Sri Nikunjavidya
Lalita: Where is that enchanter Krishna?
Vrinda: In the temple of Gauri.
Lalita: What is He doing?
Vrinda: He is absorbed in Nikunjavidya.
The Three Girls: Friend, who is Nikunjavidya.?
Vrinda: (Laughing out loud) Aha! The ignorance of these girls! They don't even know about the very famous Nikunjavidya.!
The Three Girls: (Embarrassed) Friend, tell us. We really don't know.
Vrinda: O chaste girls, what cowherd girl in Gokula does not know my sister, the goddess of Bhandiravana forest?
Lalita: O Vrinda, please give us now advise that will make this calamity have a happy ending.
Vrinda: Friends, Nikunjavidya is a treasure-chest where the jewels of Krishna's most hidden secrets are kept. Let us go to her.
Radhika: Vrinda, this is the temple of Gauri. Please enter, and, with a signal bring Nikunjavidya. outside.
Vrinda: (Raising her neck and looking, she says to herself:) In the doorway I see Krishna disguised as a fair-complexioned girl. (Openly) O friends, he is here alone, making an earring from a peacock feather.
The Three Girls: O liar, stop! Stop! Krishna's peacock Tandavika is in the courtyard.
Vrinda: O uncivilized girls, go and see for yourselves. What is the use of speculating?
Radhika: Let us enter the temple and ask Nikunjavidya.
Jatila: Padma affectionately told me: "O noble Jatila, you are very fortunate. Like Govardhana-gopa, your son will soon become the master of millions of cows, for today I saw Radha worshipping goddess Gauri at Gauri-tirtha". Now I shall go there and give blessing to Her. (Walking, she sees the doe Rangini in the courtyard. She happily says:) Well done, Padma! Well done! You do not speak lies. (Looking again, she becomes unhappy) Alas! Alas! Why is Krishna's peacock Tandavika now perched on the head of Gauri's lion? I shall go back and bring my son. (She exits running).
Radhika: (Aside) O friends, look at the extraordinary beauty of Gauri.
The two Gopi-friends: Oh! True! True! It is right that she is so beautiful for Krishna has placed both love and trust in her.
Radhika: Even though I have never seen her before I am still very eager to speak with her. (She becomes shy).
A Voice From Behind the Scenes: Sister Vrinda, is it not that Radha does recognize Me? Still, I have seen Her thousands of times.
Vrinda: (Aside) Amazing! This is truly the voice of a woman.
Radhika: Vrinda, I do not know why My heart feels such intense love for Nikunjavidya.
Vrinda: Friend, I know why. It is not surprising She has loved you for a long time.
Radhika: (Joyfully approaching) O Nikunjavidya, where is your Nikunjanagara (Lover who meets you in these forest groves?)
A Voice From Behind the Scenes: Friend, what person knows him?
Lalita: Friend Nikunjavidya, please don't joke like this. We are your friends.
A Voice From Behind the Scenes: O girl whose eyes are like autumn lotus flowers, without understanding the actual truth, how will You attain the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is like gold created by heating mercury in the fire.
Vrinda: (Aside) The smile on Nikunjavidya.'s cheek declares that she will be your messenger. O Radha, now You should soften her by anointing her with the excellent oil of Your love.
Radhika: O Nikunjavidya, why are you not bound to me as Vrinda is, with the bonds of love?
A Voice From Behind the Scenes: Making Your feet lotus flowers, Your thighs your plantain trees, Your arms lotus stems, Your face the moon, and understanding that these soft things cannot stand without a hard pillar to support them, the creator Brahma made Your heart a thunderbolt.
Radhika: Vrinda, look! Nikunjavidya. is affectionately smiling upon me. I shall go and meet her. (She exits).
Vrinda: O Nikunjavidya, O beloved of the beautiful girls of Gokula, Your heart is very hard. Even though this girl is your affectionate friend, still you do not please Her with an embrace.
Visakha: Radha is now talking with Nikunjavidya with the trust of love. Radha is extending the creepers of Her arms to embrace her.
A Voice From Behind the Scenes: O goddess of Bhandiravan, look! The time for going to Gokula is now approaching. Please bestow your mercy on us so we may meet Krishna in the arena of pastimes and enjoy with Him there.
Lalita: Vrinda, your sister is now embracing Radhika and kissing Her.
Visakha: (Anxious) I can see that your Nikunjavidya. is shameless. She is very eager to assume the role of a male, because she is now scratching Radha's breasts with her fingernails.
Vrinda: (With a smile) Friend, don't become angry. This is simply the pastime of great love.
Radhika: (Knitting Her eyebrows) Vrinda! Good! A good trick you have played on us!
