Krishnakarnamrtha of Leelasuka

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About the author

The name of the author is Bilavamangala and he acquired the name Leelasuka because of his becoming immersed in the leela of Krishna and described in detail like Sukabrahmarshi. He originated from Kerala and lived in the 13th century. He was infatuated with a courtesan named Chintamani in his early years and one day being obsessed with his love for her she told him that o if he had placed even one thoudandth part of his love for her in the Lord he would become liberated. This , by the divine will of the Lord transformed his lif in a moment and he became a great devotee.So in the first invocatory sloka he paid tribute to her by starting it as 'chimtamaniH jayathi.'

 

1.chinthAmaNirjayathisomagirirgururmes

SikshAguruscha bhagavAn Sikhipiccha moulih

yathpAdhakalpatharupallavaSekhareshu

leelAsvayamvararasam labhathe jayaSreeh

 

My guru Somagiri who is like chinthamani, the wish-giving stone is victorious. Also does Sri Krishna who is wearing the peacockfeathers on His head who has graced me with His mercy. To those who wear the feet of Him which are like the sprouts of Kalpaka tree (wish giving tree), the Lakshmi in the form of success will come by her own accord like the bride who search for the suitable bridegroom and garland him in a svayamvara.

 

The word bhagavan implies only Sri Krishna as said in Srimadbhagavatham,

ethe cha amSakalaah pumsah krishnasthu bhagavaan svayam. He Himself is the chimthamani not only in the sense that He is the wish fulfilling gem of the devotees but also because He is 'chithyamaanaanaam maNih', luminous like a gem in the hearts of those who contemplate on Him. The word Somagiri, which presumably denotes the guru of Leelasuka also has connotation to Krishna as He is the somagiri, 'somasya amrthasya giri,' the mountain of soma which means amrtha. The Moon is called Soma because he is supposed to have rays of nectar.

 

Thus by the word 'mamaguru' Leelasuka means the Lord Himself who is not only the instructs but also shows the way, sikshaaguru.

 

His feet are the wish giving tree as they give all to those who surrender to them. Hence the Jayalakshmi, denoting success is said to choose the feet of the Lord as in svayamvara.

 

2.asthi svastharunee karAgra vigalath kalpa prasoonAplutham

vasthu prasthutha veNunAdha laharee nirvana nirvyAkulam

srastha srastha niruddha neevivilasath gopeesahasrAvrtham

hastha nyastha nathApavargam akhilodhAram kiSorAkrthih

 

Here is the Supreme Reality in the form of a young boy, who is worshipped by the flowers of the kalpatharu that fell from the celestial damsels, is motionless immersed in the eternal joy of the music from His flute, surrounded by the cowherd girls and who has in his hand the moksha for those who bow down to Him and also gives to all the fruits of their desires.

 

Svastharunee means the celestial damsels. They collect the flowers from the kalpatharu, the wish-giving tree of heaven and shower them on Krishna. He is lost to the world around Him, immersed in his music being the personification of nadhabrahma. The music from His flute flows like waves, submerging all around, including the gopikas who were also equally so as they did not care to tie their garments slipping but only adjusting it with their hands.

 

Leela suka says that this boy is none other than Brahman and he is ready to give Moksha to those who resort to Him. He has it in his hands, hasthanyastham. Not only that, He gives whatever one asks for, akhilodharam until they are ready for Moksha.

 

Leelasuka calls Him 'asthi vasthu' there is an entity which is real, meaning the absolute reality. The word `asti' is used to denote the `trikaAlaabadhyaroopam' existence in past, present and future, that is eternity. By `astivastu' Leelasuka implies that He is always present in the heart of His devotees. The' kiSorAkrti ` the youthful form is understood only as the Brahman without form, The word can be split as' kiSoram cha tat akrtiScha', meaning the youthful form which has really no form. It is also explained as `kiSoram cha tat Akrthischa,,' meaning that the krti or the action of this kiSora is till moksha which secures brahmananda, the s particle `A' meaning `till.'

 

The word svataruNee is also explained to mean the heavenly consorts of the Lord, Sri, Bhoo and neela who on seeing His kiSorabhava forget themselves and the flowers they gathered to showere on Him simply fell from their hands, karAgravigalat, without their being aware of them. It could also mean the gopis who were His own, svatarunee.

 

His venunada, provides nirvana, salvation and nirvyakulam, destroys all suffering, meaning, it secures here in this world as well as brings eternal joy in the form of mukti.

The word `hastanyasta apavarga,' means the moksha is in His hands ready to be given to His devotees or it could also mean that the moksha is laid on the hands of His devotees.

 

 

 

3.chAthuryaika niDhaana seema chapalA apAngacChadA mandharam

lAvaNyAmrthaveechi lAlitha dhrSam lakshmeekatAkshAdDhrtham

kAlindhee pulinAngNapraNayinam kAmavathArAnkuram

bAlam neelamayee vayam maDhurima svArAjyam ArADhnumaH

 

Krishna is the ultimate resort of smartness. His series of his glances that spring from him are ever dancing and the waves of beauty that fondle his looks are like nectar to the onlookers, and graced by the glance of Lakshmi. He loves playing on the sand banks of Yamuna and love sprouts from him. We are blessed to worship this blue-hued boy who is the empire of sweetness.

 

Krishna conquers all with his skill, glances, beauty, auspicious qualities and richness which is the exact purpose of his incarnation.

 

The glances of Krishna are described as the last resort of chaathurya of ingenuity because he conversed with his eyes to the gopis whose wishes were unspoken and expressed by their eyes alone and he replied to them through his glances. They are also chapala or ever moving, and delightful being fondled by the nectarine waves of his beauty, laavaNyaamrthaveecheebhiH laalithadhrsa. Besides he was looked at by Lakshmi who never left him in any incarnation as the azvar says , `agalakillen ena alarmel mangai uRai maarbaa.'

