Devanagari
प्रियरावपदानि भाषसे मृत-
सञ्जीविकयानया गिरा ।
करवाणि किमद्य ते प्रियं
वद मे वल्गितकण्ठ कोकिल ॥ २१ ॥
Verse text
priya-rāva-padāni bhāṣase
mṛta-saṣjīvikayānayā girā
karavāṇi kim adya te priyaṁ
vada me valgita-kaṇṭha kokila
Synonyms
priya
—
dear
;
rāva
—
of him whose sounds
;
padāni
—
the vibrations
;
bhāṣase
—
you are uttering
;
mṛta
—
the dead
;
saṣjīvikayā
—
which brings back to life
;
anayā
—
in this
;
girā
—
voice
;
karavāṇi
—
I should do
;
kim
—
what
;
adya
—
today
;
te
—
for you
;
priyam
—
pleasing
;
vada
—
please tell
;
me
—
me
;
valgita
—
sweetened (by these sounds)
;
kaṇṭha
—
O you whose throat
;
kokila
—
O cuckoo .
Translation
O sweet-throated cuckoo, in a voice that could revive the dead you are vibrating the same sounds we once heard from our beloved, the most pleasing of speakers. Please tell me what I can do today to please you.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
O sweet-throated cuckoo, in a voice that could revive the dead you are vibrating the same sounds we once heard from our beloved, the most pleasing of speakers. Please tell me what I can do today to please you.
KB 10.90.21
Generally the cuckoo sounds its cooing vibration at the end of night or early in the morning. When the queens heard the cooing of the cuckoo at the end of night, they said, “Dear cuckoo, your voice is very sweet. As soon as you vibrate your sweet voice, we immediately remember Śyāmasundara because your voice exactly resembles His. We must frankly admit that your voice is imbued with nectar, and it is so invigorating that it is competent to bring back life to those who are almost dead in separation from their dearmost friend. So we are very much obliged to you. Please let us know how we can welcome you or how we can do something for you.”
Purport
As Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains, though the song of a cuckoo is very pleasant, Lord Kṛṣṇa’s wives perceive it as painful because it reminds them of their beloved Kṛṣṇa and exacerbates their pain of separation.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
"O cuckoo with most pleasing sound! With your voice, you are speaking about freedom from the suffering of separation (padani)." Pada can mean resolution, deliverance, foot, mark, article, place according Amara Kosa. Because in this separation, the sound of the cuckoo gives sorrow. The use of words like priya rava (pleasant sound) therefore have sarcastic intention.
"O sweet throated one (valgita kantha)! What may I do for you, who are burning my with your sounds? I will light your beak on fire!"
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
With the end of night, they now praise and criticize the cuckoo when it begins warbling. The praise is as follows. O cuckoo famous for singing the fifth note, with sweet voice trained by your lover! You speak words with songs employing the fifth note, like the sounds of your lover. Or you speak words as a messenger containing words given by your lover. Please tell me how I can please you, since your words bring a dead person to life, by revealing that he is near? The singular is used in this verse (me) instead of the plural to indicate the cuckoo’s ability to speak to each one of them.
The criticism is as follows. O cuckoo! You speak words taught by your lover since the words bring a dead person to life. But I think that dying is better than living because I cannot tolerate separation. You, like him, have produced sorrow by words which bring a person to life. What shall I do with your disgusting beak because of your offense? Please tell me. Think of your own punishment. Otherwise your offense cannot be extinguished.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
They describe the warbling of the cuckoo at the end of night. Because of your words which resemble those of a person trying to bring to life a dead person, because of separation, what can I
do to please you? I can do nothing. O cuckoo warbling the fifth note (valgita-kaṇṭha-kokila)! This indicates Kṛṣna’s sweet voice and skill at words. What can I do to please you? All the queens are indicated by this, or one queen whose heart has been stolen byhis sweet words speaks the verse. Or each queens makes a similar statement.
Or have I done something to displease you since you speak to me, with words like the Lord’s (anayā) which kill a living person. But this is your nature, O cuckoo with a warbling voice! This statement arises from intense prema.
Or with such words, can I do anything to displease you? I will do nothing to displease you, since this helps me die, which I desire anyway. Therefore speak to me.