12-20-2005, 05:44 AM
A lot of confusion has been created regarding vedic literature and to some measure regarding Sri Krishna's stories, due to the use of the Sanskrit word "Go".
"Go" is usually translated as cow. But one of its other prominent meanings is "Light". In the sense of "light", "Go" is also used to denote sense-organs as they are the lights that illuminate the outer world.
Colonial vedic scholars have made it a point to translate 'go" always as "cow" even though the context shoutingly demands for an interpretation as "light". Because it helped them to show the vedics as nincompoops.
Let me lay out few instances and the implied multiple meanings:
go = cow, light, sense-organs
gochara = that which moves in the light, that which becomes visible or known through the senses
gopatha = path of the cows, path of the lights, the zodiacal path in the sky through which planets, sun and moon appear to move
goswami = lord of the cows, lord of the lights, one who has mastered his senses, a yogi
goShpadI = a puddle of water formed due to the impression of cow's hoofs on mud, footprint of light
gorakhSha = protector of cows, protector of the lights, protector of the senses (think of mahAyogi gorakShanAtha or gorakhnaath here)
godhUli = the dust kicked off by the returning cows in the evening, the dust that hides the light (evening)
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gopa = cowherd, keeper/drinker of the light
gopI = cowherd girl, female keeper/drinker of the light
gopAla = cowherd boy, protector of the light
gokul = family of cow(herds), the place where KrishNa grew up (Vrindavan), the family of light
goloka = the world of cows, world of lights, name of Sri KrishNa's loka
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So, there is a historical story about the human birth of Sri KrishNa as the gopAla, the cowherd boy, who played with gopas and gopIs.
And there is an eternal story of goloka (the world of lights) where Sri Krishna is always at play (leelA) with the keepers of the lights, gopas and gopIs. The light is the flame in the heart, the soul, and Sri KrishNa nArAyaNa, the soul of all souls, is perpetually in a joyous sport with the keepers of the light.
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Now think of what Sri KrishNa says in GItA and form your own interpretations about what is rAsa-LilA.
"Go" is usually translated as cow. But one of its other prominent meanings is "Light". In the sense of "light", "Go" is also used to denote sense-organs as they are the lights that illuminate the outer world.
Colonial vedic scholars have made it a point to translate 'go" always as "cow" even though the context shoutingly demands for an interpretation as "light". Because it helped them to show the vedics as nincompoops.
Let me lay out few instances and the implied multiple meanings:
go = cow, light, sense-organs
gochara = that which moves in the light, that which becomes visible or known through the senses
gopatha = path of the cows, path of the lights, the zodiacal path in the sky through which planets, sun and moon appear to move
goswami = lord of the cows, lord of the lights, one who has mastered his senses, a yogi
goShpadI = a puddle of water formed due to the impression of cow's hoofs on mud, footprint of light
gorakhSha = protector of cows, protector of the lights, protector of the senses (think of mahAyogi gorakShanAtha or gorakhnaath here)
godhUli = the dust kicked off by the returning cows in the evening, the dust that hides the light (evening)
-----
gopa = cowherd, keeper/drinker of the light
gopI = cowherd girl, female keeper/drinker of the light
gopAla = cowherd boy, protector of the light
gokul = family of cow(herds), the place where KrishNa grew up (Vrindavan), the family of light
goloka = the world of cows, world of lights, name of Sri KrishNa's loka
-----
So, there is a historical story about the human birth of Sri KrishNa as the gopAla, the cowherd boy, who played with gopas and gopIs.
And there is an eternal story of goloka (the world of lights) where Sri Krishna is always at play (leelA) with the keepers of the lights, gopas and gopIs. The light is the flame in the heart, the soul, and Sri KrishNa nArAyaNa, the soul of all souls, is perpetually in a joyous sport with the keepers of the light.
--
Now think of what Sri KrishNa says in GItA and form your own interpretations about what is rAsa-LilA.