Together We Are Timeless[IF-NC_ENTRY] For Round 5 , page 11 - Page 6

With a swirl of emotions, Radha stared at the maidens for a probing moment! After a brief pause, the luminosity of a smile dawned on her lips. She turned to Gagan Sundari and said, "The life of our Krishna was filled with social rebellion. As a child, he ordered us to worship Nature instead of Indra! If divine order is like that, who are we to question? Draupadi's marriage was just one among many examples of an uncommon practice in royal families, which is nevertheless legitimized by seers and sages. So, we can't say it's unethical. Pandavas were married to Draupadi through formal rituals. She fulfilled all her duties as a wife and had one son from each Pandav prince. And it was not like she ran from one chamber to another to seek attention from her husbands, but each brother had to wait for their turn to get her attention. Don't question that marriage without understanding the intent of Draupadi. Why are we not trying to understand what were the expectations on Draupadi? She endured humiliation for this unique relationship. Sundari, never try to insult any woman for an unknown reason. We are all tools in the hands of fate, which is unavoidable even for God.! Never compare Krishna taking away our clothes as a kid and that disrobing Draupadi by a wretched royal. Our Krishna taught us about the surrender of pride, to ward off all sorts of veils between Him and us in that abdication of self. Vaishnavi, Krishna took away our clothes means he took away all our bodily attachments. The clothes are a cover to the body, and in reality, the body is just a tool for Atma to perceive this universe. The relation between the Atma and the body is called life. God is omnipresent who can see deep into your heart, so how can a mere piece of cloth hide you from his eyes? He wanted to wipe out the barrier of I, Me and Myself. He hides our clothes to ward off our pride, and he gifted a never-ending cloth to Draupadi to save her from the lustful eyes of the sinners," Radha explained them like a seer, but suddenly felt shy like a young girl recollecting Krishna's pranks in the bathing Ghat on that day. Observing the coquettish grin on Radha's face, Vandana beamed, Vakula chuckled! No words were exchanged between them, but the silent pantomime had conveyed the full import of a thousand thoughts!

"Radha, we heard that your Krishna blessed Draupadi with an Akshaya Patra, a vessel which gives unlimited food to feed the seers and her family in the forest?

Yashoda proudly said, "You all blamed my child for stealing butter, see, he is the provider of food for the royals and the learned sages in the hermitages!

"When did you agree that your Kanha steals our butter, we know Yashoda, a mother's love protects him from all his sins, praising him for all his vices!" Vakula gleefully teased.

"Vakula, are you not the first one to teach my Kanha how to grab milk pots from the maidens' head without their notice?" asked Radha with a fond smile!

"Who am I to teach him such vices? Our toy boy was a teacher as well as a learner in all that mischief in those days," explained Vakula. "My Krishna was punished by Bhabhi for stealing the butter pots from your houses " She expressed concern for her Krishna's past punishment!     

 Uddhav, who came from Dwaraka for attending the festivities, sat there and was following their discussions intently. Every year, Krishna would send him to attend the Rain festival on his behalf and requested him to interact with the Gopikas to inform them about his well-being. They all knew him as the Yadav boy from the royal palace, their Krishna's friend. He was a messenger between the village maidens and Krishna, carrying the silent messages in the form of garlands between Radha and Krishna since Krishna's marriage with Rukmini.

Uddhav was many times awestruck and humbled sensing the unconditional love of these milkmaids! Every time they asked him many questions about their Krishna. But Radha never asked him about Him, because she knew what was happening in her Krishna's life, he was always with her emotionally. The maidens turned to him and started asking about Draupadi and her proximity with Krishna.

