The Day Krishna Took Sannyasa

[krsna]

 

 

Although Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He relishes being subordinate to His devotees — especially Srimati Radharani, the topmost devotee. Sometimes in Her loving dealings with Krishna She manifests transcendental anger toward Krishna and refuses to see Him. Krishna relishes Radharani’s anger and becomes overwhelmed with ecstasy. Krishna has to devise some method to break Radharani’s loving sulkiness, and this pastime is known as mana-bhanjana-lila, the pastime of breaking Srimati Radharani’s anger.

 

Regarding such pastimes, Srila Prabhupada has described:

 

Krishna wants to be controlled by Yasodamayi. Krishna wants to be defeated by His friends. Krishna wants to be refused Radharani’s darsana. [When] Radharani is angry, She refuses [to allow Krishna to see Her]. She has ordered the sakhis, “Don’t allow Krishna to come here!” [Then] Krishna flatters [the sakhis], “Kindly let Me go.” “No sir, You cannot go.” This is Krishna.

 

(Excerpt from a lecture on Nectar of Devotion, Bombay, 10 January 1973).

 

The following translation is adapted from a series of songs that have been passed down by the Giri family in Gadeigiri, Orissa for hundreds of years. Written principally by two medieval Gaudiya poets Sri Chandan and Jnana Das, the songs describe a wonderful way in which Krishna once broke Radharani’s angry mood. They are still sung on festive occasions to this day.

 

Krishna’s Offense

 

Not finding Krishna in the kunja where He was supposed to meet Her, Radharani inquired, “O My dear Lalita! Where is the friend of My heart? Please show Me His moonlike face!” With a trembling body, She continued, “O sakhi, where did Krishna go? I have decorated the kunja nicely for Him. I cannot walk even one step without Shyam, Krishna. In His absence, the bed has become poison. O My prana-sakhi, My life will go! Where has My beloved gone, leaving Me here? This disgrace is worse than death — Krishna gave up My beautiful bed.

 

He took Me to kunja-vana, the forest grove, and My caste and prestige are now gone. Because of Shyam, it is declared in all of the villages of Vraja that Radha is unchaste. Tolerating infamy and reproach for the sake of Shyam, My golden body is becoming crushed. Where is that holder of the flute? O sakhi, has He given you any message or signal?

 

“O My dear sakhi! Without Krishna, this flower-bed is useless. I decorated this bed with varieties of flowers and sprinkled camphor powder on it. I brought a jeweled camara here for His service. O sakhi! All merciful Shyam captivated My heart.

 

“For Him I became known as unchaste and carry a burden of disgrace. For Shyam I have tolerated so many reproaches in Vraja. Seeing His beautiful threefold bending form and His crooked glance, I forgot everything. I died, drowning in the ocean of beauty of that hero. I go to take bath in the Yamuna, fearing that Kanu, Krishna, will come and grab the end of My sari. What kind of flute does He have? It has stolen My mind. His melodious tunes charm a person and they become paralyzed.

 

“O sakhi! Who has kept the friend of My heart, Krishna, tonight? I am distressed and unfortunate, for Krishna has not arrived. Thinking of Him, this night will not end. I made and carefully folded a new outfit for Krishna out of unfading cloth. I strung together garlands of campaka and nagesvara flowers for Him. All of these things have become useless and withered, for Lord Hari never came. I prepared betel nuts with cardamom, and also mixed scented oil, sandalwood paste and camphor to smear on Shyam’s body. O My dear friend, what has the holder of the flute done to Me? There is no certainty that I will survive. I am surrounded by enemies. Struck by the five arrows of cupid, the five airs of My life are going to leave. O My dear friend! What has that bhavagrahi Krishna, who knows My innermost desire, not done to Me? Who is that cruel lady in Vraja who is hiding that holder of the flute?

 

The poet Sri Chandan says, “Now Kishori, beautiful young Radha, has sulkiness, mana.”

