Krishnakarnamrtham=Patrt3-slokas81 to90

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81. eNee Saaba vilochanaabhiH

alasa SroNeebhara prouDibhiH

veNeebhootha rasakramaabhih

abhithaH SreNeekrthaabhiH vrthaH

panee dhvou cha vinodhayan

rathipatheH sthooNeeSayaiH saayakaiH

vaaNeenaam apadham param vrajajana

kshoNeepathiH paathu naH

 

The Lord of the gopas,vrajajana kshoneepathiH, who is beyond description by words, vaaNeenaam apadham param, who is surrounded on all sides, abhithaH vrthaH, by the rows, SreNee krthaabiH, of deer-eyed damsels, eNeeSaabha vilochanaabhiH, who are slow in gait, alasa, which displays the flow of their love, veNeebhootha rasakramaabhiH, owing to the heaviness of hips, SroNeebhara prouDibhiH, and who makes the two hands, paaNee dhvou, of the god of love, rathipatheH, engaged in the joyful occupation, vinodhayan, of flinging the arrows in his quiver,sthoNeeSayaiH saayakaiH, may protect us.

 

Krishna elicits love in the heart of the gopis who surround him so much that he makes the god of love happy by engaging his both hands in sending out arrows that were lying idle in his quiver, says Leelasuka.

 

82. kaalindheepuline thamaala

nibidacChaye puraH samcharath

thoye thoyajapathrapaathra nihitham

dhaDhyannam aSnaathi yaH

vaame paaNithale niDhaaya

maDhuram veNum vishaaNam

katipraanthe gaaScha vilokayan

prathikalam tham baalam aalokaye

 

I see the boy every moment,tham baalam aalokaye prathikalam, who wades in the water, samcharath thoye, that flows in front of the sand banks of river Yamuna, kalindhee puline, thickly shaded by the tamala tree,thamaala nibidacChaaye, and eats the curd rice, s dhaDhyannam aSnaathi, from the vessel made of lotus leaf, thoyajapathrapaathre, holding the sweet sounding flute in his left hand , vaame paaNithale niDhaaya maDhuram veNum and the horn held on the side of his hip, vishaaNam katipraanthe, and also looking after the cows, gaaScha vilokayan.

 

Here Leelasuka gives a beautiful description of Krishna as a cowherd. He is wading in the water of Yamuna at the place in which there are sand hills and tamala trees giving cool shade, where, after playing in the water Krishna eats the curd rice given to him by his mother. He eats out of the vessel made of lotus leaf in which the rice was packed. His flute is in his left hand and the horn with which he calls the cows is inserted in his garment on the side of his hip. While eating he also keeps an eye on the cows like sincere cowherd.

 

 

83. yath gopee vadhanendhu mandanam

abhooth kasthoorikaa pathrikam

yath lakshmeekucha Saathakumbha

kalaSa vyaakoSam indheevaram

yannirvaaNa niDhaanasaaDHanaviDhou

sidDhaanjanam yoginaam

thath naH Syaamalam aavirasthu hrdhaye

krShNaabhiDhaanam mahaH

 

May the blue light that is Krishna, krShNaabhiDhaanam Syamalam mahaH, which is the decorative tilaka on the face of the gopis, yath gopee vadhanendhu mandanam abhooth kasthoorikaa pathrikam which is the bloosoming blue lotus,vyaakoSam indheevaram, on the gold pots on the chest of Lakshmi, yath lakshmeekucha Saathakumbha kalaSa, and which is the collyrium for the yogis, sidDhanjanam yoginaam, who search for the treasure of moksha, nirvaaNa niDhaanasaaDHanaviDhou shine in our hearts,aavirasthu hrdhaye.

 

The gopis are always thinking of Krishna by which their faces shine as with the thilaka made of kasthuri. Hence he is described as the kasthurika pathrikam of theie faces.

 

Lakshmi has red lotuses in her hand and carries this blue lotus, that is the Lord in her chest which is described as Saathakumbha or golden pot because she is hiraNmayee, of golden form.

 

sidDhaanjana is the collyrium applied to the eyes to enable one to see what is hidden like a buried treasure. Here Krishna is the sidDhanjana for the yogis who seek the treasure of moksha as seeing him is equal to Brahmasaakshaathkaara, the perception of he supreme Brahman.

