**THE TRADITION OF RASA MANDALIS IN THE SRI VRAJA REALM AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE VRAJA BHASHA LITERATURE**
[SRI VRAJA DHAMA MEN RASAMANDALI KA PARAMPARA AURA SRI VRAJA SAHITYA SE SAMBANDHA]

The tradition of the Ras Lila Enactment [Performance] is an incomparable treasure within the Culture of Vraja. It has not only awakened many to Devotion to Sri Krishna but is also well established as a most recognizable aspect of Vraja Culture. The Holy Land of Vraja is well known for her many Rasacharyas [masters and teachers of the Rasalila art] and their troupes, called Rasamandalis and their excellent performances. These troupes have also traveled and brought their presentations outside of Vraja and wherever they go bring with them their art of thorough contemplation on the deep and subtle devotional moods within the Pastimes of Sri Krishna in Vraja, thus introducing and spreading the awareness and practices of the Pushti Path of Devotion.

This tradition is as alive as it ever was and still now, today, giving the devoted audience a vision into and an experience of Sri Krishnas pastimes which attracts them and joyfully binds them into this Way of Devotion. Whilst thinking about the Rasa Lila tradition, about which many wise beings have varied opinions, the most inspiring and truly informative is recounted thus;-the very first Rasa Lila took place at the time of Sri Krishnas manifestation on Earth and it was the Gopis who ,as written in the Rasapancadhyayi [five chapters describing the pastimes of the Gopis and Sri Krishna in the tenth canto of the Srimad Bhagvatam], recalled their Beloved Lord Sri Krishna and in order to swim across the agonizing ocean of separation from Him, re-enacted all of His pastimes amongst themselves.

The Gopis had been with their Beloved Lord in the forest of Sri Vrindavan enjoying his company.
However [SB 10/29/48]

"Tasam tat saubhagamadam
Viksa manam ca kesavah
Prasamaya prasadaya
Tatraivantaradhiyata"

[ "Perceiving their vanity produced by such rare good luck as well as their pride, Lord Sri Krishna disappeared from that spot with a view to curbing their pride once and for all and in order to shower His grace upon them."]

When their pain of suffering this separation became just too much the Gopis began to imitate His Play and it is from exactly here that the Tradition of Rasa Lila began. The Gopis are thus regarded to be the most blessed of Sri Radha and Sri Krishna and the founding Gurus of this lineage.

In this way there are many such historic stories told about the Rasa Lila but the re-appearance and the revival of the tradition is attributed to the Great Masters Sri Vallabhacharyaji, Svami Sri Haridasji and Sri Ghamanda devji Acharyaji.

This revival occurred around the turn of the 16th century, when a massive upsurge of devotional poetry and art took place. This period, which lasted a little over 200 years is called the Bhakti Kalin Yuga. It is to the great credit of the present Rasa Mandal Groups of Sridham Vrindavan that these traditions are being perpetuated to this very day.

They took a vow and decided to worship the Lord through the re-generation of this Art and as a result the Lord appeared and presented them with a peacock crown together with the command to place this crown upon the head of boys in the celibate stage of their youth and thereafter to reproduce the Rasa Lila enactments in order to bring the devotees even closer to Him. So the first such Rasa Lila performance took place in Mathura under the auspices of Sri Vallabhacharyaji, Svami Sri Haridas and Sri Ghamandadevji Acharya. Vishram Ghat and Vamsivata have been suggested as specific locations for these first performances.

On this occasion that Peacock Crown manifested from the Lord was placed upon the head of the Brahmin boy who represented Sri Krishna. However something unusual and astonishing then occurred at the end of the performance in as much as the boy who had been wearing the crown entered the Lords eternal Realm along with his body. Everybody who witnessed this was greatly surprised and, along with that ,very troubled .The anxiety lay in the fact that, having witnessed the all-be-it very auspicious demise of the boy, families would hesitate to allow their sons to participate in the roles, and so how would these Rasa Lilas be perpetuated?

However, those spiritual souls who constantly seek the highest goal never stop the search for the best result for everyone, and those saints at that time then approached the Lord and made the humble request to Him to instruct them as to how to continue the Lila Plays. The Lord gave the command "Please continue to have these Vrajavasi Brahman boys represent Me. I will make sure that you will most definitely be successful, because I Myself am naturally present within those boys."

