Shri Radha Kripakataksha Stotra: 3rd shloka

Anangrangmangal prasangbhangarbhruvan,

Suvibhramanssambhraman-drigantbanhpatnaih

Nirantaran vashikritprateet Nandnandane,

Kada karishyaseeh maan kripakatakshabhajnam.

Revelation of the mystical romantic sentiment centered in the nikunjas of Braj, celebrates the fresh romantic dalliances of Shri Radha-Krishna constantly. In the union of the lover and the beloved, Krishna the darling son of Nanda, is the divine energetic source and his beloved Radha is the divine feminine energy, adulated by the cowherdesses.

So the herd of sakhis inaugarated the madanutsava (a festival held in the month of Cait in honour of Kamdev, the god of love) and now it was the turn of Shri Radha-Krishna, the manifestations, paragons and essence of the utsav or celebration of love. We haven't the slightest inkling of how the mischievous son of Nanda played out his part but when Priyaji's took over, his impassioned facial expression was worth watching.

Shri Radha's sidelong glance, gave in to intense passion. Aimed from her amorous eyes' bow string, two arrows which straightaway pierce the heart, mind and soul of the supreme lover, were set free and struck Krishna. Amazingly they didn't wound the soul and gave way to joyous abandon and a throbbing longing, Krishna was hungry to pour over his terrifying rush of love on Radha's eyes. Unique is the battle-field of these enraptured and intoxicated Priya-Priyatam's dallying ground.

These arrows are are not tipped with poison, but rasasikta or laced with passion. Dedicated acharyas have termed Nandnandan's eyes as vishamrit. The eyes of Radha, Krishna's beloved, are also replete with vishamrit on an equal footing. But the difference is, that Krishna is the sole relisher of the nectarine sweetness of Radha's pair of lotus eyes; whereas all other cowherdesses of Vrindavana savour the sweetness cascading from the limpid eyes of Krishna.

Shri Radha ultimately emerges as the supreme object of his passionate love. The supreme lover endearing himself to all his bhaktas, is himself wounded by the long shapely glance of his beloved Shri Radhika, with an ardent longing for more romantic dalliances.

The composer expresses these bhavas as the underlying essence of this eulogy. The vexation caused by Priyatam's innocent pranks urges Shri Radhika to hurt him with her sharp glance. This cyclical movement has no respite and constantly gushes forth. In the fantastic domain of love, when the male lover transforms into the beloved and the female Shri Radha turns into the supreme lover, nobody can figure out.

So Shri Radha jolted the clever lover with her sidelong glance. Soon enough Krishna, who enchants the world was himself enchanted by Radha. Wherein a short distance of two hands seemed like miles, the pining Krishna bound by the string of Shri Radha's eyes...pierced by the arrows of her glance, snuggled in the joyous charm of her embrace.

Shri Radha is stupefied at his impassioned state and casts her easily embarrassed sight on him: Suvibhraman ssambhraman. Truly the simple daughter of Kirti has no inkling of the piercing impact of her glance; enhanced with the mysteries of love and an intoxicating newness because of which Priyatam loses control.

The composer had to clearly depict the darling son of Nanda as nirantar vashikrit or constantly wounded. Every second an enchanting mantra or incantation is prevalent and the lover accepts that Shri Radha controls him with her love; rooted in selfless surrender to the divine and disengaged from attachment to oneself. The romantic sentiment subsumes all other forms of devotion, and Krishna is passionately drawn to her.

Shri Radha is not the sole culprit but the dark-hued hadsome god is equally responsible. Therefore it is necessary for both of them to be absorbed in the terrifying rush of love. In succeeding episodes of loving tenderness, Shri Radha-Krishna wound and nurse each other.

The composer beseeches Shri Shri Radhika who enraptures the supreme lover Nandnandan with her amazing control and wounds him with a fresh attractive glance every moment, to make us the worthy recipients of her loving grace soon enough.