Raasa Leela of Krishna with Gopis of Brindavan - 3 of 4

[Guest guest]

Namaste

 

To continue our story. The Gopis keep roaming about in

the woods, searching for Him. In the process of this

roaming, they identify the footsteps of their Lord and

try to follow those footsteps. Lo and behold! They do not

find their Lord but they find one more pair of footsteps

side by side with the Lord’s footsteps! And they look at it

carefully. They recognise it as a woman’s footsteps. Their

jealousy knows no bounds. How come! One of their own group,

has found it possible to be with the Lord and is now

enjoying the privilege of His company all alone! What a

supreme fortunate circumstance for her! She must be the

most beloved of Krishna among all of them!

 

On the other hand that single gopi who was with Krishna had

an interesting experience. She certainly enjoys the company

of the Lord, all alone. But that very enjoyment puffs up

her head and she tries to aspire for more of the Lord

than the others. Instead of walking up along with the Lord,

she suggests to Him that He may carry her on His

shoulders, and to her great satisfaction the Lord agrees to

do that. He says “Alright, get up on my shoulders” and he

poses for her. But when she attempts to climb up on His

shoulders, He is no more there – He has vanished! That was

the end of her puffed up pride! And the rest of the

company joins her now and together they all search for the

Lord.

 

Incidentally, this single gopi is perhaps the Radha of

later literature. The name Radha does not occur in the

Bhagavatam.

 

When finally the moon went behind the clouds and there was

no more moonlight, they all returned to their starting

place and spent their time talking about Krishna. Their

minds absorbed in thoughts of Him, they conversed about

Him, acted out His pastimes and felt themselves filled with

His presence. They no more remembered their homes as they

loudly sang the glories of Krishna's transcendental

qualities: The shloka which says this, namely,

 

tan-manaskAs-tad-AlApAs-tad-viceshhTAs-tad-AtmikAH /

tad-guNAn-eva gAyantyaH nAtmAgArANi sasmaruH // X-30-43

 

is one of the most famous quotes from Shrimad Bhagavatam,

because it characterises the supreme prema-bhakti of the

Gopis. It is considered to be at the apex of all bhakti

forms. In fact, it reflects exactly what Krishna himself

describes in the Gita (V-17):

 

tad-buddhayas-tad-AtmAnas-tan-nishhTAs-tat-parAyaNAH /

gacchanty-apunar-AvRttiM jnAna-nirdhUta-kalmashhAH //

meaning,

 

Those who have their intellect absorbed in That, whose Self

is That, who are steadfast in That, who have That as their

supreme Goal-they attain the state of non-returning, their

dirt having been removed by Knowledge.

 

This kind of total absorption in God is the ultimate in

Bhakti. That is why the Gopis are cited as the supreme

example of self-effacing bhakti. There have been several

types of devotees all over time and all over the world. But

the Lord values only such selfless bhakti. The bhakti of

the gopis is unique in all of history, because, they did

not achieve that kind of superlative approbation from the

Lord by any of the usual means of spiritual living, namely,

charity, ritual sacrifice, ritualistic vrata, religious

discipline, penance, philosophical speculation, or yogic

practice. None of these they had. None of these can give

that kind of union with the Lord as the constant mental

association with Him that they did have. (Narayaneeyam:

94-10):

 

aikyaM te

dAna-homa-vrata-niyama-tapas-sAnkhya-yogair-durApaM

tvat-sangenaiva gopyaH kila sukRti-tamAH

prApur-Ananda-sAndraM /

bhakteSh-vanyeShu bhUas-svapi bahu-manuShe bhaktim-eva

tvam-AsAM

tan-me tvad-bhaktim-eva dRDaya hara gadAn kRShNa

vAtAlayesha //meaning,

 

That state of supremely blissful union with Thee, which is

difficult to obtain through (disciplines like) charity,

(ritual) sacrifices, observance of vows, self-control,

austerities, knowledge (sAnkhya), and yoga, was attained by

the blessed gopikas of Brindavan, through just personal

attachment to Thee as their own beloved. Numerous are Thy

other devotees, but it is this loving personal devotion of

the gopikas that has received Thy highest appreciation.

Therefore Oh Krishna, Oh Lord of Guruvayoor, May Thou

strengthen devotion in me and destroy my ailments.

