PRANKS of Krishna Part III

[Govindaram]

<font color="brown"> A MOONBEAM OF SHEER ASTONISHMENT </font color>

<font color="#666666"> by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. </font color>

 

<font color="blue"> THIRD PRANK </font color>

 

~~<font color="red"> Meeting in the Disguise of a Female Doctor </font color>~~

 

 

Jatila, becoming aware of Srimati Radharani's loving affection for Sri Krisna by so many obvious symptoms, becomes very disturbed with great anxiety and calls for her own daughter, Kutila. Taking Kutila to a secluded place, she says:

 

"My dear daughter! I am simply unable to protect my Daughter-in-Law from that Krishna any more! Alas, alas! What should I do?...what should I do? Kutila! I have decided on a remedy; will it be possible for you to assist me? There must be some way to prevent Radharani from going outside the house. She Who is bitten by the eager glances of that snake-like Son of Nanda must be protected by being kept indoors at all times - there is no other remedy.

 

Therefore, you should always be alert to keep Her carefully here. Don't let Her go to the Pavan Sarovara or to the Yamuna river to bathe. Prevent Her from going out to the pond Surya-kunda for performing Her usual daily worship of the Sungod. Thus, there will be no possibility whatsoever of Her meeting with that debauchee. From now on, you will have to see that She bathes and worships the Sun-god here at home. And now that we are keeping Radhika here, that rascal debauchee may try to come into our home somehow or other, at any time of day or night. For this reason, I will personally keep vigil 24 hours a day by the outer gate with a big stick in my hand."

 

Hearing all these instructions from her mother, Kutila replies,

 

"Mata! It won't be possible to confine your Daughter-in-law at all; and it won't be possible to protect Her from the hand of Kåñëa either - for Yasoda arranges every day to bring Radhika to Nanda-gram in order to have Her cook the morning meal for Kåñëa."

 

 

Hearing this, Jatila says,

 

"Dear daughter! You just go see Yasoda right now, and inform her that from now on my Daughter-in-law will not leave the house to go anywhere else; Yasoda should simply engage Balarama's mother Rohini to cook for Kåñëa."

 

Kutila replies,

 

"Mata! If I tell Her that, then Yasoda wil surely say to me,"But the great sage Durvasa Muni has given an indescribably wonderful benediction to Radhika whereby any foodstuff cooked by Her own hand increases longevity, stimulates growth, and destroys all obstacles; this topic is indeed famous all throughout Vraja. My only Son Çré Kåñëa has become freed from many difficulties caused by wicked demons only on the strength of eating the food cooked by Çré Rädhärani; thus, He is now alive and well. Therefore, please don't harm us all by causing this impediment to His regular taking of the grains cooked by Rädhärani's hand."

 

- when Yasoda pleads with me like this, then how should I reply?"

 

Jatila advises, "When Yasoda says all that to you, then you just tell her,"Oh Yasoda! Durvasa certainly gave Çré Rädhä this wonderful boon; therefore, whoever she touches lives a long life. Oh knower of all the rules of proper social conduct! By that very boon, do you call Çré Rädhä to your house every day just to have Her touch your own Son? And furthermore, it is contrary to the proper rules of etiquette for chaste daughters to cook in another's home on a daily basis. Such a black spot against a chaste daughter is certainly talked about throughout all the land. Therefore, we cannot tolerate any more of this. Just as you have love and affection for your Son, do you think that we don't have similar love and affection for our Daughter-in-Law?"

 

...Tell Yasoda all these things, but if she is still desirous of feeding her Son on Rädhärani's cooking on a daily basis, then Dhanistha will be sent three times a day, every day, and will thus bring sweetballs and other tasty preparations made by Çré Rädhä. And if Yasoda becomes angry at this arrangement, then we will simply leave her town and move elsewhere just to protect our Daughter-in-law from her Son."

 

After consulting together in this way, Jatila sends Kutila to inform Yasoda of the new decision. Thus, the old woman succeeded in confining Çrémati Rädhäräni to the house. Being restricted in this way, the resultant burning suffering which is felt by Çré Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa due to being unable to see each other is so intense that it could not possibly be described even by the Goddess of speech, Çré Sarasvati herself.

