Do you…” Dhama was interrupted mid-sentence as the little girl pulled on his hand.
“Please say Radhe- Radhe. Please say naa.” The little girl pleaded with him.
“Look at this little girl. Poor little girl is so naïve and that she is asking for her own doom. Is anyone over here still in doubt? Do you want to raise the stakes this time and continue my experiment? Are you willing to risk this innocent’s life for this deceiver – Radha?”
Stop this here, now. Go back little girl. You have much to live and learn yet. This day onwards, I want you all to stop taking this deceiver’s name before my Lord. Now, everyone will chant only Lord Krishna’s name in this place. We will all worship only Shri Krishna. No illusion, no deception, no Maya. If anybody has any objection to this, step forward right now and prove me wrong, otherwise no one will take Radha’s name with Lord Krishna’s EVER AGAIN.”
He felt his life’s entire meaning had now come to fruition. Everything that had happened in his life had led to this day, this moment. He had saved his Lord from such a big deception.
Lord Shri Krishna looked sadly at his beloved, Sri Radha who had borne everything said about her silently, with a stoic smile. But at that last proclamation, Shri Krishna could not stop a tear from escaping his eye and he got up and started to walk out from the courtyard towards his palace. Dhama followed behind his Lord, trying to think what to do next. After some time, once they reached the palace, the Lord had a special request for Dhama.
“Dear Dhama, I want you to guard this door for me, while I rest inside. Don’t let anyone in, no matter what. Can you do that for me?”
“Of-course my Lord. I would gladly sacrifice even my life for you. I am grateful for this opportunity to do something for my Lord. Rest assured, my Lord, come what may, I will not let anyone inside.”
“Thank You.”
Leaving Dhama to guard the door, Lord Krishna moved into his private quarters. Once the door was closed, Lord Krishna focused within and called out wordlessly – ‘Radhaaa’.
On hearing Krishna’s summon, Radha immediately broke out of her reverie and started moving towards the palace. On the other side of the courtyard, she encountered Gopi Chitra, trying to soothe the little girl who kept insisting others to chant ‘Radhe-Radhe’. The people around her cried openly, as they too felt difficulty in accepting the events of the day.
Radha was about to intervene and help calm the little girl, when she heard the call again. This time Krishna had called her name pressingly. She forgot everything else and simply started rushing towards the palace again. Her Krishna needed her, she couldn’t make him wait any longer. She had to go to him.
She was about to cross the bridge that led to the palace doors when she was stopped by Dhama.
“Stop right there, you deceiver. You are not allowed to go in at the moment.”
“Krishna has called me, I have to go. Shri Dhama, please let me go in.”
“You dare to call my Lord just by his name! Change your habits before they become the cause of your downfall someday, my Lady.
Besides, you are not allowed inside. The Lord himself has forbade me to let anyone enter inside.”
“Maybe. But, at this moment, my Krishna has called me, I have to go to him.” Radhadevi stated calmly to Dhama, moving towards the door.
“NOT AN INCH MORE, RADHA. IF YOU DARE MOVE ONE STEP AHEAD, I SHALL PUNISH YOU MYSELF.”
“The one who leaves Krishna in fear of punishment is not Radha. You must do what you wish Dhama but I cannot ignore the call of my Krishna under any circumstances.” Radha walked forward, Krishna’s call ringing in her heart.
“RADHA-RANI! WITH ALL THE ENERGY GRANTED TO ME BY MY YEARS OF STUDY, FAITH & PENANCE FOR MY LORD, I CURSE YOU TO TAKE BIRTH ON EARTH, FORGET YOUR TRUE IDENTITY AND BE SEPARATED FROM THE ONE WHOM YOU LOVE THE MOST FOR A HUNDRED YEARS!”
Standing on either side of the doors, both Krishna & Radha had tears on their eyes for each other. Even though they’d known about this event taking place, they were bound by duty and couldn’t have prevented fate from taking place. But yet, the pain of the imminent separation couldn’t be lessened even with all their powers.
