Stories of Shri Krishna

[SS91]

Abolition of Indra’s Worship One day, Krishna observed that the people were preparing for the worship of Indra. He asked His father Nanda “Tell me, O father! What is this occasion for your great festivity? What is the object? To whom is it intended? By whom and how is the sacrifice to be performed?”

Nanda replied, “My beloved child! Indra is the Lord of the clouds. He will give us rain by worshipping him. The rains give life to all beings. Therefore, people worship Indra by these sacrificial offerings. Whatever is left after offering him in sacrifice, we use for our subsistence in order to attain the three objects of life, viz., Dharma (righteousness), Artha (earthly possessions) and Kama (worldly enjoyments). Indra is the dispenser of the fruit of our exertions.”

Krishna replied, “O revered father! By the force of Karma a creature is born, and by the force of Karma it passes away. The birth and death of men are shaped by their own Karma. Happiness and misery, fear, safety, these are all the effects of Karma. If there be any God who dispenses the fruits of Karma, he must also follow that Karma. He cannot act independently. When people are governed by their own Karma, where does Indra come in? What has Indra to do with creatures here who simply follow the course of their Karmas? Because he is not able to alter what is fixed for men by Nature, what is predestined by the latent potentialities of one’s past deeds. Svabhava or Karmic tendency is decreed by fate. Man is subject to his nature formed by the latent Samskaras of his past deeds. He follows his own nature. The whole universe consisting of Devas, Asuras, men, etc., lives, moves and has its being in Nature. By the force of his Karma a creature attains to several corporeal existences high or low, and also loses them. Karma is one’s guide. Karma is the supreme ruler. “What can Indra do? Therefore, let us make offerings to our cows, our Brahmins, our hills, and fallen people. Let dogs be properly fed. Let the cows be supplied with fodder.”

Nanda and other Gopas approved what Krishna said. They did everything in accordance with Sri Krishna’s instructions. They made offerings to the cows, to the Brahmins and to the hill Govardhana. They went round the hill. Krishna said, “I am the Hill.” Sri Krishna assumed another gigantic form and manifested Himself on the top of the hill in order to confirm the faith of the Gopas. He told the people that He was the deity presiding over the mountain. He then began to consume the offerings that were made to the Hill.

[SS91]

Raising of Govardhana Indra became extremely angry with Nanda and the other Gopas. He sent forth his clouds and winds and there were rains, thunder and hail-storms in Brindavan. Krishna lifted up the Govardhana hill with one hand and the people of Brindavan with their cows took shelter beneath the mountain. There was continuous rain for seven days. Sri Krishna held up the hill for seven days continuously without moving an inch.

Indra was quite amazed. His pride was destroyed. He withdrew the clouds and winds. The Gopas went to their own places with their cows and property. Sri Krishna set down the mountain in its original place.

The Gopas were struck with wonder. They came to Nanda and said, “This boy of seven years uprooted the Govardhana hill from the earth and held it up with one hand continuously for seven days. This marvellous feat cannot be done by an ordinary man. Your son is certainly the Lord of all Lords. He is the Atman of all beings.”

Indra and Surabhi came down from Heaven. Indra fell at the feet of Sri Krishna and glorified Him. Indra said, “Thou art the father, the preceptor and the supreme Lord of all the worlds. In order to fulfil the desires of your devotees, you assume a personal form at your own will. Those who like myself are ignorant and are conceited as rulers of the world, get cured of their pride and touch of haughtiness by Thy grace and Darshan. They then take to the path of devotion. O Lord, each of your acts is intended for the punishment and correction of the wicked. I disregarded you as I was intoxicated with the pride of wealth and power. I was devoid of pure understanding, discretion, and discrimination, and so I was ignorant of your greatness. O Lord, forgive me! Grant me pure intellect. Free me from my pride. Salutations unto Thee again and again.”

Krishna said to him, “O Indra! I did you a great favour by causing a break in your Yajna. You were extremely proud of your position and power and so you forgot Me. I did this in order to make you remember Me. Power and position produce intoxication in men and Devas. They become haughty. They are rendered blind by power and position. If I wish to do favour to any one, I take away his powers and wealth. O Indra! Go to your celestial abode and do your duties in a satisfactory manner. Abandon pride completely. Follow my commandments. Try to realise constantly My presence. May you be happy!”

[SS91]

Coronation of Krishna Surabhi (Kamadhenu), the divine mother of cows thanked Sri Krishna for the services done to her children and said, “O Krishna! O great Yogin! O Inner ruler of all! O Achyuta! Thou art the protector of the universe. Thou art the Supreme Deity. This universe is Thy form. Thou art the root of this world. We have found out Lord in Thee. Thou shalt be our Indra for the good of cows, Brahmanas and the Devas. By the command of Brahma, we shall install thee as our Indra.”

Having thus spoken to Krishna, Surabhi bathed Him with her own milk. Indra along with other Devas, by the command of the Deva mothers, bathed Him with the water of the Akasa Ganga (Heavenly Ganga) brought by Airavata in its trunk. They all proclaimed Krishna to the world by the name Govinda, (Go—Indra, cows, Swarga—Vinda—attain). The Rishis, Gandharvas, Vidyadharas, Siddhas and Charanas all joined the inauguration ceremony. The three worlds became full of joy. Cows then flooded the earth with their milk. The rivers flowed with milk and other beverages. Trees yielded sweet honey. Rich crops were harvested on fields not ploughed by the hand of man. Mountains offered precious jewels. Even the wild animals became mild.

Having thus crowned Krishna as the Lord and Protector of cows and Gokula, and having proclaimed Him as Govinda and obtained His permission, Indra returned to Swarga with the Gods and others.

[SS91]

Nanda Rescued From Varuna Nanda kept fast on an Ekadasi day and worshipped Janardana. He went to bathe in the river Yamuna on Dvadasi. It was still dark. He entered the river at dead of night. An Asura, a servant of Varuna, seized Nanda and took him to his master.

The Gopas missed Nanda and called out to Balarama and Krishna. On hearing them, the Lord saw that Nanda had been carried away to Varunaloka. Krishna entered the water and went to Varunaloka.

Varuna worshipped Sri Krishna and said, “Today my purpose is gained. I bow to Thee, O glorious Lord! Thy father has been brought here by my ignorant and foolish messenger. Kindly pardon me. Here is Thy father. Please take him back. I had the fortune, to see Thee, because Thy father was brought here.” Lord Krishna took back His father.

Nanda informed the Gopas of what he had seen. Could Krishna be any other than Isvara?

The Gopas wished fervently that Lord Krishna might take them to His supreme abode. The All-knowing Sri Krishna knew this. He took the Gopas to the portion of Yamuna called Brahmahrada. They were made to plunge in it. There they saw the region of Vaikuntha, the supreme abode of Krishna, far away from the limits of Prakriti. Nanda and others were immensely delighted, when they had a vision of that region. There they saw Krishna. They were most happy to see Krishna amidst the chanters of Vedic hymns. They were all struck with wonder.

[SS91]

Commencement of Rasa Lila
Krishna once promised the Gopis that they shall enjoy His company in the coming nights.

Seeing those autumnal nights Lord Krishna wished to enjoy Himself with the help of the inconceivable power of Yoga Maya and to satisfy the long craving of the Gopis. The moon appeared on the horizon. He played on His flute so sweetly as to enchant the Gopis and to steal their hearts.

Hearing that sweet music which kindles the fire of divine love and intensifies the desire to meet God, the Gopis with their hearts captivated by Lord Krishna, unperceived by one another in their attempts to meet Him, hastened to the place where their beloved Lord was, with their ear-rings rocking to and fro.

Some left their houses while milking the cow. Some did not wait to see the boiling of milk. Some did not take down boiled wheat from the oven. Some were serving food. Some had been suckling their babes, some had been serving their husbands, some had been taking their meals, some had been cleansing their bodies, some had been painting their eyes with collyrium. But they all left their work half-finished. They hurriedly went to Krishna with their garments and ornaments all in disorder in consequence of their great hurry.

