Rasleela of Braj

One of the most popular anecdotes related to Krishna is the Raas Leela. ‘Raas’ means divine pleasure or dance, and ‘leela’ implies play or magic, in Sanskrit. According to Shrimad Bhagavata Puran, Maha Raas was performed by Krishna, as a six-year-old for his devotees. Gita Govinda also mentions Raas Leela. In dwapara yuga, when Krishna was a boy, the gopis — the milkmaids of Vrindavan — were besotted with and drawn to the mellifluous tunes of his flute. It is said that the gopikas were sadhus reincarnated so they could spend time with Krishna. According to the narrative, one moonlit night, Radharani and gopis surrounded Krishna in the forests on the banks of River Yamuna, enchanted by the songs flowing through his flute. Krishna manifested into many Krishnas and was present with Radharani and every gopi simultaneously because everyone wanted his exclusive presence. When the gopis become arrogant because they felt special, Krishna disappeared, but then reappeared when they cried of viraha (separation). According to ancient texts, during the event, Krishna turned this time period into a ‘Brahma night’, equal to 4.32 billion years. The place where Raas Leela is said to have taken place is Madhuban, now called Nidhiban in the Vrindavan city of Mathura district. The Braj region of Uttar Pradesh encompassing Vrindavan-Mathura as such is famous for Krishna’s many stories, especially the aforementioned spiritual dance. Raas Leela is the story of an eternal bond between Krishna —an embodiment of universal love — and his devotees. A universal truth that masculine and feminine energies floating in a sea of love and devotion is transformative — that’s the essence of Raas Leela.…