Rasa-pancadhyayi V - The Rasa Dance

Bhāgavata 10.33.1

Śrī Śukadeva said: Hearing these exquisitely gracious words from Bhagavān, the gopīs abandoned the fever born of separation. Their desires became fulfilled through the touch of His limbs. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī [Introductory Sanskrit verse]

The thirty-third chapter describes the rāsa dance, graceful dancing, amorous play, water sports, and the questions and answers of Parīkṣit and Śukadeva.

Bhāgavata 10.33.2

There Govinda began the rāsa pastime. He was accompanied by the jewels among women, delighted and wholly devoted to Him, their arms linked with one another. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī Rāsa is the aggregate of the rasas of dancing, singing, kissing, embracing, and other loving acts. Kṛṣṇa began play composed of that rasa with the gopīs, who were devoted to Him and at that moment unanimously favorable to Him, their arms interlinked with one another.

Bhāgavata 10.33.3-4

The festival of rāsa began in full, beautified by the circle of gopīs. Kṛṣṇa, master of yoga, entered between every pair and embraced each woman around the neck, yet each thought He stood beside her alone. The sky became crowded with hundreds of celestial aircraft bearing gods and their wives, whose intense eagerness had stolen their minds. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī The text explains how He accompanied them. Rāsa itself became a festival pouring the nectar of bliss upon the cātaka-like eyes and minds of devotees. Kṛṣṇa entered between every two gopīs standing in a circle. By describing the rāsa itself, rather than Kṛṣṇa, as the independent agent, while making Himself its instrument, He proclaimed rāsa superior to all His powers and pastimes. Even Lakṣmī and others long to attain it but cannot.

Kṛṣṇa remained visible at the center like the whorl of the gopī circle, yet moved so swiftly that within an atomic instant He came from the center, danced between every pair among hundreds of millions of gopīs, embraced them, and returned. His speed surpassed a circle of fire. Bilvamaṅgala says: "Between every woman stood Mādhava, and between every Mādhava stood a woman; within the circle thus formed, Devakī's son remained at the center and sang upon His flute" (Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta 2.35). As Lord of yoga, He possessed every art and knew every means. Or yoga means Yogamāyā, the great potency expert in making the impossible possible. Knowing His desire to embrace all simultaneously, she manifested the necessary forms. Whether the phrase means He entered beside each gopī or between each pair, Yogamāyā made every woman perceive only her own Kṛṣṇa's touch.

Each gopī thought the woman beside her had only one Kṛṣṇa embracing her and regarded His appearance everywhere else as some theatrical art. The Devakī-nandana at the center stood together with the mistress of Vṛndāvana, for the hymn of Her hundred names declares that Her supremacy is the cause of rāsa and its play. In that very moment hundreds of celestial vehicles filled the sky as Brahmā and other gods came eagerly to see Kṛṣṇa dance, not to enter the amorous play, for they were unqualified. Their wives were not so disqualified. Yogamāyā allowed the men in heaven to see Kṛṣṇa but concealed the gopīs from them.

Bhāgavata 10.33.5

Then celestial kettledrums resounded and auspicious showers of flowers fell. The foremost Gandharvas, accompanied by their wives, sang Kṛṣṇa's stainless glory. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī No separate commentary is given on this verse.

Bhāgavata 10.33.6

Within the circular rāsa formation, a tremendous sound arose from the women's bangles, anklets, and waist bells as they danced with their beloved. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī The phrase means the gopīs together with their beloved Kṛṣṇa. The word "and" also includes the loud unstruck and wind instruments. Because these instruments are mentioned only indirectly and are secondary, the bracelets and other ornaments are understood to have covered their sound.

Bhāgavata 10.33.7

There Bhagavān, the son of Devakī, shone most splendidly among the gopīs, like a great emerald set among golden jewels. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī Some explain that although Devakī's son belonged to the warrior class and possessed all six divine opulences, He shone especially among cowherd women. Though sapphire-blue, Kṛṣṇa appeared emerald-green when blended with their golden radiance, hence the comparison with a great emerald. Others say that marakata itself denotes a sapphire; a variant reads "a great emerald."

