Shri Vrindavan, 2017.08.28 (VT): The following Braj Bhasha songs were taken, along with their translations, from Krishnaa Kinkari Devi’s beautiful compilation Dhanya Dhanya Vrishabhanu Dulhari. The songs are by various poets, but they all sing in one voice, in praise of Shri Radha.
Shri Radha’s Incomparable Qualities
श्री स्वामिनीजू के अनुपम गुण
Shri Swaminiju ke Anupam Gun
राग पूर्वी
मेरे तू जिय में बसत नवल प्रिय प्राण प्यारी
तेरेई दरस परस राग रंग उपजत, मान न कीजै हौ हौ री
तू ही जीवन तू ही प्राण तू ही सकल गुण निधान
तो समान और नाहिन मोको हितकारी
व्यास की स्वामिनी तेरी ही माया ते पायो नाम बिहारी
raag purvi
mere tu jiya me basat naval priya praan pyaari
tere-i daras paras raag rang upajat, maan na keejai hau hau ri
tu hi jeevan tu hi praan, tu hi sakal gun nidhaan
to samaan aur naahin moko hitkaari
vyaas ki swamini teri hi maya te
payo naam bihari
Shri Krishna says: O my Beloved, more dear to me than the breath of life, source of ever-fresh love! You alone live in my heart of hearts. Your sight and your touch are what inspire my affection, my melodies, my colour, my style. Please, I beg you, do not turn away from me. You are my life, my power, the ocean of good qualities. There is no one who fulfills me like you do. It is through your power alone that I am known as Bihari.
The Sweetness of Her Smile
मुस्कान माधुरी
Muskaan Madhuri
जोरि-जोरि-जोरि दृग मोरि-मोरि-मोरि मुख
चोरि-चोरि-चोरि चित्त चखानि चितै गई
झुकि झुकि झाँकनि झरोखा झाँकि झाँकि जात
ताकि-ताकि तीछन से तीर तन दै गई
सुमति प्रबीन मुख चन्द्र सौ उदोत होत
मृदु मुसकान में चकोर चित्त लै गई
लुकि लुकि लोचन सकोचन सों हेरि हेरि
लगी सी लगाय कैं लपेट मन ले गई
jori-jori-jori drig mori-mori-mori mukh
chori-chori-chori chitt chakhaani chitai gayi
jhuki jhuki jhankani jharokhaa jhaanki jhaanki jaat
taaki-taaki teechan se teer tan dai gayi
sumati praveen mukh chandra sau udot hot
mridu musakaan me chakor chitt le gayi
luki luki lochan sakochan so heri heri
lagi si lagaay ke lapet man le gayi
Her eyelids are nearly closed and her face is slightly turned away, but still his heart and mind are stolen by this vision of her. He tries so hard to catch her glance her through the carved shutters of the window where she sits, and at last he sees her shy eyes as they look down at him. Each of these glances sends a sharp arrow through his being. She is pure of heart and extremely skilled, and her face shines more brilliantly than the moon. And when she smiles, she steals the innermost heart of Shri Krishna, who is like the chakor bird staring unblinkingly at the moon. She hides her glances in her modest manner, but they still catch him and wrap up his mind in her fascination.
मृदु मुसकान निहारि कें, धीर धरत है कौन
नारायण कै तन तजै, कै बौरा कौ मौन
mridu muskaan nihaari ke, dheer dharat hai kaun
narayan kai tan tajai, kai bauraa kau maun
The poet Narayan Swami says:
No one can return to normal after seeing Shri Radha’s sweet smile. They will either just give up the ghost or become crazed or mute.