 

In fact this underscores the importance of personal

involvement with the Lord in intimate terms, from the heart

of hearts. All the formalities of our religious observances

pale into insignificance before such a personal

relationship with God. Whatever we may do, we must strive

to see that this innate feeling of love for the Lord

becomes the undercurrent. This is the only thing He asks

from us. More than intellectual understanding of the

various nuances of scriptures and philosophy, what He

expects from us is this self-negating love for Him and all

that stands for Him, namely, the universe. One may recall

here Gita IX – 34:

 

manmanA bhava madbhakto madyAjI mAM namaskuru /

mAmevaiShyasi yuktvaivaM AtmAnaM mat-parAyaNaH //

 

meaning, Saturate your mind with me; be devoted to me; work

for me; bow down to me; having thus united your whole self

with me, taking me as the supreme Goal, you shall come unto

me. This self-negating love has been defined by Narada in

his bhakti-sutra, as follows (Sutra 54):

 

guNa-rahitaM kAmanA-rahitaM pratikShaaNa-vardhamAnaM

avicchinnaM sUkShma-taram anubhava-rUpaM.

 

Meaning, (This pure love is) without attributes, without

the poison of desire, every moment increasing, unbroken,

subtlest, and of the nature of sheer immediate experience.

 

In fact almost every exponent of bhakti says the same

thing.

 

Let us come back to the story. The Gopis, having lost track

of Krishna in the physical world, spend their time now

singing about Him in all ecstasy. This singing as told in

18 delightful verses of Shrimad Bhagavatam is called

“gopikA-gItaM”. It is chapter 31 of Skanda 10. In

traditional India these 18 verses are usually taught to

young girls for them to obtain the fullest grace of God,

particularly with respect to their marriage. Jayadeva’s

Gita Govindam derives inspiration from this. Let us see

just three shlokas out of the 18. In the practical

performace of the dance of gopikA-gItaM it is common to use

the word ‘kRshhNa’ repeatedly to keep the beat:

 

jayati te’dhikaM (kRshhNa) janmanA vrajaH

shrayata indirA (kRshhNa) shashvad-atra hi /

dayita dRshyatAM (kRshhNa) dikshhu tAvakAH

tvayi dhRtAsavaH (kRshhNa) tvAM vicinvate // (X-31-1)

 

O beloved, Your birth in the land of Vraja has made it

exceedingly glorious, and thus Indirâ, the goddess of

fortune, always resides here. It is only for Your sake that

we, Your devoted servants, maintain our lives. We have been

searching everywhere for You, so please show Yourself to

us.

 

na khalu gopikA (kRshhNa) nandano bhavAn

akhila-dehinAM (kRshhNa) antar-Atma-dRk /

vikhanasArthito (kRshhNa) vishva-guptaye

sakha udeyivAn (kRshhNa) sAtvatAm kule // (X-31-4)

 

You are not actually the son of the gopî Yas'odâ, O friend,

but rather the indwelling witness in the hearts of all

embodied souls. Because Lord Brahmâ prayed for You to come

and protect the universe, You have now appeared in the

Sâtvata dynasty.

 

tava kathAmRtaM (kRshhNa) tapta-jIvanaM

kavibhir-IDitaM (kRshhNa) kalmashhApahaM /

shravaNa-mangaLaM (kRshhNa) shrImad-AtataM

bhuvi gRNanti te (kRshhNa) bhuridA janAH // (X-31-9)

 

The nectar of Your words and the descriptions of Your

activities are the life and soul of those suffering in this

material world. These narrations, transmitted by learned

sages, eradicate one's sinful reactions and bestow good

fortune upon whoever hears them. They are filled with

spiritual power. Certainly those who spread the message of

Godhead must have been munificent.

 

(To be concluded in one more post)

 

PraNAms to all devotees of Krishna. Radhe 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 professor-ji!

 

I have never read anything quite like this!

 

simply fabulous!

 

Krishna explains how the brahma-bhuta, or self-realized soul, attains

devotion:

 

brahma-bhutah prasannatma

na socati na kanksati

samah sarvesu bhutesu

mad-bhaktim labhate param (srimad bhagvatam)

 

"One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the

Supreme Brahman. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is

equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains

pure devotional service unto Me."

