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Rahaḥ-kutūhala-vaha-bahala-rahaḥ-krīdā
Secret Pastimes With Many Secret Wonders and Pleasures
1. Snigdhakānta again described evening pastimes, saying: When the left the rāsa dance and turned to their homes, the gopīs did not fear their kinsmen, for Lord Kṛṣṇa's māyā potency had manifested duplicates of every gopi at every house. Aware of this, the gopīs simply returned home by the regular path.
2. Vṛndā arranged that many nights would be passed in nectar rāsa-dance pastimes. In many ways she helped Lord Govinda.
3. Vṛndā and the gopīs planted tamāla trees and splendid plants on the pathways leading far from Vraja, pathways Kṛṣṇa's gopī-beloveds traveled to meet Kṛṣṇa. In this way they served Lord Hari.
4. They made these arrangements in the various forests. Thus they helped Kṛṣṇa's gopī-beloveds enjoy rāsa-dance pastimes with Kṛṣṇa at night.
5. Again and again Kṛṣṇa embraces His gopī-beloveds, whose graceful thighs are like banana-tree trunks. Again and again He enjoys pastimes where they become like necklaces around Him. Again and again He holds them to His chest.
6. With the help of a gopī who is like the greatest cheater of all cheaters, Kṛṣṇa personally enters the gopīs houses. The following is a hint of the direction these pastimes take. Helped by Lalitā, Kṛṣṇa disguises Himself in Viśākhā's garments. In this disguise He enters Rādhā's house in the darkness of night. Sometimes with Viśākhā's help Kṛṣṇa disguises Himself in Lalitā's garments.
7. There, in the blinding darkness, to a contrary gopī He desired, Kṛṣṇa, pretending to be her gopī-friend, spoke these words: "The handsome-eyebrowed best of the gopas yearns to become your friend. That this is true I vow to you. Please accept His friendship."
8 and 9. If somehow the elderly gopīs enter the forest place near where lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa is enjoying pastimes with the teenage gopīs, Kṛṣṇa enjoys fun at the elder gopīs expense. With the help of His gopī-beloved, Kṛṣṇa expertly tricks the elder gopīs. For example, Kṛṣṇa may say:
"O elder gopī, a demigod now threatens both you and Me with fearful dangers. Pushed by his counselors, that demigod is about to crush these forests and pasturelands into powder. Therefore you should not go here and there in the forest."
10. In another situation a teenage gopī may say: "O elder gopī, the outline of a shark-shaped earring (you see) impressed into my kuṅkuma-anointed cheek was made by the earring of one of my gopī-friends. That is the truth. It was not made by me, nor was it made by one of my rivals. That is not a lie."
Translator's note: In this situation Lord Kṛṣṇa's shark-shaped earring was pressed against this gopī's kuṅkuma-anointed cheek, leaving an impression in the kuṅkuma. The elder gopī sees it and suspects Kṛṣṇa is the origin of the mark, but the younger gopī denies it, speaks a lie, and then denies she was lying.
11. In this verse the girl affirms that her gopī-friend made the mark and not one of her gopī-rivals. The poet repeating her words affirms here that the young gopī is lying.
Proṣita-bhartṛkā
(A Gopī Distraught Because Kṛṣṇa Has Gone to a Faraway Place)
12. A gopī who stays in Vraja and is distraught (at Kṛṣṇa's absence) is called proṣita-bhartṛkā.
13. Meditating on Such a gopī, Kṛṣṇa may think in this way: "You gaze at, talk with, touch, and embrace Rādhā.You are happy to see how She even imitates Your actions. Ah, You do not believe She is on the verge of death. If She dies, what will You say then? Will You be happy then?"
14. A gopī may say to Sri Kṛṣṇa: "For Her ornaments seem like the flames of a fire, and the flames of a fire seem like ornaments. How can others console Rādhā, now that She is separated from You?
15. "I clearly said, `You are Rādhā's very life's breath, and Rādhā is Your very life's breath." O master Kṛṣṇa, I am very wretched, for by continuing to live and breathe I now make light of these words I spoke."
