কনক-কেতকী রাই, শ্যাম মরকত কাঁই,
দরপ-দরপ করু চুর ।
নটবর-শেখরিণী, নটিনীর শিরোমণি,
দুঁহু গুণে দুঁহু মন বুর ॥ ৪৫ ॥
kanaka-ketakī rāi, śyāma marakata kāñi,
darapa-darapa karu cura |
naṭabara-śekhariṇī, naṭinīra śiromaṇi,
duṅhu guṇe duṅhu mana bura || 45 ||
Śrī Rādhā’s complexion is like a golden ketakī flower; Śyāma’s is like an emerald. Together, they crush Kandarpa’s pride. She is the crest-jewel of the great dancer Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and he is the crest-jewel of the great dancer Śrī Rādhā. The mind of each is submerged in the virtues of the other.
Yugala-Mādhurī
Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya’s mystic vision, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava, bearing boundless mādhurya, are standing before his eyes. In the form of Campaka Mañjarī, Ṭhākura Mahāśaya relishes yugala-mādhurī-rasa, and through poetic verse he has revealed a little of his memory of that experience. First, he says, kanaka-ketakī rāi, śyāma marakata kāñi, darapa-darapa karu cura. Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s complexion is like a golden ketakī flower. He uses the words kanaka-ketakī to give the people of the world a little idea of her boundless beauty. Actually, the splendor of her mahābhāva has no comparison in this world. In his book Śrī-Rādhā-Rasa-Sudhānidhi, Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda has written, kāntiḥ kāpi mahādbhutā. Śrī Rādhā’s bodily luster is most wonderful. Sometimes it is said, kāntiḥ kāpi parojjvalā. Her radiance is indescribably brilliant. It should be understood that the word parojjvalā means that nothing of this world has such radiance. It is also sometimes said, gātre koṭi-taḍic-chavi. Śrīmatī’s body is more luminous than countless bolts of lightning. The brilliance of only one bolt of lightning dazzles the eyes. How could one’s eyes bear the brilliance of millions of lightning bolts? Such a question may arise because the word chavi has been used instead of dyuti. The meaning is that although the luster of her prema is extremely intense, it does not dazzle the eyes. The mādhurī of that effulgence cools or refreshes the eyes because it is in no way an altered form of some worldly radiant substance. It is rather a profound expression of mahābhāva.
Then, when describing Śyāma’s bodily luster, he said, śyāma marakata kāñi. The word kāñi means kānti, or splendor, signifying that Śyāmasundara’s complexion is like an emerald. As before, this is only an attempt to give a little idea of his beautiful dark complexion. The mahājana Govinda Dāsa has sung, kubalaya nīla-ratana, dalitāñjana megha-puñja, jini baraṇa suchānda. When one continually sees worldly forms, one becomes indifferent to them; but Kṛṣṇa’s form causes longing to awaken. Specifically, Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s incomparable form of condensed joy is always filled with fresh delight. Kṛṣṇa’s complexion has been likened to the deep, dark hue of a sapphire, crushed collyrium or a mass of clouds. However, when Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s golden luster enters into that profoundly dark color, it causes his complexion to shine like a lighter-hued emerald.
After that, he says, darapa-darapa karu cura, meaning, “who crush Kandarpa’s pride.” kandarpo darpako’naṅga ity amaraḥ. In the Amarakoṣa dictionary, we see that Darpaka is one name for Kandarpa, the god of love. When Śrī Kṛṣṇa is with Śrī Rādhārāṇī, he enchants this god of love in endless ways: rādhā-saṅge yadā bhāti tadā madana-mohanaḥ (Govinda-Līlāmṛtam).
caḍi gopī-manorathe, manmathera mana mathe,
nāma dhare madana-mohana |
jini pañcaśara-darpa, svayaṁ naba-kandarpa,
rāsa kare lañā gopī-gaṇa ||
“When Śrī Kṛṣṇa mounts the chariots of the gopīs’ hearts and churns the mind of the god of love, he bears the name Madana-Mohana. Having crushed the pride of this five-arrowed* god of love, he himself becomes the new Kandarpa and dances with the gopīs.” (Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya 21.107)
Madana’s pride has been thoroughly crushed during the rāsa-līlā. At the beginning of his commentary on the rāsa-līlā, Śrīdhara Svāmī has written, brahmādi-jaya-saṁrūḍha-darpa-kandarpa-darpa-hā. jayati śrīpatir gopī-rāsa-maṇḍala-maṇḍitaḥ. The meaning is that although Madana is the enchanter of Brahmā, Śiva, Indra, Candra and the other devas, he was himself infatuated by the sight of Śyāmasundara’s sweet form, surrounded by the gopīs, and was overwhelmed by his radiant beauty.
