Srinathji - 12

Dwarakanatha - 7

Dwarakanatha - 7 

         Once a sage did penance in Dwaraka in order to enjoy Bhagavan as a child. He wanted to pet Him, play with Him, and enjoy Him as his own child. Controlling all his senses and mind with full concentration chanted Krishna nama continuously.

Kulasekhara Alwar gives the greatness of the nama very clearly in the following sloka in Mukunda mala –

   “Shathru chedaika manthram sakala upanishad vakya sampujya manthram

    Samsaarothara manthram samupachitha thama sangha niryana manthram

    Sarvaisvaryaika manthram vyasanabhujaga sandashta santhaana manthram

    Jihve sree Krishna manthram japa japa sathatham janma saaphalya manthram!”

 

           No puranas or ithihasas have given such definition for the greatness of bhagavannaama as Sri Kulasekhara Alwar. This manthra is capable of defeating all our enemies such as kama, krodha, madha and mathsarya!  Just the chanting of the nama is enough to shatter  our enemies.  All Upanishads praise Krishna manthra as the ultimate manthra. With the help of this manthra it is very easy to cross the ocean of samsara because it removes the darkness of agyaana from us. It gives us all sorts of riches because it is capable of making us cross all our difficulties easily. So hey tongue ! Chant the manthra again and again so that your birth attains its purpose !

            The yogi sitting in Dwaraka, doing puja for his Salagrama murthy, chanted the nama with great sincerity. Bhagavan became tied by the sincere namajapam of the sage and appeared before him as a 2 year old child. Seeing the charming plump child, dark skinned, with lotus like feet, hands, eyes and coral lips, the sage was very much impressed and attracted towards it.   With his anklets tinkling, the peacock feather on his hair swaying,  he came rushing towards the sage. The sage could not take his eyes away from the child. He asked the child who he was. The child stared at him for some time.  Then brushing the amritha trickiling out of the corner of His mouth, He smiled and told the sage that He had no parents or anyone.  Seeing His actions the sage was losing his heart to the child. The child said He liked the sage very much and would like to stay with him. The sage felt immensely happy at this and readily welcomed the child to stay with him. The child now put on a condition that the sage should never get angry with Him. The sage couldn’t help smile at the innocent condition of the child and promised Him that he would not get angry with Him at any cost. All his senses were attracted towards the child and he completely lost his heart to Him.

“Thath kaisoram thath cha vakthraaravindam,

That kaarunyam they cha leela kataksha!

That saundaryam saa cha mandasmitha shree

Sathyam sathyam durlabham daivatheshu”

 says, Leelasukar in Krishna Karnamritham.  Absolute truth only! Bhagavan’s beauty, the enchanting smile, are indeed irresistable!  No wonder the sage fell for Him! Now the child re assured that the sage would keep his promise of not getting angry with Him whatever he did.  The way the child asked pointing  his finger at the sage in a threatening manner was so enticing that the stage immediately assured Him that he would never get angry with Him. He couldn’t control himself any more and hugged the child with both his hands. The child sat on the sage’s lap ready to be fondled. The sage’s happiness knew no bounds. It was in explicable. Anyone with sincere bhakthi and namajapam can experience all these. Only the mind is needed for it.  Didn’t Periyaazhwar and Swami Ramanuja experience it in this same Kaliyuga? Everyone should take efforts for the experience. That is the purpose of human life! The sage gave Him a tight kiss on the cheeks. The cheeks reddened with the force. The child complained that it hurt Him and told the sage not to do like this again.  The sage was in heavens living with the divine child. At night the child would lie on his lap and insist him to tell some stories.  The sage would tell about a blue little boy, with lotus like feet, lotus like arms, coral red lips, lotus like eyes, wearing a pitambaram, with tinkling anklets on his feet, and a fluttering peacock on his hair. Inquisitive the child would ask who was that boy. The sage would immeidately reply with a laugh it was none other than the child. The child seemed to be pleased with that. The sage did not realise that it was the same Bhagavan, to attain whom he was doing penance for long years.  Morning the child would wake up and would again gladden the sage’s heart with fresh pranks of His. The sage would sit for meditating the Lord while the Lord Himself was playing in front of him. The child would hug him from his back and the sage would feel that a softest thing in the world has brushed him. If he turned to see who it was the child would try to hide Himself behind a tree and or shake Head negatively as if to say “not me! not me!”  Sometimes when the stage was meditating it would jump on to his lap, pull his tied hair down and pretend He was riding a horse! These actions were very much pleasing for the sage. Sometimes the sage would do nivedyam or offering food to the Lord. He would close his eyes and mentally offer the food to the Lord with all sincerity. He would be startled to hear the sound of the bell near his ear, done by the naughty boy, requesting him to hurry up the process as He was really hungry ! Sometimes as the sage closed his eyes before offering the nivedyam the boy would silently slip in and finish off with the food by Himself ! ! Sometimes when the sage was immersed deep in meditation the boy would pinch his thigh and wake him up. As he opened his eyes He would say ‘an ant bit him’ ! Oh the great devotee Radhika knows the pleasure of being pinched by Krishna. At times when the sage sits with closed eyes for meditation the child would cover both his eyes with His lotus like soft hands and ask him who was covering his eyes !  Sometimes while the sage was drenched inside in Bhagavath dhyaana, the child would drench him outside too with the water in his kamandaloo !  The sage enjoyed all these pranks very much. He never got tired of His pranks. So ultimately Bhagavan was slowly being defeated by the devotee. Bhagavan decided to irritate him some how. So one day while the sage was doing puja for his Salagrama murthy, the child took the murthy in His hands and put it inside His mouth. 

