Canto 10 - Chapter 33: A Description of the Rasa Play

Discourse XXXIII

A Description of the Rāsa Play

Śrī Śuka began again : Hearing thus the bewitching words of the Lord, the cowherd women cast off the agony caused by their separation (from Him), their desire having been fulfilled through the (thrilling) touch of His divine personality (the embodiment of Bliss). (1)
Accompanied by those jewels among women (so) devoted and affectionate towards Him, who stood (in a circle) with their arms interlocked, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the Protector of cows) inaugurated His (celebrated) Rāsa-Play* on the aforesaid spot (the sandy bank of the Yamunā). (2)

• In the Nātya-Śastra (the well-known manual on histrionics attributed to the sage Bharata) we come across the following definition of Rāsa:—
  "Rāsa is the name of a particular dance carried on by a number of women dancing in a circle with their hands interlocked in the company of men who dance with them with their arms placed round the neck of their female partners.

(Now) commenced duly the festive dance of Rāsa adorned with the circle of the aforesaid Gopis standing with their necks encircled by (the arms of) Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Master of Yoga (inconceivable powers), who (appeared to have) introduced Himself (in so many identical forms) between every two Gopis, and whom those (cowherd) women imagined to be by their own side. Presently the firmament was thronged with hundreds of aerial cars of heavenly beings, who were accompanied by their consorts and whose mind had been carried away by curiosity (in the form of a longing to behold Śrī Kṛṣṇa). (3-4)
Then sounded kettle-drums (beaten by heavenly beings), showers of flowers fell, and the chiefs of Gandharvas sang His immaculate glory in chorus with their spouses. (5)
There arose a confused din produced by (the jingling of) bangles and anklets and (the tinkling of) tiny bells attached to the girdle of the cowherd women joined with their beloved Lord in that ring of Rāsa dancers. (6)
There in the company of those girls Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the Son of Devakī) shone exceedingly bright like a large emerald* strung in the midst of (every two) gold beads. (7)
With their (measured) treads, the motions of their hands, the playful movements of their eye-brows, accompanied with (graceful) smiles, bending waists, shaking breasts and fluttering skirts of their garments, ear-rings rocking against their cheeks, perspiring faces, and their braids and girdles loosened (on account of their swift movement) and celebrating the Lord in song, the aforesaid darlings of Śrī Kṛṣṇa shone brightly like flashes of lightning in a mass of clouds. (8)
Engaged in dancing and delighted with the touch of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Gopis—whose voice was sweetened with love, (nay,) whose (sole) delight was loving devotion (to Śrī Kṛṣṇa) and whose music filled (the whole of) this universe—sang at the pitch of their voice. (9)
Singing in chorus with Śrī Kṛṣṇa a certain Gopī (Viśākhā) struck at a high pitch notes (altogether) different (from those of Śrī Kṛṣṇa) and was applauded by the latter—who felt (much) delighted (by her performance)—in the words, "Well done !", "Bravo !". Another girl (presumably Lalitā) reproduced the same tune at the top of her voice according to the measure of time technically known by the name of Dhruvapada (Dhrupad) and the Lord showed abundant regard to her (for her excellent performance). (10)
Fully tired by the Rāsa dance, another Gopī (probably Śrī Rādhā) clasped with her arm the shoulder of Śrī Kṛṣṇa (who was no other than Lord Viṣṇu, and) who stood by her side, her bangles slipping (from her wrists) and jasmine flowers dropping (from her braid due to langour). (11)
Smelling the arm—emitting the fragrance of a water-lily and smeared with sandal, paste and resting on one of her shoulders—of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, (yet) another of those Gopīs (Śyāmalā) kissed it, so it is said, the hair on her body standing on end (due to joy). (12)
To a certain Gopī (presumably Śaibyā) who united with His cheek her own lit up with the lustre of her ear-ring tossed by the dance, the Lord gave His half-chewed betel.(13)
Fatigued while dancing and singing with her anklets and girdle jingling (with the movement of her feet), another (Gopī, most probably Bhadrā), pressed to her bosom the soothing lotus-like palm of Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the immortal Lord) standing beside her.(14)

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa is said to possess the hue of the sapphire. Here He has been likened to an emerald apparently due to His colour being blended with the golden hue of the Gopis and thus appearing green rather than cerulean

