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BY: SUN STAFF
Vanquishing Dhenukasura Jul 28, 2016 — CANADA (SUN) — The last in a serial presentation of Sri Krsna's transcendental Vrindavan associates. Yesterday we discussed the questions which arise when reading various sastric references on the identity of the cowherd boy Stoka-krsna, one of the twelve gopalas of Vraj, and his later identity during Gaura-lila as Purusottama Das Thakur and/or Nagara Purusottama. Today we offer one last consideration on the topic of naming, that is, names of gopas that are very similar to Stoka-krsna. In the Govinda Vrndavana portion of Gautamiya tantra by Srila Kavi Karnapura, we find an enumeration of the cowherd boys of Vraj, shown below. Stoka-krishna, the sakha we are featuring in this article is named near the top of the list (text 126), along with Krsna's other priya-sakha confidential friends. It's interesting to note that on the Gautamiya tantra list, we find three separate individuals named Stoka-dama. Two of them (text 135 and 138) are spelled the same way in Sanskrit -- stoka-dama -- while one is shown as stoka-damas, translated to Stoka-dama (text 136). Whether this is possibly an error in translation or manuscript preparation, we do not know. Also interesting is the inclusion of Stoka-nagara (text 138), in light of the questions presented about names in yesterday's segment. That is, was the Gaura-lila manifestation of Stoka-krsna the person of Nagar Purushottam, or Purushottam Das Thakur? Also, the reference from Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (text 131), that: "Nagar Purushottam was previously the cowherd named Daman in Vraja." So there is a great similarity between many of the names associated with the gopa Stoka-krsna, including Stoka-dama and Stoka-nagara. While they don't contribute to the confusion arising from Stoka-krsna's names in Vraj and Gauda, we do find four additional names in the Gautamiya tantra list that include the word 'stoka': Stoka-govinda (text 134) As previously mentioned, Srila Rupa Goswami states that stoka means 'small': "Stokakrsna is very appropriately named, for he is just like a small (stoka) Krsna."
Therefore, the name Stoka in the four examples above no doubt uses stoka in such a way. Following is the list of cowherd boys from 'Govinda Vrndavana' -- Gautamiya tantra by Srila Kavi Karnapura Text 125 yatha krishnas tatha ramah subahuh subalo 'pi ca "As Lord Krishna is glorious, so also are glorious Lord Balarama and the gopas Subahu, Subala, Shridama, Vasudama, Sudama Mahabala,... Text 126 lavangas ca mahabahuh stoka-krishnah 'rjjunas tatha ..Lavanga, Mahabahu, Stoka-krishna, Arjjuna, Amsuka, Vrishabha, Vrishala, Jaya-malava,... Text 127 urjasvi ca subha-prastho vinodi ca varuthapah Irjasvi, Subha-prastha, Vinodi, Varuthapa, Rasika, Madandha, Mahendra, Candra-sekhara,... Text 128 rasalas ca rasandhas ca rasangas ca mahabalah ...Rasala, Rasandha, Rasanga, Mahabala, Suranga, Jaya-ranga, Ranga, Ananda-kandara,... Text 129 nandah sunandanandas cancalas capalabalah ..Nanda, Sunanda, Ananda, Cancala, Capala, Bala, Syamala, Vimala, Lola, Kamala, Kamalekshana,... Text 130 madhuras ca rasandhas ca madhavas candra-bandhavah ..Madhura, Rasandha, Madhava, Candra-bandhava, Suratha, Mahananda, Gandharva, Candra-bandhava,... Text 131 kandarpa keli-darpas ca rasendrah sundara jayah ..Kandarpa, Keli-darpa, Rasendra, Sundara, Jaya, Mahendra, Sugandharva, Sarasendra, Kalalaya,... Text 132 sumukha yasasindras ca sanandas candra-bhavanah ..Sumukha, Yasasindra, Sananda, Candra-bhavana, Rasa-bhringa, Rasalanga, Vilasa, Keli-kanana,... Text 133 anantah kelivan kamah prema-bhringah kala-nidhih ..Ananta, Kelivan, Kama, Prema-bhringa, Kala-nidhi, Sabala, Nagara, Syama, Sukama, Sarasa, Vidhi,... Text 134 gaurangah stoka-govindo devendras candra-malayah Gauranga, Stoka-govinda, Devendra, Candra-malaya, Syamanga, Paramananda, Rasanga, Candra-yadava,... Text 135 krishnangah stoka-dama ca vibhanga rasa-manavah Krishnanga, Stoka-dama, Vibhanga, Rasa-manava, Premanga, Stoka-bahu, Hemanga, Jaya-yadava,... Text 136 raktangah stoka-damas ca tri-bhangas ca sunagarah Raktanga, Stoka-dama, Tri-bhanga, Sunagara, Pavanendra, Surendra, Surathendra, Jayadvrata Text 137 sukhada mohana dama keli-dama sumanmathah ..Sukhada, Mohana, Dama, Keli-dama, Sumanmatha, Sucandra, Candraman, Indra, Vijaya, Jaya-sekhara,... Text 