            Due to divine sankalpa the sage got furious with the child for playing with the Salagrama murthy which was his object of worship for the past few years.  In a fit of anger he pushed the child away with his left hand. Immediately He became insulted and His eyes became redder and began to run away from him. Now the sage was in a fix. He could not stand the child going away and tried to run behind to call him back.  The child did not pay heed to his calls and kept running.  Thoroughly defeated the sage  surrendered to Bhagavan and resorted to namajapam. Now he hated Dwaraka and began wandering from that place chanting and asking everybody on the way about the child. He was crying aloud and was holding on to his life with the sweet memories of the child’s pranks. He wandered a long way and at last he reached a place where he saw the child sitting inside the cavity of an old iluppa tree. Delighted he ran towards the tree when the tree fell down with a loud noise and he saw Bhagavan lying as Padmanabha stretching over a few miles.  He was lying with His head in  Mathsya thirtham,  feet in sankha theertham, and both his hands in dharma theertham and adharma theertham in a huge form, with a lotus in His naval.  It was only Dwarakanatha who came here as Pathmanabha !

       The sage Divakara muni was scared at the sight itself. He pleaded with Bhagavan to shrink this huge size so that he can see Him properly and also do pradakshina.  Bhagavan complied to the prayers of this devotee and condensed His form to three times of the stick or dhantu in the sage’s hands. This leela is depicted in Syanandurapura varnanam by garbhasriman maharajah Swathi Thirunal. So the residents of Ananthapuram need not go to Dwaraka to see Dwarakanath for He Himself has come down from there for the people of Ananthapuram.  

Dwarakanatha - 6

Dwarakanatha - 6

     

