You want to solve problems. You want to be creative. You want love and joy. You want to care and share. Where does all that come from?
It all comes from within. As you settle in deeper and deeper, you can base yourself in your own Divine Essence. It is Grace that gives you inner access, but it is your own efforts that give you the inner steadiness, the deep inner center that sets you free.
This is freedom, in Sanskrit — moksha. It means liberation. It means you won’t have to come back for another lifetime. You can if you want to, but you won’t be stuck in the repetitive cycle for eons. You’re free!
In honor of 4th of July, the American holiday celebrating freedom, I focus on freedom. I do realize that July 4 is about political freedom – but I like to use it every year to celebrate spiritual liberation. That you really can become free:
* No more inner shadows.
* No more knee-jerk reflexes.
* No more need, greed and fear.
When you find your own inner essence, and when you base yourself in your own Self, you are free from everything that used to drag you down. It’s great!
And it’s a little strange.
* For your past is still your past, but it doesn’t drag you down.
* And your life is still your life, but it’s not weighty and constraining.
* And your future is still your future, whatever you think it could be or should be – it’s up to you, but you’re not holding your breath waiting to see.
You know what freedom is? That your sense of self doesn’t come from your past, nor your imagined future, and not even from the circumstances of your life. Your sense of self is an inner sense, an inner knowing, a wordless Knowingness… of your own Beingness.
In the Knowingness of your own Beingness, you have fulfilled life’s highest purpose – liberation! Freedom!
And you have the freedom to create, to care and share. To give without measure. Free to be without analyzing or strategizing, without making up for or trying to attain. And your mind becomes your greatest tool. Instead of having mental shadows that block your inner light, your mind shines with the light of Consciousness. Chetana, it’s called in Sanskrit.
Expanded mind. Divine mind. Your heart overflows. What a way to live!
Bittersweet chocolate is the best. The sage Narada agrees, describing the yearning for God as the most painful and most blissful of the 11 types of Divine Love.
Today, I honor my Guru on the anniversary of his departure from this earthly plane. It is a day of great grief and a day of great gratitude – both of which are based in Divine love.
Grief is when you feel you’ve lost something important to you. Yet the fact that it was important means you are grateful for what it gave. Thus, grief is the flip side of gratitude.
Wonderfully, this gives you a pathway out of grief — simply express your gratitude. When you put words to all you’ve received from that source, you are filled up inside and there’s no room left for grief.
I was in Spain when Baba left. At the pivotal time in India, it was sunset where I was, on private retreat in a small town overlooking the Mediterranean. That sunset lasted longer than any I’ve ever seen, with colors ranging from golden orange into deep purple.
As I sat and watched it, Baba spoke to me inside. For a long time. Mostly it was wordless communion, but sometimes a few words would come – deeply loving while giving me direction for my life.
He was my sunset. He was my sunrise. He was the sun that lit up my whole world, even my inner universe. Or I thought he was. As long as he was in his body, I could see only Baba. He took up the radar screen of my mind in an ecstatic and glorious way. It was a whole lot better than anything else I’d had on my radar.
It was only after he was gone (seemingly gone) that I could look past my mind and discover what he had given me. He gave me my own Self, the vast profundity and inner reality of Beingness being me. But frankly, I’d rather look at him than look at me.
That’s bhakti yoga, the science of Divine Love. Tukaram, a poet saint of India said it this way, “Please, please, dear God. Keep me just a little separate from you, so there’s still a ‘me’ to love you.” Yes, I love to love Baba. Which is why I indulge myself in sweet moments of Divine Grief – so I can feel the love, the longing, the yearning, while I know I am the One who was He.
There is only One Reality, the ultimate, ever-existent, present-right-here-and now Beingness. Called by many names, our tradition honors the One by the name Shiva, meaning the Auspicious One who plants his auspiciousness in all.
But it’s not like planting a seed in earth, with the seed being different from the earth. Instead, Shiva plants himself in you by being you. Shiva is being you while being me, while being all and beyond all. Oh, Shiva!
So when I look for Baba, I find him inside. I love to look at his photos, but it is always he who is looking through my eyes. I masquerade as a bhakta, lost in love of the Divine, while being the One who is being both the lover and the beloved. There’s no better way to live, always lost in Divine Love, yet knowing that it is me loving me – even when I am loving you.
bittersweet chocolate bits
Jai Muktananda! Hail to Muktananda! As he said about himself, I also proclaim to the world – I don’t care what anyone says about my Baba. He gave me everything.
