CHAPTER TWENTY
The Sweetness of Rasa (rasa-madhurima)
In the company of Balarama and the cowherd boys, Lord Krishna is continually vibrating His flute as He herds all the animals of Vraja, even under the full heat of the summer sun. Seeing this, the cloud in the sky has expanded himself out of love. He is rising high and constructing out of his own body, with its multitude of flower-like droplets of water, an umbrella for the sake of his friend. (16)
purnah pulindya urugaya-padabja-raga
shri-kunkumena dayita-stana-manditena
tad-darshana-smara-rujas trina-rushitena
limpantya anana-kuceshu jahus tad-adhim
purnah—fully satisfied; pulindyah—the wives of the shabara tribe; urugaya—of Lord Krishna; pada-abja—from the lotus feet; raga—of reddish color; shri-kunkumena—by the transcendental kunkuma powder; dayita—of His girlfriends; stana—the breasts; manditena—which had decorated; tat—of that; darshana—by the sight; smara—of Cupid; rujah—feeling the torment; trina—upon the blades of grass; rushitena—attached; limpantyah—smearing; anana—upon their faces; kuceshu—and breasts; jahuh—they gave up; tat—that; adhim—mental pain.
The aborigine women of the Vrndavana area become disturbed by lust when they see the grass marked with reddish kunkuma powder. Endowed with the color of Krishna's lotus feet, this powder originally decorated the breasts of His beloveds, and when the aborigine women smear it on their faces and breasts, they give up all their anxiety. (17)
10.21.20 Sukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Pariksit
evam-vidha bhagavato
ya vrindavana-carinah
varnayantyo mitho gopyah
kridas tan-mayatam yayuh
evam-vidhah—such; bhagavatah—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; yah—which; vrindavana-carinah—who was wandering in the Vrindavana forest; varnayantyah—engaged in describing; mithah—among one another; gopyah—the gopis; kridah—the pastimes; tat-mayatam—fullness in ecstatic meditation upon Him; yayuh—they attained.
Thus narrating to one another the playful pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as He wandered about in the Vrndavana forest, the gopis became fully absorbed in thoughts of Him.
10.22.22 Sukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Pariksit
dridham pralabdhas trapaya ca hapitah
prastobhitah kridana-vac ca karitah
vastrani caivapahritany athapy amum
ta nabhyasuyan priya-sanga-nirvritah
dridham—thoroughly; pralabdhah—cheated; trapaya—of their shame; ca—and; hapitah—deprived; prastobhitah—laughed at; kridana-vat—just like toy dolls; ca—and; karitah—made to act; vastrani—their clothing; ca—and; eva—indeed; apahritani—stolen; atha api—nevertheless; amum—toward Him; tah—they; na abhyasuyan—did not feel inimical; priya—of their beloved; sanga—by the association; nirvritah—joyful.
Although the gopis had been thoroughly cheated, deprived of their modesty, ridiculed and made to act just like toy dolls, and although their clothing had been stolen, they did not feel at all inimical toward Shri Krishna. Rather, they were simply joyful to have this opportunity to associate with their beloved.
10.22.24 Sukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Pariksit
tasam vijnaya bhagavan
sva-pada-sparsha-kamyaya
dhrita-vratanam sankalpam
aha damodaro ‘balah
tasam—of these girls; vijnaya—understanding; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sva-pada—of His own feet; sparsha—for the touch; kamyaya—with the desire; dhrita-vratanam—who had taken their vow; sankalpam—the motivation; aha—spoke; damodarah—Lord Damodara; abalah—to the girls.
The Supreme Lord understood the determination of the gopis in executing their strict vow. The Lord also knew that the girls desired to touch His lotus feet, and thus Lord Damodara, Krishna, spoke to them as follows.
10.22.25-27 Krishna to the Gopis
sankalpo viditah sadhvyo
bhavatinam mad-arcanam
mayanumoditah so ‘sau
satyo bhavitum arhati
sankalpah—the motivation; viditah—understood; sadhvyah—O pious girls; bhavatinam—your; mat-arcanam—worship of Me; maya—by Me; anumoditah—approved of; sah asau—that; satyah—true; bhavitum—to become; arhati—must.
[Lord Krishna said:] O saintly girls, I understand that your real motive in this austerity has been to worship Me. That intent of yours is approved of by Me, and indeed it must come to pass. (25)
na mayy aveshita-dhiyam
kamah kamaya kalpate
bharjita kvathita dhanah
prayo bijaya neshate
na—not; mayi—in Me; aveshita—fully absorbed; dhiyam—of those whose consciousness; kamah—desire; kamaya—to material lust; kalpate—leads; bharjitah—burned; kvathitah—cooked; dhanah—grains; prayah—for the most part; bijaya—new growth; na ishyate—are not capable of causing.
