The mysterious guest finally spoke. Radha and the sakhis heard her voice. She said she came from the heavenly worlds. She had not come merely to see Vrindavan. In her heart she carried a troubling question. She believed Radha could help her. So she sought Her in Her courtyard. Radha received her as a dear friend. Lalita and Vishakha remained beside them. Now silence had become conversation.
The guest said she had heard a wonderful sound. It was Krishna's flute. Its melody could be heard far beyond Vraja. It reached even the heavenly maidens. They too could not remain indifferent to it. The sound turned their thoughts toward Krishna. The guest wondered where the music came from. She wanted to know its source. There was wonder and unrest in her account. Radha listened carefully to her words.
Following the longing the melody awakened, the guest said that she had come to earth. She had stayed at Vamsivata in Vrindavan. There she had watched Krishna's lilas. She had seen His girlfriends and boyfriends too. Gradually she had learned more about Radha. She admired Her love. She wanted to be close to Her. Her journey had brought her to this courtyard. But her story also had a sorrowful part.
The guest said she had seen Radha in separation. She remembered a time when Krishna was not beside Her. Radha's suffering had moved her deeply. She could not easily forget the sight. Compassion had turned into a question about Krishna. Why would He leave the One who loved Him so? Did He understand the pain of His friends? The guest spoke her doubts aloud. Her words sounded sharp toward Him. Radha received them without rejecting her.
Krishna Himself was hidden beneath the guest's form. He was asking the questions about His own behavior. Radha still spoke to the maiden before Her. Krishna wished to hear Her thoughts. So He continued His disguise. The guest spoke of Krishna's beauty and fame. But she asked whether He truly valued love. She directed her compassion toward Radha. The sakhis watched each turn of the conversation. The talk had become more serious than the opening joke.
Radha heard the words against Krishna. Yet She felt closeness toward the guest. She asked her to stay with Her in Vraja. She did not want the friend to be alone again. The guest replied that she wished to serve Her. Her request was expressed with love. Radha recognized a sincere wish to learn more. So She did not interrupt their conversation. Instead of judging at once, She prepared to explain. She would speak of what She called prema.
The two friends saw the same event differently. The guest had seen the pain of separation. Radha wished to reveal the love behind it too. Her words would not erase the sadness. They would show how She understood Krishna. The guest stayed to hear Her answer. Lalita and Vishakha were part of their company. None of the questions was entirely simple. Radha chose Her response carefully. A deeper subject was opening before them.
Earlier the maiden had long refused to speak. Now she had confided her unrest to Radha. The path from silence to trust had taken time. Radha had welcomed her without knowing her. The sakhis had listened to her story. The flute's melody connected her words with Vraja. The sight of separation explained her question. Krishna kept the secret of His appearance. Radha still saw Her beloved guest before Her. And She was ready to open Her heart.
In the poem the flute awakens a desire for closeness. Its music is more than a distant sound. It moves the guest to seek its source. Watching Radha awakens another desire. The maiden wants to understand true love. Her doubts invite Radha to answer. Friendship allows a difficult question to be spoken. It also allows an answer to be heard attentively. The courtyard remains the place of their conversation. And the next part will reveal Radha's explanation.
This is the second of four connected retellings. It is inspired by Śrī Prema-sampuṭa. Krishna still appears as a celestial guest. She says she followed the music of the flute. In Vrindavan she saw Radha separated from Krishna. The guest expresses concern and doubt about Him. Radha invites her to stay as a friend. She prepares to speak about prema. This is a literary retelling, not a literal translation. The next part continues the same meeting.