Act Two
Manmatha-lekhä
(The Love-letter)
Text 1 (a)
(tataù praviçati nandémukhé.)
nandémukhé: adiööhamhi tattahodé-e paurnamasé-e, jadha - -a-i nandémuhi, sudaà ma-e nibbhara asuttha-saréra me vaccha rahé. ta gadu-a janéni se tattaà tti. tado muhara-gharaà gamissam. (iti parikramya punah paçyanté.) kahaà idha jjeva kandanté muhara-a-accha-i.
tataù - then; praviçati - enters; nandémukhé - Nandémukhé; adiööhamhi - I have been instructed; tattahodé-e - by her ladyship; paurnamasé-e - by Paurnamäsi; jadha - in the following way; a-i - O; nandémuhi - Nandémukhé; sudam - heard; ma-e - by me; nibhara - intense; asuttha - illness; saréra - body; me - my; vaccha - child; rahé - Rädhä; ta - therefore; gadu-a - having gone; jaëéhi - please learn; se - her; tattam - truth of the situation; tti - thus; tado - therefore; muhara - of Mukhara; gharam - house; gamissam - I am about to go; iti - thus; parikramya - going; punaù - again; paçyati - seeing; kaham - how is it?; idha - here; jjeva - indeed; kandanté - crying; muhara - Mukhara; a-ccha-i - is coming.
(Nändimukhi enters.)
Nandimukhé: Paurëamäsi ordered me: O Nändimukhi, I heard that my child Rädhä is feeling very ill. Go to Her and learn the truth of Her condition." That is why I am now going to Mukharä's house. (She begins to go, and then sees Mukhara.) Why is weeping Mukhara coming here?
Text 1 (b)
Mukhara: haddhé haddhé, hadamhi manda-bha-iné.
Nändimukhi: ajje muhare, késa ro-asi.
Mukhara: (vilokya) vacche, rahé-sandavana.
haddhé haddhé - alas! Alas!; hadamhi - I am struck; manda-bha-iëé - unfortunate; ajje - pious; muhare - O Mukhara; késa - why?; ro-asi - are you crying; vilokya - glancing; vacche – O child; rahé - Rädhä's; sandavena - because of the suffering.
Mukhara: (enters) Alas! Alas! I am ruined! I am very unfortunate!
Nändimukhi: Pious Mukharä, why do you weep?
Mukhara: (glancing at Nändimukhi) Child, because of Rädhä's suffering.
Text 1 (c)
Nändimukhi: kerimaà ceööha-é rahé.
Mukhara: vacche, va-ula bhavi-a kiàvi palava-i.
kerisam - in what manner; ceööha-i - acts; rahé - Rädhä; vacche - O child; va-ula - crazy; bhavi-a - having become; kiàvi - something; palava-i - she talks.
Nändimukhi: What does She do?
Mukhara: Child, She talks like a madwoman.
Text 1 (d)
(iti sanskåtena)
kruranam alinaà malinaya kåtyaà na me malaya
balanaà kim u narmanas tava padaà duré-bhava
praìganatity adéni durakñaraùi paritaù svapne tatha jagare
jalpanté jalajekñana kñapayati kleçena ratrindivam
iti - thus; sanskåtena - in Sanskrit; kruraëam - cruel; alinam - of the bees; kulaiù - by the multitudes; malinaya - blackened; kåtyam - proper action; na - not; me - of me; malaya - by the garland; bala - a young girl; aham - I; kimu - whether?; narmaëaù - of joking; tava - Your; padam - word; duré-bhava - gofar away; praìgaëat - from this courtyard; iti - thus; adéni - beginning with this; durakñaraëi - incoherent words; paritaù - everywhere; svapne - during sleep; tatha - in the sameway; jagare - while awake; jalpanté - speaking; jalaja - lotus; ékñaëa - eyes; kñapayati - she passes; kleçena - with great pain; ratrim - the night; divam - and the day.
(in Sanskrit) “Cruel bumblebees should not blacken My flower garland. I am only a girl. Why do you joke like that? Go far away from this courtyard." Awake and asleep talking in that crazy way, the lotus-eyed girl suffers day and night.
