Lord Srikrishn stands as witness-sakshigopal

Long back in a small village of Orissa lived a couple named Radha and Raghav. The couple had a pretty innocent girl called Vasanthi for she looked as blooming as the season of spring. Vasanthi was fond of a poor destitute boy named Mahendra. On growing up the poor boy had to move to the town in search of livelihood.

Vasanthi grew into a pretty girl and tales of her charm spread far and wide. Many boys wished for her hand. An old rich villager Sukhbir connived with the village pundit and persuaded Raghav to wed Vasanthi to him. Helpless Vasanthi prayed to her Gopalji to rescue her from the trap of cunning Sukhbir. Tempted to have the richest man of village as his son-in-law, Raghav rejected the poor orphan Mahendra.

Wealthy Sukhbir took Raghav to visit the temple of Gopalji in Vrindavan with his caravan of followers and friends. They thoroughly made merry. While on their way, Raghav fell ill. Suspecting him to have contracted a contagious disease, all distanced him, presuming his end close bye, Sukhbir also abandoned him and moved ahead with his men. Raghav was sick, debilitated and deserted by all. He only awaited death as no one attended on him.

Mahendra heard about Raghav’s sickness from the village   folk. Sincere boy went searching for him and found him left alone to die, uncared by Sukhbir at an hour when he needed treatment and care. Generous Mahendra felt pity for the old man and stayed with him to serve him. Raghav got soon well. Mahendra took him to the temple of Gopalji where Raghav, being indebted to Mahendra for having saved his life, promised before the idol of Gopalji that he would wed Vasanthi to him.

Mahendra was overwhelmed with joy. However, on returning to village, Raghav changed his mind. Sukhbir managed to manipulate and persuade Raghav to give Vasanthi to him by sending precious gifts. Anxious Mahendra put his plea before the panchayat that Raghav had ditched him by refusing Vasanthi’s hand. The panchayat asked him to bring a witness to prove his stand. Mahendra had no witness. He just said, -“Gopalji is the witness to what he promised to me...” All men jeered at him. Mahendra had unflinching faith in his Gopalji. He desperately ran to Gopalji to come to his rescue. Moved by his heartfelt prayer, Gopalji appeared. The poor boy was beside him. He only knew that Gopalji could do anything and everything for his true devotees and would not let him down. “I shall stand witness for you. Fear not! But I will only follow you. Do not look back,” said Gopalji in his sombre speech.

Elated Mahendra began to, as if, fly in sky. He found that as he moved ahead, river parted; mountain cleared and he almost floated towards his village. He was all ears however, to the sound of tinkling of anklets of Gopalji, who had asked him not to look back as he followed him. As he reached near village, he found the sound of tinkling missing. The anxious boy forgot his promise to Gopalji and looked back. As his eyes met with Gopalji’s, he found an ocean of disappointment surging in the eyes of Gopalji.

The poor lad sank down. His ebullience turned into sheer remorse. Gopalji’s glowing countenance radiated pity for having been distrusted by Mahendra. Nonplussed Mahendra  looked at his anklets. Gopalji had been following him bare footed, he saw. Sand had muffled his anklets, preventing the tinkling. Poor boy was aghast. He, as if, fell from the seventh sky. What would happen to him? Why did                                                                                                         he distrust his Gopalji who had been accompanying him through thick and thin, he bemoaned? “You distrusted me, Mahendra! I cannot move ahead,” saying so Gopalji turned into an idol. Poor Mahendra shed tears of regret. His heart bled profusely for having lost the treasure of his life, just because of a doubting mind. Soon an idea flashed through his mind and he ran fast to tell the Panchayat that his witness had arrived. Initially, none believed him. But when the priest accompanied Mahendra and found a speaking idol of Gopalji standing to profess his witness for his devotee, the entire village flocked. Vasanthi shed tears of joy as she looked at the statue of her Gopalji. “O, Lord of Gopis! How can I thank you for I know, you never fail your true devotees” she silently thought as speech had deserted her.

The village head adopted Mahendra as his son. Panchayat decreed for the wedding of pious lovers. All raised funds to build a magnificent temple of Gopalji to enshrine his speaking idol where Lord Srikrishn stands even now standing proof of his sincerity to his devotees. They deputed Mahendra as its priest. The couple lived happily thereafter. The place is known as Sakhshigopal. When Chaitanya Mahaprabhu reached there he installed a golden idol of Radha near him for without his consort, Gopalji does nothing. Every year on ninth day of kartika month she is worshipped by the devotees.

