Leelashuka
otherwise known as Bilvamangala
was born in Kerala. As he described
and revelled at Lord Krishna's
divine deeds as Bhagavan Shuka, he earned the title of Leelashuka. He was
well versed in grammar, drama and Alamkara Sastra. Lilashuka was one of the greatest early Vaishnava
acharyas who lived during the
early medieval period . During
this period the concept of devotional
service to Lord Shri Krishna was
promulgated far and wide, especially
by Caitanya Mahaprabhu.. Lilashuka's
famous contribution to the world
of transcendental Vaishnava literature,
particularly his Shri Krishna-karnamritam,
was highly appreciated by Shri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu who it is
said wrote a commentary to this
work after securing a copy of
it when he visited Thiruvananthapuram.
Sri Krishnakarnamrutam
has 328 shlokas in 3 Ashwasas.
Karnamrutam
means nectar to the ears.
The poet deals in the majority
part of this work Lord Krishna's
exploits in the Gokula
and Brindavana. Shri Govinda Damodara Stotram is another composition by Leelashuka
popular among the Vaishnavas.
On Lord Krishna's childhood exploits
there are ever so many tales and
songs narrated and sung
in
folk lore and vernacular
poems. Here is a brief look at
the Lord's childhood images as
described and revelled by Leelashuka.
The
poet says that there exists a
Divine Principle in the guise
of a child which is being worshipped
by the celestial damsels with
Kalpaka flowers , which
remains standstill in the ecstacy
of the music flowing from the flute, surrounded by
thousands of charming cowherd
maidens, bestowing the boon of
liberation to the devotees and
in fact generously providing all
that is desired by everyone.
+Ѳt ̲t̝s-FO-ͥO̡tF-܍̓t
̲t-tt-sٍz--͍̥s-͍̥F
*
̲t-̲t-͍̝-ͥ-̡ͥ{-̷̥t
t-̲t-t̥̏O-L̡z̜
FFt **
(
Sri Krishna Karnamrutam 1-2 )
Lord
Krishna is
the conquerer of the wrestler
Chanura,
remover of the sins of devotees, bestower of prosperity and is the very abode all auspicious
qualities. The poet says that
devotion to this Lord not easily obtainable and which
destroys the cycle of births and
deaths. has been obtained by us
as a result of meritoious deeds
in the earlier births such as
fire sacrifices, charity to the
deserving,
service to the elders and
difficult-to- perform penance,
all intended to propitiate the
Lord .
b`̷̘ ̍
zz̷ w ܍ ̙
̍ `̷̘
t̩̏F̷ `̍̍t̜ z̜
*
̲F-̗-z̲̍١
H-ʥ̈ͭs
Zsܜ͈ͭ
HF̭̘ͭ :ͭ
`ͭ **
( Sri Krishna Karnamrutam 2.98 )
The poet offers salutation with his mind to
the charming son of Vasudeva who
as
a small child, has the
radiance like the Atasii flower
with only directions as His clothes
and who is adorned with gold ornaments,
with tresses unbraided and having
red lips and broad eyes.
+t̍t-̡-t̲-F٘-F̨
zO̲̲
FF-ܭs-ͭtW
*
̳̲ͥt-F-̝š̜-̙tK
Fs
̘͘ ̲̍ ̲z̲܍٘
**
(
Sri Krishna Karnamrutam 2.19 )
The
poet gives another charming description
of the Lord wandering in the land
of cowherd men and women.
Born as the son of meritorious
Vasudeva, the Lord
has tinkling bracelets
and anklets, gold waist-band and
has His small tuft covered with
pearl garlands.
tRQ-͍Jst-FSs-FSsF
̌
͍t̘-̡̥јt-̲w̘
*
HF̏-FFt-FFK
̍z̷̘
`Z̜ ̲z-O̘
**
(
Sri Krishna Karnamrutam 2.20 )
The
poet appeals to those who are
tired of wandering a lot in the
forests of the Vedas , in search
for the meaning of the Upanishads
, the Lord , to heed a piece of
sane advice to find the same tied
to the mortar at the houses of
the cowherd women.
̜̘͘-ُz-͇̌
͍O̘̥̍
͍t̍t-Z̜L: *
ͥZ̍t
̥̍ ̢Ս-
ُ͍̭zy-١L̡
͍̖ **
(
Sri Krishna Karnamrutam 2-28 )
The poet says " Our eyes feast greedily on Your charming childhood beauty with tresses suited to get adorned with peacock
feathers, with a form worthy of
worship by the lotuses namely,
the eyes of beautiful girls and
with a face which attempts
to defeat the moon and the lotus
by its charm".
