Krishnakarnamrtham Part2-Dhvitheeya ASvaasaH

 

 

1.Abhinavanavaneetha snigDham aapeethadhugDham

   dhaDhikaNao paridhigDhammugDham angam muraareH

   dhiSathu bhuvanakrcChraChedhi thaapicChagucCHach

   Chavi navaSikhipicChaalaancchitham vaancChitham naH

 

May the beautiful form of Krishna, which destroys the sorrow of the world, shining with smearing of fresh butter, sprinkled with the drops of curd, showing signs of recent drinking of milk, fulfil our wishes.

 

Krishna has a shining body, due to eating of fresh butter which adheres to his body or his body itself is shining on account of consuming fresh butter always. He has drunk milk and it is visible on his body perhaps on his lips. The curd particles are splattered on his body as he always hovers around his mother when she churns curd for butter. His head is decorated with peacock feathers freshly gathered and his body itself looks like a bunch of flowers on a green tree. This is the beautiful picture Leelasuka present to us of Krishna.

 

Desika  describes the appearance of Krishna with his body splattered with curd thus:

 

grheshu dhaDhnaH maThanapravrtthou

prshathkaNaiH uthpathithaiH prakeernaH

nidharsayaamaasa nijaam avasThaam

praacheem suDhaaSeekarayogachithraam (Yad-4.28)

 

Krishna  going near those who churn curd, with the desire of eating butter, looked splashed with curd all over his body which reminded one of his early state with his body splattered with amrtha at the time of churning the milky ocean.

 

The parallel idea is expressed by Kulasekhara in his Mukundamala.

 

KsheerasagaratharangaSeekaraa

saarathaarakithachaarumoorthaye

bhogibhogaSayaneeyaSaayine

maadhavaaya madhuvidhvishe namaH (Muk.39)

 

Our salutations to Madhava the slayer of the demon Madhu, who is reclining on the bed of Adhisesha, looks beautiful with His dark form on which the drops of the milky ocean shine like stars in the night.

 

The devotees delight in imagining that the Lord left the milky ocean and came to Gokula because he could get only milk and not curd and butter there.

 

2. yam dhrshtvaa yamunaam pipaasuH aniSam

     vyooho gavaam gaahathe

    vidhyuthvaan ithi neelakanTanivaho

     yam dhrashtum uthkanTathe

     utthamsaaya thamaalapallavam ithi

      cChindhanthi yam gopikaaH

      kanthiH kaaliyaSaasanasya vapushaH

      saa paavanee paathu naH

 

Seeing the light of whose body the thirsty cows take it to be the river yamuna and try to enter, the peacocks become eager thinking that it is the rain-bearing cloud and the gopis see it as the green sprouts  of thmala tree and start picking it, may  that light emitted by the body of Krishna protect us.

 

The dark hue of the body of Krishna is emitting waves of light, vapushaH kaanthiH  and the herd of the cows, gavaam vyoohaH see it as the river Yamuna, dhrshtvaa yamunaam. Being thirsty, pipaasuH, they try to enter, gaahathe  the river. To  the peacocks, neelakantanivahaH it looks like the rain-bearing cloud, vidhyuthvaan ithi and they are eager to enjoy the rain and start dancing. The gopis take the encompassing light as the sprouts of thamala tree, thamaalapallvam ith and try to pick, cChindhanthi, the sprouts.

 

Leela suka calls Krishna as kaliyaSaasana, the one who punished the serpent Kaliya.

 

This sloka describes the dark hue of Krishna which is lustrous like a dark moon (krshnachandra) as Leelasuka describes him elsewhere.(KKpart1-sloka25)

 

3.dhevaH paayaan payasi vimale yaamune majjatheenaam

   yaachantheenaam anunayapadhaiH vanchithaani amSukaani

   lajjaa lolaiH alasavilasaiHunmishathpanchabaanaiH

   gopasthreeNaam nayankusumaiH archithaH keSavo naH

May the Lord  Kesava , who was entreated  with sweet words by gopis, to give them their clothes stealthily taken by him while they were bathing  the river Yamuna, who was worshipped by their bashful, loving and stealthy  glances, protect us.

 

Krishna took away the clothes of the gopis, vanchithaani amSukaani, who were bathing in the  pure stream of Yamuna, vimale yamune.. They entreated, yaachantheenaam, him with coaxing words, anunayapadhaiH, to return them. He gave them only his smile. By that the gopis were smitten with love, unmishath panchabaaNaiH and started sending stealthy glances, alasavilasaiH, due to their bashfulness, lajjaalolaiH, of their condition and Krishna, says Leelasuka was worshipped by their eyes with their glances as the flowers, nayanakusumaiH archithaH..

 

The significance of this episode will be elaborated in a later sloka. (No.8), and it is enough to mention here that all the leelas of Brindavan were finished by the time Krishna attained the age ten.

 

4. maathaH na athaH param anuchitham

    yath khalaanaam purasthaath

    asthaaSankam jaTarapiTaree

    poorthaye narthithaa asi

    thath kshanthavyam sahajasaralE

    vathsale vaaNi kuryaam

    prayaschittham guNagaNanayaa

    gopaveshasya vishNoH

 

Oh mother, Goddess Saravathi, vaani, who is gentle by nature, sahjasarale, who has love towards her children, vathsale, there is nothing more improper, na athaH param anuchitham, than making you dance in front, narththaa asi, of mean people, khalaanaam purasthaath, just to fill my stomach, jaTarapiTare, without any hesitation, astha aSankam. Please forgive me, kshanthavyam. I am atoning the sin, praayaschittham kuryaam  by speaking about the auspicious qualities, guNagaNanayaa, of  Lord Vishnu who had come in the guise of a gopa, gopaveshasaya vishNoH.

 

Leelasuka repents that he has been composing poems and praising the wicked and thus abusing the speech which is Sarasvathi herself. So he asks the forgiveness saying that he was using her as if making her dance in front of the wicked just to make his living. He says that the atonement of this sin is only to speak about the Lord who has incarnated as Krishna. This does not mean that Leelasuka was really doing all this but it is for the purpose of the people of the worlds to show that to praise the Lord is alone the means of atoning the various services we have to do in the world to please others, for the sake of worldly enjoyment.

 

 

5.angulyagraiH aruNakiranaiH mukthasamrudDharanDhram

 vaaram vaaram vadhanamarythaavenumaapooryantham  vyasthyasthaanGhrim vikachakamalacChaayavisthaaranethram

vandhe brndhaavansucharitham nandhagopalasoonum

 

I bow down to the son of Nanda, who, is repeatedly opens and closes the holes of the flute with his red fingertips, and  fills the flute with the air from his mouth with his feet crossed one over the other.

 

Krishna is playing the flute and the scene is described by Leelasuka. He is continuously opening and closing the holes, vaaram vaaram mukthasamrudDharanDhram, of the flute in the process of playing and blows into the flute, vadhana maruthaa aapoorayantham, to make the sound. His feet are crossed one over the other, vyasthyasayapaadham in standing posture and his finger tips playing he flute are emitting rays of red colour , angulayagraiH arunakiranaiH.

 

Reading this we can visualize the form of Krishna  playing the flute of which Periazvar has composed ten beautiful verses.

 

6. mandham mandham maDhuraninadhaiH

    veNum aapoorayantham

    brndham brndhaavanabhuvi gavaam

    chaarayantham charantham

    Chandhobhage Sathamakhamukha

    Dhvamsinaam dhaanavaanaam

    Hanthaaram tham kaThaya rasane

    Gopakanyaabhujangam

 

Oh my tongue,rasane. speak about Krishna ,  kaThaya, the lover of gopis, gopakanyaabhujangaH, who slowly, mandham mandham, fills the flute, venum aapoorayantham, with sweet sounds, madhuraninadhaiH , who makes the herd of cows, gavaam brindham, graze in Brindavan, brindhaavanabhuvi chaarayantham who Himself moves among the Vedas, charantham Chandhobhaage, and destroys the asuras, dhaanavaanaam hanthaaram who are  the enemies of Indra and devas, SathamakhaDhavamsinaam.

 

Krishna was playing the flute sending out melodious and soft music and he was looking after the cows which graze in Brindavan. He himself is one who moves among the Vedas, says Leelasuka, as the Lord is known only through the Vedas. Besides  he is the destroyer of the foes of Indra. Leelasuka tells his tongue to talk about him and nothing else.

 

Indra is know as Sathamakha because by performing 100 AsvameDha sacrifice one could attain the status of Indra. Makha means sacrifice.

 

The implication here is that the Lord Narayana , who is vedavedhya , known through the Vedas and the slayer of the asuras who torment the devas is seen here as a common cowherd tending the cows, and playing the flute, the music from which delights the whole world and he is also posing as the lover of gopis , who treat him as such not knowing His parathva.

 

7.veneemoole virachitha GhanaSyaamapicChaavachoodo

    vidhyullekhaavalayitha iva snigDha peethaambareNa

    maam aalingan marakatha maNisthambha gambheerabaahuH

    svapne dhrshtaH tharuNathulaseebhooshaNaH neelameGhaH

 

 

Krishna was seen embracing me, maam aalingan in my dream, wearing a garland of tender tulsi leaves, tharuNathulaseebhooshaNaH, decorated with peacock  feathers dark as a cloud, ghanaSyaama mayoorapicCHachoodaH on his head veneemoole, looking like a rain-bearing cloud surrounded by lightning, vidhyullekhaavalayitha iva with his yellow silk garment around his body, snigDhapeethaambareNa, with his mighty arms like a pillar made of emerald, marakathamaNisthambha gambheerabaahuH.

 

Leelasuka describes Krishna as he appeared in his dream .He says that Krishna came and embraced him with his majestic arms which resembled pillars of emerald.  He was like a dark cloud  surrounded by lightening with his yellow garment, the peethambara, He was wearing the thulasee garland and was adorned with peacock feather on his head. By this  Leealsuka presents to us a delightful portrait of Krishna.

 

8.krshNe hrthvaa vasananichayam koolakunjaaDhirooDe

   mugDhaa kaachith muhuH anunayanaiH kim nu ithi vyaaharanthee

   sabhroobangam sadharahasitham sathrapam saanuraagam

   ChaayaaSoureH karathalagathaani ambaraaNi aachakarsha

 

When Krishna took away the garments, hrthvaa vasananichayam, of the gopis and ascended the tree on the bank of the river, koolakunjaaDhirooDe, a girl, kaachith mugdhaa, saying “what is this,” kim ithi, coaxing him again and again with sweet words, anunayanaiH muhuH vyaaharanthee, with crooked eyebrows, sabhroobangam, smiling, sadharahasitham, with shyness, sathrapam, and love, saanuraagam, dragged the clothes, ambaraaNi aachakarsha,  seen in the hands, karathalagathaani, of the shadow of Krishna, ChaayaaSoureH the water.

 

The word mugDhaa is used to denote the cowherd maiden which means that she was beautiful and innocent, as all the gopis were.

 

Krishna took away the clothes from the bank of river yamuna when the gopis were bathing  and ascended the tree nearby. The gopis became bashful and could not come out. Then they entreated Krishna to return the clothes. Among them one girl tried to coax him with sweet words . her eye brows were crooked out of consternation and she was filled with shame of her state and at the same time could not help smiling at the prank of the young Krishna whom she could not help loving for all his doings. She saw the shadow of Krishna in the water and tried to drag the clothes from his hand.

 

Desika in his Yadhavabhyudhaya describes  vasthrapaharana thus:

 

 

niSAthyayE snAna samudhyathAnAm

nikshiptham AbheerakumArikANAm

koolAdhupAdhAya dhukoolajAlam

kundhADHirooDO mumudhE mukundhah

 

When the young cowherd girls went to the river Yamuna in the early morning to take bath and left their garments made of white silk on the bank, Krishna took them from there and climbed the  kundha tree with delight.

 

The clothes represent the coverings that obscure the Lord from us. They are several such as caste, learning, clan, form, wealth, body consciousness , sex consciousness etc. Each  of these cause separatist attitude and prevent the perception of Lord in everything. The vasthrapaharana denotes the act of the Lord who takes away all these from the devotees so that he can shower His grace. He says in Gita, ‘vaasaamsi jeerNaani yaThaa vihaaya navaani grHnaathi naroparaaNi taThaa sareeraaNi vihaaya jeerNaani anyaani samyaathi navaani dhehee,’(BG-2-22) meaning , as man discards his old clothes and wears new ones so also the self discards old body and takes new. This will continue as long as we identify ourselves with the body. So to cast off the body consciousness and the other veils that separate us from the Lord is the only way to moksha.  Krishna made the gopis forget their body consciousness by coming out of the river and entreat him with folded hands. He smiled at them as though saying that they could not possibly hide anything from Him who is their inner self.

 

There is nothing obscene in this as Krishna was barely ten and also considering the fact that the story was told by Suka who was a born brahmajnani, the one to whom it was told was Parikshith, who has reconciled to end his life by engaging his mind on the Lord, and the audience consisted of the sages. There is no possibility of any base instincts being present in anyone’s mind. As it is said that one who meditates on Krishna being breastfed by Poothana will never attain the state of an infant again, and who thinks of him as bound to the mortar will never be bound by karma, so also to contemplate on this vasthrapaharaNa episode one will get rid of his carnal instincts.

 

9.api janushi parasmin aatthapuNyo bhaveyam

   thatabhuvi yamunaayaah  thaadhrSo vamsanaaLaH

   anubhavathi ya eshaH Sreemath aabheerasoonoH

   aDharamaNi sameepanyaasaDhanyaam avasThaam

 

Will I become through acquired merit, aatthapuNyaH bhaveyam,  in my next birth , parasmin janushi, a flute on the bank of Yamuna, thatabhuvi yamunaayaah, like this one, eshaa, which experiences, anubhavathi, the highest status, Dhanyaam avasThaam, of being placed near the gemlike lips, aDharamaNi sameepanyaasa, of Krishna, the son of  Nandagopa, aabheerasoonoH.

 

Leelasuka expresses his wish that he should in his next birth be the flute on the lips of Krishna by becoming a bamboo on the bank of Yamuna and enjoy the same exalted status as this flute which is placed near the lips of Krishna.

 

10.ayi parichinu chethaH prathaH ambhojanethram

     kabarakalitha chanchath picChadhaamaabhiraamam

     valabhidh upalaneelam vallavee bhaagaDheyam

     nikhila nigamavallee moolakandham mukundham

 

 

Oh mind, think of Mukundha, continuously who has eyes like the lotus in early morning, who is wearing the moving peacock feather, who is blue like the sapphire, and is the good fortune of the gopis, and who is the root of the creeper that is the Vedas.

 

Leelasuka implores his mind to be engaged in the thought of Krishna always. The form that should come to the mind is described by him. Krishna has eyes like praatharambhoja, a lotus that has opened its petals in the morning as his eyes are half closed when he is playing the flute. He looks enchanting wearing the peacock feathers, picchaabhiraamam on his hair, kabarakalitha, that is moving in the breeze, chanchath. His body is blue like the sapphire, valbhidhupalaneelam. And he is the good fortune, bhaagaDheya, of the gopis, who enjoy his company. Yet he is not a mere cowherd as he appears to be but in reality He is the Supreme Lord from whom the veads originated and hence Leeasuka calls him the root of the creeper called the  Vedas, nigamavallee moolakandha.

 

The word used for sapphire, is valabhidh upala neelam. Valabhidh is one of the names Indra and upala means a stone.  Neela upala means blue stone or sapphire.

 

11. ayi murali mukunda smera vakthraaravindha

      SvasanamaDhu rasajne thvaam pranamyaadhya yaache

      aDharamaNi sameepam praapthavathyaam bhavathyaam

      kaThaya rahasi karNe maddhaSaam nandhasoonoH

 

Oh flute! I salute you and pray to you, who knows the taste of the honey of the breath on the smiling lotus-like face of Mukunda, when you get into the vicinity of the gem-like lips of Krishna, communicate my plight to his ears secretly.

 

Leelasuka  pleads, pranamya adhya yaache, to the flute, murali, which is enjoying the nectar-like breath, svasanamaDhu, of Krishna, whose face is like the lotus, vakthraaravindha, to convey his plight to Krishna, ’maddhaSaam,’ close to his ears, karNe, secretly, rahasi, when Krishna takes it and places it near his gem like mouth, aDharamaNi sameepam.

