topics: |  art | india | poetry | sanskrit | erotica | picture-book | large

Gives the Sanskrit text and some of the paintings in large-format pages.
Randhawa was an ICS officer with a fascination for Indian art history,
and wrote widely on various styles of paintings sponsored at the courts of
different princes in the himalayan foothill regions.

Excerpts

opening line:
	meghairmeduramambaraM vanabhuvaH shyamastamAladrumair-
	naktaM bhirurayaM tvameva tadimaM radhe! grihaM prApaya!
	itthaM nandanideshatashchalitayoH pratyadhvakunjadrumaM
	rAdhAmAdhavayorjayanti yamunAkule rahaH kelaya

 

gloss:
	hè raadhe= hey! Raadha;
	ambaram+meghaiH+ meduram = sky, with clouds, thick with;
	vana+bhuvaH= wood, areas [lands]; shyaamaaH= are blackened;
	tamaala+ drumaiH = with Tamaala, trees;
	naktam [ca + abhivartate]= night [is also drawing nigh];
	bhiiruH+ayam= [naively] timorous, that one [Krishna is];
	tat= thereby; tvam + eva= you, alone;
	imam+gR^iham+praapaya= him, to home, see he reaches [lead him forth];
	ittham + nanda+ nideshitaH= this way, by Nanda, she who is instructed
	      [Raadha];
	chalitayoH= while both are on the go [to home]; raadhaa+
	maadhavayoH = of both Raadha, Maadhava;
	yamunaa+kuule= on Yamuna, banks of;
	prati= each, at each and every;
	adhva= on pathway;
	kunja+drumam= in arbour, at tree;
	rahaH+kelayaH= sequestered, [Gr. erös, or epithymia, or philia not
		just love] plays of passion [that are the happenstances,
		bechanced events];
	jayanti= won over, fructified [transcendentally exquisite.]

[background:  Radha, who is married, is somewhat older to the boy Krishna,
whom she is being asked to protect in this verse].
meduram: has a meaning also of "soft", cotton-like

translation BSM:
	clouds thicken the sky.
	tamAla trees darken the forest.
	the night frightens him.
	rAdha, you take him home!"
	they leave at nanda's order,
	passing trees in thickets on the way,
	until secret passions of rAdha and mAdhava
	triumph on the jumna riverbank.

dashAvatArastotram

[aSTa padi -1 dasha avataara kiirti dhavalam]
[eight-footed stanzas, with a repeatable stanza at their end.]

pralayapayodhijale dhr^itavaanasi vedam | vihitavahitracharitramakhedam ||
keshavaadhr^itamiinashariira jayajagadiishahare || 1-1

	jagat+iisha= worlds, the Almighty of; hare= oh, Hari; pra+laya=
	completely, commingled [deluged]; payodhi= oceans; jale= in waters; dhr^ita+miina+shariira= on
	donning, fish's, body; vihita= make do [improvising]; vahitra= [like
	a] ship; charitram= legendary; vedam= Veda-s; a+khedam= not, with
	weariness [indefatigably]; dhr^itavaan+asi= upheld, you are; jaya=
	hail to thee.

kshitirativipulatare tavatiShThatipr^ishhThe | dharaNidharaNakiNachakragariShThe
keshava dhr^itakacChaparuupa jayajagadiishahare || 1-2

	dhr^ita+kacChapa+ruupa= assumed, tortoise, form; ati+vipula+tare=
	very, wide, much in degree [widest]; dharaNi+dharaNa= earth, by
	bearing weight [or by bearing the weight of Mt. Manthara, when Milky
	Ocean was churned]; kiNa= tumid, puffed up; chakra+ tava= circular
	shell of tortoise, of yours; gariShThe + pr^iShThe= on its
	heightened, back; kshitiH+ tiShThati = earth, is abiding

vasati dashanashikhare dharaNiitavalagnaa | shashini kala~Nkakaleva nimagnaa ||
keshava dhr^itasuukararuupa jayajagadiishahare || 1-3

	dhr^ita+suukara+ruupa= on assuming, wild boar's, form;
	tava+dashana+shikhare= your, fang's, top; lagnaa+dharaNii= became
	stuck, earth; shashini+ nimagnaa = in moon, embedded;
	kalaN^ka+kala+iva= blemish's, streak, like; vasati= is lodged;


