Note 244 — Chapter LXXV · RASA DANCE.

This is one of the principal incidents of Krishna's life on which innumerable poets of India have exhausted their skill and ingenuity. This incident has also been recorded in several Puranas. Some hostile critics interpret this Rāsa dance as one of the blemishes of Krishna's character and proceed to prove that he was an emblem of carnality. They draw upon certain Indian scholars in support of their argument. It is therefore necessary to throw a few suggestions before our readers so that they may understand Sri Krishna aright. This Rāsa dance is described in a few words in Harivamsha, a little more profusely in Vishnu Puran, but very elaborately in Srimadbhagavatam. There is no mention however to this incident in the Mahabharata. In Vishnu Puran it is described as the out-burst of a tender love of a number of young girls for their youthful companion. In Harivamsha it is the love of youthful damsels for a handsome young man. In Bhagvata it is the passionate love of some women for a young man. In all these books however the different phases of love have been described with a grand esoteric meaning behind them. This Rāsa was nothing but a "Ball" dance in which all the youthful damsels and girls took part and which was introduced by Krishna. It was a favourite pastime with the Aryans and frequent references to this dance are seen in Mahabharata and other classical works of note. That it was a purely innocent amusement freed from every shade of carnality is beyond all doubts. From the internal evidences of the three great works on Krishna's life, namely Harivamsa, Vishnu Purana and Srimadbhagavatam it is evident that Krishna, at this period, was merely a boy of ten years of age or so. It is impossible for a boy of this tender age to be so very carnal as he is depicted to have been. All the youthful maidens and girls of Vraja were fond of Krishna. It was not only on them that he exercised his wonderful influence but he did so on the elderly men too. This is clear enough from the incident that he succeeded in suppressing the great Indra-yajna. Krishna used to invent and organise varions sorts of sports for his comrades, both boys and girls. In the previous Chapter his wonderful influence over his male companions and elderly men has been described. This Chapter is introduced by the poet to show that his influence over the women was equally marvellous. All these incidents go to prove more his super human origin. In all these three works no mention is made of the name of a particular woman for whom he cherished a special fancy as Radha. There is a occasional mention of this word in Bhagavat and only once in Harivamsha where it means a worshipper. This story of the carnal love of Krishna for his various companions is described at a length in Brahma Vaivarta Purana which is regarded as a spurious production and is not considered as an authentic record of his life. The esoteric meaning underlying this incident is the union between the human soul and the Supreme Soul. Krishna is the impersonation of the Supreme Soul and Radha or the worshipper is the emblem of the human soul. The worshipper can secure unification with the Supreme Soul by love—earnest and deep-seated devotion. This love, this devotion has been described by various poets in various forms.