A BATTLE OF WITS BETWEEN KRISHNA AND A GOPI

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                    A BATTLE OF WITS BETWEEN KRISHNA AND A GOPI

 

 

In Sree

Krishna Karnaamrutam (literally: Sree Krishna: Nectar to the ears), composed by

Bilwamangal (also known as Leelasuka), there is a very engaging dialogue

between Krishna and a Gopi which is a

delightful battle of wits. This is contained in sloka 105 in the 3rd.

section of the work. There is a skilful play on words making use of  double entendre (a word or a phrase

having two meanings) in which the Gopi emerges the winner! Given below is the

sloka and its meaning in English.

 

+WÛó¡âô™ÌÌ: Fò:

Fò¥ÌÌhÉõ ÂÌë·þœúÃtÃŒ

FÙòÃhõ¡âô ˜Ì̥̌Ì:

ÃŽFò ¥Ì²ÌÂtÌÌâ

ÂÌÌâ ZÃŒFêòÕ

ÃŽFò FÙò¡ôÌ¡ôÌâ ÂÃŒ ÷þ

ŒÌœúÚ̜ú: ÃŽFò

ÈùÃ`̾þ: •òsÌÕ‡ù:*

ÂÌÌ·Éþ

ŒÌÌœúÌ÷þ˜Ìzù× ÃFò˜ÌòÌ

LÃŒOÃŒÂÃŒÃtÃŒÂÌÌä ·þÃϜ: ÃŽFò FòÂÌÕ‡ù

<t™Ìâ¥ÌÉ OÌÌâÂÃŒFò™ÌÌ ÂÌëÃtÌ¥ÌZÃŒÂÃŒ-

Ã`ÃŒtÃŒ: ÂÌÌtÌÙ ZÃŒFêòÂÌÌÃsÃŒ:**

 

+WÛóŸ™ÌÌ: Fò:

Fò¥ÌÌhÉõ ÂÌë·þœúÃtÃŒ?--- Who is knocking at the door with fingers?

 

FÙòÃhõ¡âô ˜Ì̥̌Ì:--- O  Crooked girl ! It’s Maadhava.

                     

ÃŽFò ¥Ì²ÌÂtÌÌâ?---Oh! Is it the spring?

 

ÂÌÌâ ZÃŒFêòÕ ---No, it is the wielder of the

wheel.

 

ÎFò FÙò¡ôÌ¡ôÌâ?---Oh! Is it the potter?

 

ÂÃŒ ÷þ ŒÌœúsÌՌ̜ú: ---   No, no, it’s the one who supports the world.

 

ÃŽFò ÈùÃ`̾þ: •òsÌÕ‡ù:? ---Oh! It is the double-tongued king of serpents?

 

ÂÌÌ·Éþ ŒÌÌœúÌ÷þ˜Ìzù× ---No, it’s me who subdued (the serpent) who

lived in the river.

 

ÃŽFò +Ã²Ì LÃŒOÃŒÂÃŒÃtÃŒ:?---

  Oh! Then are you the King of birds (eagle)?

 

ÂÃŒ ·þÃϜ:---No, I am Hari.

 

ÃŽFò FòÂÌÕ‡ù:? --- Are you the chief of

monkeys?

                                   

<t™Ìâ¥ÌÉ OÌÌâÂÃŒFò™ÌÌ ÂÌëÃtÌ¥ÌZÃŒÂÃŒÃ`ÃŒtÃŒ: ÂÌÌtÌÙ ZÃŒFêòÂÌÌÃsÃŒ: --- May Chakrapaani (Krishna), who was thus

defeated

in the dialogue by the Gopa maiden,  protect (us)!

 

Note:

For a better appreciation of the above exchange, the two meanings of the words

in question are given below:

 

Maadhava----      1.  Maadhava (Consort of Maa-Lakshmi-Krishna) 2.

The spring season.

 

Chakri--------      1. One who wields the wheel-Sudarsana

Chakra-(Vishnu) 2. A potter.

 

Dharaneedhara--

1. One who supports the earth; an epithet of Vishnu and 2.of  Sesha.

 

Dhaarahimardi—1   One who subdued (the serpent) who inhabited

the river (Kaalindi): (Krishna)

 

                            2.  The enemy of the serpent : Eagle.

 

Hari---------------1.   Hari: Krishna. 2. A monkey.

  

  G.Sankaran and Parvathi Sankaran