THE HUSBAND

Lord Srikrishn outwitted all men by marrying over sixteen thousand one hundred damsels. He was loved and honoured by all as he lived with all of them simultaneously in separate palaces with thousands of his body created with his yogic powers. His status of a householder could not swerve him from his supreme disposition in his spiritual self.

An ardent suitor

Daughter of king of Vidarbh named Rukmani wished to marry him. Her brother Rukmi however, fixed her wedding with Shishupal, a cousin of Lord Srikrishn.

Rukmani sent a messenger secretly to Lord Srikrishn. Lord Srikrishn honoured the messenger by seating him in his golden throne and stroked his feet. He said, -"O greatest of Brahmans! You seem to be established perfectly in peace. Tell me what brings you here? How can I serve you?" The Brahman disclosed the message of Rukmani. Lord Srikrishn on hearing her message, clasped the hands of Brahman and laid bare his heart, -"Brahmandevta! As the princess of Vidarbha loves me so do I love her. I cannot even sleep at night for I keep thinking of her. Rukmi has obstructed my path but see, I will take away the beautiful princess from amongst the disgracing Kshatriya as one takes out fire from the woods by rubbing the logs".

To keep his words to Rukmani he came fast and abducted her when she came to the temple. Lord Srikrishn vanquished Rukmi and his army in no time and victoriously entered Dwarka where he married her according to Vedic rites.

Marrying all willing brides

After Rukmani he married Jambavati, daughter of Jambvan and Satyabhama, daughter of Satrajit while exploring the lost Mani named Syamantak. After sometime, Lord Srikrishn went to see his cousins who had married Draupadi. He and Arjun went hunting in the forest.  They halted to drink water and washed their hands and feet in river Yamuna. A lovely damsel was performing tapasya on the bank of Yamuna. Lord Srikrishn sent Arjun to enquire about her. Arjun learnt that she was the daughter of God Surya named Kalindi and longed to marry only Lord Vishnu. Lord Srikrishn welcomed her and brought to Dwarka to marry her. Kings of Ujjain Vind and Anuvind deterred their sister Mitravinda, from marrying Lord Srikrishn who was the daughter of Lord Srikrishn's aunt Rajyadhidevi.  Lord Srikrishn reached in her swayamvar uninvited. He lifted her up before all and brought to Dwarka. The king of Kosala named Nagnajita announced that whoever could hold seven belligerent bulls would win his daughter Satya as wife. Lord Srikrishn reached Kosala. He adopted seven forms and tied the bulls. Thus Satya became his wife. He also married his cousin Bhadra who was the daughter of his aunt Shrutkeerti. The princess of Madr named Luxmana also loved Lord Srikrishn. Lord Srikrishn abducted her in her swayamvar and married her. To Lord Srikrishn, what mattered was the call of heart.

Continent Narayan.

Nature is reflection of law of cause and effect. Her principles are definite and immutable. Lord Srikrishn, as the king of Dwarka married over sixteen thousand damsels who were nymphs in their past lives and had obtained his boon to be his consorts. Time and nature follow a cyclical pattern. Unless one merges into one’s origin, one feels deficiency and restlessness.

The two sons of Lord Dharm named Narayan and Nar were great puritans and chose to meditate at Mount Badri in Uttaranchal. They performed penance for a thousand year and their spiritual aura encompassed the whole of earth. On seeing the hard and determined penance of twin brothers, king of Swargalok, Indra felt perturbed and therefore planned to swerve them. Fearful Indra appeared at mount Badri to obstruct the meditation of twin puritans. As Indra looked at them he was awestruck to witness their brilliant aura that dazzled his vision. An apprehensive Indra stood before them and said, -“O sons of Lord Dharm!  What makes you undergo such penance? Here am I pleased with you. Seek whatever you wish! Pleased with your meditation I am willing to give you anything under the sun.” Indra the king of Swargalok who rules over an empire where best of sense pleasures are offered to deserving souls, wished ardently that the youth might be coaxed to seek some pleasure to whet their senses but the twin brothers remained rooted on their meditation seats like wooden logs, showing no sign of pulsation. As the flame does not flicker when encased in glass, so did the youth remained unperturbed and still. An eager and scared Indra offered everything but the twin brothers responded not. Steeped in divine bliss they did not even bother to open their eyes.

