Kokilavan
Please note, this is one of my old videos. For complete information watch the video at the bottom of the page.
Kokilavan lies three miles north of Nandgaon. The forest takes its name from the ‘kokila’ bird, which refers to the black colored Indian cuckoo also known as koel. This particular cuckoo has a loud shrieking call; kuhoo, kuhoo, kuhoo, repeated in crescendo four or five times during the summer, usually in the early morning and late evening. One day Krishna came to this forest in order to meet Radharani and the gopis, but due to the ever-watchful eye of Jatila, Radharani and the gopis could not leave the house. Understanding the situation, Krishna began to call the gopis by imitating the melodious song of the kokila bird, which inspired all the other kokila birds in the forest to start singing, thus creating a tumultuous sound that could be heard for miles.
I would like to mention the below pastime again which I have already mentioned in my other video “Javat, Vraja Mandala, UP, India” as Sri Radharani was in Javat and Lord Krishna was waiting for Sri Radharani in Kokilavan.
Subala is the younger brother of Chandravali, and the son of Chandrabhanu. His face is the same as Srimati Radharani’s.
One day in Kokilavana, which is situated north of the village of Javat, Krsna called Radharani’s name by playing on His flute. This sound had a special quality that no one except Radharani could hear. When Radharani heard Krsna calling Her thus, immediately She became very enthusiastic to go to Kokilavana to meet with Krsna.
Unfortunately Her mother-in-law, Jatila, was sitting at the door of the house. Radharani could not leave the house, and thus She felt deprived of Krsna’s association. Krsna was waiting along with Subala at a kunja in Kokila. He was extremely eager to see Radharani, and from time to time He would leave the kunja and look in all directions to see if Radharani was approaching. Returning to the kunja He would wait for some time, then again He would leave the kunja and look for Radha. So much time passed, and still Sri Radha did not arrive.
When Krsna saw there was no hope for Radharani to come to Him, He became very impatient and loudly said, “Ha, Radhe! Ha, Radhe!” and fainted to the ground. Subala held Krsna in his lap and, wiping tears from Krsna’s eyes, tried to pacify Him. Subala said, “My dear friend! My heart is breaking to see you in this condition. Please tell me, how can I help you? What should I do now?”
Krsna embraced Subala and caught hold of his hand. He told Subala, “My dear friend Subala! If you have really understood My sorrowful situation then you should go immediately to the house of Jatila and somehow or other bring Radharani here to meet Me. I cannot survive without meeting with Radharani. I will wait here eagerly until you come back with Radharani.”
When Subala heard these words from his dear friend Krsna, he said to Him. “As per your instruction, now I am going to Javat. I will try my best to bring Radharani here to meet with You. But You must wait here with patience until I return. Please do not faint again! Now, let me go…”
As Subala was preparing to move, Krsna embraced him strongly and said, “Dear Subala! Please go, bring My most dear Radharani as soon as possible and save My life.”
Subala hurried towards Javat and the house of Jatila. When he arrived, he was loitering outside the house of Jatila, looking here and there. Seeing Subala, Jatila called to him, “O Subala! Why are you wandering around here today?”
Subala offered his humble obeisances to Jatila and said, “My dear grandmother, I have lost one of my calves, and her mother is crying for her. I asked so many people if they had seen her, and one person told me they had a calf wandering on this side of Vraja, near your house.”
Jatila felt very compassionate towards Subala, and prompted by Yogamaya, she said, “Yes! It is so. But Subala, your face is so red from wandering in this heat. Please go into the cool house; there you will see the assistant of my daughter-in-law. She will give you water, and you please rest for a while. Then after some time you can go searching for your calf.”
Subala was very happy to hear this from Jatila and immediately entered the house. He went straight to Sri Radha’s rooms and found Her sitting on the floor with Her head in Her hands, crying. Lalita and the other sakhis were pacifying Her. When Srimati Radharani saw him She said, “O Subala! From where have you come? Have you seen Lord of My life?”
Subala said, “Krsna and I have been waiting in Kokilavana for You; since You did not arrive, my friend Krsna became very worried for You. In separation from You He is crying while uttering ‘Ha, Radhe! Ha, Radhe!’ and fainting again and again. Why did You not go to meet with Krsna? He has sent me here to bring You to Him. He is waiting eagerly for you. Come!”
Radharani said, “Subala! Just see how My mother-in-law Jatila is sitting there at the door with a stick in her hand. In this situation, how can I go out of the house and disobey My seniors? Although My mother-in-law is not able to see perfectly and I could very easily escape her, still My sister-in-law Kutila is very tough with Me. She is crooked by nature and always eagerly waiting to find some fault with Me.” Radharani looked at Subala with tears in Her eyes. “My Lord Krsna must be waiting in Kokilavana and suffering in separation from Me. I know it very well. But what can I do? I am helpless. I cannot go out of My house to help My Lord, who is lying in a faint on the ground. You cannot understand how painful it is for Me to hear from you that my Lord is suffering in this way. Please go back to the forest immediately and pacify Him by explaining the reasons I have not been able to meet with Him. Go quickly! Do not delay here for a moment.”
Subala replied, “Radhe! If I go back to Krsna without taking You with me, then Krsna will only suffer more and He will leave his body in separation from You. That is what he told me when I left Him in the forest. In order to extinguish the fire of separation that burns within both of you, I have made a plan. Please listen carefully.”
Subala lowered his voice and spoke quietly to Srimati Radharani: “I will dress You in my clothes. You will go out of the house right in front of Jatila and still she won’t recognize You. Then Your sakhis will decorate me with Your dress, and I will stay here in the house.”
