बरसाने
की लट्ठमार होली फाल्गुन मास की शुक्ल पक्ष की नवमी को मनाई जाती है। इस दिन नंदगाँव के ग्वाल बाल होली खेलने के लिए राधा रानी के गाँव बरसाने जाते हैं और विभिन्न मंदिरों में पूजा अर्चना के पश्चात नंदगांव के पुरुष होली खेलने बरसाना गांव में आते हैं और बरसाना गांव के लोग नंदगांव में जाते हैं।
ये होली बड़े ही प्यार के साथ बिना किसी को नुकसान पहुंचाए खेली जाती है. इसे देखने के लिए हज़ारों भक्त बरसाना और वृंदावन पहुंचते हैं. हर साल इस मज़ेदार होली को खेला जाता है.
लट्ठमार
होली
(Lathmar Holi) खेलने
की शुरुआत भगवान कृष्ण और राधा के समय से हुई. मान्यता है कि भगवान कृष्ण अपने सखाओं के साथ बरसाने होली खेलने पहुंच जाया करते थे. कृष्ण और उनके सखा यहां राधा और उनकी सखियों के साथ ठिठोली किया करते थे, जिस बात से रुष्ट होकर राधा और उनकी सभी सखियां ग्वालों पर डंडे बरसाया करती थीं. लाठियों के इस वार से बचने के लिए कृष्ण और उनके दोस्त ढालों और लाठी का प्रयोग करते थे. प्रेम के साथ होली खेलने का ये तरीका धीरे-धीरे परंपरा बन गया.
इसी
वजह से हर साल होली के दौरान बरसाना और वृंदावन में लट्ठमार होली खेली जाती है. पहले वृंदावनवासी कमर पर फेंटा लगाए बरसाना की महिलाएं के साथ होली खेलने पहुंचते हैं. फिर अगले दिन बरसानावासी वृंदावन की महिलाओं के संग होली खेलने जाते हैं.
ये
होली बरसाना और वृंदावन के मंदिरों में खेली जाती है. लेकिन खास बात ये औरतें अपने गांवों के पुरूषों पर लाठियां नहीं बरसातीं. वहीं, बाकी आसपास खड़े लोग बीच-बीच में रंग ज़रूर उड़ाते हैं. लट्ठमार होली खेल रहे इन पुरुषों को होरियारे भी कहा जाता है और महिलाओं को हुरियारिनें.
दरअसल
बरसाना नामक जगह पर राधा जी का जन्म हुआ था और राधा जी को श्रीकृष्णा भगवान की प्रेमिका माना जाता है. ऐसी मान्यता है कि पुराने काल में श्रीकृष्णा होली के समय बरसाना आए थे. यहाँ पर कृष्ण ने राधा और उनकी सहेलियों को छेड़ा था. उसके बाद राधा अपनी सखियों के साथ लाठी लेकर कृष्ण के पीछे दोड़ने लगीं. बस तभी से बरसाने में लठमार होली शुरू हुई थी.
इस
लट्ठमार होली में कृष्णा के सखा कहे जाने वाले जिन्हें स्थानीय भाषा में "होरियारे" कहा जाता है, इस होली की तैयारी सुबह से ही भांग की कुटाई और छनाई के साथ शुरू कर देते हैं. दिन चढ़ने के साथ ही नंदगांव से बरसाना जाने की तैयारी शुरू होती है और रास्ते में नंदगाँव वासी रसिया गीत गाते हुए, रंग गुलाल उड़ाते हुए एक दूसरे को छेड़ते हुए बरसाना पहुँचते हैं और लट्ठमार होली खेलते हैं.
सारांश
के तौर पर यह कहना ठीक होगा कि बरसाना की लट्ठमार होली भी भारत के विविध रंगों की छटा का ही एक रंगारंग रूप है.
Lathmar Holi * Hindi: लट्ठमार होली, is a local celebration of the Hindu festival of Holi. It takes place days before the actual Holi in the neighbouring towns of Barsana and Nandgaon near Mathura in the state of Uttar Pradesh, where thousands of Hindus and tourists congregate, each year.
The name means "that Holi in which [people] hit with sticks" (laṭh is a thick traditional staff).
Color Drenched Gopis in Krishna Temple
Lathmar women waiting for Gopis to hit them on their shield, at Nandgaon.
Lathmar women hitting Gopis
Legend has it that Lord Krishna visited his beloved Radha's village on this day and playfully teased her and her friends. Taking offence at this, the women of Barsana chased him away. Keeping in sync with the story, the men from Nandgaon visit the town of Barsana every year, only to be greeted by sticks (aka lathis) of the women there. The ladies hurl sticks at the men, who try to shield themselves as much as they can. The unlucky ones are captured by the enthusiastic women who then, make the men wear female clothing and dance in public.
