VMA 1.27 : …where a swarthy, lusty youth leans on a kadamba and plays the flute

veṇuṁ yatra kvaṇayati mudā nīpa-mūlāvalambī

saṁvīta-śrī-kanaka-vasanaḥ śīta-kālindī-tīre |

paśyan rādhā-vadana-kamalaṁ ko’pi divyaḥ kiśoraḥ

śyāmaḥ kāma-prakṛtir iha me prema vṛndāvane’stu ||

May I always have love for Vrindavan,
where a swarthy youth with a lusty nature
leans on a kadamba tree by the cool Yamuna,
wrapped in a beautiful golden garment and,
joyfully playing his flute,
gazes longingly upon Radha’s lotus face. (1.27)

Commentary

Krishna's flute is one of the symbols most closely associated with his iconography and has a great deal of significance, which helps to account for its power and resilience. For Rupa Goswami, it is one of the four special characteristics of Krishna that separate him from all other forms of the Vishnu-complex of deities.

sarvādbhuta-camatkāra- līlā-kallola-vāridhiḥ |

atulya-madhura-prema-maṇḍita-priya-maṇḍalaḥ ||41||

trijagan-mānasākarṣi-muralī-kala-kūjitaḥ |

asamānordhva-rūpa-śrī-vismāpita-carācaraḥ ||42||

līlā-premṇā priyādhikyaṁ mādhuryaṁ veṇu-rūpayoḥ |

ity asādhāraṇaṁ proktaṁ govindasya catuṣṭayam ||43||

Govinda's four uncommon characteristics, not possessed by any other forms of the Godhead, are: 

1. The ocean of his wavelike pastimes that are amazing and wondrous to all; 
2. His circle of beloved devotees who are endowed with unequaled sweet love; 
3. The playful artistic sound of his delightful flute, which attracts the minds of all the three realms,
4. His unmatched and unexcelled beauty, which astounds all creatures, moving and non-moving.. (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 2.1.41-43)

Even though the prominent role of the flute appears to be a unique contribution of the Bhāgavatam in the Puranic literature, as it is not so emphasized in either the Hari-vaṁśa or the Viṣṇu-purāṇa, it has captured and pervades the Indian consciousness in a thousand ways through popular and classical art forms alike. The Bhāgavatam prioritizes the flute in two chapters (10.21 and 10.35) and there are several other references, primarily in connection with the gopis and the erotic sentiment, such as 10.29.3, 10.29.40 and 10.31.16. Not surprisingly, therefore, antecedents can be found in the Alwars, such as the Perumal Tirumoli of Kulashekhara.

There are several references to the flute in the Gīta-govinda (1.45, 2.19, 3.16, 4.9, 8.11), even though it plays no role in the story itself. The last of these verses is a blessing to be given by the sound of the flute itself:

antar-mohana-mauli-ghūrṇana-calan-mandāra-visraṁsana-

stambhākarṣaṇa-dṛṣṭi-harṣaṇa-mahā-mantraḥ kuraṅgī-dṛśām |

dṛpyad-dānava-dūyamāna-diviṣad-durvāra-duḥkhāpadāṁ

bhraṁśaḥ kaṁsa-ripor vyapohayatu vaḥ śreyāṁsi vaṁśī-ravaḥ ||

May the enemy of Kamsa Krishna’s flute-song bring you all auspiciousness. It is the great magic spell (mahā-mantra) that enchants the the doe-eyed gopis’ hearts, causes their heads to spin and the mandara flowers in their hair to slide down, paralyzing, attracting, widening their eyes, and thrilling them, even as it destroys the overwhelming danger and misery of the gods caused by the arrogant demons. (8.11)

Umapati Dhara, Jayadeva's contemporary and rival, also has several verses dedicated to the flute quoted in Padyāvalī, including one somewhat similar to the above :

sāyaṁ vyāvartamānakhila-surabhi-kulāhvāna-saṁketa-nāmāny

abhīrī-vṛnda-ceto haṭha-haraṇa-kalā-siddha-mantrākṣarāṇi |

saubhāgyaṁ vaḥ samantād dadhatu madhu-bhidaḥ keli-gopāla-mūrteḥ

sānandakṛṣṭa-vṛndāvana-rasika-mṛga-śreṇayo veṇu-nādāḥ ||

May the flute-song of Vishnu in his carefree cowherd form
bring you all good fortune
as it calls out the name of each cow returning in the evening,
as it sings out the letters of the powerful spell (siddha-mantra)
that forcefully steals the minds of all the cowherd girls,
and joyfully attracts all the discerning animals of Vrinda’s forest.
(Sad-ukti-karṇāmṛta 1.57.3, Padyāvalī 5)

