Performing devotional service in Kartik on of this ceremonial function is called “araja vrata” or “Damodhar vrata”. Uraja vrata is observed in Kartika October-november especially in Vrindavan there is specific program for temple worship of Lord in His Damodhar form. Damodhar refers to Krishna being bound with the rope by His mother Yasoda. It’s said as Lord Damodhar is very dear to His devotees so the month known as Damodhar or Kartika is also very dear to them. The execution of devotional service during uraja vrata in month of kartika is especially recommended to be performed as Mathura Mandala- Braja mandal.
This system is still followed by many devotees they go Mathura or Vrindavan and stay there in month of Kartika especially to perform devotional service during this period. In Padma Purana its said the Lord may offer liberation or material happiness to a devotee but after some devotional service has been executed particularly in Mathura during month of Kartika the devotees wants only to remain only pure devotional service unto the Lord. The purport is Lord does not reward devotional service to ordinary persons who are not serious about it. But even such unserious persons perform devotional service according to regulative principles during kartika within the jurisdiction of Mathura in India are very easily awarded Lords personal service. Haribol………………..Guara Haribol, Haribol………………..Guara Haribol.
Padma purana ki ……………………………..jai.
Today is not month of kartika, today is last day of month of ashwin, ashwin and kartika put together is sharad ritu or autumn season. So its end of one month and today as month is ending its purnima its very special purnima -sharad purnima also known as “Rasa purnima” so we have different verse on the board from the 10th canto please repeat.
Sri – badarayanir uvaca
“bhagavan api ta ratrih saradotphulla-mallikah,
viksya rantum manas cakre, yoga-mayam upasrit ah” (S.B 10.29.1)
TRANSLATION : Sri Badaraya?i said: Sri K???a is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full in all opulences, yet upon seeing those autumn nights scented with blossoming jasmine flowers, He turned His mind toward loving affairs. To fulfill His purposes He employed His internal potency.
PURPORT: As we begin the famous narration of Lord Krishna’s rasa dance, a dance of love with beautiful young girls, questions will inevitably arise in the minds of ordinary people regarding the propriety of God’s romantic dancing with many young girls in the middle of a full-moon autumn night. In his description of the Lord’s rasa dance in K??na, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, rila Prabhupada painstakingly explains the spiritual purity of these transcendental activities. Those advanced in the science of K??na — the great teachers, or acaryas — leave no doubt that Lord K?sna is full and satisfied in Himself, free of all material desire, which is, after all, a sense of incompleteness or lack.
Materialistic persons and impersonal philosophers stubbornly reject the bona fide explanation of sri krishna’s transcendental nature. There is no reason to deny the beautiful reality of an absolute person able to perform absolute romantic activities, of which our so-called romance is merely a shadow or perverted reflection. The irrational insistence that material activities cannot be a reflection of the perfect, spiritual activities performed by God reflects the unimaginative emotional disposition of those who oppose the reality of sri Krishna . This psychological disposition of the nondevotees, which leads them to fervently deny the very existence of the absolute person, unfortunately boils down to what may be succinctly described as envy, since the overwhelming majority of the impersonal critics eagerly pursue their own romantic affairs, which they consider quite real and even “spiritual.”
The actual supreme lover is Lord krishna. The Vedanta-sutra begins by declaring that the Absolute Truth is the source of everything, and even Western philosophy was born in a somewhat awkward attempt at finding the original One behind the apparent many of material existence. Conjugal love, one of the most intense and demanding aspects of human existence, can hardly have nothing at all to do with supreme reality.
In fact, the conjugal love experienced by human beings is a mere reflection of spiritual reality, in which the same love exists in an absolute, pristine state. Thus it is clearly stated here that when K?sna decided to enjoy the romantic atmosphere of autumn, “He resorted to His spiritual potency” (yoga-mayamupasrita?). The spiritual nature of Lord krishna’s conjugal affairs is a major theme in this section of the srimad-Bhagavatam.