And he sends me to share it with you. Does anyone want some bittersweet chocolate? We can laugh and cry together. It’s a glorious way to live!
Enlightenment is not what you think. Firstly, enlightenment is not what you think it is. Secondly, and more importantly, enlightenment is not about your mind, so it’s not about what you are thinking. Yet your mind can keep you from being enlightened.
In other words, you must use your mind to get enlightened, but you use your mind in a way that gets you beyond your mind. Enlightenment is a state of being, not a state of mind. It is a deep inner feeling, but not an emotion. Best of all, it’s effortless.
Being unenlightened is hard! You have to constantly review your anxieties and limitations. Your sense of self worth is dependent on how others see you, which means you’re always performing, trying to win their good opinions. Worse, your opinion of yourself needs help.
Enlightenment is a state of profound ease and joy. It needs no external support or feedback as it arises from within. The ever-arising flow of Divine Consciousness washes away all anxieties and limitations. This is called freedom, freedom from who you thought you were so you can be who you really are – Consciousness Incarnate.
How do you get enlightened? You get it from one who has it. It’s just like if you are shopping for shoes. Don’t go to the florist. You’ve probably been trying to get enlightened by learning from unenlightened people. No wonder it’s hard!
It’s time to go shopping for enlightened beings. Find a few, meet them in person if you can. Try out the practices they give and see what you get. Just like shoe shopping – slip them on and walk around in them for a bit.
But the difference with enlightened beings is that you want one that both uplifts you and challenges you, so you can’t stay in your old ruts. It’s dark in there.
It’s not just spring, there’s something more going on. New possibilities, a bounce in your step, fresh energy, even optimism – after years of laying low, it’s time to emanate again. For us in the northern hemisphere, it coincides nicely with spring.
Planetary cycles have held us up for several years, with the pandemic and fear of death hovering over every encounter. Only a few weeks ago, it felt scary to go out without a mask, but now I don’t think about it.
Unmilana is the Sanskrit word for blossoming forth. It is also translated as the opening of your eyes or the uncovering of the sun at the end of an eclipse. It feels that way. You can poke your head out. The sun is shining!
When bears emerge from their winter hibernation, they spend a couple of weeks in “walking hibernation.” They get out less; they do less. You may be in that phase yourself. After all, home has been a safe haven for quite a while. But your comfort zone can become a trap.
Unmilana also means coming forth, along with becoming visible. While online connections have made visual connections possible during our period of seclusion, there’s nothing like getting together in person. There’s even biochemistry to it.
When women get together, their bodies produce more serotonin and oxytocin, which are called “happiness hormones.” With male bonding, testosterone and cortisol are more involved. Bottom line, it’s physical as well as mental and emotional.
In yoga, we focus on a deeper reality, the spiritual dimension of your own being. This is a time of great opportunity. You could blossom forth from your deeper dimensions or you could get lost in worldly drama. It’s all described in this sutra:
By free will alone, Consciousness blossoms forth the universe on the screen of her own existence.
You’re doing the same thing as you emerge from your pandemic seclusion, with one minor exception. The sutra says the unmilana or blossoming forth of Consciousness is what created this universe, while you are blossoming forth into the universe that already exists. Since you are part of the universe, you get to choose what part you will play in it.
Will you be a consumer or a producer? If you were holed up during the pandemic, your focus was on consumption, specifically how you could get everything you needed to make it through an unknown time period. Now that you are emerging into the world, you have an opportunity to focus on what you can give.
To draw from your depths and to share with others, this is unmilana – also translated as twinkling. Like a star at night, you can bring the light of your own being into the world, which makes a difference for everyone.
How do you find the light of your own being? Look in the direction where it resides. That’s inside. Meditate.
I had years with him. I lived and studied with my Baba, both in America and India. After I got past my initial awe of his incredible teachings, I relaxed into his energetic embrace. I deepened into inner realms beyond my imagining. Subtle unravelings freed me from psychological patterns laid down in my childhood, which I now recognize as karmas brought from lifetimes past.
He left this earthly plane 40 years ago today. It was overwhelming to lose him. I didn’t know who I was without him as an external anchor. Yet it was even more overwhelming to discover that his presence had become stronger. The anchor was now inside.
He had prepared us so well, explaining countless times that a great being doesn’t leave when they die. Such a Master merges into Self, thus is found in the Self of all. Their external form was only a masquerade anyway. Living in the whole of Beingness, they are only seemingly limited to a single form. I didn’t understand, of course, not until I experienced it. And even then, I didn’t understand, not until I’d experienced the passing of other loved ones. There’s a difference – a big difference.
