Content
Rāda-prapaṣca-paṣca-pūraṇi
Conclusion of the Five-Chapter Description of the Rāsa-Dance
1. Exhausted and perspiring because of Their pastimes, dark Kṛṣṇa and the fair gopīs went to the Yamunā. Respectfully approaching, limitless hundreds of gopīs suddenly entered the Yamunā’s nectar waters.
2. Thinking, “Dark Kṛṣṇa and the beautiful gopīs have crossed the shore and entered me”, the dark Yamunā at once overflowed its banks.
3. The splendid bodies of Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs were like many monsoon clouds and many lightning flashes. Their words were like the warbling of cātaka birds. Their splendor was like the splendor of the monsoon season. They were like a great assembly of many Lord Nārāyaṇas and Goddess Lakṣmīs holding hands and entering the dark sky that was the Yamunā river.
4. Again and again laughing and talking, They entered the water. Their bodies now wet, They greatly trembled. Now They stood in the water. Their splendor led one to know they were present there.
5. When some graceful-curved-eyebrowed girls would not enter the water, Kṛṣṇa splashed them. Thinking lightly of this Kṛṣṇa, the girls splashed Him back.
6. Now become like a cloud showering sweet monsoon rains, Kṛṣṇa furiously splashed the gopīs. Stung as if by a shower of arrows, the gopīs entered the water.
7. Plunged in water up to their waists, the restless-eyed doelike girls dreaded proceeding any further into the water.
8. Thinking they were other fish, the fish stayed away from the places where the gopīs’ restless eyes were reflected on the water. Instead touching the frightened gopīs’ delicate bodies, the fish brought nectar amusement to Kṛṣṇa’s eyes.
9. Observinbg the gopīs’ graceful motions, the swans admit that the gopīs are the true rulers of the kingdom of graceful motion. Seeing the gopīs’ breasts glorious like monsoon clouds, the cakravāka birds admit that the gopīs are the true rulers of the kingdom of glorious monsoon clouds. Seeing the gopīs’ eyes, the fish admit that ther gopīs are the true rulers of the kingdom of graceful restless objects. Hearing the gopīs’ sweetly jangling belts and ornaments, the sārasa cranes admit that the gopīs are the true rulers of the kingdom of sweet jangling.
10. Defeating all the lotus flowers, the gopīs’ faces shine with great splendor. How did they defeat them? They defeated them with their supreme beauty and splendor.
11. Kṛṣṇa cast a sidelong glance at the smiling gopīs. Then He started the pastime of water-splashing
12. In the flowing monsoon cloud that was the Yamunā, the monsoon cloud Kṛṣṇa splashed water on the ligthning-flash gopīs, and the lightning-flash gopīs splashed water on the monsoon-cloud Kṛṣṇa. Flying in the sky in their airplanes, the demigoddesses said, “What wonder, wonder, wonder is that? What dramatic-dance festival is that?”
13. In water up to their necks, the lotus-faced gopīs were like lotus forests embraced by the black-bee Kṛṣṇa.
14. When Kṛṣṇa defeated them in the water-splashing fight, the fair-limbed gopīs hid in a forest of golden lotus flowers. Imitating them, Kṛṣṇa hid in a forest of blue lotus flowers.
15. The faces of Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs were naturally fragrant like lotus flowers, beautiful like lotus flowers, and sweet like lotus flowers. Why would Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs not have been bewildered when in their water pastimes They both hid among the lotus flowers?
16. When Kṛṣṇa somehow found them hiding in the lotus forest, the gopīs let up a cry of “Alas! Alas!”
17. Seeing a smiling blossoming blue lotus, and in her heart seeing Kṛṣṇa’s face and relishing its nectar, a frighteened gopī hid amongst her gopī friends splendid like her.
18. Grasping and embracing her, Kṛṣṇa rescued a gopī floundering in deep water.
19. In water up to their breasts, some beautiful gopīs yearned to defeat their life’s master Kṛṣṇa. Hiding, they suddenly splashed Him with water. How could they fail to defeat Him in that attack?
