Testimony of love

Gopis were all ears to the tune being played by Lord Srikrishn on his flute. They left behind everyone and everything and rushed towards Lord Srikrishn. None could stop them from joining their divine lover Lord Srikrishn. With their open eyes they as if dreamt of only a smiling face of Lord Srikrishn, everywhere, nothing else. Their hearts were overwhelmed with love. Leaving back everything and every task, husbands, children and all, they just rushed after the lore of his flute that resounded in their hearts with such intensity, such force that turned them all into swollen rivers of love and desire alone. As they reached before Lord Srikrishn, his inescapable charm turned them inert. Seeing such dense immersion in mantric rhythm, they forgot even to wink. Having stupefied his gopis, he stopped playing flute, raised his magnetic large eyes and said in a compose voice,- " O, the fortunate ones! You all are welcome. What should I do to please you? You have come here leaving behind your husbands and children at midnight. I know that all of you love me dearly for all creatures love me. Decent women however, do not desert their husbands to ravish with other men. Consider their plight. Go back to them. Taking care of husband and his relations is the prime duty of decent women. The love one feels in meditation and chanting my name is greater than the love one experiences in my association." His words were so serene, so true yet so enmeshing and confounding that gopis hung their head to think for a while about their home and duties. Gopis were aghast to hear him say so. They had broken all bonds to get close to him. Now, he only wanted them to go back to their home and relations. Such ineffably sordid did they feel before him. Spinning in the whirlpool of emotions, their mind failed them in ushering them out of it. When the cherished moment was ahead, Lord Srikrishn was teaching them the duties of decent women. How could a mad river gushing with waves of elation change her direction when the sea of limitless depth, dignified silence awaited their merger? The gopis were dumb. They could hardly muster courage to express their anguish in words. Their throat choked with feelings and tears streamed down their beautiful eyes. “Dear Lord Srikrishn. You are all... knowing. You are omnipresent. You are free and independent of all. Please do not discard us for we love only you. What you say of women's duty is true. But all relations are temporary and mortal. Truest relation is yours for you are God. We have been harbouring the dream of loving you since long. Please do not shatter our hearts. Your charm has plundered our hearts. We can not bear the fire of separation from you anymore. We will set ablaze our bodies to be yours. Please spare our lives by accepting our love." they implored. Lord Srikrishn had fathomed the depth of their love. Bemused with their all unwavering devotion and unflinching love, he laughed and accepted them all as his beloved sweethearts. He threw a mesmerizing glance at them. Gopis were thrilled. Their feet followed the call of their overwhelmed heart and they surrounded him. Words of praise honeyed with love sprang from their lips and they spontaneously began to dance in joy. Lord Srikrishn also joined them all. Every Gopi found Lord Srikrishn with him. Lord Srikrishn embraced and kissed them. All of them were ebullient and madly lost themselves in singing and dance in the most beautiful and erotic surroundings of Holy River Yamuna. Maddened Gopis ravished in the mighty arms of their divine lover. Lord Srikrishn fulfilled wish of all the way they longed, being ace in Kaamshastra. His inebriating glance, soft touch and charming smile drove them mad. Gopis began to feel proud, thinking that they were the most beautiful damsels of the world who could get the Lord of Universe as their ardent lover. Sensing their pride, he disappeared from there. Seeing him, suddenly vanished, the women felt floored. Their charmer had tricked them in crucial moments. His separation in such a way tormented them the most. His caresses had devoured their hearts. Deprived so callously of his ecstatic touch they forgot everything, even their own bodies and wandered bewildered, asking even trees, plants, creepers and earth if they had seen Lord Srikrishn going somewhere with someone? Absorbed in him they madly began to emulate Lord Srikrishn. Their oneness with their lover up spirited them to such an height that they began to feel that they themselves were Lord Srikrishn. Engrossed in his thoughts some turned into Putana; some Radha and someone said, "I am Lord Srikrishn." They searched for Lord Srikrishn who had furtively taken Radha to a remote end, shattering the pride of gopis.  Besotted gopis began to follow the footprints of Lord Srikrishn and Radha. After a while they found only Lord Srikrishn's footprints." Ah, it seems that he had lifted her in his arms for only his footprints are here." exclaimed gopis.  Now they knew for sure that he had gone away with Radha only. This hurt and disparaged them all for a single damsel had proved her superiority over millions of them. They wandered madly searching for Lord Srikrishn. At one spot they found only impressions of his heels and presumed that he must have plucked flowers to bedeck the veni of Radha. Seeing thus another mark of his especial inclination to one beloved, envy seized their lovelorn heart.