When Baba left, I was sitting by the sea, watching the most extraordinary sunset I’ve ever seen. It had more colors and it lasted for hours. All the while, inside, he was revealing truths I need to know. I sat in a Divine communion with him that has never ended.
But to call it Divine communion is misleading, for there must be two in order to commune. Inside, there is only One, which yoga calls Shiva. But for me, that One is Baba. Shiva became Baba in order to give me my Self, who is Shiva. Yes, it’s circular reasoning, even confusing. Yes, it’s entrancing, entwining, enrapturing, enchanting – and Baba was all of that. I live in that Divine mystery. He unveiled it for me while he embodied it. He set me free. Thank you, Baba.
Krishna wanted to tease Rukmini, so he started with a questionable statement, “My dear Rukmini, I could never understand why you chose me out of many great personalities in the royal order who wanted to marry you. Among them, some were famous kings, very powerful and strong. Some may not have been kings, but they all possessed the affluence and riches of kingly order. They were not unfitting in anyway. In particular, your parents and brother gave their word of honor to Shishupala who was a great king. He was madly in love with you, especially after your beauty and he would have remained with you just like your faithful servant. In comparison with Shisupala’s personality, I am nothing. I am surprised you rejected him for me. May I ask you the reason that convinced you to accept me, as I feel I am inferior to all those princes who wanted to marry you? Remember I was so much afraid of Jarasandha that I could not dare to live in Madura, and I had to construct Dwaraka in the middle of the sea to evade him.”
Rukmini and Krishna https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-story-behind-Rukminis-wedding-with-Krishna
He didn’t stop there. He continued, “It’s not too late. You have the freedom to select a suitable husband who is an actual equal to you in family tradition, wealth, beauty and in all other respects. As you know, usually a person does not establish a marital relationship with a person who is either higher or lower than his position.”
Rukmini was well aware that her husband was not an ordinary being. But upon hearing this, Rukmini was afraid of being separated from her Lord, for she had never heard such insensitive words from Krishna before. Filled with fear and anxiety, without replying with a single word, she cried as if being drowned in an ocean of grief. She lost all her reasoning powers and became so weak that immediately her body lost so much weight that the bangles on her wrists became loosened. The fan with which she was serving Krishna immediately fell from her hand. Her mind and memory became puzzled, and she lost consciousness. She fell down straight, like a tree brought down by an axe.
Lord Krishna immediately realized that Rukmini had not taken his words in a playful spirit. She had taken them very seriously. In her extreme anxiety over immediate separation from him, she had fallen into this condition.
Seeing this, Krishna’s heart was softened by Rukmini’s condition. He appeared in front of her in his real form, as Lord Vishnu with his four hands. He got down from the bedstead and brought her up by her hands. He placed his hands on her face and smoothed the scattered hairs on her head gently. He then hugged her to his chest.
He began to speak again in a soft gentle way, “My dear daughter of Vidarbha, my beloved Rukmini, please don’t misunderstand me. The words I spoke that affected you so much are not factual. I just wanted to irritate you and was expecting you to make counter arguments. I am very sorry that you have taken them seriously. I expected to see your angry face and that your red lips would tremble in anger. I thought you would chastise me in many words. I never expected that your condition would be like this. My dear Rukmini you know that we are householders and are always busy in household affairs. We long for times that we can enjoy some teasing words between us, the ultimate game in household life.”
In this way, Krishna wanted to exhibit himself as just an ordinary householder who delights himself by exchanging joking words with his wife. Thus, he repeatedly requested Rukmini not to take the words he had spoken seriously.
Hearing this, Rukmini was freed from all her fear of separation from the Lord. She started speaking softly. “Oh Lord! Yes, you are right about we not being equal. I can never be equal with you as you are the One Divine Reality in its full form. You are the master of all greatness, controller of the three qualities and object of worship. You reside in the deep recesses of the heart of all beings, who are always battling the powerful material senses, which are their enemies. Your movements which are mysterious for even the sages are certainly incomprehensible for human beings. There is nothing beyond you.”
Krishna said, “Oh dear princess, as I said earlier, I fooled you just because I wanted to hear what you would say. Your answers are absolutely correct. Even though you were disturbed by my words, your mind couldn’t be dragged away. I have now perceived pure love towards one’s husband, and adherence to vows of chastity. In all my palaces I do not find another as loving as you.” Rukmini’s delight by hearing this was unmeasurable.