Both of these references equate the flute-song to a mantra, and this is indeed an underlying theme that pops up with some frequency. For instance, in Brahma-saṁhitā, Lord Brahma has a vision after performing penances with the 18-syllable mantra, in which he sees Krishna and hears his flute -- śabda-brahma-mayaṁ veṇuṁ (“the Venu contains alḷ the divine sounds of the Vedas”, 5.26). This is then identified with the Gayatri mantra (atha veṇu-ninādasya trayī-mūrti-mayī gatiḥ, 1.27) by means of which Lord Brahma’s mantra is “completed, purified, consecrated, perfected” (saṁskṛta) by Krishna, the ādi-guru. This then empowers him to recite the Veda and engage in the work of creation.

In his commentary to BhP 10.29.3 (jagau kalaṁ vāma-dṛśāṁ manoharam), Sanatan Goswami identifies the flute sound with the kāma-bīja seed-syllable klīṁ, which is closely connected to Krishna’s worship in śṛṁgāra-rasa. In the first song of SKK's Vaṁśī-khaṇḍa it is also said that Krishna fills the flute with the omkara and this has the capacity of enchanting the universe.

hariṣe pūriāṁ kāhnaiñiṁ tāhāta oṁkāra

vāṁśīra śabadeṁ pāre jaga mohibāra

The two syllables, om and klīṁ are equated in the Gopāla-tāpinī Upaniṣad (klīm oṁkārasyaikyatvaṁ paṭhyate brahma-vādibhiḥ, GTU 2.57) where the mantra is broken down to equate it with the universal creation. Other interpretations of the distinctively named kāma-bīja, such as this from the Gautamīya-tantra, however, draw a more explicit connection to śṛṅgāra-rasa.

ka-kāraḥ puruṣaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ |

ī-kāraḥ prakṛtī rādhā nitya-vṛndāvaneśvarī ||

laś cānandātmakaṁ prema-sukhaṁ ca parikīrtitam |

cumbanāśleṣa-mādhuryaṁ bindu-nāda-samīritam ||

The letter k is the Supreme Purusha, who has a form of being, consciousness and joy; the vowel ī represents Radha, who is the Supreme Prakriti, the eternal mistress of Vrindavan. The letter l is their joyful union in love; the bindu-nāda represent the sweetness of their kisses and embracing.

The equation of the flute sound to the kāma-bīja conjures up thought of the relationship of Krishna to Kamadeva. But even in the verses related to the flute, one characteristic of Kamadeva's five arrows can be seen.

Kamadeva has five arrows which are sometimes associated with five flowers (puṣpa-bāṇa), but are also associated with five effects that desire has on one afflicted by it. It is hard to find a consistent set of such characteristics. In Prabodhananda's commentary to Gīta-govinda, he gives the following verse:

sammohanaḥ kṣobhanaś ca dahanaḥ śoṣaṇas tathā |

uccāṭanaś ca kāmasya bāṇāḥ pañca prakīrtitāḥ ||

Kamadeva's five arrows are said to be fascination, disturbance, burning, dessication and destruction.

Amara gives the following set of five:

unmādanas tāpanaś ca śoṣaṇaḥ stambhanas tathā |

saṁmohanaś ca kāmasya pañca bāṇāḥ prakīrtitāḥ ||

Intoxication, inflicting of heat or pain, dessication, immobilization and bewilderment.

Other listings add ākarṣaṇa (attraction), mādana (crazing), māraṇa (killing), vaśīkaraṇa (subjugation), etc. Many of these appear to be similar to the five kinds of abhicāra or "black magic" rituals and spells that are found in the Tantra, namely māraṇa (killing), mohana (enchanting), vaśīkaraṇa, stambhana and uccāṭana. In the Chandidas’s chapter on the Bāṇa-khaṇḍa, the arrows of Cupid have a devastating effect, not altogether different from taking a person's life, as he repeats many times.

Some of these characteristics can be seen in those references where the flute is compared to a mantra. For instance, it seems not unlikely that at least some of the overtones of these effects were influencing Jayadeva's choice of words in the verse above cited.

Ten Previous posts

VMA 1.26 : May Vrindavan be like a nourishing mother
VMA 1.25 : What business do we have with kings or gods?
VMA 1.24 : Take pleasure in the eternal joys within Vrindavan
VMA 1.23 : When will I roam in Vrindavan?
VMA 1.22 : The Upanishads do not reveal Vrindavan
VMA 1.21 : Vrindavan enchants everyone
VMA 1.20 : The gold and black jewel light
VMA 1.19 : Who's mind will not be stolen?
VMA 1.18 : How to meditate on Vrindavan
VMA 1.17 : Grant me residence here until the end of life