Gopike - Nandanam

Gopike – Nandanam

Composition – Raveendran

Lyrics – Gireesh Puthencherry

Singer – KJ Yesudas

Prelude – The song “ Gopike “ from the film Nandanam is like the heartache of everybody who has experienced love . This song comes when Balamani , the character played by Navya Nair, faces impediments in uniting with the love of her life ,Manu, the character played by Prithviraj Sukumaran . The raag “ Megh “, on which the song is set,is like drenching oneself in sorrow in the incessant rainfall of grief .

Gopike hridayam our venshanku pole

Oh maiden of Vrindavan – Your heart is like a white conch shell which produces a meditative and soothing sound

Thira vyadhakalil vingunuvvo

Your heart sobs in unending worries

Eatho vishadmam snehadra sagaram

Uruki ninte karalil

An unknown grief, wet by the water of the loving ocean, melts in your heart .

Eatho vibhatam padum sopanam ganam pole

Your dawn sings a song just like the “ Sopana sangeetham “  ( songs sung standing on the steps leading to the sanctum sanctorum of the temple )

Gandharva hridayam meetum hindola ragam pole

The “ Hindol “ raga is plucked by the heart of the celestial singer in heaven. 

Pranadrdamayi nin manasam

Your heart melts in love .

Oru poorna chandrodayam kadaline alamalaye

Punarunna pole swayam marunnu

You forgot yourself in love as the full moon embraced the waves in the ocean.

Dhyanichu nilkkum poovin kanal minnal elkkum ravil

The flower meditating on the smouldering embers was hit by the lightning in the night

Ganam churathhum nenjin mridu tantri takarum novil

Ekanthamayi nin sreelakam

The sanctum sanctorum of your prayer room becomes desolate just like the grief when the tender strings producing the song in the lute of the heart break .

Oru swarna deepankuram kattinte neduvirpinal pidyunna pole

Swayam polinnnuvo

Did you burn yourself down in sorrow just like the golden flame flickers in the presence of the sighs of the breeze ?

Postlude – The song is an ode to the pangs of separation of Goddess Radha, who burns herself in the fire of her heart due to separation from Lord Krishna . She spends most of her time meditating in her love for Lord Krishna, wandering in the groves of Vrindavan . The first line of the song compares the heart of the heroine to that of a conch shell, which produces a soothing and meditative sound on mildly blowing it . The lyricist mentions the Hindol raga, in which the word “ Hindol “ refers to the swing . Lord Krishna and Goddess Radha were rocked in the swing by their maiden friends infinite times during the monsoon season during their amorous pastimes in Vrindavan . The dawn is said to sing “ Sopana sangeetham “ which refers to raag Hindol being a morning raga . Raag Hindol personifies the beauty and the love felt by Lord Krishna for the maidens of Vrindavan . The second stanza compares Goddess Radha to a flower standing on smouldering embers and meditating in contemplation in her love for “ Shyamsundar Krishna “ . Goddess Radha is said to burn in sorrow like the flame of a lamp .