by Bibek Debroy
‘With their hearts immersed in him, they started to imitate the illustrious one’s pastimes. One pretended to be Putana, while another pretended to be Krishna and sucked at her breast. One pretended to be a child and cried, while kicking another who was pretending to be the cart. One acted as the daitya 206 and carried away another, who was enacting the role of the infant Krishna. Another crawled, dragging her feet and jingling her anklets. Two imitated Krishna and Rama, while the others pretended to be gopas. One imitated the act of killing Vatsa, while another imitated that of killing Baka. One imitated Krishna calling the cows when they had wandered far away. Another pretended to sport and play on the flute, while the others uttered words of praise. One placed her hand on another one’s shoulder and walked. With her mind on him, she said, “I am Krishna. Behold my graceful gait.” One sought to raise her upper garment with her hand and said, “Do not be scared of the storm and the rain. I have arranged for you to be saved.” O king! Using her feet, one climbed on to another one’s head and said, “O wicked serpent! I have been born. Go away from here. I will certainly impose the rod of chastisement on those who are wicked.” Another said, “O gopas! Look at this fierce forest conflagration. Quickly close your eyes. I will easily arrange for your safety.” One tied another to a mortar with a garland of flowers. The one who had been tied covered her beautiful eyes with her hands and pretended to be afraid. In this way, they asked the creepers and trees of Vrindavana about Krishna’s whereabouts.
‘In one part of the forest, they saw the paramatman’s footprints. “It is evident that these are the footprints of Nanda’s great-souled son. The marks of the standard, lotus, vajra, goad, barley and other things can be seen.” Following and tracing out his footprints along the trail, those women advanced. However, they were distressed on seeing that his footprints were mingled with those of a young woman. They said, “Whose footprints are these? Who has walked with Nanda’s son? He must have rested his forearm on her shoulder, just as an elephant rests its trunk on a she-elephant. She must have indeed worshipped the illustrious lord, Hari. Pleased with her, he has abandoned us and gone with her to a secret place. O friends! The particles of dust on Govinda’s lotus feet are sacred. For destroying their sins, Brahma, Isha and the goddess Rama place the dust on their heads. But these footprints of hers have agitated us a lot. Among all the gopis, she alone has been taken aside and is enjoying Achyuta’s lips in private. However, her footprints can no longer be seen here. It must indeed be the case that the sharp blades of grass have caused pain to the delicate soles of her feet. Therefore, our beloved has raised and carried his beloved. O gopis! Behold. In this spot, as he has carried the young woman, his footprints have sunk deeper into the ground. Krishna, full of desire, had a heavy burden. To collect flowers, the great-souled one placed his beloved down here. This is where our beloved made efforts to collect flowers for his beloved. Behold. These footprints are not complete, because he stood up on the front part of his feet. Filled with desire, this is where he must have decorated his beloved’s hair. It is certainly the case that he sat down here, so as to fasten them on the braids of his beloved’s hair. He finds pleasure in himself and is always complete. Nevertheless, this is where he found pleasure with her. He wanted to demonstrate what happens to those who are filled with desire and also the state of evil-souled women.” Bereft of their senses, the gopis showed each other these and wandered around.
‘Leaving the other women in the forest, there was a gopi whom Krishna had taken with him. She now took herself to be the best among all the women. “Abandoning the other gopis, who also desire him, my beloved serves me alone.” When they reached a certain spot in the forest, this proud one told Keshava, “I cannot walk any further. Please carry me to wherever you want to go.” Thus addressed, he told his beloved, “Climb on to my shoulder.” Having said this, Krishna instantly vanished and the young woman was tormented. “O protector! O most beloved one! Where are you? O mighty-armed one! Where are you? Show compassion towards your wretched servant-maid. O friend! Reveal your presence to me.” Not very far away, the other gopis were searching out the illustrious one’s trail. They saw their bewildered and miserable friend, separated from her beloved. She told them how Madhava had shown her a lot of respect and how she had been humiliated because of her wicked nature. Hearing this, they were filled with great wonder.