 

Yes!!! bhakti is the supreme form of reaching the lotus feet of lord

Krishna! and who else but Gopis knew how to 'surrender' completely?

 

JAI SREE KRISHNA!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

, "V. Krishnamurthy"

<profvk> wrote:

> Namaste

>

> To continue our story. The Gopis keep roaming about in

> the woods, searching for Him. In the process of this

> roaming, they identify the footsteps of their Lord and

> try to follow those footsteps. Lo and behold! They do not

> find their Lord but they find one more pair of footsteps

> side by side with the Lord's footsteps! And they look at it

> carefully. They recognise it as a woman's footsteps. Their

> jealousy knows no bounds. How come! One of their own group,

> has found it possible to be with the Lord and is now

> enjoying the privilege of His company all alone! What a

> supreme fortunate circumstance for her! She must be the

> most beloved of Krishna among all of them!

>

> On the other hand that single gopi who was with Krishna had

> an interesting experience. She certainly enjoys the company

> of the Lord, all alone. But that very enjoyment puffs up

> her head and she tries to aspire for more of the Lord

> than the others. Instead of walking up along with the Lord,

> she suggests to Him that He may carry her on His

> shoulders, and to her great satisfaction the Lord agrees to

> do that. He says "Alright, get up on my shoulders" and he

> poses for her. But when she attempts to climb up on His

> shoulders, He is no more there – He has vanished! That was

> the end of her puffed up pride! And the rest of the

> company joins her now and together they all search for the

> Lord.

>

> Incidentally, this single gopi is perhaps the Radha of

> later literature. The name Radha does not occur in the

> Bhagavatam.

>

> When finally the moon went behind the clouds and there was

> no more moonlight, they all returned to their starting

> place and spent their time talking about Krishna. Their

> minds absorbed in thoughts of Him, they conversed about

> Him, acted out His pastimes and felt themselves filled with

> His presence. They no more remembered their homes as they

> loudly sang the glories of Krishna's transcendental

> qualities: The shloka which says this, namely,

>

> tan-manaskAs-tad-AlApAs-tad-viceshhTAs-tad-AtmikAH /

> tad-guNAn-eva gAyantyaH nAtmAgArANi sasmaruH // X-30-43

>

> is one of the most famous quotes from Shrimad Bhagavatam,

> because it characterises the supreme prema-bhakti of the

> Gopis. It is considered to be at the apex of all bhakti

> forms. In fact, it reflects exactly what Krishna himself

> describes in the Gita (V-17):

>

> tad-buddhayas-tad-AtmAnas-tan-nishhTAs-tat-parAyaNAH /

> gacchanty-apunar-AvRttiM jnAna-nirdhUta-kalmashhAH //

> meaning,

>

> Those who have their intellect absorbed in That, whose Self

> is That, who are steadfast in That, who have That as their

> supreme Goal-they attain the state of non-returning, their

> dirt having been removed by Knowledge.

>

> This kind of total absorption in God is the ultimate in

> Bhakti. That is why the Gopis are cited as the supreme

> example of self-effacing bhakti. There have been several

> types of devotees all over time and all over the world. But

> the Lord values only such selfless bhakti. The bhakti of

> the gopis is unique in all of history, because, they did

> not achieve that kind of superlative approbation from the

> Lord by any of the usual means of spiritual living, namely,

> charity, ritual sacrifice, ritualistic vrata, religious

> discipline, penance, philosophical speculation, or yogic

> practice. None of these they had. None of these can give

> that kind of union with the Lord as the constant mental

> association with Him that they did have. (Narayaneeyam:

> 94-10):

>

> aikyaM te

> dAna-homa-vrata-niyama-tapas-sAnkhya-yogair-durApaM

> tvat-sangenaiva gopyaH kila sukRti-tamAH

> prApur-Ananda-sAndraM /

> bhakteSh-vanyeShu bhUas-svapi bahu-manuShe bhaktim-eva

> tvam-AsAM

> tan-me tvad-bhaktim-eva dRDaya hara gadAn kRShNa

> vAtAlayesha //meaning,

>

> That state of supremely blissful union with Thee, which is

> difficult to obtain through (disciplines like) charity,

> (ritual) sacrifices, observance of vows, self-control,

> austerities, knowledge (sAnkhya), and yoga, was attained by

> the blessed gopikas of Brindavan, through just personal

> attachment to Thee as their own beloved. Numerous are Thy

> other devotees, but it is this loving personal devotion of

> the gopikas that has received Thy highest appreciation.

