In modern times, Rasa lila has become a popular theme in Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Manipuri and Kuchipudi items. Ras lila is a popular form of folk theatre in the regions of Mathura, Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh, especially during the festivals of Krishna Janmashtami and Holi, and amongst various followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism in the region. Raas leela(Rasa lila) is also observed as one of the National Festivals of Assam. During Raas lila, several thousand devotees visit the holy temples and Xatras of Assam every year.

But when did it started and how Raas Lila became a simple process of bhakti to connect with Bhagwan Krishna in his child form – though he manifests himself in this universe in aakhar roop or niraakar roop.

What Is Raas Lila

Raas is divine pleasure and Lila (as per Sanskrit) is play or sport.

According to Vaishnavas, Lila means activities of God and Devotees.

According to Shrimad Bhagwat Puran, Maha Raas was performed by Lord Krishna for his devotees when he was just six years old kid.

Lord Krishna performed Raas Lila. According to Shrimad Bhagwat Puran, Lila means Lord Krishna’s playful dance with his devotees (gopis). Gopis were same saints and sages who performed Tapasya* for Yugas** to become devotee of Lord Krishna in their Dwaparyuga reincarnation. These were saints and sages who met Lord Rama in his exile(when he had to undergo 14 years Sanyasa*** Dharm to fulfill his father’s wishes). Lord Rama interacted with many sages in his way to Sri Lanka, He was unable to spend ample time with them. Most of them got saddened. Then all these sages requested Lord Rama (Lord Vishnu) to being reborn as Gopis in their next birth to become devotees of Lord Krishna.

These Gopis dance with joy when they see playful Lord Krishna, a divine kid of six year old and dance with him as today’s material world mother would rejoice to see his baby playing. Such is the purity of Raas. And this expression of love from devotee towards his God, Lord Krishna, is Raas Lila according to Shrimad Bhagwat Puran.

To simplify it more, lets take example of today’s scenario, imagine feeling of a mother, who sees her son after two decades, when he returns back from the foreign country. This pure and blissful pleasure felt by mother is actually Raas. The happiness in her mind, tears in her eyes, childish joyfulness in her behavior is nothing but 0.000001% of actual divine pleasure (Raas) which devotee gets when he/she meets Lord Krishna or feels him.

Remember as per Shrimad Bhagwat Puran, Raas Lila is unison of God with his devotee. It has got NOTHING TO DO WITH male-female material enjoyment – as falsely claimed by various west historians.

Raas is as pure as eternal love of Param Bhakt Meera Bai towards Lord Krishna, Krishna was her Aatma Pati. Here Pati means protector, giver and caretaker. This soul emerged from Shri Krishna only to merge into him. It is similar to using terms like Adhipati, Rashtrapati – A foolish translation into simple english would convey that Rashtrapati (President) is husband of all but it is not so because Pati means caretaker and not the one conveyed by rubbish translations of concocted western historians.

Lord Krishna is supreme follower of celibacy, self-less bhakti and expects the same from his devotees after they complete their grihasth ashram (married life). Lord Krishna only embraces things which are pure and maintain celibacy. This fact you might not know but Why Krishna decorates his mukut with Mor Pankh (peacock feather) because peacock is the only animal in this world which practices celibacy. They never indulge in physical relationship to give birth. Peahen sip tears from the eyes of dancing peacock and then gives birth to their pea-chickens.

Lord Krishna therefore wears Mor Pankh in his mukut. Soul is pure and that’s why merging soul to Lord Krishna is easy path to attain moksha.

Next time, lets not sing or dance to the tunes of songs depicting Raas Lila as lustful romance. Instead, we should register our anger and get united to protest.

Translations by britishers and mughal courtiers of major Vedic texts and puranas painted wrong images of Hindu gods especially Lord Krishna, depicting him as playboy. The lie-mongers went to such an extreme step that few english writers conveyed Raas=Lustful romance, no guesses to know that the level of intelligence they applied was what they got in their linear and tainted legacy.

One should know that Vedic texts are actually heritage of Mankind before maligning it, the world population should be thankful to Hindus that they are protecting this world heritage in the name of oldest religion, Hinduism.

Without reading our religious texts, we blindly follow stories written by these so called intellectual (?) crooks. We, Hindus are so used to enslavement that we don’t research our history and follow their path calling our ancient history as mythological tale. While the insightful thought is Hindus have legacy of Vedic teachings which historically occurred and are factually right, even proven by cosmic mathematics of today. Sample this, while westerners are still at figure of 50 odd on the number of comets, Vedic texts have mentioned over 4000 comets, 7 trillion stars, millions of dimensional habitative worlds along with their cycles of creation and destruction. It has dates of occurrence and cosmic details well before these westerners even knew or created the term ‘comet’ for puchaltaras. It also shows with specific details that at the end of the world the Sun will decimate into 7 parts and burn the world to ashes.

And you should know that 7 is pious number for Hindus in every ritual, they stick to these numbers as taught in the Vedic scripts; 7 days week (summed up to announce pornima/amaswasya), 7 Parikrama (in temple), 7 Pradikshina (to guru or pious soul), 7 fist of rice as dakshina, 7 circles in marriage. Saptamtha-chetana or 7 states of consciousness. The 7 rivers, The sapt 7 rishi’s. 7 bhukhand (continents). The list is endless. And why they do this; there is one strong reason to this (which now western scientists call parallel worlds).

