Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Shri Krishna Kripakataksha Stotram: 8th shloka



Vidagdhgopika mano-manogyatlapshayin.

Namaami kunjkanne pravridhvahinpaayinam.

Kirshorkantiranjit-drigajan sushobhitam.

Gajendramokshkarinh-namaami Shriviharinam.


The composer of the Shri Krishna Kripakataksha stotram exults," I propitiate the charming supreme lover who is resting on the bedstead of a clever gopika's delighted mind; Krishna who swallows the raging forest fire."


With tenderness and teasing, mischief and spontaneity, the darling son of Nanda passionately draws the cowherdesses. But his beloved Radha and the herd of gopis are no less clever.


Not merely in one or two but this blue-hued kishore exists intensely in the minds of all his beloveds and their bodies too...he relaxes on their bosoms. These Braj beauties are very shrewd and make the clever shiromani dance to their tune for a bit of buttermilk. Shri Radha, is the lovable svamini or devotional ideal of the sakhis. and the capricious lover resides constantly in the charming bedstead of her mind...and so much more.


Milking cows, draining curds, washing clothes on the river banks and gathering in clusters at night to sing his glories, the gopis love Krishna constantly, freely without purpose. Giving in to intense passion, the supreme rasika is resplendent in the beds of their hearts. Steeped in his love, the gopis cast off household chores and bear the burden of highly restrictive social norms. What is life without Krishna's close intimacy,feel the gopis.


Namaami kunjkanne pravridhvahinpaayinam.


The composer respectfully salutes Kunjbihari who inhales the raging forest fire. When the fire blazed in Vrindavan and bamboos burnt by rubbing against each other, the darling son of Nanda had effortlessly swallowed it. I salute the Vrindavan Vihari who wards off the sufferings of his devotees.


Kirshorkantiranjit-drigajan sushobhitam.


Shri Shri Billavmangalji Maharaj and Shri Prabhodhanandji rave about his kishore kanti or youthful lustre. Clearer than the pristine blue sky, softer than lampblack, more delightful to touch than the lotus and more enchanting than the clouds. Billavmangalji has acclaimed it as the fragrance of youth which enraptures the Braj beauties minds capricious like black bees.


The entire Braj region and Vrindavan in particular is fragrant with this scent. The slight scent of one lotus is intoxicating, whereas Krishna's blue-hued lustre abounds with several lotuses,lotus eyes, lotus face, lotus hands and lotus feet.


Krishna is irresistably attractive with an attractiveness as mysterious as it is compelling. Krishna's beauty is quite literally divine. Due to his youthful lustre he steals the hearts of dedicated devotees with great expertise. Loving hearts blooms in his youthful form and hide as the streak of lampblack in his lotus eyes.


Worldly pain can be soothed by different means but the ardent longing of Braj beauties is placated in secluded nikunjas and banks of the Yamuna by the passionate supreme lover. At the hour of cowdust when Krishna returns after grazing cows, the the handsome god enflames the maidens' hearts. With new romantic dalliances, Shri Radha-Krishna are absorbed in succeeding episodes of union and separation; the joy of belonging and pathos of longing.


The dark handsome Priyatam is ineffably beautiful. Big pointed eyes adorned with lampblack, lining his eyes probably to save his beauteous youth from the evil eye. Or possibly to captivate the herdswomen. Each gopi is engulfed by surges of exquisite desire to possess Krishna singularly and without cease.


Gajendramokshkarinh-namaami Shriviharinam.


How is the ineffably attractive Shri Vrindavan Vihari, adorned with the kishor kanti or youthful lustre and the repository of sweetness? He is the one who released gajendra (leader of a herd of elephants) from the terrifying clutches of the crocodile and granted him moksha or salvation.


There are no conditions such as japa, (incantation of mantras) tapa,(penance), abstinence and service. All that is needed is purity of thought and a true heart to come close to him. Krishna exists intensely in our hearts when we sing his glories and dwells in our longing for him.


Gajendramokshkarinh


Krishna released gajendra from the world of sorrow. Arrogance and lust are two intoxicated elephants who are absolutely unbridled and very powerful. They prey upon all humans even putting dedicated devotees on the rack. But our refuge Shri Hari instantly releases his followers, reassuring them of his love. He easily destroys arrogance which is the greatest enemy of a human.


But lust is the biggest weakness of mankind, leadinf to his decline. This Gopnagar (epithet of krishna) makes the same Kam (god of love) his slave. Lord Shankar would have burnt him to ashes long back but Krishna, the repository of compassion, granted him a new lease of life.


Soon enough he was absorbed in Krishna's service. The Lord rules over him and granting him the good fortune of his service does not admonish him. On the contrary making Kam a powerful device of his romantic dalliance, Krishna blesses him. A bond of intense passion is the name for Kam's salvation or deliverence.


Acharyas have raved about four kinds of moksha or salvation but Krishna has granted Kam all four of them. Salokya moksha (residence of the liberated soul in the same world or heaven as Krishna;the first stage of beatitude) which dances in the kunjas-nikunjas, sarupya moksha where Krishna has granted Kam his own attractive form and thus he is dear to the Braj beauties.


