126 - Meeting of Radha and Krishna

Narayana said-0 Narada, Krishna thus heard the adoration of Ganesha in the company of Yadavas, the gods, the sages, the goddesses and other people (1).

Thereafter from his amsha, he proceeded to Dvaraka in the company of Rukmini and other goddesses and in one form he stayed in Siddhashrama.

From there, he keeping the company of cowherds and cowherdesses, Nanda, mother Yashoda and cowherdesses continued conversation with them. Thereafter, he spoke to his parents, the cowherds and cowherdesses of the Goloka.

Sri Krishna said- "O mother, O Nanda, you are dear to me then my life now you return to Vraja. O glorious and the best mother Yashoda, you also return to Gokula and spend the rest of the life there. Enjoying all the pleasures in Gokula, you would achieve the salvation together with the people of Gokula".

Thus, speaking with the permission of his parents, he went to his place of Radhika and Nanda proceeded towards Gokula.

Reaching there, he met Radha who was adorned with the garland of gems and was smiling, she was ever youthful and looked like a damsel of twelve years.

She was seated on the gem-studded seats, she was smiling and was surrounded by innumerable cowherdesses, each holding a staff in her hand.

Radha looked at Krishna who was dearer to her than her life and was coming towards her; he was clad in beautiful costumes like a boy and he was wearing a serene smile on his face. He had a lustre of the new cloud and had a dark complexion. He was clad in beautiful silken yellow lower garment and the entire body was plastered with the sandal-paste. His body was adorned with the best of gem-studded ornaments and a peacock feather was adorning his head. He was wearing garland of jasmine flowers; his delightful face wore a smile. He was holding the blossomed lotus flowers. He was carrying a flute in his one hand and in the other he carried a mirror. Finding him there, Radha got up at once from her seat and started praying him with devotion.

Radha said- My life has met with success today by looking at your moon like face; my eyes and my mind are now delighted.

All the five pranas of mine have been filled with delight; the sight of a dear relative is cause of delight always.

I had been drowned in the ocean of grief and was burning with the fire of separation but today the same has been completely subsided.

With you, I am always the form of welfare, bestower of welfare and the cause of welfare. But without you I am like a dead body, getting motionless and become invisible.

When you stay in this body the soul become a beautiful and pure. I feel myself all powerful, but without you I look like a dead body. O lord, the separation between the man and woman is always painful but with the separation of the lord, all the shaktis and the five pranas also disappear.

Thus, speaking the goddess Radha made Sri Krishna to sit on the seat and the herself adored his feet.

Thereafter, Sri Krishna occupied the gem-studded lion-throne together with Radha, seven cowherdesses served them by moving white fly-whisks.

The cowherdesses named Chandana applied the fragrant sandal-paste on the body of the lord, the smiling Ratnamala placed the garland of gems around his neck.

The chaste Padmavati adored the lotus-like feet of the lord with lotus flowers, she also offered the arghya together with Durva-grass, flowers and sandal-paste.

Malati on the other hand placed the garland of jasmine flower around the neck of Malati, the chaste Champavati offered him the bunch of jasmine flowers.

Parijata on her part, offered the lord, the Parijata flowers, betel with champhor, besides the cool fragrant water.

Kadambamala presented the garland of kadamba flowers, the fresh lotus flowers and valuable mirrors of gems. The tender limbed Kamala gave the two costumes given by Varuna.

The beautiful Madhu presented to the lord the sweet honey having the colour of gorocana in a vase.

Sudhamukhi presented to the lord, a vase of nectar with devotion, a cowherdesses prepared a bed of flowers.

The bed was decorated with the garland of jasmine flowers. It was placed in such a charming place which was built with the best of gems.

It was decorated with the best of gems, jewels, emeralds and other precious gems and had the fragrance of kasthuri, the saffron and several scented materials.

It was illumined with hundreds of the gem-studded lamps. It bore the fragrance of several of the scented incense and other materials.

