Radha Krishna - Chapter 30: The Gopîs Search for Krishna Gone with Râdhâ

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'When the Supreme Lord so suddenly disappeared were the young ladies of Vraja just as sorry not to see Him as she-elephants missing their bull. (2) The smitten ones who in their hearts were overwhelmed by the movements, affectionate smiles, playful glances, charming talks and other games of enticement of the husband of Ramâ, enacted absorbed in Him each of those wonderful activities. (3) The dear ones lost in the movements, smiles, beholding, talking and so on of their Beloved - who factually thus was speaking through the women their bodies - doing so intimated intoxicated by Krishna's ways: 'He's all in me!' (4) So all together singing aloud about Him, searched they like mad hither and thither in the forest and inquired they with the trees for the Original Personality present alike the sky inside and outside: (5) 'O as'vattha [holy fig tree], o plaksha [waved-leaf fig tree], o nyagrodha [banyan], have you seen the son of Nanda, who has gone away after He with His loving smiles and glances stole our minds? (6) O kurabaka [red amaranth], as'oka, nâga, punnâga and campaka, have you seen passing by the younger brother of Balarâma who with His smile removes the pride of each girl that is too haughty? (7) O sweet tulsî, loving Govinda's feet so much, have you seen our dearest Acyuta who carries you with swarms of bees around Him? (8) O mâlati, jâti, yûthikâ and mallikâ jasmine, have you seen Mâdhava pass by, with His touch giving you pleasure? (9) O cûta [mango creeper], priyâla, jambu [jackfruit], âsana, o kovidâra [mountain ebony], rose-apple, arka, bel-fruit, bakula [mimosa], and âmra [mango tree]; o kadamba and nîpa and who else of you who for the sake of others live here near the bank of the Yamunâ, please be so kind to tell us, bewildered of mind, the path that Krishna took. (10) O earth, what austerity is it that you have performed to have been touched by Kes'ava's feet with a joy that made your bodily hair [her grasses and such] stand on end? Or do you maybe owe your beauty to the feet of Vâmanadeva [see 8.18-22] or are you so beautiful because you were trodden and embraced by the body of Varâha [3.13]? (11) O deer wife, o friend, have you encountered Acyuta with His Beloved here, who with all His limbs is a festival to your eyes; there's the fragrance in the air of the Master of the Gopîs His garland colored by the kunkum of being in touch with the breasts of His Girlfriend. (12) O trees, when Râma's younger brother passed by, with His arm placed on the shoulder of His sweetheart, holding a lotus and with the tulsî flowers swarming with bees following blindly of intoxication - did He with His loving glances acknowledge your bowing down? (13) Let's ask these creepers, even though they embrace the arms of their master tree; they sure must have noticed the touch of His fingernails, just see how their skins erupt with joy!'

(14) The gopîs thus speaking madly got, distraught in their search for Krishna, fully immersed in Him, to which each of them acted out a pastime of their Lord of Fortune. (15) One of them as Krishna drank with another one as Pûtanâ like an infant from her breast, while another acting for the cart was kicked over by the foot of another gopî crying [see chapters 10.6 and 7]. (16) One gopî acting for Krishna was carried away by another gopî imitating a Daitya [Trinâvarta, see 10.7] while yet another one crawling about was tinkling with her anklebells as she dragged her feet. (17) Two as Krishna and Râma and some acting like the gopas killed one doing Vatsâsura while another one with one more did Bakâsura [see 10.11]. (18) Just like Krishna calling for the cows far away was one, who playing in imitation vibrated a flute, by the other gopîs praised with 'Good so!' (19) One of them walked about with her arm placed over a shoulder and declared: 'Look, I am Him, moving so graciously!' and was thus keeping her mind on Him. (20) 'Don't you fear that wind and rain, your deliverance has been arranged by Me' thus spoke one with one hand managing to lift up her upper garment [like it was Govardhana Hill, see: 10.25]. (21) O master of men, one that climbed on top of another one declared with her foot on her head: 'O wicked snake, go away, I have taken birth as the one to chastise the envious!' [see 10.16] (22) Then one said: 'O gopas, see the forest fire so fierce; quickly close your eyes, I'll arrange for your protection as easy as that!' (23) One slender gopî tied up by another gopî with a flower garland said: 'There You are, I bind You to the mortar, You potbreaker and butterthief!' and with that spoken covered one her face and beautiful eyes pretending to be afraid.

(24) This way engaged and asking everywhere in Vrindâvana the trees and the creepers where He was, saw they at one spot in the forest the Supreme Soul His footprints: (25) 'Indeed these are clearly the footprints of the son of Nanda as evidenced by the flag, the lotus, the thunderbolt, the barleycorn and the elephant goad [see footnote*]. (26) Guided by the various footprints following His trail noticed the girls to their dismay that they all the way were accompanied by the footprints of one of them, upon which they said: (27) 'And to whom of us belong these footprints next to the ones of the son of Nanda; over whose shoulder has He as a bull with a she-elephant placed His arm? (28) He must have been perfectly venerated [ârâdhitah, see Râdhâ] as the Supreme One Lord and Controller by Her since Govinda so being pleased has turned us down and taken Her separate. (29) O girls, how sacred are the particles of dust of Govinda's lotus feet that by Brahmâ, S'iva and Ramâdevî [Lakshmî] are taken on their heads to dispel the sins. (30) For us are these footprints of Her more then unsettling because who of us gopîs was taken aside to enjoy Acyuta's lips in seclusion? Look, here we don't see Her feet, the blades of grass and sprouts must have hurt the soles of Her tender feet so that Her Love lifted His Sweetheart up. (31) Carrying His sweetheart pressed the footprints much deeper, just see o gopîs, how, burdened by the weight, our so intelligent object of desire Krishna has placed His girlfriend down to pick some flowers. (32) And see these half footprints here; to gather flowers for His Sweetheart made the Beloved this imprint standing on His toes. (33) Further to arrange the design of Her hair sat the affectionate one with His longing girl down precisely here in order to make for His Beloved from the flowers a crown.'

(34) [S'rî S'uka said:] 'He, even though He by the Soul was perfectly contented and in Himself complete, had a good time with Her and thus demonstrated the state of being fallen typical for people in love, as also the self-centered of its femininity. (35-36) This way thus showing for which gopî Krishna had abandoned the other women, the other gopîs who completely bewildered wandered in the forest, thought She therefrom of Herself: 'With Me as the best of all women, is He, rejecting the gopîs that are lead by lust, accepting Me as His Beloved!'

(37) Going then to that spot in the forest said She, getting proud, to Krishna: 'I cannot move on, please carry Me to wherever You want'.

(38) Thus addressed said He to His Beloved: 'Climb on my back' and with these words Krishna disappeared to the pain of His consort.

(39) 'O Master, o Lover, o Dearest, where are You, where are You? O mighty armed One, please My friend show Yourself to Me, Your wretched maidservant!'

(40) S'rî S'uka said: 'The gopîs not far away following the trail of the Supreme Lord discovered their unhappy friend in a state of being bewildered about Her separation from Her Beloved. (41) To their utter amazement heard they Her saying that She had received Mâdhava's respect but that He also because of Her being demanding had let Her down. (42) They thereupon entered as far as the light of the moon permitted into the forest, but finding themselves in the dark desisted the women. (43) Absorbed in Him, discussing Him, imitating Him and filled with His presence simply singing His qualities they no longer remembered their homes [see also 7.5: 23-24]. (44) Turning back to the bank of the Yamunâ meditated they, all singing together, on Krishna, eagerly awaiting His arrival.'