Sudama and Krishna https://heartmeetsoul.com/krishna-sudama-story-moral-english/
Days and weeks passed in Dwaraka. One fine day the guards came into the palace and informed Krishna that his dearest friend Sudama had come to see him. Hearing this, Krishna rushed to meet Sudama. When he saw Sudama, he embraced him and welcomed him with the greatest joy. Then he took him to his personal room. Who is this Sudama that Krishna is so fond of?
Krishna and Sudama were childhood friends who studied under Guru Sandipani. Years passed and Krishna became the King of Dwaraka, Sudama returned to his village and immersed himself into Vedic studies. Sudama belonged to a poor Brahmin family. After some time, he got married and had many children. Even though he was a Vedic scholar, he was suffering from severe poverty. But he never begged for money from others, as he was satisfied with whatever the little money he earned. As he didn’t have good clothes to wear, he often wore worn out clothes with holes in them.
Kuchela and his wife https://www.holydham.com/ the-story-of-lord-krishnas-friend-sudama/
That made people call him Kuchela, a person who wears rags. Kuchela’s wife was admired by all for her domestic virtues. She was always satisfied with whatever her husband brought, having devoted her life to him and the children. She gave the children the education they needed and filled their hearts with dharmic principles, preparing them to be good citizens. Even though what Kuchela brought was not enough, she found a way to feed them all sufficiently, going to bed with an empty stomach herself. After some time, living that way too became difficult. It was time for her to come up with a plan, as she couldn’t bear the sufferings her family was going through.
That’s when she remembered Krishna, a great friend of Kuchela. She went to her husband and told him to approach his good old friend Krishna and ask for help, hoping that he would honor his request. She was sure of it, as she had heard many stories about people approaching Krishna with love and devotion. They always got rewarded for their devotion. Though Kuchela was hesitant at first, he was encouraged by his wife’s persuasion and decided to visit Krishna.
Kuchela with wife and children http://kkrgowthamgudavalli.blogspot.com/ 2017/05/sri-krishna-kuchela-story-of-true.html
He didn’t want to visit his old friend empty handed, after all these years. But he didn’t know what he should offer to Krishna. The usual practice and courtesy required him to take something, so he asked his wife for suggestions. She told him that the idea of a gift was excellent, but as they were so poor and couldn’t afford any gift to be given to a king. After contemplating they both agreed that Kuchela should carry some aval, rice flakes. So, he carried aval in a small sachet and started his journey to Dwaraka.
Kuchela began dreaming about meeting Krishna at Dwaraka. He prepared himself with all the things he could say to please him. He was so delighted that he was getting to go and serve, honor and embrace him. Then suddenly, fear came into him. He wondered how he would pass through the guards. What if they don’t let him in?
But he was determined to go see Krishna so he entered the palace confidently. To his surprise, no one stopped him from entering the palace. He went straight to the guards, who came to Krishna and informed him of his dearest friend Kuchela’s arrival.
After inquiring the welfare of his family, Krishna asked Kuchela what he had brought for him. After seeing the splendor of Dwaraka, Kuchela was feeling embarrassed with his gift of rice flakes. Krishna noticed that Kuchela was hiding a small bag and even without asking for it he snatched it from his hands. He opened it and his eyes lit up in delight, seeing the rice flakes. Immediately he took a handful of rice flakes and happily put them into his mouth. It was so tasty that Krishna wanted to eat more, but Rukmini intervened and took it from him.
Kuchela enjoyed the stay with Krishna and his family. When the time came to leave, he was very sad. On his way back home, he was thinking only about the time he spent with Krishna, particularly the happiness he felt when he was with Krishna. But halfway home, he was a bit unhappy that he had not asked for anything from Krishna, as he and his wife had planned. But he consoled himself by saying, if it was to be, Krishna would have given him the wealth. Krishna didn’t want me to immerse myself in the pleasures of worldliness, he thought to himself. With these running through in his mind he returned to his hut.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudama
He was pleasantly surprised that a miracle had taken place. He couldn’t recognize his hut. In its place was a beautiful and lavish mansion. What he gave Krishna was a merely a fist full of rice flakes with love, but in return Krishna had ordered Vishwakarma the divine architect to build this fine mansion for him. Kuchela noticed his family wearing new clothes and found an abundance of food in the house, or should we say mansion. He was so happy that Krishna had showered his blessings on him.
In spite of all this wealth, Kuchela did not indulge in worldly pleasures, but instead immersed in the thought of Krishna for the rest of his life. Kuchela set an example to all, as the grace of God is the final gift to every human being and we should aspire for it and it alone.
