To show the world that even though he appeared indifferent to them, the gopis did not decrease one drop in their affection for him

All respects to the tasters of the rāsa dance. Śrīdhara Svāmī mentions in his commentary that Kṛṣṇa disappeared at the beginning of the rāsa dance since he saw the gopīs ’pride in performing the dance. He also mentions that Kṛṣṇa seems to have been conquered by Cupid, since he enjoyed with others’ wives. Bādarāyaṇi began speaking. He spoke from the strength of his greatness. Vyāsa, his father, is called Bādrāyaṇa because he performed great austerities at Badirikāśrama, characterized by worship of Kṛṣṇa. Since he was omniscient, such acts of worship were expected of him. The result of his worship was his son. Śukadeva revealed exceptional qualities of omniscience and prema for the Lord. The analysis of his name Bādarāyaṇi thus indicates his glories. The rāsa dance should be heard by such devotees as this. Another version has Śrī Śuka (parrot) uvāca. This indicates that Śukadeva possessed the softest speech since he had the highest rasa as his very nature. One should hear the rāsa dance topics with such a heart. Śukadeva shows that the main reason for all of Kṛṣṇa’s actions was to give happiness to the gopīs, to fulfill their desires. This produced Kṛṣṇa’s own happiness. Sākṣān manmatha-manmathaḥ: he was the bewilderer of Cupid. (SB 10.32.2) Trailokya-lakṣmy-eka-padaṁ vapur dadhat: his body, the exclusive abode of beauty and opulence within the three worlds, shone brilliantly as the gopīs worshiped him. (SB 10.32.14) gopyas tapaḥ kim acaran yad amuṣya rūpaṁ lāvaṇya-sāram asamordhvam ananya-siddham dṛgbhiḥ pibanty anusavābhinavaṁ durāpam ekānta-dhāma yaśasaḥ śrīya aiśvarasya What austerities must the gopīs have performed! With their eyes they always drink the nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s form, which is the essence of loveliness and is not to be equaled or surpassed. That loveliness is the only abode of beauty, fame and opulence. It is self-perfect, ever fresh and extremely rare. SB 10.44.14 This happiness arises from the special experience of Kṛṣṇa’s form, taste, smell, touch and sound, rarely attained even by ātmārāmas and because the nectar of his lips is not available anywhere else. In five chapters, equivalent to the five dear senses, Śukadeva will describe the rāsa dance with the gopīs who were qualified with the most perfect prema. The special nature of Kṛṣṇa’s and the gopīs’ new rāga is described in these chapters. Pītvā mukunda-mukha-sāragham akṣi-bhṛṅgais: with their cup-like eyes, the women of Vṛndāvana drank the honey of the beautiful face of Mukunda. (SB 10.15.43) Gopīnāṁ paramānanda āsīd govinda-darśane: the young gopīs took the greatest pleasure in seeing Govinda. (SB 10.19.16) itthaṁ śarat-svaccha-jalaṁ padmākara-sugandhinā nyaviśad vāyunā vātaṁ sa -go-gopālako ‘cyutaḥ The infallible Lord, accompanied by his cows and cowherd boyfriends, entered that Vṛndāvana forest filled with transparent autumnal waters and cooled by breezes perfumed with the fragrance of lotus flowers. SB 10.21.1 hemante prathame māsi nanda-vraja-kamārikāḥ cerur haviṣyaṁ bhuñjānāḥ kātyāyany-arcana-vratam During the first month of the winter season, the young unmarried girls of Gokula observed the vow of worshiping goddess Kātyāyanī. For the entire month they ate only unspiced khichrī. SB 10.22.1 The gopīs will describe Kṛṣṇa as follows: śarad-udāśaye sādhu-jāta-sat- sarasijodara-śrī-muṣā dṛśā surata-nātha te ’śulka-dāsikā vara-da nighnato neha kiṁ vadhaḥ O Lord of love, in beauty your glance excels the whorl of the finest, most perfectly formed lotus within the autumn pond. O bestower of benedictions, you are killing the maidservants who have given themselves to you freely, without any price. Isn’t this murder? SB 10.31.1 prahasitaṁ priya-prema-vīkṣaṇaṁ viharaṇaṁ ca te dhyāna-maṅgalam rahasi saṁvido yā hṛdi spṛśaḥ kuhaka no manaḥ kṣobhayanti hi Your smiles, your sweet, loving glances, the intimate pastimes and confidential talks that we enjoyed with you—all these are auspicious to meditate upon, and they touch our hearts. But at the same time, O deceiver, they very much agitate our minds. SB 10.31.10 dina-parikṣaye nīla-kuntalair vanaruhānanaṁ bibhrad āvṛtam ghana-rajasvalaṁ darśayan muhur manasi naḥ smaraṁ vīra yacchasi At the end of the day you repeatedly show us your lotus face, covered with dark blue locks of hair and thickly powdered with dust. Thus, O