Srikrishna Karnamrutham

Srikrishna Karnamrutham is a beautiful devotional poem authored by
Bilwamangala Swami, also known as Lila Shuka because of his descriptions of the
leelas of Krishna in the same manner
in which Suka described it to Parikshit.  
Lila Suka has painted vivid word picutres of the leelas of Krishna as a child, as an adolescent boy and as a lover.
The work contains 328 verses in three aashwasas (or sargas, chapters).
Throughout the book the undercurrent is loving devotion to Krishna who is
regarded as the plenary incarnation of Mahavishnu, the purely sattwic aspect of
brahman, the Ultimate reality.  It is
said that Chaitanya mahaprabhu was acquainted with this work and he greatly
appreciated it.

Given below are slokas 76 to 108 of the third ashwasa with a prosaic
translation in English.

स्मितस्तबकिताधरं शिशिरवेणुनादामृतं

मुहुस्तरललोचनं मदकटाक्षमालाकुलम्।

उरःस्थलविलीनया कमलया समालिङ्गितं

भुवस्तलमुपागतं भुवनदैवतं पातु नः ॥३.७६॥

May we be
protected by that god of the worlds, Krishna,  who has come down to this world,  whose lips are lit by a smile, whose melodies
from the flute are cool, who has roving eyes, whose sidelong glances are
passionate and who is embraced by Lakshmi who abides on his chest. 

नयनाम्बुजे भजत कामदुघं

हृदयाम्बुजे किमपि कारुणिकम् ।

चरणाम्बुजे मुनिकुलैकधनं

वदनाम्बुजे व्रजवधूविभवम् ॥३.७७॥

Worship Krishna
whose lotus-like eyes grant the desires (of devotees), lotus-like heart is full
of mercy, lotus-like feet are the only wealth of saints and lotus-like face is
the wealth of the belles of Vraja.

निर्वासनं हन्त रसान्तराणां

निर्वाणसाम्राज्यमिवावतीर्णं

अव्याजमाधुर्यमहानिधान-

मव्याद् व्रजानामधिदैवतं नः ॥३.७८॥

May  we be protected by Krishna,
the Lord of the inhabitants of Vraja who is the taste which drives away other tastes,
who has incarnated, as it were,  to rule
over the Empire of salvation and  who is
the repository of deceit less sweetness.

गोपीनामभिमतवेषहर्षा-

दापीनस्तनभरनिर्भरोपगूढम्।

केलीनामवतु रसैरुपास्यमानं

कालिन्दीपुलिनचरं परं महो नः ॥३.७९॥

May we be
protected by that great effulgence which strolls on the banks of the Yamuna,
which is decked out in attire liked by the ample-bosomed gopis  who hold it in a tight embrace and which is worshipped
by the joys of their love sport.

खेलतां मनसि खेचराङ्गना-

माननीयमृदुवेणुनिःस्वनैः।

कानने किमपि नः कृतास्पदं

कालमेघकलहोद्वहं महः ॥३.८०॥

May that dark blue effulgence like that of dark clouds, abiding in some
forest, sport in my mind accompanied by the soft melodies of the flute admired by
the celestial damsels.

एणिशाबविलोचनाभिरलसश्रोणीभरप्रौढिभि-

र्वेणीभूतरसक्रमाभिरभितः श्रेणीकृताभिर्वृतः ।

पाणिद्वौ च विनोदयन् रतिपतेस्तूणीशयैस्सायकै-

र्वाणीनामपदं व्रजजनक्षोणीपतिः पातु नः ॥३.८१॥

Let us be
protected by the Lord of the land of Vraja who is
surrounded  by doe-eyed gopis with
slow moving hips and pretty walk and who amuses 
 both his hands by playing with
the flower arrows in the quiver of the god of Love.

कालिन्दीपुलिने तमालनिबिडच्छाये पुरस्सञ्चर-

त्तोये  तोयजपत्रपात्रनिहितं दध्यन्नमश्नाति यः ।

वामे पाणितले निधाय मधुरं वेणुं विषाणं कटि-

प्रान्ते साचिविलिकयन् प्रतिपलं तं बालमालोकये ॥३.८२॥

I visualise the child Krishna who, sitting on the Kalindi
river bed under the shade of a tamala tree, with the river water flowing
in front of him. eats rice mixed with curd from a lotus leaf,  holding the flute in his left hand and the
horn on his waist and glancing sideways every now and then.

