SRIKRISHNA KARNAMRUTAM -ASHWASA 2 (SLOKAS 51-75)

                    Srikrishna Karnamrutham
Srikrishna Karnamrutham is a beautiful devotional poem authored by
Bilwamangala Swami, also known as Lila Shuka because of his descriptions of the
leelas of Krishna in the same manner
in which Suka described it to Parikshit.  
Lila Suka has painted vivid word picutres of the leelas of Krishna as a child, as an adolescent boy and as a lover.
The work contains 328 verses in three aashwasas (or sargas, chapters).
Throughout the book the undercurrent is loving devotion to Krishna who is
regarded as the plenary incarnation of Mahavishnu, the purely sattwic aspect of
brahman, the Ultimate reality.  It is
said that Chaitanya mahaprabhu was acquainted with this work and he greatly
appreciated it.
Given below are slokas 51 to 75 of the second ashwasa with a prosaic
translation in English.  
अन्तर्गृहे कृष्णमवेक्ष्य चोरं
बद्ध्वा कवाटं जननीं गतैका।
उलूखले दामनिबद्धमेनं
तत्रापि दृष्ट्वा स्तिमिता बभूव ॥५१॥
A gopi saw Krishna stealing inside the house and she locked the door
and went out (to complain) to his mother. 
But she was dumbfounded to see Krishna tied to a mortar there also.  
रत्नस्थले जानुचरः कुमारः
संक्रान्तमात्मीयमुखारविन्दम्।
आदातुकामस्तदलाभखेदा-
द्विलोक्य धात्रीवदनं रुरोद ॥५२॥
The
child Krishna was moving on his knees on the gem-studded floor. He saw
his lotus face reflected in the floor and wanted to catch it with his hands. Frustrated
in this effort, he started crying looking at his mother’s face.
आनन्देन यशोदया समदनं गोपांगनाभिश्चिरं
साशङ्कं वलविद्विषा सकुसुमैः सिद्धैः पृथिव्याऽऽकुलम् ।
सेर्ष्यं गोपकुमारकैः सकरुणं पौरैर्जनैः सस्मितं
यो दृष्टः स पुनातु नो मुररिपुः प्रोक्षिप्तगोवर्धनः॥२.५३॥
May we be purified
by Krishna, the slayer of Mura, who lifted up the Govardhan mountain and who
was seen by Yasoda with joy, by the milkmaids with passionate love, by Indra
with circumspection, by the siddhas with flowers, by Mother Earth with
anxiety, by the cowherd boys with envy, by the city folk with compassion and by
ordinary people with a smile.
उपासतामात्मविदः पुराणाः
परं पुमांसं निहितं गुहायाम्।
वयं यशोदाशिशुबाललीला
कथासुधासिन्धुषु लीलयामः ॥५४॥
Let those who know the Self meditate on the parama purusha lodged in
the cave of the heart. As for us, we would prefer to immerse ourself in the sea
of nectar which is nothing but the stories of the childish pranks of the son of
Yashoda.
विक्रेतुकामा किल गोपकन्या
मुरारिपादार्पितचित्तवृत्तिः
दध्यादिकं मोहवशादवोचत्
गोविन्द दामोदर माधवेति ॥५५॥
A gopi wanting to sell milk, curd etc (on the streets of
Vraja) was so much engrossed in thinking about the lotus feet of Krishna that
instead of calling out “milk, curd etc” 
she called out “Govinda ! Damodara! Madhava!”
उलूखलं वा यमिनां मनो वा
गोपांगनानां कुचकुड्मलं वा ।
मुरारिनाम्नः कलभस्य नूनं’
आलानमासीत् त्रयमेवभूमौ ॥२.५६॥
The elephant by
name Murari (Krishna)  could be chained
to only three things (pegs), namely,  mortar
(used for pounding grain), hearts of saints or budding breasts of
milkmaids. 
करारविन्देन पदारविन्दं
मुखारविन्दे विनिवेशयन्तम्।
वटस्य पत्रस्य पुटे शयानं
बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि॥२.५७॥
In my mind I
meditate on the child Mukunda (Krishna), who puts his lotus feet into his lotus
mouth by his lotus hands lying on a leaf of the banyan tree. 
