Sri Krishna, the Lord - Dr. W Radhakrishnayya

Sri Krishna Karnamrta is a mine of devotional songs, which is attributed to Sri Suka Muni. One of its famous and enchanting slokas ‘Kasturitilakam’ gives a beautiful picture of Sri Krishna as the Lord of Universe though it appears to describe His form and its outward beauty. Composed in a most musical style, it is on the lips of every child of this country.)

Kasturi tilakam lalaatapalake vakshasthale koustubham
Nasaagre varamouktikam karatale venum kare kankanam.
Sarvaange harichandanam cha kalayan kanthe ch muktaavali
Gopastree pariveshtito vijayate gopaala-chudamanih.

The Blue Boy of Brindavan, Sri Krishna, is the one enchanting personality in the whole of the Gokula Vraja. He surpasses the other cowherd folk by his radiance. Because of his divine beauty the gopis never leave his company. They surround him forgetting all their domestic duties. They want Sri Krishna and his company always. He is enchantingly dressed, his hair is well combed and decorated with the peacock plume. On his broad forehead is painted the tilaka with the sweet-smelling dark paste called Kasturi (musk). The mark bulges at the bottom and tapers towards the top. The celestial gem Koustubham hangs next to his bosom. At the tip of his nose is a rare pearl. He holds the famous flute in his palm. His wrist is decorated with the wristlet. His whole body shines attractively, smeared with yellow sandal paste. He wears a string of pearls round his neck. Really he outshines any other cowherd in the Gokula Vraja. He is ever glorious and victorious.

Sri Krishna is said to be the Paramatma, the Lord of the Universe. How can a little boy admired by a group of rustic women be considered the Lord of the Universe? The indications are evident here. The above is the concept of the Lord as seen by the fleshy eyes when the Lord is available as an Avatar, an ocular vision. The eyes are the most highly sensitive organs of perception of man. This is the maximum beauty that can be appreciated by the eyes. But the Lord is said to be beyond mind and intellect. The intellect being situated very proximate to the Self, must recede well over the boundaries of the senses to taste the real nature of the Self.

The Self is indicated as Satyam-Jnanam-Anantam…..Sat-Chit-Ananda….Eternal - Existence, Knowledge and Bliss are the nature of Brahman, or the Truth. Sat is the substratum on which everything stands. The beautiful tilak on the broad forehead of the Lord which is mentioned in the first line of the sloka Kasturi tilakam lalaatapalake is an indication of gnanam. It represents the gnana Chakshu–the eye of wisdom or intuition. It is in the center of the forehead, as in the case of Lord Siva, but Siva’s third eye is always closed and opens only to destroy. But this Divine eye is ever open, it is open in the waking, dream, deep-sleep states and in the turiya. It blesses all the states but never destroys. It is unfathomable and so it is dark like the musk.

Over his bosom hangs the gem, Koustubham… Vakshasthale Koustubham… which is but a solid form representing Absolute Bliss. His ananda is so perfect that it cannot bear to see any misery, unhappiness, or sorrows. So it swells with compassion, grace, love, affection, kindness, generosity towards all creatures. It is His Heart Itself. Kare Kankanam…. It is a rare jewel which no one else possesses. Kankanam is the wristlet on his hand. The Lord is not a woman to wear bangles. It is the Kankanam, the yellow thread wound round the wrist when one undertakes an auspicious work. It denotes a vow. The Lord has taken an oath that He would be born in every yuga to protect the good and destroy the wicked. The welfare of his true devotees is the responsibility of the Lord. And he has also stated categorically that none of his devotees would perish. All these are indicated by the yellow band of thread. It denotes his might, his Chit, or Chaitanya shakti. It manifests as Icha shakti, Jnana shakti and Kriya-shakti, the power to wish, plan, and execute.

The line Nasagre Varamouktikam…. indicates the three methods of approach. At the tip of the nose is a rare pearl, a pearl which is not visible to the naked eye. A pearl cannot be made to stand at the tip of the nose. The tip of the nose itself is the rare pearl over which the seeker is advised to converge his eyesight, as if seeing a pearl without looking in any other direction. ‘Looking at the tip of the nose is the instruction of the Geeta. This is the dhyana or Jnana marga or the path of Knowledge. In the palm is the famous flute…karatale Venum. This is the pure Bhakti marga or the path of devotion, complete surrender….total Saranagati. The seeker must become an empty bamboo stick and offer himself unto the hands of the Lord. He must be completely hollow, hollow of all traces of ahankar. Then the Lord will play all his tunes through the seven holes of the flute, the five holes of sense-organs and the mind and the intellect. Round his neck is the string of pearls. Kanthe ca muktavali. This is the Karma marga or the path of action. The string of pearls is the japa mala. The seeker can reach the Lord through japa, tapa, upasana or other dedicated work. Every action is stung together in the string of constant dedication unto the feet of the Lord.

The Lord appears in the form only when he commands or utilizes prakriti. Devoid is prakriti, He is formless. With prakriti, He appears as if he is in a form. Prakriti is denoted by the yellow color. Sarvange Harichandanam ca kalyan. The whole body of the Lord is smeared by the yellow sandal paste which is lovely. Prakriti, the nature, is so luring and enchanting which is but maya. He is the Maya-Prabhu. He shines through the luring maya or prakriti.

He is surrounded by Gopa-girls, ‘Gopa-stree Parivestito’. Gopa or Gopya is to hide, and stree is a representation of worldly attractions. The Lord, the pure Atman, is always hidden by thought waves, which are of earthly nature. If these thoughts could be stopped, even for a second, then the Lord shines forth. Atma darshan is immediate and full.

Gopala Chudamanih is the best among Gopalas, cowherd boys. Gopalas are those who are able to command the cows which are nothing but the sense organs. Those who have controlled their senses and directed them in the right channels, are Gopalas. Such are the great sages, saints, munis, rishis and maharshis. They have controlled their senses and place them at the feet of the Lord. The Lord is a crown jewel among such sages because they are all trying to reach Him, attain, merge and lose all sense of duality in Him only. He is ever Victorious…..Vijayate. He shines forth among the sages. He shines among the living creatures. He shines among all the manifestations of Life. Without Him none can have the semblance of Existence.

Indeed Sri Krishna Paramatma is the Lord of the Universe!

© `Tapovan Prasad’ (August, 2001) published by Chinmaya Mission, # 2, 13th Avenue, Harrington Road, Chetput, Chennai 600 031. Website: chinmayatapovan.com.

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