Lament of the cowherdesses - part 3
Plea
The gopis wailed melodiously…
O Krishna… it has been your presence that has made our Gokula and Vrindavana so prosperous… Your inseparable consort Indira, the embodiment of opulence resides wherever you do, and grants us bounty. The cattle, stroked and fed by you have grown in size and yield copious quantities of delicious milk.
You who are the annihilator of all woes, we pray to you, to ease our troubles and restore our peace of mind. It is true that we did display arrogance but this punishment, O Krishna, is too heavy. Please ease the ache in our hearts.
You who are ever smiling… please show us your pleasant face and put our smiles back on our faces.
O Krishna… you are our lord and we are your daasis, your slaves, bonded with love. Please become visible once more.
We yearn to be bewitched by your eyes, more beautiful than the lotus that blooms on a clear autumn night… we yearn for the searing pain that your loving glance causes…
We know who you are O Krishna…you are not our Yashoda’s son… you are the cosmic emperor who has chosen to descend to earth at the behest of the four-headed Bramha.
Praise
Have you not on numerous occasions saved all our lives?
O Krishna, when the waters of the Yamuna became poisonous, did you not rescue us all, by stomping on the hoods of Kalia (the snake that was poisoning the waters) and compelling Kalia to leave the river?
When the skies opened up and Indra unleashed his fury, seven days in a row, was it not you who lifted the mountain Goverdhana effortlessly, tirelessly, offering us all protection from the torrential rain?
When the people of Vrindavan, who had left their homes to witness the spectacle of your dance on Kalia’s hoods, were surrounded by a raging forest-fire, were you not the one who licked and absorbed the flames, saving us yet again?
Whether it was a demon disguised as a bull or appearing as a whirlwind, did you not protect us from all such dangers?
Any living being (not necessarily a human being) who prostrates to you, wins your protection. You who are the lord of the cosmos, the lord of Lakshmi devi, protect us and save us from our distress…
O Krishna… you are the jewel in the crown of the Yadu clan. You are the destroyer of pride and arrogance. We are your humble companions, please reveal your beauteous face to us once more.
The gopis continued to lament...