The Water-Sport Līlā

May Śrī Priyā and Her Beloved be victorious!

The Water-Sport Līlā

Leaving the secluded grove, Śrī Kṛṣṇa comes with Śrī Rādhārānī and the sakhīs to bathe at the landing of Rādhākuṇḍa. They stand upon its gleaming marble steps. Śrī Priyājī faces west and smiles gently, while Śrī Kṛṣṇa faces east, smiling back. Rūpamañjarī removes the jeweled crest from Śrī Priyājī’s head. Lalitā approaches to take off Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s crown, but He steps away and says, “You rogue! Go away. I shall bathe with My crown on!”

Lalitā tries somehow to snatch it, but Śrī Kṛṣṇa holds her off with His left hand. Meanwhile, Guṇamañjarī removes Śrī Priyājī’s necklace of jewels and pearls, wraps it in a yellow handkerchief, and places it in a golden tray nearby.

Love streams from Śrī Priyājī’s eyes. With a gesture She warns Śrī Kṛṣṇa, “Be careful. Lalitā will spring upon You from behind to seize the crown.”

Śrī Kṛṣṇa has been holding His crown with His left hand while becoming absorbed in the beauty of Śrī Priyājī’s body. Lalitā, meanwhile, thinks that since Rādhā’s crest has been removed, Śyāmasundara’s crown must also come off before they enter the water.

Alerted by Śrī Rādhā’s signal, Kṛṣṇa whirls around, snatches Lalitā’s crest, and leaps from the landing with a great splash, landing five cubits out in the water. Lalitā immediately plunges in after Him and catches hold of her crest. By then Śrī Kṛṣṇa has dipped it in the water, and droplets fall from it like pearls. When Lalitā grasps it, a lively tug-of-war begins.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, “I shall not let go.”

Lalitā replies, “I shall not let go until I have taken it.”

Śrī Kṛṣṇa stands chest-deep in the water facing north. Lalitā stands before Him facing south, where the water is slightly shallower. Smiling softly, Śrī Rādhā steps down the first, second, and third steps, slowly enters the water, and stands on Lalitā’s left. She places Her right hand upon Lalitā’s shoulder, touches Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s chin with Her left, and says, “Very well, I shall settle this. Lalitā will accept My decision, and so will You.”

Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, “What decision? Tell Me first. Then I shall release the crest.”

Śrī Rādhā says, “Give it into My hand.”

Śrī Kṛṣṇa asks, “You will not give it to Lalitā, will You?”

Śrī Rādhā replies, “I will not.”

Śrī Kṛṣṇa places the crest in Śrī Rādhā’s hand. Guṇamañjarī has followed close behind Her. Śrī Rādhā signals to her, and she splashes through the water, climbs the steps, fetches Śrī Rādhā’s crest, and brings it back. Śrī Rādhā puts Her crest upon Her head and says, “Lalitā argued that because I had removed My crest, Śyāmasundara should remove His crown. Now I have put My crest back on, so the contest is even. But because You seized Lalitā’s crest, Your punishment is to place it upon her head with Your own hands and give her Your flute. She will keep it for the entire day.”

Śrī Kṛṣṇa hesitates, then thinks, “We still have to bathe. I shall give up the flute for now and recover it by some means after we leave the water. Yaśodā is not here.” Smiling at this thought, He ties the crest upon Lalitā’s head. Then He touches her chin with the flute and says, “Here, take it.”

Lalitā accepts the flute and gives it to her maidservant Ratnamañjarī, who tucks it into her bodice.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa scoops up a palmful of water and casts it upon Lalitā’s face. He recites a mantra whose meaning is: “O Goddess, praying that today’s sacrificial rite of bathing may succeed, I perform Your ceremonial ablution.”

Lalitā fills both hands with water and is about to fling it into Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s face when a pair of swans flies down and lands between Lalitā, Śrī Rādhā, and Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The female turns her head toward Śrī Rādhā and the male toward Śrī Kṛṣṇa, as though they have come to offer obeisance. Śrī Kṛṣṇa catches the male swan with both hands, places it on His left, and pours water over its head with His right hand. Śrī Rādhā similarly holds the female and pours water upon her head.

Meanwhile, Lalitā slips behind Śrī Rādhā and gives Her a push. Rādhārānī loses Her footing and lurches toward Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Lifting His hand from the swan’s back, He catches and steadies Her. Lalitā turns toward the landing and begins to flee, but while supporting Rādhārānī with His left hand, Śrī Kṛṣṇa reaches for Lalitā and catches her braid. Lalitā laughs, and Śrī Kṛṣṇa laughs as well. He says, “Now behave honestly and do exactly as I say. Otherwise, we shall see in the water whether you cry in defeat or I do.”

Smiling, Lalitā frees her braid, again stands facing south, and glares playfully at Śrī Rādhā. “There! The two of You have joined forces to torment me. Is that not so?”

