Every morning and evening Satyaki, Daruka, Pradyumna, Balidada’s sons Nishatha and Ulmuka, and all the sons and daughters of dada came to visit dada in his chamber by climbing the Srisopana. One day when Satyaki came to visit him he told him to keep seven–eight boats ready. He sailed on the western ocean in the boats with me, Daruka, Satyaki and Chief Minister Sukrita. None of us knew where we were going. When we went further he instructed all the fishermen to turn the boats towards the Kroshtu lighthouse– the guiding post of our Dwaraka harbour. Dada was going to visit the lighthouse after many years.
After the Great War at Kurukshetra the number of boats coming to the Dwaraka harbour from the neighbouring kingdoms had considerably reduced, but not completely stopped. Now the neighbouring kingdoms were acknowledging this harbour as ‘Dwaraka harbour’. Whenever any sailor asked ‘which Dwaraka harbour?’ another would answer, ‘Srikrishna’s Dwaraka harbour – the golden Dwaraka harbour!’
That day we spent half the day at Kroshtu lighthouse and returned with the rays of the setting sun on our backs. In the boat dada said to Satyaki, “We should erect an aashrama in Dwaraka like Aacharya’s Ankapada aashrama where the young Yadavas of the new generation of Dwaraka would learn in depth about the ocean. We should not forget that our kingdom Dwaraka is surrounded by the ocean on three sides.”
I always found every thought of his to be leaping in the future like a thought of a visionary, moving ahead of time, breaking through it.
One day he himself said to me, “Udho Avadhuta, tomorrow we are going to the island of Queens’ mansions to eat the soft rice with salt prepared by your eldest vahini – Rukmini. Tell Satyaki and Chief Minister to make preparations. Send advance notice to the island.”
I dispatched Satyaki to the island of Queens’ mansions with a message that, ‘the Lord of Dwaraka is coming to meet all of you’. Hearing that news, the entire island rejoiced. All the queens of dada dispatched horse riders and summoned their sons dispersed in different places, immediately to the island.
In this visit neither the Chief Minister, nor Satyaki nor any of the members of Sudharma assembly accompanied us. Only Daruka was there with both of us. It was amusing to see Daruka in the boat with us, who usually sat in the charioteer’s seat of the Garudadhwaja chariot. Dada had given clear instructions to the Chief Minister and Satyaki that he was not going to return to Dwaraka for one whole month. As he didn’t want to miss the daily morning and evening worship of his parents he had also instructed me to carry Vasudevababa’s royal wooden slippers with me. He was going to offer vermillion and flowers to them every morning and evening – in this way he would offer his respects to all three of them. For the same reason, he had also told me to carry Aacharya Sandipani’s wooden slippers. He had prostrated in front of Balaramadada before leaving and convinced him so that he wouldn’t get upset.
We didn’t even realize how happily one entire month that we spent on the island of Queens’ mansions passed by. Dada spent four days with each of his beloved wives and inquired affectionately about all their sons and the daughters-in-law. In the end, he came to spend a few days in Rukminivahini’s chamber at leisure. His favourite daughter Charu tenderly and devotedly looked after her imperial father who was worshiped all over the world. Her three half-sisters also accompanied her. Charu knew very well that every morning after washing his face he drank water from a golden pot in which the stems of lotus flowers had been kept immersed for the whole night. She would keep it ready for him without fail.
Dada, Rukminivahini and I spoke to our heart’s content on various topics during this stay. In that we even remembered Bhojakataknagar and Rukmi who was slain by angry Balaramadada during the wedding ceremony of Aniruddha and Rochana. That time Rukminivahini unknowingly kept calling me ‘Bandhu Udho’ just like dada used to call me.
Rukminivahini had still kept carefully the sword which dada had raised on Rukmi. Vahini sent an attendant to present the sword in front of dada. Dada took it in his hands and immediately handed it to me. He said to me, “Avadhuta, it is true that this sword doesn’t go with your saffron clothing, but I have given it to you to guess who it belongs to.” I minutely observed the sword in my hand. Seeing the Yadava symbols engraved on it I said, “This is your Nandaka sword!”
