Today's Beautiful Gem: Part II of the nineteenth ashtapadi from Geetagovinda
by Jayadeva, transcreated by me.

"sphuratu kucakumbhayor upari maNimanjarI ranjayatu tava hRdayades'aM
rasatu ras'anApi tava jaghanamaNDale ghoSayatu manmathanidesam

"May the gem-laden necklaces over your round breasts glow on your chest;
May the belt around your waist jingle; may the message of Manmatha echo!

"sthalakamalaganjanaM mama hRdayaranjanaM janitaratirangaparabhAgaM
bhaNa masRNavaaNi karavANi caraNadvayaM sarasa lasat alaktaka rAgam

"Resembling the red lotus, pleasing to my heart, matchless during love-play,
Your two feet, I will adorn them myself with red lac; pray, speak to me
in your gentle voice.

"smaragaralakhanDanaM mama s'irasi maNDanaM dehi padapallavam udAraM
jvalati mayi dAruNo madanakadana analo haratu tat upAhita vikAram

"Tonic to the poison of Kama, may your soft handsome feet be an ornament to
my head;
May the intense heat of love-fire that is burning me be extinguished by them.

"iti caTula cATu paTu cAru muravairiNo rAdhikAm adhi vacanajAtaM
jayati jayadevakavi bhArateebhUSitaM maaninIjanajanitas'Atam"

"Thus the pretty, sweet, skillful words spoken to Radha by Krishna,
Pleasing to the hearts of women, were composed by the poet Jayadeva."

Note: The metrical patterns in Gita Govinda are unique and exquisite.
There is a story concerning the composition of this aSTapadi of Jayadeva.
Jayadeva wrote the first six padas without any effort. When he came to the
seventh (smaragarala...), he beacme unsure. He thought that it would be a
blasphemy for Krishna's head to touch Radha's feet. So he, a resident of
Puri, left his work aside and went to the Jagannatha temple, perhaps to seek
divine guidance. After a while he returned home. He asked his wife
Padmavati what took place while he was in the temple. His wife replied:
`When did you leave and go to the temple? You were sitting there and
writing all the while.' Jayadeva took out his palm leaves. Lo and behold!
The seventh pada was already written for him, may be, by Lord Krishna
himself. This is only a story and an interesting one too. Anyway, the moral
is, in love there are no distinctions and there are no inequalities. Listen
to your heart and the head will take care of itself!

om s'aantih: Peace! - J. K. Mohana Rao

<:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:>183<:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:>