Rādhārānī smiles and says to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, “Now divide us into parties. Who will stand on which side, and how?”

Śrī Kṛṣṇa replies, “Very well. I shall stand here and You remain there. Today, as yesterday, we shall dance in the water.”

Śrī Kṛṣṇa stands facing west. Taking both of Śrī Rādhā’s hands, He places Her before Him so that She faces east. The sakhīs form eight circles around them, enclosing them like the rounded petals of a lotus. At that moment Madhumatī stands with one foot partly in the water and makes the strings of her vīṇā ring, while Vimalāmañjarī plays the mṛdaṅga. The dance begins to their melody. The vīṇā sounds in Kedāra rāga, and the sakhīs, Rādhā, and Śyāmasundara dance within the water, raising and lowering their feet to the rhythm. The sakhīs express the song’s moods with both hands. Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Śrī Rādhā keep both hands joined and express the moods together while they and the circles of sakhīs revolve. The dance continues for a long time. Suddenly, as they dance, Śrī Kṛṣṇa becomes as many forms as there are sakhīs. Each sakhī now experiences Him beside her, holding her hand and dancing with her. The dance gradually slows, and the instant Madhumatī’s vīṇā falls silent, everyone comes to rest together. Śrī Kṛṣṇa now faces north and Priyājī faces south.

They now hold a swimming contest to see who can swim farthest. Nearby stand nine or ten swan-shaped boats. Four sakhīs board each one. In every boat a large tray holds many balls made of flowers, and eight gleaming golden rings are fixed along its sides, four on either side. One boat begins moving by itself. When Śrī Kṛṣṇa reaches it, He grips a ring with His left hand and uses His right to tighten the cloth around His waist like a bodice. As soon as He takes hold, the sakhīs begin drawing the boat. When its prow turns south, Śrī Rādhā grasps the ring beside Śrī Kṛṣṇa with Her left hand and tightens Her veil in the same way with Her right. The lower part of Her body remains beneath the water. Lalitā and Viśākhā likewise take one ring each. When the first boat moves away, a second comes forward. Four more sakhīs grasp its four rings and swim southward with it.

Thus, alongside four shallow swan-shaped boats, sixteen swimmers including Śrī Kṛṣṇa hold the rings and swim. When the boats reach the middle of the kuṇḍa, they circle around. Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s boat takes its place at the northwestern corner, while the remaining three stand at the other corners, all facing one another.

The sakhī piloting each boat takes balls from its tray and gives one to every swimmer. Holding a ring with one hand and a ball in the other, they tread the water with their feet. The ball game begins, and for a long time they throw and catch the flower-balls among themselves.

When the ball game ends, Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s boat turns due north and sets out, with the other three following. Red, pale, blue, and white lotuses bloom throughout Rādhākuṇḍa, and their broad leaves spread across the water. Avoiding them, the boats turn now east, now west, and now north. Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the sakhīs move through the water beside them, still holding the rings. As they approach, gusts of wind make the lotuses sway as though pleading, “Pluck us and hold us in Your hands.” Sometimes Śrī Kṛṣṇa or Śrī Rādhā touches a lotus; sometimes They pluck one or two and place them in the boat; and sometimes They reach out with Their right hands to set the flowers bobbing. Swarms of bees fly humming above the lotuses.

Reaching one lotus, Śrī Priyājī splashes it with Her right hand. Just then a bee flies up and tries to settle upon Her cheek. She repeatedly attempts to drive it away, but it will not leave. She therefore lifts the end of the yellow cloth tucked at Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s waist, which has been floating upon the water, and covers Her face with it. Śrī Kṛṣṇa laughs. From beneath the cloth Priyājī peeks to see whether the bee has gone. Rādhārānī’s beauty shines brilliantly through the yellow fabric, and Śrī Kṛṣṇa gazes only at Her. Laughing, She plucks a lotus, holds it before His face, and says, “Do not look this way!”

Śyāmasundara replies, “Very well.”

He turns His face north. The boat is then drifting slowly in that direction. As soon as He turns away, Śrī Priyājī grows restless, shakes His shoulder with Her right hand, and says, “Śyāmasundara, look over here! See how that swan is dancing with its feathers spread!”

Śrī Kṛṣṇa understands Her cleverness and smilingly looks where She points. His face again becomes fully visible to Śrī Priyājī.

The boat stops about ten cubits from the landing. Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Śrī Priyājī, and the sakhīs climb down and stand chest-deep in the water. The splashing begins. Holding Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s hand, Śrī Priyājī says, “I shall go first.”

Śrī Kṛṣṇa replies, “Very well.”

