Knowing the relationship between us, O Krishna, I came running! Having done millions of religious austerities, I came running to see you in Brindavanam! Seeing the flute played with such beauty, the faces of the surrounding cowherdesses turn shy. As eyes full of love seek You, a smile curves at the edge of Your lips. Thus for eons and eons, as tone and tempo, the Lord of the world plays His music and the girls keep time.
Can one really fall in love with God in a romantic sense? And this love, is it to be called devotion then? Surprisingly enough, Hinduism accepts a purely romantic love for God as equal to any other form of Bhakti. Everyone knows the stories of Meera and Andal, but even outside of these famous examples, romantic verse for God abounds in our literature. Have we not heard of the beauty of His walk and Her eyes ? Of His feet and Her curls? Of His shoulders and Her smile? Why, I have even read some description of Goddesses which are almost risqué! Interestingly, even male poets take on a female persona to express their love for a masculine God.
While this romantic love for God may offend the sensibilities of other religions, it makes perfect sense to us Hindus. Romantic love enjoys a grand commonality, far beyond any borders and differences that we humans have imposed on ourselves. The call of the opposite sex is a powerful one, is it not? We should not underestimate the power of this force; people face up to extraordinarily difficult circumstances to achieve their desired ones. Why not channel this strong force towards God instead?
To illustrate poetry of this kind, I have chosen a beautiful song by Ambujam Krishna (1917-1989). ‘I came running’ says the poet ‘Knowing the relationship between us, I came running’. An alternate version can be translated as ‘Knowing that there is to be a liaison between us, I came running!’. The second version makes it more explicit that the relationship is romantic right from the beginning. The poet goes to on to describe Krishna, the player of the flute, and the adoring Gopis who dance around him; she seems to join this adoring mass. She goes on to say ‘Thus for eons and eons, as tone and tempo, the Lord of the world plays music and the girls keep time’. Suddenly with this line we are taken away from the physical desire for an irresistibly handsome and alluring Krishna to his timeless divinity, the divinity which is like tone to our tempo, two aspects of the same music. A beautiful picture, is it not? She stresses the divinity with her words ‘The meaning of the Vedas dwell in union with you’. In one easy transition, we go from attraction to the form, to the realisation of Divinity and Divine knowledge. Set to raga Dharmavati (I think it is tuned by T.N.Seshagopalan but am unsure), enjoy this romantic song to God sung by the Master of mellifluous music, Unnikrishnan. To know more about this raga, click here.
(Alternate link : click here)
Footnote (Lyrics and Translation) :
Composer : Ambujam Krishna
Raga : Dharmavati
Language : Tamil
பல்லவி
ஓடோடி வந்தேன் கண்ணா நான்
உனக்கும் எனக்கும் உள்ள உறவை (alt: உறவினை) அறிந்து
Alternate : உனக்கும் எனக்கும் உள்ள உறவென்று அறிந்து
அனுபல்லவி
கோடானு கோடி தவம் செய்து உன்னை காண
கோவிந்தா என்றழைத்து பிருந்தாவனத்திடை
சரணம்
(கண்ணன்) குழல் ஊதும் எழில் காணவே
கூடும் கோபியர்கள் முகம் நாணவே
காதல் விழி உந்தன் முகம் நாடவே
முறுவல் இதழோரம் சுழித்தோடவே
(மத்யம கால சாகித்யம்)
(ஜகந்)நாதன் இசை பாட நங்கை ஜதி போட
கால காலமெல்லாம் சுருதியும் லயமும் என
வேதப் (alt:வேதம்) பொருள் உந்நில் ஒன்றி உறைந்திடவே
போதம் மிகு காதல் பொன் அடி தனில் கொண்டு
Transliteration
pallavi
ODODi vandEn kaNNA nAn
unakkum enakkum uLLa uRavai aRrindu
anupallavi
kODAnu kODi tavam seidu unnai kANa
gOvindA enDRazhaittu brndAvanattiDai
charaNam
(kaNNan) kuzhal Udum ezhil kANavE
kUDum gOpiyargaL mukham nANavE
kAdal vizhi undan mukham nADavE
muRuval idazhOram shuzhittODavE
(madhyamakAla sAhityam)
( jagan) nAthan isai pADa nangai jati pODa
kAla kAlamellAm shrutiyum layamum ena
vEdap-poRuL unnil onDRi uRaindiDavE
bOdam migu kAdal pon aDi tanil koNDu
Translation
Knowing (aRindu) the relationship (uRavu) between us (unakkum enakkum uLLa), O Krishna, I came running (ODODi vandEn)!
Having done (seidu) millions (kODAna kODi) of religious austerities (tavam), (I came) to see you (unnai kANa) in Brindavanam calling (enDRaizhaitu) Govinda!
Seeing the flute (kuzhal) played (Udum) with such beauty (ezhil) , as the faces (mukham) of the surrounding (kUDum) cowherdesses (gOpiyargaL) turn shy (nANavE). As eyes (vizhi) full of love (kAdal) seek (nADavE) your face (undan mukham), a smile (muRuval) curves (shuzhi) at the edge (Oram) of your lips (idazh). Thus for eons and eons (kAla kAlamellam), as tone (shruti) and tempo (layam), the Lord of the world (jagan nAthan) plays music (isai pADa) and the girls (nangai) keeps time (jati pODa). The meaning (poRul) of the Vedas dwell (uRaindiDavE) in union (onDRi) with you (unnil). With wise (bOdam) love (kAdal) for your golden (pon) feet (aDi), (I came running…)
Music To My Ears 
I am not so sure. Yes, in Hindusim there are all sorts of romantic and even risque references as you say. But I am less sure about that theme in Carnatic music.
In this song, I would tend to fall on the side of devotion than romance. The annupallavi (kODAnu kODi tavam seidu unnai kANa – especially tavam) would tilt it that way, although the charanam (kAdal vizhi undan mukham nADavE) would tend to suggest otherwise. On balance, my personal view is that romance and devotion sit uneasily together and in Carnatic music, which is devotional, romance rarely enters. But an interesting concept and trust you to stimulate thought and debate 🙂
I was expecting to see a flute rendition featured – searched for it, but couldn’t find it either.
You are right in saying that Carnatic Music is predominantly devotional Ramesh. In Eastern and Northern India, the Radha-Krishna love as a theme for poetry and song tends to be very romantic and even erotic, the much more traditional South has kept away from it. The only thing which came close was one Oothukadu Kriti in Sanskrit on the Radha-Krishna theme which I started translating. It turned out to be rather risqué and erotic and I felt too embarrassed to feature it 🙂 Yet there are Padams where romance is kept very much alive. Do you remember my post on Netru Varen Endru? That was pure romance! In Ododi Vanden Kanna, I focused more on the Krishna-Gopi imagery used by the poet, giving it a very romantic air. But then I am a woman and tend to see romance even when there is none 🙂
Cheers. Suja
PS. A flute rendition would have been appropriate but found none in my collection or in the net..
“Everyone knows the stories of Meera and . . . ”
Suja, I eagerly look forward to your featuring a ‘post’ on Meera Bhajans. The two artistes that come to my mind are Jyothika Roy and ‘Amma’ MSS. If Jyothika Roy’s renditions reflect spotless ‘love’, Amma’s renditions reflect un-adultrated Bhakti! How about your selecting from each of them?
Best Wishes.
Raj
Hello Raj,
Meera bhajans are loved by very many, including myself! I have featured them in a number of posts. If you click on Meera under the ‘composer name tags’ on the right column, you can see all the posts at one go. I will continue to write on her works. I will definitely consider your recommendations, thank you!
Cheers, Suja