International Odissi Festival 2003: Kelucharan Mohapatra performs Kuru yadunandana (Kelucharan Mohapatra)

International Odissi Festival 2003: Kelucharan Mohapatra performs Kuru yadunandana

Director: Kelucharan Mohapatra; Cinematographer: Shaina Anand

Duration: 00:15:49; Aspect Ratio: 1.364:1; Hue: 34.284; Saturation: 0.298; Lightness: 0.335; Volume: 0.283; Cuts per Minute: 3.159; Words per Minute: 16.424

Telling you that Kelucharan Mohapatra was born in Raghurajpur in 1926, that he danced since a tender age, first training with the village gotipuas, then in a rasa lila troupe, and then at Annapoorna Theatres, going on to become a vital figure in the restructuring of Odissi during the Jayantika movement, an iconic teacher and a legendary dancer, isn’t enough. Dry biographical detail cannot contain this larger-than-life character, who is best described by the stories that make up his existence, countless little anecdotes about the ways in which he touched people’s lives, what he did, what he ate and the colourful things he said.

In this performance at Lalit Mansingh’s residence in Washington DC, at the ripe age of 77, Guruji, as he is fondly remembered, brings alive ‘Kuru Yadunandana’, the final ashtapadi of Jayadeva’s Gitagovinda. Lalit Mansingh was then India’s ambassador to the United States of America. He holds the attention of the packed hall, playing Radha, who at the end of a night of love, demands Krishna’s attentions in various ways.

Guruji was in the United States to perform at the International Odissi Festival organised in Washington DC in 2003. This was probably one of Guruji’s last performances before his passing in April 2004. In 2010, his student of over four decades, Kumkum Lal, goes over this memorable record of one of her favourite Odissi compositions, as she shares stories about Guruji and explains the intricate sanchari that makes up ‘Kuru Yadunandana’. Watching this video with her is her student, Ranjana Dave, who never saw Kelucharan Mohapatra in person but feels she can almost see him standing here, thanks to the rich tapestry of idiosyncrasies and stories that all his students share so generously and enthusiastically. The years Ranjana spent learning from Kumkum were full of invaluable dancing, many such stories and much relief from hostel food.

Translations of the ashtapadi Kuru yadunandana have been adapted from 'Sri Gitagovinda' (trans. Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja, Gaudiya Vedanta Publications, Mathura, 2005) with inputs from Kumkum Lal.

Gita Govinda
Guruji
Jayadeva
Kelucharan Mohapatra
Krishna
Kuru yadunandana
Odissi
Radha
Washington, DC
abhinaya
ashtapadi

Guruji enters the stage with his back to the audience, which means he has ostensibly entered by passing through the audience space. He improvises an entry with gentle breeze blowing, lapping waters and the grove where Radha and Krishna indulge in loveplay.

After a night of love, Radha has teeth marks all over her body. Her breasts are still sore from embracing her lover. Her body is weak from the release of excessive joy. Her hair is dishevelled, her curls shaken out. Sweat glistens on her cheeks. Her lower lip, which is usually as radiant as the bimba fruit, looks drawn. The string of pearls that braided her hair are now lying scattered all over.
Kumkum: This is all so terribly erotic!
I think the sanchari is completely Guruji's creation, what he has visualised. It does not particularly pertain to the framework created by Jayadeva.

All this business of water and river seems quite irrelevant, because this is the sequel to a night of love. Radha and Krishna are in a parnashala, a leafy bower, so they're already in the midst of nature. But then, the dancer has to enter the stage, so the description of nature probably makes for a good entry.

Kumkum: First he shows Krishna and then Radha.
Ranjana: What happens to Krishna all this while?
Kumkum (laughs): Krishna's state is only mentioned in terms of his passion, never his physical state. The target of his love is more important!

Radha walks in.

So Radha is coming from outside and she tries to attract his attention by jingling her anklets

This could stand for the flute or the cow - the mudra he holds in his right hand.

Because in this line chandan (sandal) is also mentioned, most people think that the designs on her breasts are to be of sandal paste. But what she actually means is - chandana sisira - with your hands that are as cool as chandan; she is not only asking that he should decorate her breasts, but also that they will be soothed by the cool touch of his hands. So it is only the quality of chandana that is being attributed to his hands. The quality of that tactile sensation will be an extension of these pleasurable activities.

