Sri Krishna's ornaments -

Dear Vaishnavas, please accept my Dandavats !


Govinda Lilamrta/ Nisanta Lila-1 Sri Yugala-Kisora Rise :

1/56 Krishna's eyes are tired and intoxicated, His body is covered with nail marks and smeared with black mascara, yet He smells like a fragrant lotus! Curling hairs decorated His forehead, plus mind-teasing dolphin earrings dance over His glossy cheeks, but herein lies a cunning sweet smile! Seeing Krishna's face thus captivatingly displayed, padma-locana Radha again becomes pierced by Kamadeva's arrows!


A Simple Introduction to Hinduismo
by John Howley

When Krishna is worshiped in a temple He will often be seen with His consort, Radha. In paintings, He may be seen dancing with the cowherd girls ( gopis ), playing with the cowherd boys, or as the chariot driver of Arjuna on the batttle-field of Kurukshetra. He is also often seen with cows because He was born as a cow herd boy.
Krishna's face is decorated with ornaments, such as earrings shaped like sharks. Krishna has very beautiful reas. His checks are brilliant and Krishna's smile is attractive to everyone.

My question is very simple:

If Sri Krishna wears both type of earrings ( dolphins and sharks shaped ), is there any special time or lila that He actually choses a particular one? What's their meaning in terms of meditation ?

The exact word for His earrings is makara. Makara is in fact neither a shark nor a dolphin. Different people associate makara with shark, dolphin or crocodile, but I believe we know no equivalent for it in the modern biology. It is a kind of sea-monster. Makara is the emblem of Kamadeva.

The powerful Gopala Raja, who extends the soothing moonlight of His Makhara earings from His ears, that are like Cupid's ropes that are eager to bind up the two adolescent Cakora-birds of bashful Radhika's restless eyes, is beautifully shining on a throne on Govardhana Hill. (Raghunatha Das Goswami, Sri Gopal Raja Stotram, 8)

Ananta Das Baba describes in his comentary how Sri Radha's eyes are very restless. They want to constantly drink the nectar moonbeams of Sri Krsna's sweet face, but due to shyness She cannot gaze at them steadily. That is why Her restless eyes are described to be like Cakora-birds. The Makhara earings are like Cupids ropes that bind Sri Radhika's eyes and mind to totally enchant Her with Sri Krsna's sweetness!

Thanks Madhava and Radhapada, for your precious time !

Makhara, great ! Since it is one of Kamadeva's arrows, sounds to me that he must keep it in a good shape... but how does it looks like ?

Hari Saran das

Hari, "emblem" is not the same as "arrow". Emblem means a symbolic representation of something. Makara does resemble a shark or a dolphin. Not that I'd seen one though. Sri Krishna also says in the Gita (10.31): jhaSANAM makaraz cAsmi -- "And among fishes, I am makara." The proper spelling is "makara", not "makhara". Makhara would in fact mean "having joy, festival". Certainly the earrings are having a festival dancing on the cheeks of Krishnacandra, but still the proper spelling is "makara".

Dear Madhava,

I know the meaning of "emblem". My point is, since it is used as a Kamadeva's "weapon" to caught the attention of it's victim, it must have a proper shape, correct ? So, that was my question. Thanks for the translation of Makhara ( festival ).

The word Makhara I took from :
The powerful Gopala Raja, who extends the soothing moonlight of His Makhara earings from His ears, that are like Cupid's ropes that are eager to bind up






Could you please make it clear ?

I was wondering about your question... Thanks for clarifying your flow of thoughts. Think of a fierce makara-seamonster (akin to a shark) which mercilessly attacks the victim, swallowing him (her) alive at once. Such is the power of Kamadeva.



I looked it up in the stotram, it is spelled "makara" there. Goddess Sarasvati inspired Radhapada to spell it in a different way to help us extract a joyful meaning for Krishna's earrings. The festival of Cupid perhaps?



Basically Krishna's earrings are of the shape of a fish. The shape of a shark or a dolphin doesn't make much difference if we consider it is after all the size of an earring only.

With the power of His desire, Sri Krishna, can take any form and that always will be pleasing for His devotees... (The Gopis ).



