Chapter 4

The dance drama is continuing....

The melodious tunes of the flute were soft and mesmerizing. When Krishna suddenly disappeared from the floral grove, they started searching for him among the surrounding shrubs and bowers. Unable to find him, they began behaving strangely. They asked the trees, plants, and brooks in the garden whether they had seen their Krishna. Unable to get any answer from them, they began asking one another about Krishna's whereabouts.

"Vakula Malika, tell me again what our Krishna told you this evening?"

"Tonight, when the moon spreads his light and embraces all the floral creepers with his shimmering rays, he asked me to come here for the Raas Leela."

"Whose footsteps are those? Someone is running across the wet grass. Check, girls... check once!"

"Madhavi... see over there, behind that bush... Look! A cloud seems to be roaming on the ground!"

The chorus continued, "We have never heard of a cloud dancing upon the ground on a Sharad Ritu full-moon night! Are you daydreaming at midnight, maiden? Ha! Ha! Ha!"

Radha continued, "Krishna, please come to us with your enchanting tunes, pressing your lips passionately against that flute! See... all the peacocks are spreading their iridescent feathers, and the peahens are drinking the tears of the dancing peacocks to procreate. Please do come quickly and bring back those smiles to our faces."

The chorus said, "Are we not the peahens who have come running to see this wondrous dancer? Yes, we are... yes, we are!"

A maiden murmured dreamily, "Krishna, the moonlight is drenching the jasmine creeper there, indicating that there is love in the air on this cloudless night. Each bush and shrub is quivering with tender feelings beneath the delicate touch of your melody. In the distance, the trees are silhouetted against the deep, velvety sky. See, Krishna, how we are searching for you with tears in our eyes!"

The night spread its eyes to the far-off places in search of Krishna. But alas, it was difficult even for the night to find him, for he too was dark in colour!

Many assumptions and oscillating thoughts filled Radha's mind. Her yearning for him would not allow her to remain in one place. She ran towards the river Yamuna, recollecting his words and deeds. The agony of waiting gripped her heart.

Suddenly, when the river heard the resonating tunes of His flute, its conjugal feelings were aroused, causing its flow to become disturbed and its agitated waters to swirl into whirlpools! The nearby floral creepers, too, heard Krishna's flute and, overwhelmed by its awesomeness, lost their balance and fell gently on the ground.

Radha ran towards the melody in search of Krishna, passing through a garden where every tree and bush was in full bloom. Every bower and arbor seemed eager to hide Krishna, just to tease his Radha!

Radha asked the jasmine bush, "Have you seen my Krishna, who knows how to mesmerize young hearts with his melodious tunes?"

The bush blushed a little and replied, "How would I know? I am busy teaching my buds how to bloom so that they may adorn Krishna's Gale Ka Haar [neck garland], while preparing myself to rest upon his chest!"

Radha ran towards the Vakula tree and asked, "You are tall and majestic. Can you see farther than I can? Tell me, have you seen my Krishna anywhere?"

The Vakula tree had turned pink, and the blush reflected upon its budding leaves. It whispered into her ear like a fragrant breeze, "See, girl! I am yet to recover from his fond embrace. What a naughty boy he is! He hugged me gleefully and kissed my trunk, but then told me, 'I am going to meet my Radha tonight!"

Radha then approached the Yamuna River. She sat upon its bank and asked the river, "You are the mother of nature. Please tell me, where is my Krishna?"

The river quivered through its little waves and replied, "What can I say, Radha? While passing through this place, he paused to admire his smiling reflection in my waters as he adjusted the peacock feather upon his head. I lost my heart to that young lad's smile. Since then, I have been flowing aimlessly, unable to control my resonating vibrations!"

Radha remained stranded there, still searching for her Krishna with her eyes wide open, lost in thoughts of him. Somehow, time passed.

After an interminable eon of timelessness, a mysterious flutter in her heart awakened her from her reverie. Radha lifted her head and listened.

What did she hear? What was that sound? A whisper? A humming? A lilting musical note? A familiar, mellifluous voice?

"Was it the sound of my Krishna's voice... calling me?"

Finally, her sleepless eyes lowered in shyness as she felt his delicate touch upon her shoulder from behind. She wished to express her anger.

