“The Pandavas are like the five fingers of a hand. Five fingers with different shapes and skills, which are always active. Draupadi is the rare woman who brings these five fingers together like the Aadishakti. Kunti mata is the supreme power that inspires their unity! Each word uttered by her, each dream...”
I just loved to keep on listening to Sri when he talked about the Pandavas with such intensity. He had tested the Pandavas in every possible way he could think of. He would compare the Pandavas’ family priest Dhaumya rishi to Gargamuni of the Yadavas. He would give an upper hand to Dhaumya rishi for his excellence. And then to avoid any misunderstanding immediately he would place him lower to Aacharya Sandipani.
A new chapter in Sri’s life began as the cords of Sri’s emotions got entangled with those of the Pandavas. That chapter was the Pandavaparva. Now Sri had only one thing on mind and that was to raise the puissant, populated royal capital of Pandavas, Indraprastha. He immensely loved such constructive, creative Karmayoga. Now he focused his attention on the creation of Indraprasth, from Dwaraka itself.
In the resting chamber above Srisopana, he held many councils through days and nights, with Maya and his assistants Taraksha, Kamalaksha, Vidyunmali and Maya’s sons Mayavin, Dudumbhi, Ajakarna, and Kalika, also many more expert, professional architects along with Vishwakarma, Twashtta, and Gargamuni. They all already had the experience of the construction of Dwaraka. The sinewy horse riders of Yadava’s surveillance team spread in the four directions. They hired skilled craftsmen from any places they could and dispatched them towards Indraprastha. The skilled craftsmen from the eighteen workshops of Yadavas got engaged in a huge undertaking. Dwaraka reverberated again with the sounds of construction in various workshops. Many construction materials like neat wooden planks of teak, rosewood, Katahal, large sacks of burnt limestone kneaded in the lime mills for weeks, polished iron and copper pillars, moulded golden and silver domes of royal palaces and temples were carried in large bullock carts, and on the backs of elephants, and dispatched towards Khandavavana from Dwaraka. A continuous line of bullock carts, camel carts and elephants could be seen moving from Dwaraka to Khandavavana.
One day a horse rider arrived in Dwaraka along with Yudhishthira’s message from Khandavavana. Pandavas were struggling hard to remove the thick forests of Khandavavana, but they were not getting the expected results. At this pace, it would take twelve years just to clear the forests of Khandavavana. The five brothers had reached a point of frustration and remembered Sri, not knowing what to do. Now it was mandatory for Sri to go to Khandavavana again. The Pandavas had now become like Sri’s breath in his daily life. He shared deep emotional ties with them. Sri immediately left for Khandavavana, taking along with him the special troops of diligent Yadavas who were trained for the Dandakaranya expedition. This time he took neither Balaramadada nor Uddhavabhauji with him. Instead he took young Pradyumna and his troops of youth along with him. Experienced Satyaki also accompanied him. This undertaking of the construction of Indraprastha lasted for a long time.
In the meantime, many seasons passed by. On the banks of Yamuna, Indraprastha, the royal capital of the Pandavas was flourishing. Here in Dwaraka Sri’s Yadava family was blossoming. Sri’s only daughter Charumati and sons Charudeva and Sudeshna were born to me. Charumati was very beautiful just like her name denoted, and since she was the only daughter of Sri at that time, she had become the apple of everybody’s eyes including Sri. Her complexion was like that of the Jaswanda flower and she had chubby cheeks, and thick, dark, curly hair. She would keep looking at everyone who picked her up with utter curiosity. She was Pradyumna’s most favourite sister. My delicate daughter Charu was not much seen in my chamber. One or the other of my seven sisters would pick her up and take her to their chamber. Satya, Bhama, Kalindi, in whosever chamber she was, there itself her feeding for the day was taken care of. Sri would hold her in his arms and lovingly pull the tip of her nose saying, “You are just like our Eka in Gokul.”
During this time, Satyabhama also bore three sons – Subhanu, Swarbhanu and Prabhanu. These three sons of Bhama had luscious complexion like their mother and looked radiant like Bhanu, the sun.
