Krsna Book Chapter 33 - Description of the Rasa Dance: Difference between revisions
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Latest revision as of 15:26, 25 June 2017
Pages in category "Krsna Book Chapter 33 - Description of the Rasa Dance"
The following 140 pages are in this category, out of 140 total.
A
- A dance in the midst of many girls is called a rasa dance. So Krsna began to dance among the most beautiful and fortunate girls within the three worlds. The gopis of Vrndavana, who were so attracted to Him, danced with Krsna, hand in hand
- Above that wonderful dance flew many airplanes carrying the denizens of the heavenly planets, who were very eager to see the wonderful dance of Krsna with the gopis
- According to Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, the rasa dance was performed during the long period of Brahma's night, but the gopis could not understand that. In order to fulfill their desire, Krsna extended the night to cover such a great period of time
- Actually the whole world is full of Krsna's singing, but it is appreciated in different ways by different kinds of living entities. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita: ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham (BG 4.11)
- After the rasa dance was over, the night (the night of Brahma, a very, very long period, as mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita) turned into the brahma-muhurta. The brahma-muhurta takes place about one and a half hours before sunrise
- After this, Lord Krsna and the gopis came out of the water and began to stroll along the bank of the Yamuna, where a nice breeze was blowing, carrying the aroma of different kinds of flowers over the water and land
- Also, when the gopis first came to Him, He gave instructions to them to return to their homes. To call the wives of other persons or young girls & enjoy dancing with them is certainly abominable according to the Vedas. Why should Krsna have done this?
- An ordinary person engaged in his occupational duty, like Arjuna, should execute his duty for the satisfaction of Krsna; that is within his power. Arjuna was a fighter, and Krsna wanted him to fight for His satisfaction
- And by accepting those betel nuts (from krsna), the gopis spiritually advanced
- Another important point is that none of the gopis who danced with Krsna were in their material bodies. They danced with Krsna in their spiritual bodies. All their husbands thought that their wives were sleeping by their side
- Another word Maharaja Pariksit used when he addressed Sukadeva Gosvami is suvrata, which means to take a vow to enact pious activities. Sukadeva Gosvami was an educated brahmacari, and under the circumstances it was not possible for him to indulge in sex
- Another word used here is apta-kama. Some may take it for granted that Krsna was very lusty among young girls, but Pariksit Maharaja said that this was not possible. He could not be lusty
- Anu means "following", and anu also means "always." So one must always follow the disciplic succession and not hear from any stray professional reciter, whether a Mayavadi or an ordinary man
- Anusrnuyat means that one must hear from an authorized person who is in the disciplic succession and is always engaged in Krsna consciousness
- Arjuna agreed, although at first he was not willing to fight. Duties are required for ordinary persons. They should not jump up and try to imitate Krsna and indulge in rasa-lila and thus bring about their ruin
- As Krsna was taking pleasure in the joking words and splashing water, the demigods in the heavenly planets showered flowers
- As pure devotees, the more the gopis enjoyed Krsna’s company, the more they became enlightened with His glories, and thus they reciprocated with Him. They wanted to satisfy Krsna by glorifying His transcendental pastimes
- As soon as Krsna asked them (gopis) to go home, they immediately left & returned home. Sukadeva Gosvami concludes this episode of the rasa-lila by pointing out that if a person hears from the right source about the pastimes of Krsna, who is Visnu Himself
- As stated in the Brahma-samhita, all these gopis are expansions of Krsna's pleasure potency. Touching their bodies with His hands & looking at their pleasing eyes, He enjoyed the gopis as a child enjoys playing with the reflection of his body in a mirror
- As the gopis & Krsna danced together, a very blissful musical sound was produced from the tinkling of their bells, ornaments & bangles. It appeared that Krsna was a greenish sapphire locket in the midst of a golden necklace decorated with valuable stones
B
- Bhaktim param devotional service is so potent that the more one advances in this line, the more he loses his attraction for material life
