Srimati Radharani cursed by Sridama
Description of pastimes that happened in Goloka, which resulted in Srimati Radharani going through the pain of separation from Lord Krishna for 100 years.
Radha, Shri, Viraja, and Bhu were the four wives of Lord Krishna. Of them Radha was most dear to Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
One day in a secluded forest grove the Lord enjoyed pastimes with Viraja, who was splendid as ten million moons and very much like Radha.
When from a friend’s mouth She heard that Krishna had enjoyed pastimes with Her rival, Radha, unhappy at Her rival’s happiness, became filled with jealous anger.
Ascending a chariot made of wonderful jewels, gold, and pearls, and decorated with ten million flags and golden domes, clutching a stick, and accompanied by a billion gopi friends, the Lord’s beloved, Shri Radha, rushed to see Lord Krishna.
Seeing powerful Shridama guarding the entrance by Krishna’s order, Radha and Her friends rebuked him with many words.
Eager to enter, Radha and Her friends began to hit Shridama with sticks. Hearing the great commotion, the gopis were making, Lord Krishna disappeared.
Out of fear of Radha, Viraja transformed herself into a river that flowed for eighty-million miles around Gokula.
She then encircled Goloka as an ocean encircles a continent. She was glorious as if she were decorated with flowers and jewels and decorated with a crown.
Looking at the forest there and the river (that Viaraja had become), and thinking that Lord Krishna had gone, Shri Radha went to Her own forest grove.
Then Lord Krishna transformed Viraja from being a river to being a girl dressed in glittering garments.
Then Lord Krishna again enjoyed a rasa dance with Viraja in the forest by the Viraja river.
By Lord’s Krishna’s power seven sons were born to Viraja. With their childhood games they decorated the forest there.
One day they quarreled. Hit by his elders, the youngest boy fled to his mother’s lap.
As the pious lady hugged and consoled her son, Lord Krishna suddenly disappeared.
Grieving over her separation from Krishna, she cursed her son, “Fool that separated me from Krishna, become water!”
“The people will never drink your water.” The older sons she cursed with the words, “Quarrelsome children, go to the earth!
“You will become bodies of water, each in his own place. You will not meet. Only at the time of cosmic devastation will you meet.”
In this way, by their mother’s curse, they went to the earth. They lived in the ruts left by the wheels of King Priyavrata’s chariot.
The seven boys became seven peaceful and impassable oceans of salt-water, sugarcane juice, liquor, ghee, yogurt, milk, and fresh-water.
They were deep and impassable. The first ocean was a eight-hundred-thousand miles across, the next one was double that size, and each succeeding one was double the size of the one before.
After her sons had departed, she became filled with love for them. Then Lord Krishna approached His beloved Viraja, who was unhappy to be separated from her sons. The Lord gave her a benediction.
“O frightened one, you will never be separated from Me. Still, with your own power you will always protect your sons.”
Aware that Radha was suffering in His separation, Lord Krishna went with Shridama to Her forest.
Seeing that Krishna, who is more to hear than Her own life, had come with His friend to the door of Her forest grove, Radha became filled with jealous anger. She spoke the following words to Lord Krishna.
Shri Radha said: “O Krishna, go where Your love is. Viraja has become a river. You become a river also. Why would You want to stay with Me in this forest?”
Hearing these words, Lord Krishna went to Viraja’s forest. Then Krishna’s friend Shridama angrily spoke to Radha.
Shri Shridama said: “Shri Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the master of countless universes. He is the master of Goloka.
He has many millions of transcendental potencies. He can do whatever He likes. He is greater than the greatest. O Radha, please don’t, don’t criticize Him.”
Shri Radha said: “O fool, you praise your father and criticize Me, your mother. Fool, leave Goloka and become a demon!”
Shri Shridama said: “O beautiful one, even though Lord Krishna was kind to You, still You were angry and jealous. Therefore You will go to the earth and for a hundred years be separated from Shri Krishna, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
When they had thus cursed each other they became anxious and frightened. At that moment the Lord appeared there.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: “O Radha, I have the power to negate My own words and throw them far away, but I do not have the power to negate and throw away the words of My devotees.
O beautiful one, don’t lament. O Radha, please hear the blessing I give to You: After many months, when the period of Our separation is over, You will see Me again.
At the time of the Varaha-kalpa, I will go with You to the earth to relieve the earth’s burden and allow the devotees to see Me.
O Shridama, hear My words. By a partial expansion of yourself you will become a demon. During the Vaivasvata-manvantara you will fight with Me. You will then die by My hand. By My blessings You will again attain the form you had before.”
Because of this curse Shridama took birth among the yakshas in the home of Sudhana. He was named Shankhacuda and he became a follower of Kuvera.
Thus Sridama spent the specified time period in the form of Shankhacuda before returning to Krishna, and Sri Radha, the daughter of King Vrsabhanu, appeared on earth along with Lord Sri Krishna to eventually become the wife of Abhimanyu.