Rasik Path – Edition 3
The Playful Leela of Kishori Ji and Little Kanhiya
DEAR RASIK PATH’S
Have you ever chanced upon a moment so innocent it seems like the universe is chuckling with you? That's what Surdas Ji masterfully crafts in this week's Rasik Path—a bhakti poetry gem that is more drama than verse and features shy Kishori Ji, naughty little Kanhiya, and curious Maiyya Yashoda. Let us enter Vrindavan, where anklets clink and hearts dance with celestial rasa.
The Pad that Sparks the Scene
खेलन कैं मिस कुँवरि राधिका, नंद-महरि कै आई (हो)।
Khelan kai mis Kunwari Radhika, Nand-mahari kai aayi (ho).
सकुच सहित मधुरे करि बोली, घर हो कुँवर कन्हाई (हो)॥
Sakuch sahit madhure kari boli, ghar ho Kunwar Kanhaiya (ho).
सुनत स्याम कोकिल सम बानी, निकसे अति अतुराई (हो)।
Sunat Shyam kokil sam baani, nikse ati aturai (ho).
माता सौं कछु करत कलह हे, रिस डारी बिसराई (हो)॥
Mata soun kachu karat kalah he, ris daari bisarai (ho).
मैया री तू इनकौं चीन्हति, बारंबार बताई (हो)।
Maiyya ri tu inkon cheenhti, baarambaar bataayi (ho).
जमुना-तीर काल्हि मैं भूल्यौ, बाँह पकरि लै आई (हो)॥
Jamuna-tir kalhi main bhulyau, baanh pakari lai aayi (ho).
आवति इहाँ तोहिं सकुचति है, मैं दै सौंह बुलाई (हो)।
Aavati ihaan tohin sakuchati hai, main dai saunh bulaayi (ho).
सूर स्याम ऐसे गुन-आगर, नागरि बहुत रिझाई (हो)॥७॥
Soor Shyam aise gun-aagar, naagari bahut rijhaayi (ho). (7)
Scene 1: At the Door of Nand Bhavan 🚪
Surdas Ji lays the groundwork: Kishori Ji, with her sakhis left behind on Yamuna's banks, proceeds alone to Nand Bhavan. The gentle jingle of her anklets wafts through the Vrindavan breeze, with the fragrance of fresh butter and sprouting kadamb flowers. She looks through the door, her dark, shy eyes, a soft smile on her lips. In a voice as melodious as a koel's song, she calls out:
“Ghar mein Kunwar Kanhiya hai ka? Ye kunwar Kanhiya ka ghar hai ka?”
Within, young Kanhiya is in natak mode full swing, having a tiff with Maiyya Yashoda. The subject? "Maiyya, mero byaah kab hoygo? Maiyya ab toh mai saade teen baras ko haigyo” But the second voice of Kishori wafts in, and Kanhiya forgets his tantrum, his demands for marriage, and most likely even his own name. He runs to the door like a moth to a flame.
Scene 2: Maiyya’s Classic Desi Mom Mode 👩👦
Yashoda Maiyya, stirring a pot of new makkhan, is perplexed. “Abhi toh jeh Laala lad raha tha, itni jaldi bhaj gayyo hai kaun aaiygyo aiso?” She goes out, wiping her hands on her saree, and sees Kishori Ji hesitantly at the doorway, her dupatta slightly untied.
Like any desi mom, Yashoda begins her CID-level interrogation:
“Arre laali, tu kaun ki laali hai?”
Before Kishori ji can answer, Kanhiya, all energy, interrupts:
“Maiyya, ye Brishbanu ji ki laali hai”
“Accha,laali tero gaam kaun so hai?”
“ Maiyya, inko gaam barsana hai”
“ Aacha laali, Teri maiyya ko ka naam hai?”
“Maiyya inki maiyya ka naam kirti maiyya hai”
Yashoda smiles, shaking her head in amazement. Her little Laal is responding like a Shaadi.com profile, as if he's taken the whole khandaan history of Kishori ji on memorization!.
Scene 3: Kanhiya’s Filmy Storytelling 🎭
And then the million-rupee question: “tohe kaha mil gyi je, kaha te dhoondh ke layo hai.”
Kanhiya, always the raconteur, weaves a story from a Bollywood screenplay:
“maiyya kal mai jamuna ji khelwe gaiyo, maiyya boli accha, waha khelte-khelte maiyya mai nand bhavan ko rasta bhool gaiyo. Maiyya boli tu toh roz jae khelwe fhir kaise rasta bhool gaiyo, thakur ji said maiyya mai toh tero choto so laala hoon, maiyya jab mai raasta bhool gaiyo mai gali gali dolto fhiro aree mere yasoda maiyya kaha gyi, mero nand baba kaha gaiyo, mero nand bhavan kaha gaiyo, tabhi maiyya je aayi saamne se ya ko maine btai mero nand bhavan kho gaiyo toh je hi mero haath pakad kr chorkr gyi yaha tak. maiyya aise daandata ko ja ne kal tero lala ko daan kr diyo tujhe nhi toh kal tero lala kahi kho gaiyo hoto, wa ko tu aise ghur ghur ke dekh rahi hai ya mare maiyya mai unko beech bachav kar raha hoon. aise nanhe se gopal ji jhatpat baat bna rahe hai”
Yashoda squints, half-beside herself with believing her son's Academy Award-winning tale, half-suspecting it's merely another one of his mischievous leelas. The air reeks of prank—and a whiff of pilfered butter.
The Climax 💖
In this fleeting moment, as Kishori Ji’s shy gaze meets Kanhiya’s twinkling eyes, Vrindavan holds its breath. Their innocent giggles and playful exchange weave a sweetness that’s more divine than any poetry.
Aur tabhi Surdas ji kehte hain — us chhoti si baaton mein, Kishori ji ke hirday mein nanhe Gopal ji aise viraj gaye, jaise chandan ki sugandh hamesha ke liye bas jaati hai.
✨ Old Verses, New Anubhav — A Rasik Path for the Heart
Remember the last time you witnessed two children fighting over a toy or snickering over a secret shared between them—it's that same sense of delight that Radha and Krishna infuse into Vrindavan. Their leela teaches us to revel in the small things of life, whether a child's laughter or a peaceful night spent with loved ones. So, pause and reflect: what’s a tiny moment in your life that felt like a Vrindavan leela? Share it in the comments—I’d love to hear your story!
About Surdas Ji
Surdas Ji (1478–1583), the Bhakti poet-saint who was blind, did not merely write poetry—he painted Vrindavan with the brushstrokes of his words. His Sursagar brings Radha and Krishna's childhood leelas alive in such description that you wonder like a gopi listening in on their antics. His blindness only made his inner vision more acute, his devotees say, and allowed him to see Krishna's mischief more plainly than anyone. This pad is a testament to the magic, and makes all of us rasiks of his divine art.
Which aspect of this leela tickled your heart? Leave a comment or share this Rasik Path with a friend who enjoys a good Vrindavan story!
Radhe Radhe 🦚🙌🙏