Only the Princess Sees the Monkey Face
Bala Kanda, Chaupai 134
Doha 134 · Movement 1 of 2
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Wherever Narada sits, pride in his supposed beauty swells within him. The two disguised ganas settle nearby and praise him in words edged with a meaning he cannot hear. Hari has certainly given you remarkable beauty, they say. The princess will be enchanted and choose you, knowing how dear you are to the Lord.
Delusion has taken command of the sage's mind. Shiva's attendants laugh at the spectacle, but their cryptic speech does not pierce the cloud over his discernment. Around them, no one else perceives the special form created within Hari's play.
The king's daughter sees it. Before her is a frightening body with a monkey's face, not the radiant suitor Narada imagines. Anger rises at the sight while the sage waits confidently for desire to awaken in her.
Narada imagines divine beauty, while the princess alone meets the gaze of the monkey face.
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AI-created devotional illustration · Chaupai 134
Two brahmin-disguised Mahesaattendants sit nearby, tease Narada withinhearing and laugh; Narada outside selectedframe
Source reference and artistic choices
Gita Press code81 undated · PDF pages 145, 146 · printed pages 143, 144. Reader passage: bala-kanda-chaupai-134. Printed numbering may differ.
Source facts
- Narada seatedproud ofappearance; twoMahesaattendants sitthere indistinguishablenature inbrahmindisguise, teasewithinNaradahearing andlaugh, notprotectionmission sentShiva
- Their Hari pun says princesschooses himtakinghimfor Hari(monkey), not thatheisspecialtoVishnu; Narada hearsoddwords butdelusioncloudsunderstanding
- Lateronlyprincess seespeculiarform monkeyface/fearsomebody andfeelsanger; notNarada'scurrentanger. Otherpartsretainedcontext butNarada/princessoutsideimage
Artistic choices
- Approved samebatch imagineddisguisedattendantAleft darkbrownshortblackbeard blacktopknot creamtealshawl/sacredthread; Bright mediumbrownclean-shaven greytemples topknot creamrustshawl/sacredthread; exactagesfacescloth/sideassignments notauthenticated
- Bothkneesbent feetdown onsharedcreamplainbench; Alaughs handownknee/benchside, Bteasingspeakingopenpalm towardunseenNaradaRIGHT otherownknee; exactposes/gesture/furniture artistchoices
- Floweredcreamcourtcolumns/paviliongardenvista imaginedsetting notactualhistoricalgeography; no rendereduntransformedNarada or literalShiva/crowns/protectiverays/wordplaytext
An imaginative interpretation, not a historical portrait or documentary evidence.
जेंहि समाज बैंठे मुनि जाई। हृदयँ रूप अहमिति अधिकाई।। तहँ बैठ महेस गन दोऊ। बिप्रबेष गति लखइ न कोऊ।। करहिं कूटि नारदहि सुनाई। नीकि दीन्हि हरि सुंदरताई।। रीझहि राजकुअँरि छबि देखी। इन्हहि बरिहि हरि जानि बिसेषी।। मुनिहि मोह मन हाथ पराएँ। हँसहिं संभु गन अति सचु पाएँ।। जदपि सुनहिं मुनि अटपटि बानी। समुझि न परइ बुद्धि भ्रम सानी।। काहुँ न लखा सो चरित बिसेषा। सो सरूप नृपकन्याँ देखा।। मर्कट बदन भयंकर देही। देखत हृदयँ क्रोध भा तेही।।
The sage went and sat in the assembly, his heart swelling with pride in his own beauty. The two attendants of Mahesha (Shiva) also sat there, disguised as Brahmins, watching all that unfolded.