Our Mahâjan poet has put it very nicely –

“The very cool and fragrant breeze blew softly from the Malâbâr^[1]. However Hari has turned away from me, and therefore my body is burning in the fire of love.

The she-cuckoo is cooing sweetly while the bees are humming melodiously on the flowers. I am craving so much for Hari that I have decided to give up my body so that I get Him in my next life. All my sakhis sit around me and sing Harinâm. On hearing this I sit up (since I had fainted in viraha) and start singing in a new râginis. Lalitâ places me on her lap, while Vishâkhâ holds me tightly. Poet Shashi Shekhar says – my Precious One (Srimati Râdhârâni) is suffering so much pain as if Her heart is bursting. “

The loving pastimes of Sri Gopinâth with the gopis are extraordinarily beautiful. It is devoid of any desire for sense gratification and they only care for each other’s happiness. It is extremely pure and their conjugation is sweet. In the realm of love there is nothing more pure than this. Prem is a characteristic of Sri Bhagavân’s blissful potency. It arouses in the devotee a desire to serve Sri Bhagavân. Simultaneously, it arouses a desire in Sri Bhagavân to accept prem-sevâ from the devotee. Thus we see that Sri Krishna too experiences purva-râg just like Srimati Râdhârâni. However there is some difference in Their expressions. Srila Rupa Goswâmipâd has written –

“In the love affair between the gopis and Gopinâth, actually Sri Mâdhav should be expressing purva-râg first, since the lady-love is shy, hesitant and averse. Therefore, usually the lover manifests the symptoms of purva-râg first. However in this case, the gopis express purva-râg before Sri Krishna, and hence this meeting between Sri Bhagavân and bhakta becomes all the more sweet.”

– (Ujjwal-Neelmani, Shringâr bhed – 16)

Govinda has not yet seen Srimati Râdhârâni; He has simply heard Her name from a sakhi. Immediately His life was in peril. He is revealing His heart to a friend –

“Sakhi! As soon as you uttered the name ‘Râdhâ’ my ears and heart soothed. There are so many names in Gokul – but they never agitate my heart in this manner. How sweet is that name that it has filled my ears with honey! Her beauty is manifesting constantly in my heart and I feel as if I am living in the ocean of amritam. I am longing to set my eyes on Her. Poet Jadunandan says – O my heart! Weep for Govinda.”

Immediately on hearing Râdhâ-nâm Govinda felt the pangs inflicted by the Love-god. Her Holy Name spread His sweetness inside every pore of His body and conquered the empire of His heart. He said further –

“Why did you take the name of Râdhâ? At once it churned my heart! Sakhi! Why did you utter that name? Now nothing else appeals to me. Please describe Her incomparable beauty. I believe She is amritam personified. My eyes are longing to see Her – says poet Râdhâmohan dâs.”

There is no limit to Sri Krishna‘s anxiety. He wandered sometimes in the forest and at other times on the banks of the Yamunâ. The gardens on the banks were so beautiful; the woodlands were so attractive with the birds singing sweetly on beautiful trees. Everything excited Her memory in Him. He was always absorbed in Her and He appeared as if He were present in some far away place. His soul was yearning to see Priyâji, to meet Her. One day Srimati was going to the Yamunâ along with Her sakhis to bathe, and suddenly He got Her darshan!

“The beautiful and charming Râdhâ went to bathe in the Kâlindi, surrounded by Her companions. She looked as beautiful as the flower of kânchan-shirish and Her effulgence put sunshine to shame.

O my darling! My Precious One verily stole my heart. She looks so innocent, yet Her restless eyes turned out be an expert thief.

Her soft feet tread daintily on the scorching sand. Seeing this my eyes were full of tears and my lotus like eyes wanted to fly under her feet and encase them like sandals. Her eyes stole my heart and now my bosom is empty. The sinful Love-God is burning my body – poet Gobinda dâs knows it well.”

On getting Priyâji’s darshan, Shyâmsundar is sitting with an empty bosom. His heart is on edge. He just keeps on roaming aimlessly. By chance They ever come across each other, Their eyes meet and They exchange smiles. Both of Them make an offering of Their love to one another. In this manner, “anudin bâdholo abadhi nâ gelo” – Their love increased and has now attained the climax.

On the other hand, Kanhaiyâ’s change of mood has made mother Yashodâ quite a worried. He is no more interested in butter, and does not even drink up all the milk. She wonders what has happened. Mother is full of maternal love, and so she thinks He is ill. Has some evil planet cast His gaze on her dear child? Is there a handiwork some asur or demon behind this? She sought refuge at the lotus feet of Lord Nârâyan – “Dear Lord, please protect my Gopâl.” One night mother lovingly put her Gopâl in bed. When she left the room, all He did the entire night was to float in tears – He could not think of anything else other than Sri Râdhâ’s sweetness –

“Who is this golden lotus? Or is She a static lightning? Or am I seeing a golden-champak? I don’t know with what to compare this maiden, for Râi’s complexion is matchless in this world!