- Both the gopis and Krsna forgot their real identities, playing in the water, enjoying each other's company and relieving the fatigue of rasa dancing. The gopis began to splash water on the body of Krsna, all the while smiling, and Krsna enjoyed this
E
- Even if He (Krsna) were lusty, He doesn’t need to take help from others to satisfy His lusty desires. The next point is that, although not lusty Himself, He might have been seduced by the lusty desires of the gopis
- Every other living entity is forced to accept a certain type of body by his previous actions. But when Krsna appears, He always appears in a body that is not forced upon Him by the action of His past deeds
H
- Having taken birth in that family (dynasty of the Yadus), how could Krsna have been seduced, even by the gopis? It is concluded, therefore, that it was not possible for Krsna to do anything abominable
- He (Krsna) is also the supreme controller of material nature; therefore, He has nothing to do with religious or irreligious principles
- He (Krsna) is the guide of all living entities, as is confirmed in the Katha Upanisad: nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. The Supersoul directs the individual soul to act, and the Supersoul is the actor and witness of all action
- He (Krsna) is the supreme controller of all living entities, whether in human society, in demigod society in the heavenly planets, or in lower forms of life
- He can persuade his followers to falsely imitate the rasa dance, but he is unable to lift Govardhana Hill. We have many experiences in the past of Mayavadi rascals who delude their followers by posing themselves as Krsna in order to enjoy rasa-lila
- He is the author of the Vedanta philosophy, & He knows the Vedanta philosophy perfectly well. The so-called Vedantists & Mayavadis cannot understand Krsna as He is; they simply mislead their followers imitating the actions of Krsna in an unauthorized way
- His (Krsna's) body is a vehicle for His transcendental pleasure pastimes, which are enacted by His internal potency. He has no obligation to the laws of karma
- How they (the Mayavadis) should hear and from whom is also explained by Sukadeva Gosvami. The difficulty is that the whole world is full of Mayavadis
I
- If any ordinary person tries to imitate Lord Siva by drinking poison or smoking ganja, he is sure to be vanquished and will die within a very short time. Lord Sri Krsna's dealings with the gopis occurred under special circumstances
- If one hears ( the rasa-lila) from the right sources with the right understanding, then his situation will be different
- If one who is advanced explains (discussion of the rasa-lila) and people hear from him, certainly the hearers will be gradually elevated to the position of Krsna consciousness and liberated from materially contaminated life
- In his (prakrta-sahajiyas) statement, Maharaja Pariksit has used several important words which require clarification. The first word, jugupsitam, means "abominable"
- In many instances they (the Mayavadis) were checked by the government, arrested and punished. In Orissa, Thakura Bhaktivinoda punished a so-called incarnation of Visnu who was imitating the rasa-lila with young girls
- In one night, therefore, they (the gopis) enjoyed the company of Krsna as their beloved husband, but that night was not an ordinary night
- In order to clear up further misconceptions about the rasa dance and the affairs of Krsna and the gopis, Maharaja Pariksit, the hearer of Srimad-Bhagavatam, told Sukadeva Gosvami
- In order to establish this fact (the rasa dance is spiritual), Krsna, the supreme mystic, expanded Himself into many forms and stood beside each gopi. Placing His hands on the shoulders of the gopis on both sides of Him, He began to dance in their midst
- In order to show them special favor, Krsna exhibited this rasa-lila dance. It is to captivate the conditioned soul. Since they are very much attracted by sex, they can enjoy the same life with Krsna & thus become liberated from the material condition
- In special cases, He (Krsna) acts as He likes to favor His devotees. This is possible only for Him, because He is the supreme controller
- In the Bhagavad-gita the Lord clearly says that whenever He appears He does so by His internal potency; He is not forced to accept a body by the laws of karma, like an ordinary living entity
- In the Second Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Maharaja Pariksit also explains that the pastimes and activities of Lord Krsna are medicine for the conditioned souls. If they simply hear about Krsna, they become relieved of the material disease
- In this way they (the great sages & devotees) also do not become subject to the laws of pleasure and pain in the modes of material nature. How, then, is it possible for Krsna, who appears by His own internal potency, to be subjected to the laws of karma?