यद् गोपीवदनेन्दुमण्डनमभूत्कस्तूरिकापत्रकं

यल्लक्ष्मीकुचशातकुंभकलशे व्याकोशमिन्दीवरं ।

यन्निर्वाणविधानसाधनविधौ सिद्धाञ्जनं योगिनां

तन्नः श्यामलमाविरस्तु हृदये कृष्णाभिधानं महः॥३.८३॥

The effulgence called Krishna became the Kasturi mark on the
moon-like faces of gopis, became indivara
flower in full bloom on Lakshmi’s breasts resembling pots of gold and
became the mystic ink for the yogis who were trying to attain Nirvana (Supreme
state of Peace). May that Light shine in my heart.

फुल्लेन्दीवरकान्तिमिन्दुवदनं बर्हावतंसप्रियं

श्रीवत्सांकमुदारकौस्तुभधरं पीतांबरं सुन्दरं

गोपीनां नयनोत्पलार्चिततनुं गोगोपसंघावृतम्

गोविन्दं कलवेणुनादनिरतं दिव्यांगभूषं भजे ॥३.८४॥ 

I worship Govinda who is of the brightness of indivara flower in full bloom, 
who is fond of adorning himself with peacock feathers, who has the mark
of srivatsa on his chest, who wears
the kaustubha diamond and silks of
bright yellow, who is beautiful, worshipped by the eye-lotuses of the gopis, surrounded by cows and cowboys, creating
melodies from his flute and fully decked out with gold and diamond ornaments.

यन्नाभिसरसीरुहान्तरपुटे भृङ्गायमाणो विधिः

यद्वक्षःकमलाविलाससदनं यच्चक्षुषी चेन्द्विनौ ।

यत्पादाब्जविनिःसृता सुरनदी शंभोः शिरोभूषणं

यन्नामस्मरणं धुनोति दुरितं पायात् स नः केशवः॥३.८५॥

May we be
protected by that Keshava within the lotus from whose naval Brahma
hovered like a bee, whose chest is the play house of Lakshmi, whose eyes are
the sun and the moon, the celestial river which flows from whose lotus feet
adorns the head of Lord Shiva and the remembrance of whose name washes away all
sins and miseries. 

रक्षन्तु त्वामसितजलजैरञ्जलिः पादमूले

मीना नाभीसरसि हृदये मारबाणा मुरारेः।

हाराः कण्ठे हरिमणिमया वक्त्रपद्मे द्विरेफाः

पिञ्छाचूडाश्चिकुरनिचये घोषयोषित्कटाक्षाः ॥३.८६॥

May the
sidelong glances of the belles of Vraja protect you; glances which offer
worship at the feet of Krishna with dark lotus flowers, which are like fish in
the lagoon of  his naval,  the arrows of the love god in Krishna’s
heart,  necklace of blue gem stones
around his neck, honey bees on his face and peacock plumes on his locks

[ Leela Suka visualizes
the glances of the gopis as lotus flowers, fish, love god’s arrows, blue
gem stones and honey bees ]

दधिमथननिनादैस्त्यक्तनिद्रः प्रभाते

निभृतपदमगारं वल्लवीनां प्रविष्टः।

मुखकमलसमीरैराशु निर्वाप्य दीपान्

कबलितनवनीतः पातु गोपालबालः॥३.८७॥

The gopala boy Krishna wakes up early morning by the
sound of churning of curd. He gets up from sleep and quietly steps into the
houses of milkmaids. He extinguishes the lamps by blowing them out by the air
from his lotus mouth.  Then (in the dark)
he swallows the freshly churned butter. May that child Krishna protect all of
us.

प्रातः स्मरामि दधिघोषविनीतनिद्रं

निद्रावसानरमणीयमुखारविन्दम्

हृद्यानवद्यवपुषं नयनाभिराम-

मुन्निद्रपद्मनयनं नवनीतचोरम् ॥३.८८॥

Early morning I call before my mind’s eye the form of Krishna who has
just woken up hearing the sound of curd being churned for butter. I visualize
his beautiful lotus-face just after he is awake. I remember his body
without  any blemish and beautiful to
behold and his eyes like a lotus in full bloom. 
I also remember him as the stealer of butter.