Vrinda: (laughing) Friend, I don't understand. What do you mean?
The Two Gopi-friends: (With a smile) Vrinda, now you can understand what a charming girl Nikunjavidya. is.
Jatila: Child Abhimanyu, look! In this courtyard are both Radha's pet doe Rangini and Krishna's peacock Tandavika.
Abhimanyu: Mother, you speak the truth. I saw Balarama enter Gokula village accompanied by the cows and cowherd boys, but without Krishna.
Jatila: Child, this overflowing stream of sweet fragrance announces the presence of that illicit couple.
Abhimanyu: Mother, today I shall no longer follow Paurnamasi's instructions. Now I shall take Radhika to Mathura City.
Jatila: Son, fortunately the temple has only one door. Let us stay by the door and eavesdrop on the conversation.
Krishna: (With a smile:-) Radha, please do not request something that is so difficult to grant.
Radhika: (With a playful smile) O goddess, have mercy! Have mercy!
Abhimanyu: (Entering the temple) Aha! Outlaw! I have caught You red-handed!
Krishna: (Aside) Alas! Recognizing Abhimanyu from the sound of his voice, My beloved has become terrified and at once fainted, falling like a stick to the ground.
Jatila: (Struck with wonder, she points with her finger) O child, who is this fair-complexioned girl that illuminates this temple with her extraordinary beauty?
Abhimanyu: (Reflecting) Mother, Radha said "O goddess, have mercy! Have mercy!" and then She at once bowed down, falling like a stick to the ground. Clearly this girl is the goddess Gauri, the splendidly beautiful queen of Lord Siva, who has now appeared here.
Krishna: (He joyfully says to Himself) This disguise of a fair-complexioned girl has been very helpful to Me.
The Two gopi-friends: (With happiness) O best of the cowherd men, on your request we worshipped the goddess Gauri, and now the goddess herself has emerged from her statue.
Abhimanyu: Visakha, what difficult-to-attain object was Radha praying for at the feet of the goddess?
This is an excerpt from the play known as Vidagdha-Madhava
wriiten by Srila Rupa Goswami
Act Seven, Gauri-tirtha-vihara, Pastimes at Gauri-tirtha
Vrinda: In the temple of Gauri.
Lalita: What is He doing?
Vrinda: He is absorbed in Nikunjavidya.
The Three Girls: Friend, who is Nikunjavidya.?
Vrinda: (Laughing out loud) Aha! The ignorance of these girls! They don't even know about the very famous Nikunjavidya.!
The Three Girls: (Embarrassed) Friend, tell us. We really don't know.
Vrinda: O chaste girls, what cowherd girl in Gokula does not know my sister, the goddess of Bhandiravana forest?
Lalita: O Vrinda, please give us now advise that will make this calamity have a happy ending.
Vrinda: Friends, Nikunjavidya is a treasure-chest where the jewels of Krishna's most hidden secrets are kept. Let us go to her.
(They all walk toward the temple of Gauri).
Radhika: Vrinda, this is the temple of Gauri. Please enter, and, with a signal bring Nikunjavidya. outside.
Vrinda: (Raising her neck and looking, she says to herself:) In the doorway I see Krishna disguised as a fair-complexioned girl. (Openly) O friends, he is here alone, making an earring from a peacock feather.
The Three Girls: O liar, stop! Stop! Krishna's peacock Tandavika is in the courtyard.
Vrinda: O uncivilized girls, go and see for yourselves. What is the use of speculating?
Lalita: Clearly the peacock was overcome by sleepiness and did not notice when peacock-feather crowned Krishna left.
Radhika: Let us enter the temple and ask Nikunjavidya.
(Everyone enters)
(Radhika's mother in-law Jatila enters the stage)
Jatila: Padma affectionately told me: "O noble Jatila, you are very fortunate. Like Govardhana-gopa, your son will soon become the master of millions of cows, for today I saw Radha worshipping goddess Gauri at Gauri-tirtha". Now I shall go there and give blessing to Her. (Walking, she sees the doe Rangini in the courtyard. She happily says:) Well done, Padma! Well done! You do not speak lies. (Looking again, she becomes unhappy) Alas! Alas! Why is Krishna's peacock Tandavika now perched on the head of Gauri's lion? I shall go back and bring my son. (She exits running).
Radhika: (Aside) O friends, look at the extraordinary beauty of Gauri.
The two Gopi-friends: Oh! True! True! It is right that she is so beautiful for Krishna has placed both love and trust in her.
Radhika: Even though I have never seen her before I am still very eager to speak with her. (She becomes shy).