20. As a black bee drinks the nectar from the mouths of the lotus flowers that surround him, so clever Kṛṣṇa, by kissing them, drank the nectar of the lips of the beautiful-eyed gopīs that then surrounded Him.
21. With His fingernails Kṛṣṇa scratched the gopīs breasts. When He suddenly, forcefully, and wonderfully embraced them, the gopīs were sorely wounded by Kāmadeva’s arrows.
22. His long arms reaching to His knees, Kṛṣṇa approached the gopīs, whose large eyes seemed almost to touch their ears. Kṛṣṇa placed His hand on the gopīs’tight belts.
23. When, followed by Her gopī-friends, Rādhā arrived at that place of water-pastimes, Her lover Kṛṣṇa became stunned with bliss. He made no attampt to splash Her.
24. When, accompanied by Her entourage, Rādhā approached to join in the water-pastime battle, Kṛṣṇa becanme stunned and motionless. The gopīs did not know what to do. They thought their queen had already defeated Her beloved.
25. His lotus eyes surrounded by curly locksa of hair, Kṛṣṇa gazed at Rādhā as a black bee gazes at a lotus flower. Frightened, Rādhā backed away. Then Kṛṣṇa entered amongst the gopīs that were Rādhā’s army. He defeated them.
26. The nectar of ferocious battle-pastimes then took birth amongst the sublimely beautiful gopīs. Their eyes red with passionate desire for water-pastimes, the splendid gopīs loudly laughed.
27. Surrounded by ten million teenage vraja-gopīs, Kṛṣṇa, fighting alone, began His playful water-pastime battle. First Kṛṣṇa walked onto the shore, as He had done before when He stole the garments of the gopīs when they had worshipped Goddess Kātyāyanī.
28. RThe gopīs’ words were like thee swans’ warbling. Their garments were like the nearby waters. Their faces were like lotus flowers. Their restless eyes were like black bees. Their gracefullimbs were like lotus stems.
29. “Haha!” The sound of laughter filled the water and the shore. Some laughter was like the sweet warbling of cātaka birds. Other laughter was like the rumbling of rainclouds.
30. As before He laughed again and again as He returned the gopīs’ garments, this time He gazed at the clothed-gopīs’ faces and also laughed again and again.
31. At that time the gopīs accepted their garments from Kṛṣṇa. Some gopīs were restless, somewere restless with crooked desires, some were red with embarrassment, some were stunned, some wept without any trace of a smile, some were filled with pride and anger, and all gazed again and again at Kṛṣṇa whop enchants the three worlds. All yearned to attain Him. At that time some demigoddesses glorious with exquisite garments, ornaments, and flower garlands, and flying in the sky in their airplanes, showered flowers on Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs.
32. Seeing their garments were now wet, Kṛṣṇa affectionately and respectfully gave new garments and ornaments to the gopīs.
33. Emerging from the water, Kṛṣṇa’s beloved gopīs were very splendid and beautiful. Dressed in colorful garments, they were glorious.
34. Now dressed in many glorious ornaments, Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs found that a strong desire to gaze at each other had taken birth within Them. The gopīs gazed at youthful Kṛṣṇa dressed in glorious garments. Many demigoddesses flying in airplanes in the sky then honored ther gopīs by showering flowers upon them.
35. Speaking a tricky joke, the gopīs said to Kṛṣṇa: Who is this person named Kāmadeva, who is the general of Your army? He is Your friend. Show him to us.”
