Sri Radhakrsna's Leela - Part IV (Updated Chapter 42 on Page 30) - Page 8

Originally posted by: Radhikerani

Your writing is just so soothing! Loved this to bits!
It's amazing, the directions Sanskrit can take! Simply wow!

Chapter 20: Black As A Beetle

Twenty Five Years Ago...

The Bhoja Yadavas, all friends of Kamsa, had finished their day's work of plundering the nearby cities and villages for taxes. They had been richly rewarded by Kamsa for their work and so had decided to spend their earnings in the nearby liquor hall. Currently, all of them were lying in a very drunk state, not even able to recognize the son of Garga Muni who had just entered the hall, visibly in shock and anger at their behavior.

As Gaargya cleared his throat to reprimand them for their drunken state, Shyala, the leader of that group, rose, shaking due to the effect of the wine. "Well, look who has arrived, my friends! Our well-wisher!"

All of them roared with laughter, pointing rudely at Gaargya and making crude gestures. Gaargya sighed and opened his mouth. "I am your well wisher, and I presently wish that you people hadn't spent your evening getting drunk!"

"We have spent our day increasing the royal treasury, you fool!" barked Shyala. "Unlike you! What have you been doing all day, teaching young children the virtues of begging? Don't advise us, you eunuch!"

"How dare you insult me, your Guru's son, with that word?!" raged Gaargya.

Shyala smirked. "Why don't you prove it then, respected Guru's son?" he shouted rudely and pulled at Gaargya's dhoti. Gaargya was aghast. Grabbing his dhoti to prevent it from falling off, Gaargya cursed the Bhojas and stormed out of the hall, the echo of Shyala's words and the laughter of the others still ringing in his ears.

Twelve Years Later, at Prabhasa Kshetra...

Lord Shiva appeared before Gaargya, who had become quite emaciated due to his penance, eating only powdered iron and drinking whatever water fell from the skies. He touched Gaargya with his lotus hands, rejuvenating the sage. As Gaargya opened his eyes, beholding the beautiful and majestic Lord before him, Mahadeva spoke. "I am very pleased with your tapas, oh son of Garga. Ask me what you desire, and you shall have it."

Gaargya prostrated at Mahadeva's feet and said, "Oh Shankara, Destroyer of the Universe, I request you to grant me a son who will cause terror to the Yadavas."

Shiva was disappointed. So many years of tapas, he had expected Gaargya's soul to be free from anger. But he shook his head nevertheless, placed his hand on Gaargya's head and said, "So be it. You may proceed westward." And he disappeared.

As per Mahadeva's advice, Gaargya proceeded westward - but how far west, he didn't know. Until he came to the land of the deserts, Parasidesha, where the sun beat down upon the land, yet everyone roamed around in thick clothes due to the heavy winds which blew around. He was welcomed by the king of the land and introduced to another guest - the King of Yavanadesha, who was greatly mesmerized by this rishi from Bharatavarsha.

"Oh Sage," said the King, "we are truly fortunate to be blessed by your presence. I seek from you a boon, O great one."

"What is it, O King?" asked Gaargya.

"By the grace of Zeus, I have all but a son. I have heard much about the Yogic prowess of your clan. If you would be so kind as to grace me with a son, I shall be grateful to you."

Gaargya smiled inwardly - so this was how Mahadeva would fulfil his boon.

Ten months later, the Queen of Greeks, Voskopaula (or Gopali in Sanskrit) cradled her child, dark as a beetle, in her hands, while Gaargya blessed her, "He shall be called Kalayavana, the Dark Prince."

"Praised be Lord Zeus," replied the Queen.

11 Years Later, In Mathura.

"Spare him Dau!" shouted Krsna across the field, just as Balarama was tying up Jarasandha with his Varuna-Pasha (the Noose of Varuna). They had easily wiped off the 23 Akshauhinis of Jarasandha with almost no casualties on their side. Jarasandha gave Krsna a look of pure loathing and walked away slowly, cursing himself for his ignoble defeat.

"Why did you spare him, Krsna?" asked Balarama, curious at his brother's sudden mercy, gazing at the field strewn with thousands and thousands of corpses of soldiers, who had all attained liberation by the hands of Krsna.

"If we had killed him Dau," Krsna said, as Sarasvati watched with awe from the sky, "then who would have brought the rest of his armies to Mathura?"

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Note: Paarasika Desha is Persia

Yavanadesha is Ionia, Part of Ancient Greece.