     Once some of the residents of Dwaraka became proud with ego. Sudarsana azhvar had the ego that he was the foremost among the attendants of Krishna. Garudazhvar thought that there was no one to equal his speed and power to carry Bhagavan wherever He goes.  The 16108 consorts of Bhagavan developed the feeling that Bhagavan liked them most. Bhagavan can never stand ego of any sort. He decided to subdue their pride. He decided to use Anjaneya the great bhaktha. 
      As antharyami He induced Anjaneya   to come to Dwaraka. Anjaneya entered a park in Dwaraka and began to destroy it. The security people came running and reported about a strange monkey which they couldn't control. Bhagavan first sent Sudarsana azhvar  to take care of the monkey.  Sudarsana felt very proud that Bhagavan knew his powers and dedication and so has selected him for this kainkaryam. He kept circling around Anjaneya for some time to scare him. Anjaneya noticed this strange thing whirling around him with a whistling noise. Disturbed, he caught it in his hand and kept it under his armpit. Bhagavan waited for some time but Sudarsana did not turn up. 
      The all pervading Bhagavan knew what had happened and now called Garuda towards Him. Garuda was happy that Bhagavan had some kainkaryam for him.Bhagavan told Garuda that a strange monkey had entered Dwaraka and was destroying a garden there. He instructed Garuda to tell the monkey that the King of Dwaraka was calling him. Garuda wondered why Bhagavan was sending him for such a trivial service. Anyway he went and called Anjaneya - "hey monkey! Our Lord of Dwaraka, SriKrishna  has sent for you." 
Surprised, Anjaneya retorted - "And who are you, a bird to call me like this?"
Garuda, irritated said "I am the topmost among the attendants of Bhagavan SriKrishna. People call me Periya thiruvadi."
Anjaneya:- Oh is it so? Well I am not concerned with that.
Garuda:- My swamy wants you to meet him immediately. 
Anjaneya:- Who is your swamy?
Garuda:- Sri Krishna, the Lord of Dwaraka.
Anjaneya:- Well I don't know him.
Garuda:- What? Haven't you heard about my swamy Sri Krishna 
               who killed Kamsa?
Anjaneya:- No
Garuda:-  Haven't you heard about the cowherd boy of Brindavan 
                  who lifted the Govardhana mountain with one finger?
        Anjaneya who himself had lifted heavy mountains looked 
                sarcastically as if what is so great in it and said "No".
Garuda:-  Haven't you heard about the lover or Radhika Rani?
  Anjaneya unconcerned said "No".
 Garuda:_ Don't you know about Brindavan?
Anjaneya:-  No.
Garuda:- Then what else do you know?
Anjaneya:- I know about Ayodhya, Rama, Sita matha, Lakshmana, 
                   Bharatha, Dasaratha, etc.
       Garuda could not force him further. Thoroughly defeated he came back to Bhagavan and told Him that he could not bring the monkey here. The monkey was a devotee of Rama and refused to come here he said. Then Bhagavan instructed him to go again there and tell the monkey that Rama calls him. Garuda felt humiliated when he was asked to go again. His ego got a big blow.  
      Second time he approached Anjaneya with more respect. He told him that Bhagavan Rama calls him. Anjaneya also showed respect now and said he would come immediately. Garuda thought that as Anjaneya was a monkey it would take much time for him to reach the palace and so asked him to hurry up. Anjaneya laughed at him and told him that he would go and meet Bhagavan. He asked Garuda to proceed. 
      Meanwhile Bhagavan was excited in the palace awaiting Anjaneya. Seeing His excitement everyone became inquisitive. Bhagavan replied them that His great bhaktha Anjaneya was coming and He was preparing to meet him. So Bhagavan now turned Himself into Rama and said that some one should come as Sita to meet Anjaneya. Bhagavan's queens hurriedly dressed up themselves as Sita and came.  Bhagavan could not find any one to equal Sita, who was without an iota of ego in her. She  had only Rama dhyanam in her. But all his queens thought they could become Sita and their ego defeated them. If they had prayed to Bhagavan for His grace to turn themselves in to Sita then they would have definitely become Sitas. Anjaneya came inside shouting Jai Sitaram! He prostrated before Bhagavan and stared at Sathyabhama who was sitting near him. 
 "Rama! who is this> Is this your maid servant? Why are you sitting near her? Swamy! where is my Sita matha?" asked Anjaneya.
Sathyabhama was thoroughly shattered to hear this. She was under the impression that she was the most suitable wife of Krishna and the blow she got was very heavy. Meanwhile the real Sita entered from somewhere. Anjaneya prostrated her happily. 
      Bhagavan enquired Anjaneya what he was holding under his arm. Anjaneya replied that it was nothing but a disc (chakram) - a play thing of kids which was whirling around him making noise and so he had kept it under his arm. Sudarsana felt blasted. He thought himself to be the topmost of attendants while Anjaneya degraded him to a child's play thing. When Bhagavan requested Anjaneya to give Him the disc Anjaneya released Sudarsana and handed over him to Bhagavan.
     Anjaneya now turned towards Sita matha. 
"Sita matha!  Please take care of our Swamy. Beware of these maid attendants. They take too much freedom with our Swamy which does not suit Him." After taking leave from Rama and Sita Anjaneya left. 
      Great men say it was none other than Radhika Rani who came as Sita matha because she never had any wish of her own. She always changed herself according to Bhagavan's wish. Great is Radhika Rani's selfless devotion!
     By this time Garuda reached the palace. He prostrated before Sri Krishna and informed Him that the monkey at last has agreed to come there and would be reaching there in a short while. Everyone laughed at him Garuda looked puzzled. Bhagavan smiled at Garuda and told him that Anjaneya had already come and left before Garuda could reach the palace. Garuda could not believe his ears. So far he was under the impression that there was no one to equal him in speed whenever Bhagavan wanted to go somewhere.  His ego was subdued then and there. Thus Bhagavan played this wonderful leela by changing Dwaraka into Ayodhya for a few minutes for the sake of the bhaktha Anjaneya and also for destroying the ego in His people. This Dwaraka is now called Pett Dwaraka .  Still more to hear about Dwarakanatha!! Radhekrishna! Radhekrishna!
  

