Mahā Rāsam - #Thread

Sri Kr̥sṇa performed the divine Rāsa Līla on the Poorṇima day, on which there is full power of the Kārtīka month. Bhāgavata described the same as

Bhagavānapi tā rātrī: Śaradōtpulla mallikā...

Gōpikās experienced the same divine bliss as experienced by the Yōgis in their ultimate state of meditation (Dhyāna Samādhi). Not just in Mathura & Br̥indāvana, Rāsa Līla Mahōtsav is celebrated grandly even in Assam & other places in the month of Kārtīka.

In the 9th Skanda of Dēvi Bhāgavata, it is mentioned that worship of Rādha & Kr̥sṇa on this day bestows the immediate presence of Rāsēswari Sri Rādha Dēvi.

Ya: Kārtikēyaṇa pūrṇimāyāṁ rādhā janmōtsavaṁ budha: |
kurutē asya sānnidhyaṁ sākṣādrāsēśvarī parā ||

Vārāha Purāṇa says that those who go to Mathura or Br̥indāvana at least once in the month of Kārtīka & meditate upon Sri Kr̥sṇa, shall certainly reach the abode Rādha Kr̥sṇa, the Gōlōka. Principal act in the Kātyāyani Vratam performed by Gōpikās is to take bath before sunrise.

Taking bath before sunrise has special significance in Kārtīka month. During the entire season of autumn Sky is bright & radiant in blue like the body color of Sri Kr̥sṇa. Because the planet moon is linked to mind, if one can meditate upon Sri Kr̥sṇa in the sky of inner...

..vision envisioning the effulgence of moonlight & perform worship services therein, one shall be rid of all mental evils & obtain the grace of Sri Kr̥sṇa.

Astronomically also, there is an inherent relation to moon & Rāsa Līla. Moon enjoys with all his wives, the 27 stars.

traditionally the counting of stars begins with Kr̥ttika. As per this count, the star that's in the middle of all the stars, Viśākha, is the Rāsēswari. This star also known as Rādha & hence the next star is called Anūrādha. When d star Viśākha is in moon, Sun is in Kr̥ttika star.

Hence, Rādha is mentioned as the daughter of Vr̥suhabhānu. When the full moon Kr̥ttika comes near Rādha, it is the most important day for Kārtīka Pourṇima Rāsa Līla. In Visṇu Kh&a of Skānda Purāṇa, following is mentioned meditating about Sri Kr̥sṇa in the context of Rāsa Līla

Śrī saccidānanda ghana svarūpiṇē |
kr̥ṣṇāya cānanta sukhābhivarṣiṇē
viśvōdbhavasthāna nirōdhihētavē |
namō vayaṁ bhaktirasāptayēఽniśaṁ

namō bhagavatē tasmai vāsudēvāya dhīmahi |
pradyumnāఽniruddhāya nāmālu saṅkarṣaṇāya ca||

The Supreme philosophy (Parabrahman)

of Truth-Conscisouness-Bliss (Saccidānanda) has transformed into dense cloud & is raining comforts. I’m always praying Sri Kr̥sṇa, who is the causative origin for orchestrating the creation, sustenance, & dissolution of this world, to grace me with the spirit of devotion..

Gōpikās entered into the 5th plane of ecstasy & became worthy to experience the Mahā Rāsam. They were all very eager to see Kr̥ṣṇa. Here, Bhagāvān Śuka says Kr̥ṣṇa became their very life i.e. Kr̥ṣṇa is Gōpikā Jīvanam.

In Bhāgavatam 10 Skanda, 32 chapter, 1st Sloka..

iti gōpyaḥ pragāyantyaḥ pralapantyaśca citradhā |
ruruduḥ susvaraṁ rājankr̥ṣṇadarśanalālasāḥ ||

Līla Śuka said the same in Śrī Kr̥ṣṇa Karṇāmr̥utam.

prēmadan̄ca mē kāmadan̄ca mē vēdanan̄ca mē vaibhavan̄ca mē |
jīvanan̄ca mē jīvitaṁ ca daivatan̄ca mē dēvanāparaṁ ||

Tyāgaraja said, yennaḍu cūtunō inakula tilakā.., nagumōmu kanalēni nā jāli telisi..

i.e. When I will see You?, Take pity on me who can’t see your face. Sincere yearning of a devotee reaches its peak to see God in this state. Gōpikās are in such state of ecstasy & devotion.

tāsāmāvirabhūcchauriḥ smayamānamukhāmbujaḥ
pītāmbaradharaḥ sragvī sākṣānmanmathamanmathaḥ

- Bhāgavatam 10:32:2

Then, Kr̥ṣṇa appeared in their midst wearing yellow colored silk garment & in a form that bewilders even the mind of Manmatha, who baffles everyone.

