Now, everyone knows giving away dust at one’s feet depletes the punya account. The gopis loved Krishna no dount but look at one another with hesitance. Nothing was forthcoming. Radharani was away at time due to a tiff with Krishna, again another of Vrindavan lilas. “Tell Narada to approach Radharani and send dust of Her feet!” He tells the gopis. And so Narada goes to Radharani. She was shocked of Krishna’s ailment.
“Alright, here it is; take the dust of My feet” said Radha unhesitatingly and handed Narada a handful of dust. “Come, come Radharani” says Narada “Are you out of Your mind; do You understand that if You give Him the dust of your feet then all your punyas will be lost. The Lord is just playing a trick”. Radharani tells Narada off as She is very much aware of the mad tricks Krishna plays. But Her heart restlessly burns with desire for Him. She recalls Krishna robbing Her clothes but above that She also knows that Krishna became Her dress. What more can Krishna take? All Her joy is derived from unalloyed love for Krishna. So let Him take everything. Everything! “I know one thing Narada, It is He who looks after My papas and punya.... I need not think about it.”
Upon returning, Narada hands over the dust to Sri Krishna. The Lord was waiting like a bee hovering on a lotus leaf. Narada reminded of Radha’s punyas being wiped off when the Lord could have alternative treatment. You know, Narada has his confusions both ways sometimes! The Lord said “Let me have a rest, I need some sleep now”. It was then that Narada sees Sri Krishna’s chest glowing. And in Krishna’s heart was a beautiful pink lotus. On it was the Vrindavan queen Radharani. Her feet were rubbing against the pollen of the lotus. The pollen was dropping as little yellowish dust similar to the colour of the Vrindavan earth. Narada then understood that Radharani was in the Lord’s heart.
Srimari Radharani was not elsewhere. She was in union with Krishna. Her love and devotion was so great that She need not give any thoughts to dharma-adharma. Her dharma was to be forever in yoga with the Lord. The spiritual significance in the story is that a real bhakta is utterly devoted and does not hold back uniting fully with Divine. Prema or the love of devotion can only offer Love itself. The greater a man’s love for God, the greater the bliss which he experiences. The lover of God sees God everywhere. A free bird is always determined to wing its way towards the clouds it loves.
Hari Om.
Yogi Ananda Saraswati