WHO IS DEAR TO THE LORD?

[Guest guest]

I rest there, where there is full of devotion

How can they be conscious of worldly objects and sensations, who utter My name,

who worship Me, who think of My stories and My life, and who thus, always

remember Me. (Sri Sai Satcharitra Ch.III)

Sri Krishna lay ill. His pure, tender body was inflamed with fever. The fever

kept on mounting. No drug or charms had any effect.

The Mother, Yashoda, felt deeply worried. And she said to Sri Krishna, "Shyama,

my darling! We have tried everything within our power, but your fever keeps on

rising. You, my child! Are the Lord of the three worlds ‘Won’t you tell me what

will make you well once again?’

Sri Krishna smiled and said: "Ma! Only one thing will cure me."

"What is it, my child? Tell me that I may procure it without delay."

And Sri Krishna said, "Mother! Bring me the dust of the feet of someone who

loves me dearly, apply it on my forehead and I shall get well!"

"That is easily done!" said Yashoda. "The whole town is full of gopis and gopas

who love you dearer than life itself. Soon I shall bring what you need."

Yashoda goes out. She enters the house of gopi who loves Shyama with a deep,

spiritual love. The gopi feels happy to meet Yashoda. "Welcome, Mother!" says

the gopi. "Tell me if there is anything I can do for you."

Yashoda explains to her the situation and asks for the dust of the gopi’s feet.

As the gopi listens to this strange request, the colour of her countenance

changes. "Mother!" she says, "You know full well that there is nothing in the

world I would keep from Beloved Shyama. I would gladly lay down my life for His

sake. But this I can never do. For it is laid down in the Scriptures that a

devotee goes to hell if the dust of his or her feet touches the forehead of the

Lord. This I can never do, Mother!"

And Yashoda moves from house to house, she meets gopis and she meets gopas –

lovers of Lord. They tell her that if Sri Krishna wants their heads, they will

gladly sever them with their own hands and place them at His feet. But they

will never, never commit a crime of which the penalty is hell.

At last, Yashoda meets Radha. To her, too, she makes the same request. And Radha

says to her, "Mother! All that I have belongs to Shyama. Take what you will –

the dust of my feet or crown of my head! All, all is consecrated to the Lord!"

Surprised, Yashoda says, "Ah, Radha! Do you know what it means? Whoever giveth

the dust of her feet to the Lord is dragged to hell."

Calmly, answered Radha: "Blessed, indeed, would I be, if for the sake of the

Beloved I go to hell! Take the dust of my feet Mother! And do not delay. If

only that the Beloved get well I shall gladly endure the tortures of a hundred

hells!"

Yashoda is speechless. In silent wonder she gazes at Radha’s face. Yashoda picks

up a little of the dust of Radha’s feet and returns home.

Sri Krishna is no longer on His sick bed. He is up and breaking milk-pots. He is

eating butter with great relish

Yashoda now knows that Krishna’s fever was his leela. And after that day no one

questioned why Radha was so dear to the Lord.

(Sri J. P. Vaswani in East and West Series, Aug 2002)

 

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