II SaurabhRaajJain/ArisudhanaKrishna-destroyer of enemies AT#7II - Page 95

Wives of Shree Krishna--Spiritual Significance

Krishna had mainly eight wives , he was called Ashtabharya (ashta=eight, bharya=wife) because of that. Different scriptures list their names differently. According to Bhagavata purana names of the eight wives in order were Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavati, Kalindi, Mitravinda, Nagnajiti, Bhadra and Lakshmana.

Story of 16,100 wives

Narakasura=Naraka+asura; naraka was his name, naraka also means hell, he is considered the son of mother earth thus called Bhaumasura (son of bhumi, bhumi=earth). Asura means demon.
the demon king Naraka had kidnapped 16,100 (some sources say 16,000 probably for the sake of ease) women and held them in his captivity in his capital Pragjyotisha.
Naraka had stolen the ear-rings of Aditi (daughter of brahma, first nascent being), her sons demigods were unable to fight against Naraka. Upon their request krishna along with his wife Sathyabhama attacked Pragjyotisha on his vehicle Garuda (eagle) and fought a fierce battle against the demons, in that war many powerful demons were slayed by krishna. Most important of those were Mura and Naraka.
(Narakasura had the curse of being killed by his own mother, Sathyabhama is considered the incarnation of Mother earth, thus she killed Narakasura)
After killing Naraka, krishna released 16,100 women that Narakasura had in captivity. When krishna asked them to return to their houses, they refused. They were aware that the society of that age would not take back those who were taken by another man. So they were left with nowhere to go.
When Krishna asked them what they wanted to do, they all wanted Krishna to marry them.
Krishna married them all at the same auspicious time assuming that many bodies, so they could gain status of married women and live in the society with honor again. Krishna constructed them each a palace with huge gardens ful of colorful flowers, It was impossible to live with each of them so he created 16100 forms of himself so that he could treat them all in the same manner as his 8 wives. Scriptures say that each of them had 10 sons and 1 daughter.

Note: Some stories say that each of 16,100 women were rishis from the past who wanted to be part of Lord's incarnation on earth. Who wanted to live closer to him and witness his life. Upon their prayer to lord vishnu he granted them the boon to be his wives in his next incarnation on earth.

Note: Some stories say 16100 women were Gopis, who did not want to marry any one else but krishna, who thus remained unmarried throughout their lives.

Note: Another theory relates the Krishna, who plays the flute and the lover of music, and his 16,000 wives to the 16,000 ragas or musical modes or passions or affections of the mind in Indian classical music, and their wives - the raginis (female raga). The raginis selected one of these ragas to which to modulate her strains for affecting and securing the heart of Krishna, the amorous and harmonious deity. Krishna who was devoted to music received and enjoyed every variety of modulation, multiplied to the number of 16,000, fancifully personified in the form of the women derived from Bhauma (a name of Narakasura), a five-stringed musical instrument

Note: Mahabharata has the Narakasura version of the story

Note: Some symbolize the number 16,000 to represent 16 Qualities (or arts or vidyas) that krishna had, which is higher than the previous incarnations of vishnu Eg: Rama had 14
Note: Here is another very interesting symbolic meaning: "When a devotee realizes god, God appears to each as his own (krishna manifested 16108 forms to love them individually), each devotee feels God in his heart as his own lover, he does not reject any one's love. He treats them all equally, loves them all equally (krishna build a palace each for his 16108 wives)"

Note: Srila Prabhupada writes in his book "Krishna Book"
The Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna certainly has no business being any one's husband or son or father, because everything belongs to Him and everyone is under His control. He does not require any one's help for His satisfaction. He is atmarama, self-satisfied; He can derive all pleasure by Himself, without any one's help. When the Lord descends to play the part of a human being, He plays a role either as a husband, son, friend or enemy, in full perfection. As such, when He was playing as the perfect husband of the queens, especially of Rukminiji, He enjoyed conjugal love in complete perfection.

According to Vedic culture, although polygamy is allowed, none of the wives should be ill-treated. In other words, one may take many wives only if he is able to satisfy all of them equally as an ideal householder; otherwise it is not allowed. Lord Krishna is the world-teacher; therefore, even though He had no need for a wife, He expanded Himself into as many forms as He had wives, and He lived with them as an ideal householder, observing the regulative principles, rules and commitments in accordance with the Vedic injunctions and the social laws and customs of society. For each of His 16,108 wives, He simultaneously maintained different palaces, different establishments and different atmospheres. Thus the Lord, although one, exhibited Himself as 16,108 ideal householders

Note: The spiritual significance of each wife having exactly 10 sons and 1 daughter is not known. It probably means that the divine soul has so many off-springs (qualities), probably in that ratio of feminine and masculine qualities

Note: Each of 16108 wives of krishna had golden palaces with huge gardens full of colorful flowers. This is symbolic and means that he who weds the supreme soul (one who attains self-realization) will have all the gold (siddhis, psychic powers), palace, beauty (satisfactions) that he wishes for. It is of importance to know Shakyamuni Buddha symbolized enlightened mind to golden palace. He called liberation as pure land/ golden land. Lord Jesus also used the symbology of wedding when referring to Self-Realization (Parable of the Ten Virgins)

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Originally posted by: Sukanya_Datta

An edit I made on the new promo:

Originally posted by: santhiyaa_J

very nice siggies blending is perfect do u use PS for making siggies??

RADHA'S LOVE - A BITTERSWEET TALE

Radha gave her heart to Krishna when she was just a little girl.

She was several years older than Krishna.

