Shree Krishna Karnamrutam is a work in Sanskrit by the poet Shree Bilvamangala Swami variously known as Vilvamangalam Swami, Vilwamangalam Swamiyar, Bilwamangala Thakura and Leelashuka. The word karnamruta means nectar to the ears. Lelasuka compares that to a bouquet of glory of Krishna.
Origin
The author of Sri Krishna Karnamrutam is Vilvamangalam Swamiyar. He was a contemporary of Swami Desikan. Since he described with great joy the leelas of Krishna like Shukadev Goswami, the author of Bhagavata Purana, he came to be known as Leela Shuka. Leelasuka belonged to a saivite family by tradition. But he became a devotee of Krishna. Hence he refers to his traditional background by saying that he wears the feet of Lord Siva on his head. He belongs to the tradition of great devotees of Krishna of Kerala such as Narayana Bhattadhiri, the author of Sri NarayaNeeyam, Poonthaanam and Vasudeva Namboodiri and other great scholars of Dasama skhandham of Bhagavata Purana.
Controversy
Some say that he belonged to a place called Mukkutalai, originally mukti-sthalam, in kerala, which Telugu pundits refute by saying that Leelashuka has covered a vast area of south India when Andhra, Karnataka and Maharashtra states were one province.
Legend
In his early life, he had an illicit love affair with Cintamani, a dancing girl who was a musician and harlot. She teased him once about his scholarship in Vyaakaranam, Naatakam and Alankaara Saastram and told him that if he had one thousandth of the affection for Bhagavaan, he would easily save his life. That was the turning point for Bilva Mangala. He thanked Lord Krishna for showing the true destiny of his life and immersed himself in devotional service to Lord Krishna. He started his masterpiece called Krishna Karaamrutham with the slokam: " CHINTAAMANIR JAYATHI SOMAGIRIR GURURME " which means my guru Somagiri who is like cintAmaNi, the wish-giving stone is victorious. There are 328 slokas in this masterwork. He concludes with the last slokam with the passage: " LEELAASUKENA RACHITAM TAVA DEVA KRISHNA KARNAAMRUTHAM VAHATHU KALPA SATAANTAREPHI " which means may this work composed by Leelasuka create a flow of nectar for the span of time beyond one hundred kalpa ! There is a tradition to worship Krishna as Gopala Sundari. The mantra for worship in that manner has 33 beejaaksharams and is made up of Sri Rajagopaala Mantra's 18 letters and the 15 letters of Sri Pancha Dasakshari of Sri Vidya. In fact, the Lord of Raja Mannargudi, Sri Rajagopalan is meditated upon as Sri Vidya Rajagopalan. Sri Leela Sukhar worshipped this Madana Gopala Sundari form. According to some legends, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu discovered this work in Andhra on the last day of his visit to Andhra and assigned copying work to a dozen copyists, instructing them to copy it overnight. They could copy only first chapter in that night; later, on his returning to Vanga province, he found it to be incomplete, and then Mahaprabhu sent disciples to Andhra to fetch a complete copy of this work.
