Vrindavan, 2015.11.21 (VT): It has been hard to keep up with the Vrindavan Prakash Mahotsav. So many activities are going on, it is hard to decide where to go to relish the Harikatha and kirtan. Since Fogla Ashram is right in my neighborhood, it is easiest to go there, and I have found that once I sit down there, it is hard to get up.
Several of the acts are from Bengal, but of those, the padavali kirtan of Suman Bhattacharya and his group was particularly attractive to me, since I had no trouble following both song and story in his presentation. Moreover, it reminded me of my days in Nabadwip when I was a frequent attender at such programs.
Actually, performers like Suman are accustomed to singing a complete “pala” that might go on for several hours, a full lila complete with Guru-vandana, Gaura-chandrika, Radha-Krishna lila and Harinam sankirtan. Because of the exigencies of the festival format, each performer is given only 20-30 minutes to showcase their specialty. Of all the of them, however, it seemed to me that Suman Bhattacharya was the one who kept closest to the theme and spirit of the festival.
I found it interesting to observe how Padavali kirtan in Bengal has evolved over the years. When I was in Bengal from 1975 to 1985, the first synthesizers came there and started to be used by kirtan performers. But many traditionalists like Nanda Kishor Das kept away from even harmoniums and other instruments and sang only with khol and kartal, but using more sophisticated harmonies and choral singing.
Although Suman’s ensemble is using a variety of instruments, the content of his performance is the most directly bhakti-rasa oriented of any I have seen.
On Friday he told the story of Shyamananda, highlighting a kirtan written by him and basing the narrative on the name Shyamananda itself, and centering its drama on his vision first of Radha’s lotus feet as he attempts to see whether the anklet he has found matches the one she is wearing. Then when he fails to be convinced, she tells him to look carefully at the marks on them, which leaves him free of doubt. And so Shyamananda begs her to show her true form to him, her complete swarup. These descriptions were done very tastefully and nicely brought out the sadhaka bhakti rasa.
He also quoted more Sanskrit verses, more directly concentrating, in particular doing a bit comparing the following two:
jayati jayati nāmānanda-rūpaṁ murārer
viramita-nija-dharma-dhyāna-pūjādi-yatnam |
katham api sakṛd āttaṁ muktidaṁ prāṇināṁ yat
paramam amṛtam ekaṁ jīvanaṁ bhūṣaṇaṁ me ||
Glories, all glories to the Holy Name, the ecstatic form of Murari. By chanting it, I have become indifferent to all other endeavors–duty, meditation, or worship. If one chants even once, this Name gives liberation to all creatures. It is the one supreme nectar: it is my life and my ornament. (Brihad-bhagavatamrita 1.1.9)
Why is jayati repeated? He asked. In the entire Bhagavatam, Krishna himself only gets verses with a single jayati like the following:
jayati jana-nivāso devakī-janma-vādo
yadu-vara-pariṣat svair dorbhir asyann adharmam |
sthira-cara-vṛjina-ghnaḥ susmita-śrī-mukhena
vraja-pūra-vanitānāṁ vardhayan kāma-devam ||
All glories to Shri Krishna, the shelter of all beings, who is known to have taken birth from Devaki. He was surrounded by the best of the Yadavas. By his arms he dispelled all irreligiosity. He removes the sufferings of movable and immovable beings. By his beautiful smiling face he aroused loving feelings in the hearts of the damsels of Vraja and Mathura. (10.90.48)
The answer he gave was based on the Gita. In the eleventh chapter, Krishna has to give Arjuna special eyes to see his form; one must have spiritualized eyes smeared with the salve of love in order to see Krishna, but to chant the Holy Name, no special preparation is needed. In this way, the Holy Name is more merciful than the Lord himself.
On Saturday night, Suman told the story of how Mahaprabhu on his incomplete trip to Vrindavan in early 1515, when he went as far as Kanai Natshala and entrusted the Padma River with prema, which was to be given to Narottam Das Thakur when he bathed there. Then when describing Narottam’s pilgrimage to Vrindavan, he introduced his friend Palash Sarkar and asked him to sing the following song attributed to him as perfectly describing the spirit of such a pilgrimage in the Gaudiya devotional mood.
(1)
hari bolbo āra madana mohana herabo go
ei rūpe vrajera pathe calabo go
I will walk on the path to Braj, calling out Hari’s name and anxious to see Madana Mohana.
(2)
jāba go vrajendra pure haba go gopikāra nūpura
tāṁdera caraṇe madhura madhura bājabo go
vipine vinoda khelā sańgete rākhālera melā
tāṁdera caraṇera dhūlā mākhabo go
I will go to the land of Nanda Maharaj where I will become an anklebells on the gopis’ feet. There on their feet, I will jingle sweetly. All over my body, I will spread the dust from the cowherd boys’ feet in the place where they played with Krishna.(3)
rādhā-kṛṣṇera rūpa-mādhurī heraba du’ nayana bhari
nikuñjera dvāre dvārī roibo go
vrajavāsī tomarā sabe ei abhilāṣa purāo ebe
āra kabe śrī-kṛṣṇera bāṁśī śunabo go
I will fill my eyes with the vision as I behold the sweet form of Radha and Krishna in my two eyes. I will remain at the entrance to their bower of delight. O residents of Vrajabhumi! Please fulfill my desire! When will I hear the sweet sound of Krishna’s flute?(4)
e deha antima kāle rākhabo śrī-yamunāra jale
jaya rādhe govinda bale bhāsabo go
kahe narottama dāsa nā pūrilo abhilāṣa
āra kabe vraje vāsa koribo go
When I come to the last moment of my life, I will place my body in the Yamuna and float off singing “Jaya Radha Govinda.” Narottam Das says, “I have been unable to fulfill this desire. When will I live in Vraja Dham?”
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