Thursday, August 30, 2012

GLANCE AT RADHA


A side glance at

Radha Romancing The Self. By Pranav Khullar. TOI Speaking Tree 26.06.2012

Chaitanya Gaudiya school of Vedanta as achintya bhedabheda; that is inconceivable oneness and difference. the achintya bhedabheda is distinct in stating that ‘God is simultaneously one with and different from his creation.’ – the individual soul is intrinsically one with the Creator yet not the same as Him and the nature of this symbiotic relationship is incomprehensible to the human mind. (Yes; it is incomprehensible. If there are two then they are not one and the same. This is the concept arrived at by most of the elders in the past much more earlier than Khullar and that did not unite the Vaishnava bhaktas into one group. They carry on their differences even today. Could anybody that includes Khullar will be able to produce some or other evidence to the existence of One or Two or two in one. He will say that all dedicated men could experience if sought through their mental faculty. This is a convenient answer I heard from many. But they don’t know how to explain it. I will agree with this status but it is the mental and not felt by physical. K.N.K.)

Jayadeva uses frankly ‘physical’ imagery in the Gita Govind only to drive home his underlying principle of Bhakti as an ardent desire to merge with the Self, which he felt could only be captured in the mood of gopies and of Radha towards Krishna. (But what about the mood of Krishna towards gopies and Radha? Khullar doesn’t explain because he could not. However, Jayadeva has much to say on the mood of Krishna. He in fact discriminates gopies as a whole and Radha; while gopies were dismissed he pines for Radha. K.N.K.)

Using amorous desire as a metaphor for longing for union with self, Jayadeva subtly uses imagery to suggest that gopies have transcended their body consciousness in their desire to be one with Krishna, in their mood to experience mahanu bhava prema. (Here Khullar forgets the act of Krishna dismissing all gopies. Then where come the mahanu bhava? K.N.K.)

Even while using physical imagery all through Jayadeva transforms the contextuality by alluding to deeper meaning of longing for union, the maha bhava of Radha towards Krishna, to Jayadeva the experience Krishna through the eyes and soul of Radha is the highest form of Bhakti. (Here are some questions raised: if Radha is the epitome of the Mahanu bhava how come it is female longing for union with a male god? Here in Gita Govindam Radha is depicted as self centred, envious, jealous and very angry. She calls the god a liar, a cheat and dangling with other ladies. Bhakti is one that has no self or any other qualities that distinguish him from other bhaktas. Even if a male bhakta envisages himself as one female how will he picture the union with the male god? People like Khullar will hesitate to answer satisfactorily. More imagination might help. K.N.K.)    

There are so many legends connected with ras lila. From the contexts given in Gita Govindam it seem the gopies were assembled and dancing and several styles of love making is happening in the evening and only for one day. Then it is dark. Both lovers were waiting for their union together. The time taken in all the preparations is more. There was no meeting and they lament at the lost opportunity since the moon rises in the sky obstructing the path to secret rendezvous. Here Jayadeva brings a humorous incident.

Verse No 38. in LIFCO publication.

Asleshadanu Chumbanadanu                                    Nakhollekhadanu Swantaja -                                                           Prodbhutadanu Sambhramadanu                     Ratarambharadanu Preetayo://                                                                         Anyartham Gatayor Bhramad Militayo:Sambhashanairjanato:                                       Dampatyoriha Ko na ko na Tamasi                                   Vreeda –vimisro Rasa://38//

The meaning is like this: the two were very pleased and enjoying the tight embraces; deep wet kisses and nail markings on each other’s body; carried away by their internal urges and preparing in a hurry to have penetrative sexual intercourse. While having intercourse they conversed and recognized themselves as husband and wife. What not and what not ecstasies they experienced in dark mingled with bashfulness? Unimaginable!!!                    

Here the author Jayadeva slips out to tell a humorous story of wedded couple. They went out separately to meet their respective lovers in pitch darkness of the night. In that confusing darkness, the woman meets a man and the man meets a woman. In this situation they were happy and satisfied with the tight embraces, deep kisses, gracing each others’ body with nail marks, awakening of internal energy, hurried and anxious as well; in starting sexual intercourse. Up to this they were not talking. They talked while continuing their intercourse. These conversations made them to realise they were the wedded couples. In the darkness it was a kind of high ecstasy enjoyed by both with a mix of bashfulness.    

 That night passed. In the morning there are apologies from lover and another time fixed for the evening. All earlier meetings were stated as secret, this meeting in the evening is much public. A bunch of Radha’s companions accompany her to the place fixed and with instructions leaves her outside the grove.

