I D Soni
The essential thing in life is to cultivate devotion to God and to have an intense yearning for his Lotus – feet. Nothing else counts. The knowledge of the world and its wealth and possession and pleasures and power are toys, which may interest those who are of the earth, earthy. The true bhakta does not think of his own comfort or ease. He thinks only of the happiness of the beloved one. Such bhakti had the gopis: such bhakti had Radha more than anyone else.
The way of bhakti is the way of surrender. Not until one has surrendered his “I”, his “ego”, may he truly know what bhakti is. The “ego” is the great barrier to true bhakti. The bhakta aspires to live for- ever at the Lotus – feet of the Lord. What stands between us and the Lord is the “ego”. This “ego” must go. We must learn to renounce ourselves. Did not Jesus say, “If any man follows Me, let him deny himself.”
“Deny ourselves”! This is the call of bhakti. Die to ourselves! Renounce the ego! Be nothing! Surrender means death of the empirical “I”. And When our “ego” dies, We are “reborn” in a life that is immortal, endless, full of bliss. The true bhakta knows that the lord giveth to each according to his needs. In this faith lives and works the true bhakta and so abides in the peace that surpasses understanding.
The joy of the bhakta is in doing the will of the Lord. Lord comes and lays on him His Hands in blessing. And as the bhakta feels their tender pressure, faith and hope and courage flow into his being, irradiating his life with the light of compassion and love. With one of his hands, the bhakta clings to the Lotus-feet of Lord and with the other he distributes the sweets of loving service to all who suffer and are in pain.
This is what makes the life of every Krishna bhakta beautiful. And the true Krishna – bhakta regards no one as his enemy. He blesses all : he does good to all: he gives the love of his heart to all : To him no one is stranger: all are children of the Eternal krishna: all are his brothers in spirit. He lives in the world as a traveller in an inn. Thus Radha lived with a longing for Krishna. She aspired to surrender her all to the one life: she sought refuge at the Lotus-feet of Krishna. And the joy of the lord flowed through her to many.
This is what made the life of Radha beautiful. She started regarding no one as her enemy. She blessed all: She did good to all: She gave the love of her heart to all as a True krishna bhakta. As such , she bore witness to the living Krishna. Krishna abided in her and she in krishna.
A) WHO WAS RADHA?
Sri krishna grew up in brindavan. The gopas and the gopis, the simple cowherds and milkmaids who had the good fortune to have Him amidst them, Whose rare privilege and blessing it was to have beheld His beautiful face, With whom He played games and indulged in a thousand divine leelas- the gopas and gopis exclaimed when they saw Him face to face: “We have seen the light of love in his face! We have seen the rapture of love! We have seen the ecstasy of love! We have seen the face of ananda-the bliss that no ending knows!”
One of those fortunate souls was Radha, whose name to this day, is entwined in conjunction with His Divine Name, who was Radha? What was she to Krishna, His name is prefixed by hers, as Radha krishna! In all our sacred puranas the female shakti is given a priority. We have spiritual pairs- Shiv- Paravati, Ram- Sita and Radha Krishna.
Why is Radha’s name so inextricably linked with krishna? Radha’s birthday is celebrated fifteen days after the Janmashtami; it is called Radha Ashtami. In north India, Radha Ashtami is celebrated with equal Zest and enthusiasm as Janmashtami, because Radha is considered as the incarnation of love and devotion. She is called with reverence- ‘Sri Radhey’, as ‘Radha Rani’ and ‘Radhika’
For a large number of people in north India, ‘Jai Shri Radhey’ is a sacred mantra. It is a mantra, which leads to the heart of Sri Krishna. People who chant this mantra with faith and devotion experience Sri Krishna at a higher level of consciousness. The most ardent devotees of Lord Krishna firmly believe that chanting ‘Sri Radhey’ is itself spiritually beneficial. Blessed is her beautiful name.
B) WHY RADHA WAS DEAR TO KRISHNA :-
Shri Krishna lay ill . His pure, tender body was inflamed with fever: The fever kept on mounting. No drugs and charms had any effect. The mother, Yashoda, felt deeply worried. And she said to Shri Krishna: “Shyama, my darling! We have tried everything within our power, but your fever keeps on rising. You, my child, are the Lord of the three worlds. Won’t you tell me what will make you will once again?”
Shri Krishna smiled and said,”Ma! Only one thing will cure me.” What is it of my child? Tell me that I may procure it without delay.” And Shri Krishna said,”Mother! Bring me the dust of the feet of someone who loves me dearly: apply it on my forehead and I shall get well”.
“That is easily done!” Said Yashoda, “the whole town is full of gopis and gopas who love you dearer than life itself. Soon I shall bring what you need.”
Yashoda goes out. She enters the house of a gopi who loves Shyama with deep spiritual love. The gopi feels happy to meet Yashoda. “Welcome, Mother” says the gopis, “Tell me if there is anything i can do for you” Yashoda explains to her the situation and asks her for the dust off her feet. As the gopis listens to this strange request, the colour of her countenance changes. Mother! She says,”You know full well that there is nothing in the world I would keep from Beloved Shyama. I would gladly lay down my life for his sake. But I can never do it. For it is laid down in the scriptures that a devotee goes to hell if the dust of his or her feet touches the forehead of the Lord. This I can never do, Mother!” And Yashoda moves from house to house: she meets gopas-lovers of the Lord. They tell her that if Sri Krishna wants their heads, they will gladly serve them with their own hands and place them at his feet.
At last Yashoda meets Radha. To her, too she makes the same request. She says,”Radha! Krishna has a high fever. And He says that until the dust of Radha’s feet is sprinkled on his forehead, He will not get well.”
“All I have, mother! Belongs to Krishna,” is Radha’s simple answer.”Take the dust off my feet and , without delay, sprinkle it on His forehead.” And the mother says to Radha: Surely, you know the consequences of such an act! If the dust of your feet is sprinkled on the forehead of the Lord, You will have to pay the penalty of going to hell! Whoever giveth the dust of her/his feet to the Lord, is dragged to hell.” Calmly answer Radha. “Blessed, indeed, would I be if for the sake of the Beloved I go to hell! A Hundred thousand times would I willingly go to hell, if only to give some relief to my Beloved. If only that the Beloved gets well I shall gladly endure the tortures of a hundred hells!” Yashoda is speechless. In silent wonder she gazes at Radha’s face. Yashoda picks up a little of the dust from Radha’s feet and returns home.
So it is that Krishna Himself said on one occasion: “Deep beyond words is my debt to Radha, for she has surrendered to Me all she is and She has-her body, her mind, her heart and her soul.”
C) KRISHNA BURNS THE LIGHT IN THE HEART OF RADHA
In a garden Radha saw Krishna with her handmaidens and Krishna walked alone. She saw Him: and He looked into her eyes. How radiant were Krishna’s eyes! How different from other men’s! And that night she saw him again in her dream! Some days passed by: She saw Him again, through her window: He had a flute on His lips: the song of the flute ravished her heart! And she gazed at him, again and again: Why did her body tremble and her soul guiver within her? Krishna was beautiful: and there was a fragrance in his face . And she said to Him,”Krishna! Won’t you come into my house?” “With pleasure-Someday! Said krishna. He was in the house of her heart already. It was a blessed day when He met her again, in her house. He called her to His heart and of said to her: “Radha! There is the atmn within you: the atmn is the real you and I have loved those Ancient Days! Keep the lights burning,” Saith the Lord! There is a Temple better than any which human hands may make – It is the Temple of the Heart: Within it keep the lights burning-the lights of Truth and Love!”
(The author is President Home for Aged & Infirm, Ambphalla, Jammu)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