hero, you arouse lusty desires in our minds. SB 10.31.12 rahasi saṁvidaṁ hṛc-chayodayaṁ prahasitānanaṁ prema-vīkṣaṇam bṛhad-uraḥ śriyo vīkṣya dhāma te muhur ati-spṛhā muhyate manaḥ Our minds are repeatedly bewildered as we think of the intimate conversations we had with you in secret, feel the rise of lust in our hearts and remember your smiling face, your loving glances and your broad chest, the resting place of the goddess of fortune. Thus we experience the most severe hankering for you. SB 10.31.17 Remembering all this, Śukadeva then remembers their new relationship, since it should be described in great detail. He thus begins speaking. The word api indicates the previous rāga of the gopīs. One can understand the freshness of their association by previous statements. Till this time they simply desired to enjoy because of the fickleness of their anurāga. Though Kṛṣṇa also had anurāga, waiting for the proper time, he did not show this because of his self-control. These gopīs had attained the middle of kaiśora period, and were the best because of giving happiness to all, being most auspicious and possessing special teachings of the flute. Observing the night that he had promised to the unmarried gopīs (You will enjoy the nights with me. SB 10.22.27) at the beginning of the full moon, he decided to enjoy, giving up his self-control because of heightened anurāga. Though Bhagavān is completely satisfied in himself like the ātmārāma, on seeing the night, he experienced it as an uddīpana. What then to speak of the great prema of the gopīs the ālambana of his love. He had also reached the kaiśora age, which now manifested fully. so ‘pi kaiśora-kavayo mānayan madhusūdanaḥ reme tabhir ameyātmā kṣapāsu kṣapitā hi te Respecting the age of kaiśora, Kṛṣṇa enjoyed with the gopīs for a night of Brahmā. Viṣṇu Purāṇa yuvatīr gopa-kanyāś ca rātrau saṁkālya kālavit kaiśorakaṁ mānayānaḥ saha tābhir mumoda ha Gathering the young gopīs, Kṛṣṇa, knowing the time, respecting the kaiśora age, enjoyed with them. Hari-vaṁśa Kālavit (knower of the time) means that he saw the suitable night. Then he enjoyed with them. Rantuṁ manaś cakre is in the atmanepada to show benefit for himself, according to svaritaṣṭoḥ kartr abhiprāye kriyā-phalam. (Pāṇini 1.3.72) This time was astonishing to him. Using that pretext, the splendor of Vṛndāvana is shown. The nights had fully blossoming jasmine flowers because of the autumn. Since jasmines usually do not bloom in the autumn, the description shows the unprecedented nature of these jasmines. This statement also indicates that all flowers began to blossom at this time. Thus it is indicated that the gopīs (ālambana), time and place were all giving the highest happiness of prema to Kṛṣṇa. Since this enjoyment was special prema caused by the hlādinī-śakti, not material, lusty enjoyment, it is suitable to remove material lust of the listener. The five chapters on rāsa pastimes remove all material attraction. Śrīdhara Svāmī says: dvā-triṁśe virahālāpa-viklinna-hrdayo harih tatrāvirbhūya gopīs tāh sāntvayām āsa mānayan sva-premāmṛtakallola-vihvalī-kṛta-cetasaḥ sadayaṁ nandayan gopīr udgato nanda-nandanaḥ In the thirty-second chapter, Kṛṣṇa afflicted by the conversations of the gopīs in separation, makes his appearance, pacifies them and respects them. Kṛṣṇa appears before the gopīs, whose hearts were thrilled with waves of sweet prema for him, and gives them joy. Śukadeva says: vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ śraddhānvito ’nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ Anyone who faithfully hears or describes the Lord’s playful affairs with the young gopīs of Vṛndāvana will attain the Lord’s pure devotional service. Thus he will quickly become sober and conquer lust, the disease of the heart. SB 10.33.39 Material lust was excluded, for Kṛṣṇa took close shelter of his yogamāyā, his inconceivable spiritual energy. Wherever Kṛṣṇa plays, this energy is present like the rays of the sun. He possesses this śakti innately. This śakti enables him to accomplish impossible pastimes. Yogamāyā also means “mercy of union” since māyā also means mercy: he took complete shelter of mercy that unites individuals. The verse also indicates that from the first time he saw the gopīs till the full moon his desire kept increasing. On the evening of the full moon, after eating his dinner, coming to the door of the roof top bedroom after leaving his mother, he suddenly decided to enact his pastimes.

