Sri Radhakrsna's Leela - Part IV (Updated Chapter 42 on Page 30) - Page 5

Beautiful chapter. Krishna is so merciful and affectionate towards his devotees. Loved how he clouded Vasudeva's mind with maya so that the father son relation wont b affected. Waiting for the next part.

Chapter 11: The Messenger

Krsna and Balarama hugged Nanda tightly, tears streaming down their faces. "We shall miss you, Baba," they cried.

Nanda couldn't bear his grief. Already he felt as if his world had gone to pieces, how would he bear to live without Krsna? Then Krsna looked at him with his big lotus eyes. "I promise you Baba, I shall return to Vrindavana. Someday, I shall meet you all, and you shall have me with you forever."

And as Nanda kissed his sons and turned, a divine light escaped from his heart and entered Nanda Maharaja's heart, unseen to mortal eyes. Nanda was, in reality, taking his invisible' sons back with him to Vrindavana.

***

Under the guidance of the re-instated King Ugrasena and Gargacharya, Krsna and Balarama were invested with the sacred thread and set forth towards Sandipani Muni's ashrama in Avantipura to pursue their studies. Not wanting to spend another seven to twelve years in the gurukula, and also to keep his promise to his beloved, he and his brother learnt the four Vedas in four days and the 64 arts in 64 days. Sandipani Muni himself was astonished at their speed, but being conversant with their divinity, simply enjoyed the two Lords' leelas. Sudama was blessed during this period, for he had a chance to move with the Lord himself, and set the course of action for his life by first eating the food sent by his Gurumata all alone, and then seeking Krsna's forgiveness for his actions.

As Sandipani Muni reveled in Krsna Leela, his wife too experienced Bliss to be a part of His sports. On the last but one night of Krsna and Balarama's departure, she requested Sandipani Muni to seek the life of their dead son as Gurudakshina, knowing fully about the capabilities of her students. Sandipani Muni obliged, and Krsna and Balarama proceeded to the seashore of Prabhasa, where Sandipani's son had drowned. They dived into the depths of the ocean to find a demon Panchajana obstructing their course; slaying him, Krsna took the conch named Panchajanya and the brothers disappeared to Samyamani, capital of Yamaloka, the abode of the Lord of Death.

Blowing his conch, Krsna summoned Yama from his palace, and retrieving the soul of their guru's son, they manufactured his body once more, and brought back Sandipani Muni's son to him. Sandipani Muni blessed them once more to remember all they had studied throughout their lives. With his and Sulabha Devi's blessings, they returned to Mathura.

***

The palace was in a state. Everyone was running around, decorating the pillars with festoons, strewing fresh flowers on the path, cleaning the palace, sprinkling rose water everywhere to give it a fragrance and all in all, preparing the royal household for a grand welcome. For not two, but three princes were returning to Mathura that day. Krsna and Balarama were coming back from Avantipura by amazingly completing their education in less time than in took for an ordinary boy to learn even one of the sixty four arts! The citizens were overjoyed. The second reason only added to their jubilation. Seven years ago, Uddhava, the son of Sauri Devabhaga, brother of Vasudeva, had departed for Svargaloka, to learn from Devaguru Brhaspati Himself, and just a few days ago, a heavenly messenger had arrived to inform Devabhaga and Vasudeva of Uddhava's arrival.

***

The whole of Mathura celebrated the coming of Krsna and Balarama into the city, as if the brothers had been brought up here, not as if they had only come to Mathura two months ago! They threw flowers on the two revered and adored youths, and gave them a welcome fit for that of a king! Krsna lifted his hand and the whole crowds became silent. Vasudeva and Devaki watched their son with adoration. With twinkling eyes, Krsna pointed up at the sky. The crowd looked up with bated breath. The sight they saw delighted them. Uddhava was flying towards Mathura in a heavenly Vimana. As Uddhava alighted the Vimana, he was showered with flowers from both the citizens of Mathura as well as the heavenly denizens who had accompanied him. Uddhava looked at his two divine brothers for the first time. And, as if they had been constant companions for years together, they rushed forward and embraced each other! It was then that everyone noticed the striking resemblance between Krsna and Uddhava. It was as if two Krsnas were standing there, the only difference being the slightly less dark complexion of Uddhava and the lack of a peacock feather on his crown. As everyone marveled this aspect of their princes, the trio was welcomed into the palace, where they sought the blessings of their elders.

