Sri Garga Samhita
BY: SUN STAFF
Jan 30, CANADA (SUN) —
Canto Two, Volume Three
Chapter Twenty
Rasa-krida
The Rasa-dance Pastime
Text 1
sri-narada uvaca
atha krishno harir vari-
lilam kritva manoharah
sarvair gopi-ganaih sardham
girim govardhanam yayau
Sri Narada said: After enjoying water pastimes, handsome Lord Krishna went with the gopis to Govardhana Hill.
Text 2
govardhane kandarayam
ratna-bhumyam harih svayam
rasam ca radhaya sardham
rasesvarya cakara ha
On Govardhana Hill, in a cave where the ground was made of jewels, Lord Krishna enjoyed a rasa dance with Radha, the queen of the rasa dance.
Text 3
tatra simhasane ramye
tasthatuh pushpa-sankule
tadid-ghanav iva girau
radha-krishnau virejatuh
Sitting on a flower throne, Sri Sri Radha and Krishna shone like a monsoon cloud and lightning on the hill.
Text 4
svaminyas tatra sringaram
cakruh sakhyo mudanvitah
srikhanda-kunkumadyais ca
yavakaguru-kajjalaih
There the happy gopi friends decorated their queen, Radha, with sandal, kunkuma, yavaka, aguru, and kajjala.
Text 5
makarandaih kirti-sutam
samabhyarcya vidhanatah
dadau sri-yamuna sakshad
radhayai nupurany alam
The gopis worshiped Kirti's daughter Radha with offerings of honey. Sri Yamuna gave nupura anklets to Her.
Text 6
manjira-bhushanam divyam
sri-ganga jahnu-nandini
sri-rama kinkini-jalam
haram sri-madhu-madhavi
Sri Ganga gave splendid manjira anklets, Sri Rama gave a network of tinkling ornaments, and Madhumadhavi gave a necklace.
Text 7
candra-haram ca viraja
koti-candramalam subham
lalita kancuka-manim
visakha kantha-bhushanam
Viraja gave a beautiful candrakanta necklace splendid as millions of moons, Lalita gave a jewel bodice, and Visakha gave a neck ornament.
Text 8
anguliyaka-ratnani
dadau candranana tada
ekadasi radhikayai
ratnadhyam kankana-dvayam
Candranana gave many jewel rings and Ekadasi gave to Radha two bracelets rich with many jewels.
Text 9
bhuja-kankana-ratnani
satacandranana dadau
tasya madhumati sakshat
sphurad-ratnangada-dvayam
Satacandranana gave many jewel bhuja-kankana armlets, and Madhumati gave a pair of glittering angada armlets.
Text 10
tatanka-yugalam bandi
kundale sukha-dayini
anandi ya sakhi mukhya
radhayai bhala-toranam
Bandi gave tatanka earrings, Sukhadayini gave kundala earrings, and the close friend Anandi gave a bhala-torana ornament to Radha.
Text 11
padma sad-bhala-tilakam
bindum candrakala dadau
nasa-mauktikam alolam
dadau padmavati sati
Padma gave beautiful forehead-tilaka, Candrakala gave a bindu, and Padmavati gave a nose-pearl that moved to and fro.
Text 12
balarka-dyuti-samyuktam
bhala-pushpam manoharam
sri-radhayai dadau rajams
candrakanta sakhi subha
O king, Her beautiful friend Candrakanta gave Radha a charming bhalapushpa splendid as the rising sun.
Texts 13-16
siromanim sundari ca
ratna-venim praharshini
bhushane candra-suryakhye
vidyut-koti-sama-prabhe
radhikayai dadau devi
vrinda vrindavanesvari
evam sringara-samsphurjad-
rupaya radhaya harih
giri-raje babhau rajan
yajno dakshinaya yatha
yatra vai radhaya rase
sringaro 'kari maithila
tatra govardhane jatam
sthalam sringara-mandalam
atha krishnah sva-priyabhir
yayau candra-sarovaram
Sundari gave a crest-jewel, Praharshini gave a braid-jewel, and Goddess Vrinda, the queen of Vrindavana, gave candra and surya ornaments glittering like ten million lightning flashes. Accompanied by brilliantly decorated Radha on the king of mountains, Lord Krishna shone with great glory. The place on Govardhana Hill where Radha was decorated is known as sringara-mandala. Then, accompanied by His beloved gopis, Lord Krishna went to the lake Candra-sarovara.
Texts 17-21
cakara taj-jale kridam
gajibhir gaja-rad iva
tatra candrah samagatya
candrakantau mani subhau
sahasra-dala-padme dve
svaminyai haraye dadau
atha krishno harih sakshat
pasyan vrindavana-sriyam
prayayau bahulavanam
lata-jala-samanvitam
tatra sveda-samayuktam
vikshya sarvam sakhi-janam
ragam tu megha-mallaram
jagau vamsi-dharah svayam
sadyas tatraiva vavrishur
megha ambu-kanams tatha
tadaiva sitalo vayur
vavau gandha-manoharah
tena gopi-ganah sarve
sukham prapta videha-rat
In the water there the Lord enjoyed pastimes with the gopis as the king of elephants enjoys with many female elephants. Then Candra came and offered two sahasra-dala (thousand-petal) lotuses and two beautiful candrakanta jewels to Radha and Krishna. After gazing at the beauty of Vrindavana forest, Krishna went to Bahulavana forest, which was filled with a network of flowering vines. Noticing that all the gopis were perspiring, He played the megha-mallara raga (cloud melody) on His flute, and at once many clouds rained fine drops of water. Then a fragrant cool breeze blew, and all the gopis became happy, O king of Videha.