A Voice From Behind the Scenes: Sister Vrinda, is it not that Radha does recognize Me? Still, I have seen Her thousands of times.
Vrinda: (Aside) Amazing! This is truly the voice of a woman.
Radhika: Vrinda, I do not know why My heart feels such intense love for Nikunjavidya.
Vrinda: Friend, I know why. It is not surprising She has loved you for a long time.
Radhika: (Joyfully approaching) O Nikunjavidya, where is your Nikunjanagara (Lover who meets you in these forest groves?)
A Voice From Behind the Scenes: Friend, what person knows him?
Lalita: Friend Nikunjavidya, please don't joke like this. We are your friends.
A Voice From Behind the Scenes: O girl whose eyes are like autumn lotus flowers, without understanding the actual truth, how will You attain the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is like gold created by heating mercury in the fire.
Vrinda: (Aside) The smile on Nikunjavidya.'s cheek declares that she will be your messenger. O Radha, now You should soften her by anointing her with the excellent oil of Your love.
Radhika: O Nikunjavidya, why are you not bound to me as Vrinda is, with the bonds of love?
A Voice From Behind the Scenes: Making Your feet lotus flowers, Your thighs your plantain trees, Your arms lotus stems, Your face the moon, and understanding that these soft things cannot stand without a hard pillar to support them, the creator Brahma made Your heart a thunderbolt.
Radhika: Vrinda, look! Nikunjavidya. is affectionately smiling upon me. I shall go and meet her. (She exits).
Vrinda: O Nikunjavidya, O beloved of the beautiful girls of Gokula, Your heart is very hard. Even though this girl is your affectionate friend, still you do not please Her with an embrace.
Visakha: Radha is now talking with Nikunjavidya with the trust of love. Radha is extending the creepers of Her arms to embrace her.
A Voice From Behind the Scenes: O goddess of Bhandiravan, look! The time for going to Gokula is now approaching. Please bestow your mercy on us so we may meet Krishna in the arena of pastimes and enjoy with Him there.
Lalita: Vrinda, your sister is now embracing Radhika and kissing Her.
Visakha: (Anxious) I can see that your Nikunjavidya. is shameless. She is very eager to assume the role of a male, because she is now scratching Radha's breasts with her fingernails.
Vrinda: (With a smile) Friend, don't become angry. This is simply the pastime of great love.
(Entering and trembling).
Radhika: (Knitting Her eyebrows) Vrinda! Good! A good trick you have played on us!
Vrinda: (laughing) Friend, I don't understand. What do you mean?
The Two Gopi-friends: (With a smile) Vrinda, now you can understand what a charming girl Nikunjavidya. is.
(Jatila enters with her son Abhimanyu).
Jatila: Child Abhimanyu, look! In this courtyard are both Radha's pet doe Rangini and Krishna's peacock Tandavika.
Abhimanyu: Mother, you speak the truth. I saw Balarama enter Gokula village accompanied by the cows and cowherd boys, but without Krishna.
Jatila: Child, this overflowing stream of sweet fragrance announces the presence of that illicit couple.
Abhimanyu: Mother, today I shall no longer follow Paurnamasi's instructions. Now I shall take Radhika to Mathura City.
Jatila: Son, fortunately the temple has only one door. Let us stay by the door and eavesdrop on the conversation.
(They both do that).
(Krishna Enters)
Krishna: (With a smile:-) Radha, please do not request something that is so difficult to grant.
Radhika: (With a playful smile) O goddess, have mercy! Have mercy!
Abhimanyu: (Entering the temple) Aha! Outlaw! I have caught You red-handed!
Krishna: (Aside) Alas! Recognizing Abhimanyu from the sound of his voice, My beloved has become terrified and at once fainted, falling like a stick to the ground.
Jatila: (Struck with wonder, she points with her finger) O child, who is this fair-complexioned girl that illuminates this temple with her extraordinary beauty?
Abhimanyu: (Reflecting) Mother, Radha said "O goddess, have mercy! Have mercy!" and then She at once bowed down, falling like a stick to the ground. Clearly this girl is the goddess Gauri, the splendidly beautiful queen of Lord Siva, who has now appeared here.
Krishna: (He joyfully says to Himself) This disguise of a fair-complexioned girl has been very helpful to Me.
The Two gopi-friends: (With happiness) O best of the cowherd men, on your request we worshipped the goddess Gauri, and now the goddess herself has emerged from her statue.
Abhimanyu: Visakha, what difficult-to-attain object was Radha praying for at the feet of the goddess?
This is an excerpt from the play known as Vidagdha-Madhavawriiten by Srila Rupa Goswami
Act Seven, Gauri-tirtha-vihara, Pastimes at Gauri-tirtha