In the sprawling compound of the Radha Rani temple in Barsana, which is said to be the only temple in the country that is dedicated to Radha. Thousands gather to witness the Lathmar holi when women beat up men with sticks (laṭh or lāṭhī) as those on the sidelines become hysterical, sing Holi Songs and shout Sri Radhey or Sri Krishna. The Holi songs of Braj mandal are sung in pure Braj Bhasha.
On the first day of Lathmar Holi, gops (shepherds) from Nandgaon come to Barsana to play Holi with the gopis (shepherdesses) of Barsana. The festival begins with a ceremony at the Radha Rani temple. After this ceremony gops then march out of the temple on the Rang Rangeeli Gali where they stop to play holi with the gopis, who stand in groups along the street. The second day gops from Barsana go to Nandgaon to play holi with gopis at Nandgaon.
The next day, it is the turn of men of Barsana. They reciprocate by invading Nandgaon and drench the womenfolk of Nandgaon in colours of kesudo, and palash. This day, women of Nadagow beat the invaders from Barsana. Holi played at Barsana is unique in the sense that here women chase men away with sticks. Males also sing provocative songs in a bid to invite the attention of women. Women then go on the offensive and use long staves called "lathis" to beat men folk who protect themselves with shields.
During intervals, participants sip 'thandai', a cold drink that is sometime intoxicating because it is laced with a paste called bhang, made of cannabis. Bhang and Holi go together. After drinking bhang, people react in different ways, some crave for sweets, others cry or laugh. It is an ecstatic experience, which is heightened by the revelry.
It is a great way to de-stress and bond.
The women of Barsana start preparing a month in advance. The mothers-in-law feed their daughters-in-law rich food so that they show off their prowess on the Holi battle zone. It is a show of love, fun and equality.
Jagatpita
Brahma Mandir is a Hindu temple situated at Pushkar in the Indian state of
Rajasthan, close to the sacred Pushkar
Lake to which its legend has an
indelible link. The temple is one of very few existing temples dedicated to the
Hindu creator-god Brahma in India
and remains the most prominent among them.
The temple
structure dates to the 14th century, partly rebuilt later. The temple is made
of marble and stone slabs. It has a distinct red pinnacle (shikhara) and a
hamsa bird motif. The temple sanctum sanctorum holds the image of four-headed
Brahma and his consort Gayatri(goddess of vedas).
On Kartik
Poornima, a festival dedicated to Brahma is held when large numbers of pilgrims
visit the temple, after bathing in the sacred lake.
The temple is
described to have been built by sage Vishwamitra after Brahma's yagna
(ritual). It is also believed that Brahma himself chose the location for his
temple. The 8th century Hindu philosopher Adi Shankara renovated this temple,
while the current medieval structure dates to Maharaja Jawat Raj of Ratlam, who
made additions and repairs, though the original temple design is retained.
Pushkar is
often described in the scriptures as the only Brahma temple in the world, owing
to the curse of Savitri(Saraswati), and as the "King of the sacred places
of the Hindus".
According to
the Hindu scripture Padma Purana, Brahma saw the demon Vajranabha (Vajranash in
another version) trying to kill his children and harassing people. He
immediately slew the demon with his weapon, the lotus-flower. In this process,
the lotus petals fell on the ground at three places, creating 3 lakes: the Pushkar
Lake or Jyeshta Pushkar (greatest
or first Pushkar), the Madya Pushkar (middle Pushkar) Lake,
and Kanishta Pushkar (lowest or youngest Pushkar) lake.
When Brahma
came down to the earth, he named the place where the flower
("pushpa") fell from Brahma's hand ("kar") as
"Pushkar". Brahma then decided to perform a yajna (fire-sacrifice) at
the main Pushkar Lake.
In order to perform his yajna peacefully without being attacked by the demons,
he created the hills around the Pushkar – Ratnagiri in the south, Nilgiri in
the north, Sanchoora in the west and Suryagiri in the east and positioned gods
there to protect the yajna performance. However, while performing the yajna,
his wife Savitri (Saraswati) could not be present at the designated time to
perform the essential part of the yajna as she was waiting for her companion
goddesses Lakshmi, Parvati and Indrani.
Annoyed, Brahma
requested god Indra(the king of heaven) to find a suitable girl for him to wed
to complete the yajna. Indra could find only a Gujar's daughter (a milkmaid)
who was sanctified by passing her through the body of a cow. Gods Vishnu, Shiva
and the priests certified her purity as she had passed through a cow, it was
her second birth and she was named Gayatri (goddess of milk). Brahma then
married Gayatri and completed the yajna with his new consort sitting beside
him, holding the pot of amrita (elixir of life) on her head and giving ahuti
(offering to the sacrificial fire). But when Savitri finally arrived at the
venue she found Gayatri sitting next to Brahma which was her rightful place.