Bhāgavata 10.33.8

Kṛṣṇa's brides shone as they sang of Him, like lightning within a circle of clouds. They placed their feet in dance steps and swept their arms through expressive gestures; smiles accompanied the play of their brows. Their slender waists bent, breast cloths moved, and earrings swung against their cheeks. Their faces perspired, and the knots of their hair and girdles loosened. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī As Kṛṣṇa shone through them, they shone through Him. Their foot placements repeatedly revealed varied dance and song in accord with melody and rhythm. Though their arms were interlinked, they moved them in intricate patterns; sometimes they released one another and, with extraordinary lightness, used many hand gestures to enact the song's meaning. Their smiles, laughter, and varied eyebrow movements expressed rasa and displayed their skill. Their naturally slender waists bent into graceful poses through the turns of dance. The cloths over their bodices moved after being gathered again when Kṛṣṇa rose. The word vadhū means women enjoyed by Kṛṣṇa, not legally wedded wives; otherwise it would conflict with Bhīṣma's reference to cowherd wives returning to their ordinary state. As Sanātana explains, the fair women embraced solely by dark, beautiful Kṛṣṇa, wholly sheltered in Him and enjoyed by Him alone, were like brides.

Bhāgavata 10.33.9

Their voices warm with love, Kṛṣṇa's pleasure their dearest aim, the gopīs sang loudly while dancing. Delighted by Kṛṣṇa's touch, they filled the entire world with their song. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī They danced, or their dancing won honor from Kṛṣṇa. Their throats were colored by many musical modes. Saṅgīta-sāra says: "There are as many rāgas as species of living beings; among them the sixteen thousand created long ago by the gopīs are supreme." Their dearest possession was Kṛṣṇa's affection. Delighted by His touch, they did not feel the fatigue of dancing. Their song then pervaded the entire created universe; alternatively, it is the song about them that people throughout the world continue to sing even today.

Bhāgavata 10.33.10

One gopī sang pure musical modes in perfect unison with Mukunda. Delighted, He honored her, exclaiming, "Excellent! Excellent!" Another developed that very melody into a fixed composition, and He bestowed still greater honor upon her. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī The seven svaras are ṣaḍja, ṛṣabha, gāndhāra, madhyama, pañcama, dhaivata, and niṣāda. They arise from the śrutis. It is said:

Sanskrit quotation on the seven notes

The seven notes that delight the hearer's heart are held to be ṣaḍja, ṛṣabha, gāndhāra, madhyama, pañcama, dhaivata, and niṣāda, all born from microtones. The peacock, cātaka bird, goat, crane, cuckoo, frog, and elephant are respectively said to utter these notes, which are exceedingly difficult to master.

There are eighteen kinds of jāti. It is said:

Sanskrit quotation on musical modes

That from which a rāga arises is called a jāti. It is proclaimed to be of two kinds, pure and modified. The seven pure modes differ according to ṣaḍja and the other notes; the other class is elevenfold, beginning with ṣaḍja-kaiśikī.

The modes were unmixed, kept distinct from one another because, through her supreme mastery, she sang each pure jāti without blending it with another. Kṛṣṇa honored Viśākhā for singing these difficult pure modes. He praised her, garlanded her, and gave her His yellow upper cloth and other gifts. Lalitā then raised each of those very modes to still greater excellence by setting it in a special dhruva rhythm. Kṛṣṇa therefore bestowed even greater honor upon her, giving her jewels and other gifts. When no other gopī came forward to sing, Śrī Rādhā personally began to sing, wishing to reveal the unsurpassed excellence of Her own companion Lalitā.

Bhāgavata 10.33.11

One gopī grew tired from the rāsa dance. Her bangles loosened and the jasmine flowers slipped from her hair as she placed her arm upon the shoulder of the mace-bearing Lord beside her. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī After describing the two sakhīs through their excellence in music, the verse now describes the foremost gopī through the supremacy of Her good fortune. She placed Her arm upon the right shoulder of Kṛṣṇa, the bearer of the mace. The name gadābhṛt also suggests that He bears speech, namely the account proclaiming the comparative virtues of the two friends who had just sung. Her bracelets loosened, and the jasmine garlands slipped from Her hair. Because She holds Her beloved fully under Her control, this gopī is the daughter of Vṛṣabhānu, Śrī Rādhā.

