A Sweet Verse from Srimad Bhagavatam and the different Flutes of Krishna

Krishna with Flute

This is one of my favourite verses from Bhagavatam, Chapter named as “The Gopis Glorify the Song of Krishna's Flute” which explains about the way Krishna is dressed, decorated and is entering the forest of Vrindavan. Acharyas explain that, he is Akhila Rasamrta Murthi – Full of transcendental mellows, dresses up like a dramatic actor and catches the attention of everyone.

barhapidam nata-vara-vapuh karnayoh karnikaram

bibhrad vasah kanaka-kapisam vaijayantim ca malam

randhran venor adhara-sudhayapurayan gopa-vrindair

vrindaranyam sva-pada-ramanam pravisad gita-kirtih

Wearing a peacock-feather ornament upon His head, blue karnikara flowers on His ears, a yellow garment as brilliant as gold, and the Vaijayanti garland,Lord Krishna exhibited His transcendental form as the greatest of dancers as He entered the forest of Vrindavana, beautifying it with the marks of His footprints. He filled the holes of His flute with the nectar of His lips, and the cowherd boys sang His glories. Canto 10. Chapter 21,verse 5)

Talking about the Flute,in Chapter 26 of Nectar of Devotion by Srila Prabhupada explains that there are, three kinds of flutes used by Krsna, namely Venu,Murali and Vamsi.

Venu is a very small flute, not more than six inches long, with six holes for whistling.

Krishna with Flute

Murali is about eighteen inches long with a hole at the end and four holes on the body of the flute and produces a very enchanting sound.

The Vamsi flute is about fifteen inches long, with nine holes on its body. 

Krsna used to play on these three flutes occasionally when they were needed.

Krsna has a longer vamsi, which is called mahananda, or sammohini.When it is still longer it is called  karsini.When it is even longer it is called anandini. 

The anandini flute is very pleasing to the cowherd boys and is technically named vamsuli.These flutes were sometimes bedecked with jewels. Sometimes they were made of marble and sometimes of hollow bamboo. The flute is made of jewels  is called sammohini and the one made of gold, is called akarsini.

For more exhaustive description of Krishna’s Flute, you can visit this link,

http://www.forthepleasureoflordkrishna.com/2015/02/21/krishnas-flutes/