Daily Meditations (2)

The birds awaken Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa

The birds perched on the branches just outside the kuñja. Although eager to sing, they silently waited for Vṛndā’s command. On her signal, they filled the grove with their blissful chirping. A swarm of bees, greedy for honey, entered the kuñja and made a humming sound like Cupid’s auspicious conch. The kuñja was decorated with flowering creepers and a bed made of lotus petals.
A group of female bees, maddened from drinking honey, helped to wake up Govinda by buzzing even louder than the ringing of cymbals suggesting the joy of love. A flock of cuckoos repeatedly sang “kuhū, kuhū” in the highest fifth note resounding like Cupid’s vīṇā. The female cuckoos sat beside their mates in the mango trees cooing with the intoxication of love. They savored the juice of the tender buds and then vibrated sweet low tones like Rati’s vīṇā. [Rati is Cupid’s wife]
The tiger of Cupid, having devoured the doe of the gopīs’ patience, shyness and virtue, now vented his anger at the wolf of their pride by growling in the guise of the cooing doves. The peacocks cried kekā, kekā to awaken Rādhā-Govinda by proclaiming, “Who (ke) except Kṛṣṇa can lift the mountain of Rādhā’s pride? And what (kā) other girl except Vṛṣabhānunandini can chain down and control the mad elephant named Kṛṣṇa?” The roosters’ crowing of ku-kū-ku-kūū sounded like young brāhmaṇas reciting the Vedas by repeating short, long and very long vowels.
The soft, sweet chirping of the birds roused the Divine Couple from Their slumber, however, each was unaware that the other was awake. Rādhā-Mādhava were afflicted with the thought of breaking Their tight embrace, so They closed Their eyes pretending to sleep.
Govinda-līlāmṛta 1.12-21

Śukadeva, an abode of matchless bhagavat-prema, sang the beautiful Bhāgavata verses to glorify Lord Kṛṣṇa, and to enlighten the people of the world. Vṛndā’s two pet parrots, Dakṣa (skillful) and Vicakṣaṇa (wise), recited verses to wake up the master of the universe.
Kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛtam 1.28

Dakṣa said, “O most learned in all the arts of Cupid! O nectar for the gopīs’ eyes! O mad elephant sporting in the stream of Your beloved’s affection. You inundate the whole world with immense sweetness! O ocean of rasa! It is not improper that You are sleeping now, savoring the bliss of Your lover’s lips. The night, well known as the giver of momentary pleasure, that fulfilled Your desire for love is now ending Your love festival with its departure.”
Kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛtam 1.30

Vicakṣaṇa said, “O lord, please wake up and slacken the embrace of Your beloved. Dawn has come, now quickly return to Vraja. You must cleverly conceal Your erotic desires. If You don’t hurry, Your amorous affairs will be discovered and broadcast everywhere. O bliss of the vrajavāsīs! You are the moon rising over the milk ocean of Nanda’s heart! O flower on the holy creeper of the queen of Vraja! Go home now and make Your friends happy!”
Kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛtam 1.32

The female parrot named Mañjubhāśiṇī (charming speaker) said, “O friend of Gokula, ocean of rasa! Glory to You! Wake up and rise from Your bed that glistens like the moon. Awaken Your dear most beloved who, exhausted from the passion of love, lies resting on Your shoulder. O lord of Vraja! The swiftly rising sun is by nature very cruel toward the young damsels of Vṛndāvana. Therefore You must leave the banks of the Yamunā and hurry home.”
Govinda-līlāmṛta 1.23-24

As two dice (śārī) are always present during a dice game, the two śārī birds (parrots) Śubhā and Sūkṣmadhī are always together during the love affairs of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. The birds said, “O delight of Vṛṣabhānu! All glory to You. Your charm and wealth of love astonish all the women in the three worlds.”
Kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛtam 1.33

“O lotus-faced Rādhā! Though the night has ended, You continue to sleep deeply, exhausted from the hard labor of love. There is no fault in this but please look, O chaste woman. O sakhī, just see how the eastern horizon, like Candrāvalī, has turned red in anger, as if intolerant of Your enjoyment.”
Govinda-līlāmṛta 1.25

