[Advaita-l] Sri Krishna Karnamrutam-2

[Kuntimaddi Sadananda]

Shree Krishna Karnaamrutam – II

 

Having introduced himself as Shaiva upaasaka whilehis mind ever locked in the vision of Krishna to the extent that Leelasuka saysthat he sees only Krishna everywhere. That is, his mind is Krishna mayam.

Once it sohappened that the Lord appeared in the form of Rama at his doorsteps. When wedo puja, we invite a chosen god to come into the form and pray as ‘asminbimbe - mahaganapatim or mahaa vishnum’ or any othergod that we want to pray-  aavaahayaami, requesting the God -please come down into this form – a transcendental form is invoked intotransactional form, for the sake of puja.  In essence, we provide the bimba,the form for the Lord to come, and once He is invited, we do all the puja thatinvolves sixteen steps starting from giving Him water to wash, etc. After thepuja is finished, we also request Him to leave and is called visarjana.After visarjana, the bimba that was used for the Lord to come inis appropriately disposed of – like the way we appropriately dispose of thenational flag when it becomes no more useful.  

 

In the caseof Leelasuka, once Lord himself walks in without any invitation, but in theform of Rama. After seeing the Lord, Leelasuka says with all the due reverence,. ‘please wait before you enter.  Canyou kindly remove that bow and arrow that you are carrying and instead carry inyour hands this beautiful adorable flute.  By the by, can you remove the crown of yourssymbolizing as the prince of Ayodhya, but instead, can you please put on thispeacock’s feather on your head?  Afterdoing both, you can come in, and I can then put my namaskarams to you.Another poet asks the other way - requesting the Lord, please comeas  Rama and without forgetting your bow and arrow to destroy the fourteenthousand Rakshasas that are disturbing my mind. Leelasuka instead wants tolisten to the diving music in his mind, not the frightening sounds of abow.  

 

विहाय कोदन्डशरौ मुहूर्तम् गृहाणपाणौ मणि चारु वेणुम् 

मयूर बर्हम्च निजोत्तमन्गे सीतापते! त्वम् प्रणमामि पश्चात्||


 vihaayakodanda sharou muhuurtam gruhaana paanou mani caaru venum|

 mayuura barham ca nijottamange seetaapate!tvaam praNamaami paschaat||


Hay! Seetaapate! – Rama himself says, ‘people will know me as Seetaapati,’while Krishna is called as yashodaa or nanda baala (Radha waslater invention). muhuurtham – please, for few moments, kodandasharou vihaaya – removing that frightening bow and arrow, paanou manicaaru venum gruhaana – please take this beautiful star-studded flute inyour hands.  And by the by, can you also put on this peacock’s feather onyour head (instead of that crown) – mayuura barham ca nija uttamange?After you have done that, I will put namaskaaram to you and invite youinto my mind – paschaat  tvaam praNamaami. 


Leelasuka visualizes the Lord Krishna coming in his full glory and beauty assees Him as:

 

कस्तूरीतिलकम् ललाटफलके, वक्षस्तले कौस्तुभम्

नासाग्रेनवमौक्तिकम्, करतले वेनुम् करेकन्कणम्

सर्वान्गेहरिचन्दनम् च कलयन्, कन्टे्च मुक्तावलिम्

गोपस्त्रीपरिवेष्टितो विजयते गोपाल चूडामणिः


kastuuritilakam lalaata phalake, vakshastale koustubham,

naasaagrenavamouktikam, karatale venum, kare kankaNam,

sarvaange harichandanamca kalayan, kantheca muktaavaLim,

gopastree pariveshtitovijayate gopaala cuuDaamanNiH||


This is a famous sloka that many people know but may not know that it is thecomposition of Leelasukha from Sri Krishna Karnaamritam. 

 

lalaataphalake kastuuri tilakam – On His broad forehead He has red tilakammade up fragrant kastuuri, vakshasthale koustubham, on His chestHe is wearing Koustubham mani which is the seat of Mahalakshmi, naasaagre navamouktikam,on the nose waring a new mouktika jewel, karatale venum, holdingthe flute in his hand karekankaNam with wrist decorated by a bracelet, sarvaange harichandanamca kalayan, withthe whole body is decorated with sandal-woodpaste, kantheca muktaavalim with neck adorned with a beautiful necklace made of gems, that Lord Krishnais coming surrounded by Gopies who have virtually surrendered themselves entirelyto Him. Seeing that Lord Coming with all his glory – Leelasukasurrenders himself completely, taking shelter at His feet –sharaNaagati. 

 

Someonesaid – koustubham is his ID, and without that, we cannot recognize theLord even if He shows up. He has to show His ID before we let Him in. It is HisID since He carries Lakshmi there. Without Lakshmi, one cannot recognize theLord, or only via Lakshmi, one can recognize the Lord. Lakshmi stands for prakrutithat includes even this body, mind, and intellect (BMI). We have to use our BMIto recognize the Lord within or the pure all-pervading consciousness or thatenlivens the BMI to make it active or alive. Hence scripture defines the Lordas – Lakshmi-pati or husband of Lakshmi. In Shree Vaishnavism, it is said that onlyvia Shree or Lakshmi, one can approach Vishnu, who pervades everything – vyaapakatvatvishnuH - . 

 
The nextsloka is a little surprising. It also occurs in Mukundamaala authored byKulasekhara Alwar. 

हे गोपालक! हे कृपाजलनिधे! हे सिन्धुकन्यपते!

हे कम्सान्तक!हे गजेन्द्र करुणा पारीण! हे माधव|

हे रामानुज!हे जगत्रय गुरो! हे पुन्डरीकाक्ष! माम्

हे गोपीजननाथ!पालय परम् जानामि न त्वम् विना|


Haygopaalaka! Hay krupaajalanidhe! Hay sindhukanyapate!

Hay kamsaantaka! Haygajendra karunaa paariina! Hay maadhava!

Hay ramaanuja! Hayjagatraya guro! Hay pundareekaasha! maam

Hay gopeejananaatha!paalaya param jaanaami na tvaam vinaa||


One can only surrender to the higher and that too only if one has a reverentialattitude, and recognizes that there are no other means available for one’ssalvation. Hence Leelasuka recognizing the Lord is krupaajalanidhe – theocean of compassion, and has, in fact, has saved in the past, many jiivas like Gajendra,who have surrendered themselves completely once realized that there is none whocan save them. Hence Leelasukas says - na param jaanaami tvaam vina,there is nothing else that I know which is higher than you – Hence maampaalaya – please take complete control of me.  Thus he completelysurrenders to the Lord of his vision.  Once surrendered, it becomes the Lord'sresponsibility to take care of his disciple – that is the promise made by LordKrishna in Geeta. Krishna promises:

 

अनन्याश्चिन्तयम्तोमाम् ये जनाः पर्युपासते|

तेषाम्नित्याभियुक्तानाम् योगक्षेमम् वहाम्यहम्||

ananyaaschintayanto mam Ye janaaHparyupaasaate|

teshaamnityaabhiyuktaanaam yoga kshemam vahaamyaham||

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