RASALEELA

RASALEELA


In Srimad Bhagavatham there are five chapters known as 'Rasapanchadyayam' dealing with Rasaleela of Sri Krishna.

Sri Krishna, the Supreme Power, subdued the ego of Brahma (by creating Gopas and cows); subdued the ego of Indra (in the Govardhan episode). His performance of rasaleela is another drama He enacted to subdue the Love-God Manmada's ego. Manmada was proud of his powers. Indra's tricky play with Ahalya, Brahma's emchantment towards his own creation, Chandra's secretly enjoying with Guru Brahaspathy's spouse, sage Atri's son abducting Brahaspathy's wife and begetting a son through her, Sivas attraction towards Mohini , are some of the success stories of Love-God Manmadha!

Gopies in the company of Sri Krishna got the same paramananda which gnanis experienced in their dhyana. While reading the portion dealing with rasa leela one should remember the fact that the author of Bhagavada is Sage Suka, son of sage Vyasa, who cannot but project the highest sanctity to Rasa leela. It is Lord's sankalpa that through rasa leela one should realise the path of Nivrity marga outliving the carnal pleasures.

The irony is that when Sri Krishna was in the climax of Rasa leela, Manmada himself fell pray to his own powers and thought for a while if he were born as a woman he could also join the rasaleela and enjoy the company of Sri Krishna!!

Sri Krishna got the name of Manamohana (not mana-mohitha) since he entered the mind-chariot of Gopies and subdued Manmada . He was 'radan' in Gopies emotions and not 'mohidan'. Krishna showed the path of enjoyment in one's own Self without the need of any outside agencies.

There are views that Sri Krishna was only a boy of 7 years when he did rasa leela. These are the views of those who are anxious to cover the rasa leela and free the Lord from the carnal pleasures!! There are other views that Krishna's embracing Gopies was symbolic of Jeevatma and Paramatma union.

Rasaleela is not mere sringara rasa; it is paramamadhura sringara rasa. One should not attempt to view the rasa leela with 'neerasa bhava' or enter into pravrithy marga citing Sri Krishna !! Rasaleela advocates nivrithymarga after winning over kama - the carnal pleasure. Once the outward 'avaranam' is removed from rasaleela, Sri krishna's atmaramtwam, yogasratwam, His readiness to fulfil the desires of bhakthas, gopies parama premam, sarva thyagam - all these are exhibited therein - rasaleela would lead one to nivrithymarga.

There are many who out of selfish interest, under the pretext of niv rithymarga, engrossed in pravrithy, whereas Rasaleela with the cover of pravrithy actually reveal nivrithy!!

Soon on hearing the melodious sound of flute , gopies stopped their respective work in which they were engaged - some gopies milking the cow, some others boiling the milk , some others making some eatables etc etc - and went after the melodious song to find out the source. Thus they set aside the dharma and artha of the ordinary life. Gopies, through love, Sisupala out of hatred, Kamsa out of fear, Yasoda out of affection, Pandavas through friendship, Narada through bhakthy became one with that Supreme.

Sri Krishna advises the Gopies to return to their respective home and follow the dharma of a house wife. Gopies were determined to stay with Him. They observe that husbands and children are the source of sorrow!!

Thereafter rasa kreeda starts on the shore of river Yamuna. By embrassing the gopies, touching them all over the body, occasionally givin g them pain by pinching….He brings their love to a climax! Then Gopies ego interfered and pulled them to think that they are the only dear to Lord. He, understanding this, disappeared from the scene by His Yoga maya.

Gopies go in search of Him and repent for their ego. Each one starts behaving as if she is Krishna and enacts the roll of Krishna , imitating his smile, walk, his look, his talk - all leela-vilasams of Sri Krishna. Finally Krishna appears before them with all smile.

Gopies pretend to be angry for his disappearance and, with a desire to snub Sri Krishna, raises certain doubts which Sri Krishna willingly answers. Krishna explains - one loves another based on reciprocation, a circular love which is normally seen between husband and wife. Another one loves even if the other one does not reciprocate (eg: parents' love toward children). This is more glorious than the former. There is a third category who never expresses love in either of the above situations. This category is further divided as I) Atmaraman, 2) Aptakaman, 3) Akritagnan, 4) Guru drohi. Here the first two are laudable and the 3rd and 4th are condemnable. Krishna says He is neither of the above categories or sub-categories! He does not reciprocate and in order to strenghthen the Bhakthas loveHe occasionally enacts the drama of invisibility. He says He considers bhakthas with strong love as part of Him or rather they do not have a separate existence apart from Him.

On hearing the philosophical truth from the Lord Himself Gopies viraha tapam disappears. Once they attained this mental attitude Krishna found them qualified to be played with. He volunteers for Jalakreeda, Vanakreeda etc with them. Lust transformed into Love and gets qualified to merge with the Supreme Love!!

Krishna by his yogamaya is appearing with everyone at the same time - each one is happy for Krishna is exclusively with her. They starts singing as well and Krishna appreciating each of them for their excellence in singing. Gopies became mohayukthas; but at the same time Krishna is looking at the gopies as His reflection (prathibhimbam) and enjoying His own sankalpas similar to a well dressed boy or girl standing before a mirror , showing all sorts of mimicries and enjoying their reflection in the mirror!!

Gopies in the performance of rasa leela with krishna, sacrifice their dharma and artha and entere in Him through Parama Prema. Any type of vaideeka karma including yagnams wont bring in such Brahmanandam as the Gopies experienced. Bhakthy is extolled here. Rasa leel is placed on par with - rather superior to Karma yoga and Gnana yoga.

