Radha Ki Krishna!

She sees her within his eyes!

          Radha! Radha Rani is the only person who loved and lived for Krishna, a selfless love, no duality. She is the only person who loved and trusted Krishna than any person in this world. There were no precincts in their love. No one can ever love Krishna like Radha. She breathed, loved and lived for Krishna. Of all the Gopis, she was the only one who stole Krishna’s heart. To him she was the reason of happiness and beauty. And to her, he was her world and her meaning of life. Every time the Gopis and Gopas group for dancing, every single Gopi wishes to dance with Krishna but Krishna’s heart yearns only for Radha. Such was their love and faith.
       Radha and Krishna used to meet on the banks of River Yamuna every evening with friends and spend their joyous time in dancing, playing music and singing. While having fun, Radha and Krishna will elope from the crowd and spend their private time in the deep forest, at times even till the moon goes to sleep. They both forget time, family, friends and even the whole world  when they are together.

Such was their love for each other, filled with love, trust, faith and devotion. No one knows how much Radha loves Krishna than him. Same way, Radha understands and feels Krishna’s love for her than anyone. One day, though Krishna knows how much Radha loves him, he tried to play a prank on Radha. He knows nothing can hurt Radha more than his absence. So he did not visit Radha for few days. Radha also knows that Krishna wouldn’t be able to bear her absence. She understood that it’s all Krishna’s leela. But though she knows the reason, she missed him so much that she got sick and weak day by day.

Days went on and Radha will wait in their private place waiting for Krishna but he would never come. There were nights where she slept on the banks of the river itself. Even the flowers that blossomed in their private place dried off seeing her pain. Days went and even the flowers stopped blossoming. She was not able to sleep and eat. She forgot daylight and moonlight. To her it was always dark around her as her source of light was only Krishna’s eyes. She was unable to find happiness in her life without seeing Krishna’s face, without his touch and without hearing his voice. She even became slimmer. She lost complete interest in all that she does. She never responded to anyone. To her, it was as if like her not seeing him endangered her very core of survival. Though Krishna knew it all, he still did not come to visit her. 

I see you in me!

     Radha missing Krishna grew into a false anger on him. She was not able to think correct. Her thoughts were all filled with Krishna. In earlier days, when her thoughts were filled with Krishna those moments were happy. But now, without seeing him for days, her thoughts were all like, ‘why is Krishna playing with me like this?’, ‘when is he going to understand my suffering and come see me?’, ‘Doesn’t he know that the air that flows out of his flute is the only air that I breathe in?’, 'I will not see him, anymore.', 'I will not wait for him', 'I will not respond to his love too'.  She even went to the extent to hurt him back when he visits her, though she also know she won’t be able to hold herself the moment she sees him.

So, angry Radha called all her gopi friends of her who favor her. She instructed them, “Listen Gopis, It’s been days since Krishna and I have met. He is playing one of his leela on me itself, thinking that I won’t recognize it.  I know that even Krishna would not be able to bear my absence. So he will come visit me in a day or two. All of you stand in front of my house. He will come here, definitely. Be my protection and prevent him from seeing me. You all know that he is a well talented actor and makes dramas and use his charms to mesmerize you all. Don’t fall for it. Don’t even allow him inside my house. He cannot remain without me. Let me see what he does now!” All the Gopis agreed to her words. Radha thought to herself- 'now that I have prohibited myself from seeing you, I’m sure I will hold myself within. Also, my false anger. Let’s see how you get upset.'

The very next day, as predicted by Radha, Krishna came walking in the streets of Radha’s house to see her. The Gopis who were playing outside Radha’s house saw Krishna coming bright eyed and all dressed up in the most handsome way ever. They fell for him just in a glance. They stood like statues with eyes fixed at Krishna. Radha, who was inside her house, sensed the sudden silence among the Gopis and understood that Krishna is coming. Though she was eager to see Krishna than them, she controlled herself and raised her voice softly,”Hey Gopis! Stop looking at him and do as per the plan. Don’t let him inside the house. It will be shame on us Gopis if you all let him inside. That Krishna is the one who always wins when he plays pranks. Now it’s our turn. Don’t let him in. Stick to the words.”

All the Gopis outside realized their yesterday’s plan and waited for Krishna to reach Radha’s house. When Krishna tried to enter, they blocked him from going into the house. Krishna tried his level best to persuade the Gopis. He even used his charms. But this time, nothing worked. The Gopis refused and said, “Krishna! Radha is angry. It’s her order. We can’t let you in. She doesn’t want to see you.” On listening to their words, Krishna became very upset. The Gopis watched Krishna walking away with so much pain and disappointment. It hurt them so much to see Krishna walking with his eyes fixed to the ground and head held down.