Bhāgavata 10.33.12

There one gopī inhaled the fragrance of Kṛṣṇa's arm, which rested upon her shoulder, smelled sweeter than a blue lotus, and was anointed with sandalwood. Her body thrilled with horripilation, and she kissed it. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī Kṛṣṇa's arm rested upon her shoulder. Its natural fragrance was as powerful as that of a lotus and overcame even the scent of the sandalwood paste with which it had been anointed. Because this action resembles one described earlier, the gopī here is Śyāmalā. Textual note

Some manuscripts read candanāli samāghrāya, meaning, "after smelling the row of sandalwood markings."

Bhāgavata 10.33.13

One gopī placed her cheek, beautified by the radiance of earrings tossed by the dance, against Kṛṣṇa's cheek, and He gave her the chewed betel from His mouth. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī Her earrings swung as she danced, and their radiance adorned her cheek. Pretending to be fatigued, she placed her cheek against Kṛṣṇa's cheek. Turning her face toward His own, He gave her the betel He had chewed. Because this resembles the earlier pastime, the gopī is Śaibyā.

Bhāgavata 10.33.14

One gopī danced and sang while her anklets and girdle chimed. Growing tired, she placed the auspicious lotus hand of Acyuta, who stood beside her, upon her breasts. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī The gopī who danced and sang and then placed Kṛṣṇa's lotus hand upon her breasts is Candrāvalī, as shown by the similarity of her taking His hand. The second is Padmā: earlier she placed His lotus feet upon her breasts, whereas here she places His lotus hand there. In both acts the burning of her breasts is relieved. The eighth principal gopī, Bhadrā, should also be understood here in the same manner as before.

Bhāgavata 10.33.15

The gopīs attained Acyuta as their lover, He who is the exclusive beloved even of Śrī. Their necks held by His arms, they sang of Him and sported with Him. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī The verse states that the other gopīs too sported according to their own individual natures. The Nāgapatnīs say, "Desiring Him, Śrī performed austerities in the form of a woman" (Bhāgavatam 10.16.36); Uddhava says, "Not even Śrī attained this grace of utterly intimate love" (Bhāgavatam 10.47.60); and a Purāṇic account cited in Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta declares, "Seeing Kṛṣṇa's beauty, Śrī became greedy for it and performed austerity" (Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta 1.5.351). Because Śrī, the beloved of Nārāyaṇa, could not attain intimate union with Kṛṣṇa, the verse should be understood as follows. The gopīs attained the lovely Acyuta as their exclusively beloved lover and sported with Him. Their necks were held within Kṛṣṇa's arms. They were like Śrī: just as her body rests against Nārāyaṇa's chest, the gopīs' necks were clasped by Kṛṣṇa's arms. Alternatively, because Kṛṣṇa is one with Nārāyaṇa, He too is the beloved of Śrī.

Bhāgavata 10.33.16

The gopīs danced together with Bhagavān in the assembly of rāsa. Lotuses at their ears and curls ornamented their cheeks, perspiration beautified their faces, and bangles and anklets supplied the music. Garlands slipped from their loosened hair, and bees became their singers. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī Having separately described the beauty created by the excellence of individual gopīs in singing and dancing, the text now reveals the beauty of their faces and bodies produced by the dance as a whole. The lotus ornaments at their ears indicate their circular earrings. Their extremely restless curls formed many coils against their cheeks, where drops of perspiration appeared, and all these features beautified their faces. The root ṭak means "to bind." Their ornaments, such as bracelets and anklets, sounded in matching tones and thus became instruments. Unstruck and wind instruments were also present: the deities presiding over them came personally and played, eager to fulfill the purpose of their own existence. The garlands had slipped from the gopīs' hair. Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that, delighted by the rhythm of their movement, the hair itself seemed to shower flowers as their heads moved. Even the bees served as singers in that rāsa assembly.

