त्वद्-वाम्येना, समं, समाग्राम अधुना, तिग्मां-शूरस तम्गतोगोविन्दस्य-मनोरथेना-च-समं, प्रप्तं, तम षन्द्रत्वम् |कोकणाम्, करुणा-स्वनेन सद्रुषि, दीर्घमद्-अभ्यर्थनातान मुग्धे, विफलं, विलम्बनं असौ , रम्यो अभिसा-रक्षा ||"O Mugdhe, perplexed one!" The sun has completely set, and so has Your erratic mood. Govinda's passion had become as intense as the night. My desire has become meaningless, much like the incessant weeping of the lonely cakravaka bird (Brahminy duck), who cries in pitiful tones all night. I've been pleading with You from the bottom of my heart for a long time. Any more delay is pointless. "Abhisara's delightful time has arrived."
The theme of Abhisara Nayika in traditional Indian art and literature, is the yearning lover willing to overcome all obstacles to reach her dearest. In Jayadev's Gita Govinda scriptures, she is Shri Radha, Krishna's beloved, slipping out of her house in the dark to meet Krishna and view his lovely face. She is also known as Abhisarika and represents one of the Ashta-Nayika, a collective word for eight types of nayikas or heroines as classified by Bharata in his Natya Shastra, a Sanskrit treatise on performing arts. In these stories, she is a maiden who runs hastily in the middle of the night to see her beloved. Snakes coiling about her feet and demons attempting to distract her in the deep woodland. But this lovelorn lady overcomes all obstacles to meet her beau.
Her clothing reflects her desire to dress up for her partner but simultaneously not caring about her appearance when she runs. The damsel in the image, a classic Garwhal style painting linked with Mola Ram, the legendary painter (1743-1833), takes up her skirt from one end while racing and loses her anklet. Snakes wrap around her feet, representing the worldly shackles that prevent a devotee from becoming Eka Atama, or one soul (represented by the union of Radha and Krishna). The demons symbolise fear and confusion. The portrayal of Abhisara Nayika generates pity and appreciation for her unshakable love and emotional fortitude. This ancient figure continues to inspire artists by conveying the core of Indian culture's profound emotions and devotion.
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