शंभो स्वागतमास्यतामितयितो वामेन पद्मासन
क्रौञ्चारे कुशलं सुखं सुरपते वित्तेश नो दृश्यसे।
इत्थं स्वप्नगतस्य कैटभजितः श्रुत्वा यशोदा गिरः
किं किं बालक जल्पसीति रचितम् धूधूकृतं पातु नः ॥२.५८॥
“O Shambhu! Welcome
to you, please sit down here “.  “O
Brahma! Come here to the left”. “O Subrahmanya! Are you OK?” “O Indra! Are you
well?” “O Kubera! You are not seen nowadays”. 
Hearing these words of Krishna who was sleeping Yasoda says to Krishna “
O boy! What is this prattle of yours?” and chanted “dhoo dhoo” to ward off evil
spirits.  May that “dhoo dhoo”  of Yasoda protect us.
मातः किं यदुनाथ देहि चषकं किं तेन पातुं पयः
तन्नास्त्यद्य कदास्ति वा निशि निशा का वाऽन्धकारोदयः।
आमील्याक्षियुगं निशाप्युपगता देहीतिमातुर्मुहुः
वक्षोजांशुककर्षणोद्यतकरः कृष्णस्स पुष्णातु नः ॥२.५९॥
[ this is an interesting conversation
between Yashoda and Krishna]
Krishna: Mother!
Yashoda: What?
Krishna: Give me the cup
Yashoda: What for?
Krishna: To drink milk
Yashoda: That is not now
Krishna; When is it?
Yashoda: Night
Krishna: When is night?
Yashoda: When it is dark.
Now Krishna shuts his eyes and saying it
is dark now and asking Yasoda to give him milk, starts pulling at his mother’s
upper garment.  May that playful Krishna nurture
us (through life). .
कालिन्दीपुलिनोदरेषु मुसली यावद्गतः खेलितुं
तावत् कार्परिकं पयः पिब हरे वर्धिष्यते ते शिखाः।
इत्थं बालतया प्रतारणपराः श्रुत्वा यशोदागिरः
पायान्नः स्वशिखां स्पृशन् प्रमुदितः क्षीरेऽर्धपीते
हरिः ॥२.६०॥
“While Balarama is gone to play on the sand beds of Kalindi you
drink this milk mixed with karpoor so that your hair will grow”.  Hearing these words of Yashoda and taking
them at face value, Krishna drinks half the cup of milk and touching his hair
feels happy (believing it has grown). 
May that Krishna save us (from this samsara)
कैलासो नवनीतति क्षितिरियं प्राग्जग्द्धमृल्लोष्टति
क्षीरोदोऽपि निपीतदुग्द्धति लसत् स्मेरप्रफुल्ले मुखे ।
मात्राऽजीर्णधिया दृढं चकितया नष्टाऽस्मि दृष्टा कया
धू धू! वत्सक! जीव जीव चिरमित्युक्तोऽवतान्नो हरिः ॥२.६१॥
[Once children
reported to Yashoda that Krishna had eaten mud. 
Yashoda asked Krishna to open his mouth. There she sees the whole of the
cosmos and is terrified, thinking it is the result of indigestion because of
evil eye cast by someone]
The Kailasa peak is
the accumulation of the butter eaten by Krishna, Earth is the accumulation of
earth (mud) eaten by him , the milky ocean is the accumulation of milk drunk by
Krishna.  All this is seen by Yasoda in
the open mouth of Krishna who is sporting a smile on his face.  Yasoda fearing 
that Krishna is
suffering from indigestion and someone’s evil eye has affected him, starts
warding off the evil saying “ Dhoo, Dhoo, Long live the child”. May that
Krishna protect us.
किञ्चित्कुञ्चितलोचनस्य पिबतः पर्यायपीतस्तनं
सद्यः प्रस्नुतदुग्धबिन्दुमपरं हस्तेन सम्मार्जतः।
मात्रैकाङ्गुलिलालितस्य चिबुके स्मेराननस्याधरे
शौरेः क्षीरकणान्विता निपतिता दन्तद्युतिः पातु नः ॥२.६२॥
Let us
be protected by the shine of the milk-drenched white teeth of Krishna who
drinks his mother’s milk alternately from her right and left breasts . He wipes
off with his hand a drop of milk that just then oozed out of the breast (from
which he was not drinking at the moment). Yasoda fondles him by keeping one
finger on the lips of his smiling face with drops of milk scattered on it   May that radiance from his teeth protect us. 