Bhāgavata 10.33.17

In this way the Lord of Ramā sported with the beautiful women of Vraja through embraces, the touch of hands, affectionate glances, unrestrained amorous gestures, and laughter, just as a child plays with the movements of his own reflections. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī The text now explains that the very components of the rāsa dance also fulfilled the components of Kṛṣṇa's intimate play. An embrace occurred while He danced in a pair with each gopī. The touch of the hand took the form of His placing the rhythm with His right hand upon His beloved's left breast when a movement in the dance concluded. His affectionate glance was a loving look upon her confidential limbs. His unrestrained play included kisses given under the pretext of awarding prizes. His laughter was the radiance of His face after receiving each loving response, or His playful joking.

He is the Lord of Ramā: toward Lakṣmī He manifests majesty, but He sported as a lover with the beautiful women of Vraja, not with Ramā. Like an innocent child, He remained simple and guileless among them because He was governed by their love; He did not display toward them the majesty He shows Lakṣmī.

One might ask how the single Lord could sport with hundreds of thousands of gopīs. The verse answers that His play consisted of manifestations of His own form. A Bhāgavata verse uses bimba in this sense:

Sanskrit quotation, Bhāgavatam 3.2.11

Having revealed His own form, the sight of the whole world, to human eyes still unsatisfied though their austerities were complete, He then withdrew that form and disappeared.

Just as bimba there means His own essential form, here too Kṛṣṇa sported beside each beloved in an individual manifestation of His own form. The gopīs are embodiments of His own being because they are manifestations of His hlādinī potency. The alternative interpretation that treats them merely as reflected images is therefore unsuitable.

Bhāgavata 10.33.18

O best of the Kurus, the women of Vraja became overwhelmed in every sense by the ever-increasing joy of contact with His limbs. Their garlands and ornaments loosened, yet they could not readily rearrange their hair, fine garments, or breast cloths. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī The verse explains that Bhagavān's loving pastimes overwhelmed the gopīs with bliss. Their senses were agitated by exceedingly intense joy. Kuca-paṭṭikā means the bodice covering the breasts, and prativyoḍhum means to arrange again. They were not capable of doing so. Textual note

Some editions read pramadākulendriyāḥ, "their senses overwhelmed by passion," instead of pramudākulendriyāḥ, "their senses overwhelmed by joy."

Bhāgavata 10.33.19

Seeing Kṛṣṇa's extraordinary play, the women who traveled through the sky became bewildered and afflicted by desire for Him. The moon and his entire retinue were struck with wonder. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī The celestial women were afflicted by desire directed toward Kṛṣṇa. If the singular reading kāmārditaḥ is accepted, the moon too, upon beholding Kṛṣṇa, assumed a feminine disposition and was afflicted by desire for Him. It has already been explained that Yogamāyā concealed the bodies of the beautiful women of Vraja and their intimate pastimes from the eyes of male spectators. Textual notes

Some manuscripts read the singular kāmārditaḥ, "afflicted by desire." Some commentators, apparently including Śrīdhara Svāmī, accept vismṛtaḥ, "forgetful," in place of vismitaḥ, "astonished."

Bhāgavata 10.33.20

Bhagavān expanded Himself into as many forms as there were cowherd women and sported with each of them in play, although He is self-delighting. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī The verse next indicates that Kṛṣṇa engaged in confidential play with each gopī in a separate bower. However many cowherd women there were, including both the wives and the unmarried daughters of the cowherds, He manifested an equal number of personal forms. The meaning of "although self-satisfied" has already been explained. Textual note

Following the Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī, some read rarāma, "He sported," in place of reme.

Bhāgavata 10.33.21

Beloved Parīkṣit, the compassionate Lord lovingly wiped the faces of the gopīs, who were tired from amorous play, with His supremely soothing hand. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī The phrase is "through their amorous play"; another reading is "through their excessive play." Seeing that the gopīs were exhausted from love play, compassionate Kṛṣṇa ceased His amorous sport. His hand was śantama, completely soothing and filled with delight. "He wiped their faces" is representative: He also fanned them, anointed them, adorned each part of their bodies, and gave them betel. Textual notes

A variant reads, "because of their excessive play." In his commentary on Rasāmṛta 2.4.34, Viśvanātha explains that "He wiped" also indicates that, out of love, He restored the hair arrangements, ornaments, garments, and other things disordered during their love play.

