Absolute Love: The Rasa Lila of Sri Krishna October16, 2018

Mahanidhi Swami

Bhagavan Sri Krishna’s Rasa Lila is a completely divine, transcendental pastime. By hearing/reading it the sober and faithful learn about the secret, transcendental love affairs of the Supreme Absolute Truth, Bhagavan Sri Krishna, and His counter-part Absolute sakti, Srimati Radharani—Krishna’s innate power of divine beauty, love and bliss.

Sri Krishna’s rasa lila is indeed a richly emotive, exciting and endearing love story that somewhat resembles the classic secret love stories of Romeo & Juliet and Odysseus & Penelope. Thus from a completely uninformed, external, material viewpoint, one will misjudge and misconstrue the transcendental amorous affairs of Bhagavan Sri Krishna to be ordinary like any young lovers of this limited world.

However, there is a unique quality in Radha-Krishna’s love story that distinguishes it from any other. And what is that specialty? The Rasa Lila and all of Radhe-Syama’s Vraja madhurya-lilas are completely transcendental, transforming and transporting. Any form of sensual or mental contact with Radha-Krishna’s divine pastimes will purify one’s being and elevate one to the transcendental plane of eternal life.

In addition, one’s mind and heart will be transformed, overhauled so to speak. One will attain a new and sanctified heart and an immaculately pure mind—totally devoid of lust, anger, greed, envy and pride. Then the transcendental vehicle of one’s pure mind and heart will transport one to the spiritual realm, Goloka Vrndavana, wherein one will joyfully live, sport, play, love and relish boundless bliss in the eternal association of Sri Sri Srimati Radharani and Bhagavan Sri Krishna!

All around us, we see that Kamadeva, the King of mundane lust and desire has conquered the kingdoms of everyone’s hearts, leaving one and all in a perpetual state of anxiety, tension, frustration and dissatisfaction. Many many love stories—full of intrigue, competition, arguments and romantic interludes—have come and gone. Yet still we remain suffering from the searing pain of unrequited lust, that continually itching inner hankering for ultimate bliss and fulfillment.

A question then arises: “How can I get free from lust, and discover the unique inner bliss that’s my very birthright as a human being? How can I touch the love and joy that hides within transcendence?”

Radha-Krishna have revealed the secret by saying, “Come My children! Come enter Our Rasa Lila! We guarantee that your mind and heart will be fully conquered by Our immaculately pure and sweet selfless love!”

All the famous love stories, be they past, present or personal, are certainly very compelling, exciting, and heart stirring. But none of them have the power to “spiritualize” one’s existence and free one from the cycle of birth and death, samsara. And they can never give one the sweet taste of a bliss that never ends.

However, there is one love story from time eternal, the divine love story of Radha and Krishna, the Rasa Lila, which definitely gives to any partaker the boundless joy arising from a pure mind, and the ultimate bliss and fulfillment arising from a fully satisfied, love-drenched heart.

At the end of his Bhagavatam Rasa Lila narration (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.33.39), Sri Suka Muni offers the following gift, blessing and benediction to all his readers: “Anyone who faithfully hears or describes Bhagavan Sri Krishna playful, divine loving affairs with the youthful damsels of Vraja will attain the topmost form of devotion for Sri Krishna i.e. the sweet selfless love that Srimati Radharani cherishes for Her beloved Syamasundra.”

As Sri Radha’s love floods the heart, simultaneously one becomes quickly free from lust, the incurable disease of the heart. One becomes peaceful and wise—feeling completely refreshed, content, fulfilled and satisfied.

On one side, Kamadeva rules the world, conquering everyone’s hearts with lust and desire. On the other side is Kamadeva Sri Krishna, the aprakrta-madana, saksad manmatha manmatha, waiting to conquer our hearts with His love. By the mercy of Sri Krishna and the power of Rasa Lila, everyone can attain a full life of bliss, joy and satisfaction by serving, playing, dancing and whirling around and around with Radha and Krishna in Their endless dance of pure love—the Rasa Lila.

Radha-Krishna’s Rasa Lila ki jai! Jai Jai Sri Radhe!