L1definition
rgaurīṁ ghūrṇitayopadiśya hitavad-dāya-prayogaṁ bhruvā |
(…glahai)-r gaurīṁ…[with those dice] — to Gaurī [he]… the opening 'r' is the sandhi-tail of glahaiḥ ('with the dice') carried over from the lead-in line; gaurīṁ is accusative — Gaurī, one of the two beloveds, is whom he instructsगौरी को (जिसे वह उपदेश देता है)
ghūrṇitayā … bhruvāwith a rolling, quivering eyebrow instrumental of means; bhruvā ('eyebrow') is split off to the end of the lineघुमाई हुई भौंह के द्वारा
upadiśyahaving pointed out / coached [her] gerund — the action that sets up the main verb in L3उपदेश देकर
hitavad-dāya-prayogaṁthe making of a winning dice-cast (dāya) presented as if for her benefit (hita-vat) -vat = 'as if / -like', already hinting the 'help' is only apparentमानो हित का हो, ऐसा दाँव का प्रयोग
gaurīṁ — to Gaurī; ghūrṇitayā bhruvā — with a rolling eyebrow; hitavad-dāya-prayogaṁ — a winning dice-move presented as if for her good; upadiśya — having coached [her in it]
घुमाई हुई भौंह से गौरी को हितकारी-से दाँव का प्रयोग उपदेश देकर—
The scene (set in the lead-in line): his two beloveds are eagerly playing dice, in a game where Kṛṣṇa himself is the three-day stake, and he is watching them. Now this line: with a rolling eyebrow he coaches Gaurī, pointing out a dice-cast (dāya) as if it were for her benefit. Hold onto that 'as if' — the little suffix -vat on hitavat already warns that the 'help' is a show.
कृष्ण ने भौंह घुमाकर गौरी को एक दाँव सिखाया। मानो वह उसी के हित का हो।
L1 begins mid-sentence: the subject (Acyuta) and the setup (dīvyantyau dayite samīkṣya rabhasād akṣais tryahātma-glahaiḥ — 'seeing his two beloveds eagerly at dice with the three-day self-stake') sit in the lead-in line before it. The stray 'r' at the start is glahaiḥ → glahair by sandhi.
L2definition
tasyās tūrṇam upārjayann iva jayaṁ śikṣā-vaśenācyutaḥ
tasyāḥfor her (Gaurī) genitive standing in for the one whose victory he seems to procureउसकी (जिसकी विजय)
tūrṇamquicklyशीघ्र ही
upārjayan iva jayaṁas if winning victory [for her] iva = 'as if' — again flags the pretense; upārjayan is a present participle, 'procuring'मानो विजय अर्जित कराता हुआ
śikṣā-vaśenaby the force of [his] coaching (śikṣā) instrumental of meansसिखाने के द्वारा
acyutaḥAcyuta [does it] nominative — the subject of the whole sentence, resolved in L3अच्युत (कृष्ण) ने
acyutaḥ — Acyuta; śikṣā-vaśena — by force of his coaching; tasyāḥ tūrṇam jayaṁ upārjayan iva — as if quickly winning victory for her
अच्युत सिखाने के बल से मानो शीघ्र ही उस (गौरी) की विजय अर्जित कराता हुआ—
Acyuta, by the power of his coaching, looks to be quickly winning the game for Gaurī. But there is that word iva again — 'as if'. He only appears to be securing her victory. The real subject-verb of the sentence waits for the next line.
सिखाने के बहाने कृष्ण मानो झट उसी की जीत करा रहे थे।
Acyuta means 'the never-falling, infallible one' — the name sits with a light irony over a scene of a gambler's sleight-of-hand, but the verse does not press the pun.
L3definition
śyāmām eva cakāra dhūrta-nagarī-saṅketa-vij jitvarām
śyāmām evaŚyāmā alone eva = 'alone / precisely' — it was Śyāmā, not Gaurī, that he made winश्यामा को ही
cakāra … jitvarāmhe made … the winner (jitvarā) cakāra 'he made' + double accusative; jitvarām is the predicate — 'victorious'विजयिनी बना दिया
dhūrta-nagarī-saṅketa-vithe who knows the secret code of the gamblers' town nominative describing Kṛṣṇa; the commentators read this compound in different waysजुआरियों की नगरी के (गुप्त) संकेत का जानकार (कृष्ण)
dhūrta-nagarī-saṅketa-vit [acyutaḥ] — [Acyuta,] knower of the gamblers'-town code; śyāmām eva jitvarām cakāra — made Śyāmā alone the winner
जुआरियों की नगरी के गुप्त संकेत को जानने वाले (कृष्ण) ने श्यामा को ही विजयिनी बना दिया।
Here the sentence turns over. For all the show of helping Gaurī, the one who knows the secret signals of the gamblers' town actually made Śyāmā — and Śyāmā alone (eva) — the winner. That covert reversal is the whole point: it exposes that Kṛṣṇa's deeper love leans to Śyāmā. The phrase 'dhūrta-nagarī-saṅketa-vit' is the pivot, and Jīva and Viśvanātha unpack it differently below — do not fuse their readings.
