Romantic, Selfless, Blissful Love
Sharad Purnima celebrates ecstatic divine love, and several stories in the Bhagavata illustrate this. Shiva, roused from meditation on hearing Krishna's flute, rushes to Vrindavanwhere VrindaDevi stalls him sayingthat raasa is meant only for those with sakhi bhava (friendly attitude) and a male devotee cannot have such an attitude. A dip in the Yamuna transforms Shiva into a beautiful gopi and she enters Raas Mandal shyly. Callingher 'Gopeshwar', Krishna dances with her, making her dizzy with ecstasy and her hair and sari come undone, making everyone laugh. When Brahmavidya, ultimate knowledge of Creation, failed to transmit that blissful feeling the devotee was advised to shift to Vrindavan where the Creator had descended. Brave ones seeking ultimate knowledge happily abandon even dharma, artha, kaama, moksha or rightful duties, wealth, desires and liberation. Theflute'senchanting melody slakes the thirst for spiritual knowledge in those gopis who loved Krishna with friendly or lovingattitude Four kinds of gopis participated in itgopis who did austerities to get Krishna; shrutis or mantras personified as gopis, rishirupa gopis and nityasiddha gopis who always remain with the Divine in each yuga. Krishna appeared differently for each gopi according to their age and emotion. On Sharad Purnima night, Krishna played the flute and gopis left their homes, husbands and children to reach Krishna in whatever state they were in, each one of them hearing in their hearts burnt down past samskaras, chains of bondage, their maya, avidya, tamas and they united with him forever, achieving knowledge of Self, overcoming all duality While dancing and laughing, Krishna finds traces of ego in the gopis for they felt their devotion to be highest. He elopes withRadha but when sheasks Krishna to carry her on his back, he disappears on seeing her pride.Repentant, the gopis plead with the trees and plants, earth and deer, sing Gopi Geet, imitate his actions (lila) and surrender completely,each one saying, Iam Krishna'when out of the blue he reappears, assuring them that he was always there for them. Thousands of gopis with wounded egos now lay down their veils for him tosit on and shed light on three categoriesof people. First, those who love thosewho love them; second, those who loveeven those who do not love them; andthird, those who love none. Sensingtheir loving anger, Krishna fields all their questions. He labels the first setas selfish people, second set is selflesslike parents and guru, and the thirdgroup is a mixture of yogis, detached, ungrateful and disobedient disciples. Krishna's apology melts the gopis' heartsfor he confesses that he disappeared to feeltheir love and boost itandhecould never repaythem. Gopis are held in high esteem because they achieved a state that Uddhav reached onlistening to the Bhagavata's eleventh skanda;that Arjuna reached after Krishna's sermonin Kurukshetra; which yogis cannot achieveeven after austerities. Maha Raasa with gopisis similar to the cosmic form that Krishnarevealed to Arjuna in the Gita and to Yashodain the mud-eating incident when he opens his
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Seema Burman and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Seema Burman and Speaking Tree,Times of India
Romantic, Selfless, Blissful Love
Sharad Purnima celebrates ecstatic divine love, and several stories in the Bhagavata illustrate this. Shiva, roused from meditation on hearing Krishna's flute, rushes to Vrindavanwhere VrindaDevi stalls him sayingthat raasa is meant only for those with sakhi bhava (friendly attitude) and a male devotee cannot have such an attitude. A dip in the Yamuna transforms Shiva into a beautiful gopi and she enters Raas Mandal shyly. Callingher 'Gopeshwar', Krishna dances with her, making her dizzy with ecstasy and her hair and sari come undone, making everyone laugh. When Brahmavidya, ultimate knowledge of Creation, failed to transmit that blissful feeling the devotee was advised to shift to Vrindavan where the Creator had descended. Brave ones seeking ultimate knowledge happily abandon even dharma, artha, kaama, moksha or rightful duties, wealth, desires and liberation. Theflute'senchanting melody slakes the thirst for spiritual knowledge in those gopis who loved Krishna with friendly or lovingattitude Four kinds of gopis participated in itgopis who did austerities to get Krishna; shrutis or mantras personified as gopis, rishirupa gopis and nityasiddha gopis who always remain with the Divine in each yuga. Krishna appeared differently for each gopi according to their age and emotion. On Sharad Purnima night, Krishna played the flute and gopis left their homes, husbands and children to reach Krishna in whatever state they were in, each one of them hearing in their hearts burnt down past samskaras, chains of bondage, their maya, avidya, tamas and they united with him forever, achieving knowledge of Self, overcoming all duality While dancing and laughing, Krishna finds traces of ego in the gopis for they felt their devotion to be highest. He elopes withRadha but when sheasks Krishna to carry her on his back, he disappears on seeing her pride.Repentant, the gopis plead with the trees and plants, earth and deer, sing Gopi Geet, imitate his actions (lila) and surrender completely,each one saying, Iam Krishna'when out of the blue he reappears, assuring them that he was always there for them. Thousands of gopis with wounded egos now lay down their veils for him tosit on and shed light on three categoriesof people. First, those who love thosewho love them; second, those who loveeven those who do not love them; andthird, those who love none. Sensingtheir loving anger, Krishna fields all their questions. He labels the first setas selfish people, second set is selflesslike parents and guru, and the thirdgroup is a mixture of yogis, detached, ungrateful and disobedient disciples. Krishna's apology melts the gopis' heartsfor he confesses that he disappeared to feeltheir love and boost itandhecould never repaythem. Gopis are held in high esteem because they achieved a state that Uddhav reached onlistening to the Bhagavata's eleventh skanda;that Arjuna reached after Krishna's sermonin Kurukshetra; which yogis cannot achieveeven after austerities. Maha Raasa with gopisis similar to the cosmic form that Krishnarevealed to Arjuna in the Gita and to Yashodain the mud-eating incident when he opens his
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Seema Burman and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Seema Burman and Speaking Tree,Times of India