Taking to themselves the order of the Lord and continuing then with full confidence that it was all the Lords most definite wish and auspicious plan, they initiated the spreading of the publicity of the Plays. The task of developing and carrying forwards the sequences and methods of the Lila Plays was given to Sri Ghamandadevji Acharya. From that time to the present day the specific skills required to properly participate in such Rasa Lila Plays has become the spiritual and religious discipline for these Vrajavasis. These Rasa Lila Plays and Performances are thus the means to carry over [the audience], the Lord to Whom they wish to attain and also the appropriate practice, in fact the full package all together in one simple plan. They are praised by Saints, intellectuals, Sages, the highly qualified and spiritual souls and seekers who have made watching the plays part of their spiritual discipline. From that time onwards and appropriate to the era, this Art of traditional Rasa Lila presentations has developed and evolved in many ways. In this manner the Rasa Lila shines in every grain of sand in Vraja and takes the Lords devotees to a dip in the Ocean of Bliss that manifests within it .

Let's now consider the actual meaning of these words "Rasa Lila". Many scholars have explained them in many ways according to their level of understanding. For example "Rasanam samuho rasah" [ =lit. rasah is a gathering of rasas. Rasa means mood of worship, love for the Divine, divine sentiment, emotional connection, taste]. When many of these come together in one place then they become the Rasah. For example the Srutis state "Raso vai sah" [Brahma, the all -pervading Divine takes the very Form of this Divine essence, and all the infinite loving moods and tastes manifest from Him. And when the Lord decides to make them all appear in the world then ,for the sake of fulfilling the Gopis' wishes, in order to defeat Cupids pride, and with the purpose of satisfying His own youthful character, He brings about the Great Circle Dance, the conglomeration of all the love of all the devoted Jivatmas[ who adore Him. So much Bliss flows at this time that it spills out over the whole of creation. All of this becomes possible when the Form of Perfect Love, Sri Svaminiji Sri Radhaji gives Her blessing. The Vravasis hold the belief that the completion of the Rasa Lila is impossible without Her Grace. Sri Kishori ji [Sri Radhaji] is the origin and source of the 64 arts of pure love and it is by Her blessing alone that Sri Krishna is able to gain victory over Cupid, the god of love because She Herself is the unique source of His bliss known as Ahladini Shakti which is the power to produce and spread Bliss, overflowing Joy, enough for all the world to get a little portion! Sri Krishna gets His Bliss from Her alone and all of this is possible only through Her. One who is deemed powerful is so only when the power is present, as in this relationship of Sri Krishna and Sri Radha where She is the source of the power :-

"Krsno'pi sakti rahita
Kartum sakto na kincana
Tasyapi sakti rupaham
Radhika sarvato dhika".

"Even Sri Krishna [by Himself] is devoid of power and unable to effect anything. I, Radhika, am His power most supreme." And it is by Sri Radharanis Grace alone that the Vraja Gopis, some of whom had incarnated from great sages, the lines of the Vedic Scriptures or yogis and others who had performed many austerities in their search for the Divine, became not only the foundation in the creation of the Rasa Lila, but also the very reason for it. Their deepest heartfelt wishes [to meet and dance with their Divine Beloved] manifested into the Rasa Lila and thus onwards right up to today into this extraordinary tradition which defines the character of Sri Vrindavan Dham.

Therefore, it would not be an exaggeration to state that this Rasa Lila is a great celebration of the face to Face meeting of the Devotee and the Divine Beloveds. The concealing curtain of the deluding potency [maya] is pulled back and the soul and their Supersoul Beloveds can play together;-this is Rasa. As for 'Lila' only the Supreme Beloveds can design the pastimes [lilas] for these emerge from Their very character, nature and heart of hearts. This Lila can remove the residue of worldly attachment from the embodied souls heart and fill it instead with the essence of love for the Beloveds. Herein too there is no need for any plan or intention for the Lila spontaneously arises from the Beloveds natural character which accomplishes the principle that the Divine can do, not do or do otherwise as They please. This is Lila. There is a popular saying in Vraja that the Beloveds perform the Rasa for their very own enjoyment but They make the Lilas for the enjoyment of Their Devotees.

Now to 'Rasa Lila':- this most prestigious limb of the extraordinary culture of Vraja is regarded to be the Great Grace of the Supreme Beloved, an immense treasure. The performances embrace classical and folk music, dance, philosophical discussion and teachings, insight into theVedic and Puranic scriptures, the auditory priviledge of the poetry of many great saints topped by the delightful vision of Sri Sri Radhakrishna whereby meditation upon Their Form becomes purely natural. Sri Vallabhacharyaji has stated "sarva krsnmayam jagat" [the whole world is pervaded by Krishna],but may I add to this my opinion that "rasotsavam jagat sarvam" [the whole world is a celebration of the Rasa Lila.] Indeed the world is, without any exaggeration, purely and simply a festival of the Rasa Lila.

