Raasa LeelA of Krishna with the Gopis of Brindavan - 1

[Guest guest]

Namaste.

 

This is the first of a series of four articles on the Raasa

Leela. (Krishna Janmashtami is two months from now).

--------------------------

 

The fervent devotion to Krishna of the celebrated

milk-maids (Gopis or Gopikas) of Brindavan, and

particularly of RadhA the most prominent of them all, is

the best example of mAdhura-bhakti (Devotion through Love)

for all time. There is a large variety of legends and

representations of this bhakti in painting and sculpture

that spreads through every part of India. The first poetic

expression of the RadhA-Krishna story was in the

Gita-GovindaM of Jayadeva (12th century A.D.). The

principal character in that poem is RadhA, the beloved of

Krishna. She spoke no word except prayer. She moved no step

except towards Krishna. She saw and heard only Krishna. She

spoke only of Him, to Him, for Him, whoever might be in her

vicinity. Krishna filled her heart entirely. This

magnificent poem is held in high respect and is sung all

over India particularly in congregatory singing of Bhajans,

the singers often reaching heights of ecstasy. This lyrical

extravaganza of Jayadeva is delightful poetry without

inhibitions. It is at the very center of religious poetry

in the Bhakti tradition, though it may be considered erotic

from a Victorian viewpoint. It is venerated as God’s own

writing. The singing and dancing associated with this poem

are so absorbing not only in its music and rhythm but also

in its lyric that describes the love-sport of Radha and

Krishna.

 

What is the origin or source of all this? Is it Jayadeva’s

imagination, fancy or invention? No. It all goes back to

Shrimad BhagavataM of Vyasa. In the tenth skanda of

Bhagavatam, there are five chapters (#s 29 to 33) known as

‘RAsa-panchAdhyAyi’. These five chapters describe the Raas

LeelA of Krishna with the Gopis of Brindavan. But wait,

before we come to that, we must tune our minds the right

way in order to appreciate it all.

 

So let us go back to the famous story of Krishna’s theft of

the clothes of the Gopis while they were bathing in the

river. (Bhagavatam, Skanda X, Ch.22). It looks like an

immoral story, with a child of six as the central figure.

It is spoken of as though he were a full-grown man,

insulting the modesty of women. Look at Annie Besant’s

handling of this story. She writes:

 

‘The Gopis were Rishis, and the Lord Supreme as a babe is

teaching them a lesson. But there is more than that. There

is a profound occult lesson behind the story. When the Soul

is approaching the Supreme Lord at one great stage of

initiation, it has to pass through a great ordeal. Stripped

of everything on which it has hitherto relied, stripped of

everything that is not its inner self, deprived of all

external aid, of all external protection, of all external

covering, the soul itself, in its own inherent life, must

stand naked and alone, with nothing to rely on save the

life of the Self within it. If it flinches before the

ordeal, if it clings to anything to which it has hitherto

looked for help, if in the supreme hour, it cries out for

friend or help, or even the Guru himself, the soul fails in

that ordeal. Naked and alone it must go forth, with

absolutely none to aid it save the divinity within itself.

And it is that nakedness of the soul as it approaches the

supreme goal, that is told of in that story’.

 

This defence of the conceptual fabric of Hindu spirituality

is important for the proper understanding of the Raas LeelA

of Krishna. In addition, there is another perspective that

should never be missed in any discussion of the Raas LeelA.

It is the divinity of Krishna himself.

 

The first description of His birth comes to us from the pen

of Vyasa himself in his famous Bhagavatam. It was on that

Ashtami day after Shravan Poornima, when the moon was in

the asterism Rohini that Krishna was born in that famous

prison of Kamsa of Mathura. According to the hair-raising

description of that birth in the Shrimad Bhagavatam, tenth

canto, third chapter, it was in the dense darkness of that

fateful night, the Lord appeared – mark the word, appeared,

not born – as an unusual child from the womb of Devaki,

just like the moon rising on the eastern horizon! Oh, what

a sight it was! Continues the BhagavataM: (X – 3 -9,10):

 

“tam-adbhutaM bAlakam-ambujekshhaNaM

catur-bhujaM shankha-gadAry-udAyudhaM /

shrIvatsa-lakshhmaM gala-shobhi-kaustubhaM

pItAmbaraM sAndra-payoda-saubhagaM //

mahArha-vaiDUrya-kirITa-kuNDala-

tvishhA parishhvakta-sahasra-kuntalaM /

uddAma-kAnchy-angada-kankaNAdibhiH

virAjamAnaM vasudeva aikshhata” //

 

meaning, Vasudeva saw that wonderful child with four hands,

holding a conch, a mace, a chakra and a lotus; with

Srivatsa emblem on His chest; with Kaustubha gem on the

neck; with cloth of golden hue; as beautiful as the blue

water-filled cloud; with dense hair flowing around amidst

the adornments of crown and ear-rings radiant with precious

gems; and excellently brilliant with bracelets around the

hip and arms.

 

Either you believe in all this or you don’t. If you don’t

believe in all this then Raas LeelA of Krishna is also a

fiction in the imagination of Vyasa and there is nothing

more to discuss except some poetry in the literature. If

you believe in all this, then Raas-LeelA of Krishna should

also be believed to be true. Not only should it be believed

to be a true happening but you also get a justification for

it. So when doubts arise as to the good or bad of Raas

LeelA, remember, you have accepted that the birth of

Krishna in the above manner is true and that means Krishna

is the all-powerful Absolute Divine.

 

A discussion of Raas-LeelA thinking that Krishna was an

ordinary person like you and me is a misnomer and a

non-issue. We shall not enter the discussion of Raas-LeelA

that way. We shall only discuss Raas-LeelA, with the full

conviction that Krishna is the Absolute Transcendental

Divinity that is omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent.

Lacking this conviction we would have denied ourselves the

fundamental eligibility to discuss Raas LeelA, and more so

the prerequisites to be able to appreciate it.

 

Now let us come to the actual story part.....

(To bed Continued)

 

PraNAms to all devotees of Lord Krishna

profvk

 

 

=====

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

My website on Science and Spirituality is http://www.geocities.com/profvk/

You can access my book on Gems from the Ocean of Hindu Thought Vision and

Practice, and my father R. Visvanatha Sastri's manuscripts from the site.

Also see my webpages on Live Happily, the Gita Way at

http://www.geocities.com/profvk/gohitvip/contentsbeach11.html

[Guest guest]

Thank you dear Professor Krishnamurthyji. I don't know

if I am eligible or not but I look forward to these

readings. Stories and essays like these always warm my

heart and bring tears to my eyes.

 

Dear Krishnamurthyji, if you are familiar with it,

could you to explain the origin of the Krishna Mantra

given by Swami Sivananda in his book (Japa Yoga) and

comment on its meaning.

 

The mantra starts "Om Krishna Krishna Mahayogi...."

 

If this is an imposition, please don't worry.

 

Thank you,

 

Thank you for bringing your love for Sri Krishna in

all our hearts.

 

Love to all

Harsha

 

 

--- "V. Krishnamurthy" <profvk wrote:

> Namaste.

>

> This is the first of a series of four articles on

> the Raasa

> Leela. (Krishna Janmashtami is two months from now).

 

 

=====

/join

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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