Scene 2


* 18 (Krsna, as previously described, enters)
Krsna: (Looking ahead, He joyfully says) I think a host of crystal mountains, pretending to be these beautiful cows, has come here. Or perhaps it is the Mandakini Ganga River from the city of Indra that has come, disguised as these cows, to please and serve the glorious Yamuna River that now plays in Vrindavana.

* 19 Nanda: Child, You speak well. Look behind us at the beauty of Vraja. (He turns around.) From Govardhana to Kaliya Lake, Your land of Vraja is very beautiful, like a great ocean of beauty glorious with many palaces and go Salas.

* 20 (a) Krsna: Friend Madhumangala, My father and mother have come to Me from far away. I should quickly go to Vraja Village with My mother.
Yashoda: Son, why did You not remember to come home in the afternoon? The delicious lunch I carefully cooked is growing cold.

* 20 (b) Madhumangala: (At the beginning of this speech, Krsna affectionately glances at Madhumangala.) O queen of Gokula, please listen. I swear on the cows that Krsna is not at fault. He stays in the forest because He is attracted by all the playful girls.. . . (Madhumangala's speech remains unfinished.)

* 20 (c) Krsna: (embarrassed, He says in an aside) This fool will describe My pastimes with the gopis. I must signal him to stop.
Madhumangala: O friend, why do You stop as I speak to Your saintly mother?
Krsna: (aside) Alas, because of this fool I have fallen into a trap of embarrassment.
Madhumangala: Dear mother, what I meant was: Krsna, who wears yellow garments, stays in the forest to play with His friends, the cowherd boys.

* 21 (a) Krsna: (joyful, He says in an aside) How can any other desire stay in My heart?
Yashoda : Child Madhumangala, it is true. Lalita and the other gopis all tell : `Those boys harass us'.

* 21 (b) Nanda: Wife, in Gokula is there a suitable young girl we can marry to this boy?
Yashoda : noble master, He is only a little boy. The milk is still in His mouth. Is this the right time to marry Him?
Madhumangala: (to Krsna, aside) Friend, it is true that You have milk in Your mouth. Still, thousands of teenage gopis, greedy after that milk, drink from Your mouth.

* 21 (c) Nanda: Child, look! Look! O Mukunda fragrant like a lotus flower, her eyes resting in the handsomeness of Your moonlike face, again and again Your mother showers her garments with the milk flowing from her waterpot breasts.

* 22 (Nanda joyfully embraces Krsna) O Krsna, the great festival of Your touch brings to a cool sweetness that defeats camphor, moonlight, nalada roots, lotus flowers, and sandal paste.

* 23 (a) Krsna: Father, pulled by hunger, the cows wait for Me. Please return home.
Nanda: As the child says. (Affectionately gazing at Krsna, Nanda and Yashoda exit.)

* 23 (b) Krsna: (looking ahead) The sweet, fragrant honey oozing from newly grown mango buds is again and again attracting groups of bumblebees, and this forest is trembling in the softly moving breezes from the Malaya Hills, which are full of sandalwood trees. Thus the forest of Vrindavana is increasing My transcendental pleasure.*

* 24 Rama: My dear friend Sridama, see how this forest of Vrindavana is full of transcendental creepers and trees. The tops of the creepers are full of flowers, and intoxicated bumblebees are buzzing around them, humming songs that please the ear and surpass even the Vedic hymns.*

* 25 (a) Krsna: Friend Madhumangala, staying here with you and the others, I will delight creatures of Vrindavana forest, with the sound of My flute. (Krsna places the flute to His lips.)
Rama: (with wonder) Look! They are becoming the opposite of what they were!

* 25 (b)
When Krsna, playing by the Yamuna's bank, kisses His flute, the waters of the streams become stunned and solid, the rocks become soft and melt, and the mountains, no longer standing still, tremble and walk about.

* 26 Madhumangala: Oh! Oh! Wonderful! Drinking flood of nectar that is sweet sound of Krsna's flute, the cows are stunned with bliss. now they are all sprinkling the flowers with great flowing waves of milk.

* 27 (a) (With a hand He pushes Krsna.) Dear friend, why be proud? By its very nature, this flute makes everyone wild with bliss. You are only the flute's helper.

* 27 (b) (A voice in the sky): The transcendental vibration of Krsna's flute blocked the movements of the rain clouds, struck the Gandharvas full of wonder, and agitated the meditation of great saintly persons like Sanaka and Sananda. It created wonder in Lord Brahma, wrought intense curiosity that agitated the mind of Bali Maharaja, who was otherwise firmly fixed, made Maharaja Ananta, the carrier of the planets, whirl around, and penetrated the strong coverings of the universe. Thus the sound of the flute in the hands of Krsna created a wonderful situation.*

* 28 (a) Rama: (Looking up, He happily says to Himself) Why does Narada, hiding in the clouds, recite poetry and play his vina?
(A soft an indistinct sound is again manifest in the sky.)
Madhumangala: (looking up, frightened) Help! Help! Run away! Run away!
Sridama: Fool, why do you speak all this nonsense?

