Rasa-lila
sriman rasa-rasarambhi
vamsi-vata-tata sthitah
karsan venu-svanair gopir
gopinathah sriye stu nah
"May Gopinathaji, who attracts all the gopis with the song of His flute, and who has begun the most melodious rasa dance on the bank of the Yamuna in Vamsivata, be merciful to us." (Cc M. 1.5)
In Goloka Vrndavana, Sri Krsna eternally relishes the rasa-lila (rasa dance) with Srimati Radharani and the gopis. "Vrndavana is the storehouse of Krsna's mercy and the sweet opulences of conjugal love. That is where the spiritual energy, working as a maidservant exhibits the rasa dance: the quintessence of all pastimes." (Cc Madhya 21.44) Why do Radha and Krsna perform the rasa-lila in the Vrndavana manifest within the material world? "The reason Lord Krsna displays the rasa-lila is essentially to induce all the fallen souls to give up their diseased morality and religiosity, and to attract them to the kingdom of God to enjoy the reality." (Cc Adi 4.30p.) "In order to show the conditioned souls special favor, Krsna exhibited this rasa-lila dance just to captivate them. Since they are very much attracted by sexology, they can enjoy the same life with Krsna and thus become liberated from the material condition." (KB Ch. 32)
(An excerpt from Appreciating Sri Vrndavana Dhama by Mahanidhi Swami)