Having thus secured Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the immortal Lord), the only Beloved of Śrī (the goddess of beauty and prosperity), as their Darling, and celebrating Him in song, the Gopīs sported (with Him), their necks encircled by His arms. (15)
The cowherd women—the charm of whose face was heightened by the water-lilies adorning their ears, cheeks graced with their (curly) locks and drops of sweat (glistening on their forehead)—danced with the Lord, keeping time by (the jingling of) bangles, anklets and girdle, that served as (so many) musical instruments, the garlands dropping from their braids, in that assembly of Rāsa dancers, where (humming) black bees played the role of songsters (all other music—both vocal and instrumental—having stopped due to the Gopīs being exhausted). (16)
Thus by embracing them, touching them with His hands, casting loving glances at them, making unrestrained amorous gestures and laughing heartily, Śrī Kṛṣṇa (who was no other than Lord Viṣṇu, the Spouse of Rāmā) sported with those lovely women of Vraja (even) as an infant would play with its own reflections (seen through a set of mirrors). (17)
Their senses overwhelmed with excessive joy caused by contact with His (Divine) person and their garlands and ornaments loosened, the women of Vraja were not able to adjust as before their (unsettled) locks, scarf or (even) their brassiere, O jewel of the Kurus. (18)
Smitten with love to witness the amorous sport of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the celestial ladies (too) fainted and the moon-god alongwith his retinue (viz., the twenty-seven Nakṣatras or lunar mansions) felt amazed (with the result that his progress in the heavens was arrested alongwith that of the other planets and the night extended to an inordinate length). (19)
Sportfully revealing Himself in as many forms as there were cowherd women, the aforesaid Lord delightfully spent His time with (each of) them (individually in different forms), though revelling in His own Self. (20)
With His most blissful hand, O dear Parikṣit, the compassionate Lord lovingly wiped the faces of those girls, fatigued (as they were) by over-exertion in dancing. (21)
Offering worship to the Supreme Person with the splendour of their cheeks, heightened by the lustre of their brilliant gold ear-rings and curly locks, as well as with their nectar-like smiles and glances and enraptured by the (thrilling) touch of His (blessed) nails, the Gopis celebrated in song His purifying exploits. (22)
Accompanied by them and followed by black bees, humming like the leaders of Gandharvas and attracted by His garland squeezed by the embraces of the Gopis and tinged with the saffron paint on their bosom, the fatigued Lord—who had transgressed all limits (imposed by worldly usage and Vedic injunctions)—entered the water (of the Yamunā) in order to get over His fatigue, (even) as the leader of (a herd of) elephants would do in the company of she-elephants after having broken the dams. (23)
Profusely sprinkled all over from every side by the young women—who were heartily laughing—in the water and affectionately regarded by them, O dear Parikṣit, and being glorified by the gods (borne in their aerial cars and) showering flowers (on Him), the Lord Himself sported in their midst like a leader of elephants, though revelling in His own Self. (24)
Surrounded by black bees and the bevis of young women, the Lord then rambled in a grove on the bank of the Yamunā, served on all sides by a breeze wafting the fragrance of flowers (both) on land and in water, (even) like a tusker shedding temporal fluid and accompanied by she-elephants. (25)
The aforesaid Lord of unfailing desire, to whom those bevis of delicate women were (so) fondly attached and who (voluntarily) exhibited in Himself the (various) amorous gestures, thus enjoyed all those nights* illumined with the rays of the full moon and embodying all the charms peculiar to the autumn season and depicted in poetical works. (26)

The king submitted : It was in fact for establishing Dharma (righteousness) on a sound footing as well as for the suppression of that which is other than Dharma (viz., Adharma or unrighteousness) that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, (the Ruler of the universe) descended (in the world of matter) alongwith His part manifestation (Balarāma). (27)
How (then) did He, the Promulgator, Institutor and Conservator of ethical standards, commit a transgression in the shape of embracing others' wives, O holy one ? (28)
With what intention indeed did that Lord of the Yadus, who had all His desires fulfilled, perpetrate a repelling act ? (Pray,) resolve this doubt of ours, O sage of sacred vows ! (29)

• It has already been indicated in verse 19 above that the night on which the Lord enacted His celebrated Rāsa-Play combined numberless nights, by divine will, although to the Gopis in their ecstasy of delight they appeared as one single night.

Śrī Śuka replied: Violation of Dharma (the principles of righteousness) and overboldness (too) is (occasionally) witnessed on the part of the mighty. It does not (however) bring (any) sin on those possessed of exceptional glory as in the case of fire, that consumes everything (including even impure substances such as filth and corpses). (30)
He (however) who is not (so) powerful (and is bound by his Karma) should never deliberately attempt this even mentally; for he who does so through folly (recognizing himself as powerful) will (surely) meet his ruin even as anyone other than Rudra would if he were to swallow the poison churned out of the ocean. (31)
A precept (alone) of the mighty (those possessed of wisdom, dispassion and so on) is authoritative (and therefore worth following, if uttered in right earnest and not as a test of our wisdom). Their conduct (however) is worth imitating on certain occasions only. (Therefore,) an intelligent man should follow only such conduct as is consistent with their own precept. (32)
There is no personal gain to be achieved here through such virtuous conduct by egoless people, nor does any harm come to them through the reverse of such actions, O king ! (33)
How, then, could any virtue or sin binding those that are subject to His control attach to the (supreme) Ruler of all creatures, viz., sub-human creatures, human beings and gods. (34)
Whence indeed could there be any bondage for the Lord, who assumed a personality of His own free will, when those who are sated (in the sense that they have no desire left in them) by enjoying the pollen of His lotus-feet as also those who have shaken off all their ties of Karma by virtue of their Yoga (mental union with God) and (even so) those who are given to contemplation on their identity with the Universal Spirit conduct themselves freely (in this world) and are never bound (by their actions) ? (35)
He (alone) who indwelt (as the Inner Controller) not only the cowherd women and their husbands but all embodied souls (as a matter of fact), (nay), who is the Witness (of all minds etc.) sportfully assumed a personality (and manifested Himself as Śrī Kṛṣṇa) in this world (of matter). (36)
Having assumed a human semblance in order to shower His grace on (and attract solely towards Him) created beings, the Lord indulges in sports like the Rāsa-Play, hearing of which man may get exclusively devoted to Him. (37)
Deluded by His Māyā the men of Vraja did not regard Śrī Kṛṣṇa with jealousy; (for) each of them took his womenkind to be present by his side. (38)
When the early hours of the morning approached (at the close of a whole night of Brahmā) the Gopis, who were (so) beloved of the Lord, returned to their homes, though reluctantly, with the approval of Śrī Kṛṣṇa (Son of Vasudeva). (39)

He who full of reverence hears in the proper order of sequence or recounts the story of the aforesaid amorous pastime of Śrī Kṛṣṇa (who was no other than the all-pervading Lord Viṣṇu) with the women of Vraja is blessed with supreme devotion to the Lord and, becoming a master of his self before long, speedily overcomes lust (which is a malady of the mind). (40)

Thus ends the thirty-third discourse entitled "A Description of the (actual)Rāsa-Play", in the first half of Book Ten of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahamsa-Sarhhitā.