Jagat

This post was cut out of the previous Gopāla-vijaya: Dāna-līlā Part III , since there is mention there of Krishna being hit by the arrows of Cupid. This is a big theme throughout the Gita Govinda and in all Indian love poetry. As much as it is in the West: "being pierced by the arrows of Cupid" is a trope that is easily understood both in East and West. However, there is an entire chapter in SKK called Bāna-khaṇḍa , covering 26 songs, from 282 to 308. Since there are several immediate questions in my mind related to this chapter, I am going to give a summary of it here. It is interesting for this reason that here Krishna shoots Radha with Cupid's arrow. But this is idiosyncratic for several reasons. After all, one ordinarily does not have the power to make someone fall in love with you, that is why the third party or external force named "Cupid" has been devised in the first place. At the same time, since Krishna in the Gaudiya tradition at lease is the na...

(5) Chapter 40 (43) [Krishna said] 1. "What you are saying is all very good and sweet, Radhe, but it crushes my heart like a thunderbolt. 2. So I have let you go, now you tell me how much you are going to pay me in taxes." This back and forth banter is the only such conversation in the GoVi Dana-lila, whereas it is a prominent feature of SKK. [Radha] 3. "Alright, you want to collect taxes and so you are blocking our way. If you know how to collect taxes, then you will end up in Kamsa's hands ." [Krishna] 4. "Why are you threatening me with King Kamsa? I don't consider even a million kings like Kamsa any better than a dog." [Radha] 5. "No one becomes great by putting others down. The sun does not seem so beautiful to a firefly." [Krishna] 6. "O Radhe! Don't, just don't, go comparing me to Kamsa. Where was he when I killed Putana? 7. What did he do to me when I sucked the life out of the witch [sister bhagin ī , p...