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NAUKAA CHARITRAMU

(BOAT STORY)

SRI TYAGARAJA

Translated by
Prof. William J. Jackson
Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana
(Continued from the previous number)

SONG 1

Adorning themselves adorably
they set out with Sri Krishna;
Delighting in life鈥檚 finer things,
with such pleasing and charming
figures and features, these cowherd ladies
whose bodies were like jewels,
went in such a beautiful way:

As one was giggling, sashaying and swaying,
Another was fastening blossoms to her tresses;
As one was combing her long flowing hair
Another was gleefully teasing Krishna.
Decking themselves out prettily
they set out with Sri Krishna.

One made the bold claim: 鈥淗e is my dear husband!鈥�
Another was lacing up her blouse;
One said: 鈥淚鈥檓 the one who鈥檚 suitable for him.鈥�
Another was joyfully embracing His feet.鈥�
Adorning themselves adorably
they set out along with Sri Krishna.

One became drunk 鈥� bewildered by love
Another all of a sudden kissed Krishna;
One told Him: 鈥淐ome here beside me!鈥� Another,
Desirous, offered Him folded betel leaves, with bliss
Adorning themselves adorably,
they went along with Sri Krishna.

There was one who fetched and flung perfumes
One was murmuring 鈥�Hari! Lord Hari!鈥�
Another one pressed Him to her bosom
Yet another鈥檚 upper cloth slid off,
And she entreated him with joy
Happily decorating themselves
they went along with Sri Krishna.

One whispered 鈥淥 my lotus-eyed Love!鈥�
Another called to Him with winks and blinkings
鈥淥 come, come!鈥� requested another;
And one lady said: 鈥淗e a is friend of Tyagaraja.鈥�
Adorning themselves adorably
they all went along with Sri Krishna.

After that, those jewels of cowherd girls
Having become divinely inspired by the Great Happiness
Of being with Krishna were on their way.
To the Yamuna river bank, doing just as they pleased...
If you should ask how they were coming along....

The ladies were playing amusing games
And describing very nicely what they saw
As they went along: the splendid Yamuna river
With shining black clouds above,
With clusters of red lotuses on the water鈥檚
Surface, with the buzzing of black bumblebees,
With flocks of female Swans, and with trees
Full of flowers swaying and forth in the breeze

Then the pearls of cowherd girls
One after the other, with their feelings over-
颅flowing, tried to describe the river goddess Yamuna
If you ask in what manner they spoke...

SONG 2

鈥淟o and behold the river goddess Yamuna O sisters!
With joy feast your gaze on her beauty 鈥撀�
What a glorious vision!

The buzzing of the bumblebees inside the lotuses of red 鈥�
颅Their sweet humming is so pleasant! Look, O sisters, see
The river goddess Yamuna, what charming joyful beauty!

O how white do those sand dunes appear!
While the body of the stream is dark blue like a sapphire!
Look, O sisters, at the Yamuna, what beauty, joyfully see!

The little waves glide as if made of bright diamonds
See the stairway of diamonds where wavelets swirl! Ladies!
The goddess Yamuna enchanting, with happiness, see!

O see here how she shimmers and dazzles
The great goddess now resounding with wild geese!
Look at her, ladies, Yamuna, O such beauty, happily see!

O pretty maidens, the branches of vines in the bowers
Are bowing, dripping honey, bending
with luscious date-fruits!
Come see, O ladies, the divine Yamuna
Ah, such beauty, so pleasing to see!

Her groves are rich with ripened fruit, with clusters
Of nectary grapes and pairs of green parrots play therein!
See, O sisters, the lady Yamuna,
her magnificence, blissful to see!

With this kind and that kind of blossoms drifting down
Making our poor minds dizzy and lovesick
See her, O sisters, Yamuna Devi,
What beauty, a joy to behold!

The black cuckoos are singing, the love-god is flinging
Flower-darts 鈥� O behold, dear ladies, this goddess Yamuna!
How the cool Malayan breeze now for sure
Will touch and enchant Lord Krishna! Lo and behold the Lady
Yamuna, O sisters, what a lovely vision to see.

O moon-faced ladies, look, enjoy, listen to the song
Of our friend, Tyagaraja ... See her O sisters, Yamuna Devi
O what beauty to soak in joyfully!