The number seven is a symbolic representation of the earthly plane. Hindu scriptures declare that our earth is but one in a series of several planes of existence, some belonging to the higher regions and some to the lower. In all there are said to be 14 planes or worlds of which six are above the earth and seven below the earth. Above the 14th is the highest and the unknown or the zero plane. If we include it there are 15 planes in all. Our planet is considered to be in the middle with seven above (including the zero plane) and seven below.

Right from giving number system, The world owes origination of Quantum physics, string theory and god particle to Hindu science which already provided information about the same in several stanzas of their four Vedas, 18 Puranas and several Upanishads.

In totality there were more than 720,000 shlokas out of which 70% is already lost. Spread of Bhagwad Gita teachings and all known texts and puranas is need of the hour so that Humanity knows its true legacy in years to come.

Today several scientists believe that the world is 3 dimensional hologram, an illusion pushed on us by creators or God, this theory is rip-off from the analogy of Maya mentioned several times in Shrimad Bhagwat Puran and Bhagwad Gita.

Be A Proud Hindu and think yourself as a lucky soul to be given birth in this great country with greatest of the traditions. Follow what our beloved Banke Bihari teaches us. Respect our Hindu gods for they knew what we as a negligible being never even can imagine. They never taught us of inciting violence in the name of religion or heaven but living in harmony with the natural beings of the world.

Krishna accepted challenge of Kaamdev

Kaamdev (cupid of lust and romance) was invited to Raas Lila. Here, Krishna defeated Kaamdev, this further proves that Raas Lila is divine connection between God and Devotees.

Raas

Shukadeva related to Parikshit the tale of Kamadev’s humiliation. Sridhar Swami calls Rasleela as Kama-vijay leela (defeating of Kamadeva- Hindu equivalent of cupid). Jagad guru Ballabhacharyaji decribes it as Lords Divy Vihar (divine enjoyment). The purpose of describing this tale is just that common people should replicate, the selfless love of Gopis for Lord Krishna and experience the love of God themselves as well. The Raas Lila and Gopi Geet is explained in detailed manner in Shrimad Bhagwat Puran. The tale below is just excerpt of conversation between Sukadeva and Parikshit.

Lord is an embodiment of Rasa (Pleasure)

After conquering Brahma and other gods, ego of Kamadev had surged to great heights. He, therefore, requested God to quench his thirst for war. God invited Kamadev to visit Vrindavana on the night of Sharad Purnima (Full moon night) in season preceding winter), and told him that on that divine night. He would enjoy the company of crores of Gopis. “If I have slightest passion for any of them, you will win, otherwise you will lose.”

That night Lord Krishna added more divinity, more brilliance to it with a resolution of Ras with the help of Yogmaya (personified illusion). It was a perfect night for the purpose – flowers bloomed in Vrindavana, full moon shone, and gentle, cool breeze blew from the banks of river Yamuna. Amidst this stimulating ambience Lord Krishna began to play an enchanting tune on his flute. The tune attracted Gopis,their passion surged to its zenith and under the influence of love for lord Krishna and as if in trance, all of them ran to meet their beloved Kanhaiya leaving all their fear, bondages, patience and shyness behind. Some of them were intercepted by their husbands and dragged back to home. But only their physical bodies stayed put, their souls reached Vrindavana. In Vrindavana on the bank of Yamuna, Gopis saw Vrindavana Vihari (epithet for Krishna) near their familiar cadamb tree. Yogmaya adorned all the Gopis from tip to toe. In fact those Gopis were not ordinary women.

Parikshit asked: “Gopis had not regarded Krishna as Parbrahma. What was the basis for their passion then? Shukadeva said: “When a wretched person like Shishupal, who always abused lord Krishna could find supreme position, there should be no doubt for Gopis who had such a profound passion for Lord.” So Gopis arrived and gathered around Lord Krishna.

To test their devotion and to enhance the honor of Kamadev, Krishna said to them: “O Gopis, the pure ones, it is not fit for you to stay here at this hour of night. Go and serve your husbands. Your duties must be first to your husband’s children and cows. They will be waiting for you eagerly. Go and console them. You can gain me by hearing, reciting, seeing etc. You need not sit here. Go to your homes.”

Gopis, however said: “Govind, we have come to you leaving all the mundane lusts behind. Now going back is like ruining over lives.It is the greatest misfortune if someone returns to mundane affairs even after being at your feet.” These words that reflected divine feelings of Gopis pleased Lord. He began to enjoy their company. But a feeling of ego began to creep in the minds of Gopis because of lord’s closeness. They began to assume themselves as highly fortunate. To remove their ego, Lord disappeared right among them.

Still you have problem in understanding that Raas Lila is selfless devotion to God then you need to calm down, relax and dilute that existence of too much lust in you.

Tapasya* is tap, a process to attain self-discipline, austerity and piousness to become pure soul to achieve divine intervention/wisdom/nirvana

Yugas** According to Vedic scripts, there are four yugas: Satyuga, Tretayuga, Dwaparyuga and Kalyuga

Sanyasa*** Renouncing material world and all comforting things like mukut, wealth, throne, raj mahal, etc and practice tapasya in secluded place like forest

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