Agitated, she cursed Brahma that he would be never worshipped, but then reduced
the curse permitting his worship in Pushkar. Savitri also cursed Indra to be
easily defeated in battles, Vishnu to suffer the separation from his wife as a
human, the Agni(fire-god ) who was offered the yajna to be all-devouring and
the priests officiating the yajna to be poor.
Endowed by the
powers of yajna, Gayatri diluted Savitri's curse, blessing Pushkar to be the king
of pilgrimages, Indra would always retain his heaven, Vishnu would be born as
the human Rama and finally unite with his consort and the priests would become
scholars and be venerated. Thus, the Pushkar temple is regarded the only temple
dedicated to Brahma. Savitri, thereafter, moved into the Ratnagiri hill and
became a part of it by emerging as a spring known as the Savitri Jharna
(stream); a temple in her honour exists here.
Brahma's two
consorts Savitri and Gayatri mentioned in the legend also have separate temples
erected for them in Pushkar, but on hills at opposite ends of the lake. The
first consort Savitri, who cursed Brahma, is described to be still seating
annoyed and enraged in her shrine on the highest hill in Pushkar, while Gayatri
afraid of Savatri's wrath sits at a lower hill at the other end, the eastern
side of the lake
Savitri temple
located on the top of Ratnagiri hill, behind the Brahma temple, overlooks the Pushkar
Lake and the sand dunes on its western
side. It is reached by one hour's trek over a series of steps on the hill. The
temple (also made of marble) houses a statue of goddess Savitri. An early
morning visit to the temple provides a good view of the lake.
Atpateshwar or
Apteshwar temple
The Atpateshwar
temple, which is situated in a cave next to the Brahma temple, is dedicated to
Shiva. This temple was built by Brahma after he found that Shiva attended the
Yagna performed by him in the garb of a Tantric mendicant holding a skull. When
Shiva was accosted for this appearance, he was piqued and filled the entire
area of the yagna site with skulls. The agitated Brahma meditated to know the
reason for such a situation, then he realised that the mendicant was none other
than Shiva. Realising his folly, Brahma requested Shiva to attend the yagna.
Shiva then attended the yagna holding the skull and Brahma in appreciation
erected a temple in honour of Shiva as 'Atpateshwar', next to his own temple.
The Linga of Shiva is large and is encircled by a snake made of copper.
Shivaratri festival is a special occasion to visit this temple.
The Gita Govinda (Sanskrit: गीत गोविन्दम्) (Song of Govinda) is a work
composed by the 12th-century Hindu poet, Jayadeva. It describes the
relationship between Krishna and the gopis (female cow
herders) of Vrindavana, and in particular one gopi named Radha.
The Gita Govinda is organized into twelve chapters. Each
chapter is further sub-divided into twenty-four divisions called Prabandhas.
The prabandhas contain couplets grouped into eights, called Ashtapadis. It is
mentioned that Radha is greater than Krishna. The text also elaborates the
eight moods of Heroine, the Ashta Nayika, which has been an inspiration for
many compositions and choreographic works in Indian classical dances.
The work delineates the love of Krishna
for Radha, the milkmaid, his faithlessness and subsequent return to her, and is
taken as symbolical of the human soul's straying from its true allegiance but
returning at length to the God which created it.
Idol of 11th c. Sanskrit poet Jayadeba at his birthplace
Kendubilwa in Odisha, India.
Gita Govinda*Priye Charuseele*Sanskrit Poem of Jayadeva
Jayadeva is widely considered as
one of the earliest musicians of Odissi music. Every night during the
Badasinghara or the last ritual of the Jagannatha temple
of Puri, the Gitagovinda of
Jayadeva is sung, set to traditional Odissi ragas & talas. This tradition
has continued unbroken since the time of Jayadeva, who himself used to sing in
the temple. After the time of the poet, the singing of the Gitagovinda
according to the authentic Odissi ragas & talas was instated as a mandatory
sevā at the temple, to be performed by the Maharis or Devadasis, systematically
recorded in inscriptions, the Mādalā Pānji and other official documents that
describe the functioning of the temple.
To this date, the Jagannatha temple
remains the fountainhead of Odissi music and the most ancient & authentic
compositions (including a few archaic Odia chhandas and jananas by Jayadeva
himself) survive in the temple tradition, although the Devadasis are no more
found owing to their systematic eradication by the British government. Jayadeva has
had a profound influence on the religious practices of Hinduism. The classic
Tribhangi (threefold) posture of Krishna playing the
flute gained popularity due to him.
śrī rādha ---
is a maha bhava - 'an ecstatic concept about an exquisite beauty...' and she is
the cynosure of this mini-epic gita govindam or Gita Govinda of Jayadeva. This
work Gita Govindam is a lyrical dance-drama, plussed with the then romantics,
poetic aesthetics and what not with a theme of vipralambha sringara - anguish
in separation and joy in uniting of divine couple rādha and Krishna.
