Duration of the Raasa-Leela Performed by Krishna with the Gopis

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Dear All: How long did the Raas-leela performed by Krishna with the gopis last? Heres an interesting verse from the Srimad Bhagavatam, Raas-leela chapter from Canto 10. Based on our recent discussion of the Cosmology Lessons based on Krishna's teachings in chapter 8 of the Bhagavad Gita (see link given below), we know that one day of Brahma consists of equal durations of daytime and night-time (like the days of the equinox here on earth, March 21-22 and September 21-22, with 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night). Brahma's daytime lasts for a period known as 1000 Chaturyugas with each Chaturyuga lasting for 4.32 millions (10 times the duration of Kaliyuga, which is 432,000 years). Hence, the daytime lasts
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for a total of 4.32 billion years. An equal duration of night-time, i.e, 4.32 billion years of night-time, then follows. More details may be found at the link below. http://www.scribd.com/doc/89443432/Cosmology-Lessons-from-The-BhagavadGita http://www.vrindavan.de/rasadance.htm

Krishna in Ras Leela with his friend gopis and Sri Radha (Raja Ravi Verma Painting) http://www.indiapainting.org/krishna.htm

In Srimad Bhagavatam, where the Raas-leela performed by Krishna is described (in the course of five chapters ending with chapter 33 of Canto 10), we find the following sloka 39 (in the Gorakhpur Press text), the penultimate sloka which concludes the Raasa-Leela chapters. It is reproduced below along with the translation as given by Srila Prabhupada. Brahmaraatra upaavrutte Vaasudevaanumoditaah l AnicchantyO yayurgopyahaa swagruhaan Bhagavatpriyaahaa ll 10.33.39 ll SB

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l ll .. ll
SB 10.33.38: After an entire night of Brahm had passed, Lord a advised the gops to return to their homes. Although they did not wish to do so, the Lord's beloved consorts complied with His command. In concluding the description of the Raas-leela, Shukaacaraya tells Parikshit (the grandson of Arjuna and son of Abhimanyu), Brahma raatre upaavrutte. Perhaps, there is an esoteric interpretation for Brahma in Brahma raatra. However, the literal meaning would be after the conclusion a night (raatri) of Brahma. The gopis all returned to their homes (swa gruhaan), against their wishes (anicchyantO), after the conclusion of a night of Brahma. This is the literal meaning as also given by Srila Prabhupada. Exactly the same meaning is implied in the Hindi translation provided by Gorakhpur Press authors that night was like a night of Brahma and the muhurtam (subdivision of a day) known as Braahmamuhurtam arrived and although the gopis did not wish, because of rishnas command, they returned to their respective homes. Srila Prabhupada uses the word consorts for Bhagavatpriyaahaa, which describes the gopis. Priya means dear and priyaa means a female who is very dear. However, the use of the term consort here seems inappropriate if we consider other aspects of Raas-leela described by Shukaacarya in the preceding verses. The Hindi translation seems more fitting and is given as gopis who knew what was dear to rishna and who were therefore interested in fulfilling rishnas wishes in everyway. This is another implication of priyaahaa, in addition to consorts. The gopis of Vrindavana were enjoying the divine Raasa-kredhaa with Krishna, the son of Vasudeva. Krishna told them to return (anumoditaah). The divine autumn night that we are described here lasted as long as the night of Brahma, i.e., for 4.32 billion years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasa_lila; see also http://zeenews.india.com/Janmashtmi08/story.aspx?aid=463584 One can only wonder what all this means and what the gopis experienced! In this context, it is also worth recalling the story of the king named Kukudmi and his daughter Revati, as told by the world-renowned astronomer Jayant Narlikar. In
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Krishna enjoyed the dance of love (rasa-lila) with the gopis many of whom are expansions of His own internal energies. The supreme gopi known as Srimati Radharani is the object of Krishna's highest devotion. http://www.picturesocial.com/photo/dscn5847/prev?context=user

the 1960s, Narlikar and his doctoral thesis Professor, Fred Hoyle, proposed an alternative to the Big Bang theory of Creation. Heres the description of one moment of Brahma, as given by Narlikar (see page 9), from the standpoint of the theory of relativity (and the phenomenon known time dilation, or dilatation). This is extracted from one of the many books written by Narlikar on astrophysics and relativity. http://happyhealthyhome11.wordpress.com/2011/05/08/where-time-stands-stilljayant-v-narlikar/ The gopis must have experienced something similar in the presence of Krishna Himself during Raas-leela. Time seemed to have come to a standstill and the night seemed to have lasted as long as a night of Brahma. Or, did that night actually last as long as the night of Brahma? Why is Brahma raatra used?
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All our pseudo-scientific attempts to calculate when Dwaapara yuga started must clearly be questioned in view of this assertion of Raas-leela lasting for the duration of one Brahma-night.

