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2024-04-25, 3:43 AM |
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Chapter 29: The Râsa Play: Krishna Meets
and Escapes the Gopîs at Night
(1)
The son of Vyâsa said: 'Even though He
was the Supreme Lord, decided He, resorting to His inner potency [see yoga-mâyâ], to enjoy those nights in autumn when the
jasmine flowers are blossoming. (2)
At the time painted the king of the stars [the moon] with his hands the
face of the east red thus giving comfort to all who longed for him,
just like a lover approaching his beloved ends the grief when he after
a long time is seen again. (3)
Seeing how the kumuda lotuses opened to his full round face that, alike
the face with fresh kunkuma of the goddess of fortune, with its light
reddened the forest, played He, colored by the gentle rays of that
light, His flute sweetly enchanting the eyes of charm [of the gopîs].
(4) Hearing that song aroused Cupid with the
women of Vraja and with their minds seized by Krishna went each of them
unknown to the others, with earrings swinging in the haste, to where
He, their boyfriend, was. (5)
Some left in the middle of milking the cows, some abandoned in their
eagerness the milk they had on the stove while others went without
taking the cake out of the oven. (6-7)
Some put aside the children they were feeding milk and dressed up
forgetting the service to their husbands, some left in the middle of
having their dinner, some oiled, painted themselves and made up their
eyes while others went to Krishna with their clothes and ornaments in
disarray. (8) They, checked by their husbands, fathers,
brothers and other relatives did, enchanted by Govinda with their
hearts stolen, not turn back [to their duties]. (9) Some gopîs who didn't manage
to get away, staying home closed their eyes and meditated connected in
that love [see footnote* and 10.1:
62 & 63]. (10-11) The intolerable, intense agony of being
separated from their Beloved removed all the bad minding while the good
of them was reduced to zero because of the joy obtained in meditating
the embrace of the Infallible One. Even though He was the Supreme Soul
thought they Him to be their paramour, but nevertheless getting His
direct association gave they, with their bonds cut, immediately up
their existence the way it is determined by the material qualities.'
(12) S'rî Parîkchit said: 'They knew
Krishna only as their beloved but not as the Absolute Truth, o sage,
how could there for them being so mindful of the material affair be the
ending of the mighty current of the gunas?'
(13)
S'rî S'uka said: 'About this I spoke to
you before [in 3.2: 19 and in 7.1: 16-33]: when the king of Cedi [S'is'upâla] could attain
perfection even hating the Lord of the Senses, what then would it be
for those who are dear to Him, the Lord in the Beyond? (14) For the purpose of humanity its highest
benefit, o King, is there the personal appearance of the Supreme,
Imperishable, Inscrutable Lord who, being free from the modes, is the
Controller of the Modes. (15)
They who constantly exhibit lust, anger, fear, affection, unity and
goodwill with the Lord are sure to achieve absorption in Him. (16) You shouldn't be astonished by this in
regard to the Supreme Personality Unborn for He is the master of all
masters of yoga by whom this world finds liberation. (17) When the Supreme Lord saw the girls of Vraja
arriving near Him spoke He, the best of all speakers, with a wealth of
words that bewildered them. (18)
The Supreme Lord said: 'Be welcome all of you, o fortunate ladies, what
can I do to please you? Please tell Me whether Vraja is all right and
for what reason you came here. (19)
This night is full of creatures fearsome in appearance, so please
return to Vraja o slender girls, you women shouldn't hang around here. (20) Undoubtedly it is so that your mothers,
fathers, sons, brothers and husbands looking for you can't find you;
don't give rise to anxity with your kin. (21-22) You've seen Râka (the goddess of the day of the full
moon) resplendent by her moonlight, you've seen the forest full of
flowers even more pleasurable by the breeze blowing from the
Yamunâ that plays through the leaves of the trees. Go now,
without delay, back to the cowherd village, you must serve your
husbands, o chaste ones, the calves and the children are crying for you
to give them milk. (23) Or else, if
you have come with your hearts overtaken by your love for Me, is that
indeed laudable of you since all living beings have affection for Me. (24) For women it indeed is the highest dharma to
be diligently of service to her husband, to be simple and honest
towards the relatives and to take good care of her family. (25) Provided he didn't fall [from his belief or
being unfaithful] should a husband bad-hearted, unfortunate, old,
retarded, sickly and poor even by women who desire heaven not be
rejected [see also 9.14: 37 and B.G. 1: 40]. (26) To be astray
weak in adultery is for a woman of class in all cases something
contemptible: it harms the reputation, creates fear, and gives trouble.
(27) By listening, being in the presence [of the
deity and the devotees], by meditation and by subsequent chanting is
one of love for Me; not so much with being physically close to Me;
therefore please return to your homes [see also 10.23:
33].'
