'Shri Krishna Karnamrita': Eighth Shloka

mada-shikhandi-shikhanda-vibhushanam ,

madana-manthara-mugdha-mukhambujam |

vraja-vadhu-nayanashjana-rashjitam ,

vijayatam mama vanmaya-jivitam  ||8||   

Simple Meaning:

 

Dark-hued Krishna, Languid with Love

I respectfully salute Krishna, the very life of my words! The One who is adorned with an intoxicated peacock feather and whose lotus face is languid with Madana(the god of love); the One who is decorated with collyrium from the brides of Braj.

   

The Rasa-laden Commentary:

The Capriciousness of Krishna's Lotus Face Vanishes

What does madana-manthara lotus face mean? Being languid implies sluggishness and how could it be concerned with Krishna's lovely face? Probably, due to the intoxication and overpowering languor of love, the  fickleness which always frolics on Krishna's face, has vanished. Burdened with the ardour of love, the capriciousnesness constantly peeping from His glance has merged with some fixed gaze.

Interpersonal Romantic Exchange between Shri Radha-Krishna

The pulsating lips must have been engrossed in the silent demand of some mute interpersonal romantic exchange. They have just relished the rasa of a romatic dalliance but ardently long for more. The collyrium of the eyes of Braj beauties has left its sweet mark on those tender red lips and given a detailed account of how that romantic escapade was savoured. With a terrifying rush of love, this romantic exchange, its mark and sweet bodily postures have made the mischievous supreme lover Krishna languid, which is the natural after effect of passionate love play . Its is being reflected on His lotus face.

Union of The Descending God & Ascending Soul

mukhambujam: the lotus face is not merely languid but enchanted as well; the glowing sluggish state which arises after the consummation of love( where the descending god and the ascending soul become one) is being pointed at. And this laziness has also pervaded all the limbs because of the joyful fervor of youth. This languid state has ravaged our love struck hearts.

mukhambujam: the expressions and blandishments which flit across the lotus face and are generally reflected on the supreme lover's face when He comes in front of His beloveds in Braj, are not that forceful. At present there is a mark of languor on the fickle bhavas and expressions crossing the face, after enjoying the imagined pleasures which an impassioned man and enraptured woman may enjoy.(all men and women in the world are spiritually women and Lord Krishna alone is male. We can acquire such great love for Krishna by imagining ourselves as women and love Him as the gopis did. Because a woman's love for her Lord or husband is the only greatest possible love.)

Lord Krishna Relishes the Rasa of Shri Radha

madana-manthara-mugdha-mukhambujam: has another bhava. After sweetly relishing the nectarous rasa of Shri Radha's lotus face, handsome Lord Krishna has assumed an enchanting languid image laden with emotional softness which is usual after love play. Or we can say the intoxicating eyes of Madan Mohan have been caught in the muddy pond of rasa in some infinte ocean of ineffable beauty, and become sluggish. 

It is tough to come out, one just can not step out or in fact one does not want to.

The Gopis Long for Union with Krishna

vraja-vadhu-nayanashjana-rashjitam : Means the One whose eyes have been stained by the collyrium of Shri Radha and the gopis of Braj. As a matter of chance, the collyrium of the gopis' eyes is also Shyam or dark blue. Not only the collyrium their ornaments,clothing and shringar are all distinctly blue-hued. Above all,  impassioned by the colour of Shyam the gopis themselves long for union with their teasing, elusive and insistent paramour. 

Shri Lilashukji Wants Krishna to Shine in His Heart

vijayatam mama vanmaya-jivitam: While meditating upon the deliciouslly sweet image of Lord Krishna Shri Lilashuk ardently longs to see His madhurya in person, “I respectfully salute the very life of my voice. May Krishna visibly manifest in all those forms which my words describe, when He dallies with the gopis and in His many virtuous acts. May He brilliantly shine in my heart just like a person who has been invited. Because He is the true svarupa of my soul; indeed my very life. His romantic dalliances, winsome antics and songs of His glories are the actual energies of my sanjivini (life-giving herb.)

'Shri Krishna Karnamrita:' Seventh Shloka

kamaniya-kishora-mugdha-murteh ,

kala-venu-kvanitadritananendoh  |

mama vaci vijrimbhitam murarer ,

madhurimnah kani-kapi kapi kapi  ||7||

Simple Meaning:

 

The Beauteous Form of Krishna Murari

May a particle even if is the smallest particle of *Murari , who is a luscious young adolescent, having the darshan of whose beauteous form the *three worlds are enchanted, from whose moonlike face the melodiously soft nectarous sound of the flute cascades, may the same Krishna's madhurya be fervently expressed in my words and my tongue. Such is the heart-felt desire of Shri Bilavmangal ji.

