FW: Krishna & Balaramas' Dance performance.

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>

> From Venu-gita, chapter 4, by H.H.Shivarama Swami.

>

> Holding a red pomegranate in his hand, Madhumangala once requested Krishna

> and Balarama to dance and sing as the other cowherd boys had done. All the

> boys began to cheer and clap, saying, 'Please dance and sing, Please dance

> and sing!' The birds in the trees and the nearby cows also joined in the

> chorus, and even the leaves in the trees seemed to rustle, saying, 'Sing

> and dance, sing and dance!'

>

> Adjusting Their clothing with exaggerated movements, those two brothers,

> the jewels of Their family line, stepped forward like famous actors on a

> stage. All the boys took their places before Them, clapping and cheering

> in ecstatic anticipation as their ranks swelled with the presence of deer,

> rabbits, peacocks, and other forest animals. Krishna and Balarama bowed to

> Their audience, then offered pranamas to Bhumi-devi [Mother Earth], the

> Sun, Goddess Sarasvati, and finally to each other.

>

> Although the wind had accepted the solemn duty to bring news of Sri

> Krishna to the gopis who were assembled at a distant place to hear of His

> pastimes, it now refused to move. Out of fear that the rustling leaves

> would obstruct the narration of the dance, it stopped blowing. With bated

> breath, everyone waited to hear what would happen next.

>

> As master of ceremonies, Ujjvala marked the boundaries of the stage with

> his stick. Taking their place on the left side, those who were musicians

> sat in a line with their flutes, bugles, drums, and instruments. With

> great decorum, Ujjvala, who makes arrangements for all of Sri Krishna's

> pastimes, invited the two brothers to step forward and instructed the

> musicians to begin playing. Krishna and Balarama began to dance on that

> stage, gracefully moving Their eyebrows, hands, bodies, and eyes. Expertly

> accompanying the dancing, the sound of the instruments became one with the

> tapping sound of Their lotus feet. Tat tata ta tata ta tata tat.

>

> Krishna and Balarama moved in unison, like two moving wells of nectar,

> happily looking at each other's faces and deeply absorbed in rasa. At His

> invitation, Krishna came out in front of Balarama, moving His hands and

> feet according to the rhythms played by the musicians. To His audience's

> great joy, He sang appropriate mantras in accompaniment to His dancing,

> 'Tat taa tathe drik iti drigitai drik tathai drik tathai drik tathai taa.'

>

> Upon Sri Krishna's indication, Baladeva came forward, making His golden

> ornaments jingle, jhanana jham jhat, jhanana jham jhat, and His ankle

> bells resound, taitha tathaitha tathaa tathaaya, while the mridanga-drums

> sweetly sang, drimi drimi drimi dho dho dho.

>

> Coloring the area of the stage with His bluish luster, Krishna, full of

> youthful energy, danced and sang, 'dham dham drik drik chana chana ninama

> nam tuttuk tum tum gudu gudu gudu dham dram dram gudu dram gudu dram dhek

> dhek dho dho kiriti dram drimi dram drimi dram.'

>

> At this, the boys burst into loud applause, cheering Krishna in His

> dancing performance, just as one artist encourages another. Without

> breaking the pace of His graceful movements, Baladeva embraced His

> brother, gaining further approval from the gopas. Since neither Balarama

> nor Krishna had undergone the haircutting ceremony, Their hair, which was

> clustered like crows' feathers, swayed in harmony with Their dancing.

>

> Spreading His snake-like arms before Him, Krishna performed a graceful

> dance and loudly sang with a joyful voice, 'A a i ati a ati ai ati aa ati

> a a a! Dear Baladeva, how fortunate is this earth to be repeatedly touched

> with Your pinkish lotus feet! A a a!'

> Sri Balarama, dancing to complement Sri Hari's movements, His crystal

> complexion flashing like lightning, sang, 'Tathathai that tathai that

> tathai thaa. It's You, Kanai, who blessed this land by manifesting as all

> the calves and boys and pleased the mothers of Vraja!'

>

> Then Krishna raised His divine flute to His lips. While the musicians

> created new sounds and ragas He deftly played His venu [flute], while

> moving His body and lotus feet with unprecedented expertise. Keeping time

> to Krishna's flute playing, powerful Balarama touched the ground with me

> hand and quickly turned the rest of His body in the sky Then, falling to

> the ground, He again performed a rotating dance with no other support.