"But what shall I do? How shall I behave? Until now, I have never shown my anger to him. If I show my anger, will he try to pacify me?"

Nonplussed, she did not know how to receive him. Yet, when he finally arrived, it became an occasion of rejoicing. That rhythmical sound shook her world until it emerged as audible words:

"Radha, I am here, within your heart. Why are you searching here and there for your Krishna? You have only to look within to find me."

Love came to her like a warm wave, completely unbidden and unsought. Bliss and happiness crashed upon the shores of her being like tidal waves, rocking her gently, and she delighted in the thought of his embrace.

She asked him coyly, "Krishna, tell me, who has lent shyness to this pair of eyes that has forgotten how to sleep? I want to know who is responsible for this glow upon my cheeks. I dedicate to you the joy I feel while watching the first rays of morning; my smile while gazing at the moonlit night is yours too. Everything that is mine is yours now, Krishna!

Now I can see your love in the colours of the rainbow. Please paint those colours upon my dreams; I want to see you in all those beautiful hues! Now I know there is not much difference between that blue cloud and this peacock feather. One represents devotion, and the other adoration. They are inseparable, just like you and me!"

Suddenly, Radha returned to the real world, where everyone was watching the dance drama that afternoon.

"Radha, your eyes are reflecting memories of your Krishna. What are those recollections that made you feel shy all of a sudden?" Hari Chandana asked in a teasing tone.

Radha gripped her hand and replied, "When his smile is reflected in every flower and its fragrance around me, why should I search for him in my memories? If you want to know my thoughts at this moment, go and ask the swaying flowers about the touch of those honeybees in the floral grove!"

"We know, Radha. The fleeting smiles upon your crimson lips are revealing many hidden stories that the two of you wrote passionately upon your hearts in the past!" Vakula smirked.

"The smile is His gift, and these lips are merely the tools that carry those messages! Why should I live in the past when each and every moment of my life is brimming with thoughts of Him?" Radha questioned.

"Is there any future for your expectations, Radha? He married thousands of women and forgot you long ago! Are you not the loser here?" Vishnu Vandana probed.

"His presence in my heart is the only future this Radha carries with her throughout her life!"

A sudden pause followed. No words were exchanged, yet the pantomime of silence conveyed the full import of a thousand words.

The other women tried to stop Vandana from teasing Radha further.

Radha silenced them by waving her hand. She glanced at Vandana from the corner of her eyes and said, "Yes, our Krishna married many maidens because they loved Him and wished for His love in return. He reciprocated their love, as in the case of His Ashtabharyas. He never married any maiden by force. He always fulfilled the prayers of His devotees and blessed them with His affection. If He accepts with one hand, He gives with a thousand. His love and kindness are boundless!

He married many of those women to protect them from society's scorn and to safeguard the honour of those who had been held captive in Narakasura's palace. War often treats women as property, but Krishna treated them as the honour and dignity of this universe!"

Radha sat there, immersed in His thoughts. Her long black hair flowed like a dark cloud drifting in the sky. She wore no jewellery other than a few garlands, yet an unpretentious charm surrounded her.

Suddenly, she smiled thoughtfully and said, "Winning over a woman through might is not a real victory, Vandana. In the world of love, losing yourself before the one you love is the only true way to win. That is what Krishna taught us when He was here with us."

After the performance, Yashoda invited them all to the feast.

They all sat beneath the Peepal tree, which offered them temporary respite from the midday sun. From somewhere in the distance, a bird droned. The river flowed like a slice of mellow harmony, moving like time....always onward, always towards its destiny, just like human lives.

Radha sat beside Yashoda, watching the maidens engaged in animated discussions among themselves. All of a sudden, Hari Chandana asked Radha,

"Radha, do you know what happened to Kuru Kulvadhu Draupadi? Born from a sacred fire, Draupadi seemed destined to walk through the fire throughout her life. She was married to the five Pandavas and anointed as their queen, but very soon, she was put up as a stake during a game of dice and was lost. Unaware of everything that had happened during the game, she was suddenly informed that she had become a maid and now had to obey the orders of her new master, Duryodhana! He ordered his brother Dushasana to drag her into the court and then commanded him to disrobe her in the presence of the elders, in front of her own husbands, and in full view of everyone assembled in the royal court. What a sin! What an indignity it was for a woman! How could all these great men and the Gods remain silent in the face of such an inhuman act?"

