KRISHNA KARNAMRUTA-SLOKA 48!

Lakshmi Kalathram lalithabja nethram

Purnendu vakthram puruhutha mitram 

Karunya patram kamaniya gatram

Vande pavitram Vasudeva putram!

Leela Shuka describes his darling Krishna as the essence of beauty and other adorable qualities! He is the very embodiment of Satya or Trutth, Jnana or wisdom, and Ananda or Bliss! He has destroyed the asuras full of maya! He is with His spouse Satyabhama! He is devoid of the fluctuations of the sensesl He has transcended the activities of karmendriyas as well as jnanendryas! He is capable of warding off terrible obstacles and troubles! Above all He is the treasure for those with pure hearts!

 Leela Shuka describes a few more qualities of Krishna, his chosen deity! “ He is the husband of Lakshmi Devi, Goddess of Wealth!  His eyes are extraordinarily beautiful like the lotus flower! His face is beautiful like the full moon! Not only this, He is the friend of Indra, king of all Gods! He is the repository of compassion! His body is beautiful beyond description! Above all He is epitome and embodiment of purity and perfection! I bow down to such Krishna, the son of Vasudeva!!” 

It is not given to all to have such a great and beautiful wife! Goddess Lakshmi is no ordinary damsel! She is the daughter of the Lord of the ocean of milk! When the Devas and Asuras churned the ocean of milk to obtain the elixir of life, Amirta, terrible poison emerged from the mouth of Vasuki, the king of snakes! Afterwards many precious things and individuals came out of the ocean! Chandra the Moon God emerged and Graceful Lakshmi followed him! Hence She is called the sister of Chandra! She preferred to marry Vishnu and to honor Her, God Vishnu settled Her on His own Chest! Thus God Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi are inseparable!! Krishna is the incarnation of Vishnu and hence all His attributes eminently match Krishna!

Innumerable stotras on Vishu and Krishna speak about the beauty of His face and eyes! “ Krishnam Kamala patraksham nila jimuta sannibham”-Krishna’s eyes are broad and beautiful like the petals of the lotus! He is of the color of the black rain bearing cloud! He is “purnendu nibha vaktram”-of the graceful and beautiful face of the full moon! Vishnu is always a friend and guide to all Devas! He is called “Upendra!” He goes to Swargaloka and gets the renowned Parijatha plant to satisfy the desire of his spouse Satyabhama!!On many occasions Vishnu helped Indra and the Devas. He took the form of Mohini and distributed Amrita to the Devas!

 In fact Krishna is the personification of compassion and there is not a single occasion when He did not come to the rescue of His dear Bhakthas or devotees! The stories child Dhruva and Prahlada are classical examples. When Gajendra surrendered himself to the Lord and prayed for relief, He ran from Vaikunta without informing Laksmi or Garuda and others of His train! In fact, Krishna Avatar has come into being out of mere compassion for His Bhakthas suffering at the hands of cruel, evil minded asuras! It is also out of pity and compassion for confused Arjuna on the Kurukshetra battle field that Krishna disabuses his mind and guides him to victory! He clears all the doubts of Arjuna and wants him to be non attached and do his duty properly! The result shall surely match his efforts!  He tells Arjuna that the body and the Atma are totally different. Atma is permanent, indestructible, body impermanent subject to destruction! Can there be anyone purer than God Himself? Krishna is Paramatma, the Absolute Brahman, in human form!! It is no surprise that Leela Sukha has taken refuge in Him who alone can grant mukti or salvation!!

KRISHNA KARNAMRUTA-SLOKA-47

 Kasthuri thilakam lalata phalake vakshasthale Kausthubham

Nasagre Nava moukthikam karathale venum Kare kankanam

Sarvange Hari chandanancha kalayan kantecha mukthavalim

Gopasthri pariveshtitho vijayathe Gopalachudamanihi !

 

Leela Shuka has described the glorious attributes of Krishna! Krishna is an ocean of compassion!  He has the rare privilege of being the spouse of Goddess Lakshmi! He has killed Kamsa and freed people from their torment! He ran from Vaikunta anxiously to save the life of his dear devotee Gajendra! He released it from the cruel jaws of the crocodile! He became the younger brother of Balaraama! Not only that, He became the acharya or preceptor of all the three worlds, earth, heaven and Pathala, the nether world! He was Lord of all Gopikas! Above all He was the blessed Lord with lotus eyes!

“Krishna sports Kasthuri thilaka on His broad forehead! His chest is adorned by the Kausthubha precious stone! At the tip of His nose dangles the Pearl! The Divine Flute beautifies His palm! A beautiful girdle or “ Kankana” is on His hand! A garland of pearls bedecks His neck! His entire body is smeared with fragrant sandal paste! He is surrounded by the Gopikas throughout!  Let Victory be for such great Gopaala Krishna!” Says the poet in this beautiful sloka! 

