Verse 21

Translation

Sri Krishna is pretending to be asleep so that He may hear the attractive conversation of the Vrajavadhus. His face is radiant with a slight stifled softly blooming smile that has broadened due to the arousal of love. The hairs on His body are clearly standing on their ends. We worship such false sleep of Sri Krishna. 21.

ri Krishna has risen from the bed of love, Srimati Râdhârâni has put both Her arms around Him and He is at present seated on the love–bed. Once again the ras–dalliance has started with enthusiasm. Sri Sri Râdhâ–Govinda’s vilaas is very deep, mysterious and unknown to all in every aspect. Leave alone others, it is unknown even to the dearest sakhis. No one is permitted to behold Their pastimes, other than the Manjaris. The sakhis are so close to Them, but still they are not allowed to stay during the confidential pastimes.

Seeing that the vilâs^[1] had started, Sri Lilâshuk went away with the sakhis and after some time, when they learnt that it had ended, they returned to the gate of the flower–grove. Inside the kunja (flower–grove) Sri Krishna heard the anklets of the approaching sakhis and pretended to be asleep so that He could hear their conversation with Sri Râdhârâni. Everyone thought He was sleeping. So they started joking freely. When Sri Lilâshuk saw Sri Krishna’s eyes shut, in false sleep, He said defensively, “Although the Lord is overflowing with all beauty, He is pretending to be asleep to hear the sweet joking words of the Vrajavadhus. We worship that false sleep.” This proves that the sakhis’ humorous conversation with Sri Râdhârâni is so wonderful that it steals the ear and heart of Sri Bhagavân Himself!!

Srila Kavirâj Goswâmipâd has gained the exclusive blessing of Sri Râdhârâni. By Her mercy, that witty conversation has been revealed in his ras–meditative heart. So he has served that wonderfully sweet, delicious, entertaining and nectarine conversation to us. Sri Râdhâ’s sakhis tried to embarrass Her with so many ras–words. She was not to be defeated. She too replied by turning the tables on them. One of the sakhis said – “My dear Princess, You are very brave indeed! You left us at home and came to this forest to pluck the Punnâg flower (the literal meaning of ‘Punnâg’ is ‘the best of men’ – that is Sri Krishna). How fortunate that the slayer of demon Baka (Sri Krishna) has not found You, otherwise we cannot imagine how You would have been defeated in His hands. Dear Friend, another question – have You heard – Sudyumna and Shikhandi have come to this forest? I believe You have learnt their art, is it true?”

Who were Sudyumna and Shikhandi?

Sudyumna was Vaivasvat Manu’s son. Before the birth of Ikshvâku and all, Manu was childless. So under the guidance of Maharshi Vashishtha, he performed Mitra–Varun yagna^[2]. Although he wanted a son, his wife wished for a daughter. So they got a daughter named Ilâ. Manu was dissatisfied. So Rishi Vashishtha prayed to Sri Bhagavân to change Ilâ into a boy. In this manner Ilâ became a boy and her new name was Sudyumna. Once when Sudyumna went hunting in Sukumaar forest at the foothills of the Sumeru Mountain, he, along with his friends, turned into women^[3]. Later on by the mercy of sage Vashishtha he gained femininity for one month and masculinity for the next month.

Shikhandi was the son of King Drupad. He was born as a daughter. Drupad who was so much desirous for a son that although he got a daughter, he performed all the rites meant for a son. When she attained marriageable age, he got her married to king Hiranyavarmâ’s daughter. When Hiranyavarmâ learned the truth from his daughter, he was furious and prepared to attack Pânchâl. Shikhandi left her home and entered a forest. Here lived a Yaksha (semi spiritual being) called Sthunakarna. By his boon, Shikhandi gained manhood and returned home. Then Drupad told everything to Hiranyavarmâ and pacified him. Arjun had placed Shikhandi in front of Bhishma (in his opinion Shikhandi would always remain a woman) who then gave up his arms and thus Arjun was able to defeat Bhishma. Today Sri Râdhâ-Krishna’s clothes and mood had got exchanged due to love-dalliance. Seeing this, the sakhis are teasing Swâmini in this manner.

When Sri Krishna heard this He got into trouble. The problem was that He wanted to burst into laughter. But if He laughed, He would get caught and would not be able to relish Sri Râdhârâni’s witty repartee, so He slowly contained His laughter. The laugh turned into a smile that made His face blissful and light up like a full moon. How sweet His face looked then! The laughter within Him reached His face softly, sweetly and started playing silently on His lips. You may ask, then how did Sri Râdhârâni and the sakhis not come to know that He was pretending? Well, when Sri Krishna actually sleeps, His lips always display a soft smile. So when He pretends to be asleep, no one can make out. Sri Lilâshuk has learnt this by the mercy of the false sleep itself.

