Srinathji - 4

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Hasthamaakshipya yaathosi balath krishna kimathbhutham
Hrudayath yadhi niryaasi paurusham ganayaami they!
   Hey Krishna! You pushed my hands away and ran from me. Is this a great deed?, Please try to run away from my heart if you can.  Then I will accept you are a true man! Sri Leelasukar makes this challenge to little Lord Krishna! Such is the deep faith and love in him for the Lord. Now we will continue with last issue’s story.
      Sri Vallabhacharya had eight main followers like the ashta sakhikal of Radhika Rani! Each of them are allotted particular timings for their service of Srinathji. Till today their lineage have the right to do the worship. Vallabhacharya had a son name Vittalanath. He was a wonderful bhaktha who considered himself as the mother of Srinathji. A great mahathma indeed!  Vittalanath had a disciple called Govindadas.  He worshipped the Lord in Sakhya bhava, as a friend. He considered himself as a small  boy and played with Lord Srinathji
       One day the Lord appeared before him and called aloud ‘Govinda!’.  Govindadas asked the Lord whether He wanted to play something.  The Lord replied that He was bored with the usual games and wanted something new and different. Govindadas suggested they play marbles or pebbles.  This sounded interesting for the Lord and he immediately agreed to play. But there was a problem since Lord Srinathji didn't know how to play!!  The all knowing God pretended that He didn't now how to play marbles!  What a divine leela! Govindadas was happy as he planned to win Lord Srinathji!! 
       So Govindadas agreed to teach the Lord how to play with marbles.  He sincerely taught the Lord how to concentrate His eyes at the marble, and how to pick them up with two fingers without disturbing the other marbles. They started to play.  Govindadas kept winning as he was an expert in the art and the Lord could not equal him in scores as He was inexperienced! Govindadas leered at Him, ‘shame on you Srinath! You cannot do even this! You claim you are an experienced shepherd but cannot even pick a marble with two fingers.  Shameful indeed!’.  Lord Srinathji felt very much insulted and angry. The Lotus red eyes became redder now in anger and shame. He snatched some pebbles  in his hand and began to run away from GovindadasGovindadas chased Him crying aloud ‘hey loser! Don't try to run away. Accept you are defeated!  I have won this game’! 
       Smart as He was Govindadas could not catch the Lord.  Furious he began to pelt the Lord with the marbles he had in his hands. The Lord entered the sanctum and hid Himself. Govindadas tried to follow Him. The pujaris inside the sanctum saw that Govindadas was coming inside the sanctum to beat Lord Srinathji, pushed him out and immediately closed the sanctum doors. Govindadas kept crying out ‘Open the door! He has my marbles! Ask Him to give them back to me!’ etc. The pujaris thought he was mad and laughed at him.  He kept repeating that Srinathji has stolen his marbles. They got tired of him and went to complain with Vittaldasa.
           On hearing this Sri Vittalnath came angrily and questioned Govindadas why he was trying to beat his little Krishna.  ‘You are wicked to do like this to my innocent child’ cried Vittalnath. He was immersed in valsalya bhava and considered himself as Yasoda matha!  Govindadas replied ‘It is not me but your son who is wicked. He only snatched away my marbles while playing. He doesn't know even how to play properly.  He is not ready to accept His failure too.  This is very unfair’.  Vittalnath couldnt stand that.  ‘How dare you call my son wicked? I know you are lying.’ For this Govindadas replied ‘No your son is a liar, loser of the game and playing foul’.  Vittalnath became angrier ‘My son can never be the loser. He knows everything.  Why do you unnecessarily blame him?’ He also told him not to play with his son any more.
          Govindadas in turn told Vittalnath ‘Hey Yasoda matha! Don't jump into conclusions and take decisions. You will repent later. If I go away forever  then your son will miss me very much and feel depressed. Don't forget that!  You call Him aloof and enquire with Him.  You promise Him butter and laddu, He will tell you the truth!’ This infuriated Vittalnath more. He drove Govindadas away. Govindadas went out and hid himself behind a tree waiting for Srinathji to come out some time. It is a real wonder that the two grown up men, were so immersed in their bhakthi bhava that they completely forgot themselves. Radhekrishna!  Will be back in the next issue with more stories of Srinathji.

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