Looking at the Cultural Background 87
Jayadratha as the river’s water,
The King of Gandhara the blue water-lily,
Salya the shark, Krpa the current,
Karna the mighty waves,
ASsvatthama and Vikarna the dread alligators,
And Duryodhana the very whirlpool—
But Thou, O Krsna, wast the ferryman!
—7—
May the spotless lotus of the Mahabharata
That grows on the waters
Of the words of Vyasa
And of which the Bhagavaa-gita
Is the irresistibly sweet fragrance
And its tales of heroes
The full-blown petals
Fully opened by the talk of Lord Hari,
Who destroys the sins
Of Kali-yuga,
And on which daily light
The nectar-seeking souls,
AS sO many bees ;
Swarming joyously —
May this lotus of the Mahabharata
Bestow on us the highest good.
—s—
Salutations to Lord Krsna
The embodiment of supreme bliss,
By whose grace and compassion
The dumb become eloquent
And the lame scale mountains—
Him I salute!
PURPORT
Foolish followers of foolish speculators cannot understand the mean-
ing of offering salutations to Lord Krsna, the embodiment of bliss.