 Lord Srikrishn showered his deepest love over Radha, his soul mate. Radha swooned with his passionate touch. Lord Srikrishn waited upon her, decorated her and shared the betel leaves chewed by him into her mouth. Exhausted with over indulgence in conjugal sports, Radha felt fatigue. She also began to harbour the fancy that she was the most beautiful Gopi for she ruled over him, got such especial treating from him. She knew that he had left behind all gopis to be with her alone. Thus proud and showing cudgels, she murmured softly into his ears, - "Dear, I am unable to walk further, being tired. Please lift me up and take me wherever you want." "Alright dear, mount upon my shoulders" said Lord Srikrishn obediently, motioning her to hang by a twig to mount upon his back. As she stylishly did so Lord Srikrishn, sensing her pride, vanished from there also, leaving the container of her pride shattered. Dangling under a tree with a branch holding her high, she realized her fault and sobbed in solitude. Other gopis also reached there looking for Lord Srikrishn and found her wailing for Lord Srikrishn all alone. Radha told them that she had dared take him for granted. He had therefore, deserted her, too. The ladies now knew that searching for Lord Srikrishn in the woods was of no use. For chasing him outside is of no use. They came back to Ramanreti and began to sing hymns in praise of Lord Srikrishn. The anguish of their lovelorn hearts, narrating their plight in the absence of Lord Srikrishn flowed out in the form of a song." O, Lord Srikrishn! This Vraja has been sanctified by your gracious presence. Lakshmi the goddess has left Vaikunthalok to serve you in Vrajabhoomi. And we the love struck beloveds of yours are wandering all around in search of you. We are your slaves. You are the bestower of boons. Your amorous glance has stolen our hearts. Is killing through glance not a sin? Without you we are reduced to ashes. Please reappear and bless us with your love. Bestow upon us the nectar of your tender lips that your flute keeps ravishing. Your amorous glance, erotic touch and honeyed talks have left us of no use. Your feet are so tender that we fear placing them even on our bosoms. Are those tender feet not hurt when you are roaming around in the woods barefooted? Even the thought of your delicate feet getting hurt is driving us nervous. We cannot bear it, Our Love! Please reappear for we live only for you!' Gopis lamented and prayed fervently.

 Tears streamed profusely from their entranced eyes. Lord Srikrishn, moved by their plight, reappeared. He took now the most enchanting form. Gopis went mad to see him. Some embraced him; some placed his foot on her bosom; some took away his half-chewed betel leaf; some closed eyes and went in a trance. They attained deep tranquillity to find him with them. Lord Srikrishn then entered river Yamuna along with his gopis.  All of the bewildered gopis frolicked in river water. They splashed water on one another and rejoiced greatly together. Gopis spread their orhani (upper shawl) on riverbank and made Lord Srikrishn sit on that. They asked him, -' O, Natanagar! Some love only those who love them, some love even those who do not love them and some do not love either of the two. Dear one, whom do you like the most?" Although they had experienced his love they longed to know what lay in the chore of his heart for them. Lord Srikrishn being omniscient knew well their apprehension and answered promptly, -"My dear friends! People who love those who love them are as good as businessmen. Their love is devoid of cordiality. People who love those who do not love them such as wise and gentle men, parents etc, their love is selfless and pure. But those who do not love either of the two kinds of people have four classes. First one are self-sufficient people. They do not need anyone. They rejoice in oneness with all, within. Second category people are fed up with all and everything. They therefore, don't love any one. The third category people are those who are actually not aware of others' love for them. They therefore not love anyone. Fourth category people knowingly reject the love of even the elders such as gurus just to tease them. I do not love even those that love me. I do so to invoke their deeper love to me. As a pauper gets wealth and suddenly loses it, his heart then constantly broods over the wealth, he has lost. Similarly I also meet and disappear so that people could direct their heart and mind to me with greater intensity. My Dear Beloveds! You have discarded all your worldly relations, mundane limitation and crossed Vedic instructions to be mine. To ensure that your minds do not go back to worldly affairs I disappeared to rekindle the fire of love in your hearts. Please do not find fault in my love. For I also love you equally with deep sincerity. Your union with me is absolutely purest and flawless.  Even if I try to repay you back for the love you showered upon me eternally with my immortal existence, I shall fail to do so. You being so gentle and devoted, may redeem me from this debt. But I shall, always remain indebted to you forever." Lord Srikrishn's serene and sincere words convinced gopis. Deep satisfaction and quietude filled their anxious hearts.

Trusting assurance rendered them liberated. Insecurity and anxiety vanished from their mind. Insouciance drove them to caper with pleasure. They stood up and began to dance with him in jubilation. All deities accompanied by their devout wives, Gandharvas, Siddhas including Lord Brahma and Lord Shiv reached there to see Lord Srikrishn ravishing in Maharaas with gopis. Lord Srikrishn adopted millions of forms to be with every Gopi. They joined hands together in a circle and danced rhythmically.

Lord Srikrishn lovingly gave each of them kisses of eight kinds, embraces of nine kinds and adorned them with sixteen kinds of shringaar as propounded in Kaamshastra. All heavenly beings gathered to rejoice in Maharaas vicariously. Heavenly ladies swooned to see Lord Srikrishn's love pouring over fortunate Gopis. They inwardly yearned to taste the divine elixir of love of Master Charmer. Many of them took birth on the earth to be the wives of Lord Srikrishn. All reeled in pleasure and praised Lord Srikrishn, the supreme man who remained yet untouched by all and everything in his yogic trance even when performing like an ardent lover with his millions of beloved gopis.