Seeing their reluctance Indra felt hurt. He applied his illusory power and created ferocious beasts to scare the youth. Horrifying dust storms, Lightning and thunder appeared yet the mendicants remained away from all disturbances. Disappointed and disgusted Indra felt even more debased and returned to his abode. Temptation and fear both had failed to touch the great souls.

Indra called his most powerful stalwarts Kamdev and Basant and said,-“Lord Kamdev take lord Basant and Devi Rati along and agitate the mind of twin brothers Nar and Narayan meditating at Mount Badri. There is no human, demon or even deity who is not conquerable by you. When Lord Brahma, Lord Shiv, Lord Agni and even I have been defeated by you then how can these two youths defy your prowess? Take millions of nymphs along to excite and tempt the youth. Tillotama and Rambha can accomplish this task all alone, then when all of you would target the youth together, how can there be an iota of doubt in getting them floored?’’ To convince his own sagging spirit Indra laid great emphasis on his command.

Kamdev thought for a while and replied, -“Lord! I shall surely do your bidding. Whatever God they may be meditating upon, shall fail to protect them against me. But if they took refuge in supreme mother goddess, I shall not be able to touch them. Mother Goddess alone can foil all my arrows”.

Indra stopped for a while. Response of Lord Kamdev dampened his spirit a bit yet he concealed his doubt.

He however kept a firm face and said, -“O Mighty Lord! Take whatever you need. Being my close accomplice it is your duty to accomplish my task.”

Inspired and instructed by Indra the caravan of wizards of celestial temptations reached at Mount Badri. Lord Basant created spring and filled the ambience with floral fragrance. Butterflies began to hover over colour full lowers. Honeybees roved over pollens to suck the m up. Birds began to sing songs of love. Creepers twirled around firm trees. Rivers rushed to merge with oceans. All creatures felt attraction for their counterparts and indulged in amorous frolics. Thus Kamdev and Basant created such inebriation all around the twin yogis that even the wind passing through the landscape went insane. The celibates residing in caves were agitated by desire. Rambha, Tillotama and thousands of nymphs began to sing and dance in most erotic style. Sounds of craving Nightangles, moths and dragons created ripples in the mind of twin mendicants and they finally opened their eyes shining in divine delirium.  Sage Narayan looked around and began to ponder, -“How could we not feel onset of winter this time? How has spring arrived before time? How the natural cycle has been disturbed?” His eyes could not wink as strange thoughts began to hover in his mind. The entire nature appeared awash with greenery and suffused with desire to mate.

He turned to his brother and said, -“Brother! How magnificent do these trees look, laden with flowers and fondly caressed by creepers! Nightingales are cooking so melodiously. Swarms of moths are hovering over flowerbeds. This ashram has turned into an abode of Goddess Lakshmi. But I wonder how Basant has arrived before time! It seems to be a ploy to disturb our penance. Possibly lord Indra has created this ambience to take us for a ride.” As he talked to his brother, they saw the entire folk of lord Kamdev with most bewitching nymphs such as Maneka, Rambha, Tillotama, Ghritachi etc. approaching them in the best of their moods and attires. All of them bowed before the twin brothers and began to sing erotic songs. Aware of Lord Indra’s honeyed attack, sage Narayan was all within himself to foil him. He took the erotic drama as mere illusion and ravished in the bliss of being in the lap of Mother Nature, showing merely a sport to amuse her infants. The nymphs kept on gliding and surging on the beats of erotic raga and raginis yet the youth reflected quintessence of pure joy behoving nascent boys. When nymphs having tried their level best performance, stopped the show and came up to bow in honour of the great youth Sage, Narayan remained calm and said, -“O the nymphs with pretty bellies! Here am I to honour you all. You all are my honourable guests.”