Srimati Râdhârâni replied, ‘Go away and don’t act smart! As if I don’t know about you folks. You are the main teachers of perverted acts. You think I don’t know anything? You people are the greatest teachers of all Shikhandi-arts. You girls have no character at all and now you want to spoil mine and make me like you. So you signalled with your eyes and having left me alone with this debauchee you hid yourselves in the forest. Thank God that ‘Sleep’ is my dear friend. He came to protect me and embraced your hero. Just now Shikhandi came alone and told me, “Yesterday Krishna was with the sakhis in the flower–groves. Then I too had come there with my friend Sudyumna – all the sakhis learnt this Shikhandi–art from me. Sri Krishna learnt the art of eroticism from my friend Sudyumna. I have come here to put my friend’s erotic–art to test. Your sakhis too wish that You should advise me regarding that art”. When I heard Shikhandi I was so angry that I shooed him away. Full of lust, it is you who have made him your Guru. You foul-mouthed girls, I will never talk to You again.”’

When Sri Krishna heard Sri Râdhârâni’s reply He became very much inebriated with love. Although He tried His level best, He could not control His goose bumps. Sri Lilâshuk relished this nectarine bhâv of Sri Krishna and said – “We worship this false sleep of Sri Krishna. May I be so fortunate as to behold this false sleep”.

Srila Bhatta Goswmipâd says, Sri Lilâshuk who is immersed in great bhâv has earlier prayed for an inspiration of Sri Sri Râdhâ– Krishna sporting in the fresh, secluded flower–grove of Sri Vrindâvan. Now in this verse he is praying to behold the false sleep of Sri Krishna which He performs in order to hear the sweet conversation of the Vrajasundaris. Here ‘Bhagavatah’ (of Sri Bhagavân) is not used in the opulent sense, but it refers to Sri Krishna Who is engaged in the sport of love–making, since the emotional poet is a worshipper in the mood of sweetness. ‘Upâsmahe’ means ‘we worship’. This indicates that the poet wishes to relish Sri Krishna’s pastimes with other devotees having similar mood, called ‘sajâtiya’.

“You must relish the meaning of Srimad-Bhâgavatam in the company of sajâtiya^[4], serene, more advanced and rasik devotees. The Divine pastimes do not appear ras-full or sweet without the company of such devotees.” – [B. R. S. 1.2.91]

Instead of saying ‘we worship Sri Krishna who is displaying false sleep’ the poet is saying ‘we worship the false sleep of Sri Krishna.’ This proves the importance of the pastime. Everywhere we see that the devotees are more obsessed with the Lord’s pastimes than with the Lord Himself. This is because His true nature is manifested more wonderfully through His pastimes. Sri Krishna’s sweet Vraja-lilâs are incomparable. To show His mercy to the devotees, Sri Bhagavân manifests sweeter than sweet pastimes such as the Râs-lilâ. By hearing such pastimes any one can easily gain success in devotion.

The same is stated in S.B. –

‘anugrahâya bhaktânam mânushan deham-âshritah,

bhajate tadrishih kridâ yah shrutvâ tat-paro bhavet.”

– [S.B. 10.33.37]

Sri Bhagavân Himself has said in Padmapurân-

“mad-bhaktaanâm vinodârthang karomi vividhah kriyâh.”

Meaning – “I perform various pastimes to entertain my devotees.”

The magnificent ras of the pastimes make Sri Bhagavân Himself wonder struck.

Sri Bhagavân is remembering the most amazing sweetness of Râs-lilâ performed with the Vrajadevis, and is remarking in wonder –

“Although I have many attractive pastimes, whenever I remember the Râs-lilâ, I do not know why, my mind is enwrapped in some inexpressible bhâv and I lose myself.”

Srila Rupa Goswâmipâd has named Sri Krishna’s Lilâ-Kathâs (the narration of pastimes) as ‘Amrita-tarangini’ (flow of nectar) and has prayed for that ras-river to appear on his tongue –

“O Krishna! The narration of Your pastimes is like a river of nectar that uproots the tree of materialism and destroys all worldly desires. Great sages such as Nârad relish its drops every moment and frolic happily. Its gurgling sound is extremely joyous to the ears and there is a whirlpool of ras in it. May that river of nectar always flow from my tongue!” – (Stavamâlâ)

(to be contd……)