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KrishNa and Rama KarNaamruthams

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V. Sadagopan • October 14, 1996 


NAVARATHRI SECOND DAY , 1996
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THERE ARE TWO BEAUTIFUL AND DELECTABLE
STOTRAS ON KRISHNA AND RAMA BY SRI LEELA
SUKHAR OF KERALA AND ONE OF THE PEETATHIPATIS
OF KANCHI SANKARACHARYA'S LINEAGE RESPECTIVELY .
ON THIS SECOND DAY OF DHATHU SAMVATSARA  NAAVARATHRI , 
LET US MEDITATE ON THESE TWO MASTER EULOGIES ON 
SRIMAN NARAYANA .

BOTH THE AUTHORS  WERE OF SAIVITE FAITH AND 
WERE  EXEMPLAARS OF THE FAMOUS ADAGE ON 
SAMA RASAM KNOWN AS "ANTHA: SAAKTHO , BAHIR
SAIVO , VYAVAHAARESHU VAISHNAVA: ". 

The author of Sri Krishna KarnAmrutham is Bilva 
Mangalar(AD 1220-1300 ). He was a contemproary of 
Swami Desikan ( AD 1268-1369 ). Since he described 
with great joy the leelas of Krishna like Sukha Brahmam,
the author of Srimad Bhagavatham , he came to be known as
Leela Sukhar . He belongs to the tradition of great devotees 
of Krishna of Kerala such as Narayana Bhattadhiri , the 
author of Sri NarayaNeeyam , Poonthaanma and Vasudeva
Nambhhodhri and other great scholars of Dasama 
skhandham of Srimad Bhagavatham .

In his early life , he was very fond of a Deva Daasi by the name 
ChintAmaNi . She teased him once about his scholarship in
VyaakaraNam , Naatakam and Alankaara Saastram and told 
him that if he had one thousandth of the affection for Bhagavaan ,
he would easily save his life . That was the turning point for 
Bilva MangaLar . He thanked Lord Krishna for deflecting 
his obsession with ChintaamaNI towards Him and immersed
himself in Krishna chintanaa. He started his masterpiece 
called Krishna Karaamrutham with the slokam :

" CHINTAAMANI JAYATHI SOMAGIRIR GUROHMEH ". 

There are 328 slokaas in this masterwork and every one of 
them is a Karna Ranjani . He concludes with the last slokam 
with the passage : 

" LEELAASUKENA RACHITAM TAVA DEVA KRISHNA KARNAAMRUTHAM
VAHATHU KALPA SATAANTAREPHI "
 .
He prays to the Lord and says : " May this work of Leelaasukhaa
be a nectar to the ear of the hearer and be that way for the span 
of time beyond one hundred kalpam( Chathur yugam) ." 

There is a tradition to worship Krishna as Gopaala Sundari .
The mantram for that murtham has 33 beejaaksharams 
and is made up of Sri Rajagopaala Mantram's 18 letters and 
the 15 letters of Sri Pancha Dassakshari of Sri Vidyaa . Infact ,
the Lord of Raja Mannargudi ( Dakshina Dwaarakai ) , 
Sri Rajagopalan is meditated upon as Sri Vidya Raajagopalan
and is said to have Sri Chakram under the lotus feet of his 
archaa murtham at this temple. His alankaaram as Mohini
(Madana Gopala Sundari ) during His Brahmothsavam is 
well known .Sri Leela Sukhar worshipped this Madana Gopala 
Sundari form ( Dhyana Slokam 3-104 of Krishna Karnaamrutham ) .

One of the descendants of Kamakoti peetam known as Bhodendra 
Saraswathi was a great believer in Sri Rama Naama Siddhaantham  
He abdicated his position as the head of the mutt and retired to a 
village known as Govindapuram near KumbakoNam and created the
slokas of the delectable Sri Rama KarNaamrutham . He was a 
predecessor to Saint Thyagaraja and his successors , who 
spread Rama Naama Siddhaantham on the banks of Cauveri. 
I have written earlier about his attaning Jeeva Sammadhi 
in the sands of Veera Sozhan river,a branch of Cauveri .

I will conclude this posting with one piece each from the two
Karnaamruthams . The words chosen in these verses are in 
simple Sanskrit and full of the spirit of a  Bhaktha's yearning 
and search for the Lord"s Darsana Sowbhaagyam .

HAY DEVA HAY DAYITHA HAY JAGADEKHA BHANDHO
HAY KRISHNA HAY CHAPALA HAY KARUNAIKA SINDHO I
HAY NAATHA HAY RAMANA HAY NAYANAABHIRAAMA 
HAA HAA KADHAA NU BHAVITHAASI PADHAM DHRUSOHRMEH II
Krishna Karnaamrutham 1.40

( O Deva Deva ! O Object of my supreme affection! O the friend 
of the Universe ! O Krishna ! O Lord who melts with compassion
over the welfare of your devotees ! O ocean of Mercy ! O Lord of
mine! O delight of my eye , who warms my heart ! Alas ! I am 
suffering  without your darsanam . When are you going to 
present yourself before me ? )

HAY RAAMA! HAY RAMANA ! HAY JAGDEKHA VEERA !
HAY NAATHA ! HAY RAGHUPATEH ! KARUNAALAVAALA!
HAY JAANAKI RAMANA ! HAY JAGADEKHA BANDHO !
MAAM PAAHI DHEENAM ANISAM KRUPANAM KRUDHAGNAM II

Sri Rama KarNaamrutham --4. 18

( O Raama! O Beautiful one ! O the supreme (Hero ) warrior of the World !
O Lord of mine! O the chief of the Raghu race ! O ocean of mercy !
O delight of Sri Janaki ! O the true friend of this universe ! 
Please save me , the ungrateful wretch ! )

The beauty of individual slokas of both the Karnaamruthams
is oberpowrering . I will quote and comment briefly on them 
in subsequent postings .

Sri Rama Krishna Svarooya , Sriman NArAyanAya Nama : 

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan    
.