Gopalasundari

Courtesy: Smt.Saroja Ramanujam

Gopalasundari

kodhandam masrNam suganDhi viSikham
chakraabja paaSankuSam
haimeem veNulathaam karaischa
dhaDhatham sindoorapunjaaruNam
kandharpaaDhikasundharam smitha mukham
gopaanganaa veshtitham
gopaalam sathatham bhajaami varadham
thrailokyarakshaamaNim

I worship Gopala, the giver of boons,varadham, the protector of three worlds, thrailokyarakshaamaNim, wielding, dhaDhathm, lovely bow, kodhandam masrNam, and fragrant arrows of flowers, suganDhi viSikham, the charka, Sankha, paaSa and ankusa chakraabja paaSankuSam,and graceful golden flute, haimeem veNulathaam, in his hands, karaiScha, who is red like the sindhoor, sindoorapunjaaruNam, more beautiful than the god of love, kandharpaaDhikasundharam, with smiling face, smitha mukham,
and surrounded by the gopis, gopaanganaa veshtitham.

This is the description of Gopalasundhari which is repeated in a subsequent sloka where a more elaborate commentary is given. The word abja denotes shanka and not lotus as it is usually, because the word means 'that which is born from water' which is true for conch as well.The meaning or the word as lotus is by usage, rooDi, rather than etymology.

. kodhandam aikshavam akhandam ishum cha poushpam
chakraabja paasa srNi kaanchana vamsanaaLam
bibraaNam ashtaviDha baahubhiH arkavarNam
Dhyaayeth harim madhanagopa vilaasa vesham

Lord Hari should be meditated upon as Madhanagopala, Dhyaayeth harim madhanagopa vilaasa vesham, wearing in his eight arms, ashtaviDha baahubhiH, the bow of sugarcane, kodhandam aikshavam strong and unbroken,akhandam, the arrow of flowers, ishum cha poushpam, the chakra, shankha, paasa, ankusa and golden flute, chakraabja paasa srNi kaanchana vamsanaaLam, and his hue red like the rising sun,. arkavarNam.

This is the portrait of Krishna as Gopalasundharee which has already been described in the sloka 98. The gopalasundharee manthra gives this description in the dhyana sloka, where Gopala is meditated as Gopalasundharee, who is found in the kalpaka forest in the milky ocean, in a gem studded hall, on sripeeTa, and holds shankha, chakra, bow of sugarcane, ankuSa, paaSa, veena,and flute and shining with a red hue that illumines tha whole world and surrounded and praised by Brahma and others.

Gopalasundharee yanthra is the combined manthra of the ashtaadhaSaaksharee manthra of rajagopaala and the panchadhaSaaksharee of LalithaaparameSvaree and in it both Lalitha and Krishna are meditated as one form.'kadhaachith lalitheSaanee pumroopaa Krishna vigrahaa,' sometimes Sri Lalitha apeears as Krishna.