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KING KULASHEKHARA

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KESHAVA PRASAD • March 2, 1996 


	GHUSYATE YASYA NAGARE, RANGAYATRA DINE DINE
	TAMAHAM SIRASA VANDE RAJAANAAM KULASHEKHARAM.

	The saintly king Kulashekhara lived more than 5,000 years ago. That is,
if it is believed to be the period of Aalvaars and that Kulashekhara the author
of 
" PERUMAL TIRUMOLI " in Tamil was also the author of " MUKUNDAMALA" in Sanskrit.
The controversy may never be resolved. Kulashekhara Alvar who wrote the 105
stanzas of Perumal Tirumoli, was known to be an ardent devotee of Lord Rama
whereas, the hymnal Mukundamala reveals the author's devotion, par excellence,
to Lord Krishna. Be that as may, in the final analysis, Rama and Krishna were
but the incarnations of the Supreme Lord Narayana. As a matter of fact, two of
the ten decades of Saint Kulashekhara's Perumal Tirumoli (sixth and seventh)
deal exclusively with the Alvar's "Krishnanubhava" , an ecstatic contemplation
of Krishna's boyhood pranks. Hence, let us ignore the historic measure of
Kulashekhara's time and enjoy the poetic beauty of this garland of verses
"Mukundamala", the essence of which is very graphically expressed by a
contemporary yogin as follows:

	" Oh people, please hear of this treatment for the disease of birth and
death ! It is the name of Krishna. Recommended by expert yogis steeped in wisdom
-- such as Yaajnavalkya -- this boundless , eternal inner light is the best
medicine, for when drunk, it bestows complete and final liberation. Just drink
it ! "

	I do not intend to reproduce the garland of verses here. However, would
like to offer sort of one liner interpretations of the forty verses mostly in
the order as they occur.

	INVOCATION
1)	THE VERY INCLINATION TO RECITE THE LORD'S HOLY NAMES STEMS FROM HIS GRACE
ALONE.
2)	VICTORY, VICTORY UNTO THEE, MY LORD !
3)	THE ONLY THING PRAYED FOR BY ME ARE THY LOTUS FEET.
4)	I WORSHIP THEE FOR NO PERSONAL ENDS BUT FPR ACHIEVING SELFLESS DEVOTION.
5)	SELFLESS STEADFAST DEVOTION INTO THEE IS MY ONLY NEED.
6)	HOW GRACEFUL OF THEE ! THOU MAKEST ME REMEMBER THEE EVEN IN MY HOUR OF
DEATH.
7)	LET MY MIND BE IMPOUNDED IN THE CAGE (THY LOTUS FEET) IN THE CAGE RIGHT
NOW.
8)	ON LORD HARI DO I MEDITATE ALWAYS.
9)	WHERE AND HOW TO BATHE AND FEEL FULLY REFRESHED.
10)	MY MIND ! BE RAPT IN BLISSFUL RAPPORT WITH MURARI; I KNOW NOT ANYTHING
MORE PLEASURABLE.
11)	DREAD NOT, YOU STUPID MIND, THE TORMENTS AT YAMA'S HANDS.
12)	HOW TO FERRY ACROSS THE OCEAN OF SAMSARA -- THE DIVINE BOAT (VISNU POTA)
THE ONE AND ONLY FERRY, FIRM AND SECURE.
13)	DEVOTION DEEP UNTO THE LOTUS-EYED lORD WILL TAKE ME ASHORE, SURE AND
FAST.
14)	DEIGN TO DELIVER, OH LORD, THE BOAT OF DEVOTION AT YOUR LOTUS FEET.
15)	THE SOLEMN RESOLVE -- WHAT THE POET SHALL SEE NOT, HEAR NOT, THINK NOT
AND OMIT NOT.
16)	IN THE SERVICE OF THE LORD -- THE ORDAINED FUNCTIONS OF THE VARIOUS LIMBS
OF THE SUBJECT.
17)	THE DRUG THAT CUTS OUT THE DREADFUL CYCLE OF BIRTH, DEATH AND REBIRTH.
18)	THE MANTRA, "NAMO NARAYANAYA" , PAR EXCELLENCE
19)	HAILING THE UNLIMITED GLORY OF THE SPREME LORD BESIDE WHOM ALL ELSE PALE
INTO INSIGNIFICANCE
20)	CONTEMPLATION OF YOUR LOTUS FEET ALONE CAN SUSTAIN OUR LIVES.
21)	THOU ART MY SOLE REFUGE, OH LORD !
22)	THOU ART THE CROWN JEWEL OR THE GEM THAT IMPARTS LUSTRE TO THE CELESTIALS
23)	SRIKRISHNA MANTRA -- THE GREAT REDEEMER
24)	KRISHNA, THE GRAND ELIXIR, THE ANTIDOTE FOR ALL AILMENTS.
25)	UTTER FUTILITY OF VEDIC CHANTINGS, RITES AND RITUALS, BEREFT OF LOVING
DEVOTION UNTO THE LORD'S LOTUS FEET.
26)	THE EFFICACY OF RECITING THE HOLY NAMES OF LORD NARAYANA  -- A VOCAL
EXERCISE OF IMMENSE POTENTIALITY
27)	OH, LORD ! LET ME BE THE VERY LAST IN THE CHAIN OF YOUR DEVOTEES -- I
INVOKE NO OTHER BLESSING FROM THEE.
28)	ALAS ! ARE WE TO BE DUBBED DUMB AND BASE ?
29)	HANDS OFF. MR. CUPID !
30)	I BESEECH YOU TO BE ABLE TO UTTER THE NAMES WHICH THE GLORY OF NARAYANA
BESPEAK.
31)	GIVE UP THE EARTHLY DRUGS AND HAVE RECOURSE TO "SRIKRISHNA DIVYA
NAMAMRITA", THE POTION, PAR EXCELLENCE, EXCLUSIVELY.
32)	AS I KNOW THEE, MY LORD, YOUR NAME IS THE ONLY WAY TO MOKSHA.
33)	SALVE ME, OH KRISHNA, THE SUPREME SAVIOUR OF MULTI-DIMENSIONAL GLORY.
34)	OH, ALL MERCIFUL BHAGAVAN ! MAY YOU SHED YOUR GRACE AND SALVE THE
DESTITUTE.
35)	RIVETTED AM I TO NARAYANA BY WORD, DEED AND THOUGHT.
36) & 37)		WHAT A PITY ! THE WORLDLINGS CAN BUT DO NOT UTTER THE
HOLY NAMES OF THE LORD AND COURT, INSTEAD ENDLESS MISERIES.
38)	MOKSHA, THE SURE REWARD FOR STEADFAST DEVOTION TO LORD VISHNU.
39)	SALUTATIONS TO MADHAVA, RELAXING IN THE MILK-OCEAN, AMIDST GLORIOUS
SETTING !
40)	THIS HYMNAL WAS BY KING KULASHEKHARA COMPOSED.

	KRISHNAYA, VASUDEVAYA, DEVAKI NANDANAYA CA
	NANDAGOPA KUMARAYA GOVINDAYA NAMO NAMAHA.

(References:	1. Mukundamala by Sri S. Satyamurthi Iyengar;   2.
Mukunda-Mala-Stotra by Sri Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada).

Adiyen:	Keshava Prasad