Continuing my Krishna Verses

रामावतारे भार्यासीदेका ते मधुसूदन ।

एकां भार्यां रक्षतस्तेऽभवद् रामायणं महत् ।।४३२।।

O Krishna, in your Rama incarnation you had only one wife, and in protecting that one wife the great Ramayana occurred.


गोकुले यमुनातीरे गोपिकाभिर्भ्रमन् हरे ।

तासामसूयया कृष्ण स्पृष्टस्त्वं कृष्णतां गत: ।।४३३।।

Wandering on the bank of Yamuna with the milkmaids, touched by their jealously, O Krishna, you became dark.


त्वयि प्रीताश्च ता: सर्वा असूयन्ते परस्परम् ।

अन्यया सह नृत्यन्तं न सहन्ते कदाचन ।।४३४।।

All of them, in love with you, are jealous of each other.  They cannot tolerate you dancing with another one.


काचिद् हृष्यति दृष्ट्वा त्वामदृष्ट्वा दु:खितापरा । 

कस्याश्चिद् विरहोऽसह्य: काचिन्मत्ता त्वया सह ।।४३५।।

One is excited seeing you, while another one is sad not seeing you.  For someone, the separation is intolerable, while someone is thrilled with you.


हसन्ति काश्चिदन्यास्तु रुदन्ति तव कारणात् ।

सर्वास्ता व्याकुलीभूतास्त्वय्येवासक्तचेतस: ।।४३६।।

Some laugh and others cry on account of you.  With their minds attacheered to you, they are all tormented.


यमुनातीरमायाता: परित्यज्य गृहाङ्गणम् ।

ताभि: किमन्यत् त्यक्तव्यं त्वदर्थं ब्रूहि माधव ।।४३७।।

Having abandoned their own courtyards, they have come to the bank of Yamuna.  O Krishna, tell us what else should they abandon for you.


अनन्यभाजमिच्छन्ति सर्वास्त्वां गोपिका हरे ।

कथं त्वमेक: सर्वासां प्रणयं पूरयिष्यसि ।।४३८।।

O Krishna, all the milkmaids want you to be not interested in anyone else.  How can you, the one, fulfill the love for all of them?


Madhav M. Deshpande
Professor Emeritus
Sanskrit and Linguistics
University of Michigan
[Residence: Campbell, California]