krishnakarnamrtham-Part2 -slokas 90 to98

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90.lakshmeekalathram lalithaabjanethram

poornendhuvakthram puruhoothamithram

karuNyapaathram kamaneeya gaathram

vandhe pavithram vasudhevaputhram

 

I bow down to Krishna, the son of vasudeva, who has Lakshmi as his consort, lakshmeekalathram, whose eyes are like beautiful lotus, lalithaabjanethram, face like full moon, poornendhuvakthram of attractive form, kamaneeya gaathram, who is the friend of Indra, puruhoothamithram, and who is the receptacle of mercy, kaaruNyapaathram, and pure, pavithram. This is a sloka of lilting metre.

 

91.madhamayam adhamayadhuragam

yamunaamavatheerya veeryaSaalee yaH

mamarathim amarathiraskrthiSamana

paraH sa kriyaath krshNaH

 

May Krishna who entered into the river Yamuna and tamed the arrogant serpent and who is intent on redressing the insult to the devas fulfil my wish.

 

As the prvious sloka had the lilting laya, this one has beauty of alliteration when the words are pronounced without splitting.

 

Leelasuka describes Krishna doing the kaliyamardhana. He entered in to the river Yamuna, yamunaamavatheerya, and jumping on the hoods of the five-headed serpent Kaliya danced on them and quelled the pride of Kaliya, madhamayam uragam adhamayath. Also Leelasuka refers to Krishna as the one who is always intent on redressing the insult done to the devas, amarathiraskrthaSamanaparaH, by the asuras.

 

92. moulou maayoorabarham mrgamadha

thilakam charu lalaatapatte

karnadhvandhve cha thaaleedhalam

athimrdhulam moukthikam naasikaayaam

haaro mandhaaramaalaa parimalabharithe

kousthubhasayopakanTe

paNou veNuscha yasya vrajayuvathiyuthaH

paathu peethaambaro naH

 

Peacock feather on his head moulou maayoorabarham, the mark of kasthuri mrgamadha thilakam, on his forehead, chaaru lalaatapatte. On his ears karnadhvandhve soft leaves , thaaleedhalam athimrdhulam on his nose, a pearl, moukthikam naasikaayaam. a garland of fragrant mandhara flowers, haaro mandhaaramaalaa parimalabharithe, on his neck, near the kousthubha jewel, kousthubhasayopakanTe the flute in his hand, paNou veNuscha, with gopis around him, vrajayuvathiyuthaH , the yellowsilk-clad Krishna , peethaambaraH, may protect us.

 

93. muraariNaa vaarivihaarakaale

mrgekshaNaanaam mushithaamSukaanaam

karadhvayam vaa kachasamhathirvaa

prameelanam vaa pariDhaanam aaseeth

 

For the deer-eyed damsels during their water sport,vaarivihaarakale, when their garments were taken away, muraariNaa mushithaamSukaanaam, by Krishna, their hands,karadhvayam vaa, or their tresses, kachasamhathih vaa or closed eyes ,prameelanam vaa . replaced their clothes.

 

When Krishna took away the clothes from the bank of yamuna when the young girls of Gokula were playing in the water, they tried to cover themselves with their hands or with their tresses or simply shut their eyes to hide their shame. This sloka describes the episode of gopivasthraapaharaNa.

 

It is interesting here to see how Desika explains this leela of Krishna in his Gopalavimsathi.

 

vAso hrthvA dhinakarasuthA sanniDHou vallaveenAm

leelAsmErO jayathi lalithAm AsThithah kundhaSAkhAm

savreedAsthadhanu vasanE thAbhirabhyarThamAnE

kAmee kaschith karakamalayOh anjalim yAchamAnah

(Gopalavimsati-20)

 

The wonderful lover of all, wins (all hearts), he who robbed the gopis of their clothes on the bank of Yamuna and ascended the graceful branch of the kundha tree and with a playful smile demanded that they should entreat Him with folded hands when they asked for their clothes bashfully.

This has reference to the Pavainonbu undertaken in the month of Margasira. Bhagavatham mentions it that the girls in Nanda's village observed the vratha propitiating Devi kAthyaAyani for the welfare of all , individually for their union with the Lord.

