KrishNa KarNAmrutham : 2.2 ( May the Lord with the hue of the dark rainy Cloud protect us )

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear KrishNa BhakthAs :This slOkam houses a prayer for the Lord's

protection :

 

Yaamm dhrushtvA yamunAm pipAsur--

anisam vyUhO gavAm gAhathE

vidhyuthvAnithi neelakaNDa-nivAhO

Yaamm dhrashDum-uthkaNDathE

utthamsAya tamAla pallavamithi--

cchindhanthi Yaamm GopikA:

kAnthi: KaaLiya-Saasanasya

vapusha: saa Paavanee pAthu na:

 

Anvaya Kramam ( Prose Order) :

 

Yaamm Kaanthim dhrushtvA gavAm vyUha:

pipAsu: anisam YamunAm gAhathE ,

vidhyuthvAn ithi neelakaNDa nivaha:

(Yaamm Kaanthim) dhrushtum uthkaNDathe ,

utthamsAya tamAla pallavam ithi Yaamm

GopikA: cchindhanthi , KaaLiya-sAsanasya

vapusha: Saa Paavamee kaanthi: na: paathu !

 

Meaning : May that brilliant lustre of the Lord

resembling that of a dark cloud in the rainy season

protect us ! The assembly of peacocks mistake

that Moorthy with the bluish-black lustre to be

the rainy cloud housing the lightning and enjoy

seeing that extraordinary lustre and begin their

joyous dances around it . The assembly of Cows

mistake that dark bluish-black lustre and think

that it must be the dark colored YamunA river

and wish to enter that lustrous body to quench

their thirst . The group of Gopis pinch that Lord

with the dark and tender lustre thinking that

it is the tender shoots of the young Tamaala

tree to decorate their hair . May that sacred and

extraordinary kaanthi of the Lord , who punished

KaaLiyan protect us all !

 

Commentary:" Saa Kaaliya Saasanasya Paavanee

Kaanthi: na: Paathu " are the key words constituting

the prayer of LeelA Sukhar here .May that sacred jyOthi

of the Lord , who danced on the hoods of the fierce

snake , KaaLiyan and drove him away from the waters

of Yamunaa river protect us !

 

That illustrious Kaanthi of the Lord is seen by

the herd of cows ( gavaam vyUha: ) , the flock of

peacocks ( neelakaNDa nivaha:) and the assembly

of Gopis ( GopikA: ) . Each of these three groups

mistake that dark bluish lustre of the Lord to be

some thing else and react accordingly .

 

The cows see this dark and shiny lutre that

moves around and mistake it to be the dark

colored waters of Yamunaa river and they

develop a desire to slake their thirsts by

entering into it . They develop " KrishNa

thrushNaa". They consider the dark , moving

lustre to be the waters of Yamunaa always

( Yaamm kaanthim dhrushtvaa , gavaam

vyUha: anisam Yamunaa gaahathe ) .

Mumukshu is one who desires Moksham ;

Pipaasu: are those who wish to quench

their thirsts with drinking of water .

 

How do the peacocks react to the JyOthi

of the dark hued Lord ? They conclude that

it is the rainy day cloud loaded with moisture

and lightning (NeelakaNDa nivaha: Vidhyuthvaan

ithi) and begin their joyous dance in anticipation

of rain and spread their feathers . The peacocks

with their stretched feathers become eager

to see more and more of that lustre ( Yaamm

kaanthim dhrashtum uthkaNDathE ).

 

Amidst the dancing peacocks and the rushing

cows are the Gopis . They have their own reactions

to the Lord's aprAkrutha bluish-black jyOthi .

They think that they are near a young Tamaala

tree with tender shoots of blossoms ( TamAla

Pallavam ithi) and engage in plucking those

"blossoms" to decorate their tresses .

Their plucking action ends up as pinching

acts on the skin of the Lord . They now realize

it is not the tender blossoms of a young tree

( Pasu Maratthin taLiR) but it is the Lord , who

punished the serpent KaaLiyan ( KaaLiya

Saasanasya Vapusha: ) and drove him

away from the waters of Yamunaa river .

 

After describing the illusions caused by

the sacred JyOthi of the Lord , the deeply

moved poet prays for protection by that

auspicious Kaanthi ( Saa Paavanee Kaanthi:

na: Paathu ) .

 

Sri KridhNAya Thubhyam Nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan