The birds perched on the branches just outside the kuñja. Although eager to sing, they silently waited for Vṛndā’s command. On her signal, they filled the grove with their blissful chirping. A swarm of bees, greedy for honey, entered the kuñja and made a humming sound like Cupid’s auspicious conch. The kuñja was decorated with flowering creepers and a bed made of lotus petals.
A group of female bees, maddened from drinking honey, helped to wake up Govinda by buzzing even louder than the ringing of cymbals suggesting the joy of love. A flock of cuckoos repeatedly sang “kuhū, kuhū” in the highest fifth note resounding like Cupid’s vīṇā. The female cuckoos sat beside their mates in the mango trees cooing with the intoxication of love. They savored the juice of the tender buds and then vibrated sweet low tones like Rati’s vīṇā[1].
The tiger of Cupid, having devoured the doe of the gopīs’ patience, shyness and virtue, now vented his anger at the wolf of their pride by growling in the guise of the cooing doves. The peacocks cried “kekā, kekā” to awaken Rādhā-Govinda by proclaiming,
“Who (ke) except Krishna can lift the mountain of Rādhā’s pride? And what (kā) other girl except Vṛṣabhānunandini can chain down and control the mad elephant named Krishna?”
The roosters’ crowing of ku-kū-ku-kūū sounded like young brāhmaṇas reciting the Vedas by repeating short, long and very long vowels.
The soft, sweet chirping of the birds roused the Divine Couple from Their slumber, however, each was unaware that the other was awake. Rādhā-Mādhava were afflicted with the thought of breaking Their tight embrace, so They closed Their eyes pretending to sleep[2].
[1] Rati is Cupid’s wife
[2] Govinda-līlāmṛta 1.12-21
This is a section of the book “Vrindavana Lila”.
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