फुल्लहल्लकवतंसकोल्लसत्

गण्डमागमगवीगवेषितं

वल्लवीचिकुरवासिताङ्गुलि-

पल्लवं किमपि वल्लवं भजे ॥३.८९॥

I worship some cowherd,
soft as leaf buds,  whose cheeks shine
with the red colour of the hallaka  flowers
adorning his head, who is sought after by the Vedas and whose fingers are
fragrant  by contact with the locks of
hair of the gopis.

स्तेयं हरेर्हरति यन्नवनीतचौर्यं

जारत्वमस्य गुरुतल्पकृतापराधम्

हत्यां दशाननहतिर्मधुपानदोषं

यत्पूतनास्तनपयः स पुनातु कृष्णः ॥३.९०॥

May we be made pure
by that Krishna, the thought of whose stealing butter removes the sin of
theft,  the thought of whose illicit love
removes the sin committed to the guru, 
the thought of killing of Ravana removes the sin of murder and the
thought of his drinking Poothana’s milk 
removes the sin of drinking liquor.

मार! मा वस मदीयमानसे

माधवैकनिलये यदृच्छया।

श्रीरमापतिरिहागमेदसौ

कः सहेत निजवेश्मलंघनम् ॥३.९१॥

O god of
Love!  Do not reside in my mind which is
the abode of only Madhava.  The consort
of Lakshmi may come here any moment.  Who
will tolerate the trespass of one’s own house?

आकुञ्चितं जानु करञ्च वामं

न्यस्य क्षितौ दक्षिणहस्तपद्मे।

आलोकयन्तं नवनीतखण्डं

बालं भजे कृष्णमुपानताङ्कम् ॥३.९२॥

Child Krishna is moving on his knees
and with his left hand pressed on the floor. 
On his right hand is a blob of butter at which he is looking
intently.  I meditate on this beautiful
form of Krishna.

जानुभ्यामभिधावन्तं

पाणिभ्यामतिसुन्दरम्।

सकुण्डलालकं बालं

गोपालं चिन्तयेदुषः ॥३.९३॥

One should think
of the cowherd child, Krishna, in the early morning hours visualizing him as
moving on his knees and hands and looking very pretty with his ear globes and
his curly hair.  

विहाय कोदण्डशरौ मुहूर्तं

गृहाणपाणौ मणिचारुवेणुम्

मायूरबर्हं च निजोत्तमांगे

सीतापते त्वां प्रणमामि पश्चात् ॥३.९४॥

O Ram! for a while keep aside your bow and arrows and take up the
diamond-studded flute in your hands and sport a peacock feather on your head. I
will then prostrate before you. 

अयं क्षीरांभोधेः पतिरिति गवां पालक इति

श्रितोऽस्माभिः क्षीरोपनयनधिया गोपतनयः।

अनेन प्रत्यूहो व्यरचि सततं येन जननी-

स्तनादप्यस्माकं सकृदपि पयो दुर्लभमभूत् ॥३.९५॥

We put our
fainth on this son of a gopa thinking he is the Lord of the  milky ocean and  takes care of cows  and hoping that we would have uninterrupted supply
of milk.  But he did the entirely
opposite thing by which even our mothers’ milk became difficult to get (i.e. we
were released from the cycle of births and deaths).

हस्तमाक्षिप्य यातोऽसि

बलात् कृष्ण! किमद्भुतम्

हृदयाद्यदि निर्यासि

पौरुषं गणयामि ते ॥३.९६॥

Krishna!  You have run away
after forcefully extricating yourself from my hands.  That is no wonder. I will recognise your
manliness only if you can get out of my heart.

तमसि रविरिवोद्यन्मज्जतामंबुराशौ

प्लव इव तृषितानां स्वादुवर्षीव मेघः।

निधिरिव विधनानां दीर्घतीव्रामयाणां

भिषगिव कुशलं नो दातुमायातु शौरिः ॥३.९७॥

May Krishna come
to safeguard our welfare like a rising Sun for those in the dark, like a boat
to those drowning in the sea,  like a cloud
raining tasty water for those who are thirsty and like a physician to those who
suffer chronic diseases.

कोदण्डं मसृणं सुगन्धि विशिखं चक्राब्जपाशाङ्कुशं

हैमीं वेणुलतां करैश्च दधतं सिन्दूरपुञ्जारुणम्।

कन्दर्पाधिकसुन्दरं स्मितमुखं गोपाङ्गनावेष्टितं

गोपालं सततं भजामि वरदं त्रैलोक्यरक्षामणिम् ॥३.९८॥

I meditate
always on Gopala who holds a smooth bow, scented flower arrows, wheel, lotus,
rope, goad  and  a golden
flute, who is reddish like saffron, who is prettier than the God of love, who
has an ever smiling face, who is surrounded by gopis,  who is the protector of the three worlds and
e who gives boons (to his devotees).

   .

सायंकाले वनान्ते कुसुमितसमये सैकते चन्द्रिकायां

त्रैलोक्याकर्षणाङ्गं सुरनरगणिका मोहनापाङ्गमूर्तिम्।

सेव्यं शृंगारभावैर्नवरसभरितैर्गोपकन्यासहस्रै-

र्वन्देहं रासकेलीरतमतिसुभगं पश्य गोपालकृष्णम् ॥३.९९॥

It is evening in
the woods with  trees laden with flowers
and the sand banks of Yamuna bathed in moonlight.  Krishna is engaged in the rasa dance
with the gopis. His form and glances enthrall the damsels of heaven and earth.
He is surrounded by thousands of passionate gopis full of the nine rasas(sentiments).  I  visualize that very handsome
cowherd Krishna who attracts all the three worlds and respectfully salute
him.

कदंबमूले क्रीडन्तं

वृन्दावननिवेशितम्।

पद्मासनस्थितं वन्दे

वेणुं गायन्तमच्युतम्॥३.१००॥

I salute that Achyutha who creates melodies
from the flute,  plays beneath the
Kadamba tree, lives in Brindavan and sits on lotus pose.

बालं नीलांबुजाभं नवमणिविलसत्किङ्किणीजालबद्धं

श्रोणीजंघान्तयुग्मं विपुलरुरुनखप्रोल्लसत्कण्ठभूषम्।

फुल्लांभोजाभवक्त्रं हतशकटमरुत्पूतनाद्यं प्रसन्नं

गोविन्दं वन्दितेन्द्राद्यमरवरमजं पूजयेद्वासरादौ ॥३.१०१॥

We have to
worship, at beginning of the day, the birth less child Govinda,

dark as the blue
cloud, with a gem studded belt with bells on his hips, who wears around his
neck an ornament with tiger’s nail, who has a face that is like a lotus flower
in full bloom,  who killed Poothana,
Trinavartha, Sakatasura and other asuras, who has a
smiling face  and is worshipped by Indra and other devas. 

वन्द्यं देवैर्मुकुन्दं विकसितकुरुविन्दाभमिन्दीवराक्षं

गोगोपीवृन्दवीतं जितरिपुनिवहं कुन्दमन्दारहासम्।

नीलग्रीवाग्र्यपिञ्छग्रथनसुविलसत्कुन्तलं भानुमन्तं

देवं पीताम्बराढ्यं यज यज दिनशोमध्यमाह्ने  रमायै ॥३.१०२॥

Daily worship
Mukunda at noon for wealth; Mukunda who is 
worshipped by the celestials, who shines like the kuruvinda
flowers, who  has  eyes like blue lotus, who is always surrounded
by cows and gopis, who has vanquished hoards of enemies, who smiles with
teeth which are like jasmine buds, who is very pretty being decorated by the
feathers of the peacock, who has pretty hair on his head and who is gorgeous in
his yellow silks.

विक्रान्तध्वस्तवैरिव्रजमजितमपास्तावनिभारमाद्यै-

रावीतं नारदाद्यैर्मुनिभिरभिनुतं तत्त्वनिर्णीतिहेतोः।

सायाह्ने निर्मलाङ्गं निरुपमरुचिरं चिन्तयेन्नीलभासं

मन्त्रीविश्वोदयस्थित्यपहरणपदं मुक्तिदं वासुदेवम् ॥३.१०३॥

Meditate daily
during evenings on Vasudeva who, by his valour, finished off the horde of enemies,
who is invincible, who reduces the burden of mother earth, who is prayed to by Narada
and other sages for arriving at the nature of 
the Absolute Reality, who has an unblemished pure form, who is of
incomparable beauty, who is of dark blue complexion, who is the cause of birth,
upkeep and death of the world and who is the one God who grants salvation to
his devotees.

