This and the next five chapter’s deals with this play of love called Rasaleela.
As promised Lord Krishna gets prepared for a play of love with the Gopisin the banks of Yamuna by the cool autumn moon light, the moon appeared on the horizon. He played on His flute as sweetly as to enchant the Gopis and to steal their hearts. In the resounding sound of Thy flute the seven ascending and descending notes emerged in a musical strain and enchanted everything in the world space. Hearing which the damsels attained an unparalleled and uncomparable captivating state of their mind.
Hearing that sweet music which kindles the fire of divine love and intensifies the desire to meet God, the Gopis with their hearts captivated by Lord Krishna, unperceived by one another in their attempts to meet Him, hastened to the place where their beloved Lord was, with their ear-rings rocking to and fro.
Some left their houses while milking the cow. Some did not wait to see the boiling of milk. Some did not take down boiled wheat from the oven. Some were serving food. Some had been suckling their babes, some had been serving their husbands, some had been taking their meals, some had been cleansing their bodies, some had been painting their eyes with collyrium. But they all left their work half-finished. They hurriedly went to Krishna with their garments and ornaments all in disorder in consequence of their great hurry.
When the Gopis drew near, Krishna addressed them thus: "O Blessed ones! What good can I do for you? O Gopis! You may bear love to Me in other ways such as hearing My virtues and deeds, by seeing My form and meditating on Me and by singing My glories than by living near Me. Therefore please return to your homes."
The Gopis said: "O Almighty Lord! It is not fit for Thee to utter these unkind words. We have abandoned everything and sought Thy feet alone. Do not abandon us. Accept us Thy devout servants, just as Lord Narayana accepts His devotees They were prohibited and obstructed by their husbands, parents, brothers and other relatives. But they were going as if in a trance. Their hearts had been completely charmed by Govinda. They did not turn back to their home.
Dasakam: 065 -- Slokam: 01
मारोत्सवं त्वमथ साधयितुं प्रवृत्त: ।
सान्द्रेण चान्द्रमहसा शिशिरीकृताशे
प्रापूरयो मुरलिकां यमुनावनान्ते ॥१॥
gOpii janaaya kathitaM niyamaavasaane
maarOtsavaM tvamatha saadhayituM pravR^ittaH |
saandreNa chaandramahasaa shishiriikR^itaashe
praapuurayO muralikaaM yamunaavanaante || 1
Thou then decided to carry out the festival of the love god, which Thou had promised to the Gopikaas when their vows had ended. One the full moon night, with the bright light of all the directions were cool, in the forest on the banks of the river Yamuna, He played on His flute as sweetly as to enchant the Gopis and to steal their hearts.
Dasakam: 065 -- Slokam: 02
सम्मूर्छनाभिरुदितस्वरमण्डलाभि:
सम्मूर्छयन्तमखिलं भुवनान्तरालम् ।
त्वद्वेणुनादमुपकर्ण्य विभो तरुण्य-
स्तत्तादृशं कमपि चित्तविमोहमापु: ॥२॥
sammuurchChanaabhirudita svaramaNDalaabhiH
sammuurchChayantamakhilaM bhuvanaantaraalam |
tvadveNunaadamupakarNya vibhO taruNyaH
tattaadR^ishaM kamapi chittavimOhamaapuH || 2
O Lord! The enchanting notes emerging from Thy flute, with their ascending and descending emerged in a musical strain hypnotized the entire world and the Gopis.They attained an unparalleled and incomparable captivating state of their mind.
ता गेहकृत्यनिरतास्तनयप्रसक्ता:
कान्तोपसेवनपराश्च सरोरुहाक्ष्य: ।
सर्वं विसृज्य मुरलीरवमोहितास्ते
कान्तारदेशमयि कान्ततनो समेता: ॥३॥
taa geha kR^itya nirataastanaya prasaktaaH
kaantOpasevana paraashcha sarOruhaakshyaH |
sarvaM visR^ijya muraliirava mOhitaaste
kaantaaradeshamayi kaantatanO sametaaH || 3
Maddened by the irresistible music, these lotus-eyed maidens,who were engaged in their household duties, such as, tending their children, orserving their husbands, forsook everything and rushed out to the forest.
