Dasakam - 69 - Rasakreeda Varnanai
Narayana Bhattathiri closed his eyes in meditation and thinking, how a seven year old boy could have done rasakreedai with the young women and continued his bhajans. Hearing the rhythmic beats, he opened his eyes. To his amazement, Lord was enacting the rasakreedai at the sanctum of Guruvayoor temple and Bhattathiri continued singing in the meter corresponding to the rhythm of the dance enacted.
With peacock feathers adorning his hair lock and dancing fish shaped ear-drops, pearl ornaments and variety of garlands on his neck, sandal paste on chest and golden ring around his hip over the yellow silk dress, stone studded shining anklets on the feet; Lord danced spreading his sweet fragrance everywhere. Bhattathiri meditated on the above form of the Lord.
The gopikas, who were dressed in their best with beautiful ear-drops, surrounded Lord (Guruvayoorappa/Krishna) Padmanabha, the consort of Lakshmi. Krishna took many forms and moved in such a way that he was there between two gopikas and one gopika between his two forms alternately. Raasa means dance or it can also be taken as enjoying the sweet divine form of the Lord.
Sage Narada pleased with the rasakreeda enacted at Sri Guruvayoorappan sanctum, invited devas, apsaras and beautiful damsels to witness the most beautiful dance. Hearing his call from afar, devas and the celestial women dressed in their best, adorned with jewelry rushed from heaven and gathered along the skies.
The music emanating from the flute was showcasing the beautiful key notes and alapanas of the raga of the song played. Matching to the tune, Krishna danced with rhythmic foot steps and he was accompanied by gopikas who were making matching sounds with their bangles. Krishna was sporting his lotus like hand on the shoulders of the gopikas time and again and his waist cloth moved swiftly while dancing. Bhattathiri, at this point, calls out to the people (us) to pray to Lord, who is doing the rasaleela.
The song reached higher octaves successively and dance matched the sweet music accordingly. The ornaments wore by them shifted from their places due to dancing and even that appeared beautiful. Devas, celestial women who were watching this feat without batting their eyelids, showered flowers and got engrossed in the rasaleela, driving them to divine ecstasy.
One of the gopikas who was slender like a flower creeper became tired of dancing and with drooping eyes fell on Krishna's attractive shoulders. Another one with falling hair locks on her forehead, took his hand, which had the fragrance of fresh sandal paste and kissed it aggressively in ecstasy with goosebumps all over her body.
A virtuous gopika wearing dangling earrings, pressed her cheek against Krishna's cheek and enjoyed the nectar like juice of the betel chewed in his mouth. By dancing with Krishna, Lakshmi's sporting field and the most beautiful one in the universe, the gopikas were driven to higher states of intoxication and heights of supreme bliss.
The song concluded gradually and so are the percussion instruments. The gopikas however, were soaked in divine bliss were still seen dancing in circles, totally not conscious of themselves. The constellation of stars in the sky too stood still watching this feat. Bhattathiri went speechless at this point.
Krishna soaked the entire universe in divine bliss and ecstasy through his rasakreeda and completed it. Then entire body of the gopikas were glowing with drops of perspiration due to dancing and they were totally in pure consciousness of the Lord. Due to the virtues of gopikas, Krishna took as many forms as the number of gopikas present there and performed this great festivity.
The women of vraja were exhausted and hence Krishna gently took them to river Yamuna and sported with them. In the forest, surrounded by beautiful mountains with cool breeze and trees spreading fragrance of variety of flowers, Krishna gave those numerous women, the ecstatic joy.
Thus Krishna immersed the gopikas in the supreme consciousness and bliss in the midnight with his mercy, which otherwise was achievable only by yogis. By this act, Krishna made even Brahma, Shiva and other gods to respect the gopikas. Bhattathiri prayed to the Lord, whose beautiful form is achievable only by his devotees, to protect him. Lord Guruvayoorappan acknowledged his request immediately by his nod.