 

A parallel idea is found in Naachiar thirumozi where Andaal asks the conch to tell her about the sweet smell and taste of the  mouth of the Lord. There are ten verses describing her conversation with the conch.

 

The flute also like the conch of the Lord never leaves Krishna as he always keeps it with him . Hence the devotee asks the flute to communicate his state of being separated from the Lord and persuade Him to show mercy.

 

12.Sajalajaladhaneelam vallavee kelilolam

     Srithasuratharumoolam vidhyuth ullaasi chelam

     Suraripukulakaalam sanmanobimbaleelam

     Nathasuramunijaalam noumi gopaalabaalam

 

I bow down to Krishna,   who is dark like the cloud full of water, who loves playing with the gopis, who is found under the celestial tree, who is wearing a garment resembling the lightning, who is like death to the enemies of the devas, who plays in the minds of the good and who is worshipped by hosts of devas and sages.

 

Krishna is  dark, neela, like the rain cloud, sajalajaladha. He is fond of playing, kelilolam, with the gopis, vallavee. He is seen under the kalpatharu, suratharu. His garment, chelam, peethambara is of golden colour  shining like a lightning, vidhuth ullaasi. He is like the Lord of death , kaala, himself to the asuras, suraripu. He is reflected in the minds of the good , sanmanobimba,which is also his leela. He is worshipped by the hosts of devas and sages, suramunijaala.

 

13. aDharabimba vidambitha vidhrumam

       maDhuraveNuninaadha vinodhinam

       kamalakomalakamramukhaambujam

       kamapi gopakumaaram upaasmahe

 

We meditate on unexcelled Gopala, whose lip like the bimba fruit puts to shame the coral with its redness, who revels in the sweet music of his flute and whose face is beautiful and soft like the lotus.

 

The lower lip of Krishna is red like the bimba fruit, aDharabimba, and excels even the coral, vidambithavidhrumam. The music from his  flute is wonderful and sweet, maDhurveNuninaadha. Hs face is like a tender lotus,  kamalakomala, and beautiful, kamra. Let us meditate on that cowherd-boy, ,gopakumaram, who is wonderful, says Leelasuka. Kamapi, accusative singular of  the pronoun kaH= who, when combined with api, literally means someone but often used in the sense of wonder, in the sense ‘who ever it can be!’

 

14.aDhare vinivesya vamsanaalam

     vivaraaNyasya saleelam anguleebhih

     muhuH antharayan muhuh vivrnvan

     maDhuram gaayathi maaDhavo vanaanthe.

 

Madhava is singing sweetly in the forest, maDhuram gaayathi, placing the flute on his lips, aDhare vinivesya, and playfully, saleelam, closing often, muhuH antharayan and opening again,  muhuH vivrnvan, its holes, vivaraani, with fingers, anguleebhiH.

 

Vamsanaalam- flute, vamsa means bamboo while vamSee means flute. Naala is tube.

 

15. vadhane navaneetha ganDhavaaham

       vachane thaskara chaathuree DhureeNam

       nayane kuhanaaSrum aasrayeThaah

       charaNe komalathaandavam kumaaram

 

,

Resort to the boy Krishna , his face smelling of butter, vadane navaneetha ganDhavaaham,, his talk clever, vachane thaskara chaathuree Dhureenam, and deceiving like that of a thief, his eyes full of false tears, nayane kuhanaaSru, and his feet dancing beautifully, charane komala thaandavam. .

 

Krishna stole butter and ate it and his face was smelling of butter. When the gopis complained to Yasodha she questioned him when he lied cleverly whereupon his mother threatened him and he started shedding false tears like an innocent child and Yasodha consoled him and he started dancing gleefully.

 

16. amunaa akhila gopagopanaarTham

      yamunaaroDhasi nandhanandhanena

      dhamunaa vanasambhavaH pape naH

      kimu na asou SaraNaarThinaam SaraNyaH

 

 

Will not Krishna, who has now, amunaa, drank, papou,  the forest fire, dhamunaa, on the banks of river yamuna, yamunaaroDhasi,  to protect the cowherds, gopagopanaarTham,  be the saviour, SaraNyaH, for us who surrender, SaraNaarThinaam, to Him?

Once when Krishna was on the banks of Yamuna  with his cowherd friends, suddenly a forest fire sprang up and Krishna pacified the boys and taking the fire in the hollow of his hand drank it up. This episode is mentioned in Srimadh bhagavatha in the dhasamaskandha 17^th adhayaya. Here Leela suka says that when he drank the forest fire to protect his mates, would He not save us also when we surrender to Him?

 

17.jagadhaadharaNeeya jaarabhaavam

     jalaja apathya vacho vichaaragamyam

     thanuthaam thanuthaam SivetharaaNaam

suranaaThopala sundharam maho naH

 

May Krishna , whose gallantry as a lover, jaarabhaavam,  is extolled in all the worlds, jagadhaadharaNeeya, who can only be understood by the Vedas, jalaja apathya vaachaH vichaaragamyam,, and who has a luminous body mahaH, like the sapphire, suranatha upala, make all our sins, SivetharaaNi, emaciated, thanuthaam thanuthaam.

 

 

Krishna’s exploits as a butter thief, as a lover of gopis etc. are extolled by all in the world. He is loved more for that. Desika says in his Yadhavabhyudhaya that to think of him as a thief or as a lover or about his sucking the breast of Poothana or as bound to the mortar, produces the contrary effect. By contemplating  on him as a thief, our propensity  to steal disappears. To think of him as gopeevallabha, our mind becomes free of lust. Thinking of Poothana episode removes the possibility of our ever drinking mother’s milk, that is, being born again. To meditate on his being  bound to the mortar destroys our bondage. Thus  all our sins are washed off . This is because the exploits of Krishna could only be properly understood when we become aware of his real identity as the Supreme reality, that could be known only through the Vedas, which are the words of Brahma , who originated from the lotus,  jalaja apathya, from the navel of the Lord. The word used for sapphire to describe the luminous form of Krishna is surendhra upala, because the blue stone , upala, is called Indhra neela, the word for Indhra here is surendhra.

 

 

18.yaa Sekhare Sruthigiraam hrdhi yogabhaajaam

      paadhaambhuje cha sulabhaa vrajasundhareeNaam

      saa kaapi sarvajagathaam abhiraamaseemaa

      kaamaaya naH bhavathu gopakiSoramurthiH

 

The form of the young Krishna, which is found at the head of the Vedas, in the heart of the ascetics and at the feet of the gopis and which  is some wonderful boundary of all that is beautiful in the universe, be the object of desire for us.

 

Krishnamurthi, the form of Krishna, is found at the crown of the Vedas, SruthigiraamSikhare that is the upanishats, because He is the parabrahman. He is found also in the hearts, hrdhi, of the yogis who meditate on Him. But His soulabhya is such that he is found at the feet of the gopis, vrajasundhareeNaam paadhaambhuje, who treat him as their lover. His form is the outer limit of all that  is beautiful, abhiraamaseema, a soundharyalahari, and all that is lovable, premalahari and all that is blissful, aanandhalahari. So let that be our object of love, kaamaaya nah bhavathu, says Leelasuka.

 

19.athaynthabaalam athasee kusumaprakaasam

digvaasasam kanakabhooshaNa bhooshithaangam

visrasthakeSam arunaaDharam aayathaaksham

krshnam namaami manasaa vasudhevasoonum

 

I prostrate before the baby Krishna, son of Vasudeva, shining like the blue flower athasee, having only the directions as his garment , adorned with gold ornaments, with loosened  hair, red lips and long eyes.

 

Here Leelasuka sees the infant Krishna without clothes, the baby born to Vasudeva, his body adorned with ornaments, with his hair not yet tied being in the infant stage, but his beauty quite explicit with his red lips and long eyes.

 

dhigvaasasam means without clothes (only the diks are his clothes) because he is athyantha baala, very young or a baby.

 

athasee is a flower of dark blue colour, called kaayaamboo in Tamil.

 

visrasthakeSam, his hair not tied because he was a baby.

 

Aruna aDharam-red lips and aayatha means long aksha is eye.

 

 

20.hasthaanghri nikkvanitha kankaNa  kinkiNeekam

     maDhye nithambam avalambitha hemasoothram

     mukthaakalaapa mukuleekrtha kaakapaksham

     vandhaamahe vrajacharam vasudhevabhaagyam

 

We bow down to Krishna who was the blessing to Vasudeva, who is moving around in Gokula, with bracelets and anklets sounding, his hip being decorated with gold chain, his front hair covered with pearl strings.

 

After visualizing the infant Krishna now Leelasuka describes the slightly grown Krishna moving around in Gokula. His bracelets and anklets sound when he goes about, his waist is decorated with golden girdle and his front hair is tied with pearl strings. Leelasuka calls him vasudhevabhaagyam, the blessing of Vasudeva, while describing him in gokula. It may be because  even though Krishna was brought up by Nandha it was Vasudeva who enjoyed his company after his childhood. Hence his good fortune is greater than Nanda who was parted from Krishna after his childhood.

 

21. brndhaavanadhrumathaleshu gavaam gaNeshu

       vedhaavasaana samayeshu cha dhrSyathe yath

       thadhveNunaadhanaparam SikhipicChachoodam

       brahma smaraami  kamalekshaNam abhraneelam

 

I meditate on that Brahman, who is seen at the end of the Vedas, and also under the trees in Brindhavan and  amidst the herds of cows, dark as a cloud and lotus-eyed, wearing peacock feather on his head and intent on playing the flute.

 

Leelasuka describes Krishna , wearing the peacock feather as a head ornament, Sikhi picaChachoodam, playing the flute, veNunaadhaparam, looking like a dark cloud, abhraneelam, his eyes like the lotuses. He is seen amidst the herds of cows, gavaam gaNeshu  and under the trees, dhrumathaleshu, of Brindavan. He is none other than Brahman, who is seen at the end of the Vedas, vedhaavasaanasamayeshu dhrSyathe yath Brahma, says Leelasuka. 

 

Vedhaavasaana, the end of the Vedas means Upanishads, known as Vedanta, through which Brahman can be known.

 

22. vyathyasthapaadham avathamsithabarhibarham

       saacheekrthaanana  niveSitha veNuranDhram

       thejaH param paramakaaruNikaH purasthaath

       praaNaprayaaNasamaye mama sanniDhatthaam

 

May Krishna, the merciful and luminous, adorned with peacock feather, appear in front of me at the time of my death with his feet crossed, his face  inclined to one side  with  the flute placed on it. 

 

Leelasuka paints a lovely picture of Krishna playing the flute. His legs are crossed and his head inclined to one side, with the flute on his lips and peacock feather on his head. Leelasuka expresses his desire to witness this scene at the last moment of his life The same idea of seeing Krishna during the time of death has been expressed already by him in two slokas in part I. The difference here being the picture of Krishna playing the flute, as described by Periazvar in  ten verses. He says Krishna has bent his left waist with the left  shoulder to one side his two hands together and his brow bent and with pouting lips. ”idavaNarai idatthOLodu saaitthu irukai kooda puruvam nerindhERa etc. and all the ten verses describing the scene of flute playing by Krishna are beautiful.

 

23.ghoshapraghosha Samanaaya maThoguNena

     maDhye babanDha jananee navaneetha choram

     thadhbanDhanam thrijagathaam udharaaSrayaaNaam

     aakroSakaaraNam aho nitharaam babhoova

 

Krishn’s mother bound him on his stomach with the rope which is used for churning in order to quell the shouting in   Gokulam due to Krishna stealing the butter. But that became the cause of a greater shouting from the worlds that were inside his stomach.

 

Ghosha means the residence of cowherds. Pragosha is the shouting in the ghosha on account of Krishna stealing the butter, navaneethachoram, from the houses of gopis. Yasodha bound, babanDha, Krishna on his middle(stomach), maDhye, with  the churning rope, maThoguNa, maThana is churning and guNa is rope. But the act which was done to quell the shouts of the gopis actually created louder shouts because when Krishna was bound on the stomach, the sound of the three worlds, thrijagathaam, inside his stomach, udharaaSrayaaNaam,  shouting, aakroSa, because they were pressed,  was much greater, nithraam babhoova.

 

24. Saivaa vayam na khalu thathra vichaaraNeeyam

      panchaakshareejapaparaa nithraam thaThaa api

      chetho madheeyam athaseekusumaavabhaasam

      smeraananam smarathi gopavaDhookiSoram

 

We are saivites and there is no doubt about that as we are engrossed in the japa of panchaksharee manthra. Yet my mind dwells on the shining blue   form like the athasi flower of the son of Yasodha with smiling face.

 

Leelasuka hails from a family of saivites. Hence he says that he is chanting the panchakshari manthra, ‘Om  namassivaaya.’ His kula devatha is Siva but ishta devatha is Krishna. So he says that his mind always dwells on the form of Krishna, shining like the blue flower called athasee, kaayaamboo in Tamil.

 

Krishna says in Gita, ‘yepi anya dhevathaabhakthaaH yajaanthe SraddhayaanvithaaH ; the api maameva kountheya yajanthi aviDhipoorvakam,’ that whichever form of deity one worships with full faith that worship goes to Him only as He is the Brahman of the Upanishats.

 

There is a cult of worshipping Krishna as gopalasundari, in which they chant the raajagopaalamanthra of 18 syllables and the sreevidhyaa manthra of 15 syllables together. The goddess Laithaparamesvari is supposed to appear in red colour with ikshu kodhanda, pushpabaaNa, chakra, shankha, paaSa, ankuSa and flute as Gopalasundari. This has been described by Leelasuka. So he must have been following the samarasamaarga, anthaH SaakthaH, bahiH saivaH , vyavahaareshu vaishNavaH.

 

25. raaDhaa punaathu jagadhachyutha dhatthachitthaa

      manThaanam aakalaythee dhaDhirikthapaathre

      thasyaaH sthanasthabaka chanchala loladhrshtiH

      dhevo api dhohanaDhiyaa vrshaBham nirunDhan

 

May Radha, who is churning the pot with no curd for butter with her mind on Krishna, and he too , who is tying the bull for  milking, with his eyes on the beauty of Radha, purify the world.

 

Radha is churning for butter. But her mind was engrossed in Krishna and she did not notice that the pot had no curd and was empty, dhaDhi riktha paathre. And tried  to churn the curd which was not there, manThaanam aakalayathee, with the churning rod. Krishna was also deeply in love with her and was looking at her beautiful form and ties up, nirunDhan the bull, vrsahbham, for milking, dhohanaDhiyaa, instead of the cow.

 

26.goDhooli Dhoosaritha komala kunthalaagram

      govarDhanodDharaNa kelikrthaprayaasam

      gopeejanasya kuchakumkuma mudhrithaangam

      govindham indhuvadhanam saraNam bajaamaH

 

 

We surrender to Govindha, with moon-like face, indhuvadhanam, with his tender hair-ends, komalakunthalaagram, covered with the dust from the feet of the cows, goDhooli Dhoosaritha, and who lifted the Govardhana mountain, govarDhanodDharaNa, effortlessly, kelikrthaprayaasam, and whose body is marked with the kumkuma mudhrithanga, from that of the gopis.

 

Leelasuka describes Krishna in three different states. As Gopala, coming after  the cows, as Govinda, lifting the mountain and as gopeelola. We surrender to Him who is the Supreme Self, to the devotees who are not deluded by His various actions during His incarnations. As Krishna himself says in the Gita, ‘janmakarma cha me dhivyam evam yo vetthi thatthvathah; thyakthvaa dheham punarjanma naithi maamethi paandava,’  meaning,  “who ever knows My birth and actions as such, in reality, they never lapse back into birth but attain Me.”

 

27.yadhromaranDhra paripoorthiviDhou adhakshaaH

      vaaraahajanmani babhoovuH amee samudhraaH

      tham naama naaTham aravindhadhrSam yasodhaa

      paaNidhvayaantharajalaiH snapayaam babhoova

 

 

Yasodha  bathed the lotus-eyed  Lord, to fill whose pores all the seas were not able to, in His incarnation as the Boar, with  water out of her cupped hands.

 

When the Lord took the incarnation as Varaha, vaaraahajanmani,  the boar, He was so huge that all the seas, samudhraaH were not enough to fill, paripoorthiviDhou adhakshaaH, even the pores, romaranDhra, on His skin. Leelasuka marvels at the fact that Yasodha was able to bathe Him, snapayaam babhoova, in His incarnation as Krishna with water in her cupped hands, paaNidhvayaantharajalaiH. In the Bhagavatahpurana it is said ‘yadhromagartheshu nililyuH abdhayaH.’ (Bh.3-13-34), all the seas were hidden in His pores.

