‘RAAS LEELA‘-LORD KRISHNA IN VRINDAVAN DANCING WITH GOPIS, SIMULTANEOUSLY ONE AND DIFFERENT-A MANIFESTATION OF CREATIVE ENERGY
The term creation refers to the beginning of things and it helps man to specify his place in the universe and serves as a basis for the orientation of man in the world. The ideas about creation impact our culture in a very significant manner and shape man’s identity.
KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS-DEFINING INDIAN IDENTITY
Krishna is known from the descriptions given in the Indian epic poems of BHAGAVATA PURANA, MAHABHARATHA, and BHAGAVAD GITA(The Lord’s Song). Jayadeva( late 12th century), the author of celebrated Sanskrit poem ‘GITA GOVINDA‘( “Song of Cowherd”), described Lord Krishna‘s delightful and enchanting pastimes, His playful activities are popularly known as “RAAS LEELA”.Jayadeva used the Sanskrit word “ADBHUTA”( an amazing feat) to narrate the mystical ability of Krishna to present Himself in several different forms at one and the same time. Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda gives the readers a sense of joy and the devotional service to Lord Krishna gives a chance to experience a sense of sweetness which is called MADHURYA in the Sanskrit language.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu( 16 th century) established the sublime doctrine of Krishna:’simultaneously one and different’. He promoted devotion to Krishna and I would claim that ‘KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS’ defines my Indian Identity.
LORD KRISHNA – THE CAUSE OF ALL CAUSES(THE BHAGAVAD GITA, CHAPTER 7-THE YOGA OF WISDOM,THE KNOWLEDGE OF ABSOLUTE,VERSE 19):
Lord Krishna is the primary cause of all material manifestations.The Sanskrit word ‘MAYA’ describes the creative energy or potency of Lord Krishna(Verse 7:25). Maya is the governing principle of the material manifestation of the universe and all that it contains. Krishna described Himself as the Supreme Lord, as the governing principle of material manifestation(Verse7:30). The creative energy works in three different levels. 1.Material creation leads to creation of the total material energy known by the Sanskrit word ‘MAHA TATVA’. 2. The creative principle enters into all the universes to create diversities in each of them. The fundamental particles that constitute matter have varying characteristics and properties.The individual variations are an attribute of a creative process. 3. The creative force is diffused as the all-pervading Supersoul in all the universes, and is known by the Sanskrit word ‘PARAMATMA’. It is present even in atoms.
The material universe is a manifestation of the energy of the Lord. All the activities of the material world are directed by the above mentioned three forms of creative energy. However, a distinction could be made between non-living matter and the living entities. It may be said that the living entities are the manifestation of superior energy as they exist by exploiting the products of the gross and subtle inferior energy that manifests as matter(Verse7:5). Krishna consciousness is active in every sphere. Earth, water, fire, air, and every active principle, all chemicals and all material elements are due to Krishna(Verse7:4). He is the origin and dissolution of all that is material and all that is spiritual in this world(Verse7:6). He is the original fragrance of this earth, He is the light in the fire, and He is the life of all that lives(Verse7:9). He is the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, and He is the syllable’AUM’, He is the sound in ether, and He is the ability in man(Verse7:8). He is the original seed of all existences(Verse7:10). Most interestingly, a similar claim is made in the Gospel according to John. The Book of John, chapter 1, verse 3 states, “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” The Bhagavad Gita describes Lord Krishna as the Controller, and all living entities are controlled by Him.
DIVERSE ENERGIES OF THE LORD :
All states or modes of existence such as goodness, passion, and ignorance are manifestations of His energy(Verse7:12). The material nature known by the Sanskrit word ‘PRAKRITI’, and all living entities are viewed as the multienergies of Krishna. The difference lies in the quantity of energy that they contain. Energies are always controlled by the ‘Energetic’, the true source of energy. As such living entities are always controlled and they have no independent existence. While Krishna is everything, but He is independent. He is not controlled by the modes of this material nature(Verse7:12). Humans exist by drawing energy from material nature and Krishna has no such dependence. Human life is a manifestation of the creative power and energy and the existence is dependent upon the five life-giving forces contained in the material nature. Sun and moon are seen as components of sky. They control the biological rhythms of all living creatures. The energy from Sun is trapped by the plants and is converted into complex compounds by a process known as photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is also the source of stored energies such as coal, fossil fuels, and natural gas.The Earth provides all the nutrients(directly or indirectly via the mechanism of the food chains), the minerals, and the elements that are important for the structure and functioning of living entities. Water is the chief ingredient of living organisms. The act of breathing, the mechanism of respiration is an important physiological mechanism for living cells. The ability to use wind/air to a great extent defines the living process.Respiration is the process by which the cells generate energy for their activities. Fire provides the heat and energy for all metabolic activities and we exist by burning sugars and other energy providing sources. Nature( FIVE LIFE GIVING ENERGIES) supports life and it helps to bring forth new members from preexisting forms of life but can not generate new beings on its own. Life can not begin spontaneously without the intervention of a creative force/energy.
WHAT IS CREATIVITY ?
Creative power is the power that is able to bring forth new beings. Creativity is the ability to make or otherwise bring into existence something new. The single most important element in the creative process, is believed to be originality or uniqueness. Nature(FIVE LIFE GIVING ENERGIES) helps in the process of replication/reproduction and sustains life. As per the biogenetic law, a species breeds to produce its own kind. Creativity imparts that label of distinctiveness by causing individual variations. Krishna is the personification of that creative energy and the beautiful painting of ‘RAAS LEELA’ is an example of His ability to be one and different at the same time.
Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,
Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,
M.B.B.S. Class of April, 1970.
The Rudi-Grant Connection 