Gita Govindam Chapter 4

Krishna

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  • verse 1
    चतुर्थः सर्गःस्निग्धमधुसूदनः

    chaturthaḥ sargaḥsnigdhamadhusūdanaḥ
    meaning

    Section heading: The Fourth Canto — 'Snigdha Madhusudana' (The affectionate Madhusudana, Krishna gentle with tender love).

  • verse 2
    यमुनातीरवानीरनिकुञ्जे मन्दमास्थितम्प्राह प्रेमभरोद्भ्रान्तं माधवं राधिकासखी25

    yamunātīravānīranikuñjē mandamāsthitamprāha prēmabharōdbhrāntaṃ mādhavaṃ rādhikāsakhī25
    meaning

    On the banks of the Yamuna, in a grove of reeds, a sakhi spoke to Madhava who was languid with love.

  • verse 3
    गीतं 8

    gītaṃ 8
    meaning

    Song heading: Song number 8.

  • verse 4
    निन्दति चन्दनमिन्दुकिरणमनु विन्दति खेदमधीरम्व्यालनिलयमिलनेन गरलमिव कलयति मलयसमीरम्सा विरहे तव दीना माधव मनसिजविशिखभयादिव भावनया त्वयि लीना1

    nindati chandanamindukiraṇamanu vindati khēdamadhīramvyālanilayamilanēna garalamiva kalayati malayasamīram virahē tava dīnā mādhava manasijaviśikhabhayādiva bhāvanayā tvayi līnā1
    meaning

    She scorns sandalwood and moonbeams and suffers feverishly in distress; she regards the southern breeze mingling with camphor groves as poison in her separation from you.

  • verse 5
    अविरलनिपतितमदनशरादिव भवदवनाय विशालम्स्वहृदयर्मणी वर्म करोति सजलनलिनीदलजालम्2

    aviralanipatitamadanaśarādiva bhavadavanāya viśālamsvahṛdayarmaṇī varma karōti sajalanalinīdalajālam2
    meaning

    Her vast heart becomes armor protecting her from the arrows of Manmatha that fall thickly, like a basket of moist lotus petals.

  • verse 6
    कुसुमविशिखशरतल्पमनल्पविलासकलाकमनीयम्व्रतमिव तव परिरम्भसुखाय करोति कुसुमशयनीयम्3

    kusumaviśikhaśaratalpamanalpavilāsakalākamanīyamvratamiva tava parirambhasukhāya karōti kusumaśayanīyam3
    meaning

    She prepares a bed of flowers, lovely with the arts of amorous play, as if it were a vow for the joy of your embrace.

  • verse 7
    वहति गलितविलोचनजलभरमाननकमलमुदारम्विधुमिव विकटविधुन्तुददन्तदलनगलितामृतधारम्4

    vahati cha galitavilōchanajalabharamānanakamalamudāramvidhumiva vikaṭavidhuntudadantadalanagalitāmṛtadhāram4
    meaning

    Her lotus face streams with tears from flowing eyes, like the moon dripping with nectar when its rim is bitten by Rahu.

  • verse 8
    विलिखति रहसि कुरङ्गमदेन भवन्तमसमशरभूतम्प्रणमति मकरमधो विनिधाय करे शरं नवचूतम्5

    vilikhati rahasi kuraṅgamadēna bhavantamasamaśarabhūtampraṇamati makaramadhō vinidhāya karē cha śaraṃ navachūtam5
    meaning

    In secret she draws you with deer-musk as the matchless archer-god, prostrating before Manmatha and placing a new mango blossom as his arrow.

  • verse 9
    प्रतिपदमिदमपि निगतति माधव तव चरणे पतिताहम्त्वयि विमुखे मयि सपदि सुधानिधिरपि तनुते तनुदाहम्6

    pratipadamidamapi nigatati mādhava tava charaṇē patitāhamtvayi vimukhē mayi sapadi sudhānidhirapi tanutē tanudāham6
    meaning

    She repeats again and again at every step: 'Madhava, I have fallen at your feet; when you turn away from me, even the nectar-ocean brings me only burning.'