Text 22
jagur yasah sri-murarer
uccais tatra samanvitah
tasmat talavanam pragac
chri-krishno radhika-patih
The gopis loudly sang Sri Krishna's glories. Then Sri Krishna, the Lord of Radha, went to Talavana.
Text 23
rasa-mandalam arebhe
gayan vraja-vadhu-vritah
tatra gopi-ganah sarve
sveda-yuktas trishaturah
Singing, the Lord formed a rasa-dance circle with the girls of Vraja. Then the gopis began to perspire. They were tortured with thirst.
Text 24
ucu rasesvaram rase
kritanjali-putah sanaih
duram vai yamuna deva
trisha jata param hi nah
Folding their hands in the middle of the rasa dance, the gopis slowly said to Lord Krishna, the master of the rasa dance: "O Lord, the Yamuna is far away, and we have become very thirsty.
Text 25
kartavyam bhavatatraiva
rase divyam manoharam
varam viharam panam ca
karishyamo hare vayam
"O Krishna, please do something so that in this rasa dance arena we may drink water and enjoy water pastimes.
Text 26
jagat-karta palakas tvam
samharasyapi nayakah
tac chrutva vetra-dandena
krishno bhumim tatada ha
"You are the creator, protector and destroyer of the worlds."
Hearing this, Lord Krishna struck the ground with His stick.
Text 27
tadaiva nirgatah sroto
vetra-gangeti kathyate
yaj-jala-sparsa-matrena
brahma-hatya pramucyate
tatra snatva narah ko 'pi
golokam yati maithila
At once a stream called the Vetra-ganga sprang up. Simply by touching it one becomes free of the sin of killing a brahmana. O king of Mithila, anyone who bathes there goes to Goloka.
Text 28
gopibhi radhaya sardham
sri-krishno bhagavan harih
varam viharam kritavan
devo madana-mohanah
Then Sri Krishna, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is more charming than Kamadeva, enjoyed water pastimes with Sri Radha and the gopis.
Text 29
tatah kumudvanam prapto
lata-vrindam manoharam
bhramara-dhvani-samyuktam
cakre rasam sakhi-janaih
Then Sri Krishna went to Kumudvana forest, which was filled with the sounds of humming bees, and again He enjoyed the rasa dance with the gopis.
Text 30
radha tatraiva sringaram
sri-krishnasya cakara ha
pushpair nana-vidhair dravyaih
pasyantinam vrajaukasam
Then, as the girls of Vraja looked on, Radha decorated Sri Krishna with many flowers and ornaments.
Texts 31 and 32
campakodyat-parikarah
svarna-yuthi-bhujangadah
sahasra-dala-rajiva-
karnika-vilasac-chrutih
mohini-malini-kunda-
ketaki-hara-bhrid dharih
In this way Lord Krishna' belt was decorated with campaka flowers, and His armlets with svarna-yuthi flowers. He wore a garland of mohini, malini, kunda, and ketaki flowers. His ears were made splendid with the whorls of thousand-petal lotuses.
Text 33
kadamba-pushpa-vilasat-
kirita-katakojjvalah
mandara-pushpottariya-
padma-yashti-dharah prabhuh
Lord Krishna's crown and bracelets were made splendid with kadamba flowers, His upper garment was decorated with mandara flowers, and His stick was decorated with lotuses.
Texts 34-37
tulasi-manjari-yukta-
vana-mala-vibhushitah
evam sringaratam praptah
sri-krishnah priyaya svaya
babhau kumudvane rajan
vasanto harshito yatha
mridanga-vina-vamsibhir
muru-yashti-sukamsyakaih
tala-seshais talair yukta
jagur gopyo manoharam
bhairavam megha-mallaram
dipakam malakosakam
sri-ragam capi hindolam
ragam eva prithak prithak
ashta-talais tribhir gramaih
svaraih saptabhir agratah
O king, then He was decorated with a garland of tulasi-manjaris and forest flowers. In this way Lord Krishna was decorated. Accompanied by His beloved, He was happy and splendid as if He were the Deity of springtime personified. Then, with
mridangas, vinas, flutes, murus, yashtis, and karatalas, the gopis played melodies in three scales of seven notes in the ragas bhairava, megha-mallara, dipaka, malakosaka, sri-raga, and hindola.
Texts 38 and 39
nrityair nana-vidhai ramyair
hava-bhava-samanvitaih
toshayantyo harim radham
katakshair vraja-gopikah
gayan madhuvanam pragat
sundari-gana-samvritah
rasesvarya rasa-lilam
cakre rasesvarah svayam
With many different dances, with amorous gestures, and with sidelong glances the gopis pleased Krishna. Then, accompanied by the gopis as He sang Sri Radha's glories, Lord Krishna, the king of the rasa dance, went to Madhuvana forest, where He enjoyed a rasa dance with Sri Radha, the queen of the rasa dance.
Texts 40 and 41
vaisakha-candra-kaumudya
malati-gandha-vayuna
sphurat-saugandha-kahlara-
patat-renutkarena vai
vikacan-madhavi-vrindaih
sobhite nirjane vane
reme gopi-ganaih krishno
nandane vritra-ha yatha
In this way, during the month of Vaisakha (April-May), in a secluded forest beautiful with flowering malati vines and a breeze carrying the fragrance of malati flowers and the fragrant pollen of blossoming kahlara lotuses, Lord Krishna enjoyed with the gopis as Indra enjoys in the Nandana gardens.