- It (Krsna's sex desire) was, as clearly stated in the Bhagavata description by Sukadeva Gosvami, avaruddha-saurata - the sex impulse was completely controlled
- It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita that Krsna is present in everyone’s heart and that from Him come all knowledge, remembrance and forgetfulness. He is the original person to be known by Vedic knowledge
- It is not possible for Him (Krsna) to act irreligiously. He is transcendental to all religious duties and principles. He is untouched by the modes of material nature
- It is recommended that one should rise from bed at that time and, after finishing daily ablutions, take to spiritual activities by performing mangala-arati and chanting the Hare Krsna mantra
- It was a night of Brahma, and lasted millions and millions of years. Everything is possible for Krsna, for He is the supreme controller
K
- Krsna is dancing, and every living entity is also dancing, but there is a difference between the dancing in the spiritual world and that in the material world
- Krsna is the supreme person, the whole spirit, and He danced with the spiritual bodies of the gopis. There is therefore no reason to accuse Krsna in any way
- Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all masters, & the gopis wanted to worship Him for His unusual exhibition of mercy upon them. The gopis & Krsna entered the water of the Yamuna just to relieve their fatigue from the rasa dance
- Krsna said to the gopis, "It is impossible to repay you or show enough gratitude for your love; therefore please be satisfied by your own pious activities"
- Krsna's lifting of Govardhana Hill and His killing of great demons like Putana are all obviously extraordinary activities. Similarly, the rasa dance is also an uncommon activity and cannot be imitated by any ordinary man
- Krsna's rasa dance should never be compared to any kind of material dance, such as a ball dance or a society dance. The rasa dance is a completely spiritual performance
- Krsna, the Supersoul of everyone, is already within the body of everyone; therefore if He sees someone or embraces someone there is no question of impropriety
- Krsna’s hand, as well as the breasts of the gopis, are eternally auspicious; therefore when they combined, both of them became spiritually enhanced
L
- Living entities are dancing under the direction of Krsna's maya & are thinking that they are equal to Krsna. This is not a fact. In KC, this misconception is absent, for a person in KC knows that Krsna is the supreme master & everyone else is servant
- Lord Ramacandra gave them the benediction that their desires would be fulfilled when He would appear as Krsna. Therefore the desire of the gopis to enjoy the appearance of Lord Krsna was long cherished
M
- Maharaja Pariksit said, "I am simply surprised that He would act in such a way, enjoying the company of others' wives in the dead of night." This statement of Maharaja Pariksit's was very much appreciated by Sukadeva Gosvami
- Maharaja Pariksit said, "Krsna appeared on the earth to establish the regulative principles of religion and to curb the predominance of irreligion. But the behavior of Krsna and the gopis might encourage irreligious principles in the material world"
- Maharaja Pariksit then used another word, yadu-pati, which indicates that Krsna is the most exalted personality in the dynasty of the Yadus. The kings in the dynasty of Yadu were considered to be the most pious, and their descendants were also like that
- Maharaja Pariksit understood the total situation from Sukadeva Gosvami, yet to further clarify the transcendental nature of Krsna and the gopis in the rasa dance, he expressed his surprise
- Maharaja Pariksit was in doubt as to why Krsna acted in that way. What was the real purpose?
- Material lust is a kind of heart disease, and to cure the material heart disease of the conditioned soul, it is recommended that one should hear, but not from the impersonalist rascals
- Most of the gopis in their previous lives were great sages, expert in the study of the Vedas, and when Lord Krsna appeared as Lord Ramacandra they wanted to enjoy with Him
O
- One has to dance to please Krsna, not to imitate or attempt to become equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The gopis wanted to please Krsna, and therefore as Krsna sang, they responded and encouraged Him by saying “Well done! Well done!"
- One may also argue that since Krsna is the supreme authority, His activities should be followed. In answer to this argument, Sukadeva Gosvami has very clearly said that the isvara, or supreme controller, may sometimes violate His own instructions
- One may ask how this was possible, and Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura reminds us that Krsna, although bound by a small rope, could show His mother the whole universe within His mouth. How was this possible?
- One should know with certainty that Krsna had no personal interest in whatever He did for the benediction of the gopis. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, na mam karmani limpanti: (BG 4.14) Krsna never enjoys or suffers the results of His activities
- One who actually hears the rasa-lila will become completely freed from the lusty desire of sex life and elevated to the highest level of spiritual understanding
- One who has developed his faith in Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Spirit Soul, can both describe and hear the rasa-lila. Sukadeva also uses the word anusrnuyat. One must hear from the disciplic succession
- One who is actually deriving benefit from hearing the rasa-lila dance surely achieves the transcendental position. He surely loses all traces of lust in his heart
S
- Sex desire is especially excited in the autumn season, but the wonderful thing about Krsna's association with the gopis is that there was no question of sex desire
