Gopala Sundari

There is a tradition to worship Krishna as Gopala Sundari. The mantra for

worship in that manner has 33 beejaaksharams and is made up of Sri
Rajagopaala Mantra's 18 letters and the 15 letters of Sri Pancha Dasakshari of
Sri Vidya. Infact, the Lord of Raja Mannargudi (Dakshina Dwaarakai),
Sri Rajagopalan is meditated upon as Sri Vidya Raajagopalan and is said to have
Sri Chakram under the lotus feet of his archaa murtham at this temple. His
alankaaram as Mohini (Madana Gopala Sundari ) during His Brahmothsavam is
well known. Sri Leela Sukhar worshipped this Madana Gopala Sundari form
(Dhyana Slokam 3-104 of Krishna Karnaamrutham).

Gopala Sundari Yantram

(Dhyana Slokam 3-104 of Krishna Karnaamrutham)

Kodanda maikshava makhanda mishum cha poushpam ,
Chakrabhja pasa sruni kanchana vamsa naalam,
Bhibrana mashta vidha bahubir arka varnam,
Dyayedwarim madana gopa vilasa vesham. 3-104

Afterwards we have to meditate on the form of Krishna, Who holds the

unbreakable Kodanda bow, The arrow made of flowers, the holy wheel, the
conch, the rope, The goad and the flute made of gold in his eight hands, Who is
of the red colour of the rising sun god, And has put on the form of God of love
who is a cowherd. This is considered as the manthra of eight handed madana
Gopala Sundari.

Other references of Gopala Sundari in Krishna Karnaamrutham:

Lavanya veecheerachithanga bhoosham,
Bhooshaa padaropitha puya barhaam,
Karunya darala kadaksha maalaam,
Baalaam bhaje vallava vamsa lakshmin. 3-18
I salute that girl child who is the Lakshmi of the Vamsa clan, Whose prettiness is
only due to shining body parts, Who is decorated only by the peacock feather,
And whose look is filled with mercy. (This is a rare prayer addressed to Gopala
Sundari , the feminine aspect of Krishna)

Maalabarha manogna kunthala bharam vanya prasoonokshithaam,

Shailyadrava kliptha chithra thilakaam sasvan manohaarineem,
Leela venu ravamyathaika rasikaam lavanya Lakshmi mayeem,
Baalaam bala thamala neela vapusham vande param devathaam. 3-66
I salute that divine Goddess, who is in her youth and is blue in colour, Whose
bewitching hair is decorated by peacock feathers and flower garland, Who is
decorated by forest flowers, who is always pleasant to the mind, Who puts red
decorative thilaka from the paste made of mountain stone Who gets enraptured
in the nectar of the music from the flute, And who is Lakshmi, the personification
of great beauty. Note. This is another prayer addressed to Bala Gopala Sundari.

Kodandam masrunam sugandhi vishikham chakrabja pasangusam,

Haimim venulathaam karaischa dadhatham sindhoora unjarunam,
Kandharpadhika Sundaram smitha mukham gopangana veshtitham,
Gopalam sathatham bhajami varadam trilokya raksha manim. 3-98
I meditate always on the Gopala*,
Who holds the bow, scented flower arrows, Wheel, conch , goad , and a golden
flute, Who is reddish like saffron, Who is prettier than God of love, Who has an
ever smiling face, Who is surrounded by Gopi lasses, Who is a protection for the
three worlds, And one who gives boons to those who ask. *This prayer is
addressed to Bala Gopala Sundari.

About Sri Leela Sukhar:

The author of Sri Krishna Karnamrutam, is originally called as Bilvamangal. He
got the special title of Leela Sukar, since he was immersed in Krishna as Suka
was in Brahman. He was born in Kerala in a village called Parur and his period
is 1220 - 1300 AD.

He was quite learned in Vyakarana, alankara and other Sanskrit kavya aspects.
He was born as a Saiva and he had during his final years embraced Sannyasa in
Tekkola Math near Thrissoor. This Math was founded by Padmapada, Sri
Sankara's disciple.

Bilvamangala has said: I am a Saiva by birth and I am meditating Siva

Panchakshari. But my mind always dwells on the green coloured Krishna, ever
with a smiling face. He prayed to Krishna as a form of Gopala Sundari in Gopala
Sundari Mantra. 15 lettered Sri Vidya Mantra and 18 lettered Rajagopala Mantra
are said to merge in Gopala Sundari Mantra. Gopala Sundari is Sri Lalita
Parameswari, with sugar cane bow, flower arrows, disc, conchshell, ankusa and
pasa and flute. This form is the combined form of Mother Lalita and Krishna.

Bilvamangala thus adopted the way of Sri Ramakrishna, where Krishna and
Mother Lalita are worshipped as one form.

Bilvamangala has described this meditation of Gopala Sundari in one of his

verses in the book.

Down in kerala it is practised by few! vidAtrAnandabhairava r^ishiH, daivI gAyatrI

cchandaH, gOpAlasundarI devatA, and a manthra which is a combination of a
krishna manthra and saubhagya panchadashi.! The methods followed are pretty
much similar to that of shodashi.