 

hemanthe prathamE mAsi nandavraja kumArikah

chEruh havishyam bhunjAnAh kAthyAyanyarchanavratham

(Bh.skandha10-22.1)

 

The commentators explain this episode as follows. Leaving the clothes on the shore means leaving our vasanas and enter into the river of Krishnanubhava. The Lord is Mukundha , one who gives moksha, hence shredding the body consciousness and approaching with pure heart secures moksha.He laughed at them when they tried to cover themselves as though saying "I am the inner self of all and hence what are you trying to hide from Me."

 

94.yaasaam gopaanganaanaam lasath

asithathara aalola leelaakataakshaaH

yannasaa chaaru mukthaamaNi

ruchinikara vyomagangaa Pravaahe

meenaayanthe api thaasaam athirabhasa

chalath chaaru neelaalakaanthaaH

bhrngaayanthe yadhanghridhvaya

saraseeruhe paathu peethaambaro nah

 

 

May Krishna, who is wearing the yellow silk garment, peethaambaraH, to whose lotus feet, anghridhvaya saraseeruhe, the charming curls moving excitingly, athirabhasachalath chaaru neelaalakaanthaaH, on the forehead of the gopis are the bees, bhrngaayanthe, and in whose lustre emitted by His pearl nose ornament, naasaachaaru mukthaamaNi ruchinikara, which flows like the Ganges in heaven, vyomagangaa, the darkest glances of gopis, which shine and fickle lasath asithathara aalola leelaakataakshaaH , move like the fish ,meenaayanthe, protect us.

 

This sloka displays a beautiful poetic fancy.The glances of gopis are imagined as the fish that move foeever in the Ganges, which is the light emitted by the pearl worn by Krishna on his nose. The dark curls on the forehead of the gopis are visualised as the bees that hover around the lotuses, the feet of Krishna.

 

95. dhevakyaa jaTaraakare samudhithaH

kreetho gavaam paalinaa

nandhena aanaka dhundhubheH

nijasuthaapaNyene puNyaathmanaa

gopaalaavali mugDhahaaratharalaH

gopeejanaalankrthiH

sTheyaath naH hrdhi santhatham

sumaDhuraH kopi indhraneelo maNiH

 

Let the sapphire ,beautiful and matchless, born in the mine of the womb of Devaki, bought by the blessed, puNyaathmanaa, cowherd Nandha from Vasudeva, paying the price of his own daughter, which formed the central gem of the pearl necklace, namely the group of cowherds and the ornament of the gopis, stay in our heart.

 

Krishna is described as a blue sapphire.indhraneelaH maNiH The mines from which this precious gem came was the womb of Devaki, dhevaakyaaH jaTara aakare . Vasudeva has given Krishna in exchange for the daughter of Nandha, which the poet explains as the gem being bought by Nandha, kreethaH gavaam pathinaa, from Vasudeva, aanakadhundhubheH, giving his daughter as the price, nijasuthaapaNyena. The gem was made as the central pendant of the pearl necklace consisting of the cowherds, gopaala aavali mugDha haara tharalaH. It also became the ornament of the gopis, gopeejanaalamkrthiH. May this delightful gem decorate our hearts always,sTheyaath naH hrdhi santhatham, says, Leelasuka.

 

96. peeTe peeTa nishannabaalakagale

thishTan sa gopaalakaH

yanthraanthasThitha dugdhabhaandam

apakrshya aacchaadhya ghantaaravam

vakthropaantha krthaanjaliH

krthaSiraHkampam piban yaH payaH

paryaath aagathagopikaanayanayoH

gandooshaphoothkaarakrth

 

May Krishna, who, standing on the shoulder of the boy who was sitting on the stand on the plank, pulled the milk pot from inside the contraption that held it and silencing the bells attached to it and was drinking the milk with cupped hands, shaking his head and who spat the mouthful on the eyes of the gopi who came there, protect us.