Very sincerely V. Laxmanan April 21, 2012 ******************************************************************

Kaalaatmaka Parameshwara Raam

Dear All: In the well-known Naama Ramayanam, recited often in most of our temples (there is a reason why most is bolded and also underlined here -- it is a coded message for some recipients ), we find an interesting verse which we should discuss, following the recent email on the duration of the Rasa-lila performed by Krishna with the gopis. This version of the Ramayanam, where the entire story is told in 108 short one-line verses, was composed by Madhvashri Pandit Lakshmanaacarya, as noted in the Tamil translation of the Sundara Kandam, published by LIFCO (5th Ed, 2011, see appendices to this book). The following link gives this Ramayanam in various languages (go to http://www.prapatti.com, click on Stotras, scroll down to Nama Ramayanam and click on language of choice). http://www.prapatti.com/slokas/sanskrit/namaramayanam.pdf

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Shuddha Brahma Paraatpara Raam l Kaalaatmaka Parameshwara Raam l Shesha talpa sukha nidrita Raam l Brahmaadyamara praartita Raam l The first two lines are pregnant with deep meaning and the second line above is of immediate interest to us here. Aatma means the self and Kaala means time. What is Aatmaka? We all know the word baalaka which means a boy. The word is derived by adding ka to baala, which means a child. A young boy is not exactly a child but has properties like that of a child, behaves like one, hence baalaka. Likewise, we say baalikaa for a young girl, and baalaa for a baby girl. The word naashaka means one who has the property of being able to destroy, with naasha meaning destruction. We find this word in the well-known Lingaashtakam addressed to Lord Shiva. Now, here we have Aatmaka which means having the property of holding within the self. What is being held? Time itself is being held. This is the property of the Divine. As an introduction to Nama Ramayanam, the poet is telling us that the Supreme Being Raama has complete control of time. Indeed, time lies entrapped within Him. Time cannot exist until He lets it function. In the last email about the duration of Raasa-leela, I had alluded to the slowing down of time in the vicinity of an object with a massive gravitational field, such as a black hole, as predicted by Einstein's general theory of relativity. The special theory of relativity (where gravity field is not considered) predicts a similar slowing down of clocks held by an observer moving at or very close to the speed of light. These are man-made conceptions of time and certainly very baffling. And, now here we encounter Kaalaatmaka Parameshwara Raam - one who holds time entrapped within Himself - the Supreme Being that is Raam.
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We do not need to conceive black holes and immensely powerful gravitational fields (they would crush us or tear us apart) to conceive the slowing down or even a complete cessation of time. Time comes to a standstill when we are in the presence of the Supreme Being. Just try to feel this when you are meditating or praying a temple in the presence of the Divine. No wonder, Shukaacaraya tells us that Krishna performed the Raasa-leela with the gopis for a night that was as long as the night of Brahma. In the presence of the Supreme Being time will just slow down and an ordinary 8 or 12 hour period will stretch to billions of years. The description of duration of Raasa-lila is now available as a public document, see link given below. Very sincerely V. Laxmanan April 21, 2012 http://www.scribd.com/doc/90505011/DurationofRaasaLeela

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The Sport of the Infinite http://www.dlshq.org/religions/rasalila.htm http://moreindia.in/blog/2011/03/manipuri-rasa-lila/ Manipuri photos http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/profiles/blogs/lord-siva Gopiswara