(28) S'rî S'uka said: 'The gopîs
thus hearing the words of Govinda unpleasant to them felt, dejected of
being disappointed in their strong desires, an anxiety hard to
overcome. (29) Letting their faces hang down in sorrow and
their bimba-red lips dry up sighing, stood they scratching the ground
and bore they, with their tears spoiling their make-up and washing away
the kunkum on their breasts, silently the burden of their great
distress. (30) With their Beloved not so loving at all
addressing them to the contrary, while they for His sake had desisted
from all their material desires, wiped they their tears arresting their
crying and said they next with their voices choked up in the attachment
in agony something back to Him. (31)
The beautiful gopîs said: 'Your good self, o Mighty One,
shouldn't speak so harshly renouncing all sorts of sensual pleasure;
please reciprocate with our devotion at Your feet, do not play so
hard-to-get rejecting us, be just like the Godhead, the Original
Personality who reciprocates with those who desire liberation. (32) O dearest, You as the Knower of the Dharma
thus spoke of the duty of women which would be her loyalty to husband,
children and relatives, so be it, but isn't it so that You, o Lord, are
the real object of this instruction; You, the Godhead most dear who for
all embodied beings are the closest relative in being the soul? (33) The experts indeed give evidence of the
attraction to You who eternally endears them as their very own Self, so
what therefore of our husbands, children and relatives who give us
trouble? Have mercy with us, o Supreme Controller, do not cut the hopes
for You down that we entertained for so long, o Lotus-eyed One. (34) With ease You stole our minds, which were
absorbed in our households, as well as our hands that were busy in
household duties; our feet will not move one step away from Your feet -
how can we go back to Vraja, what then should we do instead? (35) Please, o Dearest, pour the flood of the
nectar of Your smiling glances and melodious songs rising from Your
lips, over the fire within our hearts; otherwise will we with
meditation place our bodies in the fire that burns of separation and go
for the abode of Your feet, o Friend. (36)
O You with Your lotus-like eyes, for the goddess of fortune is it a
festival to be at the base of Your feet that, at times held dear by the
people dwelling in the forest, we now will touch and from that moment
on will we, filled by Your joy, for sure never be able to stand in the
direct presence of any other man! (37)
Like the goddess, who together even with Tulasî-devî
desiring the dust of the lotus feet, has obtained her position at Your
bosom and for whose glance upon them, as it is, the others of
enlightenment do endeavor to serve as servants, do we likewise also
seek the dust of Your feet. (38)
Therefore be of mercy with us, o Vanquisher of all Distress, Your feet
we approached renouncing our homes in the hope to worship You, with
Your beautiful smiles and glances for which our hearts have burned with
an intense desire; o gem of all people, please allow us to serve. (39) Seeing Your hair around Your face, Your
earrings, the beauty of Your cheeks and the nectar of Your lips
smiling, the glances that make one fearless, the two of Your mighty
arms and looking at Your chest, the only source of pleasure for the
goddess, we are delivered as Your servants. (40)
What woman within the three worlds, o dearest, would not be completely
bewildered by the melody lines of the songs You draw from Your flute
and then not deviate in civil conduct upon seeing this grace of the
three worlds, this beautiful form of which (even) the cows, the birds,
the trees and the deer carry a thrill of joy. (41) You, just as the Godhead, the Original
Personality, protecting all gods and worlds, have taken birth as the
Godhead, the evident remover of the fear and distress of the people of
Vraja, therefore kindly place, o Friend of the Distressed, Your
lotuslike hand on the burning breasts and heads of Your maidservants.'
(42)
S'rî S'uka said: 'Having heard the gopîs'
despondent
words laughed full of mercy the Lord of all the Lords of
Yoga who had been satisfied despite of His ever being satisfied within.
(43) With them all together was He as splendid as
the deerlike spotted moon surrounded by the stars, and made He as the
Infallible Lord so magnanimous in His glances and proofs of affection
their faces blossom with His broad smiles that beamed His jasmine-like
teeth. (44) Being sung and singing Himself as the
commander of hundreds of women wore He the five-colored
[Vaijayantî] garland by which He beautified the forest in which
He moved about. (45-46) Together
with the gopîs He arrived at the river bank that, served
by the waves, was cool with its sand and was pleasant of the fragrance
of the lotuses carried by the wind. With the Vraja beauties stirring up
Cupid took He pleasure in throwing His arms around them in embraces and
that way touching their hair, belts, thighs and breasts with His hands,
playfully stroking them with His fingernails and glancing at them,
chatted He with them and laughed He. (47)
This way receiving from Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
the special attention of the Greater Soul, considered they themselves,
growing proud, the best of all women on earth indeed. (48) Observing that they due to their fortune
were in an intoxicated state of false pride, disappeared, by way of His
grace, Lord Kes'ava from the spot with the purpose of bringing that
pride down.'
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