'Jambavant's Little Cub' - SS (updt-pg.4) - Page 2

Roaring with laughter, Jambavant clapped in delight as his ferocious little bear cub rolled through the dense jungle surrounding their little kingdom and grabbed onto a stick of bamboo with her teeth. Growling, the little bear cub tore the bamboo off its stem and dropped it in front of her father with a proud grin on her face.

"Well done, my little cub!" Jambavant praised his daughter with pride in his voice, "You are turning into a remarkable young lady every day."

"Pitaji, I am only five!" little Jambavati giggled, rolling around in the mud happily.

Jambavant chuckled and rubbed the fur atop his daughter's head affectionately. Bear cubs grew at a faster rate than humans, and he knew that in only a few more years his wife would insist he get their daughter married. But something told him to wait. Something told him that none of the bears in their kingdom would make a suitable groom for his darling princess. She was destined for greater things, he was sure of it. So against his wife's wishes, he would not force his daughter into marriage until she found a groom worthy of her hand...er...paw.

"Come, my little natkhat. It must be time for supper now," Jambavant led his naughty child back into the cave where he and his family lived.

His wife looked at their daughter askance.

"Aiieee!" she shrieked, "Look how much mud you are dripping on my floor, you naughty girl! Go get washed up at once!"

"Take it easy, my dear," Jambavant chuckled at his wife, "The girl takes enjoyment in the outside world. You should see the ferocity with which she was plucking bamboo stems. This girl of ours is very strong."

"You encourage her naughtiness, my lord," Jambavant's wife rolled her eyes, "What man will marry such a boisterous girl? We must teach her to become more demure."

"I shall give my Jambavati's hand only to the man who cherishes her for herself," Jambavant declared staunchly, "I will not give my little cub to someone who will crush her spirit."

"At this rate, she will never get married," Jambavant's wife muttered to herself, but as she looked at the little cub, hiding behind her father with a mischievous smile, her face softened and she smiled.

What can I do? She has even me wrapped around here little finger,' she thought fondly.

Ever since Jambavati had entered their lives, not a day went by in which she did not keep her parents on their toes. She was a very rambunctious child who delighted in rolling around mud puddles and exploring the dense jungle around their cave. Jambavant often feared for her safety, as the jungle was full of dangerous creatures who would not hesitate to strike an innocent little bear cub. Rather than curbing her little adventures however, he chose to accompany her whenever she went out, standing guard like the protective father he was. As a result, Jambavati grew very close to her father. She was a part of his soul, and Jambavant often wondered how he had ever survived before she came to his house.

Jambavati's many elder siblings often visited the little cave, delighting in their baby sister as much as their parents. Her brothers were as protective of her as her father, and her sisters taught her all the girlish games they used to play as children themselves.

Jambavati brought color to their lives, and Jambavant was loathe to let her go after marriage, though he knew he must. Hopefully, that day would not come for many days yet.

Looking towards the statue of Shri Ram, Jambavant closed his eyes and prayed earnestly, Prabhu, please find a worthy groom for my daughter, who will cherish her for her mischievous ways and rather than curb her adventurous spirit, enrich it with love and kindness. I desire a son-in-law who will love her as you love Mata Sita, Prabhu.'

Unbeknownst to Jambavant, a small flower from the garland around Shri Ram fell to the floor.

In the heavenly region of Saket dhaam, which was the eternal dwelling of Ram, Lakshman, Sita and Hanuman, the divine form of Devi Sita approached her Lord with a smile.

"Swami," she spoke to her husband lovingly, "Your dear bhakt Riksharaj is praying for a worthy groom for his daughter Jambavati. When will you appease his worries, my Lord? When will come to wed me in that form?"

"There is still much time before our union as Krishna and Jambavati, priye," Shri Ram smiled at his wife with affection, "You must be patient. First, I must wed you as Rukmini, and then your father Satrajit must accuse me of stealing the syamantaka before I venture into Jambavant's kingdom. There is still a lot of time."

Devi Sita looked down at Bhuloka, smiling at the sight of the child Rukmini frolicking in the courtyard of King Bhishmaka. She had a statue of Maha Vishnu in her hands, and gazed at it with love and adoration.

"When will you come for me, Arya?" Rukmini asked Maha Vishnu with pure, selfless love. Her parents looked at her with affectionate confusion, thinking this to be yet another game of hers. After all, how could their daughter, a mere human girl, ever marry Maha Vishnu, who was the consort of Mahalakshmi?

"King Bhishmaka and his wife do not recognize me," Devi Sita observed, "They think my dream of attaining you to be childish innocence."

"It is due to my sister, Yogamaya that they are not able to recognize the divinity in their daughter, "Shri Ram responded, "Just as Satrajit is not able to recognize you, Satyabhama, as Mahalakshmi."

Devi Sita looked in the courtyard of Satrajit, where little Satyabhama was climbing trees against the calls of her mother, who was scolding her for her torn dress. She giggled. She had never given her mother Sunaina much grief as Sita, but it was refreshing to see Satyabhama keeping her mother on her toes.

"Catch me if you can, Ma!" little Satyabhama called down to her mother, who had a deep frown on her face and hands on her hips, "Wheee!"

"Aryaputra, do you think you can deal with all of us?" Sita asked her husband with a smirk, "You had it easy when I was just Sita, but now you, as Shri Krishna, will have to deal with eight of my incarnations, all of them having a different personality. Satyabhama and Jambavati in particular will keep you on your toes."

"I shall seek protection from Rukmini," Shri Ram responded with a smirk of his own. "I shall entreat her to keep the doors of her chamber locked to Satyabhama and Jambavati."