 

 

28. varam imam upadhesam aadhriyaDhavam

      nigamavaneshu nithaanthachaarakhinnaaH

      vichinutha bhavaneshu vallaveenaam

     upanishadharTham ulookhale nibadDham

 

 

Those who are tired after wandering in the forests of Vedas, listen to this advice .Look for the import of the Upanishads in the houses of gopis where it is bound to the mortar.

 

Leela sukha  asks those, who try to understand the Brahman by extensive study of the vedas and become fatigued by wandering in the forest of vedas, to stop their effort and come to Gokula where the essence of the upanishads is found tied to a mortor, 'upanishadhartham ulookale nibaddham.'

 

Vedantadesika says in his Gopalavimsathi,

 

nikateshu nisaamayaami nithyam nigamaantharairadhunaapi mrgyamaanam

yamalaarjuna dhrshtabaalakelim yamunaasaakshikayouvanam kumaaram

                                                                                                       (Gopalavimsathi-8)

 

Let me observe everywhere near me, Him, who is inquired by the vedas even now and eternal, whose childhood  sport is witnessed by the twin trees and whose boyhood is witnessed by the river Yamuna.

 

Madhusudhanasarasvathi, a great exponent of  advaita  philosophy, who at the same time a devotee of Krishna  says,

yenaabhyaasena vaseekrthena manasaa yannirguNam nishkriyam

jyothih kimchana yoginahyadhi param pasyanthi pasyanthu the

asmaakam thu thadheva lochanachamathkaaraaya bhooyaath chiram

kaalindhee pulineshu kimapi yanneelam maho dhaavathi

 

Let those yogis see that  supreme light, (Brahman) which is actionless and attributeless, with their mind controlled through practice. As far as we are concerned the same Brahman, as a blue light, is running here  on the banks of Yamuna to the delight of our eyes.

 

29. dhevakeethanayapoojanapoothaH

      poothanaari charaNodhakaDhouthaH

      yadhyaham smrthaDhananjayasoothaH

      kim karishyathi sa me yamadhoothaH

 

If I become pure by worshipping the son of Devaki, dhevakithanayapoojanapoothaH, and  cleanse my sins by the water from the feet of the destroyer of Poothana, poothanaari charaNodhaka DhouthaH, and have the charioteer of Arjuna firm in my mind, smrthaDhananjayasoothaH, what can the messenger of death yamadhoothaH do to me?

 

The parallel idea is found in Sankara’s  Mohamudgara, otherwise known as Bajagovinda,

 

Bhagavatgeethaa kimchidhadheethaa

 gangaajalalava kanikaa peethaa

sakrdhapi yena muraari samarchaa

 kriyathe thasya yamena na charchaa.’ (Moh.Mud. 20)

 

Even a little knowledge of Bhagavatgita, drinking a few drops of the Ganges water  or even once worshipping Lord Hari  will protect from the fear of death.

 

Kulasekhara also tells his mind to cast off the fear of death and of the torments of hell which are enemies of the sinners only, because the Lord Hari is our saviour.

 

mAbheermandhamano vichinthya bahudhA

                                              yAmeeschiram yAthanAH

nAmee na prabhavanthi pAparipavaH

                                              swAmee nanu Sreedharah

(Mukundama-

 

30.bhaasathaam bhavabhayaikabheshajam

     maanase mama muhur muhur muhuH

     gopavesham upasedhushaH svayam

     yaa api kaa api ramaNeeyathaa  vibhoH

 

May the beautiful and most wonderful form of a cowherd, put on by Himself, of the Lord, the only remedy for the fear of transmigration, shine in my mind again and again and again

 

Leelasuka extols the Srikrishnadhivyoushadha, as the Lord is called by Kulasekhara in Mukundamala, which removes the fear of samsara, bhavabhayapraDhvamsanam, and the remedy of the disease called birth and death, prasoothimaranavyaadheH chikithsaa, Leelasuka says that the form of Lord Krishna is the only medicine, ekabheshajam, for the bavabhaya, the fear of samsara, because He is in reality the all pervading Lord, vibhu, who has donned, upasedhushaH, the costume of a cowherd, gopavesham, by His own will. “Let that indescribably wonderful  beauty, yaa api kaa api ramaNeeyathaa, shine in my mind,” says Leelasuka, again and again and again, muhurmuhurmuhuH.

 

Desika calls Krishna ‘miThyaagopah,’ because being visvagoptha, the protector of the whole universe, he is now pretending to be a cowherd boy feigning fear.  This is the scene precedent to Krishna getting bound in the mortar. He further says in Yadhavabhyudhya, that he is putting on different costumes which makes the devotees and saints wonder at his  leela.

Natavath bhoomikaabhedhaih

naaTha dheevyan prThakviDhaiH

pumsaam ananya bhaavaanaam

pushNaathi rasam adhbhutham (Yad.1.49)

 

 

31. karNalambitha kadhambamanjaree

       kesaraaruNa kapola mandalam

       nirmalam nigamavaag agocharam

       neelimaanam avalokayaamahe

 

We behold the blue form of  Krishna whose cheeks appear red due to the colour of the kadamba flowers on his ears, who is pure and beyond the scope of the Vedas.

 

neelimaanam- of blue colour.

Kapola mandalam, the region of his cheeks, is kesara aruNa, red by the petals of kadambamanjaree, the bouquet of kadamba flowers, karma lambitha, hanging from his ears. But do not be deceived thinking that he is only  a cowherd boy, says Leelasuka, because He is pure, nirmala, being of suddhasathva and He is the Brahman the comprehension of whom is even beyond the Vedas, nigama vaak agocharam.

 

32. saachi sanchalithalochanothpalam

       saami kudmalitha komalaaDharam

       vegavalgitha karaanguleemukham

       veNunaadha rasikam bajaamahe

 

We resort to Krishna, whose eyes like lotuses are slanted, and moving, his lips half open like a bud, his fingertips moving fast on the flute and who is enjoying the music that comes from it.

Here again we find a beautiful picture of Krishna playing the flute, which seems to be the form favourite of Leelasuka. His eyes, like lotuses, utpala, slanted, saachi, due to his head being inclined to one side, also moving here and there, sanchalitha, his  tender lips, komlaaDharam, pouted and looking like a half closed bud, saami kudmalitha. His finger tips, karaanguleemukham, are fast moving, vegavalgitha, on the flute while playing, and he is seen enjoying the music coming from the flute, veNu naadha rasikam.

 

The music is at its best only when the musician enjoys his own music. He must be the first rasika when only he will be able to convey the joy of music to the listeners. Hence Krishna is the rasika of his own music.

 

33.syandhane garudanmandithadhvaje

     kundineSa thanayaaDhiropithaa

     kenachith navathamaalapallava

     Syaamalena purusheNa neeyathe

 

The daughter, thanayaa, of the king of Kudinapura, kundineSa, is being taken, aDhiropithaa, by some man, kenachith purusheNa, who is dark like the sprout of thamala tree, navathamaala pallava Syaamalena, on the chariot, syandhane, bearing the flag of Garuda, garudamandithadhvaje.

 

Leelasuka describes Krishna carrying Rukmini in his chariot which has Garuda as its flag.

 

From Krishna playing the flute, suddenly Leelasuka visualizes the scene of Krishna taking away Rukmini, probably the Lord appeared to him so. Again in the next sloka he lapses back to the description of Krishna as a child.

 

34. maa yaatha paanThaaH paThi bheemaraThyaa

      dhigambaraH  kopi  thamaala neelaH

      vinyastha hasthopi nithambabimbe

      DhoorthaH samaakarshathi chittha vittham

 

Oh travellers, do not go by this fearful path because someone, deceitful, blue like the thamala tree is standing there unclad, and robs the wealth of the mind though his hands are clasped behind his hips.

 

Dhigambarah- This refers to Krishna as a baby, meaning  that the directions are his clothing, that is , no clothing. Such a beautiful form of Krishna steals our mind. This is what is meant by Leelasuka by cautioning the traveler, paanTha, not to go, maa yaatha, by the road, panThaaH, where Krishna is standing with his hands behind him, nithambabimbe vinyastha hastha.  It is fearful path says the poet, because the deceitful robber, DhoorthaH, is capable of robbing without using his hands, because the wealth  he is stealing is the mind, chitthavittham.

 

Leelasuka calls the path fearful and it is so only for those who are attracted by the worldly life and not for the devotees. He cautions that even if one is worldly, one look at Krishna will transform them which is here   mentioned as stealing the heart. When the Lord decides to do so he comes and stands in the way as he did in case of Thirumangai azvar who was transformed from a robber into a saint.

 

In this sloka also as in the earlier one, Leelasuka reveals the true identity of Krishna whom he describes as dhigambara and thamalaneela.  The latter refers to his form as Krishna while the former though literally means unclad, denotes the parathva as ambara means also the sky and this could be explained as the one who pervades all directions and the sky.

 

35.anganaam anganaam anthare maaDhavo

     maaDhavam maaDhavam cha anthreNaanganaa

     itTham aakalpithe mandale maDhyagaH

     sanjagou veNunaa dhevakeenandhanaH

 

There was a Krishna, maaDhavaH, between, anthare, each gopi, anganaam anganaam, and a gopi between, anthareNa anganaa, each Krishna. In the centre, maDhyagaH, of the circle, mandale, thus formed, ittham aakalpithe, Krishna was playing the flute, sanjagou veNunaa dhevakeenandhanaH..

 

The eight slokas beginning with this describe the rasakrida. This sloka gives the picture often seen as the scene of rasakreeda with Krishna making himself manifold dancing in between the gopis. Leelasuka says that he is also standing in the middle of the circle formed by the gopis and krishnas, implying that the form in the center is the real one. This has a philosophical significance. The gopis are the jeevas each one of them has the Lord as the inner self.  So the world is the rasakreeda of the Lord. When the jeeva joins hands with the Lord it is  pure joy. The Krishna in the centre denotes that the supreme self is the self of all but not attached to them. The circle revolves around the centre which remains unchanged. To those who are ignorant enough to find the rasakreedaa as a sensual  sport this sloka gives the answer as no ordinary mortal can become so many, at the same time standing apart.

As the Upanishad says, ‘sadheva soumya idham agra aaseeth, ekam eva adhvitheeyam; thath aikshatha bahusyaam prajaayeya,’ ( Chand.6.2.1;6.2.3),’ That (Brahman) alone was in the beginning one only without a second and it willed to become many.’

In Srimadbhagavatham, Suka says that Krishna played with the gopis like a child with his own reflection.

‘yaThaa arbakaHsvaprathibimbavibhramaH.’

 

 

36.kekikekaadhrtha aneka pankeruhaa

     leenahamsaavaleehrdh yathaa hrdhyathaa

     kamsavamSaatavee dhaahadhaavaanalaH

     sanjagou veNunaa dhevakeenandhanaH

 

Making the peacocks, keki, sounds, kekaa, in response and gladdening, hrdhyathaa, the hearts, hrdh, of the swans hidden, leenahamsa, in the lotuses, anekapankeruha, Krishna, who  was like a  fire that burned, dhaahadhaavaanalaH, the forest of  the clan of Kamsa, kamsavamSaatavee, played the flute.

 

This sloka describes the joy of all beings when the Lord calls the tune. The nature and the creatures other than man, are able to work in harmony with the Lord, which is denoted by the sound of the peacocks and the joy of the swans.

 

37.kvaapi veenaabhiraaraaviNaa kampithaH

     kvaapi veeNaabhiraa kinkiNee narthithaH

     kvaapi veenaabhiramaantharam gaapithaH

     sanjagou veNunaa dhevakeenandhanaH

 

In one place, kvaapi, he was moved, kampithaH, by some playing the veena, veeNaabhiH aaraaviNaa, in another, kvaapi, he was made to dance, narthitthaH, with his ankle bells, kinkinee, sounding like veena, veeNabhraa, in yet another place, kvaapi, he was induced to sing, gaapithaH, with his voice sweet like the veena, veeNaabhiraamaantharam.

 

This sloka not only shows that the Lord is also in harmony with the world of beings, but also that He is bound by devotion and does the bidding of His devotees.

He has said ‘math bhakthaa yathra gaayanthi thathra thishTaami,’ meaning that he is there where His devotees sing His glory. By this sloka it is clear that not only he stands there but also takes part by singing ,dancing etc.

 

 

 

38.chaaruchandhraavaleelochanaiH chumbithaH

     gopa gobrndha gopaalikaa vallabhaH

     vallveebrndha brndhaarakaH kaamukaH

     sanjagou veNunaa dhevakee nandhanaH

 

Krishna, kissed with the eyes, lochanaiH chumbithaH, by the rows of beautiful  moonlike faces, chaaru chandhraavalee, the beloved of gopas, cows as well as the gopis, the beautiful lover of the gopies gathered, played the flute.

 

Krishna is not only loved by the gopis but also by the gopas and the cows as well because He is the inner self of all. The whole world loves Krishna.

 

 

39. Moulimaalaamilan matthabhrngeelathaa

      bheetha bheetha priyaavibhramaalingithaH

      srasthagopeekuchaabhogasammelithaH

      sanjagou veNunaa dhevakeenandhanaH

 

Krishna , who was embraced on his broad chest,aabhogasammelithaH, by a  gopi,  who was frightened, bheethabheethaa, of the bees that hovered round the flowers on her head , mouli malaamilan matthabhringeelathaa, played the flute.

 

The bees hover around the flowers on the head of a gopi, and feigning fear she clings to Krishna finding shelter on his broad chest.

 

40.chaaru chaameekaraabhaasabhaamaavibhuH

     vyjayantheelathaa vaasithorashalaH

     nandha brndhaavane vaasithaa maDhyagaH

     sanjagou veNunaa dhevakeenandhanaH

 

Krishna, the central figure of the gopis of Brindavan of Nandhagopa, the Lord of Lakshmi, bhaamaavibhuH,, who shines charming like the gold, chaaru chamekaraabhaasa, with his chest perfumed by the tulasi garland, vyjayantheelathaa vaasitha urasThalaH, played the flute.

 

Krishna is the centre around whom the whole brindavan under the reign of Nandha functions. He is referred to as the lord of Lakshmi, (bhaama meaning a beautiful woman) who shines like gold, (hiraNyavarNaa.) Krishna is wearing the garland of Tulasi leaves which gives the fragrance to his chest.

 

 

 

 

 

41.baalikaa thaalikaa thaala leelaa layaa-

     sanga sandharSitha bhroolathaa vibhramaH

     gopikaageethadhatthaavaDhaanassvayam

     sanjagou veNunaa dhevakeenandhanaH

 

Krishna, who showed his joy hearing the song of the gopis set to thaala by lifting of his eyebrows, and gave himself to them, played the flute.

 

This sloka is the essence of the rasakreeda. The Lord gives Himself to those who love Him like the gopis did by offering Him their body, mind and soul.

 The gopis enjoyed with Krishna ‘abhinna baahyaantharam aikarasyam aanandham,’ a joy which is undifferentiated inside and outside and unalloyed and pure.

 

 

 

42.paarijaatham samudDhrthya raaDhaavaro

      ropayaamaasa bhaamagrhasyaangaNe

      SeethaSeethe vate yaamuneeye thate

      sanjagou veNunaa dhevakeenandhanaH

 

Krishna,, the beloved of Radha,  who brought the Parijatha tree from heaven and planted it on the courtyard of Bhaama, played the flute beautifully from under the cool  banyan tree  on the banks of river Yamuna.

 

The reference is here to the episode of Krishna bringing the celestial tree Parijatha to the court yard of Bhama. He  playing the flute splendidly standing under the banyan tree on the banks of Yamuna. The epithet , lover of Radha qualifies Krishna in the particular context as against that which mentions him as the lord of Bhama.

 

43.agre dheerghatharo ayam arjunatharuH

      thasyaagratho varthmanee

      saa ghosham samupaithi thath parisare

      dheSe kalindhaathmajaa

      thasyaastheera thamaalakaananathale

      chakram gavaan chaarayan

      gopaH kreedathi dharSayishyathi

      sakhe panThaanam avyaahatham

 

 

This is the tall Arjuna tree in front, my friend, the road in front of it reaches the habitation of cowherds. The river Yamuna flows near that place and in the forest of thamala trees on its banks a cowherd is tending the cows and playing. He will show the path to immortality.