 

In an effort to cool down the blazingly feverish body of Çré Rädhä, which is burning furiously in the agonizing fire of separation from Çré Kåñëa, Her girlfriends make a bed of cool lotus leaves smeared with sandalwood pulp and camphor; but the very instant that Her smouldering love-sick body touches that cooling bed, the bed itself becomes as hot as burning embers.

 

All this is just indicative of Her unique loving moods of ecstacy, which are such that She considers even an eye-blink to be the cause of separarion from seeing Çré Kåñëa; cursing the Creator who made such blinking eys, this Çrémati Rädhäräni then wishes to be reborn as a fish with no eyelids. Indeed, without seeing Nanda-nandana 24 hours a day, how would it be possible for Çrémati Rädhäräni to pass the time?

 

Thus falling down senseless upon the flower bed, burned by the fever of Çré Kåñëa's intense separation, Rädhärani becomes completely unaware of Her surroundings; if anyone tries to address Her, the words do not even enter Her ear, and She just lies there with Her dazed eyes completely motionless and blind.

 

The girl Dhanistha then arrives, being sent by mother Yasoda from Nanda-gram, and sees this pitiful condition of Çré Rädhä. Becoming very sorry, Dhanistha says to Çré Lalita: "My dear Lalita! Since Våndävanaesvari Çré Rädhärani didn't come to Nanda-gram for cooking today, Rohini had to cook this morning. Çré Kåñëa ate those grains anyway and then went to the forest to tend His cows. However, Çré Yasoda was so upset that He did not eat the food as it was usually cooked by Çrémati Rädhärani on other days; thus, she has sent me here to see that Çré Rädhä makes some sweetballs, which I will then bring for Çré Kåñëa. After helping Her to make the sweets, I will take them so that Çré Kåñëa can eat them tonight at dusk, in the later evening, and tomorrow morning before He goes to the pasture with the cows. But Çrémati Rädhäräni has now fallen unconscious - alas!!! How will the sweetballs ever be made??? What should I do now???

 

Lamenting this way again and again, Dhanistha then goes close to Çrémati Rädhäräni's bedside. Seeing no other alternative, she bends down by Rädhärani's ear and calls out in a loud voice,"HEY RADHE!!! YOUR BELOVED ÇRÉ KÅÑËA IS NOW STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!!! JUST OPEN YOUR EYES AND LOOK!!!

 

Instantly upon hearing this, the lotus-petal-eyed Çré Rädhä suddenly regains consciousness, and Dhanistha quickly announces,"Çré Radhe! Kåñëa is not able to eat properly unless He takes the foodgrains which are cooked by You; for this reason,

Yasoda has sent me to You. Please make Him some sweetballs with Your own hand."

 

The lotus-eyed Çré Rädhä, although burning horribly in the agonizing fire of separation, immediately becomes enthused with great energy upon hearing these words. Calling Çré Rupa Manjari close, She says, "Rupa Manjari! Quickly prepare the stove, light the fire and bring the cooking pot! Following the order of Yasoda, I will now prepare and send eatables for Çré Kåñëa. Dear girlfriend! Rather than the usual quantity of sweetballs that I make every day, today I will make four times that amount. Don't you worry at all about my ill health." Saying thus, Çrémati Rädhäräni spontaneously mounts a divine platform just in front of the stove.

 

A most astonishing phenomena is - this very same Rädhärani - by the touch of Whose body the cooling lotus-leaf bed began smouldering just a few minutes before - now feels that She is being cooled off by the red-hot fire used to cook sweets for Her Beloved.

 

Within the loftiest type of pure ecstatic love, an inconceivable power of amazing wonder is present; it is wonderful because one is burned by cooling camphor, and one is cooled by scorching fire! Consequently, is it possible at any time for anyone to understand such love? What to speak of understanding the activities of a person who is surrendered to such love?!

