Lecture after Manipur Dancing – March 29, 1975, Māyāpur

Krsna is gopika-kanta, radha-kanta. That is Krsna's real identification. He is gopika-kanta, and He is radha-kanta. This relationship with Krsna and gopis, that is the highest perfectional realization of the Absolute Truth.

Krsna's real identification means ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhiḥ. He is ananda, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs 5.1], and His expansion of ananda are these gopis, ananda-cinmaya. But that is not this material thing. Ananda-cinmaya-rasa, that mellow, that taste, that humor, that is completely spiritual. We should not misunderstand this lila, or pastimes of Krsna with the gopis, that material lusty affairs. Then we'll be misled. It is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam that vikriḍitam vraja-vadhūbhir idam ca visnoḥ. The activities of the Vraja-vadhu, the damsels of Vrndavana, vikriḍitam, activities, vikriḍitam vraja-vadhūbhir idam ca visnoḥ sraddhanvito 'nusrnuyad atha varnayed yaḥ, bhaktim param pratilabhya hrd-roga-kama apahinoti [SB 10.33.39].Our material existence is due to our lusty desires in the heart. That is hrd-rogam. That is our heart disease. And we are suffering in this material world for this heart disease life after life. People have lost their intelligence that they cannot understand that there is life after death. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita: tatha dehantara-praptiḥ [Bg 2.13].

They have become so fools and rascals that they do not understand this simple truth as it is said in the beginning of Bhagavad-gita, tatha dehantara-praptiḥ. We are seeking after this pleasure of Krsna with the gopis or with the cowherds boys. Krsna has got many associates, and the topmost associates are the gopis. So we are seeking after that happiness, but we are being misled by the lusty desires. So I am very glad to see the dance, Manipuri dance, but it should be properly utilized. It should not be utilized as lusty dance. It is ananda-cinmaya, sac-cid-ananda-vigrahaḥ [Bs 5.1], His expansion.

So people are hankering after happiness because he's part and parcel of sac-cid-ananda-vigraha, Krsna. So naturally, we are seeking the same spiritual happiness, but we are being misled by maya. That we should be very much cautious under the guidance of proper spiritual master. This morning we're discussing this verse from Caitanya-caritamrta, radha krsna-pranaya-vikrtir ahladini-saktir asmat . This radha krsna-pranaya-vikrtiḥ, loving affairs between Radha and Krsna, and the gopis are expansion of Srimati Radharani. That is ananda-cinmaya-rasa. That is not material thing. It is a transformation of the pleasure potency of Krsna. Radha krsna-pranaya-vikrtir ahladini-saktir asmat. So this Krsna conscious movement is meant for taking these misguided living beings to the topmost perfection of life in the radha-krsna-pranaya-vikrti. This is the aim of the Krsna consciousness movement, and in India still, in Manipur, the idea is being cultivated, and I shall be very glad that you Europeans and Americans who are present here may catch up this idea and introduce in your country. And actually they'll be happy if they follow the principles that vikriḍitam vraja-vadhūbhir idam ca visnoḥ. [SB 10.33.39]

These activities between the gopis and Visnu... Krsna is the origin of Visnu. So, anusrnuyat, if we repeatedly... Anu means constantly, and anu means following. The process is to follow or to chant about Krsna's activities. Follow means in the parampara system to understand Krsna, what He is. Evam parampara-praptam [Bg 4.2]. Do not understand..., or misunderstand Krsna as ordinary human being like one of us. No. Avajananti mam mūḍha manusim tanum asritam [Bg 9.11]. Krsna comes to attract you, that "You are seeking after happiness. Here is the happiness. Come to Me. Dance with Me." But we are misled. There is life like this, that you can dance with Krsna, you can play with Krsna, you can enjoy with Krsna. So that requires training. Tatha dehantara-praptiḥ [Bg 2.13]. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg 4.9]. These things are there. If you become trained up, then exactly after giving up this life, you can go to dance with Krsna. That is possible. It is not a myth, mythology, as rascals think. No. You can have this life, dance with Krsna, play with Krsna. Simply you have to become trained up. Then, as Krsna says,

You can go. But don't misunderstand. Krsna and His pastimes with the gopis, you should understand it properly-tattvam. That is called tattvam.

You must understand Krsna in truth, in fact. So Krsna comes Himself to teach you, to show you what does He do in His Goloka Vrndavana. And if we are fortunate enough, be attracted with the Krsna's pastimes, and if we constantly think of it, satatam kirtayanto mam yatantas ca drḍha-vrataḥ [Bg 9.14], then your life will be perfect. That is the aim and purpose of Krsna consciousness movement. We want to give to the human society the highest blessings, the most perfectional platform of life.

So my request is that those who are becoming interested in Krsna, Krsna consciousness, they may not be misled. Krsna's activities with Radharani and the gopis, they are completely spiritual, ahladini-saktiḥ. And if we understand properly about Krsna's activities, then ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhiḥ [Bs 5.37]-we reach to the platform of ananda-cinmaya-rasa. Because we are seeking after ananda, bliss. That is the information from the Vedanta-sūtra. Anandamaya abhyasat [Vedanta-sūtra 1.1.12].

We living entities, we are by nature blissful, seeking after happiness. But this happiness is not possible if you become compact in material activities. If you seek the happiness in the material platform, you'll be frustrated. It is to be sought after in the spiritual platform.

So actually it is forbidden, that sannyasis should not see any dancing by woman or any singing by woman. But we are not violating these rules. Just to remember that here is an hint how Krsna is spiritually enjoying. If we see and hear on that spirit, then it is very good; otherwise it is not good. So if he is actually guided by these verses in the Vedic literature...

So we should always remember this radha-krsna-pranaya-vikrtir ahladini-saktir asmat. Then it will be very much beneficial. So this kind of dancing is very welcome all over the world if we do not misunderstand Krsna. That should be the precaution. Otherwise it is very, very good. And our purpose is to introduce these Krsna pastimes all over the world so that they may take lesson that they are seeking after happiness-the happiness is with Krsna, not in the material world. Then you'll be successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupada. [end]