Kṛṣṇa embraces Tulasī and Rūpa - the glories of the flute

Vaṁśī Haraṇa Līlā (The Pastime of Stealing the Flute)

वंशी हरण लीला

64 Understanding Lalitā's hint, Tulasī secretly hands the flute to Rūpa Mañjarī. Meanwhile, as she starts to leave, Kṛṣṇa forcefully fondles Tulasī; thus her hairs stand erect and her body trembles!

65 Covering her face with her hands, Tulasī meekly cries, "Oh merciful one! Let me go, I am unworthy of you! I swear to you, I am your dasi.

66 I don't have the flute. I know you are eager to find it, but I saw Shaibya holding it today!" Then Tulasī's eyes silently hint to Kṛṣṇa that Rūpa Mañjarī has the flute.

67 Then Madhusudan releases Tulasī and approaches Rūpa, recognizing the scent of his flute on her body. But she slips the flute to Lalitā and pretends to be innocent!

68 Before Rūpa notices, however, Kṛṣṇa swiftly embraces her and searches within her kanchuli, exclaiming: "You thief! Where have you hidden my flute?"

69 As Rūpa tries to obstruct Kṛṣṇa's hand, she declares, "Yes, I'm the thief, and you have proven it by not finding your flute! Oh well, you were lucky- for today you've fulfilled your ambition to fondle my breasts and to embrace me! So now you can go and call the gopis with that!"

Ṭīkā: The Mañjarīs' determination is fixed. They always try to avoid personal sambhoga pleasure with Kṛṣṇa, even though Śrī Rūpa's statement here confirms that Kṛṣṇa is always eager to enjoy her. Rūpa implies that Kṛṣṇa has not found the flute, which was his ostensible purpose in putting his hands inside her clothes, but now that she has gotten away from him and he is left empty-handed, with what will he call his gopis?

70 Rūpa continues: "You're just eager to pollute all of us chaste housewives with your embraces! Thus, you've hidden your Vaṁśī somewhere else and now you've come here pretending to search for it!"

Ṭīkā: Yadunandana's words ālṅgiyā parāṅgaṇā ("fond of embracing others' wives") has many meanings. In the Bhāgavata's Tenth Canto, for example, the words bāhu-prasāra-parirambha ("embracing with the arms", 10.29.46) denotes touching all parts of the body, kissing and joking, etc.

71 Then Rūpa Mañjarī hints to Kṛṣṇa with her glance that now Lalitā has the flute. When Kṛṣṇa goes to Lalitā, Rūpa Mañjarī escapes from his embrace and Lalitā, seeing Kṛṣṇa approaching, fearfully gives the flute to Kundavallī.

72 Lalitā turns furious seeing Kṛṣṇa approaching her and shrieks, "Keep your distance. Stop where you are! What are you coming to me for? I don't have your mohana Vaṁśī! Look, I'm warning you, if you behave too lustily, you will have to suffer the consequences!"

Ṭīkā: The meaning is: "Watch out! I'm not Rūpa Mañjarī who simply offers trivial reproof. Be forewarned! If you don't find the flute with me, then I shall tear you apart! I'll blast you with rebuke, rip off your clothes and then pour ghol, buttermilk, over your head. This Lalitā will stop at nothing!"

The glories of the flute

73 Lalitā continues: "Hey cheat! If Rādhā's sakhīs don't care a fig for a pile of Cintāmaṇi gems, and would not even touch them with their feet, why would they covet or steal your insignificant Vaṁśī?

74 If that dry, hard piece of wood, filled with innumerable flaws, which constantly maddened the three worlds with its magic spell has slipped out of the hands of its master, then that's good news for everyone!

75 So let it go! Now the young Ramaṇīs can braid their hair and perform their household duties in peace, the deer can joyfully graze on the fresh grass with their husbands, and the Yamunā can flow to the ocean in its natural course- because that disturbing Vaṁśī won't stun them anymore!

76 "You lost your Muralī because you made the naked gopa Kumārīs suffer when you stole their clothes. Isn't it befitting that those who give distress to others meet with distress themselves?

77 Oho! What a pity! That eighteen-inch flute was your most valuable possession ...that dry, hollow piece of bamboo filled with holes! Hay, hay! Who could have taken it?"

78 Meanwhile, as Kṛṣṇa is momentarily immobile, listening to Lalitā's jeering sarcasm, Kundalatā passes the flute back to Rādhā. Then approaching Kṛṣṇa, who pretends to be dejected, she says,

79 "Hay, hay! Who stole your flute? Oh well, what can be done? Hey Kṛṣṇa, what is the loss if an old piece of bamboo worth less than half a farthing goes missing? Let it go. Why are you so sad? But since you're the Prince of Vṛndāvan, I fell uneasy seeing all of these Vraja Kiśorīs playfully taunting you!"

80 "Hey Kundalate!" Kṛṣṇa answers, "You're uninformed about my priya Vaṁśī, and thus you ridicule its distinction. But this isn't surprising since you never heard its sweet call as the Vraja sundaris do.

81 What more can I say? This Vaṁśī effortlessly fulfills all of my most impossible desires as soon as they arise, just as Narayan's desires are fulfilled by his own chit potency.

82 Therefore this flute is the omnipotent fulfiller of all my wishes, and only Śrī Rādhikā and her sakhīs know all its powers in full."

Ṭīkā: Kṛṣṇa gravely answers Kundalatā, who mocks the Vaṁśī as nothing more than a trivial piece of bamboo. Because she is through her husband Kṛṣṇa's cousin, the Vaṁśī never acts to dismantle her calm demeanor and marital vows. Only the gopis know about its qualities because its sweet song aims directly at them.

83 Lalitā interrupts, saying: "How could we not know your flute, that expert antagonist who is our arch-enemy. She is your wife and knows all about fulfilling your lusty desires?

84 Although the sundari Vraja Ramaṇīs are filled with nectar and many virtuous qualities, this naughty Vaṁśī binds the strong elephant of their hearts! But not only us, all beautiful women are attracted- even Lakṣmī, Pārvatī and Surya's wife Saṁjñā. So hey Kṛṣṇa! Your Muralī is fascinating indeed-her attributes are notorious!" 

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