 

Then Çré Lalita says to Dhanistha,"Oh Dhanistha! Will profuse rain fall from the cloud combined with lightning? Namely, will there be no more arising of the fresh, new Kåñëa-raincloud inlaid with the creeper of Rädhä-lightning? The intense drought due to lack of ecstatic liquid mellows being sprinkled by this cloud is causing the crop of the girlfriends' bliss to wither and dry up into complete ruination!!!

 

Dhanistha replies, "Oh Lalita! You have spoken so true, so true - just as we are all miserable, in the same way Çré Kåñëa and all His cowherd boyfriends feel completely lost. What more can I say than this?...even all of Çré Våndävana's parrots, peacocks, bees and deer have become greatly troubled by this same agonizing misery."

 

Later, after finishing the preparation of the sweets, Çré Rädhä entrusts them into the hands of Dhanistha. Then Çré Rädhä whispers some secrets into the ears of Lalita and the other girls. Dhanistha takes the sweets and returns home to Nanda-gram.

 

Later on, in the early evening time, Visakha suddenly rushes before Jatila and starts rolling and rolling upon the ground, loudly crying out while weeping false tears. Seeing all this, Jatila is surprised and asks, "My dear Visakha! Why are you crying?"

 

Visakha: "Unseen by others, a snake has bitten Çrémati Rädhäräni!"

 

Jatila: "Where and how was She bitten?"

 

Visakha: "The snake was hiding at the base of a plum tree in the garden! Rädhärani saw the jewel on its hood glittering through the leaves, and She extended Her hand to take it - and the snake suddenly bit Her!"

 

Jatila: "ALAS!!! ALAS!!! HAS A THUNDERBOLT STRUCK ME ON THE HEAD???!!!"

 

Crying out like this again and again, Jatila rushes to Çré Rädhä's quarters and beholds Her sprawled out on the floor, trembling and grasping for air. Seeing this, Jattila begins to beat her own breast with both hands while crying and sobbing in a loud voice.

 

Then, calling Kutila, Jatila frantically tells her,

 

"Daughter! Go quickly to the cowshed and bring your brother Abhimanyu! After sending him there, please go and fetch the snake-bite doctors! By the chanting of their mantras, my Daughter-in-law will be freed from the effects of the poison.!"

 

After instructing Kutila thus, Jatila questions Çrémati Rädhärani.

 

"Dearest Daughter-in-law! How do you feel right now?"

 

Rädhärani replies, "Oh, respected superior! By the fire of the poison, My whole body feels as if I am burning alive - this is all I know...I am not able to say anything more...but you should know that if any male doctor were to set his hand on as much as My toe, then I will give up My body that very instant - I am a chaste Daughter; therefore, My strict vow stands firm."

 

Jatila then pleads,

 

Oh my Daughter-in-law! Why do You speak so at a time like this? Under these circumstances, even virtuous persons would eat something which is ordinarily edible, or touch something untouchable; for this reason, due to such an emergency as this, there is no fault with the mantra remedy - this is the judgement of the wise who know the scriptures."

 

Çré Rädhä replies,

 

"Then I will give up My life right now before your very eyes - just you watch,but I am not able to follow your order at all!"

 

Hearing this statement, the old woman Jatila becomes most perplexed with intense anxiety. Just then one lady, a neighbour, advises Jatila.

 

"Dear Jatila! There is someone here in Vraja Who has chastised many powerful snakes in the past like Kaliya, Agha and others. When all the cows had died from drinking the poisoned waters of the Yamuna at Kaliya-hrada, He enthused them all with new life again merely by His glance. This is Çré Hari - just bring Him here. Simply by His glance, He will release your Daughter-in-law from the deadly poison."

 

Hearing this suggestion, Çré Rädhä says,

 

"He Whose tortuous, controversial association is far worse for Me than the snake-poison - if anyone were to bring this Kåñëa here to see Me, then that person is as good as My lifelong enemy."

 

Jatila says,

 

"Look, my Daughter-in-law! Then I will take Kutila with me and quickly go to see Paurnamasi - she is very learned in powerful snake-mantras, tantra and agama scriptures. When Paurnamasi comes, then she will certainly make You well. Other than this, there seems to be no other alternative."