She was the daughter of Vrishbhanu, a clan chief like Nandalal. She belonged to Barsana, a settlement near Gokul. The residents of Barsana migrated to Vrindavan before those of Gokul. On the way to Vrindavan, they passed Gokul, and it was then that Radha first laid her eyes on Krishna.

He was but a toddler then and Radha a little girl.

She carried the dark bundle into her arms as he beamed at her with his lotus eyes. She cuddled him just as a mother would her child, or a little girl her favourite doll.

Later, she would often go to Nandalal and Yashoda's house to spend time with Krishna. She would help Yashoda to feed him, bathe him, play with him, amuse him and sing lullabies to him.

It is said that once Nandalal took little Krishna to the fields for his cattle to graze. It was Krishna's first outing with Dad. Suddenly, the clouds turned dark and a thunderous storm threatened the sky. Krishna started clinging to Nandalal. Nandalal was in a fix, as he could not mind both Krishna and the cattle. At that time, he spotted Radha passing by and asked her if she could escort Krishna home to his mother. She obliged.

As she carried him through the thicket of trees, some versions say, a spell was cast and Radha saw a vision. Krishna became a youth, and she a young lady. He searched adoringly into her eyes and whispered, "Do you remember us, way back from eternity? Do you remember who you are to me, and who we are?" And, just as quickly as the vision came, it went, and the little Krishna was pitifully crying and clinging to her tight.

Radha was supposedly betrothed to one Ayana while she was still a child. Ayana was much older to her. Some versions say Ayana was Yashoda's brother, which made Radha Krishna's aunt on marriage. In some accounts, Radha was already married as a child to Ayana when she met Krishna.

These complications made a possible romantic relationship with Krishna more and more socially unacceptable.

Yet, Radha had given her soul to Krishna when she was a child. And to her, social acceptance, norms, restrictions and reputation had no meaning before her love for Krishna. She was consumed by him - body, mind and soul.

She nurtured him like a mother, protected him like a big sister and cherished him like a friend; she was his caretaker, babysitter and best buddy; as they grew together, she became his playmate, advisor, fellow prankster and companion; and naturally, as they entered youth, they fell in love. She became his ardent sweetheart and clandestine lover. Some versions say that they married in the secrecy of the forests. She loved him as a beloved, a wife, and also as a woman who belonged to someone else - thereby increasing multi-fold the intensity of her passion and devotion to him.

Absolutely every emotion in the spectrum of love was experienced by Radha to Krishna.

She knew that he was an Avatar. Everyone said so. There was no reason to disbelieve it. After all, all the Gopis wanted him. Yet, his Godly status did not matter to her. She did not care for liberation or earning merits from divinity. To her, only he mattered. He was her beginning, middle and end. He was her Kahn - her adorable, flute playing, bewitching cowherd.

She worshipped him like a devotee, but personalized him to the extent that she could capture his infinite nature and make him kiss her feet. She dictated terms, scolded him, fought with him, flew into jealous rages, dominated him, made him grovel, beseech and flatter her, made him comb her hair and pamper her, made him dance to her tunes and called him a liar and a thief. She could do anything with him, and he gladly let her. To the extent that Krishna would go into rapturous bliss if the word "Radha" was uttered. He was completely a slave to her love.

Then the day came when he had to leave forever- that fateful day when a mysterious chariot whisked her Kahn away from her. She could not have gone. Some accounts say she did not want to go. Krishna had to enter a different phase. He had to play politics, behave like a kshatriya, marry queens, fight wars and uphold dharma. That would not be her Kahn. If she went, she could not be the simple milk maid that he had cherished, nor he the cowherd that she loved. Their bond was too natural and too free to be corrupted by this change, and Radha too innocent and pure for the big bad world outside. They could never re-create this magic in the corrupt world he was about to enter.

It is said that every moment of separation from him was like a thousand scorpion stings for Radha. Yet, he had to go and she let him go. The agony was unbearable for both of them.

He told her that he was indebted to her love for eternity. It is said that he left behind his flute with her. That was like leaving behind the most beautiful part of him - because the most beautiful part of him was Radha. She was his music and dance. The Krishna post Vrindavan did not play the flute. Without her he was devoid of all Raas.

Here is an excerpt of Chandidasa's moving lines when Krishna bade farewell to Radha:

""I must go."
In spite of my kisses,
My passionate embraces,
He keeps repeating
That he must go.
He goes half a step
And then he turns back
With anguished eyes
Gazing at my face"

Here is another excerpt of how she pined for him, and told her friends to not even try to talk her out of her pain:

"It's no use telling me what I should do
The blackness of his skin fills my days and my dreams
I can't even move my hand to fix my tousled tresses.
Taking them for Krishna I fill my lap with my hair.
As I call out for him, my dark darling Kala
I cry and cry
The blackness of his skin is forever present
What can I do?"

In time, Radha transcended the pain and entered a permanent soul connection with Krishna. He never came back. But physical proximity was not necessary anymore. She had attained a permanent merging in Krishna. Their connection was constant and so deep that it was like they were the same person. Absolutely nobody else achieved this level of self annihilation and unity with Krishna.

A story goes, when Krishna's wives out of petty jealousy, made Radha drink scalding hot milk, they returned to Mathura to find Krishna's tongue burnt.

This is the love story of Radha and Krishna. If one wants Krishna to respond immediately, one has to call Radha.

Champa

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Will Duryodhan & Shakuni be able to trap Lord Krishna? Watch: http://bit.ly/KrishnaTrap #Mahabharat

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yVsOFtZbWZI#t=0[/YOUTUBE]