Sameepya moksha (beautiful state of proximity of the soul to God) wherein Krishna has kept him intensely close to his own self and sayujya moksha (beatific state of communion of the soul with the divine being)herein Krishna again absorbs Kam in his innate divinity with new spirited antics every day.


Namaami Shriviharinam.


I propitiate the one who dallies in Shri meaning beauty or beauty dallies in whom. Shri...means Shri Shri Radha Rani. I respectfully salute the Shri Vihari, with whom Shri Radha dallies and the one who is Shri Radha Vihari.


His beauty is irresistably attractive. Loving tenderness, lyrical softness, delicate movements, fragrant limbs, the mellifluous sound of his flute, his innocent pranks,evocative clothes, beautiful adornments, such as the vanmala, serene sensuality and graceful manners. The more his beloveds relish Krishna's cascading beauty the more their ardent longing increases.


The madhurya or sweetness of his ineffable beauty pervades Shri Vrindavan's kunjas-nikunjas and the forest groves. Krishna resides not only in the minds and hearts of the gopis but also in the sap that animates the birds and the bees, the trees and the creepers of Vrindavana. Shri is residing everywhere; in the bright rays of the sunshine, dancing moonbeams of the smiling moon and rippling waves of the gushing ocean. In the flickering dawns, the intoxicated silent nights, the melodious lazy dusks and in the cool shades of daybreak.


The terrifying rush of love gushes forth in Shri Van where two auspicious beautiful moons are radiant. Seeing Shri get honour and affection here, dalliance also turned greedy. Beauty and dalliance became the best of friends. When Shri Radha, the darling daughter of Shri Vrashbhanu, adorning the soles of her feet with the entire Shri of Shri Van dallies with the supreme lover, a romantic dalliance surges forth. And then the name Shri Vihari of this supreme rasika attains perfection.


Namaami Shriviharinam.


Shri Vihari is the handsome rasika who giving in to intense passion constantly dallies with Shri Radha. Svamini or devotional ideal of the sakhis, Shr Radha is the essence of several Laxmis even though all the maidens of Vrindavana are forms of Laxmi. Shri Radha is foremost of the gopis able to please Krishna with little more than a glance. However Radha feels that her love for Krishna can always expand to greater heights and thus manifests herself as the many gopis of Braj. They fulfil Krishna's desire for a loving relationship in a variety of ways.


There is no site of Braj particularly Vrindavan where the dark-hued Krishna is not busy in some new amorous frolic. Right now the notorious Krishna was creating a furore on the banks of the Yamuna as he teased a young Braj maiden. The wells are also resounding with his spirited antics.


The festival of Holi is yet to come but there is no respite for Krishna who involves himself voluntarily in the sensual pleasures of this world. He gives himself in to freedom, spontaneity and intense passion. His playful dalliance is not bound by time and the cycles of seasons.


These days the breeze of spring has begun...in such bitter cold also spring peeps in and prances gradually. Crazed by delight, the wind blows speedily at times. The supreme lover fond of romantic dalliances finds respite in his beloveds and Shri Radha, the supreme object of Krishna's love. He inflames their ardent longing and then delights in looting and gathering the lovable amorous frolic. Soon after he entreats them for another escapade of love and once more the terrifying rush of love fills their lives with inspiration and delight.


Shri Radha ultimately remains and is revealed as the very embodiment of that irresistably attractive feminine principle towards whom the masculine power encompassed in the god is drawn. Generally speaking spring resides in Shri Radha-Krishna's minds and souls constantly but they grant the good fortune to every season by welcoming it with their romantic dalliance.


Nature the actress brought about a new change in Braj. The cool breeze of spring began blowing with the warmth of the hot summer season. But this warmth would not afflict the body with painful heat. The entry of fear and antagonism is banned in Braj. It carried the message of a new amorous frolic by enflaming the mind for another ardent escapade. Krishna released the spirited antics of spring in the jal vihar or boat rides on the cool waters of lakes and on the banks of the Kalindi (Yamuna).


The summer season took leave and gave a fortunate chance to the rainy season of serving the Yugal (Shri Radha-Krishna). Dense clouds gathered and thundered to conceal the blue sky. The gopis were engulfed by surges of exquisite desire to possess Krishna singularly and without cease in this exotic downpour. Shri Radha-Krishna dally delightfully among the offerings which this auspicious season brings in the secluded nikunjas of Braj.


The rains left and Sharad Ritu, the autumnal season arrived. Herein nature is celebrated in her most glorious state when the skies are cleared of heavy black clouds, the waters flow clear and sweet, the air is luminous and the whole earth rejoices on being cleansed. In the enchanted season, on Krishna's suggestion, in the light of the full moon the gopis commence the rapturous dance of the maharasa. The peacocks dance, animals stand still entranced and the cows stop grazing. All of them are instilled with one mood, which pervades, that of ecstatic devotion or shringara bhakti.


The autumnal season departed and the cold season camped itself on the soil of Braj grounds. For placating the cold, the mischievous supreme lover entreated Shri Radha for the warmth of her limbs. Shivering in the bitter cold, he snuggled in her embrace and once again a romantic dalliance surged forth.



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