‘They entered the forest, as far as the moonlight would illuminate it. However, noticing that it was being enveloped in darkness, the women withdrew. Their minds were immersed in him. They conversed about him. They imitated his deeds and they were full of him. They sang about his qualities. They remembered neither themselves, nor their homes. They again returned to the sandy banks of the Kalindi and thought about him. They collectively sang about Krishna and wished that he should return.’
Chapter 10(31)
‘The gopis said, “It is because of your birth that Vraja has become even more glorious and Indira 207 resides here constantly. O beloved one! Those who are devoted to you wish to see you. Our lives subsist on you and we have been searching. Show yourself. O lord of pleasure! The beauty of your glance surpasses the inside of a perfectly formed lotus in a clear lake of autumn water. O one who bestows boons! Without paying a price, you have obtained us as your female servants. You are killing us. Is that not the same as murder? O powerful one! You have repeatedly protected us from many kinds of fear—drinking poisoned water, the rakshasa in the form of a reptile, 208 rain, storm, lightning, fire, the bull 209 and Maya’s son. 210 You are clearly not the son of a gopi. You are the atman, dwelling as a witness inside all creatures. O friend! For the sake of the protection of the universe, Vikhanasa 211 prayed to you. You accordingly appeared in the lineage of the Satvatas. O best among the Vrishni lineage! You created freedom from fear. Those who are scared of samsara approach your feet. O beloved one! Your lotus hand bestows all desire. It is the one you have used to grasp Shri’s hand. Please place it on our heads. O brave one! You are the one who destroys the sufferings of the residents of Vraja. Your smile destroys the pride of your own devotees. O friend! We, women, are your servants. Show us your beautiful lotus face. You destroy the sins of embodied creatures who prostrate themselves before you. You follow creatures that graze on grass and they are Shri’s abode. You placed your lotus feet on the hoods of the serpent. Please place them on our breasts and quench the desire in our hearts. Your voice is sweet and your words are captivating. You are attractive to the minds of the intelligent. O lotus-eyed one! O brave one! You do what you ask us to and we are bewildered. With the nectar from your lips, please restore life to us. The amrita of your account is described by the wise. It destroys the sins of those who are tormented by life. It brings auspiciousness and prosperity to those who hear. O generous one! People on earth chant about them. O beloved one! Your smiles, your loving glances and your pastimes are auspicious for us to meditate on. O deceiver! The private conversations with you touch our hearts, but also agitate our minds. O protector! O beloved one! When you leave Vraja to herd the animals, gravel, blades of grass and sprouts hurt your beautiful lotus feet and make us suffer. Our minds are disturbed. Dark-blue curls hang over your lotus face. At the close of the day, it is smeared with thick dust. O brave one! You ignite desire in our minds. You grant the desires of those who prostrate themselves before you. The one who has been born from the lotus worships you. Your lotus feet ornament the earth and must be meditated on. O beloved! O destroyer of mental anguish! Please satisfy us by placing them on our breasts. Your beautiful lips repeatedly kiss the vibrating flute. They enhance desire and destroy grief. They make men forget attachment and other things. O brave one! Please grant us the amrita from your lips. During the day, when you wander around in the forest, a truti without being able to see you seems like an extended yuga. The curly locks hang over your handsome face. We look at you. However, the creator must be foolish. He gave us eyelashes that make us blink. O Achyuta! We have come to you after ignoring our husbands, sons, followers, bro
thers and relatives. O one who knows about movements! We have been confused by your music. O deceiver! Who but you will abandon women in the night? The private conversations, your smiling face and the loving glances stir our hearts. Your broad chest is Shri’s residence. On beholding it, repeated urges of excessive desire confound our minds. O dear one! Fot the residents of Vraja and the forest, your appearance destroys all distress and brings what is auspicious to the universe. We are full of desire for you. Please grant us a little bit of something that counters this disease in those who are your own devotees. O beloved one! Please place your beautifully formed lotus feet on our breasts. We are scared when you roam around the harsh terrain of the forest. Do small stones and the like not hurt you? Our minds are in a whirl. Our lives depend on you.”’
