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कान्ते त्वत्कुचचूचुकौ तदुपरि स्मेरा च हारावली
तद्वक्त्रं तरुणाङ्गि बिम्बितमनुच्छायालताश्यामताम्।
त्वं सर्वाङ्गमनोरमे त्रिजगतां बध्नासि दृष्ट्या मनो
जम्बूवज्जलबिन्दुवज्जलजवज्जम्बालवज्जालवत्॥

Her necklace rests upon her chest, her smile shines, and her face reflects the twilight hue. Her glance binds all the worlds like the dewdrop catches ...

beauty (1797) breast (3) necklace (9) glance (185) reflection (267) bondage (64) cosmos (30) tenderness (83) metaphor (1632) feminine charm (36)

कान्ते त्वन्नेत्रकान्तं पुरु कमलवनं त्वन्मुखस्योपमेयश्
चन्द्रः प्रत्यक्षसिद्धः पिककुलमपि च त्वत्स्वरस्यानुकारि।
रम्भाकाण्डस् त्वदूरुच्छविरपि सुलभः कम्बवश्च त्वदीयाः
कण्ठाकारा शिखण्डास् तव कचसदृशास्तत् कथं तेऽसमत्वम्॥

If your eyes match the lotus, your voice the cuckoo, your thighs the plantain stem — then what makes you unique? The poet questions superficial compar...

comparison (402) uniqueness (49) beauty (1797) lotus (346) cuckoo (46) irony (348) admiration (97) form (41) voice (36) poetic challenge (2)

कान्ते धावय मे पादाव् इति भर्त्रा निवेदिता।
न तया धावितौ पादौ भर्तुराज्ञा न लङ्घिता॥

The husband requests her to wash his feet, but she lovingly doesn’t. Yet, his command is not disobeyed — her gentle refusal is rooted in deep love and...

devotion (933) obedience (17) marriage (104) love (1567) respect (164) service (114) emotion (652) humility (596) poetic contrast (26) affection (216)

कान्तेन प्रहितो नवः प्रियसखीवर्गेण बद्धस्पृहश्
चित्तेनोपहृतः स्मराय न समुत्स्रष्टुं गतः पाणिना।
आमृष्टो मुहुरीक्षितो मुहरभिघ्रातो मुहुर्लोठितः प्रत्यङ्गं
च मुहुः कृतो मृगदृशा किं किं न चूताङ्कुरः॥

The newly sprouted mango bud is caressed, kissed, smelt, and rolled in passion — the beloved treats even a flower as if it were her lover. A metaphor ...

mango bud (1) affection (216) touch (54) kiss (19) smell (1) love (1567) poetry (588) metaphor (1632) nature (950) sensuality (306)

कान्ते नितान्तं दयिताकुचान्त-
चोलाञ्चलं कर्षति हर्षमुग्धे।
बभार बाला नमितास्यहास्य-
लेशापदेशादपरं निचोलम्॥

In excitement, the girl mistakenly wears a second upper cloth, thinking it to be part of her lover’s embrace — a subtle, sweet symbol of joyful confus...

innocence (103) love (1567) embrace (93) upper cloth (1) mistake (5) laughter (18) joy (342) passion (501) subtlety (175) playfulness (86)

कान्ते नितान्तमेतैर् वचनै रुषितेव लक्ष्यते भवती।
क इवोष्यते न वचनैर् उक्तैरागांस्यपह्नोतुम्॥

Though the lady appears angry through her harsh words, her affection peeks through. Speech, however sharp, cannot hide deep feelings of attachment.

speech (345) anger (185) affection (216) hidden love (9) contradiction (28) emotions (40) disguise (39) subtle emotion (3) vulnerability (51) expression (146)

कान्ते कृतागसि पुरः परिवर्तमाने
सख्यं सरोजशशिनोः सहसा बभूव।
रोषाक्षरं सुदृशि वक्तुमपारयन्त्याम्
इन्दीवरद्वयमवाप तुषारधाराम्॥

When the beloved is angry but speechless, unable to express her hurt, her eyes well up like a frosty shower — the lotus-like eyes become messengers of...

guilt (25) tears (84) love (1567) apology (10) speechlessness (5) eyes (211) frost (8) expression (146) forgiveness (114) emotional depth (20)

कान्ते पश्यति सानुरागमबला साचीकरोत्याननं
तस्मिन् कामकलाकलापकुशले व्यावृत्तवक्त्रे किल।
पश्यन्ती मुहुरन्तरङ्गमदना दोलायमानेक्षणा
लज्जामन्मथमध्यगापि नितरां तस्याभवत् प्रीतये॥

She tries to hide her feelings by averting her face, yet her sidelong gaze, trembling with emotion, and half-hidden smile make the lover’s joy complet...

gaze (69) smile (132) passion (501) shyness (81) emotion (652) affection (216) hidden love (9) trembling (36) eye-play (1) romantic joy (1)

कान्ते यामि, क्व, देशान्तर, मपि शयना, न्नेति, किं सद्मनोऽपि
क्वैतावन्मात्र, माः किं कथयसि नगरा, न्न प्रिये निर्वृतोऽपि।
इत्याकर्ण्योक्तवस्तुक्रमघनघनहृद्वेदना वेद नाहं काहं
कुत्रास्मि कोऽयं बत हतसमयोऽप्यस्मि वा नास्मि वेति॥

When the beloved announces departure, the lover is so overwhelmed with grief that he loses all sense of place, identity, and time — a state of existen...

grief (129) departure (21) loss (191) identity (65) time (242) memory (202) sorrow (325) despair (67) madness (32) emotional collapse (3)

कान्ते विचित्रसुरतक्रमबद्धरागे
सङ्केतकेऽपि मृगशाबदृशा रसेन।
तत्कूजितं किमपि येन तदीयतल्पं नाल्पैः
परीतमनुकूजितलावकौघैः॥

The bed echoes with the passionate chirping of the lovers, and even flocks of birds outside try to imitate their joyous songs — illustrating overwhelm...

love (1567) passion (501) chirping (1) birds (57) bed (8) echo (5) imitation (19) harmony (120) desire (898) poetic soundscape (3)

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