅ bithāra |
kulabatī bāda, bibāda karata kata, dhairaja lāja bicāra ||
sabaṅha upekhi, yāi bana paiṭhaba, kānu gīme kari hāra |
nirajane rāti, dibasa sukhe heraba, ehi daḍhāyaluṅ sāra ||
ki karaba āna, dharama karama mata, jībana-hīna janu deha |
gobinda-dāsa bhaṇa, manamatha-mohana, milane kiye karu keha ||
“‘The world is illumined by the undulating rays of nectar from Hari’s moonlike face. The eyes of the delighted cakorī birds gaze at him through day and night. Sakhī! I still don’t understand the ways of Providence. At a time of great happiness, a calamity occurred: after seeing Kṛṣṇa, tears of joy began to fall from my eyes. Alas, cruel fate has only given me two eyes, and on top of that, it made them blink! Moreover, because of great ecstasy, these two eyes filled with tears. How, I ask, shall I see his face? Meanwhile, the thorn-like eyes of my irritable elders immeasurably increase my troubles. These people have caused so many quarrels, complaining that I am not a virtuous wife, judging my forbearance and modesty. Ignoring them all, I shall go to the forest and place a garland around Kṛṣṇa’s neck. In a solitary place, I shall joyfully gaze day and night at his lotus face. Such is the essence of my resolve. How can I engage in other dharmas or karmas? They are like dead bodies to me.’ Govinda Dāsa says, ‘In the company of the one who enchants the god of love, what else could someone do?’”*
*(I based my translation of this poem on the explanation given in the Vaiṣṇava Padāvalī, edited by Śrī Harekṛṣṇa Mukhopādhyāya.)