 

Leelasuka guides the seeker of moksha by this sloka telling him to resort to Krishna.

 

“You see in front, agre, of you” ,says Leelasuka , “this arjuna tree (a kind of tree) and you take the path that is seen in front, thasya agratho varthmanee, and it will take you to the village of cowherds, saa ghoshaam samupaithi..” Leelasuka gives the landmarks for the same by saying that the river Yamuna flows nearby, thath parisare dheSe kalindhaathmajaa,  and there is a forest of thamala trees thmaalakaanana, on its banks, thasyaah theere. Then he says “  there you will see cowherd tending the cows, gavaan charaayan and playing, kreedathi. He is the one you seek because he will show  you,  dharSayishyathi,  the path, panThaanam avyaahatham, to immortality.”

 

 

Here the word arjunatharuH may mean Arjuna and the sloka has reference to Geethopadhesa. This jagatguru who appears like a cowherd is going to show the whole world the mokahamarga, may be the implication. The path from the banks of yamuna to the battle field of kurujkshethra  is the path of Krishna who came to Arjuna out of infinite mercy for mankind and taught the Gita.

 

As Leelasuka said earlier , ‘upanishad arTham ulookhale badDham,’(Sloka 28) the Brahman of the Upanishads has taken the form of a cowherd in order to milk the wild cows (aaranYakas as the Upanishads are called meaning belonging to the forest) of the Upanishads.

‘sarvopanishadhio gaavo dhogDhaa gopaalananadhanaH.’

 

44. goDhooliDhoosaritha komalagopavesham

      gopaalabaalakaSathaiH anugamyamaanam

      saayanthane prathigrham paSubanDhanaarTham

      gacchantham achyuthaSiSum pranathosmi nithyam

 

I offer my salutations everyday, nithyam,  to the child Krishna, achyutha Sisum,  whose pretty form as a cowherd, komalagopavesham, is covered with the dust from the feet of the cows, goDhooli Dhoosaritham, who is followed by hundreds of  other cowherd boys, gopaalabaalakaSathaiH, and who goes to every house, prathigrham gacchantham, in the evening, saayamthane, to tie the cows back, paSubanDhanaarTham.

 

Leelasuka further visualizes the actions of Krishna as a cowherd. He goes to the forest taking the cows to graze and brings them back in the evening along with his friends the other cowherd boys. He ties the cows in the respective houses in the evening and his body is covered with dust from the feet of the cows. What could be prettier, asks Leelasuka, than the dusty form of the Lord that shows His infinite mercy in coming down to earth to protect all beings man, bird and beast, donning a costume of a common cowherd and acting the part thoroughly.

 

45.niDhim laavaNyaanaam nikhilajagadhaaScharya nilayam

     nijaavaasam bhaasaam niravaDhika niSSreyasarasam

     suDhaaDhaaraasaaram sukrthaparipaakam mrgadhrSaam

     prapdhye maangalyam praThamam aDhidhaivam krthaDhiyaam

 

I surrender to the Supreme Lord,  who is the treasure house of beauty,  the source of wonder for the whole world,  the resort of all luminance, boundless joy of immortality, (that is Brahman ), the flowing essence of nectar, the result of the merits acquired in past lives of the deer-eyed damsels and the auspiciousness of the  wise.

 

Krishna is the niDhi, treasure house of all loveliness, laavaNya. This itself can create wonder for all the worlds. But Leelasuka gives more reasons for this wonderment. 

1. He is the nikhila jagath aaScharya nilaya, the source of wonder for all the worlds, because, he is the abode of luminance as the Upanishad says, ‘thamreva bhaantham anubhaathi sarvam thasya bhaasaa sarvamidham vibhaathi,’  that is, all luminous bodies like the Sun and the Moon shine after Him who is self luminous and by whose light all

 others get their luminance.

2.He is the infinite joy of immortality, niravaDhika niSSreyasaya rasam because He is Brahman, the existence, knowledge and bliss, sacchidhaanandha.

3. He is the essence of nectarine flow, suDhaaDhaaraasaara, as everything connected with him is nectar , akhilam maDhuram, because He is the Brahman of the Upanishads which declares ‘raso vai saH.’

4. The supreme self, that is Krishna is enjoyed by the pure-hearted damsels, gopis, mrgadhrSaam, due to the merit earned in their previous lives, sukrthaparipaaka

 

5. He is the   embodiment of auspiciousness, , maangalyam, for the evolved, krthaDhiyaam.

6.He is the first cause and the Supreme Lord, praThamam aDhidaiva.

 

46.aathaamrapaaNikamalapraNayaprathodham

      aalolahaaramaNikundalahemasoothram

      aaviSramaambugaNam ambudhaneelam avyaath

     aadhyam DhananjayaraThaabharaNam maho naH

 

May the primal light, aadhyam  mahaH, that is dark like a cloud, ambudhaneelam that is the ornament of the chariot of Arjuna, DhananjayaraThaabhaarana, whose lotus-like red hand, aathaamrapaaNikamala, is holding the whip, praNayaprathodha, who is adorned with necklace, haara,  earrings maNikundala, and girdle of gold, hemasoothra,  which are moving, aalola, and whose body is covered with sweat, aaviSramaambugana, protect, avyaath, us.

 

Leelasuka gives a description of  Krishna as the charioteer of Arjuna, PaarthasaraThi. He is holding the whip in his hand which is red like a lotus. He is adorned with ornaments on his chest, waist and ears which are moving when he drives the chariot. His body is covered with sweat. His form is dark like the rain-bearing cloud but luminous. He adorns the chariot of Arjuna sitting in front.

 

47.nakhaniyamitha kandoon paandavasyandanaaSvaan

     anudhinam abhishinchan anjalisThaiH payobhiH

     avathu vithathagaathraH thoThra nishtyoothamouliH

     dhasanavidhrtharaSmiH dhevakeepuNyaraaSiH

 

 

May Krishna , with his  body exposed ,vithathagaathraH, the horsewhip, thothra, in his headgear, nishtyoothamouliH, and the reins, , between his teeth, dhaaSanavidhrtharaSmiH,  bathing, abhishinchan, the horses of the chariot of Arjuna, paandavasyandhanaaSvaan, with water from his cupped hands, anjalisThaiH payobhiH, daily, anudhinam, and scratching them with his nails, nakhaniyathakandoon, protect us.

 

The picture of Parthasarathy is continued in this sloka. He  gives bath to the horses himself everyday by washing their bodies with water in his cupped hands. He also scratches them with his nails to relieve the itch. While doing this he has inserted the horsewhip on his headgear and has the reins between his teeth. His body is open as he is  in  water.

 

This shows the soulabhya and vathsalya of the Lord. It is one thing to accept the function of a charioteer but it is quite another to do all the other work himself, which a charioteer will normally do, like bathing the horses etc., which he could have asked anyone else to do. But the Lord, as Desika has said, not only puts on a  role  for the sake of His  devotees but acts the part in perfection, to prove that he will do anything for His devotees who resort to Him with faith and love. It also showed his vatsalya which extends to all beings, man, bird and beast. This was seen in Ramavathara, in Rama doing the samskara for Jatayu and befriending the monkeys etc, but in Krishnavathara, this love for dumb creatures is exemplary. He loved and was loved by the cows and other creatures in Brindavan and the horse in kurukshethra.

 

48. vrajayuvathisahaaye youvanollaasi kaaye

      sakalaSubhavilaase kundhamandhaarahaase

      nivasathu mamachittham thathpdhaayatthavrttham

      munisarasijabhaanounandhagopaalasoonou

 

Let my mind, mama chittham, full of thoughts on His feet, thathpadhaayatthavrttham,  stay, nivasathu, in the son of Nanda,, nandasoonou, who is the companion of gopis, vrajayuvathisahaaye, has beautiful young form, youvanollaasi kaaye, abode of auspiciousness, sakalaSubhavilaase, has a smile like the kundha and mandhaara flowers , kundhamandhaarahaase, and the sun to the lotuses called sages, munisarasijabhaanou.

 

Leelasuka  prays that his mind should be engrossed in Krishna, with always thinking about his feet.  He visualizes Krishna surrounded by gopis and having wonderfully young beautiful form, with his smile blossoming like the kundha and mandhara flowers. He is the abode of all things auspicious, kalyaananidhi and he is like the sun to the lotuses , that is, the sages because his form appearing in the lotus of their heart causes the rising of the sun of knowledge. ‘theshaam aadhithyavath jnaanam prakaaSayathi ththparam.’-(BG.5-13)

 

 

49.aranyaaneem aardhra smitha madhura bimbaaDhara suDhaa

     saaraNyaasankraanthaiH sapadhi madhayan veNuninadhaiH

     DharaNyaa saanandhothpulakam upagoodaanghrikamalah

     SaraNnaam aadhyaH sa jayathu Sareeree madhurimaa

 

May He be victorious, sa jayathu who enchants, madhayan, the Brindhavan, aranyaaneem, with his loving smile, aardhrasmitha, and the nectarine flow from his lips like bimba fruit, maDhurabimbaaDhara suDhaasaaraNyaa combined, sankraanthaiH with the sweet music from his flute, veNununadhaiH, whose lotus like feet, anghrikamala, are embraced with joy and horripilation, saanandhothpulakam upagoodaiH, by the goddess earth, Dharanyaa, and who is the embodiment of sweetness, sareeree maDhurimaa, and the prime refuge, aadhyaH sarraNyaanaam, of all.

 

Leelasuka continues the picture of Krishna in Brindhavan. He whole forest is enchanted with his smile and music. His feet walking on the ground are fondled by the bhoodevi, who feels happy and excited.

 

50. vidhagDhagopaalavilaasineenaam

       sambhogachihnaankitha sarvagaathram

       pavithram aamnaayagiram agamyam

       brahma prapadhye navaneetha choram

 

I surrender to the Brahman, who is pure and beyond the comprehension of the Vedas,(yet) who is here has his body  marked by his play with the gopis who had their sins burnt because of it, and who acted as a butter thief.

 

Leelasuka while hinting in the previous two slokas that Krishna as seen playing the flute and with the gopis in Brindavan is in fact the Brahman, by the words, muniarasijabhaanuH and aadhyaH SaraNyaanaam, here explicitly calls him as Brahman. Thus His stealing the butter and playing with the gopis are elevated to the state of brahmanishtaa. Leelasuka says that the gopis by playing with Krishna had all their sins burnt and were purified. As already made out in the earlier slokas to think of Krishna as gopivallabha removes our kaama because the union of the gopis with Krishna is the ultimate stage of devotion, bahkthyaaH paraa kaashTaa.

 

Leelsuka refers to Krishna, who is Brahman as navaneethachora, one who stole butter. Besides the fact that to think of him as a chora kills all dishonesty  in our mind, the act of stealing butter has a deeper significance.

The  butter is the heart of the devotees and he comes stealthily and steals it without the owner being conscious of it. This is true because devotion never arises out of will, saying to oneself that “I am going to be a devotee from now on.” It  just happens by the divine will. As the upanishat says , ‘yamaivesha vrNuthe thena labhyathe,’ He is attained by one whom He chooses. Sometimes He steals even the heart of those who do not love Him by a swift turn of events because they have done such good deeds in their previous lives.

 

51. anthargrhe krshnam avekshya choram

      badDhvaa kavaatam jananeem gathaikaa           

      ulookhale dhaamam nibadDham enam

      thathrrapi dhrshtvaa sthimithaa babhoova

 

Seeing Krishna inside her house stealing butter, locking the door, went to see his mother. There also she saw him tied to the mortar and was stunned.

 

 

Krishna went to a house and was there stealing butter, navaneetha choram, when the gopi returned. Catching him red-handed (butter-handed rather) anthargrhe, and locked her door, kavaatam badDhvaa, so that he could not escape. Then she went to report the matter to yasodha, jananeem gathaa. There she saw Krishna tied to the mortar by his mother. She was stunned by this and there is no need to say that she must have rushed to her house to see whether he has escaped somehow only to find him there as she left him. Such is the maya of the Lord exhibited through out in His krishnavathara. The people who were subjected to his maya never realized the truth that he was the supreme self but only thought that they were under hallucination. Even when they came to know his real svaroopa in a few instances Krishna made them forget it again through his maya in order to continue his leelaas. In this and the rest of the slokas that follow Leelasuka lapses back into describing Krishna as a child.

 

52. rathnasThale jaanucharaH kumaaraH

      sankraantham athmeeyam mukhaaravindham

      aadhaathu laabhaH thadhalaabhakhedhaath

      vilokya dhaathree vadhanam ruroDha

 

 

The young Krishna crawling on the gem-studded floor, saw his face reflected on it and tried to grab it. But not being able to do so looked at the face of his nanny and cried.

 

Leelasuka  portrays a charming picture of Krishna crawling on the floor here. He is crawling on his knees, jaanucharaH, and his lotus-like face, mukhaaravindham is reflected, sankraantham, on the floor inlaid with gems, rathnasthale. Thinking it is another child he want to get him, aadhaathum laabhaH, but was not able to. Hence he starts crying, thath alaabhakhedhaath rurodha, and looks at the face of his nanny, vilokya dhaathree vadhanam, helplessly. Such is the maya of the Lord to behave like a guileless child, the child on a banyan leaf, who had all the worlds inside him.

 

53.aanandhena yaSodhayaa samadhanam gopaanganaabhiH chiram

     saaSankambalavidhvishaasakusumaiH siddhaiH prThivyaakulam

     sershyamgopakumaarakaiH sakarunam pouraiH janaiH sasmitham

    yo dhrshtaH sa punaathu no muraripuhprothkshipthagovarDhanah

 

May the foe of the demon Mura, who was seen lifting the Govardhana mountain, with joy by yasodha, with  prolonged love by the gopis, with doubt by Indra, with  offerings of flowers by the evolved souls, with concern by the earth goddess, with envy by the other cowherd boys, with pity by the  people of the city and the others with smile, purify us.

 

Krishna was carrying the Govardhana mountain, prothkshiptha govarDhanah, and those seeing him do that, had reacted in different ways. Yasodha  was feeling elated, aanaandhena, about her son. The gopis looked at  him with a longing, samadhanam, born out of prolonged love. Indra had doubts, Saasankam, about how long  Krishna could go on like that. The siddhas offered flowers, sakusumaiH siddhaiH, in worship as they alone knew the real identity of him. The earth goddess looked with concern, prThivyaakulam, and the other cowherd boys envied, sershyam, his strength. The people of Gokula were affected with pity, sakaruNam pouraiH, for the young Krishna holding the mountain in his hands. The others, meaning the devotees looked at him with smile, janaiH sasmitham.

 

54. upaasathaam aathmavidhaH puraaNaah

       param pumaamsam nihitham guhaayaam

       vayam yasodhaa Sisubaalaleelaa

       kaThaa suDhaa sinDhushu leelayaamaH

Let  those who follow the ancient path, puraaNaah, and enquire after the Self,aathmavidhah, meditate on the Supreme Self, upaasathaam parampumaamsam, inside the cave of their heart. Let us play in the ocean of nectar called the stories about the exploits of the child of  yasodha.

 

The idea made out in the sloka 28 of this Asvasa is reiterated here. Leelasuka , while claiming that Krishna is the parabrahman of the upanishats, shows the easy way to realize Him rather than the difficult means of visualizing the Supreme Self inside the lotus of the heart, parampumamsam nihitham guhaayaam and meditate on it as advised by the upanishats. Let us not worry about the enquiry of Brahman, brahmajijnaasa, as made out in the upanishats and brahmasuthra, says Leelasuka. It is possible to attain Him easily by revelling in the storiesbaalaleelaakaThaa, of Balaktrishna, yasodhaaSisu, Hence let us play in that nectarine ocean, suDhaasinDhushu leelayaamaha.

 

Madhusudhnan Sarasvathi ,the famous advaita vedantin says the same thing as made out in the sloka 28.

 

The reference here is to the dhaharavidhya , instructed in the Chandhogya upanishat.

 

The text is as follows.

‘aTha yadhidham asmin brahmapure dhaharam pundareekam veSma, dhaharaH asmin anthaH aakaaSaH , thasmin yath anthaH, thath anveshtavyam, thathvaava vijijnaasithavyam.’ (Chan. )

 

In this city of Brahman, (meaning the sareera, ) there is a mansion in the form of a small  lotus, (the heart). In this there is a small space. That which is inside the space (called dhaharaakaaSa) should be investigated and understood.