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Canto 10: The Summum Bonum Chapter 33: The Rsa Dance
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: rmad Bhgavatam 10.33.38 brahma-rtra upv tte vsudevnumodit anicchantyo yayur gopya sva-g hn bhagavat-priy SYNONYMS brahma-rtre the nighttime of Brahm; upv tte being completed; vsudeva by Lord a; anumodit advised; anicchantya unwilling; yayu went; gopya the gops; sva-g hn to their homes; bhagavat of the Supreme Lord; priy the dear consorts. TRANSLATION After an entire night of Brahm had passed, Lord a advised the gops to return to their homes. Although they did not wish to do so, the Lord's beloved consorts complied with His command. PURPORT In the Bhagavad-gt (8.17, chapter 8, verse 17) Lord a explains, "By human calculation, a thousand ages taken together is the duration of Brahm's one day. And such also is the duration of his night." Thus one thousand ages entered within a single twelve-hour night when Lord a performed His rsa dance. rla Vivantha Cakravart compares this inconceivable impression of time to the fact that many universes fit neatly within the forty-mile range of earthly V ndvana. Or one may consider that mother Yaod could not encircle the small abdomen of child a with numerous ropes, and that at another time He manifested many universes within His mouth. The transcendence of spiritual reality above and beyond mundane physics is concisely explained in rla Rpa Gosvm's Laghu-bhagavatm ta: eva ra h riy ca dhmna ca samayasya ca avicintya- ra hvatvd atra kicin na d rgha am

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"Nothing is impossible for the Lord, His dear devotees, His transcendental abode or the time of His pastimes, for all these entities are inconceivably powerful." rla Vivantha Cakravart further e plains that the word vsudevnumodit indicates that Lord a advised the gops, "To assure the success of these pastimes, you and I should keep them secret." The word vsudeva, a name of a, also indicates Lord a's plenary expansion who acts as the presiding Deity of consciousness. When the word vsudeva is understood in this conte t, the word vsudevnumodit indicates that the presiding Deity of consciousness, Vsudeva, manifested embarrassment and fear of their elders within the gops' hearts, and therefore it was only with great reluctance that the young girls returned home.

**************************************************** Where Time Stands Still- Jayant V Narlikar

http://happyhealthyhome11.wordpress.com/2011/05/08/where-time-stands-stilljayant-v-narlikar/ Posted on May 8, 2011 by vjvrajesh Indian mythology has this story about king Kukudmi who had a beautiful daughter Revati with many eligible suitors. In a dilemma over how to choose the right husband for her, Kukudmi took her to see no less a person than the creator Brahma himself. Brahma was involved in some work at the time and told ukudmi to wait a second till he could attend to him. Kukudmi waited and when Brahma made himself available, presented his problem to him. Brahma laughed. Your brief wait here has meant that several aeons have elapsed on the Earth. So all those prospective husbands for Revati are no more. He advised Kukudmi to get back to Earth and marry his daughter to Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna. This story finds strange echoes in the remarkable phenomena that astronomers are familiar with, namely black holes, for time plays strange tricks as one approaches a black hole. Before coming to this phenomenon, let us take a brief look at what a black hole is supposed to be and how it could form.
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A black hole is briefly described as an object which is so compact that its strong gravity prevents even light from leaving its surface. .While looking for a candidate to become a black hole, astronomers look for an object so massive, that there is no known physical agency within it to counter its own contracting force of gravity. Such an object would keep on shrinking and shrinking till it became compact enough to be called a black hole. We need such a shrinking object to connect up with the experience of king Kukudmi. Imagine two observers A and B who are in constant communication through light signals. A is a distant observer while B sits on the surface of the shrinking object. Both enter into an agreement whereby they send signals to each other once every minute. This agreement works in an uneventful way to start with. But as time proceeds, A will discover that Bs signals do not reach him every minute. In fact, the interval between the signals grows progressively, to an hour, a day, even a month. And there would come a time when As wait is so prolonged that he would be left wondering when Bs ne t signal would come, indeed if it would come at all. The mystery behind why this happens is resolved if we take note of Einsteins general theory of relativity. The theory of relativity tells us that whenever the force of gravity in a region grows in strength, time there flows more slowly. As the object shrinks, the force of gravity on it grows and the watch of observer B runs more and more slowly than the watch of the faraway observer A. So, although B diligently sends his signals every minute, as measured by his watch, to A the interval between signals is longer than a minute. This effect is known as time-dilatation. And at the stage of becoming a black hole, time dilatation reaches infinity and Bs time almost stands still as noted by As watch. So one can say that Brahmas den was close to becoming a black hole and Kukudmi was experiencing no more than time dilatation! Black holes, for many of us, are a here-and-now phenomenon. Doesnt time stand still in a government office? The writer (vjvrajesh, see link above) is an astrophysicist

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