Well, if He says that He will not be less them the fiece Shark. Because as the Lion "Srinha" is the most powerful among the animal, as is the Shark the most powerful one among the fishes.
So can we presume that His earrings are in the shape of a Shark ? As a Shark is always looking for a good opportunity to attack it's victims, so is Sri Krishna always planning some croocked ways to attack (embrace ) His beloved Radha. Isn't ?

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I looked it up in the stotram, it is spelled "makara" there. Goddess Sarasvati inspired Radhapada to spell it in a different way to help us extract a joyful meaning for Krishna's earrings. The festival of Cupid perhaps?

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That is true ! But a Vaishnava is the embodiment of all Demigods. That means our dear Radhapada is not only inspired by one, but by millions and millions of them. When one hears his CD, like I do every day, it is easy to understand why Sarasvati devi inpired him with the word "Makhara"

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Basically Krishna's earrings are of the shape of a fish. The shape of a shark or a dolphin doesn't make much difference if we consider it is after all the size of an earring only.

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Dear Madhava, I think that difference between dolphin and Shark, is what makes one fells fear ou happiness. Besides that, a small thing in Nitya-lila can make a huge difference in one's meditation; we are try to understand the form of the earring that probably has it's own pesonalty, it is eternal and attracts Srimat Radhika's attention. That small detail can really make a big difference. Don't you think the same ?

I asked Tungavidya, my local resourse of Sanskrit knowledge, to check out the definitions in some Sanskrit dictionaries. She has found that Makara is a sea animal that is confused with a shark and crocadile. Sometimes it is refered to both. It is also the sign of Capricorn, but that is not relevent to our discussion. It is the symbol of Cupid and they are particular earings that Sri Krsna wears. There is no wonder why Krsna says in Gita of aquatics I am Makara. Krsna reveals a rasika nature of His in the Gita! Tungavidya has had previous discussions with pujari devotees in Vrndavan about Makara. It seems that it is not a creature that is seen in this world, at least so readily. Maybe it is some sort of Lochnest animal of the Vedic world.

Oh! Sorry about the spelling up there.

I would tend to think so. In the same category with timingala-fish and the rest.

Thanks for all of you devotees; explaining with quality and tolerance, you always show so much kindness to this fallen one .

This picture below is the Boto. Since I'm from Sao Paulo, Brazil, it is commom to hear such curious stories

Somehow this stories reminds me a nutty Black Boy from Vrindavana...
( any similarity with Syam, is a product of my imagination )





http://www.marenostrum.org/vidamarina/anim...cacion/boto.htm

http://mtwash.cps-k12.org/Animals/4thGrade...mas/thomas.html

http://www.animalinfo.org/species/cetacean...an/iniageof.htm


But back the conversation about the way how Makara is translated, ( dolphin , shark, etc... ) this Dolphin ( boto ) has some physical similarity with both of them.
How exactly this attractive and captivating Makara would looks like, and which quality of Sri Krishna it resembles ?
As Sriman Radhapada quoted :

The powerful Gopala Raja, who extends the soothing moonlight of His Makara earings from His ears, that are like Cupid's ropes that are eager to bind up the two adolescent Cakora-birds of bashful Radhika's restless eyes, is beautifully shining on a throne on Govardhana Hill. (Raghunatha Das Goswami, Sri Gopal Raja Stotram, 8)

Ananta Das Baba describes in his comentary how Sri Radha's eyes are very restless. They want to constantly drink the nectar moonbeams of Sri Krsna's sweet face, but due to shyness She cannot gaze at them steadily. That is why Her restless eyes are described to be like Cakora-birds. The Makara earings are like Cupids ropes that bind Sri Radhika's eyes and mind to totally enchant Her with Sri Krsna's sweetness!


This earrings must be very enchanting...

Govinda Lilamrta/ Nisanta Lila-1 Sri Yugala-Kisora Rise :

1/56 Krishna's eyes are tired and intoxicated, His body is covered with nail marks and smeared with black mascara, yet He smells like a fragrant lotus! Curling hairs decorated His forehead, plus mind-teasing Makara earrings dance over His glossy cheeks, but herein lies a cunning sweet smile! Seeing Krishna's face thus captivatingly displayed, padma-locana Radha again becomes pierced by Kamadeva's arrows!

End of "The Mysterious Makara"