Rukminivahini was elated to hear my answer and unwittingly exclaimed one more time, “He is bandhu Udho after all!” “No wonder he recognized it”
Hearing the expression ‘bandhu’ for the third time from her clearly, I really felt the loss of not having a real sister. I considered Rukminivahini a sister instead of vahini, but without saying so explicitly. It was deep-rooted in my mind.
I felt extremely happy that dada and Rukminivahini had spent time together after many years and conversed with each other to their heart’s content. After bidding farewell to all vahinis and relatives while coming back to original Dwaraka, dada pulled Jambavativahini’s son Samba aside along with me and said to him in front of me, “Dear son Samba…! Your name represents ‘Shiva’. Just as Shiva’s feet have the power of Pralaya – total annihilation – so does his speech. The one who understands the power of speech understands ‘Shiva’. Such a person is called Samba. The one who doesn’t get it is called Shumbha. The Asura race has Shumbha among them – not the human race. And never forget that speech can lead to destruction!”
We came back to original Dwaraka.
Now dada’s daily routine was again as it was before the Great War of Bharata. He would wake up at Brahma Muhurta, to the the bards’ playing the Rudravina and singing to its tune. Then he would take a look at the rare symbols of conch, chakra, swastika, pennant, fish and such on his rosy palms. He would smile to himself with thoughts which nobody else would know. He would step on the ground only after paying respect to it. He would brush his teeth with a small stick of Kikar wood and tooth powder and then gargle with fragrant water. He would do yogasanas in the early morning. Only after doing the breathing exercises of Pranayama, singing the praises of God, and reciting the mantras of Purashcharana he would drink a pot full of freshly drawn milk. He would offer Tarpana to the dead ancestors, seek blessings of the elders, take a look at the rising sun, and give away charities. He would go to the people’s chamber in front of the Sudharma assembly and genuinely listen to all the problems of the people of Dwaraka, and solve them promptly by giving instructions to Vipruthu’s son Sukrita, Satyaki and various troop leaders. If any issue was related to any kingdom other than Dwaraka he would hand over the responsibility of solving that to Balaramadada. He never interfered in any of Balaramadada’s decisions. He was receiving precise news of only two kingdoms collected by his own surveillance squad. One was Hastinapura and another was Indraprastha. The Pandavas had reserved the Indraprastha kingdom for Aniruddha and Rochana’s son Vajra. Vajra was still very young. Once he was mature enough, all Pandavas were officially going to offer the kingdom to him in a formal coronation ceremony. Aatya Kuntidevi had made all the Pandavas including Yudhishthira promise her so before going to the forest. Her intent was to have strong emotional ties of even the fourth generation of the Yadavas of Dwaraka with the Kurus of Hastinapura.
Dada had already rehabilitated thousands of women of Kamarupa in Dwaraka. He paid personal attention to the rehabilitation of the families of those Yadavas who had lost their lives in the war of Kurukshetra, and got their future settled. Now he had particularly started to stay away from the Sudharma assembly. Though no one else had realized it I had.
I started noticing strongly that nowadays dada was taking more interest in sages, hermits, yogis and ascetics than soldiers, warriors, troop leaders and fighters. Thereupon one day the first toll was struck on the newtime-indicating iron disc installed on the eastern royal highway, followed by the second and the third toll.
The moment he heard the clear tolls of the new time-indicating iron disc dada closed his fish-shaped eyes for a moment. Hearing the time toll he said to me, “Bandhu Avadhuta, who could be the special guest? Let’s go and see.” Whi
le leaving he also dispatched an attendant with a message to Balaramadada to come directly to the square of the time-indicating iron disc.
We arrived at the square of the new time-indicating iron disc on the royal highway. A tall bearded rishi, clad in white stood on the stone platform of the iron disc. The dark-complexioned rishi was surrounded by ten–fifteen disciples. As soon as his eyes met with those of the rishi dada instructed the soldiers accompanying us to stay back. Taking only me with him he walked forward briskly. We climbed the stairs of the platform. Dada prostrated at the feet of the Maharishi who was engrossed in watching the Yadava symbols engraved on the time-indicating iron disc, narrowing his eyes. I followed suit. He was the quite aged Maharishi Vyasa!
As Maharishi was married he was clad in white clothes. They perfectly matched his white beard. Maharishi hastily pulled up dada and taking him into his embrace, smiling like a child he said, “You are already looking like me! Where is the prince?”