36. With a concealed smileSri Kṛṣṇa then said to Rādhā (the words of the following song).
A Song
rādhe maiśīr draṣṭum anaṅgam
tasya tu paśya gaṇaṁ kṛta-satkṛta-sukṛta-sulambhita-saṅgam
Rādhā, don’t desire to see Kāmadeva! Look! Here are his friends! By worshiping them You will easily see Kāmadeva.
taru-vallī-tati dampati-pallī bhavatīm atithīyantī
ākārayati calan-nava-pallava-pāṇibhir ātmīyantī
This village of trees, along with their wives the vines, make You its guest. Waving the new sprouts that are its hands, it invites You to enter.
sa punar iha kusumāni kirati pathi racayitum āstara-caryām
kokila-kulam api tava hūtim kila kalam anu kalayati varyām
This village of trees and vines spreads flowers on the path to serve You. The cuckoos call You with sweet music.
bhruṅkāreṇa ca bherī-śabdaṁ bhramarā vidadhati sa-sukham
śithilitam api bata tanute nartanam abhitaś cālī-pramukham
By making buzzing sounds the bees play bherī drums as the peacocks spread their tails and happily dance.
nija-ruci-dīpaṁ paritaḥ prathayati so ‘yaṁ rajanīsvāmī
eṣa ca panthāḥ svaṁ vistṛtavāṁs tvat-pada-rajasāṁ kāmī
The moon spreads its beautiful light everywhere. He illuminates this path because he desires to touch the dust of Your lotus feet.
37. Dressed in glorious garments, Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs shone with great splendor as they walked in a glorious forest by the Yamunā’s banks. Kṛṣṇa then reminded the gopīs of the various pastimes they had enjoyed day after day in the various places of that forest.
38. In husband and wife pairs the black bees left their own abodes, followed Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs, and sang auspicious songs glorifying Kṛṣṇa and tyhe gopīs. How did the black bees know anything of the glories of Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs. Wherever Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs went, the black bees followed. Therefore the bees knew everythiong of these glories.
39. At this point Snigdhakaṇṭha asked: When only a little remained of the night Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs wandered in many places. What pastimes did eager Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs enjoy then?
40. To this question Madhukaṇṭha replied: Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs then played a game of hide-and-seek. Kṛṣṇa arranged this game so He could meet each gopīs individually in various privatre places. As the gopīs were searching for Kṛṣṇa in this game, Kṛṣṇa expanded into many different forms. Each gopīs met privately with one of those forms. In this way Kṛṣṇa took each one of the peerlessly-beautiful-eyed gopīs far away to a secluded place in the forest.
41. Though sometimes they saw another gopī meet with Kṛṣṇa in a secluded place, the gopīs did not believe what they saw. In their hearts they were certain what they saw was only a golden yūthi vine embracing a dark tamāla tree.
42. Though they heard the jingling of other gopīs’ anklets, the gopīs thought it only the warbling of some birds. Though they saw the forms of Kṛṣṇa and other gopīs, they thought those forms only a many dark tamāla and fair campaka trees
43. That forest was not filled with blinding darkness. The glorious moon filled the forest with light, the forest where, in place after place, Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs became wealthy with a great treasure of amorous pastimes.
44. In those secluded places Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs playfully talked and flirted. On their restless splendid bodies the hairs blossomed erect. They became restless with the desire to enjoy amorous pastimes.
45. Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs then enjoyed the ten rasas favorable to conjugal love, rasas that are: astonishment, dread, anger, ghastliness, respect for elders or superiors, compassion, chivalry, laughter, neutrality, and conjugal love one after the other. Finally They enjoyed the rasa of conjugal love.
46. Wandering in the forest, Kṛṣṇa and gopīs saw in the full moon’s light many wonderful varieties of birds, beasts, vines, and trees, some They had known before and some They had never known before. In this way They tasted the rasa of astonishment.
47. Sometimes They entered forest groves filled with wild bees gathering pollen from hosts of flowers. The gopīs became afraid. Kṛṣṇa calmed them with sweet words. In this way the gopīs experienced the rasa of dread.
48. When sometimes a bold black bee stung a gopī and brought to her difficult-to-remove tears, Kṛṣṇa, His ewyes now become like red lotus flowers almost touching His shark-shaped earrings, violently punished that bee, striking him with a formidable long-stemmed pastime-lotus-flower. In this way Kṛṣṇa enjoyed the rasa of anger.
49. Sometimes a gopī, her splendid face filled with charming playfulness, saw a lotus-flower growing from the dry ground and (unaware that some species of lotus grow not in ponds but on dry land) became filled with shock and horror. In this way that gopī experienced the rasa of ghastliness.