The name of the Queen Voskopaula is just a literal translation of Gopali (cowherd girl) using Google Translate. (So i hope you will all forgive me!)

Chapter 21: Yearnings

Krsna cradled Sundari's child, his first-born, in his hands as Sundari looked on with delight. Her child looked charming, like how Krsna himself might have looked when he was a baby. He had inherited Sundari's complexion, but the features were all Krsna's.

Madhava looked at Sundari and said, "I have to tell you something. I intend our son to learn from Devarshi Narada himself."

Naturally, Sundari took this announcement with a little surprise. "Our son, my prince? Devarshi Narada?!"

"Yes, my dear Sundari. You see, Prince Uddhava is a student of Devaguru Brhaspati. I am sure he can persuade his guru to talk to Sri Narada. I wish that our son learns all that it to be learnt from Devarshi Narada himself, so that he can in turn impart this knowledge to the rest of Mathura. Since he is destined for this great purpose of bring the citizens near to knowledge of the divine, he shall be named Upa-shloka - the one who ushers in the Praise of Narayana."

Rukmi stormed into his father's chambers, as he had recently had a habit of doing. Bheeshmaka glanced at him and nonchalantly asked, "Defeated again, my son?"

Rukmini giggled. It had been Jarasandha's fourth attempt at invading Mathura - he had been thwarted, the same way he had the previous three times; this time too, the emperor had lost 23 of his Akshauhinis.

"I do not see what those cowherds have in them! How could they foil our sieges so many times? How are they able to defeat Jarasandha himself?!" fumed Rukmi.

"I think you are underestimating them a bit too much, my son. The last few battles Krsna and Balarama have fought have proved to the whole of Bharatavarsha that they are warriors par excellence. Why don't you try negotiating peace?"

"Never!" cried Rukmi, "Maharaja Jarasandha will sooner chop of all our heads than negotiate with those two cowherds!"

"Then, I am afraid, you shall storm into my chambers many more times in the future." Replied the King, as he signed the petition the vaishyas of his Kingdom had placed against the gambling of the royals - they had been most interested in the outcomes of the battles. "And I think at least you should withdraw, lest you put yourself into trouble with those Yadavas."

Rukmi shot his father an exasperated look and as he had become accustomed to do, stormed out, this time in a most undignified way.

"And that, my dear," Bheeshmaka said to Rukmini, "is why you must never stretch feuds for longer than they are worth. This is a valuable lesson for you in both political affairs and war tactics. I think your brother will make you into an astute stateswoman by the time this series of battles is done with."

He chuckled and strode out of the room, to deliver his verdict on a particularly interesting case that had cropped in his kingdom. Rukmini sat dreamily on her couch, imagining how Krsna and Balarama would have routed 92 Akshauhinis till now! She was dying to meet those heroes, even if it was only for a few moments!

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Note: This chapter is called 'Yearnings' due to:

1. The Yearning of Krsna that Upashloka studies under Narada

2. The Yearning of Rukmi and the others to defeat Krsna once

3. The Yearning of Bheeshmaka that his son gives up his foolish pursuits

4. The Yearning of Devi Rukmini to just see our Yadava heroes once

Originally posted by: TwinMadness

Just a major question: Which source are you writing this from? Lalitha Madhava? Or the collective work of Rupa Goswami?

Originally posted by: Surya_krsnbhakt

Srimad Bhagavatam and my Krsna.😛

But Bhagavatam is the primary source.

Additionally I also see stories from Harivamsa and the purports of Bhagavatam lead me to many other Puranas like Skanda Purana and Padma Purana.

Chapter 22: Vijayashri

Krsna looked at Narada Maharshi, who he had just thought of. "Pranam, Devarshi. Your appearance is always good for everybody."

Narada laughed. "And your attitude too never changes, my friend. Why have you called me to your abode?"

"You will be aware that Jarasandha has attacked Mathura and lost 17 times till now, each time losing 23 of his Akshauhinis."

"Oh yes, Mata Sarasvati is all praise about you and your warfare, Prabhu! I have never seen her so interested in battles as she is now!"

"Sarasvati Devi has always charmed me. I thank her for her interest in Mathura's welfare. Now I think, Devarshi, it is time to turn to my beloved in Vidarbha."

"Rukmini, my Lord?" Narada asked. Krsna nodded. "You must tell Rukmini about my exploits. Tell her in detail about what I have done from my childhood. Make sure that she realises her relationship with me - but without the knowledge that she is my Lakshmi."