Jagannatha arranges wedding

The king of Kaling named Purushottam Dev was on his spree to explore the lands of south India. He visited many places, went preying through thick forests, marvelling at the lush greenery. During such exploration he came across the princess of Kanchi who having witnessed his bravery in the forest fell in love with him and invited him to stay in the palace of Kanchi. The prince accepted her invitation and happily lived for a few days with the royal family. He enthralled the listeners by narrating tales of his expeditions through the strange lands. His demeanour and nature impressed all. Having spent a few days with the royal family, he took leave of them and went away. After he left the palace, the queen noticed that her daughter had suddenly turned introvert and looked often, lost in memories. She learnt from the friends of the princess that the princess had lost her heart to the prince Purushottam Dev.

Bemused queen broke this to the king who welcomed the idea and sent the marriage proposal to Purushottam Dev through a royal messenger. Purushottam Dev had lost his parents but an aged minister tendered him like his son. The aged man also noticed the restlessness in the moods of his king, sensing the happening. When messenger of Kanchi brought the proposal, the king and his minister happily accepted it. The king asked the messenger to stay with him for a few days. The Messenger stayed in the palace of Kaling to learn better about the king and his living. Meanwhile car festival arrived and the three idols of Lord Srikrishn, Balaram and their sister Subhadra was taken out of the temple of Lord Jagannatha for driving to the palace of queen Gundicha. The entire town was bedecked like a bride to honour lord Jagannatha. When his chariot was brought out, king Purushottam Dev took a golden broom and swept the way for lord as was the tradition of royal family, followed even now. When messenger of Kanchi saw the king holding broom in his hand publicly, he felt a bit disgraced.

At return to Kanchi he narrated everything to his king. The king was happy to know that Purushottam Dev agreed to marry his daughter but as he learnt that Purushottam Dev publicly sweeps the road on the day of car festival, he felt disparaged. After pondering over a lot, he decided to withdraw his proposal for the idea of giving his daughter to such a king looked humiliating to him. Purushottam Dev got the message and felt hurt and humbled. He sent his old minister to explain the loftiness of the ritual to the king of Kanchi but the king did not yield.  Hurt Purushottam Dev avenged this by attacking Kanchi. Facing defeat, he retreated and prayed to Lord Jagannatha to help him out.

To add insult to injury proud King of Kanchi proclaimed Swayamvar for Padmavati, inviting all eligible kings except Purushottam Dev. This created ripples in the mind of humiliated Purushottam Dev. His lord had put him to a severe test. He had no hope from anywhere except to invoke him alone. Moved by prayers, Lord Srikrishn appeared in his dream, rekindling the flickering flame. Inspired by the grace of lord, king ordered his army to attack Kanchi the very next day. This time he felt much up spirited. On his way, a woman stopped him. Giving him a ring, she said, -“Two youths passed by this route before you arrived here. They took curd from me and gave this ring for you. They said that if I showed you this ring you would pay for the curd.” King was astonished to see that it was the ring of Lord Jagannatha.

Tears welled in his eyes seeing the proof of his lord’s concern for him. Enthused and filled with confidence, he paid the lady and marched ahead, sure of victory. The village where he got the ring of lord Jagannatha was named, - Manik Patna. Victory licked his feet and he brought King of Kanchi with princess Padmavati to Puri, as captive. Although Padmavati lived in his palace and he truly loved her, he could not accept her as wife, having proudly proclaimed before all, _ “I will see to it that the princess of Kanchi is wedded only to a sweeper.” This had slipped from his mouth after his old minister divulged in the court that his all efforts to persuade the king of Kanchi fell on deaf ears as the king could not bear to see his daughter married to a man who swept road publicly. The old fatherly minister, aware of anguish and frustration of his king, silently watched him sear in solitude. He pondered hard to end the cold war going on with sole faith in lord Jagannatha.

The car festival approached. Preparations were going on. Padmavati thought of ending her life before Purushottam Dev, who had asked his minister to find a sweeper match for her, could do so. Seeing future at stake she had turned pale. The hurt pride of her suitor and arrogance of her father had taken their toll. The old minister alone comforted and assured her to have faith in God. Purushottam Dev learnt about the decision of Padmavati to end her life. He repented his proclamation but would not go back on his words. The old Minster prayed and prayed. No one had inkling as to what God had planned for the twin souls although in deep love yet doomed to suffer silently in such way. The day of car festival arrived. The palace was     groomed to welcome the Lord. The joy that bloomed the previous year was amiss. Nearly dead with poignant melancholy, Purushottam Dev came out of the palace, holding golden broom in his hand.

