HOLY

By Sur Das
describing the 40 days Annual Vasanta Holy festival
1250
Winter itself left and went to maha-indu-sagar. Sun is at uttarayana…Cookoes are singing…
New red leaves are sprouting on the trees…yellow safran is coming…mango trees pollen. Creaper
flowering. Intoxicated bees buzzing around and drink nectar.
Fragrance of sandal and aguru everywhere, kesar, kasturu…pichkars – suringes…dark red gulal…
cookoes and bees are like oldiers and make noice…
….
Yasoda woke up Krishna telling Him that it is spring…Gopis told Radhika that a raven is on the roof
of Her palace making noise – it means Krishna is coming with His party from far.
…….
The gopis said: “Hey Radhe, Kamadev with the spring has come! Please come out! The dust raised by
the cows of Vrindavan is like a moonlight. The coos and bees are like poets glorifying their king,
Kamadeva, who grants new colorful dress for the naked trees.”
“Everyone is attracted to Him, but He is coming attracted by You!”
“The spring is like general of Kamadev, invoking and enforcing our erotic desires to enjoy with Him.
Breezes carry sweetest fragrances...Yamuna was moving slowly. The trees look like colorful flames
which further steer our passion, even the pigeons are quarreling, shouting at each other. Red colors
blossomed everywhere. Waterfalls are like playing big drums, marching Kamadeva’s soldiers.”
“At that moment even the chaste household elder ladies got on the roofs of their homes to behold
Krishna. Wherever is a lotus there is a bumblebee. Krishna is the bumblebee who always teases the
elder gopis…”
Radha took a stick to chastise Krishna…?! Many were dancing, spinning and singing…! Some having
sticks, geegling and shouting to Krishna with beautiful smiles!
257 All the gopis abandon their shyness and fought wild! The combs” chotis” were swining on the
beat, as if Yamuna’s waves were playing with their heads…Their gentle noses adored with red
piercings were are like parrots beaks capturing pomegranate. Their sparking nails mesmerizing the
sun-god…
1260
Krishna call trough His flute. Gopas shouting “hori he!” Gorgious Gopis wear red sari with blue uttari
and were heavily decorated with the 16 ornaments,playing Dahp – flat drums
( daire)...Janch...Flutes...Been snake (charmer pipe)... storm out...like golden creepers rushing to a
bumblebee (generally is the opposite!) , ready to tie Him with ropes, as bumblebee stuck in a flower.,
shakes in ecstasy, covered with different pollen colors.
Few gopis came from the back and by surprise try to take Krishna to their camp. Red Paint of liquit
gulal and kurkum...throwing red powder. Krishna became redish like cloud at sunset.
Radha said: “let's capture Hari, who is playing flute with different melodies capturing our minds!”
1263
The main dance was spinning “phirki” (sur das). No one could recognize the painted gopis dressed
exactly in the same day, likthiefs in a daytime didn't fear the elders...
Krishna was throwing mainly yellow color...Gopis red...tying Radha and Krishna's cloth happening at
that time...Gantuli gram.
“Hori he!” means “Holi he!” “ra” and “la” are replacable in Vrajabhasa. Krishna's army, the gops,
wear all the colors...
1265
Krishna pull out her veil and Radha got angry saying : “I will not play with you.”
Gopiss told Her “please stay ! it happens in that game!”
1266
All groups of gopis came to play. Radha called all of Her countless friends, chewing red tambula,
having red teet and red decorative dots, holding golden pots with Holi liquids and powder having
syringes like guns. The gopas were already playing. The gopis confronted them. The gopis roared and
attacked them with sticks. The gopis headed by Llita jumped, catched Krishna twisted His hands and
grabbed Him by the neck. “You stole gopis clothes, and so much butter. Now w take revenge. Bow
down to golden Radha and beg for mercy!” Then they tight Their cloth “vivaha lila” they pored a big
pot of red liquid on His head.
1269
Sometimes gopis gather and come to Nandagram to challenge the gopas. Some gopis were banging
and clapping with hands on the beat, and laughing at the boys, who were already there. “Where are
you Krishna. Why are you afraid? Come out!”
1270
Radha and Krishna became multicolorful and with varity of flavor, like Vrindavana forest…Radha is
holding kurkum Krishna is holding the kesar…all gopis were dancing. Every touch of Krishna’s
liquid sprinkled on them the gopis feel so much ecstasy. Gopis someitime shouted “we will call
Nanda Baba and complain” After the Holi gopis asked for gifts.
1271
When Krishna began loosing the fight at one point He spat tambula on Radharani’s bodies and run
away. Radhika became so furious that She singlehandedly beat up the boys entered deep in their line
catch Krishna and spat tambula on Him! She took revenge in that way.
1275
Radhika, who is like the moon among the star like gopis, ordered “O lalita O Visakha, smear cow-
dunk on the houses and make holy decoration. Fill up the pots with choba, chandaan, kasturi, kunkum,
golal powder and prepare for war!”
Special pastime…
Once Radha was churning dahi, but when Krishna came, Her chandrika and other flowers began to all
from Her had and the pot tumbled…She took some of the yougurt and throw it on Krishna. The spots
of yogurt on His body looked like flok of white cranes flying under rainy cloud. He grabed Her
hands, but Radhika immediately said “Krishna, don’t worry..Be patiened. I will wipe out all the dahi.”
Special pastime…
While Krishna surprised at other time in Yavat also ready to throw colors She stopped Him by
saying..” O Krishna don’t throw color on Me! I have to churn the dahi then fetch water from Yamun.
Everyone will see the colors and Jatila will lock me in the house. Let me go…I will meet you later in
the nikunja!” Krishna smiled amid let Her go, happily singing.
Once Rasdhika said “I will not play Holi with You, because you are so rough, you pour to much color
on My breasts and are twisting my hands. We can understand why is that. You are from a poor
common family, stealing food from others. I am a Queen. You are not a good match for Me.”
1281
Some days of Holy Krishna came with His friends playing loud music and shouting “Hori, Hori!”The
gopis tokk to the roofs and balconies to see Him…Some bold ones began throwing gulal, kurkum at
Krishna from distance…
1282
One gopi sais “Lets block Krishna at sarkari-khor tell Him everything we want to say the by surprise
from behind throw all colors on Him!”
Krishna made Gopis’ white teeth glow with many colors… Krishna would throw color straight in
their eyes and kiss them. The gopis did the same to Him as a revenge! Then Lalita hold His hands, the
gopis were painting His face in different colors laughing “Hori he! Hori he!”
The nupurs ankle-bells of Radhika were making gentle sound like singing of a baby swans…Her walk
is like of maddened elephant…her waist is like of tigress.
The preferred sweet to offer by tradition in Holi to a guest is the famous “gujiya”!(half moon)
Sometimes Krishna says to Batu and Sridam to join the gopis against Him, to have more fun. Another
time some gopis complain to mother Yassoda – “Krishna is not obeying any rules!”
When the gopis capture Krishna sometimes they dressed Him as a girl with kajjasl, simant, bangles,
nupurs, bindi, sari, and take Him to Yasoda “Call Syam to meet this beauty!”. Then she recognized
Him and laughed, giving gifts to all the gopis.
Gopis asked Krishna not put too much gulal in their cause they can’t see Him!
ALL SURDAS WRITING PARTAIN TO VASANT HOLI, ATTENDED BY ALL!