Bhāgavata 10.33.22

The gopīs' cheeks shone with the flashing radiance of golden earrings and curls. Honored by the bull among men through His smiles and glances, and thrilled by the touch of His fingernails, they honored Him in return by singing of His beautiful, sanctifying deeds. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī The gopīs had their beloved wholly under their control and wore jeweled ornaments that He Himself had placed upon them. Emerging from the bowers, they assembled and sang an auspicious song announcing the conclusion of the rāsa festival. The brilliance of their glittering golden earrings and curls produced beauty upon their cheeks. With nectarean glances accompanied by smiles, they awakened honor for Kṛṣṇa, the foremost of men, within their hearts and sang of His deeds. Those deeds were puṇya, beautiful and purifying. The touch of His fingernails had filled them with the highest delight. Textual note

Some manuscripts read guṇa, "quality," instead of gaṇḍa, "cheek."

Bhāgavata 10.33.23

Accompanied by the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa entered the Yamunā to remove their fatigue. His garland had been crushed by contact with their limbs and reddened by the kuṅkuma from their breasts. Followed by rows of singing bees, He appeared like an elephant king, tired after breaking the embankment, entering the water with his cow elephants. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī The text next describes water play as though it were the concluding ceremonial bath of the rāsa festival. Kṛṣṇa entered the water to remove His fatigue. Which gopīs accompanied Him? Their garlands had been crushed by bodily contact and, through the actions of love, colored by the kuṅkuma from their own breasts. With expert, Gandharva-like singers following Him, He entered the waters of the Yamunā. The king of elephants is described as having broken through a barrier; in Kṛṣṇa's case this means that He had crossed beyond the conventional boundaries of the world. Textual note

Some manuscripts read sva, "their own," instead of sa, "He."

Bhāgavata 10.33.24

Beloved Parīkṣit, the laughing young women stood on every side and drenched Him thoroughly in the water while gazing upon Him with love. Praised by celestial travelers who showered flowers, the self-delighting Lord sported there like an elephant king. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī There is also a reading premṇokṣitaḥ, "sprinkled with love," in place of premṇekṣitaḥ, "gazed upon with love." His own treasure was rati, loving play itself.

Bhāgavata 10.33.25

Afterward Kṛṣṇa wandered through a nearby grove whose riverbank and every direction were filled with breezes carrying the fragrance of flowers growing on land and water. Surrounded by swarms of bees and the company of young women, He resembled a lordly elephant streaming ichor among his cow elephants. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī After the water play, the word "and" indicates that the gopīs first dried Kṛṣṇa's limbs and then dressed Him in corresponding garments and ornaments brought by the forest deities. He then went to Kṛṣṇa's own pleasure grove beside the Yamunā, which contained hundreds of thousands of bowers, to enjoy the pastime of resting there. The quarters and riverbanks were caressed by breezes bearing the fragrances of flowers growing both in the water and on land. He was surrounded by hosts of bees and beautiful women. Like a lordly elephant, streams of exhilaration flowed from Him.

Bhāgavata 10.33.26

Thus the Lord, whose desires are eternally fulfilled, enjoyed every night illumined by the moon's rays in the company of the women who loved Him. Holding all amorous feeling fully contained within Himself, He passed those nights as the abode of every rasa celebrated in autumnal poetry and song. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī In concluding the rāsa play of the autumn full-moon night, the verse indicates that Kṛṣṇa enjoyed countless, wonderfully varied pastimes of the same kind with the gopīs on other nights as well. Through the power of Yogamāyā, every one of those nights shone with moonbeams, and He relished the joy of Vṛndāvana's nights through His pastimes. The verb sev presents those nights as the agent's revered objects of enjoyment, fit for His play, much as a devotee reverently honors mahā-prasāda by partaking of it. If the nights themselves were so worthy of honor, how much more the loving pastimes enacted within them.

