VERSE 3:

śrīmat kuṇḍataṭī kuḍuṅga-bhavane krīḍā-kalānāṁ guruṁ
talpe mañjula malli komala dalaiḥ klṛpte muhur mādhavam
jitvā māninam akṣa saṅgara vidhau smitvā dṛgantotsavair
yuñjānāṁ hasituṁ sakhīḥ param aho rādhāṁ kadāhaṁ bhaje

“O! When can I serve Śrī Rādhā, who smiles and engages Her sakhīs, with a festival of sidelong glances, in ridiculing Mādhava, the teacher of all artful plays, who is otherwise very proud of His skill in playing, after defeating Him in a game of dice on a bed of lovely soft jasmine-petals in a kuñja-kuṭīra on the bank of Her beautiful kuṇḍa?”

Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā:

In this verse Śrī Kuṇḍāśrayī Śrī Raghunātha dāsa perceives and relishes Śrī-Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s rasika dice-game and offers prayers for Śrīmatī’s personal devotional service.

How wonderful is the beauty of the bank of Śrī Rādhākuṇḍa! Enchanting trees and vines beautify the bank of the kuṇḍa, each one loaded with fresh sprouts, flowers and fruits. The bumblebees are sweetly buzzing, being attracted to the fragrance of the flowers, and the cuckoos delight the ears by singing ‘kuhū kuhū’ in the fifth note. Here and there the peacocks are performing wonderful dances while crying out ‘ke kā!’. On the north-western corner of this most enchanting Śrī Rādhākuṇḍa is the green grove of Sudevī-sakhī. Here the trees and vines, the animals and birds and everything else is beautifully green. The porticoes and platforms in the grove are all decorated with emeralds. In the cottage in this grove the kuñja-dāsīs are keeping a soft and enchanting love-bed made of jasmine-petals, whereupon Śrī Rādhikā and Mādhava are busy having fun playing dice, surrounded by amused sakhīs.

The Mahā Janas have sung:

rāi kānu keli vilāsa
duhu śubha abhisāri,          khelai pāśā-sāri,          kautuke hāsa parihāsa

“Rāi-Kānu are playing dice, having great fun and making many jokes after having successfully met Each other in the kuñja!”

kānu kohe koro paṇa,        more parirambhaṇa,          hārile dibe daśa bāra
hāsiyā kohoye rāi,          kothāo śuniye nāi,         pāśaka iha vyavahāra

“Kānu said: Place Your wager! If You win You can embrace Me, but if You lose I will embrace You ten times!” Rāi laughed and said: “I’ve never heard of such rules for playing dice!”
hārile se hāra dibo,        jinile muralī lobo,         svarūpe khelibe yadi pāśā
śuno śuno vraja-vīra,        cita koroho thira,     dūra koro iha prati āśā

“If I lose I will give You My necklace and if You lose I will take Your flute. Listen, O hero of Vraja! Steady Your wild mind and give up all other desires!”

śuniyā rādhāra vāṇī,         hāsi kohe rasa-khani,        hāra hāribe koto bāra
yadi vā jinibā tumi,         muralī nā dibo āmi,      piche michā pātibe jañjāla

“Hearing Rādhā’s words Kṛṣṇa, the mine of rasa, laughed and said: “How many times will You then not lose Your necklace? But even if You win I will not give You My flute! A lot of lies and quarrels will arise afterwards!”

duhu rasa kandala,        manobhava maṅgala,            lalitā lalita kothā kohe
āpanāke paṇa kori,       khelo duhu pāśāsārī,       hārile adhīna hoiyā rahe

“Their rasika quarrel was very auspicious for the mind-born Cupid. Lalitā then gently said: “Just place Yourselves at stake and play dice. The loser will remain the winner’s slave!”

