|| Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya ||

Chapter – 208 – The legend of Lord Krishna – 59

MAHARAS

Anthar Grihagatha : Kashchith Gopyalabdha Vinirgama: | Krishnam Thadh Bhavanayuktha Dhadhyurmeelitha Lochana: || Dhu: Saha Preshta Viraha Theevrathapadhutha Shubha: | Dhyana Prapthacchyuthashlesha Nirvrithya Ksheenamangala || Thameva Paramathmanam Jarabudhdhyapi Sangatha: | Jahur Gunamayam Dheham Sadhya: Praksheena Bandhana ||

Maharasa is the heart of Srimad Bhagavatham talks about the ‘Laya’/merriness,/union, the spiritual union of Jeevathma with the Paramathma.   There are three types of Laya/union; they are happiness derived from the Gnanendhriyas, happiness derived from Karmendhriyas/physical activities and sleeps.  Maharasa is the highest form of devotion, the union of Jeevathma/women of cowherds with the Paramathma/Krishna.  In this legend Lord Krishna elevated the souls of women of cowherds who approached him to fulfill their lustful desires when they were proud of their fortune; he disappeared from their sight and returned to them once again when they grieved at his separation.   He taught the reasons for the rebirth in this chapter, the excessive desires for bodily union and material desires would push the souls into cycles of rebirths, and he protected the women of cowherds from the cycles of birth.  Thus he taught them the union of Jeeva with the Paramathma, with intense devotion is the supreme ‘Laya’ that provides permanent bliss.  Even though Krishna embraced the women of cowherds, and engaged in various amusements, but when the women were not willing to come out of the state of the amorous sport, he disappeared from them.  He returned to them and elevated their soul from their state of passion for devotion.  Therefore it is essential to have ‘Laya’ in material life and spiritual life as well, with the ‘Laya’ in the spiritual life; a soul gets liberated from material life.

Shuka Bhramam speaks “ Oh! Rajan, it was a full moon night, there was the cool breeze of the autumn season carrying the rich fragrances of Jasmine flowers, it was a pleasant atmosphere in Vrindavan.  Bhagavan who is pure and unblemished decided to get united with the Yogamaya.  He remembered the young maiden of cowherds who were eagerly waiting to unite with him, determined to make them happy, and kindled the hearts of young maiden of cowherds who were yearning to have union with him, the supreme Lord Narayana who is beyond happiness and grief, beautifully played music on his flute.  The women of cowherds who were engaged in the household activities became standstill at the sound of the beautiful music of the flute, their hearts filled with extreme desire to approach Krishna.  They were running out like mad women, one of the girls stopped milking the cow and disappeared from there, another girl who was stirring the milk porridge, left it on the fire itself, one of the girls was serving meals to the members of the family, she stopped serving and rushed to Krishna, another woman who was feeding her bosom milk to the infant, left the child and rushed to Krishna, another woman who was serving her husband left the place in a hurry, another girl who was consuming the meal, stopped halfway and left to Krishna, another girl was applying the aromatic paste on her face, she did not wait to finish it, another woman was applying eyeliner, left it halfway, some of them carelessly clothed and decorated with the ornaments that were utterly mismatched.  The waist ornaments adorned on their necks, bangle on the feet, necklace on their hands, eyeliner decorated on their forehead and vermilion on the eyes.   In this way, the women of cowherds were besieged with the cupid arrows, forgot the world, people who blocked their ways were pushed back.  They forgot their relations, husband, brother, mother; father and all that they have in mind of the little cowherd Krishna.  Some of the women got stuck in their homes, they were kept locked in their chamber were wrapped up in the thoughts of Krishna, with the tears overflowing due to the pain of separation from Bhagavan, they heartily felt the embrace of Acchyutha and completely surrendered to him got relieved from their sorrows, ultimately left their mortal coil.  ”