"I bow down again and again at the Lotus-Feet of Sri Rasabihariju, the Lord of the Rasa. If during the flow of my hearts love I have said too little or too much then please think of it as the foolishness of a child and forgive me. Sri Ghanashyamdas, November 2013."
[Original written in Hindi and translated into English by kk.]

**SUFFIX:

** "Rasika Rasikini"

All of this Vraja Bhasha Vrindavani Literature is packed with the words "Rasika" and "Rasikini" For example :Paramanandadasji writes in his composition,"Sanci prIti bhaI eka thaur": "Yaha Rasikani vaha Rasika Siromani": Sri Radhikaju is Rasikani whilst Sri Krishna is the crest jewel of all Rasikas=connoisseur,Supreme Appreciator of Divine Loving Mood. Sri Radhikaju is Rasikani,replete with loving devotion of the purest type:She knows how to please Him and nourish His needs.He is then the crest jewel of that same mood of love:He is surrendered to Her,the purest Essence of Perfect Love. In Sri Bhagavat Rasikjis "Tuva mukha candra cakora meri naina",we read "Bhagavata rasika rasika ki batein,bina rasika koi samajha sakai na":"Only one who has a loving heart can understand such Divine loving moods and nuances". In Sri Kumbhandasjis "Rasa main rahata ghadhi Rasikani" we read , "This Lady Who is replete with loving mood resides eternally in the Realm of sweet loving nectarean exchange".

The concept of "Rasika Rasikani" cannot find a single worded translation into English..The two words refer quite clearly to Sri Krishna and Sri Radha.

'Rasa' is Nectar or juice,mellow or mood,hearts disposition,state of mind where the consciousness is fully focused on and coloured in the mood of Divine Loving Exchange.Sri Krishna and Sri Radhaji appreciate and enjoy the delightful exchanges and pastimes of Each Other of which the deepest intention is to please the Other ,to bring Them comfort and Delight.Therefore a Rasikas heart,when touched by the Rasa of the Vrindavan lilas becomes tender,sensitive and generous with no taint of selfishness.So,Rasa is an intention,an emotion,a flavour.The Vrindavan pastimes are so special that they can really only be appreciated by those of a Rasika disposition.The ultimate expression of rasa is the RASA,the Great Circle Dance ,where all of the rasas come together .Sri Radharani is the source of the rasa,the quintessential Form of all Love.In the Rasa Lila tradition of Vraja the Forms of the Divine Couple are known as Sri Rasabihariji and Sri Rasabihariniji.

** "Rasanam samuho Rasa."

This means that when there is a conglomeration of many rasas that becomes the rasa.so the rasa lila can be understood to be the merging of all the Gopis 'wonderfully varied ways and moods of loving Them that swell into an ocean of glorious love ,which is the character of Sri Svaminiji who is the support and foundation of all of this rasa lila since She is their pure and fullest embodiment.

So, the Rasika Devotee is a knower of refined Divine loving sentiment,one who is able to and who also desires to appreciate the essence of love,one who can generate Divine love,is the swan who can separate milk from water and have "one rasa" taste for the exclusive goal,the Beloveds,who knows how to extract the juice ,or one who is full and replete with the essence of loving devotional surrender,the connoisseur of fine mood,where love is totally untainted by selfishness and the bliss is overflowing,continuous,fresh, pure and innocent,in fact perfect. Reaching the innermost core,the quintessence,the bliss ,the truth,is the goal of all yogic paths to be immersed in that nectar is the most comfortable position.That smooth and soothing state is attained usually by a union,where the coming together of the 2 ingredients forges the most tasteful recipe.For the 'rasika' devotee,having once tasted this love,having developed an exclusive taste for this alone,there is no return to tainted consciousness or desire for self satisfaction.attraction is uniquely to the optimum essence of divine love and never flows backwards to material pleasure,otherwise so hard to release.

There are many 'rasas'.the importance is that they all be directed towards the divine. Also the stories are called "Rasatmaka"=filled with loving essence'.The rasa is the nectar [sudha,amrita]so often mentioned throughout the literature.

"Raso vai saha" Sri Krishna is ,then,the Rasa and the Rasika,dependent on the Rasikani for the perfect fulfilment of the perfect purity of love beyond which there is none!!
[KK in Dhanya Dhanya Vrishabhanu Dulari by VKP]