Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Mukunda-mala-stotra, Introduction

Of the many hundreds of poetic Sanskrit stotras-songs of glorification offered to the Supreme Lord, His devotees, and the holy places of His pastimes-King Kulasekhara's Mukunda-mala-stotra is one of the most perennially famous. Some say that its author conceived it as a garland (mala) of verses offered for Lord Krsna's pleasure. It has long been dear to Vaisnavas of all schools, and our own spiritual master, Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, frequently enjoyed citing certain favorite stanzas from it.

King Kulasekhara was part of the Sri-sampradaya, the Vaisnava school founded by Lord Visnu's divine consort, Sri. This school's most prominent representative, Ramanuja Acarya (eleventh century), built on the work of his predecessors Natha Muni and Yamuna Acarya and established the systematic philosophy of Sri Vaisnavism. But these acaryas came in an already old tradition, that of the ecstatic mystic poets called Alvars. The twelve Alvars appeared at various times in South India, in the area roughly corresponding to present-day Tamil Nadu. According to the tradition of the Sri Vaisnavas, the earliest Alvars lived more than five thousand years ago, at the start of the present age, Kali-yuga, while the most recent lived in the first millennium A.D.

The Alvars' Tamil poetry was collected in the Tiruvaymoli, revered by Sri Vaisnavas as their own vernacular Veda. On the strength of the Tiruvaymoli's devotional authority, the Sri Vaisnavas claim to follow Ubhaya-vedanta, the dual Vedanta philosophy founded on both Sanskrit and Tamil scripture. Some Alvars were atypical renunciants: the third, Andal, was a woman, and three were involved in governing. Among these was the tenth Alvar, Kulasekhara Perumal, who was a ruling king in the Cera dynasty of Malainadu, in what is now Kerala. Modern scholars say he may have lived during the ninth century A.D.

A traditional history of King Kulasekhara states that once, as he slept in his palace quarters, he had a brilliant and distinct vision of Lord Krsna. Upon awaking he fell into a devotional trance and failed to notice dawn breaking. The royal musicians and ministers came as usual to his door to wake him, but after waiting some time without hearing him respond, they reluctantly took the liberty of entering his room. The king came out of his trance and described his vision to them, and from that day on he no longer took much interest in ruling. He delegated most of his responsibilities to his ministers and dedicated himself to rendering devotional service to the Lord. After some years he abdicated the throne and went to Sri Rangam, where he remained in the association of the Krsna Deity of Ranganatha and His many exalted devotees. At Sri Rangam Kulasekhara is said to have composed his two great works: the Mukunda-mala-stotra, in Sanskrit; and 105 Tamil hymns, which were later incorporated into the Tiruvaymoli under the title Perumal-tirumoli.

As the other Alvars do in their mystic expressions, in his Perumal-tirumoli King Kulasekhara emulates the roles of some of Lord Ramacandra's and Lord Krsna's intimate devotees: King Dasaratha; two of the Lord's mothers, Kausalya and Devaki; and some of the young cowherd women of Vrndavana. But Maharaja Kulasekhara expresses no pride in realizing such confidential devotional moods. On the contrary, with deep humility he repeatedly begs simply to be allowed to take his next births as a bird, fish, or flower in the place where Lord Krsna enacts His pastimes, and in this way to enjoy the association of His devotees.

The Mukunda-mala-stotra, although composed in elegant Sanskrit, is a simple expression of King Kulasekhara's devotion to Krsna and his eagerness to share his good fortune with everyone else. Being thus a very public work, it does not delve into intimate personal revelations or abstruse philosophical conundrums. Like most other works of the stotra genre, it aims less at presenting a plot than at vividly and honestly expressing the true feelings of a lover of God. With this much we the readers should be completely satisfied, because it is a rare opportunity for us when a devotee of King Kulasekhara's stature opens his heart so freely-and in a way just appropriate for us, with all our imperfections, to appreciate.

About the Present Edition

Using a Sanskrit edition published by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in 1895, Srila Prabhupada began translating the Mukunda-mala-stotra in the late 1950's. But after completing six verses with commentary, he suspended it to work on the Srimad-Bhagavatam. He never resumed it. Yet he clearly intended that the Mukunda-mala be published, since he included it in the list of his other English books at the beginning of each of the three volumes of the Bhagavatam's First Canto.

In 1989, the Governing Body Commission of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness requested Satsvarupa dasa Goswami to complete the Mukunda-mala-stotra. One of Srila Prabhupada's earliest disciples, Satsvarupa Goswami had distinguished himself over the years as one of his most learned and literary followers. He had served as editor of Back to Godhead magazine-the Society's monthly journal-for most of the twenty-three years it had been published in the West, and had written many books already, most notably a six-volume biography of Srila Prabhupada.

Satsvarupa Goswami accepted the assignment and enlisted the help of Gopiparanadhana dasa, the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust's Sanskrit editor, to translate the remaining forty-seven verses. Then he carefully prepared the purports, often quoting from Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and other works. The result is a book that we trust will be informative and enlivening to devotees, scholars, and laymen alike.

The Publishers

Editor's note: Citations from Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead are from "The Great Classics of India" edition (1985). Citations from The Nectar of Devotion are from the 1982 edition.

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Copyright (c) The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami
Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari