The Benefits of Hearing Sri Krsna's Rasa-lila
Srila Sukadeva Gosvami concludes the five chapters of the Srimad-Bhagavatam (tenth canto, chaps. 29-33), which discuss Radha-Krsna's rasa-lila, with this verse: “Anyone who faithfully hears or describes the Lord's playful affairs with the young gopis of Vrndavana will attain the Lord's pure devotional service. Thus he will quickly become sober and conquer lust, the disease of the heart."(SB 10.33.39) Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains exactly how hearing about Krsna's rasa-lila will destroy lust. The renowned acarya says that a sincere devotee, who faithfully hears Krsna's rasa-lila, will first attain bhakti. Then by the influence of that bhakti, the disease of lust in the heart will gradually diminish. Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, all the acaryas and the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, emphasize the benefits of reading and conversing about Krsna's rasa dance. Sri Caitanya told Pradyumna Misra: "When one hears or describes with great faith the pastimes of Lord Krsna, such as Krsna's rasa dance with the gopis, the disease of lusty desires in the heart, and the agitation caused by the three modes of material nature are immediately nullified, and he becomes sober and silent." (Cc Anyta 5.46) Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura comments on this verse: "Any person seriously inclined to hear about the pastimes of Krsna's rasa dance, as mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, with great faith and a transcendental, spiritually inspired mind, is immediately freed from the material lusty desires found within the heart of a materialistic man."
Srimati Radharani and Sri Krsna kindly reveal Their splendidly sublime transcendental pastimes in this world in order to attract and purify the conditioned souls. The adi-rasa (the original sexual rasa) generated by Sri Krsna's "lusty" attraction for Srimati Radharani is completely spiritual, far beyond the perverted, exploitive relationships of this material world. Spiritual lust, which is actually real love, is compared to pure gold. Such spiritual love is totally different from its iron-like counterpart" material lust.
The Vaisnava acaryas encourage devotees to study Radha-Krsna's exalted transcendental love affairs. But they completely discourage such study by the insincere, materially attached, non-devotee class. Such individuals are, "forbidden to discuss the lusty feelings of Krsna and the gopis. However, if one is a sincere devotee, the material lust in the heart is completely vanquished as he discusses the lusty feelings between the gopis and Krsna; and he makes quick progress in spiritual life." (SB 5.25.5p.)
The same point is repeated here in various quotations to show the immense spiritual benefits one gains by sincerely studying the transcendental rasa-lila of Radhika-Krsnacandra. "Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura states that if one worships the example of the liberated gopis of Vrndavana, who accepted Lord Sri Krsna as their paramour, one can free one's mental activities from the contamination of lust." (SB 11.26.12p.)
"If a bonafide listener hears of Krsna's pastimes with the gopis, which seem to be lusty affairs, the lusty desires in his heart, which constitute the heart disease of the conditioned soul, will be vanquished and he will become a most exalted devotee of the Lord." (SB 7.1.30p.) Srila Prabhupada wrote to one disciple: "Another secret of success is that when one is very much sexually agitated, he should think of Lord Krsna's pastimes with the gopis, and he will forget his sex urge." (SPL 11/11/68)
(An excerpt from Appreciating Sri Vrndavana Dhama by Mahanidhi Swami)