  • verse 10
    ध्यानलयेन पुरः परिकल्प्य भवन्तमतीव दुरापम्विलपति हसति विषीदति रोदिति चञ्चति मुञ्चति तापम्7

    dhyānalayēna puraḥ parikalpya bhavantamatīva durāpamvilapati hasati viṣīdati rōditi chañchati muñchati tāpam7
    meaning

    Imagining you vividly before her in deep meditation, yet finding you utterly unattainable, she laments, laughs, despairs, weeps, trembles, and releases her anguish.

  • verse 11
    श्रीजयदेवभणितमिदमधिकं यदि मनसा नटनीयम्हरिविरहाकुलबल्लवयुवतिसखीवचनं पठनीयम्8

    śrījayadēvabhaṇitamidamadhikaṃ yadi manasā naṭanīyamharivirahākulaballavayuvatisakhīvachanaṃ paṭhanīyam8
    meaning

    Phalashruti: If this song of Jayadeva, telling of the speech of the cowherd girls distressed by separation from Hari, is dear to the mind and worth dancing to, it should be recited.

  • verse 12
    आवासो विपिनायते प्रियसखीमालापि जालायते तापोऽपि श्वसितेन दावदहनज्वालाकलापायतेसापि त्वद्विरहेण हन्त हरिणीरूपायते हा कथं कन्दर्पोऽपि यमायते विरचयञ्शार्दूलविक्रीडितम्26

    āvāsō vipināyatē priyasakhīmālāpi jālāyatē tāpō'pi śvasitēna dāvadahanajvālākalāpāyatēsāpi tvadvirahēṇa hanta hariṇīrūpāyatē kathaṃ kandarpō'pi yamāyatē virachayañśārdūlavikrīḍitam26
    meaning

    The grove becomes a wilderness, the garland of beloved friends becomes a snare; the heat of her breath becomes a blaze like a forest fire; she herself becomes like a doe—such is Radha in separation from you.

  • verse 13
    गीतं 9

    gītaṃ 9
    meaning

    Song heading: Song number 9.

  • verse 14
    स्तनविनिहितमपि हारमुदारम्सा मनुते कृशतनुरतिभारम्राधिका विरहे तव केशव1

    stanavinihitamapi hāramudāram manutē kṛśatanuratibhāramrādhikā virahē tava kēśava1
    meaning

    The beautiful pearl garland placed against her breast she regards as a heavy burden—O Keshava, such is Radhika in separation from you.

  • verse 15
    सरसमसृणमपि मलयजपङ्कम्पश्यति विषमिव वपुषि सशङ्कम्2

    sarasamasṛṇamapi malayajapaṅkampaśyati viṣamiva vapuṣi saśaṅkam2
    meaning

    She looks with suspicion at the smooth sandalwood paste applied pleasantly to her body as if it were poison.

  • verse 16
    श्वसितपवनमनुपमपरिणाहम्मदनदहनमिव वहति सदाहम्3

    śvasitapavanamanupamapariṇāhammadanadahanamiva vahati sadāham3
    meaning

    The breath that was once incomparably wide she now bears as if it were a fire set by the god of love, always burning.

  • verse 17
    दिशि दिशि किरति सजलकणजालम्नयननलिनमिव विगलितनालम्4

    diśi diśi kirati sajalakaṇajālamnayananalinamiva vigalitanālam4
    meaning

    Her lotus-eye streams in every direction, its stalk dissolving, like a water-lily whose stem has broken.

  • verse 18
    नयनविषयमपि किसलयतल्पम्कलयति विहितहुताशविकल्पम्5

    nayanaviṣayamapi kisalayatalpamkalayati vihitahutāśavikalpam5
    meaning

    Even a bed of fresh sprouts visible to the eye she regards as a prepared fire-offering.

  • verse 19
    त्यजति पाणितलेन कपोलम्बालशशिनमिव सायमलोलम्6

    tyajati na pāṇitalēna kapōlambālaśaśinamiva sāyamalōlam6
    meaning

    She does not remove her palm from her cheek, like the young moon held motionless in the evening.