The next encounter in Krishna’s life was Narakasura. Who is Narakasura?
Bhumata https://www.pinterest.co.uk
Narakasura, also known as Bhumasura, was the son of Bhumata, Mother Earth. She is the incarnation of Lakshmi and the consort of Varaha. When Lord Vishnu incarnated as Varaha, at her request he married her, having saved her and the good people on earth by slaying Hiranyaksha. [see blog on Narasimha Avatar]
Narakasura was born out of their union. When the child was born, Bhumata prayed to Lord Vishnu, asking him to bless their son with a long life. Lord Vishnu told her that she need not worry about her son since he would have to come back in another incarnation to end his son’s life, when the time comes.
Narakasura https://freekaamaal.com
Narakasura was brought up pious and humble until his association with the asuras. The demons changed him into one of them. He became so powerful and mighty that he brought all the kingdoms on earth under his control. Then he started harassing the devas, the heavenly beings. Even the mighty Lord of the Devas couldn’t withstand his assault. Indra fled the heavens.
This made Narakasura the king of heaven and earth. He didn’t stop there. He stole the earrings of Aditi, Indra’s mother, as they had extraordinary powers. He snatched Varuna’s umbrella and occupied Indra’s seat on top of mount Meru. He had already kidnapped sixteen thousand young princesses too, keeping them captive in his palace.
Led by Indra, all the devas went to Lord Vishnu seeking help. Lord Vishnu promised to protect them from Narakasura when the time came. And now was that time. Lord Indra visited Krishna, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and complained about Narakasura. Indra reminded Lord Vishnu to protect him and the devas from Narakasura’s tyranny.
Krishna and Satyabhama riding on Garuda https://kathakids.com
Krishna, to fulfill his promise to Indra and the devas, as also to Bhumata, went to war with Narakasura. Krishna rode on Garuda, his eagle mount, along with his wife Satyabhama.
The reason Krishna went with Satyabhama was that she is the incarnation of Bhumata. Aditi, Indra’s mother, and the devas had also complained to Satyabhama about Narakasura’s wrongdoings.
Once Krishna reached the city of Pragjyotisha, he blew his horn Panchajanya. Then he attacked Narakasura’s great fortress. The fortress was fortified by several barriers consisting of mountain ranges, water, fire and cyclonic winds. He destroyed all the protective formations one by one with little or no effort.
Then came Mura, Narakasura’s general. He used many magical weapons to attack Krishna. Krishna was able to defuse them very easily and killed Mura with his mace. Ever since that, Krishna has been called Murari the slayer of Mura.
Narakasura himself came to fight Krishna and used several divine weapons against him. Krishna again easily neutralized them all. Narakasura also started attacking Garuda, Krishna’s mount. He tried his best to beat Garuda, using all his strength, but nothing worked. Garuda didn’t even get a scratch.
Narakasura is beheaded casadevalaya.blogspot.com
Filled with anger, as a last resort he threw his trident at Krishna. For this Krishna acted as he was fainting. Due to a boon that Narakasura had gotten, he could only be killed by the one who gave birth to him. Seeing that Krishna had fainted enraged Satyabhama, who is Bhumata. She beheaded Narakasura with Krishna’s Sudarshana Chakra.
While taking his last few breaths, Narakasura realized his sins. He surrendered to Krishna and asked him for his mercy. He also asked for a boon to celebrate the day of his death as the day of liberation, the festival of lights. It is celebrated as Diwali.
Rescued Princesses and Krishna https://www.isvara.org
The devas were delighted to see Narakasura fall. They showered flowers from the sky while praising Krishna’s name. Narakasura’s son was crowned by Krishna at the request of Bhumata. Krishna released the sixteen thousand captive princesses who had been jailed by Narakasura. They fell at Krishna’s feet asking him to accept them as his wives, as no one else would now support them. Krishna accepted them all as his consorts and sent them to Dwaraka with guards carrying tons of wealth.
Krishna visited Deva Loka with Satyabhama by his side. He lovingly returned Indra’s mother’s earrings to her and Varuna’s umbrella to him. Indra and his wife Indrani worshipped Krishna.
Krishna and Satyabhama with Parijata tree https://devamrutam.blogspot.com
There in Indra’s garden Satyabhama saw the celestial Parijata tree with its golden bark and intoxicating fragrance. She reminded Krishna of a promise. Thus, on his way back, Krishna took the Parijata tree from Deva Loka without Indra’s knowledge. Why would Krishna do this knowing it would make Indra angry?