 

84. pullendheevarakaanthim indhuvadhanam

barhaavathamsapriyam

srivathsaankam udhaarakousthubhaDharam

peethaambaram sundharam

goopeenaam nayanothpalaarchitha thanum

gogopa sanghaavrtham

govindham kalaveNunaadha niratham

dhivyaangabhoosham baje

 

I worship the beautiful Govinda, sundharam govindham, who shines like blossoming blue lotus, indhuvadhanam, with a face like the moon, pullendheevarakaanthim, who loves to wear peacock feather, barhaavathamsapriyam, with mark of srivathsa and the Kousthubha gem on his chest, srivathsaankam udhaarakousthubhaDharam, wearing yellow silk garment, peethaambaram, who is worshipped by the blue lotuses. that is, the eyes of the gopis, goopeenaam nayanothpalaarchitha thanum who is surrounded by the cows and cowherds, gogopa sanghaavrtham and who is intent on playing sweet music on his flute kalaveNunaadha niratham, and decorated with ornaments, dhivyaangabhoosham.

 

 

 

85. yannabheesaraseeruhaantharapute

bhrngaayamaano viDhih

yath vakshaH kamalaavilaasasadhanam

yath chakshushi cha indhu inou

yath paadhabja vinissrthaa suranadhee

SambhoH SirobhooshaNam

yannaamasmaraNam Dhunothi dhuritham

paayaat sa naH kesavaH

 

May the Lord Kesava, inside the lotus in whose navel the creator Brahma becomes a bee, yannabheesaraseeruhaantharapute bhrngaayamaano viDhih, whose chest is the playground of Lakshmi, yath vakshaH kamalaavilaasasadhanam, whose eyes are the moon and the sun, yath chakshushi cha indhu inou, from whose lotus feet flowed the divine river ganges, yath paadhabja vinissrthaa suranadhee, which decorates the head of Siva, SambhoH SirobhooshaNam, and the chanting of whose name destroys all sins, yannaamasmaraNam Dhunothi dhuritham, protect us.

 

This is the beautiful sloka as well as the next one with a lot of poetic beauty.The navel of the Lord from which the lotus has emerged is described as a pond and Brshma who resides in the lotus is the bee that drinks the honey of the knowledge that comes through the lotus by the grace of the Lord. His chest is the playground of Lakshmi as she abides in it. The eyes of the Lord are the moon and the sun as described in the Upanishads as `chandhrasooryou cha nethre.'

 

The divine river Ganges flowed from the feet of the Lord when He took thrivikramaavathaara and lifted his foot to the heavens. That , says Leelasuka,, became the head ornament of Siva.

 

86. rakshanthu thvaam asithajalajaiH

anjaliH paadhamoole

meenaa naabheesarasi hrdhaye

maarabaaNaaH muraareH

haaraaH kanTe harimaNi mayaa

vakthrapadhme dhvirephaaH

picChaachoodaa chikuranichaye

ghoshayoshith kataakshaaH

 

May the glances of gopis, ghoshayoshith kataakshaaH, which are the blue lotuses offered at the feet of Krishna, asithajalajaiH anjaliH paadhamoole, the fish swimming at the pool, that is his navel, meenaa naabheesarasi, the arrows of the god of love in his heart, maarabaaNaaH muraareH, the necklace of blue gems on his neck, haaraaH kanTe harimaNi mayaa ,the bees on his lotus-face, vakthrapadhme dhvirephaaH,and the peacock feathers on the tresses on his head, picChaachoodaa chikuranichaye, protect you.

 

In this sloka the glances of gopis which are purified by their contact with the body of Krishna are extolled. They are like blue lotuses offered at the feet of Krishna when they look at his feet.They swim on his navel like the fish in a pond. They represent the atrrows of the god of love flung towards his heart by their loving looks.They are clinging to his chest like a necklace of blue gems. They hover around his face like bees. They are like the eyes on the peacock feathers on his head.

 

87. dhaDhimaThana ninaadhaiH

thyakthanidhraH prabhaathe

nibhrthapadham agaaram

vallaveenaam pravishtaH

mukhakamalasameeraiH

aaSu nirvaapyadheepaan

kabalitha navaneethaH

paathu gopaalabaalaH

 

May the young Krishna,gopaalabaalaH, who ,waking up in the morning, thyakthanidhraH prabhaathe, hearing the sound of churning of the curd, dhaDhimaThana ninaadhaiH, entered the houses of the gopis, agaaram vallaveenaam pravishtaH, walking quietly, nibhrthapadham, and ate the butter, kabalitha navaneethaH, putting out the lamps quickly, aaSu nirvaapyadheepaan, by blowing air from his lotus-like mouth, mukhakamalasameeraiH, protect us.