The poet sings to the joy of Krishna, wishing him to be always joyous
togetherness of rādha, addressing him variously like Govinda, Maadhava, Hari,
Keshava etc., according to the situation, and hence it is called Gita Govindam,
like bhaja govindam i.e., devout yourself unto Govinda. For easy comprehension
we have put all the names as Krishna. And rādha is none
else than Krishna, the very fount of his lila sakti
creative power. She transmutes his glory into prema ananda, the zenith of
blissful happiness, in which alone he takes pleasure. This is the idea of gita
govindam - Read the entire text here :-
Jayadeva's
Gitagovinda is a lyrical account of the illicit springtime love affair of Krishna
and Radha, a god and goddess manifesting on earth as a cowherd and milkmaid for
the sake of relishing the sweet miseries and rapturous delights of erotic love.
The narrative framing their bucolic songs was composed under royal patronage in
northeastern India
in the twelfth century. It was to be performed for connoisseurs of poetry and
the erotic arts, for aesthetes and voluptuaries who, while sensually engaged,
were at the same time devoted to Krishna as Lord of the
Universe. The text at once celebrates the vicissitudes of carnal love and the
transports of religious devotion, merging and reconciling those realms of
emotion and experience. Erotic and religious sensibilities serve, and are
served by, the pleasures of poetry. In the centuries following its composition,
the courtly text became a vastly popular inspirational hymnal. Jayadeva's songs
continue to be sung throughout India
in fervent devotional adoration of Krishna.
The beauty of
it is that Jayadeva keeps saying that reading his explicit verses will not only
confer various kinds of benefits but also neutralise the sins of kali:
(From the Gita
Govinda composed by Jayadeva, who is extremely devoted to Krishna,
the wise may get proficiency in music, uninterrupted contemplation on Vishnu
and knowledge of the intricate techniques of erotics (sloka).
“Sri Jayadeva
vachasi ruchire sadayam hrudayam kuru mandane, haricharana smaranaamrutha
nirmitha kali kalusha jwara khandane:”
(Always
remember the words of Jayadeva which dispel the fever, namely, the sins of Kali
and express the sweet devotion to the feet of Krishna -
‘kuru yadhu nandana.’)
The apocryphal
story is that Jayadeva once toned down his explicit version in one of the
stanzas and went to sleep and, on waking up, found that Krishna
had appeared and restored the original version!
Let us see some
examples of his beautiful poetry:
“Abhinava
jaladhara sundara” — beautifully dark-hued like a fresh rain-bearing cloud
(shritha Kamala kucha)
“Shrimukha
chandra chakora:” — longing for Goddess Lakshmi’s face as a chakora bird longs
for the moon (shritha Kamala kucha)
“Shri
Radhapathi paada padma bhajanaanandaabdhi magno anisham tham vande Jayadeva
sathguruvaram Padmavati vallabham” — I bow down to that foremost preceptor
Jayadeva, who is always immersed in the ocean of bliss in worshipping the lotus
feet of the consort of Radha and who is the spouse of Padmavati (Dhyana slokam
– Shri Gopalavilasini )
Rama avatar
“Vitharasi
dhikshu rane dikpathi kamaniyam dasamukhamouli balim ramaniyam, Keshava dhrutha
Rama sareera:” — O Keshava! One who has assumed the form of Rama! You scattered
the heads of Ravana in ten directions in the battlefield as if offering
oblations acceptable to the guardian deities (‘Jaya Jagadisha Hare’)
“Lalitha
lavanga latha pariseelana komala malaya samire, madhukara nikara karambita
kokila koojita kunja kutire:” — In the soft westerly winds embracing the soft
clove creepers and in the bowers filled with the buzzing swarms of honey bees
and sweet notes of cuckoos (‘lalitha lavanga’)
“Spuradathi
muktha latha parirambhaNa mukulita pulakita chuthe” — As the mango tree
blossoms as it were on account of the embrace of the atimuktha creeper, Krishna
rejoices with the maidens (’viharathi hari riha’)
“Nityotsanga
vasath bhujanga kavalakleshadi veshachalam, praleyaplavanechaanusarati shri
khandana shailaanila” The soft breeze from the Malaya mountains wafts north as
if it cannot stand the heat produced by the poisonous serpents in the southern
mountains and wants to get cooled by the snowclad Himalaya mountains of the
north.