138 upendrah stoka-dama ca sujayah stoka-nagarah Upendra, Stoka-dama, Sujaya, Stoka-nagara, Vasanta, Sumanta, Rasavan, Rasa-kandara,... Text 139 kamendrah kamavan kamo 'jitendras candra-cancalah Kamendra, Kamavan, Kama, Ajitendra, Candra-cancala, Dambha, Sudambha, Dambhika, Para-dambha, Vidambhaka,... Text 140 prema-dambha sugandhis ca sudambha dambha-nayakah Prema-dambha, Sugandhi, Sudambha, Dambha-nayaka, Upananda, Caru-nanda, Rasananda, Vilocana,... Text 141 jaya-nandah prema-nando darpa-nandah sumohanah Jaya-nanda, Prema-nanda, Darpa-nanda, Sumohana, Bhadra-nanda, Candra-nanda, Vira-nanda, Sudhakara,... Text 142 bala-nandah bahu-nandah stoka-nandah yasaskarah Bala-nanda, Bahu-nanda, Stoka-nanda, Yasaskara, Upananda, Krsnananda, Gaura-nanda, Visarada,... Text 143 syama-nanda dama-nandah sukha-nandah priyam-vadah Syama-nanda, Dama-nanda, Sukha-nanda, Priyam-vada, Upakarsna, Kala-Krishna, Bahu-Krishna, Sukhakara,... Text 144 upasama rasa-stokah prema-dama jaya-pradah Upasama, Rasa-stoka, Prema-dama, Jaya-prada, Madhu-kantha, Vikuntha, Sudha-kantha, Priya-vrata,... Text 145 rasa-kanthas ca vaikunthah sukandas candra-sundarah Rasa-kantha, Vaikuntha, Sukanda, Candra-sundara, Keli-kantha, Prema-kantha, Vara-kantha, Rasam-vada,... Text 146 jaya-kanthah kala-kantho 'mrita-kanthah kalakarah Jaya-kantha, Kala-kantha, Amrta-kantha, Kalakara, Nritya-kendra, Nritya-sakta, Nrityaman, Nritya-sekhara,.. Text 147 nritya-ranga nritya-tungo nrityanandah suyodhanah Nritya-ranga, Nritya-tunga, Nrityananda, Suyodhana, Rasa-candra, Kama-candra, Rupa-candra, Vimohana,... Text 148 keli-candrah keli-darpah sudarpa darpa-nagarah Keli-candra, Keli-darpa, Sudarpa, Darpa-nagara, Premendra, Prema-candra, Prema-ranga, and many other gopas also." While the names of each one of the gopas is a pleasure to speak, we are happy to find that later on in his Gautamiya tantra, Srila Kavi Karnapura makes one additional statement about Krsna's priya-sakha friend, Stoka-krsna: Texts 167-168 praphulla-pundarikaksho manda-hasyarunodayah pulaka-prema-samyukto matsaryadi-nivaritah "The gopa named Stoka-krishna has eyes like blossoming lotus flowers and a gentle smile like the rising sun. He is happy when Lord Krishna is happy. He dances with wild gracefulness. The hairs of his body stand erect in ecstatic love. He is free of envy and other vices. He is always filled with the nectar of happiness." Mention of the lotus-like gopa, Stoka-krishna is not found in many other pieces of Vaisnava literature, although Sri Prabodhananda Sarasvati mentions him in Sri Radha-rasa-sudha-nidhi: "Sridama, Subala, Vrsabha, Stokakrsna, Arjuna, what did you see? My frightened eyes would not enter that forest. A goddess who flooded all the worlds with Her beauty robbed our dear friend of everything He owned." (228) He is also briefly mentioned in the Bhagavatam: Srimad Bhagavatam 10.22.31-32: "[Lord Krsna said:] O Stoka Krsna and Amsu, O Sridama, Subala and Arjuna, O Vrsabha, Ojasvi, Devaprastha and Varuthapa, just see these greatly fortunate trees, whose lives are completely dedicated to the benefit of others. Even while tolerating the wind, rain, heat and snow, they protect us from these elements. PURPORT Lord Krsna was preparing to bestow His mercy on the wives of the hard-hearted ritualistic brahmanas, and in these verses the Lord indicates that even trees who are dedicated to the welfare of others are superior to brahmanas who are not. Certainly the members of the Krsna consciousness movement should soberly study this point." And finally, Srila Prabhupada includes a mention of Stoka-krsna in his Krsna book description (Chapter 15) of Sri Krsna and Balarama's pastime, killing the demon Dhenukasura. Among the gopa friends participating in this pastime were Subala, Sridama and Stoka-krsna, who went together to implore Balarama and Krsna to drive the asura out of Talavana forest. Although no other details are provided in the 10th Canto of Bhagavatam or Krsna book about Stoka-krsna's role in the Dhenuka drama, we read in Sri Garga Samhita, 1.4.11, Text 14, The Liberation of Dhenukasura, that: "Stoka Krishna whipped the powerful demon with a rope. Arjuna and Amsu threw him far away." And this concludes our presentation of Sri Krsna's Vrindavan friend, Stoka-krsna sakha.
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