Krishna’s Janmashtami keeps devotees awake at night but Radhashtami passes away quietly. It is in Barsana, Radha’s village between Goverdhan and Nandgaon that one realizes Her energy. Shriji Temple at Barsana, also known as Laadli Sarkar Mahal or Radha Rani Mandir is magnificently decked on Radhashtami and there is not an inch where one can squeeze in. The occasion surpasses Janmashtami of Vrindavan. Walls and ceiling of Shriji mandir are freshly painted with pictures of Radha and Her eight friends (ashta sakhis- Lalita, Vishakha, Champaklata, Chitra, Tungavidya, Indulekha, Rangadevi and Sudevi). Swelling crowds may not permit everyone to be there so the next best is to recreate the same high spirits of Shriji temple elsewhere.
In a temple in Delhi every year around 50 gosains from Barsana arrive to recreate the scene of Barsana. At 5.00 am Radha’s image is brought out lovingly. Two gosains who get into roles of Vrishabhanu (Radha’s father) and Nanda baba (Krishna’s father) pour milk, ghee, honey and curd on baby Radha amidst conch shells and sounds of ‘Jai Jai Sri Radhey’. A lady dressed as Radha’s mother (Kirati) holds Radha gently while another woman dressed up as Yashoda(Krishna’s mother) rubs herbal paste mixed with essences of fragrant flowers, aromatic turmeric paste, kumkum color till Radha emerges sparklingly fair. Care is taken that during bathing ceremony Radha is wearing a soft muslin cloth. This cloth is later cut in pieces and distributed as prasada to be tied in neck or wrist. Yashoda and Kirati Ma acrry Radha behind curtains amid melodious singing of ‘Mangala-geet, Sri Radha Kripa Kataksha, Sri Nanda-nandanashtakam’ and dress her in a sparkling colorful silk sari, decorate her with various pearls, ornaments, flowers, braid her long curly locks, decorate her lotus like eyes, and spray the best of ittar and perfumes on her.
Devotes gather again around ten a.m. and it is now the turn of a gosains dressed up as Radha’s father Vrishabhanu to announce in typical Braj dialect how he discovered a shining golden lotus flower in Yamuna river on which a baby girl was floating whose beauty humiliated a million moons. Vrishabhanu tells the audience that as he stood wondering what to do next, Lord Brahma and his son Narada appeared to say that this was Divine girl who was a fruit of their tapasya of previous lives and explained Her Divinity. Other Gosains marvel at his fortune and discuss that their village has been chosen for a Divine Plan, exchange greetings and shower viewers with a feast of sweets and fruits.
Next scene is a hilarious one in which all gosains sit in two sections representing gosains of Barsana and Gokul. Barsana Gosains complain they are exhausted with Krishna as the lad is a vagabond, creates nuisance by posing as bangle seller or as vaidya /physician so that He can hold Radha’s delicate pink hands. Recounting Krishna’s innumerable wrongs, the gosains ponder over how He is beyond redemption, is always chasing golden colored Radha, breaking pots, spilling milk and butter, creating trouble with cowherds and monkeys, chasing married and unmarried girls, and always lying. Gokul Gosains immediately get up to defend their Krishna and shout in pure Brij dialect that there is no dearth of girls for Krishna so why would he run after an elder girl. Some say she is eleven days older, some say she is a month older and they do not want an elder girl for their lad. Gosains of Barsana shout agitatedly that the dark complexioned lad has a bad reputation, is illiterate, the biggest thief, deceiver, woman chaser and so he would always remain single. Listening to all this, Yashoda cries for her son’s future, while Kirati asks them to stop being so negative. She consoles Yashoda that she would gladly give her beautiful daughter Radha to Krishna. Yashoda promises she would teach her boy to be sober and quiet and is relieved that after all, her boy will bring a daughter- in- law for her.
A village elder gets up to advice Kirati that it would be a mismatch as Radha is soft at heart while Krishna is merciless. Their daughter would never be happy in Krishna’s house. He mentions that when someone asks for a triviality like mukti/liberation, merciless Krishna asks them their qualifications knowing fully well that no ordinary human being can have qualifications to get liberation. It is the merciful Radha who beckons tearful devotees, accompanies them to Krishna, flutters her eye lids at Him, throws a smile and the good for nothing lad bows down at her feet agreeing to grant liberation to those whom she comes with. It is because of Radha’s shower (Barsa) of mercy and love that they have changed the name of their village from Brahmasaran to Barsana. Villagers grumble that the notorious thief of Gokul steals their attachments and seeing their vacant hearts, steals the hearts too but spirited Radha knows how to outsmart this thief and steal His heart. That makes him ‘Hari’- one who steals and She ‘Hare’ –one who steals the heart of Hari.
This mock quarrel leaves participants and viewers double with laughter. Even after repeated viewings, this Radha-Krishna leela gives enjoyment to all. Radhashtami is a day when Divine Love is in air, Pleasure Potency (hladini-shakti) is in air, High Power Energy (antaranga-shakti) is in air. Radha gives pleasure and energy to Krishna.
All living beings have inherited the pleasure seeking habit from their Source, the Divine Couple. But while Radha Krishna enjoy spiritual energy, others search for pleasure in worldly matter. Krishna wants devotees to possess selfless prema not indulge in rituals steeped with self interest. Ironically, ritualistic worship (vidhi bhakti), when done selflessly leads to a higher stage of ‘worship with love’ (prema bhakti). But this transformation may take several births as this is the highest phase. This is the progress which even God waits for. On seeing unconditional prema,
Krishna pursues it just as he chased gopas and gopis breaking their pots.
Just as a solo man plays the part of opponent in chess and enjoys it similarly Krishna expands into many cows and gopas when Brahma kidnaps them, He expands when gopis want to do ras lila, He expands when Narada comes to see how He manages 16,108 wives. He expands as Radha, the love energy to get a taste of unlimited bliss. She alone can control Him; she alone can love Him, ‘Oh You who continuously subdues the Son of Nanda into complete surrender unto Yourself by piercing Him with the arrows of loving glances shot from the very corners of Your eyes. When oh when will You make me the object of Your side-long glance of causeless mercy?’ (Sri Radha kripakataksha stotram).
Rupa Goswami and Jiva Goswami entered Radha-Krishna madhurya bhava in meditation. They explained that Radha-Krishna, the Purusha-Prakriti can never be separated as Purusha expands Himself to create pleasure (Radha) for Himself. ‘Radha Rani Ganga tau dhaar hai bihari, Radha Rani mishri tau swaad hain Bihari, Radhey Radhey japo chale aayenge Bihari’ - Radha is Ganges, waves are Krishna, Radha is sweet, Krishna is its sweetness, Call Radhey and Krishna will follow.
The author is a regular contribution to Speaking Tree
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4. Pictures of Rukmani Temple Gujarat