Devanagari
एवं शशाङ्कांशुविराजिता निशा:
स सत्यकामोऽनुरताबलागण: ।
सिषेव आत्मन्यवरुद्धसौरत:
सर्वा: शरत्काव्यकथारसाश्रया: ॥ २५ ॥
Verse text
evaṁ śaśāṅkāṁśu-virājitā niśāḥ
sa satya-kāmo ’nuratābalā-gaṇaḥ
siṣeva ātmany avaruddha-saurataḥ
sarvāḥ śarat-kāvya-kathā-rasāśrayāḥ
Synonyms
evam
—
in this manner
;
śaśāṅka
—
of the moon
;
aṁśu
—
by the rays
;
virājitāḥ
—
made brilliant
;
niśāḥ
—
the nights
;
saḥ
—
He
;
satya
—
kāmaḥ — whose desires are always fulfilled
;
anurata
—
constantly attached to Him
;
abalā
—
gaṇaḥ — His many girlfriends
;
siṣeve
—
He utilized
;
ātmani
—
within Himself
;
avaruddha
—
reserved
;
saurataḥ
—
conjugal feelings
;
sarvāḥ
—
all (the nights)
;
śarat
—
of the autumn
;
kāvya
—
poetic
;
kathā
—
of narrations
;
rasa
—
of the transcendental moods
;
āśrayāḥ
—
the repositories .
Translation
Although the gopīs were firmly attached to Lord Kṛṣṇa, whose desires are always fulfilled, the Lord was not internally affected by any mundane sex desire. Still, to perform His pastimes the Lord took advantage of all those moonlit autumn nights, which inspire poetic descriptions of transcendental affairs.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Although the gopīs were firmly attached to Lord Kṛṣṇa, whose desires are always fulfilled, the Lord was not internally affected by any mundane sex desire. Still, to perform His pastimes the Lord took advantage of all those moonlit autumn nights, which inspire poetic descriptions of transcendental affairs.
KB 10.33.25
While strolling on the bank of the Yamunā, Kṛṣṇa recited various kinds of poetry. He thus enjoyed the company of the gopīs in the soothing moonlight of autumn.
Sex desire is especially excited in the autumn season, but the wonderful thing about Kṛṣṇa’s association with the gopīs is that there was no question of sex desire. It was, as clearly stated in the Bhāgavata description by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, avaruddha-saurata—the sex impulse was completely controlled. There is a distinction between Lord Kṛṣṇa’s dancing with the gopīs and the ordinary dancing of living entities within the material world.
Purport
It is difficult to translate into English the word
rasa,
which indicates the spiritual bliss derived from one’s loving relationship with Lord Kṛṣṇa. That bliss is experienced in the midst of spiritual pastimes with the Lord and His devotees. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains that great Vaiṣṇava poets like Vyāsa, Parāśara, Jayadeva, Līlāśuka (Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura), Govardhanācārya and Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī have tried in their poetry to describe the conjugal affairs of the Lord. These descriptions are never complete, however, since the Lord’s pastimes are unlimited; thus the attempt to glorify such pastimes is still going on and will go on forever. Lord Kṛṣṇa arranged an extraordinary season of beautiful autumn nights to enhance His loving affairs, and those autumn nights have inspired transcendental poets since time immemorial.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
In summarizing the rasa lila which occurred on the full moon night of the autumn season, it is here indicated that similar pastimes with the same variety and splendor on the other nights of the year..
Thus (evam), by the influence of yogamaya, he enjoyed the whole night, the night of brahma lit by the moon (siseve). He tasted the Vrndavana nights with his pastimes. The implication of the word siseve from the root sev (serve) is that all the nights which were suitable for the rasa lila, were to be enjoyed or served in the most respectful way, what to speak of the pastimes of rasa that occurred during those nights. This is similar to the expression "the devotees enjoyed or honored mahaprasadam." Because the pastimes involving love (kama) were not material, Krsna is called satya kama. Satya means the form of absolute truth and kama means the pastimes of love. Krsna was endowed with pastimes of love which are the absolute truth, the source of all pure love. And though he is the source of a loving enjoyment, he made the gopis the cause of that enjoyment. Thus, Krsna is described as anurata abalaganah, one who followed after the pleasure of the gopis. Though he is the cause of pleasure, he was attracted to the gopis for pleasure. The word abala also suggests that the gopis were unmatched in their power to express love. At that time, Krsna’s mind was completely absorbed in his pastimes of rasa. Therefore he is described as atmani avaruddha saurata,. one whose mind (atma) was absorbed completely in everything related to conjugal activity(saurata) -that is, emotions, gesture, indifference, insults, vyabhicari bhavas like perverseness, eagerness and joy, sattvika bhavas such as being stunned, sweating, change of color, anubhavas like, seeing, touching, talking, and embracing. The same usage of the word saurta, indicating all the various elements of conjugal love, appears in the following verse. "The son of Devaki, though he is atma rama, in imitation of a human being, began to enjoy with Rukmini with saurata samlapa, talks and all the elements of conjugal expression. The word samlapa included there is descriptive of the enjoyment. The word saurata is devoid of descriptive element, except to indicate all the other expressions and emotions involved in conjugal relationships.
