Nishanta lila - Verses 98-105

Krishna's speach

Verse 98"
Just look! The sun's proud mistress, the lotus, addresses the lily: 'Your husband the moon is the chief of the brahmin community, the destroyer of peoples' sins, and peaceful by nature. But after drinking the varuni wine of the western sky, he was dispossessed of his caste!' Seeing the lotus laughing, the lilies are embarrassed and close their petals."

Rasa-tarangini Tika:
This verse is based on a number of puns. Dvijeśa means both the moon and the best of the twice born. The moon is known as dvija because it is reborn each month after disappearing completely on the dark moon night. And just as a brahmin rids the community of its sins through his own holy behavior and example, the moon destroys the darkness of the night.

The word tamas means both sin and darkness. The god of the West is Varuna, but Varuna's daughter Varuni is the goddess of wine. And finally, just as a brahmin is considered fallen if he drinks alcohol, the moon is about to fall over the horizon and disappear. Normally, the night lilies close their petals when dawn comes, but here, Krishna is joking that the real reason for closing their petals is their embarrassment at being mocked by the lotus flowers, who are the beloved of the sun and open their petals with its rising.

Verse 99"
O Radhe! As the daylight destroys the darkness, the kokilas think as follows: 'Because we are also black like the night, perhaps the daylight will destroy us too!" Thus they anxiously call for their friend, the dark-moon night of Amavasya, by shrieking kuhū kuhū. The kokilas are thinking, "If the moonless night comes, then Rahu will cover both the sun and the moon to protect us!"

Rasa-tarangini Tika:
The word kuhū, which is the sound made by the kokilas, is also a name for the dark-moon night, Amavasya. This example also hints at another intimate lila: Although the kokilas mistake the sun and the moon for enemies and call to sentence their punishment, still their sweet voices invoke intoxicating bliss. Similarly, Krishna reminds Radhika, "Even when you consider me an aparadhi and order your sakhis to ruthlessly escort me out of the kunja, still the sound of your voice is more beautiful to me than that of the kokilas and delivers unceasing joy!"

Sri Krishna says in Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Ādi 4.26

priyā yadi māna kari' karaye bhartsana
veda-stuti haite hare sei mora mana

When my Priya, Sri Radha, chastizes me in her loving anger, then her words steal my mind as no recital of Vedic prayers can!

Verse 100
Krishna continues: "O Priye! The cooing of the she-pigeons appears to be the sound of the forest moaning ecstatically in the arms of her husband, the spring season."

Rasa-tarangini Tika:
Krishna wishes to tell Srimati that the pigeons' cooing reminds him of the ecstatic pleasure he experiences while hearing her madhura moaning at the height of their rati keli.

Verse 101
"Hey Chandramukhi! Look how this restless male bee, marked with yellow pollen after playing in the lilies all night, is still so thirsty for honey that he is following the female bee, who spent the night trapped inside a lotus flower and is only now coming out as the flower's petals spread at the hint of daylight.

Rasa-tarangini Tika:
Here Krishna again reminds Srimati Radhika of her mana lila with the lady bee's example: "Hey Radhe! When a young girl sees her boyfriend after he has enjoyed another girl, she becomes jealous to preserve her rasa-maryādā, the esteem her love deserves. I'm quite fond of this rasa-maryādā, for I derive great pleasure in seeing it displayed. O Radhe! In your prema dham, Sri Vrindavan, even the birds and bees are endowed with this pride. 

Just see: while this female bee was trapped the whole night inside a lotus, her lover spent his time enjoying the lily's pollen. Now as he appears before her covered with yellow pollen, the lady bee chastizes him! Seeing her jealousy, I'm diving into an ocean of bliss reminded of your beautiful moon-face when it becomes contorted with mana!"

Verse 102
"Fearing her husband's delay, the female chakravaka ecstatically kisses the raktotpala, red lotus, that is even redder in the early morning's sunrays.

Rasa-tarangini Tika:
Krishna continues: "O Radhe, how enchanting! Here's another incident which causes my heart to dance as I remember your lila of mistakingly embracing a tamal tree! Just see, as the red sunrays fall upon the red lotus increasing its brightness, a chakravaki bird mistakes it for her husband and ecstatically kissed it! Isn't it amazing how prema causes blindness!"

Verse 103
"O sweet-spoken one! Look here, the swan named Kalasvana is approaching the bank of the river. He's ecstatically flapping his wings and leaving his mate, even though she wants to make love with him! 
Verse 104
And just see, Kalasvana's wife Tundikeri clasps a lotus stem in her mouth and gazes upon your lotus face. She's swiftly swimming behind her husband making a sweet quacking sound!

Rasa-tarangini Tika: 
As Kalamsvana is Krishna's dearest swan and Tundikeri is most dear to Radha, the Divine Couple have arranged their marriage. Krishna remarks, "O Radhe, just see how much these swans love us! At the mere sight of us, they've discarded their own love-making to come near to us!"

Verse 105 
"Oh Priya! The Malayan breezes have merged with the fresh mountain air to carry the fragrance of the lotus and teach the forest latas to dance. This breeze soothes everyone's fatigue, but it especially acts to relieve the perspiration of loving couples engaged in prema keli!"

Rasa-tarangini Tika: 
Rasik shekhar continues: "Oh Priye! Why only the birds and the animals-even the trees, the vines, the air and the water of madhura-Vrindavan share your unconditional maha-prema! Just observe the selfless love of the southern breezes! Acting as the guru for the young maiden-like forest vines, it teaches them the art of dancing. It also carries the cooling moisture form the Yamuna to relieve the perspiration of those nayikas (especially you, Radha) who engage in Ananga keli. Seeing the wind's amazing prema seva, I praise its good fortune!"