The text declares that those amorous sports should never be regarded as material by calling Him satya-kāma: His desires and love play are true, substantial realities of the spiritual nature. Moreover, groups of gopīs were devoted to Him. After He initiated loving union, even those apparently powerless young women became active agents within it; the word abalā, "powerless woman," nevertheless indicates that they possessed no independent controlling power.

The verse then shows that throughout night and day Bhagavān's mind remained wholly absorbed in these loving pastimes: He held within Himself all the feelings and gestures of love, such as bhāva, hāva, bibboka, and kilakiñcita; contrariness, eagerness, and joy; paralysis, perspiration, and change of color; and seeing, touching, embracing, and every related act. The Bhāgavata says:

Sanskrit quotation, Bhāgavatam 10.60.58

In this way, through conversations of love, Bhagavān, Lord of the universe, delighted in Himself and sported with Ramā, imitating the ways of human society.

There the word "conversations" is used because a particular feature is intended; here all the features of love play are included without distinction.

He enjoyed all the nights throughout the twelve months. They were repositories of the rasa found in the poetry and narratives of autumn. A lexicon states that śarad can mean a year. Centered upon these yearlong nights in Śrī Vṛndāvana, the setting of Kṛṣṇa's play, true poets of ancient and recent times, such as Vyāsa, Parāśara, Jayadeva, Līlāśuka, Govardhanācārya, and Śrī Rūpa, have described narratives and rasas, chiefly the amorous rasa, in their respective works, yet could never reach their limit. Viśvanātha therefore implies, "Since I too cannot describe them completely, I have shown only a direction."

Bhāgavata 10.33.27

King Parīkṣit said: The Supreme Lord, ruler of the universe, descended together with His plenary portion to establish dharma and bring its opposite to rest. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī Parīkṣit perceived that doubts had arisen in the hearts of the variously inclined people seated in the assembly, including ritualists and jñānīs. To remove those doubts, he asked this question. The Supreme Bhagavān, of whom Viṣṇu, Lord of the universe, is a portion, had descended. Alternatively, He descended together with His expansion Baladeva. If it is claimed that by His free pastimes He nevertheless acted contrary to dharma, the objection is this: just as He once accepted Brahmā's curse and later accepted its result, even though He remained the Supreme Lord, He would likewise have to accept sin and inevitably accept its result. This is the first question, expressed across verses 27 and 28.

Bhāgavata 10.33.28

How then could He, who teaches, practices, and protects the boundaries of dharma, act contrary to them by touching the wives of others, O brāhmaṇa? Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī Viśvanātha gives no separate commentary on this verse.

Bhāgavata 10.33.29

The Lord of the Yadus is self-fulfilled, yet He certainly performed what appears blameworthy. With what intention did He do this? O observer of noble vows, please sever our doubt. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī If one replies that this was not adharma for the Supreme Lord, Parīkṣit asks why He performed an act regarded as reprehensible and with what intention. By calling Him āpta-kāma, one whose every desire is already fulfilled, the king prevents the answer that He did it to satisfy an unfulfilled personal desire. If one says that such an act simply had to be performed in this incarnation, Parīkṣit calls Him the Lord of the Yadus: how, then, could He be the master of that supremely righteous dynasty? The word "our" means that this doubt was not Parīkṣit's alone. He already almost fully knew the confidential conclusion that, although Kṛṣṇa is self-satisfied and all His desires are fulfilled, it is entirely proper for Him to sport eagerly with the gopīs, who are embodiments of the bliss of divine love. By addressing Śukadeva as one devoted to exemplary conduct, Parīkṣit suggests that the listeners wondered why even such a sage was so deeply absorbed in this very pastime.

Bhāgavata 10.33.30

Śrī Śukadeva said: Powerful rulers are sometimes seen to cross the boundaries of dharma and act with exceptional boldness. Such acts do not stain those endowed with fiery power, just as fire, which consumes everything, is not stained. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī These six verses begin the answer to the first question. Even when powerful controllers such as Rudra appear to transgress dharma, the consequence of adharma does not touch them; how much less could it touch the Supreme Lord. Their bold action, or action arising from extraordinary power, produces no fault or adverse result. Just as fire consumes everything without becoming faulty or impure, so do they remain untouched.