* 28 (b) Madhumangala: (frightened, looking upwards) Foolish gopa, don't you see? Riding on a swan, and accompanied by a naked ghost grabbing many snakes, a four-headed yaksha or rakshasa approaches us.
(Madhumangala looks again and trembles). Let by that demon whose body is covered by eyes, all those demons are about to attack us from the sky. That's what I think. I think they are all about to become Kamsa's servants.
(Frightened Madhumangala hides, placing his head behind Krsna.)

* 28 (c) Krsna: (aside) Why, attracted by the sweetness of the flute-music, do the kings of the directions now hide in the clouds?
(Krsna again plays the flute.)

* 28 (d) Madhumangala: (Looking and sighing deeply). These wicked demons agitated, stunned, and frightened merely by the sound of My friend's flute. I am alive! O wicked demons! Stand! Stand! By cursing you, or by striking you with arrows from my bow, I will crush your bald heads! (Shaking a stick, Madhumangala jumps about).

* 28 (e) Rama: (smiling) Friend, don't talk like that. These two person are Brahma and Siva. On their left are Indra and the leaders of the demigods.
Madhumangala: Indeed! (He sighs with relief.) I knew all along. I was only joking. But you were afraid. Thinking the demigods were rakshasas, you were going to run away.
Krsna: (smiling) Friend of the demigods, in others you see your own foolishness.

* 28 (f) Rama: Look! Look! Overcome with ecstasy as with eight ears he listens to Krsna's flute-music, Brahma rolls about on the back of his swan.

* 29 (Again there is vina music in the sky.)
When, splendid with the nectar moonlight of flute music, the moon of Krsna's face rises, the ocean of the demigod Siva floods beyond it's boundaries.

* 30 Rama: Just see how, after hearing the transcendental sound of Krsna's flute, Indra, the king of heaven, is crying in his heavenly kingdom! From his teardrops falling on the ground, Vrindavana appears to have become a celestial residence for the demigods.*

* 31 (a) Krsna: (aside) My thoughts turn away from playing before these elderly demigods. I will go ahead. (He goes under some trees.) Friend Madhumangala, look at the sweetness of the of the forest in spring.

* 31 (b) My dear friend, this forest of Vrindavana is giving great pleasure to our senses in various ways. Somewhere bumblebees are singing in groups, and in some places mild breezes are cooling the entire atmosphere. Somewhere the creepers and tree twigs are dancing, the mallika flowers are expanding their fragrance, and an overabundance of juice is constantly flowing in showers from pomegranate fruits.*

* 32 (a) Madhumangala: Friend, how can I be happy in Your Vrindavana forest? I am always afraid some thug will attack . I become happy when I see the four kinds of delicious food Gokula's queen cooks, food that charms all the senses.

* 32 (b) Krsna: Friend, you should bow down before Vrindavana Forest, which has ancient flowering-vines with the power to fulfil your desires.

* 32 (c) Madhumangala: Dear friend, everyone says You are very truthful. I will now conduct an experiment to see if this is true. (Madhumangala folds his palms). O flowering-vines, I bow down before you. My friend is very hungry. Please give Him many sweet ladu candies.

* 32 (d) (Carrying a plate of candies in her hand, Paurnamasi enters.)
Paurnamasi: O boy with a face like the moon, please take these candies delightful to the tongue.
Rama: (smiling) Friend, see the generosity of this ancient flowering-vine!
Paurnamasi: Balarama, everyone says that elderly gopi is very generous.
Krsna: noble lady, which elderly gopi do you mean?
Paurnamasi: The gopi Mukhara, O boy with a face like the moon.

note: Here Krsna uses the word "jarad-vallari" (ancient flowering-vine). Paurnamasi mishears Him and thinks He said "jarad-ballavi" (ancient gopi).

* 32 (e) Krsna: Why does she unexpectedly send these laddu candies to us?
Paurnamasi: Her granddaughter will accept the hand of Abhimanyu. Following tradition, she is distributing gifts to celebrate.

* 32 (f) Krsna: Who is her granddaughter?
Paurinamasi: Her name is Radha, and She is delightful like moonlight.

* 32 (g) Krsna: (The hairs of His body stand upright, and He says to Himself:) In the talk of My two mothers I heard how glorious this girl is. (He becomes embarrassed and trembles.)
Paurnamasi: (aside) Understanding Krsna's embarrassment, on some pretext Balarama has gone from Krsna's left side.

* 32 (h) Krsna: (again, He say to Himself:) To conceal these ecstatic symptoms, I should change the subject of our talking. (speaking openly) noble lady, this spring day is glorious with a festival of many ornaments. Look! These ancient vines are blossoming with many flowers!

