Śoka Śātana – Song One – ‘pradoṣa-samaye’

(1)
pradoṣa-samaye      śrībāsa-aṅgane
saṅgopane gorā-maṇi
śrī-hari-kīrtane         nāce nānā-raṅge
uṭhilo maṅgala-dhwani

 In the evening twilight, within the privacy of Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita’s courtyard, the cream-lustered jewel, Lord Gaura-maṇi, raised a most auspicious vibration by His chanting of hari-kīrtana, which He personally accompanied by dancing in various playful moods.

(2)
mṛdaṅga mādala      bāje karatāla
mājhe mājhe jayatura
prabhura naṭana          dekhi’ sakalera
hoilo santāpa dūra

 Accompanied by the paying of the mṛdaṅga drum and karatālas, and amidst occasional victorious shouts of “Jaya! Jaya!”, the dramatic dance of the Lord dispelled the grief of all those who witnessed it.

(3)
akhaṇda premete          mātala takhana
sakala bhakata-gaṇa
āpana pāsari’       gorācande gheri’
nāce gāya anukhaṇa

 Then, becoming madly intoxicated in supreme ecstatic love, all the assembled devotees completely forgot themselves and incessantly began to dance and chant wildly, surrounding Lord Gauracandra.

(4)
emona samaye        daiba-byādhi-joge
śrībāsera antaḥ-pure
tanaya-bijoge       nārī-gaṇa śoke
prokāśalo uccaiḥ-sware

 At this time, within the inner chamber of Śrīvāsa’s house, one of his sons suddenly died due to some disease, as ordained by the will of Providence. Due to separation from the boy, all the women of the household began to lament and cry out in a loud voice.

(5)
krandana uṭhile          habe rasa-bhaṅga
bhakatibinoda ḍare
śrībāsa amani       bujhilo kāraṇa
paśilo āpana ghare

 Now Bhaktivinoda fears that the transcendental mellows of the Lord’s kīrtana will be disturbed by the uprising of such loud crying sounds. However, Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita has now understood the cause of this sound, and has personally entered the house.