Text 2.5

तत्र वाच्यस्य यथा,

tatra vācyasya yathā,

This is an example of a suggestive literal meaning:

madhuritā madhunā vidhunāpy asau sakhi pataṅga-sutā-pulināṭavī |
sa-vayasā vayasā ca vibhūṣitā tanur iyaṃ kim iha kṣamam ucyatām ||

madhuritā—was made sweet; madhunā—by spring; vidhunā—by the moon (or by Kṛṣṇa); api—and; asau—that [forest]; sakhi—O confidante; pataṅga-sutā—of the Yamunā (“the daughter of the sun”); pulina—on the banks; aṭavī—the forest; sa-vayasā—with a sakhī (“she who has the age”); vayasā—by age (by youthfulness); ca—and; vibhūṣitā—is adorned; tanuḥ—body; iyam—this; kim—what?; iha—on it (or at this time); kṣamam—is appropriate; ucyatām—it should be told.

Sakhī, this woodland on the shore of the Yamunā is rendered sweet by spring and by the moon. My body is adorned with youthfulness and with a confidante. Tell me, what is suitable on it? (Ujjvalanīlamaṇi 7.96)

atra tathā-bhūtā pulināṭavī taruṇa-tamāleneva, mat-tanuś ca mahendra-maṇineva yena rājiṣyate taṃ kṛṣṇaṃ tvaritam āhara yadi cāturyaṃ bibharṣīti vācyo’rtho vyañjayati.

The literal sense is suggestive of this: “If you are cunning, then quickly bring Kṛṣṇa. The woodland on the shore, rendered sweet by spring, is made resplendent by Him, who resembles a youthful tamāla tree, and My body as well is made resplendent by Him, who  is like a sapphire.”

Commentary:

Rūpa Gosvāmī shows the verse as an example of the suggestive specialty of the place. This topic is discussed in the next chapter (3.2-3). In this verse, the word vidhunā (by spring) also means “by Kṛṣṇa”. Therefore, since the woodland on the shore of the Yamunā is also rendered sweet by Kṛṣṇa, and since her body is adorned by two things just like the shore of the Yamunā is (by spring and by the moon), it is implied that Kṛṣṇa should also adorn her body. In this interpretation, the sense of “by Kṛṣṇa” is implied. This is because, only with regard to the number, two things (spring and the moon) are matched by the other two things (youthfulness and a confidante), according to Viśvanātha Cakravartī.^[1] However, Viṣṇudāsa says it is a literal double meaning (śleṣa),^[2] since the context does not necessarily exclude the sense of “by Kṛṣṇa”: In this interpretation, the speaker says that the shore is rendered sweet by Kṛṣṇa as well. At any rate, the idea “Arrange a tryst between Kṛṣṇa and me” is implied by the literal meaning of the text.

The literal meaning of a text takes the form of various suggestive specialties. Those specialties as a whole give rise to the implied sense (arrange a tryst between Kṛṣṇa and me). They are as follows: (1) The specialty of the time (kāla-vaiśiṣṭya): It is twofold: spring and night, (2) The specialty of the place (deśa-vaiśiṣṭya): The woodland on the shore of the Yamunā, (3) The specialty of the speaker (vaktṛ-vaiśiṣṭya): She is a youthful woman, and (4) The specialty of the person who is addressed (boddhavya-vaiśiṣṭya): a confidante. In other words, uddīpanas (stimuli) can be classed in various suggestive categories. Another uddīpana is the moon.

The implied similes stated in the vṛtti are the inventions of Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa. They are justified only because they are well-known. In the first line, Rūpa Gosvāmī’s verse features a vṛtti anuprāsa of “dhu”. There is also a cheka anuprāsa of the sound dhunā in “madhunā vidhunāpi.” The third line features the yamaka ornament (word rhyme) in “vayasā vayasā,” because the sound vayasā is immediately repeated with a change in meaning (9.20). In addition, the paryāyokta ornament (circumlocution) takes place: Nighttime, an uddīpana for pastimes of love, is described through a description of the moon, which is only resplendent at night. This verse is uttamottama-kāvya (superexcellent poetry).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

madhunā vasantena vidhunā candreṇāpīti yathā vastu-dvayenāṭavīyaṃ madhurī-kṛtā tathaiva vastu-dvayena mama tanuś cety āha—savayasā sakhyā tilakālaṅkārādibhir vayasā yauvanena ca hāva-bhāvādi-vaidagdhyair aṭavyā madhu-vidhū iva tanoḥ sakhī-yauvane krameṇa taṭasthasvarūpa-lakṣaṇābhyāṃ saundarya-sādhane jñeye. iha kiṃ kṣamam ucitam anyad apekṣitaṃ vastv ity arthaḥ. tataś ca tad vastu sākṣād evānīya tvām ahaṃ darśayiṣyāmīty uktvā sakhī śrī-kṛṣṇam ānetuṃ gateti jñeyam (Ānanda-candrikā 7.96).

[2]:

madhunā vasantena. vidhunā candreṇa śleṣeṇa śrī-kṛṣṇena iti pada-trayeṇa kāla-vaiśiṣṭyam. [...] mayā saha śrī-kṛṣṇaṃ ramayeti dhvanitam, vidhuneti śleṣārthe kṛṣṇeneti nijābhilāṣa-vyañjanāt (Svātma-pramodinī 7.96).