Continuing Krishna verses this evening:

अक्ष्णो: पुरो भ्रमतु दुर्धरलोकचक्रम् 

कोलाहल: पततु कोऽपि मदीयकर्णे 

यावन्मदीयहृदये मुरलीरवस्ते

मूर्तिश्च ते वसति तावदहं प्रसन्न: ।।१२७।। 

Let the inexorable wheel of the world continue to rotate in front of my eyes, and let any loud tumults fall on my ears. As long as the sound of your flute is in my heart and your figure resides there, I am happy.


नाज्ञासिषं मुरहर प्रतिमां हृदिस्थाम्

बाल्यं मतेर्मम पुरा प्रतिकूलमस्थात् ।

I did not recognize your figure residing in my heart.  The immaturity of my mind was previously preventing this.  


निर्मूलितं मम तनुं स्पृशता करेण

कृष्ण त्वयैव करुणावरुणार्णवेन ।।१२८।।

But your compassionate hand touched my body and removed that immaturity.


मनस्तो मे निरस्तं तत् तम: कृष्णेन तेजसा ।

यदा मे हृदयाकाशे कृष्णचन्द्र: प्रकाशते ।।१२९।।

When the moon of Kr̥ṣṇa shines in the sky of my heart, darkness is removed from my mind by your dark luster.


गगनस्थो हि यश्चन्द्र: क्षीयते वर्धते पुन: ।

न तथा हृदयाकाशे कृष्णो मे क्षीयते क्वचित् ।।१३०।।

The moon in the sky waxes and wanes.  But in the sky of my heart the moon of Kr̥ṣṇa does not ever wane.


अक्षीयमाणस्तेजस्वी कृष्णचन्द्र: क्षिणोति तत् ।

हृदि गूढं तम: कृष्णं सदयोऽयमतन्द्रित: ।।१३१।।

The never-waning bright moon of Kr̥ṣṇa unrestingly destroys the darkness hidden in the heart with compassion.


उद्गते गगने चन्द्रे प्रकाशन्ते न तारका: ।

तथा मे हृदयाकाशे नान्यत् किञ्चित् प्रकाशते ।।१३२।।

In the sky, when the moon comes up, the stars do not shine.  Similarly, in the sky of heart, nothing else shines.


गगने राजते चन्द्रो निशायां न दिवा क्वचित् ।

कृष्णचन्द्रो मनसि मे राजतेऽयं दिवानिशम् ।।१३३।।

The moon shines at night, but not during the day.  The moon of Kr̥ṣṇa shines in my mind day and night.


उद्यता कृष्णचन्द्रेण रात्रय: पूर्णिमा: कृता: ।

हृदयान्न बहिर्याति दिवसेष्वपि कर्हिचित् ।।१३४।।

By the rising moon of Kr̥ṣṇa, all nights were turned into full-moon nights.  It does not leave my heart even during the day.


कृष्णचन्द्रस्य शीतेन तेजसा मनसि स्थिता: ।

शाम्यन्ति वह्नयो दीप्ता: पूर्वकर्मकृतेन्धना: ।।१३५।।

On account of the cool brilliance of the moon of Kr̥ṣṇa, the blazing fires in the mind, fueled by inherited karma, are pacified.


बालेन कृष्णचन्द्रेण गोकुलं धवलीकृतम् ।

अबालेन कुरुक्षेत्रे भुवनं धवलीकृतम् ।।१३६।।

By the young moon of Kr̥ṣṇa, the Gokula was brightened.  By the grown moon of Kr̥ṣṇa on the [battlefield of] Kuruketra the entire world was brightened.


कृष्णचन्द्रस्य कृष्णेन तेजसा धवलीकृतम् ।

मातुर्मुखं यशोदायाश्चन्द्रमा इव राजते ।।१३७।।

The face of mother Yaśoda, brightened by the dark brilliance of the moon of Kr̥ṣṇa, shines like the moon.


