Verse Text
tan-mohanatā, yathā –
vidūrān mārāgniṁ hṛdaya-ravi-kānte prakaṭayann
udasyan dharmenduṁ vidadhad abhito rāga-paṭalam |
kathaṁ hā nas trāṇaṁ sakhi mukulayan bodha-kumudaṁ
tarasvī kṛṣṇābabhre madhurima-bharārko ’bhyudayate ||326||
Translation
The attractiveness of the middle period of youth: O friend! Has an energetic sun full of sweetness arisen in the black sky called Kṛṣṇa? From a distance He has ignited the fire of passion in the sūryakānta jewel [Note: The sūryakānta jewel or sun stone is said to catch the rays of the sun and then give off heat. Thus the gopīs hearts become hot with spiritual passion from being exposed to the sun of Kṛṣṇa.] of my heart and produced a mass of red clouds in all directions. He has made the moon of dharma set, and transformed the blooming night lotus of discrimination into a mere budding state. How can we be delivered from this condition?
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Abhra means sky in this context (though sometimes it means cloud). The red color refers to the intense thirst created by the passion.
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
There is the following statement by one gopī, describing Kṛṣṇa’s attractive feature during this age: “My dear friend, just see how all of a sudden in the sky of Kṛṣṇa there is a powerful rising sun and how this rising sun is minimizing the rays of our chastity moon. Our attraction for Kṛṣṇa is so intense that it is drying up the lotus flower of our discrimination, and we are losing our senses in deciding whether we shall continue as chaste women or be victimized by the beauty of Kṛṣṇa. My dear friend, I think that we have lost all hope of life!”