Sri Krishna Karnamrutam - Part II

Dr.A.P.Rao 

Jun 2020

SRI KRISHNA KARNAMRUTAM

 PART – II

This article is a continuation from the  Sri Krishna Karnamrutam Part I. In this second part we will delve into Sage Leela Shukas himself and his spiritual experiences about Krishna’s beauty and the Lord’s leelas -  how Bhakta Sulabha  Krishna was.. 

Many of us know the works and writings of Leela Shuka, unaware of the fact that he penned them himself. Take for example the sentence that Jiivaatma and Paramaatma are one and the same. For most of us it is a belief rather than experience otherwise we would have been Jivanmuktha. Like that we are familiar with his slokas but not aware of the fact that he was the author. This is what Thoreau of Walden pond said “To know that we know what we know and what we do not know is true knowledge.”

Some of Leela Sukha’s well known slokas are:

1.  This is the most celebrated euphony on Lord Krishna sung        length and breadth of India, “kasturi tilakam lalata phalake” is known to most of us but very few are aware that the author was Leela suka.

          कस्तूरी तिलकम् ललाट फलके वक्षः स्थले कौस्तुभम्

          नास अग्रे नव मौक्तिकम् कर तले वेणुम् करे कङ्कणम्

          सर्व अङ्गे हरि चन्दनम् च कलयन् कण्ठे च

          मुक्त आवलिम् गोप स्त्री परिवेष्टितः विजयते गोपाल चूडामणिः

 

2.   At Kalpa beginning and end paramaatma is vata patra sai.This is very popular and had many versions of the same theme.

           करारविन्देन पदारविन्दम् मुखारविन्दे विनिवेशयन्तम्।

           वटस्य पत्रस्य पुटे शयानम् बालम् मुकुन्दम् मनसा स्मरामि॥

 

3.  Madhurashtakam is based on his following sloka.

           मधुरंमधुरम् वपुरस्य विभोर्मधुरंमधुरम् वदनम् मधुरम्।

           मधुगन्धि मृदुस्मितम् एतदहो मधुरंमधुरंमधुरंमधुरम्॥

 

4.   Again Rasaleela described by Leela suka has many followers. 

           अङ्गनाम् अङ्गनाम् अन्तरा माधवो

           माधवम् माधवम् चान्तरेणाङ्गना।

            इत्थमाकल्पिते मण्डले मध्यगः

            सङ्जगौ वेणुना देवकीनन्दनः॥

Writing about himself Leela Shuka says:

We are traditionally Saivas, we need to regularly recite the Siva Panacaakshari Maha Mantram of Om Namah Sivayah. However, my mind always wants to see and pray to the beautiful smiling face of Neela Megha Shyama, Krishna..

           शैवा वयम् न खलु तत्र विचारणीयम्

           पङ्चाक्षरीजपपरा नितराम् तथापि।

           चेतो अस्मदीयम् अतसीकुसुमावभासम्

           स्मेराननम् स्मरति गोपवधूकिशोरम्॥

Some more of Sage Leela Shukas spiritual experiences:

1.

रामो नाम बभूव  हुम् - तद् अबला सीतेति  हुम् - ताम् पितुः वाचा

पङ्चवटी तटे विहरतः तस्य आहरत् रावणः निद्रार्थम् जननी कथामिति हरेः

हुङ्कारतः शृण्वतः सौमित्रे क्व धनुः धनुः धनुः इति व्यग्रा गिरः पान्तु वः

Meaning:

One day after eating, Krishna was fast asleep in his cradle. The Devathas came to see him and pay their obeisance. He invited them by saying Oh Shambho welcome please come and sit here on my right. Oh Padmasana Brahma please come and sit near me. Oh Kumaraswamy, are you fine. Oh Indra are you happy!  Seeing that Krishna is talking in sleep Yasoda removes dishthi (evil eye) uttering thu thu thu. Such Krishna blesses us.

2.

शम्भो स्वागतम् आस्यताम् इत इतो वामेन पद्म उद्भव

क्रौङ्च अरेः कुशलम् सुखम् सुर पते वित्तेश न

दृश्यते इत्थम् स्वप्न गतस्य कैटभ जितः श्रुत्वा जनन्या गिरः    

किम् किम् बालक जल्पसि इति अनुचितम् थू थू कृतम् पातु वः

Meaning:

The sloka is about the conversation between Yashoda and Krishna.

