बर्हेन्द्रायुधरम्याय जगज्जीवनदायिने ।
राधाविद्युद्वृताङ्गाय कृष्णाम्भोदाय ते नमः ॥
barhendrāyudha-ramyāya jagaj-jīvana-dāyine |
rādhā-vidyud-vṛtāṅgāya kṛṣṇāmbhodāya te namaḥ ||
(Stava-mālā: Praṇāma-praṇaya-stava, 10)
“Obeisance unto you,
Dark Cloud,
You whose body is surrounded
By streaks of lightning,
You who are the bestower of water upon the world,
You who appear beautiful
With a rainbow
Of peacock feathers
[Outspread as peacocks dance to announce you].”
Alternate translation:
“Obeisance unto you,
The Cloud Kṛṣṇa,
Whose body is surrounded
By the lightning of Rādhā,
Who is the bestower of life upon the world,
And who appear beautiful
With a rainbow
Of peacock feathers
[Mounted on your turban].”
Commentary
Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmīpāda composes this verse to be read in two ways, using the words jīvana, Rādhā, and Kṛṣṇa with double meanings. Jīvana means both life and water; Rādhā means both Rādhārānī and lightning [in the case of the first reading, vidyut can be taken as streaks, and in the second, as lightning]; and Kṛṣṇa means both Bhagavān Śrī Govinda and dark.