Radha - Krishna's Beloved

Radha, the milkmaid, was given in marriage to Rayana. But her heart belonged to Krishna, the divine cowherd of Gokul. On moonlit nights, beckoned by the music of his flute, she would leave her house, risk infamy, ignore danger, and go to the banks of Yamuna to be by Krishna's side. Together they would dance and sing in the flowery meadows of Madhuvana.

But alas, a time came when Krishna had to leave Madhuvana and go to Mathura to fulfil his destiny as guardian of earth. As he rode away, Krishna gave up his flute, for without Radha his music lacked the flavour of love.

Krishna,it is said, conceived the cosmos inspired by Radha's beauty. Though united in heaven, Krishna and Radha were forever apart on earth, their longing transforming into man's insatiable desire. The constant desire to become one with the Divine.

 

Rukmini Krishna's queen

Krishna moved from Mathura to the island kingdom of Dwarka. His fame as the warrior who stood up against tyranny spread far and wide and won him the admiration of Rukmini, princess of Vidarbha. Determined to marry Krishna, and not the man selected by her brother, Rukmini secretly sent a letter to Krishna requesting him to accept her as his wife. Krishna agreed and managed to carry her off in his chariot right before her kinsmen's eyes. Rukmini became Krishna's chief queen and the mother of his sons.

Once, Krishna picked up his bow and prepared to do battle with the demon Naraka, who claimed he could be killed by no man. Rukmini, who had always wanted to watch Krishna fight, decided to accompany him. Together they rode into battle. The battle was fierce. Naraka and Krishna attacked each other with missiles but the demon stood his ground. Naraka finally hurled a mace at Krishna which hit Rukmini instead. Enraged, Rukmini picked up Krishna's mace and hurled it at Naraka. The weapon cracked the demon's skull and killed him instantly. And so it was that the demon who could be killed by no man was killed by a woman, Krishna's queen, Rukmini.

 

Kwan-yin the loving Bodhisattva

 

 

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