By making a bed for comfortable sleeps, the cowherdesses left the place smilingly. Thereafter, finding the bed in a lonely place which attracted the mind, Madhava entered the place of pleasure. Both of them were engaged in conjugal pleasures. The chaste Radha then adorned the neck of Madhava with the garland of fragrant flowers and also gave him the fragrant betel. After that she pasted the kasthuri and saffron paste on his body and adorned his hair with the beautiful jasmine flower. She handed over a fully blossomed lotus flower with thousand petals, in his hand and snatching away the flute from his hand she gave him the mirror of gems; thereafter she placed the blossomed flower of Parijata before him. Thereafter Radha in a peaceful form spoke quite sweet words to her beloved.

Radhika said- O lord, the one who is the store of the welfare, the cause of welfare, the form of welfare and the bestower of prosperity. To ask the question about your welfare is of no consequence. In spite of that, it is proper to enquire about the welfare because the traditions are more forceful than the Vedic hymns.

O lord of Rukmini, 0 lord of Satyabhama, are you all right. At the instance of Satyabhama, you playfully engage yourself in conflict with Indra and uprooting the Parijata tree from Amaravati in the heaven, conquered the gods and handed it over to Satyabhama. This is what has been heard by me. With the use of the Parijata flower, she performed the Punyaka-vrata. After completing it, she gave yourself as dakshina to the priest.

You are beyond the reach of Brahma, Shiva and Sesha then how could she over-power you? You are afraid of Satyabhama in comparison to all other damsels.

Your love for Rukmini is the matter of great glory of her it is heard that you are afraid of Satyabhama and you offer her the flower garland.

O beloved of Jambavati, you tell me truthfully which one of the damsels is more attached to you.

Which one of them is more lovable to you? Which one of them, performing the best of vratas is loved by you the most?

Only that damsel could be called virtuous who conducts herself according the desires of the husband. The complete harmony in the conducting of love between the man and a woman is difficult to get in the three worlds.

The passionate, chaste and virtuous damsel is fully attracted towards the one who possesses all the qualities is quite passionate, valorous and noble.

The black-wasps feeling greedy for the nectar, rush toward the lotus flower but the frog is completely unaware about it and therefore places its feet over its head.

The one who plays upon the musical instruments enjoys the sweet news of the tune but instruments itself unaware of it. A clever person very well knows the taste of the milk but not the vase in which the milk is contained.

The consumers are well-aware of the taste of the ripe fruit but the tree over which the fruits is ripened remains unaware of the same.

The thirsty person knows the taste of the cold water but the tank or the pitchers in which the water is contained remains unaware of the same.

The consumer enjoys the tasteful the rice but the paddy field or the vase in which the rice is cooked remains unaware of the same.

The user of the sandal-paste remains quite well-aware of its fragrance but the donkey who carries the sandal-wood remains unaware of the same.

The one who in beyond the reach of the Vedas, Brahma, Shiva, Yogis, ascetics and siddhas, how could he be known by the woman.

Even the fortune, glory and love are difficult to achiever but the ladies snatch them in a moment.

O lord, after reaching the extreme height, one has to fall. The violence of the Vaishnavas results in misfortune.

Your devotee named Sridama was cursed by me and because of the same I had to face the misfortune as a result of the curse of Sridama.

To whom the lord is dearer; he is always achieved with devotion and for him the devotee is the lord.

The Vedas, the Vedic literature, the ascetic and the Puranas pronounce repeatedly that lord Krishna is over-powered by Radha. This is useless.

Over-powering Shiva together with his ganas, cutting of the arms of Bana you brought back Aniruddha, the grandson of Rukmini together with his wife.

What did Rukmini speak after your return? You love all equally, was there any increase from prestige with the same.

In the battle between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, you made the kings of the Kaurava side to be killed. You tell me where is your vision for equality to all?

You became the charioteer of Arjuna, the son of Indra. What did noble Bhishma speak to you getting ashamed in the assembly?

What did Brahma, Shiva, Sesha and other gods speak to you? All your devotees kept quiet and spoke nothing. You are the same who is inexplicable in the Vedas, Puranas and the historical treatises, beyond Prakruti, the great lord, devoid of gums, unattached, uninvolved, the witness of all the deeds, the one who takes to human form for the sake of the devotees, the eternal Brahman, the divine light, beyond everything and became the charioteer of a human being in spite of your being the supreme soul.