The eyes of old minister, suddenly twinkled with hope. He spotted the right groom for the princess just then, as an idea flashed through his cogitating mind. He asked the princess to get ready for her wedding. Padmavati was in a fix. She dared not even ask the minister who her groom would be. She trusted him, having gone through such moments of true concern of a caring father. How could she doubt his intention? She merely obeyed him. The minister asked her to accompany her quietly.

The king of Puri appeared with a broom to sweep the path of Lord Jagannatha. As the ceremony was over, the wise old Minister leapt to king, - "My lord I have done it. I have found a sweeper groom for princess of Kanchi” he exclaimed. The Minister asked Padmavati to put the floral garland around Purushottam Dev and the princess as if inspired by an unknown will, lost no time and swiftly obeyed him. "What have you.... done?" Words spluttered from the mouth of a shocked king. Nonplussed at the sudden amazing gesture of the stealer of his heart, the proud king stood rooted to the ground unable to question anything from anyone further.. for the action of the princess still splurged ripples of bliss in his dreary heart. Seeing his face not exactly red with anger and a streak of secret joy permeating in his eyes, the wise minister took the reins in his hand.“Are you not a sweeper now, my lord? He nearly whispered into the ears of his master, softly. The perplexed princess, holding her breath mutely watched the melodrama, without even raising her eyes to look at the face of the king or the minister.  “Yes..., I ....am...” mumbled the stunned king. As the voice of acceptance ushered from the mouth of Purushottam Dev, Padmavati raised her eyelids to ogle at his face. The suitor seemed delighted without really saying anything.

Knights cheered and a smile spread on the lips of all. Padmavati stood with a face glowing with love and admiration. She had no idea that her mentor was such a genius, endowed with such courage. Purushottam leapt with joy within but curbed himself.  His wise minister had solved the most ticklish problem in a miraculous way. All blessed the couple as the two were married by the priest soon with blessings of King and queen of Kanchi.  The couple prayed to Lord Jagannatha together and lived happily.

Gopal the poor brother

Long back in a village lived a poor, austere Brahman widow with her little son. Supported by generous neighbours she thought of sending the son to a nearby school, across a thick forest. The little son, scared of passing through the woods, clang to the mother to escort him which she could not afford to do, having lot of household and livelihoods tasks at her hand. The helpless mother asked the son to call Lord Srikrishn to escort him in his moments of fear. The innocent boy obeyed his mother. One boy calling himself Gopal began to appear in the forest at the call of young Gopal regularly. The twin brothers played and made merry and the elder would take the younger across the frightening woods daily. One day the teacher organized Saraswati pujan and asked the pupils to bring some gift to offer to the goddess. The poor boy Gopal told his mother to give him something to offer to the teacher. The mother had none, she advised Gopal to ask his brother Gopal to help him out. Little Gopal told elder Gopal about the problem. "How can I help you? For I too, am very poor,” said the mysterious elder brother. “I can give you only this curd pot” saying so elder brother offered the earthen pot to little Gopal. The Gopal junior took the pot, happily content that at least he would not have to cut a sorry figure before others for attending the ceremony empty handed. He crossed the jungle cheerfully with the gift and handed it to his teacher.

All worshipped the Goddess and sang in her praise together. Everyone tried one’s best to please the Goddess and offered her most expensive gift. As others offered muslin clothe, jewels and perfume to mother of art and knowledge, poor Gopal felt despised for having brought only a pot of curd. How could such a humble gift ensure blessings from the Goddess who was being showered with the rarest of precious gifts? Only this idea lingered in his mind. The ceremony ended with a feast. The curd was served from the pot gifted by Gopal. All ate and demanded more and more of it as it tasted amazing. The demand went on rising but for the quantity of curd in the amazing pot that belied the eyes of all. All large pots got filled with the curd but the small earthen pot was still filled up to the brim. Even the little Gopal failed to know the mystery of his poor brother’s gift. Intrigued teacher asked the little boy who the donor of the pot was and the innocent child narrated his donor brother.

Unable to believe their ears, but convinced of divine status of the brother, all got keen to see and meet him. Little Gopal divulged that his brother appears only in the thick forest and that too, on his call only. Learning so, all listeners rushed to the forest to catch a glimpse of Gopal’s elder brother. All called the elder brother Gopal with the deepest faith but he refused them. The younger one cried bitterly. “Please come, brother! Else people will pass me for a liar.” He fumbled and began to sob. How could elder brother bear his darling younger brother being passed for a liar? A light appeared in the thick forest and a voice echoed all around-“I am not visible to impure hearted persons. Only puritans can see me.” The teacher fell on the ground. His little pauper pupil was far more pious then him, he realized.