- So they approached goddess Katyayani to have Krsna as their husband. There are many other circumstances which also testify to the supreme authority of Krsna and show that He is not bound by the rules and regulations of the material world
- Some ask that if Krsna is self-sufficient, why did He at all manifest the pastimes with the gopis, which are disturbing to the so-called moralists of the world? The answer is that such activities show special mercy to the fallen, conditioned souls
- Sometimes they (the gopis) presented beautiful music for His (Krsna's) pleasure, and He responded by praising their singing
- Srila Sukadeva Gosvami has remarked that Krsna is self-sufficient - He is atmarama. He doesn’t need anyone else for His satisfaction. Because the gopis wanted Krsna as their husband, He fulfilled their desire
- Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura points out that according to the Bhagavad-gita, Brahma’s day and Brahma’s night are periods of solar years expanding to 4,300,000 multiplied by 1,000
- Srimad-Bhagavatam thus describes the beauty of the gopis while they were rasa dancing with Krsna. There were lotus flowers over both their ears, and their faces were decorated with sandalwood pulp
- Such persons who claim to be equal with Krsna and indulge in rasa-lila create a dangerous situation for the people in general. Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was already present as the Supersoul within the bodies of the gopis & their husbands
- Sukadeva Gosvami concludes that the great sages and devotees, who are washed clean of all conditioned life, can move freely even within the contamination of material nature by keeping Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, within their hearts
- Sukadeva Gosvami has used the word sraddhanvita for one who is trained in spiritual life. Sraddha, or faith, is the beginning
- Sukadeva Gosvami uses two specific words, bhaktim and param. Bhaktim param means execution of devotional service above the neophyte stage. Those who are simply attracted to temple worship but do not know the philosophy of bhakti are in the neophyte stage
- Sukadeva Gosvami warned that the conditioned followers, who are not actually in control, should never even imagine imitating the uncommon activities of the controller - Krsna
T
- That sort of bhakti is not the perfectional stage. The perfectional stage of bhakti, or devotional service, is completely free from material contamination. The most dangerous aspect of contamination is lust, or sex life
- The answer anticipates the abominable acts of the Mayavadi impersonalists who place themselves in the position of Krsna and enjoy the company of young girls and women
- The answer is that He (Krsna) can do anything for the pleasure of His devotees. Similarly, because the gopis wanted to enjoy Krsna, they were given the opportunity to associate with Him for a long period. This was done according to His promise
- The bumblebees were humming about in order to get honey from the flowers. Krsna and the gopis entered the water of the Yamuna just as an elephant enters a water tank with his many female companions
- The demigods thus praised the superexcellent rasa dance of Krsna, the supreme enjoyer, and His pastimes with the gopis in the water of the Yamuna
- The earrings of the gopis, their cheeks, their hair with flowers - as they sang and danced these combined to appear like clouds, thunder, snow and lightning. Krsna's bodily features appeared just like a group of clouds
- The first doubt of Maharaja Pariksit: First of all, from the material calculation He (Krsna) was only eight years old. At that age a boy cannot be lusty. Apta-kama means that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is self-satisfied
- The Gandharvas and Kinnaras began to sing, and, accompanied by their respective wives, all the Gandharvas began to shower flowers on the dancers
- The gopis are expansions of His internal energy, but because Krsna wanted to exhibit the rasa-lila, they appeared as ordinary human beings. In the material world, pleasure is ultimately manifested in the sex attraction between man and woman
- The gopis became completely relieved of the great suffering of separation, not only by hearing the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead but also by touching His hands and legs. After this, the Supreme Personality of Godhead began His rasa dance
- The gopis became tired after long singing & dancing. Krsna was dancing beside them, & to alleviate their fatigue they took Sri Krsna’s hand & placed it on their raised breasts
- The gopis so enjoyed the company of Krsna, the husband of the goddess of fortune, that they forgot that they had any other husbands in the world, and upon being embraced by the arms of Krsna and dancing and singing with Him, they forgot everything
- The gopis' songs were like thunder, their beauty appeared to be just like lightning in the sky, and the drops of perspiration visible on their faces appeared like falling snow. In this way, the gopis and Krsna fully engaged in dancing
- The gopis, who are expansions of His (Krsna's) energy, then he will be relieved of the most dangerous type of disease, namely lust
- The lily-flower garlands around the necks of the gopis were strewn to pieces due to the gopis' embracing the body of Krsna, and the flowers were reddish from being smeared with the kunkuma on their breasts
- The man lives simply to be attracted by women, and the woman lives simply to be attracted by men. That is the basic principle of material life. As soon as these attractions are combined, people become more and more implicated in material existence
- The Mayavadi monist must accept a certain type of body, being forced by the laws of nature; therefore, his claim to being one with Krsna, or God, is only theoretical
- The mystic expansions of Krsna were not perceived by the gopis because Krsna appeared alone to each of them. Each gopi thought that Krsna was dancing with her alone
