'Sri Krishna Karnamrita': Publisher's Note & Preface

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu  Steeped in the Madhurya of Lord Krishna

'Sri Krishna Karnamrita', the very life of Lord Krishna's lovable bhaktas, is the maganimous gift of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who was the chief exponent of the Gaudiya Vaishava movement in eastern India and an incarnation of both Radha and Krishna, for the devotees of Kaliyuga.

'Shri Krishna Karnamrita' was distributed with enthused exultation amongst Krishna bhaktas as the 112th verse endorses.

anugraha-dviguna-vishala-locanair
anusmaran mridu-murali-ravamritaih  | 
yato yatah prasarati me vilocanam
tatas tatah sphurau tavaiva vaibhavam  ||112||

'O Krishna, always remembering the nectarous, low, soft sounds of Your flute, as well as Your eyes, doubly expanded with mercy, I pray that wherever my sight shall wander, You will always manifest Your beauty, sweetness, and opulence before me.'

Our Lovable Bobo Absorbed in the Madhurya Sagar of Krishna

For those who have known Bobo, Its constant recitation was very much a part of her daily regime. Bobo had given the relgious observance of doing this paath to all the bahenen so that they could relish the rasa of Lord Krishna's madhurya sagar.The interpretation of this religious text was done by Bobo in the evening satsang and often sent in the form of letters to her close associates who lived far away.

Shri Manohar Baba,a siddh saint of Venu Vinod Kunj, also wrote the meaning of some shlokahs and had them sent to us by his immense grace.

'Sri Krishna Karnamrita'

Sushri Darshan Agarwal, Bobo's extremely dear friend, and her sister Dr. Santosh Gupta  have made a commendable effort of arranging the rasa-kadambini commentary on 'Sri Krishna Karnamrita' as per the bhavas of Bhaktimati Usha Bahenji. Those interpretations were compiled together in the book 'Sri, Krishna Karnamrita'. Revered Darshan Bahenji and her sister Dr. Santosh Gupta have tirelessly worked to bring out this wealth given by  Bobo, in front of the whole world.

The given text is not constricted by the misguided zeal of any particular sampradaya or sect. We hope that this religious text combined with the given commentary proves to be of great interest to Krishna devotees and rasikas.

The Living Svarupa of Sri Radha-Krishna Served by Bobo & Shiela Bahenji

 We pray to the Sri Yugal Sarkar to keep showering their loving compassion and grace on these two sisters.

Revered Sushila Sharma

Preface

Sri Radha-Krishna & the Sakhis

The pure prema bhakti of the gopis is seen as transcendental love of the highest order. It is said to be the zenith of spiritual awareness. Dark-hued Krishna, his hladini shakti Shri Radha and her replications the sakhis, are in essence a single entity. They manifest as distinct individuals in prakriti or this mundane world to relish  the rasa of interpersonal romantic exchange.

The Romantic Dalliance of Sri Radha-Krishna & the Gopis 

It is the ardent longing of prem bhaktas, which has seen Krishna, the ocean of rasa, dallying with Sri Radha and the gopis in the kunjas-nikunjas, market places, the ghats and isolated forest sites of Braj Bhoomi.

This ardent longing, delicious anguish and the gush of passionate feelings are surrendered to Krishna, the supreme lover. The same ujjwal rasa is known as madhur rasa  or shringara bhakti, a certain spirituality that can only arise by indulging in love. Through this process one gradually develops prema or love for Krishna.

Sri Bilavmangal Thakur Becomes a Nayika Searching for Krishna

Sri Bilavmangal Thakur (Surdas)The composer of Sri Krishna Karnamrita is a devotee who transforms himself into a nayika by the development of the madhur gopibhava, sweet and total commitment and love for Krishna.

                   Sri Jayadeva                                                  

                                   

Sri Bilavmangal Thakur
 

Out of the rasik shiromanis who immersed themselves in Krishna, posited as the paragon of sweetness in the Srimad Bhagvat Purana, Sri Jayadeva and Sri Billavmangal are supreme. In the tradition of Krishna poetry, when the bhakti wave was at its peak (16th century onwards), their positions are highly exalted amongst Vaishnawas. 

Sambhog Shringara of  'Gita Govinda'

In Gita Govinda sambhoga shringara or love in consummation and  the joy of belonging are predominant. Whereas 'Sri Krishna Karnamrita' describes the cry of the enraptured soul for god, of the enraptured cowherdesses for union with their teasing, elusive and insistent paramour. There is not a trace of anguish but joyous abandon when Billavmangal, a love-struck devotee, describes the pathos of longing for Krishna.

The Moonlike Face of Krishna

When Billavmangal sees the nectarous moonlike face of Krishna in front a terrifying rush of love invades his heart. Krishna is nothing but madhurya, his loving tenderness, his fragrants limbs, his innocent pranks, evocative clothes, beautiful adornments all add up to his madhurya.

The four traits of madhurya which are apparent in the Vrindavan Vihari Lord Krishna are 1) aishwarya madhuri,2)kridha madhuri,3)venu madhuri and 4)roop madhuri. 

The Spirted Antics of Krishna & His Sakhas

Lord Krishna is delightfully charming in all stages of life and that is why he is madhurya. Just as the child form of Krishna indulging in spirited antics is madhurya, 

 

Krishna Slaying Bakasura

in the same way dark-hued Krishna as he slays demonic forces is madhurya, 

Child Krishna Shows the Universe to Ma Yashoda

as well as when He shows the Brahmand in His mouth to Ma Yashoda. There is no change whatsover in His madhur svarupa.


Sushri Darshan Aggarwal