 

The small space here does not refer to magnitude but subtleness, which is why it is mentioned as aakaasa. The space inside any container or  a room etc, is the same all-pervading space outside. There is no such thing as small space or large space the words used only denote the conditioning, that is the container and not the contained.

55. vikrethukaamaa kila gopakanyaa

       muraaripaadhaarpitha chittha vrtthiH

       dhaDhyaadhikam mohavaSaath avochath

       govindha dhaamodhara maadhavethi

 

A gopi who wished to sell, vikrethukaama,  curd etc.dhaDhyaadhikam, enchanted, mohavaSaath,with her mind absorbed in the feet of Krishna, murari paadhaarpitha chittha vrtthi, called out ‘govindha, dhaamodhara and maadhava,’ instead of saying curd, butter etc. I have split the words in accordance with the musical chant and not by proper sandhi below.

 

  vikrethu-kaamaa-kila gopa-kanyaa

  muraari-paadhaar-pitha chit-tha vrtthiH

  dhaDhyaa-dhikam moha-vaSaath a-vochath

   govindha-dhaamo-dhara maa-dhavethi (one should repeat this line two or three       times to bring in the mood of the verse.)

 

 

 

This is a beautiful sloka full of metrical charm and can be recited in a sing song fashion. There are more of this nature though not ascribed to Leelasuka, of the same form. The most poignant of them which brings tears in chanting, is as follows.

 

Agre ku|rooNaam| aTha panda|vaanaam

dhuSSaasa|nenaa|hrtha vas|thra kesaa

krshnaa tha|dhaakroSath| ananya| naaThaa

govindha| dhamo|dhara ma|adhavethi

 

In front of Kurus and Pandavas , her clorthes and hair being pulled by DuSSaasanaa, Drouapdhi, who had no other resort,  called out loudly, Govindha , Dhamodhara and Madhava.

 

56. ulookhalam vaa yaminaam mano vaa     

     gopaanganaanaam kuchakudmalam vaa

     muraarinaamnaH kalabhasya noonam

     aalaanam aaseeth thraya eva bhoomou

 

Whether it be the mortar or the  mind of sages or the budding breasts of the gopis , these three alone serve as the binding posts to the elephant cub called Murari on earth.

 

The three examples given denote the three paths of salvation. The sages attain the Lord by meditating on him, and He comes and stays is their mind bound by their concentration. This is jnanayoga. The gopis love Him to such an extent that He finds it difficult to go away from them, bound by their love This is the experience of all devotee saints which   is bhakthiyoga. Krishna was bound in the morar in order to free the sons of Kubera. It showed that even the Lord could not forget his karma or his avatarakarya. He also acted in accordance to his birth doing his svadharma but without attachment, thus illustrating what he was going to preach later in the Gita.So this is karmayoga as He says later ‘na me parTha asthi karthavyam thrishu lokeshu kaschana ; naanavaaptham avaathavyam vartha eva cha karmaNi,’ (BG -3-22) meaning, “there is nothing for me to do in all the three worlds because there is nothing I should achieve by that but still I work incessantly.”

 

57. karaaravindhena padhaaravindham

      mukhaaravindhe viniveSayantham

      vatasya pathrasya pute sayaanam

      baalam mukundham manasaa smaraami

 

I  offer my salutations to Mukundha , the infant who is lying, Sayaanam on a banyan leaf, vatasyapathram, and placing, vinivesayantham,  his lotus-like foot , padhaaravindham,in his lotus-like mouth, mukhaaravindhe, with his lotus-like hand, karaaravindhena.

 

There is a doubt as to whether this sloka is a part of Krishnakarnamrtham because this is the first sloka of balamukundhashtakam, author not known. Any way since this has been included in the book I have, I am including this.

 

58.Sambho svaagatham aasyathaam

            ithaH ithaH vaamena padhmaasana

    krounchaare kuSalam sukham

            surapathe vittheSa no dhrSyase

    itTham svapnagathasya kaitaBhajithaH

           dhrSvaa yasodhaa giraH

    kim kim baalaka jalpasi ithi

            rachitham Dhoo Dho krtham paathu naH

 

 May the admonition, Dhoo Dhookrtham, by yasodha to Krishna , hearing his words while he was dreaming, “welcome,Sambhu be seated here, Oh Brahma, padmaasana, be seated on the left, Karthikeya , krounchaare, are you well, Indra, surapathe, are you happy, Kubera, vittheSa, why are you not seen nowadays,” saying, “what is this child,  kim kim baalaka, why are you prattling?”, protect us.

 

Krishna was sleeping , or seemed to be so, and assuming his real self of Lord Narayana he was conversing with the  other devas who had come to see him.This was looked upon by Yasodha as a child’s prattle in sleep and  she admonidshed him saying, “why are you prattling, sh. sh “ etc.  Leelasuka says that let that admonition protect us.

 

In the Gita Krishna says, ‘yaa niSaa sarvabhoothaanaam thasyaam jaagarthi samyamee,’(BG.2-69) in what seems to be the night for ordinary people, a jnani is awake. Here Krishna appeared to be asleep but actually he was in his own world where the other  were aware of hie real identity just as the evolved souls  like Uddhava Akrura, Bheeshma  etc.  knew it. But ordinary mortals like Yasodha and the gopas considered Krishna as a human being.this is what is meant by the Gita sloka quoted.

 

59. maathaH kim yadhunaaTha dhehi chashakam

      kim thena paathum payaH

      thannaasthi adhyaa kadhaa asthi niSi niSaa

      kaa vaa anDhakaarodhaye

      aameelyaakshiyugam niSaapyupagathaa

      dheheethi maathurmuhuH

      vakshojaamSuka karshaNodhyathakaraH

       krshnah sa pushNaathu naH

 

maathah-“Mother, “

kim yahdunaaTha- “What is it, oh Lord of yadhus? “

dhehi chashakam-“ Give me a cup.”

 Kim thena-“What is it for?”

Paathum payah-“To drink milk.” 

Thath naasthi adhya- “Not now. “

Kadhaa asthi-“When ?’

niSi- “In the night”

niSaa kaa vaa - “What is night?”

anDhakaarodhaye-“ When it is dark.”

May Krishna who,closing his eyes, aameelyaakshiyugamm and telling his mother,”night has ciome ,give me milk,”, niSaapyupagathaa dhehi and pulled her upper garment vakshojaamSuka karshNodhyathakaraH,  with his hand again and again,muhuH protect us, pushNathu nah

 

Another delightful scene from the childhood leelas of Krishna in the form of conversation between him and his mother.

 

60. kaalindhee pulinodhareshu musalee

      yaavadhgathaH kelithum

      thavath kaarparikam payaH piba hare

      varDhishyathe the Sikhaa

      itTham baalathayaa prathaaraNaparaaH

      Sruthvaa yasodhaagiraH

      Payaan nah svaSikhaam sprSan pramudhihaH

      Ksheere arDhapeethe hariH

 

“ Krishna , drink this milk from the golden cup,kaarparikam payaH piba, while Balarama, musalee, has gone to the sand hills of Yamuna, kaalindhee pulinodhareshu  to play,kelithum, your hair will grow well, varDhishyathe the Sikhaa.” May Krishna, who, hearing this clever speech of Yasodha,sruthvaa yasodhaa giraH, naively, baalathayaa, touched his tuft, svaSikhaam sprSan, after drinking half the milk ksheere arDhapeethe, and felt happy,pramudhithaH,protect  us.

 

Yasodha was trying to coax  Krishna to drink the milk she had for him in a golden cup and told him to drink it while Balarama is away to play in the sand of Yamuna, so that his hair will grow well , even better than Balarama. Krishna in childish innocence touched his hair to see whether it has grown even after drinking half the cup of milk and showed his joy on hearing the clever words of his mother. Leelasuka is only next to Periazvaar, in enjoying the child hood of Krishna.

 

61. kailaaso navaneethathi kshithiriyam

       pragjagDhamrlloshtathi

      ksheerodhopi nipeetha dhugDhathi

      lasath smere prapulle mukhe

      maathraa ajeernaDhiyaa dhrDam chakithayaa

      nashtaa asmi dhrshtaH kayaa

      Dhoo Dhoo vathsaka jeeva jeeva chiram ithi

      uktho avathaath no hariH

 

When Krishna  opened his mouth with smile,lasath smere prapulle mukhe, the kailasa mountain looked like butter,kailaaso navaneethathi, the earth like the mud eaten earlier by him, kshithiriyam prak jagDha mrlloshtathi, and the milky ocean, ksheerodho api,  like the milk drunk  by him, nipeetha dugDhathi, to Yasodha who thinks that it is due to indigestion, ajeerNaDhiyaa, and scared by it, dhrDam chakithayaa, said ”some woman has cast an evil eye,dhrshtaa kayaa,  let it go away,Dhoo Dhoo, my child may you live long, vathsaka jeeva jeeva chiram.” May that Krishna protect us.

 

This must be the subsequent occurrence  to the incident when Yasodha looked into the mouth of Krishna when he was reported to  have eaten mud. This is described in a subsequent sloka.

 

It is the maya of he Lord to make Yasodha think that the universe seen in his mouth were butter, mud and milk undigested in order to take away the experience of seeing the universe  from her memory.

 

Mistaking the kailasa mountain for butter, the earth for  mud and the milky ocean for the milk which she thought were found in his mouth not being digested, Yasodha became worried and said “Dhoo Dhoo” to ward off the evil effects of some woman casing an evil eye on her child. And also she performed a  benediction on him by saying, “long live my child.”

 

62. kimchith kunchitha lochanasya pibathaH

      paryaaya peetha sthanam

      sadhyaH prasnutha dugDha bindhum aparam

      hasthena sammaarjithaH

      maathraikaanguli laalithasya chubuke

      smeraananasya adhare

   SoureH ksheerakaNanvithaaH  Nipathithaa

    dhanthadhyuthih paathu naH

 

May the luster of the teeth, dhanthadhyuthiH,  of smiling Krishna,smeraananasya SoureH, with his lips marked with milk drops, aDhare ksheeNakanaanvithaah nipathithaaH, while he was breastfeeding, pibathah paryaayapeetha sthanam, with eyes closed a little, kimchith kunchitha lochanasya,  feeding on one and wiping the other just fed with drops of milk sticking to it, prasnutha dugDhabindhum aparam hasthena sammaarjathaH, and being fondled on his chin with one finger  by his mother, mathraa ekaanguli laalithasya chubuke, protect us.  

     

 

63.utthunga sthana mandalopari lasath

      praalamba mukthaamaNeH

      antharbimbitha indhraneela nikaraH

      ChaayaanukaaridhyutheH

      Lajjaavyaajam upethya namravadhanaa

      Spashtam muraareH vapuh

      Pasyanthee mudhithaa mudhe asthu bhavathaam

      lakshmeeH vivaahothsave

 

May Rukmini , the incarnation of Lakshmi, during the marriage festival,vivaahothsave, enjoyed looking, paSyanthee mudhithaa at the reflection of Krishna, spashtam muraareH vapuh, whose luster was like that of  a heap of sapphire,antharbimbithaindhraneelanikaraH, in the pearls of her long necklace, pralambamukthaamaNeH, on her high bosom, looking down under the pretext of being shy, lajjaavyaajam upethya namravadhanaa give you joy.

 

 

Leelasuka  visualizes the wedding of Krishna with Rukmini now. The form of Krishna is reflected in the long pearl necklace Rukmini was wearing. She bent her head as though with shyness in order to see the reflection and experienced the happiness.

 

64. krshNenaamba gathena ranthum aDhunaa

      mrdhbhakshithaa svecChayaa

      thaThyam krshNa ka evam aaha musalee

      miThyaamba paSyaananam

      vyaadheheethi vidhaarithe Sisumukhe

      dhrshtvaa samastham jagath

      maathaa yasya jagaama vismayapadham

      paayaath sa naH keSavaH

 

“Mother ,amba,  mud was eaten, mrdhbhakshithaa, now, adhunaa, as he liked, svecchayaa, by Krishna who went for play,krshnena ranthum gathena.”

thaThyam krshNa- “Is it true Krishna?”

ka evam aaha-“Who said so?”

musalee-“Balarama.”

miThyaa amba paSya aananam-“It is a lie mother, look into my mouth.”

 

Saying thus , when he opened his mouth, itTham vidhaarithe Sisumukhe,  his mother saw the whole world in there, dhrshtvaa samastham jagath, and was amazed, jagaama vismayapadham. That Kesava may protect us.

 

This sloka  looks like the predecessor of the sloka 61 a explained earlier. Krishna ate mud and Balarama complained about it to yasodha. When she asked him he said it was a lie and opened his mouth where she saw all the worlds and was amazed when he again covered  her with his maya and she forgot the whole thing. Though she saw all the world again she mistook a indigested butter etc.

 

65. svaathee sapathnee kila thaarakaaNaam

      mukthaaphalaanaam jananeethi roshaath

      saa rohiNee neelam asootha rathnam

      krthaaspadham gopavadhookucheshu.

 

The star rohini, out of anger, towards her co-wife, sapathnee roshaath, the star svathi, who was the mother of pearls, mukthaaphalaanaam jananee, and hence gave birth to the blue sapphire, neelam rathnam asootha, that became the adornment of the bosom, krthaaspadham gopavaDhookucheshu. of the gopis.

 

This is a charming poetic fancy. Leelasuka says  rohini , the star under which Krishna was born, chose to be so, out of jealousy for the star svathi which causes pearls to be formed. Leelasuka  says that it is co-wife envy as both are supposed to be the wives of the Moon, who had married the 27 daughters of Dhaksha  who became stars.

 

66.nrthyantham athyantha vilokaneeyam

     krshNam maNisthambha gatham mrgaakshee

     nireekshya saakshaadhiva krshNam agre

     dviDhaa vithene navaneetham ekam

 

Seeing Krishna dancing and also his reflection in the gemstudded pillar which looked real and clear, the deer eyed Yasodha divided one lump of  butter into two thinking there were two Krishnas.

 

Krishna was dancing  , nrthyantham , and he was reflected in the jeweled pillar,maNisthambhagatham, who appeared very clear, athyantha vilokaneeyam. Thinking that it was Krishna in person, krshnam sakshaath iva agre , Yasodha divided the one lump of  butter which she brought for him into two, dhviDhaa vithene navaneetham ekam.

 

67. vathsa jaagrhi vibhaatham aagatham

       jeeva krshna Sardhaam satham Satham

       ithudheerya suchiram yaSodhayaa

       dhrSyamaanavadhanam bajaamahe

 

We worship the face of Krishna seen by Yasodha for a long time,  saying, “child, wake up, it is daybreak, long live KrishNa, for hundred and hundred autumns.”

 

Yasodha was waking up Krishna,and while doing so she was looking at his face for along time with love. She was saying,  “wake up Krishna, It is morning already. “ And seeing him open his eyes, she blesses him saying, “long live Krishna for hundreds of hundreds of autumns, meaning, a very long time. She looks upon him as her child not knowing that He was the  ever existent Supreme Purusha.

 

68. oshTam jighran SiSurithi Dhiyaa chumbitho vallaveebhiH

       kanTam grhNan aruNithapadham gaaDam aalingithaangaH

       dhoshNaa lajjaapadham abhimrsan ankam aaropithaathmaa

       Dhoorthasvaamee harathu dhuritham dhooratho baalakrshNaH

 

ChumbithaH, on being kissed by the gopis vaalaveebhih, considering him as a child, SiSurithi Dhiyaa, he smelled their lower lip, jiGran oshTam, when he was embraced tightly, gaaDam aalingithaH, he grasped the neck, kanTamgrhNan, so that there were red marks left on it, aruNithapadham, and when he was put on the lap, ankam aaropithaathmaa, he touched them in an embarrassing manner, lajja padham abhiSprsan. Such a naughty Lord Krishna may banish our sins to a great distance.

 

Desika says in his Yadhavabhyudhaya in describing Krishna stealing butter ‘thapasvinee thathkrathuneethiraakhyaa savreedam aaraNyakaThaasu thastThou.’ This means,

The thathkrathu nyaya went and hid itself in the stories of the forest out of shame on its failure. Aranyakas are the upanishads which contain this nyaya and hence the word Aranyaka is used as a pun to denote forest, meaning that the nyaya can be found only in the aaraNyakas, or upanishats an not in the world anymore, because contemplating Krishna as bound to the mortar destroys our bondage.