Having realized that even the culmination of erotic invitation could not touch their mind, sage Narayan felt within him a bit proud and thought, -“Lord  Indra has sent them to tempt me. How can these poor nymphs harm me? I shall create their duplicates, superior to them in all respects, in no time. It is the time to show the power of meditation. ” Thinking so, he tapped his thigh and created such a bewitching nymph as, on seeing who, even Lord Kamdev and Basant went berserk. Narayan named her Urvashi as she emanated from his ‘uru’.

As Narayan watched temptation flowing through the eyes of celestial deities Kamdev and Basant towards his own creation Urvashi, he smiled triumphantly.  His single arrow had struck down his twin enemies in an eye blink. The sage now turned his mind to over sixteen thousand nymphs sweetly bowing in front of him in veneration with the sole intention to win his heart. Pity lurked in his indifferent heart to the poor nymphs. His stoic mind had taken a firm decision to teach lord Indra a lesson. As eager nymphs were up to their tricks to swerve the mind of most eligible youths, sage Narayan nonchalantly created over sixteen thousand new nymphs to serve upon each of the celestial nymph.  The drama contrived by Lord Indra reached its peak as aghast celestial nymphs found them being attended by their duplicates in a miraculous way. Their pride in their enticing power vanished in no time. They had seen all men falling prey to their charm sooner or later but never ever a youth had been so immaculately powerful that he could floor their pride in such an elegant yet debasing style. The calm impudence of youthful Narayan left the celestial charmers absolutely nonplussed.

The aged sages, who they had tried earlier to charm, had either fallen prey to their wiles or had cursed them in wrath. For desire and anger are twin sides of the same coin. This unique youth had neither expressed a sign of desire nor irritation to them. He had all along been peaceful and respectful to them as a sweet and graceful son. They had not an iota of desire left in any corner of their heart, which was filled with awe and reverence to the unique youths. When a female heart is filled with passion, she flows like a gushing river to her beloved. Here the feminine charm had just been thawed into sheer reverence; the desire had turned into devotion and the celestial charmers had turned into flames of ardent sublimation. Left just dumbfounded by their charmer, they bowed in front of him with reverence and fell on his feet. A jubilant smile sported at the lotus lips of youthful Nar and Narayan as they rejoiced in their supreme feat of having floored the enemies without being perturbed.

Kamdev and Basant who had lost their senses after seeing Urvashi were already out of fray.

The nascent nymphs held best of perfumes, flowers, ornaments and fruits etc. to serve their celestial guests. They saluted their creator and stood before him with folded hands.

The celestial counter parts could hardly muster courage to express their feelings to the sage. “O the greatest of continents! We are left flabbergasted to see your strength. Now we have no doubt to realize that you are none other than Lord Hari himself appeared before us only to grace us. You are ever immersed in spiritual self, ever blissful and ever calm. We are here not to serve you but as asked by Lord Indra, only to serve his purpose, are we here. But how fortunate are we indeed that we could see you. We do not even know as to fruition of what auspicious deeds has brought us this rewarding moment! We see you, is the most wonderful experience of our life. Though we are at fault for having disturbed your meditation, yet you did not get agitated not did you curse us for our brazenness.

It behoves only the wise and enlightened men that they don’t destroy their peace and penance by cursing anyone..”

Seeing the courtesy and humility of nymphs, sage enjoyed stretching the conversation with his celestial guests. His feat over cupid and temptation enhanced his spiritual aura all around matchlessly. Pleased with the humble nymphs, sage said,-“Seek any boon! Take this pretty eyed Urvashi along with you all to Swargalok as a gift from me to lord Indra. May all deities be blessed. Now please take leave of us ..’ Narayan wanted to revel back in his meditation but the officious nymphs found themselves as if rooted in the ground to be in the company of the supreme men.

