Sri Krishna’s Brindavanam and Dvarka Lilas : 5. Glory of Srimad Maha Bhagavatam : Swami Krishnananda

04/03/2019
Sri Krishna’s Brindavanam and Dvarka Lilas : 5

The Rasa Lila has many a meaning, as commentators would tell us—namely, it is the dance of the whole cosmos around the central pivot of the Absolute. The whole cosmic dance is demonstrated there. The feminine nature of the Gopis, which is the nature of the components of creation, is comparable to its counterpart, the centrality which is the Absolute. The Absolute Supreme Being does not evolve. It does not dance; it acts as a central nucleus of the entire creation, which dances in all its particulars. To mention again, Sri Krishna was born to demonstrate cosmic perfection, and not to reiterate man-made laws and regulations.

There are no human ethics for God. Though God has His own ethics, they are not comparable to human understanding. God is very just, it is perfectly true, but His justice is different from the nature of justice that we can think in our mind. God can dissolve the whole cosmos. Where is the justice in it? But it is justice. God has a rule and law of His own. God has a parliament of His own, we can say, but He can dissolve the parliament for some purpose. For instance, Sri Krishna broke his promise that he would not take part in the Mahabharata war; he dissolved this parliament and took up weapons himself when it became necessary.

When love of God reaches its heights, God can break all His laws and endear Himself to the devotee. In the highest reaches of devotion, laws do not operate. Devotion to God is above all laws and regulations, because we cannot love God while tied up by human laws, as that love would be a mortal combination of fettered understanding. That is why the nature of the bhakta, or the devotee, cannot be easily understood.

The Rasa Dance that is described in five chapters in incomparable beautiful majesty of lyrical poetry—which otherwise looks like a seductive presentation of human emotions—is considered by Suka Maharishi as a cure for the feelings of sexual passion. That which appears to be a demonstration of that particular emotion is the remedy which causes the cessation of that same emotion. It acts as a catharsis for feelings of any kind which human nature may abhor and yet hug.

To be continued ..