 

The thahkrathu  nyaya is that what one thinks of, so he  becomes. But in the case of the Lord Krishna, this nyaya does not work because when we think of j him as feeding at the breast of Poothana we never lapse back into brestfeeding, that is, never wil be born again, and to think of him as bound removes our bondage . Similarly to think of his amorous activities towards the gopis destroys kaama in our minds.

 

Desika in another place in the same work says, ‘baalam tharuNyaH, tharuNam cha baalaaH, tham anvarajyantha samaanabhaavaah.’ The young girls and the young women looked upon Krishna as of their own age. So this sloka showed that Krishna appeared to everyone in the form they see him in.

 

69.ethe lakshmaNa jaanakeevirahitham

     maam khedhayanthi ambudhaaH

     marmaaNeeva cha ghattayanthi alam amee

     krooraaH kadhambaanilaaH

     itTham vyaahrtha poorvajana charitham

     yo raaDhayaa veekshithaH

     sershyam Sankithayaa cha naH

     sukhayathu svapnaayamaano  hariah

 

May Krishna, who was seen by Radha,raaDhayaa veekshithaH,  with jealousy and suspicion,sershyam Sankithayaa cha , talking in his sleep remembering his previous avathara, vyaahrtha poorvajanma charitham, saying,” Lakshmana, these clouds torment me, ethe khedhayanthi ambudhaaH, who is separated from Sita, jaanakeevirahitham, and these cruel, krooraaH, winds coming through the kadhamba trees, kadhambaanilaaH, attack me enough  in vulnerable places,marmaaNi  ghattayanthi alam” give us comfort.

 

Krishna was sleeping and Radha who came to him saw him talking in his sleep. Presumably remembering his Ramavathara he was telling Lakshman that the clouds give him sorrow instead of joy because he was separated from Seetha and  the breezes , which blow through the kadhamba trees carrying their smell increase his grief of separation. Hearing this, Radha, suspecting  that he was dreaming of some other woman felt jealous. Perhaps it was the exact intention of Krishna as he could not have been imagined sleeping like an ordinary mortal any time.

 

70. oshTam muncha hare bibhemi bhavathaa

      paanairhathaa Poothanaa

      kanTaaSlesham amum jaheehi dhalithou

      aalinganena arjunou

      maa dhehi Churitham hiraNyakaSipuH

      neetho nakhaiH panchathaam

      itTham vaaritha raathrikeliH avathaath

      lakshmyaa apahaasaath hariH

 

May Hari, whose love play in the night, raathri keliH,  was prevented, vaaritha, jokingly, apahaasaath, by Rukmini, saying, “Let go my lips, muncha oshTam, because I am afraid of you, bibhemi, who drank the life of Poothana, paanairhathaa poothanaa with your mouth, . Do not embrace my neck, kanTaaSlesham jaheehi, because you uprooted the twin trees, dhalithou arjunou, with your hands as though embracing them, aalinganena. Do not scratch me with your nails, cChuritham maa dhehi, because these nails have killed Hiranyakasipu, hitanyakasipuH neetho panchathaam nakhaih,” protect us.

 

71.raamo naama babhoova hum thadhabalaa

     seethethi hum thou pithuH

      vaachaa panchavatee thate  viharathaH

      thaam aaharath raavaNaH

      nidhraarTham jananee kaThaam ithi hareH

      humkaarathaH SrnvathaH

      soumithre kva Dhanur Dhanur dhanurithi

      vyagraa giraH paathu naH

 

 Yasodha started telling Krishna a story and Krishna was listening to it by saying ‘hum.’

 

Yasodha-raamonaambabhoova-There was Rama.

 

Krishna-Hum-ok

 

Yasodha- thadh abalaa seethaa ithi-He had awife Seetha.

 

Krishna-Hum-ok

 

Yasodha- thou pithurvaachaa panchavatee thate viharathaH- when they both went to forest at the words of his father and lived in panchavatee,

 

 Krishna-Hum-ok

 

Yasodha-Thaam aaharatah raavanah-Ravana carried her off.

 

 

Krishna said, soumithre kva Dhanur Dhanur dhanurithi

      vyagraa giraH-,  “Lakshmana, wher is my bow? the bow, the bow.”

He became Rama in that instant remembering His former avathara.

 

May He protect us.

 

71.baalopi sailodDharaNaagrapaaniH

     neelopi neeranDhrathamah pradheepaH

     Dheeropi raaDhaa nayanaavabadDho

     Jaaropi samsaaraharaH kuthaH thvam

 

How is it that being a child, you held the  mountain in your hand, though you are of dark hue you shine even in the dense darkness like a brilliant lamp, though valiant, you were bound by the glances of Radha and though engaged in love sport with the gopis you remove the ills of samsara?

 

Leelasuka says that the  outward manifestation of Krishna belies his real nature.

 

baalopi sailodDharaNaagrapaaniH

He looked like a child but surprised every one by holding the Govardhana mountain in his hand. As Periazvar puts it, his fingers holding the mountain for seven days did not suffer in any way. .’kodiyERu senthaamaraikkai viralgaL kolamumazidhila vaadittRila,’ The beauty of his lotus-like fingers remained as such without any sign of fatigue.

 

neelopi neeranDhrathamah pradheepaH

He is of dark complexion yet he shines in the dense darkness like a brilliant lamp, because the hue of his body is like the sapphire, indraneelamani. The ideas of describing the Lord as being dark is that He remains in the dark for those who do not know Him but shines like the Sun to those who has knowledge of His real nature and to His devotees.

 

Dheeropi raaDhaa nayanaavabadDho

He is so valiant as to strike terror in the hearts of asuras. Yet He becomes bound by the glances of Radha, showing that he is bhakthaparaadhena, bound  by devotion.

 

Jaaropi samsaaraharaH kuthaH thvam

He appears to be revelling in the company of gopis as a kamuka, to those who do not understand Him, but He is the saviour of those who get entangled in the net of kamakrodha etc.

 

This sloka implies that Krishna was simply acting a role and not influenced by it, as He himself points out in Gita, ‘thatthvavith thu mahaabaho, guna karmavibhaagayoh, guNaa guNeshu varthantha ithi mathvaa na sajjathe.’ Which means, the one who knows the division of the gunas and its works, do not get attached to them through knowledge that the gunas are doing their functions.

 

73. baalaaya neelavapushe navakinkiNeeka

      jaalaabhiraamajaghanaaya dhigambaraaya

      Saardhoola nakha bhooshaNa bhooshithaaya

      Nandhaathmajaaya navaneethamushe namasthe

 

I bow down to you, the son of Nandha, who is a child,baalaya,  of blue form, neelavapushe, with your beautiful hip, abhiraamajaghana, decorated by string of new bells,navakinkineeka jaala,, who is unclad, dhigambaraaya, and wearing the ornament made of the nails of tiger, Sardhoola dhivya nakha bhooshaNa bhooshithaaya, and the thief of butter, navaneetha mushe.

 

Krishna is described here as a young child, unclad, and wearing ornaments. He steals butter even in that age!

 

74. paNou paayasabhaktham aahrtharasam

      bibhran mudhaa dhakshiNe

      savye Saaradha chandhramandalaanibham

      haiyangaveenam dhaDhath

      kanTe kalpitha pundareeka naKham api

      udDhaama dheepthim vahan

      dhevo dhivya dhigamabaro dhisathu naH

      soukhyam yasodhaa SisuH

 

May the unclad divine child, dhevo dhivya dhigambaraH, of Yasodha who is having  a cup of tasty, ahrtharasam, paayasam, paayasabhaktham, in his right hand with joy,  dhakshiNe mudhaa, in his left hand, savye, having a ball of fresh butter, haiyangaveenam, like the white moon during autumn, Saaradha chandhra mandalanibham in his neck wearing the nail of the tiger as an ornament, kantE  kalpitha pundareekanakham and shining brilliantly with his light, udDhaama dheepthim vahan, give us happiness, soukhyam dhiSathu.

 

Krishna as a young child seen in the last sloka is further described here. He is having a cup of Paayasaanna in his right hand with glee. In his left hand  he is holding butter which is white and fresh resembling the moon in autumn. His chest is adorned with an ornament containing the nail of a tiger. The word pundareeka has a meaning of tiger also, besides lotus.

The word haiyangaveenam means butter taken from the  milk of the previous day, made into curd.

 

75.kinkiNi kiNi kini rabhasaih

   angaNa bhuvi rinKhaNaiH  sadhaa atantham

   kunkuNu kuNupadha yugalam

   kankaNa karabhooshaNam harim vandhe

 

 

I salute, vandhe harim, Krishna, who is continuously moving, sadhaa ratantham, by crawling, rinkHaNaih,  in the courtyard, angaNabhuvi, with his bells, kinkini, sounding ‘kiNi kiNi,’and the anklets on his feet sounding ’ kuNu kuNu,’ kunkuNu kuNu kuNu padhayugalam,and wearing bracelets on his hands, kankaNakarabhooshaNam.

 

Krishna is crawling on the floor in the courtyard and the bells on his waist and the anklets on his feet are sounding sweetly. And he is wearing bracelets and this creates a beautiful picture in continuation of the idea expressed in the foregoing two slokas.

 

76. sambaaDhe surabheeNaam

      ambaam aayaasantham anuyaantheem

      lambaalakam avalambe

      tham baalam thanuvilagnajambaalam

 

I surrender to that boy Krishna, who, going in the midst of cows, with long hair and mud- smeared body is followed by his mother, who wishes to catch him, getting tired in the effort.

 

Krishna as young boy was going among the cows,sambaaDhe surabheeNaam, to the forest. His mother, ambaa, out of love and concern for him always tried to stop him under some pretext or other. So she followed him, anuyaanthee, to catch him giving some reason for doing so, but he was going fast and she got tired,  following him.

Leeala suka says that Krishna tired her out, aayaasantha, by going fast so that she could not catch him. His hair was hanging low, lambaalaka,  and his body was covered with mud, thanuvilagna jambaala.

 

 

 

This idea of Yasodha unwilling to let Krishna go with the cows is portrayed by Periazvar in ten pasurams describing the anguish of Yasodha who regrets for having allowed Krishna to go to the forest to tend the cows instead of letting him play in the house eating butter etc.

 

77. anchitha picchaa choodam

      sanchitha soujanya vallaveevalayam

      aDharamaNi nihitha veNum

      baalam gopaalam anisam avalambe

 

I continuously meditate on the boy Krishna, who is adorned with peacock feather on his crown, who is surrounded by loving gopis and who places the flute on his gem-like lower lip.

 

 

The scene now changes to portray Krishna , the flute player. He has peacock feather on his crown,anchitha picchaachoodam, surrounded by the friendly  gopis, sanchitha soujanya vallavee valayam,  who have assembled to hear him play the flute which he places on his lower lip, aDharamaNi nihitha veNum, that looks like a gem.

 

 

78. prahlaadha bhaagaDheyam

      nigama mahadhreH guhaanthara aDheyam

      naraharipadhaabhiDheyam

      vibuDha viDheyam mama anusanDheyam

 

That which is the embodiment of the merit earned by Prahaladha, which resides in the cave of the mountain called Vedas, known as Narasimha, compliant to the devas, is my object of meditation.

 

Leelasuka meditates on Krishna as Nrsimha in this unique sloka. Nrsimha avathara was the result of the merit, (puNya),  of Prahlaadha, prahlaadha bhaagaDheya.. A lion always resides inside a guha, cave. For this man-lion the residing guha, guhaanthara aadheyaa is in the mountain called Vedas, nigama mahaadhri. The Lord (Brahman) is known through the Vedas which are the mountain containing the cave. It is guhya or secret because just by learning the Vedas one cannot understand Brahman but only through contemplation. So it is guhya. The guha here is the heart. He is known as Narahari, naraharipadhaabhiDheya,. He is referred to as vibiDhaviDheyam as he took the form of a man-lion to comply with all the requirements to kill Hiranyakasipu.

 

79.samsaare kim saaram

    kamsareh charaNa kamala paribhajanam

    jyothiH kim anDhakaare

    yath anDhakaareH anusmaranam

 

What is the essence of samsara.? The contemplation on the lotus feet of Krishna, the destroyer of Kamsa. What is light in darkness? The meditation on Siva, the enemy of Yama.

 

Leelas suka was basically from saivite family which he himself mentioned in sloka 24. So here he extols both Krishna and Siva. The alliteration in samsaare- kim saaram- kamsareH , and the use eof anDhakaara in two meanings shows the poetic skill of Leelasuka.AnDhakaara means darkness and when split as anDaka+areH means ‘of the enemy of anDhaka , yama.

 

80.kalaSanavaneetha chore

     kamalaadhrk kumudha chandhrikaapoore

     viharathu nandhakumaare

     chetho mama gopasundhari jaare

 

May my mind revel in the son of nandha,Nandhakumaare,  who, stole the butter from the pot, kalaSanavaneethachore, who was like the full moon, chandhrikaapoore, to the lilies, kumudha, of the eyes of Lakshmi, kamalaadhrk,  and who was the paramour of the gopis, gopasundharijaare.

 

81.kasthvam baala balaanujaH

     kim iha the manmandhiraaSankayaa

     yuktham thath navaneethapaathravivare

     hastham kimarTham nyaseH

     maathaH kanchana vathsakam mrgayithum

     maa gaa vishaadham kshaNaath

     ithyevam varavallavee prathivachaH

     krshNasya pushNaathu nah

 

May that Krishna, whose reply  to a splendid gopi, was as follows, protect us.

 

kaH thavam baala- Child who are you?

balaanujaH- the younger brother of balarama.

Kim iha the?-what do you want here?

Manmandhiraasankayaa- thought this is my house.

Yuktham thath-that is alright , but,

 

kimarTham-why did you

hastham nyaseH-put your hand

Navaneethapaathravevare- in the pot of butter?

maathaH-mother,

mrgayithum-it is to search for

kaschana vathsakam-some calf

maa vishaadham kshaNaath- do not get upset now..

 

Krishna was found with his hand in the pot of butter in a house of a gopi who questioned him and he said he came there thinking it was his house and  put his hand inside the pot to search for a calf which was missing. This is the delightful navaneethachora referred to by Leelasuka in the previous sloka.

 

82. gopaala ajira kardhame viharase

      vipraaDhvare lajjase

      brooshe gokulahumkrthaiH sthuthisathaiH

      mounam viDhathse chidhaam

      dhaasyam gokulapumschaleeshu kurushe

      svaamyam na dhaanthaathmasu

      jnaatham krshNa thavaanghripankajayugam

      premNaachalam manjulam

 

Krishna , you play in the mire in the yard, ajirakardhame, of the cowherds, but shy away from the sacrifices lajjase vipraadhvare, performed by the priests. You converse with the cows hearing their humkara, brooshe gokulahumkrthaiH, but keep silent when you hear the learned praising you, chidhaam sthuthi sathaiH mounam viDhatthe. You serve the fickle-minded gopis, dhaasyam gokulapumschaleeshu kurushe, but do not wish to be the Lord of the self-controlled sages, swaamyam na dhaanthaathmasu..From this it is known, jnaatham, that your lotus feet, thavaanGhripankajayugam, can only be secured, premNaa achalam by love.

Oothukkaadu venkatakavi says this beautifully in one of his compositions.

‘maraimunivOr seyyum maathavam enRaalum

maadhavan seivadhum adame

aanaal mandhai paSuvOdu kanRinam Soozndhaalum

mannanukku iruppidamE.’

 

It means, Krishna  is adament towards the sages who do penance to see Him but wherever there are cows and calves,  Krishna is found there.

 

 

83.Namsthasmai yasodhaayaah

 dhaayaadhaaya asthu thejase

 yadhhi raaDhaamukhaambojam

 bhojam bhojam vyavarDhatha

 

Salutations to that light, thejase, which is the son, dhaayaadha, of Yasodha,  and which grew, vivarDhatha, by looking and enjoying, bhojam bhojam, the lotus-face, mukhaambhojam, of Radha.

 

 

84.avathaaraaH santhu anye

     sarasijanayanasya sarvatho bhadhraaH

     krshNaadhanyaH ko vaa prabhavathi

     go gopa gopikaa mukthyai

 

There are other incarnations of the Lotus-eyed Lord all being auspicious. But except the krishnavathara no other incarnation was able to  give moksha to cows ,cowherds and  cowherd maidens.