The palaces of the Panchanada daughters Bhadra and Lakshmanaa were also blessed with the buzz of sons. Bhadra gave birth to three sons – Sangramajita, Brihatsena and Shura. One of them, Shura was named after his great grandfather, Vasudevababa’s father Shursena. Meanwhile Lakshmanaa too gave birth to three sons – Praghosha, Gatravata and Urdhwaga. Uddhavabhauji gave the name Urdhwaga. Jambavati who was from the forest, also bore a daughter during this time. But she was born after the birth of two sons, Sumitra and Purujita. As her first son was named Samba because her father Riksharaaj Jambavana was an ardent devotee of Shiva, just so this daughter was named Girija. Satya, the daughter of King Nagnajita of Kosala kingdom, was also called as Nagnajiti by all. She also gave birth to three sons during this period. They were named Vira, Chandra and Ashwasena. Mitravinda, the sister of Vinda and Anuvinda from the Avanti kingdom near Dwaraka had also become the mother of three sons. She went to her parental residence in Avanti kingdom to give birth to each child. Her three sons were named by the people of Avanti – Vrika, Harsha, and Anila. Khandavavana daughter Kalindi’s three sons born during this time were named as per her own wish. They were named Shruta, Purnamasa and Darsha. All her three sons were good-looking, chubby, and mainly calm and fair like the Ketaki flower.
During this period of six years both islands of Dwaraka looked like the full moon of Paurnima in the month of Chaitra. Sri sometimes mentioned the huge Bhandirvriksha in Vrindavan while speaking. During this period, even Dwaraka blossomed like that big tree, with the bustle of young and old Yadava family members, day and night. Many attendants were there to serve my sons as well as the sons of my seven sisters. Many sages, hermits and yogis from various places frequently came to visit the two islands of this populated Dwaraka kingdom. Sri and dada would honour them appropriately in the Sudharma assembly in the presence of Vasudevababa, Thorali and Dhakali mata. Many of them were respectfully made offers to settle in Dwaraka. Such renown of Dwaraka had spread far in all directions.
One day my priest Sushil humbly presented me with some news. He said, “A Brahmin from Saurashtra has arrived at the Shuddhaksha gate. He is scrawny and very tired as he has travelled from so far. He is pleading to see the Lord of Dwaraka. What should we do?”
As the Maharani of Dwaraka I was used to such news by now. I told the priest, “Arrange his stay in the guest chamber. Look after all his needs properly. Tell him that Sri will meet him once he returns to Dwaraka.” Sushil bowed, offered obeisance and left to follow the orders.
Within a few days, the news of Sri’s arrival reached Dwaraka. Sri had returned only after completing the construction of Pandava’s royal capital in Khandavavana. But this time he arrived in Dwaraka at night by boats. The entire Dwaraka was asleep when he arrived. For that reason, Sri had instructed the Chief Minister and other assembly members who had come to receive him at the Shuddhaksha gate to not arrange any formal welcome and keep it quiet. Even I didn’t come to know when Sri arrived in Dwaraka at night! But this arrival of his showed me a new side of Sri’s character. Sri considered sleep very valuable, whether it was the sleep of human beings or other animals, and he took extra care to not disturb it. He called sleep Nidrayoga. He had complete control over his sleep. His dear disciple Arjuna also had such control.
The next morning, I performed all morning rituals and sat for the daily charity offering with Sri. My seven sisters had taken their seats by my side. I had urged Sri to have all of them present during this session. He had also happily agreed with me.
Sri looked delighted as the construction of the Pandavas’ royal capital in Khandavavana had been concluded to his satisfaction. As he sat on the golden seat for the charity session, first of all he looked at me and smiling pleasantly he said, “Rukmini, Pandavas’ royal city has been built splendidly. Pradyumna’s youth troops cleaned the
thick forests of Khandava vana with the assistance of Agni. Indraprastha is indeed slightly superior to Dwaraka.
“Arjuna and I had to fight a furious battle with Varuna, the king of the forest, while cleaning Khandavavana. Varuna attacked us fiercely with his army saying, ‘This forest is our residence, we won’t let you Kurus - Yadavas burn it. The cutthroat battle lasted for many days. Ultimately, he had to concede defeat. He acknowledged Arjuna’s prowess, and happily offered Arjuna his auspicious bow named ‘Gandiva’ along with the quiver that has an inexhaustible supply of arrows, and his well-built, well balanced chariot named Nandighosha.” I had already guessed that it was Sri’s favourite topic as it was about the Pandavas. Though I knew he was going to talk a great deal about Khandava vana and the battle with Varuna, and though I was also eager to hear it, I was trying to say something to him as the duty of the Maharani.
