Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa-līlā

namas tasmai bhagavate kṛṣṇāyākuṇṭha-medhase

namas tasmai bhagavate kṛṣṇāyākuṇṭha-medhase |
rādhādhara-sudhā-sindhau namo nitya-vihāriṇe ||
rādhāṁ kṛṣṇa-svarūpāṁ vai kṛṣṇaṁ rādhā-svarūpiṇaṁ |
kalātmānaṁ nikuñjasthaṁ guru-rūpaṁ sadā bhaje ||
(Mahāvāṇī: Sakhī-rūpācārya-nāma-ratnāvalī-stava, 1–2)

“Obeisance unto him,
Bhagavān,
Kṛṣṇa,
He of unblunted brilliance.
Obeisance unto the constant Frolicker
In the ocean of the nectar
Of Rādhā’s lips.
Forever I worship
Rādhā,
She whose essence is Kṛṣṇa
[Alt., she who is the essential nature of Kṛṣṇa],
And Kṛṣṇa,
He whose essence is Rādhā,
[Alt., he who is the essential nature of Rādhā]—
They whose spirit is the arts
[Alt., they who are the essence of expertise, or, they who are the constitution of the seed syllable klīṁ]
And the form of the guru situated in the bower.”

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govardhana-girim upetya kaṭākṣa-bāṇān

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?”

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phalam api phalaṁ mākandānāṁ sitā api tāḥ sitā

phalam api phalaṁ mākandānāṁ sitā api tāḥ sitā
amṛtam amṛtaṁ drākṣā drākṣā madhūni madhūny api |
saha tulayituṁ tenaiteṣāṁ na kiñcana yujyate
subala yad ayaṁ sāraṅgākṣyā bhavaty adharo’dharaḥ ||
(Alaṅkāra-kaustubha: 3.5)

“[Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] Even the fruit of mango trees
Is [just] fruit.
Even candied sugar
Is [just] candied sugar.
[Even] Nectar is [just] nectar.
[Even] Grapes are [just] grapes.
Even honey is [just] honey.
O Subala,
None of these are fit
To be compared with that,
Since [that, viz.,] this lower lip of she of doe-eyes [viz., Śrī Rādhikā]
Is [really] a lower lip (adharaḥ)
[i.e., Something that excels all else].”

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tat-saundaryaṁ sā ca lāvaṇya-lakṣmīs

tat-saundaryaṁ sā ca lāvaṇya-lakṣmīs
tan-mādhuryaṁ tasya kiṁ varṇitaṁ syāt |
dravyair yogyā laukikair nopamā syāt
kiṁ vānyena dvārakendreṇa nāpi ||
kṛṣṇo yathā nāgara-śekharāgryo
rādhā tathā nāgarikā-varāgryā |
rādhā yathā nāgarikā-varāgryā
kṛṣṇo tathā nāgara-śekharāgryaḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.6.110–111)

“Can that beauty, that wealth of loveliness, or that sweetness of his [i.e., Kṛṣṇa’s] be described? Neither with worldly objects, nor with others [i.e., Nārāyaṇa of Vaikuṇṭha, or Rāma of Ayodhyā], nor even the Lord of Dvārakā shall any comparison [thereof] be appropriate. [There is only one appropriate object of comparison:] As Kṛṣṇa is the foremost of cultured lovers, so Rādhā is the foremost of cultured ladyloves, and as Rādhā is the foremost of cultured ladyloves, so Kṛṣṇa is the foremost of cultured lovers.”

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