Utkaṇṭhitā
(A Gopī Who Yearns To Meet Kṛṣṇa)
16. In this situation a gopī may say to Kṛṣṇa: Rādhā is pushed by an intense desire for Your association, but You are not pushed by any such desire. O Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā is not attracted to this happiness, the happiness of renunciation.
17. "With tears, trembling, becoming pale, faltering of the voice, standing erect of the body's hairs, perspiration, becoming stunned, and bewilderment, an intense yearning for Your association, a yearning like a particle of food caught in Her throat and choking Her breath, now torments Rādhā.
18. "O Kṛṣṇa, You possess all virtues. Your glory is free of any fault. Why, then, do You torment the heart of Rādhā, who is like virtue personified?"
Abhisārikā
(A Gopī Who Goes To Meet Kṛṣṇa)
19. A gopī may speak to Rādhā these joking words: " O girl walking with such determination, O girl with restless eyes, where are You going at sunset? I do not know the glorious destination that stays in the thoughts of Your heart. Still, when You see a dark tamāla tree, You become stunned and cannot move. Then You try to hide in the midst of all Your tricky gopī-friends.
20. "The sun, which is like a jewel glistening in the sky, now sets on the easten horizon. But You are hurrying to the east. I think You must be going to Kṛṣṇa. You must have services to render to Him."
21. The meeting of Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs is described in the following words: "Filled with ecstasy, other girls hurry to their rendezvous with Kṛṣṇa in the white moonlit night. Their blissful smiles, born from thinking of the touch of theor beloved Kṛṣṇa's body, have made their white garments and ornaments all pathetic and useless in comparison.
22. "Poets explain that the vraja-gopīs mistook the darkness of night for Kṛṣṇa Himself. Still, the secret truth is that Kṛṣṇa is indeed very like that darkness.
23. "From the beginning the gopīs' hearts trembled. As they began to walk, their feet became stunned. When in their hearts they saw Kṛṣṇa meeting with them, their bodies became stunned. Destiny is the supreme cause that brought these gopīs with gracefully curved eyebrows to their rendezvous with Kṛṣṇa. Destiny forcibly attracted them to Kṛṣṇa."
24. Sometimes, even during the daytime, one gopī will trick another gopī into a mjeeting with Kṛṣṇa. An example of this is seen in these words: "O gopī-friend, look! The peacocks are fearlessly dancing everywhere. In their midst a boy like a new raincloued enjoys pastimes withg great splendor." The boy in this secluded place is Kṛṣṇa.
Vāsaka-sajjā (A Gopī Who Carefully Decorates Herself for a Meeting with Kṛṣṇa)
25. A vraja-gopī picks flowers and with them carefully decorates a bed. Ah! In the three worlds there is no bed like this. Even in the pathways of Vaikuṇṭha there is no bed like this. Carefully dressed and adorned to meet her lover, this gopī shines with great splendor. No one is her equal. Surrounded by her gopī-friends, she thinks only of her lofver, Kṛṣṇa. She thinks of none but Him.
26. Describing a gopī overcome with longings to meet Kṛṣṇa, another gopī says to Kṛṣṇa: "After decorating the bed, this gopī became rapt in thinking of Your imminent arrival. She could not bear even a single moment without seeing You. When she saw that You were not coming, she was overwhelmed and, with her trembling, cakra-marked hands, she tore apart all the decorations she had carefully arranged."
Vipralabdha (A Gopī Cheated by Kṛṣṇa, Who Did Not Come to the Rendezvous)
27. In this situation one gopī says to Kṛṣṇa:"O supreme master, Your arrival brings not only pleasure and liberation, but it also places in the hearts of Your friends devotion to You." This verse may also be interpreted: "O supreme master, Your arrival does not bring sense-gratification or liberation. Instead, it places in the hearts of Your friends devotion to You."
Khaṇditā (A Gopī Cheated by Kṛṣṇa)
28. In this situation agopī may say to Kṛṣṇa: "Even without scratching her with Your fingernails or anything else You ripped this girl into shreds. O Kṛṣṇa, this shows Your supreme skill."