A woman is attractive because of the sweet sound of her voice, her beauty and gentleness, her enchanting fragrance and tenderness, and also because of her cleverness and skill in music and dance. The most attractive ladies of all are the young gopis of V?ndavana, who are Lord krishna’s internal potency, and this chapter tells how He enjoyed their brilliant feminine qualities — even though, as srila Visvanatha Cakravart? ?hakura has mentioned, Lord K?sna was an eight-year-old boy when these events took place.
Ordinary people prefer God simply to be a witness of their romantic affairs. When a boy desires a girl or a girl desires a boy, sometimes they pray to God for their enjoyment. Such people are shocked and dismayed to find out that the Lord can enjoy His own loving affairs with His own transcendental senses. In truth, Sri K?sna is the original Cupid, and His exciting conjugal pastimes will be described in this section of the Bhagavatam.
When Lord K?sna descends to the earth, His spiritual body seems to take birth and grow as He displays His variegated pastimes. The Lord could hardly allow His boyhood to pass without exhibiting the supreme loving affairs between a young boy and young girls. Thus Visvanatha Cakravart? ?hakura quotes srila Rupa Gosvami as follows: kaisora? saphali-karoti kalayan kunje vihara? hari?. “Lord Hari perfects His youth by arranging loving pastimes in the groves of theVrndavana forest.”
So the topic is wonderful, Krishna is wonderful – Krishna’s pastimes are wonderful but our mind is not always wonderful so wonderful, so it becomes difficult to relish the wonderful pastimes of wonderful Lord Sri Krishna. No problem we have help of all acharyas we have help of king Parikshit also who is helping us understand Krishna’s most wonderful pastimes “sri-radhika-madhavayor apara madhurya lila guna rupa namanam prati-ksanasvadana-lolupasya vande guru sri caranaravindam” this is a topic of our previous acharyas the topic is Radha-Madhav, the topic is “radha-madhavayor apara madurya lia” madhurya –lila is also the topic at every step “prati-ksanasvadan-lolupasya’ they have become addicted in relishing these pastimes. ‘radha-krsna padaravinda-bhajanandena matttalikau” matta they are intoxicated, you cannot take them away from these topics of “radha-krsna bhajananda’ they are enjoying these pastimes.

Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared after long long time He appeared why did He appear? “kalau avatirnah kalau samarpiutum unnat ujawal rasam” Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared to deliver those pastimes what pastimes? ‘unnat ujawal rasam’ that rasa from that rasa come “rasa dance” from rasa come rasa. I give you some rasa while some one is serving you sabji what do you say? Hey prabhu rasa…rasa…juice…..mellow, so essence of the sabji is rasa. So there are 12 rasas and 5 principle rasas and of all those ‘unnat ujawal rasa” of all those 12 rasas unnat – the topmost rasa, which is ujawal, which is brilliant rasa, effulgent rasa is madhurya rasa. Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared to deliver that rasa to His followers of course. Madhavendra puri pada had already set the scene by relishing himself those pastimes and talking about those pastimes he was the first acharya in our line and that’s where we have different branch, we differ from Madhvacharya so sometime extend and what is the special dimension our sampradaya – our parampara has this ‘madhurya lila-guna-rupa-namnam”.
Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu spend His time during the day He would chant “Hare krishna Hare krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare” this was for the public for everybody chanting of the Holy name ‘Hare Krishna” He did had Bhava of Radharani and the complexion of Radharani also relishing radha-krishna pastimes, radha –madhav pastimes, radha-shyamsundar pastimes.
So today is that day and than that night tonite Lord Krishna enjoyed those most wonderful pastime “bhagavan api ta ratrih” those nights, we thing it is only one night but here there is mention of many nights “ta ratrih” why is it? One night became as long as Brahmas night, so one was equal to many many nights. Hence the ratrih or the night has been mentioned as many nights. So “bhagavan api ta ratrih” so when that night was there evening time and it was “saradotphulla-mallikah” Lord is seeing around the blooming Jasmine buds, jasmine flowers, Prabhupada also mentions them as mallikah flower, they are mentioned as mallikah in Sanskrit text and they are also translated as jasmine flowers. So when Lord saw those flowers He was reminded of the autumn season “viksya rantum manas cakre” rantum manas cakre in His mind something happened in His mind. That evening when He saw those jasmine or malikah flowers that was evening time getting darker Lord immediately manas cakre within His mind or He made up His mind to “rantum” He wanted to enjoy oh! This night would be good night appropriate night for me to enjoy “rantum”. From ram comes Ram also, ram means to enjoy, form ram comes Raman reti, Radha raman raman also has ram.