Some time earlier, Sage Narada got a few flowers from the celestial Parijata tree and offered them to Krishna. Narada had an ulterior motive, wanting to see which one of Krishna’s beloved wives he would give the flowers to. With delight, Krishna gave the flowers to Rukmini.
Finding this out, Satyabhama was provoked with jealousy. She confronted Krishna, expressing her anger and disappointment about the whole incident. Krishna said, “Are you crying over just a few flowers. I’ll get you the tree itself from Deva Loka.” Thus, Krishna uprooted the tree and loaded it on Garuda to take home to Dwaraka.
When Indra found out, he was furious and took his army to battle with Krishna, forgetting all the favors he had just gotten from him. Krishna easily defeated them all and returned to Dwaraka with the celestial tree.
Defeated, Indra cursed that the plant would never bear fruits, though it might bear flowers. Since then the Parijata tree does not bear any fruit.
Rukmini, Krishna and Satyabhama www.hindudevotionalblog.com
Satyabhama happily brought the tree to her palace, showing it off as her trophy. Rukmini also took a fancy to it because of its flowers. She loves adorning Krishna’s feet with flowers. So she insisted that she too wanted the flowers.
As Krishna loved them both, he planted the tree in Satyabhama’s courtyard in such a way that its flowers fell down in Rukmini’s courtyard. In this way he made both of his wives happy.
Krishna also married the sixteen thousand princesses, in as many palaces. He took on as many forms for them at the same time. All of his wives were accommodated in their special palaces so that there would be peace among them all.
Sage Narada was a celibate, so he had a doubt as how Krishna treated all his wives and how they regarded him. The thought of keeping a single wife seemed a great burden to him. So he wanted to know how Krishna managed to please all his wives, while still finding time for all his other accomplishments.
Narada went to Rukmini’s palace and saw Krishna relaxing on a swing bed with Rukmini lovingly fanning him. Krishna jumped up as soon as he saw the sage and welcomed him. After accepting all the hospitalities, Narada then went to the next door to Satyabhama. To his astonishment, there he saw Krishna playing a game of dice with her. Krishna again jumped up and greeted the Sage. Narada was puzzled. After enjoying their company, he moved on to the next palace. There he found Krishna with his wife Jambavati.
Narada and Krishna https://mythologyandvaishbhat.wordpress.com
Poor Narada stuck to his self-imposed task, climbing in and out of as many palaces as he could. In each of them he was greeted by smiling Krishna and a loyal, pleased and contented wife. Then he realized his mistake was in doubting Krishna, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He is the one in all. Everything exists in him. Then he prayed to the Lord, asking for forgiveness for doubting him.
Out of all his wives, Krishna could never find any fault with Rukmini. She was very great and always engaged in his service wholeheartedly. One day, Krishna wanted to see Rukmini’s beautiful face in an aggravated condition. So he schemed out a conversation which would press her buttons and make her irritated. Why would Krishna want to do this to Rukmini? It is said that it’s important for husband and wife, though in love, to have small conflicts and find ways to unite again.
Gods and Goddesses, heroes and heroines — the great Greek epics with tales of heroic deeds enchanted me as a child. The seeming impossible made possible kept me rapt.
I especially loved Hercules. He performed deeds that no one else could, due to both his strength and strategizing. As I grew up, I would apply myself in the same way, taking on challenges that were bigger than me. Whether it was athletic or academic success, I would not stop until I achieved what I set out to do. Yet, once completed, I was ready to move on to the next thing.
I just wasn’t satisfied. No matter what I achieved, I was still left with a feeling that there was something missing. And it was true! I was missing me. When I met my Guru, Gurudevi Nirmalananda, she gave me a new direction to turn: inward.
My striving to be something has transformed into discovering that which I already am — perfect, whole and complete. I learned that nothing I achieved on the outside would make me more whole on the inside. Wow! After years of striving to improve myself and my life, this revelation was groundbreaking. Yet to live in that knowing all the time is the true Herculean task. Gurudevi describes:
Your task is to first find the Divine in your own Self, then to see God shining through, as all that exists.
You know how to get tasks done. You have so many in your life, some more challenging than others. Yet all the tasks have taught you something. I often think that the challenges and goals I have taken on so far were all in preparation for this ultimate task, finding my own Self. It is the same for you. The skills needed to get a job or a degree are transferable to your spiritual upliftment. Finding the Divine in your own Self requires persistence, dedication, problem solving and more.
Yet you need a guide, someone to show you how and where to pour your efforts. This is the job of the Guru. Gurudevi not only shows you the way; she explains the path and gives you the experience she names. She gives you the yoga practices that were given to her by her own Guru. They have been passed down through the generations of yogis, dating back through time. We receive these same tools because they work. When you do the practices, you get the results.
