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

Śrī Nārada said: Then, to attract Kṛṣṇa there, all the girls came together and, sweetly playing the karatālas, sang songs about the beautiful virtues of Kṛṣṇa.

The gopīs said: O delight of the worlds, O decoration of the people, O lamp of the universe, O Lord more charming than Kāmadeva, O Lord who removes the sufferings sins bring to the worlds, O root of bliss, O delight of the Yadus, O son of Nanda, O independent Lord, O Lord sweeter than honey from the lotus, obeisances, obeisances to You!

O victory flag of the cows, brāhmaṇas, and saints, O Lord honored by the demigods, O Lord who descended to this world to kill the demons headed by Kaṁsa, O sun who makes the lotus of King Nanda's family blossom wide, O eye of the demigods and the liberated souls, glories to You!

O supreme pearl in the ocean of the gopas, O sapphire in the mountain of the gopa dysnasty, O lotus in the lake of the gopas, O great swan in the sandal forest of the gopas, O Supreme Personality of Godhead!

You are a bumblebee drawn to the lotus of Śrī Rādhā's face. You are a cakora bird drawn to the moon of Śrī Rādhā's face. You are a necklace of candrakānti jewels over Śrī Rādhā's heart. You are Śrī Rādhā's mādhavī flower.

May Lord Kṛṣṇa, who enjoys glorious pastimes in the rāsa dance arena, who brings life to the gopīs' eyes, and who in a secret place roughly treated a girl filled with pride, appear before our eyes.

We worship Lord Kṛṣṇa, whose arms are two kings of serpents, who enjoys many pastimes, who came to the earth to show His glories to all the worlds, and who with the dust of His feet decorated Vṛndāvana forest, Govardhana Hill, and all the gopīs.

Even when we are not filled with sorrow we meditate on You as a pleasing moon, a brilliant sun, a grove of sugarcane in the forest, a sharp arrow, and a gentle breeze.

O Kṛṣṇa, our sorrow is a thousand times greater than King Saudāsa's queen felt away from her husband, ten million times greater than Nala's queen felt, and more without limit than King Janaka's daughter felt.

Śrī Uddhava is the crest jewel of all the devotees. He is qualified to approach Your lotus feet. It is because of Him that we take shelter of Your feet. O glorious one, please be kind to us! Please give us shelter!

Śrī Nārada said: O king, as the gopīs wept, lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa suddenly appeared, as if to fulfill their desire.

āgataṁ vīkṣya yugapat samuttasthur vrājāṅganāḥ tan-mātrāṇi ca yaṁ dṛṣṭvā yathā jṣānendriyāṇi ca sphurat—glittering; kirīṭa—crown; keyūra—armlets; kuṇḍala—earrings; aṅgada—bracelets; bhūṣaṇam—ornament; snigdha—glistening; amala—pure; sugandha—fragrant; aḍhya—opulent; nīla—black; ku 24cita—curly; kuntalam—hair; āgatam—come; vīkṣya—seeing; yugapat—at once; samuttasthuḥ—stood up; vrājāṅganāḥ—the girls of Vraja; tan-mātrāṇi—the tan-matras; ca—and; yam—which; dṛṣṭvā—seeing; yathā—as; jṣāna—knowledge; indriyāṇi—senses; ca—and. Seeing that Kṛṣṇa, decorated with a glittering crown, armlets, earrings, bracelets, and His handsome glistening black curly hair very glorious, had come, the gopīs at once stood up, as the senses stand up when they see the sense-objects.

āgataṁ vīkṣya yugapat samuttasthur vrājāṅganāḥ tan-mātrāṇi ca yaṁ dṛṣṭvā yathā jṣānendriyāṇi ca sphurat—glittering; kirīṭa—crown; keyūra—armlets; kuṇḍala—earrings; aṅgada—bracelets; bhūṣaṇam—ornament; snigdha—glistening; amala—pure; sugandha—fragrant; aḍhya—opulent; nīla—black; ku 24cita—curly; kuntalam—hair; āgatam—come; vīkṣya—seeing; yugapat—at once; samuttasthuḥ—stood up; vrājāṅganāḥ—the girls of Vraja; tan-mātrāṇi—the tan-matras; ca—and; yam—which; dṛṣṭvā—seeing; yathā—as; jṣāna—knowledge; indriyāṇi—senses; ca—and. Seeing that Kṛṣṇa, decorated with a glittering crown, armlets, earrings, bracelets, and His handsome glistening black curly hair very glorious, had come, the gopīs at once stood up, as the senses stand up when they see the sense-objects.

Playing the flute in their midst, Lord Kṛṣṇa danced with Rādhā as Kāmadeva dances with Rati.

Then Lord Kṛṣṇa expanded Himself into as many forms as there were gopīs. Going among them, He enjoyed with them to their heart's content.

Their sorrows gone, the girls of Vraja approached Kṛṣṇa in the forest and with folded hands and faltering words spoke to Him.

