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Please bring the star and give it to me And bring me the moon as well i
Or feel the joy by kissing at least once
Purandaravithala, the cynosure of eyes. (10)
Baby Krsna has not allowed his mother to sleep and moreover it also appears from the song that he is trying to make his mother speak to him. Charming words, the eternal gift of children, are
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pouring forth from his little mouth, mesmerising one and all. Children hate having an oil bath or indeed any other sort. The reason is that whatever care is taken, the soapnut powder used
to take off the oil, when applied to one’s body, enters the eyes and causes terrible smarting. Moreover, an oil bath takes a long time, and thus prevents the child from playing. That is why children always try in vain to avoid it. Mischievous Krsna understood his mother's preparations and so was pleading with her not to give him such a bath. He was so fond of dry dates and butter that he cleverly refuses hot rice and pickles.
His complaint was that gopis would cause mischief by calling him a thief and would eat their food without giving him any (1 1). They would also bite his lips and cheeks and pinch his nose for he was unusually attractive and charming. Being unable to bear the pain of their pinching and biting, little Krsna is complaining to his mother about them!
Perhaps Yasoda was angry at her son and had slept with her
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face the other way, when little Krsna pulled her shoulder, turning her towards him, and telling her that he was frightened at seeing a little snake (or is he just playing with her?).
Finally Krsna asked his mother to bring the stars and moon 10) Purandaradasakirtane , Part 2, song 195.
11) Maybe a self-defence by Krsna in advance, in case the glopis came and reported his mischievous behaviour.
and to give them to him. Yasoda was pretending to be angry by not heeding his words. Krsna can never accept his defeat. Now he uses his unfailing trick by asking her, 'Mother, at least look at the face of your Purandaravithala, the ever-charming one and feel at least once the taste of a kiss I" There is no need to say that Yasoda fondled him and took him to her bosom. Nowhere has the devotee used any word or sentence expressing Bhakti. All through, the reader would be smiling, and admiring the pranks of little Krsna, for everybody, male or female, identifies with Yasoda. Vatsalyabhava, parental love, pours from every heart.
Very simple and common ideas such as mothers compelling their little ones to have an oil bath and children trying to avoid things by their tricks; children complaining about their elders and using that as an excuse to get around their angry parents; or pretending they are afraid of something so as to gain attention and, finally such beautiful, physically impossible but incomparably touching expressions as asking for the stars and moon, all these have brought Krsna into the house of every devotee,
G) How fortunate and meritorious you are, 0 Gopii We have not seen such a boy as yours.
This charming Gopala we cannot attain Even in our thoughts - doubt this not.
Merely by singing in praise of Sarasijanabha Our sins will all be destroyed.
If we speak to him affectionately even once, Happiness will be ours.
We are afraid of you in the village, and our neighbours
May also speak ill of us (if we are seen together) But-did anyone have the opportunity
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Please call your son the Lord of our life;
He is the result of good merit (yours - ours - everyone's) We swear upon you, Yasoda,
We are not going without our Purandaravithala (12) The love of the gopis towards the child Krsna has been depicted in this song. The way in which the ojopis expressed their feelings show how much they had involved themselves in Krsna's life. In every loving relationship at the human level there is a sexual element: In so far as the love between Krsna and the cppis is depicted by analogy in human terms, there will be a sexual element but it should not be exaggerated or taken as the total of that relationship. Krsna was just a small boy and the type of affection, love and attraction that the gopis felt towards him has the element of Vatsalya,
women's love and affection towards the infant, as dominant theme. Little children are liked by all. Krsna was also a small child but there was something special in him which made others like him more than they would like their own selves. He was a dear son to all women and such was he that he would evoke motherly love in all women, and this would lead to their quarrelling among them selves to have him.
H) Giving an oil bath to children is an age-old practice in India. In a country which is naturally hot, this oil bath keeps them cool, and tightens the affectionate and tactile bond between a mother and her children. During the oil bath she cleans the body of her baby, and blesses the child.
In many ways Yasoda blessed him While smearing oil on Yadukulatilaka.
Let you live long, let you know all, The ill-minded and wicked, let you kill, Protect the kings, defeat demons,
Let you be the Lord of Hanuman.