Dwarakanatha -5

Dwarakanatha -5

     Can anyone buy Bhagavan with gold? Only bhakthi can buy Bhagavan. Ramadasa looked  at his wife meaningfully. She gave him a consoling look and took out the only gold ornament she was wearing - her mangalsuthra, the icon of a married woman which is her most precious jewel. Ramadasa completely surrendered to Bhagavan. He prayed to Bhagavan that he was not a good devotee as Rukmini who with a leaf of Tulsi could equal the weight of Bhagavan where Sathyabhama failed with all her gold ornaments. But he requested Bhagavan to consider him too as His child and save him from this situation. Bhagavan looks only for the pure heart and not the riches we offer. He accepted the handful of rice flakes brought by Kuchela with great love.

     Now Bhagavan was kept on one side of the balance against the woman's mangalsuthra. Bhagavan became lighter than thelight jewel and his side of the balance went up to everyone's bewilderment. "Pathudai atiyavarkku elliyavan"!! Nobody could believe their eyes. Were they dreaming they wondered. The devas from the heaven too were watching all this. The pujaris tried to lift Dwarakanatha and check the weight. He weighed heavy. When they took the jewel it was light. But Bhagavan's side of balance remained up only.  They checked the balance again and again for any problem. But the balance was correct. Slowly the truth began to dawn on them.  All of them could now understand the poor couple's devotion and surrendered to them.  They told Dwaraka Ramdas that he had every right for the deity, so could take it with him. They decided to make another deity for their temple.  Dwarakanatha is an ocean of mercy indeed! Just for the sake of the poor couple he denounced everything including His temple, wealth, people and country and came with them. 

      Antal has sung in praise of Dwaraka in her Nachiyar thirumozhi. Antal brought up a parrot in her home. She taught the bird to call out Govinda! Govinda! She was in krishna viraham. Viraham is a feeling which hurts and pleases the heart at the same time. It cant be explained. Unless one has guru kripa one cannot experience it. It happens in a higher state of devotion. When Antal was suffering in Viraham the parrot sings in loud voice - Govoinda! Govinda! which only highterns her pangs of seperation. She feigns anger and tells the bird to shut up and not to repeat the name. Actually one side of heart ached to hear her lover's name repeated, but at the same time the name triggered the viraham in her. Just like the gopis who are very happy to see a messenger from their Krishna. But they pretend they are angry with Krishna and say that they don't want to hear anything about Him. But at the same time their hearts were singing His nama only.  Likewise Antal also is angry with the bird for singing Krishna's nama and reminding her of Him.  She closes her ear and scolds the bird not to utter the name of Krishna whom she hates. She warns the bird that she would not give it food since she was starving for Krishna. The bird now understood that Antal does not want it to repeat the nama Govinda. Then it started to cry out Ulakalanthaan Ulakalanthaan loudly. Antal became exaspirated. What spell Krishna has done to this parrot she wonders. She complains to her relatives that she has lost her heart to a truant who rant away from Mathura  to Gokulam when He was born, from Gokulam to Brindavan, from Brindavan to Mathura again and from Mathura to Dwaraka.  'So please leave me at Dwaraka which is full of sky scraping palaces and beautiful gardens. I hope Dwarakanatha will hear my cries then. I will be Krishna's Dasi along with the 16,108 consorts' says Antal. So deep was her devotion to Bhagavan that she imagined Bhagavan was still living there with his consorts!