They were prohibited and obstructed by their husbands, parents, brothers and other relatives. But they were going as if in a trance. Their hearts had been completely charmed by Govinda. They did not turn back to their home.

Some Gopis were shut up by their relatives and friends. They could not make their way out. They began meditating on Krishna with their eyes shut. Their thoughts had been already devoted to Krishna. They held Him fast in their minds. Their sins were burnt up by the intense fire of unbearable separation from their most beloved Lord. The effects of their good work were removed by the happy embraces of Achyuta enjoyed in meditation. Their bonds of action were totally severed at that very moment. They gave up their bodies composed of the Gunas, and attained the Supreme Soul or Paramatman even though they thought of Krishna as their paramour and even though they meditated on Him as their beloved.

The Lord who is unchanging, infinite, devoid of all qualities, who is beyond the range of the three Gunas, manifests Himself in the world for the prosperity of the people because He is their controller.

Whoever always meditates on Hari whether through desire, anger, fear, affection, friendship or reverence, becomes unified with Him. You should not therefore be astonished at this, in the case of the glorious unborn Lord, the Lord of even the Masters of Yoga. All, even the lowest life forms, may be emancipated through His grace.

When the Gopis drew near, Krishna addressed them thus: “O Blessed ones! What good can I do for you? Is Vraja enjoying security and safety? Tell me the object of your coming here. The night is fearful. Fierce animals are roaming about. Go back to Vraja. This is not a place for women. Your fathers, mothers, brothers, sons and husbands must be searching for you. Do not cause anxiety to them. You have seen the beauty of the forest. Return to Vraja. Serve your husbands, calves and children who are crying. Suckle them and milk the cows. If you have come here on account of the force of your love for Me, it is only natural; because all people love Me.

“Devotion to husband is the one great religion for women. The supreme duty of a woman is to wait upon and do service to her husband with intense devotion. She must seek the well-being of her relatives and nourish her children. Women who long for higher heavenly regions should not desert their husbands even if they be wicked, old, diseased or poor, ill-behaved, awkward, penniless, unless he is a fallen man. For a woman born in a noble family, it is most detestable to resort to a paramour. It brings misery and infamy and is a hindrance to the attainment of Heaven. Therefore it ought to be totally condemned. O Gopis! You may bear love to Me in other ways such as hearing My virtues and deeds, by seeing My form and meditating on Me and by singing My glories than by living near Me. Therefore please return to your homes.”

The Gopis said: “O Almighty Lord! It is not fit for Thee to utter these unkind words. We have abandoned everything and sought Thy feet alone. Do not abandon us. Accept us Thy devout servants, just as Lord Narayana accepts His devotees. You know the secret of all Dharma. You are quite right when you say that the natural duty of women lies in being true, obedient and useful to their husbands, children, relatives and friends. Following Thee, who art our spiritual advisor and Lord, we do the will of our husbands and others. You are the goal of those religious instructions. You are the sole Lord. You are the most beloved one, the relative, the Master; the Self of all beings. You are our real husband. Persons well versed in the Sastras find delight in Thee alone who art their own eternally beloved Atman. They offer their love to you and you alone. What purpose could be gained by husbands or sons and others, sources of misery as they are? You are the constant source of happiness for us.

“Therefore do thou show favour to us and permit us to serve Thee. Pray do not cut off our long cherished hopes regarding Thee. Do not drive us from your feet. Our hearts which were ere long engaged in our houses, are now stolen by Thee. Our feet cannot move even a single step away from you. How then can we go back to Vraja? And what shall we do there?

“O thou dearest one! Extinguish the fire that has been kindled in our heart by the flood of nectar of Thy lips, Thy sweet smiles, loving glances and enchanting music. If not, we shall allow the fire of separation to consume our body, and shall attain you, like Yogins, through meditation.

“O Lord of lotus-like eyes! The most beloved of those who live in the forest! In the forest we did once touch Thy lotus feet that afford delight to Lakshmi. Thus blessed by Thee, from that time forward, we are unable to stand before any other even for a moment. How can we serve our husbands and children?

“Sri Lakshmi for whose gracious glances all other gods perform rigorous penances, even though possessing an unrivalled place on Thy bosom, yet covets with Tulasi the dust on Thy lotus-like feet, sought after and worshipped by Thy devotees and servants. Similarly we have sought shelter in the dust under Thy feet. Therefore, O thou soother of all afflictions! Be thou propitious unto us. We have abandoned our homes and our relations and have sought your feet with the one object of waiting on you. Allow us, who are burning with the intense love inflamed by Thy charming smiles and looks.

“Looking on Thy face overhung with curly locks, with cheeks brilliant with charming ear-rings, with lips overflowing with nectar, and with thy glances accompanied by enchanting smiles, Thy two arms that promise protection to those who take refuge in Thee, and Thy bosom that delight Sri Lakshmi, who have surrendered ourselves to Thee and become Thy slaves.

“O most beloved one! What woman is there in the three worlds who will not worship Thee, having been charmed with the sweet, melodious music of Thy flute? Having seen this form most bewitching in the three worlds who could help it? Looking at this form, even the cows, birds, trees, deer are filled with delight. It is evident that like the first great person Bhagavan Narayana taking birth for protecting the celestial regions, Thou hast taken birth for driving away fear and affliction out of the kingdom of Vraja. Therefore, O friend of the distressed! Place Thy lotus-like hands on the throbbing bosoms and aching heads of Thy slaves.”

Having heard the piteous appeal of the Gopis, the Lord of the great Yogins was moved by compassion for them. Even though He takes delight only in the Self, He smiled and granted them the joy of sporting with Him.

The Gopis gathered round Him. He remained firmly fixed in the Self. His loving glances and charming smiles brightened the countenances of the Gopis. Achyuta of glorious deeds shone like the moon in the midst of stars.

Sometimes He himself sang. At other times his glory was sung by the Gopis. Adorned with the necklace called Vaijayanti and leading hundreds of groups of Gopis, Lord Krishna roamed about with them adding grace to the woods of Brindavan.

Then He came to the cool sands of the river which looked like the fine particles of refined camphor. Cool breeze from the Yamuna charged with the fragrance of lilies were flowing joyously. The Lord sported with the Gopis.

By stretching His arms, by embraces, by touching their hands, curling locks, thighs, waist, bosom, by scratching them with his finger nails, indulging in laughs and jokes, by sportive glances and enchanting smiles and other sportful acts, He kindled the purest form of divine love in their hearts and gave them delight.

When Sri Krishna, the most generous and the Almighty Lord thus honoured the Gopis by sporting with them, they were elated with pride. They thought that they were superior to all women in the world.

Perceiving their arrogance produced by their good fortune and also their great pride, Keshava (Krishna) suddenly disappeared from the spot to curb their pride and to bless them as well.

[SS91]

Gopis Suffer Pangs of Separation and Search for Lord Krishna
Sri Suka said: “At the sudden disappearance of the Lord, the damsels of Vraja (Vrajanganas) became disconsolate. As they were not able to find Him, they were greatly distressed like the she-elephants which miss their leader. Their hearts began to burn in the fire of separation. Their hearts had been so much taken up by the gestures, piercing glances, delightful conversation, sports and frolics and movements of Sri Krishna, that they began to act like Him in a variety of ways. So they imitated His deeds and even called themselves Krishna.

“In gait, smiles, looks, way of talking, movement and the like, they all behaved like Sri Krishna. They exhibited in themselves His deportment and graceful activities. They completely identified themselves with Krishna, each one saying to the other, ‘I am Krishna.’

“They all sang loudly together His praise and searched for Krishna from forest to forest. They enquired of the trees, the whereabouts of the best of Purushas, who, like ether, is present inside the hearts of all beings and also in the outside world.