Translator's note: Had Kṛṣṇa met with that gopī, He would have enjoyed amorous pastimes with her and those pastimes would have included amorous bites and scratches. However, Kṛṣṇa did not meet with her. Jilted by Him, she felt she had been ripped into shreds.
29. A gopī-messenger may rebuke a khaṇditā (jilted by Kṛṣṇa) gopī in these sarcastic words:"O glorious, proud, worshipable girl, your friends have all heared the news of what happened to you. You should worship your glorious pastimes with Govinda."
30. To agopī ferocious with jealous anger a gopī-friend may say:"O Rādhā, why are You soproud? Why do eYouplan to fire from Your eyes a flaming arrow of jealous anger? After all, Kṛṣṇa will certainly counteract it with the monsoon-cloud weapon of His glance."
31. The following is a conversation of a gopī and her lover Kṛṣṇa who, although he respectfully approaches her, nevertheless bears the red scratchmarks and other marks of having enjoyed pastimes with a rival gopī:
32. Kṛṣṇa: Beloveed!
Gopi: Beloved!
Kṛṣṇa: Why is your face so darkened with anger?
Gopi: You are pathetic. You don't know?
Kṛṣṇa: Know what?
Gopi: The scratchmarks and bitemarks You are trying to hide.
Kṛṣṇa: Those came from a rākṣasī. Hiding, she attacked Me.
33. The following wores are spoken to that gopī by her gopī-friend:"Lightning on aglistening cloud strikes fear into people's hearts.O bewildered gopī-friend, why do you continue to smile and speak joking with words with Kṛṣṇa? I would not praise the colorful marks that now adorn His chest."
34. That wronged gopī may then say to Kṛṣṇa: "The black aṣjana well covers the red scratch-marks on Your chest, but the bite-marks on Your lips are still clearly visible.
35. "A dark cloud comes from the darkened western horizon. Embarrassed, that cloud tries to hide the mark it bears, the mark of the moon."
Translator's note: In this verse the dark cloud is Kṛṣṇa and the mark of the moon is the mark of Candrāvalī's scratches on Kṛṣṇa's chest.
36. "O unconquerable Kṛṣṇa, it was not wrong for You to manifest a female form (Mohinī), nor was it wrong for You to become a tortoise (Kūrma) that took shelter of a great mountain (Sumeru), nor was it wrong that You delighted a goddess with nectar."
Translator's note: These sarcastic words hint the following hidden meaning: "It was not wrong for You to make the gopīs fall in love with You, nor was it wrong for You to become like a turtle taking shelter of the great mountains of Candrāvalī's breasts, nor was it wrong for You to delight Goddess Candrāvalī was many nectar pastimes."
37. "Me You abandon. Her You delight with pastimes. One You abandon and the other You bless.
38. "A lusty boy does not distinguish if a girl is sweet like nectar or dry and without a single nectar drop. Look at Kṛṣṇa! Even though His flute is completely dry, He still tries to drink nectar from it."
39. To these words Kṛṣṇa replies:"O Rādhā, Your form is slender, Your heart is gentle and soft, and Your intelligence is sharp. Why, then, does jealous anger rest within You? This question I ask.
40. "How do such cruel words come from Your mouth and the flower-petal that is Your tongue? Ah! I know now. These words must come from the thunderbolt that is Your heart.
41. "Your gentle kindness does not please Me as much as this jealous anger where You attack Me and show Your independent spirit.
42. "O Rādhā, Your anger pains Me, but then again it is like blows struck with apastime lotus-flower, blows that give no pain at all. Ah! This anger to Me is like the pain Your feet may feel when they touch the hairs on My chest."
43. To Kṛṣṇa's sweet words Rādhā gives the following reply: "How can I tolerate separation from You? O master of the goddess of fortune, I cannot tolerate that fearsome separation. It is like an Agastya Muni drinking up the ocean of My happiness, or like a strong wind that blows away the clouds of My peaceful composure, or like an air-eating snake devouring the air of My life's breath, or like a great fire blazing in the forest of My body."
