Krishnakarnamrthm-slokas 27 to 37

[Guest guest]

26.Kadhaavaa kaalindhee kuvalayadhala SyaamalatharaaH

Kataakshaa lakshyanthe kimapi karuNaa veechi nichithaaH

Kadhaavaa kandharpaprathibhata jataachandhra SiSiraaH

Kimapi anthasthosham dhadhathi muralee kelininadhaaH

 

When will the glances of Krishna, darker than the blue lotuses in the river Yamuna, sending out the waves of indescribable mercy, be seen by me? When will the sound of His flute , cooler than the rays of the moon on the matted hair of Siva give me pleasure?

 

This is a beautiful sloka describing the yearning of the devotee for the kataaksha and the venunadha of the Lord. The glances of Krishna are sending out waves of mercy, karuNaaveechinichithaaH, and the poet says that they are indescribable in their showering of mercy and more beautiful than the blue lotuses in the river Yamuna. The eyes of Krishna are like red lotuses but the pupils of the eyes are dark blue in colour resembling the blue lotuses. The blue lotuses that are found in the river Yamuna are even darker than usual because of the dark colour of the water of Yamuna. Krishna's glances are even darker like rain-bearing clouds, owing to perhaps their quality of showering mercy. So it is indescribable. The kuvalaya flowers are moving constantly with the waves of the river. Similarly the eyes of Krishna are moving with the waves of mercy among his devotees. The word kataaksha is derived as katanthi aksheeniyeshu the. The verb kat , to show ,to display. Hence the glances of the Lord are kataaksha that show mercy. Katanthi, viviDha rasaan varshanthi, aksheeni , dhrshtayah, yeshu the , is how the word is explained by the commentators. The glance showers all sentiments besides mercy, or communicative of His grace.

 

The second thing yearned by the devotee is the sound of music from the flute of Krishna. It is cooling the love –stricken heart of the devotees with madhurabhakthi, and create inner joy. The reason for this is that it is cool like the rays of the moon on the matted locks of Siva. There is a beautiful explanation for the extraordinary coolness of the moon on the head of Siva. Lord Siva bears the river Ganges on his head which is under the shadow of his matted locks and hence cooler than elsewhere. The moon on his head is being continuously bathed by that water and hence the extraordinary coolness of his rays. Here the idea in combining the sight of the glance and the hearing of the music of the flute is that the former is giving solace by perception which is quite understandable but the latter, though distant, creates happiness inside in the same manner. This is similar to the solace obtained by mere chanting of His name which is equally effective as the darsan.

 

27. aDheeram aalokitham aardhrajalpitham

gatham cha gambheera vilaasa manTharam

amandham aalingitham aakulonmadha

smitham cha the naaTha vidhanthi gopikaaH

 

Oh Lord! The gopis know your glance always moving , your speech full of love, your gait majestic and enchanting , your close embrace and your intoxicating smile .

 

Krishna looks at the gopis and his eyes are always darting to and fro, aDheeram aalokitham which makes his glances attractive. The word aDheeram may also be derived as na Dheeh, aDheeh, meaning delusion ( Dhee meaning intellect na Dheeh denotes delusion) and tham raathi, that which gives or creates delusion, implying that the glances of Krishna makes them forget themselves. This is further enhanced by his aardhrajalpitham, loving speech. The gait , gatham ,of Krishna is gambheera, majestic, vilaasam, graceful and manTharam, enchanting. When he embraces them, aalingitham, with love it is full of feeling ,amandham and on the top of everything his smile is intoxicating, aakulaunmaadhasmitham.

 

28.asthokasmithabharam aayathaayathaaksham

niSSeshasthanamrdhitham vrajaanganaabhiH

nisseemasthabakitha neelakaanthiDhaaram

dhrSyaasam thribhuvanasundharam mahasthe

 

May I be blessed to see your lustrous form, of immense blue light,, embraced tightly by the gopis, most beautiful in all the three worlds, your long eyes made longer , blossoming with your wide smile.