But Sri started offering charities while talking to me and his seven other wives, about the Khandavavana. While Sri was picking up a handful of pearls from the cane basket, I gently said to him, “A Brahmin from Saurashtra is here! He is pleading to visit you. He is waiting in the guest chamber.” With an astonished look in his eyes he asked, “Who? From where did you say he has come?”
“A Brahmin – from Saurashtra.” As Sri heard my words his handsome face blossomed with ecstasy. His fish-shaped eyes sparkled; he let go of the pearls in his palms in the basket again and muttered, “That’s him, my dear Sudama!” The twin tooth behind his rosy lips flashed with his delightful, pure smile.
He instantly began walking towards the guest chamber, leaving us behind, saying, “I’ll be back soon, Maharani! You finish the rest of the charity session.” As usual Uddhavabhauji who was standing nearby followed him.
Our charity session continued without any break. As it was coming to an end we saw Sri and Uddhavabhauji gently supporting the scrawny Brahmin, holding his arms on both sides and bringing him into the charity chamber. He had a gaunt frame and a shabby appearance; he was wearing a ‘Barabandi’ dress from Kathiawar, a red-bordered dhoti covered his legs halfway, a cap covered both his ears, there were dots of sandalwood paste on his forehead in between the eyebrows and on his high cheeks, he held a crooked, dry staff of the Bela tree in his hand, his untidy shoulder bag reached down to his waist, and he was barefoot. Really, how did the pitiful fellow look standing in the royal capital of the Yadavas, the golden Dwaraka? He looked like a black fly sitting on a shining Pushkaraja jewel set in a golden ring! Dumbfounded, all of us kept gawking at the bizarre ‘exploit’ of Sri and bhauji in comparison with the feat of the burning of Khandavavana. I was utterly speechless.
Both the brothers carefully brought their friend from Kathiawar and actually seated him on Sri’s golden seat. That completely flustered the Brahmin from Saurashtra. He just kept staring everywhere with his eyes wide open.
As soon as Sri seated his dear friend from Kathiawar on his golden seat, he ordered priest Sushil, “Please bring the golden salver that is used for the daily worship. Also get some Prajakta flowers in it.” The priest rushed and fulfilled the order of the Lord of Dwaraka. A big golden salver consisting of big and small gold plates used for worship was placed near the small golden footrest in front of the seat on which the Brahmin was sitting. Now the chamber was fully occupied with all the members of the ministry, both the commanders, many a troop leaders and Yadava warriors. Even Balaramadada entered the chamber along with his brothers Gada, Sarana, and Revativahini behind him, and all his sons – Nishatha, Ulmuka and Vipula. Aacharya Sandipani came after him with gurumata and his son Dutta. Crowded Yadavas automatically made way when they saw our revered Vasudevababa in person with Thorali and Dhakali mata arriving in the chamber in the end.
Sri was so much engrossed in the ‘Snehayoga’ that he wasn’t at all aware of who had gathered around him, and what they were doing. Sri put a golden salver on the footrest in front of the Brahmin, and requested his dearest friend to put his soiled feet on it. Sri had already asked for the golden pitcher of Gangajala from among the holy waters of the seven rivers brought from various places and kept in the chamber of gods. He let a stream of the Gangajala fall on his dear friend’s feet, just like the stream of Abhishek and wiped them gently with his shawl. He adorned them with a dot of sandalwood paste. He put haldi-kumkum on them and offered a palm full of Prajakta flowers. He picked up a fresh garland of white lotuses from the big worship salver, put it around the neck of his dear friend and glanced at Sudama with such affection that he got overwhelmed with emotions. As he got teary-eyed he couldn’t see Sri standing in front of him. Sri held his lean shoulders and pulling him up held him in a passionate deep embrace. The garland on his chest clung to the Vaijayanti garland on Sri’s chest. The hearts of two friends met. Sri picked up the golden bowl in the platter, took a small piece of the sweet saffron and ginger-mixed delicacy made of milk and put it in his dear friend’s mouth.
The sweet and delicious taste of the prasada started lingering in his mouth and at the same time tears began streaming down his friend’s eyes.
Now the entire chamber of charities was overcome with emotion. It was as if the black clouds amassed in the sky had got dissipated by a strong whiff of the western wind. All the thoughts of disgust about Sri’s favourite friend when I saw him for the first time had disappeared totally. There was not a single corner of my heart left empty to even feel the guilt about it.
