Srihari Krishna Narayana

“Another Gopika was fatigued with singing and dancing merrily with her anklets and waistbands jingling loudly and rapidly. Yet another Gopika danced gaily as her bangles jingled forcefully in tune with the music. The earrings of another Gopika rocked violently back and forth as she danced in great enthusiasm. A Gopika who was thus fatigued due to dancing leaned her head on Krishna’s chest”.

As Krishna had manifested in innumerable forms, each Gopika had a Krishna beside her on whose chest she leaned her head. In reality, to every Gopika, all the people around her appeared as Krishna. Each Gopika saw Krishna in the other Gopikas and derived great bliss therefrom. Each Gopika thought she was alone and that Krishna had surrounded her from all sides. The Gopikas who were totally immersed in circle-dancing had formed innumerable such small circle-units (mandalas) across the entire forest. Each mandala was moving clockwise or anticlockwise with the dancers moving in beautiful rhythmic sequence.

Just as planets revolve around one another in space, all the mandalas (circle units) were collectively revolving around Srikrishna who was standing in the centre. When seen from the skies, it was as if the various planetary systems had formed on Earth. The ladies who were singing melodiously in great delight found no need for any musical accompaniments. Their loud voices accompanied by the jingling anklets were in themselves the musical accompaniments.

As all of them had placed their mind firmly upon the Lord, they were soaked in limitless bliss. As they danced, they moved together with their units. Meticulously and rhythmically these units circumambulated the Lord. The Gopika was moving; her circle unit was moving and as thus, the entire unit circumambulated the Lord. At times, Krishna was dancing in an anti-clockwise direction within the circle units which were moving in a clockwise direction. It was a unique creation of many circle units consisting of colourful dancers.

Any amount of time can be spent trying to describe these circle units and the Vedantic essence they were trying to convey. The philosophical knowledge conveyed through the Gopika Geeta song, was being presented in the form of these circle dances (rāsa kreeda). Unable to stay away from Krishna, in the form of a song they had glorified Him and yet, at the same time, abused Him through the medium of a song. Now filled with divine bliss upon His arrival, they were presenting the same essence delightedly through the medium of dance.

“A Gopika who was fatigued with singing and dancing merrily with her anklets and waistbands jingling loudly and rapidly rested her head upon the chest of Srikrishna who was beside her”.

When seen from a distance, it was evident that she had rested on the chest of another Gopika who was dancing alongside her, however, lost in this divine bliss, she believed she was resting on Krishna’s chest. The Gopika who believed she was taking the half-chewed betel from Krishna’s mouth was actually accepting the same from the mouth of another Gopika, who to her eyes appeared as Krishna. When a Gopika believed that she was resting on the lap of Krishna, she was, in reality, resting on the lap of another Gopika. This was the illusion created by Krishna. There was one Krishna and many Gopikas, however to the Gopikas it appeared as if only Krishna was visible everywhere while no Gopika was present barring her.

“One Gopika clasped the hand of the Lord and placed His lotus-like cool hand on her chest”.

When seen from a distance it appeared as if one Krishna had placed his palm on the chest of another Krishna. To this Gopika however it appeared as if Krishna had placed His hand on her chest.

“The Supreme Lord Srikrishna is very dear to Mother Goddess Lakshmi. These Gopikas, who considered such Supreme Lord to be their husband and who had obtained Him, loudly sang His glories while continuing to dance merrily. Such Supreme Lord now lovingly touched their necks with His tender hands and lovingly embraced them”.

Krishna did not have to go to each Gopika and touch her neck. Neither did the Gopikas have to stand in a queue in order to earn the Lord’s embrace. As He had manifested in as many forms as the number of Gopikas, He simultaneously embraced them all. In reality, one Gopika touched the neck of another and embraced her. Both the Gopikas considered their partner to be Krishna himself and they were delighted that Krishna, the Supreme Lord, had touched their neck and lovingly embraced them!

The steps, the movement of the limbs and even the blinking of the eyelids of the Gopikas followed a definite rhythmic pattern matching the musical beats. Even their breath was rhythmic. Their limb movement had a pattern. If their limb movements and heartbeats were the beats (tala), their breath was the musical notes (Shruti) in accordance to which they danced. They did not miss a beat. The breath and the limb movements of thousands of Gopikas and Krishnas of the various circle units were in unison as, in reality, there was a single Krishna and a single Gopika present there. Their minds had merged.

Isn’t this wondrous?

Krishna Srihari