 

Leelasuka expresses his wish to see the form of Krishna, and he visualizes the lustrous form like a shining blue light, nisseemasthbakithaneela kaanthiDhaaram with his long eyes even looking longer, aayathaayathaaksham, like full blown lotuses with his wide smile, asthokasmithabharam. The form of Krishna is most beautiful as he was closely embraced by the gopis, niSSeshasthanamrdhithamvrajaanganaabhiH and hence it is attractive to the inhabitants of all the three worlds, thribhuvanasundharam, who consider the manifestation of the Lord as Krishna to be the most enchanting especially during the rasakreeda.

 

29. mayi prasaadham maDhuraiH kataalkshaiH

vamSeeninaadhaanucharaiH viDhehi

thvayi prasanne kimihaaparairnaH

thvayyaprasanne kimihaaparairnaH

 

Oh Lord! Direct your glances which are as sweet as your music from the flute towards me. When you are pleased with me why do I need other things and when you are not what is the use of other things?

 

The poet prays to Krishna, "Please direct your glances towards me." The glances of Krishna invokes the same sweet sensation as his music flowing through the flute. This reflects the idea already expressed in the sloka 26 where the poet yearns for the glances as well as the sound of the music from the flute. The former gives joy to the eyes and the latter to the ears. Both are inseparable. When one gets the grace of the Lord, other things are mere trifle. When the grace of the Lord cannot be had, then also other things fail to please. This is similar to the sloka of Desika in his kaamasikaashtaka, where he says, `thvayi rakshathi rakshaj kaiH kim anyaiH thvayi cha arakshathi rakshakaiH kim anyaiH,' which means that when the Lord Nrsimha is there to protect why does one need anybody else and when he does not what is the use of others who are powerless because He is the inner strength of all.

 

30. nibadDhamoorDhanjalireva yaache

neeranDhra dhainyonnatha mukthakanTam

dhayaambuDhe dhevabhavathkataaksha

dhaakshiNyaleSena sakrth nishincha

 

Oh Lord, the ocean of mercy, with hands folded over my head, I entreat you, please sprinkle me, who is crying out loudly with incessant misery in this world, once with the drops of your merciful glance .

 

The poet prays with hands folded on his head, nibadDhamoorDhaanjali, to the Lord to shower him with at least few drops of mercy, katAkshadhaakshiNyaleSa, by his glance once,sakrth, as he is crying out piteously with incessant misery, neeranDhradhainyonnatahmukthakanTam, living in this world.

 

31.picChaavathamsa rachanochitha kesapaaSe

peenasthaneenayanpankaja poojaneeyaiH

chandhraaravindha vijayodhyathavakthrabimbe

chaapalyamethi nayanam thavaSaisave nah

 

Our eyes are drawn towards the beauty of your childhood form, the locks adorned with peacock feathers, worshipped by the lotuses of the eyes of the gopis, and the face which conquers both the moon and the lotus.

 

Here the poet visualizes the childhood form, Saiavam, of Krishna and says that the eyes of the devotees long to see him, chaapalyam ethi nayanam, with his locks of hair decorated with the peacock feathers, picchaavathamsa rachanochithakeSapaaSe. The eyes of the gopis are like lotuses, peenasthaneenayanapankaja, offered for his worship, poojaneye,. as the glances are directed towards him like flowers thrown at his feet. His face conquers the moon and the lotus, chandhraaravindha vijayodhyatah, in their charm and beauty. Devotees perceive his face as oozing nectar of joy more than the nectarine rays of the moon cool and pleasant to all beings. The beauty of his face surpasses that of the lotus. The eyes of the gopis resembling lotuses blossom on seeing his moon-like face instead of fading as it is usual with the lotuses and hence he has conquered the moon. Being ever in full bloom his face conquers the lotuses also.