She is so radiant and Her face is resplendent like the full moon in the Sharad season. Pretty curls surround Her face, while a gem-studded chain adorns the parting of Her hair. Her teeth are as white as kunda-buds and honey seems to pour out of Her rosy lips. When She speaks it seems as if an unblemished moon is spewing nectar. A musk-dot sits prettily on Her chin, while wisps of curls surround Her golden cheeks (that resemble the lotus)

Two strings of pearls caress Her neck – they nestle on Her bosom as if the Gangâ is entwining around golden mountains. Shânkhâs^[2] dazzle when She swings Her hands and Her fingers are fine like the first phase of the moon. Her palms are like red-lilies while the nails gleam like gemstones. She wears pearl rings on Her fingers.

Her waist is so slim that we fear it may break any time; Her hips are so heavy and look beautiful when they sway with the kinkini-bells tinkling sweetly. Her thighs resemble inverted stems of banana and Her feet are so beautiful that Madan-mohan meditates on them with longing in His heart. Her toes are like rows of champak buds, while the toe-nails shine like mirrors. When She covers Her body with The blue odhni^[3], it looks as if the demon Râhu has swallowed the radiant full moon. And as it slips down, you feel that Râhu is now slowly releasing the moon after the eclipse. This is how poet Jadunâth feels.

In the morning, as usual, mother Yashomati was waking up her Gopâl – “O my darling son Neelmoni! Look, how high the sun has risen! Don’t you want to eat butter?” – But oooo mummy! What’s this – Gopâl??? Why are your eyes so red and swollen? Did you play too much in the Yamunâ yesterday? You got sore eyes.” Saying this, mother quickly brought a piece of yellow cloth and said, “Here, wipe your eyes with this, you’ll feel better.” As soon as He saw the yellow cloth, He remembered the golden-complexioned Râdhâ. Right in front of His mother a few drops of tears rolled down His cheeks. Mother Yashodâ was worried and asked Kundalatâ, “Kunda, my dear child, my Gopâl has got sore eyes; He is supposed to feel better if He wipes His eyes in a yellow cloth, but I see He is feeling worse, why so?” Kundalatâ is Sri Krishna’s sister-in-law; she had diagnosed His illness quite rightly. She said with laughter in Her voice – “dear Mâ, yellow cloth will not cure your son – better you arrange His marriage. I don’t like the look in His eyes at all.” Mother Nandarâni^[4] laughed it off – “Kundalatâ speaks such nonsense! Her milk-baby has hardly crossed six and has now stepped on seven; in fact He’s such a baby, He still hasn’t given up suckling. Her dear Gopâl doesn’t understand anything about marriage and such topics. All He knows is how to graze the cattle and to play the flute.” Mother has pure maternal feelings; she is no mood to tolerate Kundalatâ’s advice. She has no idea at all that Her son, has crossed the threshold of childhood and is on the brink of youth. Actually, when a devotee is in the parental ras, he or she does not get such realization. Sri Krishna-realization is according to the ras in which a loving devotee resides. He is the eternal baby to His mother, His sakhâs find Him a mischievous cow-boy, He appears as the youthful Love-God to the Braja-beauties, while Srimati Râdhârâni experiences Him verily as Madan-Mohan (the One Who hypnotizes the Love-God). On the other hand, to Putanâ He is the Omniscient Annihilator.

To go cattle-grazing with the sakhâs is His daily pastime. Once upon a time He used to find it very attractive. Sri Krishna used to look forward to accompanying the Braja-boys with a herd of cattle and go dancing with them. When He went with the cattle the roads and side-walks would echo with the sound of the conch-shells played by women, and other auspicious sounds. Even the gods and goddesses waited eagerly behind the clouds to get darshan of this attractive scenario. How the women of Braja sent Him with fanfare – this made Him so happy! But today He did not like anything. His heart yearned to get the association of His sweetheart. The waves of erotic ras rushed through His soul. He suppressed His emotions and somehow spent the days – but it was becoming impossible! In addition the Sharad season was devastating! Sri Vrindaban that is naturally beautiful all year round was now agog with love-making. Sri Krishna Who was intoxicated with the wine of love admired these scenes as He entered Vrindaban with His sakhâs. Now Sripâd Shukamuni is starting the Venu-geet.