The joy of Bala Gopala

Arguably one of the most famous of Dikshitar's compositions the kriti presents the ultmate joy to the singer & the listener both. Bhairavi as a raga in itself expresses joy in the form of exuberance as a child. It touches the heart as any child's antics would do. Needlessly Dikshitar has chosen the exuberance to create a kriti on Krishna the most revered and loved deity in the Hindu pantheon. The kriti encompasses the entire life of Krishna and as is his wont Dikshitar climaxes the kriti in its Madhyamakala. The rare prayogas of da & ni in the phrase Neela Nirada sharira are the best examples of Dikshitar's mastery over the raaga.
Coming back to the joy, the kriti expects a high degree of learnedness both in the singer as well as the audience. The slow tempo creates the mood and as the kriti progresses it takes the listener along with it to unknown spiritual enjoyment. The ultimate experience that's the least one can say when one hears a rendition of this kriti.