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PĀLI, DHANYA AND CĂRUKEŚİ
(Three of the earliest mentioned Kțsna's sweethearts)
H. C. Bhayani
In the later Krsna-bhakti tradition, we increasingly come across the names of gopis like Višākhā, Lalitā, Candrāvali and several more, some of whom were also Kțşņa's favourites besides Rādhā. In the late puranic literature represented by the considerably later sections of the works like the Padma purāņi, and the Gargasaṁhitā, the name-list has been considerably extended the problem is to locate and date the beginning of the tradition of naming Rādhā's companions who occasionally and intermittently shared Kțşña's loving attention, and as such started figuring in the erotic and religious poetry. Abandoning for the moment Višākhā and Candrāvali, who also seem to be among the names to appear early in literature, I present here the information I could gather about three gopis, each of whom figures in poetry as Rādha's rival. The sources are not later (some may be even earlier) than the 9th-10th century A. D. The names of the three gopis were Pāli, Dhanyā and Cārukesi. Different poets have described Kșsņa as enjoying in the company of one of them, in temporary disregard of Rädhā.
Pāli, Palika/Pālitā, Pālitaka
The earlist milkmaid known from the poetic tradition as Rādhā's rival for Krsna's love is variously called Pāli, Pālikā/Pālitā (Pk. Pāliyā) or Pālitaka. From the references or citations made by four writers we gather that several poetic works in Apabhramsa, Prakrit and Sanskrit, assignable roughly to the period between the eighth and tenth century A. D., contained episodes involving Krşņa, Rādhā and Pali.
The sources of this information are discussed below : 1. Govinda's Apabhraíša poem on Krşņa.carita (Not later than the latter
half of the 9th century A. D.).
Several verses from this lost work are cited by Svayambhū (latter half of the 9th cent.) in his Svayambhūcchandas (SC.). The citation given under SC. IV 11 as an illustration of the Bahurūpā variety of the Apabhramśa metre called Mātrā is as follows:
देइ पाली थणहं पब्भारें तोडेप्पिणु णलिणिदलु, हरि-विओअ-सतावें तत्ती । फलु अण्णेहिं पावि(य)उ, करउ दइउ जं किंपि रुच्चइ ।।
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