śuṣyad-dhradāḥ karaśitā bata sindhu-patnyaḥ
sampraty apāsta-kamala-śriya iṣṭa-bhartuḥ
yadvad vayaḿ madhu-pateḥ praṇayāvalokam
aprāpya muṣṭa-hṛdayāḥ puru-karśitāḥ sma
sushyat -- drying up; hradah -- whose lakes; karasitah -- shriveled up; bata -- alas; sindhu -- of the ocean; patnyah -- O wives; samprati -- now; apasta -- lost; kamala -- of lotuses; sriyah -- whose opulence; ishta -- beloved; bhartuh -- of the husband; yadvat -- just as; vayam -- we; madhu-pateh -- of Krishna, the Lord of Madhu; pranaya -- loving; avalokam -- the glance; aprapya -- not obtaining; mushta -- cheated; hridayah -- whose hearts; puru -- thoroughly; karsitah -- emaciated; sma -- we have become.
O rivers, wives of the ocean, your pools have now dried up. Alas, you have shriveled to nothing, and your wealth of lotuses has vanished. Are you, then, like us, who are withering away because of not receiving the affectionate glance of our dear husband, the Lord of Madhu, who has cheated our hearts?
During the summer the rivers do not receive downpours of water provided by their husband, the ocean, via the clouds. But the real reason for the rivers' emaciation, as the queens see it, is that they have failed to obtain the loving glance of Lord Krishna, the reservoir of all happiness.
