In the previous episode, we had witnessed how Bhagawan grants us the highest “Moksha” by neutralizing our “Karma”. All of us know by now that there are two main types of “Karma” that make up our account – The “Sanchita Karma” and the “Praarabdha Karma”. As witnessed yesterday, Bhagawan doesn’t destroy both our “Sanchita Karma” and “Praarabdha Karma” in the same way. Once we surrender to Bhagawan, He makes sure that all our “Sanchita Karma” is completely burnt away. However, our “Praarabdha Karma” doesn’t burn away so easily as the other one. If that happens, we would attain “Moksha” this minute itself. Bhagawan is very smart in that way – If such a thing happens, we would never come into the “Bhakti Maarga” at all and we would keep postponing it. This is where Bhagawan says that if we follow the “Bhakti Maarga” properly from this minute onwards until the end of this birth, He would make sure that our “Praarabdha Karma” would be “got rid of”. This is exactly what Bhagawan Rama illustrated in the episode wherein He killed Shubaahu (Illustration of how our “Sanchita Karma” is burnt down) and chased away Maareecha (Illustration of how our “Praarabdha Karma” is got rid of). In this present discussion about Bhagawan Krishna too, we’ve witnessed how Bhagawan granted the highest “Moksha” to the fruit vendor and to Chintayanti by applying this theory to practice.
Moving on thus, we now move to an important event of Bhagawan Bala-Krishna’s tenure at Gokula – The “Raasa-Kreeda”. Now Bhagawan Bala-Krishna is getting a bit older and is near the age of 8 or 9. At this time, Bhagawan Bala-Krishna remembers His promise made to Indra and the Devas. We had discussed this in our earlier episodes too as to how Bhagawan Vishnu had given an assurance to the Devas that He would be spending time with them individually during the Krishna-Avatara. It is now time for this to happen. As instructed by Bhagawan, the Devas take birth as “Gopikas” and are waiting at Vrindavan, which is adjacent to Gokula village. We can visit this Vrindavan today also when we go to Mathura. As we go through a “guided tour” of Gokula and Mathura, firstly we would be shown the banks of River Yamuna wherein Bhagawan Bala-Krishna took on snake Kaaliya. It is popularly known even today as “Kaaliya-Damanam”. After that, we would be shown the place where Bhagawan Bala-Krishna’s birth took place. This is the jail complex that is still present on the other side of River Yamuna, which is Mathura city. This is also a very important place for us to worship as this very jail is believed to be the place of Bhagawan Bala-Krishna’s incarnation. Thirdly, the very banks of River Yamuna wherein Bhagawan Bala-Krishna used to play pranks with the Gopikas by hiding their clothes as they take a shower every morning. Fourth is this place called Vrindavan, which is a beautiful garden-like set-up wherein Bhagawan Bala-Krishna performed the “Raasa-Kreeda” with the Gopikas. Now we shall see how Bhagawan Bala-Krishna performed the “Raasa-Kreeda”.
As the Gopikas would be longing for Bhagawan’s presence, He would multiply His number of forms, so that He would be able to spend time individually with all the “Gopikas” at the same time. At any point, there would be sixty-four Gopikas dancing with Bhagawan Bala-Krishna. Hence, Bhagawan would have to take sixty-four different forms of Himself, so as to dance with all the Gopikas at the same time. Thus, the pattern is very simple – All of them would form a circle with one Gopika and one Bhagawan Bala-Krishna alternating. Everybody would have their hands upon each other’s shoulders and would start dancing in ecstasy. So if someone happens to see, they would be able to see two Gopikas dancing with one Bhagawan Bala-Krishna, or two Bhagawan Bala-Krishnas dancing with one Gopika. This would be the format of the “Raasa-Kreeda”.
Thus, as the divine dance goes on, as time progresses, the happiness, the level of “Bhakti” and the devotion of the Gopikas towards Bhagawan would increase to such a state that they would start fainting and falling on the floor unconscious! We should note here that if “Bhakti” goes beyond a threshold state, we would get totally into bliss and would fall on the floor unconscious! This, we should note, is the highest level of “Bhakti” one can attain. Thus, to bring the Gopikas back to their normal state and to henceforth prevent them to go into such a state of “Trans”, Bhagawan Bala-Krishna would suddenly disappear from that spot! Unable to find Bhagawan Bala-Krishna near them even for a second, the Gopikas would suddenly come back to their normal self and would start frantically searching for Him. As they search on for 5-10 minutes, suddenly Bhagawan Bala-Krishna would re-appear in front of them and again the “Raasa-Kreeda” would continue. Such was the routine that Bhagawan Bala-Krishna employed to spend dedicated quality time with the Devas in the form of Gopikas.
So for today, let us enjoy this blissful experience of Bhagawan Bala-Krishna at Vrindavan and we shall continue this experience into tomorrow’s episode as well! An absorbing experience awaits us tomorrow! Stay tuned! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 