Text 23

An introduction to the midday pastimes (madhyāhna-līlā) is found in Govinda-līlāmṛta (8.1):

मध्याह्नेऽन्योन्य-सङ्गोदित-विविध-विकारादि-भूषा-प्रमुग्धौ
   वाम्योत्कण्ठातिलोलौ स्मर-मख-ललिताद्य्-आलि-नर्माप्त-शातौ
दोलारण्याम्बु-वंशी-हृति-रति-मधुपानार्क-पूजादि-लीलौ
   राधा-कृष्णौ सतृष्णौ परिजन-घटया सेव्यमानौ स्मरामि

madhyāhne’nyonya-saṅgodita-vividha-vikārādi-bhūṣā-pramugdhau
   vāmyotkaṇṭhātilolau smara-makha-lalitādy-āli-narmāpta-śātau
dolāraṇyāmbu-vaṃśī-hṛti-rati-madhupānārka-pūjādi-līlau
   rādhā-kṛṣṇau satṛṣṇau parijana-ghaṭayā sevyamānau smarāmi

I meditate upon Śrī RādhāKṛṣṇa, who at midday enjoy each other’s company, being beautifully decorated with various transcendental sentiments, such as aṣṭa-sāttvika-bhāvas and vyabhicāri-bhāvas. They become extremely restless due to contrariness (vāmya) and yearning (utkaṇṭhā ). In Their amorous play (kandarpa-yajña) the joking words of Śrī Lalitā and the other sakhīs give Them much pleasure. They blissfully enjoy sports like swinging (jhūlā ), frolicking in the forest (vana-vihāra), playing in the water (jalakeli), stealing the flute (vaṃśī-haraṇa), amorous meeting (ratikrīḍā), drinking honey (madhu-pāna ), worshipping the Sungod (sūrya-pūjā) and many other kinds of pastimes, while being served by Their dear ones.

राधा-कुण्डे सुमिलन, विकारादि-विभूषण,
वाम्योत्कण्ठ-मुग्ध-भाव-लीला
सम्भोग-नर्मादि-रीति, दोला-खेला वंशी-हृति,
मधु-पान, सूर्य-पूज खेला

rādhā-kuṇḍe sumilana, vikārādi-vibhūṣaṇa,
vāmyotkaṇṭha-mugdha-bhāva-līlā
sambhoga-narmādi-rīti, dolā-khelā vaṃśī-hṛti,
madhu-pāna, sūrya-pūja khelā

जल-खेला, वन्याशन, छल-सुप्ति, वन्याटन,
बहु-लीलानन्दे दुइ जने
परिजन सुवेष्टित, राधा-कृष्ण सुसेवित,
मध्याह्न-कालेते स्मरि मने

jala-khelā, vanyāśana, chala-supti, vanyāṭana,
bahu-līlānande dui jane
parijana suveṣṭita, rādhā-kṛṣṇa susevita,
madhyāhna-kālete smari mane

Commentary: Bhajana-rahasya-vṛtti:

After finishing Her prasāda-sevā at Nanda-bhavana, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī returns to Jāvaṭa with Her sakhīs, where She very eagerly waits to meet Her prāṇa-priyatama, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Her mother-in-law, Jaṭilā, orders Her to worship Sūryadeva, and on this pretext, she leaves Her house with Her sakhīs and secretly departs for Rādhā-kuṇḍa, where She is able to freely meet with Her beloved. There, His darśana and touch decorate Her with aṣṭa-sāttvika, kila-kiñcita and many other bhāvas. Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s contrary mood (vāmyabhāva) enables Her prāṇeśvara to relish the mellows of pastimes to their highest extent, and it also stimulates His ever-fresh eagerness. Then many pastimes take place with the gopīs, such as meeting with Kṛṣṇa (sambhoga), joking while playing dice (pāśā-krīḍā), playing hide-and-seek (āṅkha-micaunī), stealing the flute (vaṃśī-corī), drinking honey (madhu-pāna, or prema-pāna), engaging in watersports (jala-krīḍā), having a picnic (vanya-bhojana ), feigning sleep (chala-śayana) and worshipping the Sun-god (sūrya-pūjā). Absorbed in meditating on these pastimes, the rāgānuga-sādhaka chants Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s names.

Thus ends the Caturtha-yāma-sādhana,
Madhyāhna-kālīya-bhajana, of Śrī Bhajana-rahasya.