‘Prema vipralambha’— Transcendental Divine love in separation

[Internal symptoms of realized state or highest objective— ‘Premabhakti’]

7th Verse of Śrī Śikṣāṣṭaka

yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam
śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me

Symptoms of separation grief— even a moment’s separation from Govinda will be considered as an epoch, tears will roll down from the eyes like rainfall, realization of the voidness of the whole world.

Srila Bhaktivinode Thākur’s writing:

Due to separation grief, these symptoms will be manifested— every day is spent with anxiety, one moment of separation is equal to an epoch, tears are rolling down from the eyes like the clouds of rainy season, voidness of three worlds, due to extreme separation grief from Govinda, burning sensation like inextinguishable fire made with husk yet life is not collapsing.

Śikṣāṣṭaka song seven

gāite gāite nām ki daśā hoilo
kṛṣṇa-nitya-dāsa mui hṛdaye sphurilo (1)
jānilāma māyā-pāśe e jaḍa-jagate
govinda-virahe duḥkha pāi nānā-mate (2)

ār je saṁsāra mora nāhi lāge bhālo
kāṅhā jāi’ kṛṣṇa heri e cintā viśāla (3)

kāṅdite kāṅdite mora āṅkhi bariṣoy
barṣā-dhārā heno cakṣe hoilo udoy (4)

nimeṣa hoilo mora śata-yuga-sama
govinda-viraha āra sahite akṣama (5)

śūnya dharā-tala cau-dike dekhiye
parāṇa udāsa hoy
ki kori ki kori sthira nāhi hoy
jīvana nāhiko roy (6)

braja-bāsī-gaṇa, mora prāṇa rākha
dekhāo śrī-rādhā-nāthe
bhakativinoda, minati māniyā
laohe tāhāre sāthe (7)

śrī-kṛṣṇa-viraha ār sahite nā pāri
parāṇa chārite ār dina dui cāri (8)

[Daśakuśī]

gāite govinda-nām, upajilo bhāva-grām
dekhilām jamunāra kūle
vṛṣabhānu-sutā-saṅge śyāma-naṭa-bara raṅge
bāṅśarī bājāy nīpa-mūle (1)

dekhiyā yugala-dhana, asthira hoilo man
jṣāna-hārā hoinu tokhon
koto kṣane nāhi jāni, jṣāna-lābha hoilo māni
āra nāhi bhelo daraśan (2)

[Jhāṅphi—Lophā]

sakhi go kemote dhoribo parāṇ
nimeṣa hoilo jugera samāna (1)

śrāvaṇera dhārā, āṅkhi bariṣoy
śūnya bhelo dharā-tala
govinda-virahe, prāṇa nāhi rohe
kemane bāṅcibo bolo (2)

bhakativinoda, asthira hoiyā
punaḥ nāmāśraya kori’
ḍāke rādhā-nātha, diyā daraśana
prāṇa rākho nahe mori (3)

Indication of pastimes of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa at dusk

rādhāṁ sālīgaṇāntām asitasitaniśā-yogya-veśāṁ pradoṣe
dutyā vṛndopadeśādabhisṛta-yamunā-tīra-kalpāga-kuṣjām
kṛṣṇaṁ gopaiḥ sabhāyāṁ vihita-guṇi kalālokanaṁ snigdha mātrā
yatnādānīya saṁśāyitam atha nibhṛtaṁ prāpta-kuṣjaṁ smarāmi
Govindalīlāmṛta 21.1

Srīmati Rādhikā, as per advice of Vṛndā Devi, at dusk wearing garments of black and white colour, suitable to dark and bright fortnight respectively (with the desire to hide herself from the detection of others), in the company of sakhis (confidantes), with female messenger (gopī), goes to Sanket Kuṣja (particular suggested grove) under wish-yielding tree, saturated by beautiful sacred surroundings at the bank of the Yamuna to meet beloved Kṛṣṇa at the appointed time and place.

On the other side, Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes at dusk— Kṛṣṇa has satisfied all His personal associates except gopas (milkmen). The gopas are disheartened not to get scope to serve Kṛṣṇa, but as Śrī Kṛṣṇa is Omniscient, He knows the minds of the milkmen. When milkmen want to exhibit some interesting games and sports with skillfulness and Kṛṣṇa is invited to come to the special meeting place to see the sports, Kṛṣṇa immediately accepts the proposal and goes to the meeting place to see nice skillfulness of the gopas and the sports and wrestling activities. Kṛṣṇa is so much attracted by seeing the sports, He is requesting to demonstrate different sports, one after another. Affectionate mother Yaṣodā Devi is very much worried on seeing the son not coming from the meeting and going to bed. Yaṣodā Devi is repeatedly calling the son for going to bed to sleep, but the son is not coming. Such is the nature of restless children. Yaṣodā Devi goes herself to Kṛṣṇa to pacify the child and to ask the wrestlers to stop showing wrestling and their skillfulness. She brings the child to bed and sings songs to make the child sleep. When Kṛṣṇa has sound sleep, Nanda Mahārāja and Yaṣodā Devi are happy. They also go to bed for sleep but what happens— Kṛṣṇa being attracted by pure devotion of Rādhā, secretly leaves the bed and goes to Sanket Kuṣja (the said particular grove) to meet Rādhārāni at dusk. I remember such Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.

Lila kirtan seven

rādhā vṛndā upadeśe, yamunapakula-deśe,
sāṅketika-kuṣje abhisāre
sitāsitā niśā jogya, dhori’ veśa kṛṣṇa-bhogya,
sakhī-saṅge sānanda antare (1)

gopa-sabhā mājhe hari, nānā-guṇa-kalā heri
mātṛ-jatne korilo śayana
rādhā-saṅga soṅariyā nibhṛte bāhira hoiyā
prāpta-kuṣja koriye smaraṇa