प्यारी जू की मुसकनि बीजुरी सी काँधि जात
प्यारैजू के उरते न रेखा सी टरति है
भरि भरि आवै नैंन कैसें हू न पावैं चैन
बान की सी अनि हिये खरक्यो करति है
लाड़ली बेली अलबेली खनि माधुरी की
सहज सुभाडन में सरवस हरति है
हितध्रुव नए नए छबि की तरंग देखें
रीझि सीस चन्द्रिका पगन को ढरति है
pyari ju ki musakani bijuri si kaandhi jaat
pyareju ke urte na rekhaa si tarati hai
bhari bhari aave nain kaise hu na paave chain
baan ki si ani hiye kharkyon karati hai
ladli beli albeli khani madhuri ki
sahaj subhadan mein sarvas harati hai
hit dhruv naye naye chhabi ki tarang dekhen
rijhi sees chandrika pagan ko dharati hai
My darling Shri Radha’s smile shines like lightning and binds her tightly to her Beloved’s heart. When Shri Krishna sees her smile, his eyes fill with tears and he must try hard not to lose consciousness. Her smile is like a sharp-tipped arrow that pierces his heart. This fair maiden is graceful like a climbing vine and a treasure-trove of pure sweetness. Her very nature steals everything from him! The poet Hit Dhruva Das says, “Seeing these ever-fresh waves of her loveliness, the crown on his head is ever pleased to bow at her lotus feet.”
Her Captivating Eyes
किशोरी जू के नैना अती मतवारे
Kishori Ju Ke Naina Ati Matware
राग नट
राधे तेरे नैन किधौं बटपारे
तिहि देखे बन के मृग मोहे मानुस कौन बिचारै
अंजन है पिय को मन मोह्यौ खंजन मीन लजारै
चितवन दृष्टि बाण भरि मारत घूमत ज्याँ मतवारे
गिरधर रूप दियौ सब लोको कहिये तिन्हें कहारे
सूरदास प्रभु दरशन कारन नाचत ज्यों मतवारे
raag nat
radhe tere nain kidhau batpaare
tihi dekhe ban ke mrig mohe, maanus kaun bichare
anjan hai piya ko man mohyau khanjan meen lajaare
chitvan drishti baan bhari maarat, ghoomat jyaa matwaare
girdhar roop diyo sab loko kahiye tinhe kahare
soor das prabhu darashan kaaran naachat jyo matwaare
O Shri Radhe! Are these your eyes or highway robbers? Seeing them, the big-eyed does of the forest are enchanted, what to speak of mere humans? Shri Krishna’s heart is completely absorbed in the black kohl adorning them. The wagtail birds and the all the fishes feel shy before your eyes.* You slay all those on whom you cast your arrow-like glances. Seeing your eyes, your Beloved spins like one intoxicated. Shri Krishna has offered up to you all his incomparable beauty. The poet Surdasji says, “In order to catch a glance from you, he dances like a madman!”
*Beautiful eyes are often compared to fish, wagtail birds (khanjan pakshi) or a doe’s eyes.
नैक नैन की कोर मोर मोहन बस कीने
राधे तेरे रूप की पटतर को दीने
कमल कोस अलि ज्यों चले तारे रंग भीने
जय श्री भट्ट तनक अंजन छुये लालन लवलीने
nek nain ki kor mor mohan bas keene
radhe tere roop ki pattar ko deene
kamal kos ali jyon chale taare rang bheene
jay shri bhatt tanak anjan chuye laalan lavaleene
Shri Krishna says: “O Radhe! Just one glance from the corner of your eyes has enchanted me completely, though I myself am the enchanter of the whole world! No one can ever describe your beauty. Drops of nectar from the lotus tempt the bee, who loses himself in the taste, and gets trapped within the petals when they close. In the same way I am lost in you.” The poet Shri Bhatt says, “By the mere touch of a drop of your eyeliner, Shri Krishna has gone mad with love.”
राग नायकी
कजर बिन कारी तेरी अखियाँ
फुलेल बिन चिकुर चिकने अधर राते बिन पान
मंजन बिन जोत दसन आछै आभूषण बिन कैसी नीकी लागे तू सुजान
बिन सुगन्ध तो तन सुगन्धमय, कला पढ़े बिन रति की खान
प्रभु कल्याण गिरधरन लाल के तू जीवन प्राण
kajar bin kaari teri akhiyaa
phulel bin chikur chikne adhar raate bin paan
manjan bin jot dasan aache, aabhushan bin kaisi niki laage tu sujaan
bin sugandh to tan sugandhmay, kalaa padhe bin rati ki khaan
prabhu kalyaan girdharan laal ke tu jeevan praan
O my beloved Radha, your eyes are so dusky even without applying kohl, and your skin is soft without oils. Your lips are red without the paan leaf and your teeth are bright without polishing. You are gorgeous without any ornamentation and you need no perfume to be fragrant. You know all the arts of love without having to study their scriptures. The poet Kalyan Das says, “You are the very life-breath of my Lord, the Uplifter of Govardhan Hill.”
