A peerless lotus garland for Sri Radha (amlānāmbuja-mālā)

Seeing that Krishna is suffering pangs of separation, the mañjarīs approach Śrī Rādhe with a peerless lotus garland, and say to her:

surata-rati-rate sarasa-rasa-rase

mura-maraka-rame varatara-varade

hara hara dharaṇī-dhara-dhara-virahaṁ

sphura ca rati-rasaṁ sura-vara-turage

SYNONYMS

surata-rati-rate — O [Rādhe] engaged (rate) in amorous love (surata-rati)!

sarasa-rasa-rase — O [Rādhe], the flowing river (rase) of delightful (sarasa) conjugal mellows (rasa)!

mura-maraka-rame — O [Rādhe], the beloved (rame) of Mura’s killer (mura-maraka)!

varatara-varade — O [Rādhe] bestower (varade) of excellent benedictions (varatara)!

hara hara — Please drive away! Please drive away!

dharaṇī-dhara-dhara-viraham — The feeling of separation (viraham) of the lifter (dhara) of the great mountain Govardhana (dharaṇī-dhara);

sphura ca rati-rasam — and (ca) bring about (sphura) mellows of conjugal love (rati-rasam);

sura-vara-turage — in the heart (turage) of [Krishna], the master of all gods (sura-vara);

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

O Rādhe, engaged in amorous love! O flowing river of delightful conjugal mellows! O beloved lover of Mura’s killer! O bestower of excellent benedictions! Please drive away, drive away the feeling of separation of the lifter of the [Govardhana] hill, and bring about mellows of conjugal love in the heart of [Krishna] the master of all gods.

SANSKRIT EXPLANATION

virahākuṇṭhitaṁ kṛṣṇam ālokya mañjarī-gaṇāḥ śrī-rādhikām amlānāmbuja-mālāṁ dattvā tāṁ prati prārthayanti — ‘surata-rati-rate’ iti. surata-ratau yā ratā magna-cittā sā surata-rati-ratā. sarasa-rasasya madhura-rasasya yā rasā nadī sā sarasa-rasa-rasā. rasā nadī iti ṛg-veda-bhāṣye sāyaṇācāryeṇa likhitam. mura-marakasya murāreḥ yā ramā sā mura-maraka-ramā. marakaḥ mārī iti jaṭā-dharaḥ. varatarasya su-śobhitasya varasya yā dātrī sā varatara-varadā. nāma-catuṣṭayena sambodhayitvā mañjaryaḥ punaḥ samprārthayanti — he rādhike! dharaṇī-dhara-dharasya govardhana-dharasya kṛṣṇasya virahaṁ hara tathā sura-varasya kṛṣṇasya turage citte rati-rasaṁ sphura! turagaḥ cittam iti medinī.

READING THE LOTUS-DIAGRAM

Each lotus can be read in a peculiar fashion. For example, the first term — surata-rati-rate can be read as follows:

 

THE LOTUS DIAGRAM

 

Āryā-sapta-śatī Verse 51 — A Clever Pun

The famous poet named Sri Govardhana Acharya composed the magnum opus named ‘Āryā-saptaśatī’. The title literally means — ‘Seven hundred verses in the āryā-meter.’ The āryā is a difficult to sing meter having many variations. Many authors (Srila Rupa Goswami included) use āryā as a meter in the auspicious invocatory verses of their respective literature.

Verse 51 of the Āryā-sapta-śatī has a special play on words:

masṛṇa-pada-rīti-gatayaḥ sajjana-hṛdayābhisārikāḥ surasāḥ
madanādvayopaniṣado viśadā govardhanasyāryāḥ

—(Āryā-sapta-śatī, Verse 51)

External Meaning:
“Their words (pada) flow (gatayaḥ) in a soft manner (masṛṇa-rīti); they are the captivators (abhisārikā) of the hearts of gentlemen (sajjana-hṛdaya); they are full of suitable rasa (surasāḥ); they are like the great manual (upaniṣadaḥ) for the unparalleled god of love (madana-advaya). Indeed, the poetic āryās (verses in āryā meter) of the poet Govardhana (govardhanasya) are full of unfathomable qualities (viśadā).”

Internal Meaning:

“Their feet (pada) walk around (gatayaḥ) in a gentle manner (masṛṇa-rīti); they are the amorous lovers (abhisārikā) of the heart of the gentle soul Krishna (sajjana-hṛdaya); they are full of passionate conjugal love (surasāḥ); they are the ones who always sit near (upaniṣadaḥ) the unparalleled god of Love (madana-advaya) i.e. Krishna. Indeed, the chaste gopī ladies (āryās) belonging to the Govardhana Hill (govardhanasya) are full of unfathomable qualities (viśadā).”