“Jalada patala
chaladindu vinindaka chandana bindu lalatam” — (The sandal paste pottu on Krishna’s
forehead in its beauty mocks at the moon, which moves slowly through the banks
of cluds (‘sancharadhara sudha’)
“Varnitam
Jayadevakena hareritam pravanena, kindubilva samudrasambhava rohini ramanena” —
Just as the moon, which rises from the ocean makes it happy, Jayadeva, who was
born in kindubilva makes it happy (‘mamiyam chalita’)
“Shashimukhi!
tava bhaathi bhangura bhru yuvajanamohakar aalakaala sarpi” — One who has a
beautiful face like the moon! Your curved eyebrow is like the cruel black cobra
that stupefies youth (‘dhyana slokam — parihara kruthathanke’)
“Shashimukhi!
mukharaya manirashanagunamanuguna kanTaninadam, shrutiyugale pikarutavikale
mama shmaya chiradavasadam” — “O moon-faced one! Let the bells in your girdle
ring in resonance with the sweet notes of your voice. It will soothe my ears
which have found even the notes of cuckoos harsh due to separation from you
(‘kisalaya shayanatale’)
Jayadeva ends
his kaavyam with a striking compliment to himself: “Saadhvi maadhvika! chintha
na bhavati bhavata: sharkare! karkashasi, dhrakshe! dhrakhshayanti ke
tvaamamrutha! mruthaamasi ksheera! niram rasasthe, makand! krandha kanthadhara!
dhara na thulam gala yachchanthi bhavam, yaavatshrungarasaaram shubhamiha
Jayadevasya vaidagdhya vaacha” — O sweet wine, do not consider yourself sweet
any longer. O sugar! you are crude and harsh. O grapes! who would bother to
look at you? O milk! You are tasteless and insipid. O mango fruit ! You lament
that you are worthless. O ruddy lips of lovely women! Do not aspire to any
comparison as long as the words of Jayadeva last.
The poem can be
dated to the twelfth century and was almost certainly written in north-eastern India,
as it shows familiarity with Jagannath sects in Orissa and mentions fellow
poets at the court of the last Hindu ruler in Bengal,
Maharaja Laksmanasena (AD 1175-1200). Many lines of evidence point to Jayadeva
being born in Orissa, probably in Kenduli Sasan village, which lies in the
Prachi valley of the Khurda district of Odisha, then under the rule of the Ganga
dynasty king Chodaganga Deva. In Orissa Jayadeva probably continued to live,
the Laksmanasena connection possibly arising over confusion with another poet
of the same name in Bengal. If, as some scholars
believe, Gita Govinda was first performed on the Srimandir and the coronation
of Kamarnava as the crown prince in 1142 AD, the Laksmanasena lines must be a
later interpolation. Whatever the details, Jeyadeva appears by this
interpretation part of the Oriya culture that built the erotic temples of
Konark, Puri and Bhubaneswar. Poets
are chameleon characters, however, and Jayadeva himself is reputed to have been
a saintly ascetic induced to settle by marrying the temple dancer, Padmavati,
and take up writing the Gita Govinda.
The latter was
apparently a model wife, modest and devoted to Jayadeva, and very different
from Radha, who is the typical heroine of classical Sanskrit poetry: proud of
her heavy breasts and hips, consumed by longing, but also playful, sulking,
jealous, tempestuous and despairing. Krishna is the
eternal male: urgent and charming and uncommitted. Radha submits to his
entreaties, but feels abandoned when Krishna returns to
his other women. The ten long parts of the poem that separate Radha's first
submission to her final reconciliation with Krishna, in which the lovers
declaim and despair, appearing to say a few verses to each other or sending the
go-between to plead their cause, allow Jayadeva to explore the changing moods
of attraction, which are both natural to the situation, and what audiences
expected. Krishna repents, longs for Radha, commiserates
with her distress, waits for her, makes her jealous, importunes and praises
her, enjoys and assures her of his love. Radha sulks and despairs, wastes away,
flies into tempers, rails at Krishna, consents and finds joy and contentment
with him.
What kind of poem is this? In response the poet says, “This
poem is predominated by shrugara-rasa and it is exceptionally sweet. Its
meaning is readily comprehensible. Every verse is immensely endearing,Radha-Krishna’s attribute of beauty enhanced
by love. As a lover is dear to her beloved, this charming composition is
extremely dear to the pure devotees. The theme of it is the love of Radha and Krishna,
symbolizing the longing and striving of the individual, for communion with God,
culminating in their blissful union. Love naturally takes expression in song,
so Sri Gita-govinda has naturally assumed the format of a musical. It should be
sung in a melodious voice.”
Yad Gopi vadanendu Mandana Mabhuth * Kasturika Patrakam….
Yen Lakshmikuja shata kumba kalashe *, vyakosham Indiwaram…
Yen nirmana vidhana sadana vidhau, sidandhanam yoginam
With clouds the
sky is thickened, and the woodlands
darken with
Tamála trees. Tonight
comes someone
leading home a doubting Rádhá
near the
Yamuná, by Nanda sent:
from each path
wandering, from wood to bower,
to win her
Mádhava in honeyed sport.
