'Shri Krishna Karnamrita': Ninth Shloka

pallavaruna-pani-pankaja-sangi-venu-ravakulam ,

phulla-patala-patali-parivadi-pada-saroruham  |

ullasan-madhuradhara-dyuti-mashjari-sarasananam ,

ballavi-kuca-kumbha-kunkuma-pankilam prabhum ashraye  ||9||

Simple Meaning:

Lord Krishna is Essentially Divine & Loaded with Madhurya

The one who enflames the delicious anguish of the gopis with the melodious sound of His flute, the constant companion of His lotus hands which resemble newly sprouted tender reddish shoots. Whose lotus feet even put the loveliness of the petals of a fully bloomed rose to shame, whose charming lotus face is beautified with the blossom like joyful lustre of His sweet lips. And the One who is being muddied with the kumkum paste of the gopis' pitcherlike breasts; l seek the refuge of such a Lord who is essentially divine and loaded with madhurya or sweet love.

The Rasa-laden Commentary:

Lord Krishna Dancing with Gopis in the Rasa Lila

Shri Bilavmangal ji is taking the refuge of a Lord who is supremely competent for certain-at the same time He is capable of fulfilling the cherished desires of hundreds of millions of gopis with one singular body in the rasa lila. We get to see the expansion of Lord Krishna's omniscience, supremacy and unimaginable energy, in the rasa but even on the projection of Lord Krishna's aishwarya bhava or divine majesty His madhurya bhava  or sweetness is not harmed in any way.

The Romantic Dalliance of Krishna & the Gopis

How is this Lord? He is ballavi-kuca-kumbha-kunkuma-pankilam : which means that the blue-hued body of Lord Krishna is smeared with camphor, musk of the aloe tree, sandalwood paste and so on. Its bhava implies that it seems the beautiful brides and gopis of Krishna's lila or playful dalliance have made a mark on the divine limbs of Krishna with the musk paste applied on their bosoms, and have secretly made Him their property.

Gopis Move in a Delicious Anguish to Krishna's Side

pallavaruna-pani-pankaja : this line actually means that the all competent Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has lotus hands which are lovingly tender like newly sprouted reddish shoots; when the flute with its melodious sound comes into these hands such amazing nostalgic mellifluous notes are sounded that the Braj gopis adhering to restrictive social constraints become restless and rush out of their houses, reaching extremely close to that breath of love. The enchanting addiction of the captivating Krishna's fascinating flute is such that it makes us indifferent to other attachments, as has been endorsed in the gopi geet

jis raag se anurag anya virag mein parinit hue  |

 

The Lotus Feet of Lord Krishna

phulla-patala-patali-parivadi-pada-saroruham :it seems as if His lotus feet have even made the beauty of blooming red and white patali flowers most worthless. Above all these lotus feet are so tender, lovely looking and fragrant, that with their tenderness, beauty and fragrance they have triumphed over all varieties of lotuses. The blue lotus, white lotus, red lotus, land lotus, water lotus and various other lotuses wanted to compete with these lotus feet-but they were defeated. Well, and why wouldn't they be? Because of being presumptious enough to want comparison to Krishna's lotus feet, by a fragment of whose fragrance the entire lotus forest is  scented, they invited defeat.

Lotus Clusters

Developing the sakhi bhava, Shri Bilavmangal tells some sakhi of his,"O Sakhi! This defeat is also attained with great good fortune. Even on being vanquished the lotus forest has offered the Shri (graceful beauty) residing in their treasury, in their tender petals, their smile, their fragrance at these lotus feet. By offering their entire being at these lotus feet, the lotus clusters are thrilled and radiantly blooming (with religious rapture) on being so supremely blessed.  

Goddess Lakshmi Leaves Her Padmalaya

Kamala Devi (goddess Lakshmi) herself has left her padmalaya; she is eternally and constantly residing in these lotus feet of Krishna.

These feet which are tender like blossoming lotus clusters, have sacrificed the pond and are very adept at making the pitcher like breasts of gopis, the site of their romantic dalliance.

 

A Radiant Lustre Suffuses Krishna's Lotus Face

ullasan-madhuradhara-dyuti-mashjari-sarasananam: A radiant lustre is suffused on Lord Krishna's sweet lips because of which His blue-hued body appears extremely charming.The lovely circular face has become ineffably beautiful and enchanting with blossoms having three kinds of radiance. Firstly these bud like lips are naturally red in colour, secondly the lustruous laughter is white in colour and thirdly when the Braj beauties were kissing Krishna, the collyrium of their eyes left their blackness on His lips and thus these lips have become dark-hued. Like the *triveni sangam, the fishes of spectators' hearts enjoy the unique religious rapture which pervades them.

 

Lord Krishna is Smeared by the Kumkum of Gopis

The very same Lord who is handsome, charming and attractively darkish, youthful, dark-hued and an adolescent Kishore who is ornamented, smeared and coloured with the kumkum of the gopis' pitcher like breasts, is our supreme refuge.

padmalaya (her abode is in the lotus which is the centre of bliss and happiness)

triveni sangam: the confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati in Allahabad.