44. Seeing her gopī-friend weeping, another gopī said to Kṛṣṇa: "Sunset is red, and day is colorless. Because of sunset, day never touches night, which has a dark heart."
Translator's note: In these gnomic words sunset is Rādhā, day is Kṛṣṇa, and night is Candrāvalī. The hint here is: Because of Rādhā, Kṛṣṇa should never approach Candrāvalī.
45. Here the hint is: "O Kṛṣṇa, You are known to be very contrary. Therefore You are not free of fault in this matter."
46. Then the gopī filled with jealous anger says to her gopī-friend:"O crooked girl, the oil of affection is now spilled. Now the flame is extinguished in the lamp that stays in my heart. Why do you rebuke Kṛṣṇa for His misdeed? His misdeed is very slight. Nolonger am I a partisan. Now I am neutral. If Kṛṣṇa finds happiness with many different gopīs, then who suffers on that account?"
47. Then, to make Rādhā's tears go away, Kṛṣṇa speaks these ttricky words:"Books on the scienbce of jewels declare that pearls come from ooysters. Aha! I see some pearls. Now My hand will gather these pearls from Your face, O proud girl filled with jealous anger."
48. Now will be descriobed the Kahalahāntaritā gopī, who openly speaks to Kṛṣṇa the averse she feels to Him in her heart.
Kalahāntaritā-bharrtṛkā (A Gopi Separated from Kṛṣṇa Because of aLoevr's Quarrel)
49. In this situation agopī thinks:"O heart, if with jealous anger you wish to subdue Kṛṣṇa, then, even if Kṛṣṇa is made into your submissive servant, should you not abandon Him as useless?"
50. A gopī-friend may say to Kṛṣṇa: "O Murāri, You must think the girl who scratched Your chest is Your dearmost beloved. This thought makes flames glisten in our eyes.
51. "O beloved of the gopīs, this proud girl, who considers honor her very life, and who has now been dishonored by You, and who is now on the verge of death, her life's breath about to flee from her body, is Your true dearmost beloved."
52. Leaving these hostile gopīs, Kṛṣṇa then went far away. However:
53.Then the music of Kṛṣṇa's bamboo flute made the hairs of proud, jealous, angry Rādhā stand erect with bliss.
54. Approaching Rādhā, a proud and contrary gopī says: Why did You not speak harsh words? Why in Your heart have You no anger toward the offender Kṛṣṇa? Alas! Alas! I am always in disgrace. You will never find happiness with that offender Kṛṣṇa."
55. Rādhā thinks in her heart: "My dear gopī-friend says, `You should be angry and jealous.' But I do not understand jealous anger at all. If by some crooked activities I could attain My wishes, then what are those crooked activities? Ah! My heart yearns to gaze at dark Kṛṣṇa's smiling lotus eyes. Ah! Ah! How can I have any other desire?
56. "Although He has committed an offense, My heart stillloves Him. I have no power to renounce Him. How can I ever leave Kṛṣṇa?"
57. Glory to Lord Kṛṣṇa's sweet flute-music, wehich attracts Sri Rādhā and also attracts the gopīs that counsel Her to become ferocious with jealous anger.
58. To Kṛṣṇa who, gazing at Rādhā's face, doubts that any simile or metaphor can be spoken to describe Her properly, a gopī says:"O Kṛṣṇa, do not be so bold to think that the moon can be compared to Rādhā's face. Her eyebrows are all-conquering archer's-bows. Bending those bows, She shoots many arrow-glances from Her eyes."
59. It is also said:"Gazing at Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā has become like a bumblebee in alotus forest, or like a sapharī fish in a pleasant lake. It is not otherwise."
Svādhīna-bhartṛkā (A Gopi Who Dominates Kṛṣṇa)
60. Her lover Kṛṣṇa always begs boons from Her. His desire is not merely to touch Her. Againa and again She gives Him commands."Tie My belt", She says. Again and again feeling the touch of Kṛṣṇa's body to Her body, She is filled with bliss as if She had become Goddess Lakṣmī herself.