 

Visakha says,

 

"Respected superior! Good plan, so don't delay any longer - go quickly to see Paurnamasi. I will use a string to make a tourniquet above Rädhärani's wound in order to check the spread of the snake-poison. By this, the deadly effect will be postponed for about an hour and a half - but after that, the poison will rise to Her brain and the effect will become incurable."

 

Then Jatila rushes toward Nanda-grama's border to see Paurnamasi. After offering obeisances to her, she informs Paurnamsi of everything that had taken place. Then, Paurnamasi inquires of Gargi, the daughter of Garga Muni, who just happened to be

visiting.

 

"My dear Gargi! Did you learn snake-mantras from your father?"

 

Gargi answers,

 

"No, I haven't learned them, but my little sister has."

 

Paurnamasi inquires further,

 

"Where does your little sister live, and what is her name? Where can she be found now?"

 

Gargi replies,

 

"She has come from her mother-in-law's house in Benares, and is now residing at her father's house in Mathura. From there, she has come to visit me just yesterday. Her name is VIDYAVALI, and she is in my house around the corner right now."

 

Hearing this, the old woman Jatila becomes incredibly anxious and totally desperate within her heart; with a tear-soaked face, she exclaims to Gargi.

 

"Oh Gargi! I have fallen down at your feet! Please, please come along with your little sister Vidyavali to my house and purchase both me and my son with the nectarean blessing of your causeless mercy!"

 

Paurnamasi then tells Gargi.

 

"Gargi! Please take Jatila and Kutila to your home around the corner, satisfying Vidyavali with your requests, bring her to Yavat and for certain she will make Radhika free from the deadly snake-poison."

 

Just prior to all this, Gargi had already dressed up Çré Kåñëa in the disguise of the young girl Vidyavali, following the instructions of Dhanistha, and situated Him within her own house. The whole prank being nicely pre-arranged, Gargi leads Jatila and Kutila home, and brings them before the disguised Çré Kåñëa, the King of Paramours. Gargi then addresses Him,

 

"My dear little sister! Vidyvali! You have certainly heard the name of Çré Vrsabhanu-nandini, the greatly famous girl Who is endowed with all good qualities within Vraja. Today, She has undergone a great calamity - some jewel-decorated snake has bitten Her. Right now the snake's deadly poison is spreading throughout Her body; for this reason, Her mother-in-law has now come to see you along with her daughter. You should go at once to their house."

 

Vidyavali says,

 

"My dear older sister Gargi! You are indeed very learned, yet you now speak just like an ignorant person. Alas, alas!!! First of all, I am a pure, chaste girl; secondly, being the daughter of a brahmana I have become a doctor specializing in treatment of poisons. No one on the surface of the earth is unaware of my glorious family lineage in Mathura, or my famous in-laws' lineage in Benares. Still, you want to throw the mud of such scandolous, unchaste infamy all over my two pure dynasties. Whatever kind of loving action it is that you think you are doing - I am not able to understand that at all."

 

Old Jatila says,

 

"Oh You who are endowed with all good qualities! I have now fallen down at your two lotus feet! Reviving my Daughter-in-law Radhika, just purchase mw wholesale with the dust of your feet - what more can I say?"

 

Vidyavali says,

 

"My dear old lady of Vraja! You are not obviously aware of the elevated rules of conduct practised by our pure brahmana family. The learned, chaste daughters of the brahmana caste never ever wander from house to house like the simple cowherd girls do. Don't you know this already? By going to anyone and everyone's house, the superior aristocracy of the brahmana daughters is completely destroyed."