- The necks of the gopis became tinted with red due to their desire to enjoy Krsna more and more. To satisfy them, Krsna began to clap His hands in time with their singing
- The rasa-lila dance cannot be imitated by anyone. Sukadeva Gosvami warns that one should not even think of imitating it. He specifically mentions that if, out of foolishness, one tries to imitate Krsna’s rasa dance, he will be killed
- The so-called husbands of the gopis were already enamored with the influence of the external energy of Krsna; so by dint of this very energy they could not understand that their wives had gone to dance with Krsna
- The sun can absorb water from a urinal or from stool, and the sun is not polluted; rather, due to the influence of the sunshine, the polluted, contaminated place becomes disinfected and sterilized
- Their (the gopis) hair and garments became scattered, and their ornaments loosened as they forgot themselves in the company of Krsna
- There is a distinction between Lord Krsna's dancing with the gopis and the ordinary dancing of living entities within the material world
- There were many complaints against the so-called incarnation. At that time Bhaktivinoda Thakura was a magistrate, and the government deputed him to deal with that rascal, and he punished him very severely
- They (the gopis) became filled with attraction for Him (Krsna), and they began to kiss Him. Some gopis touched Krsna cheek to cheek, and Krsna began to offer them chewed betel nuts from His mouth, which they accepted with great pleasure by kissing
- They (the gopis) were overjoyed by the auspicious touch of the hand of Krsna. Their smiling cheeks shone with beauty, and they began to sing the glories of Krsna with transcendental pleasure
- They are addicted to material enjoyment and are accustomed to reading sex literature, but by hearing these transcendental pastimes of Krsna with the gopis, they will be relieved of material contamination
- They wore tilaka, and there were drops of perspiration on their smiling mouths. From their feet came the tinkling sound of ankle bells and bangles. The flowers within their hair were falling to the lotus feet of Krsna, and He was very satisfied
- This (the supreme controller, may sometimes violate His own instructions) is possible only for the controller Himself, not for the followers. Unusual and uncommon activities by the controller can never be imitated
- This (to further clarify the transcendental nature of Krsna and the gopis in the rasa dance) is very important in order to check the unrestricted association with women by the prakrta-sahajiyas
- This is expressed by the author of the Caitanya-caritamrta, who says that the master dancer is Krsna and everyone else is His servant. Everyone is trying to imitate Krsna's dancing
- This is strictly prohibited for brahmacaris, and what to speak of a brahmacari like Sukadeva Gosvami. But because the circumstances of the rasa dance were very suspect, Maharaja Pariksit inquired for clarification from Sukadeva Gosvami
- This period is very convenient for the execution of spiritual activities. When that auspicious moment arrived, Krsna asked the gopis to leave. Although His beloveds were not willing to quit His company, they were very obedient to Him
- Those who are actually in Krsna consciousness respond rightly to the dancing of Krsna: they do not try to dance independently. But those in the material world try to imitate Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- Thus hearing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, speaking to pacify them, the gopis became very much pleased
- Transgressions of religious principles by the supreme controller testify to His great power. For example, fire can consume any abominable thing; that is the manifestation of the supremacy of fire
W
- What then is the basis of accusing Krsna of dancing with others’ wives? The bodies of the gopis, which were their husbands’, were lying in bed, but the spiritual parts and parcels of Krsna were dancing with Him
- When a person hears the rasa-lila in this way, the effect will be sure: he will be elevated to the highest position of spiritual life
- When Krsna saw that the gopis were tired from dancing with Him, He immediately began to wipe His hands over their faces so that their fatigue would be relieved. In order to reciprocate the kind hospitality of Krsna, the gopis began to look at Him lovingly
- When Krsna stole the garments of the gopis while they were taking a bath at Ciraghata on the Yamuna, He promised to fulfill their desire in some future night
- When Krsna touched the different parts of their (the gopis) bodies, the gopis felt surcharged with spiritual energy. They could not adjust their loosened clothes, although they tried to keep them adjusted properly
- When some of the gopis became very tired from dancing and moving their bodies, they placed their hands on the shoulders of Sri Krsna. Then their hair loosened and flowers fell to the ground
- When they (the gopis) placed their hands on Krsna's shoulder they became overwhelmed by the fragrance of His body, which emanated from the lotus, other aromatic flowers and the pulp of sandalwood
- When they (the Mayavadis) become professional reciters of Srimad-Bhagavatam, and when people, without knowing the effect of the Mayavada philosophy, hear from such persons, they become confused
- While Krsna & the gopis danced, they displayed extraordinary bodily features. The movements of their legs, their placing their hands on one another, the movements of their eyebrows, their smiling, the movements of the breasts of the gopis & their clothes
- While Krsna was enjoying the company of the gopis in the rasa dance, the astonished demigods and their wives gathered in the sky. The moon, being afflicted with a sort of lust, began to watch the dance and became stunned with wonder
- While strolling on the bank of the Yamuna, Krsna recited various kinds of poetry. He thus enjoyed the company of the gopis in the soothing moonlight of autumn