     Once sage Durvasa visited Dwaraka. When Bhagavan heard the quick tempered sage was coming he called Rukmini and entrusted her the responsibility of entertaining him without evoking his wrath in anyway. Rukmini agreed  and made all arrangements. The sage was seated and honoured, then food was served to Him. Krishna was supervising the services and telling Rukmini to offer this and that to the sage. Rukmini obeyed Bhagavan in everyway and in that

hurrying she felt thirsty. As she took sometime to come out Krishna went inside and enquired. Rukmini complained to Bhagavan that He was pressurising her too much and that the sage was quite comfortable but for Krishna's pampering. She requested Him to stand aside for some time and just watch her do. Krishna agreed to that but asked Rukmini to take some water if she felt thirsty.  But Rukmini hurriedly refused saying that it was not dharma to take even water before the sage finished his meals. Krishna convinced her that there was nothing wrong in it and that Durvasa would not mind. At sKrishna's repeated telling Rukmini agreed to drink water. Just as she had a mouth Durvasa noticed that and instantly got angry. He blamed her of having insulted a sage like him. Krishna now turned sides and blamed Rukmini for doing so and pleaded with the sage to pardon her. Rukmini understood that Bhagavan had some plans and so this leela.  Durvasa cursed Rukmini to remain seperated from Bhagavan. Rukmini could not  hear that and cried for  mercy. Bhagavan also interfered and the sage agreed that after doing penance for some time Rukmini can come back to live with Krishna. Till then she will be living in a corner of Dwaraka and do penance. So Rukmini had to stay from Krishna for some time. We can see the temple of Rukmini which is situated away from Krishna's temple. After some time she came back to live with Krishna.  We will be back with more of Dwarakanatha's stories! Radhekrsihna! Radhekrishna!

Dwarakanatha - 4

Dwarakanatha - 4

     Radhekrishna! Bhagavan's mercy is limitless. Nobody can predict to what depth it can go. For the sake of a true bhaktha like the old man Ramadasa, Bhagavan was prepared to leave even Dwaraka and go with him. Hearing Bhagavan's  instructions the old man was very happy. He hurriedly called his wife and asked her to pull with him the cart containing Bhagavan before anybody noticed. She didn't understand a thing. Bhagavan sat inside the cart and the couple began to pull the cart. This is the secret of life! Bhagavan should be made to sit in the cart called life and the couple should jointly pull Bhagavan. This is the great difference between the animal life and human life. Animals live for the sake of their body only. Humans must live for the sake of Bhagavan only.
      This blessed couple began to pull Bhagavan jointly. After sometime they became tired. They were old and not very healthy as to pull the weight of akhilanta koti brahmaanda naayakan!   They felt so sleepy that they didn't know that they had stopped the cart. Both of them sat there and slipped into a mild slumber. After some time they woke up with a start and saw the cart was moving. They were surprised to find themselves inside the cart and Bhagavan was pulling them with His four arms. The same Bhagavan who helped the devas and asuras during the churning of the ocean of milk. by holding the mountain- manthara parvatham with his four arms was pulling couple in the cart. The secret is once we start pulling Bhagavan in our life then He will take over and pull our life smoothly. The couple were bewildered to the core.  This is the greatness and kaarunyam of Bhagavan!
      Ramadasa cried out in agony in seeing the plight of Bhagavan. He couldn't stand the sight of Bhagavan bearing their weight. Bhagavan obliged and again sat inside the cart and the couple began to pull Him now with new energy. Meanwhile it was morning and the temple of Dwarakanath was opened for morning puja. The people were shocked to see the absence of Bhagavan's deity inside the sanctum. They began to search for Him everywhere. Their sorrow knew no bounds. Then somebody said that Dwaraka Ramadasa was seen sitting in front of the sanctum at  night crying. Then the people putting one and one together came to a conclusion that he would have stolen Bhagavan. So all of them started to catch Ramadasa red handed. 
     They ran and reached him. Seeing them approaching Ramadasa was bewildered and asked Bhagavan to hide Himself into a well on the road side. Bhagavan did so and prompted Ramadasa to lie to the people of Dwaraka. The people of Dwaraka reached and questioned Ramadasa again and again about the deity. Bhagavan was prompting him from inside to say 'I don't know! I don't know!' The old devotee was repeating what Bhagavan was telling him. But as he was not used to lying he kept glancing at the well again and again. Now the people began to get their own doubts and somebody peeped inside the well to find the deity inside it. For them it was the deity of Ranchodji. But for the old couple it was Bhagavan Himself. They took out the deity and the old man cried in pain. It pained him to know that they would take away Bhagavan from him.  
      Bhagavan consoled him and asked him to tell the people that he was prepared to give gold to equal the weight of Bhagavan. Then he can take the deity with him. The poor man was in a fix now. He was very poor. How can he promise gold equal to the weight of Bhagavan the Lord of the Universe? He looked at Bhagavan questioningly. Bhagavan assured him not to worry and carry on with his promise. So he requested the people to come to a compromise. He made the promise of giving gold to equal the weight of Bhagavan to get the deity for himself. The pujari and the other devotees laughed at him. Even the temple authorities were finding  it a great task to decorate Him with enough gold jewels. How can this poor old man give gold equal to the weight of Bhagavan? They sarcastically agreed to the condition thinking that the old man can never keep his promise. Was he able to fulfill his promise? Or was he punished by the authorities for stealing the deity? Keep chanting till the next issue to know that. Radhekrishna! Radhekrishna! Radhekrishna! 