61. When Kṛṣṇa praises Rādhā's beauty, She does not listen, for She is rapt in gazing at His wonderfully handsome form.
62. In a secluded place talking amongst themselves, the gopis say, "Even though in Their pastimes She is like a campaka vine subordinate to the tamāla tree Kṛṣṇa, we know that because of Her great passion and dominating spirit She makes Kṛṣṇa into Her subordinate. She dominates Kṛṣṇa.
63. The following is a saong my spiritual master, Srila Rūpa Gosvāmī, taught in a dream, a song the gopī Lalitā sings in Lalita-rāga early in the morning.
A Song
jāgaraṇād atha kuṣja-vare
vīkṣita-bhāskara-ruci-nikare
kāntā-nidrā-bhaṅga-kare
api saṅkalita-sva-parikare
(Refrain)
mama dhīr majjati kaṁsa-hare
mauli-śikhopari-piṣcha-dhare
Awakened by seeing the splendid morning sunlight in the beautiful forest-grove, Kṛṣṇa breaks the sleep of His beloved as Her gopī-friends gather around Them. (Refrain) My consciousness is now absorbed in thinking of Kaṁsahara Kṛṣṇa, who wears a peacock-feather crown.
muhur ullāsita-yuvati-nikare
samam anyā bahir anya-care
ghana-gahanādhvani gamana-pare
tatra ca bahu-kṛta-sukha-vitare
āśā-stambhita-viraha-gare
dhāmni sanātana-śarma-hare
The young gopīs please Her again and again, and lead Her down the path through the dense forest. In the forest She was very happy, but at home Her eternal happiness is stolen away. At home She has become bitten by the poisonous snake of separation from Her lover. She is now stunned with the desire to meet Him.
64. On another day the gopīs' good fortune described in these words: In the forest noting that dear Rādhā was determined to dominate Kṛṣṇa, a smiling gopi placed sleeping Kṛṣṇa's flute in Rādhā's hand and Kṛṣṇa'speacock-feather crown on Her head.
To this gopi radha said: "Dear girl, while My lover sleeps on this pleasant forest bed, you robbed His flute and brought it to Me. I see You can walk on a path even I dare not tread."
66. As a farmer plows after the monsoon season,so Kṛṣṇa, obedient to the gopis' wishes, observed the vasanta-pancamī festival, sang songs in Vasanta-rāga, and enjoyed pastimes with the gopis.
67. On Vasanta-pancamī, as the bees eagerly flew amongst the flowers and buds, and as the jasmine flowers bloomed, Rādhā and the gopis became rapt in thinking of Kṛṣṇa. The gopis became sorrowwful at Kṛṣṇa's absence. Vrndā approached them and spoke some words to make them cheerful.
68. A gopi said, "Friend Vṛndā, why do you approach a fool like me? Ah, you must have come here to see that charming thing.
69. Vrndā said, "What charming thing?"
70. The gopi said, "Something that will delight you."
71. Vrnda said, "Please tell me of it."
72. The gopi said, "When Rādhā saw the beauty of springtime, She was overcome with feelings oiof separation from Kṛṣṇa. Seeing Rādhā in this way, a certain gopi tried to console Her. Accompanied by her gopi-frends, that gopi sang the following song in Vasanta-rāga. In that way she attracted Kṛṣṇa to that place. The song is given below.
73. A Song
Refrain
kṛṣṇa-vanaṁ sakhi bhāti sa-raṅgam
bhavatīm iva laghu netum adhīśam sevita-madhurasa-saṅgham
O friend, Kṛṣṇa's blissful forest has now come to quickly bring You to its charming king.
jāgara-mitam iva mādhavikā-śatam anukṛta-jṛmbhā-bhaṅgam
cumbati madhupa-gaṇe kṛta-bhaṅgi smārayati priya-saṅgam
Hundreds of mādhvīka vines blossom, as if yawning on first waking up. Their flowers kiss the bumblebees, reminding You of the meeting with Your lover Kṛṣṇa.