Text 2 (a)
Nändimukhi: (svagatam) uvasaggakida na kkhu erisé palava-mudda. ta diööhi-a vikkamidaà ettha kanha-vilasena.
Mukhara: vacche, ahaà gadu-a bhaavadéà vinnavissam. tumaà vedasé-kuïjaà uvasappi-a rahi-aà peccha.
(iti niñkrante.)
svagatam - aside; uvasagga - a fit of madness; kida - performed; na - not; kkhu - indeed; erisé - like this; palava - talking; mudda - sign; ta - that; diööhi-a - by good fortune; vikkamidam - activity; ettha - here; kanha - with Kåñna; vilasena - by the pastimes; vacche - O child; aham - I; gadu-a - having gone; bhaavadim - to her; vinnavissam - I shall inform; tumam - you; vedasé - of vetasé trees; kuïjam - to the grove; uvasappi-a - having entered; rahi-am - Çrimaté Rädhäraëé; peccha - please observe; iti - thus; niñkrante - they exit.
Nändimukhi: (aside) That talk is not the mark of madness. It is the mark of good fortune, of being overcome by Lord Kåñëa's pastimes.
Mukhara: Child, I will go to the noble lady and tell her. You go to the vetasi grove and watch Rädhä.
(They exit.)
Text 2 (b)
(tataù praviçati sakhébhyam upasyamana radha.)
Radha: (sodvegam svagatam.) hadahi-a-a. jassa padicchanda-daàsanamettado érisé duruha-saìgama uvatthida de avastha ttha vi puno ram-aà vahasi.
tataù - then; praviçati - enters; sakhébhyam - by her two close friends (Lalitä and Viçäkhä); upasyamana - served; radha - Çrimaté Rädhärané; sa-udvegam - agitated; svagatam - aside; hada - wounded; hi-a-a - heart; jassa - ofwhich; padicchanda - of a picture; daàsana - by the seeing; mettado - only; érisé - like this; duruha - difficult to understand; saìgama - contact; uvatthida - attained; de - your; avastha - situation; ttha vi - somewhere; puëo - again; ra-am - love; vahasi - you carry.
(Served by two friends, Lalitä and Viçäkhä, Rädhä enters.)
Radha: (Agitated, she says to herself) O wounded heart, simply by looking at a picture you have fallen wildly and passionately in love.
Text 2 (c)
Ubhe: hala rahi-e amayehinto vilakkhano de ve-ananubandhe lakkhé-adi. ta késa amhesu tattaà na kadhesi. (radhika niùçvasya vaktraà vyavartayati.)
ubhe - both (Lalitä and Viçäkhä; rahi-e - O Rädhä; amayehinto - because of illness; vilakkhano - symptoms; de - your; ve-ana - to distress; anubandhaù - in relation; lakkhé-adi - is perceived; ta - therefore; késa - the truth; ëa - not; kadhesi - you tell; radhika - Çrimaté Rädhäraëé; niùçvasya - sighing; vaktram - face; vyakartayati - turns away.
Lalitä and Viçäkhä: Rädhä, we see how You suffer. Why will You not tell us the truth?
(Rädhä sighs and turns her face away.)
Text 2 (d)
viçakha: (puro 'bhigamya. sanskåtena) cinta-santatir adya kåntati sakhi svantasya kià te dhåtià kià va siïcasi tamram ambaram ati-avedambhasaà dambaramkampaç campaka-gauri lumpati vapuù-sthairyaà kathaà va balat tathyaà bruhi na maìgala parijane saìgopanaìgé-kåtiù
puraù - in front; abhimagamya - having gone; sanskåtena - in Sanskrit; cinta - of anxieties; santatiù - a multitude; adya - at present; kåntati - are tearing apart; sakhi - O friend;
svantasya - of the heart and mind; kim - why?; te - your; dhåtim - composure; kim va - why?; siïcasi - you sprinkle; tamram - reddish; ambaram - garments; ati-sveda - with much perspiration; ambhasam - of the water; damraram - abundance; kampaù - trembling; campaka - as a campaka flower; gauri - fair; lumpati - break; vapuù - of your body; sthairyam - steadiness; kathamva - and why is it?; balat - by force; tathyam - truthfully; bruhi - please tell; na - not; mangala - auspicious; parijane - to your servants; saìgopana - concealment; aìgé-kåtiù - acceptance.