 

Krishna wakes up on hearing the sound of the curd being churned and enters the houses of gopis who are busy churning, without making noise and also puts out the lights by blowing on them and thus unseen he steals the butter. This and the next are the charming portrayal of the butter thief, Krishna.

 

88. praathaH smaraami dhaDhighoshavineetha nidhram

nidhraavasaana ramaNeeya mukhaaravindham

hrdhyaavadhya vapusham nayanaabhiraamam

unnidhrapadhmanayanam navaneetha choram

 

I think of the thief of butter in the morning, praathaH smaraami navaneetha choram, who, woke up from his sleep at the sound of churning curd, dhaDhighoshavineetha nidhram, his lotus face looking beautiful at the end of his sleep, nidhraavasaana ramaNeeya mukhaaravindham , his body attractive and blemishless, hrdhya avadhya vapusham, and giving joy to the beholder, nayanaabhiraamam, and his eyes like freshly blossomed lotuses, unnidhrapadhmanayanam.

 

This sloka describes Krishna when he wakes up to the sound of churning curd before he proceeds to steal the butter. At the moment of waking up his eyes red with the ffort of waking up and slowly opening like the petals of a lotus makes his face look beautiful and is a joy to behold. Leelasuka says that he would like to think of this picture of Krishna , the butter thief. The significance of remembering the thief of butter in the early morning is made out in the sloka 90.

 

89. phulla hallaka vathamsakollasath

gallam aagamagavee gaveshitham

vallavee chikura vaasithaangulee

pallavam kamapi vallavam baje

 

I worship the wonderful cowherd, kamapi vallavam baje, whose cheek shines with the full blown hibiscus flower which he wears as his ear ornament, phulla hallaka vathamsakollasath gallam, who is object of enquiry of the Vedic texts, aagamagavee gaveshitham, and whose sprout-like fingers are fragrant with the flowers worn on the head of the gopis, vallavee chikura vaasithaangulee pallavam.

 

Krishna is the supreme Being who is the object of enquiry of the vedic texts of whom the Brahmasuthra declares `aThatho brahmajijnaasa, then therefore the Brahman is to be enquired about,' meaning that after knowing the vedic texts and finding that the mortal life is imperfect and full of suffering one should seek the way to immortality by the knowledge of Brahman form the upanishats.

 

But such a supreme being out of mercy for all who could not do so, has taken the form of a cowherd wearing hibiscus flower on his ears and his fingers fragrant from decorating the hair of the gopis with flowers. Thus he showed that he is accessible only through devotion.'bhakkthyaa thu ananayayaa labhyaH.'

 

 

90. stheyam hareH harathi yath navaneetha chouryam

jaarathvam asya guruthalpa krthaaparaaDham

hathyaam dhaSaananahathiH maDhupaanadhosham

yath poothanaasthanapayaH sa punaathu KrshNaH

 

May Krishna, whose theft of butter destroys the thieving disposition, stheyam hareH harathi yath navaneetha chouryam, to think of him as the lover of gopis absolves even the sin of betraying one's guru, jaarathvam asya guruthalpa krthaaparaaDham, his killing Ravana removes the sin of murder hathyaam dhaSaananahathiH, and his drinking the milk of Poothana takes away the sin of drinking liquor, maDhupaanadhosham yath poothanaasthanapayaH purify us, . sa punaathu KrshNaH.

 

Krishna may purify us , says Leealsuka, because by hearing the stories of his leelas one is freed from all sins.It is said in Srimadbhagavatham,

Anugrahaaya bhoothaanaam

maanusham dheham aaSrithaH

Bhajathe thaadhrSeeH kreedaaH

yaah Srthvaa thath paro bhaveth (Srimad Bhag.-10-33-37)

 

The Lord has taken a human form to grace all beings and did so many leelas by hearing which one becomes engrossed in Him.

 

Hence as the Lord Himself has said in the Gita, `api cheth sudhuraachaaro bhajathe maam ananybhaak sadhureva sa manthavyah,' even a sinner becomes purified by intense devotion.

 

This is what Leelasuka brings forth in this sloka by saying that thinking of him as a butter thief cleanses our mind of the propensity to steal, and meditating on his play with the gopis absolves even the most sinful thought as betraying one's guru and the thought of his sucking the breast of Poothana removes the temptation to drinking liquor and to contemplate him as the destroyer of Ravana will remove the sin of committing murder, which means that one will be free from impure thoughts. It should not be misunderstood that one could commit ll the sins mentioned and meditate on the Lord and His leelas to be freed from them!