Sri Rama-rasa-krida(Krishna stotra.185)

Sri Rama-rasa-krida(Krishna stotra.185)

Sri Rama-rasa-krida
Lord Balaräma's Räsa Dance

Text 1

     duryodhana uvächa muni-shärdula bhagavän balabhadro näga-kanyäbhir gopibhih kadä kälindi-kule vijahära.

     Duryodhana said: O tiger of sages, when did Lord Balaräma enjoy the räsa dance on the Yamuna's shore with gopis that had been snake-girls in their previous birth?

Text 2

     shri-prädvipäka uvächa ekadä dvärakä-nägaräd dhi tälänkam ratham ästhäpya surän didrikshuh param utkantho nanda-räja-gokula-go-gopäla-gopi-gana-sankulah sankarshana ägatash chirotkanthäbhyäm nandaräja-yashodäbhyäm parishvakto gopi-gopäla-gobhir militvä tatra dvau masau vasantikau cävatsit.

     shri Prädvipäka Muni said: One day, eager to see His devotees, Lord Balaräma mounted His chariot bearing a palm-tree flag, left Dvärakä, and, yearning to see the gopas, gopis, and cows, went to Gokula. Yashoda and King Nanda embraced Him when He arrived. Later He met with the gopas and gopis. He stayed there for two months.

Text 3

     atha cha yä näga-kanyäh purvoktäs tä gopa-kanyä bhutvä balabhadra-präpty-artham- gargäcäryäd balabhadrapancängam- grihitvä tenaiva siddhä babhuvuh. täbhir baladeva ekadä prasannah kälindi-kule räsa-mandalam- samärebhe. tadaiva caitra-purnimäyäm- pürna-candro 'runa-varnah sampurnam-vanam-ranjayan vireje.

     The previously described snake-girls became gopis and, in order to attain Lord Balaräma's association, on Garga Muni's advice followed the five methods of worshiping Lord Balaräma. In this way they became perfect. Pleased with them, Lord Balaräma enjoyed a räsa-dance with them on the full-moon night of the month of Caitra (March-April), a night when the red moon reddened the whole of Vrindavana forest.

Text 4

     shritalä manda-yänäh kamala-makaranda-renu-vrinda-samvritäh sarvato väyavah parivavuh kalinda-giri-nandini-cala-laharnibhir änanda-däyini pulinam-vimalam-hy acitam-chakära. tathä cha kunja-prängana-nikunja-punjaih sphural-lalita-pallava-pushpa-parägair mayura-kokila-pumskokila-kujitair madhupa-madhura-dhvanibhir vraja-bhumir vibhräjamänä babhuva.

        Cooling, gentle, delightful, lotus-pollen filled breezes pushed the Yamuna's waves and blew to the splendid shore. Then the land of Vraja became very splendid, its many forest groves and courtyards filled with the fragrant pollen of playfully and gracefully blossoming flowers, with the cooing of cuckoos and peacocks, and with the sweet humming of bees.

Text 5

     tatra kvanad-ghantikä-nupurah sphuran-mani-maya-kataka-kati-sutra-keyura-hära-kirita-kundalayor upari kamala-patrair nilämbaro vimala-kamala-paträksho yakshibhir yaksha-räd iva gopibhir gopa-räd, räsa-mandale reje.

     Decorated with tinkling ankle-bells, glittering gold and jewel necklace, armlets, belt, crown, and earrings, and with many lotus petals, dressed in blue garments, and His eyes like glittering lotus petals, Lord Balaräma was splendid with the gopis in the räsa-dance circle. He was like Kuvera surrounded by a host of beautiful yakshis.

Text 6

     atha varuna-preshitä väruëi devi pushpa-bhara-gandhi-lobhi-milinda-nädita-vriksha-kotarebhyah patanti sarvato vanam-surabhi-cakära. tat-päna-mada-vihvalah kamala-vishäla-tämräksho makaradhväjävesha-calad-dhuryänga-bhango vihära-kheda-prasvedämbu-kanair galad-ganda-sthala-patra-bhango gajendra-gatir gajendra-shundädaëda-sama-dordanda-mandito gajibhir gaja-räjendra ivonmattah simhäsane nyasta-halo musala-pänih kotindu-purna-mandala-sankäshah prodgamad-ratna-manjira-pracala-nupura-prakvanat-kanaka-kinkinibhih kaìkana-sphurat-tätanka-purata-hära-shri-kanthänguliya-shiromanibhih pravidambini-krita-sarpini-shyäma-veni-kuntala-lalita-ganda-sthala-paträvalibhih sundaribhir bhagavän bhuvaneshvaro vibhräjamäno viraräja atha cha reme.