tava karakamalavare nakhamadbhutashr^i~Ngam | dalitahiraNyakashiputanubhr^i~Ngam ||
keshava dhr^itanarahariruupa jayajagadiishahare || 1-4

	dhr^ita+nara+hari+ruupa= on assuming, man, lion, form of;
	tava+kara+kamala+vare= in your, hand, [called] lotus, the best;
	dalita+ hiraNya kashipu + tanu = lacerated, Hiranyakashyapa's, body;
	bhr^iN^gam= [which is like a] honeybee; adbhuta+shr^iN^gam + nakham+
	[bhaati]= wondrous, tip, of nail [thus those nails shine forth];

Chalayasi vikramaNe balimadbhutavaamana | padanakhaniirajanitajanapaavana ||
keshava dhr^itavaamanaruupa jayajagadiishahare || 1-5

	chhalayasi - vikramaNe - balim - adbhuta - vaamana - pada - nakha -
	niira - janita - jana - paavana - keshava - dhr^ita - vaamana - ruupa
	jaya jagadiisha hare

kshatriyarudhiramaye jagadapagatapaapam | snapayasi payasi shamitabhavataapam |
keshava dhr^itabhr^ighupatiruupa jayajagadiishahare || 1-6

	dhr^ita+bhr^ighu+pati+ruupa= on assuming, sage Bhrigu's legatee
	[Parashu Rama] saver, saviour's, mien; kshatriya+ rudhira+ maye=
	Kshatriya, blood of, filled with; payasi= in waters [pools of blood
	waters]; jagat= world [people]; shamita+bhava+taapam= ceased,
	worldly, torridity; apagata+paapam= swerved off, sin is; snapayasi=
	you make them to bathe [in blood pools of kings];

vitarasi dikshu raNe dikpatikamaniiyam | dashamukhamaulibalim ramaNiiyam ||
keshava dhr^itaraamashariira jayajagadiishahare || 1-7

	dhr^ita+raama+shariira= on assuming, Rama's, body; dikshu= in all
	directions, ten of them; dik+pati= direction, presiding deity of;
	kamaniiyam= desired by [those deities]; ramaNiiyam= heart-pleasing
	[act of]; dasha+mukha= ten, faced demon, octahedron Ravana's; mauli=
	heads; balim= sacrifice; raNe= in war; vitarasi = generously giving;

vahasi vapuSivishadevasanam jaladaabham | halahatibhiitimilitayamunaabham ||
keshava dhr^itahaladhararuupa jayajagadiishahare || 1-8

	dhr^ita= on assuming; hala+dhara+ ruupa = plough, wielder, form of;
	vishade+vapuShi= on whitish, body; jala+da+abham= water, giver
	[cloud,] in shine with; hala+hati+bhiiti+milita= by plough, hit,
	fear, blent with; yamuna + aabham = River Yamuna, in shine;
	vasanam+vahasi= raiemnt, you bear [you are clad in];

nindati yaGYavidherahaha shrutijaatam | sadayahr^idayadarshitapashughaatam ||
keshava dhr^itabuddhashariira jayajagadiishahare || 1-9

	dhr^ita+buddha+shariira= on assuming, Buddha's, body;
	sa+daya+hr^idaya= with, kindness, in heart; darshita= shown [taught
	by scriptures]; pashu+ghaatam= animal, killing; yaj~na+vidheH= in
	Vedic-rituals, methods of; shruti+jaatam= scriptural words,
	collection of; nindati= fault-finding; a ha ha= aha, aha, aha
	[expression of surprise];

mlecChanivahanidhane kalayasikaravaalam | dhuumaketumiva kimapikaraalam ||
keshava dhr^itakalkishariira jayajagadiishahare || 1-10

	dhr^ita+kalki+shariira= on assuming, Kalki, body of;
	mlecCha+nivaha+nidhane= fractious, groups of race, in eliminating;
	dhuumaketum+iva= as with a comet, as with  [or, dhuuma+ketu= smoke,
	as symbol; Kalki wields a sword and its golden handle is compared to
	burning fire, and bloodstained blade with red smoke]; karavaalam+
	kalayasi= sword, you are brandishing; karaalam+kim+api= dreadful
	[deeds of yours,] why, even [tell about them, unimaginable to detail
	them];

