natavara -post 1

[Guest guest]

Dear sri vaishNva perunthagaiyeer,

 

The music season in Chennai is on. Already for the past two weeks

plus next two to three weeks music and dance will be flowing to the

brim in numerous sabhaas in Chennai. The great musician MS passed

away and that caused a damp patch. But resuming the programs, after a

brief sorrow, now rasikaas are finding it difficult as to which

performance to attend, which one to miss.

 

Many a music and dance programs center around my krishNa and his

baala leelaas. These are by way of krithis and slOkams taken from

sreemadh bhaagavatham, naaraayaNeeyam, compositions of krishNa

bhakthaas like ooththukkaadu venkata kavi, narayana theertha et al.

 

Now, we will see in this write up, the dance program of a great

dancer. Generally Siva is called nataraaja – meaning `king of dance'.

nata means dance, raajaa means king. His `oozhith thaaNdavam' –

`dance during massive destruction' is one of the very famous dances

of siva and many dance recitals has this item in some form.

 

During a dance in competition between siva and his wife sakthi [or

paarvathi], siva lifted his one leg high and danced, which she could

not perform being a women. So she accepted the defeat – so goes the

story of the competition between the two. May be that is why he is

called nata raajaa [i am not sure on this].

 

Dear bhakthaas, now, perhaps the fiery temper is on the rise, with

you all, on this `anya dhEvathaa sthuthi' in the lists. My intention

is not to discus about nata raajaa but about nata vara – the means

the chief actor or dancer. One may be a raja – a king. But there is

one chakravarthy – is it not – the chief or king of kings - like that

nata vara is krishNa. Sree sukha brahmam gives a wonderful title as

nata vara and [we are discussing about the other title to raama given

by his dear wife in the other article] goes on to describe the music

and dance of my krishNa in the sreemadh bhaagavatham slOkams.

 

KrishNa is described here as natavara, the best dancer. Generally in

Sanskrit drama, a young couple is brought out before the main play

actually begins called soothradhaara. This is to enchant the audience

and slowly lead into the main play. They are dressed beautifully and

they appear ready to dance always. This is called nata. When they

appear before the audience, the entire audience falls silent and

gives them full attention. KrishNa is called the best of dancers. As

already said siva is a known dancer (nata raaja). The Gandharvaas,

the demigods, but KrishNa is described as vara, the best.

 

He is the soothradhaari for all these wonderful dances. Let us see

the decoration of this wonderful `dancer' first. Then we can study

about his music, then about the dance. If we are simply dumbfounded

with his music itself, then perhaps about the dance, we will talk

later. Now the decoration is taken up.

 

Sree aaNdaaL says that `vada madhurai mainthan thooya peruneer

yamunaith thuRaivan is a maayan' [re 5th paasuram in thiruppaavai] –

yes. His dressing is a special, some thing unusual. The music and

dance programs, which he is going to conduct, are also other

unusuals, - maayams.

 

On the banks of river yamunaa, in the brindhaavan forests, he entered

with his gOpa friends. He is the lord of yamunaa river, also the

husband of kaaLindhee - the daughter of soorya - another name for

yamunaa.

 

His dressing was some thing unusual for a dancer. That is why this

catches the attention. So aaNdaaL simply calls him maayan. Sree

sukhabrahmam describes the dress great. See – this slokam is supposed

to be one of the best in sreemadh bhaagavatham.

 

barhaapeedam natavara vapu: karNayO: karNikaaram

bibhradh vasa: kanaka kapisam vaijayantheem cha maalaam !

