The stories of Krishna's boyhood in Vrindavan are some of the most delightful-and most sensual-in Hindu spiritual lore. It's not surprising that Vrindavan is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in India today! It was here Krishna grew up looking after the cattle. In Hindu art, he is often depicted as a loving tender of cows, much as Christians picture Jesus as the good shepherd.
Krishna was so devastatingly attractive that all the women of the village fell helplessly in love with him. Most of them were simple milkmaids (gopis in Sanskrit), who made their living selling fresh milk. At night,Krishna would wander out into the forest and play enchantingly on his flute. This gopis would slip out of their homes (sometimes out of their husband's!) to rendezvous with their divine lover.
The Rasa Lila is Krishna's mystical dance, s bewitching scene depicted again in Hindu art. One night, to satisfy the desires of all the women in love with him, Krishna temporarily "cloned" himself into dozens of Krishnas. Then he danced through the night with every one of the gopis at the same time. Each of them innocently believed she alone enjoyed his love! This beautiful story makes the point that while members of different sects and religions believe God is theirs alone, in fact God dances with his lovers everywhere, in all times and all places.
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