Thuppul PiLLai- 39- GopAla vimsathy- Twenty verses on Gopala

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SrI:

SrImathE Nigamantha Mahadesikaya namah:

SrImAn venkatanAthAryaH kavitArkika kesarI |

vedAntAcArya-varyo me sannidhattAm sadA hRdi ||

 

May the glorious Venkatanatha, the greatest of teachers of Vedanta, and the

lion among poets and debaters, reside forever in my heart.

 

Dearest Srivaishnavas,

Let us begin to enjoy the sthOthra granthas of Swamy Desikan [in

alphabetical order]

Gopala-Vimsati - The twenty on Gopala

 

Gopala-vimsati in twenty-one Slokas is in praise of Sri Krishna who often

described as Poorna-avatara. He is not only the cow-herd boy of Brindavan

and the darling of gopa damsels, but Paramatma also often manifesting His

supreme qualities. Sri Desika revels in portraying Krishna as an infant,

child, boy, lad and pre-adolescent youth. The second sloka contains the

Gopala-mantra which is said to be highly efficacious.

 

The various pranks of Gopala are portrayed in the slokas-the infant suckling

the milk of life of Pootana. The pseudo-mother, the dancing child for a

handful of butter, the trembling boy before the angry mother for having

stolen the butter, the crawling child dragging the mortar and passing

through the two-fold trees, the water-sport in the waters of Yamuna with

Gopa-girls, playing on the flute with the girls keeping rhythm with their

hands the naughty boy stealing the clothes of the girls bathing in the

Yamuna kept on the bank and begging them to join both their hands in anjali

to get their garments instead of their beseeching him to return them.

 

The beauty of the dark blue cloud-like body and the auspicious nature of

qualities of Sri Krishna (Gopala, the cow-herd boy) are captivating enough.

The charm is enhanced by the lovely flute held by the lotus like-hands near

the rosy lips and the multi coloured plumes of the peacock on his head. Even

the immemorial Vedas with their infinite knowledge, fail in their attempt to

describe Him fully since they are beyond the reach of the mind and words.

 

The poet Sri Desika is charmed by the beauty of this Gopala and with love

and devotion prays that he must be in his heart always and bless him with

His vision even at the time of his final departure from this mortal

world.(sloka 12)

 

Sage Narada enters the stage in Act IX in the drama Sankalpasuryodaya,

written by Sri Desika, singing this sloka. Four other slokas from

Gopalavimsati have been incorporated in that drama. (Slokas 5 & 20 in Act VI

and slokas 16 in Act VII).

 

The words of the last sloka (the colophon) are of great significance. Sri

Desika himself pays a compliment to that composition that it is Stuti par

excellence which defies the addition of an attribute. He says he composed it

with a mind that was free from any other thought. He declares in conclusion

that a mere reading of the Stotra will bless a person with the direct vision

of the Flute-loving Lord who is the beloved of the young Gopa-girls in

Brindavan. [From the Life and works of Sri Nigamantha Mahadesikan- by Prof

Sri A Srinivasaraghavan]

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo narayana

dAsan

kavi-tArkika-simhAya kalyANa-guNa-SAline |

Srimate venkateSAya vedAntagurave namaH ||

 

Salutations to Sri Venkatesa, in whom all perfections reside, who is the

teacher of Vedanta and the lion among poets and debaters

 

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