Beneath the broken grave

Vishnu stood in his celestial grandeur and looked at the battle field. Bodies, blood, women and children crying were the only scenes that greeted his eye. Vishnu’s celestial aura diminished, as his eyes rested on Arjun sitting near Pitamah’s body. He was again Krishna, a human who was suffering the pains of body and mind. He closed his eyes and tried to draw strength from this celestial knowledge, but failed miserably. Somehow every shriek in the battlefield reached his ear. Every blood stain touched his feet. Krishna did not have the courage to go on. He needed solace.

Walking miles after miles, he reached the banks of River Yamuna. Sitting below a kadam tree, he pulled out his flute and started to play. As the music filtered in his soul, he closed his eyes. Image after image flashed across the mirror of his eye. Vasudev giving him up to Nand. Yashoda loving him with all her soul. His mischievous band of friends creating havoc in Gokul. Radha, his one and only love. And finally the killing of Kansa. Shaking his head, Krishna tried to bring happy memories back in his mind. But he only saw destruction. Pandavas being defected cunningly in the dice game. Draupadi being dragged forcibly to court and Dushasan trying to disrobe her. Krishna’s flute fell away from his hand as he tried to close his mind against these horrible memories.

Questions that zipped through his mind did not need any answers. He smiled and looked at the sky, “You were right, Mahadev. Sometimes knowing the future is a curse. I am helpless to do anything. I am not able to control my emotions.” In his mind’s eye, he saw Shiva smiling. “We are all governed by time, Narayan.” “But you are mahakal. Is there nothing you can do?” Krishna asked in a frustrated voice. Shiva closed his eyes and said, “I knew that Sati would die if she went to Daksh’s yagna but still I let her go. Knowing the truth about future does not give you the right to change it. I surrendered to my emotions then. You also do the same thing.”

The vision was gone before Krishna could ask anything else. He picked up his flute and started walking towards Kurukshetra. The Pandavas would soon decide to leave everything. Sighing, Krishna realized, its a long way to go. When he reached the battlefield, he saw only funeral pyres. Opening his mouth and closing his eyes, he transformed himself to Vishnu again. Every soul from the pyre went inside him one by one. Releasing them in the air, Vishnu realized, he was everywhere but he was nowhere.

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