 

32. thvath SaiSavam thribhuvanaadhbhutham ithi avaimi

yacchaapalam cha mamavaag avivaadhagamyam

thathkim karomi viraNan muraleevilaasa

mugDham mukhaambujam udheekshithumeekshaNaabhyaam

 

I know that your childhood form is the wonder of the three worlds and my desire to see you is indescribable by words. What do I do to see your lotus-like face more beautiful with the flute that creates sweet music?

 

Leelasuka continues to describe the child hood form of Krishna in this sloka. He says that it is thrbhuvana adhbhutham, wonder of the three worlds. The desire to see that form cannot be measured in words,vak avivaadhagamyam. Leelasuka says that though the longing to see the divine form of Krishna as a child is so great that it cannot be expressed in words the form of the Lord is so wonderful, thribhuvanaadhbhutham that Leelasuka is dismayed as to how he could see it, udheekshithum eekshaNaabhyaam kim karomi. Krishna with the flute on his lips, viraNan muraleevilaasamugDham mukhaambujam, present an enchanting picture that creates longing in the mind of the devotee.

 

The commentators explain the word thribhuvanaadhbhutham thus:

The thribhuvan mentioned here is the three worlds referred to here are Mathura, Gokula and Brindhavana, the word thribhuvana derived as thrishu bhooH yasya thath thribhooH, the three lands. Atha eva vanaani yena thath thribhuvanam. The forests like Brindhavan, which are wonderful on account of being inhabited by Krishna.

 

One is reminded of the desire of Arjuna to see the wonderful cosmic for of Krishna and entreats Him to show it and the Lord gives divine sight in order to enable Arjuna to see it. Similarly Leelasuka may be praying that he should be given the power to see the divine form.

 

The words udheekshithum eekshaNaabhyaam deserves special mention. It means to see with my eyes. As one could see only with eyes it appears superfluous to say so but what it means is that the eyes can be termed as so only if they see the divine form. The parallel idea is found in Srimadbhagavatha as ` barhaayathe the nayane naraaNaam lingaani viShNoh nireekshatho ye,' (SB. 2-3-22), meaning, the eyes of those who do not see the form of Lord VishNu are only similar to the eyes in the peacock feathers.

 

33.Paryaachithaamrtharasaani padhaarThabhangee

valgooni valgitha viSaala vilochanaani

baalyaaDhikaani madhavallavabhaavineebhiH

bhaave luTanthi sukrthaam thava jalpithaani

 

Your talk with the enchanted gopis which spreads nectar-like sweetness around, contain hidden meaning being beyond that of a young boy, and hence delightful, causing eyes widen with joy, keep recurring in the minds of the blessed.

 

The conversations Krishna exchanges with the gopis, his eyes wide and beautiful,valgithaviSaalanethraaNi, give them delight as though spreading nectar around, paryaachitha amrtha rasaani being beyond his tender years, baalyaaDhikaani containing inner meaning, padhaarThabhangee, comprehended only by them. This is contemplated by the blessed ones again and again, bhaave luTanthi sukrthaam .

 

 

34. punaH prasannenea mukhendhu thejasaa

purovatheernasaya krpaamahaambuDheH

thadheva leelaamuralee ravaamrtham

samaaDhivighnaaya kadhaanu me bhaveth

 

When will my contemplation be disturbed by the appearance of Him, who is the great ocean of mercy, in front, with the nectar of the sound of His flute, with redoubled lustre on His moon-like face.

 

The devotee is contemplating on the form of the Lord in his mind and he wishes that his meditation should be disturbed by nothing else except the Lord Himself with His presence in front, with more lustrous form than that which is visualized in the heart, playing His flute, hearing which the meditation should be disturbed only to see the Lord Himself in front. This sloka brings to mind the episode of Dhruva in Srimadhbhagavatham. When Dhruva was seeing the Lord inside his heart the Lord Himself appeared in front but the boy did not see Him as he was concentrating on the form inside . then the Lord made the form inside his heart disappear when Dhruva opened his eyes and beheld the Lord in front. This is the state Leelasuka wishes to attain.

