Krishna sat in a bower beside the Yamuna. Without Radha, longing troubled his heart. In the poem he addresses Ananga, the god of love.
He asks not to be mistaken for Shiva. A garland of lotus stalks rests on his chest. It is not the serpent Shiva wears.
A row of blue lotus petals circles his neck. Their color is not the blue of poison. Sandalwood powder covers his body, rather than ashes.
Krishna asks Ananga not to raise the flower arrow. He asks him not to string the bow. What valor lies in striking someone already overcome?
Radha’s glances have already wounded his heart. In the verse, her brows and glances become a bow and arrows. This is a poetic image of longing, rather than an account of an actual battle.