श्रीकृष्णस्तुतिः – भागः १

This one in a stuti on Krishna, Damodara with a pun on the words daama (rope) and udara (stomach).

उदरे ते पुरा दाम दामोदर! तु लीलया ।

उदरमेव दामेह संसारे मम बन्धने ।। १ ।।

Damodara! Long time age a rope was tied to your belly (hence the name), to tie you, which was a sport to you. Alas! To me my belly is the rope with which I am bound here, in Samsara. Ellame vayitrukku thaane!

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This one is inviting Krishna to come to my mind in an indirect (novel) way! That you killed many wrestlers in the court of Kamsa is all fine! Now you have two stronger ones challenging you! Are you up to the challenge?

कामक्रोधाख्यमल्लाभ्यां मानसं मे हि मथ्यते ।

बालकृष्ण! त्वमाहूतः सामर्थ्यमेहि दर्शय ।। २ ।।

कामक्रोधाख्य known as Kama and krodha मल्लाभ्यां by two wrestlers मानसं mind मे my हि indeed मथ्यते is churned बालकृष्ण Bala Krishna त्वम् you आहूतः are invited सामर्थ्यम् (your) capability दर्शय show एहि come! Can you?

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उलूखलं चापि  गुणस्य नीविं,

मतिं च मोक्तुं न तु मातृयत्नात् ।

निधाय तस्मिन् निजमुग्धरूपं,

बभौ स कृष्णाख्यपरं हि तत्त्वम् ।। ३ ।।

That highest tattva by name Krishna shone by holding the mortar, the knots of the thread that was used to bind him, a desire to release (the two yakshas) but not from his mother's effort and also his own beautiful form tied to that mortar!

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सलिले वसनं भुजगे शयनं

विहगे गमनं रमया रमणम्।

ननु यस्य तमेव भजे सततं

परमं पुरुषं वसुदेवसुतम् ।। ४ ।।

सलिले वसनं residence in water भुजगे शयनं sleep on snake विहगे गमनं travel on bird रमया रमणम् pleasing with Rama ननु यस्य to whom indeed तमेव भजे I salute him only सततं always परमं पुरुषं supreme reality वसुदेवसुतम् son of Vasudeva

I always salute Him, who resides in water (ocean), sleeps on a Snake (Adisesha), travels on a bird (Garuda), and pleases in the company of Rama (Lakshmi), the supreme reality, son of Vasudeva, Krishna (Vaasudeva)! (thotakam metre)

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The third pada represents an anecdote from the kurukshetra war. One pradosham evening during war, Arjuna wanted to pray to Siva but could not due to war. Krishna asked Arjuna to pray to Him instead and leave a flower at His feet. It is said that later Arjuna found that on Siva's head and thus was happy that his prayer was complete.

यमुनाविषपन्नगशीर्षगतं

रणवारणकारणदूतपदम् ।

शिवपूजनपूरणलब्धसुमं

भवतान्मम चिन्तनयुक्तपदम् ।। ५ ।।

Let my thought be around that feet which danced on the head of the poisonous snake in Yamuna, which went as a messenger to stop the war and which received the flowers so as to have Arjuna's prayer to Siva completed. (thotakam metre)

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Krishna likes butter that too fresh butter. So we prepare fresh butter, mix it with sugar etc and keep it ready on Janmashtami. What butter can be borne in the mind so that Krishna may come searching for it? What else can it be other than the Tiruvoimozhi, the ever fresh butter that was born out of a mind filled with Krishna Trishna (thirst for Krishna)

शठारिगीतनीतोहं तन्नवनीतमेव मे ।

चित्ते धर्तुं यते कृष्ण! तवागमनकांक्षया ।। ६ ।।

शठारिगीतनीत drawn by the songs of Nammalvar अहं I तन्नवनीतमेव that very fresh butter मे my चित्ते in mind धर्तुं  to hold यते try कृष्ण Krishna तवागमन your arrival कांक्षया desiring

Krishna! Desiring your arrival (in my thoughts), I, drawn by the songs of Nammalvar, try to hold them in my mind, the fresh butter that they are!

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A thief steals somewhere but gets imprisoned somewhere else. But Madhava! Krishna! Having come (to rob) to the minds of noble  people, you get imprisoned there itself!

चौर्यमेकत्र चान्यत्र बन्धनं कितवस्य तु ।

सतां चित्तं समागत्य बद्धस्तत्रैव माधव ।। ७ ।।

चौर्यम् robbery एकत्र at one place चान्यत्र else where बन्धनं imprisonment  कितवस्य तु for a robber सतां of good people चित्तं mind समागत्य having come बद्धः imprisoned तत्रैव there itself माधव Madhava (Krishna!)

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This one is an attempt to sing in praise of both Krishna and Ramanuja in a single verse. The Lord took weapons in the three avatars before Krishna-avatara but in this he did not bear any weapon! Krishna is also Ramanuja, the brother of Balarama. With his clever speech he won over his devotees and enemies. Ramanuja also won over everyone with his convincing oratory skills.

रामत्रयेनापि धृतं च शस्त्रं शत्रून् विजेतुं शरणं प्रदातुम् ।

रामानुज! त्वं जितवान् च सर्वान् रिक्तेन हस्तेन विदग्धवाचा ।। ८ ।।

By the three Ramas, Parashurama, Srirama and Balarama, weapons were used to win over enemies and give protection to their devotees. But Ramanuja! (Krishna), without any weapon, you won over everyone, with clever speech. The Acharya Ramanuja also!

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Play of word with Krishna!

अशुक्लाः किल मे कृष्ण सर्वास्तृष्णास्तु सर्वदा ।

अकृष्णास्ताः प्रभो हन्त कृष्णास्त्वमेव कारय ।। ९ ।।

My Lord! Krishna! All my desires are indeed always dark (in the sense improper). Alas! Please change them to be KrishnaaH (not dark, but having you as the end)! The great devotees of the Lord are said to possess what is known as कृष्णतृष्णा ।

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This is not a sloka but a minor krti. I wrote this in 2012 which means it could be naiver! It is influenced by Muthuswamy Dikshitar's 'vande meenakshi tvaam'. Those who know carnatic music or who have heard it may appreciate more!

वन्दे राधारमणं सुन्दरमेघश्यामं पीताम्बरधरम् ।

नाथं परमं यदुकुलगो-धनगणपरिजनपम् ।

रासमण्डलनायकं कालिय-नर्तनं कृतवन्तम्

उन्नतगीतादायकं कृष्णं

शिरसा सततमहं

मनसा सततमहं

वचसा सततमहम् ।। १० ।।

It is a short keertan on Krishna! I always salute with mind, body and words that Krishna  who is the consort of Radha, the beautiful - dark cloud coloured, clad in yellow.

The supreme Lord, the protector of the herdsmen of Yadu kula,

The hero of the rasa kreeda and the performer of kaliya nartana,

and the giver of the noble gita!