VMA 2.30-32 : The ever youthful Divine Couple sport in the kunjas of Vrindavan

Painting by Vrindavan Das

nava-kanaka-campakāvali-

dalitendīvara-suvṛnda-nindita-śrīḥ |

vṛndāvana-nava-kuñje

kiśora-mithunaṁ tad eva bhaja rasikam ||2.30||

paricara caraṇa-sarojaṁ

tad gaura-śyāma-rasika-dampatyoḥ |

vṛndāvana-nava-kuñjā-

valiṣu mahānaṅga-vihvalayoḥ ||2.31||

atikandarpa-rasonmadam

aniśaṁ vivardhiṣṇu tan-mithaḥ-prema |

ghana-pulaka-gaura-nīlā-

kṛti nava-mithunaṁ nikuñja-maṇḍale smara ||2.32||

O mind!
Worship the youthful couple,
whose splendor eclipses hosts
of newly-blossomed golden champaka flowers
and fully-blossomed blue lotuses,
and who enjoy the sweetness of transcendental pastimes
in the newly-blossomed groves of Vrindavan. (30)

Serve the lotus feet
of the fair and dark charming divine couple
overwhelmed with amorous passion
in the newly-blossoming groves of Vrindavan. (31)

Please meditate on the youthful couple
whose love for each other is ever increasing,
the hairs on their fair and dark forms stand erect in ecstasy,
intoxicated by the sweet nectar
of their amorous pastimes in this forest grove. (32)

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These three verses share a common theme and they also share a similar Arya type meter, one of the moric meters that are dear to Sanskrit poets like Kavi Karnapur, Jiva Goswami and Govardhan Acharya.

It is an exhortation to the mind to Worship, serve, and meditate on the ever fresh and ever youthful Divine Couple in the ever fresh blossoming groves of Vrindavan, eternally enjoying their ever fresh amorous pastimes. Jai Sri Radhe! Jai Jai Sri Radhe Shyam!!

As such it reminds us of another poem by Prabodhananda called Prema-vilāsa-stotra. This poem is known to Gaudiyas as Nikuïja-rahasya-stava (NRS) and is credited to Rupa Goswami, even though this ascription cannot be testified. I had always suspected that it was Prabodhananda’s composition on the basis of his clearly recognizable style, and it was confirmed to me when I found out that there is a Radhavallabhi version with a somewhat different reading. It was given as an appendix to Kishori Sharan Ali’s translation and commentary on Rädhä-rasa-sudhä-nidhi (RRSN). The number of verses is the same, but their order is different in the two versions. One verse in each is different near the end. It is hard to know what to make of this except that it is again part of the ambiguity of Prabodhananda Saraswatipada, who straddles both of these Vrindavan traditions.

The theme of the Prema-vilāsa-stotra or Nikuïja-rahasya-stava is very similar to these three verses. You can find a translation of the NRS in two parts on this blog.

Nikunja-rahasya-stava 1
Nikunja-rahasya-stava 2

I think the best meditation today would be to continue to follow Prabodhananda's vision of the intimate pastimes in the forest groves of Vrindavan. We have already seen in VMA 1.9 that Prabodhananda's vision of Radha Krishna's pastimes is very narrow, confined to this divine moment of their union. In PVS, it is always their first time.

nava-lalita-vayaskau nūtna-lāvaṇya-puñjau
nava-rasa-cala-cittau nūtana-prema-vṛttau |
nava-nidhuvana-līlā-kautukenātilolau
smara nibhṛta-nikuñje rādhikā-kṛṣṇa-candrau ||

Oh my mind!
Just meditate on Radha and Krishna within the hidden nikunjas.
See them in the freshness of youth,
the fullness of sparkling loveliness personified,
their minds flickering with the desire
to taste the fresh delights of Eros,
every one of their acts ordained
by the blossoming of their new love.
They tremble with eagerness to engage
in unsullied lovemaking pastimes.
(PVS 19, NRS 1)

prathama-milana-bhītodbhāsitāśvāsa-vācau
priyatama-bhuja-rodha-vyagra-hastau ratotkau |
alam alam iti līlā-gadgadokty-unmadāndhau
smara nibhṛta-nikuñje rādhikā-kṛṣṇa-candrau ||

Oh my mind!
Just remember Radha and Krishna within the hidden nikunjas!
Radharani is full of fear due to this being her first tryst with Krishna,
so he tries to calm her with various entreaties.
Although Radha nervously obstructs her beloved’s roaming hands,
both thirst equally for rati!
Radha says, “Enough, enough!” in a faltering voice,
but that simply increases
the intoxicated blindness of Krishna’s love.
(PVS 20, NRS 3)

druta-kanaka-sugaura-snigdha-meghaugha-nīla-
cchavibhir akhila-vṛndāraṇyam udbhāsayantau |
mṛdula-nava-dukūle nīla-pīte dadhānau
smara nibhṛta-nikuñje rādhikā-kṛṣṇa-candrau ||

Oh my mind!
Just meditate on Radha and Krishna within the hidden nikunjas!
Radha’s bodily hue is like that of molten gold,
and Krishna’s resembles a soft, deep-blue rain cloud.
Dressed in soft fresh garments of bright yellow and deep blue,
their combined effulgence illumines the entire Vrindavan forest.
(PVS 1, NRS 2)

satata-surata-tṛṣṇā-vyākulāv unmadiṣṇū
vipula-pulaka-rājad-gaura-nīlojjvalāṅgau |
mitha uru-parirambhād eka-dehāyamānau
smara nibhṛta-nikuñje rādhikā-kṛṣṇa-candrau ||

Always anxious from the thirst for surata-keli,
this surata-līlā now intoxicates them.
Their bright black and gold bodies swell with horripilation.
From the crushing embrace in which they hold each other,
it seems that they are becoming one body.
Oh my mind!
Just meditate on Radha and Krishna within the hidden nikunjas!
(PVS 6, NRS 10)

parama-rasa-rahasyānanda-niḥsyandi-vṛndā-
vana-vipina-nikuñje divya-divyair vilāsaiḥ |
niravadhi rasamānau rādhikā-kṛṣṇa-candrau
bhaja sakalam upekṣya tāvakāḥ śāstra-yuktīḥ ||31||

Radha-Keli Chand’s most secret
and divine Vrindavan nikunja keli
oozes an ocean of delight.

Hey bhaktas!
You who relish the divine moods and flavors!
Just discard other thoughts, family attachment and the Vedic strictures
to perform exclusive bhajan of the Divine Couple
as they relish these lovemaking pastimes!

VMA 2.29 : Some dark ineffable youth has taken form to play here
VMA 2.28 : If one could constantly sing sweetly of your virtues
VMA 2.27 : Bathe in the dust of the residents of this supremely effulgent realm
VMA 2.26 : Vrindavan, the essence of all things
VMA 2.25 : Vrindavan's divine sylvan virtues
VMA 2.24 : Becoming the crest jewel of the most fortunate
VMA 2.23 : Vrindavan, a most elevated substance, my great good fortune
VMA 2.22 : Remember Radha's kinkaris in Vrindavan
VMA 2.21 : Vrindavan is flooded with Radha prema
VMA 2.20 : What gives Vrindavan its effulgence?