Then dada kept talking, and we kept listening. He spoke about many subjects such as Vishadayoga, Karmayoga, Rajayoga, Jnanayoga and his most favourite Premayoga heartily. This speech was such that one could go on listening to it forever. After some time, he took his lean bluish fingers a couple
of times towards his lips and said, “Let’s go and have some
food!”
For the first time aacharya Ghor Angirasa smiled and said, “Srikrishna your naughtiness from Gokul has not reduced a bit. You gave so much food for thought to our brains and yet you did not forget the daily karma of eating lunch.”
As he was about to say something further, dada held his hand affectionately to take him for the meal and said, “I know that now you are a Tirthankara who eats only once a day, still please have some milk and fruits.”
We didn’t even realize how those two days passed in the company of Aacharya Ghor Angirasa. He brought up one subject or the other and kept dada talking. King Kakudmin of Mount Raivataka received the news of his arrival in Dwaraka. He promptly presented himself in the service of Aacharya Ghor Angirasa along with his chief minister and commander. He was now going to take aacharya to Mount Raivataka forever. On Mount Raivataka, he had raised an aashrama for aacharya, which had no images or statues inside.
Dada sent me to the island of Queens’ mansions to bring all his queens, sons and daughters to visit aacharya. He also sent a special message to Rukminivahini through me that ‘Aacharya and his disciples have to be served the soft rice specially prepared by you as the Prasada of the Yadavas. So, don’t forget to bring enough soft rice in clean vessels!’
So, Rukminivahini brought the rice. In dada’s chamber dada, Balabhadradada, me, Maharaja Kakudmin, Chief Minister Sukrita, Satyaki, Daruka, and all disciples of aacharya – all of us joyously feasted on the Prasada that she had prepared.
Ghor Angirasa left Dwaraka with his disciples after visiting Vasudevababa, both the rajmatas, Aacharya Sandipani, his wife and son Dutta, as he had told us. He went to Mount Raivataka with King Kakudmin, along with his disciples.
After he left us, we felt an emotional vacuum for many days. I came to know an amusing aspect about all my vahinis who had come to bid farewell to him. Each one of them loved dada very much. They were calling me in dada’s chamber under some pretext or the other. All of them were very curious about dada’s Srisopana. Each one of them wanted to know if the Srisopana had a step in their name. All of them were confident that there was one in their name. They were all quite curious to know at what number it was. An even funnier thing was that each one wanted to know whose step was above hers and whose was below. Rukminivahini was the only exception. All of them tried to dig it out of me. Occasionally they would even take me near the Srisopana and urge me to actually show the step in their name. Only Rukminivahini never asked me anything about it.
When I told her about this inquiry from the other seven vahinis she simply smiled – exactly like dada. Baffled, I asked her, “Vahini, how come you are not at all curious about this?”
She casually said, “What do I need a step for? I am the dust on my Sri’s feet! I am always with his feet. Am I not?” Only she could have thought of such an answer. In fact, it was not an answer; it was just a candid expression!
Because of this episode, I clearly realized the drastic change in Bhamavahini. I asked her too, “Why are you so curious to know if there is a step in the Srisopana in your name or not?” After I questioned her she cautiously asked me, “Have you ever asked this question to Rukminitai? What did she say?” When I told her Rukminivahini’s response her eyes widened and she exclaimed, “Is that what tai said?” After that she did not say anything, and never asked the same question again.
But I never found any of dada’s many sons to be curious at all about the Srisopana. Sometimes I strongly felt that the generation of all the sons of dada, Balabhadradada, his brothers, and my brothers was a very different one. As they got to see the glistening gold of Dwaraka every single day they never felt anything special about it. For them there was no difference whatsoever between the golden steps of Srisopana and the golden fortification.
Dada’s attitude had also changed slightly since Aacharya Ghor Angirasa’s visit. Every evening we went to visit Vasudevababa and both rajmatas to seek their blessings. Earlier dada would seek their blessings, discuss any important event that had taken place that day for a few minutes and quickly bid farewell to them. But now after seeking Vasudevababa’s blessings he would sit on the settee next to him. He would tell baba to lie on his back in the Shavasana position. Then he would take baba’s foot in his lap and press it for hours with his bluish lean fingers. At that time, I would also sit on the other side of the bed and putting Vasudevababa’s other foot in my lap I would keep pressing it. Dada would keep talking to Vasudevababa about various topics in his sweet voice. It was my greatest pleasure to hear him talk.