 

Krishna was drinking milk from a pot in the house of a gopi. The pot was placed in a high contraption, yanthraanthasThithaH, used to store milk,curd etc. Krishna put a plank and a seat on it and made a boty sit crouched on it, and climbed on his shoulders, peeTe peeTa nishannabaalakagale, to reach the pot. In order to silence the bells that were tied to it he stopped them,aacchaadhya ghantaaravam from ringing. He pulled the pot, apakrshya, near his mouth and was drinking the milk with his cupped hands, vakthropaantha krthaanjalih, shaking his head with delight, krthaSirahkampam, when the gopi came in. Before she could do anything Krishna spat the mouthful of milk on her eyes, aagatha gopikaanayanayoH gandooshphoothkaarakrth, and escaped while she was wiping her eyes.

 

A delightful sloka on the balaleela of Krishna. This brings to mind another story often quoted by the pouranikas. Krishna once entreated the bells tied to the curd pots not to ring while he was drinking the curd. The bells agreed. But the moment started to eat the curd, all of them started ringing. Then Krishna asked them the reason for betraying his trust in them and they all replied that when the food is being offered to the Lord it is customary to ring the bells!

 

97.yajnaireejimahe Dhanam dhadhimahe

paathreshu noonam vayam

vrdDhaan bhejimahe thapaschakrumahe

janmaanthare dhuScharam

yena asmaakam abhooth ananyasulabhaa

bhakthih bhavadhveshiNee

chaaNoordhvishi bhaktha kalmashamushi

SreyaHpushi Sreejushi

 

We had worshipped the Lord by performing sacrifices,yajnaiH eejeemahe, given away money to the deserving, Dhanam dhadhimahe paathreshu vayam, served the elders, vrdDhaan bhejimahe, and done severe penance, dhuscharam thapas chakrumahe, in our past lives for sure,janmaanthre noonam by which we have acquired devotion, bhakthiH asmaakam abhooth, that destroys the samsara, bhavadhveshiNee, and is the most difficult to attain, ananya sulabhaa, towards Krishna, who was the foe of ChaaNoora,chaaNorradhvishi, who removes the sins of the devotees , bhakthakalmashamushi,and makes the prosperity grow, SreyaHpushi, and is the abode of all auspiciousness, sreejushi.

 

 

Leelasuka says that to have devotion towards Krishns is the result of merit accumulated in our past lives.We must have surely done nothin but good deeds in past lives like yajna, dhaana, thapas and seva to acquire the attitude of devotion to Krishna, which is not easy to attain as Krishna Himself says in the Gita,'bahoonaam janmanaam anthe jnaanavaan maam prapadhyathe ; vaasudevassarvam ithi sa mahaathmaa sudhurlabhaH.' (BG-8.19), meaning, "a man of wisdom attains Me alter several lives. The great soul who considers that Vasudeva is everything is rare indeed."

 

98.thvayi prasanne mamakim guNena

thvayyaprasanne mamakim guNena

rakthe virakthe cha vare vaDhoonaam

nirarThakaH kumkuma pathra bhangaH

 

When You are pleased with me, thvayi prasanne, where is the need of my good qualities, mama kim guNena. If You are not, thvayi aprasanne , what is the use of having good qualities, mama kim guNena? When a woman has the love of her husband, vaDhoonaam vare rakthe, there is no need to decorate herself with kumkum, leaves or flowers, nirarThakaH kumkumapathrabhangaH, and if it is not there, virakthe, then also there is no meaning for all that.

 

Leelasuka says here that however we accumulate merit and follow the virtuous path , the Lord must be pleased with it , which will happen only through our ananyabhakthi.Otherwise all these measures are of no use. He cites an example that when woman has the love of her husband she does not have to take the trouble of decorating herself to please him. On the other hand if the love is not there no amount of effort to make her attractive will fetch result.

 

This reflects teh idea ecxpressed in the upanishat `naayamaathmaa pravachanena labhyaH na meDhayaa na bahunaa Sruthena; yamevaisha vrNuthe thena labhyaH,' meaning, Brahman cannot be known through study, nor intellect nor by hearing about it but can be attained only by those whom He chooses. ` The same idea Krishna says in Gita , `naaham vedhaih na thapasaa na dhaanena na cha ijyayaa,-----bhakthyathu ananyayaa sakyaH.' Meaning, " I cannot be known through study of the vedas, nor by penance nor by giving away gifts nor by performing sacrifices. I am not attainable except by bhakthi."