It is Sri Krishna's Maya that throughout the rasa leela episode, the respective spouses of gopies feels as if Gopies are with them only and so they have no jealousy or hatred towards Sri Krishna. Those who with all sincerity and faith hears this Rasa leela shall develop Understanding and Bhakthy and shall win over lust. .

ASHTAPATHY: Poet-saint Jayadeva is the author of this work originally named as Geetha Govindam and popularly known as Ashtapathy. He was born in a village in West Bengal (12th century AD) He married a pious lady Padmavathy who was a renowned danseus. They enjoyed married life with all plwasure and happiness of the vyavaharic world. After some years both of them lost interest in the ephemeral pleasures and they longed for Brahmanandam. Both of them were very much devoted to Sri Krishna. Sri Jayadeva started composing Geetha Govindam which he completed in the presence of Lord Jagannath in Puri. Both husband and wife complemented each other - one by singing the songs and the other dancing to the bhava in the poem.

In the Geetha Govindam the theme is Rasa leela - characters being Radha, her friend and Lord Krishna. The story goes that Lord himself approved his work and thus the songs got the sanctity over and above the poetic beauty, and the songs became a part of the devotional bhajans sung by bhakthas.

Without the sanctity attached to it, the poems would resemble Vatsayanas Kama sutra. Majority of the bhakthas do not therefore bother to go into the meaning of the poems and they are happy with the songs for the melody and it is suffice for them to realise that the songs extol prema bhakthy - a bhava between the lover and the Loved. It is said that Jayadeva in his earlier birth was convinced of the truth "Eko Narayana Dwaidam Nasthy" and in the present birth he realised the the ultimate truth "Ekam Brahma Dwaidam Nasthy".

Some of the Ashtapathies describing the romantic aspect are: 4th Ashtapathy - 'chandana charchida' Sri Krishna is described as embracing one Gopi, kissing another, pleasing another one by his smiling look, consoling another who seemed to be angry, In the sixth Ashtapathy , Radha recalls the sportive and romantic manoeuvres she had with Krishna and requests her friend to bring back Krishna to her place. In the said poem Radha says Krishna has surpassed even the Kama sastra in playing with her, describing different acts in the love-making. Radha's friend approaches Krishna with Radha's message. Krishna asks her to bring Radha to His place. The messenger says that Radha is very much dejected for she is concerned with Krishna's playing with other gopies ignoring her. The messenger-friend then returns and cajoles Radha to go to Krishna (Ashtapathy 21) encourages her with alluring words describing the uniqueness of Radha.,and also Krishna's yearning to have her for 'radhikreeda'.

Atlast Radha yields and Krishna too gets bound by Radha and bears her sadistic ways , with pleasure. Ultimately Radha accepts her defeat and recognises the supremacy of Sri Krishna - symbolicallky Purusha wins over Prakrithy. Radhai is elsewhere described as Prakritheeswari.

It is consipicuous that in Srimad Bhagavadam nowhere Radhas name is mentioned. Probably Radhas 'incarnation' and fame came only with the introduction of Geetha Govindam. Ordinary persons cannot understand or appreciate the Divine Love which is truly unconditional without upadhies. Only with this in mind , lover and loved upadhies are projected in Geetha Govindam.

Ashtapathy has 24 songs and 93 slokas interspersed . Each song has 8 padams except the 1st and 10th ashtapathies. They have 11 and 5 padams respectively - average comes to 8. Thus the name Ashta pathy is given to Geetha Govindam. Geetha Govindam probably is the first sanskrit work in poetic form and the name Geetha Govindam is given to the work by the author himself in the 89th sloka.

In the 22nd Ashtapathy Krishna's appearance before Radha is described. For Radha, after so muich yearning, when Sri Krishna appears before her, it is not mere Krishna her friend who appeared. She sees Iswara in Him. For her It is an "Iswara Darsanam". Radhai is Lekshmidevi in another form (described in Devi Bhagavadam) Radha has sprung from Yagna bhoomi (similar to Seetha or Drowpathy?)The relationship of Sri Krishna and Radha is so much that Sri Krishna is otherwise knownm as Radhakrishna. One wonders whether Radha is an ordinary milkmaid, or Krishna's lover, or one of his dharma pathnies, or embodiment of paramabhakthy or Shakthy or Maya prakrithy., whether her relationship with Sri Krishna is merely that of lowkeekam or Divine Love. We cannot get answer to any of these questions. The answer differs according to each one's concept.

When we add mysticism to Geetha Govindam the love between Radha and Krishna can be termed as bhakthy and the earnest desire of jeevatma to immerse in Paramatma. Radha, her messenger-friend and Sri Krishna - the three characters represent Jeeva, Bhakthy and Paramatma respetively. There is a view that Rasaleela is a kind of day-dream Gopies enjoyed. It has only the status of prathibhasam in contrast to vyavahariham and paramarthikom.

In the vyavaharika stage even when a baby sucks its mother's breast, we do not view as indecent. But the same act in different circumstances is viewed differently. Our likes and dislikes are due to mind's relating to situations. Jeevatma with individual mind has such duality of likes and dislikes whereas Iswara personified in Krishna with a Cosmic Mind has no likes and dislikes. He is only a witness to those apparent contrasts. Any attempt to emulate Sri Krishna's leela would be hypocrisy and mischievous so long as we, with a narrow vision , are in the thick clouds of ignorance

There is a saying - "A Sage is one who never comments on the scriptures, but recommends; About the other world he never talks; About this world he talks; but does not pass opinions". Can we emulate the Sage and stop evaluating Rasaleela?