"And then?" asked Narada with a smile; there was always a second task.

"And then do the same thing with Kalayavana." Krsna said, with a playful look at Narada. "But make sure that he too doesn't fall in love with me."

As fifteen year old Rukmini played her Veena, she felt a light breeze blowing. She could smell the fragrance of flowers which were not even part of the season. As she looked out of the window, she saw the rising moon cast a cool glow on her face.

She felt like playing the Raga Vijayashri. And as she began playing the haunting raga, the moonlight coalesced into a brilliant white form, which became a handsome being in saffron-coloured robes. Rukmini looked astonishingly at the divine personality, whom she recognized from the stories she had heard.

With the brightness of the moon, and a face that spoke of ancient wisdom, the Preceptor of all the worlds, the perpetual devotee of Lord Hari, who had caused auspiciousness to the worlds, who always chanted Narayana' on his lips - that Divine Sage Narada, son of Brahmadeva, stepped onto her courtyard.

Rukmini rushed to Narada and fell at his lotus feet, saying, "I have been rewarded the fruits of a hundred births today with your presence, Oh Devarshi!" Narada smiled as the Mother of the Universe sought his blessings and placed his hand on her head with the words, "May you attain the purpose of your birth soon!"

Rukmini got up and rushed about bringing the necessary items of worship. As she ran out to tell her parents about Devarshi's arrival, Narada stopped her. "My dear princess, you need not inform anybody about my arrival. I have appeared only to bless you, as my Lord has ordered me to."

Rukmini stopped and looked at Narada. "Your Lord, Prabhu?"

"Yes, dear Bhaishmi," he said, calling her as the daughter of Bheeshmaka, "my Lord Narayana himself has sent me here, to enlighten you about the scion of the Yadavas, the most perfect man, Krsna."

And Rukmini froze at the sound of that divine name. "Krsna, did you say, Devarshi? The heroic prince of Mathura?"

"The very same. You would have heard from your brothers about how he put Jarasandha and his armies to shame 17 times the past decade!" Rukmini nodded eagerly; she had witnessed too many of her brother's tantrums to realize the valour and prowess of that Yadava champion.

"Do you know his story? How he was born, how he performed many valorous and adventurous sports while he was just a boy? Of how he enchanted all the people he knew with his deeds, his Leelas, his beauty? Of how he conquered the minds of all the Gopikas of Vrndavana and was himself conquered by the best of them, Srimati Radha?"

As Rukmini listened to Narada's words, spellbound, lost to the outside world, Narada narrated all the divine sports of Sri Krsna, the beloved of Srimati Radharani, right from his avatara in Mathura, his transport to Gokula, his granting of liberation to the several demons and demigods who came to Gokula, his stealing of butter, the re-settlement of the gopas in Vrndavana, his conquest of Kaliya, his beautiful dance on the hoods of Kaliya, his refutal of Indra-Pooja, his lifting of the Govardhana Hill, his beautiful flute, his walks through the woods, the granting of bliss to the wives of the Brahmanas, the stealing of the Gopikas clothes, the playful antics with his friends, his divine Maharasa Leela with the gopikas, the salvation of Shankhachuda and Sudarshana, the arrival of Akrura, the reassurance to the gopikas, his and Balarama's entrance in Mathura and their subsequent conquests of Kamsa and Jarasandha.

Rukmini looked enthralled. Lord Krsna was the perfect human being, the epitome of good qualities! She had not heard of a finer man - why even Lord Rama, the Maryada Purushottama, fell pale in comparison to this crest-jewel among humans! And whilst she was lost in thought, she didn't notice Narada smiling, tears flowing from his face. Unnoticed by Rukmini, Narada bowed down to the princess and vanished.

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Note: The paragraph in blue is a literal translation of Saint Tyagaraja's Song 'Vara Narada Narayana', in Raga Vijayashri, which was sung by the saint after he obtained the darshana of Devarshi Narada. You can read the lyrics here: http://sahityam.net/wiki/Vara_Narada

You can listen to the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsZWVs8uotQ

Prefereably read the paragraph once more while listening.

This chapter is called 'Vijayashri' partly because of the Raga Name itself, but also because of the appearance of Devarshi Narada, which in itself bestows victory, as well as the success of Narada's wish to make Rukmini Devi fall for Krsna.

Those who know Tamil can also see this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOHSLt3e644

(My source of Inspiration).