Verse:
Kuru yadunandana chandana-shishiratarena karena payodhare
Translation:
O yadunandana, with your own hands more cooling than sandalwood paste, (make) on my breasts

The same line is expressed in different ways. First she asks him politely.

However, the action here means 'cooler than chandana'. How do you show something cooler than chandana? By showing dewdrops...
And the painting on her breasts is done by musk paste.

Kumkum: Guruji has used a lot of poses here. There is one in which she has her hand under one breast.
The whole thing was composed with a scholar. Whenever Guruji worked with a scholar, he has never gone wrong.

Then with confidence - with the first finger, tarjani. This is not a polite gesture, used for those who are subordinate to you. But she is now the swadhinbhartrka nayika. No, not even dew is as cool, she says,

Then with shyness - Kuru, what is the appropriate way to deal with Radha, brought to this state by your passion, with her hair lying dishevelled? Her lower lip bleeds from the delicious pressure of your kisses.
In Radha's retelling, Krishna makes a gesture of subservience, and begins to grind the paste of musk he will put on her, clearly not used to the act of grinding. He takes the paste and applies it to her breasts. This is how you should be behaving now, says Radha to Krishna.
Then there is a pose, with Radha languorously taking her hands upwards and exposing her bosom.
Kumkum: In the first line, you're just saying 'do with your hands like this, on my breasts...'
And then in the second line (mriga mada patraka...) you say, 'do what? paint designs.' Actually, the two lines should be taken together.

Radha says - Mriga mada - the substance found in the navel of the deer, is sweet smelling. With that, paint creeper like designs upon my breasts. Draw the leaves, the creepers, and then the five flowers that make up the panchabana, on the breasts which are like the auspicious pitchers of cupid.
Kumkum: The word 'manobhava' means love. It is connected to the rest of the line, but again the singing cuts it off. The same thing happens to 'patrakam', which becomes 'patra kamatra' the way the rhythm goes. 'Mangala kalasa' could also mean various things. Pitchers are a symbol of victory, so this line could refer to the victory of Cupid over Siva. Siva reduced Cupid to ashes for disturbing his penance. But Rati, Cupid's wife pleaded with Siva and it was then allowed that Cupid would continue to exist as ananga, one without a body. He can live without a body because he is churned in the heart, in the 'mana', and his power is manifest in the energy of the heart and what happens to the body subsequently because of the heart.
Manobhava is one who is born of the 'mana'. Manmatha also means the same. Even 'manoj' means born of the 'mana'. Exists without the body and born of the mind.
Pitchers are symbols of plenty and hence auspicious, which is why one is always supposed to keep pitchers full. Another definition of the victor could be in the making of the patrakam design on the pitchers of love which are Radha's breasts; thus she establishes that she is the victor over him and he belongs to her. The pitchers are also compared to breasts. Radha's breasts are those of a young woman, firm and hard, and breasts of young women are often compared to the fruit of the bel tree.
Radha is a mysterious character. If one were to look for references in mythology, we do not really emerge with a concrete understanding of who Radha was. The genealogy of Krishna can be traced to the Bhagwat Purana. In the Bhagwat Purana, there is no mention of Radha, except as one of the many gopis. This Radha is Krishna's aunt. All the gopis are married women. All literature till the Gitagovinda did not emphasise on Radha. In fact, Ankiya Nat and other theatrical traditions which draw on the Bhagwat Purana have no mention of Radha. Only with Gitagovinda does she begin to occupy an important place. I think it has something to do with the coming of bhakti rasa. The longing for the lord and the parallels it has with the longing of a lover for their beloved - this came into the picture with Krishna in the Gitagovinda.
Now, in many places, Radha is taken to be older than Krishna. Is she an older relative now? In the first verse of Gitagovinda, Nanda asks Radha to escort Krishna back through the dark forest because Krishna is younger and is scared of going back in the dark. If he's that sort of person, scared of the dark, how is it that he makes love at every corner and turn in the dark forest? (laughs)
Verse:
...mrigamada-patrakam atramanobhava-mangala-kalasa-sahodare
nijagada sa yadunandane
kridati hrdayanandane (refrain)
Translation:
please paint leaf patterns in musk (upon my breasts), which are like the auspicious pitchers of Kamadeva.
Thus Radha spoke, while playing with her beloved, the delight of her heart.

