Yadhavabhyudhaya-chapter5-Advent of the seasons

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Chapter5

 

 

 

The advent of seasons

 

 

 

The summer, bringing ripe mangoes, fragrance of patala flowers and

jasmin in full bloom, seemed as though it has come to pay its respects

to Krishna and Balarama.

 

 

 

Even though it was summer the trees in the forest gave enough shade for

the cattle, growing dense as though by the music that flowed from the

flute of Krishna, krthAvasEkA iva krshnageethaih.

 

 

 

Neither were the trees uprooted by pravAtha, strong wind, nor were they

burnt by forest fire because they were protected by Krishna as were the

cattle.So for both the gopas and the cattle the summer that advanced

after the spring was not in any way unwelcome due to their proximity to

Yamuna and its forests. The cattle never felt the heat , says Desika ,

because they were enjoying the shower of nectar from the KrishnamEgha,

dark clouds in the form of Krishna, and grazed happily.

 

 

 

Then came the rainy season.Desika calls the varsharthu as

'vichithrasamyOdhaya mEchakAngee mEghAviLA mAdhavayOgavELA.'

 

 

 

The mountains were like kings whose abhisheka was performed by the

rain-bearing clouds serving as the pots and their neerajana was done by

them with lightning.The description of Desika of the rainy season

reminds one of Kalidasa.The rows of clouds were the army of Cupid,the

lightning was like the lustre of his sword,the thunder was his conch,

the rainbow was his bow and the storks flying above were like his

flag.This picture is to show the virahathapa of the damsels who are

separated from their lovers because of rainy season.

 

 

 

The next sloka is even more beautiful.

 

 

 

mrdhangaDHeerasthanithO vihAyAh

 

soudhamaneesambhrtha chArulAsyAh

 

babhou navAnAm prabhavO rasAnam

 

rathipriyasyEva natasya rangah

 

Cupid, rathipriya, is portrayed as the dancer, nata, here. Sringara is

supposed to be the rasaraja, king of sentiments which is here referred

to as 'navAnAm prabhavO rasah,' the prime among the rasas.His dance was

lasya, a kind of gentle dance,performed by the damsels in the form of

lightning, soudhAmanee, and the mridhanga, talavadhya is provided by the

thunder of the clouds.

 

 

 

The gopas lived in the caves of the Govardhana mountain when the land

was flooded. Then by the will of Krishna the rains stopped.Desika says

that he removed the clouds that covered the sun and the moon as though

removing the hands that covered his eyes.(sun and the moon are said to

be the eyes of the Lord.)

 

 

 

In describing the advent of autumn Desika turns poetic and his objects

of comparison are in keeping with his philosophical erudity.The sky with

black and white clouds seemed to him like half-baked aspirants who

stagger with their doubts uncleared.

 

 

 

The bees leaving the flowers in the hills and going to those in the

plains like lotuses, is compared to the people who leave those who have

lost their riches and going to the freshly rich.

 

 

 

The array of clouds, that looked like the yoganidra of the Lord,

diappeared and the saradrthu advanced.The clouds were white like the

pious man who is pure in and out and they stayed in the path of stars,

sathpaTham, that is the sky The clouds are referred to as charAcharEshu

Ahitha jeevanAh, the source of life to all, similar to a hospitable

grhasTha, who gives food and other things to all who come to him, and

who stays in the path of good Sathpathah.These traits are denoted by the

swans that flocked to the sky, meaning that the swans which come back to

the land from the Manasa lake where they go in the rainy season,

indicate the advent of sardrthu. Here the swans, hamsagaNa, imply the

sannysis who come back to receive the hospitality of the householders

after their chathurmasyavratha during the rainy season when they stay in

one place.

 

 

 

sukhAvagAhyaih sutharAm athushyath

 

svAdhOttharaih Sourih apEthapankaih

 

prasannaSeethaih anaghaih payObhih

 

svabhakthachitthaih iva yAmuneeyaih

 

 

 

Krishna was pleased with the waters of Yamuna which was easy to enter,

clear of mud,sweet,cool and capable of destroying the sin by its purity,

because it reminded him of the minds of his devotees. Their minds are

also easy to enter for the good, clear of any impurities,sweet-natured,

peaceful and removes the sin of others by their good thoughts. The word

yAmuneeya refers to Yamunacharya who guides the minds of devotees. All

the adjectives also apply to him, who is the foremost of the devotees,

directly.

 

 

 

The water of the river was gradually shrinking and the marks made by the

receding waves looked like the steps for Lakshmi who wishes to come to

her abode of lotuses.

 

 

 

The rainy season was like the yoganidra of the Lord when the whole world

merges in Him and the saradrthu is compared to the time of creation

because no activity takes place in the rainy season and all the acts of

dharma can begin only in the autumn.

 

 

 

The following sloka is very beautiful.

 

 

 

avyAsangam jalaDHisayanAth utTHithasya AthmaDHAmnah

 

pathyuh puNyam praTHamanayana spandhitham prApthukAmA

 

nithyApoorva SruthiparimaLam nyastha leelAravindhA

 

pAdhAmbOjam saha vasuDHayA dDHArayAmAsa padmA

 

 

 

Lakshmi along with Bhoo devi caught hold of the feet of the Lord

so that they will receive His first glance before His eyes come into

contact with anything else and she put down the lotus in her hand to do

so. The lotus-like feet of the Lord are always filled with the fragrance

of the vedas and hence she preferred it to the lotus in her hand.The

reason for her and Bhoodevi to wait for His first glance is to plead for

the devotees before He sees their faults due to poorvakarma and secure

HIs grace for them.The purushakara of the divine mother is implied by

this.Here it is interesting to remember the Thiruppavai pasuram

'angaNmAjnAklatthu,' where Andal prays for the first glance to fall on

them as Krishna opens his eyes slowly for which the acharyas give

beautiful explanation.

 

 

 

Then the gopas started thinking about the Indra puja and the next

chapter deals with Krishna arguing them out of it and they worshipping

the Govardhana mountain instead.