Then those pearls of cowherd girls,
In sweet ecstasy from the moment they caught sight
Of the Yamuna river, when they beheld a silver boat
Studded all over with the nine precious gems鈥�
If you should wonder what they said....

Those girls with hands as soft as leaves
On seeing the shining white-silvery boat
Afloat there on the black Yamuna river
Conceived the idea (and murmured
Among themselves) of sporting on the water.

Speaking one with the other they hatched a plan
Of joining with Krishna in the boat
And if you ask the way they were thinking
Of having this love play...

鈥淗e鈥檚 a boy!鈥� 鈥淣ot only that 鈥� He is a prince,
The son of a great king, wearing golden ornaments!
With someone like that, we should not do such a thing!鈥�
Thus were they reckoning among themselves.

SONG 3

鈥淎ll of us ladies, joining together,
Let us play and plead with Hari!鈥�

鈥淲ith Krishna looking on, let鈥檚 enjoy some play
On the water 鈥� this is a perfect day!鈥�
鈥淲e ladies, getting together, will play
Pleading with Sri Hari!鈥�

鈥淟eaving the lotus-eyed one can we be happy?
Will we be able to bring the boat to the bank?鈥�
鈥淎ll of us ladies joining together
Let鈥檚 have some fun and ask Krishna to come.鈥�

鈥淗e is a prince wearing jewelry
Made of the nine precious gems Ladies let鈥檚 do
Get together, we鈥檒l enjoy ourselves,
Begging Him to come too.鈥�

鈥淏ut my dear, He is a very small boy鈥�
颅Surely He will become quite frightened颅鈥�
I don鈥檛 know, little mother!鈥� 鈥淵es let鈥檚 all
Get together, girls, we鈥檒l play in joy
And pray to the boy Hari, to come along as well.鈥�

鈥淪omeone might tattletale to His mama!
She鈥檒l make our heads hang in humiliation.鈥�
鈥淐ome now ladies, altogether we鈥檒l play
Entreating Hari, come, little maidens!鈥�

鈥淭his affair will become the cause of gossip
If our sports should ever be known.鈥�
鈥淢aidens we鈥檒l amuse ourselves, joining together
We鈥檒l play, and pray entreating the Lord.鈥�

鈥淥 girls, if you go on like this, worrying
And prattling, I鈥檓 afraid the whole day will pass.鈥�
鈥淪o girls, let鈥檚 get together
Let鈥檚 pray and praise Lord Hari.鈥�

鈥淓nough! Come on! This way! Shove off!
Ah, into the water, little mother!鈥�
鈥淟adies, joining together, we鈥檒l play
And request Krishna to come along.鈥�

鈥淏ut the friend of Tyagaraja won鈥檛 listen
To the chattering of a bunch of women!鈥�
鈥淟adies, let鈥檚 get together, and enjoy ourselves
And entreat Sri Krishna to come as well.鈥�

When the gopis have spoken thus, then
Sri Krishna, knowing their hearts, begins
To speak; if you ask what He says, it鈥檚 this:

鈥淥 girls adorned with blooms, never is it proper
For ladies without a man to display much boldness.鈥�

鈥淲hen ladies are enjoying themselves in a happy mood
It is very wrong then to be a desirous man!鈥� (they say)

鈥淎 show of force in loving merriment is not good,
Is it 鈥� ever; happiness cannot be found
That way, not even in a dream!鈥�

鈥淲ithout so much as a speck of fear
You engage the women of other people in talk
O Krishna, and You gleefully speak crazy words!

鈥淚t is your utmost safety in this regard
Which I am concerned with and am promising
In this display鈥搕hat is what
I鈥檝e been talking about!鈥� (he says).

鈥淵ou鈥檙e just a small boy, this boat is, so heavy!
O moon-faced child have you the might to move it?鈥�

鈥淲ithout me can even a straw stir? From time
Immemorial the Vedas and Sastras
Have been announcing this 鈥� have you not heard?
To govern and protect creatures in the manner
Of Lord Hari, I am the sole cow-keeper
Of the thousand cows
I shall guard and govern well, please
Hear my words and understand, dear ladies.鈥�

Having heard Lord Krishna speak, the gems of gopis
Speak: if you ask how....