Viçäkhä: (confronting Rädhä, in Sanskrit) O friend, why do these sufferings cut to pieces the peacefulness in Your heart? Why do You sprinkle Your red garments with a flood of
perspiration? O girl fair like a yellow campaka flower, why does trembling now break the steadiness of Your body? Please tell the truth. It is not good to hide the truth from Your friends.
Text 3 (a)
radhika: (sasuyam) a-i niööhure visahe, tumaà evaà pucchanté vi na lajjasi.
viçakha: (saçaìkam) hala, kahià pi avaraddhamhi tti na sumarami.
sa - with; asuyam - indignation; a-i - O; niööhure - cruel; visahe - Viçäkhä; tumam - you; evam - indeed; pucchanté - enquiring; vi - even; na - not; lajjasi - are ashamed; sa - with;
çaìkam - fear; hala - O; kahim pi - at some time; avaraddhamhi - I have become an offender; tti - thus; ëa - not; sumarami - I remember.
Rädhikä: (indignat) Cruel Viçäkhä, are you not ashamed to question me in this way?
Viçäkhä: (worried) Perhaps I once offended you, but I do not remember it.
Text 3 (b)
radhika: a-i nikkive, késa evvaà bhanasi. sumari-a pekkha.
viçakha: hala, garu-eëa vi paëihaëeëa ëa me sumaraëaà hodi.
a-i - O; ëikkave - merciless one; késa - why?; evvam - inthis way; bhaëasi - you are speaking; sumari-a - having remembered; pekkha - please look; hala - O; garu-eëa - intense; vi - even;
paëihaëeëa - with endeavor; ëa - not; me - my; sumaraëam - remembrance; hodi - is.
Rädhikä: Merciless girl, why do you talk like that? Remember and look.
Viçäkhä: Even with a great effort, I still do not remember.
Text 3 (c)
radhika: ummatte, gahane imaàssi accahidaùala-kunde tumaà jjeva maha pakkhevané.
viçakha: kadhaà vi-a.
radhika: (serñyam) a-i micchasarale, alekkhagada-bhu-aìga-saìgini, ciööha ciööha.
ummatte - O madwoman; gahaëe - deep; imaàssi - in this; acchahida - very inauspicious; anala - of fife; kuëde - in the lake; tumamm - you jjeva - indeed; maha - of me; pakkhevaëé -
throwing; kahdham vi-a - how did I do that?; sa - with; érñyam - malice and impatience; a-i - O; miccha-asarale - crooked liar; alekkha-gada - in the picture; bhu-aìga - of the serpent; saìgini - O friend; ciööha - stand! Do not move!.
Rädhikä: Crazy girl, you threw Me into the lake of eternal burning fire!
Viçäkhä: How is that?
Rädhikä: (with malice and impatience) Crooked liar, friend of the snake in this picture! Stay! Stay!
Text 3 (d)
(iti savaivaçyaà sanskåtena)
vitanvanas tanva marakata-rucénaà rucirataà paöan niñkåanto 'bhud dhåta-çikhi-çikhando nava-yuva (ity ardhoktau vak-stambhaà naöayati.)
(sakhyau sabhrubhangam anyo 'nyaà paçyataù.)
iti - thus; sa - with; vaivaçyam - loss of control; sanskåtena - in Sankrit; vitanvanaù - manifesting; tanva - with His form; marakata - of emeralds; rucénam - of the splendor;
ruciratam - brilliance; paöat - from the picture; niçkrantaù - comeforth; abhut - become; dhåta - held; çikhi-çikhaëdaù - peacock feather; nava - fresh; yuva - with youthfulness; iti - thus; ardha - half; uktau - in the speech; vak - of thevoice; stambham - choking; naöayati - represented dramatically; sakhyau - thetwo friends (Lalitä and Viçäkhä); sa - with; bhru-bhaìgam - knitting of the eyebrows; anyaù-anyam - mutally; paçyata - look.
