chhori sakhi!, lai gayo mama sindūra

English meaning

(The lamentation of the Braja-gopīs after Shyāmasundara’s departure to Mathurā.) Oh sakhi! Akrūra forcibly took away the vermilion of our suhāga. Oh! How cruel that Akrūra is who, in front of our very eyes, took our Beloved away, making Him sit in his chariot! Who the fool has given him the name ‘Akrūra’ (meaning merciful) whose action is of absolute cruelty? Oh sakhi ! He does not know that Shyāmasundara, and Shyāmasundara alone, who is dearer to the residents of Braja than their own life, is the veritable life-giving herb for them. Even one moment of His separation used to be felt by them as a kalpa. In the words of Jagadguru Shrī Kripālu Jī, “Now that their same Beloved has gone away, the Braja, in the form of their heart, will surely drown in the flood of their tears.”

Complete whole-pad meaning transcribed from the supplied English edition. The source provides no separate line-by-line or word-by-word meaning.

Prem Ras Madira (English), Part 2 · PDF pages 290, 291 · printed pages 625, 626.

Meanings: Smt. Padmā Devī. English translation and transliteration: Sushrī Braj Parikarī Devī. Source details.