They wished to remain there, with him, alone. “O greatest of all, Lord Narayan! We all are your humble devotees. Where else can we go now? O destroyer of delusions! Your eyes are as large as petals of lotus flower. If you are pleased with us and willing to bless us then please allow us to bare our heart to you. O the greatest of continents! Please be our husband as we just wish to serve only you. Let the nymphs created by you move to replace us in Swargalok and let us all stay here to remain in your service alone.... Please do not turn us away as we are your true devotees and you are the most capable Lord.” Their wish flowed in symphony. Their devotion, like droplets of raining water was keen to turn into pearls that longed to form a garland upon the bossom of their lord.

Narayan was however still calm and tranquil. He replied with same nonchalance, -“We have been practising penance here for a thousand years and have fully conquered all our sense organs. How can we afford to destroy our penance? Not the least interest is left in our heart to enjoy any sense pleasure. What wise men will allow the mind to be carried away by beastly temptation of cupid that destroys true wisdom?” He wished to enlighten the esurient souls seeking their share in his blessed and blissful existence.  The seekers seemed to be equally unflinching as they further pleaded, -“Lord! Of all five-sense pleasures touch is supreme. Please promise that you will allow us to enjoy this pleasure with you. You may pursue penance even after that here..”

Seeing the noose tightening around his neck, he began to ponder, -“What should I do now? My pride alone has culminated into this calamity. Wise men rightly say that ego is the seed of delusion. I have fallen prey to ego that destroyed my wisdom. I should not have ventured to talk to these nymphs at all. I further multiplied the trouble by creating their duplicates to show off my spiritual power. Like a spider I wove this web around me. If I turn them away, they will get hurt and will surely curse me. I will have to intensify my penance to make over this loss” As such thoughts crossed his mind, anger also began to appear in his mind. His younger brother Nar who had been a silent spectator to this all rose up to take the reins in his hand as he found his mentor elder brother going mentally astray.

“O the blessed sage! Please don’t allow anger to touch your mind and calm down. Please do away with you pride that has created this mess. Can you recall the past when both of us fell prey to pride and anger and broke into a fight for a thousand years with demon king Prahlad who was your great devotee? We should not repeat the mistake any way..” counselled Nar calmly yet promptly.

Intervention by Nar helped Narayan to settle down peacefully. He broke the ice and further addressed the celestial guests,-“Beautiful ladies! We are oath bound to remain celibates in this life. Righteous and decent persons never harm or hurt anyone. Please spare us and leave for Swargalok now. Pleased with your modesty and devotion I promise to be your husband in my next birth. All of you shall be born as daughters of kings and I shall accept all of you as my wives.”

His assurance fulfilled the wish of nymphs who saluted him a thousand times and flew to their heavenly abode with wings of wisdom and bliss.

Thus the supreme man established a single norm for nuptial bond. ‘Call of heart.’ No barrier could keep him from attaining what he wished. Over Sixteen thousand princesses were abducted and held captive by the demon Bhaumasur. Lord Srikrishn mounted his Garud and went to kill the demon with his wife Satyabhama.

A fierce battle ensued, to see that, even celestial beings gathered in sky. After trials and tribulations finally Lord Srikrishn killed the enemy and went into the palace where his thousands of wives awaited him. As soon as they found a glimpse of their rescuer they fell in his feet. Lord Srikrishn honoured them all and took them with him to Dwarka where he married them all according to Vedic rites.

Ordinary men do not accept women abducted and kept prisoner by other man. Lord Srikrishn accepted and married them simultaneously. He built separate palaces for each of his wives and lived with all, simultaneously by creating several bodies. They all loved him whole-heartedly and abhorred the morning when he would leave the bed early and sit in meditation.

Teasing Rukmani

Rukmani was his gentle wife. She served him with deep respect and got a little proud of herself. Once while she was fanning him, he said, -"Princess! Great kings and warriors wished to marry you. You deserted mighty men who begged for you and chose a man like me who is, in no way equal to you. Tell me, why did you do so? O the pretty one! I ran away from the battlefield out of fear of Jarasandh and took shelter at sea, being cursed to remain empire less on earth. People do not know even my faith. I do not care for the worldly etiquette nor try to win women by pleasing them. Women who follow me suffer all the way. I am a humble being. Neither I ever possessed anything in the past nor will I ever have any possession. I love only such possession less modest people and they also love me. That is the reason that people who consider themselves affluent do not serve me, nor love me. One should marry a person who is equal in wealth, lineage, opulence, beauty and income. Being imprudent, you did not consider these parameters and chose me, a man without any accomplishments as your husband, swayed by the false praise from the mouth of mendicants. But never mind. It is not too late even now. You better marry a suitable king. I married you to demolish the pride of your brother and other arrogant kings. I am indifferent to women, children and wealth. I remain immersed within me and rejoice in spiritual bliss alone".

