Hare Kṛṣṇa,
For one who aspires to study and appreciate the rāsa dance of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs, it is absolutely essential to be firmly situated in proper philosophical understanding—namely, that these divine pastimes are completely devoid of even a trace of material sexual desire. On this point, all our ācāryas speak with one voice.
SB 10.33.25: Although the gopīs were firmly attached to Lord Kṛṣṇa, whose desires are always fulfilled, the Lord was not internally affected by any mundane sex desire. Still, to perform His pastimes the Lord took advantage of all those moonlit autumn nights, which inspire poetic descriptions of transcendental affairs.
In Kṛṣṇa book, Srila Prabhupada writes, “Sex desire is especially excited in the autumn season, but the wonderful thing about Krsna’s association with the gopis is that there was no question of sex desire. It was, as clearly stated in the Bhagavata description by Sukadeva Gosvami, avaruddha-sauratah, namely the sex impulse was completely controlled. There is a distinction between Lord Krsna’s dancing with the gopis and the ordinary dancing of living entities within the material world.” (Kṛṣṇa book)
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura further clarifies this deep and often misunderstood topic. The following summary reflects my understanding of his commentary on SB 10.33.25, with special attention to key Sanskrit terms that require careful understanding.
The rāsa-līlā and Kṛṣṇa’s conjugal interactions with the gopīs do not arise from material lust or conditioned desire. Because these pastimes are fully spiritual, they belong to the plane of Absolute Truth (satya) rather than material kāma. Kṛṣṇa is called satya-kāmaḥ (one whose desires are always fulfilled). Satya means the form of the Absolute Truth and kāma means pastimes of love. In other words, Kṛṣṇa engaged in pastimes of love which are the Absolute Truth, and the source of all pure selfless love. In other words, satya-kāmaḥ means that Kṛṣṇa’s desires are identical with truth itself—His loving pastimes are the very source of all pure, selfless love. Unlike conditioned desire (which seeks personal gratification), Kṛṣṇa’s kāma is fully spiritual and liberating. Although Kṛṣṇa is the original source of all pleasure and enjoyment, He voluntarily places Himself in a position where the gopīs become the cause of His enjoyment. This reversal highlights the supremacy of bhakti over God’s own independence.
Kṛṣṇa is described as anurata-abalā-gaṇaḥ, one who followed after the pleasure of the gopis. Though He gives pleasure to all beings, here He is shown as attracted and subordinate to the gopīs’ love, demonstrating bhakti’s power to bind the Supreme.
The word Abalā does not imply weakness; rather, it paradoxically indicates that the gopīs were unmatched in their strength to express pure love. Their apparent helplessness intensifies the force of their prema, which overwhelms even Kṛṣṇa.
The term ātmany avaruddha-saurataḥ conveys that Kṛṣṇa’s mind was completely absorbed in conjugal exchange during the rāsa dance. This absorption includes the full spectrum of rasa-tattva:
- Emotional states (bhāvas)
- Vyabhicārī-bhāvas (transitory emotions like eagerness, joy, perverseness)
- Sāttvika-bhāvas (ecstatic symptoms such as being stunned, trembling, sweating, color change)
- Anubhāvas (external expressions like seeing, touching, speaking, embracing)
Thus, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura’s description shows that conjugal love in Kṛṣṇa-līlā is not chaotic emotion, but a perfectly orchestrated spiritual rasa involving mind, body, and emotion—fully under yogamāyā’s control. This aligns with other scriptural descriptions (e.g., Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes with Rukmiṇī), confirming the consistency of this theological principle.
“Thus the self-satisfied Supreme Lord of the universe enjoyed with Rukmini, engaging her in erotic love talks (saurata-saṁlāpa) and thus imitated the ways of human society.” (SB 10.60.58)
Thus, Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa-līlā reveals the supreme victory of selfless love over divine self-sufficiency. The Absolute Truth becomes “controlled” not by force or obligation, but by pure prema, establishing the gopīs’ love as the highest theological ideal.
“Rasa indicates the spiritual bliss one derives from his loving relationship with Sri Kṛṣṇa. This ecstatic bliss is relished between Kṛṣṇa and His devotees during various transcendental pastimes.“ (SB 10.33.25, Sārārtha-darśini)
The rāsa-līlā is displayed in its fullest depth only when the devotee, exemplified by the Vraja-gopīs, is established in the highest realm of prema. As devotional life matures—from śraddhā and sādhu-saṅga to bhāva and prema—material desires naturally wither away, giving rise to fully awakened transcendental qualities. In light of this progression, how can one mistake the loving exchanges between Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs for anything material?
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 