As speech's
deity adorns this house
by grace of
Padmávatí's turning feet,
and prince of
wandering poets, Jayadeva,
tells of
Vásudeva and his Shrí.
If, passionate
for Krishna's mind,
you're keen to
learn the arts of love,
then hear the
coaxing eloquence
of Jayadeva's
tender verse.
Umápatidhara
causes words to bloom,
Sharana dazzles
with his lightning thought.
Dhoyí's lord of
poets, Govardhana
has his love
skills, Shrutidhara fame,
but Jayadeva is
both deep and pure.
The sky is
encompassed by clouds.
With the hue of
Tamāla trees,
darksome appear
the sites of woods.
This dear Kāhnā
feels very
timid at night.
O Rādhā! You
therefore please
accompany him
to reach home aright.'
Thus by the
words of King Nanda,
stepped ahead
both Rādhā and Mādhava
towards the
tree of bowers on the way.
Glory to their
plays of love, secret and gay,
on the bank of
river Yamunā.'
'If your mind
is fraught with sentiment
in remembering Lord
Hari,
if you have any
curiosity
in the arts of
joyful dalliance,
then listen to
Jayadeva's writing literary,
that contains
the words sweet, delicate and lovely.'
'Here appears
the pleasurable Spring,
wherein the
delicate zephyr
of Malaya
mountain
gently blows
having loving embrace
of the graceful
Lavańga creeper
and wherein the
cottage of bowers is
filled with the
sweet cooing of cuckoos
mingled with
the humming of black-bees.
O Dear Friend!
Hari enjoys wandering
and dances with
the young maidens
in this season
which is unbearably afflicting
to the couple
separated from each other.'
'During the
days of Spring season,
ears of the
wayfarers
painfully feel
very feverish
by the noisy
sound of cooing of cuckoos
sporting in the
mango-blossoms
that slowly
swing by the black bees
craving for the
emerging sweet aroma.
These vernal
days are anyhow
passed with
difficulties
by the lonely
wayfarers
who in cheerful
sentiments enjoy union
with their
life-like maidens
attained in
some moments of concentration
within their
mental sphere.'
'By this time,
as a big dot of
sandal paste
on the forehead
of the Direction-Damsel,
Moon, spreading
own rays, illuminated
the inner area
of Vrindāvana.
He had borne
the beauty of a distinct stain
as if caused by
sin due to own appearance
on the path of
the adulterous maidens.'
'These lips of
thine really bear similarity
with the beauty
of flower Bandhūka.
O Self-esteemed
Lady!
Thy comely cheeks
compile the lustres of Madhūka.
Manifesting the
beauty
of blue
lotuses, thy eyes are very lovely.
The stature of
Tila flower, thy nose bears.
Thy teeth, O My
Dear!
spread the
radiance of Kunda flower.
Serving thy
fine face with these five flowers,
the
Flower-shafted Love-god Cupid
conquers the
entire universe indeed.'
'Languid are
thy eyes with intoxication (Madālasā) .
Effulgent is
thy face with charming moonbeam (Indumatī) .
Thy gait
gladdens mind of all the beings (Manoramā) .
Thy thighs form
the tremulous plantain tree (Rambhā) .
Embellished
with art is thy erotic play (Kalāvatī) .
Thy brows have
lovely lines of painting (Chitralekhā) .
O Slim-limbed
beloved lady!
Ah, present on
earth,
You bear the
juvenile exuberance of nymphs
who adorn the
dominion of gods.
'Ye noble self
like the divine doctor!
All the illness
of Cupid-stricken Rādhā
can be cured
very well
only by the
ambrosia
of your loving
embrace.
If you do not
make her
free from this
grief so far,
O Dear Upendra!
Really very
cruel
more than the
thunderbolt you are.'
'O Krishna!
In the days
by-gone,
she was unable
to endure your separation,
by the grief
caused by closing of eyes,
and now how can
she tolerate having sighs
the long
estrangement,
looking at the
branch of mango tree
having blossoms
at the top? '
'O Krishna!
Owing to pangs of separation,
for Rādhā, her
home seems to be a forest.
The group of
her dear maiden-friends
appears as a
trapping net.
With heavy
sighs, the heat of separation
turns to be a
vast forest-conflagration.
It is a matter
of severe woe
that because of
thy separation,
Oh, how she
appears as a doe,
and Love-god
Cupid for her,
has become
Yama, the Lord of Death,
displaying the
activities of a fierce tiger.'
'O My Friend!
Here
florescence of
new Asoka creeper
bearing few
bunches of flowers
is not at all
pleasurable to my eyes
and causes
distress immense.