* 32 (i) Paurnamasi: (smiling) Hero Krsna, the day of Your festival has come. Thirsting to gather many flowers and leaves, the playful gopis will soon come here.

* 32 (j) Krsna: (Smiling, He looks at her with crooked eyes.) noble lady, what is that? Paurnamasi: (laughing) Playful boy, don't worry. It is not against Your wishes. I will say what I mean. When the gopis' houses are empty, You and Your friends will happily steal their butter and yogurt.

* 32 (k) Krsna: Rogue, why do you laugh? Look! Those branches and twigs in My Vrindavana forest were broken by the gopis when they picked the soft flowers. It is your duty to stop them.

* 32 (l) Paurnamasi: Enchanting boy, It is You, decorated with many flowers, that make the gopis yearn to have flowers. How can I stop them?

note: Ambiguous, this verse may also mean:

"Enchanting boy, It is You, decorated with many flowers, that fill the gopis with passionate desires. How can I stop them?"

* 32 (m) Krsna: O lady with hair white like crane feathers, with these words you walk a crooked path. You will not renounce your allegiance to these offender-gopis.

* 32 (n) Paurnamasi: Handsome boy, why are Radha and the gopis now offenders? They will only steal a few flowers from Your favorite punnaga tree.

note: The ambiguous second sentence may also be translated:

"They will only steal the heart of You, the best of males."

* 32 (o) Krsna: (aside) Ah! Why has destiny again brought Me news of Radha, news enchants My heart.
Madhumangala: (aside) Why does the name Radha excite Him so? (openly) Friend, don't become so thirsty after this.

* 32 (p) Krsna: (simultaneously angry and affectionate) Talkative friend, to hell with you! After what do I thirst?
Madhumangala: Oh! Don't be angry! I was talking about these sweet "manohara" candies.

note: Madhumangala's words are ambiguous. They may also mean:

"Oh! Don't be angry! I was talking about the beautiful gopis that have stolen Your heart."

* 32 (q) Krsna: Friend, I misunderstood. But these aren't the laddu candies that are called "manohara" They are the laddus called "mauktika".
Madhumangala: (laughs) Friend, I would not try to fool You with a pun on the name of the star Radha. Why would I try to fool You?

* 32 (r) Paurnamasi: (aside) In truth, the brahmana boy is teasing Krsna. His heart overcome with love, Krsna is now embarrassed. now all my desires are fulfilled. (openly) The star Radha moves in the sky, the home of Lord Vishnu. How can anyone in the world of humans attain Her? O handsome boy, what is the use of longing after Her?

* 33 (s) Krsna: (Smiling, He glances at the sky. Then He approaches Balarama). noble friend, it is already late in the afternoon. Please take the cows to the Yamuna's shore and let them satisfy their thirst. Please enjoy these delicious laddu candies. I will rest for a moment with my dear friends Sridama and Subala.
(Balarama and the cowherd boy friends exit.)

* 32 (t) Paurnamasi: (aside) I should go and see if the picture of Krsna is finished. (She respectfully takes leave of Krsna and then departs.)

* 32 (u) Krsna: (takes one step, and then pauses) Friend Sridama, have you ever seen this Radha, the most beautiful girl in the universe?

(Smiling with embarrassment, Sridama lowers his face.)

Subala: Friend, how can You ask if he has seen her? Radha is his sister.

* 32 (v) Krsna: Come. Let us go under these kadamba trees by the riverbank. Into pastimes of playing the flute I will throw this heart excited with thoughts of Radha, (They exit.)

* 32 (w) Paurnamasi: (Walking about, she looks ahead and becomes joyful.) Why is my child Radha here, playing and joking with a friend? (She hides behind a flowering-vine.)

* 33 (x) The beauty of Srimati Radharani's eyes forcibly devours the beauty of newly grown blue lotus flowers, and the beauty of Her face surpasses that of an entire forest of fully blossomed lotuses. Her bodily luster seems to place even gold in a painful situation. Thus the wonderful, unprecedented beauty of Srimati Radharani is awakening in Vrindavana.*

* 32 (y) not staying to joke with these two, I will go, hidden by these flowering vines, to Visakha.(Paurnamasi exits.)

* 33 (a) (Followed by Lalita, Radha enters.)

Radhika: Lalita, what is the noble lady doing?
Lalita: Friend, under that tamala tree she is making an altar to worship the sun-god.

* 33 (b) Radhika: (looking ahead) I think this must be Vrindavana Forest, whose sweetness you describe again and again.
Lalita: Friend, this is the banyan tree where Krsna enjoys pastimes.

* 33 (c) Radhika: (agitated, she says to herself:) What sweetness is in these two syllables? (openly) Friend, whom did you say?
Lalita: (intentionally smiling) I said Krsna.

* 33 (d) Radhika: (again, aside) Ah, this name charms the hearts of beautiful girls. What is the owner of this name like? (concealing her emotions, she speaks openly.) I will go and pick those gunja berries in the forest.