Yasoda : Krishna ! why do you need that vessel (glass)

Krishna : For drinking milk

Yasoda : just now you drank – so you cannot drink now

Krishna: when can I drink?

Yasoda : After evening when night comes

Krishna : How will night be

Yasoda : Full of darkness – we cannot see anything

Krishna: (After closing his eyes) Now I cannot see anything so give me milk and pulls mother's saree.

Such Krishna blesses us all.

3.  In this sloka Leela sukha experiences the conversation between a Gopika and Krishna

कस् त्वम् बाल बल-अनुजः किम् इह ते मत् मन्दिर आशङ्कया युक्तम्

तत् नवनीत पात्र विवरे हस्तम् किम् अर्थम् न्यसेः मातः कङ्चन वत्सकम्

मृगयितुम् मा गा विषादम् क्षणाद् इति एवम् वर वल्लवी प्रति-वचः कृष्णस्य पुष्णातु नः

Meaning:

Gopika :  who are you, boy?

Krishna: Balarama’s younger brother

Gopika :What are you doing here – in my house

Krishna: I thought that this is my house and entered

Gopika : ok, what are you doing with your hand in the butter pot

Krishna: I am searching for my missing calf,  don’t   upset the calf by shouting in this way.

May such Krishna who replies in that quick witted manner protects us all.

 

Below are some poems describing beauty of Lord Krishna by Sage Leela Shuka:

 1.

मुकुलायमान नयन अम्बुजम् विभोः मुरली निनाद मकरन्द निर्भरम्
मुकुरायमाण मृदु गण्ड मण्डलम् मुख पंकजम् मनसि मे विजृम्भताम्

Meaning:

Let the lotus like face of my Lord Krishna,
Which has two eyes, similar to the lotus buds,
Which is full of the honey from, the pollen of the music from his flute,
And which has clear cheeks shining like glass,
Shine completely in my mind.

2.

मन्दारमूलेमदनाभिरामम् बिम्बाधरापूरितवेणुनादम्।
गोगोपगोपीजनमध्यसंस्थम् गोपम् भजे गोकुलपूर्णचन्द्रम्॥ 

Meaning:

I pray, that cowherd who is the full moon of Gokula,
Who is more attractive than love God
Sitting below wish giving tree,
And playing the flute sweetly,
And is in between cows, Gopis and Gopas

3.

कमनीयकिशोरमुग्धमूर्तेःकलवेणुक्वणितादृताननेन्दोः।
मम वाचि विजृम्भताः मुरारेःमधुरिम्णः कणिकापि कापि कापि॥

Meaning:

Perhaps my words may be lacking sweetness to portray him who has a heart-sweetening, yet ineffable, physique of an youngling which anyone would love to see oftentimes with their mortal eyes; whose face likened to the ambrosian moon is sapid for it emanates indescribable melodies with an ambrosial constituent, together with an immortal tenor, through fluting his flute called vamshi; hence, let a tiniest particle of that inexplicable honey-sweetness natural to him fall on my tongue so that I can portray a fraction of the sweetness of krishna... 

4.

हे देव हे दयित हे भुवनैक बन्धो हे कृष्ण
हे चपल हे करुणैक सिन्धो हे नाथ हे रमण हे नयन अभिराम
हा हा कदा नु भविता असि पदम् दृशोः मे

Meaning:

Hey God, Hey omnipresent one, Hey the only friend of the world,
Hey Krishna, Hey God who changes his mood, Hey sea of mercy,
Hey Lord, Hey God who attracts, Hey God who enthralls the eye,
When will I be able to see your feet?

5.

तेजसे अस्तु नमः धेनु पालिने लोक पालिने
राधा पयोधर उतसङ्ग शायिने शेष शायिने

Meaning:

Salutations to the cowherd who looks after this world,

Salutations to he who sleeps on the breasts of Radha as well as on Adhi Sesha.

6.

गो धूलि धूसरित कोमल गोप वेशम् गोपाल बालक शतैः अनुगम्यमानम्
सायन्तने प्रति गृहम् पशु बन्धन अआर्थम् गच्छन्तम् अच्युत शिशुम् प्रणतो अस्मि नित्यम्

Meaning:

I daily salute Achutha in the form of a child,
Who is covered with dust raised by hooves of cows,
Who is being followed by hundreds of cowherd children,
and who goes to every house in the evening, to tie the cows.

 

…Sarve Jana Sukhino Bhavantu…