Canto 10: The Summum BonumChapter 33: The Rāsa Dance

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.33.16

evaḿ pariṣvańga-karābhimarśa-

snigdhekṣaṇoddāma-vilāsa-hāsaiḥ

reme rameśo vraja-sundarībhir

yathārbhakaḥ sva-pratibimba-vibhramaḥ

SYNONYMS

evam — thus; pariṣvańga — with embracing; kara — by His hand; abhimarśa — with touching; snigdha — affectionate; īkṣaṇa — with glances; uddāma — broad; vilāsa — playful; hāsaiḥ — with smiles; remeHe took pleasure; ramā — of the goddess of fortune; īśaḥ — the master; vraja-sundarībhiḥ — with the young women of the cowherd community; yathā — just as; arbhakaḥa boy; sva — His own; pratibimba — with the reflection; vibhramaḥ — whose playing.

TRANSLATION

In this way Lord Kṛṣṇa, the original Lord Nārāyaṇa, master of the goddess of fortune, took pleasure in the company of the young women of Vraja by embracing them, caressing them and glancing lovingly at them as He smiled His broad, playful smiles. It was just as if a child were playing with his own reflection.

PURPORT

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura comments as follows on this verse: "Lord Kṛṣṇa alone is the Supreme Absolute Truth, and His potencies are unlimited. All these potencies, taking personal forms, engage Lord Kṛṣṇa in His pastimes. Just as the opulent manifestation of His one supreme transcendental potency manifests all the countless potencies of the Lord, so in the rāsa dance Kṛṣṇa manifests Himself as many times as there are various potencies represented by the gopīs. Everything is Kṛṣṇa, but by His desire His spiritual energy Yogamāyā manifests the gopīs. When His internal potency Yogamāyā thus produces such pastimes for the enhancement of His transcendental emotions, it is just like a young boy playing with His own reflection. But since these pastimes are created by His spiritual potency, they are eternal and self-manifesting."

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