50. Sometimes, learning the arts of sweet warbling from a group of parrots, a gopī, now them her teachers and herself their student, would sing very sweetly. In this way she experienced the rasa of being respectful to elders or superiors.
51. Sometimes, seeing that in the course of Their agitated pastimes they had crushed some graceful buds on a flowering vine, Kṛṣṇa and ther gopīs shed a few tears from Their eyes. In this way They experienced the rasa of compassion.
52. Sometimes, to break into pieces the great festival of their pride, Kṛṣṇa engaged the graceful banana-tree-thighed gopīs in pastimes of amorous battle. In this way He a they enjoyed the rasa of chivalry.
53. Sometimes, seeing Their shadows move here and there in exaggerated ways as They enjoyed amorous pastimes, Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs would laugh greatly. In this way They enjoyed the rasa of laughter.
54. Sometimes, exhausted after enjoying many pastimes, Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs, feeling Their hearts renounce the happiness They formerly felt by touching each other, now happily closed Their eyes in sleep. In this way They experienced the rasa of neutrality.
55. Sometimes, even though already exhausted by enjoying many wild amorous pastimes, Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs continued to enjoy again and again, staying awake the whole night, awake and always plunged in the ocean of passionate amorous pastimes. In this way Kṛṣṇa and His gopī-beloveds enjoyed pastimes of conjugal love.
56. Seeing a black bee kiss a flowering vine and a parrot kiss a pomegranate, amorous Kṛṣṇa yearned to kiss the gopīs.
57. Kṛṣṇa is like a black bee that bites the lips of a the lotus flowers and tastes their nectar. Even from afar seeing the charming gopīs, Kṛṣṇa is overcome with passionate desire.
58. Gazing and gazing at the moonlight, Vṛndāvana forest, its many groves, the couches in those groves, Kṛṣṇa and the doe-eyed gopīs, and Their amorous pastimes, my heart is enchanted. Now it turns from all material things. Gazing at these things in relation to Kṛṣṇa, my heart at once goes to them. Ah, how shall I ever look at material things again?
59. The gopīs have thus been described in a general way. However, more specifically it may be said: The virtues of the other gopīs may be described, But the glory and good fortune of Sri Rādhā cannot be described. No one has the power to describe all Her glories. If Her glories are described, then all other descriptions are chased far away.
60. Even while they embraced Kṛṣṇa, the gopīs feared the moment when they would be separated from Him, and that fear became a wrinkle present in their pastimes with Him. Leaving their homes, they went to forest coottages to enjoy pastimes with Kṛṣṇa. In those places their pastimes with Kṛṣṇa became fully blossomed. But even then they remembered that the cruel reddish dawn would eventually come (and stop these pastimes).
61. At the end of night the eastern horizon becomes reddish, the moon begins to set in the west, the white lotus flowers close their petals, and, fearing that the night will soon end, Kṛṣṇa’s beloved gopīs wither with sorrow.
62. Flying in the sky in their airplanes, the demigoddesses say: A being may start in a lowly position, eventually become raised to an exalted position, and then fall again to a lowly position. Look. The beautiful-faced gopīs’ faces, the blue lotus flowers, and moon have all fallen from an exalted position.
63. Alas! The moon, which is the friend of tyhe lotus flowers and the friend of all who burn with sorrow has fallen into the western ocean. The blue lotus flowers are now embarrassed by the playful gopīs’ sidelong glances.
64. Vraja’s gopī-goddesses say: The reddish dawn now quickly rises and conquers the sky. Now the stars and us gopīs are all crushed into powder.
65. Thinking of their conditioon, Kṛṣṇa, whose nature is always glorious and auspicious and whose is eternally a graceful teenager, wiped the ftears flowing along the lotus faces of the gopīs, who dropped hints of embracing Him and hints of the great glory of their love for Him. Comforting them, Kṛṣṇa said:
66. O gopī-friend, When I held you in My arms, I did not allow that opportunity to be broken into pieces by anything else. Although My desires were all fulfilled, My heart was still not satisfied. Our relatives and elders became obstacles that stopped the fulfillment of Our desires. Now is the time you must return home. O friend, please do not wilt with sorrow.
