KrishNa and Rama KarNaamruthams

[Guest guest]

NAVARATHRI SECOND DAY , 1996

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THERE ARE TWO BEAUTIFUL AND DELECTABLE

STOTRAS ON KRISHNA AND RAMA BY SRI LEELA

SUKHAR OF KERALA AND ONE OF THE PEETATHIPATIS

OF KANCHI SANKARACHARYA'S LINEAGE RESPECTIVELY .

ON THIS SECOND DAY OF DHATHU SAMVATSARA NAAVARATHRI ,

LET US MEDITATE ON THESE TWO MASTER EULOGIES ON

SRIMAN NARAYANA .

 

BOTH THE AUTHORS WERE OF SAIVITE FAITH AND

WERE EXEMPLAARS OF THE FAMOUS ADAGE ON

SAMA RASAM KNOWN AS "ANTHA: SAAKTHO , BAHIR

SAIVO , VYAVAHAARESHU VAISHNAVA: ".

 

The author of Sri Krishna KarnAmrutham is Bilva

Mangalar(AD 1220-1300 ). He was a contemproary of

Swami Desikan ( AD 1268-1369 ). Since he described

with great joy the leelas of Krishna like Sukha Brahmam,

the author of Srimad Bhagavatham , he came to be known as

Leela Sukhar . He belongs to the tradition of great devotees

of Krishna of Kerala such as Narayana Bhattadhiri , the

author of Sri NarayaNeeyam , Poonthaanma and Vasudeva

Nambhhodhri and other great scholars of Dasama

skhandham of Srimad Bhagavatham .

 

In his early life , he was very fond of a Deva Daasi by the name

ChintAmaNi . She teased him once about his scholarship in

VyaakaraNam , Naatakam and Alankaara Saastram and told

him that if he had one thousandth of the affection for Bhagavaan ,

he would easily save his life . That was the turning point for

Bilva MangaLar . He thanked Lord Krishna for deflecting

his obsession with ChintaamaNI towards Him and immersed

himself in Krishna chintanaa. He started his masterpiece

called Krishna Karaamrutham with the slokam :

 

" CHINTAAMANI JAYATHI SOMAGIRIR GUROHMEH ".

 

There are 328 slokaas in this masterwork and every one of

them is a Karna Ranjani . He concludes with the last slokam

with the passage :

 

" LEELAASUKENA RACHITAM TAVA DEVA KRISHNA KARNAAMRUTHAM

VAHATHU KALPA SATAANTAREPHI "

.

He prays to the Lord and says : " May this work of Leelaasukhaa

be a nectar to the ear of the hearer and be that way for the span

of time beyond one hundred kalpam( Chathur yugam) ."

 

There is a tradition to worship Krishna as Gopaala Sundari .

The mantram for that murtham has 33 beejaaksharams

and is made up of Sri Rajagopaala Mantram's 18 letters and

the 15 letters of Sri Pancha Dassakshari of Sri Vidyaa . Infact ,

the Lord of Raja Mannargudi ( Dakshina Dwaarakai ) ,

Sri Rajagopalan is meditated upon as Sri Vidya Raajagopalan

and is said to have Sri Chakram under the lotus feet of his

archaa murtham at this temple. His alankaaram as Mohini

(Madana Gopala Sundari ) during His Brahmothsavam is

well known .Sri Leela Sukhar worshipped this Madana Gopala

Sundari form ( Dhyana Slokam 3-104 of Krishna Karnaamrutham ) .

 

One of the descendants of Kamakoti peetam known as Bhodendra

Saraswathi was a great believer in Sri Rama Naama Siddhaantham

He abdicated his position as the head of the mutt and retired to a

village known as Govindapuram near KumbakoNam and created the

slokas of the delectable Sri Rama KarNaamrutham . He was a

predecessor to Saint Thyagaraja and his successors , who

spread Rama Naama Siddhaantham on the banks of Cauveri.

I have written earlier about his attaning Jeeva Sammadhi

in the sands of Veera Sozhan river,a branch of Cauveri .

 

I will conclude this posting with one piece each from the two

Karnaamruthams . The words chosen in these verses are in

simple Sanskrit and full of the spirit of a Bhaktha's yearning

and search for the Lord"s Darsana Sowbhaagyam .

 

HAY DEVA HAY DAYITHA HAY JAGADEKHA BHANDHO

HAY KRISHNA HAY CHAPALA HAY KARUNAIKA SINDHO I

HAY NAATHA HAY RAMANA HAY NAYANAABHIRAAMA

HAA HAA KADHAA NU BHAVITHAASI PADHAM DHRUSOHRMEH II

Krishna Karnaamrutham 1.40

 

( O Deva Deva ! O Object of my supreme affection! O the friend

of the Universe ! O Krishna ! O Lord who melts with compassion

over the welfare of your devotees ! O ocean of Mercy ! O Lord of

mine! O delight of my eye , who warms my heart ! Alas ! I am

suffering without your darsanam . When are you going to

present yourself before me ? )

 

HAY RAAMA! HAY RAMANA ! HAY JAGDEKHA VEERA !

HAY NAATHA ! HAY RAGHUPATEH ! KARUNAALAVAALA!

HAY JAANAKI RAMANA ! HAY JAGADEKHA BANDHO !

MAAM PAAHI DHEENAM ANISAM KRUPANAM KRUDHAGNAM II

 

Sri Rama KarNaamrutham --4. 18

 

( O Raama! O Beautiful one ! O the supreme (Hero ) warrior of the World !

O Lord of mine! O the chief of the Raghu race ! O ocean of mercy !

O delight of Sri Janaki ! O the true friend of this universe !

Please save me , the ungrateful wretch ! )

 

The beauty of individual slokas of both the Karnaamruthams

is oberpowrering . I will quote and comment briefly on them

in subsequent postings .

 

Sri Rama Krishna Svarooya , Sriman NArAyanAya Nama :

 

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan

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