Krishnanandalahari-Yadhavbhyudhay of Desika

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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.