 

Gargi says,

 

"Sister Vidyavali! Although you are certainly aware of all the prescriptions and prohibitions of the scriptures, how do you manifest your so-called aristocracy by disrespecting the great souls who are residents of Vraja? This shows that you actually

don't have any spiritual vision at all. You have no idea of the spiritual position, the divine nobility or the Visnu-bhakti of the Vraja-basis. All the gopis are each endowed with glorious achievements of great renown, and the gopas are each as effulgently brilliant as Maharaja Vrsabhanu. The brahmanas of Benares are all impersonalists, and are thereby averse to Lord Vishnu; I know all about your husband's relatives there. By living there in Benares and associating with such atheistic relatives, you have really become so hard-hearted."

 

Vidyavali replies,

 

"Oh most noble, educated sister! I am always surrendered to you; as you say, but I have just one terrible fear - and for this reason I was at first unable to appreciate your request of me. When we were living in Mathura or Benares, we have heard so many rumours of the bold, powerful Son of Nanda, Who wanders about freely according to His own fanciful whims. He is an extremely perverted Debauchee, and He has no fear of the brahmana caste at all. If I am travelling on the footpath and He looks at me the same way He looks at all the Vraja-gopis, with that greedy, wanton stare, then I will instantly give up my life - I will never ever bring such a scandolous disgrace upon my two pure dynasties."

 

Gargi assures her,

 

"My dear little sister! You don't have to worry about this at all - I am personally going along just to accompany you."

 

At that, Vidyavali, finally consents to go, and leaves the house in the company of the others to walk on the path toward Yavat.

 

On the way, Vidyavali says to Jatila,

 

"My dear old lady! Snake-poison is destroyed by mantra and medicine combined. The mantra is simply my chewed betel leaves which have been sanctified by the mantra. Oh respectable superior! Do you think your Daughter-in-law will be able to chew

that?"

 

Jatila replies,

 

My Daughter-in-law is very well-behaved, and She has natural devotion for the brahmana caste - but it seems rather strange that She should have to chew the remnants of your betel-leaf."

 

Gargi speaks up,

 

"When it comes to medicine, there is no consideration for that which is fir or unfit for eating - even a king would honour the remnats of the brahmana caste. Therefore, the vaisyas and other castes certainly follow suit."

 

Arriving at Yavat, the Vidyavali-disguised Çré Kåñëa enters into Rädhä's palace. Jatila and her daugher Kutila then washt he feet of Vidyavali. Taking that water, they sprinkle it over Çrémati Rädhäräni's head, eyes, mouth and breast, saying,

 

"My dear Daughter-in-law! By great fortune, the daughter of the great sage Garga has just arrived. She is a great soul, and is very learned in the science of snakes. She will touch all of your limbs while chanting mantras, thereby freeing You from the disease caused by the snake-poison. She will also chant a mantra and chew on betel leaves, which she will then place into Your mouth. For my sake please don't object to any of these treatments."

 

Saying this to Rädhärani, the old Jatila then takes Vidyavali within the room. Vidyavali, seeing Radhika's body completely covered by Her sari, tells Jatila,

 

"My dear old lady! Your daughter-in-law is covered from head to toe with cloth - before treatment, you will have to remove all Her clothes. Chanting my snake-mantra, I will move my hands slowly from the soles of Her feet right on up Her body. Thus, whichever part of Her body has the poison, I will trace by the placement of my hands; then I will chant the mantra in order to free each limb from the poison."

 

Hearing this, Jatila and Kutila remove the cloth that was covering Çré Rädhä's body. Then Vidyavali begins to chant the mantra and apply her hands to Çré Rädhä's various naked limbs. Vidyavali's hands move gradually from the divine lotus feet of

Rädhärani up to Her breasts...and somehow or other can not go any higher.

 

Saying, "The poison has risen to her breasts," Vidyavali repeatedly chants the Garuda mantra more intensely and begins to vigorously massage Çrémati Rädhäräni's breasts. Then Vidyavali exclaims to Jatila,

 

"Alas old lady! What has happened? There seems to be no way I can check the spread of the poison! What should I do now?"

 

Old Jatila replies,

 

"Oh Vidyavali! Feed Her that medicine that you told us about - then the poison will surely be reduced!"