randhraan vENOr aDhara suDhayaapoorayan gOpa vrundhair

vrundhaaraNyam sva padha ramaNam praavisadh geethakeerthi: !! 10 -20 -

5

 

barhaa = peacock feather

aapeedam = as the head decoration

nata vara: = of the best of dancers (or unparalleled in amorous

intrigues or gallantry) vapu: = the transcendental body

karNayO: = on the ears

karNikaaram = a flower similar to the yellow lotus

bibhrath = wearing

vasa: = garments

kanaka kapisam = yellowish like gold

vaijayantheem = named vaijayanthee (a garland strung from flowers of

thulasi and five different colors and which extends down to the

knees)

cha = and

maalaam = the garland

randhraan = the holes

vENO: = of the flute

adhara: = of His lips

sudhayaa: = with the nectar

aapoorayan = filling up;

gOpa vrundhai: = by the cowherd boys;

vrindha aaraNyam = the forest presided over by Vrindha dhEvi - the

forest of Vrindhaavanam

sva padha: = because of the uncommon marks of His lotus feet

ramaNam: = enchanting;

praavisath = He entered

geetha keerthi = being sung His glories

 

meaning: Krishna is adorned with a peacock feather and

His ears are graced with flowers,

Krishna's clothes are the color of bright gold.

He wears a Vaijayanthi forest garland

And appears as the actor-husband.

He is the gOpees choice,

Their Lord and husband.

 

He fills the holes of His flute

With the nectar from His lips.

The song of His praise sounds

As He enters brindhaavan

Surrounded by His cow lad friends.

His lotus feet appear splendid

And create dalliance wherever

They touch the ground.

 

There are two other slOkams describing krishNa in the same way as

above. One – brahma doing eulogizing krishNa at the end of his defeat

at krishNa's hands after he having taken away the calves and gOpa

lads and hid them for a year. Another, the wives of the braahmins

describing krishNa with the special dress in same language [these

brahmins were conducting a yaagam from whom krishNa sought food for

his friends and himself on the borders of brindhaavan]. Now see these

two slOkams.

 

Sree brahma uvaacha

noumeeDya thE~ bhra vapushE thaDidhambaraaya

gunjaavathamsa paripiccha lasan mukhaaya !

vanyasrajE kavala vEthra vishaaNa vENu lakshma

sriyE mrudhu padhE pasu paangajaaya !!

10 –14 –1 sreemadh bhaagavatham dhasama skandham

 

syaamam hiraNya pariDhim vanamaalya

barhi dhaathu pravaaLa nata vEsham anuvrathaamsE !

vinyastha hastham itharENa Dhunaanam abjam

karNOthpalaalaka kapOla mukhaabja haasam !!

10 –23 – 22 sreemadh bhaagavatham dhasama skandham

 

How about correlating with one or two later authors [than sukha

dhEva] on this decoration of dancer par excellence.

 

chithraakalpa: sravasi kalayan laangalee karNapooram

barhOththamsa sphuritha chikurO bandhujeevam dhaDhaana:

gunjaabadhDhaa murasi laLithaam Dhaarayan haarayashtim

gOpasthreeNaam jayathi kithava: gOpi koumaara haaree

-17 gOpaala vimsathi of swamy dhEsikan

 

barhOththamsa vilaasi kunthaLaparam maadhurya magnaanam

prOnmeelan navayouvanam praavillasadhvENu praNaadhaamrutham

aapeenasthana kuDmalaabhirabhithO gOpeebhiraaraadhitham

jyOthich chEthasi naschakaasthi jagathaam Ekaaraamaadhbhutham

-1-4 krishna karnaamrutham

 

karNalambitha kadhamba manjaree kEsaraaruNa kapOla maNdalam

nirmalam nigamavaagagOcharam neelimaanam avalOkayaamahE

-2-31 krishna karnaamrutham

 

manyE thvaam iha maadhava dhaivam maayaa sveekrutha maanusha bhaavam

dhanyairaadhrutha thath svabhaavam dhaathaaram jagathaam athivibhavam

brundhaavana chara barhaavathamsa baththa kunjavana bahuthara vilaasa

santhraananhda samuthkeerNa haasa sangatha kEyoora samudhithahaasa -

 

sree naarayana theertha in his Krishna leela tharangiNi krithi –

pooraya mama kaamam in raga bilahari. [bila hari is nrusimha one who

has a open mouth]

 

For those who know Sanskrit, it is easy to enjoy all verses given

without meaning. For others, I have to say please wait till next post

for the length is increasing. [only one clue I can give now is that

all these verses describe the krishNa in the dress described by sree

sukha dhEva with a little additions / deletions, but central focal

point is content of barhaapeedam slOkam ].

 

Dhaasan

Vasudevan MG.