Radharani clapped Her hands in delight and said, “Subala! Thank you so much for your nice idea. I am very happy to hear this.” Her brow wrinkled as She thought, and She added, “But there is a problem with this. I can wear your clothes, but My hair is so long and my breasts are raised high. How can I hide this? Please give me some idea. If Jatila recognizes Me when I pass by her, then I will be in great danger. She will never allow Me out of the house again and I will never be able to meet with My Krsna.”
Subala answered, “Dear Radhika, do not be worried about this. I have already thought of a solution to Your two problems. Please listen carefully: First, Your sakhis will pile Your hair on top of Your head and cover it with my turban. Second, when I was coming to Your house, Jatila saw me and asked me why have I come here. I told her that I was looking for my calf that had wandered from the herd. So, I will give You one small calf. You hold it to Your chest, thus disguising Yourself further. Do not be worried that Your mother-in-law will recognize You. I will dress You so perfectly that no one will recognize You as Radha; they will think you are Subala!”
When Radharani heard this plan from Subala, She was in ecstasy.
When the plan was finalized, Lalita dressed Subala in the blue sari of Radharani and adorned his body with Her ornaments. She put vermilion on his forehead, black kajal around his eyes, and alata on his feet. Behind Subala’s head she put some artificial hair. She dressed him in a blue blouse and stuffed it with cloth to create artificial breasts. She put bunches of bangles on both his arms. When the sakhis saw Subala, whose features were identical to Srimati Radharani’s, they all started to laugh and clap their hands in delight.
Then Lalita took the cloth of Subala and dressed Radharani. Then Subala piled Radharani’s hair on top of Her head and covered it with his turban. Radhika wiped the sindura from Her forehead, the kajal from Her eyes, and the alata from her feet. Because Subala was the brother of Candravali, his appearance and color was just like Radharani’s.
Now Radha was looking just like Subala. He gave Radha one small calf to hold, covering Her breasts. Then, remembering the lotus feet of Krsna, Srimati Radharani slowly walked out of the house and though the main gate, right past Jatila.
When Jatila saw Radharani she thought, “Ah, Subala is going back,” can called out to him, “O Subala! Did you drink water? Did you find your calf?”
When Radharani heard this, She simply replied, “Hmm,” and left the place. Then She proceeded towards Kokilavana in order to meet with Sri Krsna, the Lord of Her life.
In Kokilavana Krsna was eagerly waiting for Subala to return with Radharani. But suddenly Krsna saw Subala walking alone, without Radharani. Krsna thought, “I sent Subala to bring My most dear Radharani with him, but he has returned unsuccessful. What has happened? May be Her mother-in-law did not allow Her to come out of the house? Maybe She is not able to come out due to some engagement or household activities? Maybe She has come across some other great obstacle?”
Thus imagining different reasons for Radharani’s non-appearance, Krsna become very worried. Thinking all these things, He started towards Subala, eager to understand why Srimati Radhika was not coming.
Radharani, in the disguise of Subala, was looking at Krsna and floating in an ocean of ecstasy at the sight of Him. But She did not reveal Her own identity, eager to see Krsna’s own eagerness for Her.
As She came close to Krsna, He said, “O Subala, you have come alone! Where is my Radharani, who is more dear to Me than My life? Where have you hidden Her? Why are you giving Me more pain by not revealing where She is. What kind of enjoyment are you deriving by giving Me so much pain? If you have hidden Her somewhere then kindly bring Her here and save My life!”
While Krsna was speaking this way, Radharani came very close to Him and, in the voice of Subala, She said to Krsna, “My friend, as You ordered I went to Jatila’s house on the pretext of searching for my lost calf. I saw Jatila; the old lady was sitting at the gate holding a stick in her hand. I went inside the house with her permission, and there I saw there Radharani crying, Her head hanging down in misery. She was crying in separation from You, unable to leave the house. All the sakhis including Lalita were counselling Her.
“When Radharani saw me She asked me where I had come from and whether I had seen You. I explained how You are suffering in separation from Her. I told Her that because She had not gone to the forest that day, that You had sent me to take Her with me. Then she replied, ‘My mother-in-law is sitting at the doorstep. I will not be able to go out of the house.’ Then I came back without any success to inform you of these things.”
When Krsna heard this hopeless news from Subala, He said, “O Subala! You know all kinds of tricks. Whenever I send you to bring Radharani, you always manage to bring Her to Me. Never before have you failed. Why have you not succeeded this time? I cannot survive in this world without Her.
“When I sent you to bring Radharani, I told you that if I leave My body from the pain of separation then please give Her My peacock feather, flute, and gunja-mala.” Then Krsna started to cry loudly, uttering the name of Radharani: “O Radhe! O Radhe! O My most dear Radhe!”
When Radharani saw Krsna’s desperation, She could not control Herself and longer. She put the calf on the ground and removed the turban from Her head. Immediately Her hair fell loose and hung down Her back.
When Krsna saw that Subala was actually His beloved Sri Radha, He embraced Her with affection and took Her inside the kunja. After Their loving exchanges Radharani left for Her house.
By that time Subala, who was still in the dress of Radharani, had come out of the house along with the sakhis on the pretext of going to the Yamuna to fetch the water. Srimati Radharani met Her sakhis and Subala at the Yamuna and changed out of Subala’s clothes and into Her own. Subala then went back to Krsna in the forest and Radharani went back to Her house, holding the water pot in Her arms and accompanyied by Her sakhis.