 

Vidyavali says,

 

"Alas old lady! Again and again I chant the mantra and sprinle the medicine into your Daughter-in-law's mouth, but She still simply turns colours and trembles while exhaling very heavy sighs; this shows that the treatment didn't work at all! Under

these cirumstances, I'll have to try another type of treatment. Now all of you immeidately go out of the room; locking the door from the inside, I will chant a special snake-mantra. Within three hours, that very snake which bit your Daughter-in-law will be brought here, and I will indeed speak with him. Hey old lady! Don't you worry at all, I am doing all this just to revie your Daughter-in-law...I will now chant the mantra with absolutely fixed attention, and I'll show you that everything will be all right within three hours time."

 

Thereafter, upon Gargi's confirmation, everyone leaves and goes to another part of the house, as Vidyavali had requested. Three hours later, they return and wait outside the door of Çrémati Rädhäräni's bedroom. Then they all exclaim to each other,

 

"Oh, just listen to the converstion between Vidyavali and the snake taking place within Rädhärani's room!"

 

Çré Kåñëa, the abode of all artistic abilities, thus makes His voice imitate the sound of both Vidyavali and the snake. All of Çrémati Rädhäräni's girlfriends, knowing full will of this mischievous fun, simultaneously become deeply immersed in the ocean of curious novel pranks as well as in the ocean of ecstatic bliss. Thus, their faces all begin to radiate a divine, jubilant luster.

 

Çré Kåñëa, first of all making the voice of Vidyavali, speaks to the snake,

 

"My dear King of the snakes! From where have you come?"

 

Snake: "From Mount Kailasa."

 

Vidyavali: "Under whose direction?"

 

Snake: "I am carrying out the order of he who wears a crescent-moon on his head (Lord Siva)."

 

Vidyavali: "What is his order?"

 

Snake: "To bite the son of Jatila, Abhimanyu."

 

Vidyavali: "What is the offense committed by Abhimanyu?"

 

Snake: "Nothing at all, but his mother Jatila has committed two grave offenses unto Durvasa, the best of the sages."

 

Vidyavali: Then why didn't you bite the mother of Abhimanyu?"

Snake: "I didn't bite her, for by biting her son instead, I would be able to burn her extremely miserable suffering and lamentation on account of the loss of her only son - this would be even greater burning than the poison itself."

 

Vidyavali: "Leaving Abhimanyu, why have you bitten his Wife, Rädhärani?"

 

Snake: "By the power and influence of the boon of chastity given to the supremely pure Rädhärani by Durvasa Muni, Her husband Abhimanyu had become free from all obstacles. Thus, by biting his dear Wife, he would certainly die due to lack of life; this

is why I have bitten Her today - and tomorrow morning I will bite Abhimanyu anyway. In this way, Jatila will burn miserably in her old age, lamenting bitterly over the loss of her dear son and matchless Daughter-in-law; this is my purpose."

 

Vidyavali: "Oh King of the snakes! What were the two offenses committed by Jatila unto Durvasa, the best of the sages?"

 

Snake: "Durvasa was born as a plenary portion of Lord Siva. And Lord Siva considers Lord Hari to be his own worshipable Lord. Lord Hari's plenary portion is Çré Kåñëa, against whom Jatila spoke some false, scandalous blasphemy. This was the first

offense. The second offense is that Jatila confined Çrémati Rädhärani indoors, thus placing a deliberate obstacle in the way of Çré Kåñëa's taking of regulazr meals. Due to theset wo grave offenses, may Jatila perpetually cry miserably here in Vraja along with her daughter Kutila over the loss of her dear son Abhimanyu and her Daughter-in-law Çrémati Rädhäräni."

 

Hearing all this from outside the door, old Jatila bursts out in grievous weeping and begins to speak while sobbing and sobbing,

 

"Oh my son! Oh my daughter-in-law, the source of my very breath! May you both live long lives! How can I hear of anything other than this?"