vedaanuddharate jagannivahate bhuugolamudbibhrate
daityam daarayate balim chhalayate kshatrakshayam kur.hvate |
paulastyam jayate halam kalayate kaaruNyamaatanvate
mlechchhaanmuurchchhayate dashaakr^itikr^ite kr^ishhNaaya tubhyam namaH || 1-5

	vedaan+ uddharate= Veda-s, one who revives;
	jagat+ nivahate= world, one who bears up;
	bhuu+ golam+ ut+ bibhrate= eath, globe of, up, lifted to support;
	daityam+ daarayate= demon [Hiranya kashyapa,] one who slashed;
	balim+ cChalayate= Bali, one who deluded;
	kshatra+ kshayam+ kurvate= Kshatriya-s, annihilation, one who does;
	paulastyam+ jayate= Pulasya's legatee, Ravana, one who conquers;
	halam+ kalayate= plough, one who wields;
	kaaruNyam+  aatanvate= pity [non-violence,] one who fosters;
	mlecChaan+ muurcChayate= fractious races, one makes them to swoon
		[mangler of];
	dasha+ akR^iti+  kR^ite= ten, semblances, one who puts on;
	kR^iShNaaya+ tubhyam+ namaH= [such is] Krishna, for your reverence.

	The reviver of Vedas as a fish, bearer of this earth as tortoise,
	uplifter and supporter of earth as wild boar, slasher of
	Hiranyakashyapa as lion-man, deluder of Bali as dwarf-boy,
	annihilator of Kshatriya-s as Parashu Rama, conqueror of Ravana, the
	legatee of Paulastya, as Rama, wielder of plough as Bala Rama,
	fosterer of non-violence as Buddha, mangler of fractious races as
	Kalki, and as you alone can put on ten semblances, thus oh, Krishna,
	my reverences are unto you... [1-5]

 
a friend brings rAdhA news of kriShnA's carousal with the gopis

Canto I

lalitalavangalatAparishIlanakomalamalayasamire
madhukaranikarakarambitakokilakujitakunjakutire

...

 
chandanacharchitanIlakalevarapItavasanavanamAlI
kelichalanmaNikuNdalamaNditagaNdayugasmitashAlI
haririha mugdhavadhunikare vilAsini vilasati kelipare
					[verse 1:38-39]
	Yellow silk and wildflower garlands lie on dark sandaloiled skin.
 	Jewel earrings dangling in [love]play ornament his smiling cheeks.
	Hari revels here as the crowd of charming girls
	Revel in seducing him to loveplay.

 
pInapayodharabhArabhareNa hariM parirabhya sarAgam
gopabadhuranugAyati kAchidudanchitapanchamarAgam

	One cowherdess with heavy breasts embraces Hari lovingly
	And celebrates him in a melody of love.

 
krishNa doing up rAdhA's hair

Other cantos

7:14
hariparirambhaNabalitavikArA
kuchakalashopari taralitahArA.

	She is visibly excited by embracing Hari;
	Her necklaces tremble on full, hard breasts.

vipulapulakapr.thuvepathubhaMgA
shvasitanimIlitaviksadanMgA.

	Her body writhes with tingling flesh and trembling,
	The ghost of Love expands inside with her sighing.

12:5
priyaparirambhaNarabhasavalitamiva pulakitamatiduravapam
madurasi kuchakalashaM viniveshya sheShaya manasijatApam

Throbbing breasts aching for loving embrace are hard to touch.
Rest these vessels on my chest! Quench love's burning fire!   [bsm]

 
kriShNa painting the breasts of rAdhA

mArAMke ratikelisaMkularaNArambhe tayA sAhasa-
	prAyaM kAntajayAy kiMchidupari prArambhi yatsambhrmAt
niShpandA jaghansthalI shithilitA dorvallirutkampitaM
	vakShi mIlitamkShi pouruSharasaH strINAM kutaH sidhyati.

Displaying her passion
In loveplay as the battle began,
She launched a bold offensive
Above him
And triumphed over her lover.
Her hips were still,
Her vine-like arm was slack,
Her chest was heaving,
Her eyes were closed.
Why does a mood of manly force
Succeed for women in love?  [bsm]