Sunday, May 10, 2015

'Shri Krishna-karnamrita:' Eighty-seventh Shloka

acinvanam ahany ahany ahani sakaran vihara-kraman- 
arundhanam arundhati-hridayam apy ardra-smitardra-shriya |  
atanvanam ananya-janma-nayana-shlaghyam anarghyam dasham- 
anandam vraja-sundari-stana-tati-samrajyam ujjrimbhate ||87||

Simple meaning:


Krishna, the Embodiment of Bliss

 Krishna,the embodiment of bliss, reigns supreme between the sloping breasts of the beautiful gopis of Vraja.The One who attracts the heart of even Arundhati( personification of chastity) with the charm of His gentle smile, and captivates millions of Kamdevs, the very same glowing bliss embodied as Krishna, which reaches a rarefied state every day and arranges new romantic dalliances in the twinkling of an eye, is manifesting in my mind.

Rasa-laden Commentary:


Blissful Lustre of Krishna

Shri Lilashuk is ecstatic on beholding Lord Krishna who arouses an ardent longing. Considering Him to be an incarnation of bliss, he says that this wondrous lustre of Krishna is actual bliss and this is what manifests in front of him.
 
There is not the slightest hint of mundane lust in the pure love of the Vraja denizens. Seeing Lord Krishna happy their ocean of joy gushes forth.


 
 Krishna Charms Millions of Kamdev

atanvanam ananya-janma-nayana-shlaghyam anarghyam dasham:
Shri Kaviraj Goswami says that Lord Krishna has revealed an inexpressible incomparable state with which He charms the hearts of millions of Manmathas or Kamas. Due to the infinity of Krishna's madhurya or sweetness it is not possible to experience this state with a pair of eyes.Therefore he prays for millions of eyes to behold Lord Krishna.The beauteous form of Krishna and His sweetness is something which can be savoured only by the Braj beauties .


Krishna's Ineffable Beauty Mesmerizes Cows, Birds & Trees

In a verse from the rasa section of Shrimad Bhagavatam the gopis say:
kastryangate kalapadayata venugit
snmohitaryacharitanna chalet trilokyam ||
"Sri Krishnas beauty is so sweet that it can hypnotize Kamdev. It is condensed lavanya. A Braja gopi who is aware of this, is addressing Sri Krishnas form,Dear Anga your matchless beauty and melodious flute-song causes goose bumps even on cows, birds, trees and animals. Then how can a woman not be mesmerized by your gorgeous beauty that spellbinds the three worlds? '


Dark-hued Krishna, the Embodiment of Bliss
Shri Billavmangalji has described Krishna who reigns supreme between sloping breasts of the milkmaid of Braja, as per his experience. Krishna is 'Brahma Ananda Svarupa' or the condensed essential form of Brahma.He is the personification of bliss.Reaching the zenith of Krishna's madhurya is possible only in proximity of the gopis.

Shri Billavmangalji is Ecstatic to Behold Krishna

 Relishing the sweet divine play of Krishna in the above shloka, Shri Billavmangalji is ecstatic:
anandam vraja-sundari-stana-tati-samrajyam ujjrimbhate :
'Ah! Bliss personified is manifesting brightly in front of my eyes.'
Krishna who reigns over the sloping breasts of Braj gopis, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Blissful One. Lord Krishna, the infinite ocean of delight, is ardently longing to take rest and delight in the sloping breasts of these Braj maidens.


Gopis Passionately Call Out for Krishna
Hearing the Supreme Lover's  flute play, the gopis renounce everything of theirs, and roam about in the forest, passionately calling out for the ineffably beautiful Krishna. Their entreaties, begging Him to let them touch His hands, feet and lips, are for the sake of His joy.
gopi prem ki dhuja, premaiva gopa-ramanam kama ity agamat pratham
( Narada Bhakti Sutra)
'Although the dealings of the gopis with Krsna are wrongly celebrated by many as lust, great sages and saintly persons like Uddhava hanker for such loving affairs with Krsna.'


Happiness of the Beloved is Paramount

tat sukhe sukhitvam:
'Love finds fulfillment in the happiness of the beloved," is what Sage Narada teaches us by his aphorism on divine love.
Giving joy to Lord Krishna is the purpose of the gopis. That is why the Supreme Lover is smitten on seeing the selfless pure love of the gopis, which is transcendental love of the highest order. Therefore He has made their sloping breasts His abode, and that is the realm where He reigns.


The Rapturous Dance of the Maharasa

However, in the rapturous dance of the maharasa Krishna holds hands with Radha who represents the individual soul and her kayavyuhas or replications.The god and the gopis are in unison during the rasa. This is Krishna moralized, with an innocence both of the enchanter and the enchanted.
'reme ramesho vraja-sundaribhir'
yatharbhakah sva-pratibimba-vibhramah '
(10.33.16,Shrimad Bhagavatam)

'In this way Lord Krishna, the original Narayana, Master of the goddess of fortune, took pleasure in the company of the young women of Vraja by embracing them, caressing them and glancing lovingly at them as He smiled His broad, playful smiles. It is just as if a child was playing with His own reflection."


Krishna, the Supreme Godhead

 Therefore attaining this realm during the rasa, Krishna seems to have manifested as bliss today. Billavmangalji says that Krishna, the blissful Supreme Personality of Godhead, is radiating in front of him.


Maha Vishnu,Reigning Over the Fourteen Bhuvanas

Rupa Goswami writes:
vrndavanam parityajya
sa kvachin naiva gachchhati |
(Sri Laghu-Bhagavatamrta, 1.5.461)
Handing over the reign of the fourteen bhuvanas to Maha Vishnu, Krishna promised and began staying in this realm of the gopis. For the gopis in their simple village lives, to the end, He remains everything.



Krishna, Crest Jewel of  the Cowherds, Surrounded by Gopis

gopastree pariveshtito,vijayate gopala cudaamanie ||
'The gopis merely know that Krishna, the crest jewel of the cowherds, is surrounded by them and are oblivious of everything else. This great good fortune belongs only to the Braj maidens.