Chapter 10(32)
Shri-Shuka said, ‘The gopis lamented and chanted in these colourful ways. O king! Desiring to see Krishna, they wept in loud voices. Shouri appeared in their midst, a smile on his lotus face. He was attired in yellow garments and wore a garland. He was capable of confounding Manmatha’s mind. 212 The women saw that their beloved had arrived. Their eyes dilated in delight. They simultaneously stood up, as if life had returned to all their bodies. One joyfully clasped Shouri’s lotus hands in her joined hands. Another placed his arm, smeared with sandalwood paste, on her shoulder. A slender one accepted the betel leaf chewed by him in her cupped palms. Another tormented one placed his lotus feet on her breasts. One was filled with both love and rage and furrowed her eyebrows. She bit her lips with her teeth and cast sidelong glances at him, as if to injure him. Another glanced fixedly at him, savouring his lotus face. She drank it in but was not satisfied, just as virtuous people aren’t with his feet. Another placed him in her heart through the apertures in her eyes and closed them. When she embraced him mentally, her body hair stood up, like that of a yogi who is flooded with bliss. Seeing Keshava, all of them were satisfied, as if there were great festivities. They gave up the torment they had suffered from the separation, like people when they attain wisdom. 213 They were free of all misery and the illustrious Achyuta was surrounded by them. O son! He became even more resplendent, like Purusha with his powers. Collecting them, the lord went to the sandy banks of the Kalindi. The breeze bore the fragrance of blooming kunda and mandara flowers and attracted bees. The auspicious beams of the autumn moon dispelled the taints of the darkness. There was soft sand, which the river with the dark waters had placed there, using her waves like hands. On seeing him, the joy banished all the grief in their hearts. It was as if the sacred texts had attained their ultimate wishes. 214 Their upper garments were smeared with the kunkuma from their breasts. They spread these out and created a seat for the one who was loved more than their own selves. The illustrious lord, who is in the hearts of all the lords of yoga, seated himself on the seat that had been fashioned. In that assembly of the gopis, his resplendent body, the reservoir of all the prosperity in the three worlds, was worshipped.
‘He had ignited love in them and they worshipped him accordingly. They cast smiling and playful glances at him and arched their eyebrows. They pressed his hands and feet and placed them on their laps. They praised him. But they also pretended to be slightly angry and said the following. The gopis said, “Some show favours to those who love them, others act in a contrary way. But there are those who do not do either. Please explain this to us properly.” The illustrious one said, “O friends! Those who reciprocate each other’s love do it for their own selfish reasons. It has nothing to do with affection or dharma. It is selfishness and nothing else. Those who love those who do not love them back are truly compassionate. They are like parents. O slender-waisted ones! That kind of affection and dharma is without blemish. There are some who do not love those who love them, not to speak of those who do not love them. They are satisfied in their own atmans, have accomplished all their desires, are ungrateful, or hate their superiors. O friends! Even when I am loved by living beings, I do not love them back. That is because I wish to urge their propensities to love me. 215 When a person who is poor obtains some riches and that is destroyed, he can think of nothing else and know nothing else. O women! For my sake, you have given up the commonly held views on the Vedas and your own relatives and have followed me. You loved me even when I vanished and was not in sight. O loved ones! You should not seek to harm someone you love. You have acted out of your own virtuous intentions and you are free of all blemish. Even if I possess the lifespan of the gods, I cannot pay you back. 216 You have loved me after severing the bonds of the household, which are so very difficult to give up. May that virtuous deed be rewarded.”’