“They said, ‘O Asvattha, O Plakshya, O Nyagrodha, have you seen the son of Nanda, who has just disappeared stealing our hearts with His lovely smiles and glances?

‘O Kuruvaka, O Asoka, O Naga, O Punnaga, O Champaka! Did Balarama’s younger brother, whose very smiles put down the pride of proud women and drive away the anger of offended damsels, go this way?

‘O blessed Tulasi, so intensely attached to the feet of Govinda! Did you see thy most beloved Achyuta who always bears thee with the bees on His person?

‘O Malati, O Mallika, O Jati, O Juthika! Have you seen Madhava who has gladdened you with the touch of His hands?

‘O Chuta (mango tree), O Priyala, O Panasa, O Kovidara Asana, Jambu, Arka, O Asoka, Bilva Bakula, Amra, Rasala, Kadamba, Nipa, O you other trees! You who live for the sake of others and dwell near the banks of the holy Yamuna, tell us where Krishna is, point out to us the way which Krishna has followed.

‘O Earth! What great austerity hast thou performed that thou shinest now with thy hair standing on end and enjoyest the joy of being touched by the feet of Keshava? Is thy joy caused by the touch of the Lord’s feet at present, or was it caused by the tread of Trivikrama on Thy surface or was it caused by the embrace of the Lord when He had assumed the form of a boar?

‘O deer, O friend! Did Achyuta pass this way with His dearest lady giving joy to your eyes with His graceful face and limbs? It seems He did so, because here blows the fragrance of the garland composed of the Kunda flower of Krishna, which has been smeared with the saffron on the bosom of His beloved lady when He had embraced her.

‘O trees! Did Balarama’s brother go this way with His one arm on the shoulder of His beloved one and a lotus in the other, followed by the intoxicated bees on the Tulasi? Did He accept your prostrations with His loving glance?

‘O friends! Let us ask these creepers which twine round the branches of the trees, their Lords. They are certainly touched by His fingers. Hence they thrill with joy.’

“They wandered here and there. They were fatigued in their search for Krishna. They developed a still deeper stage of divine love. They perfectly identified themselves with Lord Krishna and began to imitate the various sports of the Lord. One of them acted as Putana, while another played the part of Lord Krishna and sucked her breast. One identified herself with a cart, while another crying as infant Krishna gave a kick with one foot and overturned the cart.

“Another lady imitated the acts of the Daitya Trinavarta and carried another lady who acted the part of infant Krishna. One Gopi began to crawl like baby Krishna dragging the feet jingling sounds. One Gopi, acted as Sri Krishna and another as Sri Balarama. Many others acted as cowherd boys. One acted as Vatsasura and another as Bakasura. One struck at another who acted as Vatsasura and another at some one who acted as Baka.

“One like Krishna shouted for the cows at a distance calling them by their names and played as it were upon the flute. Other Gopis applauded her with ejaculations of ‘Well done, well done.’

“A gopi whose mind was absorbed in Krishna placed her arm on the shoulder of another lady and began to walk and said to the others present, ‘I am Krishna: behold my graceful gait.’ Another Gopi said, ‘O people of Vraja, do not be afraid of this rain and storm. See I am providing you with shelter.’ So saying she imitated the act of uplifting the Govardhana hill, by lifting up her upper cloth with one hand.

“One Gopi said, ‘O cowherds! Behold this terrible forest conflagration. Shut your eyes soon. I shall quickly bring about your welfare.’

“One Gopi climbed on the shoulder of another, placed her feet on the other’s head and said, “O wicked serpent; get away; do you not know that I have been born as a chastiser of the wicked?’

“One Gopi acted the part of Yasoda, and tied another who acted as Sri Krishna to a third, who stood for the wooden mortar and said, ‘Here I find the thief who has stolen the butter after having broken the pot.’ The Gopi who acted the part of Sri Krishna covered her face with her palms and began to tremble like one in fear.

“Having thus questioned the trees and creepers of Brindavan about the whereabouts of Krishna, they noticed that footprints of the Lord in a certain part of the forest. Then they said, ‘evidently these are the foot-prints of the high-souled son of Nanda, as they show the marks of a flag (Dhvaja), a lotus (Padma), a mace (Gada), a thunderbolt (Vajra), goad (Ankusa), barley (Yava), etc.’ Tracing those footprints a little further, they found they were mixed up with the footprints of a girl. Then they were very much afflicted in their hearts.

“The Gopis said: ‘Whose footprints are these? Who is this girl, who has gone resting her arm on the shoulder of the son of Nanda, as a she-elephant goes with her lover, the chief of the elephants? Certainly that girl has fervently adored the Almighty Lord Krishna and specially propitiated Him. That is the reason why Govinda is pleased to take her apart, leaving us all behind. O friends! The dust from the lotus feet of Govinda is highly blessed, for Brahma, Rudra and the Goddess Lakshmi hold these dust particles on their heads for absolution from all sin.

“These footprints of the girl greatly pain our hearts, because she has led Achyuta away and is alone enjoying the nectar of His lips in seclusion.

“Here we do not find the impression of her feet. It seems that the soles of her tender feet being pricked with grasses and thorns the beloved Lord has carried her on His shoulder. The impressions of Lord Krishna’s feet are deeper here as He carried the girl. Look at them, how deep are the impressions of the love-stricken Krishna under a heavy load. He must have borne the girl on His shoulders here. Here He placed her down to pluck flowers and touched the earth with his toes only, for the steps are not fully marked. Surely He sat on this spot for the purpose of combing her hair and putting these flowers on the braids of her hair.

“Lord Krishna delights only in the Self or Atman. He is the Perfect Lord. He is one and indivisible. He is ever pure. He is free from impurities (Mala), desires, cravings. He is the Lord of Maya. Maya cannot touch Him. He experiences oneness but not duality. He was not attracted by the amours of these damsels of Vraja. How can the ordinary lust of human beings be attributed to Him? Yet the Perfect Lord sported with that girl merely to show to the world how wretched and miserable is the condition of one who is under the sway of lust.

“Thus illustrating the ways of women, those Gopis roamed from forest to forest showing unto one another the footprints of Krishna.

That Gopi whom Krishna had led into the forest forsaking others regarded herself to be the foremost of all women. She thought, ‘The beloved Lord prefers me to all other Gopis who love Him.’

“She became elated with pride and said to the Lord in the heart of the forest, ‘O beloved! I am unable to walk any longer. Therefore please carry me wherever it pleaseth Thee.’

‘Lord Krishna said, ‘Well, dear, then mount on My shoulder.’ As soon as the Gopi attempted to mount on Him, He disappeared. The girl was loudly lamenting. She cried in distress, ‘O Lord, O love! O most beloved! Where art Thou? O long-armed one, Where art Thou gone? O friend, please bless me with Thy presence. I am Thy helpless servant. ‘

“Those Gopis who had been following the footprints of the Almighty Lord saw at a distance their companion forsaken by the Lord, bewildered and distressed. They all approached her and heard from her, how she enjoyed the special favour of Lord Krishna and how, through her own wickedness she lost it? The Gopis were highly astonished when they heard this.

“Thereafter, they again searched for Him in the forest so long as the moon was shining. They gave up the search when darkness set in.

“Their hearts were absorbed in the Lord. They talked of Him alone. They imitated His sportful activities. They were totally unified with Him. They sang only of His excellent qualities. They did not think of their homes. Thus deeply merged in the contemplation of Lord Krishna, the Gopis returned to the same sands in the bed of Yamuna and began to sing in chorus about Sri Krishna’s qualities, yearning for His return.”