Initially you kept company of the old Kubja who was untouchable by the youth.

What for did you kill Kamsa your maternal uncle? You said that ‘you will come’ but after departure you did not come again?

Killing Yadavas, dividing the city of Dvaraka, the people had prevented the goddess, who ordained to capture you.

Thus, speaking Radhika started crying aloud and fainted stopping breathing.

The cowherdesses who were peeping through the windows witnessed the sight. All of them rushed towards her and all of them declared that Radha was dead.

All of them lifted up Radha and started crying. O lord, O Hari, "Save us”.

The cowherdesses said- O Krishna what have you done? Our Radha is dead. You bring her back to life. You will be prosperous. All of us shall retired to the forest.

Otherwise, all of us shall give you the blemish of killing a woman. O Narada, on hearing the words of the cowherdesses, the lord of Radhika, Madhava spoke the words which were like nectar and with his lovable glance at her brought her back to life. The proud Radha got up while sobbing. Thereafter all the cowherdesses took Radha in their lap and started talking to her.

Sri Krishna said- O Radha, I shall impart the divine knowledge to you hearing which even a ploughman becomes immensely intelligent.

I am the lord of the universe since birth then what to speak of the woman like Rukmini and others, I possess the personality because of my being the cause of the deeds as well as the deeds themselves.

I myself represent divine lustre, I happen to be the soul of the entire universe and pervade all the creatures right from the blade of grass to Brahma.

Since, with the taking of food by one, others are not satisfied, similarly with my departure from the body one dies but the others remain alive.

I am complete in all respect in the form of Krishna. Since my birth I remain present with two arms in Goloka, Gokula and Vrundavana being the lord of Radha and also play as a child with Yashoda in the form of a cowherd; all the cowherds, the cowherdesses, are associated with me.

I remain in Vaikuntha with four arms and appear as the beloved of Lakshmi and Sarasvati there in peaceful form.

I also appear over the earth in Sveta-dvipa in the ocean of milk as the husband of Manasi, Sindhukanya and Martyalakshmi. There also I appear in four-armed form.

I happen to be the sage Narayana, the profounder of Dharma. I am devoted to Dharma and those who follow the path of Dharma are attached to me.

The extremely religious and chaste Lakshmi happens to be my spouse and I happen to be her lord in the sacred land of Bharata.

I am the lord of siddhas and bestower of siddhis and also appear in the form of Kapila. O beautiful one, thus I take to several forms according to the exigencies of the situation.

In the two-armed form, I always remain in Dvaraka as the, lord of Rukmini. I sleep in the ocean of milk and also dwell in the abode of Satyabhama and other queens taking to different forms. I functioned as the charioteer of Arjuna. Arjuna happens to be a human sage, the son of Dharma, is quite valorous and was born on the earth from my amsha. He had performed great tapas in the Pushkara-kshetra for myself performing as his charioteer.

O dear, you are Radhika in the Goloka, you are the same in Gokula. You happen to be Mahalakshmi and Sarasvati of the Vaikuntha. You happen to be the Martyalakshmi in the ocean of milk. You are the daughter-in-law of Dharma and appear in the form of Lakshmi with peaceful form.

You happen to be the chaste Bharati, the dearest wife of the sage Kapila in the land of Bharata. You are the one known as Sita in Mithila. you happen to be shadow of the chaste Draupadi, you also appear in the form of Mahalakshmi in Dvaraka and Rukmini as well. Draupadi who was born of your ray became the spouse of the Pandavas

You are Sita of Rama and was abducted by Ravana. O chaste one, you appear in different forms in the universe and similarly I also appear in different forms in the universe. I happen to be the complete supreme soul and beyond everybody.

O chaste one, I have therefore imparted to you the entire divine knowledge. O Radha, supreme goddess, you forgive me for all the sins.

On hearing the words of Krishna, Radha as well as the cowherdesses felt satisfied and started offering their salutation to. Krishna.