Lament of the cowherdesses - part 5

Narada’s information

As has been mentioned earlier, Narada, often depicted as a mischief-monger, is in reality merely instrumental in setting into motion many of the Puranic events, acting as a catalyst.

So it was when Narada approached Kamsa with the news that Raama (Balaraama) and Krishna were Vasudeva’s sons and had been the ones responsible for systematically annihilating all the demons and demonesses employed by Kamsa to kill every potential threat.

Seething in anger, Kamsa hatched a plan to invite the two to a ‘Bow-festival’ and finish them off. He hoped that their deaths would be witnessed by Devaki, Vasudeva and his father Ugrasena. He intended to have them trampled by an elephant as soon as they set foot in Mathura and if somehow that plan did not work, he had two wrestlers Mushtika and Chanura who were ready to fight to death, on standby.

Kamsa sent word to Akrura, explained his intentions, and asked him to fetch the boys from Vrindavan. Spending a sleepless night, Akrura readied himself for the journey, apprehensive about what Krishna would think of him yet elated that he was to come face to face with the Lord of the universe.

Akrura and the Gopis

One look at Akrura and his retinue was enough to cause distress to the gopis. The announcement that Raama and Krishna had to leave for the festivities at their uncle’s place left them heart-broken. Some of them lost consciousness. They bemoaned their fate thus, “O Bramha… why are you being heartless? How can you snatch away our very reason for existence? O cruel (krura) one! Have you come in the guise of Akrura?”

Bitterly they cried, “Why blame you O Bramha, when our Krishna himself is ready to forsake his parents, relatives, friends and us, without a moment’s hesitation, without a hint of regret, for the sake of a novel experience! Of what use is our lamentation?”

Unable to digest the news, they angrily said, “You who are snatching away our very life, who named you Akrura (one without cruelty)?”

“O look at the cowherds happily loading milk, curd and butter in the chariot… If they can let go of Krishna so easily, let them let us go too… we have no wish to live without Krishna. We who passed the nights in a blissful blink, thanks to Krishna, are at a loss to figure how to live without Mukunda!” moaned the gopis.

When the wheels of the chariot began to roll, the gopis senselessly mad a dash as if to catch Krishna. Overcome by compassion, Krishna said, “I will be back!” Soon the gopis were left behind in clouds of dust, the chariot and their beloved Krishna gone! Each of them knew in their hearts that he would never return to Vrindavan*.

The gopis spent the rest of their lives, thinking only of Krishna….sighing, singing, sobbing…

Although Mathura was a mere 12 km away from Vrindavan, neither the gopis nor Krishna ever visited each other.