पर वे तो जुआरियों के गुप्त संकेत के ज्ञाता थे। इसलिए जीत श्यामा को ही दिलाई, गौरी को नहीं।
The pastille of the trick: he openly coaches Gaurī toward a cast that looks like a win but, by the gamblers' code, is really a loss — so Śyāmā wins. Why Śyāmā's win reveals greater love is the lesson (jyeṣṭhā = the more-loved; kaniṣṭhā = the less-loved), continued from the previous verse.
Commentary — decoded
Jīva Gosvāmī
s1gloss
tryahaṁ vyāpya ātmā svam eva glaho deyo yeṣu tair akṣair dīvyantyau samīkṣya dāyasyākṣa-pāta-labdhasya svocita-krīḍā-bhāgasya prayogaṁ prayoktavaṁ cālana-viśeṣaṁ ghūrṇitayā bhruvā gaurīṁ dayitayor ekatarāṁ prāk hitam evopadiśya tasyā gaur yā śyāmāṁ tayor anyatarām eva jitvarāṁ cakre |
tryahaṁ vyāpya ātmā svam eva glaho deyo yeṣu taiḥ akṣaiḥwith those dice in which, spanning three days, his own self is the stake (glaha) to be wagered unpacks the compound tryahātma-glahaiḥ; deya = 'to be given/staked'तीन दिन तक (खेल) चलाकर—जिनमें स्वयं अपने आप को ही दाँव पर लगाना पड़े, उन पासों के द्वारा
dīvyantyau samīkṣyahaving watched the two [beloveds] playing(पासों से) खेलती हुई दोनों को भली-भाँति देखकर
dāyasya akṣa-pāta-labdhasya sva-ucita-krīḍā-bhāgasya prayogaṁ prayoktavaṁ cālana-viśeṣaṁthe making of the dāya — that is, the particular move (cālana) to be applied to win the play-share got by the fall of the dice Jīva glosses dāya-prayoga as a specific dice-manoeuvre; prayoktavaṁ = prayoktavyam, 'to be applied'दाँव का—अर्थात् पासा गिरने से प्राप्त, अपने योग्य खेल के भाग का—जो प्रयोग करना चाहिए, वह विशेष चाल
ghūrṇitayā bhruvā gaurīṁ dayitayoḥ ekatarāṁ prāk hitam eva upadiśyawith a rolling eyebrow first coaching Gaurī — one of the two beloveds — [in it] precisely as something beneficial prāk = 'beforehand'; hitam eva = 'as beneficial, plainly' (Jīva locates the deceit not here but in the saṅketa, s2)घुमाई हुई भौंह से दोनों प्रियाओं में से एक—गौरी—को पहले ही, मानो हित की ही बात हो, यों उपदेश देकर
tasyāḥ … śyāmāṁ tayoḥ anyatarāṁ eva jitvarāṁ cakre[though for her sake to all appearances,] he made Śyāmā, the other of the two, alone the winner textually rough here — see noteउस (गौरी की जगह) … दोनों में से दूसरी—श्यामा—को ही विजयिनी बना दिया
tryahātma-glahaiḥ taiḥ akṣaiḥ dīvyantyau samīkṣya — seeing the two playing with the three-day self-stake dice; dāya-prayogaṁ cālana-viśeṣaṁ — the winning-cast, a particular move; ghūrṇitayā bhruvā gaurīṁ prāk hitam eva upadiśya — with a rolling eyebrow first coaching Gaurī in it as beneficial; śyāmāṁ tayoḥ anyatarāṁ eva jitvarāṁ cakre — he made Śyāmā, the other, alone the winner
तीन दिन चलने वाले, जिनमें स्वयं कृष्ण ही दाँव थे, उन पासों से खेलती दोनों को देखकर; पासा गिरने पर प्राप्त, अपने योग्य खेल-भाग की जो विशेष चाल है, उसे भौंह घुमाकर गौरी को पहले ही मानो हित की बात कहकर सिखाया—पर विजयिनी दूसरी, श्यामा को ही बनाया।
Jīva walks through the verse word by word. First the odd compound: 'three-day self-stake dice' means dice in a game where Kṛṣṇa's own person is the wager, played over three days. He watches the two women play. 'Dāya' is the winning cast — Jīva reads it as a specific move to be made. With his rolling eyebrow he coaches Gaurī, one of the pair, in that move, presenting it plainly as helpful. And yet he made Śyāmā, the other of the two, the sole winner. For Jīva the deceit is not in the coaching but in the secret code, which he explains next.
