Prayer to the Sakhīs
(from Prārthanā)

Text One

rādhā-kṛṣṇa prāṇa mora jugala-kiśora
jīvane maraṇe gati āro nāhi mora

Word-for-word translation:

rādhā-kṛṣṇa—Śrī Rādha and Kṛṣṇa; prāṇa mora—are my life and soul; yugala-kiśora—the youthful couple; jīvane maraṇe—in life or in death; gati—refuge; āra nāhi—no other; mora—my.

Translation:

The divine couple, Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, are my life and soul. In life or death I have no other refuge but Them.

Text Two

kālindīra kūle keli-kadambera vana
ratana-bedīra upara bosābo du’jana

Word-for-word translation:

kālindīra kūle—on the bank of the Yamunā; keli-kadambera vana—in a forest of kadamba trees; ratana-vedīra upara—upon a throne made of brilliant jewels; bosābo—I will seat; du’jana—the divine couple.

Translation:

In a forest of small kadamba trees on the bank of the Yamunā, I will seat the divine couple on a throne made of brilliant jewels.

Text Three

śyāma-gaurī-aṅge dibo (cūwā) candanera gandha
cāmara ḍhulābo kabe heri mukha-candra

Word-for-word translation:

śyāma-gaurī-aṅge—on Their dark and fair forms; dibo—I will anoint; cūyā—condensed perfume; candanera gandha—scented sandalwood paste; cāmara—with a cāmara whisk; dhulābo—I will fan Them; kabe heri—when will I behold?; mukha-candra—Their moonlike faces.

Translation:

I will anoint Their dark and fair forms with sandalwood paste scented with cūyā, and I will fan Them with a cāmara whisk. Oh, when will I behold Their moonlike faces?

Text Four

gāthiyā mālatīr mālā dibo dohāra gale
adhare tuliyā dibo karpūra-tāmbūle

Word-for-word translation:

gāthiyā—after stringing together; mālatīr mālā—garlands of jasmine flowers; dibo—I will place them; dohāra gale—around both Their necks; adhare—to Their lotus mouths; tuliyā—lifting; dibo—I will offer; karpūra-tāmbūle—betel nuts scented with camphor.

Translation:

After stringing together garlands of mālatī flowers, I will place them around Their necks, and I will offer tāmbūla scented with camphor to Their lotus mouths.

Text Five

lalitā viśākhā-ādi jata sakhī-bṛnda
ājñāya koribo sebā caraṇāravinda

Word-for-word translation:

lalitā viśākhā-ādi—headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā; yata sakhī-vṛnda—of all the sakhīs; ājñāya—on the orders; koribo sevā—I will serve; caraṇāravinda—the lotus feet of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.

Translation:

With the permission of Lalitā, Viśākhā, and all the other sakhīs, I will serve the lotus feet of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.

Text Six

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-prabhur dāser anudāsa
sevā abhilāṣa kore narottama-dāsa

Word-for-word translation:

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-prabhur—of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Prabhu; dāser anudāsa—the servant of the servant; sevā—this service to the divine couple; abhilāṣa kore—longs for; narottama-dāsa—this Narottama dāsa.

Translation:

Narottama Dāsa, the servant of the servant of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Prabhu, longs for this service to the divine couple.