  • verse 20
    हरिरिति हरिरिति जपति सकामम्विरहविहितमरणेन निकामम्7

    haririti haririti japati sakāmamvirahavihitamaraṇēna nikāmam7
    meaning

    She chants 'Hari, Hari' with longing, as if dying of the disease of separation, fully and without reservation.

  • verse 21
    श्रीजयदेवभणितमिति गीतम्सुखयतु केशवपदमुपुनीतम्8

    śrījayadēvabhaṇitamiti gītamsukhayatu kēśavapadamupunītam8
    meaning

    Phalashruti: May this song composed by Jayadeva, purified by the feet of Keshava, bring joy.

  • verse 22
    सा रोमाञ्चति सीत्करोति विलपत्युत्क्म्पते ताम्यति ध्यायत्युद्भ्रमति प्रमीलति पतत्युद्याति मूर्च्छत्यपिएतावत्यतनुज्वरे वरतनुर्जीवेन्न किं ते रसात् स्वर्वैद्यप्रतिम प्रसीदसि यदि त्यक्तोऽन्यथा नान्तकः27

    rōmāñchati sītkarōti vilapatyutkmpatē tāmyati dhyāyatyudbhramati pramīlati patatyudyāti mūrchChatyapiētāvatyatanujvarē varatanurjīvēnna kiṃ rasāt svarvaidyapratima prasīdasi yadi tyaktō'nyathā nāntakaḥ27
    meaning

    She quivers, sighs, laments, trembles, is stunned, meditates, whirls, slumbers, falls, rises, swoons—such is her fever of love in the absence of the fleshless one.

  • verse 23
    स्मरातुरां दैवतवैद्यहृद्य त्वदङ्गसङ्गामृतमात्रसाध्याम्विमुक्तबाधां कुरुषे राधा-मुपेन्द्र वज्रादपि दारुणोऽसि28

    smarāturāṃ daivatavaidyahṛdya tvadaṅgasaṅgāmṛtamātrasādhyāmvimuktabādhāṃ kuruṣē na rādhā-mupēndra vajrādapi dāruṇō'si28
    meaning

    Radha, tormented by love's fever, can only be cured by the nectar of union with your limbs, O physician-god; yet you do not free her from her affliction—you, Upendra, are harder even than a thunderbolt.

  • verse 24
    कन्दर्पज्वरसञ्ज्वरस्तुरतनोराश्चर्यमस्याश्चिरं चेतश्चन्दनचन्द्रमःकमलिनीचिन्तासु सन्ताम्यतिकिन्तु क्लान्तिवशेन शीतलतनुं त्वामेकमेव प्रियं ध्यायन्ती रहसि स्थिता कथमपि क्षीणा क्षणं प्राणिति29

    kandarpajvarasañjvarasturatanōrāścharyamasyāśchiraṃ chētaśchandanachandramaḥkamalinīchintāsu santāmyatikintu klāntivaśēna śītalatanuṃ tvāmēkamēva priyaṃ dhyāyantī rahasi sthitā kathamapi kṣīṇā kṣaṇaṃ prāṇiti29
    meaning

    The fire of love-fever blazes unceasingly in her slender body; it is a wonder that her mind, though trying to find coolness in thoughts of sandalwood, moonlight, and lotuses, is still scorched.

  • verse 25
    क्षणमपि विरहः पुरा सेहे नयननिमीलनखिन्नया यया तेश्वसिति कथमसौ रसालशाखां चिरविरहेण विलोक्य पुष्पिताग्राम्30

    kṣaṇamapi virahaḥ purā na sēhē nayananimīlanakhinnayā yayā śvasiti kathamasau rasālaśākhāṃ chiravirahēṇa vilōkya puṣpitāgrām30
    meaning

    She who could not endure even a moment of separation from you, who was wearied even by closing her eyes—how is she now breathing, seeing this mango branch in flower after this long separation?

  • verse 26
    इति गीतगोविन्दे स्निग्धमाधवो नाम चतुर्थः सर्गः

    iti gītagōvindē snigdhamādhavō nāma chaturthaḥ sargaḥ
    meaning

    Colophon: Thus ends the fourth canto named 'Snigdha Madhava' in the Gita Govinda.

Primary text from vignanam.org