Shloka 39
Rāsa-līlā Begins; Divine Multiplication; Moral Doubt and Its Resolution
विक्रीडितं व्रजवधूभिरिदं च विष्णो: श्रद्धान्वितोऽनुशृणुयादथ वर्णयेद् य: । भक्तिं परां भगवति प्रतिलभ्य कामं हृद्रोगमाश्वपहिनोत्यचिरेण धीर: ॥ ३९ ॥
vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ śraddhānvito ’nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ
مَن سَمِعَ أو رَوَى بإيمانٍ لِيلا لعبِ فيشنو مع فتيات الغوبي في فْرَجَ نالَ البهاكتي الخالصة السامية للبهاغافان؛ فيغدو رزينًا ويقهر سريعًا الشهوة، داءَ القلب.
The extraordinary power of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s conjugal pastimes is clearly revealed here. Qualitatively, the Lord’s spiritual, loving pastimes are the diametric opposite of material, lusty affairs, so much so that simply by hearing about the Lord’s pastimes a devotee conquers sex desire. By reading pornographic literature or hearing about material romance, we certainly do not conquer sex desire but rather increase our lust. But hearing or reading about the Lord’s conjugal affairs has exactly the opposite effect because they are of the opposite nature, being purely spiritual. Therefore it is by the causeless mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa that He exhibits His rāsa-līlā within this world. If we become attached to this narration, we will experience the bliss of spiritual love and thus reject the perverted reflection of that love, which is called lust. As nicely put by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā (2.59) , paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate: “Once having directly experienced the Supreme, one will not return to material pleasures.”
FAQs
This verse says that one who hears (and narrates) Kṛṣṇa’s pastime with the gopīs with faith attains supreme devotion and quickly becomes purified of lust, described as the heart’s disease.
After narrating the Rāsa-līlā, Śukadeva clarifies its spiritual effect and proper approach—faithful hearing and recitation—so the listener understands it as a purifying divine līlā that awakens bhakti, not as ordinary worldly romance.
Practice regular śravaṇam and kīrtanam—hear and share authentic narrations of Kṛṣṇa’s līlās with reverence—so the mind turns from obsessive desire toward devotion, inner clarity, and self-control.