The Unexpected Discovery
One quiet afternoon in the fragrant groves near Yāvat, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and Lord Kṛṣṇa sat together beneath a flowering kadamba tree, lost in gentle laughter and sweet conversation. The forest air shimmered with divine fragrance; peacocks danced, bees hummed, and the Yamunā breeze carried the sound of their voices like music.
At that very moment, however, Abhimanyu’s sister Kutilā happened to pass by. Crooked-minded as her name suggests, she peered through the vines and froze in shock. “Ah-ha!” she whispered to herself, her eyes widening. “Now I’ve caught them red-handed!”
Not wasting a moment, she turned and ran to the palace, her voice shrill with excitement. “Mother! Abhimanyu! Come quickly!” she cried. “Your wife, that deceitful girl Rādhā, is with that rascal Kṛṣṇa in the forest! Come, you’ll see for yourself!”
Jatilā’s Outrage
Old Jatilā, always suspicious of her daughter-in-law, grumbled and scolded, but deep down, she was eager to expose Rādhā. “This time,” she muttered, “there will be no escape for her.” Gathering her courage, she hobbled toward the grove, her walking stick tapping furiously on the path.
Meanwhile, Rādhārāṇī and Kṛṣṇa, unaware of Kutilā’s spying, continued their playful talk until they suddenly heard Jatilā’s angry voice approaching. Alarmed, Rādhā whispered, “Kṛṣṇa, she’s coming! What shall we do?”
Kṛṣṇa smiled mischievously and said softly, “Just bow down.”
Rādhā looked at Him, startled. “Bow down? My husband’s mother is about to catch us, and You want me to bow down?”
Again Kṛṣṇa repeated, “Just bow down.”
In an instant, before she could speak again, Kṛṣṇa transformed Himself by Yogamāyā’s power into a fierce, blackish form of the goddess Kālī — tongue protruding, sword in hand, garlanded with skulls, radiating divine energy. Rādhārāṇī immediately bowed down before the goddess, joining her hands in devotion.
The Great Illusion
When Jatilā arrived, panting and furious, she stopped dead in her tracks. Before her eyes stood a magnificent deity of Kālī, and in front of the goddess knelt her chaste daughter-in-law, Rādhārāṇī, engaged in sincere worship.
Jatilā blinked, rubbed her eyes, and looked again. “Ah,” she murmured to herself, “Kutilā has gone mad again! See how pure my daughter-in-law is! She’s worshiping Kālī for the welfare of her husband!”
Just then, the mischievous Kṛṣṇa, still disguised as Kālī, rolled His eyes and gave a mighty roar, shaking the branches above. Startled, Jatilā fell to her knees and offered obeisances, praying aloud, “O Mother Kālī! Please protect my household! Forgive my foolish daughter Kutilā for doubting this chaste girl!”
Satisfied, the “goddess” nodded approvingly, and Rādhā hid her laughter behind folded palms.
The Return to Yāvat
Convinced of Rādhā’s purity, Jatilā hurried home, shouting, “Kutilā! You’ve made a fool of yourself again! Rādhā is worshiping Kālī herself! You should be ashamed of accusing such a saintly girl!”
Meanwhile, when the coast was clear, Kṛṣṇa resumed His charming bluish form. Seeing Rādhārāṇī smiling through her relief, He whispered, “Now you see, even Jatilā can glorify your chastity — if only for a moment.”
The divine couple laughed softly, their hearts filled with the sweetness of another successful pastime crafted by Yogamāyā.
Reflection
This playful episode reminds us that the Lord’s pastimes are never ordinary. Even when He seems to act in mischief, everything He does protects the honor of His devotees and deepens their love. Rādhārāṇī’s apparent peril became a stage for the Lord’s cleverness and compassion.
In the same way, when life seems to turn against us, Kṛṣṇa may simply be arranging a scene to reveal our hidden virtue and to make our devotion shine brighter before the world.
Prayer
O Śrī Kṛṣṇa, playful master of all illusion,
Who protects the honor of Your devotees with divine wit —
May my heart, too, bow down in faith when danger draws near.
And O Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, may I serve You
With the same courage, grace, and laughter You showed that day in Yāvat.
Origin: From Indradyumna Swami’s lecture “Vṛndāvana Is Such a Nice Place – Yāvat Part 4,” recounting Kṛṣṇa’s pastime as Goddess Kālī to protect Śrī Rādhā’s honor.
