Vedanta Desika, whose 750th year will be observed shortly, celebrates Lord Krishna’s dance and music in his works. In his Dasavatara stotra, in the verse referring to the Krishna avatara, he mentions only one leela of Krishna — Kaliya narthana. There are four vrittis in dance — Bharati, Saswathi, Kaisiki and Arabhati. Arabhati, according to Sahitya Darpana, is used to express anger. In his Yadavabhyudaya, Desika describes Krishna’s dance on the hood of snake Kaliya, refers to the dance as Arabhati. The broad hood of the snake, writes Desika, becomes the rangam — the stage for Krishna’s dance. The undulating water of the river Yamuna supplies the mridangam beat. And the audience consists of celestials and Nityasuris. Krishna is well prepared for His dance, for Desika says that before He begins His Kaliya narthana, He practises charis! In Daya Satakam, Desika personifies the Lord’s quality of mercy as Daya Devi. He says that Daya Devi keeps the Lord from doing an Arabhati dance, such as He performs at the time of the deluge (pralay Arabhati natim). Instead, she turns His thoughts in the direction of anugraha.
But Krishna was a dancer who brought variety to His dance. He was not only the angry God punishing Kaliya. He was also the One who would dance for a dollop of butter. In Gopala Vimsati, Desika describes Krishna dancing in the house of Nandagopa. Desika calls this dance navaneetha natyam — the ‘butter dance!’ Desika paints a beautiful pen picture. He says that Yasoda is churning curd, and the sound of the curd being churned is the talam to which Krishna dances —dadhna nimanthamukharena nibaddha talam. Krishna’s ornaments sway as He dances merrily. Desika prays that this image of Krishna doing the navaneetha natya, will be the one that stays with him always. In Yadavabhyudaya, Desika says that Krishna does a similar dance, this time before the Gopis.
Describing Krishna’s Rasa Kreeda, Desika says in Gopala Vimsati that Krishna’s flute seems to be having a conversation with the jangling bangles of the Gopikas, as they keep tala by clapping their hands. Their hastha tala is seethala — pleasing. In fact, it is the clapping of their hands, that determines the tune Krishna plays! Desika’s use of the phrase ‘lalitha vritti’ suggests a gentle dance, which would perhaps come under the category of Kaisiki vritti. In Devanayaka Panchasat, verse 27, Desika says that the flute is blessed to have contact with Krishna’s lips.
Desika’s vivid imagery conjures before our eyes Krishna the music lover and dancer, and reminds us of Krishna’s words in Srimad Bhagavatam that He likes to be worshipped with dance and music.