Comic Relief - Bala Gopal Lila

While urging Badarayani to continue his recital of Sri Krsna's child-hood sports, The emporor Pariksit makes the following observation;

yena yenAvatAreNa bhagavAn harirIzvarah/
karoti karNaramyANi manojnAni ca nah prabho//

O potent master! the exploits which the almighty lord Sri Hari perfoms, through whatever descents it may be, are so charming to our ear and appealing to our mind.

yacchRNvato'paityarativitRSNA sattvaM ca zudhyatyacireNa puMsah/
bhaktiharau tatpuruSe ca sakhyaM tadeva hAraM vada manyase cet//

If you think it fit, therefore kindly narrate in particular that account of Sri Hari by listening to which the feeling of apathy or indifferance and the diverse cravings responsable for such apathy of any man whatsoever disappear; his mind gets purified ere long, and devotion to the aforesaid Hari is generated, and friendship established with his voteries.

Commenting on the above , Sri Visvanatha Cakravartipad augments the idea thus;
Raja Pariksit speaks the above with this intent; " My mind is attracted to the exploits of Krsna's other avataras, but I am especially avouriscious to hear of Krsna's child-hood sports. Hearing of the various avataras of the lord fills me with bliss no doubt, but an it please your honour, do thou relate to me those exploits which eradicate ones' apathy and lack of taste. Hearing of Krsna's divine sports generates a thirst to hear more and more, and eradicates the contamination of the mind....

Bhag 10,7,1-2 with Sarartha Darsini.

The intensity of the narrative is hightened when we get to ch 8 text 29. From 26 to 28 introduces the theme saying; kAlenAlpena, within a short time; O royal sage, within a short time the two brothers, Rama and Krsna, began to move about Gokula on their legs with ease, without dragging their knees on the ground, ie, crawling. Sri Cakravarty notes that anjasA, with ease, sometimes reads ojasA or boldly or audaciouly.

tatastu bhagavAn kRSNo, thereupon, the almighty lord Krsna, vayasyair vrajabAlakaih/
saha rAmo, along with Rama and other boys of Vraja of the same age, vrajastrINAM cikriDe janayan mudam/sported freely, affording intence delight to the women of Vraja thereby.

SD;
In the pastimes of stealing butter, Krsna was the prominent figure (ring leader ) and therefore in this couplet Krsna is described as saha rAmo along with Rama.

kRSNasya gopyo ruciraM vIksya kaumAracApalam/
zRNvantyAh kila tanmAtur iti hocuh samAgatAh//

Gazing upon the childish restlessness of Krsna, the cowherd women called at his residence in a group and actually spoke to his mother, who was all ears.

SD;
Seeing the naughty pastimes of Krsna and enjoying ruciram felicty thereby, the cowherd women of the neighborhood would approach Yasoda and report to her what they had observed. When they would gather there in a group, Yasoda would leave aside her chores and listen to activities of her child. On the pretext of chiding her for not controlling her naughty child, the cowherd women would afford great delight to his mother.

Elsewhere I read that they sometimes would not address Yasoda directly but within hearing and complain among themselves. Which also rouses a nice scene where Yasoda can hear their talk but not see them, but look at Krsna's lotus-facial expressions.

29,30, and 31 I'll post tomorrow, which are actually what I meant to post originally but digressed on the preamble

Behold.

Something else; in Sri Rupa's Bh R S, the reverand auther goes through the sequence in describing sthayi bhavas from dasya upwards. However in the Bhagavat we get tha gradual development so the Vatsalya prema comes first and then develops into sakhya etc. Or rather we are introduced to those bhavas in a differant order; quite interesting huh?

The following is a group of three couplets in a differant meter, which if anyone knows the name if it, it would be worth knowing. The cowherd womens' plaint comenses with the words vatsAn muncan kvacidasamaye...etc. Sometimes, before the proper time, ( your child) untethers the calves ( so that they drink up all their mother's milk. Then krosasanjAtahAsah our anger provokes his laughter. Anyway let me just post the verses.

vatsAn muncan kvacidasamaye krozasanjAtahAsah
steyaM svAdvattyatha dadhi payah kalpitaih steyayogaih/
markAn bhokSyan vibhajati sa cennatti bhANDaM bhinatti
dravyAlAbhe sa grha kupito yAtyupakrozya tokAn// 29

Occasionally untethering the calves before time ( when we are unwary, and thus allowing them to suck all their mother's milk), and with his laughter roused by scolding, your darling swallows our tasteful curds and cream stolen through thieving devices contrived by him. He ( not only quaffs them himself, but) deals them out in order to feed the monkeys; and, if a monkey drinks no more, he smashes the very jar containing curds and milk. Nay, enraged at the people of the house on getting no material ( to eat), he departs, setting the infants of the house crying ( by pinching them).

SD;
The cowherd women said to Yasoda, " Our dear friend Yasoda, just hear about your son's mischievious deeds! Just before the dawn, your restless son walks about the neighborhood looking for an opportunity to steal some yogurt. Before the milking time ( asamaye-untimely) he releases the calves, and they proceed to drink all their mother's milk. When everyone runs about here and there to catch the loosend calves, Krsna steals into the house and pilfers curds and cream, and then takes to his heels. One day when yon yogurt theif came, we shouted, " Beat him! Bind him! Whereupon he would simply smile at us, and assailed with the charm of his smile, we became stunned with delight, forgetfull of all else, and just stood watching his knavery without responding. Sitting at ease he calmy ate our curds and cream not running away, while we sood by under the spell of enchantment."
Yasoda retorted, " In that case why did'nt you just let him eat till his belly was full?"
To which the gopis made reply, " He is always being fed by you so he has no hunger. It is not a question of hunger. He has an appetite for stealing, and he is most fond of stealing curds and cream. He does not like it if we give it to him. Being skillful at releasing the calves and at smiling, Krsna pilfers in two ways, covertly beyond our sight and overtly before our very eyes.

To be continued.

That's mandakranta meter. One of the best.

Four longs, cesura, five shorts and a long, cesura, then the usual seven syllable termination of long-short-long-long-short-long-long.

Apte gives the following nice example from Padanka-duta:

gopI bhartur viraha-vidhurA kAcid indIvarAkSI
unmatteva skhalita-kavarI niHzvasantI vizAlam
atraivAste muraripur iti bhrAnti-dUtI-sahAyA
tyaktvA gehaM jhaTiti yamunA-maJju-kuJjaM jagAma

The dark-eyed gopi, tormented by her lover's absence,
was in a state of apparent madness.
Her braid undone and her hair scattered, she sighed profusely.
Then, her friend Illusion came to her assistance:
"The enemy of Mura is here," she whispered.
And so the two quickly left the house
and went to the sweet bower by the banks of the Yamuna.

Padanka-duta--sounds interesting. The information I have on this work is the following: "Sri Krishna Sarvabhauma, the author of the poem Krishnapadamrita, was the court poet of Raghuram Raya of Nadia in the 18th century. His Padanka-duta on the theme of Krishna's footprints being sent as messengers, is a popular poem. Its date is given as 1645 Saka (add 78)." (Source: Kali Kumar Dutta, Bengal's Contribution to Sanskrit Literature. Calcutta: Sanskrit College, 1974. pp. 17, 58)

Radhamohan Vidyavacaspati of Shantipur (1710-1782) wrote a commentary on the poem. Gaangadhar Kaviraj also wrote a Padankaduta-vivriti.

Haridas Das says: "This poem is popular for three reasons: (1) The subject matter is the gopis in their separation imagining Krishna's footprints to be a messenger from him. This idea in itself is naturally attractive to everyone, even those lacking any devotion. (2) It was written during the period when Nabadwip was at the height of its glory, and so it quickly spread outwards. (3) Several of the verses contained elements of the Nyaya doctrines, and so were memorized by teachers and students of logic. (In particular 21, 31, 32, 42-45). Reading Radha Mohan Goswami's commentary one is left with no doubt that the author was a highly accomplished scholar of Nyaya."

Haridas Das mentions two other commentaries: one by Jayaram Panchanan Bhattacharya, another by Ramahari (MS in India Office). (Abhidhan)

It has been published a number of times:

(1) In KAvyasaGgraha, vol. 1, pp. 507-30 (Calcutta, 1888).
(2) With commentary of Syamacarana Kaviratna (Calcutta, 1905).
(3) With commentary of Prabhasacandra Sarman (Vidyaratna Press, Calcutta, 1861).
(4) With Bengali translation and commentary (Calcutta, 1904).

I found the following commentaries on the text listed:

(1) By Jagaddurlabha.
(2) By JayarAma PaJcAnana.
(3) By RAdhAmohana Zarman.
(4) By Hari RAma Kavi.

Thanks . Back to the measures then of mandakranta as sung by the venerable son of Badarayana.

hastAgrAho racayati vidhiM pIThakolukhalAdyaiz-
chidraM hyantarnihitavayunah zikyabhANDeSu tadvit/
dhvAntAgAre dhRtamaNigaNaM svAngamarthapradIpaM
kAle gopyo yarhi gRhakRtyeSu suvyagracittAh//30

[b]Where the curds and cream are kept hanging beyond the reach of his hands, he contrives plans to get at it with the help of a wooden plynth and the grinding mortar and so forth ( piled upon one another). Posessed of a fore-knowledge of the contents of the pots, and expert in the art of making holes, he strikes holes into the pots placed on the swings ( when the aforesaid expedients fail). In a dark room he uses his own person, wearing hosts of gems, as a lamp to reveal things, and he does all this when the cowherd women have their mind fully engrossed in their household duties.[/b]

evaM dhArSTyAnyusati kurute mehanAdIni vAstau
steyopAyairviracitakRtih supratIko yathAste/
itthaM strIbhih sabhayanayanazrImukhAlokinIbhir
vyAkhyAtArthA prahasitamukhI na hyupAlabdhumaicchat//31

He commits nuisance in our tidy houses and does other such mischievous acts. And having accomplished his work through pilfering devices, he sits by your side as a very innocent boy". Yasoda, to whom the matter was thus reported at length by the cowherd women, (who all the while) observed the charming countenance of the child glancing with terrified eyes, did not feel inclined to rebuke him, but stood there with laughter on her face.

In referance to He commits nuisance in our tidy houses, Krsna Prema Tarangini gives further insight.

lepiyA pucchiyA kari sthAna pariSkAra/
devayanja, pitRipUjA, vrata karibAre//
tAhAra upare giyA mala-mutra chAre/
Ache ta ekhana bhAla, rAo nAhi kADe//

For the observance of pious vows, sacrifice to the gods,
worship of the ancestral manes, we keep a clean and tidy spot,
duly swept and mopped, but this your darling comes there,
passes excreta and urinates ( on our shrine);
and that being so he sits by you like a good and innocent boy.

Namaste.

I recall a beautiful melodious reciting by Sri Kripaluji Maharaj
from his discourses, which makes the loving devotees of
Lord Krishna chuckle!