Chapter Twenty-one Rāsa-krīḍā The Rāsa-dance Pastime

dāḍimīnāṁ ca drakṣāṇāṁ badāmānāṁ vane nṛpa kadambānāṁ śrīphalānāṁ kuṭajānāṁ tathaiva ca vaṭānāṁ panasānāṁ ca pippalānāṁ vane śubhe tulasī-kovidārāṇāṁ ketakī-kadalī-vane karilla-kuṣja-bakula- mandārāṇāṁ vane hariḥ caran kāmavanaṁ prāgād rājan vraja-vadhū-vṛtaḥ ittham—thus; kundavane—in Kundavana; ramye—beautiful; mālatīnām—of malati flowers; vane—in the forest; śubhe—beautiful; amrāṇām—of mango trees; nāgaraṅgāṇām—of orange trees; bindūnām—of lime trees; sa-ghane—thick; vane—in the forest; dāḍimīnām—of pomegranatesd; ca—and; drakṣāṇām—of grapes; badāmānām—of badamas; vane—in the forest; nṛpa—O king; kadambānām—of kadambas; śrīphalānām—of sriphalas; kuṭajānām—of kutajas; tathā—so; eva—indeed; ca—and; vaṭānām—of banyan trees; panasānām—of panasa trees; ca—and; pippalānām—of pippala trees; vane—in the forest; śubhe—beautiful; tulasī—of tulasī; kovidārāṇām—of kovidaras; ketakī—of ketakis; kadalī—of kadalis; vane—in the forest; karilla—karilla; ku 24ja—forest; bakula—bakula; mandārāṇām—and mandaras; vane—in the forest; hariḥ—Kṛṣṇa; caran—walking; kāmavanam—to Kamavana; prāgāt—went; rājan—O king; vraja—of Vraja; vadhū—with the girls; vṛtaḥ—accompanied. O king, walking in the gopīs' company in beautiful Kundavana forest, past many beautiful groves of mālatī, mango, orange, lime, pomegranate, grape, badāmāna, kadamba, śrīphala, kuṭaja, banyan, panasa, pippala, tulasī, kovidāra, ketakī, kadalī, karilla, bakula, and mandāra, Lord Kṛṣṇa came to Kāmavana forest.

dāḍimīnāṁ ca drakṣāṇāṁ badāmānāṁ vane nṛpa kadambānāṁ śrīphalānāṁ kuṭajānāṁ tathaiva ca vaṭānāṁ panasānāṁ ca pippalānāṁ vane śubhe tulasī-kovidārāṇāṁ ketakī-kadalī-vane karilla-kuṣja-bakula- mandārāṇāṁ vane hariḥ caran kāmavanaṁ prāgād rājan vraja-vadhū-vṛtaḥ ittham—thus; kundavane—in Kundavana; ramye—beautiful; mālatīnām—of malati flowers; vane—in the forest; śubhe—beautiful; amrāṇām—of mango trees; nāgaraṅgāṇām—of orange trees; bindūnām—of lime trees; sa-ghane—thick; vane—in the forest; dāḍimīnām—of pomegranatesd; ca—and; drakṣāṇām—of grapes; badāmānām—of badamas; vane—in the forest; nṛpa—O king; kadambānām—of kadambas; śrīphalānām—of sriphalas; kuṭajānām—of kutajas; tathā—so; eva—indeed; ca—and; vaṭānām—of banyan trees; panasānām—of panasa trees; ca—and; pippalānām—of pippala trees; vane—in the forest; śubhe—beautiful; tulasī—of tulasī; kovidārāṇām—of kovidaras; ketakī—of ketakis; kadalī—of kadalis; vane—in the forest; karilla—karilla; ku 24ja—forest; bakula—bakula; mandārāṇām—and mandaras; vane—in the forest; hariḥ—Kṛṣṇa; caran—walking; kāmavanam—to Kamavana; prāgāt—went; rājan—O king; vraja—of Vraja; vadhū—with the girls; vṛtaḥ—accompanied. O king, walking in the gopīs' company in beautiful Kundavana forest, past many beautiful groves of mālatī, mango, orange, lime, pomegranate, grape, badāmāna, kadamba, śrīphala, kuṭaja, banyan, panasa, pippala, tulasī, kovidāra, ketakī, kadalī, karilla, bakula, and mandāra, Lord Kṛṣṇa came to Kāmavana forest.