उत्तुङ्गस्तनमण्डलोपरिलसत्प्रालंबमुक्तामणे-
रन्तर्बिम्बितमिन्द्रनीलनिकरच्छायानुकारिद्युतेः।
लज्जाव्याजमुपेत्य नम्रवदना स्पष्टं मुरार्वेर्वपुः
पश्यन्ती मुदिता मुदेऽस्तु भवतां लक्ष्मीविवाहोत्सवे ॥२.६३॥
During the wedding celebrations of Lakshmi she
was wearing, one her high breasts  a necklace
of pearls in which was reflected the dark blue form of Krishna as of a sapphire
gem.   Lakshmi, noticing this,  feigns shyness and slightly lowers her face
so that she could continue to see that reflection of Krishna and be happy.  May that happiness of Lakshmi make you all
happy.
कृष्णेनाम्ब गतेन रन्तुमधुना मृद्भक्षिता स्वेच्छया
तथ्यं कृष्ण क एवमाह मुसली मिथ्याम्ब पश्याननम्।
व्यादेहीति विदारिते शिशुमुखे दृष्ट्वा समस्तं जग-
न्माता यस्य जगाम विस्मयपदं पायात्स नः केशवः ॥२.६४॥
Balaram: Mother! when Krishna went out to play
today he ate mud out of                  
         
his own wish.
Yashoda: Is it true, Krishna?
Krishna: who said that ?
Yashoda: 
Balaram
Krishna: 
It is a lie, please see my mouth.
Yasoda: Open your mouth
When Krishna opened his mouth Yasoda sees the
whole world inside the mouth of Krishna and was astounded beyond measure.  May that Keshava protect us.
स्वाती सपत्नी किल तारकाणां
मुक्ताफलानां जननीति रोषात्।
सा रोहिणी नीलमसूत रत्नं
कृतास्पदं गोपवधूकुचॆषु ॥२.६५॥
Swati is one of the wives of Moon out of the
twenty seven wives, all of them stars. 
Therefore Swati is a co-wife of Rohini another star.  Swati is considered  the mother of pearls since pearls are formed
in the clam when the star swati rises. Rohini is also the mother of
Balaram.  Rohini gave birth to a blue gem
(Krishna) as she was envious of Swati. [ The poet says that Rohini gave birth
to Krishna  since Rohini considered
herself as the mother of Krishna also. 
In fact Yasoda also was not Krishna’s mother, Devaki was]
 
नृत्यन्तमत्यन्तविलोकनीयं
कृष्णं मणिस्तंभगतं मृगाक्षी।
निरीक्ष्य साक्षादिव कृष्णमग्रे
द्विधा वितेने नवनीतमेकम् ॥२.६६॥
A doe-eyed gopi saw Krishna’s reflection,
pretty to look at and dancing,  in the
gem-studded pillar.  Taking the
reflection also to be real Krishna, she split the blob of butter into two so
that she could give one part to each of them 
(Krishna and his reflection)
वत्स! जागृहि विभातमागतं
जीव कृष्ण शरदां शतं शतम्।
इत्युदीर्य सुचिरं यशोदया
दृश्यमानवदनं भजामहे ॥२.६७॥
“Child! Wake up, it is morning already. May
you Krishna live  for a hundred hundred
years. “  Saying thus Yashoda was looking
at the face of Krishna for a long time. 
We meditate on that beautiful face of Krishna.
ओष्ठं जिघ्रन् शिशुरिति धिया चुम्बितो वल्लवीभिः
कण्ठं गृह्णन्नरुणितपदं गाढमालिङिताङ्गः।
दोष्णा लज्जापदमभिमृशन्नङ्कमारोपितात्मा
धूर्तस्वामी हरतु दुरितं दूरयो बालकृष्णः ॥२.६८॥
When the gopis kissed Krishna as a child, the
latter tasted their lips.  When embraced
by them as child,  he caressed their
necks till they were red. When seated on their laps he touched those body parts
which are usually covered in shyness. May that rogue of a child rid us of all
our miseries. 
एते लक्ष्मण जानकीविरहितं मां खेदयन्त्यम्बुदाः
मर्माणीव च घट्टयन्त्यलममी क्रूराः कदम्बानिलाः।
इत्थं व्याहृतपूर्वजन्मचरितं यो राधया वीक्षितः
सेर्ष्यं शंकितया स नः सुखयतु स्वप्नायमानो हरिः ॥२.६९॥
Krishna, while sleeping, mutters “ O Lakshmana! These clouds
torment me separated as I am from Janaki; this 
cruel breeze from the Kadamba trees is pounding my vital organs “
, recalling his previous incarnation. 
