Radha’s Prem -Sivanand 7

Radha’s Prem -Swami Sivananda

Scene 1

Act 1

Jnana Dev: Ah!Areally pardonable doubt. Just listen to this marvellous incident I amgoing to narrate to you and reflect on its deep import. The women of Vraja once asked Lord Krishna to name some Brahmin to whom they could offer food. Lord Krishna named “Durvasa”. The Gopis asked: “How can we approach him? There is the Yamuna which is in floods. How are we to cross it? Name some other Mahatma, please”. The Lord said “Request Yamuna in the name of Nitya Brahmachari Krishna to give way and it will instantly do so. The Gopis were amused, and though sceptic, did as requested and lo! the river at once gave way for the perplexed Gopis to cross it; Yamuna indeed knew the real Svarupa of Krishna, the spotless divine purity that He was! He was a Nitya Brahmacharin. Prem Das: That is a story I have often heard. But how can that be? He spent a whole night with the Gopis and is said to have married 16,008 wives! Jnana Dev:—It all sounds curious to you, doesn’t it? Lord Krishna’s Rasa Leela is a mystery of mysteries. “Go” means a Jiva or Ego. Gopala means the protector of Jivas. “Go” means also Prithivi or this earth or in other words the Prakriti as distinguished from the Purusha Supreme. All Jivakotis are Prakriti-sambhava. Gopala means the Lord and the protector of the entire Jiva-rashis. Krishna means a kishora, i.e., a person between 7 and 12 years of age. At the centre of Vrindawan, is the octagonal Yoga-seat of Sri Krishna. He is the Lord of it. Brahma, Vishnu and Siva are His parts. His primal Prakritiis Radhika. Govinda with Radha is seated on the golden throne, on the seat of Yoga with his favourites, Chandravati, Chitrarekha, Chandra, Madana Sundari, Sri Madhumati, Chandrarekha, Hari-priya. The latter were His chief Sakhis (Pat Ranis). Prem Das: You are puzzling me further. But how does all this excuse the actions of Krishna?