Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Arjuna becoming a lady - Radharani stories

In the Padmapurana, there is a beautiful story about Arjuna asking Krishna, "I want to understand the love of Vrindavan, I want to understand the love of your Gopis, I want to understand the mercy of Radharani". So Krishna told Arjuna that this is an impossible subject to discuss. It's too confidential for you to understand.

Krishna told Arjuna, "you cannot understand, what is Gopis' love, what is Radha's love, what is Vrindavan's love? You can only understand, if you experience it. Then, he told him to go to Mother Parvati, and appeal to her and through her He [Krishna] will give the means. So Arjuna expressed Krishna's instruction to Parvati and she gave him the mantra and told him how to do various types of tapasyas. And ultimately she took him to a lake and he bathed in that lake for purification and he was met by a Gopi and that Gopi took him to a lake in Vrindavan. And he bathed in that lake of nectar and when he came out, he was not Arjuna, he was 'Arjunia'. He had a female body of a Gopi. And he completely forgot his previous identity. There was no trace of recollection.

So this Gopi took her into the assembly of other Gopis and they were very curious to see this new Gopi. They said "please tell us who are you, where are you coming from, why have you come". And Arjunia said, I don't know who I am, and I don't know where I am coming from and I don't know why I am here. The only thing I remember in my whole life is that I am coming out of a lake and I am a Gopi". So they taught her how to chant various mantras. And then brought her into a Kunja, where she was brought before Srimati Radharani.

And Arjunia, seeing the beauty, the mercy, the love of Sri Radharani, surrendered at Her feet, fell at Her feet in complete surrender and Sri Radharani presented her to Krishna. And Krishna sported with Arjunia in the forest. And then Sri Radharani said to him to go to the lake and take bath again. He took his bath and became Arjuna. But this time he remembered the association of Sri Radharani and the love for Krishna while in the Gopi's body.

So, even Arjuna is longing to experience the love of Vrindavan. And what is the love of Vrindavan?, the abode of Vrindavaneshwari, Sri Radharani, who is the Supreme goddess of Vrindavan.

Radhey Radhey

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