Hare Kṛṣṇa,
For many years I remained under the impression that the sacred narration of the rāsa-līlā was a subject to be approached only with great hesitation and restraint. Among devotees it was commonly advised that one should set aside the five chapters describing this divine pastime and instead read the remaining portions of the Tenth Canto. It was often said—citing Śrīla Prabhupāda—that he had prohibited us from entering into these topics. Thus, not having carefully studied his books with sufficient attention and discrimination, the true import of his instructions remained concealed from my understanding.
Only when I began to hear and study these five chapters under the guidance, shelter, and association of advanced Vaiṣṇavas did the genuine purport of the ācārya’s words gradually become revealed. In such proper association, what once appeared forbidding became illuminated with spiritual meaning, and the Lord’s most confidential pastimes were understood as transcendental and purifying, rather than mundane.
Let us see what Srila Prabhupada actually instructed us about reading the rāsa-līlā chapters.
“How they should hear and from whom is also explained by Sukadeva Gosvami. The difficulty is that the whole world is full of Mayavadis, and when they become professional reciters of Srimad-Bhagavatam, and when people, without knowing the effect of the Mayavada philosophy, hear from such persons, they become confused. Discussion of rasa-lila among people in general is not recommended because they are affected by the Mayavada philosophy, but if one who is advanced explains, and people hear from him, certainly the hearers will be gradually elevated to the position of Krsna consciousness and liberated from materially contaminated life.” (Kṛṣṇa Book)
Srila Prabhupada further says, “One who has developed his faith in Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Spirit Soul, can both describe and hear. Sukadeva also uses the word anusrnuyat. One must hear from disciplic succession. Anu means following, and anu means always. So one must always follow the disciplic succession and not hear from any stray professional reciter, Mayavadi or ordinary man. Anusrnuyat means that one must hear from an authorized person who is in the disciplic succession and is always engaged in Krsna consciousness. When a person wants to hear in this way, then the effect will be sure. By hearing rasa-lila, one will be elevated to the highest position of spiritual life.” (Kṛṣṇa Book)
Srila Prabhupada’s teachings are exactly in line with the instruction of our predecessor acaryas.
“Anyone who faithfully hears or describes the Lord’s playful affairs with the young gopīs of Vṛndāvana will attain the Lord’s pure devotional service. Thus he will quickly become sober and conquer lust, the disease of the heart.” (SB 10.33.29 – Sārārtha-darśini)
Thus, it is to be understood that Śrīla Prabhupāda indeed desired that his disciples hear and study the chapters describing the rāsa-līlā, provided such hearing is received through bona fide sources and in proper devotional association.
This concluding section of the rasa-lila chapters is profound and instructive in many ways. For the sake of my own clarity and remembrance, I shall now present a summary of its principal teachings in a question-and-answer form.
If Krsna is self-sufficient, why should He at all manifest pastimes with the gopis, which are disturbing to the so-called moralists of the world?
Answer: “The answer is that such activities show special mercy to the fallen, conditioned souls. The gopis are also expansions of His internal energy, but because Krsna wanted to exhibit the rasa-lila, they also appeared as ordinary human beings. In the material world, pleasure is ultimately manifested in the sex attraction between man and woman. The man lives simply to be attracted by women, and the woman lives simply to be attracted by men. That is the basic principle of material life. As soon as these attractions are combined, people become more and more implicated in material existence. In order to show them special favor, Krsna exhibited this rasa-lila dance. It is just to captivate the conditioned soul. Since they are very much attracted by sexology, they can enjoy the same life with Krsna and thus become liberated from the material condition. In the Second Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Maharaja Pariksit also explains that the pastimes and activities of Lord Krsna are medicine for the conditioned souls. If they simply hear about Krsna they become relieved from the material disease. They are addicted to material enjoyment and are accustomed to reading sex literature, but by hearing these transcendental pastimes of Krsna with the gopis, they will be relieved from material contamination.” (Kṛṣṇa Book)
How can one get rid of the material disease of lust from one’s heart?
Answer: “Sukadeva Gosvami concludes this episode of rāsa-līlā by pointing out that if a person hears from the right source of the pastimes of Krsna, who is Visnu Himself, and the gopis, who are expansions of His energy, then he will be relieved from the most dangerous type of disease, namely lust. If one actually hears rasa-lila, he will become completely freed from the lusty desire of sex life and elevated to the highest level of spiritual understanding. Generally, because they hear from Mayavadis and they themselves are Mayavadis, people become more and more implicated in sex life. The conditioned soul should hear the rasa-lila dance from an authorized spiritual master and be trained by him so that he can understand the whole situation; thus one can be elevated to the highest standard of spiritual life, otherwise one will be implicated. Material lust is a kind of heart disease, and to cure the material heart disease of the conditioned soul, it is recommended that one should hear, but not from the impersonalist rascals. If one hears from the right sources with right understanding, then his situation will be different…The most dangerous aspect of contamination is lust or sex life. Bhaktim param devotional service is so potent that the more one advances in this line, the more he loses his attraction for material life. One who is actually deriving benefit from hearing rasa-lila dance surely achieves the transcendental position. He surely loses all traces of lust in his heart.” (Kṛṣṇa Book)
How was it possible that the rasa dance was performed during the long period of Brahma’s night?
Answer: “The answer is that He can do anything for the pleasure of His devotees. Similarly, because the gopis wanted to enjoy Krsna, they were given the opportunity to associate with Him for a long period. This was done according to His promise. When Krsna stole the garments of the gopis while they were taking bath at Cirghat on Yamuna, Krsna promised to fulfill their desire in some future night. In one night, therefore, they enjoyed the company of Krsna as their beloved husband, but that night was not an ordinary night. It was a night of Brahma, and lasted millions and millions of years. Everything is possible for Krsna, for He is the supreme controller.” (Kṛṣṇa Book)
“The transcendental power of spiritual reality is concisely explained in Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Laghu-bhagavatāmṛta: “Nothing is impossible for the Lord, His dear devotees, His transcendental abode or the time of His pastimes; for all these entities are inconceivably powerful.” (SB 10.33.38 – Sārārtha-darśini)
What is the phala-sruti of hearing the rāsa-līlā?
Answer: “One who hears and chants about Kṛṣṇa’s rasa-lila, which is the crest-jewel of all pastimes, gets the crest-jewel of all results, namely kṛṣṇa-prema (bhaktiṁ parāṁ). One who continuously hears, glorifies or writes poetry about this autumnal rasa-lila and similar pastimes of Kṛṣṇa described by other poets, first of all, even if he has the heart disease of material lust, becomes imbued with prema; then, by its effect the disease of the heart is destroyed. Thus it is understood here that this prema is independent; it is not weak or dependent like jñāna-yoga…Kṛṣṇa-prema will definitely appear in that person who is devoid of foolishness and who accepts the statements of scripture with full faith. However, kṛṣṇa-prema will not appear within those who have no faith in Kṛṣṇa or who offend Kṛṣṇa’s holy name. The divine rāsa-līlā is like the loving smile of the intimate devotee of Kṛṣṇa, who is victorious and glorified for his ability to conquer Kṛṣṇa by his pure love.” (SB 10.33.39 – Sārārtha-darśini)
I offer my heartfelt gratitude to our revered teachers and to the like-minded Vaiṣṇavas, in whose sacred association I received the precious opportunity to hear, contemplate, and write about this most confidential of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s divine pastimes. May the lusty desires in my heart be extinguished by their mercy.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 