śuniyā lalitā vāṇī,       kohe rāi vinodinī,         āmi keno hoibo adhīna
śuniyā madhura kathā,          kohoye campakalatā,           tumi boḍo e rase pravīna

“Hearing Lalitā’s words, Rāi Vinodinī said: “Why should I become a slave?” Hearing these sweet words, Campakalatā said: “You are greater and more expert in this rasa!”

kohoye viśākhā sakhī,            śuno rāi candra-mukhi,        mone kichu nā koriho bhoy
nāgara cañcala-mati,           nā jāne pāśāra gati,        khelo! tumi jinibe niścoy

“Viśākhā-sakhī then said: “Listen, O moonfaced Rāi! Don’t be afraid at all! Your hero is very fickle-minded and He doesn’t know how to play dice! Just play! You’ll surely win!”

sakhīra vacana śuni,      dui jane mana māni,       pātilo se pāśāra pasāra
rāi nilā nīla guḍi,        śyāma sobuja lāl sāri,      khele pāśā phele bāra bāra

“The young pair accepted the sakhīs’ words and took Their dice. Rāi took blue stones and Śyāma green and red stones. They threw them again and again.”

pāśā phele avasare,       megha gabhīra svare,      daśa daśa hāṅkaye gopāla
pāśā dhari phele rāi,         duri dāna bole tāi,       bhāli re bhāli re pāśoyāla
yokhon ye dāna cāi,        sei dāna phele rāi,        vismita hṛdaye śyāma hāse
(Pada Kalpataru)

“While the dice tumbled Gopāla exclaimed ‘daśa daśa!’ with a voice as deep as the rumbling clouds. Rāi then took Her dice and threw them, saying: ‘duri dāna! Well done, well done, O gambler!’ Whatever score was required, Rāi threw it, and Śyāma smiled in astonishment.”

Although Śyāmasundara may be the teacher in the arts of dice, and although He is very proud of His skill in throwing dice, He is still defeated by Śrīmatī, who is Jaya-Śrī, the goddess of victory, Herself! The sakhīs and mañjarīs fill the kuñja with their cheers of ‘Rādhe Jaya! Rādhe Jaya!’
The bank of Rādhākuṇḍa is filled with the sounds of Śuka and Śāri-parrots, cuckoos and peacocks that all sing Śrīmatī’s glories. Śrī Rādhārāṇī has won by throwing a very high score, and Śyāma must always remain Her slave from now. The sakhīs’ bliss knows no bounds! With a hint of Her sidelong glances Srīmatī then tells the sakhīs to mock the defeated Śyāma.

One of the sakhīs then ridicules Śyāma by saying: “Ohe! From now on You are Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s slave, You won’t be able to go to another heroine’s kuñja anymore! We will drag You out by force whenever we find You in Candrāvalī’s kuñja! On Śrīmatī’s orders and with Her permission You will have to rest, eat and herd Your cows, You understand?”

One sakhī says: “Śyāma! Why do You take it as a hobby to place dice with Śrī Rādhārānī, who is Jaya-Śrī, the goddess of victory Herself, being a mere cowherd boy? And if You do play dice with Her, then why did You place such a high stake?” Everyone is absorbed in bliss.

Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa relishes this enchanting pastime and prays:

“When can I worship and serve this Śrī Rādhā in a suitable way, according to the time, while She’s playing this rasika dice-game, and thus become blessed?”

śrī rādhākuṇḍa tīre,                kibā śobhā cāri dhāre,
manohara nikuñja bhavane
mañjula mallikā phule,            sukomala mañju-dale,
keli śayyā kore sakhīgaṇe

“How beautiful is the enchanting grove-cottage on the bank of Śrī Rādhākuṇḍa, where the sakhīs make a love-bed of soft and sweet jasmine-petals!”

sei phula-śayyā’pori,             pāśā khelāya giridhārī,
keli kalā guru avatāra.
śrī rādhikā pāśā yuddhe,             jaya kore sucāturye,
nāgarendra hāre bāre bāra

“On that bed of flowers Giridhārī, the teacher of all playful arts incarnate, is playing dice. Śrī Rādhikā defeats the king of gallants again and again due to Her cleverness in playing.”

rasikā mukuṭa maṇi,              netrāñcale vinodinī,
mṛdu hāsye dṛṣṭipāta kore.
ājñā koilā sakhīgaṇe,            parihāse nāgara sane,
kobe vā bhajibo se rādhāre.

“Vinodinī, the crown jewel of relishing girls, then gives a hint to Her girlfriends with Her sidelong glances and Her slight smile, ordering them to ridicule Her gallant. When will I worship that Rādhā?”