 

Saying this again and again, Jatila then addresses Vidyavali,

 

"Oh Vidyavali! I hold on to your feet! Please, pacify the King of the snakes somehow or other! I promise that I will never, ever place any more obstacles brfore Çrémati Rädhäräni! I will personally see to it that She goes to Nanda-gram every day just to cook for Çré Kåñëa's meals! And when She returns home after finishing Her cooking, then I will bow down and offer Durvasa Muni hundreds and hundreds of obeisances while praying, 'Oh best of the sages! Please forgive my offense! On one side my intelligence has become dull due to becoming senile in my old age, and on the other side, I am known to be quite crazy anyway; therefore, please don't take my offense seriously! As for my daughter Kutila, she is really dull-brained and foolish - she continuously causes trouble and pain for my well-behaved Daughter-in-law for no good reason at all'"

 

Hearing the statements of her mother, Kutila then falls on the ground, offering obeisances unto the snake while loudly exclaiming,

 

"Oh King of the snakes! Please forgive us! Please be merciful! Please don't bite my brother! I will never ever again hinder Çrémati Rädhäräni! I will never ever argue with Her, and from now on, I will allow Her and Her girlfriends to go anywhere and everywhere they like!"

 

Snake; "Oh assembled witnesses! Listen carefully to what I say...I swear by Lord Siva that Çrémati Rädhärani is supremely pure and chaste."

 

Then he says to Jatila,

 

"Oh, old woman Jatila! Just as I've sworn by Siva to attest for the chastity of Çré Rädhä, in the same way I want you to swear upon the head of your own son Abhimanyu and say,

 

'NOW I HAVE COMPLETE, ABSOLUTE FAITH IN ÇRÉMATI RÄDHÄRÄNI'...

 

then I will know that you have true conviction for my words."

 

Hearing thisl, Jatila takes the oath and says,

 

"Oh King of the snakes! I am absolutely conviced of all that you say! I will never, never ever disturb my Daughter-in-law again. Please bestow this one benediction on me - that my son and Daughter-in-law may live a long life."

 

Snake: "Oh Jatila! Now I have really become fully pleased with you! Just worship Durvasa, the best of the sages, and prepare nice edibles. I will now remove all the poison from Rädhärani's body and go back to Mount Kailasa. Hey old woman! If you ever again charge your Daughter-in-law with any kind of false accusation in relatio to Çré Kåñëa and try to confine Her as you have done today, then I won't be angry with you at all - I will simply come immediately and angrily bite both Radhika and

Abhimanyu, completely destroying them simultaneously."

 

Vidyavali then happily calls out to all the ladies and girls outside in the next room,

 

"Bho, bho dear friends! May all of you now achieve the topmost bliss - the King of the snakes has removed the poison from Çré Rädhä's body and has disappeared; thus VRSABHANU-NANDINI IS NOW CURED!!!"

 

After announcing the good news, Vidyavali unlocks the door.

Everyone thn enters and begins to ask,

 

"Oh Radhe! How do You feel now?"

 

Çré Rädhä replies,

 

"Now I feel perfectly healthy, not even a trace of pain ieft."

 

Hearing this, everyone present bows down at Vidyavali's feet and

begins to pray,

 

"Dearest Vidyavali! Your knowledge is glorious! And your

wonderful achievement today is glorius! By thus reviving Çrémati

Rädhärani, you have certainly obtained vast pious credits,

whereby your very life has become glorious!!

After this, Kutila whispers quietly into the ear of her mother,

Jatila,

 

"Oh mother! Give Vidyavali the necklace of Çrémati Rädhäräni as a

reward."

 

Jatila replies,

 

"Oh daughter! What are you saying? Why just Her necklace?

Today, ALL of Çrémati Rädhäräni's ornaments shoule be given as a reward

to Vidyavali."

 

Then Jatila adddresses Çrémati Rädhärani,

 

"Daughter-in-law! Now that You are so healthy and happy, just

give all of Your ornaments to Vidyavali with Your own hand.

Yasoda and Your mother Kirtida will quickly give You many more

new ornaments."

 

Saying thus to Çrémati Rädhäräni, Jatila then says to Vidyavali,

 

"My dear Vidyavali! My Daughter-in-law will now decorate you

with Her own hand, using Her own ornaments. For my sake, now

don't you object at all - just remain silent."