'त्र्यहात्म-ग्लह' का अर्थ है वे पासे जिनमें तीन दिन तक स्वयं कृष्ण ही दाँव पर रहे। खेलती दोनों को देखकर उन्होंने पासे की एक विशेष चाल भौंह घुमाकर गौरी को पहले ही सिखा दी, मानो उसी के भले की हो। पर जिता श्यामा को ही।
The clause 'tasyā gaur yā śyāmāṁ' in the source is corrupt/garbled (likely a broken 'tasyāḥ … gauryāḥ' contrast, 'for her, Gaurī's [sake] … yet Śyāmā …'). I have rendered the recoverable sense — he coaches Gaurī but makes Śyāmā win — and flag the words as unreliable rather than invent a reading.
यहाँ मूल पाठ ('tasyā gaur yā') कुछ अशुद्ध है; तात्पर्य यही है कि सिखाया गौरी को, पर जिताया दूसरी श्यामा को।
s2gloss
dhūrtā akṣa-devinas tan-nagaryāṁ yaḥ saṅketo yena cālanena jaya iva dṛśyamāne’pi parājayas tathā tad-viparīte viparītas tatra yaḥ saṅketaś chalenopadeśas tadvit ||
dhūrtāḥ akṣa-devinaḥthe 'dhūrtas' are the dice-players (gamblers)'धूर्त' अर्थात् पासे से जुआ खेलने वाले
tat-nagaryāṁ yaḥ saṅketaḥthe coded signal there is in their town locative — the saṅketa belongs to the gamblers' townउनकी नगरी में जो (गुप्त) संकेत है
yena cālanena jayaḥ iva dṛśyamāne api parājayaḥthe move by which, though a win seems to be showing, it is really a defeat the heart of the code: a cast that looks winning is a losing oneजिस चाल से जीत-सी दिखने पर भी वस्तुतः हार होती है
tathā tat-viparīte viparītaḥand in the opposite move the opposite holds — what looks like a loss is really a winऔर उसके विपरीत (चाल) में उलटा (हार-सी दिखने पर जीत)
tatra yaḥ saṅketaḥ chalena upadeśaḥthe signal in that [game] is an instruction given by a trick chala = 'ruse' — Jīva makes the coaching itself deceptiveउसमें जो संकेत है, वह छल से दिया गया उपदेश है
tadvitand he is the knower of that [code] glosses the -vit of the verse: Kṛṣṇa knows this gamblers' secretउस (संकेत) का जानकार (कृष्ण)
dhūrtāḥ akṣa-devinaḥ — the dhūrtas are the gamblers; tat-nagaryāṁ yaḥ saṅketaḥ — the code in their town; yena cālanena jayaḥ iva dṛśyamāne api parājayaḥ — the move by which an apparent win is a real loss; tathā tat-viparīte viparītaḥ — and vice versa in the reverse move; tatra yaḥ saṅketaḥ chalena upadeśaḥ — that signal is a trick-instruction; tadvit — he knows it
धूर्त अर्थात् जुआरी; उनकी नगरी में जो संकेत है—जिस चाल से जीत-सी दिखने पर भी हार, और उसके विपरीत चाल में हार-सी दिखने पर जीत होती है—उसमें जो संकेत है वह छल से दिया उपदेश है; उसका जानकार (कृष्ण)।
Now Jīva decodes 'dhūrta-nagarī-saṅketa-vit'. The 'dhūrtas' are gamblers; their town has a secret code. By one move a cast that looks like a win is actually a loss; by its reverse, an apparent loss is a win. So the 'signal' is really a coaching-by-trick. Kṛṣṇa is 'the knower of that code' — which is exactly how he could coach Gaurī toward a 'winning' cast that was rigged to lose, and hand Śyāmā the victory. On Jīva's reading the whole thing is a gambler's sleight-of-hand.
जीव इसे यों खोलते हैं: 'धूर्त' मतलब जुआरी। उनकी नगरी का एक गुप्त संकेत है—जिस चाल से जीत दिखे, उससे असल में हार होती है; और उलटी चाल से हार दिखने पर जीत। यह संकेत छलभरा उपदेश है, और कृष्ण उसके जानकार हैं।
This is Jīva's line; keep it separate from Viśvanātha, who instead reads the compound as Kṛṣṇa possessing the gamblers' distinctive expertise, and adds a theological account of the covert favoritism (s9–s13).