sa-rasa-rasālaja-makula-kulam paripulakayad iva samam aṅgam
ākāritam iva tava kurute pika-kulam anukalayad anaṅgam
The sweet mango buds are like the forest's hairs standing up with joy. The cooing cuckoos seem to call You to enjoy amorous pastimes with Your lover.
tvāṁ celākali-candana-marutā vāsayatānu-lavaṅgam
karṣati madhuripu-madhu-parvodita-vīṇā-veṇu-mṛdaṅgam
The lavaṅga-scented breeze from the sandalwood forest shakes Your garment and draws You to the sounds of the flute, lute, and drum in Kṛṣṇa's springtime festival.
nītāyāṁ tvayi mādhavi mādhava-mādhava-gāna-taraṅgam
kirati parāga-cayaṁ locanam iva naṭayati cāru-kuraṅgam
O Rādhā, as You approach, the waves of music from Kṛṣṇa's springtime festival sprinkle You with their pollen and make Your eyes gracefully dance like the beautiful eyes of a doe.
iti sā labdhvā vallabham aniśaṁ manasā valitā saṅgam
jayati nirupama-rūpiṇi madhye yamunā-mānasa-gaṅgam
Attaining in this way the company of Your lover, to whom Your heart turns day and night, You gloriously shine, O incomparably beautiful one, on the shores of the Yamunā and Mānasa-gaṅgā.
74. In this situation the following verse is given: Springtime makes the forest very beautiful. It makes the gopis eager to enjoy amorous pastimes. It fills this place with a sweet fragrance. O gopi-friend, look! Springtime is manifest now.
Translator's note: The word for springtime here is mādhava". Therefore this verse may also be interpreted to refer to Kṛṣṇa instead of spring.
75. Hearing these words, Kṛṣṇa appeared before Vrnda and the gopis.
A Song
Refrain
rādhā harir api pulaki-vasantam
gāyati nija-mudam anu vikasantam
Their transcendental happiness in full bloom, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa sing a song in vasanta-rāga.
upadiśate diśi diśi guṇayantam
pikam anu pancamam ati-cirayantam
A cuckoo sings a sustained fifth note. Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa imitate him, singing out to every direction.
vāsantī-madhu rahasi dhayantam
śaṁsati madhuliham anu gāyantam
Singing in imitation of his humming, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa glorify a bumblebee who drinks the honey of a vāsantī flower in a secluded place.
madhu-rasam anu gānaṁ ramayantam
rasayati vinimitam adharam ayantam
As Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa sing Their lips touch. In this way They taste the sweetest nectar.
malayaja-surabhi-dhuraṁ khanjantam
kavayati gandha-vahaṁ prasajantam
Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa glorify the very fragrant breeze that slowly limps from the Malaya Hills.
vādya-gaṇaṁ guṇa-valita-dig-antam
anu nṛtyati mada-lola-dṛg-antam
Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa hear beautiful instrumental music from a distant place. The corners of Their eyes happily dance in time with the music.
capalā-ghana-sama-rucim anu taṁ taṁ
naṭayati śikhi-gaṇam api nipatantam
Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa's luster, which is like a monsoon cloud and lightning, makes the peacocks dance.
Note: Peacocks are fond of the monsoon season, and they show their pleasure by jubilantly dancing. They thought Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa were a raincloud and lightning, and so they naturally showed their pleasure to see Them.
kirati cūrṇam anu pūrṇa-danantam
samam ālī-lalanābhir anantam
The gopīs fill the air with a limitless shower of fragrant powder.
śramajala-kaṇa-gaṇam anu vilasantam
vahati parāga-bharaṁ rucimantam
Covered with drops of perspiration and colorful, fragrant powder, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are splendidly beautiful.
76. The gopis remembered how they went to meet Kṛṣṇa in spite of their elders' attempts to stop them.
77. The gopis carefully watched Kṛṣṇa. They had submissive Kṛṣṇa under their control. They were unhappy when they were separated from Him, and He was unhappy when He was separated from them.