Hearing Lord Srikrishn utter such harsh words Rukmani got scared. She had never seen Lord Srikrishn behaving so curtly. Tears welled in her transparent eyes and her beautiful face paled. The fan dropped from her hand and she fell on the floor swooning. Lord Srikrishn found that Rukmani was not realizing his mood of humour and felt great pity. He lifted her up, made her hair and wiped her face. He embraced her and said, -"Darling of Vidarbha! Please do not mind my words. I know you love only me. My dear soul mate! I said so to hear you utter words of love. I wanted to see how your red lips flutter in anger on hearing such words. How your eyes look in anger and how your face looks when you raise your eyebrow.  My beloved wife! For people busy in household drudgery the best part of life is to enjoy some moments of teasing each other and laughing together." Lord Srikrishn had a hard time convincing her that indeed he harboured no such intention as to desert her.

Pleasing Satyabhama

Once Rukmani undertook a vrat and Lord Srikrishn accompanied her to mount Raivat to perform a ritual. The couple feasted Brahmans. Lord Srikrishn honoured Rukmani. Sage Narad also arrived there. He gave one Parijaat flower to Lord Srikrishn and Lord Srikrishn gave this flower to Rukmani. Rukmani stuck the flower in her hair bun. Narad eulogized the beauty of Rukmani with the celestial flower and described the divine attributes of the flower. Narad further said- "Today Lord Srikrishn has proved that you alone are his favourite wife. Queen Satyabhama will learn today.... that who actually the darling of Lord Srikrishn is." The maids of Satyabhama listened to his words and passed it on to Satyabhama. All wives of Lord Srikrishn appreciated Rukmani but Satyabhama who used to consider herself the favourite wife of Lord Srikrishn, got jealous and entered Kopabhavan (chamber where aggrieved queens rested) immediately.

Lord Srikrishn had sensed Narad's intention to create ripples in his Antahapur (residence of queens). He therefore, asked his son Pradyumn to take care of sage Narad and quietly slipped away from there. Apprehensive of wrath of Satyabhama, he furtively entered her palace. Lord Srikrishn found her fretting and fuming over maids. Seething in jealousy, she finally thrust her face into a pillow and sulked. Lord Srikrishn motioned her maids to go away and stood behind her.

Holding a tray filled with favourite delicacies of Satyabhama in his hand, Lord Srikrishn began to fan her. He also produced a fragrance to please her. She slid her veil and asked-"What is this? Where from comes this fragrance?" On turning about, she found Lord Srikrishn standing before her. She could not utter a single word but tears welling in her eyes narrated the tale of her sordid heart. Her lips fluttered and she turned her face away. She could not hold her anger anymore. "You are looking too handsome!' Exclaimed, she. As lightning causes pouring of rain so did glimpse of a pleading husband caused streams of tears shedding down her eyes. Lord Srikrishn leapt upon the bed and cupped her tears in his palms. Massaging his bosom with her tears, he said-"O lotus eyed darling of mine! Tell me please, what makes you sulk so much? Why are you not even looking at me? This fretting and fuming does not behove you. When the entire world knows that I am a servant of yours then why do you not allow me to carry out your bidding? Why do you torture yourself so? I have never disobeyed you even in imagination. All my wives deserve to be honoured yet I hold special love and honour for you. My love to you will not die even after I die. Believe me."