Breeze of
pleasure-grove beside pond
gives me pains
further.
This budding of
mango-blossoms with sharp tips,
though charming
with the humming of black-bees
roving over
them, does not give me a gleeful sense.'
'O Liquor of
Madhuka!
No noble
thought arises for you.
O Sugar! You're
very unsavoury really.
O Grape! Who
will behold you?
O Nectar!
You're gone dead.
O Milk! Your
essence is mere water.
You weep, O
Ripe Mango!
O Lips of
Beloved Lady!
Down to the
nether region you go,
as long as the
sweet words of Jayadeva
in this world
on all sides offer
emotional
feelings of erotic expression.'
Raga: Vasantha ; Adi Tala
vasante vasanti-kusuma-sukumarair avayavair
bhramanti kantare bahu-vihita-krishnanusaraam |
amanda kandarpa-jvara-janita-cintakulataya
valad-baha radha sarasam idam uce saha-cari
Once, in the splendid spring season, when Radhika was pining
for Krishna, she began to search for him in one forest
grove after another. Her elegant, young limbs, soft as mddhavt flowers, grew
weary and Cupid made her mind delirious with anxiety. At that time, her
intimate friend lovingly addressed her as follows.
The Malaya breeze is so enchanting as
he arrives and impetuously embraces the tender, charming creepers again and
again. The forest bower is permeated with the sweet kuhu sound of the cuckoos
and the drone of bees as they bumble to and fro.
viharati haririha sarasa-vasante
nrityati yuvati-janena samam sakhi, virahi-janasya durante
Radhe (viharati haririha)||dhruvapada||
Moreover, Hari is also dancing in this forest bower with his
Gopis when the spring is in full bloom & while being immersed in a festival
of love(bhakti)
The mdlati trees are covered with flowers. There is no
vacant space left upon their branches. Innumerable groups of bumblebees are
humming upon clusters of bakula flowers.Manmatha’s arrows hurt the Gopisand over there, Krishna is dancing as he revels
in love with other Gopis.
Adorned with new leaves, the tamala trees delight in
diffusing their musk-like fragrance in all directions. Sakhi, look! These
lustrous paldsa flowers resemble the fingernails of Kamadeva. It seems that the
King of amorous love has torn at the bosom of youthful couples .
Blossoming ndga-kesara flowers appear to be the golden rods
of King Cupid, and the clusters of pdtali flowers surrounded by bumblebees
appear to be his quiver
It seems that the whole world has become shameless by the
formidable influence of spring. Seeing this, the young, compassionate trees are
laughing on the pretext of bursting into flower. Look! Shaped like javelins for
piercing the hearts of lonely lovers, the screw-pine flowers are blossoming brightly
in all directions and the directions are also overjoyed to unite with them.
muni-manasam api mohana-karii taruakarana-bandhau,Radhe viharati haririha ||6||
The nectar of spring flowers and the aroma of jasmine
blossoms are enthralling. Even the minds of great sages are agitated in
springtime and they suddenly become bewildered. Spring is the selfless friend
of the young
The mango trees in the forest groves of Vrindavana are
covered with freshly sprouted buds because they are thrilled by the embrace
of the restless maddhavi creepers.Sri Hari is affectionately playing with Gopis
in the pure water of the Yamuna that flows alongside those forest groves.
sri-jayadeva-bhanitam idam udayati, hari-caraa-smruti-saram
|
This auspicious, rasa-laden song has perfectly manifested
through Sri Jayadeva. The portrayal of the forest in springtime is suffused
with the erotic aberrations of Radha when she is overwhelmed with anxiety in
separation from Krishna. Woven together with
transformations of passion, the spring season awakens remembrance of the lotus
feet of Sri Hari.
Daravi-dalita-malli, valli-chamchat-paräga
prakatitha-pata-väsai:, väsayan käna…näni |
iha hi, dahati ceta:, ketaki-gandha-bandhu:…
prasarad asama-bäna pränavad-gandhaväha:||9||
“Wind perfumes the forest with fine pollen shaken loose from
newly blossomed Jasmine’s it blows love’s fragrant breath, it tortures every
heart it touches.”
kshana präpta-präna, samä samagama, raso lläsai:, ami
väsarä:||10||
“Sounds of Cuckoo’s mating on mango shoots shaken as bees
seek honey scents of opening buds raise fever in the ears of lonely
travelersSomehow they survive like
kshana prapta prana, by thinking about divine leelas with Paramatma in their dyana.”
Govatsa
Dwadashi is a Hindu cultural and religious festival which marks the beginning
of Diwali celebrations especially in the Indian state of Maharashtra,
where it is known as Vasu Baras. In Gujarat, it is
celebrated as Vagh Baras and as Sripada Vallabha Aradhana Utsav of Sripada Sri
Vallabha, at Pithapuram Datta Mahasamsthan in the state of Andhra Pradesh. In
Hinduism cows are considered very sacred and equivalent to mothers for
providing nourishment to mankind.