Viśvanātha Cakravartī
s1avataranika
pūrvatra madhyayor jyeṣṭhatva-kaniṣṭhatve udāhṛtya samprati pragalbhayos te darśayati—yathā veti |
pūrvatra madhyayoḥ jyeṣṭhatva-kaniṣṭhatve udāhṛtyahaving illustrated senior- and junior-status for the two madhyā [heroines] in the preceding [verse] dual throughout; udāhṛtya = gerund, 'having given an example of'पहले (श्लोक में) दो मध्या नायिकाओं के ज्येष्ठत्व और कनिष्ठत्व का उदाहरण देकर
samprati pragalbhayoḥ te darśayatihe now shows those same two [statuses] for the two pragalbhā [heroines] te = 'those two', i.e. jyeṣṭhatva and kaniṣṭhatva; samprati = 'now'अब दो प्रगल्भा नायिकाओं में उन्हीं दोनों (ज्येष्ठत्व-कनिष्ठत्व) को दिखाते हैं
yathā vā itiwith the words 'yathā vā' ('and here is another example') iti marks the pratīka — the verse-opening he is taking up"यथा वा" इस (श्लोकारम्भ) को लेकर
pūrvatra madhyayoḥ jyeṣṭhatva-kaniṣṭhatve udāhṛtya — having illustrated senior/junior status for the two madhyā heroines before; samprati pragalbhayoḥ te darśayati — now he shows those for the two pragalbhā heroines; yathā vā iti — with 'yathā vā'
पहले दो मध्या नायिकाओं में ज्येष्ठत्व-कनिष्ठत्व का उदाहरण देकर, अब "यथा वा" कहकर दो प्रगल्भा नायिकाओं में उन्हीं दोनों को दिखाते हैं।
Viśvanātha sets up the verse. In the previous verse Rūpa illustrated who is 'senior' (jyeṣṭhā) and 'junior' (kaniṣṭhā) among the two madhyā (middling) heroines. Now, with 'yathā vā', he shows the same two ranks for the two pragalbhā (bold) heroines. So this verse is a parallel example, one rung up the boldness scale.
पिछले श्लोक में दो मध्या नायिकाओं का ज्येष्ठत्व-कनिष्ठत्व बताया था। अब "यथा वा" से वही बात दो प्रगल्भा नायिकाओं में दिखाते हैं।
s2gloss
vā-śabdaś cārthe |
vā-śabdaḥ ca-arthethe word 'vā' here carries the sense of 'and' (ca), not 'or' he fixes vā as connective, so 'yathā vā' = 'and likewise, as follows'"वा" शब्द "च" (और) के अर्थ में है
vā-śabdaḥ — the word 'vā'; ca-arthe — is in the sense of 'and'
"वा" शब्द यहाँ "च" के अर्थ में है।
A small but real point: the 'vā' in 'yathā vā' does not mean 'or' (a second alternative) here. Viśvanātha says it means 'and' — 'and here is a further example'. The verse adds to the previous one, it does not offer a rival to it.
यहाँ "वा" का अर्थ "और" है, अतः "यथा वा" का मतलब "और इसी प्रकार"।
s3avataranika
vṛndā paurṇamāsīm āha—dīvyantāv iti |
vṛndā paurṇamāsīm āhaVṛndā says [this] to Paurṇamāsī names the speaker and addressee of the verseवृन्दा पौर्णमासी से कहती हैं
dīvyantau itiwith the words 'dīvyantau …' ('the two playing…') iti marks the pratīka"दीव्यन्तौ" इस (पद) को (लेकर)
vṛndā paurṇamāsīm āha — Vṛndā says to Paurṇamāsī; dīvyantau iti — [in the words] 'dīvyantau…'
"दीव्यन्तौ" इस पद से (आरम्भ करते हुए) वृन्दा पौर्णमासी से कहती हैं।
He fixes the dramatic frame: these words are spoken by Vṛndā to Paurṇamāsī, and the speech begins at 'dīvyantau' ('the two [beloveds] playing…'). So we are hearing one gopī-friend report the dice-game to another.
यह वचन वृन्दा का है, जो पौर्णमासी से कहा गया है; इसका आरम्भ "दीव्यन्तौ" पद से होता है।
s4gloss
akṣaiḥ pāśakaiḥ |
akṣaiḥ pāśakaiḥ'with akṣas' means with dice (pāśaka) plain lexical gloss of the verse-word akṣaiḥ"अक्षैः" अर्थात् पासों से
akṣaiḥ — 'with akṣas'; pāśakaiḥ — [means] with dice
"अक्षैः" अर्थात् पासों से।
Quick gloss: the verse's 'akṣaiḥ' just means 'with dice' (pāśaka).
