An Explosion of Yoga (Union) in Sakhya-rati

By: Babhru Dasa

kṛṣṇa-mattebha unmukto ghoṣa-dṛg-dṛḍha-śṛṅkhalāt |

ucchvasaṁś capalaḥ svairī kānane’nya ivābhavat ||2||

“Freed from the firm bondage of the cowherds’ glances, like a mad elephant, fickle Kṛṣṇa, taking a deep breathe, became independent in the forest, like another person.” – Sri Govinda Lilamrta 6.2

In this verse we find so many wonderful and sweet things in regards to Krsna, His family, and His friends. Yet amongst all the stimulants for the churning of bhakti-rasa, the last phrase, “taking a deep breath, became independent in the forest, like another person” stands supreme.

This phrase is like the bold heralding of the sun of sakhya-rati on the horizon of Krsna and His pure hearted friends hearts. It is a description of the first few moments of Krsna and His friends entering the forest. This is the most pivotal and transformational point of the day for Krsna’s sakhas and we could argue, even Krsna Himself.

Previous to this part of the day, Krsna and His friends feelings of full fledged sakhya-rati could not be fully expressed in their dealings due to the direct and indirect influence of outsiders such as Yashoda Ma, Nanda Baba, and all the gopis, young and old.  This is expressed in the first part of the verse, “Freed from the firm bondage of the cowherds’ glances.”

Up until this point of the day, even though the sakhas have seen Krsna, played with Him, embraced Him, and related with Him in each of their own unique ways, such union was never independent of the watchful eyes, ears, or minds of the vraja cowherd people. Therefore these unions were of a somewhat restrained nature. For the full emotional experience of sakhya-rati to manifest in such yoga there needs to be an environment devoid of the other vraja-vasis connection.

To this, some may say, “It must certainly be that the gopas experienced full fledged yoga with Krsna while they milked the cows away from the vision of the elders of Vraja in the morning? Or when they played games slightly thereafter?” To a large extant yes, there is nobody directly watching them to hamper their friendly dealings. But still, something remains. In an indirect way, especially Yashoda Ma is still hampering their activities.

The sakhas think thus:

“We must not get to rowdy in here while milking these love laden cows, lest we attract the attention of the vraja-elders headed by Mother Yashoda. Even if she doesn’t hear our rowdy antics in this cowshed which is certainly possible, it is our experience that she is not very patient in regards to Krsna’s coming home. Therefore, at any moment she could decide to come see what is taking so long for Krsna to come home and eat His breakfast. Or maybe she will get scared that Krsna was harmed in some way while milking the cows and will run to check on Him. In any case, the strong shackles of her love and attention are still upon us all.”

So in this way we can see that even in a seemingly independent situation, still the cloud of vatsalya-bhava is lingering upon the mountain of their pastimes. In such situations the sakhya-bhava must remain somewhat reserved. Yet it doesn’t come at any real price.  Alongside such reservation in the gopas minds and hearts, a very powerful volcano of viraha-bhava (mood of separation) is waiting to explode into the sky of full fledged sakhya-rati making their union the ever more sweet and tasteful.

Of course we see that all of this finds its climax in the scene where Sri Krsna and His friends are herding the cows out of the town and into the forest. In this lila, Krsna has sort of become a rope in which Sri Balaramji, His sakhas and His cows are pulling on one side, and all the other supremely affectionate-hearted vraja-vasis headed by Sri Yashoda, Nanda Baba, and Srimati Radhika are pulling on the other. Yet in the end, Krsna and Balaram know that the sakhas, cows, and Himself have all been waiting desperately for this moment of their daily pastimes to unfold, it is not fair to delay any longer.

And finally without showing any remorse, Krsna and the boys enter the forest and disappear from the vision of the town’s people.  What happens next is depicted rather boldly in the latter part of the verse,

“like a mad elephant, fickle Kṛṣṇa, taking a deep breathe, became independent in the forest, like another person.”

Krsna took in a deep breath, let it out peacefully, and transformed into a new person, an independent person, a person full of energy to play with His friends, to fight aggressively with them, to eat rambunctiously with them, and to make crude jokes with them (many times at the expense of the other vraja-vasis.)  These are the specific anubhavas that are characteristic of those who relish preyo-bhakti-rasa together, namely Sri Krsna and His spotless gopa friends.

Furthermore, Krsna and His friends know for a fact that the Vrindavan forest is “their place.” It is their place far away from their annoying parents and the lingering young gopikas. They will venture into the forests and will not be even slightly heard or witnessed by outsiders. No matter how crazy their antics get. For the first time in the day, the divine gopas have Krsna all to themselves. In this way tushti-yoga (the satisfaction of union with Krsna) becomes supremely resplendent in their hearts.

After all, it is especially a quality of those within the sakhya-rasa to enjoy the feeling that Krsna is theirs, and they are Krsna’s. Confidence and equality are the foundational layers of emotion in the sakhya-rasa and they can be fully experienced only in the forest with Krsna.  All other emotions of the preyo-bhakti-rasa are built upon these, and all their boyish antics are borne of these two feelings. These feelings enable the sakhas to do anything and everything while in the association of Krsna. Such things fall into the categories of those which can be spoken of freely and also things that should be kept hidden from public ear.