In some
northern states, Govatsa Dwadashi is referred to as, Vagh, which implies
repaying one's financial debts, which therefore is a day, when businessmen
clear their accounts books and do not make further transactions in their new
ledgers.
Govatsa
Dwadashi is also observed as Nandini Vrat, as both Nandini and Nandi (bull) are
considered sacred in Shaivism tradition. It is a thanksgiving festival to the
cows for their help in sustaining human life and thus both cows and calves are
worshiped and fed with wheat products. The worshipers abstain from consuming
any wheat and milk products on this day. It is believed that by these
observances and worship, all wishes of the devotees will be fulfilled. The
significance of Govatsa Dwadashi is stated in Bhavishya Purana.
The cows and
calves are bathed, draped in clothes and flower garlands; and vermilion/turmeric
powder applied on their foreheads. In some villages people make cows and calves
of mud, dressing them and adorning them as such, symbolically. Aartis are
performed. Wheat products, gram and Mung bean sprouts are then fed to the cows,
symbolizing the sacred cow Nandini, on earth, who was the daughter of
Kamadhenu, and lived in Sage Vasishtha's ashram. Devotees sing songs praising
the love of God Sri Krishna for cows, and being their benefactor. Women observe
Nandini Vrat/fast for the well being of their children and abstain from water
and eatables. As cows are symbolic to motherhood and chief source of livelihood
in many villages in India,
they are central to Diwali worship.
BeginsTwelfth day of the waning moon fortnight
(Krishna Paksha) in the month of Kartik
भाद्रपद मास में कृष्ण पक्ष की द्वादशी तिथि को बछ बारस या गोवत्स द्वादशी का पर्व मनाया जाता है। इस दिन लोग गाय और उसके बछड़े की पूजा-अर्चना करते हैं। इसे वत्स द्वादशी के नाम से भी जाना जाता है। यह पर्व एक वर्ष में दो बार मनाया जाता है। पहला भाद्रपद मास में कृष्ण पक्ष की द्वादशी तिथि को तो दूसरा कार्तिक मास के शुक्ल पक्ष में। धार्मिक मान्यताएं के अनुसार, गौमाता में समस्त तीर्थ होने की बात कही गई है। गौमाता के दर्शन से ही बड़े-बड़े यज्ञ, दान आदि कर्मों से भी ज्यादा लाभ प्राप्त होता है।
पौराणिक जानकारी के अनुसार, माता यशोदा ने भगवान श्रीकृष्ण के जन्म के बाद इसी दिन गौमाता के दर्शन और पूजन किया था। माता यशोदा ने इसी दिन गौमाता का दर्शन और पूजन किया था। जिन्होंने गौमाता को खुद नंगे पांव जंगल-जंगल घुमाया हो और अपना नाम ही गोपाल रख लिया हो, गौमाता की रक्षा के चलते ही श्रीकृष्ण ने गोकुल में अवतार लिया था। शास्त्रों में कहा गया है कि हर योनी में मनुष्य योनी सबसे श्रेष्ठ है। ऐसा इसलिए कहा गया है जिससे मनुष्ट गौमाता की निर्मल छाया में अपने जीवन को धन्य कर सके। इनकी सेवा से बड़ा कोई अनुष्ठान नहीं है। माना जाता है कि गौमाता को एक ग्रास खिलाने से ही सभी देवी-देवताओं तक यह अपने आप ही पहुंच जाता है।
भविष्य पुराण के अनुसार, गौमाता कि पृष्ठदेश में ब्रह्म का वास माना गया है। इनके गले में विष्णु का, मुख में रुद्र का, मध्य में समस्त देवताओं का समावेश है। वहीं, रोमकूपों में महर्षिगण, पूंछ में अनंत नाग, खूरों में समस्त पर्वत, गौमूत्र में गंगादि नदियां, गौमय में लक्ष्मी और नेत्रों में सूर्य-चन्द्र विराजमान हैं।
इस दिन महिलाएं अपने बेटे की दीर्घायु के लिए और परिवार की खुशहाल के लिए व्रत करती हैं। इस दिन विशेषकर परिवार में बाजरे की रोटी बनाई जाती है। साथ ही अंकुरित अनाज की सब्जी भी बनाई जाती है। इस दिन भैंस या बकरी का दूध इस्तेमाल किया जाता है। शास्त्रों में इसका माहात्म्य बताया गया है। इसके अनुसार, बछ बारस के दिन अगर महिलाएं गौमाता की पूजा करती हैं और रोटी समेत हरा चारा खिलाती हैं तो उनके घर में मां लक्ष्मी की कृपा सदैव बनी रहती है।