[Advaita-l] Shree Krishnakarnaamrutam-4

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

 Sri Krishna Karnamrutam -4

The supreme Lord, born to Devaki-Vasudeva is growing as a child, as cowherd boy in the house of Nanadabaaba and Yasoda mayyaa. Yasoda mayyaa and the whole of Gokul are enjoying the pranks of the Lord as a child, without knowing that it is the supreme Lord that is now in the form of a little child. One day Yasoda mayyaa is trying put Krishna to seep. Like any child Krishna asked  – mayyaa! Can you tell me a story so that I can sleep? In India, mothers always used to tell all Pouraanic stories for the children, inculcating bhakti in their minds that there is always Lord to protect them when they are in trouble. When I was a child, my grandmother used to take me to a temple where daily puraanas were being told. There was one great pandit by name Puttaparti Sreenivasa Charlu who was very popular in town, in telling the pouranic stories. He used to interject many short stories in between, to add spices to the main story. My mother had Devi –group, where she used to read Telugu Bhagavatam of Potana, and Ramayan daily and used to explain to all the ladies. I also used to listen until the ladies expelled me from their group.  The son of Sreenivasa charlu was the well-known Telugu poet in Andhra– Puttaparti Narayanacharlu, who earned the title of ‘Saraswati Putra’. 
 
Well coming back to main story, little Krishna wanted Yasoda mayyaa to tell him the story so that he can sleep. Yasoda mayyaa was telling Ramayan story to little Krishna. This is the scene imagined by Leelasuka and this incident he described in a poetic form.

raamonaama babhuuva, hum, tadabalaa seeteti, hum, tam pitu
dvaacaa pancavaTeetaTe viharatas tasyaaharad raavaNaH|
nidraartham jananee kathaam iti harer humkaarataH shRiNvataH
soumitre! kva dhanu rdhanu rdhanu riti vyagraagiraH paantu naH||

nidraartham jananee kathaam iti – for the inducing sleep to the child Krishna, the mother yasoda was telling this story. Raamonaama babhuuva –once upon a time there was a prince by name Rama. Leelasuka says –child Krishna while listening to this story or should we say his own story of his past life, says – hum – as though he was keenly listening to some new story. Hum- sounds are interjected in the sloka as response of the child Krishna. Yasoda continues with the story. She says – tat abalaa seeta iti – The name of his wife was Seeta – hum. tam pitudvaacaa pancavaTeetaTe viharataH, tasya tam aharat raavanaH – He, abiding in his father’s words, went to forest and moving around in the Pancavati.  Then his wife, Seeta was kidnapped by Ravana.  When yasodamaaya said this, instead of regular –hum- Krishna jumped out of the bed and shouted angrily – Lakshmaanaa! Where is my dhanus, my dhanus, my dhanus – thus shouted in anger filled with urgency? One can imagine how Yasoda mayya might have responded to her child’s outburst without knowing who Krishna really was. Leelasuka says that Krishna, who is ever on the guard to protect dharma,  paantu naH – may he protect us all. 

Here the author is pointing to us two things- The love of Rama to Seeta, even though that incarnation is over, his love is so intense that He in the form of little Krishna could not stand someone kidnaping his beloved Seeta when he was Rama. Generations must have passed by then. Still after hearing that his beloved was kidnapped was still intolerable.  Second is his love for Lakshmana who served him like his shadow. Lakshmana is so involved in the service of Rama to the extent that Rama depended on him for everything. Rama did not know where the bow and arrows were, unless Lakshmana was there to give. It is said that Rama will not return back to his abode as long as Lakshmana was there. Hence a situation was created to separate Lakshmana from Rama by sending Durvasa to see Rama, when he was having private discussions with a yama, who came in disguise. Lakshmana had to leave, and once Lakshmana left Rama had no more desire to remain there. 

Mother Yasoda must have got frightened by the Child’s act of suddenly jumping from the bed and calling for Lakshmana to bring his bow and arrows. It was said that Shree Kulashekara Alwar was also so involved in the story of Ramayan, while listening to the part that Rama was on the way to Lanka to fight with Ravana, immediately got up from his chair and asked his commander in army to get ready to go to Lanka to help Rama to fight Ravana. 

In another poem, Leelasuka tells that while Yasoda mayyaa was putting little Krishna to sleep, Gods above wanted to visit him, at least in his dream. Lord Shiva comes first, and Krishna says Oh! Shabho! Please come and have a seat. Then pitamaha Brahma comes who is invited to sit on his left side. Indra comes – Krishna says – Oh! Indra! Long time no see! Must not be getting into any troubles now-a-days! Like that Krishna is inviting each God that is visiting. Yasoda who was admiring her sleeping son with a smile on his face suddenly hears – Oh! Shambo! Oh! Brahma! Oh! Indra! etc., while the child is still sleeping. Thinking that the child is having some bad dreams, she holds her Krishna tight, and as concerned mother shouts– what happened my child – what happened my child - and then does - – thuu- thuu – as raksha for the child to protect the child from bad dreams or bad omens.
shambhO! svaagata maasyataam ita, ito vaamena padmaasana!
krouncaare! kushalam? sukham? surapate! Vittesha! nodRusyase!
ittham svapna gatasya kaiTabhajitaH shRitvaa yasodaa giraH
kim kim baalaka! Jalpaseeti rachitam, thuu! thuu!, kRitam paatu naH|


That playful Krishna may he protect us.

Hari Om!
Sadananda