Chapter 10(33)
Shri-Shuka said, ‘In this way, the gopis heard his extremely enchanting words. O dear one! They cast aside the torment of separation. Having touched him, their wishes were fulfilled. With those jewels among women, Govinda started the pastime of rasa krida. They happily linked their ams with each other. 217 The festival of rasa commenced and Krishna, the lord of yoga, was in the midst of that circle of gopis, ornamenting it. He entered in between every couple of gopis. 218 He clasped his hands around the neck and each woman took herself to be the closest to him. The minds of the residents of heaven were captivated by the sight. Along with their wives, they assembled to witness it and the firmament was filled with hundreds of vimanas. Kettledrums were sounded and flowers were showered down. The lords among the gandharvas, along with their women, chanted about his blemishless glories. As the women sported with their beloved in that circle of rasa, a tumultuous sound arose from their bangles, anklets and the bells around their waists. Devaki’s illustrious son appeared in an extremely resplendent form. He was like a giant emerald, in the midst of gold-encrusted jewels. Krishna’s young female companions sang, as radiant as flashes of lightning in a circle of clouds. 219 Their feet moved in measured treads and they moved their hands. They smiled and arched their eyebrows. They bent their waists and their breasts and garments moved. Their earrings swung against their cheeks. Their faces perspired and the braids on their hair and their garments were loosened. As they danced, they sang loudly. Loving the pleasure, they clung to his neck. They were delighted at being able to touch Krishna and the sound of their singing permeated everything. One sang along with Mukunda and her pitch did not mingle with his, but rose above it. Pleased at this, he honoured her by uttering words of praise. As her voice vibrated in the introductory words of the song, 220 he showed her even greater honours. One got exhausted from rasa. Her bangles and mallika flowers slipped. The wielder of the club was standing next to her. He clasped her and placed her arm on his shoulder. Krishna’s arm was on another one’s shoulder and was fragrant with the smell of blue lotus and the anointment of sandalwood paste. She smelt it and kissed it, her body hair standing up. As she danced, another gopi’s glittering earrings moved. She placed her cheek alongside his cheek and he gave her the betel leaf that he was chewing. Another sang and danced, her anklets and the bells on her girdle jingling. Achyuta was by her side. When she was exhausted, she placed his auspicious lotus hands on her breasts. The gopis had obtained their beloved Achyuta, dearly loved by Shri alone. With his arms around their necks, they sang about him and rejoiced. Their cheeks were rendered beautiful by the lotus flowers on their ears, the locks that hung down and the perspiration. There was the musical sound from bangles and anklets. The gopis danced with the illustrious one and the garlands dropped from their hair. Swarms of bees joined in as additional singers. In this way, Rama’s lord sported himself with the beautiful women of Vraja. He embraced and touched them with his hands. He cast gentle glances at them and laughed enticingly. It was as if a child was playing with its own reflection. O extender of the Kuru lineage! At the physical association with him, they were delighted and their senses were overwhelmed. The women of Vraja could not prevent their hair, garments and coverings on their breasts from becoming dishevelled and loosened. Their garlands and ornaments were scattered. On witnessing Krishna’s pastimes, the celes
tial women in the sky were captivated. They were afflicted by desire. The moon, along with its companions, 221 was amazed. He assumed as many different forms as there were gopa women. Satisfied completely within himself, the illustrious one playfully sported with them. O dear one! When he saw that their faces were exhausted from the pleasures and pastimes, he was full of compassion and lovingly wiped their faces with his hands. The gold earrings worn by the gopis dazzled. The shining locks of curly hair enhanced the beauty of their cheeks. Their glances were full of sweet smiles. They honoured the powerful one and sang about his auspicious deeds. They were delighted at having been touched by his finger nails. He was exhausted from the physical association with them. His garland was crushed and smeared with the kunkuma from their breasts. Along with them, he entered the water, like an elephant that has broken down dams, 222 along with female elephants. He was followed by bees that were like leaders among the gandharvas. 223 O dear one! In the water, the young women splashed him with water. They laughed and cast loving glances at him. Completely satisfied within himself, he played with them, like a king among elephants. Those in vimanas praised him and showered down flowers. Krishna then strolled in a grove along the banks. The breeze was fragrant with the scent of flowers that grew on land and in the water. He was surrounded by bees and by the women. He was like an intoxicated elephant, in the company of female elephants. The night dazzled because of the moon’s beams. The one who makes all desires come true was constantly followed by a large number of women. Those autumn nights provide the material for poetic compositions and narrations. He enjoyed them all, but controlled all desire within himself.’ 224