***

Krsna looked at Uddhava, who was drinking in Krsna's beauty with love and devotion. Uddhava said to his cousin, "O Krsna! It is as if my whole being is pervaded with your love! I do not wish to get entangled in this material world, not after the rigorous training I underwent under Guru Brhaspati! I have learnt all there is to be learnt about the material and spiritual sciences. Now, please guide me on how to achieve pure devotion to yourself."

Krsna's eyes once more twinkled, and he said, "For that, I have a task for you. Fulfil it, and you shall understand the meaning of Bhakti."

Beautiful update and lovely pictures. Loved how they completed their education in so short a time. Truly the ones who lived in those days were blessed. How I wish I had a time machine so I could go to that lost age!!

Aww!! I just hate these wrestlers!! How dare they hurt my Kanha and Dau!I hope you got how nice the description was! It was very very nice!
But why were the wives punished so badly, had they committed a crime too?

Nand was so lucky, that Kanha himself shed tears for him! But koi nahi, Kanha's always with him!

Do wait for another day, I'll complete the comment!

Originally posted by: Radhikerani

Aww!! I just hate these wrestlers!! How dare they hurt my Kanha and Dau!I hope you got how nice the description was! It was very very nice!
But why were the wives punished so badly, had they committed a crime too?

Nand was so lucky, that Kanha himself shed tears for him! But koi nahi, Kanha's always with him!

Do wait for another day, I'll complete the comment!

Chapter 12: The Concept of Bhakti

Yashoda churned the butter absent mindedly.

Ever since her life had shattered three months ago, she had been in the same state of depression. She had the utter conviction of the worthlessness of her life. Completely disillusioned, she had even stopped making butter as frequently as before. Of course, since the rule of Ugrasena began, taxes had subsidized, but even so, it was a life of hard work for the cowherds. Hardwork which the whole of Vrindavana was only now feeling, for when Krsna lived here, it used to be fun and frolic all day, and work seemed to be a joyful game! Now, with that charmer gone, Vrindavana had become dull.

Yashoda remembered the day Nanda had returned with his heart broken and eyes bloodshot. He had not eaten a morsel of food for three days after that and his eyes kept combing his house, searching for Krsna and Balarama. Since Ugrasena had been reinstated as the ruler of the Yadava State, Rohini had too been invited to resume her life with her husband, the scion of the Yadavas, the father of Nanda's and Yashoda's Krsna, Vasudeva.

She remembered how in a fit of frustration, she had pronounced a curse on that ill-fated Akrura. "The son of Gandini has unfairly deprived Vrindavana of its very life-force! I curse him that he too shall be deprived of Krsna, whom he has snatched away from us, and be blamed for a crime he will not commit! May he cause the displeasure and wrath of Krsna, and flee from Krsna's anger to save his life!"

Now, in retrospect, the curse seemed cruel to Akrura, who after all, was an instrument of Kamsa. But her hatred of him never decreased one notch. She still despised him for his rash and heartless act.

As if her imagination was being played over, a chariot pulled over by Nanda's household, a throng of gopas running behind it, looking joyous. She looked at the chariot, expecting Akrura to stand there, bringing an order of execution for them all. She instead saw a dark-skinned youth, dressed in yellow silk, with the emblem of the Yadavas on his bracelet.

***

For a moment, the gopas thought it was Krsna. So did Nanda and Yashoda, who tore out their house with astonishing speed, their faces blooming with a happiness that had been lost for months.

