Initiation as a Bharatanatyam artiste

On Jan 2, 2012, at 11:41 AM, kv narayanmurti wrote:

Dear Vasu & Kamala,

Amma and I are very proud and happy that our grand-daughter will have her initiation as a Bharatanatyam artiste, soon. Congarats to both of you, particularly to Kamala who has mentored her very well. We are confident that Meera will shine in every field she chooses to take.

I am sure that she will do extensive rehearsals between now and the rehearsal date, the last few days withe full musical orchestra guiding her steps and movements. I suggest she inclludes in her programme a Krishna Karnamruta -

YANTHAANSTHITHA DUGDHA BAANDHAM AHARATH

AACHADHYA

GANDAARAVAM

VAKROPAANTHA KRITHAANJALIH KRITASIRAH

KAMPAN PIBHAN YAH PAYAHA

PAAYAD AAGATHA GOPIKAA NAYANAYOH

GANDOORA PHOOSHKAARA KRITH.

meaning

Krishna with his friends goes about waiting to steal milk, butter etc.

He finds a Gopika;s home closed. The Gopika was gossiping in the neighbouring house. She thought she was clever and could catch him while he was still stealing. So, as a warning system, she had tied a rope to the URI in which the milk pots were stored. The other end of the rope was tied to a small bronze bell (used in our poojas). If the Uri got moving the rope will swing and because of the vibrations caused it would swing side-ways and the bell would start ringing continuosly. On hearing this the Gopika could rush home, and be able to catch Kishna, the thief.

Krishna sneeks in, quietly opening the door and looks around. He sees two hurdles. One, the height of the Uri, which was beyond his reach. The other was the bell, which could be a whistle-blower. To overcome the height problem, he keeps the peedom on which the Gopika sits and churns the curds. Then he keeps another smalle peedham over it. On this, he asks one of his friends to crawl with his back up. He thinks he can reach the Uri and climbs over the contraption, he contrived to organise. He finds he is still short by a few inches. So, he takes his flute and with its blowing end (which is pointed) and forcibly hits the bottom of the Uri. Butter milk and butter start flowing and bell starts ringing. He thinks he can solve this by taking some butter and throwing it up on the caved bottom of the bell, so it will stop ringing. It stopped further ringing, meanwhile the Gopika gets the alert, and rushes back home hoping to catch red-handed.

Krishna was not dettered. He held his hand in cup-form and started drinking the butter milk and eating the butter, also sharing it with his friends standing below him and watching. In the force he applied for hitting the bottom of the earthen pot, the Uri was swinging side-ways for a while and he kept his rythm to synchronise with this lateral movement.

All the while, the Gopika was standing at the entrance in an obstructing posture, she thought Krishna cannot escape on this occasion.

Krishna realised his discomfiture, but was clever to react. When he had drunk and eaten enough, he took a mouthful and came down with his friends close to where the Gopika was and spat it all over her face and eyes. This shocked and troubled her, especially in the eyes, and while she was scratching her face and eyes, the Krishna company ran away to safety.

May that protector of the cows - all created beings - protect us well.

This item involves only abhinaya. That is why, I suggest you follow it with any song built around the mischievous baby-Krishna. You may also consider THaaye Yasoda unthan, if you like. The only thing is that both may be in the same raaga.

There are several such slokas, for your information

Love to all of you,

Appa and Amma

GANDOORA PHOOSHKARAKRITH