Prana Sanginire Kali Mu ki Laje Budili (Posted on Vaikunta Ekadasi - 23 December 2023)

I first saw this song, being performed in Odissi by Arushi Mudgal in 2013. I was smitten by the beauty and simplicity of the lyrics & of Maha Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra's choregraphy

Background of Song:

Radha, recounts to her friend, of how Krishna had visited her, in the disguise of a lady to apply alta to her feet. Radha is mesmerized by her beauty and questions that she has not seen a beutiful girl like her in the village. Krishna, wittingly, inscribes his name on the sole of her feet. Radha, rebukes her for doing so. All of a sudden, it is revealed that it is Krishna in disguise. Radha overtaken by shame, pleads to let go of her feet. 

Resemblance to Geeta Govinda

In the Ashtapadi - Priya Charusheelae, Krishna - asks Radha to place her feet on his head, an an antidote to the poison of love that has overtaken him.

smara garaLa khanDanam mama Sirasi manDanam
dehi pada pallava mudaram
jvalati mayi daruno madana kadanAnalo
haratu tadupahita vikaram  priye

Lyrics with transliteration and Translation: Contributed by Shri Prateek Pattnaik

'Kāli Mu ki Lāje Budili' by 18th-century poet Banamāli Dāsa

Original Odia text :

ପ୍ରାଣସଙ୍ଗିନୀରେ କାଲି ମୁଁ କି ଲାଜେ ବୁଡ଼ିଲି

ତୋତେ ନ ବିଚାରି ପଦେ ପଦେ ହୁଡ଼ିଲି

ମୁଁ ଯା ଅବିଚାରେ ପଡ଼ିଲି । ଘୋଷା ।

ଶ୍ୟାମ ହୋଇ ନାରୀ ବେଶ

ମୋ ପୁରେ ହେଲେ ପ୍ରବେଶ

ବୋଇଲେ ଗୋ ଆସ ଆସ

ଦେଇଯିବି ଲାକ୍ଷାରସ । ୧ ।

ଶୁଣି ତା ମୃଦୁ ବଚନ

ନ ରହିଲା ମୋ ଚେତନ

ପିନ୍ଧିଲି ଅତି ନିଉନ

ଝୀନବାସ ପୁରାତନ । ୨ ।

ଯାଇ ମୁଁ ଭାଷିଲି ରହ

ନ ଢଙ୍କାଇ ତାଙ୍କୁ ଦେହ

କାହିଁକି ଶଙ୍କା ନିବହ

ହୁଅନ୍ତା ସଜନୀ କହ । ୩  ।

ସେ ତ ନାନା କଳାକ୍ଷମ

ଲାକ୍ଷା ଦେଇ ଅନୁପମ

ପଦତଳେ ତାଙ୍କ ନାମ

ଲେଖିଲେ ଗୋ ଶ୍ୟାମ ଶ୍ୟାମ । ୪ ।

ତରକି ତାହାଙ୍କୁ ମିତ

ଚଞ୍ଚଳ କରନ୍ତେ ଚିତ୍ତ

ଧରି ପାଦ ନନ୍ଦସୁତ 

ନ ଛାଡ଼ିଲେ କଦାଚିତ । ୫ ।

ହେବାରୁ କୂଟ ପ୍ରକଟ

କାହିଁ ଗଲେ ପୀତପଟ

'ବନମାଳୀ' ସେ ଲମ୍ପଟ

ପାଦପଦ୍ମେ ମଧୁଲିଟ । ୬ ।

Transliterated version :

(This has been romanised as per the pronunciation of Odia)

prāṇa-saṅginire kāli mũ ki lāje buḍili

tote na bichāri pade pade huḍili

mũ jā abichāre paḍili /ghosā/

syāma hoi nāri-besa

mo pure hele prabesa

boile go āsa āsa

deijibi lākhyā-rasa /1/

suṇi tā mrudu-bachana

na rahilā mo chetana

pindhili ati niuna

jhinabāsa purātana /2/

jāi mũ bhāsili raha

na ḍhaṅkāi tāṅku deha

kāhĩki saṅkā nibaha

huantā sajani kaha /3/

se ta nānā-kaḷā-khyama

lākhyā dei anupama

pada-taḷe tānka nāma

lekhile go syāma-syāma /4/

taraki tāhāṅku mita

chañchaḷa karante chitta

dhari pāda nanda-suta 

na chhāḍile kadāchita /5/

hebāru kuṭa prakaṭa

kāhĩ gale pitapaṭa

'banamāḷi' se lampaṭa

pāda-padme madhuliṭa /6/

Translation:

Translation : (Radha speaking to her friend)

Friend, how I died of shame the other day!

without you, I erred in each step

unable to comprehend. /refrain/

Shyāma, in the guise of a lady

entered my palace

He said "Come, come,

I'll paint you with alatā*". /1/

Listening to his sweet voice

I could not resist the invitation

And so I wore a small piece

of cloth (so her feet can be painted) / 2/

I went and said "Stop (beautician!)"

And went to him.

What was there to create doubt,

tell me? /3/

He is adept in many arts;

And so he painted my feet deftly

and under the sole

he wrote "Shyāma, Shyāma." /4/

(I saw it) Then I rebuked him

and my heart beat fast 

(guilty of having written Krishna's name below her feet)

Then, he held my feet

and refused to let go. /5/

When his deceit was caught

I found no sign of him around.

Banamāli (=poet) wishes to be

a bee at the feet of that trickster. /6/

*alatā is a red pigment that women apply on their feet and hands, in various designs during festivities.

This episode is one of the various guises of Krishna in Odia folklore where he devises multiple ways to placate an annoyed Radha.