कोदण्डमैक्षवखण्डमिषुञ्च पौष्पं

चक्राब्जपाशसृणिकाञ्चनवंशनालम्।

बिभ्राणमष्टविधबाहुभिरर्कवर्णं

ध्यायेद्धरिं मदनगोपविलासवेषम् ॥३.१०४॥

Meditate on Hari who holds in his eight hands the bow, cane of
sugar, arrows made of flowers, the chakra, the lotus, the rope, the goad
and the flute made of gold  in his eight hands, who is of the red
colour of the rising sun god and has put on the form of God of love who is a
cowherd.

अंगुल्या कः कवाटे प्रहरति ? दयिते माधव: किं वसन्तो?

नो चक्री किं कुलालः? न हि धरणिधरः किं द्विजिह्वः फणीन्द्रः

नाहं घोराहिमर्दी किमपि खगपतिर्नो हरिः किं सुरेन्द्रः

इत्येवं गोपकन्याप्रतिवचनजितः पातुवश्चक्रपाणिः 
॥३.१०५॥

[This is a
conversation between Krishna and a gopi  where the poet has made use of words which
have more than one meaning]

Gopi: Who is
tapping the door with his fingers.

Krishna: Dear,
it is Madhava.

Gopi: Is it
Vasanta?  [ Madhava also means vasanta, the season of flowers]

Krishna: No
dear, I am chakree  (Krishna has chakra as his weapon)

Gopi: Are you a
potter ? (chakree also means a potter
who also works with

                           a  wheel i.e. chakra)

Krishna: No, I
am dharanidhara (the Lord of Earth)

Gopi:    Are you the serpent Adishesha?  (dharanidhara
refers to Adisesha

                                           also
as he supports the earth on

                                           his
hoods)

Krishna: No. I
am the one who subdued Kaliya

Gopi:    Then are you Garuda? (Kaliya, for fear of
Garuda had taken

         shelter in Yamuna)

Krishna:  No, I am Hari

Gopi:  Are you Indra? (Hari also means Indra)

Thus Krishna was
floored by the Gopi. May that Krishna take care of you all.

राधामोहनमन्दिरादुपगतः चन्द्रावलीमूचिवान्

राधे क्षेममयेऽस्ति तस्य वचनं श्रुत्वाह चन्द्रावली।

कंस! क्षेममये, विमुग्धहृदये कंसः क्व दृष्टस्त्वया

राधा क्वेति विलज्जितो नतमुखः स्मेरो हरिः पातु वः ॥३.१०६॥

Coming out of the pretty house of
Radha, Krishna asked Chandravali,

“Hey Radha, how do you do?” and hearing
those words,

Chandravali says  “Hey Kamsa, how do you do?”

Krishna retorts  “Oh girl! 
have you lost your senses,

Where was Kamsa seen by you?”

Chandravali asks in the same vein “Where
was Radha seen by you?”

Floored, Krishna shyly bends down his
head and smiles. May that Krishna save all of you from everything.

   

या प्रीतिर्विदुरार्पिते मुररिपो कुन्त्यर्पिते यादृशी

या गोवर्धनमूर्ध्नि या च पृथुके स्तन्ये यशोदार्पिते

भारद्वाजसमर्पिते शबरिकादत्तेऽधरे योषितां

या प्रीतिर्मुनिपत्निभक्तिरचिते ऽप्यत्रापि तां तां
कुरु    [३.१०७]

The poet entreats the Lord to accept his composition with the same
fondness with which he had accepted the offerings of other devotees:

“ O Krishna! The fondness you had for the offerings of Vidura and
Kunti, the satisfaction you derived on top of the Govardhana hill, the fondness
for the flattened rice offered by Kuchela, for Yashoda’s breast milk, for the
feast spread out by Bharadwaja during the incarnation as Rama, for the fruits
offered by Sabari, for the lips of the Gopis and for the offerings made by the
wives of sages – with the same fondness please accept this as my humble offering.

कृष्णानुस्मरणादेव

पापसंघातपञ्जरः।

शतधा भेदमायाति

गिरिर्वज्रहतो यथा ॥१०८॥

By the unintrrrupted  remembrance of Lord Krishna, the iron cage of
the accumulation of sins  would break
into a  hundred pieces like a mountain
struck by the vajrayudha of Indra