Shrimad Chaturasi Path — Pad 7 | Chaurasi Ji Ka Path Arth Sahit | निकुंज लीला — भोला मान

Original pad (Devanagari)

आजु निकुंज मंजु में खेलत,
नवल किशोर नवीन किशोरी ।
अति अनुपम अनुराग परस्पर,
सुनि अभूत भूतल पर जोरी ॥
विद्रुम फटिक विविध निर्मित धर,
नव कर्पूर पराग न थोरी ।
कोमल किसलय सयन सुपेसल,
तापर श्याम निवेसित गोरी ॥
मिथुन हास-परिहास परायण,
पीक कपोल कमल पर झोरी ।
गौर श्याम भुज कलह मनोहर,
नीवी-बंधन मोचत डोरी ॥
हरि-उर-मुकुर विलोकि अपनपौ,
विभ्रम विकल मान-जुत भोरी ।
चिबुक सुचारु प्रलोइ प्रबोधत,
पिय-प्रतिबिंब जनाय निहोरी ॥
नेति-नेति बचनामृत सुनि-सुनि,
ललितादिक देखत दुरि चोरी ।
जय श्रीहित हरिवंश करत कर धूनन,
प्रणयकोप मालावलि तोरी ॥७॥

Transliteration

āju nikuñja mañju meṁ khelat,
naval kiśora navīn kiśorī.
ati anupam anurāg paraspar,
suni abhūt bhūtal par jorī.
vidrum phaṭik vividh nirmit dhar,
nav karpūr parāg na thorī.
komal kisalay sayan supesal,
tāpar śyām nivesit gorī.
mithun hās-parihās parāyaṇ,
pīk kapol kamal par jhorī.
gaur śyām bhuj kalah manohar,
nīvī-bandhan mocat ḍorī.
hari-ur-mukur viloki apanapau,
vibhram vikal mān-jut bhorī.
cibuk sucāru praloi prabodhat,
piya-pratibiṁb janāy nihorī.
neti-neti bacanāmṛt suni-suni,
lalitādik dekhat duri corī.
jaya śrīhita harivaṁśa karat kar dhūnan,
praṇayakop mālāvali torī. (7)

Word-by-word meanings

āju — today; nikuñja mañju meṁ — in the beautiful grove; khelat — are playing; naval kiśora — the ever-fresh youth, Śrī Kṛṣṇa; navīn kiśorī — the ever-fresh maiden, Śrī Rādhā; ati anupam — supremely incomparable; anurāg paraspar — mutual love; suni — listen; abhūt — wonderful; bhūtal par — on this earth; jorī — the pair; vidrum — coral; phaṭik — crystal; vividh nirmit dhar — the ground made of many divine substances; nav karpūr — fresh camphor; parāg — flower-pollen; na thorī — not a little, in abundance; komal kisalay — tender leaves; sayan — a bed; supesal — beautiful; tāpar — upon it; śyām — dark Śyāma; nivesit — seated; gorī — the fair one; mithun — the couple; hās-parihās — laughter and jest; parāyaṇ — absorbed; pīk — the red juice of betel; kapol — cheeks; kamal — like lotuses; jhorī — spread over; gaur śyām bhuj — the fair and dark arms; kalah — a loving quarrel; manohar — enchanting; nīvī-bandhan — the waist-knot; mocat — loosening; ḍorī — the cord; hari-ur-mukur — the mirror of Hari's chest; viloki — seeing; apanapau — her own reflection; vibhram — confusion; vikal — restless; mān-jut — filled with loving sulking; bhorī — innocent, simple-hearted; cibuk — the chin; sucāru — beautiful; praloi — touching; prabodhat — He explains; piya-pratibiṁb — the Beloved's reflection; janāy — showing; nihorī — humbly pleading; neti-neti — "no, no"; bacanāmṛt — nectar-like words; suni-suni — hearing; lalitādik — Lalitā and the other sakhīs; dekhat — watch; duri — from afar; corī — secretly; jaya śrīhita harivaṁśa — says Śrī Hita Harivaṁśa; karat kar dhūnan — pulling with her hand; praṇayakop — loving anger; mālāvali — the garland; torī — She breaks.

Translation

Today, in the beautiful grove, the ever-fresh youth Kṛṣṇa and the ever-fresh maiden Rādhā are at play. Their mutual love is supremely incomparable — listen, such a wonderful pair is rare on this earth. The ground is made of coral, crystal and many divine substances, and the fragrance of fresh camphor and flower-pollen fills the air in abundance. A bed of tender leaves lies beautifully spread, and upon it Śyāma has lovingly seated the fair Gorī. The couple is absorbed in laughter and jest, and the red of betel juice spreads over their lotus cheeks. The loving quarrel of the fair and dark arms is enchanting, as the cord of the waist-knot is playfully loosened. Seeing her own reflection in the mirror of Hari's chest, the innocent Rādhā grows confused and filled with loving sulking, as if another heroine stood there. Her Beloved touches her beautiful chin and humbly explains that it is only her own reflection. Hearing Her nectar-like words of "no, no", Lalitā and the other sakhīs watch secretly from afar. Says Śrī Hita Harivaṁśa — in Her loving anger, Rādhā pulls at her Beloved's garland and breaks it.

Explanation

This pad opens a window into the nikuñja, where Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa play like two young lovers. Even Her sulking is a colour of love: She mistakes Her own reflection in Kṛṣṇa's chest for a rival, and He gently reassures Her. The sakhīs watch from afar, and Śrī Hita Harivaṁśa shows that in divine love, a little quarrel only deepens the sweetness.

Summary

In the grove, laughter, innocent sulking and loving quarrel blend into one — the whole pad is filled with the sweetness of Śyāmā-Śyāma's nikuñja pastimes.

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