Bhāgavata 10.33.31

A person who lacks such sovereign power must never imitate this conduct, not even mentally. One who foolishly does so is destroyed, just as anyone other than Rudra would be destroyed by drinking the poison born from the ocean. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī One might object that, according to the principle "Whatever a great person does, others follow" (Bhagavad-gītā 3.21), ordinary people should imitate such conduct. The verse forbids this. A dependent, insignificant living being who foolishly attempts it is destroyed at once, just as anyone other than Rudra would perish by drinking the poison born from the ocean. Rudra, by contrast, drank it and became even more splendid as Nīlakaṇṭha, the blue-throated Lord.

Bhāgavata 10.33.32

The command of powerful rulers is true and authoritative, though their conduct is so only in certain instances. An intelligent person should practice whatever in their conduct accords with their own instruction. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī How, then, can the conduct of the great serve as authoritative evidence? Their words are always satya, beneficial to the virtuous, while their conduct is authoritative only in certain circumstances, as in the Lord's appearance as the son of Daśaratha. The governing rule is therefore that a wise person should perform only those deeds of the powerful that agree with, and do not contradict, their teachings, and even then should act after careful reflection. Arjuna did not obey what appeared to be an instruction to kill Aśvatthāmā, expressed in the words, "Let that sinful aggressor and killer of his own kin be bound."

Bhāgavata 10.33.33

O master, selfless rulers gain no personal advantage in this world by acting well, nor do they incur harm by acting otherwise, for they are free from ego. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī Viśvanātha gives no separate commentary on this verse.

Bhāgavata 10.33.34

How, then, could good or evil ever attach itself to the Lord of all beings, whether animals, human beings, or celestial dwellers, and of all who are ruled by Him? Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī The verse now applies the preceding conclusion directly to the Supreme Lord who is under discussion.

Bhāgavata 10.33.35

Even sages who are satisfied by devoted service to the pollen of His lotus feet, and whose every bond of karma has been cast away by the power of yoga, wander freely without becoming bound. How then could bondage touch Him, who assumes a body solely by His own will? Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī Even His devotees are not bound by dharma or adharma. Niṣeva means exceedingly devoted service. The yoga mentioned here is bhakti-yoga. Its power casts off the bondage of karma even for everyone who beholds those sages, what then to speak of the sages themselves. Those contemplative devotees therefore wander freely without becoming bound. How, then, could there be bondage for Him who, solely by His absolutely independent will, accepted those forms, the bodies belonging to women regarded as others' wives? Textual note

The author of the Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī reads dṛptāḥ, "boldly confident," instead of tṛptāḥ, "satisfied."

Bhāgavata 10.33.36

He who moves within the gopīs, their husbands, and indeed every embodied being is the overseeing Lord. This very Kṛṣṇa assumes His body for divine play. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī From the perspective of each individual, no one is other or alien to Bhagavān, the indwelling Lord of all. If He moves within the gopīs, their husbands, and every embodied being, what fault could there be in His embracing them externally? He is the overseer who witnesses the intellect and all the inner faculties; what fault, then, could there be in His seeing either their concealed or external limbs? Here in Vraja-maṇḍala, for the purpose of play, He partakes of and serves the bodies of the gopīs, wiping away the perspiration caused by the fatigue of love and performing other services. Textual notes

Some manuscripts read api, "also," in place of eva, "indeed." Another reading is krīḍaneneha deha-bhāk, "here He assumes bodies for the sake of play." A further variant reads mātra, "mere," in place of gātra, "limb."