 

Debauchee Womanizer

 

Seeing the situation, the beautiful Lalita consoled Vinodini Radha, and went out to search for Madhava. She looked for Vanamali Krishna in every gopi’s kunja. At last, she came to Chandravali’s kunja. There she found Banamali, maddened after the love of Chandravali. Seeing Him there, Lalita became very surprised. She took a ketaki flower leaf from the decoration on her hair, wrote a letter on that leaf and threw it on the road in the place where Shyam would depart from the kunja. With much anger, Lalita sakhi then came to Radhika and said, “O my dear friend! What shall I tell You? Chandravali has bound up Muralidhara, that lampata nagara, debauchee womanizer.

 

The poet Sri Chandan says, “Oh Kishori, Lord Hari has rejected You.”

 

Restless Krishna

 

At dawn, Shyam woke up and found the ketaki leaf letter. He picked it up and immediately knew that it was Lalita’s handwriting. His chest trembled. He thought, “Giving up the love of Kamalini, lotus-like Radha, I am here with Chandravali.” Breathing heavily, His mind disturbed, Krishna thought, “How did They know I was here? Oh what I will do now?”

 

The poet Sri Chandan says, “Kanu, Krishna, became restless and apprehensive.”

 

Radhika’s Anger

 

Like a thief, Shyam then went to meet Kishori. With folded hands, a cloth around His neck, and straw in His teeth, He came before Kishori and began to plead, “O merciful Radhe! Please forgive Me for My offenses.” Humbly offering His obeisances again and again to Her, Shyam said, “O life of My heart, please show Me Your moon-like face. I am dina-jana, a fallen person, but You are dina-bandhu, the friend of the fallen. Please be merciful to Me. O karuna-sindhu, ocean of mercy. Please excuse this offender.” Hearing Shyam’s humble prayer, Kishori became even angrier. Radharani was keeping Her back to Shyam, Her moonlike face looking down at the ground. She began drawing lines on the earth with Her fingernail. At that time, Lalita held a mirror in front of Radhika’s face. Seeing Shyam’s reflection, Radha became even angrier and began to chastise Lalita.

 

But lotus-like Radha noticed that Krishna was wearing a piece of Chandravali’s cloth. She said, “What kind of cloth are you wearing? There is kajjala and vermilion on Your lips. Go back to Your dearmost Chandravali and try to console her.” Seeing bite marks on Krishna’s cheek, and seeing that His peacock feather was bent and the hair on His head completely disheveled, Radhika said, “Go present Yourself to Chandravali! You have no shame! Even though the Yamuna River is nearby, You have not washed Your face. O Braja-bandhu, Krishna, friend of the Vrajabasis, now Your name ‘Radha-bandhu’ no longer applies. Before You were mugdha-natha, lord of bewildered persons. Now You have become Chandravali-nath, the Lord of Chandravali.”

 

Krishna said, “O affectionate Radha! You are most forgiving! Please forgive Me. O foremost of young girls, I became bewildered and mistakenly touched a lily, thinking that it was a lotus.

 

“O ksama-nidhi, ocean of forgiveness, Sri Kishori! Please excuse Me for all of My offenses. Unable to bear Your harsh insulting words, I must jump into the Yamuna river and end My life. I am like the body and You are the life. Without You, everything is empty.

 

Radhika angrily responded, “Don’t touch me. Get out of here! I don’t want to see You. I don’t even want to see Your shadow. O shameless one, go! Take bath in the Yamuna, feed the brahmanas, and became free from sin.”

 

All of the sakhis then spoke to Radhika on behalf of Krishna. They said, “O crest jewel of young women! Why are You so angry with Giridhari? Not getting a taste of nectar, You are throwing it away. This will only bring You lamentation. You know how He danced on the heads of Kaliya and how He lifted Govardhan Hill. What kind of love do You have? Sukadeva Goswami, Sanaka Kumar, Janaka Maharaja — all of the sages and all of the three worlds are meditating on His name. That same Krishna is now standing before You with folded hands. Please don’t make Him more miserable and depressed. Show Him Your face and relieve Shyam of His sorrow.