RASA LILA
Compiled by Damaghosa dasa
Has anybody seen this happen lately? I mean, Krsna ,when He dances with His thousands of gopi friends? No, I don’t think so and if anybody tells you different you should know you are most likely looking at a madman and a fool.
The highest form of religion or dharma is to engage in or even witness the Rasa lila of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Bhagavan Sri Krsna. Today it has become common place to want to hear about Rasa Lila,and that is why we have so many sahajiyas doing Bhagavat Saptaha-reciting Srimad Bhagavatam in 7 days, and usually they just skip right to the parts everybody wants to hear about-the apparent sex affairs of the Lord.
This business of so called “gopi lila” is very dangerous for the materialistic kanistha devotee. Why is it dangerous? It is dangerous because Maya devi makes one think he or she is engaging in the highest rasa or mellow possible with God-the conjugal affairs. Or even worse, that he is in fact God himself and that he can take any woman and call it rasa lila. Not only is it dangerous to think like that, but its even more dangerous to even want to hear about it-as long as one is a conditioned soul.
Srila Prabhupada put some of these pastimes in his Krsna book just to show the ultimate of dhama, which is Krsna Rasa Lila. But he also warned us to be careful. Better to put this one on the back burner and wait for the time that Supersoul and Srila Prabhupada grants us some mercy in this arena of Dharma.
Below we have three different passages where our Srila Prabhupada explains that this Gopi lila business was never discussed by Lord Caitanya in public- even with His own Panca Tattva !! Only three devotees, out of thousands were privy to this very confidential discussion.
Please read below to find out more on this matter.
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das
Nov 16 1968 LA
Srila Prabhupāda: (pause) Kṛṣṇa’s rasa–līlā should not be discussed in public
meeting. It is most confidential. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu never discussed. He discussed Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, līlāwith gopīs, with His confidential, very confidential circle. Or those who are… Lord Caitanya had many thousands of followers, and… He was not discussing even within these five persons, śrī–kṛṣṇa–caitanya prabhu–nityānanda śrī–advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi, Nityānanda, Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa, and Himself, these five persons. So when He was at Navadvīpa, He was not discussing even with them, what to speak of others. He set up this example so that in future people may be very cautious. Because unless one understands what is Kṛṣṇa, how he can understand Kṛṣṇa’s pastime? So this discussion of rasa–līlā is the summit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not ordinary thing. They’re purely spiritual. There is nothing material. But because we are not completely free from material concept of life, we may think that Kṛṣṇa’s līlā is something like this material. So that is offense. But that is the ultimate goal, to understand Kṛṣṇa’s rasa–līlā. But you have to wait for relishing that Kṛṣṇa’s rasa–līlā, to become more perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Anarthāpagamam. Anartha means when one is freed from all anarthas. But it is so nice, even those who are with anartha, misgivings, if they are devotee, if they have got full surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, so they also will derive benefit. Kṛṣṇa’s rasa–līlā means that Kṛṣṇa was adopted or foster child. Is that foster child? Yes. So, of Nanda Mahārāja. His father exchanged. His father Vasudeva wanted to save Kṛṣṇa, and he brought from Mathurā to Vṛndāvana, Gokula. And Nanda Mahārāja had a daughter. So he placed Kṛṣṇa on the lap of Yaśodā and took away the daughter, and this daughter was given to Kaṁsa for killing. Just see, there is selfishness. He wanted to save his own son and wanted to kill Yaśodā’s daughter. (chuckling) You see? So this is not selfishness; therefore we shall misunderstand. That daughter was not ordinary child, she was the material energy herself, Durgā. So when Kaṁsa took that child by the leg and wanted to, what is called? Slash? Smash, yes. Smash on the stone, the daughter slipped from his hand and appeared as Durgā, that “You fool, you want to kill me. The boy, the child who will kill you, is already born. Don’t try for killing me. He’s already born.”
july 31 1973 london
These rascals, they do not know what is Kṛṣṇa. They think Kṛṣṇa is ordinary man. “Why He is engaging Arjuna in the fighting? Why He is dancing with others’ daughter and girls? These are immoral things.” Therefore, this rasa dance should not be discussed among the fools and rascals. They’ll misunderstand. Although the professional reciters, they take part, whenever they speak of Bhāgavata, they immediately jump over the rasa dance. That is not to be done. CaitanyaMahāprabhu never indulged in such thing. For mass of people He engaged Himself in saṅkīrtana. And when Kṛṣṇa’s dealing with the gopīs were discussed, He was discussing amongst three selected devotees: Rāmānanda Rāya, Svarūpa Dāmodara and Śikhi Māhati. He had thousands and thousands of devotees, but He never discussed Kṛṣṇa’s rasa-līlā in the mass of people, never did it. Therefore it is restricted. Because they will misunderstand. These rascals, they do not know what is Kṛṣṇa, and they will misunderstand. They will be polluted. Of course, not polluted. Because after all, they will hear about Kṛṣṇa. But they may misunderstand. That is against their making progress to the spiritual life.
Room Conversation — August 16, 1976, Bombay : 760816rc.bom
Similarly, these rascals are giving evidence of Rūpa Gosvāmī’s advice, that “Here is Rādhā-kuṇḍa…” But whether you have followed other things.
Guest: Vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ…
Srila Prabhupāda: Yes. Vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ krodha-vegaṁ, pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt. Etān vegān yo viṣa… You are manipulated by the udara-vegam, upastha-vegam. First there is test: etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ [NoI 1]. Then for him Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Dhīras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13]. He has got three dozen sevā-dāsī, and living in Rādhā-kuṇḍa.
My Guru Mahārāja wanted to publish Govinda-līlāmṛta. He asked permission of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. So first of all Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, “I’ll tell you some day.” And when he reminded, he said, “Yes you can print one copy. If you are so much anxious to print it, print one copy. You’ll read and you will see that you have printed. Not for distribution.” So we are printing all these books for understanding properly. Not that “Here is Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Let us go.” Jump over like monkey. “Here is rāsa-līlā. Immediately…”
Acyutānanda: Even in Kṛṣṇa book rāsa-līlā should not be told in public.
Srila Prabhupāda: No, why? Kṛṣṇa book must be there, in the book must be there.
Acyutānanda: But in public…
Srila Prabhupāda: But you should go gradually. You should go gradually. You first of all understand Kṛṣṇa, then kṛṣṇa-līlā. If you have not understood Kṛṣṇa, then you’ll think Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa-līlā is just like we mix with young women. And that becomes as polluted. Because they do not understand Kṛṣṇa. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānām [Bg. 7.3]. Kṛṣṇa understanding so easy? If you do not understand Kṛṣṇa how can you go to the Kṛṣṇa’s confidential activities?
Acyutānanda: Some of the devotees, they said that it is for liberated souls. So they said, “Well, we are all liberated.”
Srila Prabhupāda: Yes. Liberated for going to hell.1976 Conversations : August, 1976 : Room Conversation — August 16, 1976, Bombay : 760816rc.bom