The First Verse of Rasa Lila
My seminar for this week will be "The First Verse of Rasa Lila". There is so much in the first verse of Rasa Lila.
vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ
śraddhānvito ’nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ
bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ
hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ
śraddhānvito ’nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ
bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ
hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ
Anyone who faithfully hears or
describes the Lord’s playful affairs with the young gopīs of Vṛndāvana will attain the Lord’s pure devotional service. Thus he will quickly become sober and conquer lust, the disease
of the heart.
tara bhakta sange sada, rasa lila prema katha,
ye kore se pay ghanasyama
ihate vimukha yei, tara kabhu siddhi nai,
nahi yeno suni tara nama
" A person who, in
the company of the devotees, again and again hears the stories of the pure love in the rasa-dance pastimes will attain Lord Krsna, who is dark as a monsoon cloud. A person
averse to hearing these pastimes will never attain perfection. I refuse to hear the name of such an offender."