On all the nights of twelve months (sarva) he enjoyed. What kind of night? sarat kavya rasasraya. Sarat can mean a year as well as autumn, according to Amara Kosa. Thus they were nights endowed with all six seasons, of which all rasa expressed in poetic works take shelter. Poets like Vyasa Parasara, Jayadeva, Lila suka, Govardhanacarya and Rupa Goswami, taking shelter of (been inspired by) those nights, have described the rasa and activities principally of conjugal love(srngara), which cannot be fully understood. Because I am unable to describe these affairs completely, I have given here only a synopsis.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
The pastimes performed on the full moon of the autumn season are summarized, but represent other pastimes elsewhere as well. He served with the highest respect (siseva) all the nights with the rays of the śarat moon in this way (since śarat is mentioned in the last line of the verse), with the rāsa dance (evam). With the appearance of other seasons, with moonlight or in darkness, he would enter the houses, or make appointments and sleep in the groves, and sometimes perform the rāsa dance. The particular information of later nights is first given. (Thus śarat means “year” rather than autumn.) He also served all nights which gave shelter to rasa of poetic descriptions about autumn. Or he served all nights which gave shelter to topics of rasa described by poets of all time and places, but not those nights which gave shelter of topics contrary to rasa. Thus mention of “autumn” indicates other seasons as well. Or he served those nights lit by the moon light in spring and other seasons (śaśāṅkāṁśu-virājitā niśāḥ), those nights which give shelter to poetic descriptions filled with rasa, of the autumn, representing other seasons as well.
In what condition did he serve them? His mind (ātmani) was firmly fixed (avaruddha) in all emotions and gestures suitable for amorous contact with the gopīs (saurataḥ). This means he could not give them up. Since a particular bhāva is not mentioned, all bhāvas are indicated.
evaṁ saurata-saṁlāpair bhagavān jagad-īśvaraḥ
sva-rato ramayā reme nara-lokaṁ viḍambayan
And so the self-satisfied Supreme Lord of the universe enjoyed with the goddess of fortune, engaging her in lovers’ talks and thus imitating the ways of human society. SB 10.60.58
However in this example there is particularization with the mention of saṁlāpaiḥ (with conversations). The cause of his mental fixation of loving affairs is given. There were many women with anurāga. The cause was anurāga in prema within Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs. It was not the material lust of material people because his desires are pure (satya-kāmaḥ). Parāśara and Vaiśampayana have said:
evaṁ sa kṛṣṇo gopīnāṁ cakravālair alaṅkṛtaḥ
śāradīṣu sacandāsu niśāsu mumude sukhī
Thus Kṛṣṇa, ornamented with circles of gopīs, enjoyed happily in the moon lit nights of the autumn season.
In his commentary Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that avaruddha-saurataḥ means “without the influence of material sex desire.” Thus he has given another, not commonly accepted, explanation of this phrase.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
The pastimes of the rāsa dance on that night have been described. Gathering together other pastimes not mentioned during that night, it is now indicated in summary that this night represented many nights.
Evam means “in this way.” It means that other pastimes took place on that night as well. Because they are so many, it is impossible to describe them. Nights is in the plural. This indicates that he performed the rāsa dance on all nights during his full kaiśora period. This is stated by Parāśara in Viṣṇu Purāṇa. The word saḥ indicates he was of kaiśora age.
kaumāraṁ pañcamābdāntaṁ paugaṇḍaṁ daśamāvadhi
kaiśoram ā-pañcadaśād yauvanaṁ tu tataḥ param
The kaumāra stage lasts until the age of five, paugaṇḍa up to age ten and kaiśora to age fifteen. From then on, one is known as yauvana.