[SS91]

Gopika Gitam (Gopis’ Song)
Overwhelmed with intense grief at their separation from Lord Krishna, the Gopis began to sing as follows:—

By Thy birth in the kingdom of Vraja, it has been highly blessed. That is why the Goddess Lakshmi has begun to dwell here eternally. We are all Thy slaves and are roaming here and there in the forest in quest of Thee. Pray reveal Thyself unto us who are living only for Thy sake. We are wandering in the forest seeking Thee in every direction.

O Lord! The Bestower of supreme enjoyment, O bestower of boons! We are Thy servants. Is this not really killing when you disappoint us after piercing our heart, with the shaft of your eyes which rob the beauty of the full-blown autumnal lotus in a lake?

O best of men? Thou hast saved us repeatedly from the destruction caused by the poisonous water of the Yamuna, from the Rakshasa Agha who had assumed the form of a huge serpent, from the winds and the rains, from lightning and thunder and wild fire, from demons like Arista and Vyomasura, and from all sources of fear.

Thou art surely the son of Yasoda. Thou art the witness of the inmost hearts of all corporeal beings. Implored by Brahma, thou hast appeared in the line of the Satvatas for the protection of the universe.

O beloved one, O foremost of the Vrishnis! Place on our heads Thy gracious and lotus-like palm which bestows all boons, with which thou holdest the Goddess Lakshmi and with which thou givest assurance of safety to those who, being afraid of the fearful Samsara, seek refuge under Thy feet.

O Thou allayer of affliction of the people of Vraja! O mighty hero! O beloved Lord whose smiles put down the pride of Thy devotee! O friends! We are Thy servants. Please accept us and show us poor women Thy charming and lotus-like face.

Place on our bosom Thy lotus feet that remove the sins of those who prostrate themselves at Thy feet, that are merciful even unto the beasts that live upon grass, that are being served constantly by Lakshmi, that are the repository of all prosperity and that had been placed on the hood of the serpent Kaliya. May Thou be pleased to place Thy feet on our bosom and remove the affliction and burning of our heart.

O Lord of lotus eyes! O gracious hero! Pray comfort us who are swooning for Thee, with Thy charming speech which is most delightful even to the wise and with the elixir of Thy eyes.

The nectar of Thy stories is life to the distressed. It is highly praised by wise men and devotees. The sweet and sacred account of your life destroys all sins and bestows all blessings the moment it is heard. It brings solace to every heart. Those who sing them and celebrate them do the greatest act of charity on earth.

O deceitful one! O darling! Thy smiles, Thy hearty laugh, Thy loving looks, Thy captivating sports, most delightful to contemplate on, Thy promises of love all have gone deeply into our heart. These are agitating our minds.

O Lord! Thy feet are as tender as the lotus. When Thou goest out of Vraja to graze the cows, we feel troubled at heart to think that they may be hurt by hard stones, pointed grass and thorns.

O hero! At the close of the day, Thou art often seen with Thy face like unto a lotus, overhung with dark curly hair and sprinkled with the dust raised by the hoofs of the cows. Thy sight, then, kindles the fire of love in our hearts and rouses the desire to meet Thee.

O giver of delight! O Lord who removes the distress of people! Place on our bosom Thy lotus feet which fulfil the desires of those who prostrate themselves at Thy feet, which are adored by the lotus-born deity (Brahma), which enhance the beauty of the ground on which they are placed, which ought to be meditated upon in times of distress and danger, and which bestow peace to those who serve them.

O hero! Permit us to drink the nectar from Thy lips which excites desire in our hearts, which destroys all grief, which the flute full of Thy voice enjoys in full measure, which makes us forget every other form of attachment and which is capable of destroying all low passions and lust from the mind.

When Thou goest away to the forest during the day, a moment appears to us like an age without Thy sight. When we see Thy beautiful face graced with ringlets of hair, we begin to curse the dull-witted Brahma for creating eyelids which by their fall every now and then interrupt our vision.

O Achyuta! We have abandoned our husbands, sons, relatives, brothers and friends and have come to Thee. Thou knowest the reason of our coming to Thee. We have been charmed by the melodious music of Thy divine flute.

O deceiver! Whoever else, save Thee, would ever desert women who have trusted Thee? O beloved one! having remembered Thy sweet smiling face, Thy affectionate glances, the beauty of Thy broad chest, the abode of Sri Lakshmi, we are burning with desire and our hearts are becoming enchanted.

O darling! Thy birth is for removing the misery of those who dwell in Vraja and also for the well-being of the universe. Our heart is pining for Thee. O Lord! Do not be miserly. Grant us who cherish only Thee, at least a little of that balm or remedy which will surely kill all the pain in our heart.

O beloved! Thou walkest in this dreary forest with those graceful, delicate lotus feet, which we very gently place on our hard bosom, lest we should pain them. O Lord! Our whole life is centred in Thee. Thou art our very life. Are not Thy feet now pained with gravels? Our mind reels to think that Thy tender feet may be hurt by the hard gravels which are strewn on the ground of this forest.

[SS91]

Sri Krishna Suddenly Appears and Consoles the Gopis

The Gopis began thus to sing loudly and extol the glories of Krishna. They longed to see their beloved Krishna. They wept bitterly and poured forth their lamentations in notes of true music. Thereupon, Sri Krishna appeared in their midst wearing yellow garments and garland of wild flowers, with a smiling and lotus-like countenance capable of attracting the heart of even the God of love.

The moment the Gopis saw Him return, they all stood up with their eyes wide open with joy, just as the limbs revive and do their functions at the return of life.

One of the Gopis in great joy caught hold of the lotus-like hand of Lord Krishna with both her palms and began to rub it gently. Another Gopi placed on her shoulder Sri Krishna’s arm smeared with sandal paste. A third placed His lotus feet on her bosom which had been aching on account of roaming on hard ground.

Another Gopi drank with the cup of her winkless eyes the nectar of the lotus-like face of Sri Krishna, but she was not satisfied, just as pious people are not satisfied with serving His feet. Another took the Lord through the gate of her eyes into the very cavity of her heart, closed the eyes and remained like a Yogin merged in bliss during meditation.

All the Gopis became very happy. They abandoned all sorrow that had been produced by their separation from Him, just as people who are desirous of attaining the final emancipation overcome all mundane affliction, by attaining Self-realisation.

Surrounded by those Gopis whose cause of grief had then been removed, the glorious Achyuta appeared highly beautiful like the Prime Purusha environed by His Saktis or powers like wisdom, strength, Aisvarya, Sri, etc.

Krishna then, in company of those Gopis, repaired to the sandy bank of the Yamuna that swarmed with bees, attracted by the sweet odour of the full-blown Kunda flowers. The darkness of the night had long been removed by the silvery rays of the autumnal moon. The place became exceedingly delightful. The banks of the river were covered with delicate shining sands that seemed to be levelled by the hand-like waves of the Yamuna.

The agony of heart of the Gopis was removed by the joy produced at the sight of Sri Krishna, which made them attain the end of their desires like the Srutis that lead to realisation and leave nothing to be wished for. They spread out their veils smeared with saffron dust, from their bodies and made a seat for their beloved Sri Krishna.

Thereafter the Almighty Lord who is enthroned in the inmost heart of great Yogis, sat upon those veils. He appeared exceedingly beautiful when He sat in the midst of the assembly of Gopis. He was worshipped by them. Then He assumed a form which seemed to combine in it all the beauty of the three worlds.

They welcomed Sri Krishna with enchanting smiles and playful glances which had excited love in their heart and placed His hands and feet on their lap. They praised Him and spoke as if somewhat offended.

The Gopis said: “Some people are attached to those who are devoted to them. Others are attached to persons who are not devoted to them; again there are people who are attached neither to those who are devoted to them, nor to those who are not devoted to them. O Krishna! Please explain to us the reason for this clearly.”

The Lord said: “O friends! Those who love only when they are loved are actuated by a selfish motive. They are prompted by their own selfish interests. There is neither friendship nor virtue in this. It is all for a selfish end. In truth they are not really attached to one another, but are attached to their own selves and to their own interests. Their only motive is gratification of self and nothing else.