Uddhav started talking with a voice heavy with grief. " Listen, wise girls, this is the time we are undergoing a strong underlying social rebellion, where practically every royal woman takes unorthodox but legitimate decisions. Thus Draupadi's marriage was just one among many such decisions.  Actually, the acceptance of five husbands was a challenge to her. Even though Draupadi is unabashedly and prominently a graceful queen, with a woman's pride, she faced many insults, lead the life of a lone warrior to fight her fate. We should not try to interpret all actions of divinity at the human level. She was living with a fire burning her soul. But remember, behind every trial and sorrow that God makes us shoulder, God has a reason. Where there is sorrow, there will be our Krishna to save them. When I went to meet our Krishna after that fateful incident of Draupadi's dishonor, he shared with me his conversation with Draupadi before her marriage."

Prior to sharing with them, he recollected his conversation with Krishna-- On that day Krishna was sitting alone in his chambers waiting for Uddhava. When he entered, he saw tears flowing from Krishna's eyes, he was immersed in deep thought. Krishna silently showed him a seat and then started telling him,  "Uddhava, what to say, the life of my Sakhi Draupadi is unique and vital. She is here for a specific purpose, like a sacred fire. Despite being dragged into a marriage of an idiosyncratic relationship with five Pandavas, she exercised her will to marry them wholeheartedly. On that day, when Draupadi questioned me for supporting this marriage, I explained to her, you are here for a divine purpose. Your birth was followed by a prophecy that 'this woman will lead to the downfall of the sinful royals, will lead to the death of a few dynasties. She will be the reason behind a great turmoil and the consequential establishment of righteousness on this earth.' Draupadi looked at me, a pale smile dawned on her lips. She asked me, 'Krishna, to establish dharma through Arjun, the required unity between Pandav brothers is necessary for you. To strengthen that bond, there needs a binding factor! Are you using me as a rein to bind them for that purpose? How can a girl marry and manage with five roaring lions, God knows! You have divine powers to manage with your thousands of wives, but how can I manage with five warriors as husbands?' The chuckle with which she questioned was soft like the voice of the koyal, but I could see the shock on her face before she could hide it. At that moment, I have seen all the trepidations and apprehensions on her face Uddhava! How can I forget that moment?  I asked her, 'Are you not blessed with divine power, Sakhi? For me, all women are blessed with sublime confidence which exudes from their seraphic smiles! Taming five lions is not a difficult task for you with your grace and imposing beauty with that oozing divinity from your eyes! I know, you are clever enough to put some rules to define the subtle issues in day to day life with them.' At present, the world is like a Homa altar, and we are all the oblations to light the fire to cleanse the universe from vice and sin! Am I not a stick of sacrifice in that Havan, Yajnaseni? God is the grinding stone as well as the grain here! As humans, we have to do our duty, I will be with you at every moment," She nodded her head and readied herself for that ultimate sacrifice at that moment and I could visualize it from her stance."

Krishna had shared their conversation with Uddhava and asked him with a concerned tone, "Am I putting her on the grind to fulfill my duty on this earth Uddhava? I know, I can't do anything without her participation in this sacrificial yajna, in close association we have to install dharma on earth by burning ourselves in that duty! My heart is crying for the hardships she is going through now. Uddhava, do you know what happened on that fateful day? The five brothers stood there in resounding silence of disgrace and dishonor when Draupadi was dragged by Dussasan! Though she was pleading, Draupadi's anger was rising and as she was dragged before that perfidious assembly, she cast looks on her husbands which inflamed them. It was a glance that wrapped them up, vibrated with command. It was a glance with authority as a gale wind that shook the ground like a storm! It was an insulted woman's questioning glare to the universe. In her tormented moment, she prayed for help. I was deeply moved, rushed there to cover her with divine protection in the form of unceasing clothes! At that moment, my eyes were filled with tears for her." Uddhava recollected those words and he conveyed Krishna's thoughts to the assembled villagers there. They listened to his words with rapt attention and wiped their tears with empathy.

 In the evening the oil lamps were placed in every nook and corner of the area to spread light. The light from the flames brought a light and shade effect on their faces who indulged in discussions for a long time! With the gentle wind blithely moving the dark tendrils on her forehead, Radha was listening to a woman's tormented fate for the sake of a divine purpose.  

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