Bhāgavata 10.33.37

To bestow grace upon His devotees, He assumes a humanlike form and enjoys such pastimes that whoever hears them becomes devoted exclusively to Him. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī This verse answers the second question: with what purpose did Kṛṣṇa perform an act that appears reprehensible? For the sake of bestowing mercy upon His devotees, He participates in such pastimes. A living being situated in a human body who hears them becomes devoted to Him and develops faith centered upon Him. Unlike other divine pastimes, this play, composed of the amorous rasa, therefore possesses an inconceivable power like that of a precious gem, a mantra, or a great medicinal herb. The verse also implies that one who has a human body possesses the primary eligibility for such devotion. Textual notes

Some manuscripts read bhūtānām, "of living beings," instead of bhaktānām, "of devotees," and āsthitaḥ, "having assumed," instead of āśritaḥ, "having taken shelter of."

Bhāgavata 10.33.38

The residents of Vraja, bewildered by His Yogamāyā, did not feel envy toward Kṛṣṇa, for each believed his own wife to be standing beside him. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī One may ask: if Bhagavān sported with the cowherd women on all these nights, why did their husbands, mothers-in-law, and other relatives not become angry when they failed to see the young women in their homes? The verse answers that they were bewildered by Yogamāyā, not by the external māyā. The external potency has no jurisdiction over Bhagavān's associates, and bewilderment by her would necessarily produce aversion to Him, yet not even the slightest such aversion was seen in the cowherd men.

When the gopīs had gone to meet Kṛṣṇa, Yogamāyā created an equal number of gopī forms and showed those forms to the husbands. Each man therefore believed his own wife remained beside him. Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi states:

Sanskrit quotation, Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi 3.32

Their husbands felt no jealousy, for they associated only with women of that appearance fashioned by Māyā. The goddesses of Vraja never at any time united with those who were considered their husbands.

Yogamāyā is a function of the spiritual potency, so her manifestations possess eternal reality and perfect propriety. Even when the entire material display is dissolved, the forms perceived as the wives beside those men and the men's conception of each as "my wife" remain eternally true within the pastime. Yet manyamānāḥ means that they merely believed those forms to be their wives. It does not mean that the husbands enjoyed the forms manifested by Yogamāyā, for it would be improper that forms exactly identical to the gopīs should be enjoyed by others. This is why the verse says that the wives appeared "beside them," not "in their beds." Yogamāyā arranged the solution in this way so that the supposed husbands would not develop lust toward those forms. When the actual gopīs returned from Bhagavān's side to their respective homes, Yogamāyā caused the manifested gopī forms to disappear.

Bhāgavata 10.33.39

When the night of Brahmā came to its close, the gopīs, though unwilling to leave, returned to their homes with Vāsudeva's approval. They were the beloveds of Bhagavān. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī The compound brahma-rātra is an archaic formation. When a night equal to Brahmā's night, lasting one thousand yugas, had fully completed one revolution, the gopīs returned to their homes. Bhagavān's will is always fulfilled. He desired to enact so many pastimes of dancing, singing, and love within that single night; therefore, all the spans of time required to complete everything He wished amounted to one thousand yugas, and that thousand-yuga duration entered within the four watches of the night at the place of rāsa.

This should not be regarded as impossible. Brahmā saw universes measuring fifty crores of yojanas enter within just one small portion of the five-yojana region of Vṛndāvana. Likewise, innumerable ropes could not encircle even the tiny belly of Bhagavān, while the entire universe was seen within that same belly. Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta says:

Sanskrit quotation, Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta 1.5.515

Because the Lord, His beloveds, His abode, and His time possess inconceivable power, what could be impossible here?

The statement that the gopīs were permitted by Vāsudeva means that Kṛṣṇa approved their departure, saying in effect, "For the successful fulfillment of such pastimes between Me and you, it is best that our desire remain concealed." Alternatively, Vāsudeva, the presiding Lord of consciousness, awakened their sense of deference toward elders, modesty, fear, and similar feelings and thus impelled them to go. Because separation from their beloved was unbearable, however, they departed unwillingly.

Bhāgavata 10.33.40

A sober person who faithfully and repeatedly hears, and then recounts, this divine play of Viṣṇu with the brides of Vraja obtains supreme devotion to Bhagavān. He swiftly casts away lust, the disease of the heart, without delay. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-darśinī No separate commentary is printed for this source unit.