18.98
mitrera mitra saha-vasi, cakravake lute asi’, krsnera rajye aiche vyavahara
aparicita satrura mitra, rakhe utpala,--e bada citra, ei bada ’virodha-alankara’
SYNONYMS
mitrera—of the sun-god; mitra—the friend; saha-vasi—living together with the cakravaka birds; cakravake—the cakravaka birds; lute—plunder; asi’-coming; krsnera rajye—in the kingdom of Krsna; aiche—such; vyavahara—behavior; aparicita—unacquainted; satrura mitra—the friend of the enemy; rakhe—protects; utpala—the red lotus flower; e—this; bada citra—very wonderful; ei—this; bada—great; virodha-alankara—metaphor of contradiction “The blue lotuses are friends of the sun-god, and though they all live together, the blue lotuses plunder the cakravakas.
The red lotuses, however, blossom at night and are therefore strangers or enemies to the cakravakas.
Yet in Krsna’s pastimes the red lotuses, which are the hands of the gopis, protect their cakravaka breasts.
This is a metaphor of contradiction.”
PURPORT
Because the blue lotus flower blossoms with the rising of the sun, the sun is the friend of the blue lotus.
The cakravaka birds also appear when the sun rises, and therefore the cakravakas and blue lotuses meet.
Although the blue lotus is a friend of the sun, in Krsna’s pastimes it nevertheless plunders their mutual friend the cakravaka.
Normally, cakravakas move about whereas lotuses stand still, but herein Krsna’s hands, which are compared to blue lotuses, attack the breasts of the gopis, which are compared to cakravakas.
This is called a reverse analogy.
At night the red lotus blossoms, whereas in sunlight it closes.
Therefore the red lotus is an enemy to the sun and is unknown to the sun’s friend the cakravaka.
The gopis’ breasts, however, are compared to cakravakas and their hands to red lotuses protecting them.
This is a wonderful instance of reverse analogy.