67. After first touching Kṛṣṇa with their hands, embracing Him, and enjoying pastimes as before, the gopīs finally departed and walked on the path to Vraja.
68. Although in His heart He was submissive to the gopīs’ wishes, Kṛṣṇa also considered the needs of the others who dearly loved Him. Kṛṣṇa acted as good people act.
69. Now separated from Kṛṣṇa, the more than ten million gopīs returned to their own villages. They did not know what to do. The gopīs who were Kṛṣṇa’s most confidential associates stayed in the courtyards of their own homes with their gopī-friends. There they enjoyed pastimes.
70. The gopīs gave all honor to Kṛṣṇa. Expertly He had kissed them. Tightly He had embraced them. They believed His words. Did He act to bring auspiciousness to them, or did He not? I do not know.
71. Their voices choked with emotion, the gopīs said to Kṛṣṇa: “Now we have to power to associate with You. O Kṛṣṇa, please hear our appeal. Saintly persons do not abandon persons they once accepted.”
72. Separated from each other, Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs were overcome. They were bathed and hugged by the tears falling from their eyes. Their bodies were covered with tears. Their chests were wet with tears. Their hearts were melting with tears.
73. Hearing the tumultuous warbling of many birds, Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs knew, “Dawn is here.” They were very surprised. They suddenly possessed a great wealth of trembling. Tears fell from their eyes. They were rapt in thinking of eachother. Now they would be separated.
74. Again and again Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa gazed at each oitehr with crooked eyes. Again and again They wept. That They somehow had the power to return to Their homes was not suprising. After all, saintly and righteous persons, without any resistence, always do what is right.
75. When they were separated from Him, Kṛṣṇa’s gopī-beloveds felt great sorrow take birth in their hearts. However, Rādhā felt the worst kind of torment when She was separated from Kṛṣṇa.
76. In the autumn moonlight Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs had enjoyed many pastimes. Now they saw that the brāhma-mhūrta had come. Although Their hearts were filled with effulgence, They carefully covered Their bodies. They walked on hidden paths. In their hearts they meditated on these pastimes. They thirsted after more pastimes. In this way, exhausted, They entered Vraja village.
77. Externally, the rāsa-dance festival came to an end, but in did not end within the gopīs’ hearts. It is said: When the rāsa-dance festival had come to an end, the beautiful-eyed gopīs became diligently engaged in their household dutiese. Still, they always thought of those pastimes of singing and dancing. It was as if those pastimes were always manifest before their eyes.
78. In the rāsa-dance pastimes Kṛṣṇa was the amorous hero and the many gopīs were His amorous heroines. With their glories the beautiful-eyebrowed gopīs defeated even Goddess Lakṣmī herself. Their forms were sweet like nectar. They were supremely pure and freet from any imperfection. The wise poets strive to describe all their glories. Still, the poets cannot completely describe all the gopīs glories, the gopīs wwho were worshiped and praised by Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
79. Then Snigdhakaṇṭha said: Ah! Where did the four boys go?
80. Madhukaṇṭha replied: Before they had climbed a great tree. Then they eagerly walked on the path to their master’s house. Now they are silent.
81. In this way Madhukaṇṭha described the rāsa-dance pastime. Three yamas of the night had passed. Interrupting his rapt meditation on Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, he folded his hands and said:
82. O beautiful and glorious Rādha, the demigods who control the three worlds were delighted by the rāsa dance. They all worship Your beloved Kṛṣṇa.
83. Again and again calling the honored boy-poets to His side, lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa gave them as giofts the very ornaments His gopī-beloveds wore.
84. Everyone there celebrated a great festival of giving gifts to the two poets. Everyone was glorious with great splendor. They gave gifts as if they were one person and not many. Then they became engaged in their own activities again. Then the brāhma-muhūrta moment came. Fatigued, they all returned to their own homes.