According to this kaiśora lasts from eleven to fifteen years. It should be understood that kaiśora continues eternally in Gokula. Uddhava says:
tato nanda-vrajam itaḥ
pitrā kaṁsād vibibhyatā
ekādaśa samās tatra
gūḍhārciḥ sa-balo ’vasat
His father, afraid of Kaṁsa, brought him to Vraja and for eleven years he lived there with Balarāma, like a covered flame. SB 3.2.26
In Kaumara and paugaṇḍa ages which are unsuitable the rāsa dance does not arise. In those periods Kṛṣṇa’s powers are hidden, since he does not manifest his special qualities as Bhagavān. Thus it is aid he was like a covered flame. Kṛṣṇa says to Nanda in Mathurā:
nāsmatto yuvayos tāta nityotkaṇṭhitayor api
bālya-paugaṇḍa-kaiśorāḥ putrābhyām abhavan kvacit
Dear Father, because of us, your two sons, you and mother Devakī always remained in anxiety and could never enjoy our childhood, boyhood or kaiśora. SB 10.45.2
Some people think that his gokula rāsa pastimes continued into the yauvana period according to descriptions like the following when he entered Mathurā:
manāṁsi tāsām aravinda-locanaḥ
pragalbha-līlā-hasitāvalokaiḥ
jahāra matta-dviradendra-vikramo
dṛśāṁ dadac chrī-ramaṇātmanotsavam
The lotus-eyed Lord, walking with the gait of a lordly elephant in rut, creating joy for their eyes with his body, which is the source of pleasure for the divine goddess of fortune, captivated those ladies’ minds with playful, bold, smiling glances. SB 10.41.27
But this is not so proper. This is contradicted by the following statements. Akrura describes Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma as kiśorau śyāmala-śvetau: two boys of Kaiśora again, one black and the other white. (SB 10.38.29) Kiśorau nāpta-yauvanau: the two boys of kaiśora age have not reached yauvana period. (SB 10.44.8)
The word evam indicates that similar pastimes too place on other nights. All the pastimes recurred as if newly performed, without thinking that the dance and the questions and anwers before the dance had happened previously, because of the flow of the highest prema.
Śaśāṅka in the verse means the full moon since the mark resembling the rabbit was completely recognizable. The rays shone brightly (vi-rājitā), as if it were day. For the rāsa dance, on all those nights the moon appeared full, as if it were the full moon day.
evaṁ sa kṛṣṇo gopīnāṁ cakravālair alaṅkṛtaḥ
śāradīṣu sacandāsu niśāsu mumude sukhī
Thus Kṛṣṇa, ornamented with circles of gopīs, enjoyed happily in the moon lit nights of the autumn season. Hari-vaṁśa
Though autumn season is mentioned in the above verse (śaradīṣu), it represents nights of other seasons as well. Or it means he enjoyed even in the autumn season. Or the verse indicates the dance in another kalpa when it only occurred in the autumn, just as in other kalpas Vasudeva exchanges the sons in Mathurā, not in Nanda’s house.
“How was it possible to every day peform the dance in a similar way with similar nights?” Kṛṣṇa’s every desire was fulfilled (satya-kāmaḥ).
“It would be very rare that the gopīs came since they were controlled by their husands and had anger.” He was continuously attached (anurata), or strongly attached, or related in all ways to the gopīs who had surrendered completely to him (abalā-gaṇaḥ).
Or “how could they daily meet him. They were not independent, because of husbands?” They were completely attached only to him at all times, ignoring everyone else. Or because they were equally attached to each other, somewhere, at some time, somehow, they would meet. This is not impossible for him.
“He is the great attractor, the taster of the rāsa dance. And for no reason, at no time, can he be fully satisfied.” That is true. But he is controlled by prema. He has accepted (avarudha)
all acts of love or the most intense pastimes (surata) since he has appeared as avatāra for this purpose. He gave enjoyment to the gopis without indifference, and with inner determination (ātmani). He experienced everything personally with great attchement, by accepting them within himself. Or he experienced the highest bliss by ignoring his feature as ātmārāma.
Not only did he perform the rāsa dance as described, but he expressed various types of love in various ways with them. He served those nights throughout the year, in which there are seasons, months, and days, or in the autumn which is beautiful with banks, when desire is strong, which are described in poetry. He acted with great affection for that purpose. The reference to poetry means works like Gīta-govinda and Vidagdha-mādhava.
Or in this way he served the rāsa dance on those nights. Now, during the day also, he performed similar pastimes. That is indicated by the word sarvā (all). He served pastimes in the autumn or during the year, which are described with great variety and he served all others as well. These other pastimes are famous in Gīta-govinda, and as well include the tax and boat pastimes described by Candidāsa.