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(Reproduced from The Harmonist, Guru Purnima issue 2002)

Om Vishnupad 108 Tridandi Swami Sri Srimat Bhakti Sravan Tirtha Goswami Maharaj ki Jai !!

Nachiketa

 

Without a moment’s loss, Narad ji praised King Ugrasena, “Who can be more fortunate than you. You are all the time in the intimate association of Sri Krishna. In all the worlds, you are surely the most blessed ones.”

Bowing to the sage, the King offered him due welcome and seated him on a glittering throne. He then addressed Narad ji, “O holy one, what you say is true. We are indeed blessed. But amongst us, not I but Sri Uddhava is the person you should meet. He is the best; the most confidential adviser, friend, disciple, servant and dearest friend of the Lord. Without him, Krishna does not take a single step. Where He cannot go, there Sri Uddhava represents Him. How much can I praise Uddhava’s good fortune. From early childhood, he is attached to Sri Krishna. It will be best if you meet with him.”

Narad ji went in search of Sri Uddhava. He found him standing by the door of Krishna’s chamber together with Sri Baladeva, mothers Devaki and Rohini, Rukmini, Satyabhama and other queens as well as the Queen Mother Padmavati (Kamsa’s mother) and servants.

His eyes brimming with tears, Sri Narad stood before Uddhava, “O blessed Uddhava, you are dearer to Sri Krishna than Pradyumna His son, Sri Baladeva His brother, or His eternal consorts – dearer even than His own Self.”

Uddhava Maharaj fell like a stick at the feet of the celestial saint and said, “O omniscient sage, let me tell you of my ‘great luck’. I have just returned from Vraja. What I saw and experienced there has utterly shattered all my self-belief. Kindly examine the love of the Vrajavasis for Sri Krishna...”

Just then Mother Rohini interrupted saying, “Oh Uddhava, stop – please stop! Please do not rekindle the luckless, grief-striken memories of the Vrajavasis who are suffering acute pangs of separation from Krishna. Mother Yashoda’s pitiful crying is melting the very stones. Brajamandal is now devastated. Who can say whether any of the inhabitants are even alive at this point in time?”

Queen mother Padmavati shook her head scowling, “You keep praising those peasants of Vraja. In His early childhood, Krishna had to tend the cows of those hard-hearted Gopas in the forest. They could not even provide a pair of wooden shoes to him. When the poor child got hungry and ate some butter, He was bound up in ropes!”

Without heeding the interruption of Grandmother Padmavati, Mother Rohini continued to Sri Narad, “Your Lord has rendered Mathura free from all danger and is now settled here in Dwarka. He is relaxing inside. He has forgotten Vraja.”

Rukmini devi could not tolerate the insinuation. She immediately protested, “Mother! You are not aware of the butter-soft heart of my Lord! Thoughts of Vraja ever haunt Him. Often times in his dream, he utters, ‘Maiya, give me some butter.’ Sometimes he calls out, ‘Hey Radhey! Hey Lalite!’ Other times, He wets the silken pillows with streams of tears in remembrance of His past in Vraja. Occasionally, He suddenly sits up in bed crying out ‘Gopi!’ Even today, He called out to the cows in a dream-state and tying a scarf around His head like a cowherd, went back to sleep.”

Satyabhama devi then added, “It is not just in sleep that He does this. Even in waking hours, He sometimes exclaims “Oh Gandharvika…!” We are only namesake wives. But the Vraja gopis are His real beloveds.”

Listening to all this, Balaram snorted angrily, “Hah! This is all Krishna’s trickery. Otherwise, why has he not gone to Vraja yet to save those poor Vrajavasis in their dire state?”

Krishna was listening to the talks outside his door all the while. He suddenly rushed out crying and in a choking voice said, “My heart is harder than thunderbolt. Even now it does not break into a million pieces. O Uddhava! You know everything! Tell me, what should I do?”

Again Grandmother Padmavati interjected, “Why do you all lament needlessly? Whatever you two brothers consumed or enjoyed for 11-12 years there will not equal the labours you performed as cowherders. I have promised that the King of Yadavas will pay back double the amount, when Garga muni submits the accounts.”

Ignoring her, Krishna again implored Uddhava’s advice. Sighing Uddhava said, “Oh Lord! The Vrajavasis want only You. They care a fig for royalty, wealth, name, fame or any other mystic power.”

Anticipating Krishna’s separation, Mother Devaki and Rukmini Maharani’s faces wilted with sorrow. Seeing their tearful faces, Krishna eagerly asked for writing materials. Then Uddhava said, “The Vrajavasis can only be saved by your physical appearance there. They desire nothing else. Not even their lives, if they cannot have you.”