'Sahodare' means 'like', it expresses the simile.
'Nija gada sa' - is where she shows shyness after making demands of Krishna. 'Hridayanandane' is an epithet of Krishna.
The only sign of aging is the curvature in Guruji's body!

Verse:
Ali-kula-ganjana-sanjanakam rati-nayaka-sayaka-mocane
tvad-adhara-cumbana-lambita-kajjalam ujjvalaya priya locane
nijagada sa yadunandane
kridati hrdayanandane
Translation:
My eyes release the arrows of cupid; the kajal on my eyes has been smudged by your kisses. Please make my eyes shine with this kajal, this kajal that eclipses the dark beauty of a swarm of bumblebees.
Thus Radha spoke, while playing with her beloved, the delight of her heart.

Your kisses have smudged my kajal; please make my eyes shine again, he priya.

She pulls him towards her and embraces him.

There are different classifications for hair - the small curls at the hairline, the mass of hair.
My beautiful hair, Radha says, do it up. The hair is likened to the chamar and dhwaja of Kamadeva. The chamar is the flywhisk and the dhwaja is the flag.

Verse:
Mama rucire cikure kuru manada manasija dhvaja camare
rati-galite lalite kusumani sikhandi-sikhandaka-damare
nijagada sa yadunandane
kridati hrdayanandane
Translation:
O you who gives respect to others, do up my hair, which fell loose as we made love; my hair which is like the whisk of Kamadeva's flag. It is more captivating than the plume of a peacock; please decorate my charming hair with flower blossoms.
Here is a man with very little hair, and he is showing Radha's lustrous hair. ...That is the inside of the dancer, the inside of the artist speaking. He is giving you a vision which takes away from his body as a dancer.
- Leela Venkataraman, Dec 25, 2011, Bhubaneswar.

There is a rati-rath associated with Kamadeva, the flag flies on this chariot. This is the movement used to describe the chariot.
The first line actually describes the hair. The flywhisk is the hair on the tail of a Himalayan cow. The bushy tail of the chamar - that is what Radha's hair looks like. Frizzy, wild, the strands don't stick to each other. The rati-rath is a common symbol for Kamadeva; I think it also appears in 'sakhi he'. And the flag on the chariot contains a fish, which is a symbol of fertility.
She says, comb through my hair with your fingers and tie it up. Make a snake-like plait.

Shikhandi means a peacock, shikhandika is the tail and the tuft of the peacock, and daamare - beautiful. My hair which is as beautiful as the plume of a peacock, the chamar and dhwaja of Kama, has come loose during rati - loveplay; as you embraced me and kissed my flower-like mouth. The shloka in Vasanta Pallavi also uses 'shikhandi'; it refers to the tuft of peacock feathers that is used to tie a bun. So it can refer to peacocks in various ways.
She offers her hair to him and she looks at him using the mirror on the ring she wears.

Verse:
Sarasa-ghane jaghane mama sambara-darana-varana-kandare
mani-rasana-vasanabharanani subhasaya vasaya sundare
nijagada sa yadunandane
kridati hrdayanandane
Translation:
My full hips are like the cave of the passionate elephant who is cupid. These beautiful hips full of rasa, decorate them with a waist belt, clothes and ornaments.
Thus Radha spoke, while playing with her beloved, the delight of her heart.

'Sambara darana varana'. Varana means elephant - sambara darana. Sambara was the demon who was destroyed/ darana by Pradyumna who is an embodiment of Kamadeva. A kamadeva in the appearance of an elephant. The destroying - darana, refers to the war of love, where the war of love takes place. The movements are of fighting but the mudra is of love. The word itself refers only to kamadeva. But, in this, he is showing the fight of love. They are referring to the cavern of the demon - which is the hip in this case.
She holds her waistbelt, places it on her waist and asks Krishna to come and help her tie it.

This is also a pose that is in Konark.
This part was added later - Radha touching Krishna's feet is not part of the original composition.

Pad.ma requires JavaScript.