After describing the glorious attributes of his darling Lord Krishna, poet Leela Shuka gives a detailed account of the form or person of Krishna! The specialty and the different adornments on the person of the Lord are beautifully described! Krishna’s forehead has the distinctive mark or thilaka of 'Kasturi'! Kausthubha jewel adorns His chest! This rare precious stone emerged when the Ocean of Milk was churned out by the Devas and the Asuras! Krishna’s exceptional beauty is heightened by the Pearl at the tip of the nose! The Divine Flute is held in the hand of Krishna! By His Divine music Krishna mesmerizes the entire human beings, animals and all the other creatures! His hands are not without adornments! There is a girdle or ' kankana' around his hands embellishling the personality! Krishna’s entire body is smeared with fragrant sandal paste! To top it all Krishna wears a garland of pearls around His neck! Krishna , thus, is surrounded by the Gopikas always! Visualizing this enchantingly beautiful form of Krishna in his mental vision, Leela Shuka wishes victory for this Gopaala Chudamani—the crowning jewel of Gopalas!

Innumerable stotras have been composed by various sages and saints highlighting the glorious attributes and other qualities of Sri Krishna. He is called “Devaki paramanandam” the absolute ecstasy of His mother Devaki! He shines with garlands and special ornaments like, ‘nupuras'-“ hara nupura sobhitam”! His hands dazzle with diamond girldles and ‘Keyuras'-“rathna kankanakeyuram”! His face resembles the full moon-“purnachandra nibhananam”! His body is smeared with fragrant sandal paste- “mandara gandha samyuktam”! He has sweet smile-'charuhasam'! He sports the peacock feathers on his locks of hair-“barhi pinchava chudankam”! His eyes are like the petals of  freshly flowered lotus- “utpulla Padma pathraksham”! He is like the color of the dark rain bearing cloud!”-nila jimuthasannibham!”

He is the crowning jewel of the clan of Yadavas!-“yadavanam sirorathnam” His chest is smeared with the Vermillion from the breasts of Gopikas!- “ gopikanam kuchadwanda kumkimanvita vakshasam” He wears the mark and mole of Srivatsa-‘sri vatsankam'! He shines with Vanamala, the garland! He is the very incarnation of God Vishnu with His Chakra and Sankha or Conch!  In fact, there is no limit for the description of Krishna and His leelas and distinguishing traits! We find beautiful descriptions of Krishna in the Bhagavathaa Purana as well as the Mahabharata of sage Vyasa!

KRISHNA KARNAMRUTA-SLOKA-46

 He Gopalaka He kripajalanidhe He sindhukanyapate

He Kamsanthaka He Gajendra karuna parena He  Madhva

He Ramanuja He jagathraya guro He Pundarikaksha mam

He Gopijananatha palaya param janami na twam vina!

Leela Shuka is tired and disgusted with rituals and religious regimen that is prescribed for spiritual aspirants. He is not interested in the daily practice of performing Sanhyavandana! He wishes it well. He is also not serious of taking a daily bath! He has lost all interest in offering “ tharpanam” to his ancestors and elders which is the bounden duty of every individual! He is always ready to chant the name of Krishna, the destroyer of Kamsa! That is capable of wiping out all his sins once and for all! When that is the case what is meaning in resorting to other ways and means?

“O the protector of cows! O the sea of compassion! O the spouse of Goddess Lakshmi! O the Savior of Gajendra! O Madhava, the husband of Lakshmi!  O the younger brother of Balaraama! O the preceptor of all the three worlds! O the lotus eyed! O the Lord of all the Gopis! Kindly shower they Grace on me! I am ignorant of any other God but you who can save me!

Passion for Krishna and His Grace is at its height in Leela shuka! He describes the wonderful attributes of his darling Lord and the ways He had saved and protected the world. First and foremost He is the protector of cows and this universe! He has taken Avatar to root out evil and protect the sadhus and saints! He has taken upon Himself the onerous task of establishing decaying Dharma or Righteousness! Dwapara Yuga was full of Asuras who tormented the good and the Noble. Kamsa, Sisupala and Jarasandha reigned supreme and it was Krishna who killed them and saved the people! Krishna is the ocean of compassion! He is the younger brother of Balaraama, the son of Rohini of Gokulam! He is the Guru for all the three worlds namely earth, heaven and Pathala or the Nether world! He is the Lord blessed with lotus eyes! He is also the Lord of all the Gopikas in Gokulam! 

It was this Ocean of compassion that saved the honor of Draupadi when Dussasana tried his best to disrobe her in the court of Kauravas! In the presence of Bhishma, Drona, Krupacharyas, the stalwarts and others who remained mute spectators, the Kauravas indulged in this unrighteous act! The Pandavas, defeated in the game were helpless! It was then that Draupadi, prayed sincerely to Krishna to save her! The compassionate Lord allowed infinite saris to her even as the whole court was stunned at the miracle! Dussasana  had to retire disappointed! The relationship between Arjuna and Krishna can be called as “ Sakhya bhava” that of friendship. Krishna is called as “ Pandava Pakshapathi” one who is on the side of the Pandavas! That is because they stood for Dharma or righteousness! They never deviated from the path of Dharma and truth!