अज्ञानकल्मषाक्रान्तं शोकमोहपरिप्लुतम् ।

पार्थस्य हृदयं कृष्णचन्द्रेण धवलीकृतम् ।।१३८।।

The heart of Arjuna, enveloped by the evil of ignorance and overcome by grief and delusion, was brightened by the moon of Kr̥ṣṇa.


कृष्णचन्द्रस्य किरणा: गीतावाचो जगत्त्रयम् ।

विशोधयन्त्य: कलुषात् प्रसरन्ति निरन्तरम् ।।१३९।।

The beams of the moon of Kr̥ṣṇa, namely the words of the Bhagavad-Gita, constantly spread over the world cleansing it of evil.


ये पश्यन्ति हृदाकाशे कृष्णचन्द्रं सदोदितम् ।

अज्ञानतिमिरं तेषां हृदयं प्रविशेत् कथम् ।।१४०।।

How can the darkness of ignorance enter the heart of those, who constantly see the moon of Kr̥ṣṇa risen in the sky of their heart?


अथ चेन्न प्रकाशेत कृष्णचन्द्रो जगत्त्रये ।

प्रभवेतां चन्द्रसूर्यौ तमसो न निवारणे ।।१४१।।

If the moon of Kr̥ṣṇa were not to shine in the three worlds, the sun and the moon will not be able to remove darkness.


हृदयं तमसाक्रान्तं शरीरं धवलीकृतम् ।

तादृशं जीवितं लोके शुष्कपर्णसमं सखे ।।१४२।।

O Friend, if you heart is overcome by darkness and the body is whitened, that kind of life in this world is like a dried up leaf.


हृदाकाशे प्रकाशेत कृष्णचन्द्रो यदा तव ।

तदा निमील्य नेत्रे त्वं निष्कम्पं पश्य माधवम् ।।१४३।।

When the moon of Kr̥ṣṇa shines in the sky of your heart, then unwaveringly see Mādhava with your eyes closed.


एकस्मिन् हृदयाकाशे पश्येस्त्वं माधवं मुदा ।

सोऽपि त्वां सुहृदं पश्येत् सखायावेकशाखिनौ ।।१४४।।

In one sky of heart, you should see Mādhava with joy.  He too will see you as a friend.  You are two friends on the same branch.


यदा यदाहं पश्यामि परित: क्रीडत: शिशून् ।

तदा स्मरामि ते लीलां गोकुलानन्द माधव ।।१४५।।

Whenever I see children playing around me, O Mādhava, Delight of Gokula, I remember your play.


बालकान् लालयन्त्यस्तान् तर्जयन्त्यश्च मातर: ।

स्मारयन्ति यशोदां मां नन्दनन्दनमातरम् ।।१४६।।

The mothers doting their children and discipling them remind me of Yaśodā, the mother of the delight of the father Nanda.


बालकं स्कन्धमारोप्य सानन्दं दर्शयन् जनान् ।

जनको भाति मे कृष्ण यथा नन्द: सनन्दन: ।।१४७।।

A father carrying his child on his shoulders and showing him to people seems to me, O Kr̥ṣṇa, like Nanda, with his delightful son.


स्थावरं जङ्गमं चैव जगदेतज्जनार्दन ।

प्रसृतं परितो भाति गोकुलं नन्दनन्दन ।।१४८।।

O Lord, the entire moving and unmoving world spread around me appears to me like Gokula, O Delight of Nanda.


सम्मर्दितस्त्वया नाग: कालियो विषवर्धन: ।

जनानां जीवनार्थाय शोधितं यमुनाजलम् ।।१४९।।

You subdued the poisonous Kāliya snake, and you cleansed the water of Yamunā for the life of the people.


भवन्ति बहवो नागा निगूढा जनमानसे ।

तेषां निबर्हणं कृष्ण कुरु चित्तविशुद्धये ।।१५०

There are many snakes hidden in the minds of people.  To purify their minds, O Kr̥ṣṇa, destroy those snakes.


Madhav Deshpande
Campbell, California