Our first poem for today comes from the Rasikapriyā (1591) of Keshavdas, the founder of literary theory in Hindi. It describes the love play of Radha and Krishna as an example of the erotic sentiment when lovers meet in secret:
अथ प्रच्छन्न संयोग शृंगार
सवैया
बन में बृषभानु कुमारि मुरारि रमें रुचि सों रस रूप पियें ।
कल कूजत पूजत काम कला बिपरीत रची रति केलि कियें ।
मनि सोभित स्याम जराइ जरी अति चौकी चलै चल चारु हियें ।
मखतूल के झूल झुलावत केसव भानु मनों सनि अंक लियें ।।२०।।
atha pracchanna saṁyoga śr̥ṅgāra
savaiyā1
bana maiṁ br̥ṣabhānu kumāri murāri ramaiṁ soṁ rasa rupa piyeṁ
kala kūjata pūjata kāma kalā biparīta racī rati kelī kiyeṁ
mani sobhita2 syāma jarāï jarī ati caukī calai cāru hiyeṁ
makhatūla ke jhūla jhulāvata3 kesava bhānu manoṁ sani aṅka liyeṁ
Now, the erotic sentiment in union, when in secret:
(In the savaiya meter.)
In the forest, Brishbhanu’s young daughter and Murari
immerse themselves in pleasure and imbibe the juice of beauty.
Cooing gently, they perform worship to the arts of Love (Kama)
and fashion Passion (Rati) upside-down as they play love-games.
Shyam, radiant with jewels, is set alight
as his square pendant moves quickly on his handsome chest.
Oh Keshav, they swing back and forth in a swing of black silk,
as if the sun had taken Saturn into his lap.
Reading taken from the Keśavadās Granthāvalī edited by Vishvanathprasad Mishra (Allahabad: Hindustani Academy, 1954).
1Erroneously labeled as kavitt meter in Metropolitan Museum of Art 18.85.5b.
2Reading from Metropolitan Museum of Art 18.85.5b: sohati.
3Reading from Metropolitan Museum of Art 18.85.5b: jhūlāṁ jhulāvatu.
Folio from the Rasikapriyā of Keshavdas, Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The second poem comes from the Padmāvat (1554) of Malik Muhammad Jayasi. It describes the love-making of Ratansen and Padmavati (Padmini) after they have finally been married:
कडवक ३१८
कहौं जूझि जस रावन रामा । सेज बिधंसि बिरह संग्रामा ।
लीन्ह लंक कंचन गढ़ टूटा । कीन्ह सिंगार अहा सब लूटा ।
औ जोबन मैमंत बिधंसा । बिचला बिरह जीव लै नंसा ।
लूटे अंग अंग सब भेसा । छूटी मंग भंग भे केसा ।
कंचुकि चूर चूर भै ताने । टूटे हार मोंति छहराने ।
बारी टाड सलोनी टूटीं । बांहू कंगन कलाईं फूटी ।
चंदन अंग छूट तस भेंटी । बेसरि टूटि तिलक गा मेंटी ।
पुहुप सिंगार संवारि जौ जोबन नवल बसंत ।
अरगज जेउँ हिय लाइ कै मरगज कीन्हें कंत ।।
I say— they fought like Ram and Ravan!
The bed was destroyed in the battle against viraha!
Lanka was taken and the golden fort fell.
All the adornment and makeup was looted!
The pride of youth was razed
And the viraha that had stood between them gave up its life.
Clothing was plundered from every limb,
Hairs escaped from their partings and scattered.
Bodice threads were crushed to atoms,
Necklaces broke and pearls were scattered.
Beautiful bracelets and armbands broke,
And bangles exploded off of wrists!
Sandalwood paste was rubbed right off of limbs,
And tilaks were wiped away.
The flower of eros that has been nurtured by the spring of youth,
Was ground by pleasure into a perfume that scented the heart.
From the Jāyasī Granthāvalī edited by Mataprasad Gupta (Allahabad: Hindustani Academy, 2011; originally 1951).