Vasudevababa would feel relaxed and fall fast asleep while dada and I continued pressing his feet. Then dada would smilingly look at me and wink, indicating ‘our job is done’. He would gently lower baba’s foot from his thigh, rest it on the bed and leave the chamber. I would follow suit.
Then we would go to the chambers of both the rajmatas. He would try the same strategy with Devakimata that he had tried with baba. He would force her also to lie on the bed. He would put her foot too on his thigh and start pressing it. I would get occupied in the same chore sitting near him.
Thorali wouldn’t fall asleep easily. After some time, she herself would say, ‘Enough of your service now. You are the Lord of Dwaraka – very busy. Now go to Dhakali and let her also enjoy your service. Go!’ Then we would properly tuck her under a blanket and go to the chamber of the younger rajmata – Rohinimata.
While watching his supreme respect for his parents, one day I felt it very strongly that he had not one or two but eighty sons but except for the customary touch of his feet not a single one had ever pressed the feet of their father! None of them had even expressed such a desire. The only meaning of this was that each generation growing under the shining sun is different. It always has different values and different ideals. This perpetual principle was indeed true.
Dada continued to sail across the creek of Dwaraka and visit Somanatha, sometimes Nageshwara, and at times Bhalakatirtha of Veravala. Sometimes we also visited the holy place of Prabhasa. Dada’s daily routine was going on smoothly now, as it used to be in Dwaraka a long time ago.
Our conversations always included the subject of the Pandavas. The Pandavas had established amicable and cordial alliances with all neighbouring kingdoms. Their administration was running smoothly under the guidance of Mahatma Vidura and experienced minister Sanjaya. Due to the successful Ashwamedha yajna plenty of riches were being sent to the Pandavas’ royal city by all surrounding kingdoms every year. The religious Pandavas who always took care of the betterment of their subjects had raised many well-built stone ghats along the shore of Ganga. Wells and waterholes were dug in many places. The Pandavas’ royal city of Hastinapura had capacious gardens, wrestling gymnasiums, and well-planned playgrounds. On hearing about the acclaim of the Pandavas, many artists and craftsmen from neighbouring kingdoms had migrated to Hastinapura. Some curious people would visit Hastinapura just to see valiant Bhima and Arjuna who had won the fierce war of Kurukshetra. The Pandavas had also erected a beautiful stone temple of Goddess Ida in the centre of the city. A well-equipped aashrama was erected on the northern border of the city for Dhaumya rishi. It was fully occupied by disciples arriving from various neighbouring kingdoms to obtain guidance.
Abhimanyu and Uttaraa’s son Parikshita was getting moulded under the guidance of aged Dhaumya rishi and was learning weaponry, astra vidya, royal customs and formalities under expert aacharyas from various kingdoms.
Many commanders, chief ministers, kings and royal priests made sure to convey one thing to us in many ways. The princes and brilliant aashrama pupils of such kingdoms would visit Hastinapura
whenever they got a chance. None of them came back without meeting master archer Arjuna from among the five Pandavas. They didn’t mind if they couldn’t meet Maharaja Yudhishthira or any one of the other three Pandavas, but if they couldn’t meet Arjuna, they would stay back in Hastinapura till they did. They would meet Arjuna and request him very politely to share the advice that dada had given him on the battlefield of Kurukshetra before the commencement of the battle. If anyone requested him in dada’s name, Arjuna would also share it as he remembered, with a lot of passion. Thus, the advice that dada had given only to Arjuna had spread to countless people. While being passed from person to person, it was inadvertently being augmented. The people in the valley of Brahmavarta including the kingdoms of Kurujangala, Hastinapura, and Indraprastha were now acknowledging it as ‘Srikrishnagita’.
While watching, and hearing all this sometimes I would have a strong feeling that though dada had called me his confidant and Avadhuta, Arjuna was his only favourite and beloved Sakha.