Dwarakanatha -3

Dwarakanatha -3

      In the last issue we saw the different attributes of Dwaraka, and its origin, disappearance and rebirth. During the later years once upon a time the temple doors were closed and no pujas or oblations could be done for sometime. There was no way that the doors could be opened and pujas done. It was at the period of the great bhaktha Meera Matha. She left her palace and went to Brindavan and was living there happily. But rumours started that if Meera Matha would come then the doors of Dwarakanath could be opened. The rumour spread so wild and far that the people of Dwaraka utimately decided to approach her. They collectively went to Brindavan singing bhajans to meet Meera Matha. They met her and requested her to come and open the doors of their temple. Meera Matha refused saying that she had no such powers and also she had taken a vow to be only in Brindavan till her end. But the people insisted her saying even Radhika Rani had come to Dwaraka and at last she had to agree. Getting permission from her guru Raidasa she left for Dwaraka. All the people singing bhajans approached the temple entrance. Meera Matha with folded hands and closed eyes prayed to Dwarkanath that she was fed up with wordly life and that she wanted to mingle with Krishna. She cried out in the agony of viraham - seperation. Tears were rolling down her cheeks and she her pain expressed in bhajans which melt everyone's heart. "I have nobody else but you. Where else will I go" she sang. The; crowd sang with her full of emotions. They all cried out 'Giridhari Giridhari' along with Meera Matha. Their prayers pulled Dwarakanatha towards them. He couldn't hold on any longer and suddenly the doors burst open by themselves to the astonishment of everyone who had gathered there. If a temple is without any puja or prayers for some time the divinity of the deity will disappear gradually. But the deity of Dwarakanath even after being without any puja for a long time shined in full splendour hearing Meera Matha's bhajans. Bhagavan stretched His hands towards her and Meera rushed into his outstretched hands. Then she just disappeared. Ranchodji swallowed her as such. People were spell bound at the scene. Even today Meera matha's saannidhyam or presence is felt very much inthe temple. Those with the power of namajapam canfeel it. The place where Bhagavan had swallowed Meera Matha is known as Pet Dwaraka.
      Another devotee had great love for Dwarakanath. From his village he would go to Dwaraka whenever he got time. His name was Ramadasa. He was getting old but was immersed in Krishna bhakthi. One day he went to Dwaraka with his wife to have Ranchodji's darsan. Bhagavan smiled at him as if to say "Oh you have come at last. It is a long time since you came here. I was thinking of you only!" The devotee had darsan to his heart's fill. He was not sure whether he would be able to come back again. Anytime life would come to an end. Looking at Bhagavan his eyes filled with tears. His tears moved Dwarkanath. Bhagavan appeared before him and asked why he was crying. The old man told Him that he was afraid whether he would be able to have this darsan again in this life. Even if he was alive except his wife who too was old like him, his family people  would object to his coming here again. 
     Only those who help us to go near Bhagavan are the real relatives. But the world is  based on selfishness only. The old man told Bhagavan that he did not want to go back at all. He could not even think of not seeing Bhagavan again. Bhagavan laughed at him and said "Then take me with you". The old man was surprised at this. 
"Are you sure you want to come with me?" he asked.
Bhagavan replied "yes" and said without a bhaktha like him nothing  was there for Him. Ramadasa could not believe his ears. Bhagavan promised him that he would come with Ramadasa. The bewildered Ramadasa asked Bhagavan how he could carry the plump, well built Bhagavan to his village. He was old and frail. Bhagavan repllied that he had made ready a small cart for that pupose and that He would sit inside the cart. The old man and his wife could pull Him to their village. Ramadasa was delighted at this proposal. Radhekrishna! 