鈥淚s it not well known in the world
We cannot treat you like a mere child
Thus you should not be taken, O moon-bright face
Just for some fun, Krishna, will you
Make our friends and aquaintances laugh at us?鈥�

Looking at the gopis who had spoken without belief
In Him in that way there, the Supreme Being
Krishna speaks. If you wonder what he says

鈥淎ll my words are true. I am the Pilot.
Without me it will never be proper
To play in boats in the river by yourselves.
It would be an eternal disgrace. You are ladies颅鈥�
You鈥檙e the weaker sex. Is this something women
Are able to do? Who would ever advise this deed
For ladies?鈥� Thus Krishna spoke with the ladies

The gopis having heard that speech
Criticize the faults which they find present
In Krishna. If you ask how鈥撀�

SONG 4

鈥淗ow can we fully believe you, Krishna?
Why all this verbal tussle?

Naughtily hiding our clothes that time颅
Isn鈥檛 that harassing us?
When we were bathing didn鈥檛 you pester us?
Why should we fall for your silly stories
And why go on with this argument?

Asking full-grown ladies to come to you
With the excuse of putting the mark on their foreheads
Did you or did you not
Pinch their bimbafruit lips?
O how can we be taken in by you, Krishna?
And why go on and on in disagreement?

And once before when you were gobbling butter
Didn鈥檛 you smear it all over the faces
Of some blossoming maidens? So
How can we really trust you, Krishna?
What鈥檚 the use of all this talk?

Coming disguised as a sister-in-law you untied
My petticoat and then you ran away; didn鈥檛 you?
So can we put our faith in you, Krishna?
Why all this blithering botherment?

鈥楪ot you!鈥� we said one time when we caught you
But when we went to tell on you we found you
Up against your mother鈥檚 breast.
So how can we take you at your word, Krishna?
All this arguing is absurd, isn鈥檛 it?

When the wives of the sacrificers, burning with love
Of you, prayed, you simply took up your flute
And played 鈥� so how are we supposed to trust you
Krishna, and why go on and endlessly argue?

Another day you had us offer rice to you
Instead of to Indra鈥揹idn鈥檛 it rain for days on end?
So Krishna how can we rely on you
And why so much debate?

Haven鈥檛 you said that the words of the Lord
Adored by Tyagaraja will never lead astray?
Well, how can we be expected to listen to you
And why should we continue to argue?鈥�

Having heard the words which put blame
Spoken by the jewels of milkmaidens
Sri Krishna the Lord, just to make them realize
His capability, spoke; if you ask in what way...

鈥淭his is just a river, isn鈥檛 it;
An ocean is not seen 鈥� well, doesn鈥檛 Madhava
Cause people, gods and titans
To cross the ocean of existence, O pearls?鈥�
Looking at the gopis, he furthermore says:

SONG 5

鈥淭sk! all the different things you鈥檝e said about me!
Tsk! without really knowing 鈥� O sisters
You show no mercy to me!

Once upon a time when Mount Mandara sank
Didn鈥檛 I, as tortoise, bear it on my ?
And when the king of elephants was attacked
Didn鈥檛 I show pity (and now it this my thanks)?
My, what you鈥檝e said so smartly about me
Without really knowing, tsk tsk!
O sisters, you show me no mercy!

Fearless Somakasura hid in the waters 鈥� I slew
That demon so the Vedas would be rescued;
Did I not put down the upraised conceit
Of the snake in Kalinda pool with just my bare feet?
All kinds of things you鈥檝e jabbered about me
Where is your pity for me, little sister?

When my guru鈥檚 son by a crocodile was kidnapped
Did I not retrieve the boy and hand him ?
Have you never heard of the valour
Of the friend of Tyagaraja?
And yet all that nonsense you鈥檝e prattled
Of me? Tsk! without really knowing
O sisters, you do me wrong, showing me no mercy!鈥�

Having heard the words spoken by Lord Krishna
The gems of gopis, becoming full of great courage
Were speaking in this way:

鈥淭he words of the progenitor of the mind-born love-god
Are truth to the mind,鈥� said those lovelies who
Had gotten rid of fear. Putting Krishna in the mind
And hitching their hiked-up sari-skirts securely
They were soon on their way.

(To be continued)