> Therefore Oh Krishna, Oh Lord of Guruvayoor, May Thou

> strengthen devotion in me and destroy my ailments.

>

> In fact this underscores the importance of personal

> involvement with the Lord in intimate terms, from the heart

> of hearts. All the formalities of our religious observances

> pale into insignificance before such a personal

> relationship with God. Whatever we may do, we must strive

> to see that this innate feeling of love for the Lord

> becomes the undercurrent. This is the only thing He asks

> from us. More than intellectual understanding of the

> various nuances of scriptures and philosophy, what He

> expects from us is this self-negating love for Him and all

> that stands for Him, namely, the universe. One may recall

> here Gita IX – 34:

>

> manmanA bhava madbhakto madyAjI mAM namaskuru /

> mAmevaiShyasi yuktvaivaM AtmAnaM mat-parAyaNaH //

>

> meaning, Saturate your mind with me; be devoted to me; work

> for me; bow down to me; having thus united your whole self

> with me, taking me as the supreme Goal, you shall come unto

> me. This self-negating love has been defined by Narada in

> his bhakti-sutra, as follows (Sutra 54):

>

> guNa-rahitaM kAmanA-rahitaM pratikShaaNa-vardhamAnaM

> avicchinnaM sUkShma-taram anubhava-rUpaM.

>

> Meaning, (This pure love is) without attributes, without

> the poison of desire, every moment increasing, unbroken,

> subtlest, and of the nature of sheer immediate experience.

>

> In fact almost every exponent of bhakti says the same

> thing.

>

> Let us come back to the story. The Gopis, having lost track

> of Krishna in the physical world, spend their time now

> singing about Him in all ecstasy. This singing as told in

> 18 delightful verses of Shrimad Bhagavatam is called

> "gopikA-gItaM". It is chapter 31 of Skanda 10. In

> traditional India these 18 verses are usually taught to

> young girls for them to obtain the fullest grace of God,

> particularly with respect to their marriage. Jayadeva's

> Gita Govindam derives inspiration from this. Let us see

> just three shlokas out of the 18. In the practical

> performace of the dance of gopikA-gItaM it is common to use

> the word `kRshhNa' repeatedly to keep the beat:

>

> jayati te'dhikaM (kRshhNa) janmanA vrajaH

> shrayata indirA (kRshhNa) shashvad-atra hi /

> dayita dRshyatAM (kRshhNa) dikshhu tAvakAH

> tvayi dhRtAsavaH (kRshhNa) tvAM vicinvate // (X-31-1)

>

> O beloved, Your birth in the land of Vraja has made it

> exceedingly glorious, and thus Indirâ, the goddess of

> fortune, always resides here. It is only for Your sake that

> we, Your devoted servants, maintain our lives. We have been

> searching everywhere for You, so please show Yourself to

> us.

>

> na khalu gopikA (kRshhNa) nandano bhavAn

> akhila-dehinAM (kRshhNa) antar-Atma-dRk /

> vikhanasArthito (kRshhNa) vishva-guptaye

> sakha udeyivAn (kRshhNa) sAtvatAm kule // (X-31-4)

>

> You are not actually the son of the gopî Yas'odâ, O friend,

> but rather the indwelling witness in the hearts of all

> embodied souls. Because Lord Brahmâ prayed for You to come

> and protect the universe, You have now appeared in the

> Sâtvata dynasty.

>

> tava kathAmRtaM (kRshhNa) tapta-jIvanaM

> kavibhir-IDitaM (kRshhNa) kalmashhApahaM /

> shravaNa-mangaLaM (kRshhNa) shrImad-AtataM

> bhuvi gRNanti te (kRshhNa) bhuridA janAH // (X-31-9)

>

> The nectar of Your words and the descriptions of Your

> activities are the life and soul of those suffering in this

> material world. These narrations, transmitted by learned

> sages, eradicate one's sinful reactions and bestow good

> fortune upon whoever hears them. They are filled with

> spiritual power. Certainly those who spread the message of

> Godhead must have been munificent.

>

> (To be concluded in one more post)

>

> PraNAms to all devotees of Krishna. Radhe 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