So He had this thought Oh! Let me enjoy this is right night for me to enjoy “yoga-mayam upasritah” or as Lord desires to enjoy that night immediately Yogamaya got into action and Lord is thinking of meeting Gopis that night and enjoy the peak the best part of that night is going to be ‘rasa dancing” with Gopis. So this is a display by the influence of Yogamaya, arrangement of Yogamaya the Lord is be performing rasa dance. What makes us dance or the materialist dance or they become the dancing dolls or puppets in the hands of women, hands of lust and that is Mahamaya Prabhupada is describing, two kinds of Maya – Yogamaya “yoga-maya upasritah” . Chapter 29 to 32, five chapters Sukhdev Goswami will be describing these are all like “rasa dance” chapters and this is all display of Yogamaya, verses the Mahamaya of this material existence Srila Prabhupada is helping us to understand, he says Yogamaya because it is “bhagavan api ta ratrih” He is Bhagavan and His activities are Yogamaya activites or Yogamaya is in action. So there is relationship between this verse here wherein there is mention of two things one is ratrih –night mentioned here and “rantum” – enjoyment mentioned here, this has relationship with Lords statement to Gopis.
Krishna steals Gopis garments pastime at Chirghat “hemante prathame masi” (S.B 10.22.1) it was month of hemant after kartika, kartika is sharad ritu and when kartika ends new season, after autumn comes new season hemant ritu. So in that hemant ritu gopis perform special vrata and they worship Katyayani and their purpose was they wanted “nanda –gopa sutam devi patim me kuru te namah” (S.B 10.22.4). As Prabhupada is writing they are chanting mantra repeatedly oh! Katyayani give us Krishna as our husband, oh! Katyayani give us Krishna as our husband…………………..give Krishna as our husband, they were doing japa, chanting repeatedly “nanda –gopa sutam devi patim me kuru te namah” so that went for one month. And at the end of that month as Lord was pleased He arrived at the scene and they were bathing in Jamuna. He stole their garments climbed up the tree and said – come on come on and He has also briefly spoken to them and there He said towards the end of His dialogue with the gopis Krishna said “yatabala vrajam siddha mayema ramsyatha ksapah” (S.B 10. 22.27) OH! Now you may go, He had returned their clothes and He joked, He had little fun transcendental fun. Now you may go go now girls and return to Vraja your desire is fulfilled for in my company you will enjoy the coming nights after all the purpose of your vow to worship goddess Katyayani was to be with me to enjoy my company. So Lord said yes yes in future nights we will do that in future nights “ramsyatha ksapah” ksapah-nights. So many nights have passed gopis were thinking ok one night, two nights…..10 nights….30 nights….1 month….10 months from that time Lord Krishna said-coming nights we will get together I have understood what is your intension you had been praying to katyayani. She has blessed you I am here I am accepting you for my company I understand I can read your mind, so we will do this in coming nights so you may go now.
So as that was said some 10 months prior now today or tonight this evening Lord is thinking oh! I have promised gopis my company during the nights oh! That night could be this night, this night could be that night and hence here “bhagavan api ta ratrih”, ta ratrih- ta ratrih refers to some particular night the night which the Lord had mentioned yes yes we will enjoy future night so that night was going to be this night tonight. He is Bhagavan, He is atmaram but still He has this desire He wants to enjoy the company or He has promised. Sukhdev Goswami goes on explained or described that night moon bright moon has risen “tadodurajah kakubhah karair mukham” (S.B 10.29.2) Sukhdev Goswami is a great poet poetic way he is describing that moon is rising in the east and the moons rays- karair, moon rays are described as if those are hand of the moon and that moon with his ray like arms is holding a brush in his hands and he painting that horizon with pinkish color or he is sprinkling some kind of powder or painting that horizon and he is also comparing this horizon “priyah priyaya iva dirgha darsanah”. As if horizon is a lady who was waiting for her husband to return, husband was for long time and finally he is back and as he comes there is a meeting between wife and husband they are looking at each other, some time the husband may remove the veil like that and see her beautiful face.
