Subtle Desires of a Subtle Body True love’s that gift which God has given To man alone beneath the heaven; It is not fantasy’s hot fire, Whose wishes, soon as granted, fly: It liveth not in fierce desire, With dead desire it does not die; It is the secret sympathy, The silver link, the silken tie, Which heart to heart, and mind to mind, In body and in soul can bind.  —‘The Lay of the Last Minstrel,’ Walter Scott. Towards the evening Vishnudas, accompanied by all his disciples went out to inspect the functioning of all the three maths. He inquired from the heads of the maths about their general condition, the inmates and guests, the courses of study and other industries and activities. He gave various suggestions. He also familiarised Sarasvatichandra with the institutional arrangements of the hermitage. As the moon rose in the sky, the women of Vihar Math performed the Ras Lila around the Yamuna Kund. Some women were dressed as Krishna, while others as gopis. One woman played the role of Radha, while five or six others enacted the role of her companions. The first act was about the domestic lives of the gopis. Krishna was unseen. But the gopis were drawn to the song of his flute coming from afar. They pined for him. In the second act, Krishna was on the kadamb tree, playing his flute. The gopis surrounded the tree like bees that hover over a lotus. In the third act Krishna appeared in many forms and played Ras with the gopis. Song, music and dance were beautifully brought together to create harmony. In the fourth act Radha and her companions tore away from the other gopis and in the fifth act Radha and Krishna danced with each other on the banks of the Yamuna. Their union signalled the conclusion of the Ras Lila. Mohini explained the significance of each act to Kumud. She introduced Madhuri to all members of the hermitage and praised her intellect, knowledge and aesthetic sensibility. She also narrated the hardships that Kumud had faced. Bindumati sang a song composed by Kumud. Finally, the festivities came to an end and all went back to their quarters around midnight. They talked about what they had heard and seen and fell asleep. Kumud and the group of women, who had developed a deep fondness for her, remained awake. Every one, except Chandravali, had returned. Vamini and Bhakti had followed Chandravali from a distance. The two returned a few hours before dawn. Calling Mohini aside, they whispered something to her, after which all of them went to sleep. Before sunrise, the women had discussed the previous evening’s Ras Lila, the Guru’s instructions, Madhuri’s song and Navinchandra’s presence. They would have continued to talk about it but for the fact that on that day they were required to go among the people, seek alms and spread the message of Alakh. Hence the math was devoid of those who would have otherwise buzzed