Excerpts from Sri Vaishnava Forum:

(rAAJA) Mannargudi , the KshEthram is ALSO KNOWN AS DakshiNa DhwArakai

.

It is an ancient temple going back to 1,000 years . It is not a dhivya desam sung
by AzhwArs but is what is known as an abhimAna sthalam . This sthalam has
nurtured Carnatic Music for a long time. Mutthuswamy Dikshithar has
composed a Krithi on this Sri Vidya Raajagopalan .

It is believed that a "SrI Vidhyaa Chakram" has been placed at the time of
consecration under the Moolavar Peetam. This SrI (Vidhyaa) Chakram is not the
one that is worshipped by SrI VidhyA UpAsakAs , who perform NavAvaraNa
Meru Poojaa. At MannArgudi , the sakthi of the Lord is linked to the MahA
Lakshmi Yantram known also as Sri VidhyA Yantram, named after the wife of
Lord Hayagriva , the Sakala VidhyA Moorthy .

P/S : There is another Yanthram known as Madana Gopala Sundari

Mantram with 18 BheejAksharam , which is different from the 15
BhhejAkshari Mantram worshipped by Lalitha Tripura Sundari UpAsakAs.

Excerpts from Kamakoti Mandali:

This is the dhyAna of Bhagavan Sri Krishna in the form of gopAla sundarI or
shrIvidyA rAjagopala, where Sri Lalita and Sri Rajagopala are worshipped as one
with a mantra that is a combination of Srividya and Rajagopala
ashTAdashAkSharI.

There are two approaches to the worship of this mantra, one taught by
hiraNyagarbha to dakShiNAchArins and the other taught by Bhagavan
Anandabhairava to the vAmAcharins. The Rishi, Chandas, dhyAna, AvaraNa etc
vary in these two systems.
In the case of dakShiNAchAra again, there are two forms of this vidyA, one called
gopAlasundarI or madanagopAlasundarI and the other called shrIvidyA
rAjagopAla or madana gopAla kRShNa. Both these are combinations of shrIvidyA
and rAjagopala mantras. Though these two terms are used inter-changeably, they
are different. This is pointed out clearly in gopAlasundarI kalpa of Rudrayamala.

In the case of gopAla sundarI, the primary mantra is shrIvidyA, and rAjagopAla
mantra is complimentary to the former. The visualization of Lord in this form is
half-male and half-female [somewhat like ardhanArishwara]:

”I meditate on that splendid Brahman in the form of Sri Krishna, who is half red
[aruNa varNa or the color of the rising sun - this is the left half signifying Sri
Lalitambika] and half blue [of the color of a dark cloud - this is the right half
signifying Sri Gopala], decorated on the forehead by a peacock feather, who is
both male and female in form [ardhanArIshwara swarUpa], and who sports in his
hands: flute, pAsha, ankusha, sugarcane bow and arrow of flowers”. Thus, an
identity between Sridevi and Srihari is indicated.

In the case of shrIvidyA rAjagopala or madana gopAla, the Lord sports the
Ayudhas of Sridevi, has a red complexion like her but is male in form. Here is the
perfect materialization of the phrase “pumrUpA krShNavigrahA” – “When in
male form, I am Sri Krishna”. Also, rAjagopAla mantra is primary in this case.

kodaNDamaikShavamakhaNDamishum cha pauShpam

chakrAbjapAshasRNikAnchanavamshanALam |
vibhrANamaShTavidhabAhubhirarkavarNam
dhyAyeddharim madanagopavilAsaveSham || [Sri Krishna Karnamritam]

”I meditate on Sri Madana Gopala, who is of the complexion of the rising sun,
and who sports in his eight hands: sugarcane bow, arrow of flowers, sudarshana
chakra, gadA, lotus flower, pAsha, ankusha and golden flute”.

The same is described below:

prasUnabANAmkitamikShuchApam
chakrAbjapAshAnkushapanchanaLam |
dharam karairaShTabhirarkavarNam
shrIkrShNarUpam praNamAmi rAmam || [Sri Rama Karnamritam]

Sri Bhagavannama Bodhendra, author of Sri Rama Karnamrutam, thinks so: ‘Sri
Krishna, in his form as Srividya Rajagopala, is sporting bow [of sugarcane] and
arrow [of flowers]. Now, are not these trademarks of Sri Ramachandra? So, this
form of Lord indeed is non-different from my beloved Sri Ramabhadra! Hence, I
offer my namaskramas to Sri Raghunayaka, who appears in the form of Madana
Gopala’.

Technically however, it should be noted that there is a separate form of the Lord
known as shrIvidyA rAma:
”I visualize on a throne of the form of Srichakra, with Garuda forming the Bindu,
seated is Sri Rama, sporting jnAna mudrA in his right hand. He embraces with
his left hand, Bhagavati Sita seated on his left lap, who in turn is sporting a lotus
in her lotus hands. By meditating on this form of Rama and by reciting his
mantra, one can realize the unity between the self and the Brahman”.

