Srila Krishnadâs Kavirâj Goswâmi is a connoisseur of ras. He has written that the flute is sending the following message – “O You Bhramari1 (Srimati Râdhârâni), the friend of golden creeper! Desert the lotus-forest and Your friends, and quickly go to the secluded flower grove. There Madhusudan will sport with You”.
Sri Krishna is tempted by His own sweetness. This is a natural power of Sri Krishna’s lovability.
“Sri Krishna’s sweetness is inherently endowed with such a power that it makes everybody (including Krishna Himself) restless. Everyone’s heart is captivated on seeing Him or hearing about Him. Even Krishna tries to relish His own sweetness”.
- [Sri Chaitanya-Charitâmrita – Âdi.4.128-129] Sri Krishna’s flute-song is extraordinarily sweet. Hence the relish of His own sweet flute mesmerises Him.
He gets absorbed on beholding His own sweet form as well. The following statement proves this –
“yan – martya lilavipayikang swa-yoga – mâyâ – balang darshayata grhitam, vismapanang svasya cha saubhagardhesh parang padang blushana – bhushanangam"
- [S.B.3.2.12] Sri Chaitanya-Charitâmrita has explained this verse nicely -
“To show every one the prowess of His internal potency Yogmâyâ, Sri Krishna manifested this gem of a beauty from His eternal pastimes. He reveals this wonderful beauty only to His devotees.
Krishna is full of wonderment when He beholds His own beauty. He desires to relish it. Sri Krishna Himself is the treasure house of fortune and the collection of all noble virtues. This beauty resides forever in Him.
Each part of His body is an ornament for an ornament2. Moreover, He poses in a ‘tribhanga’3 style. Over and above His eyebrows dance. His sidelong glances dart arrows that determinedly pierce the hearts of Râdhâ and all other Gopis.”
Srimad Rupa Goswâmipâd has written –
“Sri Krishna saw His own reflection in a gem-studded wall of Nava-Vrindâban and said – ‘The flow of my sweetness is so wonderful and excellent that I Myself am tempted by it and I desire to relish it like Sri Râdhikâ’.”
– [Sri Lalita Mâdhav] Just as Sri Krishna is wonder struck by His own beauty, so is He spellbound on relishing His own flute. This bhâv is manifested on His ‘naturally beautiful lotus-face’. The poet has realized this in his siddha-swarup.
1
female bumble-bee – referring to Sri Râdhâ
2
Each part of His body beautifies the ornament it wears
Explanation of “bhuvan-araram–ojah”
As a sâdhak, the poet is praying – May That effulgent form place His crimson lotus–feet in my heart and may He sport therein. Dear friends! You may ask – you have a material heart that is so hard! How will He sport therein? Well, my answer is that, even a heart so hard as mine will soften on His touch. By touching my heart with His lotus-feet He will make it qualified to receive that touch. Not I alone, but the entire creation – living and non-living – will become moist by the touch of the crimson feet of That effulgent form, since He is “bhuvan-araram–ojah”.
Sripâd Bhatta Goswâmicharan is saying that Sri Lilâshuk is wishing to behold Sri Krishna’s feet wandering sweetly in Sri Vrindâban, in the caves of Govardhan, on the banks of the Kâlindi and on the paths of Braja. May that effulgent form spread the nectarine mercy of His rosy lotus-feet and dance in my heart. Although my heart is hard and is not worthy of those very soft feet, but He - Sri Nanda-Nandan - does step on the rocks of Govardhan while grazing the cattle. In the same manner may He step onto my rock-like heart. Just as the stones of the Govardhan mountain melt by the touch of His beautiful feet, my rigid heart too will soften with prem-ras oozing out of His lotus-feet. The resplendent truth moistens all creation; my hard heart is so insignificant in comparison. A drop of His love bathes the three worlds with love. Then, what to speak of the wetness of the entire love exuding out of Sri Krishna’s lotus-feet? Also ‘bhuvan’ means water. The wise has described His feet as ‘wet like water’. Just as a lump of hard mud melts when it comes in contact with water, our hard hearts too will melt by the touch of Sri Krishna’s feet.
Again, how is that effulgence? His enchanted lotus-face1 that is naturally loving and
captivating, has beautiful expressions such as laughter, arched eye brows and side-long glances. Along with it is the most relishing sweeter-than-sweet wonderfully resonating melody of the flute that is sending out teasing messages replete with delightful notes, modulation and rhythm!
There is a further explanation of this verse. The poet is saying, “May that effulgence sport in my heart”. But we do not know of any effulgence that can sport. So the poet explains that this effulgence is endowed with pink lotus-feet, which indicates that this effulgence has a form. How will it sport in the rock-like heart? Well, the heart will soften when it beholds His beautiful face wearing an ‘I-am-charmed’ expression. Again, what sort of effulgence? The effulgence that is moistened (softened) by the captivating bhâv of the naturally beautiful lotus-face holding the flute! How is the relish of the flute? The delightful melody of the flute is relishing not only to the Gopis, but also to Himself. 15.
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Verse 16