RĀSA LILA VIRAHA RAHASYA by Srila Viswanatha Chakravarti Thakura

One day Kṛṣṇa took the form of a goddess (Devi) and attracted the attention of Srimati Radharani, by first arousing her curiosity, and then compassion. The Devi told Sri Radhika how she felt very sad for the Vraja gopīs and angry at the cheater Shyamasundara. Sri Radhika then explains how really He is not a cheater, but rather the foremost of lovers and tasters of rasa. Responding to the indignant Devi’s accusation of Her beloved, Sri Radhika said: “Leaving everyone else, Krsna performed pastimes with Me preceding the rasa dance. Astonishingly, the very next moment, He left Me alone in the jungle.

This seemingly unprecedented offense of Vraja’s prince, who is an ocean of love, is in actuality not a wrong-doing. Please hear the truth of this.” “Krsna placed Me on a simhasana, which glistened with gems of unparalleled good fortune. He ornamented Me with many unique pastimes. Wandering from forest to forest, we enjoyed many pastimes. And during all this, Krsna did not allow any of His other beloved gopis to walk on the path of His thoughts.” “Then in My heart I thought, “My dear sakhis cannot taste these pastimes which is a vast ocean of nectar. Instead, they burn in the flames of separation from Us. This is not just. Why should it be so? If We were to stay here for some moments, then My friends, who are frantically searching, will surely find Us and we would all be together again.” So I said, “O beloved, I can no longer walk. Let Us rest here.” “Because He is the crest jewel of the wise, Kṛṣṇa knew all that was going on in My heart.

The incomparably wise Krsna, the first of the rasikas, then thought in His heart: “If I walk in the forest with this girl alone, then Her heart will be wounded by the suffering of Her friends. How can either of Us be happy in such a situation? However, if We stay here, then the gopis will soon find Us. With their eyebrows raised, they will rebuke their innocent sakhi in many ways. Then all of our nectarean pastimes will be irrevocably interrupted. In a huff, they will all return to their homes, and thus there will be no glorious rāsa dance tonight.” “Playfully curious Radhika had once asked Me, “O beloved, do You have the power to embrace millions of the ever-pure gopis in a single moment? I wish to see that. Please fulfill this desire of mine.”

“Therefore, abandoning this girl for but a brief moment, I will make Her free from all pride and inculpable, for when gopis find Her alone, they will realise that it was all My fault for leaving them and not Sri Radhika’s. This will also cause an additional benefit that it will make all the gopis feel sympathy and affection for Sri Radhika. If I were to stay with Her however, all the other gopis would discover Us together, and would blame Sri Radhika for taking Me away from all of them. So in this way, I will take the entire responsibility on my head. Also, I will become indebted to Sri Radhika for leaving Her.” “Showing them the incomparable, endless, burning fever Sri Radhika feels in separation from Me, I will plunge the gopis into an ocean of wonder. Thus they will completely abandon their pride in their own love, for I will prove to them that Sri Radhika’s love is far superior to that of all gopis.” “In performing pastimes of love, Sri Radhika is the best. And in love-in-separation, She is the best a million times more. These two kinds of love attain their highest purity and intensity in Sri Radhika alone. The love of Sri Radhika puts all other gopis to shame, for Her love is the greatest.” “If I were not to do this, the gopis would become angry and condemn Us, saying to each other, “Krsna is simply a lusty boy. That is why, even though our love is greater, He left us to enjoy with Sri Radha in a secluded place. “In this way, I will show the gopis how Sri Radhika’s love-in-separation is a like a flaming volcano, many millions of times greater than theirs. When they are licked by the flames of that volcano, the gopis will understand that their love is only a series of small lamps in comparison.” “Thus the harmony I wish for will be created. The gopis will form a circle for the rāsa dance, and when they see Sri Radhika in the center with Me, they will not become jealous or angry.”

“A physician may apply a pungent ointment to the diseased eye of a patient. He thus gets immediate pain; but later clarity of vision ensues. Similarly, a well-wishing friend may sometimes give his friend suffering, but that suffering will eventually lead to great happiness.”

“Reasoning in this way, Krsna held Me close to His chest, carried Me a few steps, sat Me down on a soft place, and then suddenly vanished from My vision.”

Adapted from Sri Prema Samputa (texts 75-90), by Srila Viswanatha Chakravarti Thakura, translated by Sri Kusakrata Das