Dwarakanatha -2

Dwarakanatha 2

     Radhekrishna! In the last issue we saw that Bhagavan decided to move the people of Mathura to a safer place. The all powerful Bhagavan wanted to create a new country in the sea. On Bhagavan's request Samudraraja made space in the midst of the sea for a new country. He pleaded a boon from the Lord that once the Lord leaves the earth he would take back the country into the seas. He wanted to enjoy the place where Krishna lived for some time. Bhagavan agreed to his condition. Vishvakarma constructed a country in the most wonderful manner. There was no place to equal that. It was greater than Indra's Amaravathy.

     During that time Kalayavana who was a friend of Jarasandha chased Krishna. Krishna pretended to run away from him and entered a cave. The great king Muchukunta was lying there sleeping. Kalayavana mistook him for Krishna and kicked him unaware of the boon Muchukunda had got from the devas. He was instantly burnt down to ashes. Bhagavan then gave darsan to Muchukunda and blessed him. Jarasandha made another attempt again at Krishna. This time Krishna and Balaram left the battlefield mid way and disappeared. Jarasandha was searching for Krishna everywhere when Krishna along with his people entered Dwaraka, the place created by Krishna Himself! 
     This is supposed to be the door way - dwaar to Parabrahmam. It is called the golden city. All the devas offered whatever they could for this city. It shone like thousand suns. Andal in her Nachiyar Thirumozhi describes Dwaraka as a place sung in praise by the black birds in the woods. A holy place indeed with the presence of Lord Krishna! The Lord of Dwaraka is also known as Ranchodji - meaning one who ran way from the battle front!! The Lord of the Universe who is the assylum for everyone, ran away from the battle field and took assylum in Dwaraka. We can well imagine its greatness then !

     Dwaraka is a holy city where Krishna married His 16,108 queens. It was only after coming here that Rukmini sent message through a brahmin for Krishna, to take her away from her impending marriage with Sisupala. It was here that Bhagavan brought Rukmini and married her. Manmatha was reborn as Pradyumna in Dwaraka only. It was from here that Anirudha was taken away by Usha, Bana's daughter to release whom Bhagavaan had to fight with Bana.

     It was in Dwaraka that one day Bhagavan saw Sathrajith  wearing the Syamanthaka stone. The people of Dwarka thought it was Lord Surya who was coming to meet Krishna. Krishna explained to them it was not Lord Surya bu the Syamanthaka stone that Sathrajith had was emitting so much brightness. They were all astound at that.Bhagavan Krishna asked for the stone which Sathrajith refused. The stone caused Sathrajith the life of his brother. Later the blame was put over Bhagavan Krishna. In Brindavan Krishna was called a thief and He never contradicted it. But here in Dwaraka when he was blamed of stealing the stone from Sathrajith, He made every effort to prove that He was innocent. So again Bhagavan had to go in search of the truth and in the process married Jampavathi and Sathyabhama too. Bhagavan wanted to give Dwaraka the fame of His marriages. Lord Narada had a feeling that while his father Brahma had the fortune of seeing a number of Krishnas in Brindavan, he never had such a luck. It was as if to please him Bhagavan married the 16,108 queens in Dwaraka at the same time in 16,108 forms. 