Lyrics of Dasakam 69
केश पाशधृत पिञ्छिका वितति सञ्चलन् मकर कुण्डलं
हारजाल वनमालिका ललितम् अङ्गराग घन सौरभम् ।
पीतचेल धृतकाञ्चि काञ्चितम् उदञ्चदं शुमणि नूपुरं
रासकेलि परिभूषितं तव हि रूपमीश कलयामहे ॥१॥
kesha paashadhR^ita pinichChakaa vitati sanchalan makarakuNDalam
haarajaala vanamaalikaa lalitam angaraagaghana saurabham |
piitachela dhR^itakaa~nchi kaa~nchitam uda~nchadam shumaNi nuupuram
raasakeli paribhuuShitaM tava hi ruupamiisha kalayaamahe || 1 ||
तावदेव कृत मण्डने कलित कञ्चुलीक कुचमण्डले
गण्ड लोल मणि कुण्डले युवति मण्डलेऽथ परि मण्डले ।
अन्तरा सकल सुन्दरी युगलम् इन्दिरा रमण सञ्चरन्
मञ्जुलां तदनु रासकेलि मयि कञ्जनाभ समुपादधा: ॥२॥
taavadeva kR^ita maNDane kalita ka~nchuliika kuchamaNDale
gaNDalOla maNi kuNDale yuvati maNDale(a)tha pari maNDale |
antaraa sakala sundarii yugalam indiraa ramaNa sa~ncharan
manjulaam tadanu raasakeli mayi ka~njanaabha samupaadadhaa: || 2 ||
वासुदेव तव भासमान मिह रास केलि रस सौरभं
दूरतोऽपि खलु नारदा गदितम् आकलय्य कुतुकाकुला ।
वेष भूषण विलास पेशल विलासिनी शत समावृता
नाकतो युगप दागता वियति वेगतोऽथ सुरमण्डली ॥३॥
vaasudeva tava bhaasamaana miha raasa keli rasa saurabhaM
duuratO(a)pi khalu naaradaa gaditam aakalayya kutukaakulaa |
veSha bhuuShaNa vilaasa peshala vilaasinii shatasamaavR^itaa
naakatO yugapa daagataa viyati vegatO(a)tha suramaNDalii || 3 ||
वेणु नाद कृत तानदानकल गानराग गति योजना-
लोभनीय मृदु पाद पात कृत तालमेलन मनोहरम् ।
पाणि संक्वणित कङ्कणं च मुहुरं सलम्बित कराम्बुजं
श्रोणि बिम्ब चल दम्बरं भजत रासकेलि रस डम्बरम् ॥४॥
veNunaadakR^ita taanadaanakala gaanaraaga gatiyOjanaa
lObhaniiya mR^idu paada paata kR^ita taala melana manOharam |
paaNi sankvaNita kankaNaM cha muhuram salambita karaambujam
shrONi bimba chala dambaraM bhajata raasakeli rasa Dambaram || 4 ||
श्रद्धया विरचि तानुगान कृत तार तार मधुरस्वरे
नर्तनेऽथ ललिताङ्ग हार लुलिताङ्गहार मणिभूषणे ।
सम्मदेन कृत पुष्प वर्षम् अलम् उन्मिषत् दिविषदां कुलं
चिन्मये त्वयि निलीयमानमिव सम्मुमोह सवधूकुलम् ॥५॥
shraddhayaa virachi taanugaana kR^ita taara taara madhurasvare
nartane(a)tha lalitaanga haara lulitaangahaara maNi bhuuShaNe |
sammadena kR^ita puShpa varSham alam unmiShat diviShadaaM kulam
chinmaye tvayi niliiyamaanamiva sammumOha savadhuukulam || 5 ||
स्विन्न सन्न तनु वल्लरी तदनु कापि नाम पशुपाङ्गना
कान्तमंसम् अवलम्बते स्म तव तान्ति भार मुकुलेक्षणा ॥
काचिदाचलित कुन्तला नव पटीर सार घन सौरभं
वञ्चनेन तव सञ्चुचुम्ब भुजम् अञ्चितोरु पुलकाङ्कुरम् ॥६॥
svinna sanna tanu vallarii tadanu kaa(a)pi naama pashupaanganaa