राधे तेरे नैन कटारे
उत घायल घूमत ललितादिक इत ससकत हैं कुँज बिहारी
मुसिकन नौन डारी जिन हा हा निठुर हाथ तेरे जू कहारी
जय श्री वंशी मीन गहैं पावत ऐसौ न्याव जहाँरी
radhe tere nain kataare
ut ghaayal ghumat lalitaadik it saskat hai kunj bihari
musikan naun daari jin ha ha nithur haath tere ju kahari
jay shri vanshi meen gahe paavat esau nyaav jahaari
O Sri Radhe! Your loving eyes are sharp as daggers. On one side Sri Lalitaju and the other sakhis wander as if wounded, and on the other side Shri Krishna, who usually plays carefree in the forest bowers of Vrindavan, is trembling. Please don’t smile, my Love, and thus rub salt in our wounds. How cruel you are! “Is it fair,” says Shri Krishna, “that your eyes have caught me like a fish?”
तेरे नैन मेरे नैन, मेरे नैन तेरे नैन
और ठौर चलिवे को दीठ के न पग है
तेरी प्रीति मेरी प्रीति, मेरी प्रीति तेरी प्रीति
प्रीत की प्रतीत दोउ बोरि बैरी लग है
तेरे प्रान मेरे प्रान, मेरे प्रान तेरे प्रान
नागरिया एक प्रान जाने सब जग है
तेरौ मन मेरौ मन, मेरौ मन तेरौ मन
ठगिवे को मेरो मन तेरो मन ठग है
tere nain mere nain, mere nain tere nain
aur thaur chalive ko deeth ke na pag hai
teri priti mere priti, mere priti teri priti
prit ki pratit dou bori bairi lag hai
tere pran mere pran, mere pran tere pran
nagariya ek pran jane sab jag hai
tero man mero man, mero man tero man
thagive ko mero man, tero man thag hai!
Shri Radha says to Shri Krishna: “Your eyes are my eyes, and my eyes are your eyes, but my eyes cannot wander away from yours. Your love is my love and my love is your love. Both of us are lost in this upsurge of love. Your breath is my breath, and my breath is your breath; everyone knows we are one soul. Your heart is my heart and my heart is your heart. But your heart is the robber that stole away mine!”
तेरे नैन सावन की कारी अंधियारी घटा
ता ऊपर मेरे नैन घटा घनघोर है
तेरे नैन कलि में कल्प वृक्ष प्रगटे आय
ता ऊपर मेरे नैन बिच बिच मोर है
तेरे नैन उडगति सी ऊंची उतंग भरै
ता ऊपर मेरे नैन पक्षी चकोर हैं
तेरे नैन मेरे नैन मेरे नैन तेरे नैन
मेरे नैन चोरीवे को तेरे नैन चोर है
tere nain savan ki kaari andhiyaari ghataa
ta upar mere nain ghataa ghanghor hai
tere nain kali mein kalp vriksh pragate aay
taa upar mere nain bich bich mor hai
tere nain udgati si unchi utang bhare
ta upar mere nain pakshi chakor hai
tere nain mere nain, mere nain tere nain
mere nain chorive ko tere nain chor hai!
Shri Krishna says to Shri Radha: “Your eyes are like the dark rain-filled clounds of Shravan, but mine are the thunderclouds embracing them. Your eyes are a wish-fulfilling tree that blesses the age of Kali, but my eyes are the peacocks who sit in that tree. Your eyes are like the bright moon above, but mine are the chakor bird who longs only for the touch of their light. Your eyes are my eyes and my eyes are your eyes. But your eyes are the theives that stole away mine!”
Translated by Krishnaa Kinkari
Lightly edited for this publication for Vrindavan Today
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