Once we were having a chat in dada’s chamber. The Panchala commander from Kampilyanagar, Chief Minister and Panchala sages Yaaja–Upayaaja were present during the conversation. Sages Yaaja–Upayaaja and the Panchala Chief Minister were conveying to dada how his ‘Srikrishnagita’ had reached every household in the valley of Ganga. He was listening to it with a detached mind, smiling at times without speaking anything. Just then some commotion was heard in the direction of the Srisopana. Hearing that, our meeting immediately fell silent. The squad leader with a spear in his hand and sword tied around his waist, from the guard’s post near the time-indicating iron disc platform hastily entered the chamber. In a fearful, shaky voice he said, “I tried to convince him so much by saying, ‘Munibaba just wait here. Give a strike on the iron disc – if you don’t want to do that I will do it for you. It will automatically intimate the Lord of Dwaraka’ but that white-bearded man didn’t listen to me at all. Dismissing me he said, ‘Why do I need permission to meet your Lord of Dwaraka? I am directly going to see him.’ Saying thus the lanky Munibaba holding a crooked staff in his hand is coming here, pounding the staff on the floor! Fearing that I would be held responsible for disobeying the Lord of Dwaraka I have come running ahead of him.” The gasping troop leader barely breathed a sigh of relief when a lanky, tall, dark complexioned, bearded rishi with matted hair holding a crooked staff in his hand entered dada’s chamber climbing the Srisopana.
The moment dada saw him he stood up at once. Briskly moving forward, he directly prostrated at the feet of the rishi who was rolling his eyes with anger. Seeing him prostrate all Panchalas along with me stood up immediately. All of us prostrated at his feet. Dada lovingly held his frail hand holding the staff. Asking him politely ‘When did you come to Dwaraka, oh rishi?’ dada respectfully made him sit on his own seat. Humbly leaning forward, joining both his palms, dada urged him, “Oh venerable rishi, please let us know what is the purpose of your visit?”
The lanky sage who had directly come there glowered with his angry red eyes at all of us standing around. Then he raised the staff he was holding in the air once and roared, “Alas, what a sad state you and your Dwaraka is in, self-proclaimed Lord of Dwaraka! I travelled through the entire city. In every square, liquor shops have been opened. Your heroic Yadavas always keep fighting with each other arrogantly over trivial matters, getting drunk day and night and forgetting their Kshatriya lineage. They remain quiet temporarily when they see your armed squad leaders. They pretend to be innocent.”
I kept staring at dada. He did not react.
The Panchala leaders who had come as guests became nervous. Raising their eyebrows, nudging each other with their elbows they were asking in subdued voices, “Who is this honourable guest? Who?”
At that the rishi roared, with his reddish eyes rolling and waved the staff in his hand, “Who wants to know who I am? And what for? If you want to know, then listen – I am Durvasa! The son of venerable Sage Atri” Immediately fixing his eyes on dada Durvasa roared again, “Lord of Dwaraka! From where and why have you collected such a bunch of idiots? Get rid of all of them. You ignited such a Great War of Bharata! What is the outcome of that? Instead you should have spent your life in improving the hearts of the people of your golden Dwaraka. Now you are keeping tabs on neither Indraprastha, nor Hastinapura and not even Dwaraka. Thousands of your Yadava citizens of Dwaraka have become insolent due to your victory in the war of Kurukshetra and the immense wealth coming into Dwaraka. They have become uncontrollable. They don’t respect anyone. Even this body which is just thrice the length of an arm doesn’t work properly if it is not disciplined, then how will a kingdom run? Even though it is made of gold how long will it take to turn it into dust? Who do you think yourself to be? Vaasudeva? Bhagvan? The one who does everything?”
Shocked, all of us only kept listening. Dada had also dropped his head and was only listening. He did not speak anything.
Seeing that, Durvasa got even more angry and roared, “Do you have any idea what happened to your aatya – Pandavas’ mother Kuntidevi who had served me and was the possessor of the Devahuti mantra?”
Now dada got startled and looked up.
“Your aatya Kuntidevi who had gone to the forest to serve her blind brother-in-law Dhritarashtra and his blind wife Gandhari has been consumed by a sudden wildfire in the forest! Blind Dhritarashtra who built a lacquer house in the forest of Varanavata to burn Kunti’s five sons to ashes has now turned into ashes himself along with his virtuous wife! And Hastinapura has no clue about this!”