First, you discover your own divine Self. This is the deeper dimension of your own being — that which is perfect, whole and complete. You taste it in your very first Svaroopa® yoga class or meditation. Yet it is easy to forget who you are when you leave your yoga space. Your task is to find your Self again and again and again, until again becomes always. You root so deeply into your own Divinity that you can never be uprooted again.
Once you are settled in your own Self, you see the world differently. Most people look at the world as separate and even scary. Yet, when you know your own Self, you are given divine vision. Instead of a scary world, you see a divine world. You see God shining through, as all that exists. With your divine eye, nothing is bad, nothing is to be rejected or feared. It is all to be respected and cherished.
This is the path laid out for you by the Great Masters in this yogic tradition. First you find your Self; then you see the Divine in everyone and everything. What a divine task! Are you ready to take it on?
In Dwaraka’s palace, Arjuna contemplated the situation all night. He realized he had to act immediately to stop the marriage of Duryodhana to Subhadra, the youngest sister of Krishna, born to Vasudeva and his wife Rohini. As she was already promised to be married to Duryodhana, a promise made by Balarama, her other brother, there was no way for Arjuna to win her through the traditional way. For him to marry Subhadra, the only other way would be to kidnap her by force.
In this case, force would probably not be necessary since Subhadra was already in love with him. She was not at all happy about her arranged marriage. Maybe an elopement! That’s it. Arjuna realized that was the meaning of Krishna’s hint given the night before! Now Arjuna need only to wait for an opportunity to carry out his plan.
Subhadra’s older brother Balarama gave her the duty to take care of the needs of their guest, Arjuna, who was thought to be a sage. It was considered a great blessing for a young maiden to serve a sage, so that she would get the blessings of a good husband and many children. Arjuna thoroughly enjoyed every visit of Subhadra, thanking God for this unexpected gift. He fell in love with her even more so, seeing her every time she came to serve him.
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Not knowing the true identity of the sage, Subhadra was delighted in serving him and being there, readily available for all his needs. After a few visits, she became a bit suspicious about his behavior. She found his interactions with her to be far from a saintly manner. When she watched him closely, she noticed his callused forefinger, common for an archer.
With this young sage, both of his forefingers were callused, which was a sign of a great archer. Not only was it a sign, it was a proof that the sage must be none other than Arjuna. Arjuna was the only archer who could have this as he was famous for shooting equally well with his right and left hands. When she asked, Arjuna didn’t have any choice other than to reveal his true identity to her. Ever since this discovery, their courtship progressed smoothly. As his stay continued, the rainy season started to end, meaning Subhadra’s wedding day was approaching. Now was the time to act.
They both had Krishna as their biggest ally. First and foremost, he gave Arjuna his chariot and advised Subhadra to drive the chariot away from Dwaraka towards Indraprastha. This was a crucial piece of advice, to make it look like Subhadra kidnapped Arjuna, not the other way around.
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The next morning, Arjuna borrowed Krishna’s chariot and waited near the temple where Subhadra had gone for a puja. As she came out of the temple, Arjuna drove the chariot in front of her so that she could easily get in. When the soldiers on duty saw this, they thought that Subhadra was being abducted by the sage.
Arjuna caught Subhadra by the arm to seat her in the chariot, preparing for her to drive away. At that moment, the soldiers started to attack Arjuna. Remembering Krishna’s advice, Subhadra took the reins of the horses. Arjuna immediately started to fire arrows at the soldiers, revealing his true identity. The soldiers ran towards the palace to inform Balarama of the incident.
Balarama got into a rage, uncommon for him. He pledged to punish Arjuna for what he had done, especially by breaking the trust by faking to be a sage. Balarama felt that the entire Yadava clan had been dishonored by this act of Arjuna. Since Arjuna was Krishna’s bosom friend, Balarama suspected Krishna’s involvement as well. He wanted to confront Krishna about the event and sent word for him to come.
When Krishna arrived, Balarama shouted at him, asking why Krishna was silent about his dear friend insulting them and the Yadava clan by kidnapping their sister. He said to Krishna, “It’s an unbearable disgrace upon us. Especially after we treated Arjuna so well, offering him shelter. I cannot wait to hear why you let this happen, and you not yet getting ready to chase him down to fight!”