श्लोक का "अक्षैः" शब्द पासों को कहता है।
s5gloss
tryahaṁ vyāpyātmā svayaṁ śrī-kṛṣṇa eva glaho yeṣu taiḥ |
tryahaṁ vyāpyaspanning three days vyāpya = gerund, 'pervading'तीन दिन तक (खेल को) व्याप्त करके, अर्थात् चलाकर
ātmā svayaṁ śrī-kṛṣṇaḥ eva glahaḥ yeṣu taiḥ[dice] in which the very stake (glaha) is the Self — Śrī Kṛṣṇa himself unpacks tryahātma-glahaiḥ: the wager is Kṛṣṇa's own personजिनमें स्वयं श्रीकृष्ण ही दाँव हैं, उन (पासों) से
tryahaṁ vyāpya — over three days; ātmā svayaṁ śrī-kṛṣṇaḥ eva glahaḥ yeṣu — in which the stake is Śrī Kṛṣṇa himself; taiḥ — with those [dice]
तीन दिन तक चलने वाले, जिनमें स्वयं श्रीकृष्ण ही दाँव हैं, उन पासों से।
Viśvanātha unpacks the same compound Jīva did: 'three-day self-stake dice' means the dice-game runs over three days and the thing wagered is Kṛṣṇa's own self. He is literally the prize on the board.
'त्र्यहात्म-ग्लह' यानी तीन दिन तक चलने वाला वह खेल जिसमें दाँव पर स्वयं श्रीकृष्ण ही हैं—ऐसे पासों से।
s6citation
paṇo’kṣeṣu glaho’kṣās tu devanāḥ pāśakāś ca te ity amaraḥ |
paṇaḥ akṣeṣu glahaḥin dicing, the stake is called 'glaha'पासों के खेल में जो 'पण' (दाँव) है, वही 'ग्लह' है
akṣāḥ tu devanāḥ pāśakāḥ ca teand the 'akṣas' — they are the devanas and the pāśakas [i.e. the dice] tu here just joins the second lexical entryऔर वे 'अक्ष' ही 'देवन' तथा 'पाशक' (कहलाते हैं)
iti amaraḥso says the Amara[-kośa]ऐसा अमर (अमरकोश) कहता है
paṇaḥ akṣeṣu glahaḥ — the stake at dice is 'glaha'; akṣāḥ tu devanāḥ pāśakāḥ ca te — the akṣas are the devanas and pāśakas; iti amaraḥ — so the Amarakośa
"पासों में दाँव 'ग्लह' है; और वे अक्ष ही 'देवन' और 'पाशक' हैं"—ऐसा अमरकोश।
He backs the two glosses just given with a dictionary. The Amarakośa says the wager in dicing is 'glaha', and that 'akṣa', 'devana' and 'pāśaka' all name the dice. That authorizes reading glaha = the stake (Kṛṣṇa himself) and akṣa = dice.
अमरकोश का वचन है: जुए में जो दाँव लगता है वह 'ग्लह'; और पासों को 'अक्ष', 'देवन' तथा 'पाशक' कहते हैं।
Why cited: Amarakośa lexical proof that glaha = the stake wagered at dice and akṣa/devana/pāśaka = the dice — licensing Viśvanātha's glosses of glaha (s5) and akṣaiḥ (s4).
क्यों उद्धृत: 'ग्लह' और 'अक्ष' शब्दों को कोश-प्रमाण से सिद्ध करने के लिए अमरकोश उद्धृत—श्लोक के 'ग्लहैः/अक्षैः' पदों की पुष्टि हेतु।
s7gloss
ghūrṇitayānurāga-vyañjikāyā bhruvā |
ghūrṇitayā … bhruvāwith a rolling, quivering eyebrowघुमाई हुई भौंह से
anurāga-vyañjikāyāthe eyebrow that betrays [his] love (anurāga) he reads the quiver of the brow as a sign of Kṛṣṇa's affectionजो (भौंह) अनुराग को व्यक्त करती है
ghūrṇitayā anurāga-vyañjikāyā bhruvā — with the rolling eyebrow that reveals his love
घुमाई हुई, अनुराग को व्यक्त करती हुई भौंह से।
Viśvanātha reads the 'rolling eyebrow' as more than a coaching signal: it is 'anurāga-vyañjikā', the eyebrow that lets his love show. Even while running the trick, his fondness leaks out through that quivering brow.
विश्वनाथ भौंह के घूमने को कृष्ण के अनुराग का चिह्न मानते हैं।
This is Viśvanātha's own emphasis (the brow reveals love); do not blend it with Jīva, for whom the brow is simply the channel of the coded coaching.
