krishnakarnamrtham-slokas 61 to 65

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61.Chikuram bahulam viralam bhramaram

mrdhulamvachanam vipulamnayanam

aDharam maDhuram vadhanam lalitham

chapalam charitham nu kadhaa anubhave

 

When will I enjoy the profuse tresses , broad forehead, soft speech, wide eyes, sweet lips, graceful face and agile behaviour ?

 

This sloka resembles that of madhurashtakam having the same prosody, the meaning also is similar, which is called thotaka. Some of this type are found in narayaneeyam in the chapter describing kaaliyamardhanam.

 

The picture presented in this sloka is very beautiful. The luxurious hair, bahulam chikuram, of Krishna induces the desire to decorate it with peacock feathers and flowers to make it even more copious. His broad forehead, vipulam,( the word vipula means broad but here it has the secondary meaning the forehead which is broad because of the next word bhramara) is adorned with strands of his curly hair, bhramara, which, like the word vipula means bhramaraalaka, locks on the forehead, which stand apart like the bees, bhramara that have come, attracted by his lotus-like face. His lips are sweet, maDhuram aDharam, playing the flute from which flows the nectar-like music.His face is graceful, lalitham, with the joy of music. His movements are always agile, chapalam charitham in accordance with his baalavesham.

 

62. paripaalaya nah krpaalaya ithi asakrth jalpitham aathmabaanDhavah

muralee mrdhula svanaanaathare vibhuh aakarNayithaa kadhaa nu naH

 

 

When will the Lord who is the closeset relative of the self, hear my plaintive cry ` oh the temple of mercy save me,' in the interval between his play of the flute?

 

Krishna is suggestively portrayed as playing the flute in the previous sloka and Leelasuka wonders whether he will hear the cry of the devotees, asakrth jalpitham, ` save us Oh Lord, paripaalaya naH,' amidst the music in which he is immersed in. But becomes reassured that since he is krpaalaya, abode of mercy will hear the pleas of his devotees in between the notes of music, muraleemrdhusvanaanthare, because he is the aathmabandhu, related to the self and not the body, like other relatives.

 

As the azvar said `oorilEn kaaNiyillEn uravu mattroruvarillEn, the Lord is the only bandhu, relation, to all through out our existence, all the other relations last only till this body does.

 

Sanakara says in his arthiharanaarayanaashtakam,

Na sodharo janako jananee na jaayaa

naivathmajo nacha kulam vipulam balamvaa

samdhrSyathe na kila lopi sahaayako me

tasmaath thvameva saraNam mama sankhapaaNe

 

"Neither my brother, nor father nor mother nor wife , nor son nor all my relatives are of any use to me. Therefore you alone is my refuge OhLord, the wielder of the conch."

 

The Lord is the real and only relative and friend as all the others are short-lived.

 

63.kadhaa nu kasyaam nu vipadh dhaSaayaam

kaiSoraganDhiH karuNaambhuDhiH naH

vilochanaabhyaam vipulaayathaabhyaam

vyaalokayishyan vishayeekarothi

 

At which state of calamity indeed the youthful Krishna, who is the ocean of mercy, look at us with his wide eyes and accept us into his fold?

 

Leelasuks thinks that Krishna ignores us because he thinks that there is no need for noticing us yet. So perhaps if we are in a calmity like Droupadhi or Gajendhra he may perceive us and come to our rescue.So he wonders that what would be the calsmity, kasyaam vipaddhdaSaayaam, that may summon him to us for help. He is sure to come to our rescue then because he is the ocean of mercy, karuNaambuDhiH.But he looks so young , kaisoraganDhih,(smelling of tender youth) and our heart is filled with trepidation, says Leelasuka.

 

Here we are reminded of the Kunthisthuthi in srimadbhgavatham where she says to Krishna that if getting a calamity ensures his arrival then let them get moere amnd more of the calamities so that they can see him often which will lead them to bierthless state..

Vipadhah santhu nah saSvath thathra thathra jagathguro

Bhavatho dharsanam yathsyaath apunarbhavadharsanam (srimadbhagavatham-1.8.25)

 

64.maDhuram aDharabimbe manjulam mandhahaase

SiSiram amrthavaakye Seethalam dhrshtipaathe

Vipulam aruNa nethram viSrutham veNunaadhe

markathamaNineelambaalam aalokaye nu

 

Will I see the young Krishna, blue like sapphire, playing wonderful music in his flute with sweet lips like the bimbafruit, with attractive smile, with his nectar-like speech spreading coolness all around and with his cool glances from his lotus-red wide eyes.

 

maDhuram aDharabimbe- sweetness is due to the music, viSrutham veNunaadham that flowed from the flute from hislips..

Mandhahaasa, the smile is manjulam , attractive.

Amrthavakyam- nectar-like speech is cooling,SiSiram that is comforting.

dhrshtipaatha- the glance from his wide, vipula, lotus-red eyes, arunanethram is also Seethalam, cooling.he gives comfort through his glance and his speech.

 

 

65.maaDhuryaadhapi maDhuram manmaTha thaathasya kimapi kaiSoram

chaapalyaadhapi chapalamchetho mama harathihantha kim kurmaH

 

The indescribable beauty of the youthfulness of Krishna , which is sweetest of all that is sweet, the movement which is swiftest of all that is swift, stole my heart. What to do?

 

The word Leelasuka uses for Krishna here is manmaThathaatha, father of Cupid, as Pradhyumna , the son of Krishna was none other than ManmaTha, the lord of love. This is to imply that there is no wonder that he stole the heart, chethoharathi, of all by his indescribabale youthful charm, kimapi kaiSoram which is sweetest of the sweet,maDhuryaadhapi maDhuram, and swiftest of the swift., chaapalyaadhapi chapalam, by being ever changing .