        Then, sent by the demigod Varuna, Goddess Varuni, in the form of honey oozing from the hollows of trees filled with the humming of bees made greedy by the sweet scent of the flowers, made the entire forest very fragrant. Eager to drink that honey, His eyes now red lotus flowers, His limbs weakened by enjoying amorous pastimes, perspiration born from the fatigue of His pastimes now streaming down His cheeks and washing away the pictures and designs drawn there, walking like an elephant king, decorated with mighty arms like the trunks of elephant kings, as if intoxicated, sitting on a throne, relinquishing His plow, His club still in His hand, splendid like ten million full moons, His jewel anklets, bracelets, and other ornaments tinkling, His gold earrings, necklaces, finger-rings, and jewel crown glittering, and surrounded by beautiful gopis, their cheeks decorated with graceful pictures and designs and their black braids mocking the beautiful snake girls, Lord Balaräma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of the worlds, shone with great splendor, and enjoyed transcendental pastimes.

Text 7

     atha ha väva kälindi-kula-käntära-paryatana-vihära-parishramodyat-sveda-bindu-vyäpta-mukhäravindah snänärtham jala-kridärtham yamunäm dürät sa äjuhäva. tatas tö anägatam tatinim halägrena kupito vicakarsha iti hoväca cha.

     His lotus face covered with perspiration born from the fatigue of wandering along the Yamuna's shore and enjoying many pastimes, Lord Balaräma called for the Yamuna to come to Him so He could bathe and enjoy water-pastimes. When the Yamuna did not come, Lord Balaräma became angry and began to drag it to Him, scratching its shore with the tip of His plow. Lord Balaräma said:

Text 8

     adya mäm avajnäya nayasi mayähutäpi musalena tvam käma-cärinim çatadhä neshya eva nirbhartsitä sa bhuri-bhita yamunä cakitä tat-pädayoh patitoväca.

      "Today you have no respect for Me. Even though I call, you ignore My order and go your own way as you wish. Now I will divide you into a hundred tiny streams."  Rebuked with these words and now very afraid, the Yamuna came before Lord Balaräma, fell at His feet, and said:

Text 9

     räma räma sankarshana balabhadra mahä-bäho tava param vikramam na jäne. yasyaikasmin murdhni sarshapavat sarvam bhu-khanda-mandalam- drishyate. tasya tava param anubhävam ajänantim prapannäm mäm moktum yogyo 'si. tvam bhakta-vatsalo 'si.

      "Räma! Räma! Sankarshana! Balabhadra! O mighty-armed one! I did not know Your great power. The entire earth is seen resting like a single tiny mustard-seed on one of Your many heads. It is proper for You to release me, who have now surrendered to You and who did not know Your true glories. You should release me because You are always affectionate to Your devotees.

Text 10

     ity evam yäcito balabhadro yamunäm tato vyamunchat punah karenubhih kariva gopibhir gopa-räd jale vijagäha. punar jaläd vinirgatya tata-sthäya balabhadräya sahasä yamunä copäyanam nilämbaräni hema-ratna-maya-bhushanäni divyäni cha dadau ha väva täni gopi-yuthäya prithak prithak vibhajya svayam nilämbare vasitvä känchanim mäläm nava-ratna-mayim dhritvä mahendro väranendra iva balabhadro vireje.

        Begged in this way, Lord Balaräma released the Yamunä. Then He enjoyed in the Yamunä's waters, as an elephant enjoys with its many wives. When He returned to the shore the Yamuna approached and gave Him gifts of many blue garments and many ornaments of gold and jewels. Lord Balaräma divided the gifts among the girls, giving some to each gopi. Then He dressed in one of the blue garments and decorated Himself with a necklace of gold and nine kinds of jewels. Then He enjoyed with the gopis as the king of elephants enjoys with its many wives.

Text 11

     ittham kauravendra yädavendrasya rämatah sarvä väsantikir nishä vyatitä babhuvuh. bhagavato balabhadrasya hastinäpuram iva viryam sucayativa hy adyäpi cha krishna-vartmanä yamunä vahati. imam rämasya räsa-kathäm yah shrinoti shrävayati cha sa sarva-päpa-patalam chittvä tasya parasparam änanda-padam pratiyäti. kim bhuyah shrotum icchasi.

        O king of the Kauravas, in this way Lord Balaräma, the king of the Yädavas, spent that springtime night with the gopis. Even today the Yamuna' flows in many divided streams at that place, a testimony to the great strength, equal to that of a host of elephants, of Lord Balaräma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A person who hears or recounts these pastimes of Lord Balaräma destroys the entirety of a great host of sins and attains transcendental bliss. What more do you wish to hear?