वेणुप्रणादमुपकर्ण्य कृतार्धभूषा: ।
त्वामागता ननु तथैव विभूषिताभ्य-
स्ता एव संरुरुचिरे तव लोचनाय ॥४॥
kaashchinnijaanga paribhuuShaNa maadadhaanaa
veNupraNaadamupakarNya kR^itaardhabhuuShaaH |
tvaamaagataa nanu tathaiva vibhuuShitaabhyaH
taa eva sanruruchire tava lOchanaaya ||4
Some of the damsels were dressing up and adorning their bodies with jewels. As they heard the resounding sound of the flute, they came to Thee having adorned themselves halfway. For Thy eyes they were far more pleasing indeed than those who were fully adorned.
हारं नितम्बभुवि काचन धारयन्ती
काञ्चीं च कण्ठभुवि देव समागता त्वाम् ।
हारित्वमात्मजघनस्य मुकुन्द तुभ्यं
व्यक्तं बभाष इव मुग्धमुखी विशेषात् ॥५॥
haaraM nitambabhuvi kaachana dhaarayantii
kaa~nchii~ncha kaNThabhuvi deva samaagataa tvaam |
haaritvamaatma jaghanasya mukunda tubhyaM
vyaktaM babhaaSha iva mugdhamukhii visheShaat || 5
O Lord! One woman, in her haste, came to Thee wearing a necklace on the hips and the waist band in the neck area. It was as if the charming faced one clearly indicated to Thee in particular the attractiveness of her own hips.
काचित् कुचे पुनरसज्जितकञ्चुलीका
व्यामोहत: परवधूभिरलक्ष्यमाणा ।
त्वामाययौ निरुपमप्रणयातिभार-
राज्याभिषेकविधये कलशीधरेव ॥६॥
kaachitkuche punarasajjita ka~nchuliikaa
vyaamOhataH paravadhuubhiralakshyamaaNaa |
tvaamaayayau nirupama praNayaatibhaara
raajyaabhiSheka vidhaye kalashiidhareva || 6
Another, in her excitement, forgetting to cover her breasts with any garment, but notnoticed by the other women, who were equally excited, approached Thee, as though It was as if she was weighed down by the unparalleled intense love she carried as water pitchers as breasts for the celebration of Thy coronation in the kingdom of love.
काश्चित् गृहात् किल निरेतुमपारयन्त्य-
स्त्वामेव देव हृदये सुदृढं विभाव्य ।
देहं विधूय परचित्सुखरूपमेकं
त्वामाविशन् परमिमा ननु धन्यधन्या: ॥७॥
kaashchid gR^ihaat kila niretumapaarayantyaH
tvaameva deva hR^idaye sudR^iDhaM vibhaavya |
dehaM vidhuuya parachitsukharuupamekaM
tvaamaavishan paramimaa nanu dhanyadhanyaaH || 7
Some others, O Lord, being unable (for whatever reason) to leave their houses, meditated on Thee with intense devotion and concentration, and, abandoning their physical bodies, of divine joy and attained salvation, it is said, became one with Thee And to me it appears as if they are indeed greatly blessed.
जारात्मना न परमात्मतया स्मरन्त्यो
नार्यो गता: परमहंसगतिं क्षणेन ।
तं त्वां प्रकाशपरमात्मतनुं कथञ्चि-
च्चित्ते वहन्नमृतमश्रममश्नुवीय ॥८॥
jaaraatmanaa na paramaatmatayaa smarantyO
naaryO gataaH paramahamsagatiM kshaNena |
taM tvaaM prakaasha paramaatmatanuM katha~nchit
chitte vahannamR^ita-mashrama mashnuviiya ||8
These women thought of Thee and remembered Thee not with the feeling of godliness, but as their lover, and, they attained the state of liberation with Thee...and attained this state which cannot be easily got by even great sages. O Supreme Resplendent form! Fixing my mind constantly on Thy effulgent form, with firmness and devotion, one way or the other, may I also attain liberation without effort.
अभ्यागताभिरभितो व्रजसुन्दरीभि-
र्मुग्धस्मितार्द्रवदन: करुणावलोकी ।
निस्सीमकान्तिजलधिस्त्वमवेक्ष्यमाणो
विश्वैकहृद्य हर मे पवनेश रोगान् ॥९॥
abhyaagataabhirabhitO vrajasundariibhiH
mugdhasmitaardra vadanaH karuNaavalOkii |
nissiima kaanti jaladhistvamavekshyamaaNO
vishvaikahR^idya hara me paramesha rOgaan ||9
Those lovely maidens, who were gazing steadily at Thee, wert bathed by Thee Thee, were looking at Thee. Thou had a captivating smile lighting Thy face, glancing with compassion. O Hari! The stealer of the world's heart! , O Lord of Guruvaayur! May Thou eradicate all my maladies
