Krishna : Arjun & Radhekrishna
Shaila had just returned from a trip to North India. “I tell you, when we visited Kurukshetra , there was just no sign of battle field at all’ ‘Half of Mathura is full of mosques’ she was narrating, and pondering - ‘I wonder whether Mahabharat is real or fictional.’
One would realize that it is rather easy to document history than ‘visualize’ and create content with such intricate details of each and every character, complicated story line and the interplay of dynasties to create Mahabharat – a grand epic by the great sage Maharshi Ved Vyas. At the same time when history is narrated, it is based on the writer’s perception of events, because obviously, he is not a witness to every scene. Based on the documents, facts and narratives of those who witnessed, a homogenous story is weaved and there is some level of ‘poetical freedom’ that adds an aura to the epic.
There is always some mysticism as old civilizations replace new and traces of the yore are enveloped by time. Both Ramayan and Mahabharat are epics that have been read and re-read for generations and the magic of Ram & Krishna fills every heart of the faithful.
Yet for a second, let us imagine that Krishna and the whole of Mahabharat and Bhagwat Purana was a work of fiction. Two relationships that have been eternalized are that of Krishna and Arjun & Krishna and Radha:
Krishna and Arjun: they are cousins by birth, close friends, symbols of man & God and the zenith of their relationship is the narration of the Bhagvad Geeta on the battle field by Yogeshwar Krishna to his disciple the brave Arjun with an assurance that a total surrender is liberation. The Krishna Arjun dialogue symbolizes the Guru shishya parampara of asking questions, quenching doubts and attaining clear vision.
Now let us see the relationship of Krishna & Radha – it can be crystallized in just two words: Eternal Love. Radha’s love towards Krishna in the terrestrial meaning is not just the relation between a man and woman. The feeling of this love is divine and phenomenal which gives this love a pious form. It extinguishes the distance of the support and supportive to materialize as Radhekrishna. Whether it is Krishna’s murli, Radha’s peacocks, the peacock feather sported by Krishna and their past times, it all emerges that Radha is the soul of Krishna - further immortalized by Jaidev’e Geet Govind.
Both Radha & Arjuna are at once on an equal plane with Krishna and at the same time have surrendered fully to Krishna, the supreme being. Krishna is friend (equal) and Guru (higher) to Arjuna. Krishna is Radha’s soul mate (equal) and Lord (higher) Is it not amazing that you find them on two planes at the same time and still fully appreciate the submerging of the two planes.
The Krishna Arjuna pair symbolizes the path of knowledge /action (Dnyan and karma Yog ) and the Radha Krishna pair symbolizes the path of devotion (bhakti yog ) – all leading to one goal – liberation.
Anagha Hunnurkar
11th December 2011
hi
ReplyDeletereally nice..you seem to have depth of knowledge..actually Radha is none other than krishna himself...Radha is his shakti..in our sanatan dharm(i prefer to use this instead of Hinduism) where ever and when ever a female goddess is talked about or referred it should always be inferred as the shakti or potency of the corresponding god..thus Sita is the shakti of Ram, Radha is the shakti of Krishna, Parvati is the shakti of Shiva..now a general question arises which comes first or which is important..is it the shakti( energy or potency) or the shaktiman(source or the energetic)...the answer is both are equal..this can be explained with an allegory..heat and light are associated with sun..in the morning when the sun arises do we get to feel its warmth 1 hr or 2 hrs after the sun raises??no we feel the light and warmth instantly as the sun raises.This can only happen if the sun(Source) and heat and light(its energies) are one..Radha is the hladini shakti(pleasure energy) of Krishna..
Very Nice. Good food for thought
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