Kamsa was a cruel tyrant who imprisoned his own father!  He knew that he would meet death at the hands of Krishna! Hence he tried his best to kill Krishna by deputing various asuras like Putana, Sakatasura, Thrunavartha, Bakasura and others! But young Krishna killed them in no time. When Krishna came to Mathura, He was asked to fight with the court wrestlers Chanura and Mushtika. Krishna and Balaraama killed them, killed the royal elephant and finally killed Kamsa too! People of Mathura hailed Krishna for liberating them from the torments of Kamsa! Another incident of Krishna's compassion is to be seen in the rescue of Gajendra, the elephant king from the terrible jaws of the crocodile! The Bhagavatha purana describes it vividly! Gajendra loses his way from his followers and enters a lake to quench his thirst. Disturbed by the movement of the elephant, an alligator, furious at the commotion created by Gajendra, catches its feet! The elephant in spite of its best efforts could not free itself! It prays to Lord Vishnu and the Lord in His infinite mercy runs to save the life of Gajendra! He does not tell His spouse nor does He arm Himself with the Chakra, mace or Sword! He doesn’t summon even Garuda, His Vehicle! But all these including Lakshmi follow the Lord! He reaches the scene of conflict, sends His Chakra that severs the head of crocodile and saves the life of His great devotee Gajendra who fought with the crocodile for hundreds of years! If this is not compassion, what else can it be? By edifying Arjuna on the battlefield with the Bhagavadgita Krishna has become the “Jagadguru” the universal Teacher!

KRISHNA KARNAMRUTA-SLOKA 45

 Yasmin nrutyathi yasya srekhara bharaih krounchadwishas chandraki

Yasmin drupyathi  yasya ghosha surabhim jighran vrusho dhurjateh

Yasmin sanjathi yasya vibhramagatim vaanchan Hares sindhuras

Tad Brundaavana Kalpakadruma vasanthmvaa kisoram bhaje!

Leela Shuka is dissatisfied with all the descriptions of Krishna he had made so far! Hence he takes upon himself the task of describing everything associated with his darling Krishna-His body, head, feet and even the place Brindavan, dear to Krishna and the Gopikas! It is out of sympathy for others that the Lord has taken the form of a child. Appreciating the gesture, the Devas are offering their obeisance to Him. Their heads are over burdened with the flowers of the great Kalpavruksha! Leela Shuka says that the delicate lotus feet of Krishna are afraid of the density of those flowers worn by Devas! Struck by this mental vision that presents itself, Leela Shuka offers his pranams to those lotus feet of Krishna!

“In this vana, the peacock of Sri Kumaraswamy, with the heavy weight of feathers wound in the locks of Krishna, dances gleefully! It is in this forest that the vrushabha or the Bull of Lord Siva smells the yoni of the Kamadhenu of Krishna in Gokulam and feels elated and proud! It is also in this area that Indra's elephant, Iravata wants to imitate the slow and gentle gait of Krishna! I want to worship that renowned Brindavana full of Kalpavrukshas or wish fulfilling trees or  the famous  Balakrishna Murthy!” exclaims poet LeelaShuka in his ecstasy!

 The peacock is the vahana of God Kumaraswamy. The peacock feathers gain prominence because they adorn the head of Krishna! They have heightened the beauty and Grace to Krishna who is already exceedingly beautiful! The Bull, the Vahana of Lord Siva is extremely happy to contact the Kamadhenu of Krishna in Brindavan! The royal elephant Iravata of Indra, king of Gods, is jealous of the gentle, dignified, and slow gait of Krishna! It tries to mimic that walk! Generally the elephant is the example given for stately and slow walk. But even the Iravata was ashamed of it’s own walk after seeing the gait of Krishna in Brindavan! The poet is fascinated by the dense presence of the Kalpa vrukshas in Brindavan! He cannot but feel happy and worship them! He is anxious to worship the form of Balakrishna in Brindavan!

 Brindavan forms an integral part of Krishna’s story! It is here that Krishna performs the famous Rasaleela! Krishna takes innumerable forms to match every single Gopika and dances with them! With the Yamuna flowing freely and lush green trees bushes, the place is a veritable heaven for all The Gopikas loved the place very much and it became a paradise for them when Krishna tread that ground! It is also the place associated with Radha, the paramour of Krishna and one of the Gopikas!

Leela Shuka is trying to establish the greatness and superiority of Brindavan in this sloka. It is associated with the peacock of God Kumaraswamy! Lord Sivaa's Bull is proud of it’s contact with the cow in Brindavan! Indra's elephant Iravata is put to shame by the slow and stately gait of Krishna! In short, Brindavan is the ideal and dream spot for the Gopikas and Krishna!