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IDU OR ARPUDHAM KELEER - PART 16

From the Bhakti List Archives

L&T-ECCG-Buildings & Factories • November 2, 1999 


Dear Sri Vaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

Sri lakshmi nrusimha divya paadukaa sEvaka SrivaN satakOpa Sri Vedaanta
desika yateendra mahaa dEsikaaya namah:

In the "nouka charithram" of Saint Thyagaraja, the raama bhaktha, says on
krishnaa
"Muraharudu aananthamuthO muraLini koni sakalajanula mOhimpanuthaa- sa ri ga
pa ma pa da ni s yanuchunu karuNanu karajamula chEtha gaanu salapen"

The murahara - krishna lifted the murali [flute] and rained the songs which
made all the creatures [jeeva raasis] to forget themselves.

Here Sri thyaagaraajaswamy says all creatures forgot themselves. 

But same Saint thyaagaraaja in the krithi "saadhinchanE" the aarabhi raaga
pancha rathna says "Gopee jana manOradha mosanga lEkanE KEliyu jEsEvaadu
samayaaniki"- whenever he wants to play with the gopees he will call them by
playing the flute. This perhaps has an echo in vishnu puraanam slokam
(please see below). 

Meaning: Krishna did not fulfil the desires of gopikaas. He also mocked at
them. He is capable of talking differently at different times, also
differently at the same time. Whenever he wants to play with them, he will
invite them with the vENu gaanam. He called them, played with them, when
they wanted to reach him, he disappeared and then reappeared, thus made fun
with them. 

So his play not only invites the people near him but also makes them forget
themselves.

This play with gopees, as he pleases, did not stop with gopees, but
continued with krishna's mother yasodha also. See how krishna played with
his mother as described by thyaagaraja in same krithi "saadhinchanE'.

Vanithala sadhaa sokka jEyuchunu mrokka jEsE
Paramaathmudadhiyu gaaka yasOdha 
Thanayudanchu mudhambhunanu mudhdhu bEttu
NavvuchuNdu hari- samayaaniki 

He is the son of yasOdhaa. That was what she was thinking. With this
thinking, she wanted to kiss krishnaa. But when she did so (meaning kissed)
he laughed at her derisively (kapadamaaga). Krishnaa means soulful enjoyment
to all bhaktaas.

Sri Muthuswami dikshithar says "gopasthree mohitha vENu gaana manOllaasEna"
in the song "Sree paarthasaarathy" in the raaga thanaasi, thus highlighting
the enjoyment of gopees in the krishna's flute singing [or restricting
himself describing the plight of gopees alone] and not all creatures.

Another raama bhaktha and predecessor to Sri Thyaagaraaja, in staunch raama
bhakthi, Sri bhaktha raamadhaas (also known as bhadraachala raamadhaas) also
enjoyed Sri krishna [Since he is known for raama bhakthi more, this may
sound a little odd]. See his krithi

NaaraayaNa NaaraayaNa jaya gOpaala harE krishna
Sri kousthubha maNi bhoosha sringaara mrudhu bhaasha- naaraayaNa

Nanda vara kumaara navaneetha dhadhi chOra
Kamaneeya subha gaathra kanjaatha dhaLa nEthra
KaruNaapaara vaara varuNaalaya ghambheera
Manjula kunja bhoosha maayaa maanusha vEsha - naaraayaNa

Aja bhavanutha kamsaarE achyutha krishna muraarE
MuraLi gaana vinOdha vyatyasthaa paadhaaravindha
Yamunaa theera vihaara dhritha kousthubha maNi haara
Vara bhadhraachala vaasa paalitha raamadhaasa - naaraayaNa

In this krithi, see how the raama bhaktha is enjoying krishna's kuzhal
oothum leelai- stating "murali gaana vinOdha"- also note thyaagaraaja says
"muralee vaadha vinodha' in the krithi saamaja vara gamana [covered in part
15]. Further please note bhadhraachala vaasa raama has become suddenly
krishna to Sri raama dasa, so that he enjoyed this krishna leelai of flute
playing. That is why, it is said, it seems, wisemen always think alike, even
though on the time scale, they are miles apart.

In the above krithi, please note "maaya maanusha vesha" echoing similarity
with Swami desikan "leelaya gopa vesha vishno:" in gopaala vimsathi.

Now let us see in Vishnu puraaNam, the portions pertaining to this kuzhal
oothum leelaigaL.
1. Vanaraajim thathaa koojadh bhrungamaalaa manoharaam!
VilOkya saha gOpeebhir manaschakrE rathim prathi!! 5-13-15

Meaning: The forest line was beautiful in the moonlit night. The beautiful
vanamaalee krishna saw the forest in that manner. He wanted to play with the
gopees who were also having such a desire.