s8gloss
dhūrta-nagarī-śabdena lakṣaṇayā nānā-vidhayā dhūrtā ucyante |
dhūrta-nagarī-śabdenaby the word 'gamblers'-town'"धूर्त-नगरी" शब्द से
lakṣaṇayā nānā-vidhayāthrough indication (lakṣaṇā) of the manifold kind lakṣaṇā = a word pointing beyond its literal sense; 'town' points to its peopleअनेक प्रकार की लक्षणा के द्वारा
dhūrtāḥ ucyantethe gamblers (dhūrtas) themselves are what is meant(नगरी नहीं, अपितु) धूर्त लोग कहे जाते हैं
dhūrta-nagarī-śabdena — by the word 'gamblers'-town'; lakṣaṇayā nānā-vidhayā — by manifold indication; dhūrtāḥ ucyante — the gamblers are meant
"धूर्त-नगरी" शब्द से, अनेक प्रकार की लक्षणा के द्वारा, धूर्त लोग कहे जाते हैं।
Now the pivotal compound. 'Gamblers'-town' does not literally mean a town, says Viśvanātha; by lakṣaṇā (a word pointing past its surface sense) it stands for the gamblers who live there. So the phrase is really about master-gamblers, not a place.
"धूर्त-नगरी" शब्द लक्षणा से नगरी को नहीं, उसमें बसने वाले धूर्तों को कहता है।
lakṣaṇā = secondary/indicative signification: a word yields a related sense its literal meaning can't carry (as 'the village on the Ganges' means 'on its bank'). Here 'town' → 'the sharp gamblers of the town'.
s9alternative
saṅketas tac-chabda-pravṛtti-nimittam asādhāraṇa-dharma-viśeṣas taṁ vindati prāpnoti veti svasminn arpayituṁ jānātīti vā |
saṅketaḥ tat-śabda-pravṛtti-nimittam asādhāraṇa-dharma-viśeṣaḥ'saṅketa' means the ground on which the word ['dhūrta'] applies — the unique distinguishing trait [of a master-gambler] he glosses saṅketa not as a code but as the defining mark that makes one a 'dhūrta''संकेत' अर्थात् उस ('धूर्त') शब्द के प्रयोग का निमित्त, वह असाधारण धर्मविशेष (जो किसी को धूर्त बनाता है)
taṁ vindati prāpnoti vā iti[first reading of -vit:] he finds / comes to possess that [trait] -vit from √vid 'to get/find'; vā here opens the first of two readingsउस (धर्म) को 'विन्दति' अर्थात् प्राप्त करता है—यह एक अर्थ (√विद् = पाना); 'वा' पहले पाठ को खोलता है
svasmin arpayituṁ jānāti iti vā[second reading of -vit:] or else he knows how to invest that [trait] in himself -vit from √vid 'to know'; the second vā leaves the choice openअथवा उसे अपने में धारण करना 'जानता' है—यह दूसरा अर्थ (√विद् = जानना); दूसरा 'वा' चुनाव खुला छोड़ता है
saṅketaḥ … asādhāraṇa-dharma-viśeṣaḥ — saṅketa is the unique defining trait [of gamblers]; taṁ vindati prāpnoti vā — he attains/possesses it; iti vā — OR; svasmin arpayituṁ jānāti — he knows how to invest it in himself
'संकेत' वह असाधारण धर्मविशेष है जिससे कोई 'धूर्त' कहलाता है; उसे या तो 'विन्दति'—पा लेता है, अथवा उसे अपने में धारण करना जानता है—दोनों अर्थ खुले।
Here Viśvanātha parts from Jīva and leaves the reading deliberately open. He first takes 'saṅketa' not as a secret code but as the distinctive quality that makes someone a master-gambler. Then '-vit' can go two ways, and he does not pick: (a) from 'to find' — Kṛṣṇa attains, possesses, that master-gambler's quality; or (b) from 'to know' — Kṛṣṇa knows how to invest that quality in himself. Either way he is the supreme dhūrta at the table. Keep both readings live; the 'vā … vā' is left unresolved.
विश्वनाथ 'संकेत' को गुप्त कूट नहीं, वह असाधारण लक्षण मानते हैं जिससे कोई धूर्त कहलाता है। '-वित्' के दो अर्थ खुले रखते हैं: √विद् 'पाना' से—उसे प्राप्त करता है; या √विद् 'जानना' से—उसे अपने में धारण करना जानता है।
A suspended alternative (yad vā): the two glosses of dhūrta-nagarī-saṅketa-vit turn on which √vid is heard in -vit ('find/get' vs 'know'). Viśvanātha offers both without deciding — render, do not collapse.