kaantamamsam avalambate sma tava taanti bhaara mukulekshaNaa |
kaachidaachalita kuntalaa nava paTiirasaara gana saurabhaM
va~nchanena tava sa~nchuchumba bhujam a~nchitOru pulakaankuram || 6 ||
कापि गण्डभुवि सन्निधाय निज गण्डमाकुलित कुण्डलं
पुण्यपूर निधिरन्ववाप तव पूगचर्वित रसामृतम् ।
इन्दिरा विहृति मन्दिरं भुवनसुन्दरं हि नटनान्तरे
त्वामवाप्य दधुरङ्गना: किमु न सम्मदोन्मद दशान्तरम् ॥७॥
kaa(a)pi gaNDabhuvi sannidhaaya nija gaNDamaakulita kuNDalaM
puNyapuura nidhiranvavaapa tava puugacharvita rasaamR^itam |
indiraa vihR^iti mandiraM bhuvanasundaram hi naTanaantare
tvaamavaapya dadhuranganaa: kimu na sammadOnmada dashaantaram || 7 ||
गानमीश विरतं क्रमेण किल वाद्य मेलनमुपारतं
ब्रह्म सम्मद रसाकुला: सदसि केवलं ननृतुरङ्गना: ।
नाविदन्नपि च नीविकां किमपि कुन्तलीमपि च कञ्चुलीं
ज्योतिषामपि कदम्बकं दिवि विलम्बितं किमपरं ब्रुवे ॥८॥
gaanamiisha virataM krameNa kila vaadya melanamupaarataM
brahma sammada rasaakulaa: sadasi kevalaM nanR^ituranganaaH |
naavidannapi cha niivikaaM kimapi kuntaliimapi cha ka~nchuliiM
jyOtiShaamapi kadambakaM divi vilambitaM kimaparaM bruve || 8 ||
मोदसीम्नि भुवनं विलाप्य विहृतिं समाप्य च ततो विभो
केलिसम्मृदित निर्मलाङ्ग नव घर्म लेश सुभगात्मनाम् ।
मन्मथासहन चेतसां पशुप योषितां सुकृतचोदित:
तावदाकलित मूर्तिरादधिथ मारवीर परमोत्सवान् ॥९॥
mOdasiimni bhuvanaM vilaapya vihR^itiM samaapya cha tatO vibhO
kelisammR^idita nirmalaanga nava gharma lesha subhagaatmanaam |
manmathaasahana chetasaaM pashupayOShitaaM sukR^ita chOdita:
taavadaakalita muurtiraadadhitha maaraviira paramOtsavaan || 9 ||
केलिभेद परिलोलिताभि रति लालिताभिरबलालिभि:
स्वैरमीश ननु सूरजा पयसि चारुनाम विहृतिं व्यधा: ।
काननेऽपि च विसारि शीतल किशोर मारुत मनोहरे
सूनसौरभमये विलेसिथ विलासिनी शत विमोहनम् ॥१०॥
kelibheda parilOlitaabhi rati laalitaabhi-rabalaalibhi:
svairamiisha nanu suurajaa payasi chaaru naama vihR^itiM vyadhaa: |
kaanane(a)pi cha visaari shiitala kishOra maaruta manOhare
suunasaurabhamaye vilesitha vilaasinii shata vimOhanam || 10 ||
कामिनीरिति हि यामिनीषु खलु कामनीयक निधे भवान्
पूर्ण सम्मद रसार्णवं कमपि योगिगम्यम् अनुभावयन् ।
ब्रह्म शङ्कर मुखानपीह पशुपाङ्गनासु बहुमानयन्
भक्तलोक गमनीय रूप कमनीय कृष्ण परिपाहि माम् ॥११॥
kaaminiiriti hi yaaminiiShu khalu kaamaniiyaka nidhe bhavaan
puurNa sammada rasaarNavaM kamapi yOgigamyam anubhaavayan |
brahma shankara mukhaanapiiha pashupaanganaasu bahumaanayan
bhaktalOka gamaniiya ruupa kamaniiya kR^iShNa paripaahi maam || 11 ||
----------Sri Krishnarpanam--------