dāḍimīnāṁ ca drakṣāṇāṁ badāmānāṁ vane nṛpa kadambānāṁ śrīphalānāṁ kuṭajānāṁ tathaiva ca vaṭānāṁ panasānāṁ ca pippalānāṁ vane śubhe tulasī-kovidārāṇāṁ ketakī-kadalī-vane karilla-kuṣja-bakula- mandārāṇāṁ vane hariḥ caran kāmavanaṁ prāgād rājan vraja-vadhū-vṛtaḥ ittham—thus; kundavane—in Kundavana; ramye—beautiful; mālatīnām—of malati flowers; vane—in the forest; śubhe—beautiful; amrāṇām—of mango trees; nāgaraṅgāṇām—of orange trees; bindūnām—of lime trees; sa-ghane—thick; vane—in the forest; dāḍimīnām—of pomegranatesd; ca—and; drakṣāṇām—of grapes; badāmānām—of badamas; vane—in the forest; nṛpa—O king; kadambānām—of kadambas; śrīphalānām—of sriphalas; kuṭajānām—of kutajas; tathā—so; eva—indeed; ca—and; vaṭānām—of banyan trees; panasānām—of panasa trees; ca—and; pippalānām—of pippala trees; vane—in the forest; śubhe—beautiful; tulasī—of tulasī; kovidārāṇām—of kovidaras; ketakī—of ketakis; kadalī—of kadalis; vane—in the forest; karilla—karilla; ku 24ja—forest; bakula—bakula; mandārāṇām—and mandaras; vane—in the forest; hariḥ—Kṛṣṇa; caran—walking; kāmavanam—to Kamavana; prāgāt—went; rājan—O king; vraja—of Vraja; vadhū—with the girls; vṛtaḥ—accompanied. O king, walking in the gopīs' company in beautiful Kundavana forest, past many beautiful groves of mālatī, mango, orange, lime, pomegranate, grape, badāmāna, kadamba, śrīphala, kuṭaja, banyan, panasa, pippala, tulasī, kovidāra, ketakī, kadalī, karilla, bakula, and mandāra, Lord Kṛṣṇa came to Kāmavana forest.

dāḍimīnāṁ ca drakṣāṇāṁ badāmānāṁ vane nṛpa kadambānāṁ śrīphalānāṁ kuṭajānāṁ tathaiva ca vaṭānāṁ panasānāṁ ca pippalānāṁ vane śubhe tulasī-kovidārāṇāṁ ketakī-kadalī-vane karilla-kuṣja-bakula- mandārāṇāṁ vane hariḥ caran kāmavanaṁ prāgād rājan vraja-vadhū-vṛtaḥ ittham—thus; kundavane—in Kundavana; ramye—beautiful; mālatīnām—of malati flowers; vane—in the forest; śubhe—beautiful; amrāṇām—of mango trees; nāgaraṅgāṇām—of orange trees; bindūnām—of lime trees; sa-ghane—thick; vane—in the forest; dāḍimīnām—of pomegranatesd; ca—and; drakṣāṇām—of grapes; badāmānām—of badamas; vane—in the forest; nṛpa—O king; kadambānām—of kadambas; śrīphalānām—of sriphalas; kuṭajānām—of kutajas; tathā—so; eva—indeed; ca—and; vaṭānām—of banyan trees; panasānām—of panasa trees; ca—and; pippalānām—of pippala trees; vane—in the forest; śubhe—beautiful; tulasī—of tulasī; kovidārāṇām—of kovidaras; ketakī—of ketakis; kadalī—of kadalis; vane—in the forest; karilla—karilla; ku 24ja—forest; bakula—bakula; mandārāṇām—and mandaras; vane—in the forest; hariḥ—Kṛṣṇa; caran—walking; kāmavanam—to Kamavana; prāgāt—went; rājan—O king; vraja—of Vraja; vadhū—with the girls; vṛtaḥ—accompanied. O king, walking in the gopīs' company in beautiful Kundavana forest, past many beautiful groves of mālatī, mango, orange, lime, pomegranate, grape, badāmāna, kadamba, śrīphala, kuṭaja, banyan, panasa, pippala, tulasī, kovidāra, ketakī, kadalī, karilla, bakula, and mandāra, Lord Kṛṣṇa came to Kāmavana forest.

On a hill there Lord Kṛṣṇa sweetly played the flute. That music made the girls of Vraja faint.

O king, wounded by Kāmadeva's arrows, and their tight belts now loosened, the demigoddesses also fainted because of that music as they flew in airplanes with the demigods.

Because of that music the four kinds of moving and unmoving living entities fainted, the rivers and streams became stunned, and the hills and mountains melted.

That hill in Kāmavana became decorated with Lord Kṛṣṇa's footprints. Simply by seeing that hill one attains the goal of life.

Then Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of Rādhā, enjoyed a rāsa dance with the gopīs on the great peak of Nandīśvara Hill.

