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Uddhava's thoughts
This was crazy. The letter so carefully worded by Shri Krishna Himself, explaining the subtle difference between His sagun and nirgun roop in now in shreds. Torn to pieces by these ignorant village girls...Look at them -each one is hugging the shred in her hand as if she is hugging Krishna Himself. Don't they know that God is Omni Present Omni potent? How can they see God in shreds of paper?
Look at them - still clutching the pieces, shedding tears. This is too much...Krishna's whole message is lost. They are now asking whose names has Krishna written? SIlly girls...Don't they know that Krishna, Narayan Himself is above these petty feelings? Someone has to show them...Lucky I am here...I raise my voice and go about collecting each piece of the letter from the girls. They are reluctant, but I do not relent and forcibly take each piece from them.
Oh they are still crying...They claim they are able to see and feel Kanha in the letter. That's impossible... Or is it possible? Their tears seem so genuine...their sorrow so heart wrenching...
They surround me and seat me beneath a tree and themselves sit down on the grass, tears still streaming down thier face. Was this how they used to surround Krishna, bathing his feet with their tears? Is it possible to love a person so much that the very thought of him brings tears in the eyes? What kind of worship is this?
No, what the Gopis are experiencing is mere delusion...Delusion caused by attachment...what
they term as love is nothing but bondage...and the only way to come out of this is to realize the Supreme truth.
The gopis are looking at me expectantly, waiting for me to read out the letter. Some how, I am not so enthusiastic now.I do not know why... but I feel if I reveal the contents, their hearts will break. But I am there to guide them through... to impart them the Supreme Knowledge which will help them cut the bonds of attachment which have bound them.
I take a deep breath and announce that their 'Kanha' will never return to them. I also add that it would be better if they forget the physical form of their beloved 'Kanha' and instead realize the Supreme Being that is Krishna. I urge them (and Sudama) to remember that the physical form, i.e the body is perishable and one should not be too attached to the physical form. I expound the wisdom imparted by the great sages...
... but the gopis are in a world of their own... A world in which only they and their Kanha seem to exist...My words of wisdom seem to have no effect on them. They don't even seem to need it.
They claim that for them their love for Krishna is supreme. That is what adds colour to their lives. Even if they are waiting expectantly they are still thinking of their Kanha.
My intellect refuses to buy their arguement, But why is my heart also stirring ? Is there truly something in their love which refuses to bow down to intellect? bhakti yoga a shade better than gyan yoga?
Seeing me still unconvinced, they take me to the Banks of Yamuna. There , standing alone, lost in her thoughts was Radha. The gopis announced that I had arrived from Dwarka, bearing a message from Krishna...The word 'Krishna' worked its magic and she came running towards me.
For the first time, I, Uddhava, the disciple of Brihaspati himself, is having second thoughts on the power of Knowledge and intellect. Can Love be truly greater?...
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