'-वित्' पर श्लेष: √विद् से 'पाना' और 'जानना'—दोनों अर्थ यहाँ जान-बूझकर बिना निर्णय के छोड़े गए हैं ('वा … वा')।
s10gloss
atra prakaṭam eva śyāmāyāḥ pakṣapātatva-vyañjanayā tasyai śyāmalāyai saubhāgya-pradānaṁ gauryā saha praṇayavatyās tasyā nābhimatam iti na kṛtam |
atra prakaṭam eva śyāmāyāḥ pakṣapātatva-vyañjanayāby openly showing favoritism toward Śyāmā here prakaṭam eva = 'openly, right out'; the instrumental names the hypothetical actयहाँ खुले तौर पर ही श्यामा के प्रति पक्षपात प्रकट करके
tasyai śyāmalāyai saubhāgya-pradānaṁthe giving of the mark of being-favored to that Śyāmā (Śyāmalā) saubhāgya = a wife's/beloved's good fortune of being lovedउस श्यामला को सौभाग्य (प्रियतम के प्रेम) का दान
gauryā saha praṇayavatyāḥ tasyāḥ na abhimatam itiis not something she — bound in love with Gaurī — would want Śyāmā's own affection for Gaurī makes open favoritism unwelcome to herगौरी के साथ प्रेम रखने वाली उस (श्यामा) को यह अभीष्ट नहीं—यह (सोचकर)
na kṛtam[so] it was not done [openly](कृष्ण ने वैसा) नहीं किया
atra śyāmāyāḥ pakṣapātatva-vyañjanayā prakaṭam eva tasyai śyāmalāyai saubhāgya-pradānaṁ — openly favoring Śyāmā and so granting her the mark of being-loved; gauryā saha praṇayavatyāḥ tasyāḥ na abhimatam iti — is not wanted by her, who loves Gaurī; na kṛtam — so it was not done
यहाँ खुले तौर पर श्यामा का पक्षपात प्रकट करके उस श्यामला को सौभाग्य देना—गौरी से प्रेम रखने वाली श्यामा को यह अभीष्ट न होगा, यह (जानकर कृष्ण ने) नहीं किया।
Why the trick was covert, not open. Kṛṣṇa could have simply favored Śyāmā out loud and let everyone see she is the more-loved. But Viśvanātha says he did not — because Śyāmā herself, who loves Gaurī dearly, would not want her preference paraded. An open display would embarrass her friend. So he hid it inside a dice-trick instead.
कृष्ण ने खुलेआम श्यामा का पक्ष लेकर उसे सौभाग्य नहीं दिया। क्योंकि श्यामा का गौरी से भी प्रेम है, अतः ऐसा खुला पक्षपात उसे स्वयं भी नहीं भाता।
This whole run (s10–s15) is Viśvanātha's distinctive emotional-theological reading of why the favoritism stayed hidden. Jīva has no counterpart to it; do not read one into his line.
s11gloss
tathā sati gauryā manasi kiñcid duḥkhaṁ syāt |
tathā satifor if it were done [openly] 'that being so' — states the consequence of open favoritismवैसा होने पर (खुला पक्षपात करने पर)
gauryāḥ manasi kiñcit duḥkhaṁ syātthere would be some pain in Gaurī's heart syāt = optative, the hypothetical resultगौरी के मन में कुछ दुःख होता
tathā sati — if it were so done; gauryāḥ manasi kiñcit duḥkhaṁ syāt — there would be some sorrow in Gaurī's heart
वैसा (खुला पक्षपात) होने पर गौरी के मन में कुछ दुःख होता।
And the reason it would hurt: open favoring of Śyāmā would put at least a little pain into Gaurī's heart. That is precisely what Śyāmā, loving Gaurī, wants to spare her — so the preference had to stay concealed.
यदि खुलेआम श्यामा का पक्ष लिया जाता, तो गौरी के मन में थोड़ा दुःख होता।
s12gloss
gauryāḥ pakṣa-pāte tu śyāmāyā na duḥkham |
gauryāḥ pakṣa-pāte tuwhereas if [he] were to favor Gaurī tu = 'but/whereas' — sets up the contrasting caseपरन्तु गौरी का पक्ष लेने पर
śyāmāyāḥ na duḥkhamthere is no pain for Śyāmāश्यामा को दुःख नहीं (होता)
gauryāḥ pakṣa-pāte tu — but in the case of favoring Gaurī; śyāmāyāḥ na duḥkham — there is no sorrow for Śyāmā
परन्तु गौरी का पक्ष लेने पर श्यामा को दुःख नहीं होता।
Now the asymmetry. If instead Kṛṣṇa openly favored Gaurī, Śyāmā would feel no pain at all. The two are not equally exposed to hurt. Why Śyāmā is immune comes in the next line.