 

35.bhaalena mugDhachapalena vilokanena

manmaanase kimapi chaapalam udhvahantham

lolena lochanarasaayanam eekshaNena

leelaakiSoram upagoohithum uthsuko asmi

 

I am anxious to embrace the playful boy, who kindles desire in my mind by his actions and lovely glance of his dancing eyes, which delights , with my eyes.

 

Krishna is called leelaakishora, playful boy or being a boy through His leela. By looking at him everyone acquires a pleasure so great that they seem to embrace him, upagoohithum by their eyes. The sight of him acts as a lochanarasayana, elixir to the eyes and the mind becomes excited kimapi chaapalam udhvahantham by his lovely dancing glances, mugDhachaapalena vilokanena.

 

36.aDheerabimbaaDhara vibhrameNa

harshaardhraveNusvarasampadhaacha

anena kenaapi manohareNa

haa hantha haa hantha mano Dhunothi

 

By the beauty of the moving lower-lip like the bimba fruit and the richness of the sound of the flute exuding joy, there is something forceful that makes my mind restless. Alas alas!

 

Krishna is playing the flute and his lower lip resembling the bimba fruit by its redness is moving due to this and it is beautiful, aDheerabimbaaDharaibhrameNa to look at. The sound of the music that flows from the flute expresses the joy felt by him, harshaardhra veNusvara sampadhaa cha and creates the same feeling on the listeners. Leelasuka wonders at the power of the form and the music that makes the mind restless and yearn to reach him.

 

37.yaavanna me nikhilamarmaDhrDaabhighaatha

nissanDhi bandhanam udhethi asavopathaapaH

thaavath vibho bhavathu thaavakavakthrachandhra

chandhraathapadhviguNithaa mamachitthadhaaraa

 

Oh Lord! Let my contemplation on your moon-like face become redoubled with the luster of your face like that of the moonlight before my limbs are shattered by the attack of death on the whole of my body.

 

The Lord says in Bhagavatgita, `anthakaale cha maameva smaran mukthvaa kalebharam; yah prayaathi sa madhbhaavam yaathi naasthyathra samSayaH.'

"The one who leaves this body thinking of Me even at the last moment attains Me without a doubt." Here the word `cha' is very important. It means that one who thinks of the Lord throughout his life and during his last moments. The stories like that of Ajamila extolling the utterance of narayana nama inadvertently is to extol the importance of the nama. Ajamila was pious earlier and by God's grace he regained his earlier state after the incident of vishnudhoothas coming and saving him which happened only through the will of the Lord. So to remember Him at the last moment of life is not that easy and requires lifelong practice. This too happens with His grace only. So the devotees prays to the Lord to give them the wisdom to think an bout Him at the time of death.

We have a sloka from Mukundamala and a pasuram by Periazvar to illustrate that even the ardent devotees are with trepidation regarding this and prays to the Lord to save them.

 

Kulasekhara says,

krshNa thvadheeya padhapankaja panjaraantham

adhyaiva me viSathu maanasaraajahamsaH

praaNaprayaaNasamye kapavaathapitthaih

kaNtaavaroDhanavidhOu smaranam kuthasthe

 

The meaning of the sloka is as follows:

"Let my mind which is like maanasa rajahamsa, royalswan in the Mansalake, enter into the cage of your feet now itself. When my life is about to depart, and my throat and other parts are affected by kappa,vaatha and pittha, the disorders of the faculties, where is the possibility of remembering You. " The feet of the Lord are like the cage that protects the mind from straying outside and the mind like the royal swan that resorts to the Manasa lake revels in the memory of the Lord.

 

Periazvar says that he will not remember the Lord at the time of death and hence he is telling the Lord now itself to save him then.

 

It is a common misconception that one can shelve the thought of the Lord till the old age and while young we can enjoy life. Unless we make an effort in the prime of life to turn towards God we will never be able to make it in old age where both body and mind become week.