Triveni Journal
1927 | 11,233,916 words
Triveni is a journal dedicated to ancient Indian culture, history, philosophy, art, spirituality, music and all sorts of literature. Triveni was founded at Madras in 1927 and since that time various authors have donated their creativity in the form of articles, covering many aspects of public life....
BY BHARATCHANDRA1
(Translated from Bengali by Kalipada Mukherjee)
Oh, incomparable is the beauty of Hara and Gouri united in one body!
The white body has mingled with the red!
O, in the end may I attain to the beauty of the two feet dyed red!
Even so will come the fulfillment of my desires, and the attainment of my chief good.
One half of the waist is clothed with tiger-skin, and with silk cloth the other is well-adorned; On one half, the jeweled girdle jingles, and the other is girded with the hoods of snakes.
On one half of the bosom is a garland of bones, the other is aglow with a necklace of diamonds.
One half of the neck is blue with poison, on the other is the beauty of nectar.
One hand is bangled with snakes, and the other is decked with a diamond-bangle.
One half of the mouth chews bhang, and betel-leaves the other.
One eye is drowsy for the intoxication of bhang, the other is bright with collyrium.
One half of the forehead is yellow with orpiment, while vermilion reddens the other.
The third eye of the forehead is well-mingled half to half, and so is also the fire that is in it.
The half-crescent on the forehead of each has joined into one full crescent, and has given them great beauty.
One half of the head is beautiful with the pool-like Ganges within the matted locks, while the other is decorated with fine braids of hair.
Round one ear a snake coils as ornament, in the other is a diamond ear-ring.
One half of the body is white with ashes, the other is besmeared with fragrant musk.
Bharat the poet prays that Raja Krishnachandra may have deep devotion to the god and goddess thus mingled.
The marriage of Hara and Gouri is over; sing all ye the praises of Hari now.
1
Bharatchandra (cir. 1713-1761 A.D.) is regarded as one of the great poets of Bengal. Here is his interpretation of the Ardhanarishwara aspect of Siva. That part of Him which is creative has two forms as Purusha (soul) and Prakriti (nature). The Purusha is eternal, immutable, unmanifested and conscious: while Prakriti also is eternal but changeful. Purusha is consciousness. Prakriti is energy. The whole world is the play of these two. Bharat showed that they are united in everything, and that they roam throughout the world. The eternal play of Hara and Gouri is identical with that of Krishna and Radha.