SRI KRISHNA LEELAMRUTHAM (THE NECTARINE STORIES OF THE DEEDS OF LORD KRISHNA)

 29. THE ONSET OF RASA DANCE

Lord Sri Krishna, the most beautiful of the entire Universe!

The word "Rasa" refers to aesthetics or gorgeousness and "Lila" refers to play or an act. Therefore "Rasalila" refers to the play of gorgeousness. It is a divine dance of love. Rasalila took place in sharat season on a full moon night. When Rasalila was commenced, Lord Krishna was eight years old. As He promised the Gopis that He would sport with them, He thought of fulfilling their dream. Lord Krishna was wearing beautiful garlands, His forehead had Tilaka, His smile was as sweet as honey, His eyes resembled lotus flower, at one end of the crown He had bunch of peacock feather and He began to play the enchanted music of the flute. The forest was so magnificent and the living entities like animals and birds were stuck without doing any activity and the non living entities were shivered with ecstasy. On hearing the enchanted music of flute playing by Lord Muraari, the Gopis hurriedly came to the spot where He was standing. Some Gopis were engaged in household work, some were fulfilling their husband's desires, some were taking meals, some were serving food to their family members, some Gopis didn't take down the boiling milk from oven, some Gopis put on the clothes half finished, some were decorating themselves. They didn't bother about the material activities and they rushed to the spot where Lord Muraari was playing flute. They hurriedly came with works and engagements half finished. While they were running, their large earrings moved to and fro. Though they came half finished, they looked so gorgeous than any others. 

Gopis rushed to come to the spot where Lord Muraari was present

 

Lord Krishna is the Lord of Gopis. In olden days, girls were married at a very young age and at the age of twelve years, they began to give births to their babies. So these Gopis were very young and their husbands, their brothers and family members would restrict them not to meet Krishna. But still Gopis would meet Lord Krishna. When the Gopis suddenly heard the enchanted music of flute, they hurried themselves and ran from their houses. Their family members were stuck that where these Gopis going. At last, they left all the material engagements and came to see the Supreme personality of Godhead. As Lord Krishna is the Supreme controller of all living entities, He very well knew the love of Gopis towards Him. On seeing the Gopis, Lord Krishna uttered, "O My dear Gopis! You are such a pure girls. You have left all other engagements and works only to see Me! Tell Me what can I do for You?  What is the objective of coming here at the midnight in this forest?". The Gopis were still looking at Lord Sri Krishna. Lord Muraari continued, "And one thing, this forest is so dangerous at the midnight. The fierce animals are roaming here and there, the wolves are making fearful sounds. I think staying in the forest at the midnight is not safety for sure. That's what I can say. Your family members will be searching for you. Because you are such a beautiful young ladies. Kindly take my words and return to your houses immediately. Don't delay by standing here". Despite Lord Krishna told them to return to their houses, Gopis were still prettily smiling at Him. When Lord Muraari saw their beautiful faces, He said, "I can understand that you people so haphazardly hurried only to see Me. But staying midnight in the forest is not safe. To serve husbands and family members is foremost important for a woman. You should not leave them without help and support. O Gopis! you may hear My beautiful activities and qualities, by seeing Me when you are engaged in meditation and by singing hymns in the name of Me rather than living near to Me. So I request you all to go to your respective houses right now". When Gopis heard the utterance of Lord Sri Krishna, they became frustrated.

Gopis were depressed on hearing the words uttered by Lord Muraari

At that time, tears came from their lotus like eyes. They bowed their heads and were seeing the ground instead of His charming face as they couldn't enjoy with the Lord. They were very sad and they began to draw curves with their toes on the ground. While they were crying, their decorations were washed from their faces. They began to look the forest instead of seeing His face. Gopis uttered, "O our beloved Krishna! You are the most beautiful of the entire universe and world! To enjoy with You, we have rushed to see You with all our works half finished. You are quite right that a woman should be helping and supporting her husband, her children and her family members. But according to us, You are the supreme Master, the real love, the purest form, the Absolute Truth, our relative and our adorable husband. We have anything other than Your lotus feet in our thoughts. For Your utterance, we are unable to scold You even a single word as You are the most dearest to us! The material sources are all temporary. But not You! Thus You are the Absolute Truth. Our hearts were already stolen by You. Now how can we return to vraja? We won't wish to occupy Sri Laksmi's position but we wish to be your ever lasting maidservants. Kindly accept us as Your maidservants! By looking at Your magnificence, we forgot ourselves and we wish to be with You forever. You are the form of Lord Narayana Himself! Lord Narayana often used to fulfill the desires of His dearest ones. So, Kindly fulfill our desires too! We would like to enjoy with You, dance with You the whole night and forever, eat with You and play with You. Please understand us and accept us Krishna!". On hearing their soothing utterances, Lord Krishna began to smile so charmingly and granted them the desire of sporting with Him. The faces of Gopis became hundred times beautiful while they were smiling. 

The onset of Rasalila

Lord Krishna multiplied Himself and began to dance with Gopis as per their desire. They sang the glories of the Supreme Lord. It resembled each star accompanied with a moon. Here, Lord Muraari's appearance is compared with moon and Gopis are compared with stars. He began to sport with them by dancing, eating, singing and laughing with them. They gradually came to the cool sands of river Yamuna when dancing. The lilies in the river blossomed beautifully and there was a cool breeze. Being with the Supreme personality of Godhead, their impurities were vanished and He enlightened their eternal souls with purest form. This Rasalila took place in Vamseevata in Vrindavan. When Lord Krishna was adorably sporting with the Gopis, they were so happy and excited with pride. They had pride that the Supreme God was dancing and sporting with them. Due to this, the Gopis thought that they were supreme to all women in the world. As Lord Krishna controls the senses of His dearest ones, He perceived their arrogance and also their huge pride. Perceiving this, Lord Madhava suddenly disappeared from the spot. In order to put a limit to their pride and to shower causeless mercy upon them, He disappeared during Rasalila.

CONCLUSION:

Rasalila is not like an ordinary dance. It is the dance of divine love between the Supreme Lord and the Gopis. Ordinary dance only happens with material bodies while Rasalila happens with spiritual existence. The material world which we are living is a part of reflection of the spiritual world like a reflection of a banyan tree in the river. Here the banyan tree is considered as the spiritual world where as the reflection seen in the river is the material world. One should immerse in the consciousness of Lord Muraari devoid the material consciousness which are not permanent. In this story, the Gopis left all the other works half finished and hurriedly came to the spot where Lord Krishna was present. This shows the divine oneness of the eternal soul and the Super Soul as every soul is a parcel or product of of the Supreme personality of Godhead. One can see God when they have unshakable eagerness to see Him. But when a person is subjected to have a great pride because of worshiping the Supreme God, He won't stay in their hearts until or unless they give up all material pride and prestige.

   

WILL LORD MURAARI COME AND CONSOLES GOPIS?

TO BE CONTINUED.......