Leela stories
The Maharaas
महारास लीला
The call of the flute on the night of Sharad Purnima, and the divine Raas.
Listen in the app — Hindi narration
On the full-moon night of autumn, seeing the bright moonlight and the fragrant forest, the Lord wished to enjoy pastimes and played His sweet flute. Hearing it, the gopis left everything and ran to Him.
Testing them, the Lord told them to go home, but in pleading words the gopis said they could never leave His feet. Then the Lord sported with them.
When pride in their good fortune entered the gopis’ hearts, the Lord vanished. Pining in separation, the gopis searched forest after forest, asking the trees and creepers where He had gone and imitating His Leelas. Then, sitting on the Yamuna’s bank, they sang the plaintive “Gopi Gita”.
Moved by their love, the Lord reappeared. Then the Raas began — the Lord manifested many forms, so that a Krishna appeared between every two gopis. The gods showered flowers from their celestial chariots.
Sources
- श्रीमद्भागवत महापुराण, दशम स्कंध, अध्याय 29
- श्रीमद्भागवत महापुराण, दशम स्कंध, अध्याय 30
- श्रीमद्भागवत महापुराण, दशम स्कंध, अध्याय 31 (गोपी गीत)
- श्रीमद्भागवत महापुराण, दशम स्कंध, अध्याय 32
- श्रीमद्भागवत महापुराण, दशम स्कंध, अध्याय 33
Scriptural references and Braj folk tradition are shown separately.
Tradition
These five chapters of the Bhagavatam are called the “Raas Panchadhyayi”.