 

It is commented by the devotee-scholars that even in his vamanavatara when a he appeared as a brahmachari, Lakshmi was residing in his chest and that is why he covered it with his upper cloth so that her glances will not fall on Mahabali in which case his possessions could not be taken away.

 

Those who worship the blue hued boy are indeed fortunate, says Leelasuka. He is madhurimasvarajaya, kingdom of sweetness and kaamavataara ankusa, kindles desire by his looks on the onlookers.

 

 

4.barhotthamsavilAsi kunthalabharam mAdhuryamagnAnanam

pronmeelan navayouvanam prilasat veNu praNAdhAmrtham

ApeenasthanakungmalAbhih abhithaH gopeebhiH ArADhitam

jyothiH chetasi nah cakAsthi jagathAm ekAbhirAmAdhbhutham

 

There is a form of light, of unparalleled and wonderful beauty which is worshipped by the young gopis, is shining in our hearts, a picture of budding youth with a face merged in sweetness, wearing peacock feathers on his beautiful lock of hair, giving out exquisite music from his flute .

 

Krishna is playing the flute and the sweet music fills the air. His hair is tied with peacock feather on the top of it. His face is a portrait of sweetness and his form beautiful with his budding youth and he is adored by the young gopis. This is the picture of light that shines in the heart of the devotees.

 

The word maadhuryamagnaananam is also explained as maadhuraye magnaaH are those who are immersed in madhurya , madhurabhakthi, and theshaam ananam, he is their life force.

 

Here we can compare the exquisite verse of Vedanta desika in his Gopalavimsati, 20 or odd verses in praise of Krishna.

 

animEshanishevaNaNeeyam akshNoh ajahadhyouvanam Avirasthu chitthE

 

kalaHAyithakunthalam kalApaih karONmAdhaka vibhramam mahO mE

 

(gopala visathi-10)

 

May the brilliant form of the Lord, which should be enjoyed with unblinking eyes, the ever youthful, with His crown of peacock feathers always agitated by HIs tresses, thus enchanting all the senses with His playful actions, be present in my mind always.

 

 

 

His form is so beautiful that the onlookers are afraid even to bat their eyelids that the form will be lost for that moment. So Desika says that he should be seen with animesha akshinee, unblinking eyes. His youth is eternal and gives pleasure to all the senses.

 

5.Madhurathara smithaamrtha vimugDhamukhaamburuham

madhaSikhipicchalaanchitha manojnakachaprachayam

vishyavishaamishagrasana grDhnushi chethasi me

vipulavilochanam kimapi Dhaama chakaasthi chiram

 

The lock of hair on the head of Krishna, kachaprachayam, is delightfully decorated with peacock feathers picchalanchitham and manojnam. Leelasuka says it was taken from a madhaSikhi , meaning that it was a stout peacock and hence having a rich flock of feathers. Even the birds and animals took pleasure in serving Krishna, the peacocks gave him feathers the moment he touched them, the cows gave him milk when he came near them, the horses did his bidding when he handled them as the Parthasarathy.

 

His face like lotus, mukhaambhuruham, is beautiful, vimugDha, with his nectarine sweet smile, maDhuratarasmithaamrtha and with his eyes wide with joy.

 

Leelasuka says that there is a luminous presence of the form of Krishna in his mind for long. It has transformed his mind which was longing to swallow the sensual pleasures like a chunk of meat, which is like poison.

 

 

6. mukulaayamaananayanaambujam vibhoH

muraleeninaadhamakarandha nirbharam

mukurayamaaNamrdhugandamandalam

mukhapankajam manasi me vijrmbhathaam

 

May the lotus-like face of the Lord, filled with the pollen of the music from his flute shine outstandingly in my mind, with eyes like blossoming lotuses and mirror-like soft cheeks..

 

The mind is here pictured as a lake where the face of the Lord shines like a lotus. His soft cheeks act as an added reflecting medium shining like a mirror in the lake rendering the lake a mirror-like clarity. The lotus is filled with the pollen of the music coming from his flute which attracts the hearts of the devotees like bees to drink the honey of the music.

 

The kavitva of Leelasuka is seen in saying that on the lotus that is his face two other lotuses are seen in the form of his eyes which are in full bloom owing to the joy of playing the flute.

 

 

7.kamaneeya kiSora mugdhamoortheh

kalaveNukvaNitha aadhrtha aananendhoh

mamavaachi vjrmbhathaam muraareh

madhurimNah kaNikaapi kaapi kaapi

 

Let my words show at least a little of the joy expressed due to the playing of the flute in the face of the Krishna , the destroyer of the demon Madhu, whose form is attractive and young.

 

The picture of Krishna playing the flute is described as kamaneeya, attractive, kiSora, young and mugdha, beautiful. The sound of the flute is sweet and give joy to the one who plays and to the one who hears, as it is divine music. His moonlike face expresses his joy and Leelasuka feels that it is impossible to describe it with words and hopes that he will be able to express at least a drop of the sweetness he experiences through words.

 

It is said that `ikshuksheeragudaadheenaam maadhuryasyaantharam mahath,' the difference betweent eh sweetness of one thing and another, like sugarcane, milk and jaggery, is great. That is , the taste cannot be described as sweet in general and the difference also cannot be described by words. So the sweetness of the Lord who is the ocean of sweetness, maadhuryalaharee and who is described as `raso vai sah,' by the Upanishads is indeed indescribable by words.

 

The epithet Muraari is explained as the enemy of Mura, and also as the destroyer of ignorance as the word mura means avidya or ignorance, derived as murathi, badhnaathi ithi mura, one that binds, that is avidya.