Gopala Vimsati
This is a stotra containing twenty fine and unforgettable pen-pictures of that Darling of Humanity Gopala — not the mature Krishna, but the Child of Gokulam with countless pranks to his credit, and the pre-adolescent boy dallying with damsels. The navaneeta-natyam (dance with butter in hand) portrayed in sloka 4, the navaneeta-chaurya (theft), the mother’s ire and the child’s fear (5), his lovely face turned aside out of fear yet with a ravishing smile lurking on his lovely lips (7), the playing on the flute accompanied by lovely glances shining like lotuses floating on a river of mercy (11) the Venugopala vision of a split green emerald with flute on the lips and peacock-feather on the head (12) — these and several other sweet and alluring portraits are sure to gladden our hearts and souls for ever. Side by side, his transcendence as a Parama Purusha (3) which still eludes the quest of the Vedas (8), his being an unfailing upaya or means near at hand for attaining moksha (9) his being the protector of all the worlds (16) and the life of his devotees (19) — these are also finely sung about. Different vrittams (metres) are employed to suit the respective topic. The 20th sloka lets out the secret of this avatara (incarnation) as enshrined in the Charama Sloka of the Bhagavad Geeta, viz., that the Lord expects man to surrender (saranam vraja) to Him before ever He wipes out his sins and takes him unto Himself. Gopala begs of the Gopis for an anjali (folding of palms together in worship). That anjali is the mudra (mark) indicative of surrender.
वक्ता, श्रोता, वचन-विशयः, प्रीयतां वेङ्कटेशः