78. The passionate lover Kṛṣṇa watches the pathway. He plays His flute. His sends messengers. She is attracted, but Her elders firmly prevent Her. It is all to no avail. The hearts of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa must remain separate.
79. The thoughts in Rādhā's and Kṛṣṇa's hearts are described in these words: "I cannot see Her. Now Her kinsmen are happy. Ah! But I think She must be very unhappy now. My power to meet with Her is now crushed into powder. Alas! What shall I do now? What shall I do?"
80. "Tonight My elders all watch Me. Alas! Tonight amorous pastimes with My beloved will not touch Me. Only in My dreams will I see My beloved. I think that if I stay awake, and thus do not see My beloved in My dreams, I will not be able to stay alive. O! O! O dark Kṛṣṇa, where are You now?"
Translator's note: This verse is ambiguous and may be interpreted for either Rādhā or Kṛṣṇa. The above translation is interpreted for Rādhā. In the interpretation for Kṛṣṇa the last line becomes: "O! O! O Rādhā, O beloved of Kṛṣṇa, where are You now?"
81. Without beautiful Rādhā and dark Kṛṣṇa, the gopis felt sorrowful as if flames blazed in their hearts.
82. The elders were angry. They prevented the gopis from going to Kṛṣṇa. Then Kṛṣṇa created a trick, a trick that consisted of a great thirst to visit holy pilgrimage places.
83. Kṛṣṇa's gopi beloved thought of going on pilgrimage. Pilgrimage glistened in their hearts. They considered it very important.
84. When Govinda ascended a great cart to depart for pilgrimage, the gopis tgazed at Him. Their shackles now fallen away, the birds of the gopis' glances flew to Kṛṣṇa.
85. Night after night, as the various constellations slowly passed by the moon in the sky, Kṛṣṇa enjoyed pastimes with the gopis.
86. With the gopis, who had come from afar, who passionately yearned to meet with Him, who were dressed in glorious garments, who were joyful and playful, who had cheated their elders, who had renounced everything, and who were free from material duality, Lord Kṛṣṇa enjoyed many pastimes on that pilgrimage path.
87. Also, while the people of Gokula were on pilgrimage, Kṛṣṇa, disguised as a girl, would meet with the gopis and enjoy pastimes with them.
88. Disguised as a girl learned in astrology, mantras, yoga, and Tantras, Kṛṣṇa enjoyed the following conversation pastime:
Rādhā: O all-knowing girl, what is the most blissful place in the three worlds?
Kṛṣṇa-disguised-as-a-learned-girl: Kṛṣṇa's land of Vraja.
Rādhā: In this world what is the best activity to perform for one's livelihood?
Disguised Kṛṣṇa: Singing songs about Kṛṣṇa
Rādhā: What activity brings the most auspicious result?
Disguised Kṛṣṇa: The desire to attain Kṛṣṇa.
Radh: What is most delightful?
Disguised Kṛṣṇa:Kṛṣṇa's handsome form.
Rādhā: What is the best goal one can attain?
Disguised Kṛṣṇa: The attainment of Kṛṣṇa's association .
May the trickster Kṛṣṇa, who conversed with Rādhā in this way, protect us all.
89. Disguised as a gopī-messenger, Kṛṣṇa conversed with Rādhā in this way:
Rādhā: Who are You?
Kṛṣṇa-disguised-as-a-gopi-messenger: I am a messenger.
Rādhā: Who sent You?
Disguised Kṛṣṇa: Your master.
Rādhā: What are Your qualifications?
Disguised Kṛṣṇa: My qualifications are equal to those of Your master.
Rādhā: Can You proove You are qualified like My master?
Disguised Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Take Me to a private room and You may gaze at My body.
Simply by hearing Kṛṣṇa's crooked words Rādhā could understand the true identity of Her guest, that Her guest was actually the object of Her desire.
90. Night after night Kṛṣṇa, disguised in various ways, would meet with Rādhā, who was anguished in separation from Him, and converse with Her, chasing away Her feelings of separation. Some examples of these pastimes are described below.
