Padmā’s Spying Eyes
One serene afternoon in the groves near Yāvat, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and Lord Kṛṣṇa were seated together beneath a flowering tree, laughing and sharing soft words. The gentle breeze carried the fragrance of jasmine and malatī flowers as the divine couple gazed into one another’s eyes.
At that very moment, Padmā, the close friend of Candravalī, happened to pass by. She stopped suddenly, hiding behind a bush, astonished to see Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa together in that secret bower. Her heart filled with a mischievous impulse. Padmā was loyal to Candravalī, who was Rādhārāṇī’s friendly rival for Kṛṣṇa’s affection, and she thought to herself, “Now I can finally expose Rādhā and prove her unchaste before all of Vraja!”
Without a second thought, Padmā hurried away, her anklets jingling as she ran straight to Yāvat. Breathless and excited, she burst into the courtyard of Jatilā, Rādhārāṇī’s mother-in-law.
“Mother Jatilā!” she cried. “Your daughter-in-law and that rascal cowherd, Kṛṣṇa, are together right now in the forest! Come quickly—see with your own eyes!”
The Divine Couple Caught Off Guard
Jatilā, always suspicious of Rādhārāṇī, became furious. Seizing her stick, she rushed toward the forest, muttering, “This time I will catch them red-handed!” When she arrived at the grove, the divine couple were indeed there. Startled, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa froze in silence. They could not vanish in time, as Yogamāyā had arranged for a different kind of deliverance that day.
Jatilā stood some distance away, glaring with disbelief, her old eyes squinting to make out the scene. “What is this?” she exclaimed. “Has my daughter-in-law truly betrayed her husband?”
Rādhā lowered Her head, and Kṛṣṇa glanced toward Her with a playful smile, awaiting Yogamāyā’s intervention.
Śyāma-sakhī’s Cleverness
Just then, Śyāma-sakhī, one of Rādhārāṇī’s intimate friends, happened to pass by. Seeing the danger, she understood at once the situation and quickly stepped forward to protect the divine couple.
“Mother Jatilā,” she said sweetly, “I can explain everything you see. Do not be disturbed. This is not Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa together! You see, Kṛṣṇa has dressed His friend Subala as a girl, and they are simply playing together, pretending to be yakṣa and yakṣi—forest spirits who come here to bathe.”
Jatilā blinked her half-blind eyes and leaned closer. “Ah yes, yes,” she said, nodding. “I can see it now. That must be Subala in disguise! How foolish of me. Yes, Kṛṣṇa and Subala—playing their childish tricks again.”
Satisfied by Śyāma-sakhī’s quick thinking, Jatilā hobbled away toward home, muttering, “Children, always making mischief in the forest…”
The moment she disappeared down the path, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa burst into soft laughter, Their eyes meeting once again in relief and affection. Yogamāyā had once more preserved Their sacred meeting, turning danger into sweetness.
The Secret of Divine Rivalry
Even these rivalries, jealousies, and clever rescues in Vṛndāvana are all transcendental. In the spiritual world, such emotions do not arise from pride or malice but from pure love—each event deepens the rasa, the spiritual flavor, of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes.
Candravalī and Rādhārāṇī are not enemies. Their apparent competition is orchestrated by Yogamāyā to intensify the bliss of both Kṛṣṇa and His devotees. As Swamiji explained, in material life competition divides, but in the divine realm it unites hearts in ever-deepening affection.
When Rādhā strives to attract Kṛṣṇa’s attention and Candravalī does the same, Kṛṣṇa’s love for each of them expands without limit. The gopīs’ rivalries are like waves in an ocean—they rise and fall, but the ocean itself only grows deeper and more beautiful.
In this world, when two compete, one wins and one loses; in Vṛndāvana, everyone wins, for every feeling, every act, every glance serves only one purpose—to please Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Reflection
True devotion means to rejoice when others serve Kṛṣṇa better than ourselves. Just as the gopīs rejoice even in rivalry, we too should find joy when another devotee excels, for their success is Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure. The moment envy is transformed into celebration, love becomes pure.
Competition in spiritual life is not for superiority but for surrender. The one who most forgets themselves in service becomes the true victor.
Prayer
O Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, Queen of Vṛndāvana,
May my heart never envy the service of another devotee.
Let me, like Śyāma-sakhī, use all intelligence and creativity to protect Your pastimes,
and let my only competition be to outdo myself in loving You and Śrī Kṛṣṇa more each day.
May every rivalry in my heart dissolve into service,
and may I rejoice eternally in the divine play of Your love.
Origin: From Indradyumna Swami’s lecture “Vṛndāvana Is Such a Nice Place – Yāvat Part 4