Hearing these words Radha is jealous and is suspicious.  May that sleeping Krishna bestow happiness on
us.
ऒष्ठं मुञ्च हरे बिभेमि भवता पानैर्हता पूतना
कण्ठाश्लेषममुं जहीहि दलितावलिंगनेनार्जुनौ।
मा देहि छुरितं हिरण्यकशिपुर्नीतो नखैः पञ्चता-
मित्थं वारितरात्रिकेलिरवताल्लक्ष्म्यापहासाद्धरिः ॥२.७०॥
“O Hari! stop drinking from my lips, Putana was killed by
such drinking. Do not embrace me, your embrace crushed two big arjuna trees.
Do not leave your nail marks on me, Hiranyakashipu was killed by your
nails”   – Thus spoke Lakshmi in humour, thwarting
the love sport of Hari.
रामो नाम बभूव हुं तदबला सीतेति हुं तां पितु-
र्वाचा पञ्चवटीतटे विहरतस्तस्याहरद्रावणः ।
निद्रार्थं जननीकथामिति हरे हुंकारतः शृण्वतः
सौमित्रे क्व धनुर्धनुर्धनुरिति व्यग्रा गिरः पान्तु वः ॥२.७१॥
Yashoda is trying to put child Krishna to
sleep by narrating the story of Sriram:
Yasoda: “There was someone named Rama”
Krishna responds with a “Hum”
Yasoda: “His wife was Sita”
Krishna responds with a  “Hum”
Yasoda: She was abducted by Ravana while Rama
was in Panchavati to honour the words of his father
Krishna responds with “O Soumitri! Where is my
bow, bow, bow”  with anger in his words.
May these words of Krishna protect you.      
बालोऽपि शैलोद्धरणाग्रपाणिः
नीलोऽपि नीरन्ध्रतमः प्रदीपः।
धीरोऽपि राधानयनावबद्धो
जारोऽपि संसारहरः कुतस्त्वम् ॥२.७२॥
Though a child, you
lifted the hill with the tip of your hand. 
Though of dark complexion, you are the Light dispelling dense
darkness.  Though brave, you are
controlled by the eyes of Radha. Though a paramour, you destroy the cycle of
births and deaths. From where are you (in whom so many contradictions exist)?
बालाय नीलवपुषे नवकिङ्किणीक-
जालाभिरामजघनाय दिगम्बराय।
शार्दूलदिव्यनखभूषणभूषिताय
नन्दात्मजाय नवनीतमुषे नमस्ते ॥२.७३॥
My
prostrations to the son of Nandagopa who is a child with a dark blue
complexion, who steals fresh butter, whose hips are pretty wearing a new  jingling chain, who is in his birthday suit
and who is adorned with an ornament with tiger’s nail.
पाणौ पायसभक्तमाहितरसं बिभ्रन्मुदा दक्षिणे
सव्ये शारदचन्द्रमण्डलनिभं हैयंगवीनं दधत्।
कण्ठे कल्पितपुण्डरीकनखमप्युद्दामकान्तिं वहन्
देवो दिव्यदिगम्बरो दिशतु नः सौख्यं यशोदा शिशुः ॥२.७४॥
May that Yashoda’s divine child Krishna who is completely
naked bestow happiness on us;  Krishna
who has  payasa (pudding made of
cereal, milk and sugar) on his right palm, a blob of butter, white as the
autumn moon, on his left palm and a bright ornament of tiger’s nail around his
neck.   
किङ्किणिकिणिकिणिरभसै-
रङ्गणभुवि रिंखणैः सदाऽटन्तम्।
कुङ्कुणुकुणु पदयुगलं
कङ्कणकरभूषणं हरिं वन्दे ॥२.७५॥
I
salute Hari ( Krishna) who wears bracelets on his wrists as ornament,
who walks all over the courtyard making ‘kinikini’ sound from the bells
tied to his ornamental waistband and ‘kunukunu’ sound from the anklets
on his legs.

Sri P R Ramamurthy Ji was the author of this website. When he started this website in 2009, he was in his eighties. He was able to publish such a great number of posts in limited time of 4 years. We appreciate his enthusiasm for Sanskrit Literature. Authors story in his own words : http://ramamurthypr1931.blogspot.com/

Author Socials Follow me

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.