Krishna performs His Lilas to relish Ānanda and give Ānanda to His devotees. These Ānanda Lilas are full of a variety of moods, events and details of Rasa called Vaichitri. All the pastimes of God are completely blissful, but through Lila Vaichitri, Ānanda is relished in various forms. Just like how boiling milk swells up, though it does not increase in volume, Ānanda swells up (or expands) through Lila Vaichitri.
In Vrindavan Lilas, Krishna and Radharani are Mugdha. They are not omniscient. The Lord of the infinite universes, who is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, willingly gets veiled by Yogamaya and forgets His Lordship. He considers Himself as an ordinary person. He engages in an eternal drama with His devotees. The Director and Producer of this drama is His internal potency, Yogamaya. She not only creates each pastime of Radha Krishna but also makes it happen flawlessly.
There are three potencies of Krishna: Swarupa Shakti (internal potency), Jiva/Tatasthā Shakti (marginal potency) and (Bahirangā) Maya Shakti (external potency). Through Bahirangā Maya Shakti, all the Jivatmas are veiled by illusion. They forget their eternal form, that is, they are part and parcel of God. Hence, they wander in the material world through innumerable lifetimes and are stuck in the cycle of birth and death. This Mahāmāyā is darkness and the source of Jiva’s miseries while Swarupa Shakti or Yogamāyā is divine and blissful. Yogamaya also veils Radha Krishna and creates all Their sweet pastimes.
(Bhagavat Geeta 7.25)
Meaning: I am not manifest to everyone, being veiled by My divine Yogmaya energy. Hence, those without knowledge do not know that I am without birth and changeless.
Those who are ignorant and veiled by Mahamaya, do not know these pastimes. God forgets His Lordship and acts like an ordinary person. When He is hungry, He cries before His mother, “Maiya, give me something to eat!” When Mother Yashoda scolds Him, tears swell up in His eyes out of fear! Is this just acting? Is He omniscient and omnipotent but only acts like this knowingly? No, He is really Mugdha. He is veiled by Yogamaya. (As explained in previous articles, sometimes Krishna is Mugdha and sometimes He is Sarvagya, according to the need of the pastimes.)
Radharani cries, “O Krishna! Where are you?” Does she not know where Krishna is? She can be Sarvagya if She wants to be. She is Hlādini Shakti and non-different from Krishna. How can Krishna be away from Her? Radharani and Krishna can never be separated from each other, just like fire and its ability to burn cannot be separated. They are eternally together. Still, in Vrindavan Lila, it is seen that Radharani is pained by the separation from Krishna. She becomes so engulfed in grief as if the whole universe and Creation are empty of any happiness. “Ha Krishna! Ha Krishna!” She cries in pain. How is this possible? This pastime of Viraha (separation) is created by Yogamaya. Radharani relishes the pain of separation from Krishna in order to relish the extraordinary bliss of meeting Krishna again! The extraordinary quality of pleasure of meeting each other after experiencing the pain of separation cannot be experienced if They are eternally together.
Therefore, God appears on Earth and manifests His earthly pastimes in every Yuga. Through Yogamaya, He manifests such pastimes where He is seen speaking lies, stealing things, etc. All these pastimes give immense pleasure to His devotees. The Vraja Gopis had performed innumerable austerities in their previous lives to relish and take part in His Mādhurya Rasa Lilas. Srutis, Munis, Rishis, etc have engaged in austerities for innumerable lives to attain the form of Gopis. They are not ordinary women. They are transcendental, untouched by Maya and expansions of Krishna’s Swarupa Shakti. They are made of Achintya Shakti of Krishna.
The little child Kanhaiya steals butter every day in one of the houses of the Gopis. He would gather His Sakhas and steal butter from them in extraordinary ways! Is there any lack of butter in Krishna’s home? There are nine lakhs of milk-giving cows in the Gaushala of Nanda Baba. Who will consume so much milk, yogurt, butter and ghee? But still, He steals butter from Gopis to give them immense pleasure. He implements new ways of stealing butter every day! Gopis also try to devise new plans to catch Him red (or white!)-handed, but Krishna manages to get away from them in extraordinary ways! Even if He gets caught, He deceives them so skillfully and gets away that they start wondering what happened!
One elderly Gopi was determined to catch Krishna stealing butter. She knew that Krishna would definitely come to steal her butter one day. So, she always stayed alert. ‘I will definitely catch him, no matter what!’ she thought. One day, she was sitting in a dark corner of her house when Kanhaiya came into her house to steal butter. Kanhaiya didn’t see her and thought she had gone off to work the fields like other Vrajawasis. So, He proceeded to the room where the earthen pot full of butter was kept on a hanging rope basket and had just taken the pot down when the elderly Gopi called, “Kanhaiya! Are you stealing butter?” Kanhaiya was frightened to see the Gopi. He quickly made up a story! “O Mausi (sister of one’s mother)! O Mausi!” He started yelling. “Where are you, Mausi? Isn’t there anyone in the house? Where is everyone?” The Gopi came forward and said, “Kanhaiya! Are you trying to be clever? Do you think you can outwit me? You have come here to steal butter and now you say where is Mausi?!”
