Krishna's glories sang by Kunti

[Guest guest]

Jai Sri Krishna.

Following is copied from SrimadBhagavata Book one Dis. 8, Gita press.

It is so beautiful to sing in Sanskrit. I hope our members will enjoy

reading thi in English translation. Pl. pardon me for being long & any

mistakes in typing. .

Raju Das.

 

Kunti said: "I, an ignorant woman, make obeisance to you, the Prime

Person, transcending Prakrti and dwelling inside as well as outside all

created beings, the invisible and imperishable God existing beyond the

range of sense-perception and screened by the curtain of Maya.

You cannot be seen by a man of perverted vision even as a dunce would

tail to recognize an actor appearing in a garb appropriate to the stage.

How then can we womenfolk perceive you, who have appeared in our midst

just to engender Devotion in the heart of Paramahamsas (those endowed

with the eye distinguishing the material from the spiritual) who are

given to contemplation and pure of mind?

Obeisance, obeisance to you Sri Krsna, son of Vasudeva, the delight of

Devaki (your blessed mother), the foster child of the cowherd nanda,

Lord Govinda. Obeisance to you whose navel is adorned with a lotus;

obeisance to you, wearing a wreath of lotus flowers; obeisance to you.

Possessing lotus-like eyes; obeisance to you, whose feet resemble the

lotus.

O Hrsikesa (Lord of the senses), even as you delivered Devaki (Your own

mother), who had been shut up in prison for a long time by the wicked

Kamsa and was overcome with grief. So did you, O almighty Lord,

repeatedly save me along with my sons from a sense of calamities? It is

you, O Hari , who protected us from poison, from a huge fire, from the

look of man-eating demons, from the assembly of wicked people

(Duryodhana and his associates), from the perils met during forest life,

from the missiles of many a great warrior (like Bhisma, Drona, Karna and

so on) in every battle, and just now from the missile discharged by

Aswathama (the son of Dronacarya).

May calamities befall us at every step through eternity, O Teacher of

the world, for it is in adversity alone that we are blessed with your

sight, which eliminates the possibility of our seeing another birth?

A man whose birth, power, learning and affluence only save to swell his

pride is unable even to utter your name, you being open to the

perception of only those who have nothing to call their own. You are the

only wealth of those who have no sense of possession. Beyond the realm

of the three gunas or modes of Prakriti, You delight in your own self

;and are perfectly calm; You are the Lord of Mokse (final beatitude). I

bow to you again and again.

I believe you to be Kala ( the time -spirit), the almighty Ruler of all,

having no beginning or end and moving alike among all the creatures,

although it is You, again, who serve as an occasion for them to contend

with one another, None, O Lord , can know what you intend doing when you

are acting like men. No one is ever dear or loathsome to you; It is men

alone who think of you in terms of diversity.

O Lord, You are the Soul of the universe, nay, the Universe itself. You

are, asa a matter of fact, devoid of birth and actions; Your birth and

actions in the sub-human species as well as among men, Rsis and aquatic

creatures are mere sport. When you offended (your foster-mother) Yasoda

(by smashing the pot of curds) and she took a cord to bind you, the way

in which you stood full of fear, with your face cast down, your eyes

rolling about in confusion and their collyrium dissolved in tears, fills

me with bewilderment.

To think that even He of whom Fear itself is afraid should appear so

stricken with fear ! Some people avert that, though unborn, you have

appeared in the race of your beloved yadu of sacred renown just in order

to enhance his glory , even as a sandal tree takes root on the Malaya

mountain in order to bring reputation to the latter. Others declare

that , though birthless. You were born of Devaki, Vasudev's wife for the

protection of this world and the expermination of the enemies of gods,

as solicited by the couple (in their previous existence). Still others

assert that in respose to the prayer of Brahma (the self born Creator)

You have appeared (in our midst) to relieve the burden of the earth,

which was groaning under a heavy load like a vassel sinking in the sea.

Some others maintain that you have descended on earth with intention of

performing deeds fit to be heard of or dwelt upon by those who are being

tormented in this world by ignorance, desire and selfish acts.

That is why your devotees constantly listen to, sing, repeat to others

and contemplate on your stories and rejoices; and it is they alone who

behold before long your lotus-feet that put an end to the stream of

births and deaths. O Lord, (we know) you have always granted the wishes

of your own people. Is ;it a fact, then that you intend this very day to

leave us, Your relations, who exclusively depend on you and who have no

asylum other than your lotus-feet, having alienated other monarchs by

inflicting suffering on them? When you are out of sight, the Yadus and

ourselves, the Pandavas, are of no more consequence in name of form than

the senses when their ruler, the soul has quitted them.

This earth will not look so bright then, O Wielder of a mace, as it

does now, adorned by Your foot-prints, which are easily distinguished by

their characteristic marks (o a lotus, thunderboltlt, banner and goad

etc.) These territories, so highly prosperous and so rich in their ripe

crops and vegetation, as well as these woodlands and hills, rivers and

oceans, flourish only under your benign looks. O Lord you are not only

the Ruler and the Soul of the Universe but the universe itself; kindly

cut asunder the strong bond of affection that binds me with my own

people. The Pndus and the Vrsnis (the Yadus).

Even as the Ganga incessantly pours its waters into the ocean, so let

my thought , O Lord of the Madhus, constantly and exclusively find

delight in you.

O glorious Krsna, friend of Arjuna, foremost among the Vrsnis, You are

fire as it were to burn the whole race of princes who are proving the

bane of the earth. Your prowess is infinite. Govinda. Your descent on

this earth is intended only to relieve the distress of the cows, the

Brahmanas and the gods. Obeisance to you. O Master of Yoga, O divine

Teacher of the Universe!.......