Only a few feet away from the chariot did they realize that the person was not Krsna after all. Yet, they could not shake away the feeling that he was a relation of Krsna, for the resemblance was striking. They could almost behold their Krsna in the strangers, the only difference being the lack of the peacock feather on his head, the slightly fairer complexion of his and the bewildered and confused look on his face. Their Krsna always had a twinkle in his eyes, a smile on his face, and mischief in his smile and eyes!

The stranger alighted the chariot and recognized Yashoda and Nanda from Krsna's description. He rushed towards them and fell flat at their feet. "I, Uddhava, son of Devabhaga, cousin of Sri Krsna, prostrate myself at the feet of His parents!"

At once the jubilation resumed. The gopas swarmed forward, trying to look at their Krsna's cousin closely. Amidst the crowd stood Nanda and Yashoda, who with tears flowing from their lotus eyes, blessed Uddhava and embraced him, as if he was Krsna Himself.

***

Nanda pressed Uddhava's feet with love, as if he would his own son, ignoring Uddhava's pleas of protest. Yashoda fed him sumptuously, not allowing him to refuse anything, but rather, feeding him with her own hands. The other gopas and gopis of Vrindavana surrounded him, showering him with a volley of questions. Nanda looked at his friends and raised his hand.

"Tell us, oh Uddhava, scion of the Yadavas, how does the son of Surasena fare? I she in good health? Are his wives Srimati Devaki and Srimati Rohini well?

"Surely Mathura must have regained its lost glory, once the tyrant Kamsa was killed by our Krsna! Tell us, Oh Uddhava, how are our children, Rama and Krsna? Do they remember us? Do they remember these lush forests? We are constantly remembering the pastimes of their childhood; indeed it is the source of inspiration for us, the only driving force in our lives!"

Uddhava's eyes teared at this description of the cowherds and Vrindavana itself. He admired the restraint of Nanda, how he was not giving in to his emotions. He looked at the parents of Krsna and bowed his hands. "Blessed are thou, oh King and Queen of Vrindavana! Fortunate is this land of Vrindavana, for it has been the sacred abode of our Lord Krsna for so many years! Krsna, the osul of the Universe, doesn't spend a day without at least one remembrance of you and the other gopas and gopis of Vrindavana! He remembers everyone here, right from his parents, his friends and his elders to the cows he has tended for. He has promised to return to this holy land once again, as soon as his duties permit him to do so! Till then, he has requested forgiveness for his inability to please you and has pleaded you all to bear with him!"

The whole gathering of thirty odd people were struck with emotion after hearing Uddhava. They were unable to speak anything, and simply stared on, drinking in the eloquence of Uddhava's words, and the beauty of Krsna's message.

As the night set in, the crowd slowly sought permission of Nanda and Yashoda and traipsed back to their houses. The gopikas were both thrilled and sad at the arrival of Uddhava. Even so, they continued their daily rituals of lighting the lamps and worshipping their family deities, the only addition being the repetition of Krsna's names. Sitting in Nanda's house, Uddhava was able to hear the reverberation of "Krsna!" "Gopala!" "Govinda!" "Nandalala!" "Vrajabala!" "Damodara!" "Vamshidhara!" "Sakha!" "Giridhara!" "Kaliyadamana!" "Rasavihari!" "Venulola!" and as a fitting finale to all these names, "Radhamadhava!" He was slowly understanding the concept of Bhakti.

Beautiful update. The fates were certainly cruel to Yasoda and Nanda. Uddhava is beginning to learn what bhakti really is

Originally posted by: Radhikerani

Oh! So this was the reason why Akrur got into the Syamantak mess later on! But you know I don't want to believe that Udhhav was so like Krishna! Is it ever possible for a man, however learned he might be, to match the beauty of Kanha?
How sad they were, The people of Vrindavan after Kanha left! Why can't the time just go on a fast forward mode, and unite them with their Kanhaiya?