The gopīs said: O Kṛṣṇa, when You left us gopīs the whole world became for us as important as a single blade of grass. Now we have again attained out heart's desire at Your feet. While You were gone where did You go? Please tell us.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O gopīs, on Puṣkara-dvīpa there is a great sage named Haṁsa who performed austerities while submerged in the ocean of yogurt.

O gopīs, He spent two manvantaras meditating on Me in pure devotion.

Today a four-mile-long fish swallowed him. Then a demon in the form of an even larger white fish swallowed that fish.

mocayitvātha gatavān śvetadvīpe vrajāṅganāḥ kṣīrābdhau śeṣa-paryaṅke śayanaṁ tu mayā kṛtam evam—thus; samprāpta—attained; kaṣṭasya—catastrophe; haṁsasyāpi—of Haṁsa; muneḥ—Muni; aham—I; gatvā—going; atha—then; śīghreṇawith a very long; tayoḥ—of them both; śiraḥ—the head; chittvā—cutting; ariṇā—with a sword; munim—the sage; mocayitvā—liberating; atha—then; gatavān—went; śvetadvīpe—to Śvetadvīpa; vrajāṅganāḥ—O gopīs; kṣīrābdhau—on the milk-ocean; śeṣa—of Śeṣa; paryaṅke—on the couch; śayanam—resting; tu—indeed; mayā—by Me; kṛtam—done. With a very great knife I cut the heads of those two fish and saved the sage Haṁsa from his distress. O gopīs, then I went to Śvetadvīpa and, lying down on the couch of Śeṣa in the ocean of milk, I took a nap.

mocayitvātha gatavān śvetadvīpe vrajāṅganāḥ kṣīrābdhau śeṣa-paryaṅke śayanaṁ tu mayā kṛtam evam—thus; samprāpta—attained; kaṣṭasya—catastrophe; haṁsasyāpi—of Haṁsa; muneḥ—Muni; aham—I; gatvā—going; atha—then; śīghreṇawith a very long; tayoḥ—of them both; śiraḥ—the head; chittvā—cutting; ariṇā—with a sword; munim—the sage; mocayitvā—liberating; atha—then; gatavān—went; śvetadvīpe—to Śvetadvīpa; vrajāṅganāḥ—O gopīs; kṣīrābdhau—on the milk-ocean; śeṣa—of Śeṣa; paryaṅke—on the couch; śayanam—resting; tu—indeed; mayā—by Me; kṛtam—done. With a very great knife I cut the heads of those two fish and saved the sage Haṁsa from his distress. O gopīs, then I went to Śvetadvīpa and, lying down on the couch of Śeṣa in the ocean of milk, I took a nap.

O My beloveds, when I became aware that You were suffering, I left my nap and came here at once. Your pure devotion has transformed Me into your submissive servant.

Saintly devotees who have generous hearts, who see everyone equally, who control their senses, and who are aloof from material things, find in their renunciation a great happiness that I give to them. They find it just as the senses find happiness in the sensations that being with taste.

The gopīs said: O Kṛṣṇa, if You are pleased with us please show us the form You displayed as You rested on Śeṣa in the ocean of milk.

Śrī Nārada said: The Lord said, "So be it." Then, as the gopīs watched, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa changed Themselves into eight-armed forms of Lakṣmī and Nārāyaṇa.

That place suddenly became the milk-ocean decorated with many waves. Many beautiful jewel-palaces suddenly appeared.

Then Seṣa appeared. His white body was coiled around and around, and the splendid parasol of His thousand hoods was decorated with many crowns glorious as the rising sun.

Then Kṛṣṇa happily slept on the couch of Śeṣa and Rādhā, in the form of goddess Lakṣmī, served His feet.

Gazing at that handsome form splendid as ten million suns, all the gopīs bowed down to offer their respects. They were filled with wonder.

O king of Mithilā, the place where Lord Kṛṣṇa showed this form is very sacred. It destroys all sins.

Then Lord Kṛṣṇa entered the Yamunā and enjoyed water pastimes with the gopīs.

Snatching from Rādhā's hand a lotus of a hundred thousand petals and a cloth, Kṛṣṇa ran, laughing, into the water.

Snatching Kṛṣṇa's flute, stick, and yellow cloth, Rādhā also ran, laughing, into the Yamunā's water.

When Lord Kṛṣṇa said, "Give back My flute!" Rādhā said, "Give back, O Kṛṣṇa, My lotus and cloth!"

Kṛṣṇa returned the lotus and cloth to Rādhā, and Rādhā returned the flute, stick, and yellow cloth to the Lord.

Then Lord Kṛṣṇa, wearing a vaijayantī garland that hung to His knees, and sweetly singing as He went, traveled to Bhāṇḍīravana forest.

There Lord Kṛṣṇa, the master of all skillful artists, decorated His beloved with many pictures and designs drawn with colors made from flowers, yāvaka, kajjala, and kuṅkuma.

The Rādhā, the daughter of Kīrti, decorated Lord Kṛṣṇa's face with many beautiful designs drawn in sandal, aguru, musk, and kesara. .pa