Jatila’s Attempt to Protect Radharani
Jatila’s Concern
Jatila, worried that she could not protect her daughter-in-law, Srimati Radhika, from Sri Krishna’s eager glances, decided to confine her inside the house. She wanted to ensure that Radharani would not be bitten by the metaphorical snake of Krishna’s love.
Danistha’s Request
Danistha came to Yavat to request that Srimati Radharani cook, as Krishna would not eat anything prepared by anyone else. However, because Jatila had confined her, Radharani could not go to Nandagaon to cook.
The Plan
While Danistha was there, she whispered a secret into the ears of Lalita and Radhika and then left. Soon after, Visakha came to Jatila crying and said that a snake had bitten Srimati Radhika. Alarmed, Jatila sent Kutila to get Abhimanyu and a snake-bite doctor to chant special mantras to cure her.
Paurnamasi’s Help
Jatila then went to Paurnamasi for help. Paurnamasi took her to see Gargi, the daughter of Garga Muni. Gargi informed them that her younger sister Vidyavali, who was visiting Vraja, had learned the proper snake mantras.
Vidyavali’s Arrival
Jatila begged Gargi to bring Vidyavali to her home. Meanwhile, Danistha and the other gopis disguised Sri Krishna as Vidyavali. When “Vidyavali” arrived, she told Jatila that to cure Radharani, she needed to chant mantras over her body and give her betel nut infused with a special mantra. Jatila agreed.
The Conversation with the Snake
“Vidyavali” sent everyone out of Radharani’s room and pretended to converse with the snake, which was actually Sri Krishna. In this staged conversation, Krishna, in the voice of the snake, explained that the incident was due to a curse. If Jatila continued to keep Radharani from her service at Nandagaon, both her son and Radharani would die from snake bites.
Jatila’s Agreement
Hearing this, Jatila quickly agreed to let Srimati Radharani go to Nandagaon every day without obstruction. In this way, Sri Krishna and Srimati Radharani were able to meet, and the Divine Couple were both cured of the snake bite of separation.
Moral of the Story
This story demonstrates the depth of divine love and the lengths to which devotees and the Divine Couple go to be together. It also illustrates how obstacles in devotional service can be overcome with cleverness and the help of devoted associates.
Lessons to Be Learned
- Divine Love The love between Sri Krishna and Srimati Radharani is pure and transcendental, overcoming all obstacles.
- Devotional Service Devotees go to great lengths to serve and facilitate the pastimes of the Divine Couple.
- Cleverness in Service Sometimes, cleverness and creativity are needed to fulfill devotional service.
- Ultimate Victory True devotion and love for the Lord ultimately lead to overcoming all obstacles and achieving union with the Divine.
Prayer
“O Lord Krishna, please grant us the wisdom and cleverness to overcome obstacles in our devotional service. Help us to remain devoted to You and to always seek Your divine association. May we learn from the examples of Your dear devotees and strive to serve You with pure love and devotion.”