So like that those kind of dealings are taking place between the moon and the horizon, little romantic description these kind of scenes are favorable for pastimes like this, dealing like this. And next thing Lord is doing now Lord this is the setting of the scene just few words have been said and then acharyas are talking more, filling in the details or elaborating the whole scene of rasa dance. As Lord only desired “ rantum manas cakre” immediately magical way Yogamaya arranged whole scene not only the moon was there the flowers were blooming, the cool breeze was blowing, the peacocks were dancing and the whole thing was happening in the banks of Jamuna which was flowing nearby. Lot more could be said it’s not a ordinary thing, yogamaya made arrangements for the Lord, the topmost, most wonderful, most confidential, most pleasing pastime the Yogamaya is going to move out of her way. So Vrindadevi the whole team that does the preparation sets the scene before Radha Shyamsundar and billons of gopis “laxmi sahastra satasambrahma sevyamanam” before they come whole setting of the scene is there.
So kind of scene is ready the next thing Lord is doing is “jagau kalam vama-drsam manoharam” (S.B 10.29.3) Lord played His flute with His pancham svara- high pitch and sound going al over Braja mandal travelling sound and when “nisamya gitam tad ananga-vardhanam” (S.B 10 .29.4) and that sounding flute playing of Lord Krishna has been heard “nisamya gitam” as gopis have heard those sounds and its mentioned here and Prabhupada also explains that the original kamadev – kandarba – the God of incharge of transcendental lust that is Krishna. So Krishna is playing His flute and immediately their desires have been aroused or with that they are reminded- yes yes don’t you remember I had said – one of those future nights we will be together and this sound of this flute has conveyed yes yes that night has come , that night is tonight gopis come. And they all rush and there is whole description what they were all doing, they were doing this “duhantyo” – milking cows or they were cooking in the kitchen, they were putting garments they were bust this way that way. But as they heard the flute playing they immediately rushed and they are heading towards Krishna in the vamsi vata. And king Parikshit he says what? King Parikshit says this is like Prabhupada helping us to understand this pastime this relationship between Radha, Krishna and gopis, this is most difficult thing to realize, understand. Because one is the realm of prema but those who are under the attack of the lust they have hard time understanding Krishna’s pure transcendental loving affairs full of love full of prema.
King Parikshit says oh! Sage Sukhdev Goswami he had just started describing the scene this rasa dance and immediately hey! stop stop oh! Sage the gopis knew Krishna only as their lover not as the Supreme absolute truth so how could these girls their minds caught up with the waves of modes of material nature? free them self from the material attachment. Question has been posed and nice purport has been complied king Parikshit was sitting in the assembly of great sages and other important personalities listening to the words of Sukhdev Goswami. If he was Sukhdeb Goswami and king parikshit he would not have interrupted but seeing that who else is in the assembly he had to raise this question. According to Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur as Sukhdev Goswami began speaking of gopis conjugal love for Krishna, the king noticed the expressions on the some of the faces of the more materialistic person present there, he was looking side long glances hey! What are they thinking?. So Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur is pointing out that king parikshit took note of the expressions on the persons sitting around him, some of the more material persons and realized the doubting lurk in their hearts. This was their doubt not king parikshit,s doubt he could smell. Face is the index of the mind seeing their faces he could read their minds oh! I know what is in your heart? What is doubt? What is your question?.
Therefore although the king thoroughly knew the purport of Sukhdev Goswami words he presented himself as experiencing personal doubt, so that he could eradicate the doubts of others this is why he asked this question which we just had heard. So even the team Sukhdev Goswami and king parikshit they are helping us to understand, they are giving us kind of glasses wear these glass first put on these glasses first before you look at the rasa dance or before you want to understand this pastimes. And in response while Sukhdev Goswami is responding to this question and Prabhupada teaches us all the time these things. Sukhdev Goswami has quoted persons who constantly direct their lust, anger, fear, protective affection, feeling of impersonal oneness, or friendship towards Lord Hari are sure to become absorbed in thoughts of Him. There are many statements but this is one statement “kamam krodha bhayam sneham’ if you do that for Krishna or you target that towards Krishna then that impurity that bhava, fear they get eradicated or that lust even lust of course this has to understood that there is no tinge of lust in gopis or Radharani.