(Overcome, Rädhä says in Sanskrit) Splendid like sapphires and decorated with peacock feathers, a teenage boy stepped out of that picture. (In the middle of Her words, Her voice becomes choked. Her two friends look at each other with raised eyebrows.)
Text 3 (e)
bhruvaà tena kñiptva kim api hasatonmadita-mateù çaçé våtto vahniù param ahaha vahnir mama çaçé
bhruvam - eyebrows; tena - by Him; kñiptva - having moved; kim api - some; hasata - smiling; unmadita - deranged; mateù - mind; çaçé - moon; våttaù - activity; vahniù - fire; param - then; ahaha - alas; vahniù - fire; mama - my; çaçé - moon.
When He smiled and moved His eyebrows, my heart became mad. The fire in My heart shone like the moon. Then the moon of My heart entered the fire.
Text 4 (a)
lalita: hala, kià eso sivinnassa vilaso.
hala - O; kim - what?; eso - this; sivinnassa - of a dream; vilaso - pastime.
Lalitä: Did this happen in a dream?
Text 4 (b)
radhika: (sanskåtena)
kià svapnasya vilakñana gatir iyaà kià jagarasyathava
kià ratrer upasattir eva rabhasad ahnaù kim ahnaya vaitthaà
çyamala-candrika-paricaya-spandena sandépitair
antaù-kñobha-kulair ahaà parivåta prajïatum ajïabhavam
sanskåtena - in Sanskrit; kim - what?; svapnasya - of a dream; vilakñana - characteristics; gatiù - motion; iyam - this; jagarasya - of the waking state; athava - or; kim - what; ratreù - of the night; upasattiù - connection; eva - indeed; rabhasat - agitation; ahnaù - day; kim - what; ahnaya - instantly; va - or; ittham - in this way; çyamala - dark; candrika - moonlight; paricaya - accumulation; spandena - by the movement; sandépitaiù - excited; antaù - internal; ñobha - of intense emotions; kulaiù - by the multitudes; ajïa - ignorant; abhavam - I became.
Rädhikä: (in Sanskrit) Was it a dream, or was I awake? Was it night, or was it day? I do not know. The light from the dark moon of that teenage boy filled My heart with flames.
Text 5 (a)
viçakha: (sakutam) hala rahe, nunaà eso de citta-vibbhamo jevva kkhani-o.
radhika: (sabhyasuyam) a-i aviçaddhe, viramehi, késa appano dosaà jhampiduà pa-ttasi.
sa - with; akutam - an intention; hala - O; rahe - Rädhä; ëuëam - now; eso - this; de - of you; citta - of the mind; vibbhamo - bewilderment; jjeva - certainly; kkhaëi-o - momentary; sa - with; abhyasuyam - indignation; a-i - O; aviçaddhe - untrusting; viramehi - please stop; késa - why; appaëo - of yourself; dosam - offense; jhampidum - to conceal; pauttasi - you are engaged.
Viçäkhä: (with feeling) O Rädhä, Your heart was bewildered for a moment.
Rädhikä: (indignant) Faithless girl, stop! Why try to cover up your offense?
Text 5 (b)
(iti sanskåtena)
kåtaà bhakti-cohedair ghusåna-ghana-cardam adhivahan
punar labdho lubdhaù priyaka-taru-mule caöula-dhéù
lapantyaù sakñepaà nahi nahi nanéti smita-mukhe
haöhan me durlélaù sa kila bhuja-vallé-dalam adhat
iti - thus; sanskåtena - in Sanskrit; kåtam - done; bhakti-chedaiù - with decorative marks; ghusåna - kuìkuma; ghana - intense; carcam - anointing; adhivahan - carrying; punaù - again;
labdhaù - attained; lubdhaù - eager; priyaka - kadamba; taru - tree; mule - at the base; caöula - fickle; dhéù - mind; lapantyaù - speaking; sakñepam - in a teasing manner; nahi nahi nahi - no, no, no!; iti - thus; smita - smiling; mukhaù - mouth; haöhat - violently; me - of me; durlélaù - mischievous; saù - He; kila - indeed; bhuja - arm; vallé - of the creeper; dalam - petal; adhat - placed.