LIFE’S A PLAY!!!

Strolling along the forest of Naimisharanya I came to the banks of the river Virija. As elegant as it was beautiful, I sat on its bank and started playing with its water. As I gazed to the other side of the bank, I noticed someone filling the pots. Drenched in a yellow sari and garlanded with parijat flowers, she was giggling with the other one that lay standing there and helping her with the pots to carry over. Recognising who they were I simply smiled and continued playing gently with my hands.

“You won’t call out to them?” Asked a inquisitive voice. With a small whirlpool projecting upwards manifested a Devi. As beautiful as she was simple, her voice was distinct. She folded her hands in form of namaskar and I obliged and started playing with the waters again smiling while looking down at the ripples that were created.

“Can you see the ripples Devi?” I asked her smiling.

“Yes, why not? You are creating them in my waters.”

I stared at her smiling and asked,” So you also know what consequences it would yield?”

“Yes. It would lead to the dissolution and creation of many multiverses.”

I grinned and asked her again,” And why aren’t you stopping me from doing so?”

She smirkingly replied,” You very well know Sakhi but you are still asking. Why?”

I smirked back at her, stood up and replied,” I know but I just wanted it to hear from you.”

“Well, the place where you are present, the moment of an eye batting anyway leads to the creation and dissolution of infinite multiverses so it doesn’t matter.”

I grinned at her and said,”Yes Devi. It DOES NOT MATTER.”

“Pardon me Sakhi but” she continued, perplexed, “what does it have to do with not calling them?”

I replied casually,” Same. It doesn’t matter. Whether they see me or not, what difference would it make. It will only add to their wound of separation that they have since….”

“Since….?” Asked Devi Virija wanting to get it out of me.

I looked at her smiling sarcastically and replied her with silence.

She smiled and said,” Okay if you wish so but wouldn’t you want to meet your Prabhu and Mata?”

I looked at her and replied courteously,” Sakhi, it doesn’t matter.”

“Okay. Please excuse me then. I have to fulfil my duties.” She said smiling.

I nodded and she merged into her waters. As she merged it created a huge wave that splashed onto the either sides causing them to notice me on the other side of their bank.

As they saw me, they were stupefied with surprise. Since they couldn’t shout as much, they conveyed their emotions with mudras. We , Sakhis, always used mudras as a sign of communication. When Prabhu used to meditate and we used to be around him, we used to convey messages through various mudras. As they made Hridaya mudra, I also reciprocated with the same. Then they grinned with excitement and leaving the pots there, left running.

I got up and taking a last glance at the other side started to leave when her voice stopped me,

“So many Manvantars and yet you don’t feel the need to have an audience with me? Has the sands of time obliterated us from your memory and from your feelings?”

I looked back smiling and touched her feet. She hugged me tight and said,”Please come back. You have done enough.”

I replied closing my eyes and feeling her warm hug,” Lalita and Vishakha won’t change. They informed you as soon as they went from here. Didn’t they?”

“Yes. They have been waiting and coming to this bank awaiting your arrival and here you are.” She said smiling eyes closed.

I held her hand and kissed. Putting her hand on my crown, I replied,” Pardon me Devi. I am here but won’t cross.”

“Why so?” She asked, disappointed.

“Because if I now, I wouldn’t be able to return  from where I came.”

She replied, serious, “ You came from me so you should return to me”

I replied smiling,” Everything animate or inanimate, dead or living came from you and during Mahapralaya will return to you. I am among the infinite creations of yours, so how does it matter?”

“In the same way they matter to you. You are independent in yourself and yet you still choose to live in the physical realm and experience the ups and downs of material body. Why:?”

“Because I am a fool, Devi Radha. I am a fool. What can I do? Love can make you do crazy things. And who would understand it better than you!”

“Didn’t you wait long enough?”

“Waiting is waiting. It is neither long nor short.”

Hearing my reply she smiled and wanted to add something but Mukunda entered. They exchanged glances and Devi Radha left.

He smiled at me and sat at the banks of Viraja and invited me to sit with him. I accepted and sat with him.

With his flute, he started making small whirlpools in the water signalling Mahakaal to start the Mahapralaya of the galaxies situated there.

He asked smiling,” So sakhi tell me why does it matter whether creation happens or not?”

I replied,” Prabhu, it doesn’t.”

“And yet we do it again and again. Why?”

“Because you are playful and you are just playing. When you wish to play with you, you create and when you are bored, you dissolve everything in you.”

“Yes but what makes the play interesting? IS it winning?”

“No Prabhu. If we always win, the play would have no meaning. To give it some meaning or significance, laws must be established.”

“So you are suggesting that it is the execution of those laws not the breaking of the laws that makes the play intense?”

“Yes. If we break the laws now and then for our convenience, the play would have no meaning and the intensity of experience will subside.”

“And what happens when you are satisfied with everything and there is nothing more to experience?”

“Life ceases to exist and it starts to dissolve.”

“And what is that?” He asked staring at my eyes still creating whirlpools with his flute.

“Mahapralaya.”

He stood up, walked away and spoke to me looking back sideways smiling,” Sakhi, this entire existence is fuelled on the basis of desires. It was the desire that led to creation and it is the loss of the desire that leads to dissolution. IF there is desire, there is life. Otherwise there is nothing but death. Life is brief so enjoy the play that you are in and play it well. Whether you lose or win, you achieve or don’t is not something that you can decide but you can surely decide how intensely you play the play. And that is what MATTERS and this is the reason IT MATTERS!!!”

Saying this he left.

I smiled as I saw the peacock feather from his flute whirling with the whirlpool in the river. Ternary eyed I left smiling.