But admitting that there was some lust, the reply is but that they are directing that to Krishna so “nityam harau vidadhato yanti tan mayatam hi te” (S.B 10.29.15) tat- maya- they become full of Krishna, they become Krishna conscious as they direct their lust, that person is purified. And then gopis have come “svagatam vo maha bahagah” (S.B 10 .29.18) welcome welcome, whatever they were doing they left that in the middle they there with Krishna 1000s of them are arriving and so welcome is there. At the same time He is asking why have come oh! What brings you here Krishna is very tricky. Like you ring someone, you phone someone and as the person at the other end picks up the phone hey! What do you want? You are the one who telephoned the other gentlemen and he picks up the phone and hey! What do you want what’s the matter? Not that that person wanted something. So Krishna is the one who played the flute, gopis have come, gopis should ask oh! why did you call us what is the reason that you are calling us.
But contrary happening Krishna says why have you come? So not a straight path transcendental crooked ness we see in this pastime and then there are 5 chapters pastimes are there. (maharaj says) I just want to read the very last statement and we will conclude.
“vikriditam vraja-vadhubhir idam ca visnoh sraddhanvito nusrnuyad atha varnayed yah,
bhaktim param bhagavati pratilabhya kamam hrd-rogam asv apahinoty acirena dhirah” (S.B 10.29.39)
So vikriditam this pastime, this krida – rasa krida of visnoh Krishna with vraja-vadhu, the damsels of vraja, so this pastime of Radha Krishna and gopis. One who listens to this, at the end of the 5 chapters there is phalasruti – what is the benediction ? what is the benefit of hearing, reading, studying these pastime? Not that you are not allowed..no…no.. please study, please read this part but how to do that “sraddhanvito” –with faith in the speaker who is speaking and again what kind of speaker “anusrnuyat” not only srnuyat but anusrnuyat. You should listen these pastimes from someone who has listened like, You should listen these pastimes from someone who has also listened from someone and that person has also listened, meaning by adding this “anu” –srnuyat, parampara principle has been stressed otherwise its very dangerous very risky business, misunderstanding Krishna is guaranteed. If it is not heard properly from proper person a proper dose also, one tablet or as per prescription of the physician you take the dose, not the same amount of dose for every person at every different level that also is prescribed or accordingly the expert preachers will talk.
And not only one should hear but “ varnayed” one who describes these pastimes what is the benediction? “bhaktim param bhagavati pratilabhya kamam” such person will achieve bhakti unto Bhagavati the Supreme Personality of Godhead “param bhakti’ supreme devotional service and what would be the other side benfit? “kamam hrd-rogam asv apahinoty acirena dhirah” kama – the lust in the heart or hrd-roga, you heard one disease called heart disease, heart problem lot of people in the world has what problem? Heart disease but that not the kind of disease Sukhdev Goswami is talking about he is talking of the disease condition of the heart kama full of lust , heart full of lust he describes this as hrd-rogam. The person with hrd-rogam, the heart problem quickly he will become “aphinoty” he will be able to drive away that roga that kama from his heart. And that person will become sober-dhirah-peaceful in his mind by listening to these pastimes of radha and krishna. So tonight is very especial night, beautiful night Prabhupada decribes most beautiful night and tonight devotees also they keep sweet rice, so that when Krishna and radha whenever they want to its long night, sweating and sitting down to eat little snakes sweet rice and then what ever are the remnants the next day devotees take that sweet rice or even the moon rays they enter the sweet rice .
So it very especial sweet rice devotees get the next morning Krishna has very special night tonight, please take note of tonights moon very special moon and it is not a sun and moon moon according to our acaryas this is not the moon from the heavenly planets that participates in Krishna’s pastimes or plays his role in krishna’s rasa lila pastime, its another moon the transcendental moon specially appears to participate in krishna’s pastimes. So please read more read Prabhupada’s Krishna book and read these pastimes talk about these pastimes.