इसके उलट, यदि गौरी का पक्ष लिया जाए तो श्यामा को दुःख नहीं होता।
s13reply
svasmin saubhāgyasya niścaya-jñānena tat-pakṣa-pātasya bāhyatva-mananāt |
svasmin saubhāgyasya niścaya-jñānenabecause she is settled-certain that the [real] good fortune of being loved rests in herself instrumental/ablative of cause — the reason for s12क्योंकि अपने में सौभाग्य का निश्चित ज्ञान है (श्यामा जानती है कि प्रेम तो उसी पर है)
tat-pakṣa-pātasya bāhyatva-mananātand because she treats that [outward] favoring [of Gaurī] as merely external ablative of cause; bāhyatva = 'being outer, surface-level'और उस पक्षपात को केवल ऊपरी (बाहरी) मानने के कारण
svasmin saubhāgyasya niścaya-jñānena — by her settled certainty that the real favor is hers; tat-pakṣa-pātasya bāhyatva-mananāt — because she counts that outward favoring as only external
अपने में सौभाग्य का निश्चय होने के कारण, और उस (गौरी के) पक्षपात को केवल ऊपरी मानने के कारण।
Here is why Śyāmā stays untroubled. She knows for certain that Kṛṣṇa's deepest love is hers, so any outward favoring of Gaurī she reads as surface, not substance. Secure in the real thing, she is unbothered by the show. Gaurī, lacking that certainty, could be stung — which is exactly why the preference for Śyāmā was hidden and the preference she could bear was never needed.
क्योंकि श्यामा को निश्चय है कि सौभाग्य तो उसी का है, और गौरी का पक्ष लेना केवल ऊपरी दिखावा है—इसीलिए उसे दुःख नहीं होता।
s14conclusion
atas tayor mithaḥ prītiḥ |
ataḥthereforeइसलिए
tayoḥ mithaḥ prītiḥthe two [Gaurī and Śyāmā] love each other mithaḥ = 'mutually'उन दोनों में परस्पर प्रीति (बनी रहती है)
ataḥ — therefore; tayoḥ mithaḥ prītiḥ — there is mutual affection between the two
इसलिए उन दोनों में परस्पर प्रीति है।
The upshot: because Śyāmā shields Gaurī from hurt and Gaurī poses no threat to Śyāmā's security, the two women love each other. The rivalry never curdles — their bond is real.
इसी कारण दोनों में आपस में प्रेम बना रहता है।
s15conclusion
śrī-kṛṣṇasāpi tādṛśī līlā-siddhy-artham abhīṣṭeti jñeyam |
śrī-kṛṣṇasya apiand by Śrī Kṛṣṇa too source reads 'kṛṣṇasā' — a typo for kṛṣṇasya (genitive)श्रीकृष्ण को भी
tādṛśī [līlā]such a pastimeवैसी (लीला)
līlā-siddhi-artham abhīṣṭāis wished-for, for the sake of the pastime's success -artham = 'for the purpose of'लीला की सिद्धि के लिए अभीष्ट (इष्ट) है
iti jñeyamso it should be understoodऐसा जानना चाहिए
śrī-kṛṣṇasya api — by Śrī Kṛṣṇa too; tādṛśī līlā-siddhi-artham abhīṣṭā — such [a pastime] is desired for the sake of the līlā's fulfillment; iti jñeyam — so it is to be understood
श्रीकृष्ण को भी वैसी (लीला) लीला की सिद्धि के लिए अभीष्ट है—ऐसा जानना चाहिए।
And Kṛṣṇa himself wants it this way, adds Viśvanātha — a pastime run just so, for the sake of the līlā coming off perfectly. The trick, the hidden favor, the mutual love of the two women: all of it is what he desires for the play to succeed.
और श्रीकृष्ण को भी ऐसी लीला उनकी लीला की पूर्ति के लिए इष्ट है—यही समझना चाहिए।
The source has 'śrī-kṛṣṇasā' — a typo for śrī-kṛṣṇasya (genitive, 'of/by Śrī Kṛṣṇa'). Read as the genitive.
मूल में 'कृष्णसा' है, जो 'कृष्णस्य' (षष्ठी) का मुद्रण-दोष प्रतीत होता है।
s16conclusion
evaṁ pūrvatra tārā-līlayor api vivecanīyam ||
evaṁin the same wayइसी प्रकार
pūrvatra tārā-līlayoḥ apifor Tārā and Līlā in the earlier [verse] too dual genitive — the two madhyā heroines of the preceding exampleपहले (उदाहरण) में तारा और लीला (नामक) दोनों के विषय में भी
vivecanīyamthe analysis is to be applied gerundive — 'should be discerned'विचार कर लेना चाहिए
evaṁ — likewise; pūrvatra tārā-līlayoḥ api — for Tārā and Līlā earlier too; vivecanīyam — it should be worked out
इसी प्रकार पहले (श्लोक) की तारा और लीला दोनों के विषय में भी विचार कर लेना चाहिए।
Finally he generalizes: the same reasoning — hidden favor, secure senior, spared junior, mutual love — should also be worked out for Tārā and Līlā, the two heroines of the earlier verse. The lesson is not local to this pastime; it is how jyeṣṭhā and kaniṣṭhā relate wherever the pair appears.
यही विवेचन पिछले उदाहरण की दोनों नायिकाओं—तारा और लीला—के विषय में भी कर लेना चाहिए।