Earlier, the mention of Vaijayanti garland was made. Now, references to pītāmbara dhara: & śr̥agvī connote Kr̥ṣṇastu Bhagavān Swayam i.e. Kr̥ṣṇa is the Supreme Lord Himself. In the Mantra treatises, a form of Kr̥ṣṇa called Madanamōhana was described. This form is so ..

..beautiful that it is beyond the comprehension of even Manmatha i.e. something beyond desires & lust.

taṁ vilōkyāgataṁ prēṣṭhaṁ prītyutphulladr̥śōఽbalāḥ |
uttasthuryugapatsarvāstanvaḥ prāṇamivāgatam ||
- Bhāgavatam 10:32:3

When the Gōpikās saw their most beloved..

Kr̥ṣṇa had returned to them, they all stood up at once, & out of their affection for Him their eyes bloomed wide, as if they all were recharged with the breath of life entering into their bodies.

Every Gōpikā expressed their devotion in a distinct manner.

One Gōpī joyfully took Kṛṣṇas hand between her folded palms, & another placed His arm, anointed with sandalwood paste, on her shoulder. A slender Gōpī respectfully took in her joined hands the betel nut He had chewed. . Another Gōpī, though with loving anger, started staring..

at Kr̥ṣṇa with frowning eyebrows as if to wound Him with her glances. Yet another Gōpī looked at Kr̥ṣṇa with unblinking eyes & focused upon His lotus face but did not feel satiated. Another Gōpī looked at Him & closed her eyes as if she were meditating on Him & not letting..

Kr̥ṣṇa get out of her heart again. Thus, all the Gōpikās enjoyed the greatest festivity when they saw their beloved Kṛṣṇa again.

Just like Yōgīs express different ways of devotion & different states of emotion, Gōpikās expressed their happiness in many ways.

The examples given by Śuka should be noted carefully.

It is said here prājñaṁ prāpta yathā janā: i.e. Gōpikās gave up the distress of separation, just as people forget everything when they gain the unification & solitude of Parabrahma i.e. Kṛṣṇa.

tābhir vidhūta śokābhir bhagavān acyutō vṛta: |
vyarōcatādhikaṁ tata puruṣaḥ śaktibhiryathā ||
- Bhāgavatam 10:32:10

Surrounded by all of them, Bhagavān Achyuta looked as if the Parama Puruṣha is surrounded by all His potencies such as Jñāna(Knowledge), Bala (Power)..

Aiśwarya (Affluence), Kriya (Action) etc.

taddarśanāhlāda vidhūtahṛdrujō
manōrathāntaṁ śrutayō yathā yayuḥ |
svairuttarīyaiḥ kucakuṅkumāṅkitaiḥ
acīkḷpannāsanamātma bandhavē ||
- Bhāgavtm 10:32:13

With the darśan of Kṛṣṇa, the overjoyed Gōpīs got rid of hṛdrujā

i.e. the disease of the heart which is nothing but not staying in constant unification with the God, just like the Vēdās found their desires fulfilled. This has deeper connotation. All the mantras in Vēdās took the form of Gōpīs. The desire of their intense tapas is to see & ..

see & become one with God, from whose inhale & exhale they emanated. Hence, after seeing Kṛṣṇa, all the Gōpīs felt as if their tapas fructified.

manōrathāntaṁ śrutayō yathā yayuḥ - Ending of all the desires;

Scriptures mention four desires – Dharma, Artha, Kāma & Mōkṣa

Hence, the last desire is Mōkṣa. All the Gōpīs felt as if they attained liberation seeing Kṛṣṇa. At the end of Vēdās, Upaniṣads mentioning Jñāna Kānḍa & the mantras present therein, which only expound the knowledge about the Supreme, are present.

Like all the mantras found their goal in the Supreme God, all the Gōpīs felt that they reached the end goal leaving out all mundane desires. Hence, Śrī Nārāyaṇa Bhaṭṭātri termed Gōpīs Upaniṣatprāṇa kāntaṁ & Kṛṣṇa as the Aupaniṣada Brahman.

Śrī Sridhara Swāmi elucidated this divine Rāsa Līla of Kṛṣṇa is Kāma Vijaya Līla.
He said –

brahmādi jaya saṁrūḍhā darpa kandarpa darpa: |
jayati śrīpatirgōpī rāsā maṇḍala manḍana: ||

Manmatha, who has been puffed with the pride of emerging victorious over everyone..

wanted to conquer Kṛṣṇa also. When He approached Kṛṣṇa in the middle of Rāsam & shot all his five arrows, he found all of them became futile. Then, he carefully looked at Kṛṣṇa & Gōpīs. Instead of Kṛṣṇa & Gōpīs, Manmatha found a huge halo of light, in which there is..

no being & any emotion of man & woman. In Brahmānḍa Purāṇa, Divine Mother Śrī Lalitā said that it is She Herself who played the flute & mesmerized all the Gōpīs.

That state, which is beyond the human biological framework & passions, in which everything is Brahman.

*The End*