MADHURAGEETHAM: SRI KRISHNA LEELA – 16

Madhurageetham – Sri Krishna Leela 16

O Mind, Fly to Brindavan

For the past two months, we have been relishing Sri Swamiji’s songs on the grandeur, beauty, and sanctity of Brindavan – a land devoid of animosity, greed, and jealousy.

Our Vedas (Yajur and Rig Vedas) expound the greatness of this soil, saying Brindavan, in this manifested universe is a shadow (chAya) of Golokam (Krishna’s Dham) and is beyond the realm of the earthly plane.

Padma Puranam further goes on to describe Vraja bhoomi as a Kamala Kosam;  like a lotus flower, elevated a few inches from the earthly plane – blooming and expanding in size with the rise of the sun and slowly closing itself and shrinking in by the dusk.

Blessed is this soil ever swept under the holy feet of the Gopis, who are the quintessence of selfless love for Sri Krishna. “iha svArtho na vidyathe” (not an iota of selfishness), says, Sri Shukar in Srimad Bhagavatam when describing the prema of the Gopis.

“Every stone, every creeper, every blade of grass is a bhakta in Brindavan”, says Swami Prabhodananda Saraswati who is a disciple of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. His work called, “Brindavana MahimAmrutham”, consists of 10,000 slokas that exudes His love for the Vraj bhoomi.

No wonder Bhagavatas aptly sing, “Kagha mruga tharu sab dhanya dhanya ho; vraja rAja yamuna, puLina dhanya ho” – every plant, tree, a climber in Brindavana is blessed and so are the pure waters of the Yamuna river!

Adi Shankara BhagavatpAda, the great proponent of the Advaitha philosophy, had the heart of a Gopi. One would stand dumbfounded to observe the profound depth of his works laden with such bhava bhakti.  He had the vision of Srimati Radha Devi and Bhagavan Sri Krishna on the banks of river Yamuna in Brindavan. In His YamunAshtakam, he sings the fortune of Yamuna Devi who carries the champaka flowers of Radha Devi and the chandan of Bhagavan Sri Krishna. Sri Shankara completes every verse of His octet imploring Yamuna Devi to clean the malice of the mind.

Many great bhaktas have sung numerous songs on this wondrous land.  For them, Brindavana is not external to themselves; they behold the eternal play of Radha Rani and Bhagawan Krishna verily in the depths of their hearts.  The ineffable divine ecstasy emanating from Their plays is cast as a reflection on their outpourings that come as enchanting divine songs. Sri Swamiji, in one of His songs, sings as to how He blissfully celebrates the Divine Couple in the cradle of His heart-
 “.…..rAdhaiyuDan kaNNan kOlAhalamAga
manam enum oonjalil mAdhavan dhinam dhinam AdugindrAn”(Radha Devi along with Lord Sri Krishna happily swings in the cradle of heart.)

Similarly, Sri Oothukadu Venkata Kavi, an ardent devotee of KALinganardhana Krishna sings,
…ange inge endru alaiyadhe maname
Azndhu pAr Un uLLe brindavaname…
( Oh mind,  don’t roam hither and thither, dive deeply inward and realize Brindavana within)

Our Swamiji too, in one of his Madhurageethams calls each of us to journey our mind and experience the profound joy of this sacred earth leaving behind the material world.  In this song, Sri Swamiji very beautifully compares the mind to that of a swan (annam/hamsapakshi) which, in spirituality, is considered as an emblem of wisdom and enlightenment.

Let us too take ourselves to this sacred land where the footprints and fragrance of the Divine Couple still linger.

Manasa Anname 

 rAgam: hindOLam, tALam: Adi

Pallavi

mAnasa annamE brindAvanam senDriDuvAy
kAnal nIr prapanjchatthai maRandiDuvAy

Charanam

kAmam, kOpam, pOTTi, poRAmai
akankAram illAdadu

nirmala yamunaiyil nIrADiDuvAy
karma vinaigaLai muDitthiDuvAy

rAdhE rAdhE enDru kUviDum kuyilinam
rAdhAkriShNa yugaLam kaNDu ADiDum mayilinam

maram, cheDi, koDigaLellAm chinmayamAnadu
maNNO brahma svarUpamAnadu

nnirmala gOpi maNDalam kaNDiDuvAy
nirmala nirathishaya prEmaiyil thiLaitthiDuvAy

Meaning 

Pallavi

Oh Swan of mind, fly to Brindavan
Forget this world which is just a mirage

Charanam

Devoid of desire, anger, rivalry, jealousy
and, Clashes of ego

Have a dip in the taintless Yamuna river, and
Let your karma be annihilated

The cuckoos which sing “Radhe Radhe” and,
The peacocks that dance seeing the Divine Couple, Radha and Krishna

The trees, plants and climbers are full of life and
The soil is verily Brahmam

Find there the abode of the taintless Gopis and
Revel in the Supreme and blissful Prema   

Nithya Balasubramanian, Pleasanton CA
Illustration by Lalitha Raman Richmond, VA

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