Seeing Kṛṣṇa described as a girl who is a physician, Rādhā said: "O friend, You are a dark-limbed physician. Please cure the flames of anguish that burn in My heart." Kṛṣṇa-in-disguise took the pulse at Rādhā's hand. Then He proceeded to touch Rādhā's limbs, one after the other. Finally Rādhā protested, "Stop! Why do You touch Me again and again?"
91. To Kṛṣṇa disguised as a girl flute-player, Rādhā said, "You are a dark-limbed flute-playing girl. Your home is far away. Not one fo Your friends lives nearby. The night has half passed. You may sleep on My bed."
92. When Kṛṣṇa came disguised as a poetess, Rādhā said, This dark girl is a peerless poetess. She is very learned. How does She know so many secret truths about Me, secret truths I did not even know Myself?"
93. When Kṛṣṇa came as a girl artist, Rādhā said, "O gopi-friend, this dark girl is an artist. In a secluded place She showed Me a colorful picture of a girl just like Me standing next to a peerlessly handsome boy."
94. When Kṛṣṇa came as a girl betelnut-merchant, Rādhā said, "O gopi-friend, this secret I tell to you: In some past life this girl was someone extraordinary. She was not just a betelnut-seller. This girl knows mantras to bring others under Her spell."
95. When Kṛṣṇa came disguised as a florist girl, Rādhā said, "This dark florist girl has spread out many garlands for sale. Why does Her dark form fill Me with amorous desires?"
96. When Kṛṣṇa came disguised as a fruit-merchant girl, Rādhā said, "This dark fruit-merchant girl has sprerad out many different fruits for sale. But why, amongst them all, does She look only at the bilva fruits?
Translator's note: The bilva fruit's shape reminds Kṛṣṇa of Rādhā's breasts.
97. When Kṛṣṇa came disguised as a girl thief, Rādhā said, "This dark girl is not honest. Unseen by others, She has switched Her necklace for one more valuable. Now She yearns to steal that pearl-necklace."
98. When Kṛṣṇa came disguised as a perfume-merchant girl, Rādhā said, "O gopi-friend, I purchase the aguru from this perfume-merchant girl. Aha! When making their purchase, My elder relatives will not say the words kṛṣṇa (aguru) or akṛṣṇa (white sandalwood)."
99. The following are conversationas that hint at Kṛṣṇa's Śrīvatsa mark.
100. Disguised as a seamstress, Kṛṣṇa says, "I feel great affection for You. I am very expert at sewing. O gopi-friend, look at the graceful bodice that rests on My chest."
101. Disguised as a cloth-dyer girl, Kṛṣṇa says, "I am a cloth-dyer girl. My name is Śyāmā. I am famous in all the world. My colorful garments are like a lotus flower blossoming over My chest."
102. Disguised as a mirror-merchant girl, Kṛṣṇa says, I come selling mirrors, karmukas, coral, and pearls. O girl of Vraja, if You ask, in private I will show You My two jewelry cases."
103. Disguised as a masseuse, Kṛṣṇa says, "I am a slender and beautiful girl expert at giving massages. I wish to serve You. O glorious girl, My slightest touch brings happiness that defeats the happiness of Brahman."
104. Approaching Kṛṣṇa, who was disguised as a bracelet-marchant girl, the gopis thought, "Never have we met a girl, gentle or harsh, like this girl."
105. When, during a dark-fortnight, the people of Vraja went to Ambikāvcana, Kṛṣṇa manifested many charming forms. Before each gopi He appeared in the particular hanndsome form that gopi wished to see.
106. If someone says Kṛṣṇa's vraja-gopi-beloveds are like bumblebees flying along the pathways of the lotus flowers of Kṛṣṇa's heart, then we doubt that statement is true. We say it is Rādhā alone who stays in the lotus flower of Kṛṣṇa's heart.
107. Here the final conclusion is given: O Rādhā, handsome Kṛṣṇa, who killed Bakāsura and ended Vidyādhara Sudarśana's curse, loves You more than any other girl.