song 148 rare tala preeti krti2 vasudevam balahari

 

krti 2

r¡ga balahari t¡©a pr§ti

v¡su dev¡va m¡mih¡¾u varada ! v¡mana ! v¡ncit¡khila phalaprada!?

anupallavi

k¡¾yapagautam¡trikala¾odbhavaka³va¾ukan¡rad¡di munijana k§rtita ¾ubha carit¡mruta

¡¾rit¡kha³¢ha ¾¡¾vat¡nanda sukhad¡yaka! suma¾ara sundara tara! karu³¡kara!

cara³a¯

b¡l£ndu ¾ekhara p¡rvat§d¡ra parip¡lita b¡³¡sura bahu b¡hu vicchedana

l§l¡m¡nu½a n§l¡¯bud¡bha yadu b¡la ve½a yamijana m¡nasa vara sadan¡

n§l¡mbara v§ra t¡l¡nga s§ra dara r¡m¡nuja taru³¡ru³a nibha ma³i  cara³a

b¡la vijaya gop¡la sura loka taru p¡rij¡ta hara³¡ v£nka¿a rama³a sanatana

An Unpublished Kriti

Raga: Balahari                           Tala: Adi

Sankarabharanam Janyam

Arohanam: s r g p d s      

Avarohanam: s n d p m g r s 

(sometimes kaisiki nishadam is used, hence it is a bhashanga raga)

Pallavi

 O! The One who grants boons! The in-dweller in all! (alternate meaning could be: “The One who makes everything dwell in Him”). May You protect me here and now! The One who assumed a diminutive frame, the One who bestows what is desired (by the devotees) (Vasudevāva)

Anupallavi

O! The One who is praised by sages like Kashyapa, Gautama, Atri, the one born out of a pot (sage Agastya), Kanva, Suka, Narada and other sages! One whose presence or manifestation is full of auspiciousness, the One who bestows on His devotees full and lasting bliss and happiness! One who is more handsome than Manmatha and One who is an ocean of mercy (Vasudevāva)

Note: ‘Sumaśara’ literally means ‘ one having flowers as arrows’. Manmatha is supposed to have five flowers. The five flowers are: the flower of the Asoka tree, aravinda (white lotus),  chuta (the tender flowers of the mango tree), navamallika (jasmine)  and nilotpalam (blue lotus). The verse runs thus:

अशोकमरविन्दं च चूतं च नवमल्लिका।

नीलोत्पलं च पञ्चैते पञ्च बाणस्य सायका:॥

Charanam

(You) are protected by the One who has the infant moon on the crown and who is looked after by Parvati (reference to Lord Siva)note, the One who cut off many a hand of the demon Bana, the One who has assumed the human form for exhibiting exploits, One sporting the blue hue of the rain-bearing cloud, One who gives the appearance of a child of the Yadava clan,  One who resides in the minds of those who meditate (upon You), the younger brother of Rama, One whose feet have the brilliance of the infant Sun,  O Bala Vijaya Gopala! The One who took (brought) the parijata flower from the wish-yielding tree of the celestial world, Venkataramana! One whose origin is inscrutable (indefinable)!

***********note

 Siva is mentioned as the protector of Lord Krishna in this song. Lord Krishna is one of the manifestations of Lord Vishnu. The Trinity of Gods Brahma, Vishnu and Siva assume different superior positions on different occasions. This is referred to by Kalidasa in Kumarasambhava

एकैव मूर्तिर्बिभिदे त्रिधा सा सामान्यमेषां प्रथमावरत्वम् ।
विष्णोर्हरस्तस्य हरिः कदाचिद्वेधास्तयोस्तावपि धातुराद्यौ ॥ ७.४४ ॥One who took (brought) the parijata flower from the wish-yielding tree of the celestial world, Venkataramana! One whose origin is inscrutable (indefinable)! ***********