But Kanhaiya pretended to not have heard her. “Oho, where is everyone? My mother has performed a ritual worship of Lord Satyanārāyan today. She has sent Prasada to give to Mausi but nobody can be seen here. I don’t have time to linger.” He said to himself and then, pretending He had just seen the Gopi, He said, “Oho Dādi (grandmother), are you here?” “Ha! Dādi?! You came to steal butter and now, you pretend to give Prasada?” said the Gopi, scornfully. “Look, this is why I don’t come here! My mother has sent me to give Prasada of Satyanārāyan Kathā to the house of Rāmavati Maiya. I came here only due to this and you started calling me a thief! This is why I don’t come here!” said Kanhaiya, pretending to be angry and started crying loudly. He cried so convincingly that the elderly Gopi thought that she must have seen wrong and misunderstood Him!
‘Maybe I have seen wrong? It is possible that he really came to give Prasada,’ she thought. Kanhaiya said, “Look, taste this butter and see for yourself if this is your mediocre butter or the Prasada sent by my mother! Did I come to eat your mediocre butter? Taste and see for yourself.” The elder Gopi thought that the cows of Nanda Baba’s Gaushala were indeed of superior breed than her cows. There is no need for Kanhaiya to come and steal her butter. So, she decided to taste the butter.
Kanhaiya made her sit down and told her to open her mouth. The toothless grandmother opened her mouth. Kanhaiya put a ball of butter into her mouth and smeared butter all around her mouth. Then, He quickly placed the earthen pot of butter on her lap, ran outside and started yelling. “Look, look! Everyone, come and see! This elderly Gopi steals butter every day and puts the blame on me! Come and see for yourself!” He yelled. Vrajawasis gathered around the house and saw the Gopi sitting with the pot full of butter on her lap and butter all over her mouth! She could not even speak because her mouth was full of butter. Kanhaiya ran away immediately! This is an Ānanda Lila of Kanhaiya.
Another day, little Kanhaiya was really caught by a clever Gopi. “Kanhaiya, let’s go and visit your Maiya today. I will tell her what an innocent child you are! I will settle all accounts with you today!” said the Gopi, holding Kanhaiya firmly by His hand. In the village of Vraja, Gopis pulled long veils over their faces when they went to public places. Hence, this Gopi too pulled a long veil over her face and dragging Kanhaiya along with her, she started walking briskly towards Nanda Baba’s house. Kanhaiya’s Sakhas also followed them. Halfway, Kanhaiya implored the Gopi with tearful eyes, “Gopi, you are very hard-hearted! You are dragging me so harshly! My soft wrist is paining due to this. Take my other hand. I cannot bear this pain anymore!”
Gopi thought that Kanhaiya’s wrist was indeed very soft. So she agreed to hold His other hand. Kanhaiya quietly beckoned one of His Sakhas and instead of His own other hand, let the Gopi hold His Sakha’s hand. The Sakha also did not make a sound and did as he was told. The Gopi did not notice it due to her long veil. She continued dragging the Sakha by his hand.
Here, Kanhaiya quietly ran away through another route and reached home. He sat on Mother Yashoda’s lap and started complaining with tearful eyes, “Maiya, these Gopis come to our house every day and falsely accuse me of stealing their butter. Tell me, is there a lack of butter in our house? Why would I go to their house to steal butter? Alas, what should I do? They all falsely blame me and defame me in all of Vraja.” “Don’t worry, my dear Kanhaiya, don’t cry! Now, whenever a Gopi comes and falsely accuses you, I will scold her,” said Mother Yashoda, pacifying Him.
At that moment, the Gopi entered the courtyard of Mother Yashoda, firmly holding the Sakha by his hand. “Yashode! O, Yashode! Where are you?” she called. Many villagers had followed the Gopi along with the Sakhas and gathered to see what had happened. “Look at your son Kanhaiya. You always say that your son is innocent, completely truthful doesn’t even know how to steal. Today, I have caught him stealing butter and brought him to you. Look for yourself!” ranted the Gopi, excitedly. All the Vrajawasis gathered started laughing. Mother Yashoda said, smiling, “Did you see who you have caught and brought here?” The Gopi removed her veil and looked at the child she was holding firmly by the hand. It was not Kanhaiya but some other child. She became very embarrassed. Everyone was laughing and she could not say anything out of embarrassment.
Kanhaiya said, “Look, Maiya, look! She is such a liar! And she is so dumb!” Standing behind Mother Yashoda, Kanhaiya stuck out his tongue and thumb mockingly. The Gopi left Nanda Bhavan and was on her way back home when Kanhaiya came running to her. “Gopi, don’t ever dare to catch me in the future! Today, I made you hold my Sakha’s hand. If you try to catch me again, I will make you hold your husband’s hand!” said Kanhaiya.
This is Vraja’s Ānanda Lila! These pastimes are beyond the comprehension of mundane intelligence. These are only meant to be relished (and not analyzed). Without Prema, one cannot relish these pastimes. Attracted by these pastimes, many devotees serve Laddu Gopala deities in their homes. Gopala manifests many Ānanda Lilas with such devotees. Devotees contemplate Vraja pastimes and inspired by them, inculcate similar feelings for Laddu Gopala, who reciprocates by manifesting many pastimes with those devotees. By immersing themselves in the contemplation of these pastimes, they progress in the path of Bhakti.
For instance, one Maiya serves Gopala deity in her home in Vātsalya mood of love. Her Gopala urinates and makes the bed wet like an ordinary child! Even though there is no source of water around the Gopala, His bed or Asana is always found wet. Such pastimes still happen in today’s time. The devotees receive a spark of Ānanda from such pastimes and they become more and more engaged in the contemplation of these pastimes. Gradually, they become free from Maya and attain pure Prema Bhakti one day.
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