“Those who are attached to persons who are not devoted to them are like parents, full of kindness and affection. Their conduct is governed both by righteousness and goodwill. They are of two kinds, viz., those who are kind, and those who are affectionate. Of these the former by their attachment reap great religious merit, while the latter secure unshaken friendship.

“Then there is a third class of people who are not attached to persons devoted to them. Then how could they be expected to love those who do not seek them at all. These are of four classes. 1. Those who find delight only in Atman and know nothing of the external world. 2. Those who have obtained the objects of their desires. 3. Those who are ungrateful. 4. Those who injure their well-wishers.

“O friends! I do not belong to any of these classes. I do not attach Myself to those who are devoted to Me. This does not mean that I do not love them. I do so in order to intensify their devotion, to draw their heart all the more to Me, so that in their hearts they may be fully absorbed in Me. Then they will not care for anything else. They will devote themselves constantly to Me and remember Me. Just as a penniless man, who accidentally attains some wealth and subsequently loses it, solely thinks of that money only and thinks of nothing else, so also I become the object of constant thinking of the devotees when I hide Myself again and again after meeting him.

“Even though I am granted the duration of life enjoyed by the celestials, yet I shall never be able to return the excellent services done to Me by you all, Your relation with Me is absolutely pure and faultless. O beloved Gopis! For My sake you have completely cut asunder the very hard ties of family life. I shall remain a debtor to you for all time. Let your own goodness be the only recompense for your devotion. May your own righteousness bring its fullest reward!”

[v2birit]

Abolition of Indra’s Worship One day, Krishna observed that the people were preparing for the worship of Indra. He asked His father Nanda “Tell me, O father! What is this occasion for your great festivity? What is the object? To whom is it intended? By whom and how is the sacrifice to be performed?”

Nanda replied, “My beloved child! Indra is the Lord of the clouds. He will give us rain by worshipping him. The rains give life to all beings. Therefore, people worship Indra by these sacrificial offerings. Whatever is left after offering him in sacrifice, we use for our subsistence in order to attain the three objects of life, viz., Dharma (righteousness), Artha (earthly possessions) and Kama (worldly enjoyments). Indra is the dispenser of the fruit of our exertions.”

Krishna replied, “O revered father! By the force of Karma a creature is born, and by the force of Karma it passes away. The birth and death of men are shaped by their own Karma. Happiness and misery, fear, safety, these are all the effects of Karma. If there be any God who dispenses the fruits of Karma, he must also follow that Karma. He cannot act independently. When people are governed by their own Karma, where does Indra come in? What has Indra to do with creatures here who simply follow the course of their Karmas? Because he is not able to alter what is fixed for men by Nature, what is predestined by the latent potentialities of one’s past deeds. Svabhava or Karmic tendency is decreed by fate. Man is subject to his nature formed by the latent Samskaras of his past deeds. He follows his own nature. The whole universe consisting of Devas, Asuras, men, etc., lives, moves and has its being in Nature. By the force of his Karma a creature attains to several corporeal existences high or low, and also loses them. Karma is one’s guide. Karma is the supreme ruler. “What can Indra do? Therefore, let us make offerings to our cows, our Brahmins, our hills, and fallen people. Let dogs be properly fed. Let the cows be supplied with fodder.”

Nanda and other Gopas approved what Krishna said. They did everything in accordance with Sri Krishna’s instructions. They made offerings to the cows, to the Brahmins and to the hill Govardhana. They went round the hill. Krishna said, “I am the Hill.” Sri Krishna assumed another gigantic form and manifested Himself on the top of the hill in order to confirm the faith of the Gopas. He told the people that He was the deity presiding over the mountain. He then began to consume the offerings that were made to the Hill.

What Krishna has said is perfectly right. Karma is God !!!  People in the world enjoy happiness & sorrow only on the basis of their own Karma & nothing else. Sai baba has also said the same thing. "Although I do nothing, they hold me responsible for things that take place on account of destiny."
    One must always engage in Sat karma
Om Sai Ram

[SS91]

Gopis’ Love
Gopis’ love for Krishna was not a physical passion. It was supreme love. For them Lord Krishna was the living God. He was the moving image of the Supreme Lord. Their faith was intense. When they thought of Lord Krishna they forgot their worldly activities. They were merged in the love of Krishna.

Lord Krishna attracted their hearts from His very boyhood. He was a very beautiful child. He was beauty incarnate. So the Gopis began to love Krishna from His very birth. They caressed and loved Krishna as they would do their own children. The Gopa girls of Brindavan loved Krishna as their own brother.  A sister loves her younger brother. She fondles him and plays with him. Such was the relationship between the Gopis and Krishna.

Gradually the love for Krishna assumed the shape of intense Prema (divine love). They thought of Krishna alone when they churned the curd, when they took water from the well. They sang His praises when they took bath. They remembered Him when they took food and at all times. Their minds became Krishnamaya by incessant practice of Smarana (remembrance) of the Lord.

It is possible that when the Gopis grew of age they might have been moved by physical love also, as it is the case with every animated being. 

But Lord Krishna knew the hearts of the Gopis. He turned the hearts of the Gopis to the proper direction by completely eradicating lust from their minds. It is with this purpose in view that Lord Krishna played the Rasa Lila with the Gopis.

At the time of Rasa Lila, He multiplied Himself into so many Krishnas. The Gopis were struck with wonder and amazement. All their idea of physical love entirely vanished due to this miracle. They witnessed the showers of flowers poured from the skies by the Devas. They saw the Vidyadharas, Gandharvas, Yakshas, Charanas, etc., singing the praise of the Lord. They enjoyed the blissful company of the Lord at the time of Rasa Lila, a bliss millions of times greater than the bliss they would enjoy through sense objects. They enjoyed the bliss of Samadhi or union with God.

‘This is this, this is that’—this conception of difference is only the delusion of a man whose mind is distracted and uncontrolled and is not united to the Lord. The man of uncontrolled mind falls into the error that there is plurality of objects. This error leads to merit and demerit, or right and wrong, good and evil. The uncontrolled Jiva, who is bewildered and deluded by this diversity created by the natural outward tendency of the senses, fancies himself as a separate unit in the world and begins to entertain desires and enjoys sensual objects. Duty, non-performance of duty and the performance of forbidden acts (Karma, Akarma and Vikarma) result from this delusion of diversity caused by the mind, senses and intellect. The differences of action, inaction and evil action pertain only to the man who has notions of merit and demerit, right and wrong, good and bad. It is the delusion born of the conception of differences, that causes the experiences or notions of right and wrong, good and bad, merit and demerit. The Vedas speak of the performance of prescribed work, the non-performance of prescribed work, and the performance of prohibited work, for those only who have got the ideas of right and wrong, good and bad, merit and demerit. One should abandon the sense of egoism, control the mind and the senses and behold everything in the universe as Brahman. One should realise the essence of one’s own nature, bliss and harmony with the universe and behold the wide-spread universe in the Self and the Self in the Supreme Lord.

He who has risen above good and bad does not refrain from doing what is prohibited from a sense of fear of evil consequences nor does he do the prescribed duty in the hope that it will conduce to merit; but he acts only like a child. The sense of right and wrong will be natural in him independently of scriptural teachings. He has destroyed all egoism. The laws of the world do not affect him. He has no more duties to perform. He is above Karma and Karmas cannot touch him. He may, for the instruction of the world, perform works or refrain from forbidden acts. He will exceed the limits of both right and wrong.

This wonderful and unprecedented experience made the Gopis firmly believe that Krishna was not an ordinary mortal. They had firm conviction that Krishna was the Lord Himself, though sometimes they saw Him as the son of Nanda and Yasoda only. The idea of Lord Krishna as God was not strong in them till the time of Rasa Lila due to the Yoga Maya of the Lord.

