Shri Krishna – Gopis’s Raasa-Leela
Unison of Lord with Devotees
Raasa-Leela is considered
as the final (absolute) milestone/landmark in the field of worshipping. Raasa-Leela is Pure, Unconditional,
Unalloyed and Devoted Love / Bhakti / Prem from unadulterated (pure) devotees
for their Beloved Shri Krishna, The
Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Raasa-Leela is one of the Divine
Activities (Leelas), which Shri
Krishna played in the month of Phalgun,
on the night of Sharad Purnima (Full
Moon Night), with the Gopis
(village
women) on the banks of river Yamuna in Vrindavan. Shri Krishna
was nearly around 7 to 10 years old when He performed this Divine Leela ~ Unison of
Lord with His Devotees.
Raasa-Leela is considered to be one of “The
Highest & The Most Incomprehensible Leela” of Shri Krishna's
pastimes.
The textual reference of Raasa-Leela can be found in Shrimad
Bhagavatam Purana; there are five chapters known as Raasa-PanchAdhyayi
in (Canto 10 dedicated to Shri Krishna ~ The Summum Bonum).
These five chapters describe the Raasa-Leela of Shri Krishna with the Gopis
(village women) of Vrindavan.
Raasa-Leela has got NOTHING TO DO WITH
male-female material enjoyment, which is Major Misconception. It is Divine
Connection between Shri Krishna with
His Devoted Devotees.
The
Raasa-Leela is an external expression of divine Leela, which takes place
in the heart of each and every individual, between the finite and the Universal
Soul. Unless we have unflinching love and faith, Shri Krishna and His life
would always confuse us. ~ Swami Vivekananda
The
word Raasa-Leela:
The word Raasa comes from Sanskrit word “Ras”
having different meanings, such as taste
(sweet taste), emotion, juice, nectar etc. The word Leela
describes the divine activities of Shri Krishna (that we may not understand completely). The literal meaning of word
Leela, such as act, play
and here the act is of dance. So combining both words, we
can translate Raasa-Leela as:
“Dance
of Shri Krishna with Gopis, performed with Full of Emotions, Love & Bliss”
“The
Sweet & Hearth Soothing/Pleasing act of Lord Hari”
Raasa meaning “Aesthetics” and Leela meaning “Dance”
thus Raasa-Leela is “Play of Aesthitcs ~ Dance of Divine
Love. (Anonyms)
Raasa-Leela
~ The Zenith of Divine Love:
As per Shrimad
Bhagavatam Purana,
no words can describe the Immense True Love of Gopis for their beloved Shri
Krishna in the proper way. The love Gopis
felt for the Lord Hari was not bodily
/ physically / (or what we called Modern Day Shameless Love); it was Prerna, Divine Love. The Gopis were totally merged in the love
of Shri Krishna through the practice
of constant Smaran (Remembrance) of Him all the time. In
fact these Gopis were not ordinary
women, they were the Great Rishis, Sages who went thru severe Tapas (penance) in their previous births, and they reincarnated as Gopis and were waiting to unite with
their beloved Shri Krishna in the Raasa-Leela. (Note: Some excerpt
suggests that these Gopis where Rishi Munis, who were saddened that they did
not meet Lord Rama during His exile
of 14 years in Forest, born as Gopis
to fulfill their desire, as they were promised by the Lord Himself).