Shloka 1
Veṇu-gīta-āhvāna and the Gopīs’ Appeal: The Opening of Rāsa-līlā
श्रीबादरायणिरुवाच भगवानपि ता रात्री: शारदोत्फुल्लमल्लिका: । वीक्ष्य रन्तुं मनश्चक्रे योगमायामुपाश्रित: ॥ १ ॥
śrī-bādarāyaṇir uvāca bhagavān api tā rātṛīḥ śāradotphulla-mallikāḥ vīkṣya rantuṁ manaś cakre yoga-māyām upāśritaḥ
శ్రీ బాదరాయణి అన్నారు—శరదృతువులో మల్లిక పూలు వికసించిన ఆ రాత్రులను చూసి, యోగమాయను ఆశ్రయించిన భగవాన్ ప్రేమలీలకు మనస్సు మళ్లించాడు।
As we begin the famous narration of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa dance, a dance of love with beautiful young girls, questions will inevitably arise in the minds of ordinary people regarding the propriety of God’s romantic dancing with many young girls in the middle of a full-moon autumn night. In his description of the Lord’s rāsa dance in Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrīla Prabhupāda painstakingly explains the spiritual purity of these transcendental activities. Those advanced in the science of Kṛṣṇa — the great teachers, or ācāryas — leave no doubt that Lord Kṛṣṇa is full and satisfied in Himself, free of all material desire, which is, after all, a sense of incompleteness or lack.
FAQs
This verse states that Kṛṣṇa undertook the rāsa pastime by taking shelter of His own Yogamāyā—indicating the pastime is divinely arranged and transcendental, not ordinary worldly enjoyment.
He sets the devotional scene: the serene autumn nights and fragrant jasmine become the external setting that accompanies Kṛṣṇa’s inner resolve to manifest His loving pastime.
A devotee learns to see God’s hand in sacred timing and circumstances, cultivating reverence, purity of intention, and remembrance that the Lord’s actions are guided by His spiritual potency.