Padmavati remarked, “This Uddhava stayed there for a long time in Vraja. Their food and milk has charmed him. Now they are trying to take Krishna back, by using him.”

Sri Krishna’s anxiety increased. He look at Balaram’s face. Sri Baladev reiterated, “The cows were you very life. The deer, birds, trees, creepers, groves and meadows have dedicated their all to you. The ponds and kundas are drying up. Yamuna has dried to a thin stream. Giriraj Govardhan, which you raised on your little finger is now drooping to ground level”.

Hearing this, the Lord of the Universe wailed embracing Balaram. Both brothers lost their senses for some time. Mother Rohini, Uddhava and others also started crying. For a moment, the whole world was engulfed in a great crying sound. On hearing the sound, the Lord Brahma appeared there. Seeing the Lord’s condition, he folded his hands and started trembling and crying.

Sri Garuda, the Lord’s beloved carrier was also grief-stricken. Lord Brahma comforted him, “Dear Garuda, there by the Raibatak mountain in the salty sea, there is a Vrindavan built by Sri Vishwakarma, complete with the replicas of all the Vrajavasis, Nanda baba, Yashoda maiya and others. Almost Vrindavan like - that is within the Mathura mandal. Please take Sri Krishna and Balaram there with only Mother Rohini accompanying. No other persons should go there.”

Garuda put both brothers and Rohini maiya on his back and flew there. The others were consoled by Lord Brahma and went to their respective places. Garuda reached Nava Vrindavana. In the meantime, Balaram regained consciousness. This new Vrindavan looked exactly like the original one. Sri Devaki, Rukmini and Satyabhama and the others watched the events from a distance as advised by Lord Brahma. Narad ji was also watching everything unseen.

Then Balaram sprinkled some water on Krishna’s face and cleaned it. Then he put the flute, horn, cane, forest-flower garland, peacock-feather crown on Krishna. Then shaking him awake, said, “Come on, wake up Kanha. Today you are late. The cows have already entered the forest. Your friends Sudama and others are waiting. Mother and father did not wake you up out of affection. Look what the gopis are commenting about your sleeping late. They will tease you.”

Krishna regained consciousness and became aware of his surroundings. Looking around he saw the replicas of Nanda baba and mother Yashoda and smiling bowed to them. He said to mother Yashoda, “Maiya, I saw a strange dream early this morning, that is why I slept late. Give me something to eat.”

Mother Rohini said, “Well son! Maiya was worried about your sleeping so late. Don’t lose time now. The cowherds have already moved ahead with your friends. Go now and catch up with them.”

Then Krishna took some butter from the hands of Mother Yashoda’s statue and alongwith Balaram went out. Baladev went ahead and Krishna followed. At a distance, near a grove a life-like replica of Srimati Radharani was standing. Krishna casually moved up to her side and whispered, “Why aren’t you talking to me? Nobody is here. Are you angry with me again?” Glancing around, he threw some flowers at the statue and came near to embrace it.

Watching these sweet pastimes, Mother Devaki started lactating. Rukmini and Jamvati were overwhelmed with love and fell to the ground, unconscious.

Even the old Grandmother Padmavati became very excited and ran ahead with outstretched arms to embrace Krishna. Kalindi devi stopped her with the help of Uddhava.

Krishna followed the path of the cowherds. Shortly, the ocean came into view. Thinking it was the Yamuna, he shouted, “Oh Sridama, Hey Subala, come on, let’s jump in!” He ran to the shore. But the scene was different. Large foamy waves were surging unlike the Yamuna. And the shoreless horizon confused him. He became self-conscious. “What is this? Where am I? Who am I”

Sri Balaram understood the confusion, “My dear brother, please recollect. The pious King Yudhisthira was enthroned by you as King of Kings. But now, he has been threatened by Anusalwa and other belligerent kings. You need to go there and relieve the Pandavas of the threat.”

Hearing this distracting piece of news, Krishna regained his senses. He suppressed his deep love-lorn feelings. He understood that he was the King of Dwarka and not Kanhaiya of Vrindvan. With an embarassed face, he returned to Dwarka with Balaram.

Watching everything unseen from a distance, Narad rishi realised that the love of the Gopis was the supreme form of devotion and the simple, unsophisticated gopis headed by Srimati Radharani are the paramount beloved ones of Sri Krishna. The most blessed.

The gopis were immersed in the thought of Krishna all the time and Krishna was immersed in the thought of the gopis all the time.

He stayed at Dwarka for duty’s sake only.


(Summarised from Sri Brhat Bhagavatamrita by Srila Sanatana Goswami)

 

Jai Sri Radhey !

Jai Gurudev !