“Intoxicated from savoring the honey sweetness of Kṛṣṇa’s lotus face, You are sleeping soundly. However, this is not proper during sunrise, so now I am waking You up.”
Kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛtam 1.34

Though Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa had awoken, They remained lying on the flower bed in a tight embrace. They were disturbed over the end of night, and did not want to rise from the attractive pleasure bed. Rādhikā lay with Her hips confined by Kṛṣṇa’s knees, Her breasts upon His chest and Her face caressing His. Rādhā’s arms, wrapped around Kṛṣṇa’s neck, served as a pillow. Rādhā, though fully conscious, could not move an inch.
Govinda-līlāmṛta 1.38-39

The parrot Dakṣa, an expert in narrating Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes and the teacher of countless other parrots, entered the flower grove. Spreading his wings in bliss, he said, “Look, Kṛṣṇa! The sun has risen. The cakravākī [female heron] glances toward the reddish eastern sky and then eagerly toward her distant husband. [These birds separate at night and reunite at sunrise] In fear of the crows, the owls silently enter the hollows of trees. Please immediately give up Your sleep.
Govinda-līlāmṛta 1.31-32

“O ocean of good qualities! Beloved of Rādhā! O sun that makes the lotuses of Vraja bloom! O jeweled mountain peak of artistic genius! All glory to You! O master, what are You contemplating as You lie in the kuñja, even though the night has ended? Though You know it is time for Your family to rise, why do You prefer to sleep in the grove? Kṛṣṇāhnika-kaumudī 1.19

“The peacocks, aware of the time, have awoken and are now piteously crying “kekā kekā” in separation from their mates! They have come just to wake You up. Would any intelligent person
neglect the prescribed time for his duties?”
Kṛṣṇāhnika-kaumudī 1.24

The female parrot named Sukṣmadhī [keen intelligence] wore on her neck like a string of pearls all the knowledge about sevā that she learned from Vṛndā-devī. She felt intoxicated from drinking the liquor of prema. She spoke in order to waken Rādhā. Govinda-līlāmṛta 1.33

Sukṣmadhī said, “O sakhī! Give up Your lethargy, get up and awaken Your lover as well! Immediately leave the grove and return home. Do not create an opportunity for the townspeople to defame You. The wise act when the time is right.
Govinda-līlāmṛta 1.37

“O moon-faced maiden! All fear has fled from Your heart now that You lie in the embrace of Vrajendranandana. Why do You carelessly remain sound asleep even at the end of night? At least You can move to another place in the kuñja, which resounds with swarms of maddened bees. Are You not even thinking about what Your elders might level against You if they catch You here?
Kṛṣṇāhnika- kaumudī 1.3

“O Sudati! [girl with sparkling white teeth]. A swarm of bees, drunk from sporting in the laps of the white water lilies, move restlessly toward a cluster of blooming lotuses to engage in a love tryst. Because of the time of day the bees have lost interest in the lilies and have become enchanted by the lotus flowers.
Kṛṣṇāhnika-kaumudī 1.7

“The stars have vanished from the sky, Your necklaces have fallen from Your body and the white flowers have dropped from the śephālīkā tree. Even though all three have lost their ornaments, only You maintain Your most radiant and exquisite beauty. As the pearls from Your broken necklace have dropped on the ground, the stars have disappeared from the sky and now only a few remain. Just see! Arundhatī (the morning star, personified as the symbol of chastity and the wife of Vasiṣṭha, one of the seven sages), alarmed at seeing You still sleeping on Syama’s chest, hides Her face within the constellation of the Sapṭa Rṣīs.”
Kṛṣṇāhnika-kaumudī 1.10-11

Rādhā gave up Her sleep upon hearing the sweet, charming words of the parrots. Shortly later, Kṛṣṇa also awakened, satisfied with His happy repose.
Kṛṣṇāhnika-kaumudī 1.28