“What have you done, Shri Dhama? Do you have even the slightest hint of the pain and and suffering your curse is going to cause? In your ignorance, you have committed a great sin yourself”, Gopi Chitra exclaimed, gasping for breath as she had come running to the spot alongwith the little girl & all others.
“What? I haven’t committed any sin. I have just helped my Lord and protected him from this deception.”
“No, Shri Dhama. It is your rage and ignorance which has deceived you from the Truth. Let this little girl enlighten you of the Truth herself.”
“Pranaam, Shri Dhama. I must first Thank You from the bottom of my heart for conducting your experiment. Since you are well-versed with our Vedas & Shastras, I’m sure you would know that a soul must undergo/ pass through 8.4 Million births in various species before being granted the boon of taking a human birth, because only a Human birth can lead one to Moksha.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that. But what does that have to do here? What are you trying to tell me, little child?”
“Yes, I must get to your experiment. This evening, when everyone chanted Radhe- Radhe for the first time, the snail wasn’t annihilated. The Atma was freed from the snail birth and took birth in the form of a butterfly. Yes, the same butterfly which was your next ‘target’. And once again, when you led everyone into taking the name of the most pious & devout Radha, the butterfly was freed from its new birth once again, promoting the Atma to take birth in the highest of all beings – A Human Birth, in the form of a little girl. I wished you could’ve taken the name for a third time, then I could’ve attained Moksha. Yes, Shri Dhama, I am the same snail, the same butterfly and that little girl who wishes to attain Moksha.”
As the Truth dawned upon Dhama, he broke down, sobbing in guilt and sorrow.
Just then, the door opened and Radha – Krishna smiled through their tears, holding each other’s hands in love. Krishna turned towards Dhama and spoke to him in a tender voice.
“Dhama, placate yourself. I am glad you have understood your mistake. Love is an emotion which cannot be understood only by words. Even a Lord’s words cannot teach a devotee that which experience teaches him. It is true that the Power of Devotion is immense, and it is surely a path to Moksha by itself. But any virtue which comes at the cost of debasing another, is incomplete.
Radha’s love for me is pure, chaste and absolute. Love which transcends fear, pride, lust, envy and anger. Love which fears neither any curse nor is lessened by any kind of separation. Such Love is above all the Powers of the Universe. And that is why, a simple utterance of ‘Radhe-Radhe’ becomes the path to a person’s Moksha.
Through your curse, Devi Radha will be bound to be born on Earth.
And ergo, it is imperative for me to take birth on Earth so that together, we can guide mankind in understanding the meaning and power of Love.
Yes, it is time for Vishnu’s eighth Avatar to appear on Earth, wasn’t that Lord Brahma’s message that you had to convey?”
“Yes, my Lord. I have understood the fallacy of my thinking. My devotion to you was tainted with pride, anger and obsession.” Saying so, Dhama turned towards Devi Radha with folded hands and his head bowed in apology.
“Devi Radha, please accept my sincerest apologies. I am deeply ashamed of my actions and feel wracked with guilt and remorse. I pray to you to give me the strictest form of punishment so that I may atone for my sins”
“Rise Dhama. I feel no anger towards you. You have done your karma and I mine. I feel happy that I could play a role in helping you understand this virtue of Love better.”
“Devi Radha, not only are you immensely kind and merciful but you also possess a pure and loving heart. JAI RADHE-KRISHNA. JAI JAI RADHE-KRISHNA”
Dhama then turned towards the little girl and everyone else.
“Are you ready beta?” he enquired of the little girl.
“Yes, Shri Dhama. With all my heart & soul”, smiled back the little girl.
Shri Dhama turned towards Sri Radhe- Krishna, seeking the permission of both the God together. The God smiled benevolently, and Shri Dhama and the others raised their voice in unison –
RADHE – RADHE.
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