The Seeker Radha within
On Emotions, Vyasa and multiple Pathways
After reflecting on ‘Bheeshma Stuthi’ and ‘Gita Govindam’, it makes me feel like ‘Radha’ is the mind in us and ‘Krishna’ the soul. While Vyasa has worded ‘Gita’ for the intellectual Arjuna, and ‘Bhagawatham’ and ‘Bheeshma Stuthi’ perhaps in the language of simple devotion and Bhakthi.
The manner in which Bheeshma narrates on his death bed about his unmarried daughter, his ‘mind’, and his wish of ‘marrying her to Krishna’ is so touching and the ‘daughter’ metaphor altogether takes to a different dimension. His mind was never attracted to fame or wealth. She fell for Krishna’s looks, for his sense of responsibility, for his valor and compassion and above all she loves him and it is ‘only befitting to marry her’ with Krishna.
Our mind is in constant engagement and in pursuit of various expeditions. A kind of marriage and involvement from one topic to another. Be it worries, desires, responsibilities, and attachments.
Perhaps our mind and our experiences through joy, separation, wounds, and jealousy is a way of experiencing the light in us. Jayadeva portrays these emotions and ‘rasas’ as pastimes between Radha, Krishna, and the Gopis.. And Krishna assuring to Radha in each Astapadi that he is there for her to settle down and rest.
In a sense, these wounds and emotions cause a surreal sweep and a sense of restlessness. From a cursory hearing of Gita Govinda, it seems Krishna is ready to shelter Radha in the soft grasslands, in his heart, in his shoulders and rest her anxiety in various situations.
What prevents the mind from wandering and giving birth to sometimes trivial imaginations at the surface of things?
Emotions are like the puckered notes of the soul that is deeply experienced. On a path of slow convergence, one emotion could lead to another and a spiraling of experiences and lessons.
On a path of ‘convergence and inquiry’, it makes one wonder ‘What are these Vibrant experiences? Who am I who is experiencing it?’ And on the ‘Path of Surrender’, perhaps one just aspires and experiences the Joy in merging.
In some ways it seems that each of our minds is the Radha and sometimes we are in harmony with the other ‘gopis’ and sometimes a little jealous and want a direct exclusive connection with the universe.
While the message of the ‘mind’ seems to be put in a fairytale-like bhakthi form, Gita puts it directly. 4 kind of people seek for divinity. ‘Chatur vidam bajante maam’.. Those in distress, those who seek wellness, knowledge and the real Gyaanis.
The Sufi poet Rumi in his words of wisdom puts it.. ‘The wound is the place where the Light enters you.’
My wise friend comments.. And the whole concept of mystic Sufism is the Sufi as a Deewana in quest of fulfillment of his unrequited, one-sided love to the divine, who is his beloved.
‘The Buddhists welcome challenges in life because it makes them more compassionate and stronger after braving them. Kunti welcomes them and asks for challenges always in her life so that she can constantly be immersed in her prayers to the divine. This is a whole new thought train I have heard in my limited understanding, so far.’