Sri released his friend from his embrace and coming back to senses now, first of all he looked at me. I was well acquainted with the silent language of his eyes. I immediately stepped forward. Seating Sudama bhauji on the seat I requested him to put his feet in the platter on the footrest. I also worshiped his feet in the same way that Sri had done for this large-hearted bhauji of mine from a faraway country. After me of course the seven wives of Sri came forward according to seniority. They also did the same for bhauji. After that Sri affectionately asked his friend, “Sudamana, friend, you haven’t been speaking at all since a long time, your left arm is constantly touching your shoulder bag. Tell me, what is in that bag?”
“What else could be there?” Saying so Sudama bhauji put his hand in the shoulder bag getting sentimental. The curiosity of all the gathered Yadava men and women heightened. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on his shoulder bag. Sudama bhauji instantly pulled out a pair of sandalwood slippers, about nine-ten inches long. He looked at them with emotional eyes as if he owned the three worlds. In a moment, he touched the sandalwood slippers to the tilak of the sandalwood paste on his forehead with loving respect.
I had heard that Sri and this bhauji were the disciples of Aacharya Sandipani in the Ankapada aashrama. I obviously thought that those were aacharya’s slippers! Aacharya himself was present in the chamber. Sudama bhauji was so overwhelmed that he hadn’t even noticed him yet. As I got overwhelmed and moved forward, he looked at me with utter respect and handed over the wooden slippers to me. I touched them to my forehead believing that they belonged to aacharya, and returned those to him. Sri was simply watching all this with his mischievous smile. Meanwhile Sudama bhauji noticed aacharya and his wife. He approached aacharya and put his head on aacharya’s feet. Aacharya momentarily patted his lean shoulders and put his hand on bhauji’s head to offer blessings. Bhauji also took blessings from aacharya’s wife.
Now both the friends held aacharya’s arms with respect, brought him honourably towards the golden seat of the charity session and seated him on it. His wife, who was walking behind him, sat on my seat. His devoted disciples sat near aacharya’s feet, facing each other. Meanwhile Balaramadada came forward with Revativahini, offered obeisance to aacharya and his wife, and sat next to Sri. As she saw me Revativahini came to me. By this time, minister Vipruthu brought forward Vasudevababa and both matas, who were left behind in the Yadava crowd, and seated them on the empty seats of my sisters. Seeing them dada and Sri began to get up to pay obeisance to them. Vasudevababa commanded them with a gesture of his hand to sit in their places. Respectin
g his command both sat down. Now all eyes were fixed on only aacharya. Aacharya had closed his eyes. He had already gone into a meditative trance. Sudama bhauji’s left hand still kept moving towards his bag. With his gaze fixed on aahcharya’s face, Sri brought both his palms together in prayer and said with utmost respect, “Aacharya, I hope to hear something precious at this moment.”
Listening to these words aacharya’s white beard and moustache quivered momentarily. Utter silence spread in the room so much so that even the sound of the ocean around Dwaraka was clearly audible.
Aacharya smiled and said with his eyes closed, “Yes Srikrishna, I will. First, let Sudama complete a formality. Oh Sudama, friend of Srikrishna, without hesitating or feeling diffident in the presence of all, give your friend the gift of love that you have brought in your bag.”
Now, ultimate curiosity spread in the Yadava circle. Everybody’s eyes were fixed on Sudama’s bag. Sudama’s right hand went into his bag twice, and came out empty. Then the Guru spoke again, “Sudamana, poverty is not a flaw – but poverty of the heart is indeed a fault. Just give your gift in front of all!”
Sudama bhauji determinedly pulled out a small bundle from his bag. It was tied in soiled cloth. With trembling hands, he put it on the rosy palms of the lord of Dwaraka.
Sri gently opened the bundle. There was plain, dry, puffed rice in it! It was a simple gift of love that bhauji’s wife had packed in a hurry when her husband told her, ‘I have to give a gift to my friend, pack something’.
Sri’s eyes, sparkling like the Pushkaraja jewel, kept staring at the dry, puffed rice in his palms, with utter joy. Looking at that incredible gift of love his fish-shaped bright eyes brimmed with tears. Sri picked up couple of grains of the puffed rice and first he offered them at aacharya’s feet. Then he relished a couple of grains fondly while smacking his lips and held it in front of me. I also picked up couple of grains and put them in my mouth. They were indeed delicious. Now, Sri got up and distributed the ‘Prasada of love’ with affection to Vasudevababa first, both the matas, dada, Revativahini and my seven sisters.
Srikrishna- the Lord of the Universe Page 38