 

Leelasuka is reiterating the idea expressed in the sloka 82 here. Krishna is not only attained by love alone but also gives the devotee the highest fruit of devotion ,that is, salvation. The cowherds and their womenfolk attained mukthi by sheer love for Krishna. Leelasuka says that even the cows attained salvation thus.

 

There is a story related by upnyasakas about the cowherd Dhadhibaanda who attained moksha by demand. Once Krishna came to his house to hide from the gopi pursuing him for stealing butter. Krishna hid himself in one of the empty curd pots and asked Dhadhibaanda not to reveal his presence. When the gopi came Dhadhibaanda was sitting on the pot where Krishna was and hence  she never looked into it. After she had gone Krishna called out to Dhadhibaanda to let him out but  he refused saying that he would not get up unless Krishna b gave him moksha. Krishna said that he would give moksha not only to Dhadhibaanda  but also to all the curdpots in his house as well! Such is the glory of Krishnavathara!

 

85. maDhye gokulamandalam prathidhiSam

      cha ambaaravojjrmbhithe

      praathardhoha mahothsave navaghana

      Syaamam raNannoopuram

      Phaale baalavibhooshaNam katiraNath

      sathkinkiNeemekhalam

      kaNte vyaaghranakham cha SaiSavakalaa

      kalyaaNakaarthsnyam bhaje

 

I worship the  form of Krishna, dark like fresh cloud, which displays the complete beauty of childhood, with his forehead adorned with jewel, his anklets sounding, his waist being decorated with a girdle of sounding bells, wearing on his neck the nail of a tiger, surrounded by the cows with their calves calling them at the time of milking in the morning.

 

Krishna goes to milk the cows in the morning, praathardhihamahothsava,. The calves which are taken to be fed with the milk of the cows are calling, ambaa rava ujjrmbhithe, their mothers. Krishna in the midst of the cows, maDhye gokulamandalam, appears beautiful, dark as a fresh cloud , navaghanashyaamam,adorned with ornaments on his body. He is wearing anklets which make sound, raNannoopuram and so does his girdle on his waist fitted with small bells, katiraNathsathkinkiNeemekhalam. His forehead is adorned with a jewel, phaale baalavibhoosaNam, and he is wearing the nail of tiger around his neck,kanTe vyaaghranakham. He looks like a perfect picture of childish beauty, SaisavakalaakalyaaNakaarthsnyam.

 

 

 

 

86. sajalajaladhaneelam dharSithodhaara leelam

      karathalaDhrthaSailam  veNunaadhairasaalam

      vrajajanakulapaalam kaamineekelilolam

      kalitha lalitha maalam noumi gopaalabaalam

 

I worship the young cowherd, gopaalabaalam,who, is dark like the rainbearing cloud, sajalajaladhaneelam, who displayed his wonderful leela,dharSithodhaaraleelam, who held the mountain in his hand, karathalaDhrthaSailam, who oozed out the sweet juice of his music from the flute,veNunaadhairasaalam, who was the protector of the clan of cowherds,vrajajanakulapaalam, who revelled in playing with the gopis, kamineekelilolam, and who was wearing beautiful garland, kalithalalithamaalam.

 

The alliteration in  this sloka  and the next is beautiful.The three slokas starting with this one end with the refrain noumi gopaalabaalam, “I worship the young cowherd.”

 

87. smithalalithakapolam snigDhasangeethalolam

       lalitha chikurajaalam chourya chaathuryaleelam

       Sathamakharipukaalam Saathakumbhaabhachelam

       kuvalayadhalaneelam noumi gopaalabaalam

 

I worship the young cowherd, who has tender smiling cheek,smitha lalitha kapolam, revels in sweet music,snigDhsangeethalolam, has graceful locks of hair,lalithachikurajaalam, who plays a charming and clever thief, chouryachaathuryaleelam, who is like death to the enemies of Indra, Sathamakharipukaalam, who wears a garment shining like gold , Saathakumbhaabhachelam and who is of hue like blue lily, kuvalayadhalaneelam.

 

 

88. muralininadhalolam mugDha maayoorachoodam

      dhalithadhanujajaalam Dhanyasoujanya leelam

      parahithanavahelam padhmasadhmaanukoolam

      navajalaDharaneelam noumi gopaalabaalam

 

I worship the young cowherd, who revels in the sound of the flute, wears pretty peacock feather on his crown, who shatters the hosts of asuras, who is friendly to fortunate devotees, who plays afresh to do good to others, who is beneficial to Brahma and who is dark  like a fresh rainbearing cloud.

 

Krishna loves to play on the flute, muralininadhalolam, and he is adorned with pretty peacock feather on his head, mugDha maayoora choodam.. His hue is of a fresh rain bearing cloud, navajaladharaneelam. He destroys the crowds of asuras, dhalitha dhanuja jalam. Yet he is  a friend to those who have the merit earned in their past  lives Dhanyasoujanya leelam,  and have become his devotees.  He always does new leelas to do good to others, parahithanavahelam.. This is proved by his actions through out his incarnation as Krishna and also in other incarnations. This includes Brahma who abides in a lotus, padhmasadhma. The Lord had to take different incarnations to prove true the words of Brahma when he gave different and difficult boons to the asuras. Also the Lord had to instruct Brahma in creation by teaching him the Vedas.

 

89. sarasaguna nikaayam sacchidhaanandha kaayam

       Samitha sakalamaayam sathyalakshmeesahaayam

       Samadhamasamudhaayam Saantha sarvaantharaayam

       Suhrdhayajanadhaayam noumi gopaalaraayam

 

I worship Krishna, the king of cowherds, noumi gopaalaraayam, who is the abode of pleasing attributes,sarasaguNanikaayam, the embodiment of sath-chith and anandha, sacchidhaanandha kaayam, who has maya under his control, Samitha sakalamaayam, who helps those who have truth as their wealth, sathyalakshmeesahaayam,  who is the meeting place of inner and outer control, Samadhamasamudhaayam, in whom one finds the end of all troubles, Saantha sarvaantharaayam, and who is the wealth of pure-hearted,       Suhrdhayajanadhaayam.

 

In this sloka Leelasuka riverts back to the identity of Krishna as the Brahman of the upanishats as made out in the early slokas of the Asvaasa.

 

 Brahman in bhakthi yoga is the Lord who has infinitely auspicious qualities and the counter-correlate of all imperfections  as defined by Ramanuja in Sribhashya, his commentary on Brahmasuthra.

 

BrahmasabdhEnacha svabhAvathah nirasthanikhiladhoshah anavadhika athisaya asankhyEya kalyANagunaganah Purushotthamah abhidheeyathE

 

Brahman is defined in the upanishats  as sat-chit-anandha, existence- knowledge and bliss. ‘sathyam jnaanam anantham Brahma,’ ‘aanandham brahma ithi vijaaneeyaath.’

 

The Lord has maya under his control. Krishna has said this Himself in the Gita,

 eesvarassasrvahoothaanaam hrddheSe arjuna thishTathi

 bhraamayan sarvabhoothaani yanthraarooDaani maayayaa (BG-18.61)

 The Lord abides in the heart of all beings, spinning them round and round, mounted on a wheel as it were , by His power.

 

He aids the progress of those who have truth as their wealth.

 

Sama is the control of mind and dhama is that of senses. The Lord is the meeting point of both as only by sama and dhama He could be attained.

 

 He is the place where all the obstacles on the spriritual path cease.

 

The upanishat says,

 

Bhidhyathe hrdhaya granthih Chidhyanthe sarva samsayaaH

Ksheeyanthe asuya karmaaNi thasmin dhrshte paraavare

 

On realizing Brahman the knots of his heart are loosened, his doubts dispelled and his karma exhausted.

 

 

As such He is the rightful property of those with pure heart.

 

 

90.lakshmeekalathram lalithaabjanethram

      poornendhuvakthram puruhoothamithram

     karuNyapaathram kamaneeya gaathram

      vandhe pavithram vasudhevaputhram

 

I bow down to Krishna, the son of vasudeva, who has Lakshmi as his consort, lakshmeekalathram, whose eyes are like beautiful lotus, lalithaabjanethram, face like full moon,      poornendhuvakthram of attractive form, kamaneeya gaathram, who is the friend of Indra, puruhoothamithram,  and who is the receptacle of mercy, kaaruNyapaathram, and pure, pavithram. This is a sloka of lilting metre.

 

91.madhamayam adhamayadhuragam

     yamunaamavatheerya veeryaSaalee yaH

     mamarathim amarathiraskrthiSamana

     paraH sa kriyaath krshNaH

 

May Krishna who entered into the river Yamuna and tamed the arrogant serpent and who is intent on redressing the insult to the devas fulfil my wish.

 

As the prvious sloka had the lilting laya, this one has beauty of alliteration when the words are pronounced without splitting.

 

Leelasuka describes Krishna doing the kaliyamardhana. He entered in to the river Yamuna, yamunaamavatheerya, and jumping on the hoods of the five-headed serpent Kaliya danced on them  and quelled the pride of Kaliya, madhamayam uragam adhamayath. Also Leelasuka refers to Krishna as the one who is always intent on redressing the insult done to the devas, amarathiraskrthaSamanaparaH, by the asuras.

 

92. moulou maayoorabarham mrgamadha

      thilakam charu lalaatapatte

       karnadhvandhve cha thaaleedhalam

       athimrdhulam moukthikam naasikaayaam

       haaro mandhaaramaalaa parimalabharithe

       kousthubhasayopakanTe

        paNou veNuscha yasya vrajayuvathiyuthaH

        paathu peethaambaro naH

 

Peacock feather on his head moulou maayoorabarham,  the mark of kasthuri mrgamadha thilakam, on his forehead, chaaru lalaatapatte. On his ears karnadhvandhve soft leaves , thaaleedhalam athimrdhulam on his nose, a pearl, moukthikam naasikaayaam. a garland of fragrant mandhara flowers, haaro mandhaaramaalaa parimalabharithe, on his neck, near the kousthubha jewel, kousthubhasayopakanTe the flute in his hand,        paNou veNuscha, with gopis around him, vrajayuvathiyuthaH , the yellowsilk-clad Krishna , peethaambaraH, may protect us.

 

93. muraariNaa vaarivihaarakaale

      mrgekshaNaanaam mushithaamSukaanaam

      karadhvayam vaa kachasamhathirvaa

      prameelanam vaa pariDhaanam aaseeth

 

For the deer-eyed damsels during their water sport,vaarivihaarakale, when their garments were taken away, muraariNaa mushithaamSukaanaam, by Krishna, their hands,karadhvayam vaa, or their tresses, kachasamhathih vaa or closed eyes ,prameelanam vaa .  replaced their clothes.

 

When Krishna took away the clothes from the bank of yamuna when the young girls of Gokula were playing in the water, they tried to cover themselves with their hands or with their tresses or simply shut their eyes to hide their shame. This sloka describes the episode of gopivasthraapaharaNa.

 

It is interesting here to see how Desika explains this leela of Krishna in his Gopalavimsathi.

 

vAso hrthvA dhinakarasuthA sanniDHou vallaveenAm

leelAsmErO jayathi lalithAm AsThithah kundhaSAkhAm

savreedAsthadhanu vasanE thAbhirabhyarThamAnE

kAmee kaschith karakamalayOh anjalim yAchamAnah

(Gopalavimsati-20)

 

The wonderful lover of all, wins (all hearts), he who robbed the gopis of their clothes on the bank of Yamuna and ascended the  graceful branch of the kundha  tree and with a playful smile demanded that they should entreat Him with folded hands when they asked for their clothes bashfully.

This has reference to the Pavainonbu undertaken in the month of Margasira. Bhagavatham mentions it that the girls in Nanda's village observed the vratha propitiating Devi kAthyaAyani for the welfare of all , individually for their union with the Lord.

 

hemanthe prathamE mAsi  nandavraja kumArikah

chEruh havishyam bhunjAnAh kAthyAyanyarchanavratham

(Bh.skandha10-22.1)

 

The commentators explain this episode as follows. Leaving the clothes on the shore means leaving our vasanas and enter into the river of Krishnanubhava. The Lord  is Mukundha , one who gives moksha, hence shredding the body consciousness  and approaching with pure heart secures moksha.He laughed at them when they tried to cover themselves as though saying “I am the inner self of all and hence what are you trying to hide from Me.”

 

94.yaasaam gopaanganaanaam lasath

    asithathara aalola leelaakataakshaaH

    yannasaa chaaru mukthaamaNi

    ruchinikara vyomagangaa Pravaahe

   meenaayanthe api thaasaam athirabhasa

   chalath chaaru neelaalakaanthaaH

   bhrngaayanthe yadhanghridhvaya

   saraseeruhe paathu peethaambaro nah

 

 

May Krishna, who is wearing the yellow silk garment, peethaambaraH, to whose lotus feet, anghridhvaya saraseeruhe, the charming curls moving excitingly, athirabhasachalath chaaru neelaalakaanthaaH,   on the forehead of the gopis are the bees, bhrngaayanthe, and in whose lustre emitted by His pearl nose ornament, naasaachaaru mukthaamaNi ruchinikara, which flows like the Ganges in heaven, vyomagangaa, the darkest  glances  of gopis,  which shine and fickle lasath asithathara aalola leelaakataakshaaH ,  move like  the fish ,meenaayanthe, protect us.

 

This sloka displays a beautiful poetic fancy.The glances of gopis are imagined as the fish that move foeever in the Ganges, which is the light emitted by the  pearl worn by Krishna on his nose. The dark curls on the forehead of the gopis are visualised as the bees that hover around the lotuses, the feet of Krishna.

 

95. dhevakyaa jaTaraakare samudhithaH

      kreetho gavaam paalinaa

      nandhena aanaka dhundhubheH

      nijasuthaapaNyene puNyaathmanaa

      gopaalaavali mugDhahaaratharalaH

      gopeejanaalankrthiH

      sTheyaath naH  hrdhi santhatham

      sumaDhuraH kopi indhraneelo maNiH

 

Let the sapphire ,beautiful and matchless,  born in the mine of the womb of Devaki, bought by the  blessed, puNyaathmanaa, cowherd Nandha from Vasudeva, paying the price of his own daughter, which formed the central gem of the pearl necklace, namely the group of cowherds and the ornament of the gopis, stay in our heart.

 

Krishna is described as a blue sapphire.indhraneelaH maNiH The mines from which this precious gem came was the womb of Devaki, dhevaakyaaH jaTara aakare . Vasudeva has given Krishna in exchange for the daughter of Nandha, which the poet explains as the gem being bought by Nandha, kreethaH gavaam pathinaa, from Vasudeva, aanakadhundhubheH, giving his daughter as the price, nijasuthaapaNyena. The gem was made as the central pendant of the pearl necklace consisting  of the cowherds, gopaala aavali mugDha haara tharalaH. It also became  the ornament of the gopis, gopeejanaalamkrthiH. May this delightful gem decorate our hearts always,sTheyaath naH hrdhi santhatham, says, Leelasuka.

 

96. peeTe peeTa nishannabaalakagale

      thishTan sa gopaalakaH

      yanthraanthasThitha dugdhabhaandam

      apakrshya aacchaadhya ghantaaravam

      vakthropaantha krthaanjaliH

      krthaSiraHkampam piban yaH payaH

      paryaath aagathagopikaanayanayoH

      gandooshaphoothkaarakrth

 

May Krishna, who, standing on the shoulder of the boy who was sitting on the stand on the plank, pulled the milk pot from inside the  contraption that held it and silencing the bells attached to it and was drinking the milk with cupped hands, shaking his head and who spat the mouthful on the eyes of the gopi who came there, protect us.

 

Krishna was drinking milk from a pot in the house of a gopi. The pot was placed in a high contraption, yanthraanthasThithaH, used to store milk,curd etc. Krishna put a plank and a seat on it and made a boty sit crouched on it,  and climbed on his shoulders, peeTe peeTa nishannabaalakagale, to reach the pot. In order to silence the bells that were tied to it he stopped them,aacchaadhya ghantaaravam from ringing. He pulled the pot, apakrshya, near his mouth and was drinking the milk with his cupped hands, vakthropaantha krthaanjalih,  shaking his head with delight, krthaSirahkampam, when the gopi came in. Before she could do anything Krishna spat the mouthful of milk on her eyes, aagatha gopikaanayanayoH gandooshphoothkaarakrth, and escaped while she was wiping her eyes.