Keeping hold of His hand, Śrī Priyājī submerges Herself. Her exquisite hair and face float upon the surface. After keeping Her head in the water for a few moments, She laughs and raises it again. Her wet hair falls over Her eyes, and Śrī Kṛṣṇa lovingly sets the locks in order and moves them away from Her face. Śrī Kṛṣṇa now dives. His laughing form as it rises from the water is irresistibly lovely. He lifts His head, laughing, and gives it such a shake that pearl-like droplets scatter in every direction. The wonder is that every sakhī feels Śrī Kṛṣṇa bathing while holding her own hand and tenderly arranging her wet hair with His loving hands.

After they have taken turns diving for some time, Rūpamañjarī, standing upon the landing, signals to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Saying, “Very well,” He takes Śrī Priyājī’s left hand, comes to the landing, and sits facing west. His legs remain in the water while His body above the waist rests upon a dry step. The sakhīs bring beautiful bowls containing various bathing pastes. One applies paste to His hands, another to His feet, another to His face, and another to His back. Śrī Rādhārānī takes a small, gleaming towel and dries His head. Guṇamañjarī stands nearby holding a little golden bowl of intensely fragrant oil. The Queen cups Her palm, pours oil from the bowl into its hollow, and with a gentle smile slowly pours it upon Śyāmasundara’s head. She massages it with both hands, working it into His curling locks.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s form is reflected upon the landing, in the water, and in the jewels. Śrī Rādhā looks down and sees the reflected image upon the steps. In it, Her foot appears to rest upon Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s chest. She starts for a moment, then laughs. Śrī Kṛṣṇa also smiles. As soon as the application of paste is complete, He leaps into the water with a splash.

The sakhīs now apply bathing paste to Śrī Priyājī’s limbs. Śrī Kṛṣṇa swims in the water, admiring the beauty of Her sweet face with sidelong glances. When the paste has been applied, Śrī Priyājī rises and begins pouring oil upon the sakhīs’ heads. Just then Śrī Kṛṣṇa runs up and stands upon the landing. Seizing Rādhārānī’s bowl of fragrant oil, He empties it over Lalitā’s head. There is so much oil that it streams down her forehead. Lalitā catches His hand.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, “Look, you moved your head, and that made the bowl shake in My hand. You spilled the oil. I have committed no offense.”

He frees His right hand, wipes up some oil that has fallen upon the landing, smears a little upon His face, and says, “There is too much. What shall I do? Here, you take some.”

With this, He wipes the oil from His hand onto Śrī Rādhā’s head. She says, “Enough, enough. Stop Your cleverness.”

Śrī Rādhā grasps His right hand, but still holding both Her hand and Lalitā’s, Śrī Kṛṣṇa leaps backward into the water. For some time they stand splashing water upon one another with their hands, then return and sit upon the landing.

In the ball game Śrī Kṛṣṇa had lost a wager requiring sixteen pitchers of water, while Śrī Priyājī had lost one requiring twelve. The sakhīs therefore seat Them side by side and begin pouring water over Them from pitchers. When Viśākhā pours two more than Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s allotted sixteen, He quarrels with her. “Why did you pour eighteen? The wager was only sixteen. In return for those two, I shall pour eight pitchers over you.”

Viśākhā replies, “I poured only one; Lalitā poured the other. So pour four over her and four over me. Why should I bear all eight alone?”

Lalitā says, “Rādhā told me that one was still owing. She was counting. I took Her word and poured one extra over You. Therefore, pour three over Her and one over me.”

Viśākhā says, “Enough, very well. The extra pitcher I poured over You was also at Rādhā’s signal. She said, ‘It is hot, what harm is there? Pour one more.’ Therefore, pour upon Her the three that were meant for me as well.”

Śrī Priyājī smilingly sits down, and Śrī Kṛṣṇa fills pitcher after pitcher from the kuṇḍa and pours them over Her. According to the rule of the game, Priyājī sits with both hands joined and restrained. This time Lalitā and Viśākhā sit beside Her. Śrī Kṛṣṇa pours the first pitcher over Priyājī’s head in such a way that Her veil slips down onto Her back. Earlier Lalitā and Viśākhā had poured slowly, so the veil remained properly in place. Śrī Kṛṣṇa, however, pours forcefully. Priyājī raises Her hand and begins adjusting Her veil.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, “Look! She has broken the rules!”

Śrī Rādhā replies, “You do not pour the water properly. If You Yourself cheat, why should I submit?”

At last, after many varieties of loving play have continued for a long time, Śrī Rādhā and Śrī Kṛṣṇa stand upon the landing. The sakhīs dry Their bodies with towels, dress Śrī Kṛṣṇa in His yellow garment, and clothe Śrī Rādhārānī in a green sari. Once dressed, They look at one another. Meanwhile, some sakhīs hurriedly put on their clothes, some are still dressing, and others rapidly wash the wet garments. Thus they quickly finish every task. With the circle of sakhīs, Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa turn north and proceed toward Lalitā’s grove.