Gagan Sundari added,

"When Mata Kunti unknowingly asked Arjuna to share whatever he had received as alms that day with his brothers, Draupadi was placed in a dilemma. Consequently, she had to marry all five Pandava princes. When she remained silent about the proposal, our Krishna convinced Draupadi to accept it. Later, Sage Vyasa and Narada Muni also supported this decision. But how could a woman be married to multiple men in such an unusual arrangement? What a difficult fate it was! One can only imagine the psychological trauma a young woman might have faced, at least initially, when she had to share her tender moments with five different men. Yet no one seemed to understand a woman's delicate feelings. The voice of women was always suppressed. And look at what happened to her in that royal court! She expressed her anger and questioned the silence of those supposedly wise men!"

A woman with a curious frown asked,

"Do you know, Dhaatri? Our Krishna supported this marriage in everyone's presence. Has anyone ever heard of such a thing—a woman marrying five men?"

Radha listened to her words about Krishna in thoughtful silence, contemplating her question regarding His approval of Draupadi's much-debated marriage.

"Sundari, they were the rulers and the makers of the laws. They were all wise and possessed divine wisdom. Who are we to question their decisions?" Vakula tried to explain, indicating that the matter was far from ordinary.

"...But our Kanha is a path-maker. He always supports Dharma. How could He support this?" another inquisitive maiden interrupted her.

The old man who had written the dance drama, Radha Madhav, and had been sitting there silently until then, finally spoke in a stern voice.

"Look, girls! What do you know about the Puranas and the stories of humanity from the past? Such marriages had happened before, too, with the approval of sages and royals. I have heard that many learned persons accepted them after both sides of the families gave their consent. Who are we to criticize them now, after all these years? There must have been a greater concept behind it, something beyond our perception. It was a well-conceived social and political arrangement. And mind you, it did not have any discernible adverse effect on the social order of that time."

"We know that you are a learned person, Kaka. We are not questioning Vedic Dharma or the Puranas. But we are asking whether anyone asked Draupadi about her opinion before her marriage and what she felt after that terrible humiliation in the Kuru Sabha. Was there anyone to console her after that unspeakable disgrace? Why was a woman insulted in such a heinous manner, and why did every learned person present there remain silent? Only Krishna rushed to protect her. In the end, Gandhari, who shared her husband's suffering and blindness by tying a cloth over her own eyes, came forward to protect her Kulvadhu.

And regarding her marriage, too, we wonder how our Krishna advised Rajmata Kunti to accept it and convinced King Drupada to move forward with such an unusual marriage," argued Vishnu Vandana.

As the conversation progressed, their arguments and counterarguments moved increasingly towards the question of a woman's freedom and her place in society during those long-ago times.

Madhavi mockingly questioned the maidens,

"How many of us would not have loved to be loved by Him when our Krishna was here with us? If that is acceptable to us, then why are we discussing a woman who ritually married the Pandava princes in the presence of sages and seers? Let us stop questioning the decisions of royal families!"

Radha urged them to understand the deeper meaning of the matter.

"There is always a greater purpose behind everything our Krishna does, Chandana!"

Yashoda listened to these words silently, a frown appearing on her face.

All of a sudden, Vakula looked sternly at the maidens and replied,

"Are you questioning Krishna's decision now? Tell me, girl, how many times have you left your husband and household chores behind and run into Krishna's arms to dance with him? Many times, you were the last to leave the riverbank because you wanted to spend more time with Krishna than with the rest of us! Isn't that true, Sundari? At that time, did you remember all these rules of conduct expected of a woman?"

Madhavi tried to divert the topic by asking Radha,

"We heard that our Kanha saved Draupadi's modesty and honour in the Kuru Sabha. When Panchali was dragged into the royal court and subjected to that humiliation, at that crucial moment, we heard that she prayed to Krishna, and He saved her from disgrace."

With a proud smile, Yashoda said,

"Earlier, you were all complaining about my Kanha stealing your clothes when you were bathing in the river. See, my son is a saviour of a woman's honour! He is not a thief or anything of the sort; he is a protector!"

[5000 + words, 2nd Milestone]

Viswasruti2019-02-16 07:30:34