O king of Mithilā, at that time the gopīs became very proud, so Lord Kṛṣṇa left them. He disappeared with Rādhā.

O king of Mithilā, separated from Kṛṣṇa, the gopīs were overcome with sorrow. Their eyes filled with tears, they wandered here and there in the forest wilderness as if they were frightened deer.

Not seeing Kṛṣṇa anywhere, they became filled with sorrow. They became like female elephants that cannot find their mate or kurarī birds that cannot find their husband. Separated from Kṛṣṇa, all the girls of Vraja wept.

O king, in forest after forest they approached the trees and vines and asked, as if they had become mad, "Where is the son of Nanda? O trees and plants, please tell us."

The girls called out, "O Śrī Kṛṣṇa! O Kṛṣṇa!" their hearts paasionately attached to Śrī Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet. Then they pretended to have become Kṛṣṇa. This is not surprising. They were like bumblebees attracted to Śrī Kṛṣṇa's glory.

Approaching Kṛṣṇa's footprints on the ground, the gopīs surrendered to His lotus feet.

When He saw them worship His feet, the Lord became merciful. For this reason the gopīs were able to see a place marked with the Lord's footprints.

Śrī Bahulāśva said: When He left the gopīs, where did Kṛṣṇa take Rādhā? How did the gopīs again see Kṛṣṇa? O lord, please tell me.

Śrī Nārada said: Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā entered a banyan forest. There Kṛṣṇa decorated His beloved with kabarī flowers.

There Rādhā made curls on Kṛṣṇa's black hair and wonderful pictures and designs on the circle of His full-moon face.

Then, gazing at the great forests Bhadravana, Khadiravana, and Bilvavana as He went, Kṛṣṇa entered the forest named Kokilavana.

As they searched for Kṛṣṇa, the gopīs found His footprints marked with a barleycorn, cakra, flag, parasol, svastika, elephant-goad, bindu, . . .

. . . eight-pointed star, thunderbolt, lotus, conchshell, waterpot, fish, triangle, ūrdhva-rekhā line, . . .

. . . bow, cow's hoofprint, and half-moon. As the gopīs followed the Supreme Lord's footprints, . . .

. . . and as they again and again took the dust from those footprints and placed it to their heads, the girls of Vraja saw another set of footprints marked with different signs, . . .

. . . marked with a flag, lotus, parasol, barleycorn, ūrdhva-rekhā line, cakra, half-moon, elephant-goad, many bindus, . . .

. . . many clove vines, a club, fish, conchshell, mountain-king, many śakti-weapons, . . .

. . . throne, chariot, and two bindus. O king, looking at these wonderful footprints, the gopīs said, "The son of Nanda has come here in Rādhā's company."

The gopīs followed these lotus footprints into Kokilavana forest. When He heard the tumultous sounds of the gopīs as they came, Kṛṣṇa said to Rādhā:

O Rādhā, O beloved, O girl splendid as ten million moons, go quickly, All these gopīs have come to take You from Me.

Then Rādhā, feeling proud of Her beauty, youthfulness, intelligence, and good character, spoke to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the husband of the goddess of fortune.

I cannot move. I cannot leave this palace. I am only a delicate girl. I am perspiring. O beloved, how can You lead Me away from here?

Hearing these words, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the master of Rādhā, made for Her a breeze by fanning Her with His yellow garments.

Then Kṛṣṇa took Her hand and said, "O Rādhā, walk as fast You like." Even though Kṛṣṇa said this, still Rādhā did not move.

Turning Her back to Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā stood silent. Then Kṛṣṇa, who is dear to the saintly devotees, spoke to His proud beloved Rādhā.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Let us leave behind these gopīs that wish to come with Us. O noble girl, I worship You with all My heart. O Rādhā, I will do whatever You wish. Climb on My shoulders and You will quickly and easily flee from them.

Śrī Nārada said: O king, as Rādhā was about to climb His shoulders, Lord Kṛṣṇa, the supremely independent Personality of Godhead suddenly disappeared.

Distressed by Kṛṣṇa's departure, and Her pride now gone, Rādhā loudly wept in Kokilavana forest.

O king of Mithilā, when the gopīs came and heard Rādhā's sorrowful weeping they also became filled with sorrow.

Some gopīs showered Her with a spray of honey, sandal, aguru, musk, and saffron.

Some made a breeze on Her limbs by fanning Her with fans and cāmaras, and some, expert at comforting others, comforted Her with many words.

O king of Mithilā, when they heard from Her mouth how arrogant Kṛṣṇa treated Her badly, the proud gopīs were astonished. .pa