The desire of those who fix their minds on Me does not lead to material desire for sense gratification, just as barleycorns burned by the sun and then cooked can no longer grow into new sprouts. (26)
yatabala vrajam siddha
mayema ramsyatha kshapah
yad uddishya vratam idam
cerur aryarcanam satih
yata—go now; abalah—My dear girls; vrajam—to Vraja; siddhah—having achieved your desire; maya—with Me; imah—these; ramsyatha—you will enjoy; kshapah—the nights; yat—which; uddishya—having in mind; vratam—vow; idam—this; ceruh—you executed; arya—of goddess Katyayani; arcanam—the worship; satih—being pure.
Go now, girls, and return to Vraja. Your desire is fulfilled, for in My company you will enjoy the coming nights. After all, this was the purpose of your vow to worship goddess Katyayani, O pure-hearted ones. (27)
10.29.01 Sukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Pariksit
shri-badarayanir uvaca
bhagavan api ta ratriih
sharadotphulla-mallikah
vikshya rantum manash cakre
yoga-mayam upashritah
shri-badarayanih uvaca—shri shukadeva, the son of shrila Badarayana Vedavyasa, said; bhagavan—Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; api—although; tah—those; ratrih—nights; sharada—of autumn: utphulla—blossoming; mallikah—the jasmine flowers; vikshya—seeing: rantum—to enjoy love; manah cakre—He made up His mind; yogamayam—His spiritual potency that makes the impossible possible; upashritah—resorting to.
Shri Badarayani said: Shri Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full in all opulences, yet upon seeing those autumn nights scented with blossoming jasmine flowers, He turned His mind toward loving affairs. To fulfill His purposes He employed His internal potency.
10.29.04 Sukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Pariksit
nishamya gitam tad ananga-vardhanam
vraja-striyah krishna-grihita-manasah
ajagmur anyonyam alakshitodyamah
sa yatra kanto java-lola-kundalah
nishamya—hearing; gitam—the music; tat—that; ananga—Cupid; vardhanam—which fortifies; vraja-striyah—the young women of Vraja; krishna—by Krishna; grihita—seized; manasah—whose minds; ajagmuh—they went; anyonyam—to one another; alakshita—unnoticed; udyamah—their going forward; sah—He; yatra—where; kantah—their boyfriend; java—because of their haste; lola—swinging; kundalah—whose earrings.
When the young women of Vrndavana heard Krishna's flute song, which arouses romantic feelings, their minds were captivated by the Lord. They went to where their lover waited, each unknown to the others, moving so quickly that their earrings swung back and forth.
10.29.08-9 Sukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Pariksit
ta varyamanah patibhih
pitribhir bhratri-bandhubhih
govindapahritatmano
na nyavartanta mohitah
tah—they; varyamanah—being checked; patibhih—by their husbands; pitribhih—by their fathers; bhratri—brothers; bandhubhih—and other relatives; govinda—by Lord Krishna; apahrita—stolen away; atmanah—their very selves; na nyavartanta—they did not turn back; mohitah—enchanted.
Their husbands, fathers, brothers and other relatives tried to stop them, but Krishna had already stolen their hearts. Enchanted by the sound of His flute, they refused to turn back. (8)
antar-griha-gatah kashcid
gopyo 'labdha-vinirgamah
krishnam tad-bhavana-yukta
dadhyur milita-locanah
antah-griha—within their homes; gatah—present; kashcit—some; gopyah—gopis; alabdha—not obtaining; vinirgamah—any exit; krishnam—upon shri Krishna; tat-bhavana—with ecstatic love for Him; yuktah—fully endowed; dadhyuh—they meditated; milita—closed; locanah—their eyes .
Some of the gopis, however, could not manage to get out of their houses, and instead they remained home with eyes closed, meditating upon Him in pure love. (9)
10.29.11 Sukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Pariksit
tam eva paramatmanam
jara-buddhyapi sangatah
jahur guna-mayam deham
sadyah prakshina-bandhanah
tam—Him; eva—even though; parama-atmanam—the Supersoul; jara—a paramour; buddhya—thinking Him to be; api—nevertheless; sangatah—getting His direct association; jahuh—they gave up; guna-mayam—composed of the modes of material nature; deham—their bodies; sadyah—immediately; prakshina—thoroughly counteracted; bandhanah—all their bondage of karma.
Although Lord Krishna is the Supreme Soul, these girls simply thought of Him as their male lover and associated with Him in that intimate mood. Thus their karmic bondage was nullified and they abandoned their gross material bodies.