I shall eat salt less food insisted Lord Vishnu

Out of one hundred eight Thirupatis, places where Lord Srikrishn or Lord Vishnu appeared, one is Uppiliappancoil in Tamil Nadu.

Lord Srikrishn loves his wife Tulasi dearly. Once it so happened that sage Markandey who enjoys a lifespan of trillions of years developed a desire to have Lord Vishnu as his son-in-law. He wished so and gracious Lord Vishnu, soon put a little girl near the Tulasi plant. The sage lifted her and brought her up as his daughter. When the girl grew up the sage began to look for her bridegroom.

Within a few days an old man approached him and asked for the hand of his daughter. The sage turned down the proposal, finding the old man a perfect mismatch for his little daughter. The old man however, insisted for the hand of his daughter and the sage fell in a quandary. He tried hard to turn the aged suitor away by saying that his young daughter did not even know how to add salt to food, leave aside cooking. The adamant suitor however, did not desist from his demand. The troubled sage prayed to Lord Vishnu to come to his rescue. The old man smiled and turned into Lord Vishnu. Markandey was taken aback. He had failed to recognize his sporty Lord. Lord Vishnu accepted that he would marry the little girl and ate only salt less food there always. His marriage was solemnized in the month of October-November. Till day a ten-day festival is organized to commemorate the event and salt less food is prepared and offered to Lord as Prasad in Uppiliappancoil.

During eleventh century foreigners destroyed most of the ancient temples of Lord Vishnu. At that time Sri Ramanuja, the Vaishnavite saint had a dream in which he saw an idol of Narayan hidden by the bower of Tulasi herbs. Enthused and enthralled he began to search for such an idol of his gracious Lord. After a long search he finally spotted such idol it at Yadavgiri. He worshipped his Lord and installed the deity in a temple in Narayanpuram in Melkote in Karnataka. Tulasi is thus a favourite wife of Lord Srikrishn. The relationship accepted and established by the Lord is so unalterable and permanent.

Radha alone knows his cure

When Lord Srikrishn was away attending to affairs of state, his queens often gathered round his mother Devaki to know about the childhood of their prankster husband. They heard about Radha too. That a rustic damsel had been closest to their husband sowed a seed of jealousy in their heart. Their love and devotion to Lord Srikrishn became to waiver. Lord Srikrishn lost no time in sensing the sensitive warfare going on in the heartland of his possessive wives. But truth is to be realized within. It cannot be proved through arguments, a mellowed husband such as Lord Srikrishn knew well. He therefore, played a trick.

One morning he got up with a body dotted with blisters. The entire folk of wives were keen to show and prove her concern to their ailing husband. No treatment could however cure the blisters. Lord Srikrishn thought of his beloved mentor Narad to advance the drama initiated by him. Narad appeared in no time. Silent meditation revealed to Narad that blisters had issued on the skin of Lord Srikrishn as Radha who had been fasting for long was made to take a drink in Vrindavan. Her spiritual fire had evaporated the drink instantly, creating blisters on the skin of her soul-mate Lord of Dwarka. The blisters that were to appear on the body of Radha had been furtively teleported by Lord Srikrishn on his skin. Narad was overwhelmed. Where could he find another instant of such perfect spiritual love?

He asked all the queens to apply whatever they had to treat the blisters. All queens tried hard but ultimately gave up. “Get my shawl soaked with the tears of any of my true devotee and apply it on my body.. please. I burn! I burn with fire!” cried a restless Lord Srikrishn.

No queen could provide the tears that could pacify the fire seething in the heart of lovelorn Lord Srikrishn. Narad rushed to Vrindavan and brought the panacea for his master’s all ailments. The cloth soaked in tears shed by Radha, touched the skin of Lord Srikrishn. As the first ray of rising sun dispels the layers of murk from the horizon, so did the blisters begin to disappear from the skin of Lord Srikrishn, now sparkling with added glow! Clouds of exasperation appalled the faces of sophisticated queens of Dwarka.