From the shrIvidyA perspective, these three mantras, along with mahA
vaikuNTheshwara [mahAgopAla pradhAna] and shrIchakradhara [shrIvidyA
pradhAna], form the vaiShNava angas of parA ShoDashI.

The mantra for Vidya Rajagopala Yantra is:

Om Kleem Vidya Rajagopala Moorthaye Namah

Uses
This is Lord Krishna Mantra, recitation of this Mantra good for maintaining good
relationship with wife or partner.

Gopaala Sundari
----------------------------------------------------------------------

'kaDachilalliteshani pumruupaa krishNa vigraH ' - some times Lalitha is seen

in the form of Krishna.

There are innumerable forms of Devi described in Veda, Agama and PuraaNas.
No other deity in the Hindu pantheon has such countless forms. She being the
universal mother with bound less mercy, manifests in a number of forms to
enable one to meditated in any of these that one likes to visualize. Though
the ultimate reality is beyond all forms and conception, its out of immense
compassion that the he manifests with a swaroopa embracing kalyaNa guNas.
There is a special roopa of devi described in tantric texts as a fusion of
goopla and lalita named 'Gopaala Sundari'.

The supreme manifestation of devi as the universal mother is Lalita. When

you say a sahasranAma or a trishati on Devi with out a prefix, it refers
only to Lalita's. She is 'shrI mahA rAGYI', the supreme empress. She is
tripurasundarii who rules over the entire universe with Brahma,VishhNu and
Shiva are mere functionaries in her empire. Rig-Veda celebrates her as the
supreme power in all beings.

'ahaM rudrebhir basubhishcharAmyaham Aditairuta vishvadevaiH ahaM

mitrAvaruNobhA vibharmyahamindrAgnI ahamashvinobhA ..'

Like wise the most celebrated masculine form of the saguNa brahma is Sri man
naaraayaNa. He is parama purusha the first and fore most among devatas.
naaraayaNaparo yogo naaraayaNapara.m tapaH |
naaraayaNapara.m j^naana.m naaraayaNaparaagatiH ||

Out of several incarnations of Sri mannaaraayaNa, Sri Krishna is considered

as the poorNaavatara as he brims with all kalyaNa guNas. We find a beautiful
shloka by leela shuka, which reads as,

satyaM satyaM durlabhaM daivateshhu

tatkaishoraM tachcha vaktraaravindaM |
tatkaaruNyaM te cha liilaakaTaakshaaH
tatsaundaryaM saa cha mandasmitashriiH ||

(I swear, I swear, there is none equating Krishna with such an enchanting

beauty, lotus face, kaaruNya, liilaa kaTaakshaa, saundarya and that smile
(saa cha mandasmitashriiH), indeed there is none.)

These two supreme principles manifest in a single swaroopa named 'Goopaala

Sundari', needless to say this is the most enchanting of all swaroopAs.
She is shyamala and he is shyamalaanga. She is rAjarAjeshwari and he is
rAjagopAla. There exist several puraanic evidences to state that they are
one and the same. The following shloka from krishNa karNamrutam beautifully
describes the form that result when Devi and Krishna unite.

kodanDamaikshavamakhaNDamishhuM ca paushhpaM
cakraabjapaashasR^iNikaaJNcanavaMshanaalam |
vibhraaNamashhTavidhabaahubhirarkavarNaM
dhyaayeddhariM madanagopavilaasaveshham ||

dhyaayeth hariM madana gopa vilaasa veshham - I meditate upon hari in the
form of madana gOpAla,
arkavarNaM - who with the color of a rising sun,
vibhraaNam - holds
akhaND aiksha kodanDa - a strong sugar cane bow,
ishhuM ca paushhpaM - an arrow of flowers,
cakra abja paasha sR^iNi kaaJNcana-vaMshanaalam - cakra, shanka, lotus,
wipe, AN^kushA and a golden flute,
AshhTa baahubhiH - in his eight arms.

The Mantra dedicated to Sri gopaala sundari has 33 beejaaksharams, which is

a fushion of Pancha Dassakshari (15) and Sri Rajagopaala (18) ashhta
Dassakshari.

It's a traditional practise to equate Gopaala sundari to shyamala or

meenakshi. Meenakshi being visualized as Sri mannaaraayaNa is nothing new.
There is a special ramaayaNa which says meenakshi assumed the form of rama
&
sundareshwara as seetha. So nandi deva incarnates as Anchaneya (shrii
chandrasekharendra sarasvatii mahAsvamigaL has elaborated on this
topic).Mutthuswami diikshitar in one his songs on somasundareshwara
(madurai) says 'nandi ropa Anchaneyadi nutam' - The one served by nandi in
the form of Anchaneya (implies, he took the form of jaanaki).

One the other hand, sri chakra of devi is seen at the lotus feet of gopaala
in dakshina dwaaraka (mannargudi). He is named as sri vidya raaja gopaala
and decorated as madana Gopaala Sundari during Brahmothsavam. There is a
special krithi of diikshitar dedicated to the sri vidya swaroopam of raja
gopala.

These fusion principles serve as standard testimony towards mutual tolerance

and bakti. Let shyamala and shyamaanga bestow their grace on us and empower
us to always meditate upon their lotus feet.