"Rukmini can never refuse entrance to her sisters," Sita giggled, "Swami, you will have your hands full with us for sure."

"You all will be the light of my life," Ram told Sita with a sparkling smile, "Any so-called trouble you give me, I will receive with pleasure, my love."

Sita blushed and said with a shake of her head, "You are still as proficient with your words as ever, Raghunath. Let's see if your Kanha is as proficient in his speech."

"Krishna will exceed me in speech," Ram told Sita with a mischievous smile of his own, "Prepare to be amazed, priye."

"As humble as ever, I see," Sita teased her husband, but she looked eagerly at Bhuloka, enjoying her Lord's leela as it played out in front of her.

~*~

5 years later

Jambavati sat at the foot of Prabhu Shri Ram's murti, gazing at him with love and adoration in her eyes.

Arya, when will you come for me?' she asked him with impatient tears in her eyes, It is becoming more difficult day by day that I am separated from you.'

"Jambavati?" her mother called out to her, taking a seat next to her daughter.

"Yes, Ma?"

"Putri, a very good proposal has come for you today," her mother began, "The young bear is from a very good family and is the crown prince of a small province not far from here. You would be close to your family even after marriage. What do you say, my dear? Are you interesting in seeing him?"

"Ma, I appreciate your concern, and I am sure the young man is a good catch, but my husband can be none other than Prabhu Shri Ram," Jambavati declared. "It is for him I am waiting for."

"Jambavati, are you out of your senses?" her mother scolded, "Enough is enough! Till how long will you wait for a man who has already left the Earth? Lord Ram has returned to his divine abode, putri. Your father saw his maha prayaan with his own eyes. How can Lord Ram marry you?"

"He will come again, Ma, I can feel it in my heart," Jamabavati said with tears in her eyes, "Trust me, Ma."

"How can I trust you, when you are behaving so foolishly?" her mother said with a frown, "Even if Shri Ram came back, he would never marry you. He is eka patnivrat, and his wife is Devi Sita. How can you even think of competing with the divine mother?"

Despite the tears in her daughter's eyes, her mother persisted. "Even if he did choose to marry again, why would he marry a bear like you? He is a human, Jambavati, and a bear and human can never marry."

"Ma, where the Lord is concerned, nothing is impossible," Jambavati said with a smile, "Arya will come for me, and I will wait for him until the end of the world if necessary."

Her mother huffed with frustration and stalked out of the room to talk to her husband, but Jambavant was staunch in his decision. He would never force his daughter into marriage.

"She will pass marriageable age," his wife exclaimed, "She thinks she can compete with humans, but we bears grow quicker than humans do. She is ready for marriage now, but soon she will be considered an old maid!"

"Then an old maid she shall remain, until the Lord decides it is the right time for her to marry," Jambavant declared, "I will not force her, dear. She must marry the one her heart desires. Who knows? Perhaps Prabhu Shri Ram will come for her."

"My lord, you too?" his wife asked with exasperation, but Jambavant was lost in thought.

Prabhu, what is your plan?' he thought in his mind, Devi Sita is your divine consort, and I know you will wed none other. How then can you fulfill my daughter's desire? Is she really meant to wed you, Prabhu?'

~*~

5 years later

Jambavati was now 15 years old, and her mother was beside herself with worry. Her daughter persisted in her refusal to marry any of the available male bears in their kingdom. All the female bears her age were already married and mothers of multiple children, but Jambavati persisted in her decision to wait for her Lord.

Over dinner, Jambavant was regaling his wife with the latest updates of the humans in the land around them. Jambavati listened with curiosity.

"There is a prince of the Yadava clan," he explained, "His name is Shri Krishna. Do you remember me mentioning him to you years ago?"

"Yes," his wife replied, "You mentioned that evil King Kansa of Mathura had imprisoned his sister Devaki and her husband Vasudev soon after marriage. This Krishna is their eighth son, right?"

"Yes," Jambavant nodded his head, not noticing how his daughter's face bloomed with happiness at the mention of Krishna. "Shri Krishna killed Kansa and freed his parents. They now live in Dwaraka, a mystical kingdom that is said to float on the ocean. Messengers from Dwaraka passed by today with trays of sweets."

"Oh?" his wife looked curious, "For what reason?"

"Their dear prince, Shri Krishna, has gotten married at long last. He recently abducted the daughter of King Bhishmaka of Vidarbha, and married her in Dwaraka."

"He married a girl without her parents' consent?" Jambavant's wife asked with disapproval, "How can a man said to be so virtuous marry a girl against her parents' wishes?"

"The parents must have tried to get their daughter married against her wishes," Jambavati spoke up, "I am sure Rajkumari Rukmini sent Shri Krishna a message to come save her."

"It is not appropriate for a girl to marry a man without her parents' consent," her mother frowned, giving her daughter a disapproving look. "Do not get ideas in that head of yours, Jambavati."

"But Ma, what wrong did Rajkumari Rukmini do?" Jambavati asked her mother stubbornly, "Is it right to force a girl into marriage against her will?"

"No, it is not," Jambavant spoke up with a smile, "We do not know the full details of the incident, so there is no point in discussing it, is there? The marriage is done, and the bride and groom are said to be very happy together."

"I think what Rajkumari Rukmini did is so romantic," Jambavati gushed, a dreamy smile on her face. She looked at the murti of Shri Ram with happiness.

Jambavant's wife sighed, clearly frustrated with her daughter but not willing to continue the argument.

"I heard Dwaraka's treasurer, Satrajit, has a mischievous daughter of his own,' Jambavant continued, chuckling at his wife and daughter's antics, "Apparently, she has refused 20 proposals of marriage already."

"Well, I can sympathize with her mother for sure!" Jambavant's wife grumbled.