True lover dreads not the hell

Radha was an inspiration for those who believed in penance and purity but an eyesore for those who relied over guiles and wiles. Not only to Radha but Lord Srikrishn was closed to innumerable milkmaids of Vrindavan was the reason that often puzzled the beautiful queens of Dwarka. Lord Srikrishn is deft in removing doubts from the mind of his devotees by giving them direct experience. One day his head ached so severely that no medicine could treat it. Narad advised the concerned queens to place their feet on the head of Lord Srikrishn. The advice was unacceptable for the fear of facing consequences, which could be a hell. All queens winced to treat the husband in such a way. Lord Srikrishn sent for his gopis of Vrindavan who rushed to do so most ardently. “Don’t you fear going to hell for this act?’asked Narad in front of queens of Dwarka. “We would gladly accept hell not just once but forever if our trivial service could relieve our Lord from such suffering’’ came a prompt response that floored the pride of well-wishing wives of Lord Srikrishn.

Love is the tastiest of all foods

Lord Srikrishn performed the role of the ambassador of Pandavs. He delivered their message to the king of Hastinapur, Duryodhan to give away just five villages to Pandav so that heavy genocide could be averted. Arrogant Duryodhan refused the proposal of peace and tried to coax Lord Srikrishn by offering him a royal dinner. Lord Srikrishn rose up and declined. “Keshav! What makes you refuse my hospitality? Pandav and I are cousins. Why do you show such bias against us?” Asked, a disparaged Duryodhan. “Food is shared out of love or in emergency. Presently, neither is there. There is no point in accepting your dinner, therefore.” Lord Srikrishn replied straight and mounted his chariot.

Daruk, his charioteer obeyed his master and took him to the palace of Vidur and Sulabha.

The three men Dhritarashtr, Pandu and Vidur were the sons of sage Ved Vyas born at the behest of queen Satyavati, the second wife of king of Hastinapur, Shantanu. Shantanu married Goddess Ganga who bore him eight sons out of which only one son Devavrat remained with him. After Goddess Ganga deserted king Shantanu, he fell in love with the daughter of a boatman. The girl brought up by the boatman was Mastyagandha, being born of a fish and smelling like fish. Once while ferrying the enlightened sage Parashara, the sage realizing her great role in the history of Kuru clan, secretly mated with her and begot sage Ved Vyas who grew up soon after birth and promised to be for her in an hour of need, merely by thinking . The girl who became to smell like lotus after giving birth to sage Vyas came to be called Padmagandha. She was however, called Satyavati by her parents. When Shantanu got enamoured of Satyavati, his son Devavrat forwarded the proposal of his father’ marriage with Satyavati. The father of Satyavati stipulated a condition for wedding that only the son of Satyavati would be the king of Hastinapur not Devavrat. The devout son Devavrat vowed in front of all that he would remain a celibate and serve the throne of Hastinapur till his last breath. Deities showered flowers and named him Bhishm for having taken such unprecedented pledge.

When Satyavati lost her two sons Chintrangad and Vichitraviry, she reeled in anxiety over how to carry on the lineage of the family of her dead husband Shantanu. She therefore, called her son Ved Vyas and asked him to beget sons from her two widowed daughters-in-law. The sage looked so repulsive to the ladies that one closed her eyes at the time of conception and begot a blind son named Dhritarashtr. The second queen paled to see the Ved Vyas and begot a pale son named Pandu. The maid of queens, accepted the sage respectfully and conceived a son named Vidur.

Vidur was well versed in ethics and always counselled Bhishm in matters of state affairs. It was on his advice that Dhritarashtr, even though being the eldest son was declared unfit for throne, being blind and Pandu was enthroned as king of Hastinapur.

Duryodhan and Dhritarashtr therefore spurned Vidur who was in good books of Bhishm. Vidur and his wife Sulabha, the simple devotees of Lord Srikrishn had been fasting on ekadashifor twelve years. Lord Srikrishn had to reward the couple. He appeared before Sulabha and said, –“Where are you, Aunt? Get me something to eat. I am dying of hunger!” Sulabha was overwhelmed to see her lord begging for food so esuriently. She brought bananas and began to peel them off. Oblivious of body consciousness, she kept on offering skin of bananas and Lord Srikrishn went on devouring the peelings with greatest of delight. In a rush of feelings she went on dropping the pulp of fruits down. “Give me some more! How sweet, how delicious is your offering, aunt!”Exclaimed Lord Srikrishn again and again. This exhorted Sulabha to carry on her gesture of offering the unique food.

When Vidur reached home he found fruits piling on the floor and skin being devoured by the voracious eater. Tears streamed down his limpid eyes, seeing the loftiness of heart of a quintessentially hungry of love, Lord Srikrishn.

Spirit is the essence of action, Lord Srikrishn professed.