Ώ\̥tɲ-Z̍Zt-F̨̏
Ս̲t̍-̙̍-S`-`̍ՙ
*
Z̜̍ͥ̍z-ͥ`̙t-Ew͖̘
Z̟̘̏t ̙̍ t̥ ̥
: **
(Sri
Krishna Karnamrutam 1-31 )
Another
shloka
exhorts us to worship the
Lord, Who has the fragrant smell
of butter
in His mouth, clever and concocted
reply of a butter thief, false tears in His eyes , and dexterous dancing
feet .
z
̥̍t-O̷̥̍ Z̍
t̲F-Ztٜ-ٜs̘
*
̙̍
F̬-̬̙y-̜s
F̡-tsn F̜
**
( Sri Krishna Karnamrutam 2-15 )
"
Let the realised souls treading
the traditional path meditate
on the Supreme Being residing
in the cave of their hearts ;
we are happy to sport in
the nectarine ocean of the childhood exploits of the Darling of
Yashoda.'
says Leelashuka.
=̲t-tͥz:
ٜs:
̜
٘ɲ ͍ͷt Oٷ̙̘
*
̙
̨z-̨ͨ-̡ա-
Fy-ٌ-Ͳ̍٭
ա̘: **
( Sri Krishna Karnamrutam 2-54 )
Moving
on all His fours on the floor
studded with gems, child Krishna
desired` to catch the reflection of His lotus- like face
, but not being successful
cried looking at the face of the maid taking care
of Him.
v̲y̡ `̍Z̜:
F̜: RF̍t-tՙ-L̜ͥ̍z
*
+zt-̗-tz̗-Lz͈E
w-z z **
( Sri Krishna Karnamrutam 2-52 )
An interesting convesation takes place between
the apparently innocent Krishna
and His mother. The Lord asks
for a vessel to drink milk.
Mother:
This is not the time to drink
milk
Krishna: When
is the time ?
Mother: In the
night.
Krishna: What
is night ?
Mother: When
darkness sets in.
Krishna closes
His eyes and says " Now it
is dark, give me milk ";
thus
saying He pulls at the upper garment
of His mother.' Let such a playful
Lord protect us' says the poet.
t:
F zy zͷ Z̭F
F t
t ̙-
t̲t̆ FzѲt ͍ͨ ̨͍ F %F̜z
*
+̘՟K̙O
ُ̨͍̏-Ot zt t-ʷ-
K`ɨF-Fst-F:
Fs̲ ٭st : **
(
Sri Krishna Karnamrutam 2-59 )
On
another occasion, Yashoda wants
to make Krishna drink milk by
her skilful appeal saying that
before Balarama who has gone to
play near the sand dunes on the
banks of the Yamuna returns, the
Lord should drink milk from the
golden vessel so that His hair
will grow . Krishna hearing this,
due to His childish nature examines
his hair
after drinking half of
the milk. ' Let such an action
of the joyful Lord protect us'. This is the gist of another one
of the shlokhas
F͡z-͡z
ٲ̡ ̥{t: L͡t
t̥tF̏͜F
̙: ͏̖ ό̭t
t ͨL *
<ty
̡t̙ t̜s̜̏: t
̨z-O̜:
̙̲ͨL ߨ̍ zt: K՜%ʏt
͜: **
(Sri
Krishna Karnamrutam 2-60 )
The
Lord enters the house of a Gopika
stealthily and is trying to steal
the butter kept in a pot. The
Gopika suddenly enters and witnesses
this scene. There ensues an interesting
conversation between the two.
Gopika:
Who aro you, boy?
Krishna:
I am the younger brother of Balarama
Gopika: What
do you want here?
Krishna : I mistook
this for my house.
Gopika: All right!
Why did you place your hand in
the butter pot?
Krishna :
Don't grieve. I came in
search of a calf.
Let
such a reply of the Lord
to the great Gopika protect us'.
Ft ̡ ̡̍`:
F̷͘ t ̍эz̨S
H
t̥̍t-w̥̜ͥ t Fy ̲:
*
t:
Ff̍ tF O͙t
O ̭ͥz Ks-
zt
̢̜-t̥Z: Fs̲
٭st : **
(
Sri Krishna Karnamrutam 2-81 )
The
poet imagines another conversation
again between a Gopika and the
Lord profuse with puns. Krishna
knocks at the door of the Gopika's
house.
Gopika: Who is it that knocks at the door
with the finger?
Krishna: O! I am Madhava, my dear.
Gopika: Is it the spring( another meaning
of madhava )?
Krishna: No I am Chakrapani
Gopika: Are you the potter ( here
chakrapani meaning the one who makes mud pots with the help of rotating wheel
)?
Krishna: No, I am the bearer of the world.
Gopika: Are you then the twin-tongued serpent ( the serpent
Adisesha is supposed to bear the world on its hoods )?
Krishna: No, I am the conqueror of the
serpent that lived in the ocean.
Gopika: Are you the lord of birds, Garuda ?
Krishna: No. I am Hari ( a name of the Lord
)
Gopika: O! Are you then a monkey ( another meaning
of hari ) ?
" Let the Lord who thus faced defeat
in the conversation with the Gopika
protect you."
+W F: Fh
t z͙t ̥̌: F
̲̍t
ZF F F̡ ͷ ̜š̜:
F ͈`̾: sՍ: *
̷
̜ͷz FͲ LȌt-
͜: F FՍ
<t
OF t̥Z̍`t;
t ̩Fs: **
(Sri
Krishna Karnamrutam 3-105 )