The song of the Gopis (Gopi Gitam) in Bhagavata (Skanda X-Ch. 31) bears ample proof of the fact that they regarded Krishna as the Supreme Lord. They got rid of the least tinge of sex-passion in them and were attached to the Lord by the bonds of intense Prema (divine love).

The superhuman miracles of Krishna in his childhood made them believe in his Omniscience and Omnipotence. Would there be a worse fool in this world who would have lower passion towards the Lord who is the bestower of all desires of men? The Lord is the supreme cause for all happiness that men experience. Having seen Him face to face, what greater fool is there who could crave for lower pleasures. Would anybody crave for black sugar (Gur) when sugarcandy is available in plenty?

From this it is clear that the love of Gopis towards Krishna was of a divine nature. They had Ananya Bhakti and they were free from all lower and base desires for any enjoyment.

[SS91]

Secret of Rasa Lila
Rasa Lila is divine sport (Kreeda) with the devotees for bringing about their union with the Lord through Prema or pure divine love. Rasa is the sweetest juice of Prema. It is the manifestation of divine love or higher emotion which takes the devotee to the magnanimous height of holy communion with the Lord.

Lord Krishna’s Rasa Lila is the mystery of mysteries. It is the secret of secrets. It is not a matter for intellectual discussion. It is a holy matter for silent meditation for devotees. It should not be divulged to insincere critics or those who have no devotion to the Lord. It should be studied with reverence and faith. It contains Madhurya Rasa, the crowning glory of Bhakti, which leads to absolute self-surrender and absorption in the Lord.

Sri Krishna performed the Rasa Lila to destroy carnality by means of pure love or Prema. He taught humanity through the Rasa Lila how to convert passion into dispassion and pure love, and how to wean the mind from the sexual Vasanas and instincts. He showed that through Madhurya Rasa one can effect total self-surrender or Atma-Nivedan, and attain Sayujya or absorption in the Lord or husband of our hearts.

Rasa Lila was a sport (Kreeda) which was meant to build up the faith, to strengthen spirituality towards holiness, to improve the minds of the Gopis in particular and humanity in general.

Krishna was ten years old when he performed the Rasa Lila. During the dance, the Gopis saw Krishna only, within, without, around and everywhere. They forgot all about their homes, husbands, children and parents. Their hearts melted in Lord Krishna, the Supreme Soul. The fire of devotion brought about a fusion of hearts. The glue of Prema cemented their hearts with Krishna. The Gopis were not ordinary women. They were exalted personages.

The five chapters of the Bhagavata which describe the Rasa Lila are the 29th, 30th, 31st, 32nd and 33rd of the tenth Skanda. When Rasa Kreeda commenced, Krishna disappeared in the course of it to put down the pride of Gopis. Gopis went in search of Sri Krishna. They assembled on the sands of the Yamuna expecting His return. Gopis sang song (Gopi Gitam). Sri Krishna suddenly appeared in the midst of complaining Gopis. Sri Krishna danced with Gopis.

The tenth Skanda of the Bhagavata is regarded as the quintessence of the whole of the Bhagavata. The five chapters on Rasa Lila are rightly considered to be the very quintessence of the whole of the tenth Skanda. You cannot find in the whole range of the vast Sanskrit literature a treatise like the Rasa-panchadhyayi of Srimad Bhagavata. These chapters are soul-stirring, sublime and mystical. They are extremely profound and subtle in their philosophical contents.

He who has perfect faith in the Sastras and the existence of God, who is devoted to his Guru, who has controlled his passions and the senses, who is endowed with purity, dispassion, discrimination, who yearns for the Darshan of the Lord and communion with Him, and who lives in the midst of devotees and sages is a proper Adhikari or qualified person to study Rasa Lila. For him alone the mysteries of Rasa Lila and its divine significance and import will be truly revealed, like the Amalaka fruit in the palm of the hand.

For a passionate man, whose heart is surcharged with carnality and Vasanas, who has allowed his senses to run riot, who does not wish to rise above the life in the senses, who does not believe in supersensuous things and higher superconscious divine life of bliss and ecstasy, these five chapters which deal with the divine Lilas of Lord Krishna are nothing but some kind of profane literature. He will not be benefited in the least by the study of this portion of Bhagavata.

Rishis and devotees like Narada, Vyasa, Sukadeva and Gouranga shed profuse tears when they recited the Slokas of the Rasa Lila. The Munis of the Naimisaranya listened to them with deep emotion of divine Prema. Parikshit heard them on his deathbed for his final emancipation. Pearls have no value for the swine. Even so, these sublime things which lead a sincere devotee to communion with the Lord, have no value for an irreligious, materialistic, passionate man.

will be contd.....

[v2birit]

Raising of Govardhana Indra became extremely angry with Nanda and the other Gopas. He sent forth his clouds and winds and there were rains, thunder and hail-storms in Brindavan. Krishna lifted up the Govardhana hill with one hand and the people of Brindavan with their cows took shelter beneath the mountain. There was continuous rain for seven days. Sri Krishna held up the hill for seven days continuously without moving an inch.

Indra was quite amazed. His pride was destroyed. He withdrew the clouds and winds. The Gopas went to their own places with their cows and property. Sri Krishna set down the mountain in its original place.

The Gopas were struck with wonder. They came to Nanda and said, “This boy of seven years uprooted the Govardhana hill from the earth and held it up with one hand continuously for seven days. This marvellous feat cannot be done by an ordinary man. Your son is certainly the Lord of all Lords. He is the Atman of all beings.”

Indra and Surabhi came down from Heaven. Indra fell at the feet of Sri Krishna and glorified Him. Indra said, “Thou art the father, the preceptor and the supreme Lord of all the worlds. In order to fulfil the desires of your devotees, you assume a personal form at your own will. Those who like myself are ignorant and are conceited as rulers of the world, get cured of their pride and touch of haughtiness by Thy grace and Darshan. They then take to the path of devotion. O Lord, each of your acts is intended for the punishment and correction of the wicked. I disregarded you as I was intoxicated with the pride of wealth and power. I was devoid of pure understanding, discretion, and discrimination, and so I was ignorant of your greatness. O Lord, forgive me! Grant me pure intellect. Free me from my pride. Salutations unto Thee again and again.”

Krishna said to him, “O Indra! I did you a great favour by causing a break in your Yajna. You were extremely proud of your position and power and so you forgot Me. I did this in order to make you remember Me. Power and position produce intoxication in men and Devas. They become haughty. They are rendered blind by power and position. If I wish to do favour to any one, I take away his powers and wealth. O Indra! Go to your celestial abode and do your duties in a satisfactory manner. Abandon pride completely. Follow my commandments. Try to realise constantly My presence. May you be happy!”

Lord Krishna has said,  "If I wish to do favour to any one, I take away his powers and wealth.". The devotees who actually progress well in Krishna consciousness, loose interest in worldly life. A good example would be Kakasaheb Dixit. He was very active in worldly life & was very rich. He had lot of name, fame & wealth. From the point of view of worldly people this is Bramha (i.e. goal of life). but it is really not so. On coming in contact with Sai baba, Kaka developed dispassion for worldly life. As a result his worldly name, fame, position & wealth declined. but his spiritual progress was rapid & thereby he achieved the goal of human birth.
      Had he continued with material progress, by indulging in the world, he would no doubt attained a very high position & plenty of opulence, but all this is temporary & ends with old age & death. Also your cycle of birth & death does not come to an end.   
      But for Kaka, what Lord Krishna has said actually happened & in the end he was free forever, by remembering Sai baba at the time of leaving his body.
Om Sai Ram
 

[SS91]

The whole Rasa Lila is pervaded by only pure divine love, or culmination of Bhakti. It is a sacred Yajna. The individual souls (Gopis) melt themselves in the Supreme Soul or Lord Krishna in their highest devotion. The two become one. It is the realisation of oneness of Vedanta through Para Bhakti. The relation between Sri Krishna and the Vraja Gopis was most sacred. There was not a tinge of carnality in it. Can there be a tinge of carnality in one who is the creator, preserver and destroyer of the three worlds who is the womb of all created beings, who is an embodiment of purity itself, who is the protector of Dharma and who is the world-teacher?

