On our way from Delhi to Agara
We stopped by at the town of Vrandavan.
I closed my eyes for few seconds to transcend
The street view, dotted with Krishna temples,
Hotels, guest houses and meditation centers.
Gokul, Vrandavan, and Govardhan Hill’s by river Yamuna
Are places collectively called as Brij bhumi in north India.
The centuries old Vrandavan at the edge of Yamuna
Was once the lush mystical forest of sweet holy basil.
It is referred in devotional music of India for generations.
Here song birds broke the silence of night to greet dawn and
Peacocks danced with descending clouds to welcome rains.
Cows and other animals grazed upon lush greenery and
Cool waters of Yamuna murmured a truth of spiritual energy
Echoed in sublime soul stirring songs of blind poet Surdaas.
Here Gopal Krishna had spent his childhood days, took his
Cows for grazing and played the sweetest music on his flute.
In that enchanted forest when flute music floated under moon light,
His childhood sweetheart Radha and Gokul’s Gopas and Gopis
Gathered around their beloved Krishna to sing and dance in glee.
His past time activities and childhood events have been
The biggest source of inspiration for songs sung by poets,
Saints and devotees alike, shattering the boundaries of
Folk and classical music of varied languages in India.
It runs in India’s religious and cultural veins like river waters.
Krishna- a man of magnificent and miraculous personality
Is considered an Avatar of Supreme Consciousness.
But it is the Raas-Leela of Radha-Krishna, symbolized as
Play of Divine with it’s Supreme Energy that evoked the
Imagination of poets all around to continually sing about it.
Legend has it that the poet saint Chaitayan Mahaprabhu
Roamed the forest transcending the physical planes of mind.
In the periods of heightened ecstasy he was united with
Supreme Consciousness and sang of those experiences.
That timeless music filled the streets of Vrandavan and is a
Valuable part of Indian music literature still inspiring devotees.
Below is a song in Hindi and it’s English translation
Depicting another devotional poet Meera Bai’s
State of mind absorbed in Krishna consciousness-
एैसी लागी लगन मीरा हो गयी मगन
वो तो गली गली हरि गुन गाने लगी
महलों की पली बन के जोगन चली
मीरा रानीं दिवानीं कहाने लगी।।
“Meera was so taken over by the ecstatic love for Krishna
That she wandered in Vrandavan singing praises of him.
She, the princess born and raised in palace roamed on streets of Brij
She, the queen of a kingdom is now a crazy ascetic merged into
Krishna consciousness.
Poet’s notes:
Vranda- Sanskrit name for holy sweet basil
Van- forest
Gokul- a small village where child Krishna was raised.
Brij Bhumi- land area of Brij. It’s spoken language is called Brij Bhasha. It is a form of Hindi language used in that area.
Gopas- cowboys
Gopis- cowgirls
Gopal- caretaker of cows. Another name for Krishna
Raas-Leela- playful romantic gestures often depicted in songs and dance forms.
Savita Tyagi
9. 7. 2018
