Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c11.s3.34

c11.s3.34

In Act I, we have a preliminary scene in which Paurṇamāsī, mother of the sage Saṃdīpani and disciple of Nārada, reveals the mythical origin of Candrāvalī and Rādhā who, as two daughters of the Vindhya mountain, are related as sisters, a fact of which they were themselves unaware. The infant Candrāvalī having been stolen by the demoness Pūtanā, an emissary of Kaṃsa, fell from her hands into a stream and became the daughter of Bhiṣmaka, king of Vidarbha, being recovered as Rukmiṇī! Rādhā's story is related later on. Of the sixteen thousand and one hundred Gopīs, who worshipped the goddess Kātyāyanī and Kāmākhyā of Kāmarūpa and received the boon of obtaining Kṛṣṇa as their husband, we are told (iv. 7) that the five chief Gopīs, Padmā or Nāgnajitī (daughter of king Nagnajit), Bhadrā or Lakṣaṇā (daughter of the king of Kekaya), Śaivyā (daughter of the king Śaivya), Śyāmalā or Mādrī (daughter of the king of Madra), as well as Lalitā, were all originally princesses, while Viśākhā was the incarnated river Yamunā, daughter of the sun-god! We are also told that there was regular marriage of Candrāvalī and Rādhā with Kṛṣṇa; their being the wives respectively of the Gopas, Govardhana and Abhimanyu, is described as the effect of Māyā (Māyā-vivarta). This is also true in the case of the other Gopīs, whom their so-called husbands, the Gopas, could never look upon as their wives! The object of the Act, however, which is entitled Sāyaṃ-utsava (evening festival), is to describe Pūrva-rāga, chiefly with reference to Candrāvalī and Rādhā. It depicts the return home of Kṛṣṇa in the evening after tending cows all day, and his meetings, separately, with Candrāvalī and Rādhā; but both the meetings are interrupted by the vigilance of their respective mothers-in-law, Bhāruṇḍā and Jaṭilā. The next morning opens, in Act II.