The Rasa Lila had for its object spiritual unification with the Lord. Absorption in the Lord or oneness, is only possible through pure love and love alone, which the Gopis of Brindavan had. The tie between Lord Krishna and the Gopis was divine love wherein there was not the least tinge of physical passion. The bond between Sri Krishna and the Gopis was the purest and holiest. The nature of divine love cannot be imagined by the worldly-minded persons, however intellectual they may be. A worldly man will always think of a man and a woman in terms of sex only, because his intellect is veiled, and the understanding is clouded. He may have an idea of this divine love to some extent, if he remembers of the love he bears towards his mother. Is this not free from carnality?

Lord Krishna desired to set Himself through His Yoga Maya, to guide his devotees to Truth through the pleasant form of Lila (sport). The Rasa Lila teaches how to conquer lust. The five chapters are intended to bring about a total disinclination to worldly matters.

It was an autumnal night. Lord Krishna sang the Kala songs and played on the flute at night on the banks of the Yamuna. There was charming moon-light. It delighted the hearts of the Gopis. They rushed forth to the place where their beloved Krishna was. They cast aside their household duties. Their minds were absorbed in Krishna.

Lord Krishna said, “Go back to your homes, look after your husbands, parents and children. The calves and your children are weeping. Devotion to husband is the one great religion for women.”

The Gopis replied, “O Lord! We have given up everything for Thy sake. We have sought Thy feet. Do not forsake us. Thou art Thyself the goal of all religious injunctions. Why should we care for husbands or sons, who are the source of misery, when we are attached to Thee—the constant source of happiness? Permit us to serve Thee.”

Lord Krishna was very much moved by their piteous appeals. He allowed them to stay. The Gopis became very proud on account of the company of the Lord. They thought that they were superior to all other people on earth. Lord Krishna suddenly disappeared in order to put down their pride.

The Gopis were very much afflicted in their heart. They searched for Krishna from forest to forest. They asked the trees and plants, the creepers, the earth and the deer, if they had seen their beloved.

Tears rained down their cheeks. All their thoughts were directed to Krishna. They talked of Krishna alone. They were full of Krishna. They began to play the different Lilas of Krishna. They went to the bank of the Yamuna and sang in a chorus about Krishna and prayed fervently for His return. These songs are as sweet as nectar. They are very touching.

Krishna appeared with a smiling face. The Gopis rejoiced. Their pangs of separation ceased.

Krishna said, “O Beloved Gopis! You have abandoned, for my sake, your husbands, children, relatives and friends. I disappeared for some time in order to make your love flow on steadily. You are my most beloved ones. I shall never be able to repay that love if I live for ever. You have formed a very pure and holy relation with me.”

Then Krishna danced with the Gopis. On either side of Him there was a Gopi, and there was a Krishna on either side of a Gopi. The Gopis formed a circle. Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, was between every two of them. Each of them felt that Krishna was near to her. What a great miracle! It is only the Omnipotent Lord who can do such a miracle of multiplying Himself! Does this not bespeak of the Omnipotence of the Lord! The sky became filled with hundreds of chariots of Devas with their consorts. They were eager to witness the scene. They sprinkled flowers from above. The Gandharvas sang the glory of Lord Krishna.

Radha or Radhika is the chief of the Gopis. She made Aradhana of Krishna. Radhika means literally one who makes Radhana or Aradhana (worship). She was an embodiment of love. Radha is an embodiment of Lord Krishna Himself. Radha and Krishna are inseparable like heat and tire.

[SS91]

By the Rasa Lila, Lord Krishna demonstrated that He is the real husband or friend. He is the Supreme Purusha in this body; He is the supporter, the enjoyer, the great Lord and the Supreme Self. (Gita: Chapter XIII-22). He is the manifestor of all the senses. He dwells in all beings. He Himself has taken the form of body, mind, Prana and the senses. He is the real actor and enjoyer. Even the minds of those who are turned away from the Lord are attracted towards the Lord by means of Sringara Rasa or love topics; hence the love topics of Sri Krishna. The people of Vraja never missed their wives from their side, through the Lord’s Yoga Maya. What a great miracle! One Gopi was forcibly detained at home by her people. Immediately she left her physical body and became one with the Lord. Does this not indicate that Krishna was a Superman or the Lord and that Gopis were not attached to the Lord by the bond of physical love? The Gopis were the greatest devotees of the Lord. They had reached the zenith of devotion by worshipping Him through Madhurya Bhava, the highest culmination of Bhakti.

Men who are immersed in the ocean of Samsara, whose minds are full of sex passion only, misunderstand the Lord, and find fault with the divine play, Rasa Lila.

Passion, as for a lover, is the highest form of love. The Lord should be loved as Radha loved Sri Krishna. Of all kinds of love, Radha’s love is famous in all our scriptures as the highest.

The three worlds cannot match Radha’s love. Radha left the Rasa dance in anger and wounded pride. Krishna left the circle of the Rasa dance of the Gopis and wandered through the forests mourning for Radha. When He could not find her He was much grieved. Thousands of Gopis could not satisfy Him. From this you can infer Radha’s merit.

Radha is an embodiment of Mahabhava or the highest emotion. The mystery of Rasa Lila cannot be understood by ordinary devotees. Only Sakhis or Gopis were blessed with the secrets of this Rasa. The Sakhis only were qualified for this. Bhaktas of Santa, Dasya and Vatsalya types hardly understand this. Those devotees who adore Krishna with Madhurya Bhava or Sakhi Bhava only can relish this Rasa.

Gopis love was not sexual passion. It was pure unselfish divine love. They did not wish for Krishna’s embrace, but they tried their level best to make Krishna embrace Radha. To achieve this end, they sent Krishna to Radha under many pretexts. By so doing they enjoyed a bliss hundred million times sweeter than of selfish enjoyment. Krishna was very much pleased, when He witnessed the pure, selfless love of the Gopis. The unselfish love of the Gopis intensified the Prema Rasa.

A Sakhi or Gopi did not at all wish to play with Krishna for her own enjoyment. She rejoiced heartily by inducing Krishna to embrace Radha. Radha is the creeper of the Love of Krishna. The Sakhis or Gopis represent the leaves, flowers and twigs of this creeper. If the nectar of dalliance with Krishna waters the creeper, the leaves, flowers and twigs rejoice in it hundred million times more than themselves if they had been watered.

If you want to gain Krishna, you must serve Him as a Gopi. You must adore Him with the mental attitude of a Gopi. The devotee who worships Krishna with a Gopi Bhava, enjoys the Madhurya Rasa.

The Rasa Lila should be enacted by pure-minded devotees only, in closed quarters for the select few who have devotion. Then only it will produce an indelible impression on the spectators and instil devotion in their hearts. Madhurya Bhava is the most sacred one.

Nowadays selfish people and false votaries with impure heart play the part of Krishna and Radha in open platforms for the sake of earning money. This will produce only a baneful influence on the minds of the spectators. People should not attend such Rasa Lilas. They should not encourage such people who do much harm to the public by broadcasting poison. He who is a slave to his body and who is a slave of lust, should not perform Rasa Lila even in his mind. If he does so, through ignorance, he is sure to be ruined. It is only Siva who could drink the poison that came out from the ocean of milk.

He who hears or recites this sacred play of Lord Krishna with the women of Vraja, will develop supreme devotion to the Lord and shake off easily in no time that disease of the heart called Kama or passion for women.

May you all perform Rasa Lila daily in the Brindavan of your heart, by melting the mind in the Lord, through intense Prema like that of the Vraja Gopis!

