The next day, at the house of Nand Baba and Yashoda all the Brajwasis came together to join the most joyous celebration of Krishna’s birthday. Lord Shiv also came rushing to Gokul to see the innocent loving smile of baby Krishna, and, in this way, from the very first morning of His descension on the earth planet, His playful Divine loving leelas started. From that day on, every day in Braj, (Vrindavan), was a joyous celebration and every moment in Braj was an experience of Krishna’s ever-new and ever-increasing love that encharmed the heart of every Brajwasi.

As Krishna grew, the field of His playful activities expanded and reached almost all over Braj. That’s how everywhere in Braj there are leela places which are the inspirations for the devotees that remind them of the presence of Krishna in Braj. In those places a temple or a pond, or both, have been made to represent the liveliness of the leela which Krishna did over there. There are hundreds of such leela places in Braj. The devotees of Radha Krishna adore these places and, trying to feel the Divine presence of Radha Krishna, they enhance their feelings of love and longing when they visit those places.

When Krishna was only five years old He Graced the Brajwasi girls of similar age who were collectively worshipping Goddess Katyayani with a desire to become the sweethearts of Krishna. At the age of seven, Krishna did the Govardhan leela and at the age of eight years He did maharas.

During the Govardhan leela, to save the Brajwasis from the severe cloudburst caused by Indra, Krishna lifted and held the Govardhan hill, and all the Brajwasis lived together with Krishna for seven days under that hill. It was so exciting to live with Krishna, day and night, for seven days, which only those could imagine who were in that group.

Maharas leela happened in Vrindaban in Braj. It was the descension of the true Vrindaban Bliss on the earth planet when the Grace of Krishna established Divine Vrindaban on the soils of Braj; and, in that Divine space, Shree Raseshwari Radha Rani, Who is the life-essence of Krishn’s all-greatness, revealed the most intimate Divine Bliss to all the Gopis on the Sharad Poornima night. On that particular night, Radha, Krishna and all the Gopis sang, danced and played together in an extremely elevated Divine state which is only seen in Divine Vrindaban. That was maharas. It was so great that Brahma couldn’t imagine the depth of its Blissful superiority, Shiv experienced it but He was unable to explain it in words, Maha Lakchmi desired for it but She couldn’t receive it and Maha Vishnu knew that its description was beyond the Divine language of the Vedas.

So, in the Samrahasyopnishad, Maha Vishnu says, “  O Lakchmi! Listen! The greatness of Vrindaban Bliss is so great that I am unable to describe it… Those Saints who live in the abode of Brahma and Shiv do not understand this. My bhaktas also do not understand the greatness of Vrindaban leelas. Only those who receive the Grace of Shree Radha Rani understand and experience Vrindaban Bliss, and no one else.”

Radha had descended in Braj a year earlier than Krishna. She appeared in Her absolute Divine dignity and glorified the palace of King Vrishbhanu in Barsana. Kirti was Her mother. All the celestial gods and goddesses and Brahma, Shiv and Narad came and sang the glory of Radha Rani. Radha always lived in Barsana. Whereas Nand Baba and others, after a few years of Krishn’s appearance, had moved from Gokul to Nandgaon because the demons of Kans were causing a lot of disturbance over there. Nandgaon and Barsana are only four miles apart. So, most of the leelas of Radha and Krishna happened around there. Later on Krishna went to Mathura and then to Dwarika; but, Radha still stayed in Barsana, and, when Krishna ascended to Golok, at the same time Radha and all other Brajwasis also ascended to Golok.

Although the whole of Braj is the leela place of Krishna but three places are most important: Barsana, Vrindaban and Govardhan. Barsana is important because the sovereign of Gopis’ hearts, and the soul of Krishna, Radha, always lived there. Vrindaban is famous because maharas leela happened over there, and Govardhan is the place where Krishna did most of His playful leelas with His playmates (called Gwalbal) while grazing the cows.

After eleven years of age Krishna went to Mathura, eliminated demon Kans and made Ugrasen the King of Mathura. Later on He went to Dwarika, married Rukmini (Who was the descension of Maha Lakchmi) and lived there up till His ascension to Golok. During that time He helped the Pandavas, taught Gita to Arjun and assisted him in fighting the Mahabharat war.

Before His ascension Uddhao came to Him. Krishna gave Uddhao all the philosophical and devotional teachings. They are fully described in the eleventh canto of the Bhagwatam. Krishna called for Arjun and advised him to take the people of Dwarika to a safer place because immediately after His ascension a sea deluge was going to destroy Dwarika.

Dwaparyug had ended, Krishna ascended to His Divine abode in 3102 BC, and kaliyug started. There is a reference in the Garg Sanhita (Ashvamedh Khand, chapter 60/21-25) that first Krishna disappeared from Dwarika and came to Braj, then, at the time of actual ascension of Krishna, a Divine figure, Who was Vishnu of this brahmand, came out of Krishn’s body and went to His own abode. Then Maha Vishnu and Maha Lakchmi emerged from Krishna and They went to Vaikunth abode; and then, Krishna and Radha along with Brajwasis, went to Golok abode. This statement further clarifies this situation that Vishnu and Maha Vishnu, as a subordinate Divine power, reside within the personality of Krishna.

The leelas of Krishna are described in the tenth canto of the Bhagwatam which has ninety chapters. They could be categorized as: (1) Braj leela, (2) nikunj leela, and (3) Dwarika leela. Braj leela is where all the Brajwasis join; nikunj leela is where there are only Radha, Krishna and the Gopis; and Dwarika leela refers to all the activities of Krishna when He went to Dwarika and lived there. Dwarika leela has a touch of almightiness along with the lovingness of Krishna and that makes it totally separate from the braj and the nikunj leelas; whereas the braj and the nikunj leelas are the absolute experiences of Krishn’s intimate loving Bliss that He gave to His playmates, mother Yashoda and the Gopis, and where the Divine almightiness can never enter. Krishna has three Divine abodes: Dwarika, Golok and Divine Vrindaban. Rukmini Krishna are in Dwarika, and Radha Krishna are in Golok and Divine Vrindaban. Dwarika leelas are related to Dwarika abode, and braj and nikunj leelas are related to Golok and Divine Vrindaban.

It is beyond imagination how much Radha Krishna have Graced us. They descended only 5,227 years ago. They revealed such loving leelas that fascinated even God Shiv and Goddess Parvati and Maha Lakchmi. All of this They did only for us so that the eternally miserable souls could also receive the same Bliss of maharas which is beyond the reach of Brahma and which is earnestly desired by God Shiv. But see the people of this world whose kaliyug-affected minds still criticize and allegorize the leelas of Krishna. You must know that such doings are extreme transgressions, and as such, a lover of Sanatan Dharm should discard such diabolical publications, which, even in the least, criticize, allegorize and degrade the absolute Divinity of Bhagwan Ram and Sita or Radha and Krishna and Their Divine leelas, or dispute the Divine eternity of the Vedas, Upnishads and the Puranas, and the eternal Sages and Saints. You should remember that the Divine dignity of Bhagwan Ram and Krishna and Their loving leelas are the soul of Sanatan Dharm.