One of the Gopis went inside and informed Radha on what happened. “It was so hurting to see him walk away like that. You didn’t see him. He came walking like sunshine to see you. And you hurt him back like this. That too, using us.” The Gopi was showing her combined feelings of anger and sorrow to Radha. On listening to her words, Radha was shocked. Her legs became weaker all of a sudden. She thought he would persuade them till he meets her. Krishna will use his charisma on the Gopis and they will allow him inside sooner. So that she will definitely see him in a few moments. But hearing that Krishna left, Radha became sadder. She was clueless. She indulged in thinking about Krishna. 'Will his love for me be reduced because of this?', 'Why din't he barge in like all other days?'. Even tears gushed without her knowledge. Seeing this, the Gopi left the room and she told the other gopis about Radha’s condition.

Listening to Radha’s condition, her friends became sad. One said, “We should not have accepted to Radha’s plan. Now she sits hurting herself.” Other was like, “Even Krishna was so saddened. I have never seen his face like that. His face was always bright like an about to be blossomed lotus. But today, he went like a flower that withered even before it would blossom. It was so painful to see him like that.” Another gopi was like, “Shall we go and call Krishna. We will tell him that Radha is sad and crying so much that her missing him is hurting her and making her weak.”

A lady who was passing by, saw the gopis in distress. She called the gopis and said, “I can see you people are in agony. What’s the problem?”

“Our friend Radha is sick and she is becoming weak. She has not slept or had food. She is not speaking with us too.”- said one of the gopis in a grieving voice.

“Oh! That’s so bad. Take me to her. I’m master of all arts. I will find the exact cure to her sickness.”-said the worried lady. The gopis took her to Radha.

“Radha! Listen. This lady here says she can help you with your agony. Just listen to her.”-said one of the gopi. Radha who had her mind fixed on Krishna and eyes fixed on the wall didn’t even speak. Even the gopis’ words were not reaching Radha’s ears. She was all alone in her own world thinking about Krishna. To her, it was as if like she was vacuumed out of the world.  Only tears were flowing from her eyes.

“Mathaji! This is how our Radha is for days. She never responds. Kindly help our Radha.” – pleaded one of the Gopis.

“Don’t worry dear. I’m here to help her. Your worries and her sufferings will all vanish in a flash. Like a shooting star.” – saying so, the lady took Radha’s hand in her hands and checked her palm lines.

“Oh dear! You suffer from the pain of missing your love. Missing him is hurting you so much that you are not able to see how you have become. Looks like, you are living all these days only by thinking about him else you would not have even cared to breathe." - Said the lady in a caring voice

As soon as the word love was said, Radha’s eyes responded, but, with more tears. “Yes! I miss him. He knows how it will make me feel and how I will get hurt but still he is playing pranks on me. I think his love for me is plunging. He doesn't seem to miss me. There’s no reason for me to exist anymore.”

The lady held Radha’s hands more firmly –“Oh dear! Don’t think like that. He cannot hate you. You are the source of his life. You are the source of his joy. You are his soul and also the energy that energizes his soul. You are all for him - This world and his world. It’s your breathing that’s keeping him alive. It’s your blooming face and smile that’s keeping him happy.”

The firm holding and the words stopped Radha’s world for a moment. This touch!!! This hold!!! These words!!! The reason for her being sick all these days was only because she missed this touch, those words and that hold!! That firm hold, which was the only reason for her holding breath on this earth!! That touch, that’s her only source of life!! And those words, those are the only nourishment for her soul and mind!!

Radha felt a wave inside her heart, “Krishna!?!?!?!”, and with doubts she gazed upon the lady. The lady still holding Radha’s hand firmly was looking at Radha, eye to eye, like a lotus gazing upon the moon. Sensing Radha’s wave, Krishna came out of his disguise as the lady and opened his hands wider. The master of all tricks and the prime source of intelligence, Krishna dressed up like a lady to visit his love!

Forgetting all her sufferings, with tears of sufferings changing into tears of joy, Radha fell in the hands of Krishna and Krishna embraced her back by a hair's breadth. 

“The mercy of RadhaRani is available very readily to the sincere devotees, and once she recommends such a devotee to Lord Krishna, the Lord at once accepts the devotee’s admittance into his association.” 

                                        

                                      – Srimad-Bhagavatham 2.3.23

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