2. Vina raamENa madhuramatheeva vanithaa priyam!
Jagow kalapadham sowristhaara mandhrakruthakramam!! 5-13-16

Meaning: Krishna reached the forest without balaraama his elder brother, who
always goes with him. The beloved of the young girls krishna of brindaavan
played the flute so sweetly and excellantly with proper ascent and descent
in a specialised way like, how a manthram is to be pronounced, so that it
attracts all the girls to his place. [please recall swami desikan saying
saama vedam also could not have that much sweetness as krishna's music-
yaadhavaabyu. referred in earlier part. Also refer naaraayaneeyam slokam
65-2 referred in part 14]

3. Ramyam geethadhwanim sruthvaa santhyajyaavasathaasthadhaa!
Aajagmusthvarithaa gOpyO yathraasthE madhusoodhana!! 5-13-17

Meaning: Having heard the beautiful sound of that flute music of krishna the
gopees in that night rushed to where madhusoodhan was playing flute. How
they came in - leaving everything aside they came near krishna. (refer
periyaa. - udal ul avizhnthu - paasuram 2. Also refer naaraayaneeyam slokam
65-3 referred in part 14)

4. KaachichchaavasathasyaanthE sthithvaa dhrushtvaa bahirgurum!
ThanmayathvEna gOvindham dhadhyow meelithalOchanaa!! 5-13-20

Meaning: Some girls were prevented by the sight of their gurus (meaning
elders of the family) and restrained from going. They enjoyed within
themselves with govindan viz. by thinking about govindan and enjoying his
music. So they went into yoga trance easily. (cross reference -again from
Swami desikan in yaadhava. Also refer naaraayaneeyam slokam 65-7 referred in
part 14 )

5. Kaachidh bhroobhanguram kruthvaa lalaata palakam harim!
VilOkyanEthra bhrungaabhyaam papow thanmukha pankajam!! 5-13- 45

Meaning: In the crescent shaped forehead of Sri hari the Lord krishna some
girls saw below the bent and well nourished eye brows sun and moon like eyes
shining and well spread in the lotus like face (means enjoyed the facial
beauty of kaNNan - refer part 15 in this series how periyaa. Enjoyed
kannan's postures)

6. KaachidhaalOkya gOvindham nimeelithavilOchanaa!
Thasyaiva roopam dhyaayanthee yogaarooDEva saa babhow!! 5-13-46

Meaning: Some girls having seen the winking and love shedding eyes of
krishna and having seen himself in full in front of them went into
mediatation easily (yogic trance). [While enjoying his music they also had
the chance of seeing him fully in front and hence easily went into yogic
trance. Also refer naaraayaneeyam slokam 65-7 referred in part 14].
 
7. RaasagEyam jagow krushNO yaavath thaaratharadhvani:!
Saadhu krushNEthi krushNEthi thaavaththaa dhviguNam jagu:!! 5-13-55

Meaning: Krishna sang exceedingly well the love song (raasa gEyam) in which
the song was high pitched and made the gopees shrill in its sweetness. The
girls ate and drank the music so that their duality in character is eaten
away (meaning they lost their identity and merged in music of Srikrishna).

8. SO api kaisOrakavayO maanayan madhusoodhana:!
REmE thaabhiramayaathmaa kshapaasu kshaapitha:!! 5-13-60

Meaning: In the night madhusoodhana the krishna also made the young youthful
girls to sing thereby making them poets and thus spent the night taking away
their souls with him (meaning they enjoyed together) [refer peri- aadal
paadal avai maarinar thamE- though not directly it applies to gopees, it
applies to the devaloka dancers].

9. Thadhbharthrushu thathaa thaasu sarvabhoothEshu chEsvara:!
AathmasvarooparoopO asow vyaapi vaayuriva sthitha:!! 5-13-61

Meaning: He the krishna, the lord of all creatures and nature pervaded and
stood in the form of music and air in all the creatures without exception
[avai seyyum gunamE of periyaa.]

10. Yathaa samasthabhoothEshu nabhO agni: pruthvee jalam!
Vaayuschaathmaa thathaivaasow vyaapya sarvamavasthitha:!! 5-13-62

Meaning: How all creatures are made up of space fire water earth and air, he
the krishna also filled completely in all and stood in the night of
raasagEyam.

Dasan Vasudevan M.G.