29 - The salvation of sage Ashtavakra 

Nrayana said- О sage, getting intoxicated with passion all the cowherdesses who were quite adult and arrogant never considered Krishna as the husband and kissed as the lord. 

Some of them casting the side-glances smilingly said to Krishna, You give me the garland made by the jasmine flower. Some of them said, О Krishna you carry no in your lap. Some of them climbed on his shoulders. 

An intoxicated cowherdess spoke to her beloved Krishna, You let me wear your lower yellow garment. 

Some one said to the lord, You apply vermilion over my forehead. Some one went rapidly to her beloved and said, "You arrange ray hair after combing it." Covering the unrobed body some one of them sent sandal-paste for adoring the ears of the lord. A cowherdess smilingly filled with passion, approached Krishna, desirous of union with him looked at his lotus like face and spoke sweet words. One of the damsels dragged Madhava forcibly and snatched away his flute. Some one stole away his pltambara unrobing him. One of the arrogant damsel said to Madhusudana, "You paint the nails of my feet." Some one spoke to him, "You paint my breasts and cheeks with different figures." Madhava then realising the state of mind in which the cowherdesses were placed disappeared from the scene. 

Thereafter, the lord who always moves at will moved with Radha and enjoyed her company in a secluded place. Both of them visited different mountains, charming deserted is land, the pleasant banks of the river sacred mountains, mountains of gems, the banks of Ganga and Yamuna the temples, Gandhamadana mountain, the pleasant kunda forest, the lotus forest on the bank of the Kaveri river and the flower orchards located over the Puspabhadra river. He than decorated the body of Radha and reached the valley of Malayachala where the wind bearing the fragrant of sandal-wood was blowing. He made the flower bed and was united with Radha.

Enjoying a nap, on the chest of Govinda, Radha felt emotional and over powered with passion, she was fainted after the union.

She had the developed pelvic region as well as the breasts and was without robes, infatuated with passion. Fatigued, Radha was observed by Krishna who helped her regain consciousness. Holding her in his hands he made her wear all the costumes.

He than arranged a tuft over her head which was silting towards the left and decorated it with the jasmine and kunda flowers. 

He applied vermilion on her head and painted her cheeks and the breasts.

The nails of her feet were also painted together with the soles of her feet. He made scratched over her breasts and cheeks with his nails drawing an artificial lotus. 

Thereafter accompanied with her he entered the lake which was beautified by various lines of lotus flowers. 

The lake was filled with crystal clean water and was infested by the beautiful geese, the ducks and the water fouls. 

The black-wasps getting greedy of the honey were surrounding the lotus flowers creating hissing sound continuously. 

Taking bath in that, lake they also enjoyed the water-sport. Madhava splashed water on Radha while Radha did so on Madhava. 

Thereafter Madhava plucked two lotus flowers with a thousand petals gave one of them to 

Radha while the other one was kept by him for himself. Thereafter, the lord of Radha applied the sandal-paste, aguru, kasturi and saffron on the body of Radha. 

Thereafter he moved on accompanied by Radha and while so moving they came across a banyan tree which was quite a gigantic one and fairly tall. Its leaf provided shade in an area of a yojana. Thereafter Govinda, sat down near the jasmine forest. The fragrant breeze was blowing there. Sri Krishna spent a let of time with Radha at that place narrating to her some ancient story and repealing other secrets. At that point of time the sage Ashtavakra appeared before them. 

The sage was coming towards them. His face and the eyes were filled with pleasure. Instead of devoting his mind to the lord, he was disturbed in his meditation. Now he was witnessing the beauty before him. He had a black body, all the limbs of his body were defonned. He was dwarfish and without robes and had the name of Ashtavakra. He was illumining with divine lustre wearing locks of hair over the head, vomiting fire from his mouth as if his tapas, was emerging out of his mouth. 

It looked as if the divine lustre as itself had incarnated on earth. He had grown beard and moustaches on his face and the hair of the body and the nails had also grown. He was quite illustrious and peaceful. Getting panicky, bowing in devotion he stood before them with folded hands. Radha started laughing looking at the sage but Hari stopped her and enlightened her about the influence of the sage. The sage than bowed in reverence to Govinda and offered prayers to him. He recited they stotra for lord Krishna which was given to him by lord Shiva in earlier times. 

Ashtavakra said- О lord, you are beyond qualities, the base of qualities, the cause of qualities, the form of qualities, the lord of qualities, the seed of the virtuous People and the abode of qualities. Therefore, I offer my salutation to you. 

You are the form of success, the ams’ha of success, the cause of success, beyond everything, the great siddha of the siddhis the lord of the virtues and the teacher of the siddhas. I offer my salutation to you. 

О seed of the Vedas, you are well-versed in the Vedas, the possessor of the Vedas, the best among those well-versed in the Vedas, unknown in the Vedas, you have an eternal form, the lord of those well-versed in the Vedas. I offer my salutation to you. 

You are the lord of Brahma, Ananta, Sesa, Indra and Dharma, the form of everyone, the lord of everyone and the lord of all. I offer my salutation to you. 

You are the form of Prakruti, the eminent intellectual, lord of Prakruti, beyond everything, seed of the tree of the universe besides being its fruit. I offer my salutation to you. 

You are the seed of creation, preservation and destruction, you represent the creation of the universe, its preservation and cause of its destruction. You are the seed for the tree of Mahavirat and lord of Radhika. I offer my salutation to you. 

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva happen to be the three branches of the tree of Mahavirat. The Vedas and others Vedic literature are the tender branches, the tapas represent the flowers. Therefore, the universe happens to be the form of special fruit in which Prakruti is the sprouting leaves and you happen to be the root of the same. You are without base but still you happen to be the base of all. I offer my salutation to you. 

Yon are the form of the lustre, the invisible one, beyond the evidence of existence, the form of Virat, quite visible and you move at will. I offer my salutation to you. 

Thus speaking the best of the sages, fell at the feet of the lord and then departed for his heavenly abode in presence of both of them.

His body fell close to the feet of the lord and a divine illuminating lustre emerged out of his body which was as. high as the seven tala trees and it again fell down. The same lustre circumambulated around lord Krishna and thereafter it merged into his feet. 

Whosoever will recite the stotra composed by Ashtavakra he will achieve redemption. There is no doubt about it. This is the best of the stotras and is dearer to the devotees than their lives. Its knowledge was imparted in earlier times in Vaikuntha by lord Hari to Shiva.