"New" Developments in Krsna Lila Not Found in the Bhagavata Purana, as Discussed by Gaudiya Commentators
Keywords:
Krishna, Vrndavana, Bhagavata Purana, Gaudiya Vaisnavism, Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, Visvanatha Cakravarti, Jiva Gosvami, Radha, Gopis, Lila, Caitanya, Theology, Scriptural interpretation, Oral tradition, Bhakti, Nanda, YasodaAbstract
Allan Krislar’s article investigates theological and narrative expansions of Krishna’s Vrndavana lila not explicitly found in the Bhagavata Purana (BhP) but developed by Gaudiya Vaisnava commentators of the 16th century under the influence of Caitanya. Focusing on figures such as Rupa, Sanatana, and Jiva Gosvami, and Visvanatha Cakravarti, the paper explores how these commentators addressed textual gaps in the BhP, particularly: (1) the status of Radha and the Gopis as Krishna’s eternal consorts; (2) Radha’s implicit presence in the BhP; (3) Krishna’s return (or ongoing presence) in Vrndavana; and (4) the nature of Krishna’s parental relationship with Nanda and Yasoda. These expansions are justified through a range of strategies: cross-textual citation, reinterpretation of existing verses, reliance on oral tradition, and creation of new lila episodes. These innovations, though extra-canonical, became doctrinally authoritative within Gaudiya Vaisnavism, reflecting a dynamic scriptural hermeneutics driven by bhakti theology.