>

> Without a break in His flute song Krishna began to do cartwheels while

> circumambulating Balarama. His body swayed with the rhythm of the music

> like a black and golden firebrand, His hair the flames trailing in the

> wind. Without being seen by His elder brother, He took the dust from

> Balarama's lotus feet and put it on His head. When He offered the remnants

> of this dust to His audience, all the while continuing His dance, the

> gopas strained their bowed heads forward and praised Him, saying, 'Well

> done, well done!'

>

> The audience of boys, animals, birds, and trees forgot their own separate

> existence, having given their minds to Balarama & Krishna's dancing. Their

> life breath rose and fell with the movement of Krishna & Balaramas' limbs,

> and their hearts beat with the tempo of the music. Completely under the

> influence of the internal potency, their very beings became saturated with

> the exhibition of Rama & Krishna's sankirtana. Besides this, they were

> conscious of nothing else.

>

> Krishna's beauty was like a row of blackish clouds, and Balarams was like

> the moon, who sometimes hid and sometimes came out from among those

> clouds. As Their earrings swung on Their cheeks, Their eyes rolled in

> ecstasy, and Their foot bells jingled in time, the two brothers performed

> ever new and ceaselessly spectacular dances. Sometimes singing, sometimes

> playing Their flutes, sometimes making many bodily gestures, They

> modulated Their voices with never-before-heard ragas, always keeping time

> to Their dancing. At other times, Their feet moved to exquisitely

> melodious songs, resembling the gracefully moving wind, expressing Their

> moods of happiness and pleasure. When They gazed into each other's eyes,

> Their happiness would double, and when Their hands met, it would double

> again.

>

> The motion of Their feet, hands, limbs, eyes, and eyebrows were so

> captivating that the cowherd boys sat with their eyes open, unable to

> blink. Even the great king of snakes, the master of hypnotic charms, was

> mesmerized, swaying to the sound of the music, a great gem flashing on his

> head.

>

> It appeared that the presiding deity of wonder had developed an insatiable

> appetite in the presence of the mystifying performance of Krishna and

> Balarama. After firmly establishing her authority over the audience, she

> amazed the brothers with each other's hitherto unseen movements and

> incomparable charms. Having freely spun her web of wonder, finally she,

> too, became ensnared, amazed by the songs, the dance, the music, and the

> beauty of the divine brothers. Thus, the younger sister of prema [love]

> also danced wildly in the midst of Vrindavana.

>

> Exhausted by Their performance, Their bodies dripping with perspiration,

> Their clothes in disarray, Krishna and Balarama stopped dancing. With

> Their arms over each other's shoulders for support, Balarama lovingly

> wiped the pearl-like drops of perspiration from the forehead of His young

> brother. With the bravado of youthful pride, His right hand in the air,

> Krishna spoke to His audience:

> 'My dear friends, 0 forest creatures, dear forest of Vrindavana, you have

> now seen Our dancing according to your all-blissful desire. It is always

> Our only and exclusive desire to please you. Now I ask you all, please be

> truthful, is there anyone within all the three worlds equal to Us in the

> arts of song and dance? You be the judge! Can any one of you defeat Us in

> such a performance? Do you know of anyone who can, or can you even say

> something to the contrary? Of you all, if there is the singer who can

> better Us, please come forward and exhibit your artistic prowess in the

> presence of these connoisseurs of fine art.'

>

> All the cowherd boys clamored with the animals, birds, and bees in a

> heavenly din, 'There is no one Your equal! Them is no one Your equal!'

> Resounding throughout the three worlds, that joyous glorification rose to

> Vaikuntha [the Spiritual World], where Lord Narayana, while sitting on His

> throne in the presence of Garuda, Lakshmi and others, smiled in great

> ecstasy.

>

> Arjuna, Krishna's dearest friend, stood up and, while tears streamed down

> his lotus face, he called out in a peacock-like voice, 'Krishna-Balarama

> ki jaya! Krishna-Balarama ki jaya!' At this, the entire assembly exploded

> like a monsoon cloud, becoming mad in the ecstasy of fraternal love. The

> boys danced with each other, the cows ran in circles, peacocks danced,

> birds flew about, and animals rolled in the dust. After their exhibition

> of uncontrolled bliss, everyone ran forward to embrace their beloved

> friends. When that tumultuous din again entered Vaikuntha, Lord Narayana,

> in the midst of the prayers of the Vedas, rose to His feet. With His long

> arms above His head, He called out to His astounded devotees,

> 'Krishna-Balarama ki jaya!'