While speaking of Madana’s pride being crushed by Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s beauty, the venerable author also remembered the rāsa dance. Therefore, to describe their sweetness, he said, naṭabara-śekhariṇī, naṭinīra śiromaṇi, duṅhu guṇe duṅhu mana bura. “Śrī Rādhārāṇī is the crest-jewel of the great dancer Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the crest-jewel of the great dancer Śrī Rādhā. The mind of each is submerged in the virtues of the other.” Śrī Śuka Muni has described Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s preeminence among the three billion gopikās gathered for the great rāsa dance. For example, Śrī Kṛṣṇa took Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī from among all the gopikās and disappeared to a lonely place to enjoy amorous pastimes. This illustrates her nature as Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s crest-jewel or object of highest regard. Above all, at the time of the rāsa dance, before everyone’s eyes the great dancer Śyāmasundara relished the nectar of the mahārāsa by taking his crest-jewel Śrī Rādhārāṇī to the middle of the circle and dancing with her. It is also understood from the mahārāsa that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the crest-jewel of the great dancer Śrī Rādhā. When Śrī Kṛṣṇa vanished from Śrī Rādhā’s presence as they were sporting in a solitary place, Śrīmatī fainted, being unable to see him. Such a condition does not appear in just any gopikā who is unable to see Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Above all, at the time of the rāsa dance, Śrī Rādhā personally remained in the middle of the circle and gave her own crest-jewel Śrī Kṛṣṇa unprecedented joy, not only through her sweeter-than-sweet dancing and singing, but also through the captivating dancing of her bodily expansions in the form of countless gopikās.
Then, after seeing Śrī Yugala’s mutual fascination in each other’s qualities, he said, duṅhu guṇe duṅhu mana bura, meaning the mind of each is as though submerged in the other’s ocean of virtues. A mahājana has described the immersion of Śrīmatī’s mind in Śyāmasundara’s qualities in Pada-Kalpa-Taru:
rūpe bharala diṭhi, soṅgari paraśa miṭhi, pulaka nā tejai aṅga |
mohana muralī rabe, śruti paripūrita, nā śune āna parasaṅga ||
sajani! aba ki karabi upadeśa |
kānu-anurāge mora, tanu mana mātala, nā guṇe dharama-bhaya leśa ||
nāsikā se aṅgera, saurabhe unamata, badane nā laya āna nāma |
naba naba guṇa-gaṇe, bāndhala majhu mane, dharama rahaba kona ṭhāma ||
gṛhapati tarajane, gurujana garajane, ko jāne upajaye hāsa |
tahiṅ eka manoratha, yadi haye anurata, puchata gobinda-dāsa ||
“‘My eyes were filled with his beauty; when I remember his gentle touch, my body thrills with delight. My ears were filled with the sweet sound of his muralī flute; no other sound could enter. O friend, please tell me what I should do now. My body and mind are drunk with love for Kṛṣṇa; they care nothing for dharma. My nose is addicted to the fragrance of his body, my mouth speaks no other name. My mind is bound by the cord of his ever-fresh qualities. What room is left for dharma? I’ve been scolded by my husband and reproached by my elders. Who can understand the ridicule I’ve suffered?’ Govinda Dāsa asks for only one thing: to always be attached to her.’”
Enchanted by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s qualities, Śyāmasundara said,
sundari! āna guṇe naha mora bacana madhura |
tuyā parasāde sādha saba pūra ||
āna saṅga kabhu nā kahabi mora |
cānda nā tejai kabahuṅ cakora ||
tuyā guṇa gāyana bayana hāmāra |
tuyā hṛdi śītala paṅkaja hāra ||
tuhuṅ daraśana binu saba āndhiyāra |
micha naha nanda kahaye katabāra ||
“O lovely one! I never speak of another’s qualities. By your sweet mercy, all my desires are fulfilled. I shall never speak of my contact with others. The moon never abandons the cakora. My mouth always sings of your virtues. A garland of soothing lotuses rests upon your bosom. When I can’t see you, the whole world is darkened with gloom. This is no lie; I have many times said this with great joy.”
The reading duṅhu mana jhura is also seen in place of duṅhu mana bura. In this form, it is understood to mean that Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava weep incessantly due to the sweetness of each other’s qualities.
*His five arrows are enchantment, excitement, absorption, heating and stupefaction. (Saṁsad)