The Rasa-laden Commentary:

 

The Lilting Sound of Krishna's Flute Play

Well! How is this lovely youth's enchanting form! It is endowed with an extremely tender charm and the smooth-bodied Kishore is indeed enchanted by Himself. Hundreds of  assembled gopis are captivated by Him. The lilting sound of His flute play constantly flows forth, flirtatiously with joyous abandon from Krishna's moonlike face. Just like nectarous rasa continuously cascades from the moon.

 Gopis Ardently Long for Krishna

A lustrous glow keeps emanating from every single limb of the lovely Brajraj Kishore. Hundreds of lotus clusters offer themselves to His loving tenderness. Groups of lovely cowherdesses ardently long to plunge into the fragrant flow cascading from the eight petalled lotus of His blue-hued form.

 A Gopi & Living Beings Enchanted by Krishna

Lord Krishna is the ocean of madhurya or sweetness. It is possible to relish His madhurya only through love. One is capable of savouring the sweetness of Krishna as per the intensity of love one develops for Him. One can intensely relish the madhuri of Lord Krishna, the supreme lover who is an icon of shringar rasa, with the gopibhava (of sweet and total commitment and love for Krishna.)Lord Krishna is not only lovingly tender but is also personified as an enchanter, which means living beings, animate and animate are all enchanted by his beauteous form. So if the innocent milkmaids of Braj are passionately drawn by His ineffable beauty, what is so astonishing in that!

madhav! chumbak roop tum, lauh pootri naar  |

sang lagi dolain sabai, ghar ban, yamuna paar  ||

The state of a gopi who is drawn like a magnet to the beauteous form of that *Manmohan has been described in a poet's words

baurani si phirat kunjan mein

The Delicious Anguish of a Gopi Smitten by Krishna

Crazed, she loses her presence of mind and keeps moving in a delicious anguish at home, in the forest and on the banks of the Yamuna- good sense just does not prevail.

The beauty of Lord Krishna is so enchanting that the three worlds are fascinated -there is no need to be surprised at this truth. But if Lord Krishna is Himself enchanted by His lovely form, it is certainly astonishing. Listen to the episode of a lila or divine play in this context:

 Dark-hued Krishna is Enamoured by His Own Beauty

One fine day it so happened that at the time of godhuli or the hour of cowdust, the darling son of Nanda wearing dishevelled clothes and ornaments, with cows in front and cowherds behind, returned to Braj. Straightaway, He reached the chamber of His bhavan. A huge mirror had been hung right in front. Seeing the reflection of His lovely form, Krishna was enamoured Himself. As soon as He moved ahead to wrap His arms around the image in that mirror, dark-hued Krishna was taken aback.  “Oh! This is my  beauteous form!” He exclaimed. What an unusual happening.

kala-venu-kvanitadritananendoh : There is another dinstinctive feature in the form of that 'Murari,' He is endowed with the sound of the flute. The lovely flute adorns His face-or that form is worshipped by the melodious sound of the flute play.

The Flute is Lord Krishna's Constant Companion

The great good fortune of the flute is inexpressible. One does not know what sort of magic is there in this instrument made of bamboo joints, that the nayaka of the three worlds, the darling son of Nanda who is a repository of delight, has also become a slave( to it's charm). It is no ordinary bamboo instrument. One does not know how may births of tapa or penance...how much of abstinence this flute would have gone through. In reality, it is the eternal companion of Lord Krishna. Its glories are sung in celestial Golok as well. Just have a look at its supreme good fortune that day and night it is attached to the limbs of the youthful son of Nanda, through out the eight *yaams and sixty four *gharis-who can say that it is lifeless. Rather it is the nectarous sanjivini which keeps living sentient beings also constantly conscious.

Shri Bilav Mangal ji Longs for Krishna, the Flute Player

With an ardent longing Shri Bilav Mangal ji Maharaj says that I will be grateful if the lotus face of this flute player Murari, springs up in my voice. If a small, extremely small fragment of His sweetness lights up my voice, my life will be blessed. And I will reach the heights of religious rapture after describing that picturesque form.

*Murari (a title of Krishna, enemy of the demon Mura)

*three worlds( heaven, earth and the lower regions)

Manmohan (a title of Krishna who enchants the heart)

*yaams (period of three hours)

gharis (a short period of time)

godhuli or the hour of cowdust (when cows usually return home form grazing before sunset),