>

> When that wonderful display of love had abated, Madhumangala, his left arm

> on Sridhama's shoulder, a banana in his right hand, spoke, 'Dear Kanai

> [Krishna], due to my intense love for You, and to maintain the decorum of

> my high brahminical lineage, I did not take up Your challenge to dance and

> sing. However, You should know that were it not for the force of my

> spiritual powers, Baladeva and Yourself could do little less than waddle

> and quack like ducks.'

>

> At this, the entire assembly broke out in uproarious laughter. Many boys

> pulled Madhumangala's shikha [ponytail] and dhoti, while others poked his

> belly in fun. Sridama then spoke, 'Dear Kanai, as regards Your dancing and

> singing, please hear my words of truth. It is a fact that there is no one

> among us who can match Your wonderful abilities. Still, I must say with

> all humility, You should give credit where it is due. It is not proper to

> step over the heads of superiors, neglecting to recognize their merits and

> teachings.' At this challenge, the gopas became quiet, the birds turned

> their heads, and the deer raised their ears. Everyone strained to catch

> the speech of Sridama.

>

> 'It is well known to me that You regularly take lessons in the arts of

> song, dance, and music from my elder sister, Sri Radhika. Dear Krishna, am

> I not correct? Is it not true that in the privacy of many full-moon nights

> You take such instruction from Sri Radhika and Her gopi friends, acquiring

> artistic skill unknown to us?'

>

> 'Although a vraja-vasi and the son of a celebrated king, are You afraid

> You will be discovered to be an ordinary being? Are You ashamed that, like

> us, being neither independent nor self-sufficient, You, too, must accept a

> guru in the art of dance? Do You tolerate the hardship of traveling in the

> dead of night out of fear that others will learn of the supremacy of

> Srimati Radhika and Her sakhis in the musical sciences? Dear sakha

> [friend], considering all this, I think it quite inappropriate that You

> exhibit such pride and bravado before us. Having heard my words, if You

> think it appropriate, touch Your hand to Your forehead and acknowledge the

> supremacy of my elder sister and Her friends. Your challenge has thus been

> answered!'

>

> Hearing Sridama's words, the gopas became extremely rowdy, smiling,

> snickering, and ridiculing Krishna. Although they taunted Him, it was for

> His pleasure alone. Lotus-eyed Krishna accepted their criticism as

> excelling the hymns of the Vedas. Hanging His head on His broad chest, His

> hair scattered everywhere, the flowers and buds now fallen, His peacock

> feather sideways, His forehead glistening with moisture, Krishna humbly

> folded His lotus hands. As everyone looked on in silence, He slowly placed

> His hands to His forehead, tears welling in His eyes, His chest heaving

> with ecstasy.

>

> Remembering His love-guru, He spoke with a voice choked with great love

> and humility, 'Whatever Sridama has spoken I accept as truth. His elder

> sister is the original potency of Lord Narayana, who empowers all living

> entities with their respective abilities. This revelation is the essential

> truth of all scriptures. I offer my pranamas to his divine sister,

> Gandharvika [Radha] who, along with Her friends, teaches the demigods in

> the arts of song and dance, what to speak of this humble self.'

>

> Having heard this narration from the wind-God with rapt attention, the

> assembly gopis, resembling a cluster of golden campaka flowers, erupted

> with cries of 'Jaya Radhe, jaya Radhe, Radhe Radhe, jaya, jaya!' The echo

> of their happiness rolled through the forests and hills of Vrindavana,

> invigorating all moving and nonmoving beings. When it finally returned,

> one gopi, completely absorbed in what she had heard, her bee-like mind

> absorbed in the glory of Balarama-Balarama, said over and over again, "How

> is it that Krishna and Balarama are looking so beautiful? How is it they

> are looking so beautiful?"

>

> Hearing of Krishna-Balarama's kirtana certainly pleased the beautiful

> gopis, who lived only for His pleasure. Because their greed for Krishna's

> transcendental form was insatiable, when the narration stopped, the mood

> of the gopis became grave and sober. By their eyes of devotion they had

> perceived His eternal pastimes of love. Now, unable to drink the nectar of

> Govinda's form, qualities and pastimes, they became unhappy and morose. In

> an effort to satiate their insatiable thirst and remove their intransigent

> sorrow, they spoke once again about the vibration of the flute and Sri

> Krishna.

>