Seeing Balaramadada and his brothers Gada and Sarana coming from a distance, all disciples of the Maharishi who were clad in saffron like me whispered among themselves, ‘The elder brother of the Lord of Dwaraka is also coming’.
As soon as he came, Balaramadada prostrated in front of the Maharishi along with his brothers. All of us walked to the Sudharma royal assembly. As Balaramadada had already instructed so, Chief Minister Sukrita also arrived, with preparations in place for welcoming the Maharishi. As the prince, Balaramadada honoured the Maharishi and his disciples. All this was done promptly, as it was his custom not to stay in one place for more than two days.
During those two days, he visited Vasudevababa and both the rajmatas. He went to Aacharya Sandipani’s residence and inquired about his as well as his wife’s wellbeing. When dada instructed me to send for all the royal ladies of the Queens’ mansions to visit Maharishi, Maharishi himself exclaimed, “There is no need to call them here. I will go there myself. I have heard that your queen Rukmini makes delicious soft rice. You have tasted such rice to your heart’s content back in Gokul too. I want to taste it at least once!” Such a great Maharishi who had reached the highest position of honour spoke thus and let out childlike laughter.
Even dada was always so loquacious fell silent when he heard it. He politely brought his palms together and said, “Your wish is my command Maharishi.”
Maharishi Vyasa visited the island of Queens’ mansions along with his disciples. Of course, dada and I accompanied him. There he met all the vahinis including Rukminivahini and all the sons and daughters of dada. He stayed there for one day. The next day he came back to original Dwaraka. Now he was going to leave Dwaraka and continue his regular peregrination. Only dada, Balaramadada and I– the three of us walked with the Maharishi and came near the big boat in which he was going to sail across the creek with his disciples. His disciples boarded the boat one after another. Only the four of us remained behind – Maharishi, dada, Balaramadada and me. Maharishi put his right hand on dada’s shoulder and glancing at me he said, “The three of you will have to face a testing truth way more severe than the war of Kurukshetra!” The three of us kept gazing at his ascetic, radiant face with the white beard and moustache. Maharishi said to Balaramadada, “Prince Balabhadra, my disciples have given me every detail of the information about your kingdom that they have collected. Since your return from the Himalayas you have not left the royal palace much. Srikrishna, you are extremely disturbed ever since coming from Kurukshetra. This Avadhuta Uddhava is completely occupied in serving you day and night. Your subjects – the lakhs of Yadavas have no true ruler. They are rapidly becoming inclined towards fun and frolic. They are forgetting their daily rituals and chores. This is the biggest threat to your kingdom. The three of you should get alert well in time. You should practise strict administrative rules without fearing anybody’s so-called status among your subjects. If you fail to do so, you won’t have the time to even regret it.
“You are like my sons. That is why I am telling this to you in clear words. Therefore, don’t feel unhappy about it. I have also come to know that your subjects are increasingly getting addicted to alcohol which is resulting in disrespect of women’s due honour. Your earlier valiant pugnacious Yadava soldiers are now becoming womanizers. Look at the facts and take appropriate action. You have my blessings. Now say goodbye to me with happy faces.”
Maharishi Vyasa turned around and walking slowly he boarded the boat, and mingled with his disciples. What he left behind was an unending cycle of worries for the three of us.
The very next day Balaramadada took out strict orders for the citizens of Dwaraka. They were circulated to thousands of households in Dwaraka. Peace prevailed for a week, then two weeks and then for a month in Dwaraka. Nowadays dada was frequently visiting places like Nageshwara and Bhalakatirtha near Veravala, sailing across the creek with me. Sometimes he, Satyaki, Daruka and I used to go to Prabhasatirtha too.
The thousands of women of Kamarupa had grown old now. They had gotten married to the Yadava soldiers of their liking and were leading a family life. Dada had officially released them from the collective contract of marriage that he had offered them back in Pragjyotishapura for that purpose. Their third generation was living in their colony now.
One day dada himself told me, “Brother Udho, don’t plan anything else for today. We are going to spend the whole day at the colony of the folks of Kamarupa. Inform Kasheru so.”