The popular legend is that the Raslila with Gopies was played on some moonlit nights at Vrindavan. But in Gita Govindam it seems that the Lila was in one evening only. It is also clear from there that moon rose later and prevented Radha and Krishna meeting at that night. Their meeting and love making takes place next night and by this time everyone knows about their relationship. Here down is a gist of descriptions from Narayaneeyam that show a difference.

65th Dasakam.

The appointment promised to the cowherd ladies earlier to have a raving sexual party was fulfilled by Krishna on a moonlit night. He alerted them with blowing his flute. The gopies underwent a kind of change. Those though busy with their house hold work and service to husbands; left them on hearing the call from the forest grove. One was holding her necklace on her midriff and girdle on her neck. One not covering her heavy hard busts and not bothering about other viewing her thus; went on with her pot like unprecedented weighty (busts) as if to pour water on the head of the king of kings on his installation. Another unable to get out of home kept the god in heart and rejected her body and merged in him.  

66th Dasakam.

When the ladies assembled; Krishna talked to them against leaving their homes. The gopies were perplexed and cried in agony. Then Krishna consoled them and started the love laced party. He spread the second covering clothes (from the busts) and made bed for all. He followed it with sweet talks of humor, holding shaking hands, tight embraces and thus pleased the ladies.
Here the author brings the name of Radha saying that Krishna is too lustful to her heavy hard busts.

67th Dasakam.

Then as the party goes on each of the ladies immersed in pride and forgot the surrounding. At this moment Krishna took his unassuming lover Radha and disappeared to somewhere.  The ladies went on trying to find Krishna but found Radha abandoned there. They were all very chastened and prayed for the God, who appeared and started the daring amours.

68th Dasakam.

 One lady caught his hands and placed them on her heavy busts. Another caught the hands and placed them around her neck. Another leaving all bashfulness took that ‘pan’ already chewed by Krishna on her mouth. After all these they came back to the banks of Yamuna and made bed as earlier. I love all of you to a great extend and therefore enjoy the nights here without any restraints.

69th Dsamam.

Krishna was going around making the Gopies feel him and that was part of Raslila. The sounds of playing flute, singing, dancing with soft steps, the twinkling amulets and bangles made the atmosphere heady. Slowly everything came to a halt and no damsel cared about her slipping dresses or tresses. This dancing plays continued for many more nights making even Shiva and Brahma envious of the Gopies.

For Jayadeva Radha is not a prude or timid in using words about sexual amours. There are several examples. One of the first is in song number 6.   

Oh, friend, I am in the dense dark hut; looking at all sides distressed in fear.
Entering it in secret at night and staying there and smiling on the knowledge of coming sexual union. I am in distress in a passionate mood. So bring him who is also in the same state to make love to me. In simple words Radha is asking her companion to bring Krishna to fuck her.
The next six steps describe the essentials of sexual union between them. In the 8th step the poet comes and says “this miraculous expertise in performing sexual intercourse (athisaya madhuripu nidhuvana seelam) is conveyed through the words of Radha.”
In song 11; the companion tells Radha to approach Krishna bereft of cloths and leaving the jingling girdle; press your open thighs on him. (Vigalita vasanam, parihrita rasanam, Ghadaya jaghanamavipadam.)
The songs 14 & 15 are those of Radha as told to her companion.
Formed ready for sexual intercourse
The flowers dropped out of tresses.
Some better formed young lady is
Sporting with Krishna. Due to his embraces passion aroused her necklace dangling over the pot like breasts. Bothered in the noisy waist belt when moving her midriff. Bashful and smiling when lover saw her cooing like many birds due to the ecstatic love making and enjoying therein.

rati-griha-jaghane vipuläpaghane manastja-kanakäsane |
mani-maya-raçanam torana-hasanam vikirati krita-vasane||26|| ramate yamunä-pulina-vane vijayee murärir adhunä ||

At the moment Krishna the victorious (in sexploits) is frolicking (making love) in grassy lands on the banks of Yamuna.

Waist is the abode of love goddess. Flaring hips show golden throne of love god.(Inside the temple i.e. vagina; the golden throne might signify the hard clitoris.)  The gem studded girdle is the festoons before the temple. Emanating from there is a sweet fragrant smell.

Further, these show the progress made by then society in makeup and beauty materials such as perfumes and cosmetics that brings fragrant smell from vaginal area.

On her wide waist he puts the gem studded girdle humiliating the festoons in shrines the said waist is the abode of amorous sports, golden seat of God of love and perfumed with fragrant things.
(The above is the simple meaning given in LIFCO publication that does not give full justice to ideas there in.)

So we come to the end of Khullar’s mahanu bhava. It would have been more relevant if based his essay on the description in Naraayaneeyam. Here all gopies are equal in their devotion or love towards Krishna. Krishna is not an exclusive god to Radha. But people like Khullar might not have any idea of legendary literary works from the South and Kerala specifically.    

K.N.Krishnan