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CC 2.18.98

mitrera mitra saha-vāsī, cakravāke luṭe āsi',



kṛṣṇera rājye aiche vyavahāra



aparicita śatrura mitra, rākhe utpala,--e baḍa citra,



ei baḍa 'virodha-alaṅkāra'

Synonyms

mitrera-of the sun-god; mitra-the friend; saha-vāsī-living together with the cakravāka birds; cakravāke-the cakravāka birds; luṭe-plunder; āsi'-coming; kṛṣṇera rājye-in the kingdom of Kṛṣṇa; aiche-such; vyavahāra-behavior; aparicita-unacquainted; śatrura mitra-the friend of the enemy; rākhe-protects; utpala-the red lotus flower; e-this; baḍa citra-very wonderful; ei-this; baḍa-great; virodha-alaṅkāra-metaphor of contradiction.

Translation

"The blue lotuses are friends of the sun-god, and though they all live together, the blue lotuses plunder the cakravākas. The red lotuses, however, blossom at night and are therefore strangers or enemies to the cakravākas. Yet in Kṛṣṇa's pastimes the red lotuses, which are the hands of the gopīs, protect their cakravāka 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 cakravāka birds also appear when the sun rises, and therefore the cakravākas and blue lotuses meet. Although the blue lotus is a friend of the sun, in Kṛṣṇa's pastimes it nevertheless plunders their mutual friend the cakravāka. Normally, cakravākas move about whereas lotuses stand still, but herein Kṛṣṇa's hands, which are compared to blue lotuses, attack the breasts of the gopīs, which are compared to cakravākas. 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 cakravāka. The gopīs' breasts, however, are compared to cakravākas and their hands to red lotuses protecting them. This is a wonderful instance of reverse analogy.