गोवर्धनगिरिमुपेत्य कटाक्षबाणान्
कर्णस्फुरन्मणिशिलोपरि सङ्क्षुवाना ।
का भ्रूधनुर्धुवनसूचितलुञ्चनेयं
व्यग्रीकरोत्यहह मामपि सम्भ्रमेण ॥
govardhana-girim upetya kaṭākṣa-bāṇān
karṇa-sphuran-maṇi-śilopari saṅkṣuvānā |
kā bhrū-dhanur-dhuvana-sūcita-luñcaneyaṁ
vyagrīkaroty ahaha mām api sambhrameṇa ||
(Dāna-keli-kaumudī: 30; cited in Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 14.3)
“Reaching Govardhana Hill
And sharpening the arrows of her side-long glances
Atop the sparkling jewel-slabs on her ears,
Who is this
By whom thievery is intimated
By the quivering of the bows of her brows,
That, ahaha,
Makes even me restless with excitement?”
Commentary
Śrī Cakravartīpāda explains in his commentary that in the previous verse the author described the sthāyi-bhāva of all the gopīs in general, and thus the author cites this verse to illustrate that the sthāyi-bhāva of the crest-jewel of them all, Śrī Rādhā, is superior to that of all the other gopīs (gopī-mātrāṇāṁ sthāyi-bhāvam uktvā tan-mukuṭa-maṇeḥ Śrī-Rādhāyāḥ sarvādhikyena tam udāhartum āha—yathā veti). Observing Śrī Rādhā as he approaches a group of gopīs at Govardhana on the pretext of collecting a tax from them, Śrī Kṛṣṇa speaks this verse to Madhumaṅgala. Śrī Rādhā’s act of “sharpening the arrows of her side-long glances atop the sparkling jewel-slabs on her ears” (kaṭākṣa-bāṇān karṇa-sphuran-maṇi-śilopari saṅkṣuvānā) that is, her casting side-long glances again and again out towards the ruby earrings she is wearing as she looks around hoping to catch a glimpse of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and the desire for the sight of Śrī Kṛṣṇa that inspires her to do this, indicate her rati for Śrī Kṛṣṇa (maṇi-śilā-kuṇḍala-sthaṁ padma-rāga-khaṇḍaṁ tad-upari saṅkṣuvāṇā tejayantīti netrāntasya kuṇḍala-paryantaṁ punaḥ punar yātāyātena Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-darśana-spṛhā tayā ca tad-viṣayā ratiḥ sūcitā). The purport in regard to Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s description of Śrī Rādhā as “this by whom thievery is intimated by the quivering of the bows of her brows” (bhrū-dhanur-dhuvana-sūcita-luñcaneyaṁ) is Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s reflection upon seeing Śrī Rādhā, “By striking me with the arrows of her side-long glances, she will knock me unconscious and steal from the the wealth of my composure, discernment, memory, and so on” (śarair biddhvā mām acetanīkṛtya dhairya-mati-smṛtyādi-dhanaṁ me hariṣyatīti bhāvaḥ), meaning, I am approaching her on the pretext of collecting a tax but I feel as though she is going to steal everything from me when she strikes me with her side-long glances. The purport in regard to Śrī Kṛṣṇa saying that Śrī Rādhā “makes even me restless with excitement” (vyagrīkaroty … mām api sambhrameṇa) is that Śrī Kṛṣṇa considers himself the crest-jewel of the valiant (mām api śūrāṇāṁ śiromaṇim apīti bhāvaḥ) and thus reflects, “I have become restless, that is, confounded in mind, just by the sight of her sharpening the arrows of her glances [i.e., her looking for me without directly seeing me or making eye-contact with me] and the quivering of her bows [i.e., brows, as she looks about in hope of spotting me], so I do not know what sort of state I will enter when I am struck by those arrows [of her glances, i.e., when she sees me directly and makes eye-contact with me]” (vyagrīkarotīti śara-tejana-dhanur-dhavana-darśanenaiva tāvad ahaṁ vyagro vikala-citto’bhūvaṁ na jāne śarair viddhaḥ kīdṛśo bhaviṣyāmīti bhāvaḥ). By these descriptions, Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s rati for Śrī Rādhā is also indicated (tena ca Śrī-Rādhā-viṣayā ratiḥ sūcitā).
According to Śrī Viṣṇu Dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s query in this verse is addressed to Nāndīmukhī. The particle ahaha is expressed in astonishment (ahaha āścarye).