 

Then Çrémati Rädhäräni decorates the Vidyavali-disguised Çré Kåñëa

with cloth and ornaments while thinking to Herself,

 

"He Who is never able to enjoy Me right in front of My own

girlfriends, who are all just like My dear life itself; He Who

is never able to subdue My aggressive, unfavorably fickle nature

and make Me into a submissive, agreeable gopi --- aho! My

Goodness! This Vraja-raja Kisora, My Most Beloved, more dear

than even millions of hearts --- is now enjoying Me just as He

likes without the slightest opposition at all, right in front of

My mother-in-law and sister-in-law! I've had no opportunity at

all today to manifest My uppity nature --- I've somehow become

completely submissive. Anyway, let it be --- today My life has

become successfully fulfilled by chewing and chewing My Beloved's

betel remnants to my heart's content. And my wicked in-laws, who

are usually My most formidable enemies, have today fallen down at

the feet of My Prana-kanta, the Lover of My life. They have

enthusiastically brought Him right into My very own home and have

induced Him to meet and enjoy Me, thus fulfilling all My most

cherished dreams. May I remain fixed-up in unalloyed

devotion unto the divine lotus feet of such a mother-in-law and

sister-in-law! Today, just after I've enjoyed sumptuous amorous

pastimes with Him, My in-laws have ordered Me to decorate My

Prana-vallabha right in their very presence! Oh glorious

Providence! I sing your praises! Aho! My Goodness! Where will

I ever find someone to tell the story of the supreme happiness

which is pervading My every atom?"

 

As for Vidyavali, as soon as she becomes fully decorated, she

says to Gargi and Jatila,

 

"Dear sister! Dear Jatila! The time is now way past midnight,

so I now ask you - what more can I do for you? Please order me,

oh respectable Superior! My sister Gargi and I shall quickly

leave for home."

 

The old Jatila replies,

 

"Dear Gargi! Dear Vidyavali! How is it that you are so hasty to

return home this late at night? Oh, won't you be pleased to rest

happily tonight at my house?"

 

Gargi says,

 

"Oh Jatila! We will certainly honor your words by accepting your

invitation. The thought of fearful snakes and deadly poison is

still fresh on our minds (in other words, although the poison

from the fangs of the Kåñëa-snake has been warded off, there is

still a chance of it coming back). Therefore it is wise to stay

close by the mantric doctor Vidyavali tonight."

 

Kutila and Jatila together speak,

 

"Very good - let it be so. Oh Gargi! Vidyavali is so learned in

mantras --- just let her rest happily tonight together with Çré

Radhika upon Her own bed under the rooftop canopy. . ."

 

* * * * * * * *

 

ittham vilasa-rasikau rata-sindhu caru-

 

hillola-khelana-kalah kila tenatus tau

 

premabdhi-kautika mahistha taranga-range

 

sadyah sukhena nanrtur na viramam apuh

 

 

In this way Rädhä-Kåñëa, Who are expert at relishing fun

pastimes, manifest so many expansively surging waves of

beautifully artistic sports which just billow over the ocean of

pure, divinely amorous love...And all Their girlfriends happily

dance within the sporting arena represented by the waves of

supremely mischievous, novel pranks and fun curiosities that

similarly billow over the ocean of selfless love; indeed, there

is no cessation of that dancing and dancing for even a

moment. . .

 

* * * * * * * *

 

THUS ENDS THE THIRD PRANK OF " A MOONBEAM OF SHEER ASTONISHMENT "

(Meeting in the Disguise of a Female Doctor)

 

* * * * * * * *

 

[I_love_krishna_]

Where do you read them? Can I know the source of these things please? /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Govindaram]

A kind *bhakta sent them to me,

there's one more part left!

 

* <font color="red"> Yugal Kishore Das </font color>

 

They are very nice pastimes, refreshing!

[I_love_krishna_]

Please post more! /images/graemlins/smile.gif This is unparalleled divine nectar.

 

They should actually make another Krishna book about this. The one similar to prabhupada's.