Philosophy:Raslila
The Raslila (Sanskrit: रासलीला, romanized: Rāsalīlā),[1][2] also rendered the Rasalila or the Ras dance, is part of a traditional story described in Hindu texts such as the Bhagavata Purana and Gita Govinda, where Krishna dances with Radha and the gopis of Braj. Rasalila has also been a popular theme for other India classical dances including Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Manipuri Raas Leela, Kuchipudi, and Kathak.[3]
The Indian classical dance of Kathak and Manipuri rasalila are evolved from the rasalila of Braj. Kathak, also known as Natwari Nritya, was revived in the 1960s by the Kathak dancer, Uma Sharma.[4]
Etymology
The term raslila is derived from the Sanskrit words ras which means "nectar", "emotion" or "sweet taste" and lila meaning "act," "play" or "dance." Thus, it is more broadly defined as the "Dance of Divine Love" or "Sweet act of Krishna."[5]
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Legend
In the Bhagavata Purana it is stated that whoever faithfully hears or describes the rasalila attains Krishna's pure loving devotion (Suddha-bhakti).[6] The rasalila is considered to be the "ultimate message" of the Bhagavata Purana.[5]: 1 The story starts in Vraja, where Krishna is inspired to play music on his flute. Hearing the music, the gopis leave their homes and families and make it to Krishna. When they came closer, Krishna playfully disappears and reappears. Krishna talks about love and performs rasalila with each of the gopis, assuming numerous forms. The story ends with the gopis reluctantly going back to their homes after refreshing in a nearby river.[5]: 2
Graham Schweig observes that a closer reading of the story leads one to see the story as a symbol of "intense devotion to God" and not a "display of worldly lust". Verse 10.33.40 of the Bhagavata states that, "the person who has heard this story will attain high devotion to the Lord, and then, sobered, he will quickly throw off lust, the disease of the heart."[7]
Schweig argues for an appreciation of the "unique vision" presented in the text in which God is "an adorable, eternally youthful cowherd boy who plays the flute and delights in amorous dalliance with his dearest devotees".[5]: 3 Schweig compares the rasalila to the "Song of Songs". He argues that just as the Song of Solomon has been ascribed the highest status in relation to other books of the Bible by mystics of the Jewish and Christian traditions, the rasalila has been considered by Vaishnava traditions to be the "crown-jewel of all acts of God".[5]: 8
Just as a child plays at its own will with its reflection in a mirror, with the help of his Yogamaya, Krishna sported with the gopis, who are regarded to have been shadows of his own form.[8] Krishna's yogamaya intensifies devotion because it causes devotees to forget his majesty and form an initimate connection.[9]
Performance
Rasalila has been a popular theme in Kathak, Bharatanatyam,[10] Odissi, Manipuri, and Kuchipudi dance forms. Rasalila is a popular form of folk theatre in the regions of Mathura, Vrindavana in Uttar Pradesh, Nathdwara amongst various followers of Pushtimarg or the Vallabh sect and other sects in the regions of India. It is also seen in Gaudiya Vaishnavism in Nadia a district of West Bengal which is also known for Raas Utsava. Vanga Raas of Santipur is the main festival of this town, Nabadwip also has Shakta Raas.
References
- ↑ wisdomlib.org (1970-01-01). "Rasalila, Rāsalīlā, Rasa-lila: 1 definition". https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/rasalila.
- ↑ Bryant, Edwin; Ekstrand, Maria (2004-06-23). The Hare Krishna Movement: The Postcharismatic Fate of a Religious Transplant. Columbia University Press. pp. 445. ISBN 978-0-231-50843-8. https://books.google.com/books?id=mBMxPdgrBhoC&dq=rasalila+krishna&pg=PA445.
- ↑ Mohapatra, J. (2013). Wellness in Indian Festivals & Rituals. Partridge Publishing. pp. 164. ISBN 978-1-4828-1690-7. https://books.google.com/books?id=UdpzAgAAQBAJ&dq=worship+radha&pg=PA164.
- ↑ Richmond, Farley P.; Darius L. Swann; Phillip B. Zarrilli (1993). Indian theatre: traditions of performance. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 197. ISBN 81-208-0981-5. https://books.google.com/books?id=3HIh7oPkvAMC&q=Uma+Sharma&pg=PA198.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Schweig, G.M (2005). Dance of divine love: The Rasa Lila of Krishna from the Bhagavata Purana, India's classic sacred love story. New York: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11446-3.
- ↑ Bhag-P 10.33.39
- ↑ Schweig, Graham M. (2018). Dance of Divine Love: India's Classic Sacred Love Story: The Rasa Lila of Krishna. Princeton: Princeton University Press. pp. xvi. ISBN 978-0-691-19017-4. https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/267/monograph/book/60996.
- ↑ Hanumanprasad, Poddar (1941). Gopīs' Love for Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Gorakhpur: Gita Press.
- ↑ Gupta, Gopal K. (2020). Māyā in the Bhāgavata Purāna: human suffering and divine play. Oxford theology and religion monographs. Oxford New York (N.Y.): Oxford university press. pp. 114. ISBN 978-0-19-885699-3.
- ↑ Performing Arts, Ahalya (22 December 2016). "Rasa Lila / Rasakreeda Bharata Natyam Performance". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsQroDxqrCk.
Further reading
- Music in traditional Indian theatre: special reference to Raas Leela, by Rani Balbir Kaur. Shubhi Publications, 2006. ISBN 978-81-87226-99-4.
Bibliography
- Dance of Divine Love: The rasalila of Krishna from the Bhagavata Purana, India's classic sacred love story, by Graham M. Schweig. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ; 2005 (ISBN 0-691-11446-3).
- Rasa - Love Relationships in Transcendence, by Swami B.V. Tripurari (ISBN 978-1-886069-10-7)
- Theatre and Religion on Krishna's Stage, by David Mason, New York: Palgrave, 2009
- "Essays on Indo-Aryan Mythology", by Narayan Aiyangar, 1898 (ISBN 1-104-83270-4) (ISBN 978-1-104-83270-4)
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