In the late morning dada, Balaramadada, Satyaki, Daruka, Chief Minister Sukrita, and I came to the colony of the Kamarupa folks as per dada’s wish.
The entire colony rejoiced in delight. In the central square of the colony, on an elevated platform, rugs were spread for sitting. For quite some time, all of us sat on the rugs and watched the dances of the men and women of Kamarupa, and listened to their singing. Not only that, dada himself arose from his seat towards the end of the dance. In Gokul and Mathura he had danced Rasa many a time in the starlit nights. Just the same
way the Lord of Dwaraka danced with the old women of Kamarupa.
Now the citizens of Dwaraka were behaving in a disciplined manner as a result of Balaramadada’s edict. The new generation of ministers of the Sudharma assembly and troop leaders were carrying out their duties properly. Many carnivals were being organized in Dwaraka like before. Bullock cart races, horse races and cock fights were taking place in a festive atmosphere. Mace, sword and wrestling duels were taking place without any altercations. Dada barely went to the Sudharma assembly now. Balabhadradada had to go to the assembly as he was the prince. He was handling the proceedings of the Sudharma assembly successfully, allowing Vasudevababa and both the rajmatas to take the rest that they deserved. But recently, Aacharya Sandipani was frequently bringing up the topic of the Ankapada aashrama of Avanti and was talking of moving there with his son Dutta. Dada and I were trying to prevent him from doing so.
Master archer Arjuna had successfully returned to Hastinapura after taking the horse of Pandava’s Ashwamedha Yajna around all of Aaryavarta. That was also a thing of the past now.
Draupadidevi who was distressed due to the death of her five sons in the war of Kurukshetra had now recovered considerably. Dada felt satisfied to hear that she was capably handling the responsibility of being the Pandava Maharani. Our sister Subhadra was also bringing up Parikshita, the son of Abhimanyu and Uttaraa with a great deal of care. He was also grown up now.
And one day from the platform of the new time-indicating iron disc the tolls indicating the arrival of a special guest reverberated again. Thannn…. Thannn…Thannn… they even outdid the sound of the ocean. Dada became alert when he heard the tolls. He sent me to Balabhadradada’s chamber. I returned to dada’s chamber bringing Balidada along with me.
Dada, Balaramadada and I reached the platform wondering who the special guest could be. On the platform, among his disciples and our Yadava soldiers, stood Aacharya Ghor Angirasa of Prayaga in person!
Like Maharishi Vyasa he also embraced dada, Balabhadr
adada and me deeply. He had a white strip of cloth covering his mouth like before. He had also grown very old now, and spoke much lesser than before. Whatever he spoke was barely audible due to his age and the strip of cloth on his mouth.
He told dada in a very calm and steady voice, “I have come here to see with my own eyes how well and how much you have practised and treasured the knowledge of Brahmavidya that I gave you in the Prayaga aashrama. The war that you started on Kurukshetra was a Great yajna. I know that it was required. I can also understand that if it had not taken place, this Aaryavarta would have become a very ugly place. But now I am not here to give you any advice. In fact, I have come here hoping to hear your words and understand the real meaning of life at this juncture of my life.”
“You are putting me in a great quandary aacharya.” As usual dada showed his respect to aacharya by bringing his palms together in greeting and leaning forward he said, “Please come with me, we will speak at leisure.”
Ghor Angirasa was not ready to go to the Sudharma royal assembly directly like Maharishi Vyasa. In very few words he said, “I am no longer interested in the royal duties – royal customs – felicitation ceremonies. I only wish to speak freely with you, and only with you! My disciples Uddhava and Daruka can also join just for listening. After talking to you I will visit Vasudevababa, both your mothers, and Aacharya Sandipani who moulded you, and then I will leave for Mount Raivataka.”
As per the custom of ascetics he also stayed in Dwaraka for only two days. He did not accept any kind of felicitations. He ate very limited and spoke very little. As soon as we entered dada’s chamber he made dada sit on his right, signalled us to sit down and patting on dada’s back he said, “Whatever you told Arjuna at Kurukshetra, tell me that in brief. I am only going to listen. You are going to be the only one to speak. You had the authority to make everyone listen to you then and you have it even today. Speak freely.”
Srikrishna- the Lord of the Universe Page 100
