Story, Shri Krishna
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Entry of Kaliyug
Once upon a time in Brahmalok (the eternal residence of Lord Brahma), Lord Brahma was seated on a white lotus. Goddess Parvati was sitting next to Him. Just then Devrishi (sages who are living in the abode of Gods) Narad came and bowed to Lord Brahma. Narad was worried. When Brahmaji asked Devrishi, Devrishi said that he had been to the “Kumbhmela” at Haridwar where he bowed to Gangaji and then went to Vrindavan where he heard a lady crying. Two people were sleeping next to the lady. When Naradji asked her for the reason she was crying, she said that she was Bhaktimata (Goddess) and the two people next to her were her sons, knowledge and asceticism who had become very weak due to the impact of Kalyug. All three were sad. She wanted to know if there was any way out wherein all three- devotion, knowledge and asceticism could live together.
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Krishna sends Udhav to Gopis
Uddhav was Shri Krishna’s cousin brother. The deities’ teacher Brihaspati gave Brahmagyan (divine knowledge) to his disciple Uddhav. Uddhavreceived knowledge par excellence. After this, he stopped praying to God and meditated only for the formless (spiritual) divine being. He was very proud about his knowledge. Krishna, to break his ego created an act and told Uddhav, “I have come to Mathura but still my mind is fascinated with Radha and the Gopis. You are very knowledgeable, please get me relieved from this fascination and let the Gopis free from my affection.” According to Uddhav, this was the fascination of love; a knowledgeable person does not get carried away with emotions. Then Krishna told him to go to Gokul and free the Gopis from the emotion of affection.
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Droupadi Vastraharan
Duryodhan was very jealous of the grandeur of Indraprasth, capital of the Pandavas. Shakuni uncle gave him an idea that the Pandavas would come to Hastinapur for the Holi festival. On this occasion he must invite Yudhishthir for gambling. Yudhishthir loved to gamble and so he would be ready to play. Later Shakuni would defeat him by cheating him and then support Duryodhan in snatching away the kingdom of the Pandavas. On getting the invitation from Duryodhan, Yudhishthir played the game. The condition of the game was that whoever lost the game would go in exile for twelve years and one year living incognito.
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Shri Krishna in Kauravas court as envoy of peace
Shri Krishna went to court of the Kauravas being the peace messenger and explained toDhritrashtra and others to side the truth and let the Pandavas enjoy their rights. Duryodhan was adamant about fighting a war. Then he ordered Dushashan to make Krishna his captive. Krishna appeared in his Viraat (gigantic) form and frightened everyone and met Kunti and Vidurbefore returning. Kunti advised her sons to fight for their rights and prepare for war.
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Characters
Devas
Radha
Other names - Radhe, Radharani, Radhika, Radhaa
Shri Krishna's dear friend and worshipper Radha was the daughter of a cowherd named Vrishbhanu. In the Padmapuran, she is said to be the daughter of a King named Vrishbhanu. When the King was cleaning the space of the sacrifice (yagya), he found Radha in the form of Bhoomiputri (daughter of mother earth). The king nurtured her as his own daughter. There is one more story said about the birth of Radha according to which when Lord Vishnu was to incarnate as Krishna, he asked all the deities and goddesses of his family to incarnate on the earth. Then, Lord Vishnu’s consort and the one who was residing in the Vaikunthlok, Laxmi incarnated on the earth as Radha. There are many different ancient stories said about the birth of Radha but the one that is unanimously accepted is that Radha was the daughter of Vrishbhanu who was king Suchandra in his previous life. Suchandra and his wife had acquired a boon from Brahmaji that in the Dwapar age Shri Laxmi will be born as a daughter to them in the form of Radha. King Suchendra and Queen Kalavati only were reborn as Vrishbhanu and Kirtikumari and Laxmiji was incarnated as Radha.
It is said that at the time of Radha’s birth, Devarshi Narad himself went and met Vrishbhanu and informed him, “This girl’s beauty and nature is divine. All the houses, wherever her footprints are, Lord Narayan with all other deities will reside. Nurture this girl thinking her to be a Goddess.” According to Naradji’s advice, Vrishbhanu nurtured Radha with great love and care. Nandbaba who lived in the nearby village was friends with Vrishbanu. Once during the festival of Holi; Vrishbanu went to Gokul to meet Nandrai. At Nandrai and Yashoda’s house Krishna (who was growing up as their son) met Radha. Their union was divine, phenomenal and incessant. This meeting was Radha and Krishna's first meeting which became eternal.
Radha’s love towards Krishna in the terrestrial or customary meaning is not just the relation between a man and woman. The feeling of this love is divine and phenomenal which gives this love a pious form. The philosophical side of this reduces the distance of the support and supportive, also the difference between the worshipper and worshipful is not there. Krishna is the life of Vraj; Radha is the soul of Krishna. That is why, it is said, “Atma Tu Radhika Tasya” (Radha, you are His soul). One form of Radha is, she is a devotee, worshipper of Krishna and in the second form she is the worshipful, devoted by Krishna. ‘Aradhyate Asau itii Radha.’ Radha – Krishna's love is the symbol of the feeling of being united. When two souls are united, the difference of the other or the second vanishes.
The image of two souls uniting concludes in the ‘Maharaas’ (group dance of Gopis around Krishna where every Gopi felt that Krishna was dancing with them), where Shri Krishna is engrossed in the Gopis. ‘Maharaas’ is the form of love and devotion.
There is no place for pleasure here, but only sacrifice and duty is the prime motive. That is why this divine love is believed to be Pancham Purusharth which is above duty (dharma), money (Arth), pleasure (Kaam) and salvation (Moksha). Hence Vrindavan is called the land of Pancham Purusharth.
This Pancham Purusharth (energy) in the philosophical form is said to be ‘Power’. Radha is the backbone of omnipotent Krishna's energy. The energy form of Radha runs this universe in different forms for performing different actions. Some times Kali, sometimes Durga, Laxmi, Saraswati etc. are believed to be different forms of Radha.
In this extensive meaning, Radha becomes the inspiration of life and supporting rock of Indian culture. In Brahmavaivart’s Puran’s “Krishna Kand”, Radha has been praised by the God himself as the live symbol of power and energy. She is Krishna's Shakti or power.
After going to Mathura from Gokul, Krishna did not forget Radha and even Radha did not fade out. Radha knew that to kill an oppressor like Kans, Krishna had to go to Mathura. This was his duty and Radha did not want to hinder his path of duty. This is the best form of sacrifice which Radha accepts in separation from Krishna.
After Shri Krishna went to Mathura, Radha and Krishna did not meet for years. It is said that both of them had met at Kurukshetra where during the time of a solar eclipse, Krishna had come from Dwarika and Nandrai, ‘Yashoda, Vrishbhanu and Radha had come from Vrindavan.
The feeling of Radha – Krishna's divine love keeps on increasing day by day. Radha became the inspiration of Mahakavi Suradas’s (one of the greatest poets of India) literature. Also Nimbark Sampraday (a sect of Hinduism), Vallabh Sampraday, Sakhibhav Sampraday and Radha Vallabh Sampraday praise the feeling of Radha’s love and devotion.
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