evaṁ prema-kalā-baddhā
vadanti sma puraukasaḥ
kanyā cāntaḥ-purāt prāgād
bhaṭair guptāmbikālayam
evam - thus; prema - of pure love; kalā - by the increase; baddhāḥ - bound; vadanti sma - they spoke; pura-okasaḥ - the residents of the city; kanyā - the bride; ca - and; antaḥ-purāt - from the inner palace; prāgāt - went out; bhaṭaiḥ - by guards; guptā - protected; ambikā-ālayam - to the temple of Goddess Ambikā.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī quotes the Medinī dictionary’s definition of the word kalā as follows: kalā mūle pravṛddhau syāc chilādāv aṁśa-mātrake. “The word kalā means ‘a root,’ ‘increase,’ ‘a stone’ or ‘a mere part.’”