Hearing the heart-wrenching, devastating news my stable-minded, aloof and relinquishing dada’s fish-shaped eyes brimmed with tears.
After seeing that, Sage Durvasa softened a bit. He said, “As her bhacha you should perform the final rites of that forbearing, pure lady. Immediately send a message to the Pandavas to perform the final rites for all three of them. I have first come to you, just to deliver this news, taking the shortest path from the Himalayas and travelling along the foothills of Mount Aravali.”
“Who is this saffron-clad man?” He pointed towards me.
Before dada could answer I leaned forward and joining my hands I answered, “I am the son of Devabhaga and Kansa, the chulat bandhu of the Lord of Dwaraka.”
“Good that you didn’t introduce yourself as ‘Avadhuta’ to me! But let me tell you that you have indeed achieved the status of an Avadhuta. Your eyes reflect it. I will see you later in Badri-Kedara.
“Krishna, I will visit your parents, Prince Balarama, and Aacharya Sandipani and go back tomorrow. On my way back, at the holy place of Prabhasa I am going to perform the ritual of my last rites with my own hands and return to the Himalayas!”
Durvasa accepted only the milk and fruits that an attendant had brought as per dada’s instruction. After having that he calmed down quite a bit. It was now that the love for dada in his heart surfaced in few but emotional words. He put his staff aside. He looked at dada and holding both his arms lovingly in his hands he said, “Vaasudevaa…! I spoke as per my irascible nature. If I have hurt you then forgive this dispassionate, crazy man who has been constantly peregrinating throughout his life!”
Now dada held both his feeble hands and patted them with a lot of affection. He handed Durvasa the staff that he had kept aside. With a smile, he said, “I am not hurt at all, venerable rishi. If you wouldn’t have said something like this, only then I would have been concerned. And that concern would have hurt me. You should go with Avadhuta and meet my parents. I am going to send for all my queens and sons and daughters from the island of Queens’ mansions right away. Please grant them permission to visit you and get your blessings. My brother Avadhuta will accompany you to the holy place of Prabhasa to make all the arrangements for you there. Somebody else will also be there.”
Durvasa rishi arose from dada’s seat. He put his hand on the crowned head of dada who was leaning forward humbly and blessed him, “Oh Lord of Dwaraka, may all be well!”
After gi
ving him blessings the venerable rishi kept staring at the iridescent peacock feather in dada’s crown for a few moments. Then he casually said, “Krishna, no other Kshatriya in Aaryavarta has carried such a symbolic peacock feather in his crown for his entire life. I don’t think anyone else will ever do so in future. Even the greatest of the rishi like me haven’t understood the meaning of life the way you have understood it. To tell you frankly I am not worthy of giving you my blessings. What I have given you are only my best wishes as your senior in age!”
Durvasa rishi left dada’s chamber with me. Along with all of us he stood at the first step of the Srisopana leading down, for a few moments. Dada had stayed back in his chamber. The venerable rishi asked me, “Avadhuta, what is the purpose of erecting this grand, neatly built staircase?”
Had anybody else asked me this question, I would have given some vague answer that diverted the topic somewhere else like dada. But here I was dealing with Durvasa rishi himself. I shared whatever information I had of Srisopana with him. I said, “Dada himself has personally got this sopana built in the memory of all the extraordinary people who came into his life. Only he knows the sequence of the steps. He never shares that information with anybody. I also know very little about it.”
Hearing that, the venerable sage broadly smiled to himself. He glanced over the grand staircase from top to bottom furrowing his brow.
Dada sent a special messenger for all the vahinis and their sons from the island of Queens’ mansions to come to original Dwaraka.
I took Durvasa rishi to meet everyone. Now he was ready to go to the holy place of Prabhasa. For his journey the naval chief prepared a grand boat decorated with flower garlands and flags with the Garuda symbols. Balaramadada, Satyaki, Daruka, Chief Minister and all the troop leaders came to the coast through the Shuddhaksha gate to bid farewell to the venerable sage. All my vahinis had already visited Durvasa rishi and returned to the island of Queens’ mansions.
Srikrishna- the Lord of the Universe Page 101