Krishna smilingly said, “Didn’t I warn you dear brother, about letting strangers stay at our palace, especially with our young sister around. You are the one refused to believe me, and now you are trying to blame the event on me. I heard from the soldiers that it was our loving sister, Subhadra who was driving the chariot and not Arjuna. Therefore, this is not a kidnapping. It is an elopement initiated by our sister.” Balarama was a bit annoyed by Krishna’s sarcasm.
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Then Balarama looked at Krishna and asked why he hadn’t said anything about the true identity of the sage, as well as the love affair between them. Krishna smilingly said, “As you had already promised Subhadra to Duryodhana, I didn’t want you to get involved in any elopement. In this way, you are clear of all blame and guilt. Since you knew nothing about this elopement, Duryodhana cannot blame you for breaking your promise.” Balarama had no choice but to accept the marriage of Subhadra with Arjuna.
The couple was invited back with great honor and the wedding was celebrated grandly in Dwaraka. After some time passed, it became time for the newlyweds to return to Arjuna’s home, Indraprastha. Subhadra was getting ready to leave with Arjuna, bringing her huge dowry of precious metals, horses and maidens.
But there was a problem in taking Subhadra to Indraprastha. When all five Pandavas married Draupadi, they gave her their word that they would never bring any of their other wives whom they marry in the future to the palace where Draupadi lived. Therefore, while they were allowed to marry many women, according to the tradition of kshatriyas, but Draupadi would be the only wife whom they would have in Indraprastha. Arjuna decided to take his chances by returning from his exile to Indraprastha along with his new wife Subhadra.
He was welcomed by Kunti and his brothers. But Draupadi was missing. When he inquired about her, the brothers revealed that she was in a rage and didn’t want to see anyone. They added that she was heartbroken, as Arjuna was breaking the promise by bringing his new wife, Subhadra, to Indraprastha.
Hearing this Subhadra decided to mend things. To save her husband from this difficult situation, she decided to visit Draupadi’s chamber in the attire of a cowherd woman. When Draupadi asked who she was, she said that she came to serve her as her maid. She then fell at Draupadi’s feet. Draupadi got suspicious and asked her to come out with the truth. Then Subhadra revealed who she was and promised Draupadi that she would never want to replace her or take her place in Indraprastha. Seeing such humility, Draupadi accepted Subhadra as her younger sister.
After some time, Subhadra bore a son to Arjuna. He was the great Abhimanyu, who later became equal to his father in virtue, valor, and proficiency in archery. A true son of Arjuna, he became the favorite of all the Pandava brothers and of Krishna.
Now let’s look at the marriages of Krishna, which also happened in this same time period.
Mitravinda was a cousin of Krishna as her mother Rajadevi was an aunt to Krishna. The princes of Avanti, Vinda and Anuvinda were friends of Duryodhana. The princes arranged a swayamvara for their sister, Mitravinda, but without her consent. Mitravinda begged Krishna to rescue her. She was devoted to Krishna and longed to marry him. Knowing her devotion, Krishna obliged to her request. He once again fought with all the other kings while abducting her, then formally married her in Dwaraka.
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Satya was the daughter of the King of Kosala, Nagnajita, who was married to Vasudeva’s sister. This king owned seven vicious bulls with sharp horns. He declared that whomever was capable of subduing these seven bulls would win his daughter’s hand in marriage. Many kings from all parts of the world wanted to marry Satya, so they attempted to calm the bulls but failed miserably.
When Krishna visited Ayodhya, the capital of Kosala, King Nagnajita greeted him with highest honor and gave him a grand welcome. His daughter Satya, seeing Krishna in person, immediately fell in love with his divine form and wanted to marry him. As Nagnajita had already announced the competition, he had to request that Krishna accept the challenge, in order to fulfill Satya’s wish.
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Krishna entered into the arena which the bulls had been let loose. He then multiplied himself into seven forms and calmed the bulls instantaneously with great ease. The king along with his daughter were delighted to see this. The happy father bestowed his blessing on the bride and groom in a grand wedding. Krishna then took Satya with him back to Dwaraka.
Krishna’s marriage to his cousin Bhadraa was the only marriage that took place without any unpleasant occurrences. Bhadraa was the daughter of Shrutakirtii, another aunt of Krishna. Bhadra’s brothers married their sister to Krishna in a splendid wedding.
Krishna also married Lakshmanaa (or Lakshanaa), the daughter of King of Madra. In her swayamvara, he won her in an archery challenge similar to the one Arjuna won to marry Draupadi. Thus, Krishna married about eight women during the course of this time. He lived happily in Dwaraka until he received multiple complaints about the mighty King Narakasura.