Vyāsa performed great austerities at Badarikāśrama. As a result Śukadeva was born as his son. Thus Śukadeva was endowed with omniscience and prema full of rasa. Because this work is uttered by him, it should be full of rasa in execution and result. Thus the word bādarāyaniḥ (son of Vyāsa) is used. And therefore it should be heard with devotion. He showing the principal goal of his avatāra, spreading special prema, through fulfilling the desires of the gopīs, revealing Kṛṣṇa’s happiness and playing with them, in five chapters which are like the five prāṇas. First he shows the ingredients, his attracting the gopīs and his special bhāva that caused this. This pastime took place at the proper time, his kaiśora period. Viṣṇu purāṇa says: so ‘pi kaiśora-kavayo mānayan madhusūdanaḥ reme tabhir ameyātmā kṣapāsu kṣapitā hi te Respecting the age of kaiśora, Kṛṣṇa enjoyed with the gopīs for a night of Brahmā. Viṣṇu Purāṇa yuvatīr gopa-kanyāś ca rātrau saṁkālya kālavit kaiśorakaṁ mānayānaḥ saha tābhir mumoda ha Gathering the young gopīs, Kṛṣṇa, knowing the time, respecting the kaiśora age, enjoyed with them. Hari-vaṁśa Remembering his great beauty at the beginning of the rāsa dance. Śukadeva spoke of his great attractiveness, but was unable to express it clearly: tataś ca paugaṇḍa-vayaḥ-śrītau vraje babhūvatus tau paśu-pāla-sammatau gāś cārayantau sakhibhiḥ samaṁ padair vṛndāvanaṁ puṇyam atīva cakratuḥ Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: When Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa attained the age of paugaṇḍa in Vṛndāvana, the cowherd men allowed them to take up the task of tending the cows. Engaging thus in the company of their friends, the two boys rendered the land of Vṛndāvana most auspicious by imprinting upon it the marks of their lotus feet. SB 10.15.1 The rāsa dance was filled with his kaiśora aspects. This will be described later in the appropriate place. To represent all the rāsa dances, one night, the first at the beginning of his kaiśora period, is described. The word bhagavān indicates that in the rāsa dance he manifested the essence of his unlimited qualities as the Lord. Nanda and others had the highest bliss. Bhagavān however (api) desired to perform a special pastime to become most blissful (rantuṁ manaś cakre), on seeing thos nights—which were indescribable, the best of all times, filled with the highest bliss. Thus they were suitable for his pastime. The plural is used to indicate that the dance took place on many nights. That is revealed at the end. At that time, in the autumn, the jasmines were fully blooming. Though Vṛndāvana is the shelter of everything, and all flowers bloom at al times, in the autumn the jasmines and lotuses especially blossom. And they especially blossomed on those nights. That is the intention also in later saying kumudvantam. Seeing the uddīpanas and considering it was suitable for love, he took the assistance of or made manifest his spiritual energy full of eternity, knowledge and bliss. This indicates the highest bliss experienced throught the rāsa dance, superior to all other pastimes, though all the pastimes are full of eternity, knowledge and bliss. This was indicated previously in the eighth chapter concerning the infant pastimes. Or he manifested power and mercy (yogamāyām upāśritaḥ) through his rāsa dance. Or though he always took shelter of his deception (māyā) endowed with self-satisfaction (yoga), now he did not situate himself in this yogamāyā. Rather he now revealed his nature of distributing a wealth of prema of his lotus feet. Or though he usually took shelter of cheating in relationships (yoga), as in the case of the wives of the brāhmaṇas, now he did not cheat in this meeting. He directly met with the gopīs. He met with those gopīs who had come there. Or though he is always served by Lakṣmī (māyā) who is united with him on his chest, she was not present during the rāsa dance. The rāsa dance is hard to attain. Or he took shelter of his flute which makes sounds (māya) for bringing about a meeting (yoga). Or he took shelter in his mind of Rādhā, who is the conclusion (māya) of union (yoga), or who is the attainment (yā) of a wealth (mā) of union (yoga). Padma Purāṇa explains that Rādhā was the cause of the rāsa dance.