Satyabhama mumbled,-"I used to think that you are mine but today only I learnt that you consider me just ordinary. Your love to me is just a false pretence but for somewhere else it is more.... genuine. I am simple and therefore, you have been befooling me all along. I have seen and heard everything. Let me go now to perform tapasya." Unable to say anything more, she covered her face with his Pitamber and broke into ceaseless tears.

Lord Srikrishn feigned ignorance and said, -"Your suffering is unbearable to me. If you do not wish for my death and if that reason is worthy of learning to a husband who adores his wife, then, do tell me please, the reason of such suffering."

"I have always been proud for being your favourite wife. But today by giving away Parijaat to someone else you made me a butt of joke among my fellow queens. Narad eulogized Rukmani before you and you gladly heard it. Why did he utter my name before her? If you wished to hurt me so, then let me go to do tapasya. What pricks my heart is that you kept on hearing the praise of Rukmani. You said once that best persons live for their honour alone. I do not wish to live being dishonoured. I never knew that you are so sly and enjoy degrading me by honouring your other wife."

Jealousy devoured Satyabhama. Lord Srikrishn tried to console her, -"O Goddess of my soul! Say not so please. Narad offered me Parijaat in front of Rukmani. I gave it to her out of generosity and at her wish only. If you consider this an offence then please bear with me, be pleased. O anger filled darling! If you wish for Parijaat flower then I will get you the entire tree of Parijaat from Swargalok and plant in your palace for as long a time as you wish. I say so earnestly." He promised. Eyes of Satyabhama began to beam with joy. "If that can be done then my anger is gone. My joy will be multiplied and I shall shine among my fellow queens with pride." She chirped with delight. Lord Srikrishn thus persuaded her and worshipped Narad along with her. Narad also blessed Satyabhama for a special nuptial bliss.

Narad sought permission of Lord Srikrishn to go back to Swargalok.  Lord Srikrishn bade him farewell with a message for Indra to give away Parijaat tree to Lord Srikrishn for one year so that his wives could perform auspicious ceremonies to augment their nuptial bliss. Narad passed on the message to Indra who refused to yield. He told Narad that without fighting with Indra Lord Srikrishn could not get the tree. Narad came back to Dwarka and described to Lord Srikrishn his failure to convince Indra to part with the Parijaat tree. Lord Srikrishn took Narad away and said, -"Salute Indra and tell him that he would not be able to withstand me in the fray. I have vowed to bring Parijaat here at any cost."

On hearing the message of Lord Srikrishn, Indra got anxious and conferred with his guru Brahaspati who rebuked him for having invited the trouble out of sheer ignorance. He asked Indra to face Lord Srikrishn in the battlefield while he would try to find a solution to the rift. Brahaspati went to Kshirsagar to discuss the issue with Sage Kashyap who was the father of Indra and Lord Srikrishn (Lord Vishnu) in previous Kalp. Kashyap presaged that the humiliation of Indra was inevitable, as he had tried to desecrate Ruchi, the wife of a Brahman Dev Sharma some time back.  Kashyap divulged that he was doing tapasya to propitiate God to exonerate Indra from that sin.

Sensing the rift between his two mighty sons, sage Kashyap began to worship Lord Shiv to attenuate the calamity befalling his sons. Lord Srikrishn later on reached Swargalok to give away earrings of mother Aditi who blessed him and Satyabhama for a blissful married life. Lord Srikrishn uprooted Parijaat tree and put it upon Garud. Indra came with all his army to fight with Lord Srikrishn. Both of them fought a fierce battle. Finally they stood before each other ready to smash each other with their Vajra and Chakra respectively. Kashyap and Aditi arrived and intervened. Both of the warriors saw their parents and put aside weapons to bow in their feet. Mother Aditi rebuked them and ordered them to throw away their weapons. The sons took bath in river Ganga and obeyed the mother. Aditi asked Lord Srikrishn to take away Parijaat so that Satyabhama could perform Punyak Vrat. Shachi gave several gifts to Lord Srikrishn for his wives. Satyabhama received the Parijaat tree and bloomed with joy. Her hurt pride had not only been soothed but also multiplied by generous and steadfast husband Lord Srikrishn.