[SS91]

Rasa Lila
Govinda commenced Rasa or sportive dance with the devoted and worshipping Gopis who formed a circle with one another’s arms intertwined.

Then having stationed Himself between every two Gopis, Krishna, the Lord of all Yogas, commenced in that circle of Gopis the festive dance known as Rasa Lila with His arms about the neck of the adjacent Gopis. Every Gopi felt that her dearest Lord stood by her side.

The sky became filled with hundreds of chariots of Devas and their consorts. They were longing to witness the divine dance. Kettle-drums were sounded and there was a shower of flowers. The great Gandharvas and their wives began to sing Sri Krishna’s pure glory. Then the circle of Rasa dance was filled with the sounds of bracelets, bangles, anklets and small bells of the damsels enjoying the company of their beloved Lord. In the minds of those damsels, the glorious Lord, son of Vasudeva, shone with great brilliance and beauty like a large emerald at the centre of a garland of golden beads.

With their measured steps, with the graceful movements of their hands, with their bewitching smile with the lovely contraction and expansion of their eyebrows, with shaky bodies, with ear-rings rocking on their cheeks, with their moving locks of hair covering their foreheads, with drops of perspiration trickling down their face, and with the knots of their hair loosened, the Gopis began to sing. They appeared beautiful like flashes of lightning illuminating the blue clouds.

The Gopis were immensely delighted at the touch of Sri Krishna whose music filled the whole world. They sang in the highest pitch with great love.

A Gopi proceeded to sing in chorus with Krishna the notes of the gamut. She suddenly raised her voice to a higher pitch and sang beautifully. The Lord highly praised her by saying “well done, well done.” The Gopi, thus having been encouraged, raised her voice to Dhruva Tala. Krishna again honoured her.

Another Gopi got fatigued during her dance. The jasmine flowers began to drop from her braid, and her bracelets became loose on her wrists. She threw her arm round the neck of Sri Krishna and pressed Him close to her.

Another Gopi smelt on her shoulder Sri Krishna’s arms fragrant like lotus and smeared with sandal. She kissed it while the hair of her body stood on end out of ecstasy.

Another Gopi placed her cheek on Krishna’s cheek which was beautiful by the lustre of his ear-rings that were rocking on account of the movements of His body in dancing.

Another Gopi was dancing and singing by His side jingling the anklets at her feet. When she got fatigued, she pressed Sri Krishna’s comforting lotus-like palms to her bosom.

Thus the Gopis obtaining Achyuta, the beloved husband of Lakshmi, and being embraced by His arms, sang and danced with Him.

With the beauty of their face enhanced by the lilies on their ears, with their foreheads decorated with flowing locks, with drops of sweat on their face, the Gopis danced with the glorious Lord to the accompaniment of the music of their bangles and anklets in the court of Rasa, where the humming bees were the songsters.

Sri Krishna sported with the beautiful damsels, just as a child plays with image reflected in a mirror, delighting them by pressure of hand, affectionate glances, with winning laughs, and enchanting smiles.

O Parikshit! Their senses were overwhelmed with joy at the contact of the Lord’s person. The garlands of flowers and their ornaments were loosened and fell from their places. They were not able to keep their hair, clothes and vests in their proper places. At the sight of this wonderful Rasa of Lord Krishna, the celestial women were stricken with love and fainted. The moon of her retinue of stars stopped her course and stood in amazement.

Though the Lord always finds delight in Himself alone, yet He sported with the Gopis in playfulness, in as many forms as there were Gopis.

When the Gopis were greatly fatigued, the merciful Lord wiped the sweat off their faces with His auspicious hands.

The touch of Sri Krishna’s hand gave immense delight to the Gopis. They sang songs of His meritorious deeds and offered homage to the Lord with the splendour of their cheeks glowing with effulgent gold ear-rings and curly flowing locks, and with their delightful glances and smiles sweeter than nectar.

Then Lord Krishna entered into the waters of the Yamuna along with the Gopis in order to refresh Himself, just as a leader of an elephant-herd accompanied by the she-elephants plunges in the waters after having broken through the dams. The bees also followed Him singing His glories like great Gandharvas.

Thereafter Sri Krishna was sprinkled with water by those youthful Gopis who looked at Him affectionately and smilingly. The celestials showered flowers from their aerial cars and sang His praises. Thus the Lord who finds delight in His own Self sported in the Yamuna like the leader of elephants.

Then Sri Krishna came out of the water and entered the groves on the bank of the Yamuna surrounded by bees and the Gopis. He sported like an elephant with a pleasant breeze bearing the fragrance of the flowers of land water.

The full moon spread her bright and silvery rays all over the earth. The night exhibited all the pleasant features of autumnal season as depicted by poets. The Lord spent the nights, brilliant with moonlight, in the company of the devoted Gopis.

King Parikshit said: “O sage; the glorious Lord of the universe did incarnate Himself by a portion only to establish Dharma (righteousness) and uproot Adharma (unrighteousness). He is the author, the teacher and the defender of Dharma. He must set the example. How then did He choose to act against Dharma by making love with others’ wives and touching them? Bhagavan Sri Krishna is the Perfect Being. He has nothing to desire or gain. He has done what is detestable. Why did he perpetrate this unworthy act? What could be His idea? O holy sage! Please remove my doubt on this point.”

Suka Deva replied: “O King! Even the Lords of beings are seen now and then to violate Dharma and perform daring acts. But such acts do not affect those powerful beings. It does not become an evil act on the part of great spiritual beings. Fire consumes everything but remains untouched by their evils. It is ever pure.

“But the weak man who is not a master of his passions, who is a slave of his body should never think of such acts, far less perform them. If he does such acts through ignorance, he is sure to be destroyed, even as a man—except Rudra—meets with destruction having drunk poison. It is only Rudra who could drink the poison that came out of the ocean of milk.

“The utterances of those possessed of divine wisdom should be regarded as truth. Man’s conduct should be regulated according to them. Their deeds are only sometimes true. They lead an exceptional life which is governed by extraordinary considerations and unusual conditions. It is not meant always as an example for ordinary men. An intelligent man should act up to their words or precepts or teachings. They are meant for the good of people.

“Those who are free from egoism have nothing to gain by doing what is declared good, nor have anything to lose by doing an improper act or acting to the contrary.

“They live above good and evil, virtue and vice. When such is the case with those powerful beings, what is good and what is bad to Him who is the Lord of all beings? What wonder, the mortals and other lower animals and all that are fit to be ruled, will have nothing to do with pious and impious acts? How can the conduct of the Supreme Lord of the Universe be judged by the ordinary human standard of good and evil?

“By devotion to His feet and by power of Yoga, even sages are freed from the bonds of good and evil. They are not fettered by the consequences of their actions or ties of Karma. They act as they like. How then can any bondage be ascribed to the glorious Lord who has simply assumed a form at His own free will for the benefit of mankind?

“He is present in the hearts of the Gopis and their husbands and in the hearts of all other embodied beings. He is the Ruler of all things. He assumed a body only for His Lila or sporting. He assumed a human form for bestowing His grace on His devotees and exhibited those sports, the hearing of which creates devotion in man towards Him.

“O Parikshit! The men of Vraja never indeed found fault with Sri Krishna, because they were kept spell-bound by the Lord’s supreme power (Yoga Maya) and found their wives always by their side.”

The night came to its close. The dawn was approaching. The Gopis who were devoted to their Lord reluctantly went back to their respective abodes as desired by Sri Krishna.

He who faithfully listens to, or recites, or expounds, this sportful play of Sri Krishna with the women of Vraja, obtains intense devotion to the Lord, attains wisdom and very soon gets freed from the disease of the heart known as lust. He quickly destroys his desires that are the maladies of the mind. He subdues his self and is freed from all ills that affect his heart. He annihilates the sensual impulse for ever.