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
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