     It was here that Narada could enjoy Bhagavan conducting His family life in various forms with his various consorts. At one house Krishna was taking oil bath, in another house he was seen doing sandhyavandhana -daily oblations. At one place He was playing games with Uddhava, in one hosue He was seen fighting with two boxers. He was taking care of cows insome place while was giving offerings to people in another house. Somewhere He was deep in thought and somewhere deeply engaged in marriage arrangements of  His children. Somewhere he was feeding brahmins with great respect and care. Somewhere He was doing jalakreeda with his queen, and somewhere He was discussing with the spies of His country. Saint Narada witnessed all these in Dwaraka only. 

     It was in Dwaraka that King Nriga got released from his form of chamillion due to a curse. It was in Dwaraka that Krishna feigned to quarrel with Rukmini and when she fell down in anguish and fear, took her in His lap with His four arms to console her. It was from Dwaraka that Lord Guruvayurappa and Udupi Krishna reached their places. Dwaraka is the base for many divine temples of India. It was in Dwaraka that Krishna's friend Kuchela was ushered into His bedroom and fully honoured by Him and His people. He forcibly took the rice flakes brought with great love and care by Kuchela. 

     Dwaraka had lofty buildings. It was from Dwaraka that Bhagavan took a brahmin along with Arjuna to Vaikunta for retrieving the brahmin's demised children. It was in Dwaraka that Radhika Rani came to Rukmini's palace one day. Rukmini ushered her inside and honoured her. Radhika and Rukmini kept talking for sometime and then Radhika left. When Krishna returned home at night with a shock Rlukmini noticed that His feet were full of blisters. Horrified at the sight Rukmini asked Bhagavan the reason for that. Bhagavan laughingly replied that it was because of Rukmini only He has burnt His feet. Surprised and pained at that Rukmini asked Krishna how she had burnt Him. Then Bhagavan said that Rukmini had offered hot boiling milk to Radhika Rani. Radhika immersed in her Krishna Prema did not at all notice that and accepted it. As Radhika has Bhagavan's Lotus feet in her heart always the hot milk she consumed burnt them. Hearing this Rukmini broke down and wondered at the bhakthi of Radhika Rani !!!! Radhekrishna!

      Here in Dwaraka Bhagavan played a divine drama to subdue the ego of Sudarsana the disk and his consorts using Anjaneya. For the great bhaktha's sake He assumed the form of Lord Rama too. It was in Dwaraka that Uddhava the great bhaktha surrendered himself to the Lord and got His divine messages exclusively. It is said that the population of Dwaraka was about 56 crores. Bhagavan came down  as Krishna in order to lessen the burden of Mother Earth. With that purpose He decided to destroy His lineage also without any partiality or prejudice. All of  them fought within themselves due to the curse of some sages and killed themselved by divine sankalpa. Just as Bhagavan shed His mortal form, the sea plunged Dwarka from all sides within minutes. It was Bhagavan's great grandson Vajranabha the only survivor of the lineage, who built the present temple on a raised sand dune. To this day Bhagavan's court, palaces, etc lie under the sea. Such a wonderful place is Dwaraka. The present temple is said to be around 200ft tall. Even this temple has been said to be rebuilt 7 times over the years. 

     Usually in almost all temples Bhagavan's deity stands with 4 arms,  holding Sudarsana  the disk, and Padma the lotus on the rightside.  He holds Panchajanyam, the conch and kaumodaki the gada on the left side. But here in Dwaraka it is exactly vice versa. Bhagavan holds the conch and gada on his right side arms and the lotus and the disk on the left side arms. Rukmini too has a seperate temple. Balarama, Pradyumna, Anirudha and Lord Shiva too have temples for them here. The flag on the dhvajasthambha is said to be 52ft long. It is said Dwaraka was divided into 52 divisions, entrusted with 52 ministers and  supervised by Lord Krishna. The flag is changed thrice a day in the temple. Flags are given as offerings by many people to Dwarakanath. Bhagavan is offered food for about 17 times a day. Starting from milk as the first offering in the morning it continues with varieties of sweets and dishess. Bhagavan's alankaram -decoration is also changed 17 times. Dwarka is indeed a very special holy place ! Though enemy countries such as Pakistan have tried to demolish the divine place many times, it has escaped the disasters. Even Tsunami could not do much damage to this temple. This is the greatness of this place. The people here believe that they are still ruled by Lord Krishna only. Radhekrishna!