The withered Mango trees bore leaves and fruits, The blowing wind became a cool breeze,
The dry trees and creepers were full of fruit, The bees would not hum!
The birds like Cakora, Parrot, Cuckoo and others Felt ashamed and did not sing having lost their charm. The birds and animals stopped their movement and fight, And fell fast asleep!
Yamuna's level of water, all of a sudden arose, And spilt allround by her swinging movements, Black clouds clustered and poured down, Even the rocks were melted away!
The lotus flower^the champaka flower and various other flowers,
With increasing frangrance threw themselves At the feet of the blue-bodied one.
Tightening their udder, having neglected their calves, Without eating the tender grass,
The cows stood wherever they were, With their straightened uplifted tails, To see such Acyuta the Gods were thrilled, Their joy increased looking at the cows; Enjoying the divine amusements of Mukunda, They showered flowers on him.
Listening to the melodious music of the enchanter, The minds of the Gopis were robbed,
teaming their homes they came and were hypnotised (by the sound of His flute),
The sages engrossed in penance got up, From their Samadhi and started to dance, Pleasing the supreme Lord,
And thus they won the ocean of this worldliness. Krsna's form was enchanting in the Madhukunja Grove, With his body in the three-bend posture (tribhaCnga), With golden coloured dress, with a straight mark of sandal paste a mark of musk on his forehead,
And in the light of his shining crown,
Venuqopala,
The cow-herd Flutist, Krsna temple, Hampi.
(Courtesy : Dr. 3.R. Marr)
With the marks of Srivatsa and'Kaustubha, Him, the Lord Purandaravithala they saluted,
By singing the melodies such as Ramakri, Gundakri, Megharanjani, And also by saying '0 lover of Samaveda
singing' (they saluted Him). (56)
This comparatively lengthy song gives in minute detail the result of the sound of Krsna's flute. There is very little poetical beauty as such;but still the composition is very appealing without any kind of embellishment. The expressions one finds here are all very natural, simple and straight forward. This is called
svabhaypkti, 'presentation of experience just the way they are revealed'. This simplicity brings out the feelings hidden under neath the words spoken and generates great delight to the singers listeners and readers.
Krsna's connection with music is once again emphasised at the end of the song where it is said that the gods sang the melodies Ramakri, Gundakri, Megharanjani and also that they called him the lover of the Samaveda chanting. Of these Ramakri, Gundakri and Megharanjani are all melodies of Karnatic Music and the Samaveda
is the most musical of all the Vedas. The influence of the Venugita(57) portion of the Bhagavata on this song could be easily recognised.
What has been said there in many verses has been made available to the Kannada folk in one song.
KRSNA AND THE GOPIS
The relationship between Krsna and the gopis, the cowherd girls,and women^was a very special one. Certain songs about Krsna by Purandaradasa reveal how he harassed the ^opis with his clever encounters. He took a fancy to them and would go and play 56) Krsnasarma Betageri, Huccarava Bengeri, eds., Krsnalile, song 93. 57) B.H.P. X-21-7 to 16, also see pages 73, 74 and 76 of the present
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with them; sometimes with their consent and at times using force. The 9opis also give enough trouble to Krsna. Though the £opis
i.
would complain to Yasoda about Krsna, their concealed smile would reveal that they indeed wanted Krsna to continue with his mischief. Krsna's reactions and activities show that he understood this. He
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would plunder the houses of the 9'opis, and once he entered a house, he would not leave without butter, milk or curds. He would even touch their breasts and tug at their clothes. All these acts of his, carefully studied., reveal the mind of an infant, a little boy and his eagerness for new exploration and for drawing attention to himself. Every time, Krsna emerges in new colours, either as a thief; or a cunning boy^or an innocent^or a crying little one. These descriptions are very natural arid very close to the hearts of the Kannada people, for, he comes to them as a Kannadiga in their own dress speaking their own language and playing just like their own children.
A) What shall I say about your son's pretexts?
Without any sense of shame he has come into our house. He drank a full jug of milk, he broke a pot there , And hid himself insi.de a big vessel.
If we try to beat him as we found him, Is he the son of a poor man to be beaten? He came to take our daughter in the disguise of a son-in-law,
He quarrelled and asked us to send her with him, Gopi, we kept him for two months out of affection,
And now He has spoilt our parrot-like (innocent) daughter I Why so much anger towards my little Krsna?
Create not false reasons for scolding him.
Turn your eyes and see right here in the cradle,
Purandaravithala, who is the Lord of Creation (58)