Shrimad Chaturasi Path — Pad 17 | Chaurasi Ji Ka Path Arth Sahit | निकुंज-लीला — तमाल और स्वर्ण-लता

Original pad (Devanagari)

आजु देखि ब्रजसुन्दरी मोहन बनी कैलि ।
अंस-अंस बाहु दै, किशोर जोर रूप रासि,
मनौ तमाल अरुझि रही सरस कनक बेलि ॥
नव निकुंज भ्रमर गुञ्ज, मंजु घोष प्रेम पुञ्ज,
गान करत मोर पिकन अपने सुर सों मेलि ।
मदन मुदित अंग-अंग, बीच-बीच सुरत रंग,
पल-पल हरिवंश पिवत नैन चषक झेलि ॥

Transliteration

āju dekhi brajasundarī mohana banī kaili.
aṁsa-aṁsa bāhu dai, kiśora jora rūpa rāsi,
manau tamāla arujhi rahī sarasa kanaka beli.
nava nikuñja bhramara guñja, mañju ghoṣa prema puñja,
gāna karata mora pikana apane sura soṁ meli.
madana mudita aṁga-aṁga, bīca-bīca surata raṁga,
pala-pala harivaṁśa pivata naina caṣaka jheli.

Word-by-word meanings

āju — today; dekhi — behold; brajasundarī — the beauty of Vraja, Śrī Rādhā; mohana — Mohan; banī kaili — the loving play; aṁsa-aṁsa — shoulder to shoulder; bāhu dai — with arms placed; kiśora jora — the youthful pair; rūpa rāsi — a treasure of beauty; manau — as if; tamāla — the tamāla tree; arujhi rahī — entwined; sarasa — full of rasa; kanaka beli — the golden creeper; nava nikuñja — the fresh grove; bhramara guñja — the humming of bees; mañju ghoṣa — sweet sound; prema puñja — a mass of love; gāna karata — singing; mora pikana — the peacocks and cuckoos; apane sura soṁ meli — joining their voices; madana mudita — delighted with love; aṁga-aṁga — in every limb; bīca-bīca — again and again; surata raṁga — the colour of intimate love; pala-pala — moment by moment; harivaṁśa pivata — Harivaṁśa drinks; naina caṣaka — with the cup of his eyes; jheli — holding it up.

Translation

Behold today the loving play of Rādhā, the beauty of Vraja, and Mohan. The youthful pair, a treasure of beauty, stand shoulder to shoulder with arms around each other — as if a golden creeper, full of rasa, has entwined itself around the dark tamāla tree. In the fresh grove the humming of bees makes a sweet sound of love, and the peacocks and cuckoos join their voices to the song. Every limb is delighted with love, and again and again the colour of intimate love rises between them. Says Harivaṁśa — moment by moment I drink this divine vision with the cup of my eyes.

Explanation

The image of the dark tamāla tree and the golden creeper is the heart of this pad: Kṛṣṇa is the dark tree, Rādhā the golden vine that clings to Him, and neither can be imagined without the other. The whole grove joins the play — the bees hum, the peacocks and cuckoos sing, and love shows in every limb. Harivaṁśa does not merely watch; he drinks the vision with his eyes, as one drinks nectar from a cup.

Summary

Like a golden creeper on the dark tamāla tree, Rādhā clings to Kṛṣṇa — and the whole grove sings along.

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