 

A delightful sloka on the balaleela of Krishna. This brings to mind another story often quoted by the pouranikas. Krishna once entreated the bells tied to the curd pots not to ring while he was drinking the curd. The bells agreed. But the moment  started to eat the curd, all of them started ringing. Then Krishna asked them the reason for betraying his trust in them and they all replied that when the food is being offered to the Lord it is customary to ring the bells!

 

97.yajnaireejimahe Dhanam dhadhimahe

    paathreshu noonam vayam

    vrdDhaan bhejimahe thapaschakrumahe

    janmaanthare dhuScharam

    yena asmaakam abhooth ananyasulabhaa

    bhakthih bhavadhveshiNee

    chaaNoordhvishi bhaktha kalmashamushi

    SreyaHpushi Sreejushi

 

We had worshipped the Lord by performing sacrifices,yajnaiH eejeemahe,  given away money to the deserving, Dhanam dhadhimahe paathreshu vayam, served the elders, vrdDhaan bhejimahe,  and done severe penance, dhuscharam thapas chakrumahe, in our past lives for sure,janmaanthre noonam by which we have acquired devotion, bhakthiH asmaakam abhooth,  that destroys the samsara, bhavadhveshiNee, and is the most  difficult to attain, ananya sulabhaa, towards Krishna, who was the foe of ChaaNoora,chaaNorradhvishi, who removes the sins of the devotees , bhakthakalmashamushi,and makes the prosperity grow, SreyaHpushi, and is the abode of all auspiciousness, sreejushi.

 

 

Leelasuka says that to have devotion towards Krishns is the result of merit accumulated in our past lives.We must have surely done  nothin but good deeds in past lives like yajna, dhaana, thapas and seva to acquire the attitude of devotion to Krishna, which is not easy to attain as Krishna Himself says in the Gita,’bahoonaam janmanaam anthe jnaanavaan maam prapadhyathe ; vaasudevassarvam ithi sa mahaathmaa sudhurlabhaH.’ (BG-8.19), meaning, “a man of wisdom attains Me alter several lives. The great soul who considers that Vasudeva is everything is rare indeed.”

 

98.thvayi prasanne mamakim guNena

     thvayyaprasanne mamakim guNena

     rakthe virakthe cha vare vaDhoonaam

     nirarThakaH kumkuma pathra bhangaH

 

When You are pleased with me, thvayi prasanne,  where is the need of my good qualities, mama kim guNena. If You are not, thvayi aprasanne , what is the use of having good qualities, mama kim guNena? When  a  woman has the love of her husband, vaDhoonaam vare rakthe,  there is no need to decorate herself with kumkum, leaves or flowers, nirarThakaH kumkumapathrabhangaH, and if it is not there, virakthe,  then also there is no meaning  for all that.

 

Leelasuka says here that however we accumulate merit and follow the virtuous path , the Lord must be pleased with it , which will happen only through our ananyabhakthi.Otherwise all these measures are of no use. He cites an example that when  woman has the love of her husband she does not have to take the trouble of decorating herself to please him. On the other hand if the love is not there no amount of effort to make her attractive will fetch result.

 

This reflects the idea ecxpressed in the upanishat ‘naayamaathmaa pravachanena labhyaH na meDhayaa na bahunaa Sruthena; yamevaisha vrNuthe thena labhyaH,’ meaning, Brahman  cannot be known through study, nor intellect nor by hearing about it but can be attained only by those whom He chooses. ‘ The same idea Krishna says in Gita , ‘naaham vedhaih na thapasaa na dhaanena na cha ijyayaa,-----bhakthyathu ananyayaa sakyaH.’ Meaning, “ I cannot be known through study of the vedas, nor by penance nor by giving away gifts nor by performing sacrifices. I am not attainable except by bhakthi.”

 

99. gaayanthi kshaNadhaavsaanasamaye

      saanandham indhuprabhaa

      runDhanthyo nijadhanthakaanthinivahaiH

      gopaanganaaH gokule

      maThnanthyo dhaDhipaaNikankaNa

      jhaNathkaaraanukaaram javaath

      vyaavalgath vasanaanchalaa yam aniSam

      peethaambaro avyaath sa naH

 

 

May Krishna who wears the yellow silk garment, on whom the gopis of Gokula sing gleefully  in the early morning, their teeth outshining the moon by their whiteness, indhuprabhaarunDhanthya nijadhantha kaanthi nivahaiH, the end of their garments swiftly swirling keeping time with the jingling of their bracelets while churning the curd, protect us.

 

The gopis  get up early in the morning, kshaNaavasaane, and start churning the curd for butter. Andal refers to this in Thiruppavai as ‘kaaSum pirappum kalakalppa kaipertthu vaasa narunguzal aaycchiyar matthinaal oSaippaduttha thayiraravam kEttilaiyo,’ meaning, “Do you not hear the sound of the neck ornament of the gopis, who have started churning milk and the sound of the curd being churned,”  to indicate that the day has dawned.

 

When they are churning, maThnanthyah, they sing joyfully, saanandham gaayanthi, about the exploits of Krishna. The end of their garments swirl swiftly, vyaavalgath vasanaanchalaaH javaath, with the motion of the churning rod and their bracelsts are making jingling sound. The movement of the clothes and the bracelets are keeping the same time-beat, paaNikankaNa jhaNath kaaraanukaaram, says Leelasuka.

 

100.amsaalambithavaamakundalabharam

      mandhonnathabhroolatham

      kimchith kunchithakomalaaDharaputam

      saachiprasaarekshaNam

      aalolaangulipallavaiH muralikaam

      aapoorayantham mudhaa

      moole kalpatharoH thribhangilalaitham

      jaane jaganmohanam

 

I comprehend Krishna , the enchanter of the three worlds, who is playing the flute under the kalpakatree, with his body bent gracefully  in three places, letting out music with his fingers moving rapidly,with his lower lip pouched a little,his eyebrows slightly raised,with slanted and moving eyes, with the  ornament on his right ear hanging down and touching his shoulder.

 

This is a beautiful picture of Krishna playing the flute. He is standing under the kalpaka tree, moole kalpatharoH,  His body is bent in three places,thribhangilalitham,  in a graceful posture. His head is inclined towards left, and the  kundala on his left ear is hanging down and touching his shoulder, amsalambithavaamakundalabharam. His pretty lower lip, komalaaDhraputam, is pouted a little, kimchith kunchitham, when he is sending out notes through the holes of the flute joyfully, aapoorayantham muralikaam mudhaa, by moving his sprout-like fingers, aalolaangulipallavaiH.. His eyebrow is slightly raised, mandhaonnathabhroolatham, and his eyes are slanted and moving, saacheeprasaarekshaNam.

 

This brings to mind the pasuram of Pariezvar, the second of the ten  beautiful pasurams describing Krishna playing the flute.

‘ idavaNarai idatthOLodu Saaytthu

 iru kai kooda puruvam neRindhE Ra

 kudavayiRu pada vaay kadai kooda

 govindhan kuzal kondoodhiya pOdhu ‘

 

Bending his face and shoulders to the left, two hands together with his brow raised,his stomach expanded like a pot and with pouted mouth when Govinda played the flute-----

 

101. mallaiH sailendhrakalpaH SiSuH itharajanaiH

         pushpachaapo anganaabhiH

      gopaiH thu praakrthaathmaa dhivi kuliSabhrthaa

      viSvakaayo aprameyaH

      krudDhaH kamsens kaalaH bhayachakithadhrSaa

      yogibhiH DhyeyemoorthiH

      dhrshto rangaavathaare hariH amarakaNaan

      anthakrth paathu yushmaan

 

May Hari, who appeared like a mountain to the wrestlers when he entered the wrestling ring, as a child to others, as the god of love to the women, as an ordinary mortal to the cowherds, as the supreme Lord who has the whole universe as His body to Indhra in heaven, as the angry god of death to Kamsa who was shaking with fear and as the object of meditation to the yogis and cause of joy to the devas, protect us.

 

 Krishna was viewed differently by different people according to their mental attitudes. To the wrsetlers Mushtika and Chanoora, who were appointed by kamsa to kill him and Balarama, he was formidable like a mountain,mallaiH SailendhrakalpaH. To the people watching the fight, he was a child, SiSuH itharajanaiH, which made them anxious for his safety.  The women who were looking at him, his beauty made them think that he must be the god of love,pushpachaapo anganaabhiH, ManmaTha. The cowherds who came with him considered him as one of them, praakrthaathmaa, an ordinary mortal. The devas and Indra, kuliSabhrthaa, who were looking forward to the destruction of Kamsa by Krishna , knew that He was the supreme Lord who is the self of all sentient and insentient beings which form His sarira,viSvakaayo aprameyaH.  and thus he was the cause of joy, amaragaNaanandhakrth, for the devas. To Kamsa himself who was looking at him  with fear, bhayachakithadhrsaa Krishna appeared as the god of death, krudDhaH kaalaH, Yama,  who is advancing with anger towards him. To the sages He was the Brahman whom they meditated on, yogibhiH DhyeyamoorthiH, for salvation.

 

The Lord appears to all beings as they fancy, both devotees and others alike.

 

102. sanDhyaavandhana badhram asthu bhavathe

         bho snaana thubhyam namaH

         bho dhevaaH pitharscha dharpaNavidhou

         naaham kshamaH kshamyathaam

         yathra kvaapi nisheedhya Yaadhavakula

         utthamsasya kamsadhvishah

         smaaram smaaram agham haraami thath

         alam manye kim anyena me

 

 

Sandhyavandhana, may you be blessed, salutations to you, the ritual of taking bath, snaana.. Oh devas and pitrs, I am not able, naaham kshamaH, to do dharpana etc. Please forgive me, kshamyathaam. I am going to sit somewhere , kvaapi nisheedhya,and contemplate again and again, smaaram smaaram, on  Krishna , the head  jewel of the clan of yadhavas, yaadhavakulotthamsam, and the enemy of Kamsa, kamsadhvishaH, and destroy my sins, agham haraami. I think that it is sufficient, thath alam manye and why do I need, kim anyena me, any other means of salvation?

 

This sloka extols the supremacy of parapatthi over everything else.  By surrendering oneself to the :Lord  we have no need for any other means to attain Him. As He Himself has said ‘.sarvadharmaan parithyajya  maam ekam SaraNam vraja; aham thvaam sarvapaapebhyaH mokshayishyaami.’ “Give up all the auterities and surrender to Me and I will release you from all sins” This is the import of the sloka. By offering all his thoughts, words and deed , whatever such a person does, says or thinks becomes His worship.

 

 

 

 

103. kasthoorithilakam lalaata phalake

        vakshasThale kousthubham

      naasaagre navamoukthikam

      karathale veNum kare kankanam

      sarvaange harichandhanam cha kalayan

      kanTe cha mukthaavaliH

      gopasthree pariveshtitho vijayathe

      gopaala choodaamaNiH

 

The jewel of cowherds is victorious with e mark of kasthuri, kasthoorithilakam, on his broad forehead,lalaataphalake, the kousthubhamani on his chest, vakshasThale kousthubham, the pearl on his nose, naasaagre navamoukthikam, the flute in his hands, karathale veNum, the bracelet on his arm,kare kankaNam, smeared all over with sandalpaste, sarvaange harichandhanamcha kalayan, the pearl necklace round his neck, kanTe cha mukthaavaliH, and surrounded by the gopis, gopasthreepariveshtitho.

 

This sloka is more or less similar to the sloka 92  in meaning and it makes one wonder whether one of the two is an interpolation. This is a well known sloka though it is not sure whether it was attributed to Leelasuka. In this Asvasa there  are a few slokas which are either atttrrbuted to others or not in-keeping with the aesthetic charm of the calbre of Leelasuka. For instance we find the sloka ‘he gopalaka he krpaajalnidhe ,’ which is obviously the composition of Kulasekhara in his Mukundamala. Such slokas I have not included in my writings.

 

 

104.lokaan unmadhayan Srutheen mukharayan

       kshoNeeruhaan harshayan

       Sailaan vidhravayan mrgaan vivaSayan

       Gobrndham aanandhayan

        Gopaan sambhramayan muneen mukulayan

        Sapthasvaraan jrmbhayan

        omkaaraarTham udheerayan vijayathe

        vamSee ninaadhaH SisoH

 

The sound of music from the flute of the child Krishna, vamSeeninaadhaH SiSoH, is triumphant, vijayathe, while it enchants all the worlds, lokaan unmadhayan, resonant with the vedas, Srutheen mukharayan, exhilarating the trees,ksoNeeruhaan harshayan, melting the mountains, Sailaan vidhraavayan, attracting the animals, mrgaan vivaSayan,  giving joy to the cows, gobrndham aanandhayan, amazing the cowherds, gopaan sambhramayan, immersing the sages in meditation, muneen mukulayan, spreadng the seven notes everywhere, sapthasvaraan jrmbhayan, and  expounding the meaning of praNava, omkaaraarTham udheerayan.

 

The music from the flute was sabdhabrahmaamrtham as Narayana Bhattadhri calls it in kesaadhipaadhaantha sthorthram , the last sarga of Narayaneeyam.This is what is the meaning of the word Srutheen mukharayan in the above sloka. In Krishnavathara , from the moment Krishna started uttering syllables as a child till the Geethopadhesa every sound that was associated with him was that of the vedas., including the sound made by the cows in Brindavan, as Desika puts it in his Yadhavabhyudhaya.As the wellknown sloka says ‘SiSurvetthi paSurvetthi vetthi gaanarasam phaNee,’( the taste of music is known to an infant, an animal and a serpent), music  by itself is capable of elevating the soul of all beings. Is there anything surprising when it comes from the Lord Himself? It is the veda itself and the exposition of Omkaara as leelasuka puts it.

Periazvar describes this vividly in the ten pasurams about the venugana of Krishna as ‘marundu maan kanangal meygai marandhu meyndhapullum kadaivaai vazi sOra, the deer enchanted by the venugana, mrgaan vivasayan as Leelasuka puts it, forgot even to chew the grass they grazed which fell from their mouths and they stood like the picture in a painting.’ Ezudhu chitthirangal pOla ninranavE’ Even the trees were exhilarated, kshoNeeruhaan harshayan, says Leelasuka, which Periazvar expresses as ‘marangaL ninRu madhuthaaraigL paayum, malargaL veezum malarkombugaL thaazum,irangum koombum thirumaal ninRa pakkam nOkkiyavai seyyum guNamE.’ The trees shower honey, and the flowers fall from the branches,which bend down and turn towards the direction where Krishana was.

 

 In Srimadbhagavatham it is said that the sages took the form of birds and listened to the music of the flute of Krishna from the branches of the trees and the rivers flow slower, hearing the music and exhibit their exitement by the whirlpools and offer lotus flowers to the feet of Krishna with waves as their hands.

 

Desika compares the venugana to the sound of the vedas by a beautiful sloka in Yadhavabhyudhaya.

 

mukundhavakthranilavaadhyamaanaH

veNurbabhou vedha iva dhvitheeyaH

raagaavaDheenaam rahasaa yadhekam

geethaathmano thasya nidhaanam aaseeth (Yadh.8.47)

 

The flute played by Krishna appeared like a second veda. Vedas teach the ending of ragadhvesha and impart the secret knowledge of the upanishats, which are given out by Krishna in Gita, raagaavaDheenaam rahasa geethaathmanaH nidhaanam.There is a pun on the words to compare the flute-playing with the vedas. Referring to the  music of the flute it was also a secret call, rahasaa ,  for the gopis who reached the limit of love, raagaavaDheenam in the form of music, geethaathmanaa.

 

Also Desika says that the music from the flute created a state similar to that of samaaDhi for all beings, man .bird and beast so that all became like sages.

 

thadhvamSanaadhaH subhago anugacchan

agresaram sourabham aagamaanaam

ayathnanishpanna manssamaaDheen

aabrahmakaan aathanuveva janthoon(Yadh.8.48)

 

To top all this, Thyagaraja has put it in a nutshell in his krthi ‘saamajavaragamana, ‘ by the words, ‘vedhaSiro maathrja sapthasvara naadhaachala dheepa sveekrtha yaahdava kulamuralee vaadhana vinodha mohanakara.’ He addresses Krishna, the wonderful an enchanting flute player of the clan of yadhavas as the light that illuminated the mountaiin of naadha, formed by the sapthasvaras which originated from the mother Omkaara, the peak  of the vedas.

 

 

This is the end of second Asvasa of Kru ishnakarnamrtham